She Who Became Immortal

The three mole beastmen of the Simlika Clan—Martla Simlika, Kartla Simlika, and Shutra Simlika—were almost indistinguishable, even to the keen eyes of Euphemia Grimwood. The mole beastmen, being mole beastmen, seemed to care little about individual distinctions.

When I called them by the wrong names, they didn’t get angry or even annoyed. They had a serene acceptance of their identities, confident in who they were, regardless of external labels. It was a refreshingly pleasant attitude.

These mole beastmen claimed to be "Beastmen close to the spirits," possessing unique magic abilities. This "unique magic" wasn't something other races couldn't replicate at all; it was just that the mole beastmen could use it instinctively without training.

Their unique magic involved manipulating stone and earth.

The Simlika Clan, in particular, excelled at "ore selection and refining" and "ore transformation and processing." For example, the mountain knife they crafted for the leopardess beastmen was made by gathering iron from river mud and mixing it with charcoal using their magic.

They likely used their magic to gather iron bacteria, blend it with carbon, separate impurities, and finally process it into steel.

"Still, weapons forged by you are stronger than those we make," Martla remarked.

I understood this as the difference between cast iron and wrought iron. In this world, "iron forging" involved imbuing the metal with magical energy, a process unique to blacksmiths.

But that was just one part of their contribution. The mole beastmen brought more than their magic; they brought information about a "Labyrinth."

They discovered a "Labyrinth of the Gods"—commonly known as a dungeon—while mining iron ore in Dubil’s rocky region.

The founding legend of the Louisse Kingdom tells of the first King Louisse conquering a similar labyrinth and using its treasures to establish the kingdom. Similar dungeons supposedly existed in the southern desert nations and perhaps in many other places, unknown to us.

These labyrinths were vast underground spaces with multiple floors, inhabited by monsters unseen on the surface. Defeating these monsters yielded items, and for some inexplicable reason, even treasure chests could be found.

Despite their absurdity, these labyrinths existed. Denying their reality wouldn’t change anything.

As for the nature of these labyrinths, I had no interest, and neither did the members of Grimwood. None of us aimed to delve into the labyrinth’s depths. We merely explored safe areas to gather iron ingots and magic ore, treating it as a routine task, like fetching water from a distant river.

According to the Simlika Clan, this was the "Labyrinth of the Blacksmith God."

 

---

"The mole beastmen are said to be descendants of those who were inhabited by the spirits of the earth," Martla began.

"Our ancestors, through generations, have taught us this," Kartla added.

"We, the mole beastmen, can use the unique magic of stone and earth as naturally as walking or holding things. Asking how we do it is pointless," Shutra finished.

Their collective sense told them one thing clearly.

"If we delve deeper, we’ll find magic silver and false magic silver. If we go even further, we’ll encounter indestructible ore. Beyond that, even we cannot predict," Martla explained.

Magic silver was a common metal in fantasy worlds. I had heard about it at the royal academy: it had excellent magical conductivity, was very light, and fairly hard. The captain of the Louisse Kingdom’s knight order supposedly owned a sword made of mithril alloy.

False magic silver—I wasn’t sure, but it might be chrome. If so, it could be used to make stainless steel.

Indestructible ore was likely the fantasy staple, adamantite. Known to be stronger than mithril, though its exact properties were unclear. It could be incredibly tough or surprisingly soft.

This information, honestly, was not very relevant. Exploring the labyrinth’s depths involved significant danger. While mithril swords and adamantite axes were attractive, they were not essential. We were managing fine without them.

However, the mole beastmen’s ability to use unique magic made a significant difference. They could create alloys with precise ratios and even produce magic stones from magic ore.

"So, can you make magic stones that glow for specific alloy ratios and not for others?" I asked.

Their answer was affirmative.

I couldn't contain my excitement. I, Euphemia "Dancing" Grimwood, did a little dance of joy.

The mole beastmen watched my sudden dance and, to my delight, joined in with handclaps.

After progressing through the meeting and setting the course, it had already grown dark by the time Euphemia and the others, such as Nerva, the leopardess beastman who had come along but didn't join the meeting, and Alto Bernard, who waited in the carriage, were informed of various details.

Together with the remaining orcs and those who had come along, they enjoyed a hearty and delicious dinner. Nerva's hunting was the key to their success.

"By the way, Euphemia. Weren't we supposed to refrain from delving deeper into the labyrinth during the ongoing war?" Dubil said as he devoured grilled meat.

I chewed a piece of meat thoughtfully before answering, "Well, that was the plan, but since we have a strategy to win, isn't it natural to consider what comes after we win?"

Certainly, once the war starts, we won't have time for labyrinth exploration. Therefore, as soon as we anticipate the start of hostilities, we'll need to send messengers to the rocky mountain area, but that's not an immediate concern. Their preparations won't be so easily organized.

Of course, they won't be leisurely either, so it might take more than a week until they're ready.

There's no rush to start exploring the labyrinth; we can do so once things settle down.

"True enough. With proper preparation, your fortress will be impregnable," Dubil remarked, gazing at the newly constructed building with a somewhat subtle grimace. It was Dubil's new forge, constructed as a practice in reinforced concrete using magic-infused steel.

He had been producing steel and reinforced bars here since partway through the construction. After all, his original forge was only suited for one person.

"There was quite the fighter among our enemies. His sword strikes were said to rival Randall's. But he couldn't breach the outer walls of the fortress," Dubil continued, mentioning a young swordsman supposedly hired by Eckhart, the escort of the 'Saint of Healing.' He had only once been seen on the battlefield at the behest of the 'Prodigal Prince.'

"If you run magic-infused steel like that, you'll be invincible against magical shocks. Even the Four Noble Families of the demons wouldn't be able to endure the magic they'd shot," he added.

"The Four Noble Families?" It was a new term for me. Since Junos and the others rarely talked about their time as demons, I hadn't bothered to ask.

Dubil, with a somewhat bitter expression, shook his broad shoulders slightly.

"It's been a long time since I became a slave in the demon realm. Under the Demon King, there were four particularly powerful individuals. I don't know their faces or names, but the demons feared those Four Nobles greatly."

"Is that so?" I nodded, thinking I should ask Junos and the others about it sometime. At that moment, sitting next to me, Katarina turned her back.

There, she was.

The nine-tailed fox.

"Oh, it smells so good. I was told to come here after my reconnaissance, so I walked here. Fairly quickly, mind you. By the way, are there any leftovers for me?" Kairine asked, sounding dissatisfied if you only listened to her words, yet she grinned happily for some reason.

"I appreciate the effort. If you don't mind my leftovers, you're welcome to eat as much as you want," I said, presenting the remaining grilled meat on the polished stone plate. I don't need to eat to survive, so I have no desire to consume large quantities. I enjoy tasting food, though, so I do have that craving.

"I'm grateful. In that case—"

Before Kairine could reach for my plate, Katarina swiftly took it away from me and handed it to her with a proud expression.

"Ah, thanks."

The nine-tailed fox nodded casually and began eating while standing.

As always, she was inscrutable. I still didn't quite understand why this fox willingly stayed under my command. I wouldn't put it past her to be plotting something, yet at the same time, she seemed oddly devoid of any schemes.

Kairine's primary objective had been to overthrow the Beast King Randall. Since that had already been achieved, I pondered what significance this creature's life held now. It should logically be deducible, but dealing with someone who seemed capable of betraying even those deductions made it tedious to think about.

She was an unpleasant individual.

But that didn't mean I disliked her.

"Kairine," I addressed the dubious fox stuffing meat into her mouth.

"Mariel San Foresight, an Aelv woman, claimed she and her companions were assaulted by a nine-tailed fox and had their Aelv treasure stolen," I informed her.

"Foresight? Aelv? Hm... I don't recall anything like that," she replied, nonchalant. I didn't doubt her denial, but hearing it from her somehow made it more suspicious and, frankly, a bit amusing.

"I've mentioned before that I wandered around Aelv territory for nearly a decade. Foresight is a unique clan among the aelvs. While ordinary aelvs are extremely pale, reclusive, and quite arrogant... Foresight moves around aelv territory almost like nomads, hunting down monsters approaching other clans' territories. They're a clan of hunters," I explained.

"Do you know this woman named Mariel?" I asked.

"No," she replied.

"Then why do you think this Aelv woman accused a specific and distinctive beastman like you, the Nine-Tailed Fox, of being a robber?" I pressed on.

"Hmm..." Kairine tilted her head, chewed thoughtfully, then finished the meat casually. Perhaps she really was hungry. I didn't mean to tease her, but sometimes my treatment of her could be a bit rough — well, she brought it upon herself.

"Probably," she began, not spending much time on her thoughts but speaking with certainty, "as you know, I've dealt with humans to procure armor. I only had contact with my trading partner. Therefore, the only way humans could have obtained information about the 'Nine-Tailed Fox' is through that trading partner. Of course, there's also the possibility that a beastman who knows me is connected to humans, but..."

There was no need to dwell on that.

Kairine's speculation mirrored my own.

If that was the case, there was only one thing to ask.

"Who did you deal with?" I questioned.

"I only met one person... a thin little man who seemed sharp. After our agreement, he brought the armor to the meeting place in the Demon Realm. Thirty sets, you know. Naturally, he didn't transport them alone. I believe he introduced himself like this..."

"—Golt Armaments Company."

This organization had ties to Mariel San Foresight, the Aelv woman. Consequently, it logically connected to the 'Prodigal Prince' Blitz Orse Louisse.

They were a group capable of preparing thirty suits of armor and delivering them to a specific location in the Demon Realm. Moreover, in this case, they were intending to fulfill the verbal agreement with Kairine. They were the sort to proceed with execution even if it turned out to be fruitless.

"I see. I don't know," I said.

Since I didn't know, there was nothing more to be done.