"What? Not the Magic Stone Coal for excavation?"
"Tch, understood."
The miners, puzzled but compliant, brought over the small Magic Stone Coal as instructed. These were Magic Stone Coal that produced small explosions, meant for piercing holes in walls.
"From now on, you just need to embed the Magic Stone Coal wherever the lady instructs."
Matthias said, standing beside Rose.
For a moment, doubt crept across the rugged, weathered faces of the miners. Just as someone impatient raised a hand to voice a complaint—
"What the hell are you bastards doing?"
the gallery foreman with bloodshot eyes barked.
"Move your asses and do as you're told!"
When he glared at them, everyone began moving without a word of protest.
Rose stood beside him, directing the miners with an expressionless face.
"Next, five cubits to the side from here."
Following Rose's instructions, the small Magic Stone Coal were placed at various points along the wall according to a precise formula.
"Tch, we'd be lucky if this even makes a hole……."
"Mining work should be left to the miners, tsk tsk……."
A few grizzled old miners muttered in low voices. They did as told, but it wasn't something their rugged pride could easily accept.
"……."
Even under those skeptical gazes, Rose gave nothing away.
She simply alternated between checking her notes and the wall, verifying and re-verifying that the Magic Stone Coal was placed at the exact right spots.
Once all preparations were complete.
"Sir Matthias."
Matthias approached at Rose's call.
"Can we begin?"
"Yes. Just channel mana into the wedge at the center there."
Among those present, Matthias was the most adept at manipulating mana.
Rose had a high understanding of mana's structure and flow, but had almost no mana within her own body.
Thud.
Matthias approached the wall without hesitation. Then he placed his hand on the wedge embedded at the center and channeled mana into it.
Pop!
The wedge, saturated with mana, began to glow hot—
Pop! Pop!
—and transmitted vibrations to the surrounding Magic Stone Coal. The stimulated Magic Stone Coal began to tremble.
"Uh-oh, it's gonna blow!"
"Everyone, stand back!"
People hastily retreated several steps. Even small Magic Stone Coal could cause injury if one was caught in the blast.
"……."
But Rose stood tall, right where she was.
"My lady! It's dangerous."
The moment Matthias reached out to grab Rose—
"-!"
—he froze under a single piercing gaze from her.
He felt an aura and presence similar to Dane's from this lady, who was far more delicate and petite than himself.
He felt it instinctively. That he shouldn't touch Rose right now.
"……."
Matthias hesitated briefly, then withdrew his hand and stepped back.
Instead, he stood by behind her, ready to pull Rose away at any moment. Just in case, he quietly prepared a shield as well.
"……."
Rose's indifferent gaze brushed past the shield and returned to the front.
Gulp.
The others watched from a distance, eyes on the wall and Rose.
They don't know a thing about mining and yet they're sticking their noses in. Serve her right to learn a lesson—such were their thoughts.
Keeeeing-
The Magic Stone Coal vibrated in sequence, emitting a ringing sound just before detonation.
"It's blowing!"
The moment someone ground their teeth in what sounded like a scream—
Crack!
Cracks began spreading across the wall, radiating from the Magic Stone Coal.
?!"
At the unexpected turn of events, everyone froze in place.
Normally, the Magic Stone Coal should have exploded, but they didn't. Instead, they crumbled from within, destroying only the surrounding wall.
"Huh?"
"What in tarnation?"
The surprises didn't end there.
Crack! Craaack!
The speed of cracking accelerated, and the splitting gaps grew wider and wider—
Creak.
Cracks appeared across every surface of the wall, centered around the Magic Stone Coal embedded throughout.
Rrrrumble.
Then the wall began to vibrate as if it were a single living organism. Even the magic stones embedded within began to resonate.
And then, finally—
Snap!
With a crisp sound, the wall crumbled into powder and cascaded down.
Ssshh—
Only the fine powder particles remaining on the floor were proof that a wall had once stood there.
"Gasp!"
"I-Insane!"
"What in the world!"
The people gaped in astonishment, shuddering with awe.
There were no boulders or rocks to move. Not a single one. Just stone dust thickly coating the floor, and sparkling particles drifting through the air.
"The w-w-wall was here... and now it's gone!"
"How did you do that!"
A great commotion erupted among the people. Even those who had worked in the mines for so long had never seen anything like it.
"Wow, this is seriously convenient! Nothing to haul!"
"Costs less too! What is this insane efficiency!"
Everyone was buzzing, unable to contain their amazement. Even the miners who had been grumbling earlier couldn't stop marveling.
"Could you teach us the method? So we can use it next time we excavate."
"No."
Rose answered firmly as the miners asked with completely changed attitudes.
"This method destroys the magic stones too."
"Uh-uh, really?"
Only then did the people notice the magic stone dust sparkling in the air.
"Well... I'll be darned."
The gallery foreman broke into a cold sweat, looking flustered.
"How... how much was all this worth... It's all been turned to dust......"
Only then did Rose smile slightly. The tension she had been holding inside loosened just a little.
"His Grace won't say anything about it."
"I'm sure you're right, but... My, the lady turns out to be quite something indeed."
"Anyway……."
Matthias interjected smoothly. His complexion was noticeably brighter as well.
"Let's continue!"
Under Rose's direction, the people continued breaking through the walls.
There was no blast shock to deal with, nor any need to haul out broken rock in carts.
All they needed was to set up support pillars to prevent cave-ins, which dramatically shortened the time.
It was the late afternoon of the second day since Dane had been trapped in the collapsing gallery.
Crumble!
The last remaining wall collapsed, and Gallery 13, now fully opened, was finally revealed.
"We're through!"
"It's done!"
The people cheered—
Tat!
Rose, who had been at the front checking the distance with her Magical Device, lunged forward first.
And she was the first to find him.
"...Your Grace!"
Dane, sitting with his back against the inner wall, eyes closed.
"Your Grace!"
"We found him!"
The people following behind screamed with joy. They all rushed after Rose without hesitation.
"Your Grace!"
Rose threw aside the Magical Device she'd been holding and dropped to her knees before Dane.
"Ah."
The moment she saw Dane, tears welled up and blurred her vision.
"What do I do……."
Dane's body was covered in wounds. One arm had a splint and was immobilized against his neck.
To think that a man who rarely ever got injured had collapsed in such an exhausted, wounded state.
Knowing he had ended up like this because he prioritized saving others over himself made it hurt even more.
'Please, never again...'
Rose wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. That was when she noticed something strange.
Dane had covered his nose and mouth with strips torn from his shirt. It appeared to be a measure to prevent something from entering his respiratory system.
"Your Grace, Your Grace!"
Rose shook him to wake him. But no matter how much she called, there was no response.
Thud.
Rose's heart dropped to the floor. A ominous premonition began creeping toward her like a shadow.
"Your Grace!"
Matthias dropped to his knees right beside Rose and cried out urgently.
"Wake up! Your Grace, Your Grace!"
Even as he shook him, Dane didn't regain consciousness.
"Let me examine him!"
Seeing the pharmacist rush over, the people quickly made way. The pharmacist examined Dane's condition with urgent but steady hands.
"He's breathing! But why... why is he unconscious?"
Bewilderment crossed the pharmacist's face. He carefully examined Dane's limbs and various parts of his body.
"Aside from one arm, there are no external injuries. His head... no marks on his head either?"
The pharmacist placed his hand on Dane's chest, then recoiled in alarm and pulled away.
"His heart is beating incredibly fast. But his hands and feet are cold. It appears to be hypothermia for now."
Though puzzled, the pharmacist quickly ordered a stretcher brought.
Clatter.
Dane's body was loaded onto the stretcher and carried outside. Everyone guarded Dane with frantic, anxious faces.
"……."
Rose stayed right beside Dane as they moved, watching over him.
His entire body was stiff and rigid. He was pale to begin with, but now his face was completely drained of color, ghastly white.
This face was terribly unfamiliar. No—it wasn't unfamiliar.
'...No.'
It was a face that was clearly in Rose's memory. Not from this life, but from her previous one.
Flash!
The moment he drank the wine and turned pale—Dane's memory struck her mind like lightning.
'That can't be. It's not His Grace's birthday yet. He didn't drink anything...'
Something suddenly caught Rose's eye.
Gallery 13 where Dane had been trapped, and the new tunnel they had carved through to reach it.
In all those places, magic stone dust glittered in the air.
'...Could it be!'
Rose's brain raced furiously, fitting puzzle pieces together.
Joel, mana backlash, wax, Velvet Wisp, magic stone dust…….
Every mystery was solved.
She knew exactly how Joel had poisoned Dane, and why Dane was unconscious right now.
Pound, pound.
Her heart pounded madly. Her fingertips trembled.
'...If this continues.'
Click.
People laid Dane on the bed. Then, leaving only Rose, Matthias, and the pharmacist behind, they left the room.
Clatter.
The pharmacist sat before Dane and began rummaging through a bag of treatment tools.
Rose stared at Dane and thought.
'If I leave him like this, His Grace will die.'
In her past life, Dane collapsed and never rose again—he eventually died.
That very event was about to unfold before Rose's eyes.
"It seems to be severe hypothermia. For this, we need to warm His Grace's heart……."
The pharmacist muttered, pulling out various tools. His intent was to warm Dane's heart.
"No!"
Rose instinctively realized that the medical procedure would hasten Dane's death.
"You can't!"
Rose hastily shielded Dane's body from the pharmacist.
"...My lady?"
The pharmacist stared at Rose with a bewildered face.
"My lady, I understand your anxiety, but this is the best option right now. If we don't hurry, His Grace—"
"Sir Matthias."
Rose bit her trembling lip hard and looked at Matthias.
"Give me—give me just ten minutes."
This wasn't the time to explain that Joel was responsible, or why His Grace was unconscious.
There wasn't enough time to explain how she knew any of this or how she would resolve it.
All she needed was trust.
"……."
Matthias furrowed his brow and clamped his mouth shut.
"Please, Sir. Just ten minutes. I can fix this."
"No, my lady. What are you doing? I've saved dozens of people trapped in here."
The pharmacist raised his voice slightly, incredulous.
"I know the symptoms of trapped victims better than anyone. This is respiratory failure and hypothermia, in this situation we need to……."
Swift.
Matthias reached out and covered the pharmacist's mouth. Then he said.
"Will ten minutes be enough?"
"No, Sir Matthias! What are you—"
The pharmacist was frantic, but Matthias simply grabbed him and hauled him to his feet with a scowl.
"Exactly ten minutes."
Having said his piece, he left with the pharmacist and closed the door.
Click.
Rose quickly locked the door. She didn't even have a moment to thank Matthias for trusting her.
Right now, she just had to act.
Crash!
She upended the box she had brought and dumped its contents onto the floor.
'...It's here!'