--Kin, kin, kin!

　The sound of something hard being crushed echoed through the air.
　In a daze, Xellos listened to the sound.
　His thoughts were still shrouded in darkness, and he tried to awaken his consciousness from the mire of darkness by relying on the sound, but it was heavy as if shackles were being placed on him.
　A small part of his consciousness wanted to plunge into the depths of darkness like this.

--I'm not sure what to do.

』』』』
"We're the gatecrashers!
『『『『 soiya, soiya! 』』』』
"I'm dumb, but I'm a genius!　Let's work to our heart's content!
"Soiya, soiya, soiya, soiya!
"Sweat is brighter than tears, and the way you work is beautiful... If you can't use this arm, you'll just rot in the dirt!　There's no such thing as impossible in front of us. I'm not going to be able to do anything about it. 『『『『Sparking! 』』』』 If anyone goes down, we'll just hit them and gut them!
『『『『 With a pickaxe, you can go anywhere. Dwarves who can't work are just trash. 』』』』　
I'm not sure what to make of this.　I'm not sure what to make of it.

　I'm not sure what to say.
　I'm not sure what to make of this. Moreover, the sound of the pickaxe was eight-beat.
　Only a stiff feeling of discomfort remained in the old man's mind.
　And at the same time, I remember. He remembers that he has been kidnapped by Hanba Civil Engineering.

"Where am I at ......?　Where have I been kidnapped to?

　I looked around and saw that I was in a large underground space.
　On the ceiling and around the perimeter were countless lamps made of magic stones, their lights illuminating the surroundings and making the dark underground space seem like midday.
　Scaffolding was set up on the huge curved rock walls, and many craftsmen were wielding pickaxes frantically.

"Oh, you noticed, little man?
Mr. Boring?　I'm not sure where the hell I am ......?

Dwarves are hard to identify. Even so, Xellos recognized the dwarf because of his familiar voice and because he was clean-shaven. If he had a beard, he probably wouldn't be able to tell them apart.
　That's how indistinguishable they are.

Is this it?　This is the Great Ilmanas Underground Ruins. This is our site.
"Ruins ....... Come to think of it, the buildings here are all made of stone. From what I can see, it looks like it's quite old. ......
Yeah, they're ruins from the time of the wicked war. It's also a town inhabited by dwarves.
Huh. ......

　At any rate, Xellos decides to gather information to confirm the situation.
　In the event that you have any questions regarding where and how to use the site, you can call us at the web site. I don't know why the dwarves gathered here, but they have been living in this great underground space, making a small amount of products and selling them outside, and expanding little by little.
　The underground mineral resources were scarce but could be mined, so they spent a long time digging a large underground tunnel connecting the three countries for trade, but the route was extremely inconvenient.
　When the tunnel first opened, many dwarves came and went, but eventually kobolds and goblins began to settle in the underground passage, and it gradually became a dangerous underground passage. Until recently, mercenaries have been visiting the area to slay the kobolds and goblins, and have been able to reduce their numbers considerably, but we cannot be too careful.
　But we can't be too careful, for another horde may soon take up residence.

I'm not sure that's enough to get me taken away. Is there something wrong?
"I'll explain it. Well, you'll have to listen a little longer.

　About thirty years ago, at the order of Creston, who was the Duke at the time, a plan to further expand this underground passage was brought up, and over a long period of time, the construction was steadily progressing.
　In addition to the city you are in now, there are two other similar underground towns, and the plan to connect all three of them with a single underground roadway has almost come to a halt due to one problem. The reason for this is the huge rock wall in front of us.
　The road connecting the two sides of the city, the Kingdom of Isaras and the Imperial Kingdom of Atollum, has indeed been connected, but it cannot penetrate the rock wall between the Imperial Kingdom of Atollum and the Magical Kingdom of Solistea.
　Hanba Civil Engineering had been on site for a month and had been working on the project, but the results were not good.
　They wielded pickaxes, but the rock wall was too hard, so they used [Gaia Control] to make a hole with magic, but the effect was not good. Furthermore, the hole that he had tried so hard to make would completely return to its original state the next day.
　There are some places that repel magic, and this is where the construction hit its biggest obstacle.

"Repel magic?　"Repel magic?　That's weird. ......
I think so too, but you'll have to see for yourself.　I think so too, but you can see it for yourself. There's also some fine metal in it that seems to counteract the magic.
That doesn't make any sense. Even if there is metal in it, the spell still works. If it's still rejected, then the effect of the magic barrier is probably high. ......
I'm not a mage, so I don't know what you're talking about.

　In the event that you've got a lot of money, you'll be able to use it for a lot of things. This is a common misconception, especially among those who do not know magic.
　However, magic-free zones are rarely created in the natural environment. If there is, it is only in dungeons.


　Or it would have to be artificially created to make such a thing possible.
　And even if it was a magical barrier, the dwarves had high magic power but poor perception, so they couldn't figure out the cause.

"Man-made?　No way, that rock wall is ...... no, we can't be sure of that yet, but we can certainly try. Now, ......

　Xelloss was pondering for a moment, when he suddenly looked up and saw Boring.

"Mr. Boring. I'm going to go under that rock wall. You can't know anything until you see it for yourself.
Oh, come on. You're all I've got. I'm running behind schedule.
There are a lot of unanswered questions, so if possible, I'd like you to take me to a place with fewer craftsmen.
I'll take care of it.

　Boring led me down the rock wall.
　On the way, we saw armed mercenaries for some reason.

Why are there so many mercenaries?　Didn't we get rid of the goblins and dogs?
Skeletons have been popping up lately. What a nuisance, even with all the delays in construction. ......
Skeletons ....... I'm not sure what to make of this.　It's impossible to make up for this with magic stones, no matter how you look at it. ......
I don't know. I'm not sure what to make of this.　I'm not sure what to make of it.
I'm not sure where the magic power is coming from.　You can't move this many magic tools without a magic reservoir. I'm sure there's a magic supply point somewhere. ...... Where the hell is it?

　There were too many unanswered questions about this place.
　If you believe Boring's words, there have been countless lighted magical tools installed before, and the location of their magical power supply is unknown. And then there are the rock walls, with their unusual hardness and regenerative abilities.
　A hypothesis arises, but there is no proof, you have to see for yourself. The old man is starting to enjoy himself a little.
　If his hypothesis is correct, there is a good chance that he will see something interesting. In the meantime, they had reached the bottom of the rock wall.

"Oh, Mr. Xelloss, you're awake.
I'm not sure I like the idea of kidnapping you out of the blue. It's a kidnapping technique. If it wasn't for me, I'd be sued.
I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I just didn't have much time, so I had to go on the offensive.

　The person who approached me was Naguri, the one who had kidnapped me. He doesn't seem to feel bad at all.
　Dwarves are craftsmen when it comes to work, but they are usually very rough around the edges.

Please consider the convenience of people. ....... So, this is the rock wall in question: ....... It's pretty high.
Yeah, this one's a pain in the ass. I've got to do something about it.
I'm a little concerned about something. I'd like to try it out, if that's all right.
Anything. As long as I can start working, I'm happy.
Let's start with ...... [Gaia Control].

　Xelloss used the Gaia Control with all his might. The effect created a 20-meter depression in the surface of the rock wall. The people around him shouted in admiration, "Oh ......".
　However, Xelloss had a different purpose, and he sensed the magic of the rock wall flowing in the area he had lost by using magic.
　As if to mitigate Xellos's magic, a magical barrier was put up, and the effect of the hole he tried to make spread to the surrounding area, replacing the effect of a depression. Moreover, Xellos' magic, which was intended to penetrate, was canceled out.
　As a result, a large amount of sand mixed with minerals rained down in front of the rock wall.

"I see, .......... This is tricky.
Did you find out anything?
Not yet. I think we're going to see something interesting in a few minutes, don't you?
What's that?　Something interesting. ......

　It happened in front of many craftsmen, including Xelloss.
　The sand that Xelloss had created with his magic effect began to move all at once, returning to the rock wall and filling the hollow. It was a phenomenon that could not happen naturally, and everyone gasped.

"Hey, ......, that's .......
No way, the hole is closing up so fast ....... Seriously, what's going on?
Do you have a map?
Hey, we'd like an explanation. ......
Bring me a map, please. A map of the area including this city. It would be nice if it included the other cities. I'll explain everything after I've seen the map.
"Okay. ...... Hey, someone get me a map!　I'm sure you'll be able to find something that works for you.



　The craftsmen rushed into action, but there was no need for more than twenty of them to move.
　The more upset they were, the more delayed the construction was. If they failed, they would have to pay compensation. The craftsmen are in such a hurry.
　After all, this is a national project and failure is not an option.
　Incidentally, the old man's thoughts shifted to the expectation that something interesting would happen, and he forgot that he had been kidnapped. It should have been a crime in the normal sense of the word: .......
　In addition, Xellos was scented by the socks that Nagri had been wearing for a month and the odor-enhancing liquid that enhanced the smell. The skill of [State Abnormality Disable] was powerless in the face of the vicious stench.
　Perhaps it's a good thing that I forgot that I was kidnapped. There are things in this world that you don't need to know.

　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇

　A large number of maps were brought in.
　I chose one of them that was close to an overall view of the great ruins and spread it out on the table.

What is your current location?
"Oh, ......, it's about here, but what does that tell you?
"Hold on a minute. If this is where we are, then ...... this rock wall is curved, then ......

　Xellos glanced at the map and took out a compass from his inventory, placing it around the perimeter with a piece of charcoal between it and looking for the center point. Then, after assigning an approximate location, he drew a circle at once.

Perhaps that rock wall is a kind of magical barrier. It is constructed with a combination of magic and magical barriers of the same quality as Gaia Control, and no matter how it is attacked, the effects of the magic are canceled out in the process, and the shattered parts are rebuilt again. To put it simply, it's a wall that repairs itself.
"Hey, if that's a magical wall, then that's ...... inside.
If that's a magical wall, then there's probably a city inside. Old times. ....... It would take a lot of magic power to light up these ruins. Considering where the magic power came from, it seems that the magic power came from the ruins in the back. Otherwise, it doesn't make sense. ......
You'll be able to find a lot more information on this website at 「「「「「 ruins,------?

　The great ruins of Ilmanas are the ruins built by the dwarves.
　You can find a lot of people who are looking for the best way to get the most out of their lives. From the city built around the perimeter, there were underground passages, one of which led to another city.
　Unfortunately, it is too far to be used as a street, and wagons are not allowed to pass through it.
　The interesting thing is that this ruin has diverted a small amount of magic power that leaked out from the inside of the rock wall, and that magic power is enough to light up the entire town. If this is the case, there is a very high possibility that there is a huge pool of magic power inside the wall.
　If the magic was diverted, it means that a few mages from the old days, who were thought to have been wiped out, survived and helped to build this dwarven town. The question disappears, but a new one arises.
"Why did the mages come to this place? This is the question.
　Xelloss believes that the reason lies within the walls.

"Well?　How do we get through that wall? There's got to be a way, right?
"Not from the outside. No matter how hard you break it, it'll rebuild itself. There's got to be an entrance somewhere. Where is it buried? ......
"Hey, hey, what is it then?　Doesn't everything we've been doing make sense?
Yes, it does. Even I can't build a barrier of that scale. I think there's probably a facility inside that sends magic .......
You want to go in there and destroy it?
No way!　If we do that, this city will be buried under the ground. It would be better to somehow find the entrance, infiltrate the interior, and use the entire ruins.

　But the entrance is nowhere to be found.
　If we can find it, we will have the entire remains of the old era alive.
　The economic impact would be huge.

"The question is, where is the entrance to ......?
"That's the problem? Yumbo, do you know anything about it?
I don't know anything!　Anyway, what's that axe in your hand?
It's nothing, don't worry about it. Hahahahahaha.
Well, wha-ha-ha. ......

　Naguri had not yet forgotten the grudge of food.
　Aside from that, the dwarves and other artisans also exchanged their opinions and discussed to share information.
　After an hour or so, a conclusion was reached. The mercenaries' actions were suspicious.

I'm not sure what to make of it, but I think it's a good idea. There are only a few demons that can be defeated in such an underground world. There are goblins and dogs, but they are almost always defeated, so I think there is another problem. That's a skeleton!
"It's a scum demon. What's so important about it?
Think about it. This is the underworld, where they used to put the dead in pots and cremate them outside before burying them. So where do the skeletons come from?　The answer is .......


I see. Inside the walls. ....... So, are the mercenaries hiding that from us?
I don't know, but I'm sure they know more about where the skeletons come from than we do.

　The dwarves and other artisans were more frustrated than Xelloss had expected when the work was unexpectedly delayed.
　The dwarves and other artisans were more frustrated than Xelloss had expected because of the unexpected delay.

"Well, ....... They're withholding information, aren't they?
"Look, I'm pissed off because I can't get any work done. Why don't we have a little chat, fist bump?
Oh, ......, they're probably thinking they can't make money if they report us to the government.
It's an undiscovered site after all, and if we miss it, we won't get the treasure. ....... They're not going to let us get away with this.
Let's go, motherf*ckers!　I'm going to go f*ck the bastards!
「「「「「 ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! 」」」」」

　Yes, this is the site of a national project.
　Even if they didn't intend to, the mercenaries should have been sentenced to death.
　Even if they had no intention to do so, if they had identified the place where the skeletons appeared, they were obligated to report it.
　But the artisans have not heard of such information. In this case, using the power of the state as a shield to blackmail the mercenaries is not a crime. After all, it is the mercenaries who are committing the crime.
　If it is judged that their actions were delaying the national project, they will be lucky to get away with a slave fall.
　Nagri and the rest of the artisans were on their way to finish off the mercenaries.

"There won't be any dead ...... people, will there?

　Whether there would be dead or not depended on the attitude of the mercenaries.
　After a while, the old man saw shouting and screaming in the distance.

　.

　The blood-curdling screams ceased.
　As he waited at the construction site in a cold sweat, the construction warriors came back to us, pulling their chains.
　They had beaten the mercenaries to a pulp, and then dragged them back to us after using the chains to bind them.
　With a really good smile on his face, ....... They are always serious about life.

I knew it. ......

　The artisans look refreshed, as if they've just taken a bath, and they're really happy.
　The mercenaries, on the other hand, are in a terrible state. It's a good idea to take a look at the website and see if you can find anything that might help you.

I'm not sure why you need to hire mercenaries to do this.　It's a great way to get rid of the goblins and kobolds with just a few craftsmen.

　The old man couldn't help but wonder about the strength of his arm.
　After all, the craftsmen outnumbered the mercenaries. A weak demon should be a piece of cake.

"Hey, kiddo. I knew it. They're hiding information from us. There's a crack deep in the ledge. That's where the bones come from.
There's a twisted wooden door at the back of the ledge, but the ones who go there never come back.

　I knew there were ruins.

The door ......?
Yeah, it seems to be some sort of watchtower built on top of the wall, but the wood has decayed and skeletons are gushing out of the holes.
Should we report it to the ...... country? If all goes well, the underground ruins may become an important base. But skeletons,.......

　If there are skeletons, it means that there are a lot of dead bodies left in the depths of the ruins.
　In the first place, skeletons are not demons. It is a phenomenon caused by the properties of magical power.
　Magic has the ability to interfere with people's minds. A mage is a person who puts a magic formula on the wave of the mind and deploys the formula to manifest as a phenomenon. On the other hand, skeletons are originally dead people, and when they die, some of their emotions and memories are recorded in their magic power, and they behave as if they have a will. This is the so-called wraith.
　If a wraith stays in this world for a long time, it will disappear due to the self-cleansing effect of nature.
　However, the wraiths that contain human intentions are afraid of being erased, and by dwelling in matter, they suppress the wear and tear of the magical power that builds their bodies. When it attaches to a corpse, it turns it into a skeleton.
　But it is only a magical body. Over time, its personality will fade away, and it will attack people to maintain its personality. The same was true of all the undead.

I don't know how many of them there are, but it would be better to spread out the entrance and deal with them in groups. I don't know how much damage they'll do, though.
"I see, even the predicted scale of the ruins is quite large. We'll have to go with that.
Get ready for your prey, boys!　It's going to be another tough fight!
」」」」」

　The work was delayed, and the construction warriors were under a lot of stress.
　They wanted to relieve their stress by smashing the skeleton.

　Then, with Nagri at the center, they began to assemble to dig out the entrance to the ruins.


　They seem to want to get this job done at all costs. Their enthusiasm is unstoppable.
　And no one can stop them now. .......

　The work was eventually suspended.

　In the end, we had to stop the civil engineering work on this day.
　Nagri and his team will have to go down to the fissure in the rock shelf in question and estimate the cost of digging out the entrance.
　Half of the civilians currently in the area are enough to handle the job, and the rest are going to be assigned to fighting positions. If we don't solve this problem at all costs, many civil engineering companies will lose credibility.
　Before that, it is unacceptable to leave the work unfinished in such a half-hearted situation. They are all proud craftsmen. If they were to fail in their work due to their own inexperience, it would be understandable with regret, but in this case, they are not at fault at all.
　Since the interruption was caused by external factors, they were determined to solve it on their own.

It's absurd. What powerful people. ......

　They are hot and energetic men.
　These were the gutsy craftsmen, including those of Hanba Civil Engineering. There is no word of compromise in their dictionary.
　The old man sips his tea while watching the noisy men.

　The place where Xellos is now is a temporary dormitory built for the many construction workers.
　The town, which is a dwarven settlement, has a limited number of lodgings to begin with. They are not large enough to accommodate a large number of people. For this reason, after much trial and error, the civil engineers decided to build a simple accommodation facility.
　Dozens of people slept in prefabricated huts, so to speak.

It's basically warm because it's underground, but you can bring your own food ....... How can the dwarves live in such a place? How do they provide their own food?
"Not much, but there's ore being mined, and we use that money to buy food from outside.
Mr. Boring, are you sure you don't want to stay out there?
Mr. Boring, are you sure you don't want to be out there? - Nagri's in charge, he'll be fine. And to answer your question, I've heard that they're getting super fast delivery wagons these days.
"...... super-speed?

　In the back of Xellos' mind, the image of a funky summoner blasting away in a good mood came to mind.

I'm sure you've heard of it.　Why would you let such a dangerous person ......
"You mean that guy?　I don't know his name, but he's handy. He gets us to the scene faster, and he's been a big help getting food to this town. What's wrong with that?　Well, I don't know what the hell he means.
I was surprised to find him useful. ....... Did I only see the bad side of him?

　In any world, there are good and bad sides to every person, but I thought [High Speed Jonathan] was clearly harmful. However, as the place changed, he seemed to be doing a good job for others.
　In reality, you never know what's going to happen.

I'm sure he'll be doing some intercontinental hauling soon. The guild's carriage is a monster. ......

　To be honest, I have no idea when they are taking a break.
　They're running through the streets at ridiculous speeds and even carrying demons to the hunting grounds.
　The damage is done, but it seems to me that he is contributing more than that.
　Well, the fact that he uses a holy beast instead of a horse is enough to make him a monster.

"Well, I threw up at first because it shook so much, but once you get used to it, it's pretty useful. He's usually a good guy.
"I don't want to be bombarded with that kind of tension. Even if you are usually a good guy, that speed is indeed .......

　I'm not sure what to make of it.
　I don't want to ride in such a dangerous carriage ever again.

"We've talked about this. We're going to start for real tomorrow. Mr. Xelloss, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to take care of those bones.
"That's all well and good, but you said the entrance to the ruins is halfway up the cliff.　Are you going to keep digging there, Mr. Naguri?
I've been to the site once. I've got some estimates. My guess is we can excavate the entrance in half a day. I'm prepared to manhandle.
"No, I don't know how big it is, but my guess is it's as big as the city gate.　You can't do it in half a day.

　Normally, it would be difficult to collapse a cliff over twenty meters high in half a day.
　But Naguri and Boring smiled fearlessly.

"Hey, we can clean up a cliff like that in three hours.
"Yeah, we'll have the entrance to the ruins dug out in no time!
You're idiots!　You're idiots! You're so reckless, the other craftsmen are going to ......
They're going to do it too. I'm sure you'll agree.　I can't do any real work these days, so I'm pent up.



　I look at the craftsmen, their eyes glazed over, smiling thinly as they face the rock wall.
　They are all craftsmen who put their lives into their work, or workaholics, as they say. Words have no meaning anymore.
　They are happy to be able to work for the first time in a long time, and they want to work so badly that they want to dig it out with a pickaxe.
　They just want to work in a healthy way, but it's eerie to see 570 people smirking at the same time.

"I told you. "You said it yourself, we're dung beetles whose only function is to work.
That was for real. ....... How much do these people love their jobs?
Yes, they do. ....... We love our jobs so much that we can't quit even if our families hate us!
That's not good enough!　We love our jobs so much that we can't quit even if our families love us back!
You can live without your family. It's not like I'm dying, so I don't care if I put work first.
I'm sorry.　This is a great way to make sure you are getting the most out of your money.

　In the case of ordinary families, they are often too busy with work to be close to their families, but that's because their work and family time don't match up.
　However, the men here are the ones who have abandoned their families to take up work. Their perception is the exact opposite of that of ordinary people.
　Normally, they think about their families and try to spend time with them in between work, but they intentionally abandon their families in favor of work. I wonder how many of them have divorced so far.
　Words are no longer necessary. No words will reach them. .......

"We'll be on the move first thing tomorrow morning, so get some rest. I'll leave the inside of the ruins to you.
I'll leave the inside of the ruins to you." ...... I understand. I'm mentally tired today, so I'll save my magic for tomorrow.
Come on, you're our trump card.
He was already being treated like an employee, wasn't he supposed to be a part-timer?

　On this day, the old man found out that he was being treated as a fixture of Hanba Civil Engineering.
　With a severe headache, Xellos was led by the two dwarves to the second floor of the temporary quarters.
　However, he was unable to sleep until half past midnight, and the next day he had a difficult morning due to lack of sleep.
　The reason for this was the great feast that took place until midnight, and Xellos had forgotten that dwarves were great drinkers. And festive, too.
　The old man can't get a good night's rest. Gassho: .......