The next day, we began gathering tools to tackle the abandoned mine.

　Natsuki made a large quantity of easy to eat food and stocked it in his magic bag, while Yuki and Haruka used alchemy to make a gas detector and a direction finder.

　The gas detector detects harmful gases and alerts the user with an alarm, something that could be obtained in Japan.

　However, unlike a magnetic compass, a direction finder does not use a magnet to tell the direction.

　I'm in charge of buying rope, blankets, charcoal, long sticks, large cloths, and other miscellaneous items that might be useful.

　Even if I don't know if I'll use them, I can throw them in my magic bag and they won't get in the way, and our current financial situation is not so bad that buying such miscellaneous items will shake us.

　The remaining Toya was in charge of making a simple foldable sleeping platform that looked like a deck chair.

　Sleeping directly on the cold and damp ground of the cave is not a good way to recover from fatigue, no matter how many sheets and blankets you spread out.

　Therefore, I looked for a suitable foldable sleeping platform, but this was not available.
　It would be very convenient.

　When I asked Mr. Gantz about it, he said, "You can't sell it because you can't carry it.

　Magic bags are rare, and adventurers who have carriages can sleep in them.

　As far as I'm concerned, it's easier than sleeping in a carriage, and if the folding mechanism can be made well, it can be carried in the space between carriages, so I think it will sell well.

　Thus, Toya, who shares the same image as I do, has decided to start making it.

　To be honest, I feel that the number of days I can stay at the hotel depends on whether I can make this well or not, so I really hope that Toya will do his best.


　In the meantime, I was informed that the tanning of the skins of Dahl's Bear, which I had ordered before, was finished.

　Since it was urgent to have more armor, we decided to suspend our work and go to the store to order more armor using it.

　As usual, we went to Gantz's store to place the order.

　It may seem strange to order leather armor from a blacksmith, but Mr. Ganz's store is a weapon and armor shop.
　Mr. Gantz himself can work with leather to some extent, and it is said that he cooperates with specialized craftsmen to make difficult parts.

　However, the leather of Dahl's Bear seems to be quite difficult to work with.

"This guy has brought in something outrageous again!　I've never seen Dahl's Bear leather in the flesh.

Can't you?

I'm not saying it's impossible. I'm not saying it's impossible, but ...... it's not a job I can do alone, so it'll take some time.

　I'm not sure if you'll be able to find the right one for you.
　In fact, Gantz-san's usual work is too fast.

"Well, how long will it take to get everything together?

"Oh, boots, gloves, and partial armor for all of you. Well, I can't say for sure, but it will take more than ......1 months.

What?

Sorry, there are only a few craftsmen who can handle this level of material.

No, I'm surprised it took so long. You know?

Yeah. I thought it would take longer.

　Basically, all leather products are hand-sewn.

　Considering the durability of Dahl's Bear's leather, I wondered how hard it would be to sew it.
　It's only natural that it would take a long time for a professional craftsman to do it.

"Right. Then I'll take your measurements. If you have any detailed orders, tell me then.

　That's what I call custom-made.
　The measurements for the boots and gloves were quite detailed, and they seemed to be made to fit us perfectly.

　The boots I'm wearing now were made with simple measurements, so they are custom-made, but considering that it took much longer than the boots I was wearing at the time, they must have taken very detailed measurements.

　As for the current glove, it was not even a simple custom-made glove, but a glove I bought from a selection of ready-made ones, so I'm looking forward to seeing how the new one will be used.

Okay, I'm done. I'll call you when it's finished. Just be patient.

　The measurements alone took several hours.

　It took me a few hours just to take the measurements, and I also took some time to tell them what I wanted, so even though I came in the afternoon, the sun was already setting.

　I don't mean to complain at all, but we were certainly a little tired.

　We thanked Mr. Gantz and went straight home that day.

　　　　We thanked Gantz and went straight home that day.

　Three days after our visit to Gantz's store for measurements.
　Finally, we were ready to dive into the abandoned mine, and we were leaving the town of Laffan.

　Incidentally, the most time-consuming part was to make Toya's bunk.

　This was due to the repeated trial and error to make the folding mechanism and the ease of use, as well as the need to prepare enough for all of us.

　However, the way to the abandoned mine was relatively smooth.

　Perhaps due to the large number of undead we had killed last time, we encountered only five skeletons before reaching the abandoned mine.

　We encountered a few other demons as well, but it took us almost no time at all to get there.

　There didn't seem to be any undead hanging around in front of the abandoned mine, and it was possible that they were already out of stock.

Now, we're going to enter the abandoned mine. ...... Will Natsuki be leading the way, like last time?　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

　In the event that you've got a lot more than one of these, you'll be able to get a lot more.

　However, my suggestion was denied by Natsuki himself.

I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it.

"Right. Natsuki should be in the front, and Toya should be close to him, diagonally behind.

Okay. That way, I can get in front of you if you're in danger. To be honest, I don't know.

"Honestly, I don't know. The last time I went in, I didn't detect anything, but I'm not sure if there were no enemies or if the detection range has been narrowed. ......

Mmm. ......, we'll have to be extra careful for a while.

Please. Maybe it's not as if they can't be detected within the range of possible surprise attacks. ......

　I'm not sure if it's a sixth sense or a seventh sense, but it's a principle that I don't understand, so I can't say for sure.



　I'm sure it's a comprehensive ability of various senses, considering that when Toya's sense of smell was restricted, the range of his [search] became narrower.

I'm not sure what to make of this, but I think it's a good idea.　Which one of us will do it?
"Yuki, can I ask you a favor?　I'm the bow. ......
I'm the one with the bow. Okay.

　I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to do this, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

　Yuki took out from her magic bag a kind of drawing board on which a direction finder was fixed, and set her home-made graph paper on it.

　With this, he fixed the azimuth and the number of steps per square and started mapping.

I'll do my best, but don't expect too much, okay?
"As long as I can find the way, I'm good.
"Yeah, yeah. If there are differences in elevation, it will be very difficult.

　It's very difficult to draw a map when there are gradual bends and up and down slopes, even if it's something easy to understand like the old 3D dungeon type RPGs where every floor is the same height, stairs for up and down floor movement, and right angles for turns.

　If you have a GPS logger or something like that, it might be useful. .......

Incidentally, there are no alchemy tools that can do auto-mapping, right?

There's nothing useful like that. It's impossible to make one, but it's possible to set up a separate reference point?

　Haruka stopped short of saying "impossible" and thought about it.

　If such a thing were really possible, it would be useful not only for exploring abandoned mines, but also for walking in the forest.

Hmmm, if we can set up two base stations in advance and make a magic tool that can measure the distance from them, ......

"The problem is how to plot the measured distance on the paper. The problem is how to plot that distance on paper. It's hard to do manually while moving. ......

If you want to record up-and-down movement, you need three base stations. ......

Both of you, think about that when you get home. Right now, it's this way, right?

　Natsuki interrupted Haruka and Yuki, who put their heads together and began to think, and pointed to an abandoned mine.

I'm sure you're right. I'm sure you'll be able to figure out what's going on. This one, Toya, can you put it around your shoulders?

　Haruka looked up at Natsuki's warning, took two small magic tools from her magic bag, about the size of an elementary school burglar alarm, and handed one of them to Toya.

What about that one?

"This one goes on my ankle. Toxic gas can build up below or above you. Toya, you're the tallest.

　The best thing to do would be to wrap it around your head like a headlamp, but you've decided against it because of its appearance and the fact that it gets in the way.

The best thing to do would be to wrap it around your head like a headlamp, but he was reluctant to do that because of the appearance and distraction.

　Toya's nose and mouth are above his shoulders.

　As a natural consequence, if it is a light gas that accumulates above, as Toya says, it will have already been inhaled by the time it is detected.

Don't worry. It should be sensitive enough that it will detect the gas before it reaches a concentration that would affect the human body.

"Gases aren't exactly separated by weight. Otherwise, how can air be a gas mixture?

I see what you mean.

　Toya nodded his head as if he understood Yuki's explanation.

　Gases are more fluid than liquids, not to mention solids, and even if the air were completely sealed and unaffected by wind, it is unlikely that the air would completely separate into layers of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon dioxide.

　The same goes for toxic gases, which are unlikely to be separated into clean layers in a cave environment where we are moving around.

"Well, what if there was a gas that you couldn't breathe in at all?
Why don't you go to ......?
Then you give up.
Oi!

　I'm not sure what to make of it, but I'm sure it's a good idea.

You can't do anything about it, can you?　I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure you'll be fine.

If there's no room, we'll be abandoned!　--No, well, if you really can't afford it, you can't help it. ......

　I'm sure you're not the only one who has a problem with that.

I can't help it. I'm not sure if it's a good idea, but I think it's a good idea.

"Well... If the two of them are okay, then the first to fall will be me or Toya, considering that they can heal some poison.

No, you don't have to worry that much, we can detect normal poisonous gas, right?　You know that, don't you? You built it with me.

"Haha, I'm just kidding, just kidding. If that detector doesn't work, we'll probably all die together, so I won't miss you, okay?

　Yuki winked and gave a thumbs-up.
　Maybe it's true, but what about that too?

I don't like the idea of it. I'm not going to be the undead, even if I have to give up dying.

I agree. I'm not sure what to do, but I'm sure I'll be able to do it.

　Part of the zombie was exposed, right? It's not like there's a code of ethics, and it's not like they conveniently left the clothes on or put a mosaic over it.

　I'm not going to say where, and none of us ever mentioned it, but ...... if it was just you and Toya, it would have definitely been a topic of conversation.

　I'm not sure if it's a good idea to be a skeleton or not, but I'd hate to be a skeleton via a zombie.

Everyone, let's not say anything too sinister. Let's not speak too ominously.

That's true. Well, it was always a mine, so it won't be a problem.

　No, I think that word is already a flag. ...... If I say that, it might actually happen, so I'll keep my mouth shut.



Are you ready?　Let's go in then.

　With Haruka's words, we started to enter the abandoned mine, with Natsuki leading the way.