I'm concerned about what this Fiendish Beast is up to, but there's nothing I can do about it at the moment.

　That's why I should do what I can do right now.

　With that in mind, I went into the tunnels to search for people in distress.

'Dariel-sama!　Don't you ever leave us, you hear me?
If you lose them in the mines you'll die!

　Yeah, yeah, yeah.

　Well, what Knocker and the others are saying is not exaggerated, but if a stranger enters the tunnels carelessly, they will definitely get lost.

　The structure inside is very complicated.

　It is a living maze that is being dug out day and night to extract the ore, and the action of changing its shape is a living maze.
　Even if the directions are drummed into your brain, the next day you may find that a new passage has been created. If that happens, the old map is useless.

　That's what tunnels are for.

　And since it's underground, there's no light to reach it, and it's completely dark. You can't even check your own handwriting unless you bring in a light fixture of Kantera proportions.

　Therefore, there was a good chance that there were people in distress.

　The attack of the flame monster Salamandra had forced the miners and guild staff to flee to the mine for shelter.
　People were so panicked that they rushed deeper into the mine, trying to get as far away from the danger as possible.
　Some of them were so rude that they didn't know what to do.

　Our goal is to search for and find the victims of such a monster attack and bring them back to the surface.

　With Knocker, who knows everything about the tunnels in real time, as our guide, me, Reedy, and Alanziel will split up to search for the victims.

The tunnels are so complicated that if you get lost, you'll never get out again.

　The knocker on my guide says seriously.

We're changing shape every day. Even my fellow bookers get lost from time to time.
That's because they're digging every day.
That's not all. This mine is alive.
"Hmm?
The hole we dug was sealed up before we knew it, and now it's all back together. Now we're digging, and digging, and digging, and digging, and digging, and digging, and digging, and digging, and it's making the world more confusing.

　No, wait.
　How much is that possible?

　It's not possible for a hole dug in the ground to close up naturally, it's just not possible.

　It's as if the wounds on the creature naturally heal...?

We've been wondering the same thing. Strange things like this don't happen except in this mine.
That's why the Mithril Mine is called the 'Wonder Mine'. That's why the Mithril Mine is called the "Mystery Mine" because the route changes every time you enter it.

　I've never heard of that before.

　At first I thought, 'That's ridiculous,' but the story of the knockers reminded me of many other strange stories about this mine.

　........It was hundreds of years ago that the Mithril vein was discovered in this area and the mine was opened.
　Since then, it has been constantly mined by both the human and demon tribes, but normally, if they continued to dig for hundreds of years, they would run out of ore and the mine would be closed.
　Even if that didn't happen, the purity of the minerals contained in the ore would deteriorate, no matter what kind of mine it was.

　But here at the Mithril mine, in fact, the purity of the ores has not degraded in the slightest over the hundreds of years it has been in operation.

　Isn't the mystery, as the locals' knockers say, that the mine, like a living organism, continues to heal itself and produce new mithril, as if it were being metabolized?

''Oh no..., Masakana...?''

　I let out a laugh at my own foolish delusion.
　In the meantime, the tunnel has come to a dead end.

It's at the bottom of the tunnel.
If you didn't see anyone before you got here, that means no one was lost.

　Hmm.
　If nothing else, it's a good thing.

'So let's just 'finish' the route here and go check out another route.

　When I think about it, this is the first time I've ever gone this deep into a place.

　I've worked for the Demon King's Army since the days when I was in charge of the Mithril Mine, but I'm only a manager and I have no need to go to the deepest part of the site.

　Well, it's very emotional, but right now, the priority is to find the people in distress, so let's get back to work quickly.
　........but....

''Wait.''

　I heard a voice.
　It wasn't my voice, and it wasn't the voice of the knocker who was guiding us, so I looked around to see if there was anyone in trouble. I looked around, but no one was there.

You did, didn't you?　Didn't we hear that?
I think I heard it, too!　I'm sure that Knocker Ear is hell-eared!

　So I wouldn't be alone in saying that I was the only one with a bad ear.
　But I'm not there.
　I can't see anything that looks like a human figure, no matter how hard I look around.

"Watch where you're going, lad.
"d*mn it, Knocker, get that Kanterra light over there!　Is there anything else you haven't lit up yet!

　I turn the light in all directions, but there is still no one in sight.
　But the voices are still there.
I want to run away! I want to run away! I'm sure you'll be able to find something that looks like it's emitting voices.

　It was not somewhere inside the tunnel, but the tunnel wall itself.

　A human face was floating on the wall of the side of the tunnel, which had been excavated out of the ground.
　And it was huge.
　The face alone was as tall as my height.

　That's what he was talking about.

"You finally noticed, it's me.
"I knew it was a horror story!

　I get scared to my core and run away with the knockers at once.
　But....

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait..., listen to me.
What?

　I stopped as I was called to a normal situation.
　When I thought about it, it would be too dangerous to continue running the mine if I discovered such an incomprehensible guy and left him there without knowing who he was.

You're a cowardly or bold fellow, aren't you? Well, I came out to the material world to talk with you, so I don't want you to run away from me.
Who the hell are you to...?
"I am what you call a mithril mine.
"What?!

　It was too abrupt to understand, but strangely enough it was not.
　Maybe it's because just a few minutes ago you told me a strange episode of the Mithril mine that acted as if it were a living being.

Long ago, I was created by the Almighty, and I was given a role to play. I was created by the Almighty and given a role to play. I was created by the Almighty and given a role to play, to be one with the earth, and to give birth to that which is useful to all who crawl upon it.
"The Almighty...?　Something useful.........?

　I don't like it when you say something so grandiose all of a sudden.
　I don't understand.

"In accordance with my orders, I am generating the fruits of my labor right here in the basement. It's called Mithril. And you have what you call mithril.
'What?　........is this it?

　I take out the Hermes sword from my own waist.
　This is the only good piece of mithril I have in my possession.

I'm not going to be able to get my hands on it," he said. I'm sure you've found the right person to make and use it.
Huh, ... is that a compliment?

　If that's the case, I'm glad to hear that my late grandfather Smith's whole heart was honored.

'I was invited to the present world by this gem. I've never seen anyone who has trained my alter ego to this level of excellence. I shall reward you with this.

　Then the face floating on the wall (Mithril Mine itself?) closed his eyes and muttered mumbling.

　In response to that, my Hermes sword emitted a dazzling glow.

''Oh?　What!?

　The glow continued for a while, but eventually the light itself softened and subsided as it settled on the Hermes Sword.
　The color and luster of the Hermes sword that had gone through the luminescence was clearly different from the one before and even radiated holiness.

''We have removed one level of restriction on the mithril that makes up that gem. It is up to you, the user, to decide how to use it...''
The Hermes Sword...............and even stronger?

　I could feel it in my hand.
　Grandpa Smith's Hermes Sword, which he left behind, has evolved further here.

It's the best way to give more power to those who are worthy. It will also be in accordance with the will of my Creator. Because he desires for those who live on earth to evolve to a higher level...'
What did you say?
'Come to think of it, just a few minutes ago I felt the reaction of a being similar to me. That, too, must have been created by the Almighty for his own desire. Is there another being besides me who influences those on earth with the will of the Creator?
''.........?''

　The face that says something worrisome, but it fades away as if the power is given to the Hermes sword and the business is already done.
　It goes back to the original, just an earthen wall.

'Well, wait!　A being like you is not...?

　The image of the raging flaming dragon appears in my mind...!

'Be mindful, you who crawl on the earth. You exist to entertain the Almighty. May you evolve, prosper, and be happy so as not to bore the Almighty. May the mithril that I create play a role in your development.

　With that said, the face on the wall has completely disappeared and is no longer visible.
　The indications are that the unnamable tingling sensation is gone, and I know that the abnormality has passed.

　But what on earth was it?
　It was a mysterious and magical experience.