— Raid route —
[Sandworm pass route: 15km] The steam tanks take a quarter of their coal stocks to cover this distance.
[Wyvern pass to mine shaft: 2km] A distance that can be covered on foot, but far enough that the miners set up tents along its stretch. The ravine walls still shielded them from the wyverns.
A narrow circular clearing.
Barely enough room for the convoy of steam tanks jamming up half the ravine leading into it.
The entrance to the mines beneath the wyvern peaks.
Shut tight by a cave-in.
They had hastily blasted it shut during the evacuation more than a year ago.
Hikari examined the entrance, apprehensive about fighting in tight quarters.
It was at least tall enough for her to duck into.
"Cmon, we gotta set up the observation post up top."
Rey walked up to her. He stood beside her leg at boot height.
"Observation post?"
"Yep, the same one you set up at the mouth of the ravine. Really helped us see the wyverns coming so that we can hide in the cave."
Behind him, the man unloads a pulley from the steam tank.
Hikari's back faces them and bends down on one knee.
The man loads the pulley system onto her back and straps it tight.
Hikari looks up, scanning the cliff face for a way up.
The uneven mountainside offers plenty of footholds, even for a giant like her.
She stands up and strides towards the cliff side.
The miners clearing the rubble step aside.
"Oh, before you go up."
Rey catches up to her.
He was panting.
Running after her stride wasn't easy.
"Yeah?"
"Do you mind if you take me up there with you?"
Hikari looks at him.
He's about the same size as Ria.
An idea came to mind.
"You sure?"
"Yes. I want to be the first to see the wyvern peaks for myself."
"Alright."
Hikari bends down and scoops him up with one hand.
"Eh? Where are you-."
Before he can react, the wyvern skin on Hikari's chest opens, revealing a dark abyss inside.
"Wait-!"
Rey was trapped between her chest and her wyvern skin.
Hikari looks up.
She bends her knee.
Up she goes.
The first jump with her salamander skin.
She overshot her first stepping point.
She uses her telekinesis to adjust her course.
Hop. Hop.
Diagonal jumps from face to face.
She lands at the top.
A thick fog blocks her vision.
She kneels and unloads the pulley from her back.
The wyvern skin on her chest opens, and Rey drops out.
Bleh! He vomits.
Bleh! He vomits again.
"Are you alright?"
Bleh! He vomits a third time.
He coughs.
He turns around and lies flat on his back, breathing heavily.
"Bad idea?"
Deep, uncontrolled breaths.
He coughs.
He managed to regain enough strength to gulp water from his canteen, clearing his throat of the sour feeling of his vomit.
"Phew! That was intense. How did you manage that kind of maneuver? I almost fainted."
"I train."
Rey coughed a few more times.
As he recovered, Hikari found a spot to anchor the pulley.
"Put that down, won't you?"
Hikari listened.
She strided back to Rey and sat down.
"Bad view."
She stared into the thick fog.
Pulse.
The earth sense she learned from Sheela.
It wasn't as easy to use on the mountain stone as it was on the sand in the training arena, but it let her see the rock formations beyond the fog.
She detects nothing but jagged stone.
"Yeah, I know. I want a word with you in private."
"Oh?"
"Listen carefully. Three mana veins run through the wyvern peaks. Adventurers used to come here all year round to absorb their mana and get stronger."
"Interesting."
"It's not just the vein. Uncommon fruits grow around them and have absorbed their mana. That'll give you a nice boost of nutrients to go along with the mana."
Hikari listens with interest.
"Here's the catch, though. Don't bring anything back. You actually need a signed permit from the adventurer's guild to raid the veins. At least, they'll give your lady a lot of trouble if they catch you. But they won't, as long as you don't bring back any physical evidence. If you do, eat them before the official inspection comes."
"Trouble?"
"Yep. Trust me. It's going to be worth it. You should have heard that we're going to slay the wyvern queen. Officially, you're not going to fight it. But just in case you have to, I think I'd feel more comfortable if you get a power-up first."
"I see."
Rey takes out a map and compass.
"You're on watch duty tomorrow night after we set up the camp. The watch duty itself is just a procedure. The wyverns will never dive into such a narrow space."
He checks his compass and map.
"The first mana vein should be in that direction."
He points at the fog, angling his compass.
Hikari memorizes it.
She could make out the shape of the stone formations around them.
"Good Hunting. Remember, don't bring anything back. I know your lady spent a bomb on that salamander skin of yours. We have other ways to make money, and getting into trouble with the adventurer guild is not going to help."
Hikari nods.
…
Hikari presses her hands against the cavern wall.
"Shatter."
Her mana pulses outwards into the cave she had been digging.
"Move."
Small pieces of stone chatter on the ground as she telekinetically pushes them out.
The miner's position at the entrance shovels the stone into a steam tank.
Its engines rumble and hum.
The steam tank closes its doors and moves off to dump the excess stone at the mouth of the peaks.
Hikari makes her way out of the cavern.
Her newly learned ability saved the miners at least a day of work.
She needed the practice anyway, and she had enough time to recover her mana before the push.
She leaned past a support column as she left the excavation.
The miners pile supply crates against the newly cleared space.
Hikari goes back to her rest area just inside the mine entrance.
The administrative zone.
The miners had cleared just enough rubble and dust to carve out a semi-livable area.
Hikari rests in just her armor.
It was reasonably comfortable, thanks to the salamander-skin layer.
She practices the mana movements Sheela had taught her.
The range could be better, but it's usable now.
She finds that if she wants to extend the range, she could pump more mana into the cast.
It's not efficient, but it will do for now.
The efficiency will improve as she keeps using it.
"Ah... so this is the Razenheir knight."
She hears an unfamiliar voice.
She opens her eyes to see a man in white robes and a straw hat.
He carries an impressive sword.
Sharp edge, perfectly balanced, a series of intricate runes.
The man leans towards her and studies her intently.
"Slayer master, the frontline is not safe. Please return to the main encampment. "
Rey tries to interrupt the man.
"Slayer master?"
"Shh…!"
He raises a finger to silence Rey.
The general stares at him with annoyed dead eyes.
Two assassins flanked the slayer master.
Highly skilled.
Their gear wasn't something you'd find on a merchant stand in a trading town.
Rey could only stand there as the man stared Hikari down.
"Hikari of RazenHeir."
Hikari greets the slayer master.
He raises an eyebrow and responds.
"Slayer master of the Dragon Slayer Guild. Apologies for disturbing your rest. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."
The man bows and leaves the mine entrance.
"Who is he?"
Rey shrugs.
"The man in charge of slaying the wyvern queen."
Hikari thought for a bit.
"He can't fight."
"You can tell? Yeah, I suppose for a seasoned knight like you, it's easy to see through his little getup. But he is in charge of the force that will storm the queen wyvern's lair. I don't know if you noticed the parade of giants while you're training with Sheela."
"I didn't."
"Well, then you didn't miss anything. If you visit the Herdial capital some time, they are everywhere."
"Ah."
"Just go back to rest; don't let him disturb you. He's probably taken an interest in you because he wants to figure out your biology."
"Biology?"
"The man's an alchemist. He studies that stuff all day. A giant like you will certainly catch his interest. If I were to guess, I bet he's angling to get a blood sample from you. He'd pay pure Herdial gold for it."
Hikari nods and goes back to sleep.
Rey returns to supervising the keep's construction.
"Pure Herdial gold?"
The thought stayed with her.
She opened her eyes seconds later.
Thud. Thud.
She caught up to him in a few strides.
He was just about to board the steam tank.
Hikari sensed his bodyguards channeling their mana.
"Ah! Hikari, what can I do for you?" He was pleasantly surprised.
"My underwear. Buy it."
"Umm, what!? Come again!? Your underwear? Surely you can't be serious?"
Hikari nods.
"It has my period"
For a brief moment, Hikari's eyes widened wider than a mutant goldfish, before his face turned back to outrage.
"What do you take me for!? Some pervert? I had a good impression of you when I first heard about your achievements! Begone now!"
He disappeared into the steam tank.