Published: January 12, 2026
Since morning, I had been building houses for the villagers when Ort and the others walked over.
“I heard you’re buying ores,” they called out to me.
I turned around at their voice. Ort and the others had brought a large amount of ore along with lumber on their cart. That cart sure is sturdy. The horses even looked a little annoyed.
“This forest here, probably because it’s at the foot of the Wolfsburg Mountain Range, has quite a few tough demonic beasts. Maybe thanks to that, we can mine rare ores without going all the way up the mountain,” Ort said, holding ore in both hands and placing them in front of me.
“Here’s iron ore, and we also got some copper, silver, and a bit of gold. And… look, there’s also Mithril Ore.”
Ort reported the last item with excitement. Even though it was still raw ore, the brilliant blue-silver stone made me inexplicably thrilled.
“Mithril! That’s amazing! To think it can be mined in the forest… I wonder why it hasn’t been mined until now.”
I suddenly felt curious. Ort crossed his arms and pondered.
“My guess is that because it’s so far away and not very accessible, only the knight order’s explorations have been attempted. Knights don’t really pay attention to herbs or ores.”
“I see. So, with skilled adventurers, it’s possible to mine a quality ore deposit. If there’s that much at the foot, the Wolfsburg Mountain Range must be rich in resources.”
As I spoke, Espada, who had arrived later, furrowed his brows in curiosity.
“It is unusual. I haven’t often heard of metal ores being mined in forests instead of mountains. Sand iron, yes, but solid ore deposits are quite rare… The exception would be if there’s a dungeon nearby that spawns Stone Golems or Iron Golems made from such ores.”
Espada offered this speculation, and Ort and the others exchanged looks.
“…Have there been any signs of golems?”
“No… if anything, maybe collapsed golems from a long time ago?”
“Is there a dungeon?”
“We don’t know. It hasn’t been investigated much, but a dungeon is possible.”
After the exchange, Ort and the others looked at me seriously.
“Lord Van, if a dungeon is discovered, everything will change drastically. This village will see a lot more people and goods passing through.”
At those words, a smile involuntarily tugged at my lips.
“A new dungeon, huh. If one really is found, the village’s importance will skyrocket.”
Dungeons are treasure troves of resources. Moreover, new dungeons often contain treasures and relics.
Adventurers’ guild members are required to report any dungeon discoveries to the guild, which will then quickly establish branches in the nearest towns or villages.
Such dungeons are highly valued, so no nation would ignore them. After all, most national treasures like weapons and jewels come from dungeons.
However, this also causes problems.
“If the village reports this now, it can’t handle the influx.”
I said, and though Ort and the others tilted their heads, Espada nodded deeply.
“Exactly. Adventurers, merchants, and even the knight order for investigations would arrive en masse. The village’s infrastructure, facilities, and food supplies would all be insufficient.”
“And the neighboring countries might attack, aiming for profit. Actually, the neighboring count’s territory might be more likely.”
When I added that speculation, Espada silently lowered his chin.
Ort and the others looked troubled.
“…So, the plan is to avoid searching for dungeons for now?”
“Maybe sneak in once secretly?”
“Idiot. That would get you expelled for sure.”
While Ort and the others spoke with serious faces, Pluriel folded her arms and turned to me.
“If you find out there’s a dungeon, won’t the knight order be sent immediately? And with your magic, Lord Van, the building problems would be solved quickly.”
I smiled wryly at her question.
“I’m a troublemaker. If I get pushed out and the place becomes valuable, I’ll just get pushed out somewhere else again. So I have to build up this village’s achievements before we discover any dungeons.”