Chapter 632: Silium (3)

Orichalcum was unquestionably available on the market.

But only in extremely small quantities.

Hyunsoo checked the auction house and other information sources every day, so there was no denying its scarcity.

His certainty that the nation of Hyun was the only country possessing more than one hundred kilograms of orichalcum was not based solely on his own judgment, either.

[The nation of Hyun possesses 111 kg of Orichalcum.]

[This is far more than the total quantity of Orichalcum circulating throughout the continent.]

[National Power has increased by 2%.]

The system itself had confirmed it.

Hyunsoo could not help being overwhelmed.

Tears welled in his eyes.

For the first time, the nation of Hyun...

They had surpassed the Parion Empire.

Furthermore, Hyunsoo had offered the Silium with flattering words because he had decided that he needed to establish a friendly relationship that would allow him to obtain orichalcum continuously.

If he succeeded, the Orichalcum Mine would continue opening its doors to him, and the nation of Hyun would become a country with a steady supply of the mineral.

That would create a powerful cycle.

Skilled blacksmiths could use orichalcum to craft artifacts, and the knights could equip them.

They might even become a match for Parion’s knight orders.

There was no denying that Parion’s knights were the strongest on the continent.

The nation of Hyun’s soldiers might possess greater individual ability relative to their numbers, but knights were ultimately the flower of the battlefield.

If the knights of a small nation like Hyun could rival those of the Parion Empire, the resulting increase in power would be astronomical.

As Nell had said, Hyunsoo still could not reveal—

That I’m a king...

But once their relationship became closer and more intimate, Elvenheim and the nation of Hyun might even begin exchanging goods and culture.

That was why he needed to grow closer to the elves.

A friend of the elves...

Hyunsoo sensed that his right to undertake more than fifty thousand quests related to the elves was a privilege unique to him.

No other user would even be able to begin those fifty thousand quests.

Why?

If humans approached an elf and greeted them first—

Who is this?

We do not speak with humans.

Humans truly are ugly.

They would undoubtedly be met with icy contempt.

Hyunsoo, on the other hand, would not receive such treatment.

He needed to conduct a small experiment, so he headed toward an area crowded with elves.

They say people live the same everywhere... No, elves live the same everywhere.

Aside from their pointed ears, they were no different.

There were taverns, and elves sold goods along the streets.

“Hello.”

“It is a fine day, our friend.”

Hyunsoo realized just how much power Gordon’s proclamation to all the elves carried.

The elves waved to him first.

One even said—

“Please try this apple.”

The elf readily offered him one.

CRUNCH—

[You have eaten an Elf Apple.]

[It is far sweeter than the apples eaten by humans.]

The Elf Apple was extraordinary.

It was much sweeter and crisper than an ordinary apple, and its aftertaste even seemed to carry the fragrance of flowers.

They’re giving this away for free? Are elves angels?

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

“That will be 2 Silver.”

The elf smiled brightly and held out a hand.

The elf had invited him to taste it, not said it was free!

After paying 2 Silver, Hyunsoo realized that being a friend of the elves possessed even more power than he had expected.

“Did you enjoy it?”

“Yes. It was a delicacy on an entirely different level from the apples humans eat.”

“I am glad. Unfortunately, I do not believe we will harvest many apples this year. The earth spirits have apparently been unable to exercise their power lately. I have prepared a gift for them. Would you deliver it on my behalf? In exchange, I will give you seeds from the trees that bear our Elf Apples.”

DING!

[Quest: The Elves’ Gift has been generated.]

This is insane...

A quest he had received merely by walking past could create a specialty product for the nation of Hyun.

Countless people would visit the nation of Hyun simply to taste Elf Apples.

If they established Elf Apple orchards, they could sell the fruit far and wide.

“I’m sorry, but I have something I need to do. May I come back another time?”

Quests like this continued appearing before Hyunsoo.

“A human, are you? As an elf, I would like to demonstrate the greatness of our race by teaching a human how to use a bow. Would you care to learn?”

DING!

[Quest: Learning Archery from an Elf has been generated.]

“If you bring me the main ingredient used in the beer we elves drink, I will teach you our special recipe for brewing Elf Draft Beer.”

DING!

[Quest: Elf Beer has been generated.]

Hyunsoo was delighted by the quests that appeared simply because he walked around.

However—

“I’m sorry.”

“I’ll learn when I have more time.”

“Brewing beer? Unfortunately, I don’t drink.”

Hyunsoo’s time was limited.

Out of those fifty thousand quests, he believed he should choose only the most valuable and useful ones.

Isn’t there a truly essential quest packed with worthwhile rewards?

As he searched for one, Elder Verua returned from his meeting with Gordon.

Elder Verua.

The expression he now wore was incomparably friendlier than when he had first met Hyunsoo.

“I have a request for you.”

There it is.

Hyunsoo cheered inwardly.

The quality of a quest offered by Elder Verua could not possibly compare to one given by an ordinary elf.

“You remember the story of my friend Belto.”

“Of course.”

“My friend Belto died approximately one hundred years ago. To be precise, it would be more accurate to say that Belto disappeared after leaving to extract Silium.”

“He disappeared...?”

“Yes. For more than a century, we have searched for even Belto’s remains. But we could never find them. His Majesty told me that his knights have continued tracing Belto’s movements to this very day.”

“Not long ago, His Majesty’s knights finally succeeded in discovering Belto’s last known trace.”

“More precisely, the World Tree rewarded us for the care we have devoted to her over the past century and located the place where Belto was last present.”

The World Tree.

She was living proof that no tree could grow alone.

Just as it was said that the World Tree could not exist without the elves, nor the elves without the World Tree—

It appeared that the World Tree had offered her assistance for Belto, the elves’ friend.

“Where is it?”

“The Forgotten Mine.”

[You have discovered a clue concerning the Forgotten Mine, one of Elvenheim’s hidden dungeons.]

[You have gained 50 Fame.]

The Forgotten Mine appeared to be a hidden dungeon unique to Elvenheim.

“You understand legendary beings, do you not? Judging by your abilities, you must be a Legendary Miner yourself.”

What?

Hyunsoo realized that Verua had mistaken him for a Legendary Miner.

Not a Legendary Blacksmith, but a Legendary Miner?

Then again, Verua had never seen him forge anything, so the misunderstanding was understandable. Hyunsoo remained silent and listened.

“The Forgotten Mine is a place where every legendary being in this world can be found. But all of them have degenerated.”

Every legendary being had degenerated there.

It was an intriguing story.

“They remain powerful despite their degeneration. And that is where we found the last trace of the dwarf Belto.”

“We have therefore decided to dispatch knights composed of the elves’ strongest warriors to the Forgotten Mine. Belto may still be alive inside. I would like you to join the expedition searching for him.”

“Me?”

Hyunsoo did not understand.

This would be a party composed of the elves’ strongest warriors.

Why would they ask him to join merely because they believed he was a Legendary Miner?

“The Forgotten Mine was once a mine, after all. Our most elite knights have already entered it. After fighting the degenerated legendary beings and attempting to advance farther inside, they discovered something.”

“A massive wall blocking their path. We could not destroy it, and we learned that only an exceptional miner could break through it. That is why we have delayed the expedition for years, despite knowing that the Forgotten Mine was the last place Belto reached.”

“But now we have a Legendary Miner who is Belto’s equal—or perhaps even greater than Belto himself. With you beside us, should we not be able to overcome that wall?”

Verua chuckled, though he seemed fully aware of how dangerous the task he had described truly was.

“If you find Belto there—or even allow us to recover his remains—His Majesty will grant you his blessing. What do you say? Will you join us on this dangerous journey?”

DING!

[Hidden Quest: Finding Belto has been generated.]

[Hidden Quest: Finding Belto]

Grade: SS

Restriction: One who has established a friendship with Elder Verua

Reward: Elf King’s Blessing

Failure Penalty: Affinity with the elves will decrease.

Description: Elder Verua and Gordon, King of the Elves, have searched for traces of the missing Belto for many years. Travel to the Forgotten Mine and determine whether Belto is still alive. If you cannot confirm that he survived, the quest will also be completed by locating his remains.

“......!”

Hyunsoo marveled.

The reward was precisely what it claimed to be: a blessing from the king of an entirely different race.

Hyunsoo had received the blessings of many legendary figures, but Gordon’s blessing might be even more special because he belonged to another race.

Considering that each legendary blessing had strengthened Hyunsoo by at least five to eight percent, there was no reason to refuse.

“I will join the journey to find Belto, the elves’ friend.”

*****

Revas.

He was the elves’ strongest warrior and the commander who led all their knights.

Considering that Revas was not even three hundred years old among elves who lived for more than a thousand years, he could be called an unparalleled genius born to the elven race.

Before setting out, the short-haired, white-haired Revas appeared before Gordon.

“My heart is heavy to send you.”

Gordon.

The King of the Elves harbored a small fear.

Just as he had once lost his old friend Belto, he feared losing Revas—

His shadow and the pillar of the elven race.

“Your Majesty knows my strength better than anyone. Please do not worry too much.”

Gordon nodded.

Revas’s confident words eased the burden on his heart.

There was also a reason Gordon was sending him despite knowing the danger.

“Before Belto departed to extract the mineral now known as Silium, he made me a promise.”

Gordon recalled that promise as distant memories drifted through his mind.

“He promised that he would craft an arrowhead from Silium and present me with the greatest arrow in the world...”

Was it longing for his old friend?

Or anticipation now that Silium had been obtained and such an arrow might finally be possible?

Both emotions coexisted within Gordon.

“Belto must be the only person in the land of the elves capable of working Silium.”

Dwarves were born blacksmiths.

Only he could do it.

Only Belto.

Only Belto could craft the greatest arrow in the world from Silium for Gordon.

“For Belto.”

Revas saluted, carrying his king’s wish with him as he departed.

He had heard that the Legendary Miner who would succeed the dwarf Belto was waiting outside.

Belto had been a good man.

Every elven warrior accompanying Revas had met him before.

Belto had repaired the elves’ aging homes and tended to their bows.

That was the sort of person Belto had been.

The one who inherited Belto’s legacy...?

As Revas walked with his team, he expected such a legendary figure to possess the same accumulated wisdom as Belto.

However—

“Hello.”

He was young.

Far too young.

He was also dressed in a wildly colorful assortment of mining equipment.

A silver pickaxe.

A brown miner’s helmet.

White cloth garments.

He even wore a necklace set with a sapphire.

......?

What kind of mismatched combination was this?

“May I ask your age?”

Revas asked politely.

The man gave a small smile and answered.

“I turned twenty-one this year.”

“......”

“......”

“......”

The elves gathered there—

Were four hundred years old on average.

He’s just a kid.

Wait, twenty-one?

Revas asked another question, just in case.

“May I ask how many battles you have participated in as a miner?”

After thinking carefully, the man answered.

“This will be my first.”

“......”

“......”

The instant they heard his answer—

His first?

He’s a complete beginner.

World Tree preserve us...

They released deep sighs without even realizing it.

Revas in particular already felt his vision darken at the thought of the ordeal awaiting him as he struggled to protect the young man.

Fighting while protecting someone and fighting without such a burden were entirely different matters.

But they did not know.

“Let us depart.”

“Yes!”

That this exceptionally young human man—

Would save them several times over.