The City's Representative

Finding the representative of the mining city Shirok wasn't difficult.

When I asked around, people told me right away.

I got information that he lived in the largest building in the city and headed that way.

On the way, Azu asked me a question.

"Isn't there a lord here?"

"No. From what I found out beforehand, it seems not. They were mining here before being incorporated into the Kingdom. I heard that on the condition of stable supply, the city's representative was allowed to serve in place of a lord."

"I see. Thank you."

Alexia spoke up next.

"That's unusual. Ah, I see. If a lord were to rashly impose heavy taxes and the miners left, the Kingdom would suffer. Having a stable supply of burning stone is far more beneficial than collecting taxes."

"Exactly."

"… Isn't the current situation rather bad for Shirok?"

"The representative must be tearing his hair out."

I nodded at Elza's comment.

This arrangement may have been decided long ago, but it was still in effect.

If the mine blockade continued, the mining city Shirok couldn't maintain its independence.

Well, that would be a blow to the Kingdom as well…

The best outcome for everyone would be to resume mining burning stone from the mines and selling it as before.

We arrived at the mansion deep in the city.

"So this is it. The home of the Kingdom's Coal King."

"Wow… it's a big mansion."

"It might be bigger than Master's shop."

"Well, that's to be expected. He coordinates the trade of enormous quantities of burning stone. Being the head of all that, he has far more money than an average merchant."

You could call it a vested interest, but originally, he should have been able to live comfortably until the veins ran dry.

I'm envious. I once considered whether I could buy a portion of the rights with some money.

Unfortunately, my funds at the time were nowhere near enough.

I rang the doorbell, and a female servant came out.

When I told her I was Queen Tianis's secretary, she went pale and let us in.

It was pitiful to see.

She guided us while nervously watching our expressions.

She knocked on a door and waited for a response before opening it.

"What is it?"

"A government secretary from the Kingdom has arrived."

"Mm, show them in."

Permission was granted, and we were shown into the room.

Inside was a middle-aged man.

His head was bald, but his body was well-trained—he gave the impression that he'd look right at home with a pickaxe in hand.

However, the strain was showing through the cracks.

"Please, have a seat. I am Kitan, the representative of Shirok. And who might you be? I haven't heard anything from the Royal Capital."

"My name is Yohane. I'm not a noble, so there's no need to be so formal. I've been given the position of secretary by Her Majesty Queen Tianis, but you can think of me as more of an errand runner."

I sat in the offered chair. Azu and the others would have to stand as usual, but it couldn't be helped.

I showed him the secretary badge I'd received from Her Majesty Tianis to prove my identity.

This was prepared for me to verify my status.

I noticed Kitan relax slightly when he heard I wasn't a noble.

"Her Majesty Tianis's… So, Secretary, you've come all this way because of the burning stone mines, haven't you?"

"Yes, that's right. The Royal Capital aside, supply to the regional cities has almost completely stalled. It's not having much impact now, but you understand what will happen if this continues when the cold wave hits, right?"

"Of course. Burning stone's greatest value lies in being used as fuel for cheap, convenient heating."

A small amount could get you through a cold night.

For commoners who didn't have the benefit of magic, it was essential in winter.

It was one of the materials given highest priority for stockpiling.

What would happen if it became unavailable or prices soared due to imports?

The person before me surely understood.

"I've heard a bit about the situation on my way here, but could you give me the details?"

"I don't mind, but… may I take it that the Royal Capital will cooperate?"

I could tell he was implicitly asking if we were trying to do something about Shirok.

Her Majesty Tianis had instructed me by letter to resolve this as peacefully as possible.

She had her own mountain of things to deal with and had no resources to spare for Shirok.

"It will only be us, but we'll do everything we can to help. I have adventurers under me, and we can handle most situations."

"I see… Then I'll explain."

His tone dropped slightly.

He wore a bitter expression.

"It started a few months ago. The miners went to the mines as usual to begin extracting burning stone, but found the entrances blocked by rocks. Fortunately, no one was trapped inside, but because of these rocks, no one can enter the mines."

"Didn't you try to remove them?"

"Nothing we tried worked. They're probably reinforced with magic or something. While we were puzzling over it, a woman appeared."

Kitan's body was trembling.

His face had gone white.

"She was lightly dressed, and at first I thought she might have wandered in from somewhere. But I quickly realized that wasn't the case. She was cloaked in terrifying magical power, and just having her gaze on me felt like my lifespan was shortening. And that was even without any hostility from her."

"And that was the elf."

"Yes. It was my first time seeing an elf. Far beyond the mines, in the mountains, there's a vast unexplored forest. We do clear some forest occasionally, but it's mostly untouched. Apparently, the elf lived deep within that forest… Her declaration was one-sided."

"What did she say?"

"That the forest was in a strange state. She said the mines were the cause. But we understand that mining affects nature. We've implemented various countermeasures, and we aren't doing anything that would impact the forest."

"But she wouldn't listen."

Kitan nodded and let out a heavy sigh.

"That's right. According to her, there was no impact until recently. Things only went wrong after mining began. But for elves, our several decades seem like just yesterday to them, that's about how little it registers."

"When she says 'impact,' what specifically?"

"Apparently, a massive swarm of mosquitoes appeared in the forest. Not just ordinary mosquitoes; they've turned into monsters and are quite dangerous. The elf is keeping them suppressed with magic. She said that if she sealed the mines that caused this, they would eventually disappear."

"… Is the mining really the cause?"

"I can only say I don't know. What's certain is that the elf believes it is."

After finishing his account, Kitan slumped back weakly in his chair.

He was completely drained from the stress.