Wastewater Treatment

When I asked where the elf was, Kitan requested to end the discussion.

Just recalling the elf seemed to drain him terribly.

"Please be careful if you're going to meet her. She didn't seem hostile toward humans, but if you upset her, who knows what might happen. Oh, it's terrifying."

"For now, I'll try meeting and talking with her. Before that, may I check the area around the mines?"

"Yes, of course."

The discussion ended.

Kitan wiped his sweat with a relieved expression.

We left the mansion and moved a short distance away before I asked everyone for their opinions.

"What do you think?"

"You mean whether that representative Kitan was lying?"

"I didn't go that far. But there's a chance he's hiding things that are inconvenient for him. After all, he's the big shot who controls this mining city, a mass of vested interests. Wheeling and dealing would be second nature to him."

"An elf, huh. In a way, even rarer than elementals. I doubt there are many people who've actually seen one."

"The Northern Great Forest is practically a natural dungeon. Not even adventurers go deep into it. To think one was living there…"

Land Dragons and Wyverns, dragons without intelligence, roam that area.

You'd never have enough lives.

And unlike a dungeon, there's no treasure to be had.

There are settlements even in such places, but that's because there are exceptional people like the Dragonslayer there.

"Sir, we can only learn so much from just listening to stories. Perhaps we should actually go and check."

"You're right. The fact that the miners are idle is true, and the chance of a trap is low."

Orleans had a point.

It would be faster to see for ourselves.

"I never expected to find one here. Though, I suppose it's a good place for seclusion."

"Have you met an elf before, Elza?"

"Yes, several times. I traveled a bit when I was young, and I met one then. Though I don't know if it's the same individual…"

"I can't imagine there are many elves, but we'll know when we meet her. But before that, let me check the mine. If the mine really is the cause of the harm to the Northern Great Forest, then persuasion would be impossible."

I need to at least verify things, otherwise there's a risk the elf will say we deceived her and we'll be made out as the villains.

I want to avoid antagonizing an elf.

Everything about them is legend and rumor, but they're certainly terrifyingly powerful.

We headed to the sealed mines.

Just as I'd heard, all the entrances were blocked by massive rocks.

When I tapped one lightly, it made a metallic sound. It was clearly harder than ordinary stone.

Finn kicked one several times.

"Seems sturdy, but want me to try breaking it?"

"… Let's not. Even that alone might be taken as hostile."

"I feel like my sword could manage it."

I patted Azu's head.

I noticed Alexia examining the rock intently beside us.

"What is it?"

"I'm impressed by the elf's magic. This rock was created using earth magic to solidify soil, but the density is incredible. Then it's compressed with magic so ordinary tools can't even scratch it. The technique and magical power are remarkable. If it had been attack magic… the whole city might have been destroyed."

"That's…"

I could immediately tell Alexia was serious.

The mining city Shirok wasn't that large, and its defenses were weak.

There was probably little damage from monsters.

But even so, it was still a city, not a town.

To blow it all away would mean possessing power like that Fire Dragon's.

"Sorry, maybe I exaggerated a bit."

"No, a mage's perspective helps. Whatever happens, we should handle this peacefully. Also, he said they were taking care to protect nature…"

"That, over there?"

What Finn pointed to was a huge reservoir.

It was a square pyramid shape dug into the earth, filled with murky blue water.

The walls around the reservoir weren't soil but stone. This was probably to prevent leakage into the ground or surroundings.

There was also a magic circle installed, and it was more solid than I'd expected.

It seemed designed to collect mine wastewater here.

Azu curiously tried to get closer but quickly retreated due to the stench.

I instructed her to cover her mouth with a handkerchief.

Even with Elza here… the smell alone was one thing, but dangerous gases would be a problem.

"It smells terrible. How are they treating it?"

"There's a fire magic stone installed in the center. It seems they're using it to heat the water and evaporate just the water."

"When the steam passes through the magic circle, it seems to filter out the unwanted stuff. I can see sediment at the bottom."

Looking at it, water was constantly evaporating from the center, and the steam was being rendered harmless by the magic circle.

Alexia actually tested this with her magic, so it was certain.

There were no harmful substances mixed in.

The representative's words appeared to be true. The wastewater treatment was solid, and there was no sign of the reservoir overflowing.

They must be adjusting the flow rate.

"But what happens when it rains? Won't it overflow?"

"The magic circle is set to deflect rain. The wastewater also comes through pipes to keep rainwater from mixing in."

"Huh. So they're not doing a sloppy job."

"It seems the representative was telling the truth. At least, it's hard to imagine this is causing the harm."

Shirok was cleared of suspicion.

Next, it was time to hear the elf's side of the story.

Hopefully, it would all turn out to be just a misunderstanding…