772 Bear, enters the mine - Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear

After some discussion about the future, it was decided that I would take a look inside the mine. Beyond the idea of building a bath, there might be other things we could do. Whether people decide to stay here or move to another town, improvements in the current situation are necessary. "The mine, you say? I don't mind, but there's really nothing there." "There's a cabin—a place where you live, right?" "Just for sleeping, basically. During the day, everyone is busy with their own work, so they spend most of their time outside." That makes sense. There must be management of living essentials, laundry, and gathering food. Most importantly, without sunlight, one's internal clock can get disrupted, affecting health. Surviving by staying cooped up in a cave isn't feasible either. "I'll wait here for everyone, so Liese, you guide Yuna and the others." "Okay." Leaving Bollard behind to wait for others to finish from the bath, Kagari and I followed Liese into the mine. Kuma Yuru and Kuma Kyuu trailed behind us. The passageway was dark. Just as I considered using light magic, a glow appeared beside me. At some point, Liese had pulled out a lamp. The lamp she carried, containing a luminous magic stone, brightened the tunnel. "Haven't luminous magic stones been installed in the tunnel?" The mine where we fought the golems was equipped with these, illuminating the path. "They were. But since we couldn't acquire new ones anymore, we reclaimed all the luminous magic stones in the mine. Now we only use them when necessary." Naturally, supplies dwindle with use. There's no need to use valuable magic stones in unnecessary places. They’ve been consciously conserving resources and living like this for three years. I refrained from using light magic, relying solely on Liese’s lamp as we entered the tunnel. Upon entering the mine for some time, we came across a door. It seemed like it was installed later. We opened the door and stepped inside. At Liese's touch on a magic stone embedded in the wall, the ceiling's magic stones activated, illuminating the room. "This is where everyone sleeps." Eight beds were lined up. Truly a place just for sleeping. Living here for three years... "That must have been tough," Kagari voiced what I was silently thinking. "I cried a lot, troubling Father and everyone." If she's 15 now, she would have been 12 back then. Losing her mother and close ones, seeing cherished things frozen, stripping her of everything. It's natural for a 12-year-old girl to cry in such a situation. Even an adult wouldn’t refrain from tears. "But everyone showed me so much kindness and comfort." Liese reminisced, recounting her experiences fondly. I imagined it was a challenging life beyond my comprehension. As I struggled with what to say, Kagari approached Liese, gently touching her hand. "Kagari-chan?" "You must have cried many times. But no one blames you for that. You overcame everything to be where you are today. Be proud." "Hehe, talking with Kagari-chan feels like conversing with someone much older, just as it did when you spoke with Father." She was right. Though she looks like a young girl, Kagari is an elder who has lived for hundreds of years... I thought to myself as I watched Kagari, who glanced at me. "Yuna, are you having strange thoughts?" Sharp as always. "I'm not thinking anything." I averted my eyes slowly as her gaze scrutinized me. "I couldn't have done it alone. I managed only because of Father and everyone else." "Still, your strength remains undeniable." "Thank you." I looked at the beds. There was something quilt-like made by stitching fabrics together—probably a blanket. I placed a spare futon on the bed. "A futon?" "Use it." "Is it okay?" Liese asked as she touched the futon. "It’s just a spare, don't worry." "Thank you." Even a small gesture like this made Liese genuinely happy. After finishing making the accommodations cozier, we exited the sleeping quarters. "There's also a storage room for food." When shown the storage, it held ice and fish. "This ice?" "I brought it from town." "Is it okay?" "In small amounts, yes. That's why we use it for preserving food." "Then I'll leave some meat too." I froze the wolf meat with magic, ensuring it would last longer. By freezing, it can be defrosted later and eaten. I created a makeshift freezer, placing the meat inside. I created and reinforced ice shaped like a bear. Then I laid out some vegetables I had as well. With fewer survivors, there might not have been conflicts over resources. If there were more people, food, shelter, and clothing might become an issue. The fewer the people, the fewer supplies are needed. The more, the greater the demand. With more people, conflicts might have arisen over resources. But more people also mean more hands to do work. It's hard to determine whether having fewer survivors was fortunate or not; only time would tell. "If the ice runs low, just let me know, and I’ll make more." "Um, could I take you up on that offer?" I crafted a bear-shaped ice and left it there. This kind of ice shouldn’t melt easily. It might be similar to the ice of the ice dragon. "Hehe, it's cute." Liese smiled as she looked at the bear-shaped ice. "Foxes are cuter," Kagari contended, summoning an ice fox as if in competition. Ice magic is supposed to be challenging, yet Kagari made it effortlessly. "Kagari-chan can use magic too?" "Indeed." "But, you’re just a child…?" "I'm not an ordinary child, so don't worry about it." Well, just like with my bear teleportation gates, the matter of her being a mythical fox isn’t something we can divulge. Perhaps sensing something, Liese didn't press the issue further. After leaving the storage, we were shown a place where spring water emerged. "Inside is quite intricate, so please stay close to me to avoid losing your way." In the tunnel, only the lamp Liese held provided light. It couldn't be described as bright, even as a courtesy. To think they traversed this dim path daily with only the lamp’s light... "If you get separated from me and lose your way, follow this to return," Liese said, illuminating a wall with her lamp. On the wall, "出口" was inscribed, along with an arrow pointing the way. "Back then, wanting to help everyone, I tried carrying water alone. But I lost my way and could only cry. But everyone searched and found me." How kind. "The next day, Father and the others made this to ensure I wouldn’t get lost again." "Everyone's so kind." "Yes." I wanted to find a way to help them somehow. "Here it is." The spring was located about a ten-minute walk away. Closer than I'd anticipated. However, carrying water for ten minutes is quite a distance. "If only we had bamboo, we could direct the water's flow." Not for a somen noodle slide, but bamboo is often used to guide water. The spring emerges at around Liese’s head height. Indeed, with a slope, it seems possible to channel the water. However, it doesn’t have to be bamboo. "In that case, why not create it with magic?" "Indeed." After a brief discussion, Kagari and I decided to use magic to create a stone conduit, extending it to near the mine’s exit. We fashioned a basin at the spring’s source, adjusting it so the water would flow into the magically crafted stone conduit. Creating the conduit was simple, but setting the right gradient was challenging. Too steep and the water wouldn’t flow; too shallow and it wouldn't reach as far as needed. While it’s possible to push water uphill, it’s a hassle. I placed the conduit against the wall, ensuring a smooth flow, and continued until we reached the area near the sleeping quarters and storage. "Does this spot work?" "Right over there by the wall, please," Liese directed. Following her instruction, Kagari crafted a basin to collect the water. I extended the conduit to allow the water to flow into the basin Kagari had made. From the stone conduit, the water poured perfectly into the reservoir. "Now, you’ll have access to water anytime. Thank you, Yuna, Kagari." As we spoke, Bollard and the others returned from outside the cave. "Liese, what’s all this commotion?" "Yuna and Kagari pulled the spring water all the way here." Bollard and the others gazed in awe at the water channel we created. "And that's not all—they also made the beds and storage more accessible." Bollard and the others went to see for themselves. They expressed their gratitude, visibly impressed with the changes we’d implemented.