The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 104

I headed straight to the guild.

I picked up the request form for the cave, submitted it to the reception desk, and asked for details about the cave.

“Is there anything specific I need to bring for the mineral cave?”

“This is for the gathering request, right?”

“Yes. I wanted to see what the Oregoran minerals are like. If they’re small enough, they might make nice accessories.”

“There probably won’t be anything particularly remarkable, but if you’re collecting minerals, you should bring a small pickaxe. Large pieces might make the Oregoran agitated, but you can quickly collect smaller ones without upsetting it. Also, bringing some fruit to distract it is a good idea.”

“Got it. I’ll buy a pickaxe and some fruit before heading out.”

Following the receptionist’s advice, I reluctantly used the little money I had left to buy a small pickaxe.

Looks like I’ll have to save up again.

Why bother with minerals that aren’t very useful, you ask? Pure curiosity, really. Of course, I’m also hoping to find something valuable if I get lucky.

As instructed, I bought a basket of fruit and headed for the cave. The request I took included collecting Oregoran minerals and gathering herbs from the cave.

After traveling part of the way by carriage, I walked the remaining distance to the cave. On the way back, I planned to run back on my own.
At the cave entrance, I noticed a warning sign advising not to provoke the Oregoran.

I thought I’d need to use light magic to illuminate the cave, but it seemed the cave was already lit by magic stones.

The cave was much larger than I’d imagined. As I walked along the path, I spotted an Oregoran.

Near the entrance, where plants seemed to be abundant, its back was covered in greenish patterns. How interesting. I decided to try offering it a piece of fruit, placing it near its mouth. It ate the fruit contentedly.

“Sorry, but I’m going to take just a little,” I said gently, and I carefully extracted a palm-sized green mineral from its back. It didn’t smell like grass, and it was reasonably hard. It had a beautiful, crystal-like appearance.
It could make for a nice decorative piece. The Oregoran didn’t seem to mind, as if it thought the fruit was a fair trade.

Curious about what kind of minerals the Oregoran in less plant-rich areas might have, I ventured further. Eventually, I came across a stream surrounded by a field of herbs. It was fascinating to see such unique plants thriving in a place without sunlight.

Could their resilience be the secret behind their medicinal properties?

With this thought in mind, I collected the required amount of herbs as stated in the request form. There were also Oregorans here, seemingly feeding on the herbs. These ones had deeper green backs.

“Can I take a bit of your minerals?” I asked, offering them fruit again. It seemed like talking to them while moving slowly worked best—wild animals in the village would often attack or flee when startled by sudden movements or loud noises.

Speaking gently was a tried-and-true method for calming them.

Using my small pickaxe, I managed to extract a large chunk of mineral, big enough to carry in my arms. It had an unusual color.

I quickly stored it in my backpack and thanked the Oregoran before moving further in. It didn’t seem bothered, which was a relief. It appeared there was no pain involved in extracting the minerals.

If the fruit-calming method became widely known, perhaps the collection rank for this task could drop to D.
Further in, the area changed to a brownish soil with patches of black. I couldn’t make sense of the geology, but Oregorans feeding on the soil here might produce metallic minerals.

The path eventually split into two—a narrower route going up and another going down. I decided to climb upward.

I couldn’t help but wonder how large Oregorans navigate this path. The magic stones illuminated the way until I reached the top, where the light stopped. Beyond that point, it was dark.
Is this a cliff?

Intrigued, I used light magic to explore further and found a hole just big enough for one person to pass through. When I lit the area beyond the hole, I saw a vast open space.

It seemed like a restricted area—dangerous, perhaps. Proceeding cautiously, I entered the hole.

The atmosphere inside was entirely different. Small crystals jutted out of the ground, and minerals sparkled here and there.
Dozens of small Oregorans were present. My light magic reflected off the minerals and their backs, faintly illuminating the space.

It was… breathtaking.

I couldn’t quite put it into words, but it felt mystical, as if it were a place humans weren’t meant to enter.

I took out the basket of fruit and carefully cut it into pieces, offering it to the Oregorans. Even though they were small, they were about fifty centimeters in size.

“Please let me take a bit of your minerals,” I said, gently extracting palm-sized pieces from each one. I collected minerals from about twenty Oregorans, hoping some of them would turn out valuable.

After thanking them, I returned to the main cave.
This must be a hidden gem of a location, known only to a few. Since the entrance was far away, I used body reinforcement magic to run back. After about two hours in the cave, I exited and returned to the village without using magic for the final stretch.

Curious about the minerals I’d collected, I went to the mineral shop before heading to the guild.
“You’re back already?” the shopkeeper asked, a bit surprised.
“I went straight after talking to the guild. Could you appraise these for me?”
“Let’s see.”

After catching my breath, I took the freshly mined minerals from my backpack and placed them on the counter. The shopkeeper carefully examined them.

“This greenish one is useless—just make it into an accessory. The deep green one can’t be used for weapons or armor, but it might be good for something magical. The others are mixed minerals, but some seem usable. Want to know the exact composition?”

“No, that’s fine. Could you just point out which ones are good for weapons?”
“Sure. These three are suitable. You won’t have enough for large items, but a blacksmith should be able to make something. The rest could be used for regular weapons or household knives. That’ll be three silver coins for the appraisal.”

“Thank you. This helps a lot.”
After paying, I stored the minerals and headed to the guild. I turned in the herbs and minerals for the request and completed it.

Checking other requests, I saw nothing problematic aside from some A-rank subjugations, so I returned to the inn.
“Teacher, how are you feeling?”

“Welcome back, Roa. I’m much better now. I’ll be ready to head to the mines tomorrow.”

“That’s great! I went out to investigate a magical beast today. Do you know about the Oregoran?”

“Ah, the one with minerals growing on its back? What about it?”

I took the minerals out of my backpack.

“They’re not found in the capital. According to the shopkeeper, depending on how they’re processed, they could make national treasure-level weapons. I noticed that their diet affects the minerals, creating anything from green crystals to high-purity ores. Isn’t that fascinating?”

The teacher examined the minerals closely while I began drafting a report. I was particularly intrigued by the herb-eating Oregoran. I had a hunch that its crystals could be useful for healing magic stones or something similar.

For now, I decided to hold onto the minerals and send just the report. If needed, a mage could help arrange for their transport.

After sending the report to the captain, I enjoyed a meal and a relaxing evening.

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