The Noble Lady Without Magic Aims to Become an Adventurer! - Chapter 105

The next morning, after having breakfast with the teacher in the dining hall, we set out. Of course, I didn’t forget to buy some fruit from the shop.

“Roa, you went to that cave alone? Were you really okay?”

“Yes, I had no problems at all.”

The teacher seemed uneasy about the idea. Maybe they weren’t fond of narrow spaces. As the two of us entered the cave, we immediately encountered the Oregoran I’d seen yesterday.

The spot where I had harvested minerals was already sprouting new ones, which was a relief. The minerals on its back seemed to grow faster than I’d anticipated.
When the teacher tried to harvest minerals from an Oregoran near the entrance, I stopped them.

“Teacher, the minerals near the entrance are mixed with various impurities from the surrounding plants, so their quality isn’t great.

We should head further in to find better-quality minerals.”

“I see. Let’s move on, then.”

We passed through the herb cluster and ventured deeper into the cave. When we reached the furthest point illuminated by the light stones, the teacher made a face of clear discomfort. It seemed they really didn’t like tight spaces.

“Teacher, just beyond here is the mining point. The area opens up, and there are lots of small, adorable Oregorans.”

“…I see. I don’t want to go, but I suppose I’ll endure it for the sake of a good sword.”

“Even the teacher has things they’re not good with, huh?”

The teacher didn’t seem to be in the mood for jokes. I slipped through the narrow passage first to check the area.

Nothing seemed to have changed since yesterday.
I brightened the space with some light magic, floating the light higher for better visibility. The teacher followed reluctantly, leaping into the passage as if steeling their nerves.

“Teacher, are you alright?”

“Still alive, somehow.”
The teacher looked around in amazement, and I couldn’t blame them. I’d felt the same awe when I first saw this place yesterday.

“The minerals I harvested here yesterday were of high quality.”

“Hmm. There’s no vegetation here, and the soil has traces of minerals mixed in. Let’s investigate a bit further.”

The teacher walked ahead into the deeper section. Curious if the minerals deeper in were better, I hurried to follow.

We stumbled upon a spot where metallic-looking crystals jutted out in clusters. They had a mysterious coloration.

Despite the light magic yesterday, I hadn’t noticed this.

Using my small pickaxe, I began chipping away at the largest crystal, but it was incredibly hard. My pickaxe ended up getting scraped instead. No matter how many times I struck, it didn’t budge.
“Roa, let’s try digging around the base,” the teacher suggested.

Following their advice, I began digging the surrounding soil. I really wished I had a proper shovel. As I dug, I uncovered what looked like a seam at the crystal’s base. Thinking I could separate it there, I gave it a try, but soon gave up.

The teacher, realizing it was futile, used fire magic from their fingertips to melt and cut through the crystal. It seemed it required extremely high temperatures to separate. In the end, we only managed to take two pieces, as maintaining such intense heat consumed a significant amount of the teacher’s mana.

Nearby, I noticed an Oregoran with similar crystals on its back. Offering it some fruit, I gently tapped the crystals with my pickaxe. Unlike the ones in the ground, these came off easily.

“Teacher, these came off without much effort.”
“Ah, it’s probably because their purity is different. I can’t wait to see what kind of sword these can make.”

“Teacher, do you have an appraisal skill?”
“It’s not very precise, but yes, I do.”

“I didn’t know you could use appraisal!”

“I rarely use it, so it doesn’t come up often.”

After collecting a few more materials from the Oregoran, we returned to the village, satisfied.

“Teacher, it’s exciting to think about what kind of weapon we’ll make!”

“Indeed. I feel like heading back to the capital right now.”

The next day, we toured the mines. While we couldn’t enter the mines themselves, we observed them from the outside and spoke with the miners. There seemed to be no dissatisfaction or wrongdoing among the workers, and there weren’t any particularly noteworthy children in the village.

“Roa, we’ll be traveling again tomorrow. Since there are no magical beasts to subjugate this time, we’ll take the carriage.”

“Understood, Teacher.”

We continued traveling from village to village.
Sometimes, I’d find what seemed to be new species of insects or plants and would bottle them up to send to Senior Yelle or Senior Arnold. Other times, I’d participate in A-rank magical beast subjugations to help maintain peace. One day, a royal ball invitation arrived for both the teacher and me.

“It’s that time of year again, huh?”

“Yes, it seems so. Roa, you’ll need to prepare a dress, won’t you?”

“What? I wasn’t planning on attending!”

“It appears you don’t have a choice. This is a direct order from the captain.”

The teacher handed me a directive. It simply stated that I was to attend.

I felt like I was always being dragged into these royal balls.

“Well, I know you’d prefer not to, but it’s about time we returned to the capital anyway. You’ve probably accumulated quite a bit of baggage.”
“True. If it’s an order, there’s no helping it. I’ll send a magical message to let my father know I’m coming back.”

After completing the last of the magical beast subjugations in the villages, we began preparing to return to the capital. While scouting villages, I’d only found one recruit-worthy individual to recommend to the knights. Talented people are hard to come by.

Outside the village, in a secluded spot, we activated our magical tools. Though it felt wasteful to use up all the magic stones we’d saved from our expeditions, we poured their mana into the tools.

“Goodbye, precious magic stones,” I said wistfully.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” the teacher said, exasperated.

“Teacher, I’m just getting sentimental.”

We infused the tools with mana, and a bright light surrounded us.

“…We’re back.”

“Welcome back, Allen and Roa. Was your journey interesting?” the captain asked, still focused on his documents.

“It was decent. I didn’t find much talent, though.”
“But you brought back some good materials, didn’t you?”

Allen presented some minerals and explained their origins. I handed over the green crystals and other minerals I’d collected.

“Very well. These minerals will be sent to the magic research tower. They’ve been eager to study them since reading your earlier report. Also, Roa, have your ball attire prepared at home. You’re dismissed for the day.”

With that, Captain Jennys dismissed us. After submitting our daily reports, the teacher and I went our separate ways.

“Good work today, Teacher.”

“You too, Roa. See you tomorrow.”

The teacher had somewhere else to visit, so I headed to the weaponsmith’s shop.

“Mr. Maje, long time no see!”

“Well, if it isn’t Roa. It’s been a while. What brings you here today?”

I immediately pulled out the minerals from my backpack—the ones I’d bought and the ones I’d mined.

“Mr. Maje, I brought these minerals from the mine. I heard they’re excellent materials. Can they be made into swords?”

Mr. Maje’s usual smile vanished as he inspected the minerals with a serious expression.
“Roa, this is incredible. Where did you get these?”

“I had them appraised and brought only the best ones. I’d like to have a sword made for Fars and one for myself, if possible. Is that too much to ask?”

“Hmm, well… Normally, I could craft a standard sword in a few days, but I want to take my time with these. I’ll need about three weeks for each. These minerals are remarkable.”

I decided to prioritize Fars’s sword. The cost? Half my salary for the year. Even with the materials I provided, it was still expensive.

After paying the first installment, I returned home, my wallet painfully empty. But I didn’t regret it. I was sure Fars would love the sword, and I wanted to present it to him as a gift for becoming a captain.

I couldn’t wait to see how the sword would turn out. With that happy thought, I headed back to the estate.

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