Chapter 350: Chapter 102: Mist of the Mine

After settling matters, Robson set out with his troops.

A group of Kobolds didn’t warrant much of a fuss, so Robson only brought fifty Bronze-Tier Glory Knights.

After all, he still had troops stationed at the mines.

Robson hadn’t been managing that area much, so he wasn’t sure how the land reclamation was progressing.

....

By the time Robson set out, a human encampment had already been quietly established at the foot of Widder Mountain.

At the foot of the mountain range, Gall stared worriedly at the peak before him.

"Captain, what do we do now? Are we still going to go? This is too strange..." a Soldier at his side asked, looking at Gall in confusion.

Gall couldn’t make up his mind either.

Gall’s unit was the one Robson had dispatched from the main domain to establish a third camp.

This camp was situated right at the foot of the Demon Beast Mountain Range.

According to Robson’s orders, their primary mission was to oversee the domain’s construction. At the same time, they were to keep an eye on the surrounding Beastmen tribes. If they encountered any hostile ones, they were to eliminate them on the spot. If they found any docile ones, they were to record the details and report back to Robson upon his arrival.

These were the main objectives for the second phase of the domain’s development.

The Beastmen had left, but not entirely.

Goblins, Kobolds, and numerous other races still remained in these lands.

For the Beastman Empire, this was a way to cull their excess population while simultaneously vexing the humans. Why wouldn’t they do it?

History had shown that while this tactic wouldn’t cause a major catastrophe, it was certainly a nuisance. If the goblins were allowed to multiply unchecked, it wouldn’t take more than a decade or so for a massive population to emerge, and the surrounding ecosystem would be devastated.

Therefore, clearing out these leftover goblins was incredibly important.

Gall and his men didn’t need to clear any land. After hastily erecting a few buildings, they began carrying out their Lord’s orders.

The most bizarre part of their task involved Widder Mountain, which lay just ahead.

"Forget it. Let’s just wait for the Lord to get here," Gall said, scratching his head.

....

"You’re saying the entirety of Widder Mountain is shrouded in mist?" Robson asked, looking at Gall.

"Yes, my Lord. Our men have tried to enter many times, but they can’t get through. The mist is too thick; we can’t see a thing," Gall said, pointing to the peak in front of them.

Robson frowned and looked in the direction Gall was pointing. The mountaintop was indeed shrouded in mist, and a wide plain stretched out before it.

There were two peaks over there. The closer one was the objective of Robson’s trip—the site of the Affleck Domain’s iron mine.

The peak behind it was said to be the second-highest in the world.

’It was supposedly measured during the era of the Second Empire, though Robson had no idea what standards they used for their judgment.’

"Mist..." Robson frowned.

"Regardless, we should go and take a look," Falan said, stepping forward.

Falan speaking up took Robson by surprise.

Throughout their journey, Falan had acted purely as a technical specialist. He did whatever Robson told him to do and rarely offered unsolicited advice.

Seeming to sense Robson’s gaze, Falan looked a little embarrassed.

"I just think it seems a bit... odd. Don’t you?" Falan asked, looking at Robson.

"Odd?" Robson frowned, his gaze shifting to the two peaks.

"What’s odd about it?" Robson asked.

Falan narrowed his eyes, studying the two peaks intently.

"The contours of these peaks... Don’t you think they look like a system? Have you ever heard of the Gemini Array?" Falan asked, looking at Robson.

’Another gap in my knowledge...’ Robson shook his head.

’He really couldn’t be blamed, though. While Lord Robson’s main profession was a Knight, his magical knowledge was at least on par with a Level 5 Mage. Falan was just on another level entirely.’

’The types of Magic Arrays in this world were bizarre and countless; how could anyone possibly remember them all?’

"The Gemini Array is a systemic Magic Array used for astrological observation. Back when I entered the Soul Key, it only existed in blueprints. I just happened to stumble upon them somewhere.

These two mountains, and the lake between them... the configuration is somewhat similar. Of course, I can’t be certain.

An Array of this scale... even the Empire back then would have had to expend its full national might to complete it. If this truly is a Magic Array, then it’s... it’s just too magnificent!" Falan murmured, gazing at the distant mountains.

The more Robson listened, the more lost he felt. At this point, it was basically just Falan talking to himself.

"In any case, let’s go and have a look first," Robson said.

’Magic Arrays and whatnot were still far beyond his scope. Even if it really was a Magic Array, he wouldn’t be able to use it, let alone afford to.’

’Something this huge would probably consume the entire output of a small Magic Crystal Ore just to activate it once.’

’For now, the most important thing for him was the iron mine on Widder Mountain.’

.....

The group didn’t waste any more time on talk. Robson led his men to the new camp to check on the stationed Soldiers, and then they rested for the night.

Early the next morning, before the rain grew heavier, Robson took the Glory Knights, along with some of Gall’s soldiers, up Widder Mountain.

Although Captain Gall hadn’t managed to enter the mine in recent days, he had a clear grasp of the surrounding terrain. It was evident he was a competent captain.

At the very least, he hadn’t let a few difficulties bring his troops to a complete standstill.

They were all strapping young men, full of energy, so the journey didn’t take long. By noon, they had reached the mountain and stood before the entrance to the misty mine that Captain Gall had described.

The moment Robson saw the entrance, he knew Captain Gall hadn’t been exaggerating. A deep blue mist billowed from the mouth of the mine.

It wasn’t just the ordinary Soldiers; even Robson, with his Golden-Tier eyes, couldn’t see anything through the mist.

In a situation like this, it was definitely safer to remain outside the mine.

Robson tried using some dispelling Magic, but it had no effect.

"Why don’t you try using Spiritual Power? I have a feeling this stuff is somewhat like Demonic Qi," Falan suggested, glancing at Robson.

Robson nodded. Sure enough, while the mist could block one’s physical sight, it was ineffective against something like Spiritual Power.

"Gall! Come here and take my hand," Robson said, looking back at Gall before extending his other hand to Falan.

’He, Robson, might have Spiritual Power, but the others didn’t.’

’There was no way Lord Robson was going to explore this place alone. Even though he was Golden Tier, it was still far too risky.’

There was no coyness among the men. The Soldiers quickly joined hands and, under Robson’s lead, charged into the mine.

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