Isekai Nonbiri Sozai Saishu Seikatsu - Chapter 73

“It’s good that we’re safe, but where exactly are we?”

“Well, we fell quite a bit.”

As I calm down, I become concerned about the current situation. Having fallen from the sixth floor, where are we now?

【Demio Mine Underground Twelfth Floor】

Wanting to know the floor level, I activate appraisal and can see it in my field of vision.

“Twelfth floor!?”

A number beyond my expectations is displayed, and I involuntarily let out an astonished voice.

“Really!? That’s a joke, right?”

“No, it’s the result of the appraisal, so I believe it’s the truth…”

“…Did we really end up in such a place?”

I never expected that the sixth and twelfth floors would be connected. We fell quite a distance. If you think about it calmly, it’s not surprising to fall to such a level.

“But it’s become quite a large cave,” Rosca says while looking around.

The floor we are on now is incomparably larger than the previous levels. The ceiling of the path in front of us is about fifty meters high. The width is also similar.

Like the sixth floor, thanks to the light stones and light crystals, the floor is somewhat bright, but without lighting up the ceiling with light balls, it’s hard to see.

“It seems that Demio Mine gets wider as you go underground.”

“Judging by the terrain so far, it seems like that.”

There is no place that looks like a cave where human hands have been involved anymore.

First, I conduct magic stone detection to examine the surroundings.

Expanding my magic power into the floor, it seems that there are no monsters within the sensing range.

Or rather, because the floor is spacious, there is little reflection from the walls.

“There don’t seem to be any monsters around.”

“Yeah, seems like it. No signs or smells in particular.”

Rosca also listens carefully, sniffing the surrounding scent and muttering with a relieved expression.

“If I were to say anything, it would be the carcass of Gantol.”

“…The culprit who dropped us here.”

Rosca remarks while staring resentfully at the Gantol that has become a collapsed rock-like figure. If this guy hadn’t been here, we wouldn’t have experienced such a frightening ordeal, and we wouldn’t have come to this unknown territory like the twelfth floor.

【Gantol Ore】

An ore formed by the mixture of minerals eaten by Gantol. The ore changes depending on the minerals in the terrain and what it has eaten.

Sometimes, unexpected new types of ore can be created.

When appraised, it is displayed as Gantol Ore in red.

I don’t know what kind of ores are mixed in this, but judging from the red color, it seems to have some value.

Since it visually mixes black and gold, did it perhaps consume Bakelite and black ore?

“Rosca, do you want to use it for decoration?”

“I absolutely won’t use it! Moreover, using a material that caused such a big fall as decoration is inauspicious, and I don’t want to use it!”

Certainly, using the material of the monster that caused a major fall for an exhibition is not auspicious. I inadvertently chuckle and store it in the magic bag.

“For now, let’s try to find a way back to the surface.”

“Huh? Oh, y-yeah!”

“Did you think that since we came to a floor you’ve never been to, there might be good materials for decoration?”

“Eh?! W-well, I just thought about it a little!”

Rosca’s reaction seems suspicious, and when I press her for an answer, it turns out she was indeed thinking along those lines.

“Well, I thought about it too. I figured there might be materials here that we’ve never seen before.”

The terrain has changed drastically. The monsters, vegetation, and ores living there must have changed drastically too. Surely, there are many materials I have never seen before.

“Yeah, that’s right! I feel like there might be materials around here that resonate with me!”

“However, in Demio Mine, the monsters tend to get stronger as you go deeper, and searching without even knowing the situation to return is too dangerous, so let’s head back.”

Certainly, in the midst of such an accident, I don’t feel like searching for materials in the unknown territory of the twelfth floor. It’s too risky.

“Yeah…”

Rosca must have understood that as well; she bows her head in disappointment.

I share the same sentiment. If I had come here smoothly and reached this place, I would have gladly searched for materials.

“However, I think it’s okay to collect materials we find on the way back.”

“As expected of Shuu-san! Unlike the boss, you have a flexible mind!”

“…Well, I also want to gather some materials.”

Of course, it’s impossible to mine and search as before, but it shouldn’t be a problem to collect what’s exposed. We’ve fallen all the way here, and if we don’t do at least that, it won’t be worthwhile.

“Now, we should look for a water source. There’s not much left in the water bottles, and it would be nice if there’s a clean spring like the one on the sixth floor, but…”

The first necessity for human survival is water. Even without food, one can survive for a while if there is water.

The spring on the sixth floor is probably drinkable, but searching for a water source while looking for the way back is quite a high hurdle.

There might be a possibility that there is only one water source within the mine.

While the magic bag is something I don’t want to disclose to others, considering the current situation, it’s probably best to tell Rosca and reduce her burden. I haven’t told Lumia, who has been friendly, so I feel a bit guilty, but there’s no helping it.

“If you’re worried about water and food, there’s no need.”

“Huh? What do you mean…?”

“This bag is a magic bag, so it can hold a lot of water and food. Probably, if we just live normally, it will last for more than half a year for both of us.”

To prove that it’s a magic bag, I start taking out barrels of water, bread, apples, and more from the bag.

It’s evident that these items wouldn’t fit into a regular shoulder bag.

“Sh-Shuu-san. Did you have such an amazing thing!? Are you, by any chance, a noble or a royal?”

“No, just a commoner adventurer.”

Having received a similar line from Klaus and learned about its value, I was able to handle it without surprise this time.

“For now, shall we replenish water?”

“Yes, please!”

When I suggested it, Rosca drank some water and then handed me her water bottle.

It seems she was conserving water and was quite thirsty. The received water bottle was completely empty.

I scoop water from the barrel, fill the water bottle, and hand it back.

“Thank you!”

“How about eating an apple and taking a short break?”

There’s no reaction from monsters in the vicinity. Since there’s no guarantee we can return immediately, we should focus on recovering our stamina now.

I hand an apple to Rosca, settling down and taking a bite of my own.

Yeah, thanks to the magic bag, it tastes fresh. The juicy, sweet and sour flavor spreads in my mouth.

However, Rosca, sitting next to me, holds the apple carefully without taking a seat.

Wondering if something is wrong, Rosca murmurs softly.

“…Shuu-san.”

“What’s wrong?”

“You told me about the important magic bag for someone like me, and you even gave me water and food. Thank you so much.”

In a situation like this, the first concern is water and food. However, that concern was resolved thanks to my magic bag.

It’s safe to say that a significant burden on our minds has been lifted.

She may be acting cheerful, but suddenly falling to the twelfth floor must have made Rosca anxious too.

“You’re welcome. But the hard part is still ahead, you know?”

“Yeah! We have to not only find our way back but also search for materials!”

Rosca, who still doesn’t seem to give up on finding materials, and I, who love gathering, end up laughing.