The late morning—almost noon—feels colder on the northern mountain, though the mist isn't as heavy as yesterday. Rosa takes each step carefully as she climbs the wet terrain, her pointed boots digging into the damp grass. Her right hand grips her hiking pole while she weaves around muddy slopes, avoiding the mossy patches. The bag and staff strapped to her back drag her down, making every movement heavy and sluggish.
This time, Lilia leads the way. She climbs with ease, not even bothering with her hiking pole, hopping from rock to rock to skip the mossy ground—despite the leather bag slung over her shoulder.
"Rosa! You good back there? Already out of breath?"
Lilia waves from far ahead, smiling like always, barely paying attention to her surroundings. Rosa can't tell whether Lilia has no idea what she's doing… or knows exactly what she's doing and trusts nothing will go wrong.
"Lilia! Haaah… haaah… If you've got the breath to yell at me, use it to scout ahead!"
Lilia gives her a two-finger salute and flicks her hand forward.
"Rogeeer~"
Playful as ever. Rosa only sighs and hopes she takes the trip seriously. The warnings from the last vendors still cling to her thoughts—this place is a body counter with an active slider. The least she can do is stay alert.
Rosa glances sideways at the landscape below—an open, sprawling view past a line of trees and the broad cliff edge. The forest stretches for kilometers, a sweeping carpet of green glowing under warm sunlight, its colors muted by a thin veil of drifting mist. Between the trees, she spots the shapes of old miner shacks, their roofs sagging, half-swallowed by vines and moss, long abandoned yet still clinging to the hillside. Birds sweep close by before diving toward the forest. A gentle wind brushes her face, and with a long breath, she reaffirms she is indeed inside Eisenvalt.
"Rosa! Come here! I found something!"
Lilia's voice echoes against the cliff, repeating faintly at the end. Rosa immediately faces forward and pushes her pace.
By the time she reaches her, Lilia is crouched beside a hunk of metal about half the size of a door. Aside from the material, Rosa recognizes the faintly conical shape—some kind of hermit crab. And only one species uses minerals or metal as its shell.
"Ore hermit shell? So there really are metal deposits nearby."
Lilia nods, running a finger along the rough edges. Each piece looks cleanly cut, perfectly chiseled, catching the sunlight with streaks of rusty brown. Then she lets out a long, disappointed sigh.
"Haah… what a waste of high-grade hematite. Molded, chiseled, mixed with low-quality scraps… and all this damage…"
Rosa's eyes widen at the spot Lilia traces—two pairs of punctures deep enough to reach the hollow interior, with cracks spidering between them as if something tried to crush the whole thing. Her eyes, already glowing from the climb, shift into a bluish crimson under the effect of Sharvessaich as she studies the details more closely.
The teeth marks don't add up. The puncture holes are almost perfect circles, but smaller ones trail inward, dragging into the central crack. No creature Rosa knows has teeth shaped like this—not with everything she's learned about monsters.
"How is it? Any idea what did that?"
Lilia tilts her head, still crouched low, her voice quieter now.
Rosa shakes her head.
"How about you, Lilia?"
Lilia rises and stretches, taking in a long breath before giving a shrug and a crooked smile.
"Nope. Nothing. Maybe some kind of magic mountain lion?"
Rosa lets out a dry chuckle and raises a brow.
"In a place with barely any deer or goats? Sure. Must be a steel sabertooth that suddenly develops a taste for insects."
Before Lilia can reply, Rosa stiffens at the sound of rustling behind them.
"Lilia…"
Her voice is low as she reaches for her staff, eyes locked on the foliage.
"On it."
A metallic click answers her, followed by a soft shift of movement where Lilia stands.
"Rosa, there's two more of them!"
Three creatures burst through the bushes and stop in front of Rosa. The first thing she notices is the heavy metal mound on their backs—exactly like the shell they examined. They scuttle forward on multiple legs, their oversized pincers extending toward her. The pincers' slits are jagged, the edges metallic and gleaming as they catch the light. Beady eyes jut forward from their heads.
They match every textbook description of ore hermits.
"So… need a hand with this?" Lilia calls.
Rosa stays silent, calculating. Five hermits aren't a threat. The spell she needs is already forming in her mind. Her mana is stable—no draining, no sapping—and even if it costs a bit, a basic mana potion would cover it. She flicks a hand backward, signaling Lilia to stay clear.
"Guess not, huh?"
Lilia's voice goes flat, her sigh carrying the rest.
Rosa hears a soft thump as Lilia leaps back out of range, already wearing her metal gauntlet. Rosa glances at the hermits again. One, two, three, four… five—closing in, pincers raised.
She lifts her staff, the amber crystal at its tip glowing. Electricity crawls across her body, wrapping her in a bluish aura. The charge pulls toward the staff's tip, stray sparks snapping at the ground around her feet.
"Vlitzenfleuten!"
Lightning bursts outward like a blooming flower, splitting into five streaks that lance toward each hermit.
Khiiiiii!
Each bolt slams into its target, striking the shells dead-on. The hermits jerk violently, limbs splaying out as the electricity cooks them from within. Then, one by one, they collapse as the lightning fades.
A faint metallic tang rises from their scorched shells. Thin wisps of smoke curl upward while Rosa lowers her staff, letting the last flicker of static dance off her fingertips.
"Amazing performance from Miss Rosa! Please accept the audience's grand token of appreciation!"
Lilia tosses a vial of blue liquid in a high arc toward Rosa. Rosa catches it without trouble.
"Don't throw mana potions like that! One slip and we're donating it to the dirt!"
"Whoops, sorry. But see? Didn't drop it."
Rosa pops the cork with a soft pfft and sighs before drinking. A cold rush—like the mountain air itself—slides down her throat, followed by the familiar, gentle warmth spreading through her veins. Her mana reserve fills… but not as strongly as it should. The warmth feels duller, weaker.
Stale? Impossible. She brewed this batch only a week ago—too soon for any degradation. Maybe the cold air is tricking her senses? Either way, she needs confirmation.
"Lilia."
Rosa stops mid-drink, leaving just enough for one last gulp. She corks it again and holds the vial out.
"Tell me how this tastes. And how it feels."
Lilia gasps dramatically, covering her mouth with her palm. Rosa immediately gives her the look—the one that says she already knows the stupidity that's about to come out.
"R-Rosa… offering me an indirect kiss and asking how it tastes… That's bold~"
A vein twitches on Rosa's temple. She suppresses the urge to hurl the vial at Lilia's face.
A better idea strikes.
She steps forward slowly, wearing that specific smile—the one she usually has right before pinching Lilia's cheeks. She pops the cork again as she approaches.
"Wh—what are you doing? I don't like that smile!"
Lilia backs away, smiling nervously now, sweat already forming on her forehead.
Before she can bolt, Rosa grabs her cheek first and squeezes, forcing her mouth open. Rosa pours the blue liquid straight in. When Lilia tries to sputter it back out, Rosa clamps her mouth shut and pinches her nose. Only when she sees Lilia's throat bob with a swallow does she release her.
"Baaah! What was that for!? Uuugh… I swear, that better not become a habit…"
Lilia wipes the potion from her lips, breath heaving.
"You're being difficult," Rosa says.
And annoying, she thinks, choosing not to say it.
"So? How does it taste? And how does it feel?"
Lilia gives her own exasperated look and exhales.
"Maybe start with an apology?"
She crosses her arms, thinking.
"Hmmm… It tastes like a normal mana potion to me, but… how do I say it…? I expected more kick? It's not as strong as usual. Did you bring a stale one by accident?"
Rosa shakes her head. The implication stings more than she expects. Her lips tighten into a pout.
"Of course not! I made a fresh batch right before we left. It's barely been a week. And before you imply the potion is defective—I tested it myself."
Lilia winces and gives a nervous smile, as if she just woke a sleeping kitten the wrong way. She circles around to Rosa's back and starts gently massaging her shoulders.
"Okay, okay—didn't mean it like that. You can drop the pout now."
Lilia keeps kneading Rosa's shoulders as she talks.
"Just curious—how long do mana potions usually last? I always drink mine within a week after buying them."
Rosa suppresses the sigh that threatens to slip out. The massage is annoyingly good; she didn't even realize how many knots she had. She quickly steps forward to escape Lilia's hands, only to catch the smug little grin waiting for her—Lilia clearly knows what she's doing.
"Around a month. Longer if you store them in a cooling cupboard."
Rosa taps her chin, sorting through everything they've learned so far.
"But either way, that means something really is wrong with our potions. Just to confirm—you haven't felt any sap or drain since we got to Eisenvalt, right?"
Lilia shakes her head.
"Not that I've noticed."
She then points at her own face; her green eyes glow faintly with a bluish tint.
"I can still maintain Sharvessaich."
Rosa nods. That settles her suspicion.
"So it is the potions, not us."
They walk deeper into the area, watching both sides. More discarded shells lie around, all with the same condition—puncture marks, cracks, some even split completely open. According to Lilia, the shells are made from different metal ores: hematite, limonite, malachite, azurite. None show any sign of void element. And neither of them has felt a single drop of sap.
That last part frustrates Rosa more than anything. She spent a painful amount of gold—and an even more painful chunk of pride—to buy two batches of green potions. She's tempted to throw them away outright, but the growing weakness of her regular potions is the only reason she hesitates.
They continue searching until another shell stops them—this one lying among rubble from what looks like a landslide. Pieces of old wooden beams jut from the rocks. Rosa guesses it might've been a cave entrance.
Rosa steps closer, Lilia crouching beside her immediately. Rosa's Sharvessaich-lit eyes sweep over the shell, slow and methodical. This one is noticeably darker than the others, with no rusty coloration at all. Her attention settles on a gaping hole in the center—about the size of a watermelon—exposing the hollow inside completely.
Lilia runs her fingers across the surface. The metal is uneven, jagged, like pieces were mashed together haphazardly.
"So, what kind of metal is this?" Rosa asks, crouching beside her.
"Hold on… let me test it."
Lilia pulls out a small chunk of metal tied to a string. She places it against the shell and lifts her hand. The metal clings to it.
A magnet.
"Mmhmm!" Lilia hums, pleased, grabbing the magnet and slipping it back into her satchel.
"This is definitely magnetite! And high-quality too—shame it's in this condition."
Rosa isn't a metals expert; she only recognizes a few ores by sight. Usually she buys ready-made ingots from Helgen or other blacksmiths, so she's more familiar with the finished product than the raw material. That gap in her knowledge sparks a question.
"Aren't you supposed to get the same metal no matter how the ore is crushed?" she asks.
Lilia crosses her arms with a soft hum.
"You're not wrong."
She taps the shell gently, treating it like something fragile.
"But if it's crushed or broken apart, ambient mana seeps in easier. For normal forging it doesn't matter, but when mana conductivity becomes part of the process… things get complicated. Even I don't fully understand all of it."
Rosa nods, remembering her work with elemental trinkets. Suddenly it makes sense why specialized ingots exist rather than the generic ones she normally buys. She always assumed the difference was minor.
"That's the first time I've heard that. No wonder sterile metals cost so much…"
She glances sideways and points.
"Anyway—putting metal theory aside, I think we found why this shell shattered."
The ground nearby shows erratic footprints of various sizes, all leading toward the collapsed cave entrance. Near them lies a staff with a polished jade crystal at the tip.
"Looks like someone else came through recently," Rosa says. "Probably fought the hermits on their way. And considering what that scam— I mean, potion seller said about missing people, we're lucky we don't see bones. Or worse, a rotting co—"
"Rosa! Don't say it like that! You're going to make me imagine it!" Lilia yelps.
Rosa inspects the rubble again, then picks up the staff and straps it onto her back.
"You're going to bring that?" Lilia asks.
"Well, we might find the owner. If they're not decompo—"
"Rosaaa!" Lilia flinches, jerking forward with both arms stiffened.
"R-right, my bad." Rosa clears her throat.
Lilia pauses, actually thinking for once.
"What if we don't take it?"
"Hmmm… Finder's keepers?" Rosa says, halfhearted. She would like to keep it, but taking something from a place linked to deaths carries risks. And guilt.
"Actually… let's put it back here later if we must," she adds.
"Right… but that means…" Lilia trails off.
Rosa looks toward the rubble.
"Yes. We're going in. We'll need another entrance though."
Lilia steps forward with bright confidence—as if Rosa just called upon her secret talent.
"Hmh! No need, my dear Rosa, for I have a way!"
Rosa gives her a skeptical stare. With Lilia, it's either a real solution or outright teasing. Her gaze flicks to the staff on her back.
"If it's nonsense, I'm throwing this staff at your face."
Lilia stiffens again. "It's not! Just—could you step back?"
She raises her palm toward Rosa, gesturing for space.
Rosa nods and takes three steps back.
Lilia pulls out the pair of familiar gloves—each fitted with its own reinforced knuckles. She slips them on, the metal parts clicking together with a crisp, satisfying sound.
"So that's why you asked me to enchant those gloves," Rosa says.
"Hehe—yep. I've been working on this for weeks. A whole month, even."
Lilia raises a finger toward the sky, humming proudly.
"A warrior must be shaped by preparation, yet moved by circumstance.
If your mana fails you, draw your blade.
If your blade is lost, trust your fists.
If your fists are bound, strike with your feet.
And if even they are taken as well, then fight with your will.
Adaptation is the last weapon no enemy can steal."
A direct quote from Yasuke Watanabe, the master warrior from Nichigetsu Island.
"Just stand back, Rosa. I'll show you what these beauties can do!"
With that, Lilia leaps forward.
"Hyaaaah!"
Her fist slams into the rubble with a metallic clank, and she hops back several steps. The impact point glows with a red sigil, growing brighter and brighter—
BOOOOOM!
The explosion vaporizes the rubble, smoke bursting outward.
"Hmmm… that's actually impressive," Rosa mutters, hand on her chin. She studies the glow residue with a small, proud smile. Detonation enchantment—her own handiwork working exactly as designed.
Lilia gestures elegantly, like a butler presenting a doorway.
"After you~"
They step into the newly revealed cave entrance. But before they can go deeper—
Krrrrk… Krrk… CRACK!
Rumble… rumble…
A shower of dust drifts past Rosa's face. Then, suddenly, something yanks her arm forward.
"RUN!"
Lilia shouts as she drags Rosa with her.
A heartbeat later, the ceiling collapses behind them, sealing the entrance completely—or rather, sealing their exit. Darkness swallows everything; Rosa can't see a thing.
"This is just wonderful…" she deadpans.
Lilia rubs her head, sweat beading at her temple.
"Okay, maybe that explosion was a bit too strong. But hey—we're still alive."