My Reincarnation Skills Are “Playing With Dolls” and “Playing With Clay”, but What Am I Supposed to Do With These? C157

Episode 157 Count Decarno

``I decided to investigate that abandoned mine 41 years ago, at a time when I had almost given up on not being able to find a successor, and shortly after the birth of my long-awaited son...''

The young Count, yes, Count Decarno, who had an appearance that could only be described as young, looked lovingly at his son Larkin, who looked older than himself, and said to him, the guild leader Zebet, Carmilla, and me. He began speaking in a tone as if he were confessing something. 

That was after I told her about finding a place similar to that painting, and also about the demonic ruins I had seen in Galatia Canyon, near the Parthea border. 

The Count may have realized that he was not the only one who had an incredible experience. 

``I have never forgotten the joyful and proud look on my late wife Leticia's face as she held a healthy, crying baby boy in her arms, and my joy was no less than that of her. 

At that time, I was still in my 30s and full of vitality, having only inherited the position of earl for about five years, so I wanted to make this small port town more prosperous than it had been in the time of my ancestors, and I wanted to leave a rich estate to my son. With this in mind, he put extra effort into developing farmland and promoting commerce. 

I can proudly say that I have spared no effort in supporting temples and orphanages, and have kept the tax rate lower than that of neighboring feudal lords, believing that enriching the people will enrich the territory. 

One day, a story reached me that woodcutters in the mountains had found an entrance to a cave that was believed to be connected to a former mine. 

It seems that the mine on the outskirts of Munica was abandoned during the Great Demon King War 200 years ago, collapsed, and was forgotten at some point, so maybe the ore itself has not run out? If the collapsed tunnels could be dug again, wouldn't it be possible to produce rich copper, iron, and even silver? That's what I thought. 

At that time, many knights and squires were serving our family, so I took the most trustworthy among them, as well as some who had experience working in mines in other territories, and visited the abandoned mine site myself. . 

Unexpectedly, there was still enough left of the tunnel to pass through. Of course, since it had been abandoned for 200 years, there were some places where it was buried or had water leaking out, but those with experience in mining took care of it and got through it without any problems. 

Then, as I descended deeper into the layer, I realized that there seemed to be a considerable amount of very high-grade copper ore still there. 

What good luck! I thanked the gods and descended deeper. 

How many layers did it go down? How deep did Eld go? 

I feel like I can remember it clearly if I go there, but I don't think the trip took more than half a day. 

　

Before we knew it, we had reached the bottom of the mine shaft, and for some reason, beyond that, there was an open space that looked distinctly different from a mine shaft. 

The wall emits a slight light, what kind of unknown ore is this? Or is it due to some kind of magic? Although we were hesitant, we were still young and filled with a sense of mission, so we continued to go deeper without flinching. 

There were no monsters blocking our path, and the path had a very unrealistic feel to it. 

Yes, until that time... 

For me and Carmilla, who had experienced the Galatea Ruins, the story had a sense of deja vu. 

Zebet swallowed hard. 

``Suddenly, we emerged from the narrow space into a wide open space that made it hard to believe that it was underground. The walls and ceiling glowed faintly, making it easy to see. 

At first, I thought there was an uneven rocky area stretching out in front of me. 

But that wasn't the case. 

It was slightly rising and falling, and it was breathing. 

Something huge, strange, and horrifying that I've never seen before... 

At that, the Count's words stopped. 

As I remembered something, it was like something unbearable came back to me. 

《That's... Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu! 》

The earl suddenly twisted around, held his head, and began to tremble. 

Larkin ran up to his father and put his arms around him to calm him down. 

“Father, we better not talk about it anymore.”

However, the Count continued, holding his head in one hand and waving his other hand. 

``I can't really remember what happened after that...well, I can't remember.''

``It'' probably hasn't woken up, or I wouldn't be here right now. 

However, the moment it froze, countless monsters sprung out from within the huge shadow, as if that was the signal. 

The terrifying followers of darkness... the evil ones are attacking us all at once. 

And then we just ran away like crazy. 

With no pride or outward appearance, some were so frightened that they instantly went mad on the spot and collapsed, while others were eaten alive by monsters...I was eaten too, yes, I was eaten alive. Did you get it?　

No, but that must have been an oversight, since it is what it is now. 

I continued running blindly in the darkness, unable to turn around in fear. 

How long, or how many days, did he keep running away? 

I don't understand. 

　

Where are your friends and your subordinate knights? 

I don't understand that either. 

And, at the end of my escape, which felt like an eternity of torment and a pilgrimage through hell, I arrived on earth. 

What a blessing, what a test from God! 

When I finally arrived at what appeared to be the exit of the mine shaft, I couldn't recognize it. 

Because the situation was so different from when I entered. 

In my life, there was heavy rain like nothing I had ever seen in this area, lightning flashes, and muddy streams flowing like floods into the mine shafts. 

I slipped and almost drowned, but I struggled to get away from the breathing, footsteps, and cries of the monsters chasing me, and just as I finally crawled out of the tunnel, a roaring sound rang out. 

The rocky mountain above collapsed, covering the tunnel that had just crawled out. 

What is this, if not God's arrangement...I lost all my friends, lost my honor and pride, crawled like rags, and forgot everything, as if nothing had happened. I did it》

The earl looked like a young man, but he was older and more exhausted than he should have been, and he stared at me with eyes that looked like he was seeking judgment in the name of salvation. 

``Since then, I haven't told anyone about that abandoned mine, sealed away the dead in my memory, and just spent my time hiding in this mansion. If the people of the town found out that there was an underground space filled with monsters like that not far away, no one would be able to live in peace anymore. I thought that if there was a monster underground that couldn't be subdued, but by chance it was sealed and never came out, it would be best to just pretend it never existed. 

《No, that's not true. Above all, I didn't want to believe it, I wanted to pretend it didn't happen, maybe it really was that way. 

Then, I raised my gaze as if looking into space, and the words I muttered didn't seem to be aimed at me, my son, or anyone else present. 

``...But was I wrong? 》

None of us had words to say to the Earl. But then he turned his gaze to us. 

``The reason why I felt like talking about my hideous past for the first time, even to my son, was because for some reason I felt that I could ask of you. For those of you who witnessed something similar and survived. 

Then, as if he had made up his mind, he added quietly. 

``Wasn't what I saw an illusion? And who is that? I have to check. As a lord...I must fulfill my final duty. So please take me there again.