I Became the Villainess's Brother

"Right here. This, a place in the shadow of a tree. You have big roots, don't you?

Rachel urges us to peek into the old entrance to the Demon Mine.

... Since when is it no longer used? The roots of the trees are mostly eroding.

I think it was the same size as the regular entrance that I am currently using.

But the wood surrounding the entrance had almost decayed and disappeared, and the roots of the surrounding trees stretched to block the entrance.

Honestly, I think I would have overlooked it if they hadn't told me it was the entrance.

Rachel retreats the roots of the tree with a hand she's used to.

Eldor, with a rope on his shoulder, grabbed the lamp borrowed from the miner and dived into the roots.

"Will you let me in, Kimi?

I don't know.

You manage height, you're too far down the side.

"Does this continue this width inside as well?

"Yeah, it's just near the entrance. The roots of the trees don't stretch that far back. But with the rocks in the way, adults can't get through."

So we can dive in here?

I give in gently and dive at the root of the tree.

The roots of a tree stretched from left to right come mercilessly through my fat stomach and back.

... Damn, really, that's too much!

Pull your stomach in much harder and I'll push the roots of the tree up with my arms.

The roots of the tree that make you feel like decades of age are stiff as a treat.

The moment I dived through the roots of a tree in a little tunnel state, my stomach shook like a relief.

... Is this really okay with the rocks along the way?

Lightly tumming, Riley, Trian, and Rachel gently come through the roots of the tree.

"Watch your step. It slips pretty good. It's easy to get caught in the roots of trees."

"You have wet rock skin. There's rainwater in there."

"There's an indentation."

"There's more light inside than I thought."

Apart from Eldor's lamp, the inside of the pit is blurry and glowing.

The rocky skin of the pit itself feels slightly lit.

"Because I have demon ore. Turn off the lamp, it's so beautiful. Oh, don't turn it off now, okay? It's more beautiful in the back."

"Hey, can you show me right to the injured first?

"Daijbu, I know! It's a top priority."

As we proceeded across the roots of a tree crawling through rocky skin, a large rock was blocking the way.

Rachel looked up at the rock.

"This is where grown-ups can't get through."

"Block it as much as you want, huh? Is there somewhere we can get through this?

"You're going to fall under this rock once. Then you dive under the rocks and go out on the other side."

I don't know what that means.

Rachel says, "Look, look," she points under the rock.

Peeping in with me, I understood.

From a dim distance, a rock was piercing the road and visible, but there was a gap beneath the rock and a hole further beneath it.

It feels like there's a rock above the pit.

Looking up, the rock is stuck in the ceiling disappointingly, and it doesn't seem like it's ever going to fall into the pit.

I guess it means that adults can't go in at height because the hole that's underneath isn't that deep.

"I'll go first. Make it easy to see the other side."

Rachel, who was peering into the hole, was seen entering the hole without getting lost and creeping straight under the rock.

Then Eldor dives through refreshingly.

... Me, I guess. We have to go, though!

Put some strength in your stomach, and I'll follow.

Instead of the roots of the trees, this time pressing my belly against the rock skin, I manage to get into the hole.

Getting under the rock was easy.

All right, I guess we can get out next.

Looking up, Rachel is peeking in like she's in trouble.

"I'm scared right now. Kimi, can you climb?

"Huh."

No, come on.

I didn't expect that, did I?

The opposite side of the rock is quite wider than when it falls into the hole.

If I jumped, I could reach the other way.

But.

"Wet, wet... eh"

"But good luck! I can only support you!

"Reese, give me a hand. I'll pull it from here."

"No, you can't..."

I don't hold Eldor's hand.

'Cause no matter what you think, you can't support my weight, can you?!

Hang at the exit of the hole with both hands.

And then we're gonna put this giant on the other side of the road.

"Hey, what's going on over there? I don't see it coming from over here, but is it tough?

"Reese is hanging, but I can't climb yet!

"Do you want to push it up from the bottom?

"I can't let you two in the hole."

"Gentlemen, step away from the hole. Mr. Reese, stay put and hang tight."

Trian, what are you doing?

I'm about to fall off now?!

Yes, the moment I thought about it.

"Wow, the wind?!

My body was pushed up into the wind from the bottom.

With that momentum, I crawled straight up the road.

"Wow, Reese, I could climb!

"It seems to have succeeded. Above all."

"Trian, thank you..."

Whoa, whoa, whoa.

I can't breathe.

Seriously, that was helpful.

If Trian hadn't pushed me with the magic of the wind, I wouldn't have been able to climb.

You suck at my weight again.

Even though this is still losing more weight than it was in the beginning.

"Hey, Reese, can we move a little? Otherwise we won't be able to climb."

"Oh, sorry... you're out of breath..."

Eldor lends me a hand when I'm sweating, and I lean against the pit wall.

I feel humid, though cooler inside the pit than the sunless partition.

Riley was followed by Trian climbing the hole without difficulty.

"All right, guys, you got this. You can walk normally from here on out. But there are side roads and everything, so don't leave me."

Rachel is sure to put the cascade back on.

I wonder where the downfall was.

I wish I could join Ellsmaggie's son and grandson first.

"Rachel, how far from here is the location of the downfall Mr. Brown was saying?

"I don't think the first downfall is that far away. I'm going the shortest distance right now, but it doesn't feel like there's anything special around here."

Whether you look around or at your feet, there are no signs of cracks or anything like that on the rocky skin of the pit.

After walking for a while, I went out on a wide eyed path.

The tracks are hitting the road.

There were about two empty trolleys on the tracks.

I also have a tulle hash and work tools.

... you also use people's hands.

Though it was all magically an image of mining because there are mine magicians.

Well, if you don't need manpower, naturally, because there's no miner, right?

"... Didn't you hear anything right now?

Eldor puts the lamp forward.

When I clear my ears, I do hear a noise from somewhere.

Talking?

We hurried and ran to our voices.

Turning down the side road of the pit, the light of the lamp captured the shadow.

"Mr. Nerd? Or is it Mr. Krott?

"Is that Rachel? How did you get here?"

"I'm here to help! Reese over here says you can use healing magic."

A low voice returns.

Mr. Nerd, illuminated by the lamp, looked very similar to Ellsmaggie's shopkeeper.

"Is Mr. Krott on your side?

"I'm downstairs."

Behind Mr. Nerdo, a voice echoes from behind the ground.

Eldor illuminates his back.

She looks fine from the way her voice feels, but how's the injury?

"Drop the rope now. Now tie your body up."

Eldor puts the end of the rope on an affordable rock and drips the other end into the hole.

When I tried to reach the back of the hole as far as I could with the lights, I saw a small young man sitting around.

He didn't have any particular injuries except for his legs, and Mr. Krott wrapped a rope around his waist belt and tied it cuddly.

Really, I wish I could go downstairs.

That way I can heal my legs and then pull them up...

When I get down, you can definitely not climb up on your own, and nobody can pull you up.

I just have to pull Mr. Krott up here and then treat him.

"I'm gonna pull you up, okay?

"Yeah, nice to meet you"

"Shh!

All the while, we all pull the rope.

Hand over the rope a few times, the little Mr. Krott was gently pulled up.

"Thanks for your help, thank you"

"Hold still, hold still a little bit"

I'll check his legs right away.

I think it's a loose wound and a sprain.

Hands on his swollen ankle and cast a spell.

The blue light instantly healed his wounds without any problems.

"That's amazing. The pain is completely gone."

Crot jumped lightly on the spot with pleasure.

"I'm glad you look good. But if you get too well, you're gonna fall again, okay?

"Wow, that's scary!

Riley laughed and Krott rushed to hide after Mr. Nerd.

Though I thought he was a small young man, he still feels like he's in his early teens.

Mr. Nerdo turns to us as he strokes Krott's head.

"It looks like there was another downfall earlier. There was a loud noise. Is everyone okay?

"That's it, but the fall blocked me near the entrance. I'm still trapped because of that."

"What?! So we can't leave either?

"Yeah, I'm fine! Reese and the others are working together."

"Yep. Mine magicians have arranged for a high-speed demon wagon, so you'll be out in a few hours."

"Right..."

"From now on, I'm going to join the others. Let's head to the entrance."

I hope there aren't too many downfall injuries.

With that in mind, we walked out for the entrance.