“Alright, that’s it for today’s work.”
The foreman clapped his hands sharply, signaling the end of the day. The miners wrapped up their tasks, finishing at natural stopping points before heading home.
Aldo also completed his work, prepared himself for a dungeon dive, and headed to his meeting place with Clara.
“Hey there, Aldo-san!”
Noticing Aldo, Clara waved enthusiastically. Aldo raised a hand in response, acknowledging her.
“Ah, Clara. Thanks for taking care of Iris.”
“No problem! Hey, listen, Aldo-san. Iris is amazing! I think she might already be a better mage than me.”
Clara spoke with a cheerful smile, clearly excited. Aldo chuckled politely.
“Haha, come on now. Iris has only just started learning magic. There’s no way she could surpass you so quickly.”
“No, seriously. I’m not joking. That girl… she has incredible talent.”
Clara’s expression turned serious as she locked eyes with Aldo. Her conviction was unmistakable, making Aldo swallow nervously.
“Are you really saying that?”
“Yes. I’ve never been much of a combat mage, so I didn’t train that aspect heavily. Even so, she’s already surpassed me. There’s no doubt she’s a genius.”
“Is that so?”
Aldo’s face softened, a broad smile spreading across it as he visibly relaxed.
“And that’s without even tapping into the power of spirits. If she clears a dungeon and receives their blessing, boosting her abilities further, she could become an extraordinary mage.”
Even Clara, as she spoke, broke into a nervous sweat. She herself had grown stronger with the power of spirits, but Iris still had untapped potential.
“So, Iris really is that talented. That’s great.”
“You’re completely acting like a doting parent now, Aldo-san!”
Clara’s comment snapped Aldo out of his reverie, and he quickly tried to compose himself. Though his attempt to appear serious came too late and lacked impact, he persisted.
“Don’t get too distracted before diving into the dungeon. Save all that praise for when you’re back home.”
“Yeah, I know.”
With that, Aldo and Clara turned their attention to the looming danger of the dungeon. It was a perilous place where lives were at risk, and vigilance was essential. Even Clara could be in danger if things went awry. With a moderate tension in the air, Aldo stepped forward into the dungeon.
“Aldo-san! A malevolent spirit is coming!”
“Yeah, I see it.”
A massive, gray rock spirit appeared before them, standing taller than Aldo. He swung his sword at it, but the blade failed to do any damage.
“It’s no good. My attacks aren’t working.”
“Rock spirits are resistant to physical attacks. For these, magic is the best strategy. Cyclone!”
Clara chanted her green magic. This wasn’t the beginner magic Iris had learned but a practical combat spell.
The condensed wind assaulted the rock spirit, gradually breaking its form. As its body began to crumble, Clara landed a decisive blow.
“Graaaah!”
The rock spirit collapsed, leaving behind scattered fragments of stone.
“Whew. Magic’s the only way to deal with these spirits. I couldn’t have handled it without you, Clara.”
“Exactly. On the flip side, if we encounter spirits resistant to magic, I’ll be relying on you, Aldo-san.”
Clara and Aldo picked up the fragments, collecting the valuable materials. This was the steady work required to prepare for greater challenges.
After gathering the fragments, they pressed on. Soon, a soft, white, slime-like spirit appeared, hopping toward them.
“Hmm, this one also seems resistant to physical attacks. It’ll take magic to weaken it. Aldo-san, I’ll leave the finishing blow to you.”
“Got it.”
Aldo readied his sword while Clara cast Cyclone to damage the spirit. Weakened, the spirit wobbled before Aldo delivered a swift strike, defeating it. Once again, fragments dropped to the ground.
“No matter how many we defeat, these spirits just keep coming.”
“Yeah. Unless we defeat the boss at the dungeon’s core, these lesser spirits will respawn in about a week. That’s why we have to clear them regularly to make any progress.”
The arduous nature of dungeon exploration weighed on Aldo. Only through this relentless effort could they hope to release the spirits’ power.
“But still… after all that work, sometimes other diggers get to the boss first. That’s the most frustrating part.”
“Agreed.”
They ventured deeper into the dungeon, only to encounter more rock and slime spirits. The sheer number of magic-reliant foes drained Clara’s mana reserves, and her frustration showed.
“Ugh… I can’t handle this many with my magic alone. I’m running out of mana.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. We should retreat for now… And if there are more spirits like these ahead, we’ll need a digger skilled in magic to go further.”
“A digger skilled in magic, huh? Do you know anyone?”
“Hmm… not really.”
“I see.”
Deciding not to overextend, the two retreated to the surface. Knowing when to stop was the key to a long career as a digger—after all, they only had one life to lose.
◇
“Welcome home!”
“I’m back!”
Iris greeted Aldo at the door. She seemed unusually restless, fidgeting nervously and casting upward glances at him with a look that begged for attention.
“Guess what, Dad! Clara praised me and said I have a talent for magic!”
“Oh, that’s amazing! As expected of my daughter!”
Aldo ruffled Iris’s hair affectionately, making her giggle with delight.
“Isn’t Iris already a splendid magician?”
“R-Really? But I think it’s still a bit early for that,” she said shyly, her cheeks flushed. She clasped her hands behind her back, looking down with embarrassment.
“After all, once I become a magician, you’ll grant my wish, won’t you?”
“Hm? Oh, well, as long as it’s within my power, sure. I can’t do the impossible, though.”
This was a promise Aldo had made when Iris shared her dreams for the future. At the time, Iris had been emotionally fragile, and he had made the vow to encourage her.
“Then… maybe it’s still too soon,” she said.
“Huh?” Aldo tilted his head, unable to grasp her true intent. But setting that aside for now…
“Iris, you’re incredible. Hey, show me some of your magic!”
He wasn’t doubting Clara or Iris, but Aldo wanted to see for himself just how skilled Iris had become.
“Magic? Sure! Watch this!”
Iris beamed, eager to demonstrate what she had learned. She took a deep breath, preparing herself.
“Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale…”
Iris steadied her mana, extending her hand.
“Wind!”
A powerful gust erupted from Iris’s hand, nearly blowing Aldo off his feet. He braced himself against the storm-like force, feeling like he was caught in the eye of a hurricane.
“Ha-ha! Okay, Iris, that’s amazing! I got it! I got it! You can stop now!”
“Okay!”
As Iris halted her magic, the house was left in disarray from the gale. Aldo stood dumbfounded, his mouth agape, while Iris finally realized what she had done.
“Oh no! Sorry, Dad! I still can’t control my power very well.”
“Ha-ha! It’s fine, Iris. This just proves how amazing you are. Don’t worry about it. I’m just happy to see how much you’ve grown.”
“Hehe…”
Iris scratched her head sheepishly at the praise. But reality wasn’t about to let them off so easily.
“Still, let’s clean this up together, okay?”
“Okay!”
Without scolding her, Aldo began tidying up the mess with Iris. Though Aldo wasn’t the best at cleaning, Iris helped him along, and the pair enjoyed some lighthearted father-daughter time as they restored order to their home.
