Arcadia's Ignoble Knight: Dark Elf Arc

Chapter 6

Erica impatiently tapped her foot against the floor as she sat in the MAFT and stared out the window. The area around her was all mountains. She glanced up at the cliff faces high above her as the all-terrain vehicle sped across this rocky landscape. Sitting beside her, Derek remained faithful and silent as he cleaned the claymore resting on his lap.

"How much longer will it take to reach the Avrondale Mines?" she asked with a growl.

Derek didn't say anything to her. It wouldn't have done any good. This wasn't the first time she had asked that question. Even Erica knew that she was being impatient.

Several days had passed since she left Axium, and after returning to Ashtown, she had immediately purloined one of her many maids and made them buy a MAFT simply so they could drive her to the Avrondale Mines. It took several days to reach the Avrondale Mines in most occasions, but Erica had not been satisfied with that. The maid, Derek, and even she took turns driving it so they could keep journeying without stopping.

Erica felt something unpleasant settling within her gut. It was causing her stomach to twist into knots. She didn't like this feeling, so the sooner she could reach those mines and confirm Kristal's safety, the better she would feel.

"Lady Erica," her maid Daphne suddenly called back to her, "We are reaching the Avrondale Mines."

"Finally!" Erica moaned in a combination of relief and irritation. "Floor it. I want to be there as quickly as possible!"

"Yes, My Lady!"

Daphne stepped on the throttle and unleashed more power into the magical engine, increasing their speed.

By this point, Erica was more than capable of seeing the Avrondale Mines. From a distance, it looked just like any of the other mountains located within this region, but as they traveled through the ravine, she could see the entrance opening before her. It wasn't long before the MAFT was swallowed by the entrance. The lights surrounding them became darker as Daphne drove them deeper into the mines, the area sparsely lit by a few spirit crystals spaced against the walls, until they had reached the entrance.

The large entry was carved from the very bedrock of this cavern. It was a large archway that loomed over them, covered in numerous intricate designs, symbols that had been carved into the surface. Erica didn't know what these symbols were, nor did she care. When the MAFT came to a stop, she didn't bother waiting for Derek to open and the door and did it herself.

Once outside, Erica surveyed the area with sharp eyes. She growled at how dark it was and muttered a quick Aria as Derek exited the vehicle.

"Raijin, he who controls lightning. Grant me light."

The area around her body lit up as she felt Raijin enter her. The light quickly extended to one meter, two, and finally stopped at ten meters. This was enough to let her see well enough. That also meant she could see the remains of what had once been a large doorway made of bronze, which now lay in ruins.

"Derek, let's go. Daphne, remain with the MAFT."

"Yes, My Lady," Derek and Daphne said at the same time.

Erica hurried her footsteps as she walked past the gate without a second glance, entering the marble hallway decorated with corinthian columns of a most pleasing aesthetic design. She ignored them. She also didn't bother to admire the paintings along the wall. None of that mattered to her as she strode down the hallway and took several turns.

As they turned a corner, Erica came to a stop. Derek, who walked behind her with his claymore at the ready, also stopped.

A body was lying in the hallway. Erica walked up to the body, which was lying faceup, allowing her to see the face of a young man around Caspian's age. His dark hair was messy and matted with blood. Dark eyes glazed over in death stared at nothing. Even without looking at the way his chest appeared to have caved in from an incredible amount of force, Erica knew he was dead.