45: Chapter 45 Barriers and Rankings

The lord of Boulder Town and his personal guards stopped 500 meters away from the mine entrance.

Ross, Vera, and Edmund looked into each other's helpless eyes.

This was simply because these mortals had been frightened out of their wits, even putting up a protective net made of barbed wire and thorns in the area outside the cave entrance.

Behind this man-made barrier were quite a few sturdy-looking men with evasive eyes.

They wanted to go mining, but were worried they would disappear just like those who entered the mine before.

This group of civilians who relied on mining were listlessly looking at the mine inside the barbed wire, their eyes filled with unshakeable worry.

Their gazes toward Ross and the lord carried an expression of yearning.

They yearned for the safety of the mining area to be restored and hoped to maintain their household expenses, much like drowning people grasping for an invisible rope.

Not knowing whether this crisis came from magical beasts or other dangers, the lord and soldiers of Boulder Town sealed off the mine entrance at the very first moment.

Although this purely defensive measure appeared very passive and was a heavy blow to the economic source of Boulder Town,

it could not be said that this action was completely useless.

Without the support of wizards, the lord of this territory would probably not be able to peaceably maintain a stagnant situation.

Ross and his two companions calmly looked at the surrounding soldiers and residents, without saying much to encourage their hearts.

Wizards do not need to explain; wizards directly solve things that mortals cannot understand.

The trio who arrived at Boulder Town slightly inspected the environment of the cave entrance.

"There are no traces left by migrating magical beasts or excreted feces, and there are no magic fluctuations in the mountain and vein."

"We can basically rule out the changes caused by the monsterization of the mine itself. After all, with such a large-scale mine, the level of magic in this area is not enough to give birth to a 'mine consciousness'."

"It just seems a bit more troublesome this way."

Ross and his companions looked at the environment of the mine entrance, but could not get any useful information.

"It seems we can only enter the mine and conduct an investigation."

Ross's voice rang out among the three.

Vera's impatient personality could hardly wait until now, and she immediately nodded in agreement.

As a Level 2 Wizard Apprentice, Edmund still had no better investigative method when encountering such a commission involving the bizarre disappearance of miners.

Naturally, he also nodded to agree with Ross's command, although he didn't know why the command authority fell into the hands of this kid Ross.

However, seeing his younger sister looking submissive, Edmund had nothing more to say.

"It's pretty good to let this fellow Ross take command. Looking at how professional he is, he will probably grasp the crux quickly. My priority is still to protect Vera well."

In a flash of lightning, Edmund handed the command over to Ross.

At this moment, Ross impatiently said to the lord of Boulder Town and others:

"You can leave this area now. Remember to properly settle the Centaur brothers who came with us."

Although the lord here possessed the power of the knightly path, his energy level was far too low.

Coupled with the fact that lords as nobles generally possessed secret techniques, they could easily cultivate the "Seed of Life" and then embark on the path of knights.

Looking at the lord of Boulder Town hiding behind the guard, Ross knew he was just a silver-spear with a wax head; his strength was probably all spent among women.

Among these people, theoretically only this lord was of some use, but as a noble, he certainly wouldn't risk going inside the mine.

Although Ross could also forcibly take him away, as a student of the academy, he still had the obligation to protect the safety of the local lord.

By then, instead of helping, Ross and the others would have to spare strength to protect this lord.

That would be a joke, and it was a high probability that this would be the scene.

Instead of wasting time and words trying to persuade this lord, it was better to immediately start an investigation with Vera and the others.

Anyway, the soldiers here were all mortals and would basically only add to the chaos for the three without being of much help.

The lord of Boulder Town had a cowering expression on his face all along, and his eyes looking at Ross were also evasive, not daring to meet his gaze.

He looked like he was deathly afraid of being called out and entering the mine to lead the way for Ross.

He seemed very eager to stay away from this dangerous area.

But soon, possessing the extraordinary power of a knight, he quickly regained his composure and overcame his tension and anxiety.

The lord of Boulder Town bowed to the three of Ross and said:

"Respected Lord Wizards, we are already extremely grateful for your arrival at Boulder Town."

"As a lord, being unable to resolve the safety issues of the territory's residents is already a manifestation of dereliction of duty."

"I will first disperse the irrelevant personnel at the mine entrance, and the Centaurs who came with us will also be arranged in the castle's distinguished guest parlor."

"Afterwards, I will lead my personal guards to guard the entrance. If the Lord Wizards have any instructions, Boulder Town will definitely do its utmost to resolve them."

Ross was unimpressed by the reaction of the Boulder Town lord.

It was just that his territory was right here; losing the economic source of the mine, the residents here would probably move away from this land one after another.

By then, even if he were still the lord of Boulder Town, he would become a commander without an army.

Ross nodded indifferently, signaling that the lord could make his own arrangements.

Ross cast [Hand of Magic], and with just a gentle pull, this barrier surrounded by barbed wire and thorns

was pressed into a single line against the ground.

Ross, Vera, and Edmund quickly stepped over the wire on the ground and walked into the entrance of the mine.

The mining history of Boulder Town was already extremely long—so long that even the local miners dared not say they would not get lost.

"The size of this mining area almost reaches the level of a large mine, and the mine routes excavated by miners are quite complex. It is best for the three of us to advance together."

Ross looked at the pitch-black mine and expressed his view at this deep and quiet entrance.

Vera and Edmund had no objections.

Just at this time, Edmund walked up to Ross and said:

"Then I will clear the way and walk at the very front. My strength is the strongest, and I have a greater grasp of dealing with unknown dangers."

"Let Vera be in the middle; her mental power is still too weak. Ross, you will be at the rear and guard the safety of the back of the team."

Although Edmund's voice was somewhat cold, the arrangement was quite to Ross's liking.

Although this brother and sister pair had been quite friendly all the way, Ross still did not want to place his own safety on the kindness of others.

At the rear of the team, he was neither as vulnerable to attacks as being at the very front,

nor would he be like being in the middle—in Ross's view, the middle was the most dangerous if teammates stabbed you in the back.

"Of course, Senior Edmund," Ross's crisp voice rang out.