The Regressed Demon Lord is Kind

e trash on the road, and Hans shivered from witnessing his mighty power.

 *    *    *

A night in Iruce Mine was dreary.
In the daytime, miners’ hearty cheers and axing rang through the surroundings, but now, it seemed like ghosts would wail out of the mines.
However, in this desolate and ominous place, moving figures made long shadows on the ground. 

A faint light lit up the mine.
Snoc had his shoulders hunched as he walked forward with a lamp.
It was his first time entering the mine without his colleagues.

“W-Will this really be alright?” Snoc asked Drew who was following him from behind.

“What do you mean?”

“Going inside the mine at night is dangerous…”

“I thought I told you I got permission.”

“Y-Yes.”

Snoc closed his mouth, but he still felt anxious.

“What? Do you not believe me?”

“N-No! I believe it! I believe it!” Snoc answered out of nervousness.
Then Drew stared at Snoc with a dissatisfied expression, but he spoke with more kindness than usual.

“I know you are nervous, but an adventurer doesn’t know when he will fall into danger.
That’s why experience is most important. That’s why I keep bringing you along for my monster hunts.
Being an adventurer is not just like the storybooks.”

Snoc nodded.
Sam and Zich, who weren’t really adventurers, also said the same thing.

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“It’s the same this time.
All of this is for you.
If we have a mine like this, we should utilize it since there are many dungeons in caves like this. You can get experience from this.”

“I understand.”

Drew had warned him about the dangers of an adventurer and helped prepare Snoc’s mind and heart. Snoc pushed down the doubts that were beginning to appear in his heart.
Furthermore, Drew mentioned a dungeon—wasn’t that an adventurer’s dream? Snoc couldn’t calm his rapidly beating heart.

“Ok, then let’s continue moving.”

“Yes!”

Snoc walked the mine with slightly more energy than before.
From behind, Drew made a secretive smile. They continued to walk inside the mine, and since Snoc knew his way inside the mine, they didn’t need to worry about getting lost. 

Drew asked, “Are you continuing to train your mana?” 

The first and only thing that Drew taught Snoc was how to open his mana.

“Yes, I stimulated my mana this morning too.”

“Try walking while activating your mana.”

“Sure.”

Snoc brought out his mana, but because he had just learned to control his mana, it was a tiny amount.
Furthermore, if he didn’t concentrate enough, it broke off easily.

“Wah!”

Snoc was so focused on his mana flow that he didn’t notice a jagged stone and fell to the ground.

“Ughh!”

He scraped his knees, and blood flowed out.
Still, Drew didn’t show any signs of concern and ordered him to continue walking.
Thus, Snoc hesitantly got up and began to walk again.
Then he fell to the ground once more and the cycle repeated.
After walking a good distance, Snoc’s body was covered in bruises and scratches. 

Bam!

“Ugh!”

Snoc tripped over a jagged rock again and barely maintained his balance.
He breathed a sigh of relief and lifted his head, but his eyes became still at what he saw.
In front of him, there was a new mine.

“What is it?”

“I-It’s nothing.”

Snoc hurriedly answered and lifted his body up.
Then, he began walking again.
However, he didn’t even glance at the new mine that just appeared, as if the place was prohibited.

“We are not going that way?”

Drew looked at the mine and asked.
Snoc bit his lips and pretended to be calm; then he opened his mouth again.

“It collapsed, so it’s dangerous.
We shouldn’t go in.
We’d only see debris and wrecks there anyway.”

“Oh, is that right?”

Drew didn’t ask any more questions.
However, even as he followed Snoc, his eyes remained on the collapsed mine.
His eyes sparkled mysteriously.

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“Ah!”

Once again, Snoc had made a wrong step.
From his ears, Snoc heard Drew’s exasperated sighs. Not wanting to disappoint Drew, Snoc ignored the pain he felt all over his body and tried to get up again.

Koo.

Halt!

Snoc’s body froze when he heard an unfamiliar cry nearby.
He quickly picked up his lantern and lit the area where he heard the noise.
A small shadow was crouching in the corner of the mine.

Koo! Koo!

The small figure pointed his nose and sniffed at Snoc.

“Oh, it’s just a mole,” Snoc sighed in relief.
However, this mole was strange.
Most moles ran away at any sign of movement, but this one didn’t.
Instead, the mole placed his nose on Snoc’s ankles and kept smelling it.

Koo!

The mole cried as he looked up.
Snoc was also interested in the mole.
However, Drew didn’t let him linger.

“What are you doing? Quickly move.”

“Yes!”

Snoc quickened his steps.

Thud! Thud!

Tap! Tap!

Matching the sound of Snoc’s footsteps, a small animal moved.
Snoc looked below him and saw that the mole was following next to him. The mole had his head raised as if he wanted to meet his tiny eyes with Snoc’s, and the way he followed Snoc around was cute.

Bump!

Snoc pushed the mole away lightly with the edges of his feet.
The mole twitched a bit and tottered behind Snoc again.
Snoc bumped the mole away again, but the mole came back.
He did it again, and the mole came back again. Snoc’s mind became occupied by their little game.

“What are you doing?”

He heard a chilly tone.

‘That’s right—I’m training right now!’

“I-I’m sorry! I will continue!”

Snoc gathered up his mana again and walked ahead.
He couldn’t place his attention on the mole anymore.

Koo.

However, the mole continued to follow Snoc.
As if the mole wasn’t even aware that he could get stepped on, the mole kept lingering around Snoc’s feet.
And from behind, Drew watched the whole scene with a mischievous smile.