The Suspicious Mine

Hmm... No, not this one...

This one's just filled with pointless stuff... Where was the other one again?

Is there a particular book you're looking for, sir?

Lydia...? Oh!

You must mean the young lady with the strange bag.

Of course. I think it started the day before yesterday...?

She's been coming in as soon as we open and staying until we close. I'd recognize her anywhere.

Haha, she's such a sweet and warm-hearted girl...

She greets me with a bright smile every time and even brings me little snacks.

She's probably still over at that table right now...

Ah, there she is.

Hmm...? Oh, Captain! Didn't expect to see you here!

You here to check out some books?

C'mon... You don't have to deny it that hard, do you?

If you keep that up, I might get my feelings hurt, you know?

Oh, I just need to look something up.

It's about that stone the thief gave me the other day.

He said it came from the Nahum Mine.

That's what he said, remember?

But about that mine...

Apparently, it's completely shut down now.

And I mean completely.

Not even a trace left!

I was actually planning to go there myself.

I even tried asking around for merchants and coachmen headed that way, but...

They all freaked out and chased me off. Can you believe that?

Yep. They said strange things keep happening around that area, and they refuse to go anywhere near it.

There are even rumors that people have been vanishing without a trace for months now.

So, I decided to do some digging on that Nahum Mine.

I figured if I went through some records, I might find some clues.

But so far... nothing unusual.

All I got is... it's just really old?

Oh?

Excuse me for a moment. I'm with the Orbital Search Team.

Are you Lydia, a Journey member and of the Western Liberators?

Huh? Oh, yes! That's me.

We've heard you've been asking around about the Nahum Mine.

Is there a specific reason you're investigating that area?

Uh... Did I do something wrong...?

...That depends on how you answer.

Well, actually...

A fellow member of the Western Liberators asked me to look into it.

Something about having relatives there before the West was ruined.

Since they're still living near the Nahum Mine, I was asked to check in on them and see if they were okay.

That's all it was! Really, nothing more than that.

...Haha. Is that so?

Actually, a rather... unfortunate incident occurred at that abandoned mine recently.

During the incident, some toxic gases escaped from the mine.

W-what? Really?

Yes. For safety reasons, the entire area has been closed off.

So it would be best to stay away from the Nahum Mine.

...I knew it.

Isn't that weird?

Ugh! Think, Captain, think!

Even if what that Observer said is true...

We're talking about a tiny, no-name mine in the middle of nowhere.

Would an Observer from the Orbital Search Team really bother coming down to warn me just because I was looking into it?

Doesn't it feel like... there's more to this?

I think it's time we paid a visit to the Nahum Mine.

Considering a stone infused with Void Force came from there...

And now there's been a recent accident...

If my hunch is right...

Kuku's about to have the feast of a lifetime!

...What are you talking about, Captain?

Of course it's dangerous.

We're talking about Void Force, aren't we?

The same kind of power that turned the entire West into a barren wasteland!

It's definitely terrifying and powerful.

Oh, Captain, you worry way too much!

I'm not some clueless amateur, you know.

I can control Void Force perfectly.

See? Kuku's right here behind me, behaving so well!