Otaku Translation: The Amber Sword V3C48

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Chapter 48: The Silver Mine, Part 9

After releasing the , Brandon immediately returned to the upper level. Hundreds of Wind Spirit Spiders were surging upward through the mine shafts, and he knew it wouldn’t be long before the panicked miners relayed the news to the surface.

Something similar had happened in the once before, though that time the attackers had been monsters from the . The mine had suffered immense losses in both lives and resources. This time, with another monster attack unfolding, the people in charge of the mine—having dealt with a similar incident in the past—wouldn’t remain idle.

Brandon didn’t retrace his steps but instead chose a different route. With a Perception score of 20, his vision was sharp enough to adapt to dim light, making the pitch-black tunnels as clear as day to him. He moved calmly through a tunnel the Wind Spirit Spiders had already passed through. The workers here had fled in terror, leaving the area deserted, silent, and devoid of any sound.

Reaching the elevator, Brandon activated the magic-powered mechanism. The rudimentary lift began its slow ascent, carrying him to the next level.

This deeper level connected to the main ore transport shaft leading to the surface. Here, wooden tracks lined the ground, the ceiling was higher, and sturdy wooden supports reinforced the walls. Yet even under the flickering torchlight, the area remained eerily empty—the workers had already fled.

Stepping off the lift, Brandon quickly located an inconspicuous mark on the rock face. Following it, he rounded a corner when suddenly, a shadow lunged at him from the left like a venomous snake hiding in the darkness.

A sharp wind slash grazed Brandon’s cheek, stinging painfully, but his reaction was instantaneous. He raised his hand to block the sword strike, deflecting the attacker’s grip. Just as he prepared to counterattack, he recognized the rapier. Without hesitation, his left hand flipped down, seizing the attacker’s wrist and forcing them to drop their weapon. A metallic clatter echoed as the sword hit the ground, followed by a soft gasp of pain—a woman’s voice.

“My lord…” finally recognized him. The red-haired, green-eyed captain of the guards cradled her wrist, wincing slightly. “Forgive me, I didn’t know it was you.”

She had always known this lord was formidable, but she hadn’t expected this level of strength. Among the three leaders, only truly understood Brandon’s capabilities. Others who hadn’t fought him firsthand had no real grasp of his power. Just now, when Brandon had grabbed Yuta’s wrist and applied pressure, she felt as though her entire body had been immobilized, her wrist throbbing as if it might snap.

Rubbing her sore wrist, Yuta couldn’t help but marvel inwardly. She herself was at the Silver rank, yet she had been disarmed in an instant. Was the gap between Gold and Silver really this vast?

“Where are and ?” Brandon asked.

“They’re on the other side. My lord, why have you summoned us?”

“It seems luring our opponent out will be more troublesome than anticipated. We need to adjust our plan,” Brandon said, flicking a wind slash that sent the fallen rapier flying into the air. It struck the wall and bounced back; he caught it mid-air and handed it to Yuta. “I’ve received information about an incident over a decade ago in the Shafrend Mine. The miners had accidentally breached a passage to , resulting in a monster invasion—”

“You intend to use this method to draw him in?” Metissa’s voice came from behind Yuta. Brandon saw the princess of the emerge alongside Cinnabar—they had heard the commotion and pieced things together upon recognizing the Wind Spirit Spider.

Brandon nodded. “The guard unit commander is named . He personally led the forces during the previous incident and drove the monsters back. This time, he’s likely to recall that experience.”

“A fight here does seem like a good idea,” Yuta said, flipping her long ponytail over her shoulder as she glanced at the ceiling of the mine shaft. “But won’t it risk causing a collapse?”

“A swift battle will suffice.”

“Our opponent is mid-tier Gold…”

“It’s somewhat troublesome,” Brandon admitted, his brow furrowing slightly. Indeed, the situation was complicated. Their adversary wasn’t some inexperienced novice but a seasoned swordsman who had entered the Gold realm decades ago. “Still, we don’t have a better option for now.”

Suddenly, the four fell silent. From the far end of the mine tunnel came the sound of footsteps—chaotic yet measured, likely patrolling soldiers. Of the four, only Brandon, whose Elementalist rank enhanced his perception far beyond his actual combat strength, detected another faint set of footsteps mingling within the noise.

Though Brandon’s absolute power remained at lower-tier Gold, his heightened senses rivaled or even surpassed those with mid-tier Gold strength. His perception alone ranked among the upper echelons of Gold-rank warriors.

Raising a finger to his lips in a gesture of silence, Brandon signaled the others to stay quiet. With a pointed look, he warned Metissa and Cinnabar—the ‘big fish’ was approaching.

Though Yuta didn’t fully understand, the solemn expressions on the others’ faces told her everything she needed to know.

---

Of course, Kulan hadn’t ventured into the mine alone. When he’d spoken of investigating personally, it was merely rhetoric. The labyrinthine network of tunnels was too vast for one man to cover.

He brought along a small squad of ten men. However, strangely enough, the spiders mentioned in the reports seemed to have vanished entirely after his arrival. After thoroughly searching the first two levels, Kulan found no trace of the rumored monsters.

Doubts began creeping into his mind. Was this all just a fabricated rumor? But then he remembered the missing patrol unit—a grim reminder that something was amiss.

Descending to the third level, Kulan noticed how eerily empty the tunnels had become. The miners had fled upward, leaving behind a world of silence and stillness. For the first time, the master swordsman sensed something unusual.

As they advanced along the wooden tracks, the layout of the Shafrend silver mine grew increasingly complex. Soldiers consulted maps frequently to avoid losing their way. At one point, Kulan caught the faint murmur of voices ahead.

Unsure of what awaited them, he ordered his men to spread out and proceed cautiously. But upon reaching the source of the sound, both Kulan and his soldiers froze in shock.

There stood a woman—or rather, a silver-haired, silver-eyed girl with pointed ears.

While the soldiers could only identify her as an elf, Kulan, having been trained in noble households and well-read in geography and history, immediately recognized her as a member of the legendary Silver Elves.

He blinked in disbelief, wondering if age had finally caught up with him or if he was hallucinating. The Silver Elves had disappeared centuries ago, existing only in myths and legends. Yet here she stood, alive and unmistakable.

Despite his astonishment, Kulan remained vigilant. A subtle movement caught his ear, prompting him to whirl around, hand on his sword hilt. Behind him emerged two figures: a young man clad in gray-white leather armor typical of adventurers, adorned with multiple swords at his waist—and following close behind, a mercenary girl wielding a halberd.

Realization dawned on Kulan. Whatever questions he might have had about the Silver Elves paled in comparison to the larger picture forming in his mind. These intruders weren’t mere wanderers—they were here for him.

Instead of asking the obvious question—"Who are you?"—Kulan arched his grizzled eyebrows and cut straight to the chase: “How much did Jara pay you?”

Brandon blinked in surprise.

“Who’s that?” Cinnabar asked, confused.

Kulan snorted, drawing his longsword. “If you’re not working for my old rival, then you must be enemies of . Either way—it ends the same. Prepare to die!”

With a command, his soldiers unsheathed their swords. Though Kulan’s hair was white with age, he exuded an aura of unyielding strength, undiminished by the years.

Among Earl Jandel’s thirteen most trusted knights, while and were considered the strongest, Kulan was the sole veteran of the . Moreover, his prowess placed him firmly among the top five. Rumors claimed he had achieved Gold-rank strength thirty years ago and now stabilized at mid-tier.

At this thought, Brandon tensed slightly, drawing his own longsword.

From a safe distance, Yuta watched the scene unfold, her thoughts drifting elsewhere.

Kulan had attained Gold-rank strength thirty years ago, but even then, he was already a middle-aged man in his fifties. Now, nearing the end of his life, he barely maintained mid-tier Gold rank status. Comparatively, the young lord before her… truly, humans and monsters were worlds apart.

So she thought.

Initially dismissive of Brandon’s swordsmanship, Kulan assumed these were just inexperienced youths sent to meddle with him. But when he saw the sudden drop in temperature and frost spreading outward from Brandon’s feet, his eyes widened in alarm.

Elemental manifestation—Gold-rank strength. Such a young Gold-rank swordsman?

Yet Kulan’s astonishment was far from over. He soon noticed the arcs of electricity crackling along Cinnabar’s halberd and the milky-white spiritual energy coalescing around Metissa. His heart raced.

Three opponents who had entered the Gold realm.

Who would squander three prodigies on such a mission? Each of them appeared no older than twenty, yet they had already reached Gold-rank status—a feat that would make them prized assets anywhere. Surely, they weren’t disposable assassins.

Instinctively, Kulan took a step back—not out of fear, but to reassess his position. Surrounded by Gold-rank foes, even a veteran like him had to consider survival.

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