Chapter 10: Going to the Mine
Alvida was a little puzzled.
Her arrival had stunned the villagers—many stared at her in awe, and she answered their questions one by one.
"So you're saying that two days ago, a pirate named Buggy the Clown ruled this place, but he got beaten by a guy in a straw hat?"
"Yeah, yeah! That clown Buggy ate some kind of sea treasure. Even after being chopped up, he was fine. Super scary!"
"I heard from the village chief that the straw hat kid can stretch his body like rubber!"
The villagers chatted excitedly, laughing and even inviting Alvida to the bonfire party that night.
Alvida's expression turned strange.
Didn't that Straw Hat boy say he was going to be the Pirate King?
A man who wants to be Pirate King… saving civilians?
"Interesting," she muttered, not wanting to spoil their mood.
She explained her visit briefly.
"Oh, you just need seeds? My family's got plenty saved for spring! Take them!"
The man was promptly dragged away by his wife.
It was funny and a little awkward, but Alvida still got a generous supply of seeds.
When she tried to pay, the shopkeeper refused.
That surprised her.
Then she saw the man's lovestruck eyes and his goofy smile.
He practically collapsed from the charm overload.
"I really am the most beautiful woman on the sea."
In a great mood, she paid with Berry anyway.
Humming a tune, she walked through the village.
Despite the ruined houses, everyone wore smiles.
"Oh~ Miss Alvida, won't you join the bonfire party tonight? The village chief promised to show off his special talent!"
The man's enthusiastic invitation was met with a death glare from his wife.
"If I'm free, I'll come," Alvida replied graciously.
This was new.
In the past, her appearance made men scream and run.
Her smile never faded.
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When Alvida returned to the boat, she saw square stone markings on the coast.
Clearly Cheng Lang's handiwork.
She peeked inside.
It was unusually bright below.
Stairs led deep underground.
"Hmm…"
Just then, Kuya Mi appeared from a corner, struggling to climb up with a box in her arms.
Alvida recognized it—it was one of Cheng Lang's modified storage boxes.
Kuya Mi smiled at her.
"What's this?"
"Brother Cheng Lang came out super excited, like he struck gold. Then he chopped trees and made tons of boxes. He was running back and forth to the boat, so I helped him carry some."
Alvida picked up the box.
It was heavier than it looked.
"How did you manage to lift this?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Kuya Mi tilted her head.
Alvida didn't argue.
She opened the box—it was packed with identical blocks.
She didn't know what they were, but if Cheng Lang filled it, they had to be valuable.
"I'll help too."
Kuya Mi nodded eagerly.
They headed down together.
"That corner?"
"Already cleared."
"Got it."
Alvida didn't mind and descended.
The blocks had sharp edges, but surprisingly didn't cut skin.
Soon, they reached the bottom.
A massive, flat space stretched out before them.
Cheng Lang was mining.
Whenever it got dark, he placed torches in a neat grid—perfect for anyone with OCD.
Rows of small boxes sat near the entrance.
Not connected.
Kuya Mi picked one up and climbed slowly.
Alvida joined her and grabbed a box.
She'd tried before—big boxes wouldn't budge, like they were glued to the floor.
But now, the small ones lifted easily.
Is it a size thing?
She opened the box—same contents as before.
Khaki-colored specks on stone.
Odd.
She closed it, grabbed another, and carried one in each hand.
Kuya Mi watched enviously.
Then kept hauling one box at a time.
Eventually, Kuya Mi collapsed on the muddy ground, soaked and exhausted.
"Miss Alvida… you're not just beautiful… you're so strong. I really envy you…"
Alvida, also out of breath, smiled at the compliment.
Her fatigue vanished.
"You should train more. You're wiped out after just two trips. I've got high hopes for you."
She walked off.
Kuya Mi lay there, overwhelmed.
It was the second time someone believed in her—the first was Coby.
She gritted her teeth, stood up, and kept working.
They labored until dusk.
The sunset bathed the earth in gold.
Kuya Mi collapsed again.
Alvida was too tired to speak.
Only Cheng Lang was satisfied.
He'd never seen such dense mineral veins.
"What've you been doing all day? What's all this?" Alvida asked, pointing to the towering stack of boxes—almost bigger than the boat.
"There's iron and gold. This is the richest mine I've ever found. I couldn't stop. If I had more wood for boxes, I'd still be digging."
"Gold?!"
Alvida's eyes widened.
"You mean all this is gold?"
"Eh, just a little. Barely enough to fill two boxes."
Two boxes?!
Alvida's breath caught.
She knew the box's capacity.
Don't be fooled by its size—it could hold 27 item types.
If they were the same item, 64 per slot.
She wasn't great at math, but that was over 500 pieces!
"How much gold can this mine produce?"
"Hmm… not sure. Let me check. Found it."
Cheng Lang crafted a furnace and began smelting gold.
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