PAGE 1

As I racked my brain over this, Rienna tried to cheer me up.

 

“I-I…will try my hardest to make something satisfactory, even with only fish!”

“Rienna… Thank you. But you really shouldn’t push yourself too hard. For instance, you don’t need to mine with us.”

“No, I intend to do my best with both mining and cooking!”

 

Rienna was a rounded goblin with dark green skin.

 

In comparison, Erevan and Baris were a more vibrant green and had chiseled features. However, she was very likable and did her best, which made her quite cute.

 

“Then I’ll have to work harder too… Alright, I’m going to go digging to help with digestion then.”

 

I stood up and stretched my limbs.

And the Erevan said,

 

“Chief! I will go with you!”

“So will I!”

“And I will go too!”

 

Rienna and Baris were just about to stand up.

 

“Hey, hey. I barely get tired, thanks to my crest, but you guys must be exhausted. Even the slimes seem tired. You should rest for today. And that’s an order.”

 

The goblins looked towards the slimes, who were stretched out lazily around the pile of Shining Stones.

If that’s what their transport team looked like, then they could not go mining.

 

Erevan looked quite disappointed. Still, he said,

 

“Very well… In that case, we will accept your kindness.”

“Yes, that’s good. Alright, I’m going to go digging then.”

 

I held my pickaxe in one hand as I went back into the mines.

On the way, Shiel offered to give me a lift, so I got on.

 

And once we were deep underground, I became completely absorbed in mining…or I tried to, but failed.

Even though I swung my pickaxe, I couldn’t concentrate like I always did.

 

As I said before, if we wanted to all live here together, we needed more resources.

It was the food and building materials that worried me now, but my clothes wouldn’t last forever either.

 

Hmm. I didn’t expect to feel like a troubled landlord so quickly…

 

In any case, it seemed that the thing to do now was try to find new stones and increase my magic with Crystals.

 

Other than that, we could take turns watching for passing ships.

Maybe we might trade precious stones for food and supplies…

 

It was while I was thinking of such things and swinging my pickaxe.

 

The rocks fell away, just like they always did…

However, this time there was a vast open space in front of me.

 

Where was I?

 

I entered the hollow room and looked around.

The walls and ceiling were covered in stones that shone like the sun.

And then I noticed that the ground was soft.

 

Was it…soil?

 

Shockingly, the ground I was standing on was made of dirt.

According to priests, all soil was made by the blessing of the sun, and so it only existed above ground… What?

 

A dark mass appeared over me, and I quickly raised my head.

And what I saw…was a black spider that was several times larger than me.

 

The multiple red eyes seemed to be staring at me.

 

I was dead. There was no doubt about it.

I always hated spiders…

But no, this was no time for that.

 

I instinctively raised my right hand towards the spider and was about to unleash my magic.

 

Would it attack?

 

However, much to my surprise, the spider frantically turned away and scampered off to the far back of the cave.

 

There, I saw that there were small spiders…well, they were the same size as me.

I see. So it returned to protect its children.

 

However, it seemed odd that it would be scared of a small human like me…

And it showed no signs of wanting to attack.

 

“Uh, um…sorry? I guess this is your home?”

 

I tried talking to them. But the Advisor answered instead.

 

<<There is a tamable monster. Will you tame it?>>

 

What? A monster? Why am I able to tame it!?

 

<<The monster has lost the will to fight. Therefore taming is possible.>>

 

Uh, but I didn’t do anything yet…

Maybe it was shy or not used to seeing humans.

 

Hmm. What should I do?

Should I just pretend I never saw it?

But then again, I might as well…

 

“Uh…do you want to join us?”

 

I put the pickaxe down and stepped in front of the spider.

And then the spider hesitantly extended one of its front legs towards me.

 

The leg was covered in soft, black hair and it touched me gently.

Hmm. It was surprisingly soft.

 

“Uh. I guess that’s a yes? Alright, then… What about Taran?”

 

<<Naming complete. You have tamed Taran.>>

 

It was a little confusing, but apparently the spider monster was a friend now.

And according to the Advisor, I could also tame Taran’s children.

 

And so I tamed the 13 other spiders as well.

 

Thinking of 13 names sure takes a while…

It was as I was thinking this.

 

<<As your proficiency has reached the necessary level, the crest, ‘Cave King’ has been raised to Rank 2.>>

 

I didn’t quite understand the words that rang in my head.

Next Chapter