Naofumi of the Sharingan

Chapter 17 - The Nue and the Magic Gemstone

Itsuki, on the other hand, had several rumours about him floating around. Some said he went into the mountains to train, which was unlikely, seeing as he had Naofumi to teach him new techniques whenever he needed him too, or that he went into a dungeon on a quest for treasure, also unlikely due to his nature. There were also rumours of him helping a country with a resistance, which was also bullshit. None of the stories were true, so Itsuki was the only missing genin amongst his students.

Tomorrow would be the last day Naofumi would escort the jewel merchant, which put an end to their week long trip. He sighed, thinking that despite all the hardships that came with it, the jewel merchant was a genuinely good guy, who was able to have a laugh with Naofumi, taught him the trade of gems and gave him connections into the world of merchants. Naofumi would forever be grateful to the man.

It'd be a shame to finally say goodbye.

———

The man, as it turned out, had one more surprise for Naofumi, who had accepted it with a hug and a promise to meet again one day. The jewel merchant had given him the deed to one of his mines where he extracted ore and gems to make his accessories and jewels. It had a fully functioning quarry as well. Naofumi held out hope that the Magic Core for the Witch's spinning wheel was inside. So the group immediately made their way down to the mine.

As they arrived, Naofumi found the man in charge, a gentleman of about 30 with a blue tunic with a purple hood, green pants and leather boots. He had brown hair in a hat and a moustache and goatee, with brown eyes and 2 sets or piercings on either ear.

"I can't believe it, but this deed must be the real thing." said the man, looking over the documents in shock. I'm amazed that grumpy money grabber actually gave this to you. Anyway, if there's a gemstone you want, I can arrange for you to get it, at a discount, of course, which obviously goes without saying. So, what are you looking for, sir hero?"
"I'm looking for the gemstone that's used in the making of magic thread." replied Naofumi, causing the man to look at him in shock.

"Why do I have a bad feeling you're about to tell me something really, really bad?"
"Probably because I am, sir hero."
"Of course you are."

———

"What surprises me is that you managed to find that gemstone so quickly." complimented Granny Witch, riding in the cart with the three girls and Dra, currently snoozing in a blanket, with Naofumi holding Filo's reigns.

A week had passed since Naofumi had gotten the deed, and he had immediately made the return trip to Melromarc's capital to inform Granny Witch that he had managed to locate a gemstone for the wheel. "Yeah, well unfortunately, it's not all that simple. It's in a rather unsavoury location, with who knows what in there." he responded, before noticing ahead of him an old and abandoned stone temple. "But it looks like we're here."

The group set up the carriage and equipped themselves for combat, before making their way inside. "A long time ago, this temple was once a notoriously evil alchemist's base of operations." informed the witch as the group began their journey into a tunnel near the temple. "It's strange though. I've never heard of a tunnel being here."
"According to the mining boss, nobody's dared to approach this place since monsters started resting here." said Naofumi, thinking back to his conversation at the quarry with the older gentleman. "We need to keep our eyes peeled and our wits about us in here. We have zero intel on what to expect in this place."

The group continued on in silence for a few more minutes, before Naofumi sighed and held up the hand to stop. "Okay, that's it." he said, turning to face the group. "Raphtalia, Keel, Rifana. I know you three have been wanting to say something for a while now, and it's distracting you on the mission. Whatever it is, come out and say it."
"Master Naofumi... should we really be doing this right now?" asked Keel. "Can't this wait?"
"It's putting the mission and our lives on the line." responded Naofumi sternly. "You need to get it out of your system. So go on, say what you need to say."