The village was equipped with a small yet sophisticated transportation network powered by a rare and special ore that the villagers mined from nearby caves. This unique network featured intricately designed wagons that glided smoothly along a series of rails, carefully laid out to traverse the main areas of the village. This transportation system was not just a means of getting from one place to another; it was a proud emblem of the villagers' ingenuity and their commitment to innovation.
If anyone were to inquire why such advanced transportation methods were absent in the rest of the kingdom, the answer would be rather straightforward. The village maintained strict control over access; only those who were permitted could enter its borders. Consequently, all the cutting-edge technologies developed within the village remained a closely guarded secret, inaccessible to outsiders. Furthermore, in the event that a powerful individual attempted to breach these boundaries without authorization, the village had implemented an emergency mechanism to conceal the special wagons, ensuring their protection.
The villagers fostered a sense of unity and exclusivity, making it clear that people from outside were not particularly welcome. They actively sought to protect their way of life and their technological advancements, doing everything within their power to maintain the integrity and privacy of their community. By preserving their innovations and restricting access, they sought to safeguard both their resources and the unique character that made their village a special place.
Tom and his father boarded the train. After a half-hour ride filled with the rhythmic clatter of the train wheels and the occasional glimpse of passing scenery, they arrived at their destination: the building fancifully referred to as the "Big Offices of the Magic Mine."
In reality, it was a modest and somewhat rundown cabin, showing the wear of time, yet it was the proud residence of Mr. Bloom, the esteemed head of the miners' team. As they stepped inside, Tom was surprised to find that the interior was surprisingly spacious, far larger than the exterior suggested. This illusion of grandeur was a testament to Mr. Bloom's clever design, utilizing every nook and cranny to create a functional and welcoming environment.
"How have you been?" one of the miners asked Mr. Kay, his voice warm and friendly.
"All is well, thank you! I'd like you to meet my son, Tom," Mr. Kay replied, beaming with pride.
"This is your son? He seems like a nice young man! How old are you, Tom?" the miner inquired, his smile genuine and inviting.
Mr. Kay turned to Tom, who stood a little shyly, and said, "Tom, meet Jacques, the head secretary of the mine. Without him keeping things organized and running smoothly, this place would likely crumble under the weight of its responsibilities."
Tom smiled up at Jacques, feeling a newfound sense of appreciation for the hard work that kept the Magic Mine going strong.
The head secretary laughed and said to Mr. Kay, "No, don't exaggerate. I'm just a nobody. I feel like leaving; I don't have the strength for this job."
"You keep saying that, but no one does the job as well as you do," Mr. Kay replied.
Suddenly, Jacques approached him as if he had a secret to share. "Yesterday, Simon, the miner's secretary responsible for the deep part of the mine, spoke to me. He was upset because I didn't solve his problem, but in the end, we got along." Jacques took a sip from the glass in his hand and turned to Tom. "Who do you think is tougher, Mr. Bloom or Simon?"
Tom was confused about the conversation and wasn't sure how to respond. However, based on his experience with the villagers, he replied, "I think Simon is tougher."
"What are you talking about?" the secretary exclaimed. "Mr. Bloom is the head miner! How can you compare Simon to him?"
Mr. Kay stood to the side, laughing. "Jacques, we need Mr. Bloom. Do you have any idea where he is?"
"He's in the office," Jacques said, returning to his work.
Tom and his father arrived at Mr. Bloom's office and knocked on the door. After a few minutes of waiting, Mr. Bloom opened the door, wearing a very busy expression. However, anyone could tell that he had just woken up from a nap. Despite his esteemed reputation, Mr. Bloom was, after all, an old and tired man.
They stepped into Mr. Bloom's office, which was neat and orderly, with everything in its proper place. Some of the equipment was old, but its tidiness compensated for it. Mr. Bloom gave Tom a general overview of the work there and assessed his skills. "Interesting," he remarked, "have you considered looking for jobs outside of mining?"
"No," Tom replied, "I didn't think it would make much difference."
"I'm asking you because it actually could," Mr. Bloom explained. "I'm not an expert, but I can see that you have several skills."
Mr. Bloom had never encountered a boy quite like Tom, who deftly sidestepped the question of his career ambitions. Intrigued, he asked, "Why didn't you seek out the other experts for their guidance?" Tom hesitated, then replied, "There was a man in a hood who advised me against approaching the experts." He went on to describe the mysterious figure, drawing a vivid picture of the man's garb and demeanor. In reality, the hooded man had never explicitly told Tom to avoid the experts, but Tom seized the chance to cleverly dodge a topic he found unsettling.
Mr. Kay interjected thoughtfully, "There's a possibility that he was a member of the mountain folk. Their attire often resembles what you described." Mr. Bloom shook his head in disapproval. "Those mountain people," he scoffed. "They don't believe in the existence of gods, so they tend to disrupt anything related to the monastery and its teachings."
As Mr. Bloom gazed out of his window, he observed the imposing mountain that loomed over their village, a symbol of both beauty and danger. At its base lay a mine where the villagers toiled to extract valuable materials from the earth—copper, iron, and precious stones that sustained their way of life. Higher up on the mountain, beyond the treeline and into the perpetual snow, were small, isolated villages that weathered fierce snowstorms. The inhabitants, known as mountain people, or Oleks as they referred to themselves, had crafted a life of resilience and self-sufficiency in that harsh environment.
Rumors swirled among the villagers that these mountain people had resided in the shadows of the mountain since the age of dragons, long before recorded history. Yet, Mr. Bloom always insisted that they had settled there even earlier, guarding their secrets and traditions fiercely against the encroachments of the outside world. He often wondered what truths were hidden in those remote villages
"So, I shouldn't have listened to him?" Tom asked.
"Your great-grandfather," Mr. Bloom replied, recalling his beloved master, "once said it was better to heed the advice of the mountain people. So, it's not so bad that you could contribute a lot to the mine."
They continued to discuss various topics, and Mr. Bloom occasionally shared stories about Tom's great-grandfather. At the end of their conversation, Mr. Bloom granted Tom special permission to work with his father.
As Mr. Bloom settled into his chair, he reminisced about the day when Tom Kay the First had revealed the special secret of the mountain people to him. Although he never fully understood it, he knew that Mr. Lee was originally a mountain man and that the stories he shared had been passed down through generations of mountain people for millions of years, long before they settled in the great mountain.
Tom and his father then headed straight to the mines. Although Tom had been in the area before, he was only ever allowed as far as the entrance due to his young age. In the village, they guarded the secrets of mining fiercely, allowing only miners to enter. Those with other professions were strictly forbidden from entering. In fact, even members of the royal family were not permitted inside, and there were legends of their attempts that ended unfavorably for them.
Tom stood in front of the entrance to the mine, which resembled a large wooden frame surrounding a deep hole carved into the mountain. When they entered, Tom realized that the hole wasn't as deep as he had expected, and it was completely empty.
The entrance looked like that of a typical mine, but there was actually just a regular door attached to the innermost wall of the hole. It was well hidden, and Tom only noticed it because his father had led him there.
Next to the door was a face with rails that likely led into the mining area. Mr. Kay opened the door and said to Tom, "This is the real entrance to the mine. Follow me."
As Tom and his father walked inside, an extraordinary sight greeted him—one he had never seen before. They found themselves in a long, well-lit corridor lined with doors on either side. Various spaces were filled with people engaged in all kinds of crafts.
"Welcome to the mine," his father said.
"This place doesn't look like a mine," Tom replied, noting that it was nothing like the coal mines he had read about in school.
"That's because the mining here is entirely different," Mr. Kay explained. "This area is where the material is processed in its initial form." He continued to describe how the mine has several floors that extend deep underground. The structure itself is quite expansive. The miners utilize a magical art passed down through generations in the village to extract valuable ore. Because of this method, the mine did not resemble a traditional mining operation. The miners didn't need to go outside the structure; instead, they performed their secret technique, allowing the material to accumulate within the mine itself.
The material was actually a solid accumulation of energy from an unknown source, a mystery even to the villagers themselves. The villagers had a history that predated the kingdom. Over the years, while under the rule of the Empire of the Sun, countless kingdoms had risen and fallen. Throughout this time, the villagers continued to produce the enigmatic material, leading the miners—who were expected to know the entire history of the village—to believe that the source of the material was infinite.
For years, no head miner had dared to endanger their workers by sending them deep into the mine, as they were uncertain of what awaited them there. The material was notorious for attracting all kinds of malevolent creatures drawn to the enormous energy it emitted.
However, a change was on the horizon. The previous head miner, Tom Kay, made the bold decision to descend into the depths of the mine to uncover the source of this mysterious and powerful energy. To aid in this quest, he hired a former knight from the village who had returned due to his disillusionment with the corruption in the knightly orders. This knight was tasked with training a team of miners in combat skills, thus establishing the 'Deep Mining Team,' which he led.
This team not only resembled a legitimate mining operation but also created a second entrance to the mine. Simon, as their team leader, guided a group of highly skilled miners, each possessing an exceptional ability to sense energy. Together, they sought the source of the energy, digging into the earth using the same techniques employed to initially construct the mine. In doing so, they expanded the mine while edging closer to the energy's origin.
After a brief overview, Mr. Kay took Tom to the place where every new employee begins: the School of Mining Art. Tom's mood lifted significantly when he realized why none of the miners in the village seemed unhappy with their work. It was the coolest job he could find, especially since it involved some form of magic or magic-like art. In many ways, Tom felt he had benefited from this opportunity.
The school was essentially a single classroom located inside the mine and was designed to last only six months, making one class sufficient for training.
Before long, Tom found himself in a small classroom with eight other children—a respectable number considering that only five children enrolled each year. Although the classroom was spacious enough to accommodate at least forty students, many seats were empty.
After a few minutes of waiting, someone unexpected entered the room: Giant Tim.