"That is what I wished to have confirmed, yes." Loki answered, then asked. "May I sit?" Without truly waiting for an answer, Loki sat down on a chair on the opposite side of the desk. "But why is it no humans live here? Is it because they are barred from this place, do not know of it, or merely because they do not wish to?"
[hr]
As Yukino walked off and cloaked herself, the three miners were silent for a while, all looking towards the palace.
"Say... Wasn't that the chick that came to town yester day?" One of the miners eventually asked.
"What? The one who was stupid enough to not bow when asked to?"
"No, the other one. The one tossed out by Icarus' pets. I heard she was a beastkin..."
"Nah... It couldn't be. Right? Who'd be stupid enough to return after that?"
"I dunno, but I have a bad feeling here. Leave it to a beastkin to royally fuck things up."
Just as the two others were about to comment, another miner called out from a hill behind Icarus' palace. "Hey you lazy louts! Break time's over!"
"Yeah, yeah. Comin'"
The trio of miners walked the path up to Icarus' house, where two of them continued on a path that lead up to the hill, while the third remained standing infront of the entrance of the palace, looking doubtful.
"What're you waiting for?" One miner called out to the one that lingered.
"I'm gonna tell Icarus someone was asking about the mines. There might be something in it for me."
"Suit yourself..."
The two other miners continued up the hill, eventually grabbing their gear at the entrance of the mineshaft there and entering. The third one entered Icarus' palace after gathering his courage.
