Some of the records I found indicated that there was a valuable treasure located in the cavern. Others said that a powerful youkai was sealed inside. And one of the villagers I spoke with said it was actually a source for a special ore the swordsmiths could only find here, and it was sealed because treasure hoarders and other thieves kept coming to try to steal the minerals.

I didn't find any of them, though, or even any evidence that any of that present--just a few crystalflies. Whatever was actually being kept in this cave was looted a long time ago, I think, maybe by an insider.

[ It HAD occurred to her that it might be the spirit poking its nose around, watching her so intently. But the watching had happened long before she opened the gate, and it--unlike the many other spirits of Inazuma--had never tried to make contact. So it seems unlikely. ]