Chapter 23: Mining Salt, Discovering Mithril

While patrolling the area around the salt mine, Verin spotted many wild beasts, several of which were on the verge of evolving.

“I must find time to clear them out, otherwise, once these creatures grow stronger, they’ll become a major problem,” he muttered to himself, wiping the blood from his knight’s longsword after felling several gray wolves.

On the third day after arriving at the salt mine, as the first batch of mineral salt was unearthed, the camp gradually settled into routine.

The camp’s perimeter was formed from sharpened wooden stakes driven into the ground, deterring the incursions of wild beasts.

Multiple traps had been set near the wooden barricade—not only to prevent the bandit slaves from escaping, but also to keep out wild animals.

On the last day of June, with three carts of salt and a squad of soldiers, Verin set out along the road back to Lake Starfall.

Today would soon give way to the first day of a new month. He found himself anticipating the guidance of fate, hoping for some crucial message that might offer a solution to the difficulties plaguing castle construction.

Upon returning to Lake Starfall, Verin ordered his men to store the salt in the warehouse, then commenced an inspection of his domain to review the progress made over the past few days.

“My lord, I have some ideas and hope for your approval.” Baird approached Verin and bowed respectfully as he spoke.

“Let’s hear them.” Verin, satisfied by the diligent training occurring on the parade ground, nodded at Baird.

“My lord, the number of trainee warriors in our ranks has exceeded thirty, reaching thirty-seven. I propose selecting twenty of them, outfitting them in iron armor, and subjecting them to harsher training methods. This will unlock their potential and forge them into the sharpest swords in your hand.”

“There are twenty sets of iron armor gathering dust in the warehouse—why not put them to use?” Verin clapped Baird’s shoulder and left the training ground with a smile.

“Thank you, my lord.”

Baird was deeply moved—his plan had been approved.

Elsewhere, Verin keenly understood Baird’s motives. Orlando was currently training a hundred boys aged twelve or thirteen, cultivating a force centered around himself. Seeing this, Baird would naturally seek a different avenue to prove his worth.

Such healthy competition was something Verin was happy to see.

…

On the night of July 1st, the melodious voice once again sounded in Verin’s ear:

“Fifteen kilometers east of Lake Starfall, thirty meters underground, lies a small mithril mine with reserves of two hundred tons.”

“What? A mithril mine?”

Verin’s eyes shone with excitement; this was far more valuable than the salt mine.

Mithril, a rare material, was silver-white in appearance, stronger than steel, yet remarkably light. It conducted energy well and could pierce magical shields.

When forging weapons, even a small amount of mithril would elevate a weapon by one or two grades.

These two hundred tons of ore could conservatively yield three thousand catties of refined mithril.

Given current market prices, one gram of mithril was worth four gold coins—this small mine was valued at six million gold, equivalent to two years’ tax revenue for the Ecks family.

Yet for all its value, mithril was a hard currency, rarely available for sale.

“I must arrange for its extraction as soon as possible, before others discover it and complications arise.”

Consulting his map, Verin saw the location lay on the border of a barony, fifteen kilometers east of Lake Starfall and only three kilometers from the boundary.

He was still in the pioneering phase, and under the kingdom’s laws, frontier knight fiefs had no fixed borders. If anyone discovered the site and seized it by force, they would not be legally culpable.

His family’s backing was useful only so long as there wasn’t enough profit to tempt others into risk.

With this in mind, Verin resolved to assemble a team to start mining the mithril the very next day, personally overseeing the operation until its completion.

At dawn, Verin instructed Baird to leave two squads to ensure Lake Starfall’s safety, then set out with the remaining one hundred and ten men.

Baird was puzzled by the order but, as a loyal knight, asked no questions. He put the two squads under the command of two knights to maintain order and security, then led the rest to follow Verin.

After three hours, using the detailed map of the Yellowstone region provided by his cousin Arlick, Verin found the designated spot.

“Baird, have the men establish a camp here. We’ll begin mining tomorrow,” Verin said, folding away the map.

“Yes, my lord.”

Baird’s curiosity only deepened, but he accepted the order without hesitation.

Thanks to the efforts of the one hundred and ten warriors, a defensible camp spanning three hundred square meters was quickly erected.

That night, Verin summoned Baird to a tent, instructing the sentries to patrol at a distance of ten meters.

“Baird, can I trust you?” Verin asked gravely, fixing his gaze on the knight assigned to him by his family.

“My lord, as a sworn knight, I am ready to lay down my life for you.” Baird rose, adjusted his attire, and knelt on one knee, his bearing solemn and respectful.

Verin regarded him for a long while before speaking. “What I am about to tell you must remain between us. No third person can know of it at this stage.”

“Please, my lord, speak,” Baird replied without hesitation.

“Thirty meters beneath our feet lies a small mithril mine, with reserves of three hundred tons.”

Baird’s face filled with astonishment. “My lord, is this true?”

“It is absolutely certain,” Verin affirmed. “From this moment, the mining of mithril is entrusted to your command.”

“Rest assured, my lord. If a third person learns of the mine, I will offer my own head,” Baird pledged solemnly.

Most of the soldiers outside were former serfs and slaves. Though they were now learning to read, they had no knowledge of such a rare mineral as mithril.

So long as secrecy was maintained during the excavation, the men would think they were digging up some uncommon ore, nothing more.

The next morning, feeling the weight of his responsibility, Baird divided the soldiers into three groups.

The first group, thirty men, was tasked with camp security and scouting for suspicious individuals.

The second group, fifty men, would focus on mining the mithril.

The third group, thirty men, would serve as the transport unit, ferrying mithril ore back to Lake Starfall and bringing supplies from there to the camp. In their spare time, they would join the miners in their work.

Verin decided to personally oversee the operation, focusing mainly on logistics and transport.