"Now repeat it once more and in more detail," requested the king.
Today, his office was unusually crowded. Here, at the table, by the map of the kingdom, almost all the top officials had gathered. Generals, Scholar Southern Wind, the Master, several dukes, the chief judge, and others whom Khaal Soren didn't know.
Using a mirror system he had constructed, he was spying on the proceedings from the ventilation shaft. Very convenient, but somewhat concerning. If anyone bothered to check the shaft, they would immediately sense him. They called it sensing. And according to the Master, a Heavenly Soldier could use sensing to "see" an ant from ten kilometers away.
The locals didn't possess such abilities, but any of those present could detect the prince in the shaft. Fortunately, they were busy discussing the news brought by Primus.
"We defeated the Bayek tribe," the commander reported. "But General Laset was wounded by an enemy adept. I don't know how, but the Bayeks managed to field a transformation adept."
Those present shook their heads, and one of the younger ones even whistled. For this backwater, that stage was very impressive. But Khaal had long since stopped being impressed by this. According to his Master, for noble children of the Darnas Empire, the entire Black Gates sect was nothing more than a gathering of country bumpkins. In the empire, to enter a Sect, let alone one of the academies, one had to reach the transformation stage by age fourteen.
The prince couldn't reach that level even if he tried ten times harder, which was basically impossible. It's just that in the Darnas Empire, there were many more resources than here on the outskirts.
"I decided to set up camp near the town of Quiet Evening." Primus moved several figures representing his army to a point on the map. "There we hired the best healers and waited for news. Unfortunately, the town is small—about four million, no more. So we didn't ask them for provisions—we would have ruined them by demanding they feed a three-hundred-thousand-strong army."
"Had to hunt?" asked Elizabeth.
"Indeed, my queen," Primus nodded. "Fortunately, the local forests cannot give birth to powerful creatures. We didn't encounter a single monster above the initial stages of power awakening."
Yes, in this world, not only humans could develop, but also beasts. Scholar Southern Wind often explained that there were "beasts" stronger and smarter than many humans. They, like adepts, had their own development path with their own stages, but that's a topic for another time.
"And during one of the hunting drives, a senior officer fell from his horse and tumbled into a pit."
"Treasurer," called the king. "Give this officer an estate and a thousand servants. No one in my kingdom has ever fallen off a horse so fortuitously."
The treasurer, plain-faced but sharp-minded, nodded and wrote something on a scroll.
"Continue, brother."
"Descending into the cave after him, we discovered a vein of solar ore."
The crowd exchanged glances once again. Solar ore—from which solar metal was made. Much stronger and lighter than ordinary steel and iron. And it was solar metal that was used to create artifacts of a higher level than spiritual ones.
So, to put it simply, the officer had fallen not just onto a fortune, but onto a vein worth more than the entire kingdom combined.
"How rich is it?"
There was no point in rejoicing prematurely if the ore was meager. No one would set up a whole mining operation for just two or three kilograms. They'd send a couple of miners with military escort and haul the loot to the treasury.
"No less than ten kilometers deep and about seventy meters wide."
Now the crowd fell silent. Only Scholar Southern Wind slightly closed his eyes, then said:
"No less than a thousand tons. Measuring in gold is pointless, and in azure coins of the empire... Still pointless. I don't know how much such a vein could be worth."
"Priceless," concluded the King. "And we need to do something about it. First of all—anyone who spreads information about this automatically becomes an enemy of the empire. No one leaves this office until they take a blood oath."
No one argued, even though a blood oath was quite serious. If someone broke it—the blood in their body would instantly ignite. The resulting death would be terrible and very painful.
"Your soldiers and that officer, Primus, have they already taken it?"
"Immediately upon discovery," nodded the commander.
Haver breathed a slight sigh of relief. Such news could attract vultures from across the valley. And there were no fewer than a dozen kingdoms of equal or greater strength than Lidus. Not to mention family clans and sects.
"I wouldn't be so happy, Haver," his brother Primus checked him. The only one in the kingdom who could do so with impunity. "We won't be able to develop this vein in secret from everyone."
"We'll place a garrison, build a fortress around it. We'll personally select each soldier and put them all under blood oath."
"The commander is right," joined Scholar Southern Wind. "Building a fort will take at least a month. The construction will be enormous—everyone will immediately wonder why Lidus needs a powerful stronghold far from the border."
"It's not that far from it..."
"Four days at a gallop," Primus shook his head. "All our outposts are within two days' journey. And this is twice as close."
A heavy, oppressive silence hung in the office. The situation was one where you could see wealth but touching it would burn your fingers. And if you're lucky, just your fingers—you might lose your life on the way. Along with the entire kingdom.
"And what are your suggestions?" Haver leaned back, supporting his chin with his fist.
"We could turn to the Black Gates," suggested Scholar Southern Wind.
"Enough with these Gates," cut off the Master, "this prey is beyond them. We need to go to the emperor. We're sending him tribute next week anyway."
"To the emperor," repeated Haver. "To the emperor, you say, honorable Master. But do you know that the Darnas Empire is currently at war with the Laskan Empire?"
People exchanged glances. They weren't aware of such news. Only the queen and king were informed about such nuances of grand politics.
"Can you imagine what will happen if the emperor learns about this vein? They'll send one of his armies here! And how many people does he have there? One hundred and twenty, one hundred and thirty million? Even if he decides not to place governors here, how will we feed them? Our forests will be cut down to the roots during their construction. Our cities will be left without fields, without supplies. The entire southern region will be devastated. And that's in the best case. In the worst... in the worst, the common people will be driven to forced labor. Branded as slaves and driven away, and imperial governors will come here. It has already happened with one kingdom, remember, Primus?"
The commander looked at the suddenly gloomy queen and nodded.
"I remember, brother, I remember."
"I want to note, my king," spoke one of the dukes, "that despite the possible devastation of the region, we will prosper and..."
"Shut your mouth, duke, before I do it for you."
An ominous force emanated from the king, and the speaker immediately fell silent and turned pale.
"Brother, calm down and think," Primus insisted. "Duke Remaine is somewhat right. And don't get heated right away. Just think—so we give up this southern territory? So what? Not much of a sacrifice. But the peaceful times that you and your wife so desire will come. Who would dare attack us if the emperor's own army is stationed here? I've heard that senior officers in it are all no lower than Heavenly Soldiers. And the generals—they are even Spirit Knights."
Spirit Knights—these two words instilled awe and disbelief in the hearts of ordinary people. For many, this stage of development was no more than part of evening legends told to children. It's hard to imagine that such monsters actually lived under the same sky as ordinary people.
"What are you hinting at, brother?"
"That we can gain more than we lose. If possible, we can negotiate for no less than ten, or even fifteen percent of the extraction. Can you imagine what enormous money that is? We can finally build new, large cities. Set up schools, invite high-ranking teachers. Adepts will flock here hoping to grab a piece of the vein or join the imperial army."
Primus stared continuously at the point on the map marking where the vein surfaced.
"We can get techniques and knowledge we couldn't even dream of. You and I—and others, we'll have a chance to become Heavenly Soldiers. Touch eternity—rightfully call ourselves adepts, not mortals!"
"And at what sacrifice? The broken fates of tens of millions of people?"
"Ragged paupers! Miserable ants, forever wallowing in dirt. What are their lives? A century, no more. And even so—at fifty they no longer cultivate fields, no longer fight in battles. Dependents on whom precious resources are spent. The kingdom would be better off without them!"
"You're forgetting yourself, brother!"
"No, it's you who's forgetting himself, Haver! How long can we constantly endure raids from nomads and blows from neighbors? How much longer will we drag out our miserable existence? You don't go to the empire to pay tribute—I do! It's me who has to see their 'border settlements,' which are richer and more beautiful than our capital! It's me who has to endure the mockery of their petty nobles, who don't even consider us peasants! It's me who has to see beardless youngsters who are several times stronger than me? And why? Because from childhood they were fed herbs that don't grow here. They were bought potions that we don't know how to make. They were taught techniques we haven't even heard of!"
"So are you championing the kingdom or trying to soothe your envy?" Haver whispered quietly, but there was more power in this whisper than in some people's shouts.
The atmosphere was heating up.
"I don't understand why you're so blind, brother."
"It's not me who's blind," Haver shook his head, "but you, Primus. Remember what father said? The life of even one peasant, though old and frail, is more valuable than a dozen carts loaded with gold. And protecting these lives is an honor. An honor worthy of a king."
"Father was weak and foolish, and so are you. That's why he made you king, not me."
Haver reached for the hilt of his sword, but Elizabeth's hand gently touched his. The queen just shook her head and smiled warmly.
The fury left the king's eyes, and his breathing steadied.
"You said it right—he made me King. And my royal decree is as follows: fill in the pit with the vein. End all talk about it. We will continue to live as if it never existed. That's all."
Primus slapped his palms on the table and walked out. Half of the dukes followed him.
At that moment, Khaal realized that he would have to train even harder (if that was even possible), because his heart sensed—this wouldn't be settled so easily.