Re: Tales of the Rune-Tech Sage

CH658 Theolonium Mining Agreement

***

In order to avoid drawing too much attention to the location—and because the majority of his forces still needed to accompany him back to BloodIron—Peyton had only left behind a modest force of around one hundred men to guard the mining operation, using the village itself as convenient cover.

The guards stationed here were, on average, slightly stronger than those at the village base.

However, their numbers were significantly fewer.

With the two modified crossbow variants serving as overwhelming power difference-makers, the Fortuna Company took the village so easily that it was barely a contest, swiftly securing both the settlement and the mine.

As it turned out, in the single week since the Lost Heathens had seized the village and properly established the mining operation, they had already made significant progress with the initial excavation. With only a few more days of work, the mine would have become fully operational.

Now that Alex and his partners had taken control of it, they could directly capitalise on the Lost Heathens’ prior investment and begin exploiting the mine with minimal additional capital input.

’Ah... there is truly nothing quite like letting someone else do all the work while you reap the rewards,’ Alex thought to himself.

A slightly sadistic grin crept onto his face.

’I wonder what Brock Peyton’s expression will look like when he finds out. Such a shame I won’t be there to witness it.’

His thoughts suddenly drifted back to Peyton’s arrogant demands during their earlier meeting, and his hand unconsciously clenched into a fist, his teeth grinding slightly.

’Don’t worry, Peyton. Enjoy standing on your high horse while you still can. In just a few more days, I’ll be the one dragging you back down to earth.’

”The mine is modestly rich,” Sugud said after completing a quick resource reserves assessment. ”There are multiple mineral veins mixed together here, several of which I suspect are profitable in their own right. As for the Theolonium specifically... I believe we can expect roughly one ton of Theolonium from this mine.”

He scratched his beard slightly.

”I just don’t know whether that counts as a lot or a little.”

Kron Belloc stared at him.

”One ton of Theolonium itself? Not the raw ore?” he asked.

”Theolonium itself,” Sugud clarified.

Kron Belloc’s breathing visibly became heavier.

”That’s not just a lot—that’s enormous! We’re rich!”

He nearly jumped in celebration.

Alex, however, being the budding mogul that he was, did not appear particularly excited. At this point, he cared far less about wealth itself and far more about the influence and power that wealth could be converted into.

Besides, it was not lost on him that this likely felt like one of fate’s strange tests.

After all, what were the chances that a random bandit group, foolish enough to pick a fight with him, would just so happen to have a figurative gold mine he could takeover by defeating them?

’Speaking of wealth...’

Alex turned his attention to the barbarian woman.

”You heard him. This mine is extremely valuable. So, what are you planning to do now?” Alex asked.

The woman frowned in confusion.

”What do you mean?”

Alex was about to answer, but Eleanore spoke first.

”It is highly unlikely that we—and our partners—will be able to keep the existence of this mine hidden forever. A resource of this scale cannot be quietly extracted without eventually attracting attention. Sooner or later, people will find out.”

She spoke gently, but her words were heavy.

”Even if we manage to extract most of its value by then, and we make that fact publicly known, there will still be people willing to try their luck. And when that happens, no one can guarantee what will happen to your village if you choose to rebuild here.”

The barbarian woman’s expression hardened.

”What are you saying? That we should abandon our ancestral land?” she asked, highly agitated.

Eleanore was taken aback by her sudden heated reaction and stepped back.

”You may not have a choice,” Zora said with an empathetic sigh. ”Your tribe is not wrong for wanting to remain on your ancestral grounds. It is not your fault that this mine exists here. Unfortunately, simply possessing—or even living too close to—something this valuable is enough to invite disaster.”

Her gaze swept across the ruined remains of the village.

”Look at what has already happened here.”

The barbarian woman’s shoulders slowly slumped in resignation.

She wanted to reject Zora’s words, but she could not. The evidence was all around her—the blood, the ruins, the mass grave, and the scars left behind by the Lost Heathens’ invasion.

”I know all of this sounds deeply unfair right now,” Alex said suddenly, his tone calmer than before, ”but that is unfortunately how the outside world works. Those with the bigger fist decide the fate of those without one.”

He paused for a moment.

”But your situation is not completely hopeless. There is still a path forward—a small light through the fog, even if it is only a narrow one.”

The woman immediately looked up at him, hope flickering in her eyes.

”Really?”

”Now that we have discovered this place, I am sorry to say this, but we will have to take control of it,” Alex said honestly. ”However, unlike the Lost Heathens, we will do our best to offer fair compensation—whatever we reasonably can.”

He raised two fingers.

”That gives you two basic options.”

Alex paused again, making sure she was listening carefully.

”The first option is for your people to rebuild your village here. We will compensate your tribe for exploiting the resources beneath your land. In turn, your village can use part of that compensation to hire mercenaries from us—people strong enough to protect your settlement and keep it safe.”

The woman’s eyes lit up immediately. Hope returned to her expression almost at once.

”There are a few things you need to understand if you choose this option,” Alex continued, raising one finger.

”First—you will have no choice but to use our mercenary unit. We will not allow you to hire protection from anyone else. That is the only way we can guarantee the secrecy and integrity of our operations here.

”If you attempt to bring in outside mercenaries, we will consider that an act of hostility... and we will respond accordingly.”

A faint crimson glint flashed in Alex’s eyes.

”That would be unfortunate for both sides.”

Without waiting for her reaction, he raised a second finger and continued.

”Second, you should understand that the mercenaries you hire from us—or rather, from our partners—may not necessarily act with your best interests at heart. They will be here to protect you from external threats, and our mining operations, not to become your friends.

”In fact, their true purpose may be less about protecting your tribe and more about ensuring the continued security of our operations here. That security and secrecy may come at the cost of your tribe’s comfort and freedom—though I doubt it would take the form of direct physical harm.”

His voice remained calm, but brutally honest.

”But even if no one physically harms your people, there are many other forms of harm. At the very least, you should expect your privacy to be heavily violated in the name of security.”

***