**THE LABORATORY**
I led them to the converted warehouse I'd set up as a temporary laboratory. The space was crude but functional, with enough equipment and space for serious work.
I handed them documents I'd prepared—careful recipes for industrial chemicals using this world's alchemical principles combined with my knowledge from my past life.
"Sulfuric acid synthesis using fire-attribute mana stones," I explained, my voice taking on a lecturing tone. "Caustic soda production through electrolysis-analog processes using lightning-element channeling. Bleaching agents using light-element infusion combined with chemical oxidation."
Their skepticism transformed into fascination as they read.
"This is... this is revolutionary," the old man breathed. "If these processes work—"
"They work," I cut him off. "I've tested the fundamental principles. You're here to refine them, optimize the processes, and scale up production. Some of you will fail. Those who fail repeatedly will be replaced. Those who succeed will be rewarded proportionally to their results."
The young woman looked up, eyes bright with excitement. "What are you planning to do with industrial chemicals at this scale?"
"Change the world," I said simply.
"We'll need more equipment," another alchemist said, already making notes. "Specialized vessels for acid containment, better temperature control mechanisms, mana-resistant piping—"
"Make a list. Prioritize by importance and cost. Alfred will acquire whatever you need within reason. Requests for exotic or expensive materials need to be justified with expected results."
I watched them bend over the documents immediately, discussing possibilities in technical language. These were true craftsmen—people who loved their work more than their pride.
I moved toward the door. "You have access to this facility twenty-four hours a day. Alfred will arrange accommodations and meals. Weekly progress reports are mandatory. Any questions?"
The young woman raised her hand. "My lord, you mentioned profit-sharing?"
"Twenty percent of net profits from products you help develop, divided among you based on contribution level. I'll determine contribution percentages based on Alfred's reports and my own observations."
Her eyes widened and bowed her head, "That's... incredibly generous. Thank you, my lord."
"It's practical. You'll work harder if you're earning real money, not just wages." I paused at the door. "Betraying me, stealing my formulas or selling secrets to competitors. I'll kill you. Are we clear?"
They nodded, suddenly very aware that the young baron who'd just offered them fortune was also the same person who'd executed 173 people few days ago.
"Good. Then we understand each other. Get to work."
Here's your corrected version with the additional mine details:
**THE CHILDREN'S GIFT**
I returned to the manor to find the children waiting for me near the entrance. They stood in a nervous cluster, hands behind their backs.
"My lord!" Jonas called out. "We… we wanted to thank you."
Each child stepped forward and handed me a flower—wildflowers picked from the manor gardens, nothing fancy but carefully chosen.
"Thank you for the food," one said.
"Thank you for the new clothes," another added.
"Thank you for not hurting us."
"Thank you for giving us a home."
My throat tightened. I took each flower, examining them seriously like they were precious gifts.
"You're welcome," I managed. "Now go wash up for dinner."
They scattered, laughing and chattering. I stood there holding an armful of wildflowers, feeling something I thought I'd lost decades ago.
Hope.
"Put these in my office," I told a passing servant. "In a nice vase."
**EVENING REPORTS**
Back in my office—now decorated with a vase of wildflowers on the corner of my desk—I reviewed Alfred's complete census summary while he stood waiting.
"The final numbers are in, my lord," Alfred began, his expression grim. "And they're... significantly different from our preliminary counts."
"How different?"
"Seven thousand nine hundred sixty-eight people in the villages and official records."
I looked up sharply. "The preliminary count was six thousand six hundred three. That's already more than expected. But your expression tells me there's more."
Alfred's jaw tightened. "There is, my lord. Much more." He pulled out another document, his hands shaking slightly. "We found something in the northern hills. A hidden village."
"A hidden village?"
"400 people, my lord. All slaves. Living in conditions that..." He paused, visibly struggling with his composure. "It's worse than anything we found in the corruption investigations."
I leaned forward, cold fury building in my chest. "Explain."
"The late Baron spread rumors throughout the kingdom that the iron ore mine in the northern hills had collapsed and was no longer functional. He filed official reports with the Crown stating the mine was depleted and abandoned. But it was all lies, my lord."
"He was still operating it."
"Yes. Using slave labor that didn't officially exist. Four hundred people—men, women, even children—working the mine in brutal conditions. They've been hidden there for years, some for over a decade. They live in crude barracks, barely fed, worked until they collapse. When slaves died, he'd purchase replacements through his port connections and add them to the hidden population."
I felt my hands clenching into fists. "And the iron ore?"
"Shipped out through the port at night, sold to merchants in other kingdoms under false documentation. The late Baron made it appear as if the ore was coming from other sources. He pocketed everything—no crown taxes, no official records, no oversight. Our estimates suggest he was earning over ten thousand gold coins annually from this operation alone."
"Ten thousand gold coins," I repeated quietly. "Built on the backs of four hundred people he worked to death."
"Yes, my lord. The current slaves are malnourished, injured, diseased. Many won't survive without immediate medical intervention. And..." Alfred's voice dropped even lower. "My lord, some of them are children. The youngest we found was seven years old."
Seven years old. The same age as some of the orphans I'd just taken in.
I stood and walked to the window, trying to contain the rage threatening to overwhelm me. The late Baron was already dead. I couldn't punish him. Couldn't make him pay for what he'd done.
But I could fix what he'd broken.
"Current status of the mine?"
"Still operational, my lord. The slaves have been maintaining it because they had no choice. Production has actually been quite high—the mine itself is rich in iron ore, possibly one of the most productive in the kingdom. That's why the late Baron went to such lengths to hide it."
"And the kingdom truly believes it's non-functional?"
"Completely. The official records show it collapsed fifteen years ago. No one has questioned it because the late Baron paid his crown taxes from other sources and never gave anyone reason to investigate."
I turned back to Alfred. "So we have a fully operational iron ore mine that officially doesn't exist, four hundred slaves who officially don't exist, and a production capacity that could make us one of the wealthiest baronies in the kingdom."
"Yes, my lord."
"Are clear," I finished. "We free them. All four hundred. Immediately."
Alfred nodded, relief evident on his face. "I was hoping you'd say that, my lord."
"But we keep the mine's existence quiet for now," I continued, thinking strategically. "If Count Valadon or Baron Lupe learn we have a functioning iron ore mine, they'll move against us even faster. Let them think we're a weak barony with forest resources. The mine stays secret."
"And the slaves, my lord? Once freed, they might talk—"
"They'll talk to each other, not to outsiders. We give them proper homes, proper wages, proper treatment. We make it clear that their lives depend on keeping this secret until we're strong enough to defend it. Most of them have been hidden for years—they understand discretion."
Alfred made notes quickly. "So the revised total population?"
"7968 in the villages, plus 400at the mine. 8368 civilians total. Plus two hundred permanent soldiers, plus six hundred twenty-seven slaves we've purchased or liberated elsewhere." I did the quick calculation. "Total population: 9195."
"Nearly double our initial estimate," Alfred said quietly.
"And Count Valadon has no idea. He thinks he destroyed a minor barony with six thousand people and some forest resources. He doesn't know about the hidden population, the mine, the real wealth this territory represents."
"That gives us an advantage, my lord."
"It does. But it also means we need to move faster. Nine thousand people need food, housing, employment, protection." I turned back to my desk. "Here's what we do immediately:"
I began listing orders rapidly:
"First: Medical team to the mine. Those four hundred people get full examinations and treatment. Anyone seriously ill gets brought to the manor's medical facilities."
"Yes, my lord."
"Second: Food shipments. I want proper rations delivered to that hidden village immediately. No more starvation rations."
"Yes, my lord."
"Third: Document everyone. Real names, ages, skills, origins if they remember them. I want to know who these people are and where they came from. Some of them might be the missing people I asked you to find."
Alfred's eyes widened. "I hadn't considered that, my lord. You're right—some could be victims of the trafficking operation."
"Fourth: Assess the mine itself. Production capacity, safety conditions, equipment needs. I want to know exactly what we're working with."
"It will take a few days, my lord, but I'll have a complete report."
"And fifth—" I paused, considering carefully. "We need a new administrator for the mine. Someone competent, someone trustworthy, someone who won't exploit the workers. Find me candidates."
"I'll begin searching immediately."
"Good. Now, the other issue—you said there were hidden workers beyond just the mine?"
Alfred nodded. "Yes, my lord. Throughout the territory, we found people working without official documentation. Field workers, household servants, laborers. The late Baron used them as disposable workforce—no wages, no protections, no records. If they died or ran away, he'd simply replace them."
"Total numbers?"
"Approximately three thousand additional people who weren't on official records."
I felt my jaw clench. "So the actual civilian population is closer to eleven thousand?"
"Yes, my lord. Eleven thousand three hundred sixty-eight, to be precise."
Eleven thousand people. Plus soldiers slaves we were gonna purchase, bringing the total to over twelve thousand.
Three times larger than anyone knew. Four times larger than Count Valadon suspected.
"The hidden workers—are they loyal?"
"Most are terrified, my lord. They're waiting to see if you'll continue the old system or change it. The tax reduction has bought you goodwill with the official population, but these hidden workers don't even know if they qualify for that. They don't legally exist."
"Then we give them existence. Document everyone properly—all eleven thousand of them. No more hidden populations. Everyone gets official status, fair wages, legal protections, and medical care."
Alfred smiled, something rare and genuine. "That will buy you more than loyalty, my lord. That will buy you devotion."
"Good. I'll need it." I made notes on the parchment. "We'll need at least five thousand new employment positions—tailors, builders, lumberjacks, miners, craftsmen. With eleven thousand civilians instead of six thousand, we have the labor force to actually build something significant."
"The logistics will be complicated, my lord."
"That's why I pay you so well, Alfred." I looked up at him. "And one more thing—find out exactly how much information Count Valadon has about our territory. Population numbers, military strength, resources. I want to know what he knows."
"I'll make inquiries through the guild network, my lord."
"Discreetly."
"Of course."
"And Alfred—" I hesitated, then continued. "Those four hundred people at the mine. Prioritize them. They've suffered the most, they need the most help. I want them to understand that their nightmare is over."
Alfred's expression softened. "That will take considerable resources, my lord."
"I have considerable resources. And I want people to understand that things have changed. That this isn't the old Baron's territory anymore." I met his eyes. "It will help my reputation. But more importantly, it's the right thing to do."
"Yes, my lord. I'll begin immediately."
After he left, I sat alone with the census documents, trying to process the magnitude of what I'd inherited.
Twelve thousand people. An iron ore mine that officially didn't exist but was actually one of the most productive in the kingdom. A port with slave trading connections. Four hundred slaves hidden in brutal conditions. Thousands more people working as undocumented labor. A population that had been systematically exploited for over a decade.
No wonder Count Valadon had been so interested in this territory. No wonder he'd orchestrated the deaths of the Baron's family. This wasn't just some minor barony—it was a gold mine, literally and figuratively, just hidden under layers of corruption and false records.
The late Baron had built a secret empire of exploitation right under the Crown's nose, and no one had known.
And now it was mine.
I could continue his system, become wealthy beyond imagination through the same brutal exploitation.
Or I could dismantle everything he'd built and try to create something better.
The choice was obvious. I'd spent my previous life fighting systems like this. I wasn't about to perpetuate one now.
But there was a problem: freeing everyone, documenting everyone, treating everyone humanely—that would require massive resources. Resources I'd need for the coming war.
I pulled out my ledger and began calculating.
Guild loan: 50,000 gold coins and growing.
Recovered from corrupt officials: 45,000 gold coins.
Late Baron's hidden wealth: 89,000 gold coins.
Total available: 184,000 gold coins.
Enough to feed everyone, treat everyone, arm everyone, and still have reserves for the war.
But only if I was smart about it. Only if I prioritized correctly.
I began making lists, organizing priorities, calculating costs.
First priority: Keep everyone alive. Food, medicine, basic shelter.
Second priority: Build military strength. Soldiers, weapons, fortifications.
Third priority: Economic development. Manufacturing, trade, infrastructure.
The mine was key. If I could secretly ramp up production while keeping it hidden, I'd have the resources to fund everything. Iron for weapons, iron to sell, iron to build with.
I smiled grimly. The late Baron's greatest secret would become my greatest advantage.
"Thank you for being such a thorough criminal," I murmured to the memory of the dead Baron. "Your evil is going to fund a lot of good."
To be continued...