Chapter 14: Ore Worth a Kingdom
Rujed's legs were shaking.
Not from the 15 kilometers they had walked—but from what he was seeing.
They had just stepped into the cave.
The walls weren't just stone.
They glowed.
Veins of shining blue, silver, and faint gold ran through the rock like frozen lightning. The air buzzed with mana so dense that even someone who couldn't use magic would feel it prickling against their skin.
Magic ore.
Not the cheap kind sold in normal markets.
These were pure veins, thick and flawless—ores used to craft legendary weapons, the kind only the richest nobles and top-ranked adventurers could even dream of touching.
Rujed's jaw dropped. "No matter… how much I look at that, Rael… that's absurd."
He took a shaky step forward, then lost his balance for a moment.
Rael moved instantly, grabbing his arm and steadying him.
Rujed swallowed hard. "I've… I've never seen ore this pure in my entire life. With this much ore, you could buy nobility of… three—no, four stars. The highest you could buy. No—"
He laughed nervously. "Forget it. You could buy a whole country with this. How the hell did you find this, Rael?"
Rael's expression was unreadable. "I didn't find it."
He looked at the glowing walls and said calmly, "I mined it."
Rujed stared at him. "When you went to Verala Academy, I already knew you were a prodigy. You can sense mana better than most A-rankers… even some S-rankers, not to brag."
He pointed wildly at the ore. "But finding a mine like THIS—and this pure—is crazy."
He suddenly grabbed Rael in a tight hug and laughed, a little hysterically. "We're saved, you brat!"
Rujed pulled back and grinned wide. "We can give half of this to that bastard Mark Towrist and ask for forgiveness. I know those noble bastards—they would kill for material like this. He'd accept the offer for sure and maybe just give the village a small punishment."
Rael cut in quietly. "You're thinking too shallow, Uncle."
Rujed blinked. "Huh?"
"I'm taking control of the whole area," Rael said.
Silence.
Rujed looked at him like he'd gone insane. "What are you saying…?"
He grabbed Rael by the shoulders. "Do you seriously think they'll let us buy this land after seeing this much ore? Have you completely lost it?"
Rael looked at him calmly.
"Who said I'm buying this area?" he replied. "I said I'm taking it."
He turned toward the cave entrance, looking out at the mountains and sky beyond.
Rujed's voice trembled. "How…?"
Rael smiled slightly.
"By force," he said. "I'm not stupid enough to jump in front of a five-star noble and insult him to his face."
Rujed exhaled. "Then what's the plan?"
Rael's eyes narrowed, gaze turning cold and distant.
"I'm going to buy our freedom from this country," he said