“…Is this really gold?”
“If you don’t know, who would?”
“No, it’s just that we found it so easily.”
Zion tilted his head, examining the stone again. Though small, one side was brightly yellow. While it might not be gold but another mineral, given the circumstances, it was likely gold.
“You said we’d have to dig a lot.”
“That’s usually the case…”
“And it would take a long time?”
“Well… at least a few months, up to a year.”
“We’ve been here for less than half a day.”
“……”
Zion fell silent, hesitating. If gold was on the surface, the vein had to be nearby. Bringing in workers to dig could reveal the vein quickly.
“We need to verify if this is gold. Then we’ll plan accordingly.”
“We need workers, right?”
“We’ll need to set up a mine, lodgings, maybe a dining hall…”
“Do we have enough money for that?”
“If not, we’ll have to borrow from the heads of the families.”
Zion handed the gold-specked stone to Hanette, deep in thought. Being the first to find the gold vein meant the project would likely expand. If digging with just workers proved difficult, they’d need to hire earth magic users, increasing labor costs. More workers would mean more buildings, making the initial investment quite large.
“We need to inform the palace too, right?”
“Yes, they’ll take some as tax. But they won’t take back what they gave us.”
Zion was bound by an oath as Setinos Quasar, supported by the Duke and Marquis families. The king had acknowledged him as an asset, leading the charge against the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities. The land was a reward for his contributions, so the king wouldn’t press him too hard for gold.
“So, no one can touch you?”
“Pretty much. I’m Setinos Quasar. You’re by my side, and the heads of the families support me. Even the other Setinos Quasar are favorable to me, so it’s hard to make excuses.”
“They don’t seem greedy. If it’s not a big issue, they’ll probably let it go.”
“You’re right. The king prefers peace and avoids controversy that would tire him out.”
Hanette nodded slowly, staring at the stone. Finding the gold vein could bring in a lot of money quickly. With enough money, they could buy better land or buildings, hire maids and soldiers.
“When will we start mining?”
“We need to confirm it’s gold, inform the heads of the families…”
“We need to hurry and earn money. Do you think buying a house is easy?”
“After dealing with the Four Calamities…”
“Why think about that now? You said it’s not the right time.”
“This can wait. This is our land; no one can touch it.”
“I don’t care about that. Getting a house comes first.”
“If we start construction now, the king will find out. Even if he doesn’t take it, he’ll be aware.”
“What’s the king going to do if he’s aware? It’s our land.”
“……”
Zion shook his head, trying to refuse. But Hanette just glared at him.
“What’s more important, the house or the king?”
“…The house.”
“Then why argue?”
“Uh… because he’s the king?”
“I’ll ask one more time. Who’s more important, me or the king?”
“You are.”
“Then do what I say. Mine the gold and buy a house.”
“There’s also the option of building a house here.”
Hanette glanced around at the rocks and stones. There were no people, animals, not even ants.
“Are you serious?”
“People might come later.”
“When?”
“When this place gets famous for its gold and nobles and merchants start coming through?”
“…Wait until we’re old and gray?”
“It won’t take that long.”
“Yes, it will. People want the gold, not the mine. Who would live in a mine?”
“If shops come in, people will too. We can get water from underground, plant trees around here…”
“Are you serious?”
“I’m not joking.”
“Ugh…”
Hanette sighed deeply, showing her frustration. Mining the gold was obvious, but creating a living environment was unrealistic. The best they could do was set up accommodations for the miners and temporary tents for traders. Nobles might visit out of curiosity, but they wouldn’t stay long.
“Wouldn’t it be better to take over as the head of a family?”
“It’s not a bad choice, but it would be harder for us. Managing a family is tougher than managing a mine.”
“You suggested building a house here knowing that?”
“…You must have your own plans.”
“Do whatever you want with other things, but leave the house to me. I’ll handle it, okay?”
“…Alright.”
Zion agreed without hesitation. They were getting married, so it was better to start with concessions rather than separating things. They needed to share to live together.
‘She’s gone along with everything so far… I should give in on this.’
He didn’t want to argue with Hanette over something trivial. For him, having a place to live with Hanette was enough. Other factors didn’t matter much, so leaving it to her wasn’t an issue.
‘She brought it up, so she’ll handle it well.’
In the third princess's palace of the royal family, Yuter gazed out the window with narrowed eyes. She had been reprimanded for hiding the existence of the Magic Sword from the king. Other Magic Sword users had done the same, so why was she singled out?
“...Barhen, why is the king so harsh only on me?”
“Because he cares for you, Princess.”
Barhen, sitting across from her, answered without hesitation. Yuter turned slowly, showing her displeasure.
“Haven’t you considered other reasons?”
“Thinking won’t reveal the answer. You must accept it with your heart.”
“Are you saying I have no heart?”
“You feel hurt because you have a heart. If you didn’t, you wouldn’t bring it up.”
“……?”
Yuter pondered his words in silence. Barhen waited patiently.
“Are you saying the king reprimanded me with a parent’s heart?”
“The king doesn’t see you just as a royal. You are his daughter.”
“So that’s why he didn’t send me to the frontier?”
“Because you might get injured or killed in battle.”
“That doesn’t make sense. Why do you think I’ve been learning swordsmanship all this time?”
“I assume you had a goal in mind.”
“I wanted to be like the king. To become a strong knight and achieve great deeds. To be recognized and become Setinos Quasar. But…”
Yuter trailed off, resting her chin on her hand. Barhen maintained a brief silence before continuing.
“Do you think the timing was delayed because the king opposed it?”
“I could have done well. I could have been like the black knight!”
Yuter shouted, releasing her pent-up emotions. Barhen, empathizing with her feelings, offered a realistic response.
“…Allow me to say this. The black knight’s achievements are beyond human capability. Think about why the black knight was appointed Setinos Quasar at 21.”
“……”
Yuter quickly calmed down. Other nobles might have flattered her, saying she could do well too, but Barhen spoke directly and calmly. He always offered advice from a neutral standpoint.
“That’s true. The black knight could do it because he’s special.”
“Now that you’ve joined the Lychness Knights, you’ll get your chance. When the time comes, I’ll protect you.”
“That might be difficult. The black knight will probably finish things before I can.”
Yuter laughed, resigned to reality. The black knight had defeated the Abyssal King, whom even the king couldn’t kill. With Shadow Dragon and Ocean King also fallen, what beast could escape the black knight?
“I’ve changed my mind. If I can’t become Setinos Quasar, I’ll aim for the throne.”
“I’ll help you with all my heart.”
“I’ll use you and the black knight.”
“What do you mean?”
“The black knight is your brother. If he supports you, he’ll have to support me too.”
Yuter wasn’t just eyeing the title of Setinos Quasar but also the throne. If she married Barhen, she’d be related to the black knight by marriage. With the black knight’s endorsement, winning the throne would be much easier.
“I don’t want a fair competition with my siblings. There’s only one throne. If I’m not chosen, it’s over. You can call it cowardly. I must become the king.”
“I don’t think it’s cowardly. If my fiancée wants it, I’ll help.”
Barhen smiled, looking into her bright blue eyes. They seemed to shine even more with her ambition. To help her, he’d even kneel and persuade Zion.
“You might see me only as a marriage partner. Are you okay with that?”
“I’m satisfied just being with you.”
“I said I’d use you. If you’re useless, I might discard you.”
“Even so, I’ll follow you. I am your knight.”
“……”
Yuter hesitated, then glanced at him. Her comments about using and discarding him were meant as a light joke, but Barhen’s unwavering loyalty made her feel guilty.
“You don’t need to take it seriously. I was just talking.”
“If you were testing me, I accept. I’ll visit the black knight…”
“No, don’t. Now isn’t the right time.”
“But if I don’t show my intention…”
“I get it! I wasn’t testing you. Stop it.”
Yuter tried to stop him, panicked. While he was fun to tease, Barhen sometimes took things too seriously, making him hard to stop. If not clarified, he might really ask the black knight for support.
‘…That’s why I trust him. I do have an eye for people.’