The relationship between magic crystal ores and mages was like the relationship between oil and cars.
Once refined, magic crystal ores often served as an emergency backup for a mage, especially for those who enjoyed exploring dungeons and labyrinths. Every mage's backpack would likely contain magic crystals of varying purity.
To Romon's surprise, his small corner of the world had a treasure like magic crystal ore hidden beneath it.
This changed his plans.
With the knowledge of the ore resource now in hand, Romon could shrink the area to be mined, increasing the digging speed and boosting Thune's economy in the shortest possible time.
Once the economy was up, the effects of his next simulation would be different. With an economic foundation, he could prioritize strengthening the territory's power—namely, by recruiting more guards.
If only there had been a reliable guard during the last simulation, the entire village wouldn't have been wiped out.
Romon looked at the territory blueprint and immediately reduced the mining area, focusing on extracting magic crystal ore. He then allocated ten villagers to sell the ore, using the profits to improve the economy.
Once the economy was boosted, the recruitment bar in the lord's blueprint would automatically refresh, offering available recruits. For now, their silhouettes were still gray, but once there was money, they would become colorful. A simple click would allow him to recruit them into his territory.
[Second round complete. Your subjects have followed your orders and are fully focused on mining the magic crystal ore. They cheer and applaud for you.]
[Third round starting!]
As expected.
The red warning signal for the giant wild boar immediately appeared.
But Romon wasn't the least bit worried. He glanced at the economy value. What was once just 1 point had now surged to 58 points!
A basic knight only required 3 economy points.
The former glorious lord of Thune had once commanded 2,000 such knights, so Romon had a general understanding of a typical knight's combat prowess. A fully-equipped five-man squad could easily wipe out an entire village.
Meanwhile, the giant wild boar had a record of killing 81 villagers without taking a single scratch.
To achieve a similar result, Romon would need at least 10 ordinary knights, costing a total of 30 economy points.
Romon's gaze continued to scan the recruitment bar, eventually settling on a guard priced at 35 economy points.
[Mage · Talia: A niche mage skilled in rapid-fire magic.]
In Romon's childhood memories, his grandfather had once hired a mage as a guard. The price had been exorbitant, with an annual salary of 70 gold coins—enough to buy a house in the imperial capital within a year. The knights' commander often made sarcastic remarks about it, as the amount of money was so large that it could easily buy a property in the capital in just one year.
70 gold coins, when converted to the simulator's economic value, would be at least 70 economic points.
[Mage · Talia]'s buyout price was only 35 economic points.
A mage wasn't just a title; it was a rank or class.
The price list for recruitment in the blueprint matched the mage rankings in this world.
From low to high, they were: Magic Apprentice, Apprentice Mage, Mage, Archmage, Mage Lord, Grand Mage, corresponding to the mastery of elemental thrones, the Holy Throne, the Imperial Throne, and the Divine Throne...
Similarly, other classes like melee fighters, swordsmen, archers, etc., followed a similar ranking.
As such, a third-tier guard was worth at least ten times more than a first-tier guard, and their strength was correspondingly greater.
Romon made a decisive decision and recruited [Mage · Talia].
And here it was.
The red warning signal, which had been flashing moments ago, immediately subsided after Romon completed the recruitment.
A female mage, cloaked in gray and wearing a black wizard's hat, appeared out of thin air on the territory blueprint.
With her arrival, the territory's military power, which had been only 9 points, immediately skyrocketed to 44 points.
When the military power of a territory exceeds the threat level of an emerging crisis, it no longer qualifies as a true crisis but is simply an ordinary invasion event.
Romon watched as a blinding beam of magical light streaked from the south to the north, instantly piercing the giant wild boar that had just reached the village entrance.
Crisis averted!
This was the power of a mage.
"We still have 5 simulation rounds left. The power level is enough to hold us for a while. From here, we'll focus heavily on developing the population and economy."
[Third round complete. Your territory's strength has increased, and you've successfully overcome this crisis. Your subjects highly praise your leadership.]
[Fourth round starting—]
As per Romon's plan, for the next several rounds, there were no major changes. The economy steadily increased, and the population remained mostly unchanged.
[Seventh round complete. Your simulation rounds are now exhausted, with a 10-day cooldown.]
[Simulation score: 20 points]
[Reward: Territory's mineral reserves +20%]
The good news was that Romon had already grasped the general direction for the future through the simulation.
The bad news was that the simulator hadn't accounted for the day he'd have to pay tribute to the king. That critical day was fast approaching, and he had no idea what would happen.
And with the simulator needing 10 days to cool down, he only had 9 days left before the king's deadline.
"Well, it is what it is. You can't bite off more than you can chew. With a mine at home, I don't need to fear tributes."
Romon snapped out of his thoughts and looked over at Lornis, who was sitting at the dining table.
"Are you full?"
"Thank you for your generosity, my lord. I am full," Lornis replied, tidying up the dishes. She wrapped the remaining pig meat and stood up, bowing respectfully.
Looking at the leftover roasted meat, Romon said, almost gleefully, "Looks like it's time to get a dog around here. We can feed the leftovers to it."
There was no refrigerator here, and neither of them knew freezing magic. After a day, the roasted meat would lose its flavor.
"Sorry, my lord. I shouldn't have wasted your gift. I just wanted to save it for the next meal," Lornis misunderstood Romon's intention.
"No, Lornis, it's good that you're maintaining your figure. Eating good food will make your backside round again, but eating too much will make your waist thicker. I don't like barrels," Romon said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin, then playfully slapped Lornis's perky bottom.
He turned toward the dining room door and, without looking back, said, "Let's head to the village."
Lornis watched Romon's retreating back, pouting, before quickly picking up the plates and running to the kitchen to wash them.
By the time she locked the door and rushed out of the castle, Romon had already reached the foot of the mountain.
"Lord Romon~~ Wait for me~~"
She hurriedly lifted her skirt and bounced toward Romon, chasing after him.
"Romon, my lord, didn't you say you weren't collecting taxes today?" Lornis caught up with Romon and, breathless, asked.
"Yes, no taxes. But I need some help."
"Leave this to me; you don't need to get involved."
"Don't worry, you'll have work to do later."
Romon and Lornis entered the village, their presence starkly different from the typical villagers. Every step they took attracted the eyes of the villagers. People cautiously observed Romon's expression, wondering what the lord would do today.
Even in his fallen state, he was still a lord. With the power of his title, even a single word from him could affect the life or death of an entire household.
The last time Romon had entered the village, it was to collect the increased tribute ordered by the king. Many families couldn't even come up with a single copper coin and were still in debt.
This time, was it the final deadline? Would those who didn't pay be executed?
However...
Romon and Lornis walked straight into the village center and stood before a decaying flower bed. A crowd of villagers gathered on their own. They didn't even need to be notified. As the last village in Thune Territory, the lord managed things one-on-one, and many actions were done in tacit understanding.
"My lord, can you extend the deadline for our taxes?"
"My lord, I'm a hunter, but I haven't been able to find any game lately. Please, grant me a few more days!"
"My lord, I was injured by a monster..."
The voices of the people rose.
Romon furrowed his brow slightly, and the crowd, which had been chattering, instantly fell silent, as though the snow had melted away.
Maintaining his noble demeanor, he stood tall, higher than the villagers.
"My people, I, Romon Thune, the lord of Thune Territory, hereby declare that all your owed taxes are forgiven. But from today onward, you must work wholeheartedly in the designated areas I assign. Even eating, drinking, and relieving yourselves will need to be done in these designated zones. I mean everyone. Do you understand?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted into cheers.
They didn't even have time to process the latter part of the statement—they only heard that their taxes were forgiven!
Such an action could hardly be called the act of a benevolent ruler; it was more akin to the actions of a fatherly deity.
Romon allowed the villagers to celebrate for a few minutes. Although his time was tight, he wasn't in a hurry to cut them short.
When the villagers finally calmed down, he spoke again: "Now, from this moment on, everyone gather your farming tools and cooking supplies and follow me."