Due to the small size of his territory, Romon was intimately familiar with every inch of the land.
In this world, there were no other entertainment options, so aside from measuring the land, the only other thing to do was measure Lornis's depth.
As for drinking, he had long since developed a rebellious attitude due to his grandfather's alcoholism.
Though he had only drawn a rectangle on the blueprint, Romon could clearly and accurately make his way to the area where the ore was buried.
This location was at the northernmost part of the waterdrop-shaped territory. To the north, the great lord owned a vast forest, leaving only a small scrap of land within Romon's territory.
And the magic crystal ore was hidden in front of this small forest.
"Starting from here..."
Romon grabbed a villager's hoe and drew a three-meter diameter circle on the ground.
"Dig down from here. No breaks. I know this small area can't accommodate all of you, but you must work at maximum efficiency. I hope you understand what I'm saying."
The task of digging was simple enough that the villagers didn't even need to think twice. After a nod from the villager at the front of the line, they immediately grabbed their farming tools and began to dig.
Romon stepped back from the digging area and looked at the nearby flat ground.
"Lornis, take the women over there to set up a cooking stove. I taught you how to do this when we used to cook outdoors."
"I'll make sure it meets your expectations, my lord."
There was nothing more satisfying than giving a servant the freedom to exercise authority, except, perhaps, pampering her.
Servants witness power every day, and anyone who has the chance to use that power will ensure they carry out the task as perfectly as possible.
Depending on their character, some might use their newfound power to fully exploit others, while others would focus on utilizing their talents to the best of their ability. Having been a servant in a noble house since childhood, Lornis was, unsurprisingly, very good at directing others.
The stove, which could serve 40 people, was successfully built in two hours. As for the remaining 40 people, they would simply take turns eating.
At that moment.
The mining progress reached its first breakthrough.
"My lord! My lord! Oh my god, come see this!"
A villager's excited shout came from the three-meter diameter pit.
Romon didn't rush over but instead directed the villager standing by the pit: "Use a sack to bring it up for me to see."
"Yes, my lord!"
Soon.
A sack of blue crystal ore mixed with dirt and rock was placed before Romon.
He picked up a palm-sized piece of the ore and examined it closely. The purity of this ore was quite high, though still not enough by noble standards. It would probably only yield half the amount of pure magic crystals, which was what mages needed.
If the market conditions hadn't changed recently, the raw ore in Romon's hands could be sold for 25-30 silver coins per piece.
Romon couldn't help but feel fortunate. It was a good thing he had obtained the simulator and had run simulations early on, predicting the outcome and managing to find the magic crystal ore before the simulator itself had reached that point.
In the simulator, he had wasted a whole turn before realizing the existence of the magic crystal ore.
But now, this was essentially his third round. By reducing the area of excavation and concentrating the villagers' efforts, he had greatly accelerated the progress. Just two hours into today, this bag of magic crystal ore had already accumulated a value of about 20 gold coins.
One round in the simulator roughly equated to a day in real life. He didn't even need to wait for the third day. Tomorrow—no, tonight—he could hire a mage!
He might even have enough left to throw a bonfire party.
"Good job, my people. I think tonight we can hold a grand bonfire party."
Living in a poor mountain village, the villagers had little in the way of spiritual enrichment, which was why the territory's culture value was only 1. The various holidays set by the empire existed to enrich the people's spiritual life.
But the villagers in the poverty-stricken mountains rarely had the means to celebrate such holidays. At best, they might drink a few extra cups during the Harvest Festival.
A bonfire party organized by the lord himself would be far better than any imperial holiday to them.
"Wonderful, my lord! You are the strongest, smartest, and luckiest Thune lord in history!"
"My lord, will there be meat at the party?"
"My lord, will we be allowed to drink?"
In response, Romon chuckled and said, "Yes, there will be meat, and there will be drink."
His gaze began to scan the crowd. Every strong, young villager was his target.
The next step after digging up the ore would be selling it in the town. He planned to intentionally give these strong villagers a bribe, ensuring they would be more diligent in serving him next time.
Carrying such valuable magic crystal ore would surely attract the attention of town thieves. A group of strong men, though not professionals, would make even thieves think twice before acting.
After lunch.
Romon divided the mined ore into ten portions and handed them out to ten strong men.
"Hold on to these, don't let anyone see them, and follow me. We're heading to Stone Town."
Stone Town was the closest town to Thune Territory. Fifteen years ago, it had been part of Thune, but his grandfather had lost control of it.
Many of the town's residents still recognized the Thune name, and if Romon didn't act too aggressively, they would likely gossip behind his back.
Other lords had dedicated carriages, but Romon's carriage had long since been squandered by his grandfather.
This time, to enter the town, they would have to ride in the village's only ox-drawn cart.
At the entrance of Stone Town, the Black Stone Gate still displayed a sign from over a decade ago. The passing years had corroded the sign, but the lettering remained clear.
Romon could feel the many eyes on him as soon as he entered the town.
The gaze of the common folk would quickly turn away, but the eyes of the thieves hidden in the dark corners were like smooth droplets of water. The moment they were spotted, by the time Romon looked back, they had already disappeared without a trace.
"Sharp noses."
Romon muttered with a snort. He hadn't visited Stone Town in a while, and the security here had decreased considerably. Today, he needed to seamlessly handle his business—selling the ore and buying a mage in one smooth operation.
If these thieves weren't afraid of death, they could try the power of money.
The largest guild in Stone Town was backed by the town's mayor, and the guild's headquarters was located next to the town hall.
Before the ox cart had even come to a stop, a familiar clerk from the guild approached them.
"Isn't this Lord Romon from Thune Territory? The shop is honored to welcome your arrival. Please, come upstairs with me, and I'll prepare the best VIP room for you. The president will personally greet you."
The old clerk recognized Romon. Even though they only met a few times a year, the aristocratic aura that Romon exuded made him easily recognizable among many others.
There were only a few in his memory to compare, and immediately, the clerk could recall Romon's details.
Young, poor, but still more human than his grandfather.
"What is your president doing?" Romon asked.
"Apologies, my lord. The president is in poor health and couldn't personally come out to greet you. Please don't be upset. You'll understand when you see him upstairs," the old clerk said, bowing with a sincere expression that didn't seem forced, but more tinged with sadness.
Romon paused for a moment.
Since entering Stone Town today, he had sensed something was off. Was the first guild, backed by the town mayor, also in trouble?
Step, step, step...
The sound of footsteps echoed on the wooden, freshly lacquered stairs. Romon proceeded carefully, his steps measured.
The second floor was the VIP area.
The old clerk led Romon to a set of double doors, then raised his hand to gently knock on the emerald green door. Romon didn't even hear a response from inside, so the clerk cautiously pushed the door open and gestured, "My lord, please enter."
Romon first peeked through the crack in the door. After confirming there was nothing unusual, he walked in.
Inside, the usual sofa was in place, but the president of the guild was covering his lower body.
"Is—is that Lord Thune?" The president supported his body with his arms. "Your most loyal subject, Gresla Tos, sends his regards."
"Gresla, what's happened to you?"
Romon's caution eased, but confusion began to rise. He had known Old Gresla since childhood. Gresla used to be a thief and was very shrewd—how could he be half-paralyzed?
"My lord, I'm sorry. Even I sometimes make mistakes," the guild president glanced out the window before quickly shifting the conversation back to the point. "May I ask, my lord, what brings you here today?"
"I have a batch of ore to sell."
"Ores?"
"Magic crystal ore."
At the mention of magic crystal ore, Gresla's eyes lit up. This ore wasn't just a staple for adventurers; it had recently been in high demand in the imperial capital.
With a simple flip of hands, it could be resold for at least three times the price.
No wonder it was from the Thune family—rich foundations meant they still had ore to sell.