MFWSP 77

Chapter 77

“The Frey Barony, which is on the verge of collapse due to misappropriating military funds and facing a massive penalty, apparently put up their entire mine to avoid bankruptcy. It was originally scheduled for auction, but I heard the date was abruptly moved up.”

“So it was. Quite a bit, too.”

I checked the auction schedule and organized the dates in my head.

There were about three or four mines up for auction that day, but the only one that held any significance for Grace was the one in Dallong Village.

“The Dallong Mine is a small coal mine. They say it’s likely to be unsold since no one is paying attention… The one that holds actual value is the Emerald Mine, not far from the barony.”

“No, Grace is definitely trying to buy the Dallong Mine.”

In my first life, I was the one who bought it. In the second life, it was Grace. She snatched it from under my nose after I had kept a close eye on it.

Just as David said, the Dallong Mine was indeed left unsold at auction due to lack of interest.

Afterward, the Frey family desperately tried to get rid of it at any price—and I was the one who came to their rescue.

But in the past lives, that transaction happened two years later from now.

And yet this time, they’re rushing the auction forward?

Even though it would sell for far less two years from now?

“Grace must be in a real hurry. She must think she still hasn’t recovered her reputation after the disaster at the banquet.”

“Considering all the reckless moves she’s made, that seems likely. Or maybe she wants to ride on the fame she gained as a saint who healed the sick and try her hand in another field.”

“Reckless moves?”

At my question, David lightly tapped the document showing the auction schedule with his index finger.

“The imperial family manages the mine auctions, don’t they? The schedule is set well in advance, so Duke Serbe can’t just change it. To make an exception, they’d need the influence of someone much more powerful. Rushing to find such a person in a short time—that’s what I mean by reckless. There could be side effects.”

“Duke Serbe joined hands with someone?”

“The Empress.”

David smiled faintly.

“Apparently, Lady Serbe had an audience with the Empress a few days ago.”

“She planned thoroughly, I’ll give her that.”

I responded.

“Indeed. I didn’t expect her to make a personal request. And the Empress actually agreed…”

“No, the Empress made an investment—together with Duke Serbe.”

I said.

“Pardon? In the Dallong Mine?”

I nodded.

“Yes. Duke Serbe is currently not in a good financial state, and with Grace’s debut in the capital, he’s likely short on cash.”

“……”

“If he had more time, he could gather the funds, but Grace is too impatient. So they partnered with the Empress to invest together.”

“And the Empress agreed? In a small coal mine?”

“Yup.”

I answered confidently.

“Because top-grade magic stones are found there. Grace showed her that.”

David’s eyes widened.

Low-grade magic stones were sometimes discovered in the lands of fortunate nobles, but there were only a few mines in the Empire that consistently produced top-grade ones.

The existing ones were imperial property, and their output was limited, so discovering a new mine like that would be a huge deal.

Knowing that in advance, it was natural to rush in with bags of money.

“How do you know all this, My Lord?”

Ray, who had been quietly listening, cautiously asked.

“Do you know how magic stones are formed?”

“Excuse me?”

Ray looked confused.

“Some form naturally. Others form in unique places like the Black Valley. But very, very rarely, if the magical flow of a region matches that of a dying high-level magical beast, one can form.”

“Then… the Frey Barony…”

“About a hundred years ago, the dragon Batunoa died near that mine.”

“…I heard Batunoa’s body exploded and vanished on the spot.”

David interjected.

“No magic stones were found either.”

“True. But its head, half-destroyed, flew into the Dallong Mine. The locals all know this.”

“They must’ve failed to extract the stones back then. If they’d succeeded, I would’ve heard about it…”

“For a magic stone to form from a dragon’s body, the magical flow has to be just right. And the flow can vary. In Dallong’s case, the flow was slow but precise and unique. If you study the surrounding rocks, you can calculate that speed.”

Just like I did in my first and second lives.

“The dragon’s wings left behind the seed of a magic stone. Because the transformation was slow, most people ignored it. But now, a century later, it should be nearing completion.”

“……”

“Well, at least that’s what you conclude after reading the books and doing the math.”

To the stunned pair, I tapped the pile of magic research books stacked on the desk.

In my past life, I studied these and scouted Dallong myself.

“Grace probably had someone sneak into the mine and extract a baby magic stone. That’s how she convinced the Empress.”

“Then… what will you do, My Lord?”

David asked.

“Will you participate in the auction? Even if Duke Serbe and the Empress pooled their funds, they’d still be limited. If Apellemyon went all-in…”

“Well, yes. But competing with them for the mine would be a waste of money.”

I shrugged.

“You’re not just going to sit back and watch, are you?”

“I will watch the Dallong auction.”

I smiled and ran my eyes over the map again.

“But I’ll be buying something else.”

My finger pointed not at Dallong Mine—but at a tiny dot next to it.

“The Sen Mine. Another listing from the Frey Barony, scheduled for later.”

“What? That place has zero value…”

“Wait, are there magic stones there too?”

David and Ray took turns asking.

I shook my head.

“Not exactly. The point is, the Dallong magic stone is still young.”

I answered while recalling all the research I’d done on magic stone properties.

“Children tend to follow when someone calls, right? Young magic stones have a similar trait.”

“…You don’t mean…”

David and Ray stared at me in unison.

“Yup. I think it’s possible. Never tried it, though.”

I answered boldly.

After two lifetimes, I’d learned that the conclusions I reached through research were usually right.

“Still, this time, we’ll need to use some influence with the auction manager… The Sen Mine’s auction isn’t scheduled for another two months. Without help from the Emperor or Empress, I’m not sure if a bribe alone will change the schedule.”

“…Bribes won’t work on the auction manager. What about Prince Carciel?”

Ray, seeing my hesitation, seemed to recall something and spoke up.

I tilted my head, frowning.

“He’s royalty, sure, but the administrators probably won’t listen to a man who’s only known for war.”

“That depends on the administrator.”

Ray shook her head.

“The Empress probably used Auction Manager No. 1. But Prince Carciel can persuade Manager No. 2.”

“Really?”

I asked, and she smiled.

“He used to work with my uncle at the palace. He hates bribes but isn’t completely closed off to favors.”

“You know him? You know his background?”

“I make a point to learn everyone’s background.”

She shrugged.

“He’s from Kahnav and used to serve as a knight in the Marquisate of Kahnav. Plus, his sons are in Prince Carciel’s unit.”

“…!”

“He hates corruption but values loyalty above all else. He remembers favors and holds chivalry dear. He’s also deeply attached to his hometown.”

She continued.

“In other words, he probably has great respect for Prince Carciel, who won the Kahnav war. And a request from a prince would make for a solid justification.”

Ray, you gem!

I let out a sigh of relief and leaned back in my chair.

“David, invite Prince Carciel to the estate tomorrow morning.”

“Yes, My Lord.”

With that, David left the study with Ray.

Alone in the room, silence fell over me, and an old memory surfaced—something I hadn’t thought of in a while.

That night on the balcony of the banquet hall—Carciel’s eyes, nose, and lips had felt far too close.

“No, no way.”

I shook my head vigorously.

It was just a momentary delusion. See? I can even think about meeting him now without feeling anything.

I still had a lot to do. So much to do.

And Carciel—he was my ally, my collaborator, the person I was working with.

This wasn’t the time for unnecessary thoughts.

I came to a simple conclusion:

The real problem was that Carciel was just too good-looking.

So the solution was simple—see him more often until I build up an immunity.