Chapter 70
The room was pitch dark.
Prince Galen could not move an inch inside it. After the uproar he caused at the banquet, the king had issued an order for his confinement.
“Damn it!”
Knock, knock.
Someone was at the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me, Your Highness.”
“…Chancellor?”
It was Duatris, the Chancellor — practically the mouth and hands of King Erengold himself.
The prince thought maybe the Chancellor could do something about his confinement.
“Ah! Yes, come in quickly!”
“As you command.”
The door creaked open, and an old man with deep wrinkles around his eyes stepped inside.
Beyond the door stood knights in red armor, guarding the room like an iron wall.
Through the narrow slits of their helmets, their eyes gleamed with absolute loyalty toward the royal family.
They were the Red Armor Knights, protectors of the royal house of Aisother — the kingdom’s firmest shield and sharpest sword, each knight ranked Level 5 or higher.
Their orders were clear: No matter what happens, do not let Prince Galen leave this room.
And since those orders came directly from King Erengold, Galen had no choice but to remain quietly imprisoned.
“Chancellor! Why would Father issue such an order against me?”
“…Do you truly not know, Your Highness?”
The tone was slightly insolent, but it was the prince who was desperate, not the Chancellor.
“I did it for the kingdom! I only tried to deal with that scoundrel from the Impera family! Even Father said the fall of their house would spark war among the nobles!”
“That and this are not the same thing, Your Highness.”
“How are they different? If we’d executed that brat and his father, the entire rural count’s family would’ve vanished overnight!”
“…Do you think it’s the same thing for a noble family to collapse on its own and to fall because it incurred the royal family’s wrath?”
“That… that’s…”
“Nobles think of nothing but their own safety. The sudden rise of a new count would’ve been enough to make them fight among themselves.”
“Hm…”
“If left alone, they would’ve formed factions and turned on each other for profit. But since Your Highness revealed your hostility so openly… such hopes are now gone.”
“Then…”
“For now, I’m afraid you must stay here quietly. The King’s orders are absolute.”
“……”
“Then, if you’ll excuse me, Your Highness.”
With that, the Chancellor left the room.
Prince Galen could only stare blankly at his retreating back.
Meanwhile…
The notorious prodigal of Aisother — Prince Galen’s appearance — had stirred ripples in my once-calm mind.
The Golden Bank incident was already long forgotten. My head was now full of just one thought: How can I become stronger?
“Ugh…”
There were many ways.
I could steal the fateful encounters meant for the protagonist, Dia Zenis — or I could gather talents who were doomed to die young.
But both were effective yet dangerous ideas.
The very fact that the Impera family hadn’t fallen yet meant the story had already deviated greatly from the original.
The Golden Bank robbery, which was supposed to happen years later, had occurred early. From now on, the future was unpredictable.
That meant… the novel’s plot I knew might soon become useless.
I had to find a way to grow stronger without distorting the story too much.
“Hmm…”
Then, one possibility flashed in my mind — something that could make me dramatically stronger without breaking the story.
Based on how it was described in the novel, it wasn’t certain, but worth trying.
“Yes… that might just work.”
Chime, chime.
I rang the small bell on the table twice. Soon after, Islyn entered, her silver-white hair swaying as she bowed.
“You called, my lord?”
“Heh, Count, yes.”
I hadn’t called her in just to hear that title, but it still felt nice. After being called “young master” for so long, being called “count” had a pleasant ring to it.
“Give me your orders.”
“We’re going to Endelro Mine immediately. Tell Isbart to prepare — I’ll be meeting him as well.”
“Yes, right away.”
Islyn bowed and left.
In her hair glinted a white ribbon hairpin, a gift from the Golden Bank. It seemed she genuinely liked it.
She had returned to her usual calm demeanor. The terrarium incident had shaken her, but time had healed that fear.
‘Still, I wonder… why was she so shocked when she met Prince Galen back then?’
There might’ve been a past between them, but I didn’t pry. Everyone has something they’d rather keep hidden.
Now, the Endelro Mine had become the financial lifeline of the Impera County.
Though only a few months had passed since I put Isbart in charge of managing it, production had skyrocketed.
The reason, of course, was the Giant Worm.
Mines with one of those creatures operated at a completely different scale — like comparing digging with a shovel to using an excavator.
The Giant Worm didn’t just eat through dirt and rock.
It dug tunnels, discovered new veins, and even secreted mucus that reinforced the ground to prevent collapses.
In mining, it was indispensable.
‘So why on earth didn’t that idiot Count Venner ever buy one?’
Of course, it wasn’t all good.
The cost of buying and maintaining one was astronomical — it wasn’t profitable unless the mine was exceptionally rich.
Hiring cheap laborers was still far cheaper. But since I’d gotten mine for free, I didn’t have to worry about that.
“My lord! You’ve arrived!”
As soon as I reached the mine, Isbart greeted me, bowing deeply. He was dressed in a brown uniform spotless of dust — though his face was smudged with soot.
“You’ve worked hard.”
“Thank you, my lord! It’s all thanks to your grace!”
He beamed proudly, and I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“…Eh? My lord? Is something on my face?”
“Um… Isbart? Hold still a moment.”
Islyn, unable to watch any longer, handed him a white handkerchief.
He wiped his face absentmindedly, then realized what was happening — his cheeks flushed red.
“M-my apologies! I was in such a hurry to prepare—”
“It’s fine. Anyway, everyone seems to be working hard.”
“Yes! The workers have gotten used to the shift system and are giving their all during work hours!”
The mine looked completely different from when I’d last seen it.
The work process hadn’t changed much — men mined the ore while women and children sorted and refined it.
But the structure of the mine had changed dramatically.
Before, it had been chaotic — random tunnels dug by hand, mounds of dirt everywhere, and frequent collapses.
Now, most of the old shafts were sealed, leaving only a few large reinforced tunnels, widened and stabilized by the Giant Worm’s slime.
Carts loaded with gleaming ore rolled steadily in and out.
‘Good. I was worried they’d stop working just because I showed up.’
“Hey.”
I stopped a miner just coming out of the tunnel.
“Ah! Y-Yes, my lord!”
He froze and dropped into a bow. I ignored him and inspected the ore.
Between the blackish rocks gleamed bright pure iron.
Compared to what I’d first seen at Endelro, the iron content had nearly doubled.
“Good quality.”
“Yes, sir! It’s all thanks to the Giant Worm’s tunneling. We’ve also instructed the workers to skip low-grade ore entirely!”
“Heh.”
No wonder productivity was soaring.
I smiled, satisfied.
If Isbart had been my superior, he’d be the kind of annoying, overzealous officer who drives you crazy — but as a subordinate, he was perfect.
“You’ve done very well.”
“Thank you, my lord!”
“And good workers deserve rewards.”
“Rewards, my lord?”
“Yes.”
I dusted my hands off.
“Send all the workers home for the day. The mine owner is declaring a special holiday.”
“Huh? But if we send them home with nothing—”
“Of course, they’ll still be paid for today.”
“You mean… paying them even though they won’t work?”
“Yes. I’ll cover the wages personally.”
“N-no, my lord, I didn’t mean— I just… it’s unheard of to pay people for not working…”
“Ah.”
I had forgotten — this was a world where even seven-year-olds worked in mines. The idea of a paid day off was utterly foreign.
“Think of it as… a gift. A blessing from your benevolent count.”
“Ah! Understood! I’ll give the orders immediately!”
He gathered the workers and announced the Count’s decree.
At first, they looked confused, but when they heard it was a noble’s grace, tears filled their eyes.
“Thank you, my lord!”
‘All this fuss over one paid day off, huh?’
“And you, Isbart.”
“Yes, my lord?”
“You deserve a reward too.”
From my coat, I took out a white ivory mask — an artifact.
It had no special powers, but once it touched skin, it adhered seamlessly without straps.
I compared the mask to his face, then trimmed a corner, leaving a single half-mask covering one eye.
“Try it on.”
“Ah…”
Isbart hesitated, holding the mask in both hands.
He was, after all, a woman — one who had risen to the rank of mine overseer.
The fact that she still wrapped her face in bandages from her childhood scars had always bothered me.
‘Does she… not like it?’
In the novel, Isbart always wore a mask, so I assumed it would be fine. But maybe she saw it as an insult — as if I were highlighting her scars.
“If you don’t—”
“Thank you… truly, my lord.”
She slowly unwrapped the bandages.
The burnt brown skin beneath contrasted sharply with her pale complexion — a reminder of her cruel past.
Snap.
The mask attached to her face perfectly.
It was the kind nobles used for masquerade balls — comfortable and secure.
When she lifted her head, the ivory mask glowed faintly against her white skin and long black hair.
It suited her — though it gave her a slightly fearsome beauty.
‘Heh, not quite like the novel, but close.’
“…Kh…”
Tears shimmered beneath the mask.
“…I’m sorry, my lord. It’s just… no one’s ever given me something like this before.”
“A loyal servant deserves no less.”
“Thank you! I swear to serve you even if it costs my life!”
“Heh. I’d appreciate that.”
I patted her shoulder.
“Now then — since you’ve been rewarded, I have one more job for you.”
“Yes, my lord! Anything!”
She quickly wiped her eyes and straightened.
A good attitude.
“I didn’t come here just to look around. I’m searching for something.”
“Something, my lord?”
“Yes.”
If I were only inspecting the mine, I wouldn’t have brought Islyn and Friana with me.
What I sought lay deep beneath the Endelro Mine.
And to find it, I needed both Isbart and her Giant Worm.
“May I ask what it is you’re looking for?”
Friana tilted her head curiously. Fair question — this was a mine, not a dungeon. Artifacts didn’t just appear underground.
But I knew better.
I’d read the whole novel — except the very last chapter.
“The Ancient Vault hidden underground,” I said, smiling faintly.
“Today, we’re going to find it.”
