FL - Chapter 40: The Power of Authority

"Look sharp, all of you! We're building mine tunnels that need to hold up for decades. Anyone cuts corners answers to me!"

With the full survey of the mining zone complete, Valentin immediately set to directing the craftsmen on reinforcing the mine shafts.

Black birch was cut to standardized dimensions. Workers hauled the heavy timbers into the mine tunnels.

Support pillars were firmly fixed at every point throughout the tunnels to ensure the stability of the entire network.

The carpenters drove thick wooden wedges into the joints and applied resin at the connection points to guarantee the long-term integrity of the framework.

Valentin personally tested every black birch pillar, tapping each one with his miner's hammer to confirm its solidity.

On the other side, the first team of slave miners stood fully assembled and ready.

They'd been issued simple protective gear and were awaiting their orders.

Valentin nodded. "Start with the most stable zone. Small-scale extraction first. Let's see the specific conditions of the Mana Marrow."

With their orders given, the miners swung their picks with careful precision, striking the rock face and peeling chunks of ore free.

Every time a pick struck true, the purple vein pulsed with a faint glow, like mana slumbering deep within the earth being stirred awake.

Soon after, the first batch of ore was delivered to Hilko, Crimson Tide Territory's sole alchemy apprentice.

"Test the purity," Louis ordered curtly.

Hilko nodded and dropped a small piece of Mana Marrow ore into a test solution.

The liquid shimmered with a faint violet light, followed by mana fluctuations spiraling through the air.

The solution's color rapidly deepened to a rich, dark purple. The signature of high-purity Mana Marrow!

"My lord, the ore's purity is even higher than expected!" Hilko's voice was thick with excitement.

Louis smiled. The stone in his heart finally settled.

...

Night hung heavy. In the study, candlelight flickered and danced.

Louis sat behind his desk, his eyes resting on Bradley, who was seated across from him.

"The mining and processing of the ore. I want both to remain in Crimson Tide Territory. The sales, however, I'll hand over to House Calvin," he said, getting straight to the point.

Bradley paused for a beat, then revealed a faint, meaningful smile. "I understand."

Louis had done his calculations.

Right now, he needed the family's support. He couldn't afford to display any hints of independence too early. He had to offer enough benefit to make the family willing to keep investing.

Only when the family's interests were satisfied would they provide more resources and protection. That would allow him to secure his foothold in the barren wilds of the Northlands.

More to the point, his control over sales channels was nowhere near House Calvin's.

House Calvin's trade routes spanned the entire Empire. They could even conduct transactions with foreign nations.

If Louis tried to carve out a distribution network of comparable scale, or even a lesser one, pulling it off in the short term was all but impossible.

Given that, rather than pouring his energy into something he wasn't suited for, it was better to stabilize the situation and make the money flow first.

But the processing technology. That, he had to keep firmly in his own hands.

If things changed in the future, if Duke Calvin passed or trouble brewed within the family, he might lose this sales channel.

But so long as Crimson Tide Territory held tight control over the refinement and processing techniques for Mana Marrow, even if he were pushed out of the market, he could rebuild it on his own.

He wouldn't be left helpless for others to carve up.

Bradley studied him for a moment, a knowing smile lingering at his lips.

He understood Louis's little calculations perfectly well. He simply chose not to expose them.

"I will draft the letter according to your wishes and convey it to Duke Calvin," Bradley said, his tone as respectful as ever.

Everything would be left for the Duke to decide. He need only play his role well. No need to meddle unnecessarily.

Louis then opened a heavy wooden chest. The gleam of packed gold coins flooded his vision.

Roughly fifteen hundred Gold Coins.

The resources House Calvin had sent this time included three thousand Gold Coins, which had suddenly made Louis a rich man.

But no matter how many gold coins piled up, if they couldn't be exchanged for tangible resources to grow his power, they were nothing but dead weight.

And the resource Crimson Tide Territory needed most right now was people.

Louis shut the chest and turned toward Bradley, his voice firm. "I want to convert these gold coins into slaves."

A flicker of approval passed through Bradley's eyes. "It seems you already have a clear plan."

Louis nodded. "Based on current grain yields and reserves, fifteen hundred people is the maximum I can sustain."

He wasn't going to get greedy. Too many slaves would become a burden, weakening the territory's stability instead of strengthening it.

Bradley replied, "Leave this matter to me."

For the senior steward of House Calvin, this was no difficult task.

Bradley simply wrote a single letter.

A few short days later, slave traders from a thousand miles away made the long journey to Crimson Tide Territory, personally delivering a meticulously selected batch of slaves.

And their attitude was exceedingly deferential. Even when negotiating prices, they trod with the utmost care, terrified of offending Bradley.

Compared to the motley assortment of slaves Louis had personally purchased from the black market the previous time, the quality of this batch was markedly superior.

The majority were robust laborers with solid muscle. Their skin bore the weathering of hard years, but their overall condition seemed decent.

There was also a contingent of marriageable female slaves. A group that would play a critical role in Crimson Tide Territory's future population growth.

But what truly surprised Louis was the transaction price.

After acquiring fifteen hundred slaves, a full seven hundred Gold Coins still remained!

"It was considerably cheaper than I imagined," Louis remarked, looking over batch after batch of quality slaves.

Bradley smiled faintly. "The market price is not a fixed number. It depends on who is doing the buying."

The implication was clear. Had it been someone else, even waving fifteen hundred Gold Coins, the quality and quantity of slaves they could acquire would never have come close to what they'd just received.

But Bradley had merely written a single letter, and slave merchants had crossed a thousand miles to personally deliver their finest stock to his doorstep.

Their attitudes had been nothing short of obsequious. They'd even voluntarily suppressed their prices, all in the interest of preserving their long-term relationship with House Calvin.

*So this was the power of House Calvin's senior steward?*

*Terrifying.*

This wasn't merely a matter of negotiating skill. It was a fundamental "rule," etched deep into the bedrock of society.

Louis silently counted his blessings that he, too, was a member of House Calvin.

Of course, only by proving his worth within the family would he have any real right to truly wield such a formidable weapon.

If this were two months ago, he likely wouldn't have even had the opportunity to touch this kind of power.

A thought suddenly surfaced in Louis's mind. *If one day I could fully command this influence. Make the entire might of House Calvin work for me. How good would that feel?*

Louis suppressed his ambition and looked at Bradley. "You've worked hard this time."

Bradley inclined his head slightly, his face as calm and unruffled as ever. "It is my duty to serve you."