At night, just as Lind was preparing to explain the policies of the territory to Lena as usual, he received the news that a ranger from the elves outside the territory requested to see him.
This was Lind’s first encounter with this mysterious race in this world, after all, the original game didn’t describe elves in much detail, mainly appearing as foreshadowing for the sequel, and at the time Lind entered this world, the second installment of the game had not yet been released.
Perhaps it was because the original work had a predominantly Japanese fantasy setting, so elves were not as aloof as in traditional Western fantasy works, nor were there complex divisions like dryads or night elves.
However, they weren’t like the typical Japanese elves who seemed like love-struck fools who hadn’t seen a man in millennia, or who could be sold as slaves.
Lind’s first impression of the elf before him was that the other party seemed to have developed a different kind of enlightened humanity.
“So, you’re saying that half of the magic stone vein we discovered today needs to be submitted to your country, right?”
Since the other party’s demands were quite substantial, Lind carefully confirmed again.
Lena, who had been treating Lind’s policy explanation as a lullaby, suddenly became alert, slamming the table and loudly questioning, “On what grounds? Wasn’t it said that the elves only take thirty percent of the rare mineral resources from the Giant God Mountain Range?”
The ranger replied calmly, “Her Majesty the Queen said that the lord here would understand why.”
At the same time, he threw Lind a look that implied, “You know what I’m talking about.”
Understand? Understand what? Lind hated riddlers the most; they took away half of his mineral resources without giving a reason, and still expected him to “understand.”
However, the ranger promptly handed Lind a contract. After carefully reading it over, Lind hesitated for a moment but ultimately signed his name on the contract.
“I understand. Please thank your Queen for me.”
The ranger seemed to have anticipated this outcome, and without any hesitation, he left the lord’s tent with the signed contract and vanished without a trace.
So much so that Lind didn’t even have time to try to keep him around to learn more about the elves’ specific stance.
“Brother, are we really giving the elves fifty percent of the magic stones?”
Although Lena didn’t know what had transpired, she could still tell that Lind had allowed the elves to take half of the magic stones.
“It was originally a free mineral vein; fifty percent is fine. Besides, we were supposed to give the elves thirty percent anyway; we’re just paying two percent more.”
“Two percent is still a lot. What can two percent of magic stones exchange for?”
After saying that, Lena extended her fingers and started counting, which made it difficult to imagine that just a moment ago, she had been eagerly discussing formulas and theorems from Derek’s notes with Lysha and Isha.
“Will two percent of the magic stones buy the support of the elves?”
Lind, not one to master riddles himself, revealed the answer to Lena.
“This huge magic stone vein is something we can’t exploit completely on our own, and we can’t guard it either. Once the news spreads, things may not go smoothly, and many people will likely have their eyes on this magic stone vein.”
“Moreover, the elves’ contract states that this mine will be jointly exploited by us and the elves. If anyone attacks the mine, it will be treated as an attack on the elves’ ranger, which will lead to the elves intervening. Of course, those elves won’t actually be mining; we will take care of it. The two percent is merely a protection fee; other nobles might demand much more than that.”
Once Lind finished explaining, Lena countered, “No, with me here, who would dare to covet this magic stone mine? Whoever dares to come—if they can beat me, then fine! If they can’t, they can go tell Grandpa. Our Lars family is not to be trifled with.”
Lena’s confidence was palpable as she proudly placed her hands on her hips, puffed out her chest, and raised her head. Though she exuded confidence and coolness, Lind, who knew her well, couldn’t help but think her actions were a bit silly.
“But what if other members of the Lars family want this mine?”
Lind countered.
“Well… then…”
Lena suddenly faltered. Lind was right; currently, the Lars family was still in the throes of the heir war, and a magic stone vein could significantly influence the outcome of that battle. It turned out Lind was genuinely trying to help her win the heir war.
“Lena.”
This was the first time Lind referred to her simply as Lena rather than Miss Lars.
“What if the development of our territory diverges from Duke Lars’s plans? What then?”
This was somewhat reminiscent of the classic dilemma of choosing between rescuing a mother or a sibling; only the roles had switched.
Without much hesitation, Lena replied immediately, “Brother, you wouldn’t harm me. I choose to trust you; I’ll help you explain clearly to Grandpa.”
Lind was taken aback, not realizing he held such weight in Lena’s heart; momentarily, he found himself at a loss for words.
After Lena left, Lind sat alone by the candlelight for a while, seriously contemplating future plans.
One point he hadn’t clarified to Lena was that those who would covet this magic stone vein included none other than Duke Lars himself.
The divine answers from Lena had made it clear to Lind what he should do.
Although everyone thought Lena, the abandoned Lars by the royal family, was unqualified to participate in the heir war, having this magic stone vein changed everything. Once the news spread, Lena would have no choice but to join the heir war.
Lind tried to shift perspectives. If he were Duke Lars, how would he handle it?
The answer was obvious: he would nationalize this mine for the Lars family and directly manage it himself.
This would expand the family’s power and protect Lena, preventing her from becoming a target in the heir war or being directly dragged into the conflict.
Moreover, the management of Graywhite Territory could simply be done by Duke Lars dispatching someone else, sidelining Lind or turning him into a mere pawn.
Neither outcome was acceptable to Lind. From a political perspective, the elves, far across the Giant God Mountain Range, were far more trustworthy than Duke Lars, who could control Graywhite Territory at any moment.
The list of Duke Lars’s spies in the territory he had compiled earlier finally came in handy. Lind summoned Lila, who had been working overtime because of the magic stone vein, and those spies were all subdued.
They were not truly controlled. Instead, any information they conveyed had to be reviewed, and nothing regarding the magic stone vein could be disclosed.
This alone would certainly not keep Duke Lars in the dark, but it could buy time, allowing Lind to completely secure control over the mine before Duke Lars reacted.
After receiving the notice, those spies didn’t show much resistance, as this matter did not touch on the bottom line Duke Lars set for them, which was Lena’s personal safety. In fact, this operation might better align with Lena’s interests.
Next would be the question of what to do after officially entering the heir war.
Relying solely on the ten knights Lena brought was clearly not enough. Although each of those knights had their unique strengths and extraordinary skills, filled with unwavering spirit and patience, the secret weapon they possessed yielded unexpected surprises.
However, ten individuals couldn’t even establish a defensive line.
Moreover, from Lind’s perspective, the era of relying solely on powerful professionals to crush opponents had passed; future warfare would involve collective army operations, especially once gunpowder could be successfully produced.
This may sound somewhat arrogant, as it had already been several months since Lind crossed over, and he had not truly set foot on a battlefield.
Just as Lind had considered before, the advantage of a traveler was never about gunpowder steam but rather the mindset and vision that matched the capabilities of gunpowder steam.
A person from the information age receives more information in a single day than a bard from this age would in a lifetime.
That is the greatest advantage of a traveler.
In fact, after entering a phase of stable development, Graywhite Territory had always trained soldiers.
Lauri, who hadn’t been in action for a while, had been responsible for overseeing the management of these soldiers.
Because soldiers received additional work points as bonuses and had benefits far exceeding those of soldiers in other noble territories, and even more than those of noble retainers, many signed up. However, due to the high demands for soldiers, the actual number was not significantly greater than that of Lena’s knights.
For a territory with a population of just over a thousand, having dozens of standing soldiers was already remarkable, as even many small noble families’ knights couldn’t achieve full-time employment.
These dozens of standing soldiers were less about training as soldiers and more about nurturing them as officers. Besides basic training, everyone needed to be literate, learn tactical planning, and understand how to use and comprehend gunpowder.
And those commoners engaging in daily military training in the territory were the real soldiers.
