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Chapter : 42
“Here. Sign it.”
Randolph’s hand trembled slightly as he picked up the employment contract I handed him.
Anyone could see he was reluctant, but Randolph had no choice but to accept this contract.
Why?
“Find me before midnight—when I’ve disguised myself as someone in this mansion.”
Because I had won the bet against him perfectly!
Midnight? Hah. I found Randolph—disguised as the stable hand—in less than 30 minutes after the bet started. All I had to do was check his status info. Easy. He had no idea, of course.
That’s why he was now signing this employment contract with a face full of defeat.
“Tsk.”
Seriously. If this was going to happen anyway, he should’ve just become my slave without all the fuss.
It took a roundabout path, but I finally succeeded in demoting Randolph from Assassins’ Guild Master to my magic stone-mining slave.
This kind of victory calls for a celebratory toast, but…
“Get ready.”
“What?”
“Why are you so surprised? We’re heading out right now.”
I didn’t have much time.
The deadline I promised the prince was drawing near. I needed to squeeze every bit of work out of Randolph starting tonight.
“…Just how long are we going to keep climbing?”
“Almost there. Your limbs are fine, so why are you whining so much?”
“Ha. Unbelievable.”
Despite his grumbling all the way to the clover-marked rock, I managed to drag Randolph safely to the mine.
‘He’s annoying, but oh well.’
Seeing Randolph carrying the mithril pickaxe over his shoulder for me made him look almost endearing.
Hiring such a high-quality mining slave for just 5,000 darlings? Heh heh heh.
My heart swelled just thinking that all I had to do now was mine and sell the mana stones.
“Alright, this is the entrance.”
“Where exactly is—?”
Just as Randolph began to grumble again, the clover symbol started to glow, and he fell silent.
Soon, a small portal—just big enough for one person—opened in front of the rock.
“…This is?”
“Yep. Only I and those I’ve granted permission to can enter.”
I wasn’t sure at first how to exercise ownership of this place, but after a few tests, it seemed like the portal only opened for me or those I approved.
Anyway, once we stepped inside, my beloved top-grade mana stones were still gleaming brightly.
The sheer quantity and incredible quality of the stones must have stunned Randolph. He was completely awestruck.
“Amazing.”
After a long pause, he glanced at me and finally said something.
“What? Why?”
“Did you get this place by exploiting someone?”
Sorry, the only thing I’ll be exploiting is your labor.
But I understood why he asked.
In this world, most rare mineral mines were owned by dwarves.
Randolph probably assumed I had swindled this place from one of them. I gave a simple reply.
“Not at all.”
Thinking back, maybe the one who got exploited back then was actually me…
Climbing up here night after night, only to swing my pickaxe twice before collapsing from exhaustion… The memory almost brought tears to my eyes again.
“……”
But Randolph, true to his distrustful nature, clearly didn’t believe me.
Typical. If you’re not going to believe the answer, why bother asking?
Anyway, he seemed to decide it was pointless to press further and turned his attention to the sprawling mine.
While he did that, I sat down on the portable chair he had carried along with the pickaxe and asked bluntly,
“What are you doing?”
Ugh, so slow.
I glanced at the clueless guy, then pointed toward a mining spot.
“Start swinging that pickaxe.”
Ignoring the momentary scowl on his face, I pulled out a book and started reading.
In a world where betrayal lurked around every corner, I couldn’t afford to waste even a moment. I had to keep building my intelligence.
Sniff.
If the Industrial Revolution in England began with the spinning jenny, then the mining revolution in the mana stone fields began with Randolph.
“Huh? You can come in even without me now? Great. From tomorrow, you can come alone.”
That became possible because the mine was smart enough to recognize authorized individuals even without my presence.
Thanks to the obedient mining slave Randolph running on auto-play, I was able to finish preparations for my first trade with the prince without a hitch.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Huh? Already?”
I checked my pocket watch and peeked out of the carriage window.
Since the Ulmer Duchy was located on the outskirts of Bregenheim, I had expected a longer trip, so I’d left early. But the streets were empty, probably because it was late—so we arrived earlier than planned.
‘Wait, this is the place?’
I was shocked when I confirmed the trade location.
It was the blue-roofed mansion located on Lumen Street, the heart of Bregenheim. I’d seen it countless times while exploring Bregenheim in the game.
The blue roof always stood out. I remember trying to approach it because it was marked on the map, hoping it was a hidden quest location. But each time, I’d get a locked icon. And once, when I did manage to sneak in over the wall, it led straight to a death ending.
I had assumed the developers just didn’t patch it properly…
‘So this was the Second Prince’s property?’
As I stood there surprised by the revelation, a young man approached the carriage.
“Are you Lady Adelheid Ulmer?”
I quickly scanned him.
A cream-colored shirt made from fine fabric, a green doublet with sharp creases save for a slight wrinkle at the elbows, and trousers with crisp fold lines.
His attire clearly marked him as nobility. And since he knew my name despite this being a “quiet” mana stone transaction, he must be the prince’s aide.
“Yes, that’s me.”
After a quick judgment, I answered, and the man introduced himself.
“My apologies for the late greeting. I had to verify your identity first. I’m Peter Brandt, in service of His Highness. Please disembark and switch to this carriage.”
“Huh? But the mana stones…”
“We’ll inspect them separately. Your coachman cannot enter the premises and must wait here.”
Hmm. So this is how picky royalty can be.
Then again, even after playing the game a thousand times, I never realized that the most conspicuous mansion on Lumen Street belonged to the Second Prince. That level of security makes sense.
“Alright then. Ran—no, Marcus, wait here.”
“Understood, milady.”
After leaving a word with Randolph, I switched carriages. Only then did the mansion’s tightly shut gates open.
But only partially—just wide enough for the carriage I was in to enter. It seemed they were seriously cautious about prying eyes.
Thus, I only got a full view of the mansion once we had completely passed through the gate.
‘Whoa.’
Smaller in scale, perhaps—but almost as well-kept as the imperial palace.
Even under the soft glow of the carriage’s lantern, I could tell by the landscaping. The flower beds at the entrance were arranged in perfect seasonal alignment, with not a single stray weed or out-of-place leaf.
It was the complete opposite of the Ulmer duchy mansion, where flowers were randomly planted without care. Then again, comparing the prince’s estate to that of one of the poorest noble families in the empire was probably unfair.
“This way, please.”
Following the aide down a long corridor…
“You’ve arrived.”
At last, I met Prince Adrian, the Second Prince.
