Chapter 62

"You really did destroy it, huh?" Richard remarked, glancing at the Baron.

To be honest, at that moment, Richard found it hard to believe the Baron's words. Rather than destroying a valuable gemstone sample, he felt it more likely that the Baron simply didn't want to show the gem. As for why the Baron was so intent on hiding it... that was beyond Richard's ability to guess.

"But now we have a problem," Richard said, eyeing the Baron. "If you've destroyed the sample, then here, I can't confirm whether it's a gemstone mine or not. Looks like the only way is to go with you to the site and check it out in person."

"My dear son, that's exactly what I had in mind. I'm ready to take you with me right now. We'll leave tonight, travel all through the night, and reach the mine to investigate," the Baron replied swiftly.

Richard paused, his tone laced with curiosity. "What if I refuse? What if I don't want to go?"

The Baron's expression changed abruptly, turning dark.

"Alright, alright," Richard said, seeing the Baron's reaction. "I was just joking. I don't mind going. In fact, I'm pretty interested in this gemstone mine myself. And even if it's not a gemstone mine, but just another type of mine, I can accept that—after all, resources are resources."

Richard gestured toward the door, his expression as neutral as ever. " Well, mine dear father, shall we proceed?"

"Of course," the Baron replied, moving quickly to the door. "I've already arranged for my most trusted guards to wait outside the castle. Once we're out of the side fortress, we'll mount our horses and head out directly. No need to worry about safety."

"That's not going to happen," Richard said, shaking his head firmly. "I need to bring my First Guard with me."

"Why?" The Baron furrowed his brow in confusion.

"To be honest, my dear father—Baron Leo—I don't really trust you. So, I don't trust your men either. In such dark conditions, if I were to leave the castle alone and something went wrong, what then? After all, I've been ambushed more than once after leaving the castle."

Richard's tone was calm but resolute. Despite his mastery of defensive spells like Wind The Oblique and Wind The Repulsion, he still wasn't willing to take unnecessary risks.

"My men will protect you with everything they have. You really don't need to worry," the Baron repeated, trying to reassure Richard.

"No," Richard said, shaking his head. "I trust the loyalty of my men more than I trust yours."

"But..." The Baron's expression darkened, a deep frown knitting his brows. "This gemstone mine is an enormous treasure. What if your First Guard gets tempted, becomes greedy, and sells the information to someone else? That would ruin everything!"

"Don't worry," Richard said, his voice calm but confident. "I can't guarantee much, but one thing I can guarantee is this: my men are more reliable than yours. If anything happens to them, I'll take full responsibility!"

The Baron hesitated, his gaze locking with Richard's. After a long moment of silent deliberation, he gave in, knowing that he had to rely on Richard. "Alright then, bring your men along. But they must be quiet and quick."

"I understand," Richard replied, his expression blank, and with that, he and the Baron descended the stairs together, leaving the side fortress behind.

A little over ten minutes later, two cavalry units rode out of the Baron's dark castle, heading off into the distance.

The lead rider held a torch, its flickering flames lighting the path ahead. The two groups quickly crossed a wooden bridge over a river, passed through barren fields, and cut through dense forests, eventually arriving at a range of hills.

The road became rougher, and they had to slow down, walking in intervals until they reached their destination.

Hiss...

Pfft, pfft...

The riders dismounted swiftly, leading their horses. Richard turned to glance at the eastern horizon and noticed the first light of dawn approaching. They had traveled the entire night to get here.

"The distance isn't exactly short," Richard commented.

"But no matter what, we're still in my domain," the Baron replied. "Therefore, this gemstone mine is legally mine!"

Richard couldn't help but laugh softly, shaking his head at the Baron's overly optimistic statement. "Alright, let me take a look and judge for myself. Up until now, I still have my doubts. I don't think it's a real gemstone mine."

"How could that be?" the Baron exclaimed, his brow furrowed. He waved confidently toward the path ahead. "The vein is right up ahead. I'll take you closer, and once you see it, you'll understand. I guarantee it's a gemstone mine!"

"Fine," Richard said, offering no further resistance. He followed the Baron as they moved forward.

They trampled through frost and pushed past the dense brush, finally reaching a small hill. It was about twenty meters high, with a visible crack along its side. Through the crack, they could clearly see tiny red stones glinting in the dim light.

"So? This is a gemstone mine, right?" the Baron asked eagerly, following up with another question. "How large do you think this vein is? How many workers will we need to mine it at full speed? And how many soldiers should we gather to secure the area, ensuring no information leaks?"

"Mm..." Richard pondered, not responding immediately. His eyes flickered briefly before he stepped closer to the crack. He reached out to touch the fracture's surface before drawing his plain, undecorated sword with a swift motion. With a shunk, he stabbed the blade into the crack.

After a moment, Richard withdrew the sword, inspecting its depth. He dug out a red stone and examined it closely. Then, a smile crept onto his face.

Seeing Richard's rare smile, the Baron felt an uneasy twinge in his chest and quickly asked, "What's wrong? Is the vein—"

"Hold on," Richard interrupted, raising his hand to stop the Baron. Turning to him, he said, "Dear father, let me first answer your earlier question. You asked if this is a gemstone mine. My answer now is—unfortunately, and quite predictably, this is not a gemstone mine!"

"What?!" the Baron shouted, his eyes wide in disbelief. He pointed to the glinting stones in the crack. "These... These aren't gemstones? Then what are they?"

Richard held up the stone he had just examined and tossed it to the Baron. "This is what's called lithium mica. It looks purple or pink and can sometimes be mistaken for an impure ruby. But in reality, it has nothing to do with rubies. The difference in value between the two is like that between a river stone and a real gemstone!"