I took a slow breath. “I’m not up to anything, for once. The regent has asked the miner’s guild to slow down construction on the reservoir to increase the cost. Some of them don’t want to, but others are willing to go along with her request, enough that I’m not sure who will win if they start infighting. Even if my supporters win, they might all lose their positions in the guild. But that’s only part of why I’m here. This morning they found a small vein of jade in the pit.”
Isabelle’s eyes spoke volumes for half a second before her face returned to its neutral, polite, court expression. She took a sip from her cup of tea, but the excited tremble in her hand gave her away.
Ranic sucked in a breath at the same moment. “They found jade in the pit! Are you sure?”
I nodded. “Datter says it is poor quality, but it is jade.”
Ranic began chewing on his bottom lip. “What’s his conclusion?”
“He believes there is a deposit of crystallized mana somewhere within the village’s influence.”
“No, there isn’t,” Emily said.
Her mother placed a hand on Emily’s shoulder. “That’s not entirely true.”
Emily scowled at her mother. “And you were going to tell me this when?”
Isabelle shrugged. “I wasn’t. You have access to the village interface. You could have found out at any time.”
Emily’s scowl softened. She began to roll her eyes but caught herself, realising she had company. “So, the village has access to crystallized mana. What does that have to do with finding jade in the pit?”
Redcliff fiddled with the cuff of his robe as he cleared his throat. “The crystallized mana created the jade.”
Emily frowned. “How?”
“Transmutation through ambientisation,” Redcliff answered. “In non-technical terms, the crystallized mana under the village reached full magical charge and instead of growing, it siphoned the excess mana into a nearby resource, causing transmutation. In this instance, it turned concentrated granite into jade. Half of all small crystallized mana deposits do this in some form. The other half grow into large deposits.”
That was news to me and my mind was already racing. “Will it channel transformations like that to other resources? Like my farm?”
Redcliff shook his head. “Once a vein establishes a connection with a resource, it won’t break it until that resource is depleted. There is so much concentrated granite under this village that this is impossible.”
Ranic seemed to already know this. He hadn’t stopped scowling since asking his question. “Arnold, I assume Datter wants you to sign a contract that you will purchase a quarry in return for his people not dragging their feet.”
I nodded, not surprised Ranic could deduce such a complicated answer from so little information. “He offered standard rates for his services along with taking responsibility for the project before the guild. This way, good people won’t lose the best years of their life, and he gets to play in his retirement.”
Ranic sighed and then looked at Emily. “His offer is a good one. A quarry owned by someone bearing the crown’s mark, which is leeching mana from a crystallized mana vein, will make significantly more as an investment than adding another lumber forest will. I can’t tell you exactly how much because that’s not my speciality, but it’s enough to make this a good opportunity and investment—but only if Redcliff can make sure the link between the resources is established properly.”
Redcliff smiled. “That depends.”
“On what?” Ranic replied.
“On the decisions in this room.” Redcliff leaned back and crossed his arms. “The wizard academy foresaw this possibility when the discovery of the crystallized mana occurred and I am authorised to purchase the quarry on its behalf. Many jewels are used as spell components and the academy is always interested in expanding the resources we have available to us. However, I understand Landlord Arnold is in a unique position here in Blackwood due to his unorthodox manipulation of the laws, which allowed our new lord to gain her levels, and is capable of superseding our offer with one of his own.”
Ranic nodded. “Clearly. What do you propose?”
Redcliff smiled. “I will assist in linking the new quarry to the deposit, and in return, the academy will have the power to purchase anything that comes from it at double its base value.”
Damn, that was a good offer.
Ranic scowled. “You might be the most suited to performing the link, but your services are not worth having Arnold begging for coppers on the street. Even triple the base price would be insulting.”
Really?
Redcliff smiled. “Oh, pardon me. It was a slip of the tongue, of course, that would not apply to more rare finds. Those would, of course, be purchased on a case-by-case basis with an option of taking them to auction.”
Ranic’s scowl grew. “I heard no change in your offer for the more common finds.”
“Because I didn’t offer one.”
Ranic scoffed. “Arnold’s merchant skill is currently maxed, Redcliff.”
Redcliff blinked and then looked at me. “Seriously?”
I nodded.
“Show me.”
After checking with Ranic to see if I should, I gave Redcliff access, allowing him to look at my merchant skill level.
Redcliff’s eyes widened. “Oh, my mistake. I agree to triple the base value for common finds that the academy would like to purchase.” He shook his head. “That is one hell of an exploit you developed. I honestly thought I was offering you a good deal under the circumstances.”
I smiled. “Ranic said triple would be insulting and I know you don’t want to insult me, Redcliff.”
It had been a year since I’d played cards with Redcliff, but the man had all sorts of tells and right now, he was scratching his thumb with his index finger. He was bluffing. I honestly had no idea how much the jewels were worth or why they were worth so much over their base value, but I wasn’t going to allow myself to be taken to the cleaners if I could help it.
I kept smiling, waiting for him to break.
He scowled. “Fine, I’ll offer you standard rates for academy jewel purchases so long as the academy receives the right of first refusal. You happy now?”
I had no idea what that meant, so I kept smiling. Now it was my turn to bluff. Luckily, someone who knew what they were talking about was right on hand.
Ranic nodded.
So I nodded, then looked at Ranic and rolled my eyes. “You realise I’m a farmer, right?”
“You are a farmer that bears the crown’s mark and a farmer who will bear the mark of this village as soon as our young lord here earns enough to purchase one, if I’m not mistaken.” He looked at Emily as he said the last part.
She nodded. “I get the prompt that he’s earned it every time I see him.”
Ranic smiled. “See, you have the ability to turn this village into something amazing. And you already own the rights to the two existing lumber forests, so you might as well own a quarry too.”
“Wait, I own the forests…since when?”
“About a week before we got back,” Isabelle said. “I’ve been meaning to ask you what you were planning to do with them.”
I turned to Ranic. “When were you going to mention this?”
Ranic winked at Isabelle and then turned back to me. “You have access to your logs. You could have found out at any time if you bothered to read them.”
Isabelle and Emily both covered their mouths, fighting the urge to giggle. They weren’t succeeding. Redcliff gave a little chuckle, though he was also scowling.
I turned my head and opened up my logs and began searching through for land purchases. There were a lot of them. I’d bought almost all of the village’s land and buildings which was why I had turned off the prompts. There were now only three holdouts and they were all multigenerational families that didn’t want to sell their land for any price. I went through the long list of purchases until I finally found what I was
looking for. When I got to the section of the logs showing lumberjacks and hunters selling up their rights to the forest, a prompt appeared.
Well done, you own the entire forestry and hunting rights to the Blackwood’s first and second western forests. For this level of affluence, you have received the title: Woods’ Master.
Woods’ Master
Level: 2
Effect:
+2 to Intelligence and Wisdom.
Crown’s mark additional effects:
+5% to the quality of your forest’s produce.
+25% to the quantity of your forest’s produce.
+25% to experience in the forests.
Congratulations, you can now access basic information about these resources.
Daily resources available:
First Western Forest, level 2:
250 softwood trees of varying quality and size
12 wild goats
1 wild deer
Second Western Forest, Level 2:
25 hardwood trees of varying quality and size
125 rabbits
I dismissed the prompt.
Ranic smiled at me. “Woods’ Master, it’s so nice of you to join us.”
This time no one hid their laughter.
The negotiation had been relatively straightforward after discussing the academy’s price. Redcliff laid out the timeframe required to make the link and offered a price that both Ranic and Isabelle thought was fair. After a celebratory drink to close the deal, Redcliff took his leave.
The instant the parlour doors closed, Ranic turned to me. There wasn’t an ounce of friendliness in his gaze; it was sterile. He hadn’t looked at me like this since I promised him I could get him through his threshold. “I have a business proposition for you. I will give you the entirety of the money required for establishing the quarry tomorrow, and in return, we split the profits 50-50.”
I blinked, confused. “Why are you giving me money?”
Isabelle politely cleared her throat, scowling at Ranic. “That is unacceptable.”
I frowned. “Why?”
“Because my husband and I would also like to invest in this quarry.”
Ranic smiled. “Can you beat my proposal?”
Isabelle shook her head. “No. But we can match it. We only need time to secure a loan.”
“Which means you can’t match my offer,” Ranic counter. “The sooner Arnold establishes the quarry the sooner it will begin accumulating jewels.”
I glanced at Emily. She was trying her best to remain expressionless, but I could tell she was just as confused as I, which made me feel better. “Can someone please explain what’s going on? Why do you both suddenly want to invest in this quarry so badly?”
Isabelle turned to me, dropping the scowl. “Crystallized mana linked quarries are rare. There are only three in the entire kingdom. Each one is quite profitable when run by a master miner like Datter. In the past, only one of these quarries was owned by an individual bearing the crown’s mark. The small increase in the quality of the jewels the mark produced tripled the profits. That is why Ranic and I are willing to throw money at you to secure a share.”
“It’s that profitable?”
“Not in the beginning,” Ranic said. “But as the village population grows, the amount of ambient magic will increase along with the speed of the gem production. The three quarries Isabelle mentioned all belong to large cities and account for a tenth of their revenue and explain their rapid growth.”
Okay, so this quarry was a literal goldmine. They weren’t throwing money at me. They were just trying to get in on the action. No wonder Datter had been so happy.
Something occurred to me. “You could do this without me?” They both nodded. “Why don’t you?”
Isabelle paused for a moment. “The chance for personal gain if we move forward alone is great, but the gain for Blackwood is far greater if you are the owner. The tax revenue will be significantly higher, allowing Blackwood faster growth.”
Isabelle’s decision to be in business with me appeared to be a noble’s choice. The regent might have been a crazy bitch, but she said that nobles were required to put those in their care before themselves. They were meant to sacrifice for the good of others. And that was what she was doing.
I untied the string on my purse.
Would you like to access your funds?
Yes/No?
I selected Yes.
Would you like to access your personal or loan funds?
Personal Funds: 10,684 gold, 93 silver, 39 copper.
Loan Funds: 6,284 gold, 53 silver, 48 copper.
Personal/Loan?
I retied the string and the prompt faded. “How much will it cost to create the quarry?”
“Around 7,500 crowns,” Isabelle said.
“How much is my next tax payment with all my new properties, not just the farms?”
“A feather’s weight under 1,000 crowns,” Emily said.
I thought about the numbers for a second and decided it was doable. However, the safety net I wanted would be gone. “If I put aside the money for next year’s tax and interest, I’m just shy of being able to afford it with my personal funds.”
Ranic coughed and blinked, showing his shock. “How?”
“The money from the king and the leftover winnings from the casino,” I said. I’d never told him exactly how much I’d won. I had only told him it was enough to purchase a full set of blessings.
Ranic shook his head. “I didn’t realise you had that much wealth. In that case, I retract my offer.”
Isabelle frowned for a second. “Ranic, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and merely business. My husband and I won’t think of you differently if your offer succeeds ahead of our own. Please, don’t hold back.”
Ranic chuckled, waving off her comments. “I’m not, my dear. Why do I need more wealth? I already possess more than I can use. The opportunity presented itself and I made the offer. The fact that Arnold has other options does not bother me in the slightest. And in the long-run, it would be far better for Blackwood to have your family investing in its future. You truly care for this village, while I am only a guest.”
Isabelle smiled; it lit up her entire face. “Thank you.”
Ranic shrugged, smiling. “You’re welcome. As I said, I am only a guest. There is little point in me investing in this village. I don’t even have a proper home here. Your husband never got around to approving the building permit I requested several months ago.”
Isabelle laughed. “I’ll have it approved by the end of the day. You can build a manor on the street behind ours if you wish.”
Ranic folded his arms smugly. It was almost as if this outcome was the old man’s intention all along.
I looked at Isabelle. “If I’m going to purchase this quarry before we deal with the giant, I’m only going to do it with the money we already have. If we lose the village, I don’t want you and Jeric stuck repaying a loan on an investment that no longer exists. So, if you are going to invest in the quarry with me, you will need to do so with the funds you have available.”
Isabelle lost some of her humour but nodded. “That’s sensible. In that case, we can afford to pay one-third of the setup cost. Ranic, as a neutral party, what do believe our fair share should be for this investment?”
Ranic scratched his jaw. “If it were my investment, 10% would be fair. But, since you hold a special place in Blackwood’s management, it should be 20%.”
“That seems like a gross misuse of power,” I said.
Isabelle nodded. “That is because it is. How does 20% sound to you?”
“It sounds like I’m almost spending as much money on this quarry as the overtime will cost me. But, sure, why not. It’s a deal. Hopefully this investment is as good as you two think it will be.”
Well done, you own the entire quarrying rights to Blackwood’s quarry. For this level of affluence, you have received the title: Stone Master.
Stone Master
Level: 1
Effect:
+1 to Strength.
Crown’s mark additional effects:
+5% to the quality of your quarry’s produce.
+25% to the quantity of your quarry’s produce.
+25% to experience in the quarry.
Congratulations, you can now access basic information about these resources.
Daily resources available:
Blackwood Quarry, level 1:
12.5 units of the highest quality concentrated granite. (Concentrated granite will sporadically be transmuted into other minerals.)
Chapter Forty-One
THE NEXT STEP
When I designed my barn’s trapdoor and pit, getting in and out had been a little dangerous. Now that Quilly had upgraded those designs, that little dangerous had turned into risking death and dismemberment. I was forty feet below ground level, ten feet above the bottom, in the first of the completed pits, installing a trap so lethal it could kill me as easily as my swinging axes would a troll. The harness chafed, and the board I was lying on—to do my work safely—wasn’t as steady as I would have liked, rocking with even the slightest movement. The whole scaffolding system Quilly designed wasn’t sturdy enough for me to feel safe.
I had no one to blame for my current predicament but myself. Sure, Quilly had badgered me into handing over the money for this mithril razor thread net after swearing at me for ten days straight, but at the time, my reservation had nothing to do with the danger involved with installing it and everything to do with the cost. The damn net was more expensive than the rest of the fifty-foot deep pit combined. And it wasn’t like it was just a dirt pit.
The walls were thirty feet apart and lined with concentrated granite blocks bound together with mortar. There were four-bladed steel spikes at one-foot intervals that went all the way around and from top to bottom. If something ever managed to climb out of this abyss of death, I would run.
Oh Great! I was Reincarnated as a Farmer Page 47