The night was as dark as ink, fleeting in an instant. The five knights, who were consolidating their realms, slowly inward-flowed their auras, merging into their bodies. Eric keenly sensed their transformation, knowing they had successfully stabilized their realms. He cast his gaze on Martin, who was still soundly asleep, but did not disturb him.
As the others gradually woke up, subtle noises gradually spread. Martin was also awakened by the sound and opened his eyes to look at the five knights who had successfully broken through to the Silver level.
At this moment, in Martin's mind, ding, the number of contracted people has reached one hundred, the personnel have been promoted, and the system is preparing to upgrade.
The five people noticed that Martin had woken up, and immediately stepped forward quickly, knelt on one knee, and said loudly: "Thank you for your grace of saving us!" Martin came back to his senses from the system upgrade, raised his hand to signal them to stand up, and then assigned the ninety-five people to these five people, appointed them as team leaders, and told them that the armor of the knights who were promoted could only be distributed after a while when he had money.
With everything arranged, the group headed for Luoqiu Town. Upon arrival, Martin ordered them to reside at the guardhouse, specifically instructing them to remain firm and not to fear provoking trouble. If they encountered anything they couldn't handle, they could come to him. Martin then instructed Eric to send the remaining ten knights and attendants to Roland.
After arranging these matters, Martin went to the castle under construction to check on its progress. Walking down the street, he saw some mercenaries bullying civilians with their own strength, but they walked by silently without making a sound.
Arriving at the castle construction site, he was not satisfied with the progress. When Yoder and the guards saw Martin coming, they hurried forward to salute him, and the other craftsmen also stopped their work and saluted respectfully.
Martin looked around, thought for a moment, and decided to suspend the construction of the castle. He would finish it in one go after everything was completed and the funds were sufficient. He ordered Yoder to stop the construction, pay the day's wages, and let the craftsmen disperse.
Martin returned to the inn with Yoder and the guards and asked Yoder if he knew anyone who knew about the mineral vein. With a bitter look on his face, Yoder admitted he didn't. Martin tapped the table, and two people came to mind: his father, White, and Conrad. Out of pride, Martin decided to go to Conrad first.
Martin immediately went to the market to look for Conrad. Fortunately, the jade caravan had not left yet. After meeting Conrad, Martin stated his thoughts directly.
After hearing this, Conrad shook his head and said, "Sir, our Chamber of Commerce does have the special talent you need. However, Luoqiu Town was explored long ago and no mineral veins are found here, only in the Luoqiu Mountains. But you also know that the power of the magical beasts in the Luoqiu Mountains should not be underestimated.
So, while we can find people to survey the veins, it's difficult for ordinary people to survive there, except for wildlings and orcs. Sending knights or knight squires would be too expensive. While their strength isn't top-tier, they're still extraordinary professionals, so why would they be willing to go mining?
After hearing this, Martin still insisted that Conrad ask if they could send someone who could survey the veins. Seeing Martin's determination, Conrad finally nodded in agreement and said he would try his best.
Conrad immediately took out a communication crystal in front of Martin and contacted the Emerald Chamber of Commerce in the Sword Oath City. The crystal quickly lit up with a faint light, and Conrad eagerly asked, "Are there any surveyors in the Sword Oath City now?" A moment later, a response came from the other side:
"The surveyors are all exploring the Central Territory Mountains these days. The Chamber of Commerce is very short of manpower right now and we really can't spare any extra personnel."
Conrad looked helpless and apologized to Martin, "Sir, I'm truly sorry. All the surveyors from the Chamber of Commerce have been transferred elsewhere, and there are really no extra surveyors to send right now."
Seeing this, Martin knew that Conrad had indeed tried his best, so he smiled magnanimously: "Conrad, to be honest, I have to thank you for your willingness to help me. Whether it succeeds or not, I will remember this favor." The two chatted for a few more words, and then Martin said goodbye and returned to the hotel.
After returning to the hotel, Martin, though somewhat embarrassed, opened the communication crystal and contacted Earl White. Through the crystal, Martin explained his request to transfer an explorer.
The Earl readily agreed, adding enthusiastically, "If it's not enough, feel free to ask again. By the way, come back to the Sword Oath City when you have time." Martin's heart warmed, and he quickly replied, "I'll definitely go back when I'm done with this."
After hanging up the communication crystal, Martin went outside to exercise. It wasn't until the afternoon that Eric hurried over to tell him, "There's someone waiting for you at the hotel." Martin guessed it was the prospector.
He asked Eric to serve some black tea and cakes to the visitor, and he went to take a shower first. Wiping his wet hair, Martin came to the prospector. He saw that the man looked honest and simple.
After a brief introduction, he learned that his name was Hank, a hereditary prospector and the most outstanding one under Earl White. Martin was deeply moved by the Earl's thoughtful gesture and then had Hank taken away to rest, intending to discuss the real business tomorrow.
At dawn, when the morning light was dim, Martin got up early and took Hank to the Luoqiu Mountains. Eric and William followed closely on his left and right, shouldering the responsibility of guarding them.
Stepping into the Luoqiu Mountains, you will find the mountains vast and boundless, with rolling peaks and lush forests, layers of branches and leaves intertwined together.
As soon as Hank arrived, he pulled out a set of magical tools gleaming with mysterious runes from his space ring and began his exploration work with full concentration. Time passed slowly, and Martin spent a long week in the mountains. Finding a mineral vein was like finding a needle in a haystack, extremely difficult.
Finally, when Martin was on the verge of despair, Hank made a major discovery in a hidden valley: a vein of magic copper. This ore is extremely valuable, not only a key material for making knight armor, but also the core component of superconducting materials.
However, mining was also incredibly difficult. The col's terrain was unique and narrow, making it difficult to predict the direction of the veins when digging from the side. The only reliable method was to rely on Silver Knights or above, digging from above, following the vein's trajectory downwards.
Martin quickly marked the location and then urgently summoned Betan from the training valley via the communication crystal. He also gathered fifty elite guards from the town. After everyone reunited, they returned to the town. Yoder had already purchased all the necessary mining tools, following Martin's instructions, neatly packed them into a space ring, and handed it to Martin.
Martin summoned Betan, William and fifty guards to his front and instructed them seriously: "Take Hank with you to dig out this magic copper vein. During the mining process, you must obey Hank's instructions. Dig from whatever angle he tells you to dig. Never act on your own." After the instructions were given, everyone acted quickly.
After arranging the mining, Martin found Yoder and said, "Yoder, go back to your old job and handle matters at the town hall on my behalf. If you encounter mercenaries causing trouble, be firm and don't be afraid. Even if they are the Golden Knights, don't back down. If there is anything you can't resolve, contact me immediately."
Everything was arranged, and Martin took Eric on the journey back to the Sword of Promise City.
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