The deep passages were dull and tinged with the pungent smell of dust. The sound of the earth elemental disintegrating vibrates through the passage, eventually forming a mouthwash-like rumble. Several people looked at each other until everything fell silent before turning their heads to look at the mage.

"Mining is that easy?" said Fezak, throwing the shovel in his hand on the ground, as if disgusted. "In less than half an hour, it was dug up?"

"No, it's just through to the vein layer, and you still have to dig it. Siegel adjusted his breathing and rubbed the corners of his forehead to relax his tense nerves. "Now we need to hum down and take some soil samples. ”

"He's so big, I'd better go. Manna stepped forward, saying as she unloaded her quiver from her back. "I was able to turn around in this passage without being affected and I was able to move faster. ”

"But you can't see in the dark. Siegel shook his head: "If you go with a torch, there won't be enough air in it." Even if I kept pouring air into it, the passage didn't form a through loop, and the effect was very poor. If you can't see it, and the speed is too affected, it's better to let Hum slow down and breathe back quickly. ”

"Humm!" the orc nodded. He unloaded all his equipment, leaving only his close-fitting clothing. With a broad-bladed dagger and a sack pinned to his belt, Siegel cast a light spirit spell that would speed up his movements.

"This spell also moves the air around you, making it easier for you to breathe. Before leaving, Siegel instructed him: "Don't be greedy, I just need some soil to experiment, and we have a chance to dig later." ”

The orc nodded, then stooped down and walked into the passageway. Siegel then cast a spell at the entrance of the cave as well. Drink the power of the Qi elemental to gather here. Then a fresh breeze blows into the cave. The whirling air currents made a whirring sound. It's like someone pouting and whistling. After about twenty minutes, Hum Ke came out of the passage with a dirty face, his face a little red, but he looked good. He untied the sack from his waist, which was filled with red dirt.

Siegel untied his water bag and handed it to the orc, using his magic to remove the dust from his body before checking the bag. "It's better than I thought, it's a laterite-type gold mine. In this way, mining and refining are easier. ”

Janet leaned in. Tilting his head, he asked, "I thought it was golden." ”

"Oh, that's sand gold, although it doesn't need to be refined, but it's very troublesome to dig up. Siegel rubbed the red clay and sniffed it under his nose. "Although the quality of laterite gold ore is not as good as sand gold, it is easy to dig up, and the refining is not complicated, and more importantly, the veins of laterite gold are generally stored in large quantities. Don't worry, watch me work my magic. ”

After saying that, he drew a magic circle on the ground. Siegel had been planning to prepare for his path to lordship. Especially how to quickly gather wealth through lordship, so as to support one's mage learning. He needed an alchemical magic array that could continue to operate on a large scale. Whether it is refining minerals or purifying experimental materials, this is essential. This time, the magic circle he portrayed was specially studied during his recuperation in Waterdeep. Although it is not the latest spell technology, it is better than simple and rough, and it does not require much complicated material preparation, and can be sketched with casting material powder. The only difficulty lies in the caster's precise control over the spell, and the higher the level, the better the spell will work.

The red dirt was thrown into the center of the magic circle, and everyone retreated far away, and Siegel began to chant the incantation. Using the magic circle to perform a spell casting ritual usually takes a long time, and during this time, the mage is not sensitive to the surrounding situation and needs extra protection. Fortunately, there were no other creatures on the Zebra Mountain, and a few of the companions were on guard, at least at first. As Siegel's spell progressed, Janet and Hum both set their eyes on the tumbling and shrinking red earth, and only the archer Manna resisted her curiosity and remained vigilant, constantly observing her surroundings.

The dirt became less and less, and the magic circle kept squeezing it into the middle, and the impurities slowly dripped down like greasy glue. Siegel held his wand in one hand, and the palm of the other hand turned upwards into a grasping shape, squeezing the laterite gold ore in the air. The process of refining caused the magic array to emit a blinding flash and a disgusting smell, and the heat invaded like a tidal wave. Siegel was protected by a magic circle and was only slightly affected, but the others could only retreat to the edge of the cliff, where they struggled to hold on.

Finally the magic came to an end, the light and heat gradually dissipated, and the stench was diluted by the wind. In the center of the circle, a golden cake with fingerprints pinched on it floated in the air, not much bigger than an ordinary person's finger. However, this is only a sack of gold contained in the ore soil, which is only a drop in the bucket compared to the entire vein.

Siegel wiped the sweat from his head, shook his body a few times, and finally leaned into Janet's arms who ran over to catch him. He took short, deep breaths and adjusted, and straightened up again. "It's okay, don't worry, it's just that I'm a little tired from using these spells continuously, just take a rest. ”

After saying that, he beckoned, and the gold nugget flew into his hand like an obedient bird, but when he held it in his hand, he felt that this thing was heavy.

Everyone came over to watch, and then took turns to rub it in their hands. Fezak bit it with his teeth, and then said with a smile: "This gold is in such good condition, if you want to make gold coins, you have to mix other things." We've got money this time!"

"Yes, it's a steady source of income. Siegel grabbed Janet's arm and happily took her into his arms. "With this gold mine, we can at least start building our castle. ”

Fezak nodded and took another bite of the nugget. The group stood on top of the cliff and looked at the land at the foot of the mountain. The tranquil Shield River provides irrigation for the area, and the forests in the north and the hills in the south provide abundant produce. It has always been full of potential for development, but it lacks sufficient momentum. Now with the gold mines of Banshan Mountain, all ambition can begin.

"With this passage as the core, dig tunnels and shafts, and preferably prepare another ventilation duct. Standing on the cliff, Siegel planned: "It would be good to have a platform for going up and down the mountain, and maybe a second mine at the foot of the mountain would be a good idea." ”

"Where do we recruit miners?" asked Fezak.

"First of all, ask any of the orcs who are willing to work. They all have the ability to see in the dark, and they have a lot of strength, which will be more convenient in the mines. Siegel looked at the orc Huck and said to him, "I'll pay them what they do and keep the mine as safe as possible." This is not a gold mine for slaves and slave owners, just a place of work. ”

The orc nodded, and replied in a hoarse voice, "Humm!"

Siegel continued, "Actually, I'd prefer all orcs to join the City Guard, especially those with basic combat training. But now the cost of feeding an army is too high, so let's take it gradually. ”

"This is very wise, my lord. Fezak said.

"Take a part of the money we have left, and give priority to mining this gold mine. I'll also be staying here for a while, using magic to speed up the construction process. ”

"No! you're going to get tired. Janet said worriedly, "Today you almost got tired from casting spells. ”

Siegel shook his head and said to Janet, "It's necessary. Performing magic is like learning swordsmanship, and it takes a lot of practice. Now there's an opportunity for me to put what I've learned and adjust the composition of my spells. Actually, I have a couple of ideas that I need to experiment with. ”

As he said this, the mage's face glowed with excitement and joy, as innocent and happy as a child who had received his favorite toy. Janet didn't say anything more when she saw it, but she was a little uneasy. I remember this expression on his face on the way to the Walled Mountains, when he caught trout and slept together under the starlight. But after that? It's been a long time since I've seen him so relaxed and happy, right?

"My lord, how long are you going to stay here, do you need to prepare a tent?" asked Fezak carefully.

"I don't need to be prepared, I just climb the cliff every day to exercise. I guess I would have been here most of the time before the castle was built. ”

"Okay, I got it. Fezak nodded.

A few people were not in a hurry to go down the mountain, and Siegel was taking this opportunity to arrange the future work for everyone. As the first allegiance warrior under the liege's banner, Manna the archer is responsible for patrolling and guarding the entire realm. Siegel asked the orc twin brother to be her deputy, pooling her sophisticated weapons and starting with a ten-man squad to conduct daily patrols around the territory. The horses of the entire convoy, except for two left for the squire Moore, were used by this team.

The main task of Fezak and Huk is to increase the prestige of the lord and find out the situation of the entire territory as soon as possible. Especially in the case of bandit gangs and bandits, where are they and whether they will come to attack or not. Siegel can't pull out his hand yet, but he has to solve the problem before the gold mine is fully built.

"Janet," Siegel concluded, "my energy is limited, and it is impossible to take care of everything. You will be the mistress of this land, so there are many things that you will have to do. The mage pointed to the tents gathered at the bottom of the mountain, and on their north side there was a large open space that was slightly higher. "The castle was built there, and it will be your home to me in the future. I'm just a sailor, and I've never seen what it's like inside a castle, so I'll leave this to you. ”

"Our castle?" said Janet, who thought Siegel had forgotten her promise.

"Ours. Siegel said very firmly, "There is a mountain of gold behind you, and a mage ready to help. You can build the castle whatever you want. ”

Janet's eyes sparkled with stars, and a thousand thoughts flashed through her head in an instant. (To be continued......)