Too Much to Swallow!
"The whole city!?"
It was no wonder Lister had lost his composure. The news was simply too shocking.
"As far as I know, the last large turquoise vein was discovered in the Duchy of Luxian, three hundred years ago."
"Just a hundred years later, the number and strength of professionals in the Duchy of Luxian had grown enormously. They overthrew the Kingdom of Yating and established what is now the Kingdom of Lucian."
As Lawson spoke, Lister suddenly realized something.
Nearly every turquoise potion he had drunk so far had been named after the Kingdom of Lucian.
For example, the potion Viscount Anbeite had first sent him-Lucian's Turquoise Solution (Grade C)-increased all four attributes by one point.
So that was where it came from!
At the same time, he finally heard something about the Kingdom of Yating.
It had indeed fallen, though he hadn't expected the Kingdom of Lucian to be the one that overthrew it.
"The Duchy of Will was also finally established around that time, after submitting to the Kingdom of Lucian."
"In fact, I once visited the Kingdom of Lucian's old mine."
"Judging by its size at the time, it probably wasn't as large as the vein we've just discovered..."
As Lawson continued, Lister's emotions rose and fell.
At first, he had been thrilled, but now his spirits gradually sank, and unease crept into his heart.
Although he had hoped the turquoise vein would be bigger so everyone could get a larger share of the profits, he had never imagined it could be this big.
If the vein really was that massive... the three of them alone probably couldn't hold on to it at all!
Just like the now-dead Viscount Layi.
Before his family could even truly enjoy the profits from the turquoise, the Ghost-Eyed Giant had somehow learned of it, and his entire family had been wiped out!
Now the choice was in Lister and the others' hands.
If the three of them kept it, both the number and strength of the professionals in their respective forces could improve by leaps and bounds in a short time.
But if they were careless and even the slightest hint got out, they would likely face the full might of the Kingdom of Lucian.
After all, the Kingdom of Lucian itself was a precedent for what could happen with a turquoise vein.
Lister was in no position to take on the entire Kingdom of Lucian.
His goal had never been confined to the tiny Kingdom of Lucian; this place would only be his stepping stone.
He only wanted to turn as much of the turquoise vein as possible into profit and get through his early development quickly.
That was also why, during their earlier discussions, he had been willing to give up a large proportion of his share in the vein to ensure he got the associated crystals first.
Now, he was naturally willing to give up the vast majority of the profits from this "hot potato" as well.
Unfortunately, all three parties now knew about the turquoise mine, even if Quint still didn't know how large the vein was.
But they couldn't hide the location of the vein or their cooperation from one another.
Lister himself could see the sense in giving up most of the mine's profits, but the key was whether the other two could resist the temptation and surrender the lion's share.
Lister had even wondered whether this enormous turquoise vein might have been one of the reasons the Kingdom of Lucian would become an unstoppable empire in the future second-act expansion!
Lawson had been excited at first too. Anyone's first reaction to discovering such enormous wealth would be excitement.
But now that he had gradually calmed down, his expression grew unusually serious.
"Let's put this on hold for now! No one can let word get out!"
"Phew!"
Hearing that, Lister breathed a sigh of relief.
At least Lawson, the Conner Family's first heir, hadn't been blinded by the turquoise mine before him.
If even Lawson could see it, the more prudent Count Connor should be better able to judge the situation!
"I'll write to my father at once!"
"No! Forget the letter! I'll ride back tonight."
"Simmons, stay near this castle for the next few days. If anyone dares come close to investigate, don't let them leave alive."
Although Lawson was rather impatient by nature, he had made fairly thorough arrangements.
After speaking, he seemed to realize something and turned back to Lister.
"Lister, what do you think?"
"We might not be able to hold on to such a massive vein. We need to reconsider."
Lister had shown his strength, so Lawson had begun to overlook that fact. Now that he had realized it, he asked for Lister's opinion.
"I have no problem with that, but no matter what happens, I want the turquoise's associated crystals first."
"Agreed! They were yours under our original agreement anyway."
Hearing that was all Lister wanted, Lawson readily agreed without hesitation.
Compared to the large turquoise vein before them, what did a few associated crystals amount to?
"One more thing! What about Quint?"
"Five days!"
"Stall him for five days. If nothing goes wrong, my father will come here in person to talk to you then."
Lister thought for a moment, then finally nodded in agreement.
Given the situation, their best response was to stall.
Of their three forces, the Conner Family was the strongest, especially since Count Connor was powerful enough to stand against Duke Will directly.
As long as Count Connor had a basic ability to judge the situation calmly, he would most likely approach the royal family of the Kingdom of Lucian about the vein.
By then, even if Quint had lost his head, it wouldn't do him any good.
Of course, from what Lister knew of Quint, he was a clever man too.
But Quint was young, and if he really couldn't keep his composure, things could become difficult.
After the three settled the details, they cleaned up the scene, then withdrew and stood guard according to plan.
Five days later, in Viscount Renekton's old castle.
Lister held up a giant shield under the blazing sun, drenched in sweat.
He silently recited the formula for the Will Breathing Technique, recalling the tips Quint had taught him.
His breathing grew heavier and heavier. Another quarter of an hour later, Lister felt the giant shield in his hands suddenly grow much lighter.
"Keep going!"
"I relied on perseverance when I practiced the Breathing Technique too!"
"Hold your breath, and whatever you do, don't breathe through your mouth."
Quint, also clad in armor, stood nearby and continued to guide Lister.
Lister's whole body felt hot, and he could feel scorching breaths of air entering him.
The stabbing pain in his lungs gradually faded. Suddenly, a soothing sensation swept through his body with each breath.
The fatigue in his body vanished, and he could no longer feel the weight of the giant shield in his hands.
"Congratulations, you have mastered the skill Will Breathing Technique."
[Skill: Will Breathing Technique (ungraded) LV1 (1/10000): Increases stamina by an additional 1 point per level.]
Only when the system's voice sounded did Lister finally put down the giant shield, his face lighting up with surprise and delight.
Unlike when players mastered skills, he had no dedicated skill book, and monsters didn't currently drop skill books either.
Unless the system gave him a skill, Lister could only gain his initial mastery of it through actual training.
Just like the Will Breathing Technique: he had practiced for a full five days before finally getting started.
Getting started was all he needed. From then on, he could improve the Breathing Technique with experience points.
He put all 100,000 experience points he had saved into the Will Breathing Technique.
"Congratulations, your skill has improved."
[Skill: Will Breathing Technique (ungraded) LV1→LV5 (0/50000): Increases stamina by an additional 5 points.]
"Congratulations, your overall rating has improved."
"Overall rating: D→C."