The Search for a Silver Mine

Leaving the guild hall, Dugu Qing worried that Norm Master Norm might use his power to prevent vendors from selling him supplies, so he went straight to the market and bought all the meat, eggs, milk, and other necessities he needed.

In the afternoon, at the farmer's inn.

Frieren, Dugu Qing, Fern, Stark sat at a table in front of the inn, waiting for their food to be served.

Frieren was still deeply troubled by Norm's coercive behavior earlier.

"The former president of the Norm Guild was such a kind and approachable man! Who would have thought that decades later, his descendants would become so profit-driven?"

The waiter brought the pizza to the table. Dugu Qing picked up a slice, took a small bite, and...

"Don't overthink it. Let's rest here for a bit and leave as early as possible tomorrow."

Fern nodded heavily, finding fault with everything around him.

"Exactly, who cares what kind of chairman he is? As long as we leave here, how can he catch up with us?"

After the three of them ate their fill, they went into a hotel and rested for the night.

The next morning, the four packed their bags and hurriedly left.

What?! Frieren's gone!

In the lobby of the farmer's inn, Norm, who hadn't slept all night, finally decided to swallow his pride and ask Frieren for help in finding a silver mine.

To his surprise, the receptionist told him that Frieren and her group had already left.

Frustrated, Norm mounted his horse, led a troop of knights, and charged out of the city gate, giving chase.

Outside the city, at Cross Slope.

Frieren, Fern, Stark walked slowly forward, admiring the beautiful scenery around them.

Dugu Qing stood in the air, her figure as light as a breeze under the moon, her long, snow-white hair billowing like clouds, strands fluttering in the wind.

Suddenly, the earth shook violently, and the sound of horses' hooves filled the air.

Dugu Qing turned her head calmly and saw a troop of cavalry approaching from beyond the horizon. A slight smile appeared on her lips.

"That annoying person is here again."

Frieren Detection Magic was activated, shrugged helplessly, stopped, and waited for Norm to appear.

A moment later, the iron cavalry swept through the air, and Norm, leading a squad of knights, slowly stopped ten meters away and strode forward.

"What? Our bill has already been settled!"

A hint of displeasure flashed in Frieren's eyes; she wondered why Norm was being so persistent.

The atmosphere in the arena was somewhat tense, and Norm took the initiative to show weakness and make his intentions clear.

He explained the recent difficulties the Norm Trading Company was facing and asked Frieren for help in finding a silver mine.

Only in this way can the logistics network on the Northern Plateau be re-established, and residents in various places be supplied.

"Dugu Qing, what do you think?"

Dugu Qing handled many thorny issues very well, Frieren habitually glanced at him.

"I'll stand and watch," Dugu Qing said playfully.

"Stop fooling around!"

For once, Frieren abandoned her usual nonchalant demeanor and became serious.

Yesterday, Dugu Qing spent almost all of her savings to pay off her debts.

Frieren was deeply moved. Norm had come from afar to ask for her help. She secretly thought that perhaps she could change the reward for the mission to gold coins, repaying Dugu Qing tenfold or a hundredfold.

Let him have a good laugh.

Dugu Qing crossed his arms over his chest, a hint of detachment in his expression, and looked at Norm.

"To restore the logistics network, I suggest we help. But, as for the price! Norm Master Norm, you were quite pleased with yourself yesterday when you were extorting Frieren, weren't you! Now, I'll just say one thing: you'll have to pay more."

Upon hearing this, Norm finally felt a great weight lifted from his shoulders.

It's good that you're willing to talk. As for the price, for the Norm Trading Company, which controls the Northern Plateau, money is really just a bunch of numbers.

"If Lady Frieren is willing to help us find a silver mine, I am willing to forgive the debts of Himmel, Heiter, and Eisen, and offer five hundred gold coins as a reward."

Norm tested the waters.

Dugu Qing, however, extended his hand and uttered startling words lightly.

Five thousand gold coins.

Fern and Stark were stunned, thinking that Dugu Qing's demands were outrageous and might scare Norm to death.

Besides, five thousand gold coins—that's a lot of money! Could Frieren's suitcase even hold them?

With so much money in hand, how can I sleep well on the road to Ende?

"This..." Norm fell into deep thought.

A silver mine is worth far more than a million; if used properly, it can be mined for hundreds of years, laying the foundation for a family's prosperity.

Norm looked at Dugu Qing, who possessed great strength, noble temperament, and a divine and flawless aura. His words seemed to inherently possess justice, compelling people to take him seriously.

Moreover, even when Dugu Qing isn't angry, he's incredibly terrifying. What if you try to bargain and anger him...?

Norm thought for a moment, realizing he dared not use the cunning and scheming he employed against ordinary people, and agreed.

"Deal, however, we will make payment after Lady Frieren finds the main vein of the silver mine."

The deal was struck, and the two sides went from enemies to friends.

Norm, leading his cavalry, escorted the adventure party all the way to the family's mine.

Inside the mine, fierce-looking, tall miners came to greet Frieren and explained the mining operations to her.

Frieren entered the mine, summoned her crimson wand, and floated into the air. Pure and subtle magic power swirled around her, transforming into a powerful storm that she suddenly unleashed.

They galloped out, splitting up hundreds of times at the crossroads, venturing deep into various mines and earth veins.

The area covered by magic, the texture of the land, the composition of the stones, the hidden substances... all appeared before Frieren in full view.

Frieren closed her eyes, and magic spread out like a giant net, covering the entire mine, from the mountaintop to the deepest abyss, enveloping everything.

The scent of silver ore, faintly radiating a blue light, was very peculiar, emanating from afar, some strong, some weak.

Frieren sensed the elemental information and, in the blink of an eye, located the main vein of the silver mine.

She walked slowly forward, through the winding and rugged mine tunnels, and came to a cave. She reached out her snow-white hand, and powerful magic instantly erupted.

The magic swept through everything in its path, utterly destroying everything in its path. Hard rocks were washed away and pulverized by the torrent, creating huge plumes of smoke.

A moment later, the smoke dissipated.

Countless silver mines, shimmering with a clear, soft blue-white light, appeared before everyone like a boundless ocean, dazzling and magnificent.

The mine foreman and the knight guards stared in disbelief at the enormous silver mine, their hearts pounding, and they swallowed hard.

Norm clenched his fists, his blood boiling, his ambition soaring.

"Great! With this silver mine, the Chamber of Commerce can finally weather the crisis!"

Fern and Stark stood to one side, gazing at the endless silver ore between the rock walls, their minds already conjuring up images of silver being mined continuously.

The same thought arose in their minds simultaneously— Dugu Qing's demand for five thousand gold coins was far too little.

Seeing the astonished looks on everyone's faces, Frieren smiled faintly and slowly began to speak.

"Why do you think I'm always short of money? It's simply because my briefcase has limited capacity and can't hold all my gold and silver. Otherwise, hmph, I'd be the richest man in the world long ago."