Barony of Cleveland

Over the next few days, the passage leading thirty meters underground was cleared. Whenever they encountered hard boulders during the excavation, Belder personally went down and used Battle Qi to shatter them.

Inside the tent, Velin was extremely excited as he looked at the first chunk of Mithril Ore they had unearthed. Belder, standing beside him, felt the same.

Holding the Mithril Ore, Velin looked at its gleaming surface and said with a smile, "With Mithril, our weapons will be stronger than the enemy's, our armor's protection will improve, and more importantly, it can break shields."

"My lord, at our current pace, we can mine two tons of Mithril Ore a day. It will take roughly five months to finish mining it..."

"Mm. Be cautious during the excavation and keep an eye on the surroundings." Velin set down the Mithril Ore and instructed gravely, "This is the miracle of our rise, an immense fortune. No amount of caution is excessive."

"Understood." Belder thumped his chest in salute and replied solemnly.

The next dozen or so days passed without incident.

But storms could come from clear skies, and fortune could turn overnight. Velin's excavation operation eventually caught the attention of the lord of the neighboring Barony of Cleveland.

Could a group of well-equipped soldiers really camp in the wilderness for over half a month for no reason at all?

At that moment, in the administrative center of the Barony of Cleveland, within a small yet exquisite castle, Brandon Hodgson listened to a knight's report. A puzzled expression appeared on his face as he asked, "They have really remained in the wilderness for more than half a month, with no sign of leaving?"

"Yes, my lord. They set up camp there at the start of July. Their security perimeter is extensive, so we cannot determine the situation clearly. However, from a distance, it appears they are mining."

"Mining!"

Brandon Hodgson shot to his feet and asked again, "Did you see clearly? That Pioneer Knight's men are mining?"

"My lord, I swear it on my honor," the knight said to Brandon with utmost solemnity.

"Send someone to get closer and observe tonight. I need exact information."

"Yes, my lord."

After the knight left, Brandon sat back down and rhythmically tapped the table, guessing what kind of mineral deposit the other side was excavating.

As he continued thinking, Brandon's gaze sharpened. It was only a dozen or so kilometers from his territory. If it truly was a valuable mineral deposit, he would not mind taking it by force.

Near sunset, at the border of the Barony of Cleveland, a six-man squad dressed in black and armed with blades moved swiftly across the wasteland, approaching Belder's camp.

As time passed, the sky gradually darkened. With thick clouds blocking the moonlight, everything outside the campfires was swallowed by darkness.

The six members of the Barony of Cleveland's reconnaissance team reached a point three hundred meters outside the camp and concealed themselves, waiting for the right moment.

"Captain, we have surveyed the area and found three traps. One is here, another here, and the last one here." A Black-clad Figure approached the squad's high-ranking Apprentice Knight, reporting while marking circles on a map.

The Apprentice Knight saw that all three locations were highly concealed. Fortunately, this subordinate had received such training and understood how these traps were arranged. Otherwise, they would have been discovered before even reaching the camp.

"Pass the word. Our main task is gathering intelligence. If we are discovered, retreat immediately."

The other five silently nodded, then closed their eyes to rest as they waited for the dead of night.

At midnight, the hour when people were most exhausted, Belder did as usual. Carrying his weapon, he began his first nighttime patrol.

A Mithril Ore deposit lay buried beneath the camp. Until the excavation was complete, they could not relax for even a moment.

As usual, he first inspected the sentry posts to see whether any guards were dozing off. Then he began checking the surrounding area for any uninvited guests.

Just then, the reconnaissance squad woke up, bypassed the three traps, and moved toward the camp.

"Who's there?"

Belder's ears twitched slightly. He abruptly turned toward the northwest and shouted.

The nearby patrolling soldiers reacted at once, gripping their spears as they came to the knight's side and assumed fighting stances.

In the darkness, the reconnaissance squad lay flat on the ground, not daring to move.

The leading Apprentice Knight broke into a cold sweat. He had not expected someone to remain so alert during the most exhausting hour of the night. He began praying that it was merely a misjudgment and that they would not come over to investigate.

Staring into the darkness, Belder snatched the spear from a nearby guard and hurled it fiercely toward the reconnaissance squad.

Silence. There was no sound at all. Belder could not help scratching his head. Had he been overthinking things?

"My lord, shall I take some men over to investigate?" the nearby squad leader asked respectfully.

"Mm."

Immediately, ten men advanced in a search formation according to their training, heading toward the direction in which Belder had thrown the spear.

On the grassland, a Black-clad Figure had been pierced through the thigh by the spear. Her companion clamped a hand tightly over her mouth, not daring to let her make the slightest sound.

Seeing people approaching, the Apprentice Knight could only wave for the other five to begin retreating if they wanted to keep their lives.

More than ten minutes later, the squad leader returned to Belder with a bloodstained spear. Thumping his chest, he reported, "My lord, there is human blood on the spear. Someone infiltrated the camp tonight."

"Continue patrolling. I'll check the warehouse."

The moment he finished speaking, Belder strode toward the warehouse at the center of the camp.

"My lord."

The two men standing guard outside the warehouse immediately saluted when they saw him.

"Have you spotted any strangers?"

The two exchanged glances before answering, "No, my lord. Apart from us, no one else has been here."

Belder frowned and pushed open the door. He checked the Mithril Ore mined over the past two days. Nothing was missing, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"Looks like someone has noticed something. They even sent people to scout us out. I must report this to my lord as soon as possible."

Afterward, Belder decided to guard the place for the night to ensure the warehouse's safety.

The next morning, when Velin arrived at the camp, Belder reported the entire incident to him with dark circles under his eyes.

"As expected, it was likely the Barony of Cleveland."

"My lord, how should we respond?" Belder asked.

The Barony of Cleveland covered more than fifteen hundred square kilometers and had a population of thirteen thousand. Its lord was Brandon Hodgson. On the surface, it had sixteen Bronze Knights, sixty-three Knight Squires, twenty archers, and three hundred soldiers.

By normal standards, they might also have to face more than a thousand peasant levies.

After thinking it over, Velin immediately ordered, "Have everyone stop mining the Mithril Ore for now and wait for my further arrangements. Also, send someone back to Lake of Praying Stars and transfer the other six knights here. I will make preparations outside the camp and ensure that once they come, they never return."

"Yes."