Iron ore?

"Can you build a basement, about a hundred square meters?" Velin pointed to a spot next to the stable and asked.

"My lord, yes, but if we do that, we won't be able to proceed with the second phase of construction."

"The second phase can wait. Let's finish the basement first. I have a use for it."

"Yes, my lord."

Eunice hesitated for a moment before accepting the order.

Afterward, Velin, led by Eunice, began to tour the completed areas.

As he toured, he was glad he had hired an architect to build his castle. There were many intricate details, and proper use of building materials was crucial to maximize the defensive capabilities of the city walls.

He walked up to a battlement, drew his longsword, and with sheer strength, hacked at it, leaving only a shallow mark.

"Not bad. My three thousand five hundred gold coins weren't wasted. There's a reason it's expensive."

Eunice, standing nearby, heard this. The smile on her face instantly stiffened, and then she resumed her ladylike demeanor.

"My lord, if you have magical materials, I can engrave simple magic arrays on the city walls to enhance their defensive capabilities."

"Oh? You know magic?"

To prove her point, Eunice directly chanted a spell, forming a small flame in front of her.

Velin looked at the flame, which could be extinguished with a single puff, and eyed Eunice with suspicion. He doubted her true abilities and wondered if she was trying to get free magical materials to improve her own strength.

Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Eunice quickly said, "My lord, I'm not skilled in combat. Yes, my talents lie in engraving magic arrays and architecture. I also have some knowledge of beast taming."

"Eunice, I can't believe what you're saying right now. Besides, I don't have any magical materials for you to use." Velin spread his hands in a gesture of helplessness.

Hearing this, Eunice's eyes dimmed slightly before she recovered and continued to lead Velin around.

Along the way, the two returned to a more casual demeanor. Eunice explained things from the front, and Velin nodded in agreement from behind.

During their recent conversation, Velin was very clear about the half-elf girl's intentions. She didn't want to waste ten years of her prime as an architect.

Velin had previously promised to return her freedom after she served him for ten years.

From her tone and actions, Velin could sense her confusion and unease about the future.

However, Velin had no intention of accepting Eunice as his subordinate yet, at least not until the castle construction was completed.

One's assessment of a person should not only be based on understanding them directly but also on observing those around them.

After the tour, Velin offered some encouragement to the workers before descending the mountain and returning to the village.

Looking at the barren terrain around him, Velin fell into thought.

He didn't know if the duration of the Guidance of Fate would be extended after his strength increased.

This question had arisen when he broke through to become a Silver Knight, and he still didn't have an answer. He could only wait until the beginning of next month to verify it.

When Velin returned to his residence, Belder excitedly ran over and reported, "My lord, iron ore! We've discovered an iron ore deposit."

"Iron ore? Where?" Velin was stunned for a moment before quickly asking for details.

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"About eleven kilometers north, there's a tunnel leading about a hundred meters underground. Today, while clearing out monsters, we found many goblins appearing. We captured a large group, and after rigorous interrogation, we got this information."

"Lead the way."

Subsequently, Velin and Belder rode their horses north.

At that moment, at the entrance of the tunnel, over twenty goblins sat dejectedly on the ground. Some of them were whispering to each other, occasionally glancing at the human soldiers guarding them.

"Boss, what do we do now?" a grotesque goblin asked in Goblin language.

"Let's wait. When night falls, we'll escape in the chaos, and it'll be safe back underground." A goblin wearing leather clothes lowered his head, his small eyes darting around as he stealthily surveyed the surroundings, looking for an escape route.

As a cunning mining goblin, he was considered a "person of standing" in the underground world. He had intended to come out today to trade with the surrounding goblins for surface goods, but as soon as he emerged, he ran into a large group of humans.

His goods were gone, and his goblins were captured.

Fortunately, he was intelligent and could speak the common tongue, so he fabricated a story. Otherwise, he would have ended up like his subordinates, impaled like a blood bag.

As for the iron ore, it was naturally a lie to fool these humans.

The tunnel was only one meter high. He didn't believe these people would go down to investigate.

Moreover, the surrounding goblins were all imbeciles and didn't speak the common tongue. As long as he stuck to his story, they wouldn't be able to discern the truth.

Then, the goblin Gry looked at the slightly trembling stones on the ground, raised his head, and looked into the distance. He saw that the humans who had left earlier were returning to the camp with a stranger.

Based on his twenty years of life and as the father of eight children, he easily determined that this younger human was the person in charge here.

The goblins who had vanished without a trace were likely led by him.

Velin arrived at the detention area, dismounted his Red Phosphorus Horse, and walked directly to the group of goblins.

"My lord, this is the goblin who can speak the common tongue." Belder came to his side and respectfully pointed to the goblin Gry, who was wearing leather.

Hearing their conversation, the goblin Gry scrambled over, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, "Great lord, Gry meant no offense by trespassing on your territory. Please forgive Gry's lowly life."

Velin lowered his head and looked at the creature less than a meter tall. He released his aura, creating pressure that forced the low-tier Bronze goblin to collapse onto the ground, trembling in fear.

"I ask you, is there really iron ore a hundred meters underground?"

Feeling the pressure on his body, the goblin Gry gritted his teeth and replied, "Great Lord, Gry... Gry is telling the truth."

Velin listened, his expression calm, as if lost in thought.

Gry, lying on the ground, was suffering immensely, fearing that his head would be severed at any moment.

"Pfft."

"Sorry, I missed." Velin flicked the blood off his Knight Longsword, saying expressionlessly.

Gry touched various parts of his body and, turning his head, saw his subordinate's severed head. He was so terrified that he wet himself.

"My lord, what I said is true, there really is iron ore. If you don't believe me, you can go down and check." To save his life, Gry continued to weave a lie.

This human before him was so bloodthirsty; if he found out he was being deceived, he would surely die a terrible death.

Under the fear of death, the goblin still answered this way. He had already believed him for the most part.