Curse
"No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes."
Blood Moon County has been built for over a hundred years, and the illegal mining of magic crystals probably started long ago, so it can't all be blamed on you.
The fact that no word has leaked out over the years is enough to prove that you are very sensible and have not engaged in large-scale mining.
Viscount Autumn, don't say we didn't give you a chance.
Now that things have been clarified, we can handle this internally within the province, and there's still room for discussion.
Now that things have come to this, don't even think about hiding it anymore. The strange phenomenon that just occurred could be seen for dozens of miles around, so the news has probably already spread.
Once the Royal Capital sends people to intervene, not only will you be doomed, but your entire family will also be wiped out.
"For the sake of our past collaboration, as long as you explain things clearly, we'll work together to figure out a solution for you!"
Clearly, Hudson's words were not only addressed to Viscount Autumn, but also to all the nobles present.
Whether it's a crime or not, that's a minor issue. The key is how to handle the profits from the magic crystal mine.
Keeping it a secret was impossible. Strange phenomena had appeared within a radius of dozens of miles, and tens of thousands of people had witnessed them. Even if everyone immediately issued a gag order, it could only delay the time it took for the news to leak out.
Even if ordinary people are ignorant, it's impossible for so many nobles in the Southeast Province not to have the King's spies.
No one dared to pass on the message in front of everyone, but they couldn't stay together forever. Once the group disbanded, the news would surely reach the Royal Capital.
What has been exposed now is that Viscount Autumn was illegally mining magic crystals, but that doesn't mean he was the only one involved. At least in the King's eyes, he wouldn't believe that such a large-scale operation could be accomplished by a mid-level nobleman alone.
Once the investigation goes deeper, even if it's not true, it's still true; the matter is simply impossible to clarify.
Especially the Viscount Autumn's neighbors, if they said they didn't know, probably no one would believe them.
The emerging noble Coslo Family is not a problem, but the Dalton Family certainly cannot explain themselves, Royal Capital will definitely suspect their involvement.
For no other reason than the Viscount Autumn family, who have been illegally mining magic crystals for so many years, should have risen to prominence long ago, having amassed a great fortune. Instead, they remain among the middle nobility.
Judging from their apparent strength, they have not only failed to rise in the last hundred years, but have actually declined somewhat.
Aside from the fact that Blood Moon County had acquired a few more Magic Crystal Cannon, Hudson found no difference between them and ordinary middle-class nobles.
"Count Hudson, thank you for your understanding!"
This is a long story, so I'll just give a brief overview. The matter of the magic crystal mine dates back three hundred years.
During a battle to annihilate the Blood Moon Cult, our ancestor discovered this magic crystal mine and devised a plan to establish himself there.
They initially thought it was just a small mine that would make them a fortune. Unexpectedly, the more they mined, the higher the mine's production capacity became, and the quality of the Magic Crystal Stone produced also continuously improved.
Realizing things were going badly, we were already in a bind and had no choice but to grit our teeth and continue.
Through the efforts of our ancestors, we finally devised a way to build cities on the mines to conceal the existence of the magic crystal mines.
At first, things were fine; thanks to the wealth from the magic crystal mines, the family's strength grew rapidly. But this good fortune took a sharp turn for the worse in the third year after the city was built.
As if cursed, accidents have been happening to the older members of our clan one after another. Especially in the last eighty years, no one in our family has lived past sixty, and few have even reached fifty.
Even those who cultivate to the Earth Knight or Magister still cross the threshold of sixty. They either suffer an accident outside or suddenly die, leaving no trace.
Not only is life expectancy shortened, but even the younger generation is more prone to premature death. Including collateral relatives, the family members have plummeted from over 800 at its peak to just over 100 now.
We possess a vast fortune, yet we are hampered by the limitations of lifespan. The sharp decline in population has restricted our development, and our family's strength has actually decreased in recent years.
In our search for a solution, we sought help from many people, but unfortunately, no one could see the problem clearly.
Even those born outside the territory who have never returned to their homeland cannot escape the Lifespan Curse.
After years of investigation, we also suspected the magic crystal mine. For the sake of our family's future, we have stopped mining for the past ten years or so.
Since the news has already leaked, if anyone wants this magic crystal mine, we can give it up for free!
Viscount Autumn said with a sincere expression.
His expression suggested that the magic crystal mine was a raging flood, and he wished he could throw it away immediately.
Whether it's true or not remains to be seen, but it certainly makes sense that the Viscount Autumn's family, which acquired a great deal of wealth, saw their power decline instead of increase.
In the extraordinary world, ancient artifacts represent profound heritage. Powerful individuals who could originally live to be one or two hundred years old can no longer even survive past sixty.
The hope of producing a powerful figure has been nearly extinguished, and the number of clan members has also dwindled sharply. With these two unfavorable factors combined, it would be questionable whether the clan can prosper.
This little incident caused the angry looks in everyone's eyes to disappear, replaced by hesitation.
If the magic crystal mine is truly cursed, it's a hot potato. Wealth is precious, but life is more important.
"Snort!"
"Viscount Autumn, I hope what you're saying is true. We need to investigate further. If you're lying, you can slit your own throat!"
Governor Pierce said coldly.
They're all seasoned veterans of the political arena; making up stories is their livelihood. There's nothing they won't do to survive.
"There's no time like the present. Most of the experts in the province are here now. Ordinary curses can't harm us. Let's go to the magic crystal mine to check and confirm its authenticity."
Hudson then made the suggestion.
Having inherited a vast amount of knowledge, he was no longer so afraid of the legendary "curse." The idea of killing someone from thousands of miles away invisibly was ultimately just a legend.
A true curse has triggering conditions and also incurs corresponding backlash; it's more like an equivalent exchange of power.
To curse so many nobles in the Southeast Province, even if all the masters of curses on the entire continent were gathered together, they probably wouldn't have the ability.
Curses placed on magic crystal mines a hundred or even several hundred years ago, no matter how powerful they may be, will have their power greatly diminished over time.
Besides, the Viscount Autumn family has already taken the fall, and the curse's power might already be exhausted. Even if it's not over yet, Hudson is confident he can remain unaffected by the curse.
"Viscount Autumn, how was the curse triggered?"
Will everyone who has been to the mine be affected, or will everyone living in Blood Moon County be unlucky?
As far as I know, in recent decades, not only have members of your family not lived past sixty, but the number of elderly people in Blood Moon County is also very small, and they are almost all outsiders.
Governor Pierce asked with concern.
We can't afford to be careless. With two powerful Holy Domain experts, a dragon and a bear, in Hudson, even the strongest curse sorcerer on the entire continent would be unable to escape the backlash. So we can be indifferent to it.
As Governor, he doesn't have such a thick shield. If he encounters a powerful curse, he will still be affected when the time is right.
Even if you're going on an adventure, you must bring the family's curse-preventing magical items with you, and you must never act on your own.
The Dalton Family has hundreds of members, but only a handful are direct descendants. If one or two of them are cursed and die, the family is doomed.
Governor Pierce, who believed he had seen through Hudson's sinister intentions, instantly turned grim, and even his interest in the magic crystal mine diminished.
"Your Governor, please rest assured, the power of the curse is not that terrifying. We have conducted experiments, and as long as no magic crystal mines have been mined, ordinary people living in Blood Moon County will not be affected."
The city has few elderly people, mainly due to the miasma emanating from the magic crystal mines. This situation has occurred in various places, and almost all miners have short lifespans.
Viscount Autumn's explanation only made things worse, and without the slightest hesitation, everyone decided to participate.
In any case, this Blood Moon County is no longer a place to stay. Even if it means living outdoors in the wilderness, it's better than staying in this godforsaken place for an extended period.
"There's still a lot of cleanup work to be done. Now that everyone's gone, it'll be difficult to get started on the follow-up tasks. As for the magic crystal mine, I'll trouble Count Hudson to take a trip there."
Governor Pierce said with a sincere expression.
It's all for the sake of handling work more efficiently; it's definitely not because he chickened out. If there were enough time, he would definitely lead the team there personally.
"Okay, let's divide the work like this then."
"Viscount Autumn, lead the way. Priest Debang, Sorcerer Yuri, Magister Antar, Knight Kotlo... follow me."
Hudson called out by name directly.
All the experts present were present, including a ninth-tier Giant Dragon, a ninth-tier Earth Bear, more than twenty seventh-tier powerhouses, and a group of soldiers as guards.
Judging from their lineups, they are all capable of directly confronting an Evil God. Even if the Lord of Skeletons descended upon the Aslant Continent, they could be sent back.
It's not that the Evil God are useless; it's just that, due to the limitations of the rules, the strongest power that all non-native creatures can unleash in this world is limited to the Holy Domain.
While both can only unleash power at the Holy Domain level, the combat strength of a god is still far superior to that of an ordinary Holy Domain being due to their superior understanding of their own realm.
However, this is contingent on adapting to the world's rules. Upon arrival, their combat power is merely average; a slight misstep could lead to a legendary tale of god-slaying.
For the sake of divine mandate, deities mostly appear in incarnations, rarely in their true forms to cause trouble.
The risks are manageable, Hudson doesn't mind appearing a bit extravagant. Besides, what seems like an investigation into the curse also involves the distribution of profits from the magic crystal mine.
Under normal circumstances, the Coslo Family would at most receive half of the Dalton Family's share, and might even only receive a third.
There was no other way. The entire Southeast Province consisted of fifteen counties, seven of which had governors from the Dalton Family. More than 30% of the province's land was their fiefdom.
Arguing at a provincial meeting is like a 1 vs. 7 situation; logically speaking, anyone they could bring in as a prefect could easily control the decision-making power.
If it really comes to political confrontation, Hudson has only one option: escalate the issue and bring it all to the Provincial Noble Council for discussion.
Although they were still at a disadvantage, at least when they were arguing, they had a group of followers to help them, so they wouldn't fall behind from the start.
Occasionally, a proposal might gain the support of a neutral noble family, and there might be a chance to turn the tide. However, the probability of this happening is extremely limited.
For the sake of his reputation, Hudson decisively chose to leverage the momentum, making the most of the "trend" in every speech, making it impossible for anyone to refuse.
His proposals were passed time and again, seemingly insignificant. However, his standing in the eyes of the people was subtly changing.
This inadvertently created a political illusion: that Lord Hudson held significant influence in the province, and that the two families jointly controlled the highest authority in the Southeast Province.
Just like now, Governor Pierce didn't object, and everyone else acquiesced.
Because at this moment, in the minds of many people, Hudson and Governor Pierce were on the same level, while the rest of the nobles were a level below.
Unless Governor Pierce made a clear statement, none of the county magistrates present dared to take the lead in opposing Hudson.
Even though they all represent the same county, one look from Hudson was enough to shut them up, yet no one seemed to think there was a problem.
In fact, this intangible influence can be traced back to the time of the Beastfolk invasion. Hudson had already established his prestige when he served as the kingdom's commander-in-chief.
The classic scene of catching the five noble families of the North as grandsons and disciplining them is very deeply rooted in people's hearts and is extremely stimulating to witnesses.
Following Viscount Autumn to the back garden, they saw him move a rockery, and a passage appeared before them.
As you proceed along the secret passage, the road gradually widens, resembling an anthill, with large and small mine shafts scattered around, supported by man-made pillars in the middle.
Judging from the spider webs hanging in the air and the dust on the ground, it's clear that no one has been here for a long time.
He randomly chose a mine to enter and traveled all the way to the depths of the mine. Looking at the crystals on the rock wall, he casually picked off a piece, and Hudson's brows immediately furrowed.
"Have you noticed anything wrong?"
"My lord, everything here is normal. There is no trace of evil power, and it doesn't seem like it has been cursed."
"Perhaps we could look elsewhere. This is a large magic crystal mine; even if someone cast a curse, it would be difficult to cover such a large area."
Sorcerer Yuri's answer made Hudson shake his head slightly. The absence of a problem is often the biggest problem.
Having devoured so many Magic Crystal Stones, Hudson had gained some knowledge of Magic Crystal Stone. The Magic Crystal Stone in his hand appeared to be of high quality, but its energy waves were quite different.
Judging from the energy fluctuations on the Magic Crystal Stone, it doesn't seem to be a naturally formed vein, but rather a power that has been artificially infused into it.
Theoretically, artificially creating Magic Crystal Stone is not a problem, and there are successful examples in laboratories. Ignoring cost, this is a significant step forward.
But that was just a Magic Crystal Stone, not a magic crystal mine. The principles are similar, but the problem is, where do you find such a large amount of energy in practice?
"Then let's split up and investigate. But everyone be careful, the mine shafts here haven't been used for a while, and any loud noise could cause a collapse!"
Hudson offered a kind reminder.
If the mine collapses, their group will be doomed. Perhaps Hudson can use the Giant Dragon as a trailblazer to break through, but the others will have to fend for themselves.