Second Mine

A small team of more than twenty elves walked north along the ridge.

Too many rubble piled up at the foot of the mountain, Roy chose to walk along the ridge, occasionally seeing Silver Pegasus Warrior flying across the sky in the distance.

Roy wasn't worried that the Highland Slavers would come out at this time.

On the contrary, Mulin remained on edge, constantly watching her surroundings. The Half-Elf team was also somewhat tense, their expressions suggesting they might encounter the headhunters at any moment.

There was little wind at the mountaintop, and the afternoon sun wasn't too intense, so it wouldn't burn your skin.

A faint smell of rocks lingers in the air, and you can see far into the distance from the ridge.

In the distance lies a vast meadow, with clumps of green grass distributed in patches. Where the grass does not cover the grass, there grows a thick, soft moss that is full of moisture and produces pale purple, rice-grain-sized stamens that bloom perpetually.

This area is low-lying, and rainwater from the surrounding mountains gathers here, resulting in scattered small ponds.

The Pagisto Plateau is currently in its dry season, and some pools have dried up, leaving behind patches of cracked, tile-like bottoms.

Herds of antelope and Unicorn Wild Ox were everywhere, and Roy even spotted Hyena Pack.

He didn't see any argali sheep, which are unique to the Pagisto Plateau, on this grassland. Those Highland Headhunters ride argali sheep. Roy thought that if there were argali sheep on this grassland, he could catch some and tame them slowly. Those argali sheep are quite fast.

"Manager Roy, what are you looking at?"

Roy pointed to the grassland in the distance and said, "I'm looking over there and there aren't any argali sheep."

"Argali sheep! They usually live in the Northern Mountainous Area of the Plateau, which is also the homeland of the Highland Headhunters," Mulin, dressed in Light Armor, explained to Roy as she rode a white horse.

She was by no means the most beautiful among elven women, but she had a great figure, and in particular, she had a very strong swordsman's aura. Riding a white horse made her look heroic and dashing.

Mulin continued, "Those headhunters have always been at the top of the food chain on the Pagisto Plateau."

"Are there magical beasts on this plateau?" Roy asked curiously.

Mulin glanced at Roy in surprise, then answered matter-of-factly, "Of course, but not on this grassland. This is the South District of the Pagisto Plateau. Originally, Wind Wolves and Stone Tooth Boar would occasionally appear here, but they gradually disappeared. We rarely set foot here. This mountain range is the territory of the Highland Slavers."

"Mulin, do headhunters also hunt magical beasts?" Roy tapped the horse's rump with his whip, urging it to keep going.

Mulin knew these Highland Slavers well and casually said, "The hunters used to hunt Unicorn Wild Ox and antelopes on this grassland and sell some leather and antelope horns to merchant groups. It is said that they also have magical beast materials, and merchant groups often come to buy them. Of course, this was before the Half-Elf rebellion broke out. We haven't seen any merchant groups here for a long time."

They were talking about the Highland Slavers, followed by a group of young Half-Elf who were listening quietly.

The sun had already set, and the wisps of mist rising from the grassland, reflected in the sunlight, looked like burning flames.

Roy was quite curious about these Highland Slavers, but Langbo had been traveling around with Leishande for years and knew very little about Highland Slavers.

Now, after Mulin's explanation, these Highland Slavers gradually became clearer in Roy's mind.

While they are natives of the Pagisto Plateau, their primary occupation is not hunting elves, but rather hunting the magical beasts of the plateau. However, after the Seventeenth Silver Pegasus Legion sealed off the Pattington Plane, cutting off the income source of these Highland Slavers, it was probably this measure that forced the Highland Slavers to start capturing the elves of the plateau...

Roy asked, "So, these headhunters weren't hunting elves before, but rather magical beasts from the highlands?"

Mulin shrugged and said, "We might catch elves if we encounter them occasionally, but not like this... turning our original, purest goal into something else!"

The group walked and chatted as they went, until it gradually got completely dark and they could no longer go any further.

Mulin wasn't very familiar with this mountain range. Headhunters used to frequent this area, Half-Elf rarely approached it. It was still some distance from the Second Mine, so they had no choice but to camp on this hillside.

The wind on the ridge was still cold at night, and the temperature dropped rapidly.

The wind was blowing from the north, so Roy told everyone to set up their tents on the south-facing slope where they could avoid the wind.

Roy brought out military supplies from the Silver Pegasus Legion, including high-grade military tents and fire Magic Rune Plate.

A group of young Half-Elf were learning to set up tents, and occasionally a gasp of surprise would be heard.

Roy placed several stones on a fire Magic Rune Plate and then added Magic Crystal Stone fragments to the Gemstone Base of the Rune Plate.

Once a ball of blazing flame appeared on the Rune Plate, a cooking pot was placed on the stone.

He poured some water into the small pot, and after a while the water in the pot boiled.

The heat dispelled the night's chill, and Roy added a few lemon slices to the pot, instantly filling the air with a refreshing sour aroma.

Dinner was simple; Roy distributed apples to the young Half-Elf.

Before heading out, everyone ate some Elf Biscuit. Even if they didn't eat for three to five days, they wouldn't be hungry. But eating an apple before going to bed at night was still a very enjoyable thing.

Mulin was the captain of this group of Half-Elf. She arranged for people to keep watch at night, and then the group of Half-Elf sat around the fire chatting.

Roy didn't press the matter from the daytime, but instead sat in a corner and listened to the Half-Elf chat.

He held a cup of slightly sour Lemon Tea and noticed that among the twenty-odd young Half-Elf, several Elf Warrior had wrinkles on their faces, their faces seemed impossible to clean, and they were very thin.

Following Roy's gaze, Mulin noticed that Roy seemed somewhat interested in the elf, so she introduced him to Roy: "His name is Walker. He was rescued from the mine shaft of the First Mine by you a while ago. When he heard that you were recruiting elves to manage the First Mine, he volunteered to join."

Mulin spoke in a low voice.

Roy waved to Walker, who was sitting next to his companion, and asked, "Hey, Walker, can I ask you some questions about the mine?"

Walker was chatting with everyone around the campfire, enjoying the rare treat of camping and stargazing in the wild.

Hearing Roy's question, Walker became a little hesitant. He touched his thigh, looked around, and received encouraging looks from his friends before hesitatingly saying, "Okay."

Roy thought for a moment before asking, "How long did you work down the mine?"

Walker looked a little grim, but after thinking about it carefully, he replied, "About five months."

Roy then asked curiously, "How did you get captured by the Highland Slavers?"

The surroundings fell silent instantly, with a howling north wind blowing overhead. The flames flickered incessantly, and each Half-Elf on their face.

Walker wore a wry smile; for him, this experience was probably the last thing he wanted to recall.

He scratched his head, took a deep breath, and mustered his courage before speaking:

"I'm a gatherer. I heard that Royal Blood Grass can be found in this grassland, so I came here to try my luck. I didn't expect to meet a group of hunters on the way. They captured me and sold me to the mine the next day. Later, I was thrown into the mine."

Seeing that Walker's mood was relatively stable, Roy breathed a sigh of relief and said to him, "Walker, as you know, I took over the First Mine from the Seventeenth Silver Pegasus Legion. I need to understand the situation inside the mine in order to develop a management plan for those Dark Moon Elf Prisoners and Gray Dwarf. So, can you tell me about the situation down there?"

Roy spoke very sincerely and his attitude was very proper.

Walker's tense mood eased slightly upon hearing Roy's words. He looked down at the water glass in his hand, remained silent for a moment, and then said:

"Even if I don't tell you, you should know that the mine I'm in was originally divided into three factions: Half-Elf, Dark Moon Elf Prisoners, and Gray Dwarf Bandit. These three factions would usually fight for the position at the wellhead, because whoever occupied that position could get the resources dropped from the surface, and therefore had the power in the mine."

"When I arrived at the mine, the Half-Elf was controlling the mine entrance. The main reason was that we were numerous. For decades, the Padesto City had been continuously selling Half-Elf to the mine. Later, the Mine Owners would send in some Half-Elf slaves every season. Over the years, the Half-Elf finally developed into the largest force in the mine."

"Those Dark Moon Elf Prisoners are formidable in combat, but we outnumber them."

"Actually, the underground mine of the First Mine can be divided into three levels. The Half-Elf live on the first level, which is where the ore vein was first discovered. The Gemstone Mine here has long been completely mined out. To find Gemstone Mine, you have to go down to the second level of the mine. However, the second level is occupied by Dark Moon Elf Prisoners. If we want to mine Gemstone Mine on the second level, we need to cooperate with these Dark Moon Elf Prisoners. On the other hand, those Gray Dwarf Bandit live on the lowest level. They don't need the food thrown down from the mine, because these Gray Dwarf have cultivated edible mushrooms in the mine. They can live well underground without outside support!"

"I don't know the number of the Gray Dwarf Bandit in the well, because they never come out in full force, but I do know the number of the Dark Moon Elf Prisoners."

"Some have died over the years, and there are definitely no more than fifty Dark Moon Elf Prisoners left in the mines now..."

Walker spoke eloquently around the campfire, and Roy listened attentively.

This also aligns with his assessment of the current state of the mine.

When the Cavalry Vanguard Regiment captured the First Mine, Roy and his men lowered Rope Ladder, and the fact that the Half-Elf miners were able to climb up immediately already spoke volumes. At the very least, the mine entrance was under the control of the Half-Elf.

The situation at the second mine might be different. The Silver Pegasus Legion has occupied the mine, and so far, no Half-Elf miners have been seen crawling out...

This can only mean one thing: those who dominate the wellhead are not the Half-Elf miners.

After chatting for a while, everyone went to rest in their military tents.

Roy spent almost a day before finally arriving at the second mine the following morning.

The mine in front of us looked even more solidly built than the first one, and the hillside was covered with rubble, making it very difficult to attack from the ground; there was only one narrow path...

Roy finally understood why the Cavalry Vanguard Regiment had besieged the mine for half a month but had never been able to capture it.

It's quite difficult to break into the mine through the main gate...

The Mine Owners and his family have long since fled overnight, and the Mine Private Army has also disappeared, leaving only this mine behind.

When Captain Kepler, who was in charge of the handover of the mines, saw Roy arrive at the Second Mine with the Half-Elf, he was extremely excited. He patted Roy on the shoulder and said, "Roy, we've been looking forward to your arrival! As per Earl Swynborne's instructions, this mine is now under your management!"

Roy had just stepped one foot through the gate of the mine fortress when he saw the middle-aged officer walking towards him with a sigh of relief, and taking the initiative to greet Roy.

"Captain Kepler, when do you plan to evacuate from here?" Roy asked hurriedly.

"My Elf Legion will be staying here for about a month. During this time, you will need to find some manpower yourself. Not only will you need to keep this mine running smoothly, but you will also need someone to be in charge of the mine's defenses..." Captain Kepler said to Roy with a smile.

Clearly, someone came to take over, which meant he was rid of this trouble.

Captain Kepler and Roy walked side by side into the inner courtyard of the fortress. Sure enough, there was a mine entrance in the courtyard, where a squad of fully armed Elf Warrior guarded the wellhead.

Roy went over to take a look and found a rope Rope Ladder next to the well.

"Has not a single Half-Elf slave emerged these past few days?" Roy asked curiously, his hands gripping the edge of the well.

This well opening appears to be larger, and there is even a pulley system on the boom next to it, with boxes of apples placed nearby.

This place was abandoned by the Mine Owners overnight. Almost all the most valuable resources in the mine were taken away, and the Mine Private Army also took away a lot of valuable things. So the whole mine looks messy, and the doors of the warehouses on the first floor are almost all completely open.

"That's true," said Captain Kepler.

Roy casually asked, "Can you confirm whether those guarding the mine entrance... are Dark Moon Elf Prisoners or Gray Dwarf Bandit?"

Captain Kepler paused slightly, having probably not even considered the matter. Hearing Roy's question, he replied, "It's not confirmed yet! We simply shout into the mine every day! We haven't paid attention to whether it's elves or dwarves down there..."

Roy was speechless.

Afterwards, Captain Kepler led Roy on a tour of the mining fortress, and sure enough, almost all the valuable resources in the mine were taken away.