Mine Investigation

"Just to prevent accidents?!" He Xi's voice was filled with disbelief. "Locking up such dangerous monsters in the mine and forbidding relatives from getting close?

It's as ridiculous as putting up a sign next to a wolf den that says 'No lambs allowed'! Does Viscount Rick think goblins will obey his rules?!"

Baron Ul was stunned by He Xi's questioning and was momentarily speechless.

He regretted it slightly, feeling he shouldn't have said so much to this young man.

He Xi already found goblins extremely disgusting, but he hadn't expected them to be this repulsive.

He suppressed his churning anger and continued, "How long does it take for a goblin to go from 'hatching' to being combat-ready?"

"I'm not too sure about that either. Some say it takes half a year... others say only a month or two..."

"One or two months?"

"Meaning," his gaze fixed on Baron Ul, "Matt's relatives were likely abducted by goblins two months ago?"

Baron Ul looked at the undisguised anger in He Xi's eyes, but he had his own considerations.

He opened his mouth, trying to explain, "He Xi... I... I have no authority to interfere in Oak Town's affairs... Besides, I've only heard of them plundering creatures like kobolds in the wild before..."

He Xi: "Then why are they in Plint? And what about these twenty dead people? Aren't you going to investigate thoroughly?"

"Investigate thoroughly?"

Baron Ul's mind raced. The mine was located at the border between two towns. Although it was close to Plint, it was actually discovered by the Viscount's son. The annual income the Viscount gave him was purely out of neighborly goodwill.

Moreover...

Even if it was related to the mine, so what? Was he going to ask Viscount Rick for compensation?

Investigating rashly would only offend someone he shouldn't, and he might not only lose that income but also disgrace the nobility.

And if the mine was indeed the problem, with Viscount Rick's status, he would surely provide generous compensation to Plint afterward.

Thinking this, he avoided He Xi's gaze and said in a business-like tone, "I will provide some money to compensate the townspeople who lost their loved ones, and... it's not yet confirmed whether the goblins are from the mine."

Fearing that He Xi might recklessly investigate the mine and cause bigger trouble, ultimately affecting him.

So, he reluctantly comforted him, "I will handle this matter, but not now. In any case, I'm very grateful for your help the day before yesterday, but this matter doesn't concern you much. I will negotiate the specific situation with Oak Town."

However, to his surprise, He Xi calmed down.

"Alright, I understand. This matter indeed doesn't concern me much."

He Xi bid farewell to Baron Ul, not because he agreed with his explanation.

He simply felt that continuing the conversation with him was meaningless.

He slowly fell into thought:

"In Baron Ul's eyes, the safety of the common people is indeed something to be concerned about, but it seems far less important than the mine's output and the nobles' reputation."

"I cannot accept Plint's situation and Baron Ul's handling of it."

"But this is not my original world after all."

"In this place, the common people inherently have limited weight. Perhaps Baron Ul's approach is considered diligent here."

"I shouldn't hold him to the standards of another world, should I?"

"However..."

"What do the rules of this world have to do with me?"

"Since this matter disgusts me."

"Whether Baron Ul dares to pursue it or not."

"Then I will investigate it myself and solve it in my own way."

But he thought of the danger he faced in "Silencing" Plint the night before yesterday. If Bruce hadn't taken down the Mud Doll at the last moment, he would have been finished.

He calmed down slightly.

"Anger doesn't solve problems; it only creates new ones."

"I don't have the right to charge in blindly right now."

"I can't be reckless. But... just investigating the mine shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"If something feels wrong, I'll just run."

The Blackstone Mine is about twenty kilometers from Plint Town.

Thanks to the physique enhancement from [Mora's Blessing], He Xi's stamina was far beyond what it used to be. In less than four hours, he and his dog arrived at their destination.

The mine was situated in a barren mountain hollow. The exposed black rocks reflected dazzling light under the midday sun, and the air was filled with the smell of ore dust.

A few simple wooden huts were built haphazardly near the mine entrance, likely temporary shelters for supervisors and miners.

It was lunchtime.

Some miners sat in groups on the open ground outside the mine, resting against piles of waste rock or the walls of the wooden huts.

Most of them were shirtless, their bronze skin covered in a layer of indelible black dust, gnawing on hard black bread.

This scene...

was completely different from what He Xi had imagined.

"If the goblins from Plint came from here, this place should be a mess, or occupied by goblins."

"But now, everything looks normal."

"The miners are still here..."

"Those goblins that attacked Plint... are they unrelated to this mine and came from somewhere else?"

Doubts swirled in He Xi's mind.

But since he was already here, he might as well find someone to ask for information first.

His gaze quickly fell on a burly miner dozing under the shade of a tree.

He walked over with Bruce.

"Hello, excuse me, is there a miner named Matt working at the mine?"

The miner was startled awake from his nap and abruptly opened his eyes, his cloudy pupils bloodshot.

He had initially thought it was a supervisor rushing him. Upon seeing He Xi's clean attire, the anger from being woken up was instantly difficult to suppress.

"What fly is this? I've been digging hard stone all morning, my bones are falling apart, you blind rat! Didn't you see I was sleeping?! Go ask a ghost! Scram!"

He Xi wasn't annoyed. After all, he was the one disturbing the miner's sleep.

His hand was in his pocket, clutching a few coins he had prepared as a tip for directions.

After some thought, he put them back.

Then, he took out only a Copper Nail and offered it to the miner.

Even so, the anger on the miner's face visibly subsided.

After all, this was enough for him to buy a piece of black bread to fill his stomach.

He snatched the Copper Nail. "Oh! Matt! Him... he's probably resting in the supervisor's room over there."

He then gestured towards a wooden house not far away, his tone laced with envy:

"That kid! Relying on some bullshit distant relative connection to Viscount Rick from Oak Town, he does the least work, and he even gets to rest inside! Hmph! What a piece of work!"

Hearing this, He Xi's doubts grew even stronger.

Could Baron Ul's speculation be wrong?