As the prince finished speaking, the oak doors were pushed open from outside.
The banquet hall's dizzying noise and fragrances flooded in briefly, then were cut off as the doors closed.
A quartermaster carrying a black-bound ledger strode into the center of the room.
He swallowed and opened the ledger to its first page under everyone's gaze.
"My lord, the inventory is complete. I'll begin with the basic supplies."
"The fortress warehouses and secret treasury have been emptied. Forty chests of imperial gold eagles, approximately forty thousand gold suns in cash. Three tons of refined mithril, and enough high-grade brew ingredients of various kinds to fill two cellars. These raw materials are hard currency on the black market, impossible to buy even if you have the money."
Only the rustle of turning pages remained in the room. The quartermaster paused, then turned to the next page.
"Next, intelligence and technical documents. In Hector's private safe, we found complete defense maps for Linburg Province and Northern Foothills Province, as well as a 'Black Steel Construct Maintenance Manual.' With this manual, our craftsmen will be able to dismantle and rebuild those disabled war machines."
At this point, Venn closed the ledger and beckoned to the attendant behind him. The attendant presented a black iron case lined with velvet.
"Finally, this."
The lid opened, revealing a dark red crystal the size of a fist. Dense runes covered its surface, and something alive seemed to be sealed within it, pulsing rhythmically and emitting a low hum.
"The Boundary Stone fortress's Power Core-the Heart of the Titan. Each one is a unique piece, hand-crafted by master mages and the finest craftsmen, and worth a fortune. Its craftsmanship is ten years ahead of the duchy's. If we can decipher its magical power compression circuits, the Kingdom's