Demon Marrow Ore

Two days later, Louis led Bradley, the master craftsman Valentin, and the other professional miners along a mountain trail into the heart of the Red Tide Fief.

Bradley still had his doubts. He felt there should not be any large deposits of demon marrow ore here, and that Louis had exaggerated.

After they passed through the forest, the view suddenly opened up, revealing an enormous mining site before them.

Several knights stood on guard outside the site.

Clad in heavy iron armor, they scanned their surroundings warily.

When they saw Louis and Bradley's party arrive, the knights immediately bowed. "My lord, everything is normal at the mining site."

Louis nodded and continued leading the others inside.

But when they actually entered the site, everyone drew a sharp breath.

Could the reserves of demon marrow ore here really be this enormous?!

As they walked into the vein, the temperature rose slightly above that outside, and the ore felt faintly warm to the touch.

The rocky walls of the vein were an eerie dark purple, shimmering faintly with a magical sheen. Weak pulses of energy drifted through the air.

An experienced master miner, Valentin reached out almost instinctively and gently ran his hand over the rock wall.

His fingers trembled slightly, and his eyes burned with fervor.

"Good heavens..." He turned to Bradley, unable to hide his excitement. "This... this vein would rank among the top twenty demon marrow deposits in the entire Ironblood Empire, at the very least!"

The other craftsmen were equally stunned by the sight and began whispering among themselves.

"These reserves are unbelievable!"

"The demon marrow looks very pure, too. If we mine deeper, we might even find high-grade crystallized demon marrow!"

"My lord... this is a fortune sent from heaven!"

Several veteran craftsmen stared with burning eyes, unable to stop themselves from stroking the rock walls as though caressing the skin of a courtesan from the imperial capital.

Bradley frowned and rebuked them sternly. "Quiet. Don't treat this place like a marketplace!"

The craftsmen quickly fell silent, though they still could not hide the excitement on their faces.

The sight of so much demon marrow ore had also sent waves of shock through Bradley's heart.

There really was this much demon marrow ore. Louis had not lied.

He began to reassess the value of this fief.

Demon marrow was far more than a raw material for making magical explosives.

Demon marrow powder could also be incorporated into weapons to enchant their blades, allowing them to slice through iron like butter.

Alchemists needed demon marrow to create potent potions as well.

High-purity demon marrow essence was also indispensable as a core material for magic arrays.

Its value far surpassed that of ordinary magical minerals. It was a strategic resource capable of reshaping the entire Northern Frontier!

The scale and value of this vein far exceeded anything he or Duke Calvin had imagined!

Bradley rode closer to Louis and lowered his voice. "Young master, it would be best not to let too many people know about this vein."

Louis watched Bradley quietly, waiting for him to continue.

"Though the Calvin Family is one of the empire's eight great families, and ordinary scoundrels wouldn't dare set their sights on you..." Bradley paused, his gaze sharpening.

"This is the Northern Frontier, far from the family. Our influence may not reach this place. Some people are bound to risk everything, and this demon marrow deposit is worth that risk."

At that, he studied Louis's expression, wanting to see how the young master felt about the matter.

Yet Louis remained composed throughout, even giving a calm smile.

"I understand." He nodded gently, his voice steady. "Apart from mentioning it in a letter to my father, I haven't told anyone about this."

Bradley carefully studied Louis's expression after hearing this and realized he was not lying. He truly knew how to handle the matter.

Only then did Bradley slowly nod, silently resolving to give the duke a clear report on the situation here and have him send more knights.

This vein warranted it.

Meanwhile, Valentin said to Louis, "My lord, judging by our surveys so far, this mine does indeed hold astonishing reserves, but it's also far more dangerous than an ordinary mine.

"I suggest we first determine the boundaries of the entire mining site and identify the most stable area as our starting point."

"All right. I'll leave that to you," Louis said with a nod.

Valentin led the craftsmen into the mine, holding a mining hammer as he carefully tapped the walls and listened to the echoes from different areas.

"The ore here is a deep purple, which indicates an extremely high demon marrow content." Valentin crouched and pointed to a piece of ore in the wall that glimmered faintly with a dark purple sheen.

"These crystallized areas in particular indicate a high-purity vein. But that also means they're extremely fragile and will shatter at the slightest mishandling."

He then tapped a nearby rock layer, producing a deep, solid sound. "The structure here is stable and suitable for excavation."

He walked a few more steps and tapped another spot. The sound was slightly hollow. "But not here. The geology is too unstable. If we start mining recklessly, it could easily collapse."

The craftsmen nodded and marked the walls.

Louis stood to one side with his arms folded, watching quietly.

Though he knew little about mining, he could still tell that Valentin's expertise was exceptional.

"It seems all the craftsmen the family sent this time are experts." Louis sounded admiring. "Your expertise has really opened my eyes."

The craftsmen froze for a moment at his words, then their expressions filled with pride.

This was what they did best, and receiving praise from the lord himself truly gave them a sense of pride.

Bradley nodded slightly. His face remained impassive, but inwardly, he marveled.

This young master was certainly no incompetent. He knew how to win people's loyalty.

Valentin continued his analysis. "Since demon marrow ore emits magical fluctuations, miners who spend long periods here may suffer from mana poisoning.

"We must devise a ventilation plan to prevent mana from accumulating in the mine."

"How should we do that?" Louis asked.

"We need to open ventilation shafts in different areas to circulate the air, then install partitioned passages inside the mine to prevent harmful gases from building up."

As he spoke, Valentin sketched a simple diagram on the parchment he carried. "We'll use black birch for the support frames, with a support point every five meters to ensure the tunnels don't collapse.

"The main tunnel will be three meters wide, and the secondary tunnels one and a half meters. That will keep transport from getting congested."

"It's clear you're an expert in this field," Louis praised him.

Valentin immediately puffed out his chest, a note of pride in his voice. "Of course! I've spent my whole life mining! I could walk through a vein with my eyes closed and still not get lost!"

Louis smiled and patted Valentin on the shoulder. "Then I'll leave the mining plan for this vein to you."

Valentin grinned. "Thank you for your confidence in me, my lord."