The first spirit crystal mines opened not long after.
Lucien went to see them personally.
He stood above the newly stabilized extraction terraces and watched the workers move through the glittering underground galleries with practiced care. Pale veins of spirit crystal ran through the rock like frozen lightning, branching through stone and reflecting soft color across the mine walls.
He had chosen the right people for the work.
The Lithrens had taken to it with almost embarrassing perfection.
Of course they had.
They understood minerals the way soldiers understood weapon weight and the way old farmers understood weather by smell alone.
The first teams moved with calm discipline, tapping, listening, feeling the earth before cutting.
They were not reckless.
That alone pleased Lucien more than the yield itself.
Though the yield was very pleasing.
The first batch came in and already approached the millions.
