"The whole Duchy?!"
Even Lister couldn't keep his voice steady.
The sheer weight of the revelation sent a shock through his system.
Lawson nodded, expression solemn.
"To my knowledge, the last time a major turquoise vein of this scale was discovered... was over three hundred years ago—in the Lucian Principality."
"Just a hundred years later, the number and strength of Lucian's professional combatants exploded—so much so, they overthrew the ruling Yating Kingdom and established what we now know as the Lucian Kingdom."
As Lawson continued, something clicked in Lister's mind.
So that's why so many of the turquoise potions I've used were named after Lucian…
Even the first potion gifted by Viscount Ambett—Lucian's Turquoise Extract (C-rank)—was now put into context.
One that boosted all four base attributes by 1 point.
It all made sense now.
And with that, he finally heard the full story of the now-defunct Yating Kingdom.
It had been destroyed—by the very power of the Lucian Kingdom.
Lawson continued, his voice growing heavier:
"It was around that time that the Will Duchy submitted to Lucian, and our current structure was formed."
"I've even visited their old turquoise mines once before."
"And from what I saw... they weren't nearly as vast as what we've just uncovered here."
With each word, Lister's heart went from racing with excitement to sinking with unease.
What had started as a thrilling discovery now began to feel more like a trap.
He had hoped the mine would be large.
Hoped that their three houses would each get a generous share.
But this big?
This wasn't a blessing—it was a time bomb.
It was exactly what had happened to the now-dead Baron Ray.
He hadn't even had time to profit from the mine.
Before he could—somehow, somewhere—the Cyclopes found out.
And in one sweep, his entire house was wiped out.
And now… that decision had fallen to them.
If their three families tried to claim this mine outright—
They would no doubt see an explosion in power within a short time.
Their professional ranks would skyrocket.
But—
If even the slightest hint of this leaked…
The Lucian Kingdom would respond with full force.
There would be no second chances.
After all, it was turquoise that had once helped them rise to power.
They would never allow it to fall into someone else's hands.
Lister knew better than to dream of resisting Lucian.
That was never the plan.
This duchy—this kingdom—was just a stepping stone.
His goal had always been beyond Lucian.
What he needed was to leverage this discovery to its maximum short-term value.
Use it to power through his early growth.
That's why he'd been willing to give up most of the mine's share in the original deal—
As long as he secured the Companion Crystal, he was satisfied.
And now?
Now that this was a powder keg, he was even more eager to walk away from the lion's share.
But the problem was...
All three families knew about this mine.
Even if Quent didn't yet realize the full scope of its size—
It wouldn't take long before he did.
And no matter what Lister decided, the other two might not be able to resist temptation.
For a moment, Lister even wondered—
Could this very turquoise vein be the secret trigger behind Lucian's rise in the upcoming expansion?
Lawson had clearly gone through a similar thought process.
Where once his eyes had been full of excitement, they were now grave and serious.
"No one speaks of this. Not a word." Lawson said, voice stern.
"This ends here. Tight seal."
Whew...
Lister let out a slow breath of relief.
At least Lawson, heir to the Conner family, hadn't let greed cloud his judgment.
If Lawson could see this clearly, then surely his father—the Conner Earl—would be even more level-headed.
"I'll inform my father right away," Lawson said.
Then shook his head.
"No. No letters—it's too risky."
"I'll ride back tonight."
He turned to Simmons.
"You stay here. Guard this place with your life.
If anyone comes close to investigate—
They don't leave alive."
His tone left no room for doubt.
After a few beats, Lawson suddenly looked back at Lister—realization flashing in his eyes.
"And you, Lister? What's your take?"
"This mine… we might not be able to hold it.
We'll need to reassess everything."
It was a rare show of deference from Lawson.
But Lister had already earned his respect—and this was a strategic partner now, not just a field ally.
Lister nodded, calm.
"No issue on my side.
Just make sure the Companion Crystal stays with me.
That was the deal from the start."
"Of course!" Lawson agreed without hesitation.
Compared to what was at stake?
A single Companion Crystal was meaningless.
"Right. What about Quent?" Lister asked.
Lawson's eyes narrowed.
"Give me five days."
"Delay him for that long—whatever it takes."
"If all goes well, my father will come here in person to negotiate with you both."
Lister mulled it over.
After a moment, he gave a firm nod.
Stalling was the smartest option right now.
Among the three factions, the Conner family was the strongest.
The Earl himself could go toe-to-toe with the Duke of Will.
If the Conner Earl kept a cool head, there was a good chance they'd approach the Lucian Royal Family directly.
If that happened—
Even if Quent lost his head in excitement…
It wouldn't matter anymore.
Still… Lister had a good grasp of Quent's character.
He wasn't stupid.
But he was young.
And if he lost control…
Things could get messy.
Once everything was decided, the three cleaned up the site and split according to plan.
Five Days Later —
Old Castle, Viscount Quent's Territory
Lister stood beneath the scorching sun, sweat dripping down his face.
A massive shield rested on his arm—its weight immense.
He focused, his mind silently reciting the verses of the Will Breathing Technique, remembering Quent's advice.
His breaths grew deeper, his body heavier, the heat baking into his bones.
But—
He endured.
Beside him, Quent stood in full armor, watching like a drill sergeant.
"Hold on!" he barked.
"When I trained the Will Breathing Method, I got through it with nothing but grit."
"No mouth breathing! Hold your breath in your gut!"
Lister gritted his teeth.
His lungs burned. His muscles ached.
But slowly… the pain started to fade.
Then—
A sudden wave of refreshing heat washed through his entire body.
The exhaustion vanished.
The shield felt weightless.
[Skill Acquired: Will Breathing Technique]
[Skill – Will Breathing (No Rank) LV1 (1/10,000): +1 Constitution per level]
At last, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
He dropped the shield, surprised and delighted.
Unlike players, he had no access to skill books.
Monster drops? Not for him.
Unless the system awarded him a skill, he had to earn it through real training.
Just like now—
It had taken five days, but he'd finally unlocked the Will Breathing Technique.
That was enough.
From here, he could just dump experience points to level it.
He poured in 100,000 EXP without hesitation.
[Skill Upgraded: Will Breathing Technique – LV1 → LV5 (0/50,000)]
[Constitution +5]
[Overall Rating Increased – Rank D → Rank C]