Chapter 60: The Miners of the Iron Mine (2)

Morkan had a prejudice for one reason only.

He usually had no interest in the iron mine.

Although he didn't know why Roman had decided to work, his behavior didn't sit well with him.

'He treats the miners' work as a joke. We pour our blood and sweat into our livelihoods, dedicating our lives to the iron mine, yet Roman Dmitri acts as if he's on a picnic. If he had approached the forge with that attitude, Master Hendrick would have given him a severe scolding.'

Jacob was a man of principles.

He didn't like that Roman had been accepted, nor did he like that Roman had volunteered to work.

The first day.

Morkan was irritable.

He deliberately worked around the area where Roman was, constantly watching to see if he was slacking off.

However, Roman worked diligently, much to his surprise.

He had expected Roman to just pretend to work and loaf around, but Roman threw himself into the job with the same enthusiasm as the other workers, completing his quota.

It was unexpected.

To work so diligently.

He did notice Roman occasionally chatting, but that wasn't a significant issue.

'Really, did he come to the iron mine to help? Or did Lord Dmitri send him to suffer like us as part of his successor training? The former is incomprehensible, and the latter is a side of him I've never seen before. Lord Rowell Dmitri, the second son of the Dmitri family, has never set foot in the iron mine, despite working in the forge since he was young. Even a potential successor never did this, so why is Roman Dmitri doing this now?'

It was very strange.

No matter how he thought about it.

It was a purposeless move.

At first, he thought it was just part of the successor training, but that didn't fully resolve his doubts.

One day.

Morkan heard a shocking statement.

"I heard from a servant at the manor that Lord Dmitri never ordered Roman Dmitri to work at the iron mine. I don't know why Roman Dmitri is going through such trouble, but it doesn't seem to be because of someone else's decision."

The words of those around him.

They were shocking.

Not because of someone else.

He had been looking at Roman with a prejudiced eye, but after hearing this, Roman's appearance changed.

'...What exactly.'

One week.

Roman was truly diligent.

He got along well with the workers, and no one had any complaints about his work attitude.

The dissatisfaction he expressed on the first day quickly subsided.

Seeing him put aside his status, eat the same food, and work the same way, it was impossible to dislike him without malice.

His reputation changed.

Roman Dmitri was better than expected.

People would glance at Roman and say this when they gathered in small groups, and their attitudes became more friendly.

In such a situation.

Morkan couldn't contain his curiosity.

The three successors of Dmitri.

He wanted to know what purpose and thoughts the only one who visited the iron mine, Roman Dmitri, had.

So.

"Can I ask you one question?"

Morkan approached Roman for the first time.

A question about his purpose.

Roman looked at Morkan and said,

"Do you want to hear the ideal answer or the realistic one?"

It was an unexpected response.

He had expected a detailed explanation, but the sudden choice left Morkan in a dilemma.

Ideal and reality.

Morkan wanted to know everything.

"Can't you tell me both?"

"Then I'll start with the ideal answer."

Ideal.

As he had told Hans, it was a sweet-sounding statement.

"Dmitri is a city of mining. Just as the people of Lawrence's territory make a living through agriculture, the people of Dmitri make a living through the iron mine. I wanted to experience their daily lives firsthand. What it means to live as a person of Dmitri. Understanding people through mere statistics from a distance is not enough; I wanted to know the reality by working with them."

"Is it really necessary to do that?"

"It is. As long as my surname is Dmitri, it's something I must do."

Roman's answer.

It was idealistic.

It was what a leader should say, and for a moment, Morkan's guard around Roman completely dropped.

Then.

What is the realistic answer?

"The realistic reason stems from the fact that I am not the owner of Dmitri. Even if Dmitri accumulates vast wealth, it belongs to my father, not me. So, I want to understand how much wealth Dmitri has accumulated, how it operates, and what I, as the eldest son of Dmitri, can do in the process."

"What do you mean? If your father is the owner of Dmitri, isn't this land ultimately yours?"

"No."

Father and son.

A blood relationship.

But that doesn't mean inheriting everything from the father.

The previous Sky Horse had twelve children.

He passed on the background of being a descendant of the Sky Horse to his sons, but they had to achieve something on their own.

That's when he realized.

Even between father and son, they are ultimately strangers.

To take what he wanted from his father, a fair price was necessary.

"Let me ask you. If I demanded several hundred gold from my father now, how do you think the Lord Dmitri you know would react?"

"He would certainly ask for a reason. Several hundred gold is not a small amount."

"That's why I came to the iron mine. If I find something I can do for Dmitri in its daily operations, I can rightfully demand my 'share' from my father. It's both a privilege as a son and a way to claim my rights. I need a lot of money and people for what I plan to do in the future. Rather than building everything from scratch, I intend to use my father's background and resources."

It was an answer that was overly honest.

An ideal is just an ideal.

Roman clearly stated that he had a purpose.

Really.

It was a bold and audacious answer that made Morkan burst into laughter.

"Ha ha ha ha, so that's the reason. To rightfully demand something from your father, you need to pay a price. I never thought of it that way. I simply assumed that Lord Roman came to the iron mine for successor training, but I couldn't understand your deeper intentions."

He laughed heartily, showing his Adam's apple.

Roman's answer.

It could have made him feel bad.

Ultimately, it meant he intended to use the work at the iron mine, but Morkan interpreted Roman's words differently.

'Lord Roman came to the iron mine, not the forge, to do something for Dmitri. That means the work we do is important, and he thinks it's worth doing, even if it means getting dirty. Good. If that's the case, there's no reason to stop him.'

Recognizing their value.

That was enough.

The miners wanted recognition.

Unbeknownst to them, their dissatisfaction with discriminatory treatment had accumulated, and it erupted when they met Roman.

However.

Roman recognized the value of the iron mine and intended to use it.

What a pleasant thing to hear.

If this was the reason, Morkan was willing to be used.

Morkan said,

"So, what do you want to know? I'll answer everything I know."

From the first day to now.

Morkan, who had been consistently hostile, finally lowered his guard.

From then on, the conversation went smoothly.

Roman asked many questions.

The reserves of iron ore.

Daily production.

And the methods of production and distribution.

Morkan answered diligently despite the endless questions.

"People say that Dmitri's iron mine is the largest in the kingdom, but in reality, it could be called the largest on the continent. Dmitri is located at the northeastern edge of the land in the northeastern part of the Kingdom of Cairo. People call Dmitri the end of the continent, but in fact, it's different. The numerous mountain ranges beyond the northeast have prevented people from venturing further, so they had to draw the border based on Dmitri. And those mountain ranges are the source of Dmitri's wealth. It's not that they haven't been developed because it's an unknown world; according to what I know, there are still over a dozen undeveloped iron mines."

It was astonishing information.

Beyond the northeast.

The endless mountain ranges were, in a sense, the source that created the current Dmitri.

Numerous iron mines.

Top-quality iron ore.

And the technology to process it.

Dmitri had the conditions to amass wealth.

The scale of wealth was impressive.

But this was beyond imagination.

'The magnate of the northeastern region. People say that Dmitri's wealth is endless, but even that doesn't fully grasp its potential. If I can present a justifiable reason and a fair price, my father has the ability to support it fully.'

Morkan's words didn't end there.

Regarding the daily production, he answered,

"Actually, compared to the conditions Dmitri has, the production is not particularly high. That's why we don't sell the iron ore. The working environment is too dangerous. Naturally, the work speed slows down, and that directly affects the production."

"From my experience, I think the safety measures are sufficient."

"You're right. Lord Dmitri has provided a lot of support to ensure safe working conditions, but mining is inherently dangerous. Earthquakes sometimes occur in the northeastern region, and the tunnels could collapse, so we can't go too deep. When accidents happen, we have to stop work for days. But this is not a problem we can solve. How can mere humans prevent natural disasters?"

It was a realistic issue.

Despite having the best conditions, Dmitri couldn't fully utilize them due to safety concerns.

And that was.

The kind of answer Roman was waiting for.

Safety issues.

An attractive point.

Roman asked,

"If. If the safety issues were resolved, how much benefit could Dmitri gain?"

"I can't say for sure, but I'm confident that production would increase by at least 50% compared to now. The reason we don't overstaff the iron mine is because we can't guarantee safety. We send only the number of people we can manage into the tunnels and always work cautiously, which is why production doesn't keep up with the reserves. Seeing this, Lord Dmitri is truly remarkable. Even with the potential for practical gains, he prioritizes the safety of the workers."

As Morkan said.

Baron Romero was a good person.

If he were a corrupt lord, he would force workers into the tunnels regardless of the risk of accidents.

But.

Baron Romero was different.

He didn't crave excessive wealth.

He was content with the present and valued his people.

Miners like Morkan.

They knew the work was dangerous, and despite the minor discrimination from the blacksmiths, they didn't express their dissatisfaction and continued working because of their gratitude to Baron Romero.

'I found it. The work I can do for Dmitri.'

The chronic problem of the iron mine.

If it could be solved, Dmitri could gain significant benefits.

At that moment.

Bang!

Rumble.

The sound of something collapsing came from somewhere.

An omen of disaster.

Understanding the implications of the sound, Morkan's face turned pale.