Chapter 62: The Miners of the Iron Mine (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 62: The Miners of the Iron Mine (4)
News of the collapse spread quickly.
Upon receiving the report of the incident and hearing that his eldest son was involved, Baron Romero summoned Roman immediately.
"Are you hurt anywhere?"
"I am fine."
"What on earth were you thinking, throwing yourself into such danger? A cave-in is a natural disaster that even an Aura Swordsman cannot survive unscathed. Fortunately, the outcome was good and you returned safely, but your reckless courage almost cost me my son. I am not saying this simply because you are the eldest son of the Dmitry Family. If any other worker in the iron mine had made the same decision as you, I would not have allowed another life to be put at risk just to save one."
Baron Romero vented his worry and anger.
Having once been a worker himself, he knew exactly how perilous Roman's actions had been.
"Father, I only did what had to be done."
"Roman!"
"Even if I could turn back time, my decision would not change. An accident occurred in the iron mine, and I happened to be on-site with the ability to resolve it. Father, would you want the eldest son of the Dmitry Family to turn a blind eye to the plight of his people? I do not believe a person can live their entire life doing only what is safe. As someone who carries the name of Dmitry, I know I made the right choice."
"...Haa."
Baron Romero let out a deep sigh.
Though his heart had plummeted at his son's perilous decision, seeing how mature Roman had become filled him with a profound sense of pride.
Before he was the Lord of Dmitry, he was a father.
Baron Romero finally spoke.
"So, do you intend to continue working at the iron mine?"
"Yes."
"What is your reason? I never told you to work in the iron mine, and as your father, I cannot understand why you made such a choice. If you had said you wanted to work at the forge instead, I wouldn't have stopped you."
The iron mine and the forge.
This revealed Baron Romero's true thoughts.
Although he treated the miners with great respect, his background as a blacksmith naturally made him biased. Ultimately, he wanted his son to show an interest in the forge. He believed that, at the very least, the future master of Dmitry should know how to work steel rather than how to mine iron ore.
"Father, I believed that to truly understand Dmitry, I had to work in the iron mine. Although Dmitry built its reputation on the refining techniques of the forge, the iron mine is where the vast majority of our people work to make a living. Therefore, it was only natural for me to go there instead of the forge."
"And what did you gain from it?"
"I was able to see firsthand the difficulties our people face."
Difficulties.
It was an unexpected answer. Baron Romero had no idea his son had been trying to uncover the hardships of the iron mine's workers.
"Go on."
"The miners all respect you, Father. Compared to other regions, you pay high wages. On the surface, the adequate rest periods and safety systems seem to present no major issues. However, mining is an industry where one must accept inherent risks, no matter how well safety is managed. No one knows when an earthquake might cause a tunnel to collapse. While cave-ins like today's are not common, they happen just often enough to never be forgotten."
"I am not ignorant of that fact. But as you said, it is not something that can be prevented just by preparing for it."
A natural disaster.
There was a reason it was described that way. Because it could not be stopped by human hands, people called accidents in the iron mine natural disasters.
Baron Romero had done his best. But that was all he could do.
Roman, however, decided that tangible results were what was needed.
"I have a way to solve the problem."
"And what is that?"
While working in the iron mine, Roman had thought deeply. And after experiencing the accident firsthand, he had reached a conclusion.
"By utilizing magical artifacts. That is the only way the workers can operate safely."
Magical artifacts.
Hearing this, Baron Romero thought his son was severely lacking a sense of reality.
"The intention of using magical artifacts for safety is good. But how much do you think an artifact costs? This is not a problem that can be solved with a dozen gold coins. Protecting the entire tunnel system with magical artifacts would require an astronomical sum, and we are not philanthropists throwing money into the wind."
He was right.
Mining was a means to make money. Since workers were hired with the clear objective of generating profit, one could not spend more money on safety than what was earned. This was a separate issue from a lord's benevolence. If the cost of safety exceeded the profit, even a wealthy family like Dmitry would eventually collapse.
Roman spoke.
"I am aware. To prepare for cave-ins, we would need to install artifacts that form an Air Shield in emergencies, and it is impossible to estimate whether that cost will run into hundreds or thousands of gold coins. Furthermore, the lifespan of an artifact is not permanent. If they lose their magical efficacy and cease to function, we would have to spend another astronomical sum to replace them."
"And yet you say it is necessary?"
"Yes. I will explain the reason now."
A safety measure.
This was not mere idealism. Roman was an extremely realistic person, and he only spoke because he had judged that this would bring practical, tangible benefits.
"While working in the iron mine, I heard something from a veteran miner. He said that although Dmitry boasts an iron mine with the continent's highest reserves and quality, we cannot fully utilize it due to safety concerns. If we did not care about the safety of the workers, we could have generated immense wealth at the cost of human lives. But you did not do that, Father. Instead, you poured your heart into maintaining safety as much as possible, which naturally led to the realistic problem of decreased iron ore production."
He was a good lord. But he was not an outstanding one.
If Baron Romero had been greedy, he would have found a better way as a businessman.
"Installing artifacts should not end with simply preparing for safety. If the safety of the workers is guaranteed by these artifacts, the production of the iron mine will naturally rise. Furthermore, although we have restricted the number of personnel and the scope of development in the iron mine due to safety concerns, we will no longer need to do so once the artifacts are installed. This is about opportunity cost. Even if it costs an astronomical sum to install the artifacts, it cannot be considered a loss if we earn far more money than before."
That was not all.
There was one more thing Roman wanted.
"Additionally, you must deploy personnel dedicated solely to safety. We should make a solid investment in them to check the safety systems daily, and use a portion of the increased profits to fund the welfare of the workers. This is an investment that creates a virtuous cycle. You will spend a lot of money on this, Father, but Dmitry will undoubtedly reap massive benefits from that budget."
An investment by the family.
This was Roman's true objective. It was not merely for the safety of the people; Roman had hidden his true intentions beneath a noble cause.
Baron Romero had no way of knowing the truth. The argument was simply too perfect.
After pondering for a long moment, Baron Romero looked at his son with a proud face and spoke.
"Very well. How much do I need to invest?"
*
Thirty minutes prior.
Roman had spoken to Morcan.
"I am going to speak to my father to secure a budget for safety preparations, and I will recommend you, Morcan, as the manager solely responsible for the safety of the iron mine. You have worked in the iron mine for a long time. Since you know the mine better than anyone else, I believe you will perform your role perfectly."
Roman's plan. It was flawless.
Just hearing the mention of installing magical artifacts made Morcan's heart pound. However, knowing Roman's intent to gain practical benefits, Morcan figured there would surely be a price to pay.
"...May I ask what the condition is?"
"What I require is clear. As the safety manager, you will check on the people's well-being every day and ask them about what has been happening in their lives. It doesn't have to be anything grand. Exchange trivial stories, commit what you see and hear to memory, and record any information you deem necessary. The people will likely tell you many things. If we use the budget I secure for their welfare, they will be eager to pour their hearts out. In the process, you may reward those who share valuable information with a portion of the budget. In exchange for protecting the workers' safety with the Dmitry Family's money, I want to obtain 'information' through you."
Information.
That was Roman's true objective.
The iron mine was the heart of Dmitry itself. Countless people worked there, which meant all information related to Dmitry naturally gathered at the iron mine.
That was just the beginning.
If information was traded through Morcan, people would become anxious to provide valuable intel. At first, they would share their own stories, then stories of their families or neighbors, and eventually, if they heard anything interesting on the streets, they would report it all to Morcan. This could not be considered underhanded. Just as Roman had told his father, they were simply listening to people's stories in exchange for welfare benefits.
Indeed.
Using his father's money and a highly practical justification, Roman intended to manifest the Hao Sect—an information-gathering force—in this world.
In Murim, the world where the strong preyed on the weak, two groups were renowned for their ability to handle information: the Beggars' Sect and the Hao Sect.
The two shared a commonality.
While the Beggars' Sect gathered information through beggars who existed everywhere in the world listening to people's stories, the Hao Sect collected information through the open ears of the socially vulnerable, such as tavern waiters. What this signified was simple: unlike the powerful who walked with their heads held high, the common folk who existed everywhere could see and hear a vast array of things, regardless of the type of information.
Therefore, Roman chose the miners of the iron mine.
They were the essence of Dmitry, and through his connection with them, he could seize control of all information in the northeastern region.
The labor would come from the miners.
The funding would come from his father's pockets.
Yet, no one would lose.
The miners would gain safety and money, while his father would generate even more wealth through increased production.
It was a true win-win. It was a plan that satisfied everyone, which was why neither his father nor Morcan rejected Roman's proposals.
Even so, Roman was not satisfied.
It is still not enough.
The information guild Roman envisioned was not limited to the northeastern region. He wished to gather information from across the entire continent. While the core would remain at Dmitry's iron mine, he wanted the budget and personnel to expand and form a force akin to the Hao Sect.
Thus, Roman had an additional plan.
Morcan is not a professional information handler. In the end, I need someone who can organize the information received from him, and furthermore, coordinate with the Dmitry Trading Company to gather information outside the northeastern region. Unlike Morcan, this manager must be quick-witted, calculating, and realistic. A veteran who has seen it all. Only such a person can bring the information guild I envision into reality.
There was just one person.
As it happened, the perfect candidate was available. Roman summoned him.
He was none other than—
"Did you call for me?"
The B-Rank Mercenary who had passed the recent recruitment for private soldiers: Lucas.