Path of light

Chapter 392 393. Mine Guards

At this time, Roy took a serious look at the mixed-blood elf girl in front of him, pointed to the bench opposite, and motioned for her to sit down.

"My name is Roy, what's your name?"

"Channing Sidney."

The mixed-blood elf girl was a little nervous, but the expression on her face was maintained well, and she didn't smell of copper.

Roy put down the account book in his hand and asked her:

"You mean this pile can keep the furnace operating normally for about two months?"

Channing kept his breathing as steady as possible, and then explained to Roy: "Well, the furnace can probably smelt fifty carts of ore every day, and there are at least 3,500 carts of ore in this pile."

Roy was silent for a moment, probably after understanding her origins, and asked:

"How many mithril ingots can this furnace smelt every day?"

Qian Ning answered without thinking: "Fifty carts of ore can smelt five mithril ingots with impurities. In addition, there are twenty zinc ingots and fourteen lead ingots."

Roy was a little stunned and asked doubtfully: "Only five yuan? How many magic crystals can a mithril ingot sell for?"

For Roy, too few mithril ingots are smelted every day. How much can five mithril ingots cost? Such a large mithril mine...

"This furnace is too old and has not been maintained for a long time. The inner wall of the crucible is covered with fire crystals formed by the condensation of mineral materials. If it is properly maintained, the production capacity can be increased. The most important thing is that the maintenance cost is very expensive. , and there is no inscription master who can carve the magic pattern array on the furnace on the Pagisto Plateau."

What Qian Ning said was a bit professional, and Roy didn't understand it very well.

However, he felt that if the mine only smelted so few mithril ingots every day, the mine might lose money.

Qian Ning continued: "If sold to the caravan on the Pajisto Plateau, five mithril ingots can be exchanged for twenty magic crystals. After the Partington plane was blocked by the Silver Moon Elf military, the plateau No caravan has come here for a long time. If it is shipped to Padstow City, the price will be higher."

Roy continued to calculate that the magic pattern array of this furnace would consume six magic crystals every day, and there were also so many mining slaves in the mine.

So Roy asked doubtfully: "The furnace burns six magic crystals every day. Doesn't that mean that there are only a dozen magic crystals left in our hands? If we deduct the daily expenses of the mithril mine, what is left in our hands?" How many more magic crystals can there be? I know that this mine maintains a private army, so the monthly expenses must not be too small, right?"

"That means you need to pay those elf warriors a sum of money, which costs about three hundred magic crystals. There is no other expense. The mine is still somewhat profitable." Qian Ning explained in a low voice.

Roy thought of the mixed-blood elves and gray dwarf miners. The mines did not need to pay them wages.

"The profit here is much different from that at the spinel mine..." he couldn't help but say.

If he had known this was the case, he would not have accepted the mine.

Remembering that he wanted to recruit mixed-blood elf miners the day before yesterday, even if he paid each of them one hundred kolers a day, Roy calculated that the smelted mithril ingots were simply not enough to pay the salaries of the mixed-blood elf miners.

Now it's Roy's turn to have a headache. Originally, Roy planned to leave one hundred and fifty mixed-blood elf warriors for this mithril mine, but now it seems that the mithril mine cannot afford one hundred and fifty mixed-blood elves. A warrior's salary.

Then leave a hundred elf warriors. Roy thought secretly in his heart.

Hearing Roy say that the Mithril Mine was far less profitable than the Spinel Mine, Qian Ning seemed to have some disagreement.

"The number of gemstones that can be dug out every day in the spinel mine is very limited, and not every piece of the ore contains spinel. However, there is no need for a furnace over there. Just polish the gemstones. Over there The mining cost is also very high, and only top-grade spinel can be sold at a high price." Qian Ning retorted.

Roy did not pursue the topic further.

He shook his head slightly and sighed: "Such a mithril mine can only smelt five mithril ingots every day, which is much worse than what I expected."

Qian Ning frowned her delicate eyebrows, straightened her delicate waist, and said to Roy unconvinced:

"If the furnace can be replaced with a larger one, the profit can be increased."

Roy said calmly: "No matter what, this mithril mine can only be profitable if it is mined by mining slaves..."

The owner of the Sitney Mine also died because of this, and he died at the hands of a group of Silver Pegasus warriors.

Qian Ning knew that what she said might contradict Roy, but she couldn't help it:

"Although my father bought some mining slaves, he never exploited them. This is why they work honestly in the mines!" She was a little excited and her face was a little red...

"I admit that." Roy nodded and said calmly.

He really felt that the Sitney mine owner was the kindest to the slaves in the mine among the several mine owners he had known.

Roy felt that there was no need to stay in the mine any longer, because even if the mine was operating normally, the daily income and expenditure would be just about the same.

If this mithril mine is shut down, more than seventy gray dwarves can still be taken away...

If these gray dwarves are placed in the mines of the second mine, maybe these gray dwarves will create more wealth...

So he hesitated again, but then he thought that he was going to take over another mithril mine. The mithril mine here should keep operating normally.

Seeing the worried mixed-blood elf girl in front of him, Roy suddenly had a bold idea in his mind, so he asked Qian Ning:

"If you want to find something to do, you can be my assistant. I need someone to help me manage these gray dwarves in the mithril mine. Do you want to give it a try?"

"I...?" Qian Ning pointed to her pointed little nose and asked doubtfully.

Roy nodded.

He was still thinking: at worst, he would stop the Mithril Mine completely in two months and let these gray dwarves dig the spinel mine.

"I do."

Qian Ning agreed with tears of joy.

…

In the mithril mine, Roy looked at the hill-like pile of materials.

One hundred Dark Moon Elf warriors and one hundred and fifty mixed-blood Elf warriors were gearing up outside the mine, but he took another turn in the mithril mine.

Kaka followed Roy with a look of pride on his face. As a young man, he never thought that he would have such an opportunity after coming to Pajisto Plateau...

The smelting workshop did not stop work, and the remaining gray dwarves started working more seriously.

In the furnace with billowing black smoke, hot liquid metal is continuously poured into the mold.

Roy walked up to the high courtyard wall outside the mine, turned around and glanced at young Kaka.

The more than fifty mixed-blood elf warriors recruited in the mithril mine this time all followed him to the second mithril mine.

Roy left behind a hundred mixed-blood elf warriors at the Sudarsonan Mithril Mine.

In fact, this is the limit that the South Mithril Mine can currently bear. Even if all the zinc ingots, lead ingots and Mithril ingots smelted every day are sold, Roy calculated carefully, the daily income and expenditure of the mine will be enough. Fair enough.

After staying at the Sudarsonan Mithril Mine for five days, Roy was ready to take over the second Mithril Mine. He planned to hand over this Mithril Mine to Kaka.

He stopped and said to Kaka: "Kaka, I want you to stay and take care of this place. You don't want to interfere in the daily management of the mine. You just need to help me take care of this mine and the warehouse. The furnace workshop is Leave the side matters to Qian Ning."

Kaka said with some pride: "Don't worry, Roy, I will help you take care of this mithril mine."

There are not many elves that can be trusted around him, otherwise Roy would not leave this matter to Kaka.

Roy thought for a moment and continued to explain to Kaka:

"If there are headhunters from the plateau raiding the mithril mine, if you can't beat them, give up the mine decisively. Don't go head-to-head with those headhunters from the plateau..."

"knew."

Kaka answered with a smile, and then said to Roy:

"Don't worry!"

…

Roy led a group of elven warriors to leave the mithril mine, and it took nearly five days to arrive at the Sudarso North mithril mine.

…

This mithril mine looks like a castle at the foot of a mountain. The stone walls surround a large area of ​​land at the foot of the mountain. Moreover, these walls are actually in the shape of steps. Inside each wall is a green platform. This hillside looks like neat terraces.

The North Mithril Mine is behind this layer of walls.

The fortress of the Mithril Mine is a bit like the seaside castle in Castletown City. It is surrounded by walls dozens of meters high and inside are various buildings connected together.

The castle is not very big, but it is easy to defend and difficult to attack...

This mine obviously failed to block the attack of the Silver Pegasus warriors and was easily captured.

When Roy arrived outside the castle, the hanging door of the castle had already been lowered. A group of Silver Moon Elf warriors surrounded an officer and were waiting at the gate. Roy jumped off his horse, handed the reins to the mixed-blood elf warrior, and then strode towards He walked towards the Silver Moon Elf officer.

He took out the voucher for receiving the mithril mine, gave a military salute to the Silver Moon Elf officer, and said proactively:

"Roy was ordered to come here to take over this mithril mine!"

The officer also took a step forward and said: "My name is Craven, and I am the leader of the guard group here. Everything is normal in the North Mithril Mine. We will start the handover now and try to finish it before dark."

"Okay!" Roy agreed readily.

Roy had experience in taking over the mithril mine this time. He did not let the mixed elf warriors enter the castle, but waited outside the gate...

He himself followed Captain Craven and walked into the castle.

Roy first got the mine's account book from Captain Craven, and then checked the various material notes in the account book one by one. In the end, he did not see any record of mithril ingots.

Captain Craven kept reminding Roy that by letting his elf warriors enter the castle, they could hand over positions and dock supplies at the same time.

Roy smiled and did not agree to Captain Craven's suggestion.

At the end of the investigation, the materials in the account book completely matched those in the warehouse.

Roy placed the account book on a table, and then smiled lightly at Captain Craven:

"Where are the mithril ingots from the North Mithril Mine? To continue operating, the mine needs those mithril ingots..."

He said it very directly.

Captain Craven's handsome face, which was smiling just a second ago, instantly stiffened. He stared deeply at Roy and did not answer Roy's question.

Roy looked calm and continued to say to Captain Craven:

"If you must take away the batch of mithril ingots from the mine, the family members of the mine owner who are stranded in the mine will also go with you."

Then Roy added in his heart: 'You can't get the benefits, but leave the troubles to me! ’

Captain Craven looked a little ugly. He was unwilling to hand over the mithril ingots, and it was impossible for him to take away the family members of the mine owner.

According to the news from the military headquarters, their guard group needs to quickly withdraw from the Pagisto Plateau.

If you bring a group of mine owners' families with you, you won't know how much trouble there will be along the way.

More importantly, if they were delayed on the road, the military department would have no way of explaining it.

Captain Craven said: "Those mithril ingots were designated by the military to be taken away. As for the family members of the mine owners in the mine, I can't take them away."

Roy's mixed-blood elf warriors did not enter the mithril mine, and Captain Craven was unable to get the elf warriors of the guard group to withdraw.

Roy turned around and walked out, saying as he walked: "I'll give you one night to think about it. If you can't meet my requirements, then I will go around here and take over the next mine."

Captain Craven watched helplessly as Roy walked to the gate of the castle, with no intention of stopping.

He hurriedly caught up and said to Roy from behind: "I can't take them away, but I can leave half of the mithril ingots for you!"

Roy then stopped and said:

"This mine will be shut down for some time to come. I want to maintain the mine and need some funds."

"Work stoppage?"

Captain Craven was a little confused. Everything was normal in the mine, so why would it stop working under Roy's control?

"According to Earl Swinburne's battle plan, we entered the Pagisto Plateau in order to rescue the mixed-blood elf slaves on the plateau who were oppressed by the mine owners. So the first thing I did when I took over the Mithril Mine was Release all the half-blood elf miners," Roy said to Captain Craven.

"..."

Seeing that Captain Craven was still hesitating, Roy turned around and walked out of the castle gate...

Captain Craven became a little anxious and chased after Roy and shouted:

"No need to think about it. I can leave the mithril ingots for you, but my guard team will withdraw from the North Mithril Mine tonight!"

Roy stopped then, turned around and said to Captain Craven calmly:

"Can."

Roy successfully took over the second mithril mine, and at this time the total number of elf warriors guarding his mines reached one thousand elf warriors.