Lord: I can see loyalty.

The "Warning" indicator on Ronan's screen remained active throughout his recounting of the past.

The king of the forest may have been genuinely generous, but Vio could not fully trust him.

The bonfire feast continued until late at night. The Cooper warriors and knights gradually relaxed under the influence of alcohol and exhaustion, and shouts and snores filled the air.

Vio only closed his eyes for a short rest in the empty treehouse assigned to them, but he did not fall asleep completely, constantly sensing every movement in the village.

He didn't get up until dawn broke and the first birdsong echoed through the woods.

Led by Albright, the group quickly and quietly left the Cooper village. The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the group returned to Savannah village at a rapid pace.

"Glen." At the village entrance, Vio called out to the militia captain beside him.

"grown ups?"

"You and your militia will stay here for now." Vio's gaze swept over the makeshift low wall and the lush green forest in the distance. "Just defend. Do not venture further without my orders. If the enemy numbers too many, immediately call for reinforcements."

Glenn paused for a moment, then pounded his chest with his right fist: "Yes, Your Excellency."

Vio nodded, left some supplies and Galto behind, and then led the Knights and Valentine and the others on their way back to Portol without stopping.

Bordeaux, Château de la Cité.

In the study, piles of official documents formed a small mountain on the corner of the desk, and Vio, who hadn't slept all night, could only keep rubbing his temples.

Gina held a steaming ceramic cup in her hand and stood to the side. She gently placed the cup on the desk in front of Vio. Inside was a refreshing herb tea, a specialty of the Southern Territory.

"What do you think of Ronan, the King of the Forest?" Her voice was calm as she organized the documents for Vio.

Vio picked up his teacup, feeling the warmth in his palm, and shook his head: "This guy doesn't completely trust us, and we can't completely believe what he says."

Gina didn't press further, only giving a soft "hmm." After a while, she spoke again, changing the subject: "News has come back from the new mine deep in the desert... The first batch of miners returned safely, and they brought back special minerals."

Vio raised an eyebrow, his tired expression slightly improving. "Found it?"

"Yes, it arrived at the Earl's Castle today, just as we're heading back," Gina explained simply, while retrieving her teacup.

"Vincent!" Vio paused, then raised his voice.

The captain of the personal guard immediately appeared at the door: "My lord?"

"Bring me the special minerals you brought back from the mine so I can take a look."

"Yes!" Vincent accepted the order, turned around, and quickly left.

Before long, Vincent returned carrying a tray lined with soft linen.

To Vio's surprise, the old mage Valentine followed him like a shadow, his white eyebrows almost knotted together, muttering incantations.

Upon entering the study, he went straight past the desk to the minerals placed on it, completely ignoring Vio.

Vio reluctantly put down his teacup: "Uncle, what's wrong with you...?"

"Quiet!" Valentine said without looking up, his withered fingers tracing the mineral. "Right here! This magic content, tsk..."

He finally snapped out of his daze, glanced at Vio, straightened up a bit, and shook his head: "That kid."

He pointed at Vincent, who looked completely innocent, and said, "You insisted that I watch this thing, which interrupted my train of thought."

Vio could only offer an awkward smile, his gaze immediately falling on the center of the tray, whereupon his eyes lit up.

It wasn't the rough ore he had imagined. The ore was about the size of an adult man's fist, and the rough texture of the rock surface revealed a deep dark purple color.

What is striking is that deep within the cracks of these patterns, a stable, pale purple halo is emanating.

"This is... ore?" Vio reached out and carefully picked it up.

A slight coolness came from my palm, and it felt lighter than it looked.

"Ore? Hmph." Valentine finally turned his attention to Vio, his tone brimming with barely concealed excitement. "Kid, this isn't ordinary ore or a lump of rock! If my old eyes aren't mistaken, this thing is magic ore! An extremely rare ore containing magical power throughout the entire kingdom!"

He leaned closer, pointing to the patterns and glow inside the crystal: "Look at the color, look at the light! Within the kingdom, there are only a handful of places that are recorded as being able to stably produce magic crystals of this level!"

"Aside from those dangerous places in the north that have been occupied by ice, snow and dragons, the largest is the Anyin Mountains in the east of the kingdom, and..." He paused, looking at Vio meaningfully, "...that is, the depths of our southern desert."

"Moreover, the eastern mines have been producing less and less over the past decade, and the quality has declined significantly. The piece you have is of quite good quality!"

Vio gently weighed the purple crystal in his hand. The subtle light within it seemed to flow with his movements, and he understood the value of this thing.

"Uncle, according to you, what exactly can this thing be used for?" he asked the most crucial question. "Besides selling it to the nobles in the capital who are keen on collecting, or providing it to mages as a wand?"

Valentine's eyes widened, then he gave Valentine a look that said, "Finally, you've asked a decent question," and answered, "Forging!"

"Whether used as a material for weapons or as an auxiliary material, magic ore is the best of the best!"

The old mage grew more and more excited as he spoke, pacing back and forth in his study: "And that's just in terms of weapons and armor! It can also be used to set up portable magic arrays, create high-level magic items... If the legends are true, then there really are magic veins deep in the desert, which is far more than just wealth."

"It can strengthen your army, but of course... it will also cause trouble. You'd better use it before the news gets out."

Vio stared at the ore in his hand, which contained a purple light, and felt a cool touch on his fingertips.

The ancient threat deep in the forest has not been eradicated, the pirates of the west are eyeing the land covetously, and the gaze of the capital city may not have been far away either.

If there really is a magic ore vein, then many problems can be easily solved.

He gently placed the magic ore back on the tray, and the faint purple light continued to flow. The study fell silent again, with only the sound of the wind outside the window.

Valentine stroked his beard, his gaze shifting between the ore and Vio, wondering what decision his friend's son, the young count, would make.

"Vincent, send a messenger." Vio glanced at the captain of his personal guard and continued, "Have Ansquie lead half of the knights to garrison deep in the desert, and at the same time offer the miners high prices to keep them mining."

"If they insist on leaving, send members of the Brotherhood to follow them; of course, it's best not to let them leave."