Early the next morning, after breakfast, Lucas, Mina, and Ayesha boarded the carriage back to Sedona City.
This time, without the beastkin slowing them down, it only took them half an hour to safely arrive at Sedona City.
Upon returning to the castle, Lucas began a busy day. He had many things to handle, such as technological reforms and translating the books brought over from Earth. He had to handle all of this personally.
Mina went to the warehouse at the Research Department to arrange for people to transport saltpeter to the road construction site.
......
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
High above the Forbidden Mountain Range, a figure flew straight toward Sedona City.
"I'm slower than expected."
That figure was Roman, the birdkin returning from deep within the Forbidden Mountain Range.
According to the original plan, he should have arrived back at Sedona City by yesterday evening. But halfway through the flight, he hadn't paid attention to the backpack on his back, and one of the ore stones inside fell out. The stone dropped into the wild forest below. Left with no choice, Roman had to land and search for it. This search took over three hours, naturally delaying his schedule. He had to spend the night in a large tree in the mountain forest.
The next day, before the sky was even fully bright, Roman got up and resumed his journey. It wasn't until now that he flew out of the Forbidden Mountain Range.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Roman finally spotted Sedona City's Air Force Base and flew toward it.
He circled above it once before landing inside. Trespassing at the Air Force Base was strictly forbidden; otherwise, one would be greeted by crossbows.
"Captain," The soldier on guard duty ran over and saluted Roman.
"Where is Lord Tony?" Roman had a serious expression on his face.
"He's—" Before the soldier could answer, a voice came from behind.
"Roman, is the team alright?" Tony walked over with two medics.
"They're fine..." Roman saluted Tony and gave a brief summary of the situation, which made Tony breathe a sigh of relief.
"Take the items straight to the castle and hand them to Lord Lucas," Tony didn't bother looking at what was inside the bag.
"Yes." Roman saluted again, spread his wings, and flew toward the castle.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
A few minutes later, Roman arrived above the inner castle of Sedona City and circled. He had to be identified before being allowed to land; anyone daring to trespass would be shot to death by a barrage of arrows.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Immediately, a birdkin on guard duty flew up into the sky. He clearly recognized Roman and hastily shouted, "It's Roman!"
"Mhm." Roman nodded and then asked in a deep voice, "Is the City Lord in?"
"He is. He just returned this morning." The birdkin nodded.
They had seen the City Lord's exclusive carriage parked inside the castle early in the morning. Lord Lucas, Lady Mina, and Lady Ayesha had all returned.
"Good. I have an urgent matter to report," Roman said deeply.
"Go on down." The birdkin nodded and flew down first to notify the guards.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...
Roman spread his wings and landed on the platform. He stepped off and headed toward the backyard, bumping into Mina halfway there.
After a moment's thought, he called out a greeting, "Lady Mina."
Mina, who had just returned from the Research Department and was on her way to the study to find Lucas, was stopped.
"Roman, you're back. How are Freya and the others? Are they okay?" Mina frowned and asked. Her first thought was whether an accident had occurred.
"They are fine. Lady Freya asked me to bring some things back," Roman quickly replied.
"Alright, follow me." Mina sighed in relief and led the way to the study.
"Yes." Roman hugged the backpack and followed behind Mina.
Knock, knock, knock...
"Master, Freya had someone bring something back," Mina knocked on the study door and pushed it open after receiving permission.
Creak!!
"Are the tasks handled?" Lucas asked.
"Mhm, I've arranged for the saltpeter to be transported over." Mina nodded and simultaneously took the backpack from Roman's hands, beginning to inspect it.
"What is the current situation with the exploration team?" Lucas asked Roman.
"We have completed one-third of the exploration progress..." Roman respectfully reported on the mission.
Exploring the Forbidden Mountain Range had saved them more than half the time because the birdkin were guiding them from the sky, allowing them to find the most optimal routes.
"Oh! Looks like you'll be entering the core zone soon." The corners of Lucas's mouth curled up. It seemed that in a while longer, they would clear a path through the Forbidden Mountain Range and open a route to the other side.
"Master, this is a letter." Mina handed the envelope over.
"Mhm." Lucas took the letter and began reading. His brows furrowed as he read, and he muttered to himself, "Strange stones?"
"Is it this?" Hearing this, Mina pulled two stones out of the backpack.
Lucas took one of the stones from the cat-eared girl's hands and examined it carefully. His brows furrowed slightly. Especially when he saw the green glow from the cross-section, a guess immediately formed in his mind.
"Master, what kind of stone is this? The color is quite unique." Mina held the other stone, turning it over and over, thinking the green part looked quite pretty.
"It should be rough Kryptonite," Lucas said in a deep voice. Then he took out a flashlight from his drawer and shone it directly into the fractured surface.
As the intense light hit it, the green portion of the stone's fracture reflected a brilliant emerald glow, looking extremely beautiful.
"Rough Kryptonite? What's that?" Mina was a bit confused; it was her first time hearing the term.
"It's a type of ore, but it is extremely rare, so it's very precious." The smile on Lucas's face didn't fade.
"An ore? What's it used for?" Mina widened her eyes, staring at the Kryptonite in her hand.
"It's a decorative item, similar to a gemstone. It can fetch astronomical prices," Lucas continued.
"But I don't see anything extraordinary about it, other than its slightly unique color," Mina said, playing with the stone in her hand.
"Wait until I have someone process it and cut the Kryptonite out; then you'll understand." The corners of Lucas's mouth curled up. It seemed he could build some hype around this Kryptonite and turn it into the new favorite luxury item among the nobles.
"Roman, tell Jones and the others to investigate the area where this stone was found on their way back. Bring more back when they return," Lucas instructed Roman, wanting to confirm if there was a Kryptonite vein there.
"Yes," Roman respectfully agreed.
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