Master of Dominion-Chapter 42:Mine 2
After digging for hours straight, Xaphxan couldn’t help but curse in his mind as he watched Rael dig without rest, giving him only two thirty-minute breaks the entire time.
He massaged his palms, already sporting a few blisters from the relentless hacking at rocks.
’A fruitless endeavor... yes, completely fruitless. Why the hell is he searching for metal instead of setting up more countermeasures for the Withered Nights? ’Xaphxan thought bitterly, popping one of the blisters on his palm. ’An iron fence? Metallic fortifications? How does he even plan to melt the metal? This is a complete waste of time. Why did the heavens put me in this kind of situation?’
Of course, he kept all of that to himself. He knew full well his face might get slapped if he spoke a single complaint out loud something that had already happened a few hours ago. Besides, it wasn’t that bad. Working under an unreasonable boss who didn’t seem to know his priorities was still far better than being used alive by that god-damned cult.
"Xaphxan."
Rael’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Xaphxan groaned inwardly, already assuming his thirty minutes of rest were over, and reluctantly reached for the pickaxe again.
Rael called out once more, this time with a hint of excitement in his tone.
"No come here quick. Look at this."
"Hm? Yes, boss," Xaphxan replied, hurrying over to where Rael stood, his muscular torso exposed and drenched in sweat. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺
"Look," Rael said with a smile. "You know what that is?"
He pointed at the reddish rock embedded in the cavern wall and glanced at Xaphxan expectantly.
"A red rock," Xaphxan replied thoughtfully.
Rael sighed, fighting the urge to smack the back of his head.
"It’s metal. Limonite. What we’ve been looking for," Rael corrected him. But still seeing the continued bewilderment on Xaphxan’s face at the unfamiliar word, he clicked his tongue. "It’s fucking iron ore. Now help me dig it out, tsk."
Rael barked the last part in annoyance, making Xaphxan flinch as he hurriedly joined him in hacking at the reddish rock. Rael gradually calmed down, excitement overtaking irritation. As they dug deeper, he noticed rusty yellowish dust mixed with the red stone, which made his eyes narrow.
This isn’t just limonite...’ he knew all this since in his past life he had once invested in ore .
The suspicion was soon confirmed when the quest log notified him that two resource points had been discovered. Rael couldn’t help but feel his luck turning. Iron and copper were the exact components needed to craft the Ashen Claws.
...
After several more minutes of hacking, a five-foot-wide vein of red rock was exposed. And even more of the rusty dust spilled free, confirming that copper ore lay nearby.
Rael turned to Xaphxan, who was drenched in sweat, hunched over his pickaxe and clearly on the verge of collapse.
A small pang of pity stirred in Rael’s chest. Because unlike him, an Aether warrior who could endure this strain, Xaphxan was a spellcaster and a weak one at that.
"Alright, that’s enough for you," Rael said. "Go to the elves ,Ayobe specifically. Tell her I want her to redraw the boundary ward sigil using the trees beyond the fences."
He had been thinking of additional fortifications. Doubling the array into two defensive layers might just make the difference, assuming it was even possible.
"What? Them?" Xaphxan exclaimed, eyes widening. "But... boss, how am I supposed to convince them to do that?"
"You won’t need to," Rael replied flatly. "Just tell her to do it. I’ll be here for a while, and I’m sure they understand how important it will be. Now go."
"Bu—" Xaphxan stopped short, catching the look on Rael’s face,the very one that always preceded a slap.
"Yes, sir. I’ll go do that," he said through gritted teeth, forcing a pleasant tone.
Rael watched him leave the cavern, a faint glint in his eyes. Was he worried Xaphxan might run? A little. But he doubted the man was that stupid well at least, he hoped he wasn’t.
Glancing at the Tier 3 quest, Rael frowned when he saw it still remained incomplete.
"Hmmm... looks like one or all of them isn’t willing yet," he muttered. "Tsk. Probably that cranky redhead."
Xaphxan cursed under his breath as he trudged back toward the compound. For a fleeting moment, the thought crossed his mind that this might be his chance to escape but escape to where? Other human territories? He had no idea how far he would have to go, nor could he trust that Rael was foolish enough to let him wander off without some kind of backup plan for an eventual betrayal.
’Who knows? Maybe he planted some kind of Aether bomb or poison in me something that’ll blow the moment he realizes I’m gone,’ Xaphxan thought, his imagination running wild. After all, Rael had somehow placed a "seal" on him before, one that had seized his Aether entirely.
"Huff..."
He took a deep breath and wiped the sweat from his brow, as old memories surfaced. His teenage years as a notorious thief flashed through his mind. Back then, he had believed himself free ,free to choose, free to steal, free to spend as he pleased. Freedom of will. Freedom of action. All things he clearly lacked now.
His eyes hardened.
’My life would’ve been perfect if not for that bitch. What the fuck was I thinking, falling in love with such a whore?’ he spat inwardly, slamming his fist against a nearby tree. Causing pain to shoot through his hand, forcing a sharp hiss from his lips.
Even so, a part of him loathed himself for that line of thought. He had been just a kid an adolescent overflowing with youthful ideas and reckless vigor. Being manipulated at that age didn’t seem so unforgivable when he looked back on it now.
"Hah..." He let out a dry laugh. "Guess I don’t really have a choice. Not like I ever did."
He was in the same boat as that bullying boss of his and those three witches now.
"Ah, shit... what do I even say to them? How do I say it?" Xaphxan muttered, nerves creeping up his spine at the thought of facing Iyvre and her sisters alone.
.....
While Xaphxan made his way back to the territory, Iyvre and her sisters decided to make themselves useful by scouting different zones within and beyond the fences where they could mount booby traps which was one of their specialties. Still, they planned on waiting for Rael to return before setting anything up, as they lacked the necessary tools. For now, they simply enjoyed the feeling of Aether flowing freely through their veins again as they sat atop trees a few meters from the compound, conversing quietly.
"If we could make a spiked ditch around the fences, that might help as well," Ayobe suggested from where she sat.
"Shouldn’t be a bad idea," Yasmin replied nonchalantly, eyes closed as she sat cross-legged. "But I’m not doing the digging."
"Huff, whatever," Ayobe scoffed, then sighed. "I wonder how Miss Valerie is... and where she could be."
Her words made both Yasmin and Iyvre turn to her with strange expressions,something that didn’t go unnoticed.
"What?" Ayobe asked.
"You know... Miss Valerie should be the least of our concerns for now," Iyvre answered, stretching her arms.
"Why would you say that?" Ayobe snapped. "We all know if she were in our shoes, we’d be on her mind constantly. Don’t be so ungrateful."
"Yeah, right," Yasmin muttered mockingly.
Ayobe frowned. "What was that?" She then narrowed her eyes. "What are you two not telling me?"
She turned to Yasmin.
"Don’t look at me. She’s the one hiding it," Yasmin said innocently, raising her hands and pointing at Iyvre.
Ayobe’s gaze shifted immediately as Iyvre massaged her temples.
"Come on, sis," Ayobe pressed, worry creeping into her voice. "Are you really hiding something from me? Was... Lady Valerie captured, or worse de—"
"No. She wasn’t," Iyvre cut her off with a sigh.
"Come,Sit down," she said gently.
Ayobe obeyed, her expression tense.
"What I’m about to tell you is the truth and only the truth. Neither I nor your hot-headed sister," she glanced at Yasmin, "would ever lie to you. We only try to spare you from harsh truths."
Ayobe swallowed. "What truths?"
"You remember when i snuck into the Ivy Tower to steal that scroll?" Iyvre asked.
Ayobe nodded slowly.
"I... I saw Miss Valerie conversing with Donmar," Iyvre continued. "And not as enemies but like old friends would."
"No... no, it could’ve just been a negotiation," Ayobe said hurriedly. "She was on the back foot among Ashwood’s nobility. She was probably trying to avoid a war."
Iyvre pulled her into an embrace.
"We both know there’s no negotiating with fanatics," Yasmin said quietly. "And Iyvre didn’t just see them,she heard them. The sabotage, the ambushes, the assassinations... all of it was her doing. As much as I hate the elders, she went too far in her greed and ambition."
Ayobe trembled, trying to respond.
"But—"
"No buts," Yasmin cut in, her voice heavy. "Even I confirmed it. Zarack, well he’s dead now ,told me the ambush that nearly killed us with the caravan was also her doing. That means she knew we’d be there. She just didn’t care."
She patted Ayobe’s back softly.
"It’s just us now," Iyvre added.
"Huh,excuse me?"A voice called from below.
Both Yasmin and Iyvre frowned and glared downward at the unfortunate owner of the voice, who couldn’t help but curse his timing.
