Brent Stalmeyer was an experienced foreman, an expert in mining operations and mineral extraction. For decades, his business had been striking ore, and striking it rich. He had experience in many locations across the Grandom continent. Wherever rare metals could be found, Stalmeyer had the nose to sniff it out. His success in areas of the Ubora Desert, the Arkari Peaks, and in the Fontwell Span gave him quite the reputation.

  He had not a perfect prediction rate, but bits of intel had led him into the Murok Mountains for his next big hit. It was then upon arriving did he find that Nocturne Castle had people living it in once again, a massive inconvenience for his mining endeavors. Several months ago, he was barely permitted access to sample the mountain rock – one that came from the threat of forcefully gaining legal access.

  Part of him wanted the sample to dud. He didn't want to bother with Marin, who made it clear that he was not in favor of mining. Yet, in some twisted fate, Brent was presented statistics that had him shocked beyond belief.

  It was a cloudy afternoon in the Murok Mountains as Brent Stalmeyer ran to Nocturne Castle with a bundle of research findings in his arms. Upon arrival at the main office, he demanded to meet with the King immediately, and anyone else who held power in decision making.

  Helva remembered him. That bushy mustache covering his entire mouth could not be easily forgotten. He still sported a plaid shirt under a long leather coat. Perhaps the same shirt from last time. Instead of the fierce demeanor he gave off before, this new Stalmeyer that held a bundle of papers had a more desperate look in his eyes this time around.

  What news he brought, Helva could only speculate. The King was summoned, and after Marin wrapped up his existing meetings, he was informed of the return of the loathed miner.

  Marin followed a servant back to the main office, where Helva waited with Stalmeyer.

  "Mr. Stalmeyer," King Marin greeted in a less than enthusiastic tone. "What brings you to the castle this morning?"

  "Mr. Marin, I have news of-"

  "That's King Marin," Helva corrected.

  Marin raised a hand. "It's okay."

  Helva Yoren, Marin's beloved secretary, demanded that others treat him as the King that he was. This was even more so now that RAM had officially recognized Marin with the formal title.

  Marin knew that, but subtly reiterated that titles were never necessary, and something he did not desire to be held to in a usual sense.

  "Ah, right. Forgive me, King Marin," Stalmeyer responded. "I have extensive news to share with you on the state of the land below your castle. If you'd give me the time of day, I'd love to go over these findings with you."

  Marin had hoped that the mining foreman wouldn't bother him again, but he had crawled back, and likely would plead to wreck the surrounding land some more.

  Marin didn't respond right away, but Helva had a look of wonder in her eyes.

  "What have you discovered?" She asked, taking the reins of the conversation.

  "Ah, well. These charts will speak for themselves. You're sitting on a rather large deposit," Stalmeyer carefully admitted.

  "Of course we are," Marin snapped back. "And that gives you reason to turn my beloved mountains to swiss, right?"

  Stalmeyer had a stunned look. It was an unexpected remark.

  Marin's feelings slipped out in a rather unprofessional manner. Helva raced over to Marin by walking around her desk.

  "Marin," she said softly with her back turned to the miner. "I think we ought to hear him out."

  "Do you?" Marin aggressively said.

  At that moment, Loid entered the office as well. He was met with a meeting of sorts unfolding in the main office, and he began to question the situation.

  After some back and forth with the administration and the King, Helva demanded a formal meeting in the private room at the end of the hall. Reluctantly, Marin had to accept with no other choice.

  With the door closed, Marin, Loid, Helva, Harrel, and Brent Stalmeyer sat around a table.

  "Present your findings," Helva instructed.

  With Marin's blatant dislike of the situation, Helva took charge in the meeting.

  Stalmeyer accepted, and began to unravel the papers that had been in his clutch the entire time. As they unrolled, countless stats and graphs were drawn and written out upon them. Extensive analysis of Murok's samples had been conducted, and the results were staggering.

  "Before you is information on the samples of the ground surrounding Nocturne Castle," Stalmeyer began, pointing to information on the large scrolls. "We had taken these samples to our labs for analysis."

  "I recall," Helva spoke.

  "Yes. Well," Stalmeyer chuckled, "Let's just say, what we've found had us all questioning if our instruments were working correctly. The samples read some of the highest concentrations of mythril ore and shaconium that I've seen in my career. That's not even all of it. Deeper in the ground, there's a high chance of Ebony and Truesteel. We're talking millions of gold worth of rare metals, potentially. Maybe tens of millions, if fully tapped."

  Stalmeyer appeared to be sweating, his pulse racing, as if talk of these minerals had excited him to some absurd level.

  "The makeup of these mountains is almost entirely slate," he went on, his bushy mustache waving with each syllable. "That's easy to mine into. We'll likely hit granite though several hundred feet in, and that will be more tedious. But the potential fortune we're looking at, whew, it's gonna be a prize."

  Stalmeyer's heart wasn't the only one racing. Loid, Helva and Harrel, were all greatly pleased with the news.

  Everyone in the room was excited, that was, except Marin.

  They all looked to him, who was unmoved.

  "What is the accuracy of these findings?" Marin asked skeptically.

  "Very high. It's not guaranteed, but these results cannot be ignored. I've been in the mining business for thirty years now, I've searched across the land, and-"

  "Then keep searching. You present me with these hazy statistics that can't be entirely relied on. I have no proof or evidence that your labs are even trustworthy. You may very well be hoping these numbers are correct. But I won't risk the state of my land to find out," Marin harshly responded.

  Helva could not believe what she heard. Loid either, for that matter. This was a chance to bring a solid income into the Kingdom, and Marin was actively refusing it.

  No, a debate was going to unfold over this, but Helva had enough respect for Marin to not have Stalmeyer witness it.

  "Mr. Stalmeyer, would you leave the room and wait in the hallway?" Helva asked.

  Stalmeyer agreed, and headed for the door. He opened it, and closed it behind him.

  Helva immediately began when he had removed himself.

  "Marin, what are you doing?!" She demanded.

  "I have no intention of hosting a mining operation at my Kingdom!" Marin responded.

  "Did you hear him?!" Loid interjected as well. "MILLIONS of GOLD worth! Sullivan, this is our chance to fix our financial problems!"

  "You heard him, it's not guaranteed," Marin spoke. "Big machinery bellowing pollutants into the air as it turns our beautiful and natural mountains into a hideous mining site. All at the risk of it being in vain. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

  Stolen story; please report.

  "How about it happens ANYWAYS after the Kingdom runs out of funding and we dissolve?!" Loid thunderously questioned. "After we go bankrupt, Stalmeyer will happily mine away with nothing stopping him!"

  "Besides that," Harrel spoke. "We're not talking a fifty-fifty chance here. This is a very safe risk with a high probability. Not a coin toss."

  "Even if it be entirely guaranteed, the payment for mineral extraction is more than I'd like to bare," Marin responded.

  "WHY?!" Loid demanded.

  "You all would not understand," Marin spoke, finally coming to terms that only he had such a tie to and appreciation of the mountains that he dwelt in.

  "I am these mountains. And seeing them defiled in such a way would be as if my own body were as well," Marin admitted.

  Well, that was some information that had not been revealed before. The three of Marin's leaders were now coming to terms that Marin had some borderline unhealthy relationship with the terrain around him.

  Loid had to calm down and talk his King through this. It was apparent that this was more than just being stubborn.

  "Why would that be the case?" Loid asked as he sat back down.

  "I don't know. I can't explain why. Perhaps it is from memories of my life before. Perhaps deep within me, there was something I knew about Murok that I can't remember, and my mind is just barely telling me that this is a bad idea."

  "What could be in the mountains, Marin? A shrine? A sacred spot? A secret stash or location?" Helva tried. She knew nothing of the sorts, and she had been living in these mountains as well all her life.

  Marin just shook his head. "I… Any of that is possible. I just… can't… remember."

  Loid was entirely intent on swaying Marin. And he had just the thought to help him with that.

  "Listen, Sullivan. This is that reason. You knew there were metals in the ground of great value, and you sought to guard and protect them. Does that sound right?" Loid asked.

  Marin thought greatly to himself on what drew him to the Murok Mountains to begin with. He believed it was the isolation, but there were many spots of isolation much better suited to a castle. Why these mountains specifically?

  Marin shook his head. "...If that were the case, then I am actively going against what I stood for."

  "You're not going against yourself. You are for yourself. And all of us. These are your minerals, this is your land. Even RAM has recognized it. You were guarding these metals to use for your citizens one day. Your family."

  Marin sat silently. He remained quiet for a moment, and folded his hands together.

  "Your efforts of manipulation aren't going unnoticed, Loid. I see what you're doing," he finally spoke.

  Loid opened his hands in a gesture of good will. "I'm speaking plainly! Is what I'm saying not making sense to you?"

  "You clearly have your opinion on what decision I should make. And your words are belittling to me."

  "Forgive me for pointing out facets that clearly align with your explanation to us! Listen to me, Marin. We are running out of gold, and will go bankrupt in a few years at the current rate. This is our ticket to success!"

  "We can find another way," Marin said, not budging.

  "THERE IS NO OTHER WAY!" Loid bellowed out.

  Helva and Harrel sat in silence. The only one who could get through to the King now was Loid, but it was beginning to appear that his efforts wouldn't be enough.

  Marin hated to imagine his beautiful, tranquil mountains transformed into some steampunk mining exploit. The mountains were like sleeping giants to him – large, peaceful sentinels that protected his castle and to and extent, himself. To allow greedy miners the ability to defile them in such a way was failing them.

  He'd fail to protect them as they protected him. As ridiculous as that mindset was, Marin possessed it. And on this day, he would have to overcome it. Because Loid was right.

  He hated that Loid was right. There were no other practical options for generating revenue, and his Kingdom and citizens of course would have to be put first, even beyond what was comforting to him.

  Marin finally spoke again.

  "I see that all three of you feel the same way. You all feel that clearly, this is the only path for us," Marin began.

  They all shook their heads. Marin sighed.

  "As much as I loathe to come to acceptance, I must. I must for the good of the Kingdom and my people, I understand that. It pains me greatly. In a great sense, that you all will never understand. But I don't expect you to, nor would I expect you to feel somber for me. I recognize this is an irrational burden I bear, and it's mine alone to overcome.

  I approve of the mining project. Though I will not be speaking again of this matter for some time. Call the foreman back in, and orchestrate a deal. I leave these dealings in your hands, as I have not the strength to negotiate terms without becoming ill. Instead, I will remain here, silent, watching and listening."

  There was a long pause. All three of them stared at Marin, bewildered at his words. Marin refused to look at any of them.

  "PLEASE! Call Stalmeyer back in and make dealings!" Marin ordered again.

  Loid got the picture. He stood up, and went for the door, bringing Brent Stalmeyer back into the room. As they all sat back down, Loid understood that this subject was far too sensitive for Marin to handle, and that Helva and him would have to talk out the plans for this project on their own.

  Loid was proud that Marin finally came to terms, and wouldn't remain unreasonable. It was at great cost to him though, and Loid agreed, he would never understand why the untouched state of the mountains was so important to Marin.

  "Mr. Stalmeyer," Loid began. "After some intense discussion, we've decided that we are interested in some mining opportunities."

  Stalmeyer began to wonder why Loid was addressing him rather than the King. When he looked to Marin, he remained stalwart with his arms crossed. To him it seemed that Marin had lost the argument.

  "Okay. Good!" Stalmeyer responded. "There's several ways we can do this, but I'd say we go for the simplest. Leave all the mining operations to me, and I think it'd be fair to split the profits fifty-fifty."

  That sounded reasonable enough to Loid. If all the worry of mineral extraction was left to Stalmeyer and his team, the fact that Nocturne would get half of all earnings for just allowing them to operate seemed good.

  Helva laughed. "Absolutely NOT!"

  Suddenly, Loid was questioning if it was a good deal after all.

  "Maybe you haven't heard, Mr. Stalmeyer, but under RAM law, we now have full ownership of the land. If you think for a second we would give you half of everything in the ground, especially since we're the ones paying huge taxes, you'd be sorely mistaken!" Helva fired off.

  "I'm well aware," Stalmeyer regrettably said under his breath, addressing Nocturne's recent Kingdom status. The ruling meant that he no longer had leverage to make a strong deal for himself.

  "No no, I'm thinking five percent. That will give you-"

  Stalmeyer stood up, entirely insulted by what entered his ears. "FIVE?!" He yelled so loud, his mustache nearly flew off his face.

  "If the amount you're claiming in the ground is true, then even one percent is a fortune. You should consider that a fair deal," Helva exclaimed.

  "I-I-I will never settle for such a tiny fraction of what I discovered!" He demanded, his face going red.

  "That's fine, we'll just hire our own miners and do the extraction ourselves," Helva easily responded. "Then, we'll pay them a glorified living wage and pocket one hundred percent."

  Helva was ruthless.

  Loid didn't know if even Marin would've had the brains to negotiate as well as she did. He knew he didn't. He almost agreed to a fifty percent deal. How dumb he felt now.

  "Now listen here!" Stalmeyer continued to spar, not letting himself be defeated so easily.

  "I am the best around these parts. MY crew are the most talented and experienced metal extractors on the entire continent. And if you think for a second that any of them would work for you without my say so, YOU'D be sorely mistaken!"

  "So then take the five percent, and let's be done with it," Helva tried.

  "That's too little!"

  "You won't convince me that there aren't other capable miners who can do the job."

  Stalmeyer scoffed. "Of course there are. But I can guarantee you that lesser workers will botch and destroy much of the delicate materials in the ground. Some of these metals need to be expertly extracted. We aren't mining coal and iron here. These are functional-"

  "Ten percent," Marin suddenly spoke.

  They all looked to him in shock.

  "F-fifteen! I'd need at least fifteen to-"

  "Ten percent to start, and if I see that you mine to our regulations, and do a delicate job, not a sloppy one, I will raise you to fifteen within a year," Marin responded.

  "What regulations are you talking about?!"

  "I want your crew to respect the land, keep emissions at a minimum, and bury mining sites when finished. If you can handle that, I can respect giving you a larger cut."

  "I have no guarantee that you'll-"

  "Then walk out that door, Mr. Stalmeyer," Marin spoke. "To be honest, I never wanted you in here to begin with."

  These are some cutthroat people, Stalmeyer thought to himself.

  There would be no other negotiating. It was clear that the King of Nocturne loathed any mining operation, for whatever reason.

  Ten percent would still be a lot of money. Enough to fund all the operations on his own, pay his workers generously, and still be rolling in cash after all that.

  If he ever did get to fifteen percent, that would just be extra cushioning in his own pockets.

  He knew fifty percent would have never happened. He had hoped to settle on twenty-five, but fifteen… Fifteen he could work with.

  Brent Stalmeyer stood up.

  "...King Marin, you have a deal."