Chapter 133: The Price of a Lie

The air in the study was somewhat stifling.

The only sound was the occasional crackle of wood in the fireplace.

Lia sat behind the wide mahogany desk.

Before her stood five middle-aged men dressed in neat long robes.

These individuals were the quickest learners among the newly recruited accountants for the Farrien family.

Each held a thick ledger in their hands, fine beads of sweat forming on their foreheads, yet none dared to raise a hand to wipe them away.

“Have you mastered the methods?”

Lia stopped her rhythmic tapping on the desk.

As that crisp clicking sound vanished, the room was left with only the sporadic pops of the firewood.

The men straightened their backs even further.

The leader—let’s call him Old John—had worked in this industry for thirty years, yet at this moment, he looked like a novice who had just entered an apprenticeship class.

He stepped forward half a pace and bowed deeply.

“We understand, Miss.”

“According to the double-entry bookkeeping method you taught, debits must equal credits; for every debit, there must be a credit.”

“Every single expenditure, even the purchase of a single nail, must note its purpose, the handler, and the approver.”

“Every item of income must be verified against its source, receipts, and warehouse entry forms.”

Lia picked up a contract from the table—the new agreement she had signed with the City Lord.

“This project is massive.”

She tossed the contract back onto the desk.

“Though it is nominally a collaboration with the City Lord’s manor with a thirty-seventy profit split, the accounts must remain in our hands.”

“The City Lord’s manor will send people to supervise, but that is their business.”

Her words sent a chill down the spines of the accountants.

“What you must do is keep these books so clearly that no one can find a single fault.”

Lia’s gaze swept across the faces of the five men.

“Of course, the profits that should be hidden must be concealed so well that no one can detect them.”

“This is called reasonable tax avoidance and cost accounting.”

Old John nodded hurriedly.

“Understood, Miss.”

“Raw material loss rates, fluctuations in labor hours, equipment depreciation… we understand how to utilize these spaces.”

Lia nodded with satisfaction.

“Go then.”

“Calculate the initial investment; I want to see the reports within the next few days.”

As if granted a grand reprieve, the five accountants bowed with their ledgers and exited in a line.

The door closed.

Lia leaned back against her chair and let out a long breath.

Klein’s voice drifted over from the single-seater sofa by the window.

He was holding a book on magical fluid dynamics and didn’t even look up.

“It’s good that everything has been cleared out.”

Lia picked up her teacup and took a sip.

“Have all those ‘nails’ been pulled? Are all the hidden towers dismantled?”

“Dismantled.”

Klein turned a page.

“Valerius personally supervised the work.”

“The tower hidden in the bridge pier was excavated and melted down.”

“As for the others, they have all been scouted and dealt with cleanly.”

Lia set down her teacup.

“That’s good.”

“As long as he doesn’t do anything foolish, Leo City will remain his.”

***

Noisy footsteps echoed from downstairs.

Soon after, the sound of hurried pacing approached.

The study door was pushed wide open.

Mathis stood at the entrance, looking as though he had just escaped from a refugee camp.

His usually meticulously groomed hair was as messy as a bird’s nest.

He was also carrying a worn-out travel bag.

“Your Excellency Lia,” Mathis’s voice carried a hint of a sob.

Lia was stunned for a moment.

“Were you robbed?”

Mathis walked into the room and placed his bag on a guest chair.

“It’s worse than being robbed.”

He raised a hand to cover his face.

“Teacher… Teacher Horace.”

Lia looked at Klein.

Klein continued to read his book, but the corner of his mouth seemed to twitch almost imperceptibly.

“It was just yesterday.”

Mathis removed his hand, revealing a face full of despair.

“Teacher gave me a thorough scolding through the long-range communication crystal.”

“He called me blind; he scolded me for two whole hours.”

“He said I was a blind man.”

“Such a massive event happened in Leo City, the cultists nearly poked a hole in the sky, and there were even fluctuations of Ninth-Circle magic.”

“And I, as a Fifth-Circle Mage, was actually sleeping at home!”

Mathis clutched his hair in agony.

“He said I didn’t just lose his face, I lost the face of the entire Tower of Truth.”

Lia looked at the unlucky Fifth-Circle Mage with some sympathy.

The commotion that night was indeed massive, but because there was a barrier seal and Mathis lived far away, it was normal for him not to sense it.

By the time the Ninth-Circle scroll exploded, everything was already over.

“So, where are you going now?”

Lia pointed at the bag on the floor.

Mathis sighed.

“Teacher told me to get back to the Capital immediately.”

“He said he’s going to put me through a six-month ‘special training’.”

“He’s going to personally re-examine my progress in calculus and electromagnetism.”

At the words ‘special training’, Mathis’s body gave a visible shudder.

Clearly, a special training session from a Ninth-Circle Archmage was not a pleasant memory.

“I am here to bid you farewell.”

Mathis stood up, straightened his wrinkled robes, and bowed deeply to Lia.

“Although I couldn’t help this time, nor could I exchange more academic thoughts with you, I will earnestly study and master your theories and spread them far and wide.”

“Once I survive my teacher’s clutches, I will come back to seek your guidance again.”

Lia stood up and returned the gesture.

“Safe travels, Master Mathis.”

“I hope you bring good news the next time we meet.”

Mathis then looked at Klein.

“Master Klein, I am leaving as well.”

Klein closed his book.

“Tell Horace when you get back.”

“Don’t train him to death; leave him with a breath of air.”

Mathis’s face turned even paler.

He tremblingly picked up his bag and left the study, looking back every three steps like a prisoner heading to the execution grounds.

Lia watched the closed door and shook her head.

“Having a Ninth-Circle teacher seems like a lot of pressure.”

“That is only because his aptitude is too poor,” Klein evaluated.

“If it were you, it wouldn’t be like that.”

Lia raised an eyebrow.

“Are you… praising me?”

“I am merely stating a fact.”

In the days that followed, a long-awaited peace returned to Leo City.

Valerius’s purge was swift and resolute.

The ‘Crying Moon’ followers lurking in the shadows were dragged out one by one.

There were no trials, no imprisonments.

Only direct executions.

The ruins in the west of the city were also rapidly cleared.

Although it was officially announced as a geological disaster, the City Lord’s manor still allocated a large sum of money for compensation and reconstruction to soothe the public’s heart.

Of course, most of this money was confiscated from the estates of the purged cultists.

Lia was very busy these days.

She led a team of surveyors and spent her days in the massive crater blasted in the west.

The power of that Ninth-Circle scroll, Geocore Blasting, had far exceeded her expectations.

She had originally only intended to destroy the underground altar, but it had ended up cracking the earth’s crust.

Currently, Lia stood at the edge of the massive deep pit.

The cold wind swirled with snowflakes, making her cloak snap in the air.

A survey captain holding a stone stumbled up from the bottom of the pit.

“Miss! Miss!”

The captain’s face was covered in black soot, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright.

“A discovery! Seven hundred meters underground!”

He rushed to Lia and held out the stone in his hand.

It was a purple crystal.

Even under the gloomy sky, the crystal radiated an enchanting halo.

It was crystal clear, and the interior seemed to contain flowing purple liquid.

Lia took the stone.

It was warm to the touch.

A pure and massive surge of magical power instantly spread through her body from her fingertips.

Lia’s pupils dilated slightly.

She pulled a silver knife from her pocket and gave the crystal a light scratch.

The texture was soft, like cutting through hard cheese, as she sliced off a small piece.

The cut was smooth, without any debris.

“Mana Spirit Crystal.”

Lia whispered the name.

Klein, who was standing behind her, stepped forward and glanced at the purple stone.

“High purity.”

Klein reached out and took the small slice.

Faint blue mana danced at his fingertips, instantly constructing a small magic circuit that he channeled into the crystal.

The tiny piece, no larger than a fingernail, suddenly lit up with a blinding purple light.

The mana flowed through it without the slightest obstruction.

The response speed was incredibly fast.

Klein retracted his mana.

“This quality… even in the Capital, it would be a top-tier material.”

Lia clutched the large crystal tightly.

The corners of her mouth curled up uncontrollably, eventually turning into a wide grin.

“We’re going to be rich.”

She looked into the bottomless pit.

“Is it all like this down there?”

The survey captain nodded frantically.

“Yes, Miss!”

“We explored another fifty meters down; it’s all this mineral vein!”

“Moreover, there’s a massive amount of Secret Essence Iron in the associated ores!”

Lia felt her heart racing.

Mana Spirit Crystals.

This was a material enchanters dreamed of; usually, stock was only found in the Royal Treasury.

Adding just a tiny bit into equipment could drastically increase the success rate and strength of enchantments.

Furthermore, it could be used to create even higher-tier magical accessories.

Most importantly, when fused with Secret Essence Iron, it could create an alloy with nearly invincible physical defense.

This was a strategic resource.

If the textile mill she previously wanted to open was just a money-making venture, then this mine was a cornucopia.

No, it was a mountain of gold.

“Seal the news,” Lia ordered immediately.

“No one is allowed to speak of this except those present.”

She turned to look at Klein.

“This pit… it has to be filled. At least on the surface.”

“We are going to build a factory here.”

“A massive smelting plant to cover this up.”

Lia knew that according to the law, underground minerals belonged to the feudal lord.

Valerius knew she could build a factory here, but he didn’t know what was truly inside.

She needed a new contract—one concerning mining rights and profit distribution.

Before he realized what this thing was, she had to establish her legal claim.

***

Back at the estate.

Lia immediately dived into her study.

She placed the Mana Spirit Crystal on the desk and began sketching on paper.

Mining equipment, refining processes, alloy ratios, sales channels…

Countless plans began to take shape in her mind.

Klein sat opposite her, playing with the small crystal slice she had cut off.

“You will need many high-tier mages to set up the refining arrays,” he said.

“The refining of Mana Spirit Crystals requires extremely stable high temperatures and mana pressure.”

“I have you,” Lia said without looking up.

“An Eighth-Circle Great Mage is worth a whole regiment of mages.”

“I didn’t agree to be your laborer,” Klein tossed the crystal back onto the desk.

“I can pay more,” Lia looked up.

“Besides, this thing is useful for your research too, isn’t it?”

“The research equipment made from this stuff is all high-end goods.”

“And I can provide you with an unlimited supply.”

Klein looked at her.

This girl always knew exactly how to pinch his weak point.

To a research-oriented mage, an unlimited supply of top-tier materials was more attractive than gold coins.

“Deal,” Klein said.

***

Outside the window, the snow fell heavier and heavier.

Leo City was wrapped in silver.

The New Year atmosphere grew thicker.

Lanterns were hung on the streets, and shops were piled high with New Year goods.

Even though they had just experienced a disaster, people were still full of anticipation for the coming year.

Decorations also began at the Farrien estate.

The butler directed servants to hang holly branches and red ribbons in the corridors.

The fireplace burned brightly, making the whole house warm and cozy.

Lia finished the last document and stretched.

She walked to the window, looking at the snowy scenery outside.

Klein stood beside her.

“It’s almost the New Year.”

“Mm.”

“Are you really not going back to the Capital?”

Lia turned her head, looking at his profile.

Though she had asked before, she wanted to confirm.

After all, for someone of Klein’s status, staying in a border town for the New Year was somewhat unusual.

In the Capital’s Tower of Truth, there would surely be countless banquets and seminars waiting for him.

Klein turned his head, his gaze falling on her face.

“There is a mine here,” he said.

Lia froze for a second and then laughed out loud.

“Right, there is a mine here.”

“And your research topic,” Klein added.

“And your thesis.”

“Yes, yes, yes, let’s just say it’s all for science,” Lia turned around, leaning her back against the window frame.

“However, with you here, I truly feel much more at ease.”

She was telling the truth.

If it were just her alone guarding such a massive Mana Spirit Crystal mine, it would be like a child walking through a busy district clutching a gold brick.

Sooner or later, she would be eaten until not even her bones were left.

Whether it was Valerius, those greedy nobles in the Capital, or even certain people in the Mages’ Association, they would all pounce like sharks smelling blood.

But things were different now.

Behind her stood an Eighth-Circle Great Mage.

An existence capable of soloing a cult leader.

This was her confidence.

“Do your work without worry.”

Klein reached out and helped tuck a stray hair behind her ear.

The movement was natural, without any abruptness.

His fingertips brushed against her ear, carrying a hint of cool temperature.

“If the sky falls, I’m here.”

Lia’s heart skipped a beat.

She looked into those blue eyes; they reflected the firelight of the fireplace and her own shadow.

“Good.”

Lia lowered her head to hide her slightly reddened cheeks.

“Then I won’t stand on ceremony.”

“Next year, I’m going to turn this Leo City into our backyard.”

Klein withdrew his hand.

“As you wish.”

He looked out at the heavy snow.

“Just don’t forget to pay me.”

Lia rolled her eyes.

The slight romantic atmosphere from a moment ago vanished instantly.

“Obsessed with money,” she muttered.

“It is a principle,” the corner of Klein’s mouth curled slightly.

The New Year bells rang out from the distant clock tower.

Although the cultist device in that tower had been removed, the bell’s toll remained resonant.

Dong—

Dong—

The distant tolling echoed over the entire city through the wind and snow.

Lia closed her eyes and made a wish in her heart.

‘May the Mana Spirit Crystals sell well in the New Year.’

‘May the fusion of science and magic progress further.’

‘May…’

She opened her eyes.

Klein stood beside her like a silent statue, blocking all the wind and snow outside the window.

“Happy New Year, Klein.”

“Happy New Year, Lia.”

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