Chapter 697 - Fallen Tunnels

"So it's like that?" Leonel smiled. "No big deal."

Leonel turned back toward the freshmen who were sitting in a bit of an awkward situation. They weren't sure if they should all be leaving now or not. After all, this shop was no longer under the ownership of its original owner. 

"No worries everyone, drink and chat to your heart's content. Everything is on me tonight. Tomorrow, I'll close this place down for some renovations and will open it back up the day after so you'll only miss out on a day. 

"After that, it will be business as usual plus some added perks."

The freshmen were stunned for a moment before they cheered. Free drinks and food? Which of them wouldn't be excited about such a thing?

Plus, this place was actually finally getting some renovations? Who knows how long they had been waiting for such a thing? Their only worry was that prices might go up along with them. 

"Give me something mild, Mernik. I'm not a big drinker." Leonel said. 

Leonel had never really understood the fascination with alcohol. Though he had been underage on Earth, considering his track record, there were plenty of ways for him to break the law. The issue was that alcohol wasn't something he found worthwhile to break the law for. 

It was gross and harsh on the throat. Plus, Leonel could never seem to get drunk in the past, so there wasn't even a reward or buzz at the end waiting for him. 

By now, Leonel knew that that was likely because of the vomit brew his dad had fed him for years. But, he had already missed his window to join the 'cool kids'. 

At this moment, he was content with sipping on something a middle aged wine mom would love the taste of. He could almost hear his teammates jeering him in the back. Even Mernik was giving him weird looks. 

But, as far as Leonel was concerned, this was only to pass the time until the inevitable storm came. 

Mernik diligently cleaned Leonel's glass, spending more time on it than he ever had before. He might have been caught in a struggle between behemoths, but now his only option was to rely on Leonel's protection. Without it, he was finished. So, he could only make Leonel as happy as possible. 

…

Valiant City was in an uproar. The sign of a shop falling hadn't been seen in decade, let alone one that carried the Bear Rose emblem. 

It was safe to say that this news spread quickly. But, due to another mind blowing event happening nearly in conjunction, it didn't grab the attention of the people as sharply as one might expect. 

Just before the Bear Rose events began, news of the King of Ores faction and their being responsible in the deaths of almost 20 freshmen spread like wildfire. But, this news wasn't even nearly as big as the fact that the culprits would be put on trial for their crimes. Of them, the prime culprit, Hallis, a young man with the earth ability that ended all of these lives freshmen would be tried for expulsion and even the death penalty. 

The news was shocking enough to rock Valiant Heart to its core. Punishment on this level had not been levied in a very long while and showed everyone just how serious Valiant Heart was about maintaining unity.

Almost immediately, the whispers began to grow more fervent. 

There was such swift and exact punishment for this, but what about those seven youths who died at the hands of that unnamed man? What about those three seniors before them?

It was clear that someone was still trying to control the overarching narrative, bending it so that the focus of the people would change. But, unfortunately for these individuals, there was a difference this time. 

Almost just as swiftly as these 'whispers' began to be spread, it was snuffed out by the heart warming story of a freshman leading his fellow freshmen to safety even under the oppression of his seniors. 

In the blink of an eye, the half constructed narrative crumbled while Leonel continued to sip at his fruity drink. 

**

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Explain this shit to me! Where are the tunnels?! Where are the Ores?! Why can't I see shit down here anymore?!"

Nigmir roared, venting his rage on the new crew that had come to rotate in place of Miya, Hallis and the others. However, before they could even get to work on their shift, they almost immediately sent word back to the faction that there was something wrong. 

The instant Nigmir got the report, he felt a sinking feeling in his gut. 

This network of mines was among their most important. No, it was the most important. 

If there was one thing the Valiant Heart World had, it was an endless supply of Ores, especially Ores within the Fourth Dimension. However, among these, there were definitely differences and strength and weaknesses among them. 

This Ore Network, on top of being relatively close to the mountain pass and thus much easier to defend compared to others, it carried two of these precious Ores. 

The first was Twice Refined Diamond. This Ore was known for its hardness just like normal Diamond. But, its chemical structure was several times more robust to the point where only someone with strength nearing the Fifth Dimension could use it in metal work. 

Mining this Ore was important for two reasons. First, to keep it out of the hands of the Oryx who loved to use this heavy and hard Ore in their armors. And, second to sell to large metal working merchants and organizations for a hefty profit. 

The second Ore was Twice Refined Steel. If Twice Refined Diamond made the perfect armor for those on the stronger side of spectrum, Twice Refined Steel was perfect for the formation of heavy weapons. However, it was also good for forming the foundation of exceptionally heavy machinery and fortifications. 

Both of these Ores were favorites of the Oryx and important to keep away from them. But, they were simultaneously among the most lucrative. 

How lucky had they been to find a network of tunnels that connected both such resources?

Yet now, it was all over. It was all gone. 

The tunnels that they could reach had all been cleaned out to the point where the walls didn't even shine anymore, leaving the underground space completely dark. 

And, to make matters worse, the other paths were completely blocked by collapsed tunnels. Without several months of work, maybe even years, it would be impossible to clear them all. This mind had suddenly become useless to them, slashing down the King of Ores faction earning potential by more than half. 

Who else could they blame if not the Oryx? Even if they wanted to suspect Leonel, he was allowed to keep all the profit he made to himself as a black belted freshmen… 

But would they even have the mind to suspect him? That was all fine, though.. He planned to make it quite obvious very soon.