Chapter 107 Independence

The old miner was left speechless but he still kept his pickaxe just before Captain Jack came out of the tunnel. "Whoa… Are those Green Essence Stones…? I have never seen so many of them in my life."

"That's why I called you over. We are going to take over this mine and I will leave it to you to manage," Number One informed as Captain Jack inspected the glowing stones in the wall. "This old miner says this section is just a fraction of it and it goes way deeper than this. We can enlarge this exit and start the operations from here."

"This… If that is really true then there is no way you can claim this mine for yourself," Captain Jack replied honestly. "You can keep any loot whenever you kill or hunt but anything involving the land belongs to the Academy. You can't even hide it because the Headmaster is just outside but it's not that bad. We should still be able to get a nice reward."

"Don't worry, you can leave the Academy and the Headmaster to me. You just need to focus on the logistics and how we can manage it," Number One assured while pointing at the old man. "This man has been mining in here for years so he knows this place more than anyone. You can hire him as the main miner and form a team that will increase the output. We don't want to flood the market so I think a small group of ten miners should be enough for now."

"Hello," the old miner greeted shyly and Captain Jack finally gazed in his direction. He only nodded back at him though and then pulled Number One off to the side.

"I don't want to ruin your confidence but do you know how much money would the Academy lose out on if they let you have this mine?" Captain Jack questioned quietly. "Even in this small area, I bet there are thousands of Green Essence Stones which are extremely rare and expensive. One of them can sell for up to ten Green Soul Crystals and the price only goes up once you turn them into a Storage Ring for example. An average mine is usually worth millions of Red Soul Crystals so this is a huge deal."

"Oh, now that you tell me, I guess I ripped Darius off when I traded Storage Rings with him," Number One commented as he noted to himself to pay Darius back. "Either way, I will be the one talking to the Academy about it so you don't need to worry. I already have a meeting scheduled with the Academy Board so I will inform them of my decision."

Captain Jack was clearly taken aback but Number One didn't plan on explaining further. His value as a top-tier Alchemist was much higher than a mine which they wouldn't even have in the first place.

"Your decision…" Captain Jack repeated and gave up on convincing Number One. "Alright then, I'm all down as long as you can get the Academy approval. I know the man who manages the mines that are owned by the Academy and he has a whole group of miners under him. He would be assigned to handle this mine anyway so we can cooperate with him."

One would think that the missions are the main source of income for the Academy but the truth was far from that. Number One wouldn't be surprised if Soul Academies were even losing money on those missions in order to provide value to students.

The main income obviously came from all the territories that Soul Academies controlled and it included all the mines and Soul Herb fields. They would naturally fight anyone who dared to profit off their territory which was exactly what Number One was planning on doing.

"That's alright. You can leave the team to protect this place while we handle the logistics. I will talk to the Headmaster once we leave the hideout," Number One replied calmly. "Actually, we can go back right now since there is nothing else to do in here."

Captain Jack glanced at the old miner who was still patiently waiting and pointed out, "What about him? I can recommend him to my friend to join as a miner but I doubt he would be anyone important. They have their own people who can scan the mine quickly so that's not a problem."

The old miner was about to speak but Number One cut him off with definite words, "I already decided to give him free will. If he wants to take the leading role, he will be the main miner who manages this mine. We need someone on the site to coordinate the work and you won't stay here the whole time. It's also fine if he wants to just mine on his own and we won't disturb him."

Captain Jack was momentarily left speechless and even the old miner thought it was a bit too ridiculous. "I'm really flattered by the trust but why? We don't really know each other and I can only offer manual labor and a bit of mining knowledge. Is that really enough to take on a leading position of a whole mine?"

"I was wondering the same," Captain Jack approved the questions but Number One didn't reply directly.

"So you want it or not?" Number One asked back the old miner. "I'm sure your wife would be ecstatic to hear the news. I can personally visit her and talk with her about it in case she doesn't believe you."

"Of course I want it!" the old miner nodded excitedly. "And this would be perfect. My wife doesn't trust the Soul Academies so she would definitely think I'm being scammed. You can call me Leon by the way. Even if the Academy doesn't approve it, I am already grateful for this offer."

"You don't need to thank me, Leon. It's the least I can do," Number One replied kindly and pointed at the tunnel. "Shall we return?"

Captain Jack couldn't be more confused but he no longer questioned Number One motives. It was clear that he didn't believe their plan would even fall through or else he would be more determined. They discovered this mine as a team so it wasn't just Number One's own decision after all.

Anyone would act the same as Captain Jack since they didn't understand Number One's pain. He has been unable to master any Soul Arts without any outside help yet he suddenly met a man who could form a Soul Weapon this easily. Number One just had to get to the bottom of this and find out how did he do it.

Did his wife help him in some way or was it really his own ability? Number One was eager to know the answer but securing Leon's trust was a priority.

———

"Let me get this straight…" Headmaster Blake muttered after hearing about the major discovery. "You are saying you discovered a Green Essence Stones mine and decided to take it for yourself. You will also handle all mining and distribution with your Hunting Team. Don't you think that's too extreme?"

"Why would it be too extreme?" Number One asked back confidently. "It just happens I need a lot of money to buy a few things for my personal projects and I will have to import them from the Inner World. I don't wish to always rely on the Academy's money since I don't like to be controlled. This mine will be perfect for me to become independent."

​ It would definitely take Number One a while beat the Dungeon and enter the Inner World personally. He didn't have that much time knowing his current situation so he had to focus on breaking through the second golden door.

"Well, that's all fine but I can already tell you that the Academy Board is not going to agree to that," Headmaster Blake announced the truth. "Even someone with your skills and status won't be able to convince those old geezers. You would have to offer something of equal value for them to even consider it and it simply doesn't make sense."

"Are Saint and Legendary Pills enough?" Number One questioned casually which caused Headmaster Blake to almost choking. Captain Jack's eyes also widened as if he was finally enlightened why Number One was so confident.

The difference was Number One used his own skills which only increased his individual value. He was never planning on using his ex-Master.

"Are you going to use such high-ranked pills in exchange for a small mine? You can always sell the pills and get paid more," Headmaster Blake pointed out.

"To make those pills I would need to first gather the right Soul Herbs and I would rather use my own influence to do that," Number One replied simply. "The pills of this rank are also priceless and not many can afford them. It's not easy to find a buyer and I don't have time for that. I would rather trade and receive the money in advance to achieve my goals faster."

Number One paused at Headmaster Blake's hesitation and changed the topic, "Anyway, congrats on your breakthrough. I see the hard work paid off."

Headmaster Blake was taken aback and cleared his throat, "Ehem, thank you. I managed to finally advance during today's battle."

Number One could clearly smell the pill aroma coming from him so Headmaster Blake must have used the pill he gave him while waiting for the Hunting Team to arrive.

"I'm sure that's just the start. You will definitely advance further in the future if you continue on this path," Number One informed with a smile and a pat on the shoulder. "Hope you can support me during the meeting with the Academy Board."