As night fell, a heavy gloom settled over the entire Heishan Mine.
The miners worked with their heads down, their numb eyes filled with the same waiting as firewood ready to burn.
The soldiers and overseers in charge of them were not as vigilant tonight as usual.
The news from Ushi City had everyone on edge.
Especially the soldiers and officers who had already accepted many bribes.
The miners sensed something was wrong, but no one dared to ask.
Here, poking into the affairs of the officers could get you beaten—or worse, bedridden from the punishment.
Especially when the officers looked so upset—who would risk bringing bad luck upon themselves?
But there was one benefit: the overseers seemed distracted.
Even the small actions they usually noticed slipped by as they stared blankly.
This let many miners secretly slack off.
Continuous hard labor was truly exhausting.
Not long after, the overseers snapped back to attention and their angry shouts rang out once more.
But tonight, in the area of Mine Number Four, an unusual silence prevailed.
In the afternoon, some miners responsible for transportation, along with people from nearby tunnels, noticed something strange.
They heard the sound of an overseer crying.
But no one dared to ask more.
Now, Mine Number Four was so quiet.
Someone passing by glanced over and saw the entrance sealed with planks and stones, as if some demon lurked within.
“Sir, what happened inside here…?”
A miner tasked with transporting ore from Mine Number Four couldn’t help but ask.
The soldier he questioned snorted, “Get lost, this isn’t your business.”
“The fourth mine won’t be used anymore. You don’t need to come here to transport ore! Move it!”
The soldier shouted, driving them away.
The miners didn’t dare linger and had to leave.
Inside the mine, Willis finally recovered some energy after several hours of rest.
As for Nidnia and the other miners, they too rested in the cold, hard tunnel.
Days of harsh labor had left their bodies exhausted.
Now, with a moment’s reprieve, fatigue washed over them like a tide.
“Looks like the soldiers outside haven’t left. We might have to wait until the latter half of the night.”
Borden walked back from the entrance and spoke to Willis.
Willis nestled in Victoria’s arms, held by the Guard Knight as she slept.
It could be said that this was a good rest.
Stretching lazily, Willis smiled.
“Their attention should all be on Ushi City now.”
“Let’s be grateful. Otherwise, if Barnett had reacted and brought people, Nidnia might’ve been dragged out for questioning.”
“Or worse, we could all be burned alive to prevent the so-called plague from spreading.”
At these words, Borden snorted coldly.
“Hmph! They don’t care about our lives. As for the plague, they probably wouldn’t bother unless it infected them.”
“All they want is the wealth we produce by working ourselves to death.”
Borden sighed and sat down, as Nidnia and the others gathered around.
“Next comes the critical moment.”
***
Inside the soldiers’ dormitory.
Where once the soldiers had been carefree, drinking and playing games, now silence reigned.
Some soldiers secretly packed their belongings, preparing to escape.
When Barnett entered, he caught two soldiers with their bags, ready to leave.
“What are you doing?”
Barnett’s eyes were cold.
“S-Sir… We… We were…”
The soldier stammered.
“We planned to check the mine…”
“You…”
Barnett paused.
“You wanted to run, didn’t you?”
With a thud, the two soldiers fell to their knees in fear.
Gold and silver jewels tumbled from their bags, glittering blindingly.
“S-Sir! Now that McLean is finished, and Her Highness the Princess has sent people to inspect us…”
“The bribery we accepted will soon be exposed. When the Empire’s wrath descends, even our families will be implicated!”
The soldier sobbed, banging his head on the floor.
“If we don’t run now, it might be too late, Sir! My wife and children are on the outskirts of Monsell…”
“I just wanted to take them…”
Slash—!
Before he finished speaking, Barnett decapitated him with a single stroke.
Blood splattered, spraying warmth and the stench of iron onto the face of the other soldier.
Before terror could fully form on his face, he too shared his comrade’s fate.
Barnett spat, kicking their bodies aside.
Then he stepped into the dormitory.
Looking at the soldiers trembling on the ground, Barnett sighed.
“Brothers, the situation is bad.”
“But as long as Her Highness the Princess has no evidence, our lives aren’t in danger.”
“But if you flee, you’ll be executed as deserters—and even confess by your own actions!”
“Moreover, if the Princess finds evidence and punishes us, running will do no good!”
“She could take us down one by one, leaving us powerless!”
Barnett swept his gaze around, his voice heavy.
“So, no matter what, hold steady!”
“Even if things get desperate, as long as we stand together, we can resist. If we scatter, we’re just pigs awaiting slaughter!”
“Do you understand?”
The soldiers answered in trembling voices.
“We understand. We’ll follow your orders, Sir!”
“Good. As long as you understand. If I catch anyone else trying to escape…”
Barnett snorted.
“They’ll share the same fate! And I know exactly where your families are. Their safety is yours to consider!”
He added another line.
“As long as you follow me, the wealth you gained before won’t be lost—there’ll be more in the future!”
“I, Barnett, promise you!”
Uttering these empty words, and seeing his subordinates’ fearful but gradually steadier eyes, Barnett moved to the next dormitory.
With such a mix of threat and promise, when Barnett finally returned to his own dorm—
He let out a sigh, weighed down with anxiety.
“Sir!”
At that moment, Gerry knocked on the door outside.
Before Barnett could speak, Gerry came in.
“What do you want?”
Barnett snorted.
“I’m here to relieve your worries, Sir! As long as we unite with other mines and the City Defense Army of Ushi City…”
“Willis is nothing!”
As he spoke, Gerry slunk closer, laying out his plan.
At the same time, similar scenes played out not just in the Heishan Mine, but also at other mines near Ushi City.
The news from Ushi City had spread fear among soldiers who had accepted bribes.
They feared Willis punishing them, feared she’d reclaim their illicit gains, and even more, feared that the brutal Imperial Second Princess would kill them all—even if they confessed.
All the mines were shrouded in a terrifying atmosphere.