Arestia Empire'S World Domination
Chapter 24: The Mine

...—District Mining Field, Kingdom Lethiel—...

...—18 November 1238—...

In the morning sun, with several strict escorts from hundreds of elite knights guarding along the way as well as dozens of knights walking behind them, Ares, Milly, to Kristin with Sieg, were, Charlotte, until several other nobles tread a small road that is slightly wide to the mining site they have dug.

"There's something I really want to ask you." Not only did Ares' words make Sieg and Charlotte, even some of the other nobles who heard it instantly became nervous.

That said, the mining area was their jurisdiction. No one among the nobles wanted his position revoked.

As a source of income for nobles who do not have a territory like them, just serving as the head of one of the districts in the mining area can cause their wealth and family to increase sharply.

Therefore, many nobles continued to polish their words and flatter Ares to ensure the security of their office until their children and descendants, who were, although Ares still judge based on facts available in the field about their work performance.

Moreover, with Charlotte having her mental state scratched due to several jokes and threats from Ares, Charlotte can only break out in a cold sweat if Ares says something investigative as he just said.

Unlike his fiancee, Sieg's nervousness stems from the discomfort he has.

It is very unpleasant if someone we owe him feels a disappointment with our actions, it is very felt by Sieg, Sieg, who had gained thousands of regular imperial soldiers to keep the Kingdom of Lethiel safe, in addition to the huge funding Ares had disbursed for the development of his country.

"Uhm... May we know this, Your Majesty?" Charlotte asked nervously, she no longer wanted to give her personal response to Ares.

Moreover, Charlotte has accepted that Kristin will be Sieg's second wife, though she will need a private conversation in the future with him about Lethiel's next heir.

"How much money do you receive, Sieg?" Ares casually asked.

"Three hundred million G, Your Grace." Sieg's reply involuntarily made Ares stop his steps, causing some of the people behind him to stop as well.

"Your Majesty?" Milly asked worriedly, feeling strange with Ares' aura suddenly changing.

Calming his heart, Ares tried to sigh, sounding heavy, to try to cultivate a bright-looking smile and turned to look at the people behind him.

"Well... Do you guys know?" ares.

"What's up, Your Majesty?" Sieg felt Ares' attitude was out of place.

"The funds I gave through the Minister of Finance, Marquis Villiers, for the opening of the mine was 500 million G," Ares said, maintaining the bright smile that radiated from the look on his face.

Silent.

Even for Milly, who is far from the financial affairs of the country, very well know if it is something that is very fatal.

None of them thought that some of the hereditary nobles of the fund will commit corruption worth one sixth of the state budget, which is worth 200 million G.

"And also, those funds come from my personal pocket if you want to find out." Ares turned back, continued his pace casually, leaving the nobles—including his concubine—who could only fall silent.

Just the sound of the morning birds chirping and forest insects, the atmosphere of their journey was very calm. None of them dared to talk to Ares.

None of them knew how actions Ares would take in the future. The majority of the nobles decided to stop their home relationship with the suspected nobles.

Sieg and Charlotte glanced at each other, agreeing in silence to conduct an independent investigation after they returned to the capital nodding their chins at each other.

Milly just stared at her cousin elaborately. He did not understand how to calm her down. In his mind, Milly wonders what he can do to make Ares positive.

Ares looked at a large wall with the gate—which served as the entrance of—which was not far from where they stood, a sign that they were close to their destination.

Of course, the mining area is not surrounded by walls, only at some points such as the entrance that serves to restrain the escape of criminal slaves.

Utilizing natural walls, where there are steep height differences such as ravines and earthen walls, the supervisors who are elite soldiers can easily find figures known to have blurred.

Not only that, if a criminal slave escapes from his job, Ares orders him to give the death penalty after he is caught, using ways that not even the world's people have known before.

Krieett.

Gerbamg slowly opened, a short brown-haired middle-aged man with light armour wrapped around his body came closer with the escort of several knights behind him.

Gnery von Arcs, Ares' former bodyguard while he was a Margrave and Baroness.

Acting as the Head of the Mine, Gnery was very welcoming of his Master's arrival, both corners of his lips displaying a bright smile.

"Welcome, Your Majesty!" Gnery greeted with a deep bow, followed by his guards.

Ares doesn't ignore Gnery. The strong desire to enter immediately emanated clearly from the look of both of his eyes.

"Take me to your office." Ares gave a firm command, slightly causing Gnery as well as the few knights behind him to be astonished due to Ares' misplaced attitude.

"Okay, Your Majesty." Following Gnery's direction, Ares and Milly, Sieg, Charlotte and several high-ranking nobles head for a small fort behind the wall.

"Your Majesty..." Milly called out worriedly.

Slightly softened, Ares walked right side by side with his concubine, turning his face and showing a gentle expression from her.

"Yes?" timpal Ares, the smile he showed felt very soothing.

"Are you... okay?" reply Milly.

"Ah, yes." Ares replied softly, "There is no need to think about my loss. If it's just about the money, I can look elsewhere. It's just..."

Milly was silent, waiting for a sentence to once again pop out of Ares' lips.

"I'm very confused as to how to act" Ares said.

"Why?" ask Milly.

"I can't possibly pass the sentence of execution on to those nobles. I don't want to be known as a ruthless emperor either." Ares slightly lowered his gaze.

"Um. sorry." Feeling unable to help in the least, Milly once again bowed, feeling deeply regretful.

"Not to think about." Ares smiled softly, patting Milly's tubers lightly to stop worrying about her condition.

"Gnery." On their way, Ares called.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" timpal Gnery's.

"During your time here, you didn't do anything weird, did you?" With the exception of Gnery, Ares' words made the nobles once again nervous.

Gnery showed a bright smile, "No way, Your Majesty. I've always arranged this area well according to the instructions and never done anything forbidden by you."

A little relieved, Ares involuntarily showed a small smile, "Good."

Reaching a brownish door that seemed ordinary, Gnery opened the door, letting Ares in, "Please, Your Majesty."

"Ah, yes," said Ares.

Ares and a few high-ranking nobles entered the room leaving the knights as well as the low nobles outside the room.

The narrowness of the head room causes everything in the room to be clear to the people in it. There is only a table with chairs and some cabinets, which at some point has a window slightly larger than normal size, the atmosphere of the Office of the Head of Mine is very indicative of a private office.

Despite that, the gazes of Ares, Milly, Kristin, Sieg, Charlotte, everyone who entered the room including Gnery, were fixed on two enormous round brown bags about 1 meter in diameter.

"What...that?" Ares asked, a hint of curiosity approaching his mind.

"I don't know it either, Your Majesty." Gnery frowned. Not once entering the office all day, Gnery wondered the origin of the two bags.

Gnery's office security is tight. Some knights almost always patrolled around his room. Moreover, the Gnery Office had the guard of 4 elite knights for one full day in turn.

Ares approached the bag, opened the rope that bound him and reached into the contents.

Ares' eyes opened wide. The palm of his left hand felt a metallic contour that he was completely familiar with.

"Hey, what does this mean?" Ares turned around, showing a golden hunk about 15 cm in diameter above his hand to the people behind him.

"Well?!" Not only the nobles, even Gnery himself was shocked as well.

"Are you lying to me, Gnery?!" Ares reveals his frustration, his right hand he moved to lift Gnery's collar.

"Ti—no, Your Majesty! I never did that! This is misunderstanding!' Gnery defended himself.

"Huh?! You're saying this is misunderstanding?! Then, what's in my hand?!" timpal Ares was very upset.

"Ti—no! That's not true!" Gnery turned his face to the surrounding nobles, painting the face of hoping for a favor. Despite that, Gnery only got a few scornful faces.

Sensing the folly of the people living in the medieval era, Ares once again sighed while throwing Gnery back out, again, it was unexpected that the people of this world were also no different from those of the modern century era.

Come home.

Only my children can heal the wounds of my heart.

Also.my feelings over the past few days have been very uncomfortable...

I hope Excel and the others are doing well.

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