Ben parked his van and got out, going to the entrance where Har and Jerry joined him.

  Glancing at the builders, Ben noticed they got straight to work and started unloading their carts. He turned to Har and asked, “Are they just going to start building anywhere, or do we have to tell them where?”

  “Don't worry about that. They’re just unloading their tools and equipment. But before they start any work, they’ll want to see that you have the deeds. That’s why we should get inside and open that safe as soon as possible.” Har explained.

  Ben glanced at Jerry, “Are you coming in?”

  Jerry said, “I’ll stay out here and watch things.”

  Ben shrugged, “Suit yourself.” He then motioned to Har before they walked in.

  When Ben entered the Foreman’s office, Finn sat in the boss's seat and appeared relaxed, fidgeting with his hands.

  Finn shot up and pretended to look like he was doing some work. “Mister Ben, I was wondering where you’d gone. It’s been almost two weeks, but you don't need to worry about a thing. We’ve cleared most of the third level. It’ll take a few more days before mining work can start again.”

  “That’s great work, Finn. Oh, I wanted to ask if you’ve properly buried the bodies?” Ben asked.

  Finn’s eyes became teary in the flickering candlelight. “It was hard, but we laid them to rest nearby and placed some headstones. I just wish things had turned out better for them.”

  “You did good, kid.” Har patted Finn on the shoulder with sadness sweeping across his face. “It appears you’re cut out to keep things running around here while Ben is away.” Har turned to Ben, “You should offer him the position of deputy foreman.”

  Ben nodded, “You’re right. Finn’s done great work around here. His experience with the mine will be invaluable.” Glancing at Finn, he asked, “So what do you say about being the deputy foreman?”

  A smile filled Finn’s face, “Of course, Mister Ben! As long as you pay me well, we have a deal.”

  “Of course! But first, Har told me he gave you a very important task before we left. Did you find the key to the safe?” Ben asked, pointing at the safe.

  Finn opened one of the drawers and removed a small iron key. “You must have missed it when you took the journal from Master Damon’s remains. It was on the ground near there. One of the village people found it under some rubble there and brought it to me.”

  “Good lad!” Har chuckled, “I knew I could count on you.”

  Ben gave Finn a pat on the head and took the key. He put it in the safe lock and tried to twist it. It didn't even budge a little. Ben turned to Finn, “Am I doing this right?”

  Finn scratched his head. “The lock might be stuck since it’s not been greased in a long time. It’s an old safe, but Mister Blackrock wanted to keep it because his grandfather had it crafted.”

  “It’s probably all rusted up in there.” Ben sighed. “I’m going back to the van. I’ve got something that might get the job done.”

  Ben returned to the van and grabbed a can of spray lubricant he always kept. When he was back near the safe, he poked the little straw end of it in the lock and gave it a good spray. Putting the key in, he wriggled it around and only got it to move around half a turn before it got stuck again.

  Ben huffed out a frustrated sigh. “Looks like it’s properly stuck.”

  Grabbing a candle from one of the holders, Ben lit the lubricant. He then gave it a few more spurts from the can, causing the flames to bellow like a blow torch. When the embers died down, he placed the key in and used a nearby paperweight to whack it several times until it clicked open.

  “There we go!” Ben exclaimed.

  Turning to the others, Ben noticed they were dumbstruck by his actions. He shrugged and creaked the door open.

  Inside, he saw that the safe had three equal sections. The top one appeared to contain piles of paperwork and ledgers. The middle contained coins and pieces of paper that looked like letters of credit from various banks. The bottom contained another journal.

  Finn pointed at the journal. “You should take a look inside that. Master Blackrock always kept his important things in there.”

  Ben took the journal and placed it on the table. When he opened it, a few small pieces of Vellum fell out. He inspected them before noticing one contained words about the mine and land.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

  “What’s this?” Ben exclaimed, giving it a closer examination.

  ***

  Deeds of Ownership.

  Let it be recognized that the bearer of this title is the rightful owner of The Blackrock Mine and its adjourning land located in the Duchy of Meso. The bearer is entitled to its freehold use within the legal code for residential and business purposes.

  The owner is responsible for collecting taxes and paying all fees required for property upkeep.

  Two members of the community must witness the transfer of ownership. If it is found that this document was taken illegally, legal action may be taken to retrieve it, and life may be lost.

  ***

  “This is the deed.” Ben picked up the sheet and showed it to Har.

  Har gave Ben a smile followed by a nod. “Congratulations, Mister Bailey, you are now the official owner of the mine, with Finn and me as witnesses. I advise you to keep it safe till a legal magister can notarise it.”

  “Don't worry, I’ll keep it somewhere.” Ben nodded. He then pointed at the piles of coins and checks. “We should chat about the money. How do I cash these checks out?”

  “I’m not exactly a money expert myself; otherwise, I’d be rich. As far as I know, you must take them to a bank. We don't have any open branches in the Mesolands, so you’ll have to travel to Feruswich in the Hollow Lands and speak with the clerks there. I’m assuming they’ll want to look at the deeds before handing over any money to you.” Har explained.

  “Fair enough, I’ll keep a hold of these then,” Ben said before turning to Finn. “Alright, Finn, your first duty as deputy foreman will be to count all the coins in the safe and pile them on the table while we go outside and speak with the builders.”

  Finn nodded, “Master Ben, I’m good at counting things, so that shouldn't be a problem. It’ll be done before you make it back.”

  Ben patted Finn on the shoulder, “While you're at it, can you check how much I should pay the village folk for their work clearing the rubble.”

  Finn scratched his head, looking puzzled. “Master Ben, I don't know how to read or write.”

  Ben raised his eyebrows and realized there probably wouldn't be many schools for a civilization still stuck in medieval times. “As a deputy foreman, you’ll need those skills.” He saw the expression on Finn's face drop down as if he thought he would lose his newfound job. “Don't worry, I can figure it out through these ledgers. I’ll have to see that you learn to read and write.”

  A smile appeared on Finn’s face again. “Really! You’d teach me! I always wanted to learn when I was younger, but only the fancy rich folk were taught. I was stuck in the mines with my parents or caring for my sisters.”

  Ben nodded. “From what I’ve seen, you’re a fast learner. I don't think it’ll take long if you put in the time and practice.”

  As Finn started to remove the coins from the safe, Ben and Har made their way outside.

  “Alger!” Har shouted and motioned the builder with his hand to come over.

  Alger dropped what he was doing, trudged ahead, and asked, “Is everything alright?”

  “We have the deed so that you can start your work,” Har stated, motioning at the sheet of vellum in Ben’s hand.

  “Alright, let me take a look,” Alger said.

  Ben handed over the deed to Alger, who scanned the document from top to bottom.

  “The transfer still needs to be notarized, but that shouldn't be a problem with us starting work. We know the situation here very well. Right! Before we begin construction, we must excavate the land and flatten it. We can't start that until we know where you want the buildings.” Alger explained before giving the deed back.

  Ben glanced around the area and stroked his chin. They needed the area where the tents were situated to house the villagers. There was a clearing in front of the mine entrance with enough space to build a small hamlet. Ben pointed there, “Over there. While you’re at it, can you fix these old bloomeries out? That way, the ore can come out, get smelted, and be available for the artisans and crafters.”

  Alger appeared to think about it for a moment. “The bloomeries won't be an issue. What you said sounds like a good idea. It’s like creating a production line similar to the factories I've seen in the capital city but on a larger scale. We’ll get to work right away.” He then turned to the other builders, “Alright, lads! Get those shovels out. We have work to do!”

  ***

  Ben returned to the foreman’s office with Har.

  Finn had created neat towers with the coins in a way they were easy to count. When he noticed Ben and Har, he turned to them. “Master Ben, I’ve counted the coins. We have forty-seven gold coins, one-hundred and fifty-eight silver coins, and two-hundred and eighty-five copper coins. The letters of credit have all been piled up here for you to cash out at the bank.”

  Ben scratched his head. He wasn't sure how the kid could count that high when he didn't even know how to read or write. Instead, he patted Finn on the shoulder, “You’ve done a great job, Finn. Now, we should look at these ledgers and see how much we must pay the village folk.”

  Ben grabbed a few of the ledgers, the ones that looked recent, and leafed through the pages. When he was done, he glanced at both Finn and Har. “From what I’ve seen here, it says that the going rate for a miner is, on average, one silver shilling a day. Does that sound right?”

  Har glanced at Finn, “What do you think?”

  Finn nodded, “Well, that’s for mining, which is much harder than clearing rubble. I would say that you pay half the mining rate for clearing. It’s been two weeks they’ve been working, so seven silvers sounds like it would be right.”

  Ben was impressed with the kid's math skills. “Alright. I don't suppose you know how many people we have working here?”

  Finn stroked his chin and thought momentarily like someone taking an exam at school. “A dozen people. We’ll have to pay them eighty-four silver shillings in total.”

  “Alright, Finn, as the deputy foreman, your next task is to pay everyone their dues once they finish clearing the third level. Oh, and one more thing. Please ask them to stay clear of the cave on the third level. I will go there and mine the rest of that magic ore.” Ben explained.

  “Don't worry, Master Ben. It will be done.” Finn smiled and started piling the silver coins.

  Har walked over to Ben. “You should think about checking those letters of credit soon. Anyway, what’re you thinking of doing now?”

  “Hmm. I will go down to the cave and get some mining done. From what I hear, Mirium ore is valuable stuff. We’ll need the money to invest in the little village we’re building here.” He scratched his head, “Besides, with the war getting closer, I should consider upgrading my van so it’s ready for the fight.”