Confession

After using the Demon Lord’s power and knowledge to carve out a dedicated vein-energy channel exclusively for the mine core, crystal production gradually stabilized.

The yield was no longer as sky-high as before, but with trade currently restricted and demand correspondingly lower, a moderate reduction posed no real problem. The surplus capacity Vivian had planned for in other mines could easily cover the gap.

From that day onward, however, Vivian and Lucia began making regular trips to the mine to guide vein energy.

To avoid attention, they always used “routine inspection of Blackstone mining operations” as cover, quietly bringing high-purity agents to feed the core in secret.

After all, this matter borrowed the mine’s location yet directly affected its output stability.

Paper, however, cannot wrap fire.

The first to notice something wrong was Fernando, who oversaw crystal extraction and purification.

First came the production drop—crystal quality remained excellent, but the volume from Blackstone had clearly fallen.

Yet every time the Demon Lord visited, yield and purity would spike afterward. Vein-energy consumption records were abnormal too; massive amounts of high-purity agents earmarked for “research and miscellaneous use” vanished weekly. The deficit on the ledgers grew impossible to ignore.

This day, when Lucia came again to request an increased purification quota, Fernando finally blocked the doorway, face grave.

“Lady Lucia, it’s not that I wish to obstruct, but the consumption is far too unusual. Every time you and the Demon Lord visit the mine, production improves dramatically. There must be a connection!”

“Can you tell me where all this energy is actually going? Is it truly related to mining?”

Lucia froze, frantically searching for an excuse—the mine core was still top secret.

“It’s for vein activation. Lately the vein’s activity has declined; it requires high-purity energy nourishment and stimulation to maintain crystal output.”

“But vein activity has fluctuated before and never needed anywhere near this much.”

Fernando produced the ledger and pointed at the entries.

“Look—another batch was just approved last cycle, and now you want more. And always the highest purity. That’s not normal vein nourishment.”

Lucia was struck speechless.

She could hardly say they were feeding a core that cried “hungry.” The old dwarf would think she and Vivian had lost their minds.

Just as cold sweat beaded on her forehead, a familiar voice rang out.

“Fernando, process Lady Lucia’s quota first. I authorized it.”

Vivian had appeared at some point. She winked at Lucia while explaining calmly.

“A special energy node deep in the vein has become unstable. It requires high-purity calibration, or crystal quality and yield will suffer irreversible damage.”

Fernando still hesitated, flipping through the ledger.

“But Demon Lord… nodes have never been this energy-hungry before. And the improvement after each ‘calibration’ is suspiciously dramatic…”

“This node is special—it sits right at the heart of crystal condensation.”

Vivian swiftly took the requisition form from Lucia and signed it.

“We may need even more later. Handle it as written. Any problems fall on me.”

With that, she dragged Lucia away, leaving Fernando staring at the ledger and muttering,

“This node sure is picky… refuses anything but the finest-grade energy…”

Once outside the workshop, Lucia finally exhaled.

“Are we sure this is okay? Fernando and the others have followed you for years. They’d never betray us.”

Vivian slowed her steps, brow furrowed.

“It’s not that I don’t trust them. I’m afraid the information could leak to Gurem or the humans.”

She gazed into the distance, voice heavy.

“Have you forgotten the Rhine Church spies? Or how Gurem has always coveted our vein resources? If they learned a sentient core capable of manifestation exists—one that affects crystal production—who knows what they’d try.”

Lucia fell silent.

She remembered those hidden arrows all too well, yet watching the people who sincerely served Evernight, keeping secrets felt like an invisible wall.

They walked side by side for a while, then sighed in unison.

“How about this,” Lucia’s eyes brightened. “We only tell four people: Aria, Lucia, Luna Te, and Fernando.”

“They can help monitor the mine—crystal yield, energy fluctuations, everything. Better than the two of us sneaking around. Plus Fernando controls post-extraction processing; he can adjust schedules to perfectly balance mining and the core’s needs.”

Vivian paused, then nodded slowly.

It made sense.

Aria handled military and security, Lucia administration and supplies, Luna Te education and grassroots affairs, Fernando mining and vein allocation.

With them in the loop, protection would be tighter, quota requests smoother, and resource balancing more precise.

“Fine. We’ll do that.”

Vivian decided at once—she had originally thought the fewer who knew the better, but keeping everything to themselves was actually less efficient.

“I’ll summon them to the council hall tomorrow. The sooner this is settled, the better.”

The next day, everyone gathered in the council hall.

Fernando was still fretting over whether he had been too stubborn and delayed “vein calibration.” The moment Vivian entered, he shot to his feet.

“Demon Lord! Yesterday I was too inflexible. If I delayed the calibration, punish me! The mine’s output has been improving steadily anyway—I shouldn’t have questioned you!”

Vivian exchanged a glance with Lucia, resolve strengthening.

“Fernando, all of you—sit. I have something to confess.”

She waited until they were seated, then spoke.

“The extra high-purity energy we’ve been requisitioning isn’t for calibrating any node.”

Everyone froze.

“Then… what is it for?” Lucia asked calmly—she had been one of the first to investigate the mine with Vivian and already suspected the truth.

“It’s feeding a sentient core inside Blackstone mine.”

Vivian took a deep breath and revealed everything.

“That vein has birthed a self-aware core currently undergoing manifestation. It requires enormous amounts of pure vein energy. The earlier crystal die-off and production drop happened because she was unconsciously siphoning energy from the crystals themselves—nothing to do with our mining practices.”

She laid out every detail, leaving nothing hidden.