The study remained quiet.
Only the soft crackling of the fireplace echoed through the room.
Outside the mansion windows, Frostbound Coast glowed beneath the northern night.
Roads of silver light stretched through the darkness.
Magic streetlights illuminated the city.
Snow drifted lazily from the heavens.
Everything appeared peaceful.
Yet the moment Kel Rosenfeld finished reviewing the final report...
A new thought entered his mind.
And whenever that happened.
Someone inevitably suffered.
Usually his administrators.
The young Count remained seated behind his desk.
His fingers lightly tapped the polished wood.
Golden eyes stared toward the territory map hanging upon the wall.
The map was covered with markings.
Roads.
Outposts.
Ports.
Future settlements.
Construction projects.
Research facilities.
Monster territories.
Resource locations.
Everything was carefully recorded.
Then his gaze stopped.
Upon a particular location.
Far northwestern region.
Near the mountain ranges.
Mana Crystal Mine.
One of Frostbound Coast's most valuable natural resources.
And one of its most troublesome.
For years.
The mine had been occupied by monsters.
Multiple expeditions attempted reclaiming it.
Multiple expeditions failed.
Eventually previous rulers simply accepted the loss.
Kel quietly stared at the mark.
Several moments passed.
Then—
"Eleanor."
The Head Maid immediately straightened.
"Yes, My Lord?"
Kel casually pointed toward the map.
"Invite everyone."
Silence.
The Head Maid blinked.
"...Everyone?"
The young Count nodded.
"Nearby nobles."
Another nod.
"Merchant representatives."
Another.
"Researchers."
Another.
"Guild leaders."
Another.
"Investors."
Another.
The Head Maid stared.
Then finally asked.
"For what purpose?"
Kel answered immediately.
"A celebration."
The room became quiet.
Even the fireplace seemed confused.
Eleanor carefully adjusted her glasses.
"A celebration."
"Yes."
"For what?"
Kel looked toward the map.
"The successful reclamation of the Mana Crystal Mine."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Head Maid stared.
Then stared harder.
Then slowly opened several reports.
Then checked them.
Then checked them again.
Finally—
"My Lord."
"Yes?"
"We do not possess a report stating that the Mana Crystal Mine has been reclaimed."
Kel nodded.
"I know."
Another pause.
The woman waited.
Nothing happened.
Eventually she asked.
"...Then why are we celebrating?"
Kel looked up.
His expression remained perfectly calm.
"Because it will be reclaimed tomorrow."
The room froze.
The Head Maid's brain stopped functioning briefly.
Somewhere beneath Scarder Lake.
Seiren immediately burst into laughter.
Ancient currents shook.
Forgotten ruins trembled.
Several fish fled.
"You haven't even conquered it yet."
Kel remained calm.
"Not yet."
The Guardian laughed harder.
"And you're already planning the celebration?"
"Efficient scheduling."
The laughter became even worse.
Back inside the study.
Eleanor remained motionless.
Several emotions fought for dominance.
Shock.
Confusion.
Disbelief.
Acceptance.
Acceptance won surprisingly quickly.
Because after months serving Kel.
This somehow felt normal.
Dangerously normal.
The Head Maid slowly lowered the reports.
"When should the celebration occur?"
"Tomorrow night."
The woman stared.
"...Tomorrow?"
Kel nodded.
"That gives us one day."
"Correct."
"My Lord."
"Yes?"
"What happens if the mine is not reclaimed?"
Kel thought carefully.
Several moments passed.
Then—
"It will be."
Silence.
The Head Maid slowly closed her eyes.
There it was.
The confidence.
Not arrogance.
Not pride.
Simply certainty.
The same certainty he displayed before clearing monster territories.
Before developing the ocean.
Before creating glowing roads.
Before building heated settlements.
The certainty that somehow kept proving correct.
Eventually Eleanor sighed.
A very long sigh.
Then began writing notes.
"As you wish."
The invitations would be sent.
Because at this point.
Arguing felt pointless.
If Kel declared the mine would be reclaimed tomorrow.
History suggested it probably would be.
The News Spreads
The following morning.
Invitation letters began spreading throughout Frostbound Coast.
And beyond.
Nobles received them.
Merchants received them.
Researchers received them.
Guilds received them.
Investors received them.
Every invitation carried identical wording.
Celebration of the Reclamation of the Frostbound Mana Crystal Mine
Hosted by Count Kel Rosenfeld
Tomorrow Evening
The reactions were immediate.
"What?"
A merchant stared at his letter.
"The mine?"
Another noble nearly dropped his tea.
"The monster-infested mine?"
A researcher blinked repeatedly.
"The mine nobody could reclaim?"
Confusion spread rapidly.
Because everyone knew the mine.
Everyone.
The Frostbound Mana Crystal Mine was infamous.
A rich source of magical crystals.
Enough to enrich an entire territory.
Enough to attract powerful organizations.
Enough to support large-scale magical infrastructure.
And unfortunately.
Also occupied by extremely dangerous monsters.
Many people had attempted reclaiming it.
Many people failed.
Some never returned.
Which made the invitations feel absurd.
One merchant immediately asked.
"When was the mine reclaimed?"
Nobody knew.
Another asked.
"Who reclaimed it?"
Nobody knew.
A scholar frowned.
"Was there a military operation?"
Nobody knew.
The confusion continued growing.
Until eventually someone asked the most important question.
"Has the mine actually been reclaimed?"
Silence.
Nobody knew.
The Mansion
Meanwhile.
Inside the mansion.
Preparations had already begun.
Servants decorated halls.
Chefs prepared menus.
Administrators organized guest lists.
Musicians received invitations.
Security plans were established.
The celebration looked increasingly real.
Almost suspiciously real.
As though everyone simply accepted the mine would be reclaimed.
Because after working under Kel long enough.
People developed a strange condition.
Confidence by Association.
If Kel said something would happen.
Everyone subconsciously began treating it as inevitable.
Gareth's Discovery
Vice Captain Gareth received the news while supervising patrols.
The veteran knight stared at the invitation.
Then looked toward the distant mountains.
Then back toward the invitation.
"My Lord plans to reclaim the mine tomorrow?"
A nearby knight nodded.
"Apparently."
Gareth rubbed his forehead.
"When exactly was this operation planned?"
The knight thought.
"...Yesterday."
Silence.
The veteran stared into the distance.
Then laughed.
A tired laugh.
The laugh of a man who had finally accepted reality.
"Of course it was."
Seiren's Observation
Far beneath Scarder Lake.
The Guardian watched the entire situation unfold.
The invitations.
The preparations.
The confusion.
The panic.
The excitement.
Then she contacted Kel.
"Half the territory thinks you've already reclaimed the mine."
Kel looked up from another blueprint.
"Have they?"
"Yes."
A pause.
"Good."
The Guardian blinked.
"Good?"
Kel calmly returned to his work.
"That saves time explaining later."
Silence.
Then laughter.
The kind of laughter only someone witnessing insanity could produce.
Because while the entire territory debated whether the mine had been reclaimed...
The person responsible wasn't worried in the slightest.
Not because he underestimated the challenge.
But because tomorrow.
He intended to solve it.
Just as he had solved countless other problems.
Outside.
Snow continued falling across Frostbound Coast.
Invitation letters continued spreading.
Guests continued arriving.
Preparations continued advancing.
And somewhere deep within the northern mountains.
Monsters unknowingly occupied a mine that already had a celebration scheduled for its liberation.
They simply hadn't received the invitation yet.