28: Chapter 28 Using the Princess's Authority to Do My Business

"This number..." Her voice was raspy with disbelief, even drowning out the noisy discussions of the workers around them. "Are you telling me that in just one month, you paid a succubus... a descendant of a devil, a bonus equivalent to the annual expenses of a standard knight squadron?"

This question struck like a heavy hammer, instantly shattering the noisy atmosphere of the square.

Everyone's gaze converged, filled with shock, confusion, and a hint of hidden greed, staring fixedly at Evelyn.

That astronomical bonus was, to them, a wealth they could almost never hope to attain in a lifetime.

Evelyn calmly pushed up the crystal glasses on the bridge of her nose, her purple eyes behind the lenses as still as an ancient well.

She did not look at Ella, but instead swept her gaze around the workers with their complex expressions. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears: "Your Highness, what you see is not just a bonus, but behind this bonus lies the ironware sales network I have developed for Blackstone Territory that covers the entire North, as well as the long-term orders I have signed that will keep the smelting department running at full capacity for the next three quarters. These are all recorded in detail in the financial reports."

She paused, finally turning her gaze to Ella, that look carrying a hint of the cold scrutiny typical of a technocrat: "Every one of my gold coins stems from the quantifiable value I have created for the territory. So, may I ask, Your Highness, since you and your guards arrived at Blackstone Territory, besides causing us to incur seventeen additional gold coins in unnecessary expenses for security and reception, what value have you created for this land?"

"Insolent!" A shout of rage exploded like a thunderclap.

Sir Kane could no longer tolerate this "twisted logic" that turned black into white. With a "clang," he drew the cruciform longsword at his waist, its heavy blade reflecting a chilling cold light in the afternoon sun, pointing directly at Evelyn.

Violent Battle Qi surged from within his body, whipping up dust from the ground and forming an invisible pressure that instantly enveloped the entire square.

The workers backed away in fear, all color drained from their faces.

"Disrespecting a representative of the Imperial royal family is tantamount to treason! A filthy succubus dares to question the value of Her Highness?!" Sir Kane's voice was filled with killing intent; he fought for the dignity of the royal family, which was his creed as a knight.

However, facing that sharp sword tip and the Battle Qi capable of splitting stones, there was not a trace of fear on Evelyn's face.

She just stood there quietly, as if Sir Kane and his sword were merely a "potential risk" on a balance sheet that could be assessed and dealt with.

"Stop, Kane." Ella's voice rang out, halting the impending conflict.

She raised her hand, blocking the way in front of Sir Kane. Her expression was grim, her chest heaving violently with anger, but reason ultimately prevailed over impulse.

She knew that if she resorted to force here today, no matter how justified the reason, she would fall into a passive position.

In this place where "value" was the only standard of measurement, using violence to defend dignity was in itself proof of failure.

Sir Kane reluctantly sheathed his sword, but those hawk-like eyes remained locked on Evelyn, as if he might pounce again at any moment.

Just at this tense moment, Levi walked out from behind the crowd, unhurried, with that same gentle and appropriate smile on his face, as if everything that had just happened was merely a small misunderstanding.

"Your Highness Ella, Sir Kane, please calm your anger." He first bowed slightly to both of them to show respect, then turned to Evelyn, his tone carrying a hint of just the right amount of reproach: "Evelyn, your phrasing was too direct. Her Highness represents the order and glory of the Empire, which is priceless in itself. 'Value Contribution' is our internal performance assessment standard in Blackstone Territory; it should not be applied to honorable guests."

With a few words, he both appeased Ella and cleverly reiterated and deepened the impression that "Value Contribution" was the core principle of this place.

This method of seemingly striking both sides equally, while actually implanting his own philosophy into the other party's mind again, was something he had mastered to perfection in countless project coordination meetings in his previous life.

"However..." Levi changed the subject, a hint of just the right amount of distress and sincerity appearing on his face, as if he had truly encountered a thorny problem and had to seek help from the noble princess before him: "Although Evelyn's words were offensive, they did indeed remind me. Blackstone Territory has recently encountered a major problem that is difficult for us to solve on our own. I am currently troubled, and perhaps, with the highest-level imperial knowledge and insights you received at the Royal Academy in the capital, you could provide us with some guidance."

This gesture was extremely humble, elevating Ella high up and satisfying her recently damaged self-esteem to a great extent.

She instinctively straightened her back, subconsciously wanting to strike the pose befitting a member of the royal family.

"What kind of trouble?" She asked coldly, attempting to regain the initiative in the conversation.

Levi sighed, the look of worry on his face deepening: "Your Highness might not know, but in our newly merged Ironhoof Territory, deep within the core mining area, a small-scale crustal movement has disrupted the underground water veins. Now, water is continuously seeping into the depths of the mine. We have tried various methods, whether it is traditional engineering drainage or hiring Earth-element mages to reinforce the rock walls, all with little effect. Now, the highest-yielding vein has been forced to stop production, and the daily losses are flowing away like water. This not only affects the territory's income but also puts hundreds of miners at risk of unemployment."

He deliberately mentioned "miners' unemployment," his gaze sweeping over the workers around who were listening with pricked ears.

Sure enough, a suppressed commotion and discussion immediately arose in the crowd.

Ella's brows furrowed tightly. Water management was a complex field spanning engineering, hydrology, and Earth-element magic.

In her understanding, this was a classic problem for testing a lord's comprehensive governance ability.

And Levi's so-called "Value Contribution" theory sounded better at urging people to mine than at solving this kind of underlying technical crisis.

This was the perfect opportunity to prove that the wisdom and sense of responsibility of the traditional nobility were far superior to his cold "theory of copper stench"!

A strong fighting spirit rose in Ella's heart.

She would let Levi, and all the subjects here who had been blinded by money, see that what could truly protect them and solve fundamental problems was the noble wisdom and responsibility represented by the Radiant family, passed down for a thousand years, not a piece of scrap paper filled with bonuses!

"Take me to see it." Ella's tone allowed for no refusal; she would go to the scene in person and use facts to shatter the illusory "efficient" world that Levi had built.

"Of course, this way, Your Highness." Levi

Everything was playing out according to the script.

Two days later, deep within the Ironhoof Territory mine.

The air was damp and thick, filled with the fishy smell of soil and the cold aura of rocks.

Water droplets continuously seeped out and gathered on the rock walls, eventually turning into trickles that wound their way toward the murky, ankle-deep standing water in the center of the mine tunnel.

Several magic light orbs floated in mid-air, emitting a ghastly white light that illuminated the undisguisable fatigue and impatience on Ella's face clearly.

Behind her, several accompanying royal engineers and Earth-element mages also looked dejected and dispirited.

In the past forty-eight hours, Ella had worked almost without sleep or rest.

She had mobilized every resource she could, supervising personally, attempting to solve this water seepage problem.

She first employed the classic "Light Barrier" magic, attempting to use holy energy to solidify the rocks and seal the cracks.

However, the rock strata here seemed to have a special repulsion toward magic energy; as soon as the light seeped into the rock wall, it was dissipated by an invisible force, with minimal effect.

Subsequently, she ordered the engineers to design and dig several traditional drainage diversion channels based on the textbooks of the Royal Academy.

[part:gemini-2.5-flash]

However, the underground water veins were far more complex and chaotic than they had imagined. When new channels were dug, not only did they fail to effectively drain the water, but they also stirred up a hornet's nest, drawing out even more underground water and even triggering a small-scale collapse.

“Rumble—”

Accompanied by a dull roar, the entrance to a branch mining tunnel not far away completely collapsed under immense water pressure. Tons of muddy water and rubble instantly sealed the passage.

The stirred-up murky waves splashed forward, covering Ella in mud.

It's over.

Ella's heart sank to rock bottom.

Not only had she failed to solve the problem, but she had also made the situation several times worse.

What was originally a partially shut-down mine was now at risk of being completely submerged and rendered useless because the main drainage channel was blocked.

She could clearly feel the gazes of the surrounding miners, which had transformed from initial expectation and respect to current disappointment, and even a hint of imperceptible... pity.

Such gazes stung her pride as an Imperial Princess more than Sir Kane's sharp sword.

Just then, a clear sound of footsteps came from the direction of the mine entrance, growing closer.

Levi's figure appeared within the illumination range of the light orb. His clothes were still neat, completely out of place in the muddy surroundings.

Beside him was the silver-haired elf named Hill.

The elf's expression was as cool and aloof as ever, but in her hands, she held a thick roll of blueprints made from tanned animal hide.

Levi's gaze swept over the chaotic scene and Ella's disheveled appearance. There was no hint of mockery on his face, but rather a calm expression of “as expected.”

“It seems Her Highness has encountered a small problem,” he stated in a declarative tone.

Ella bit her lower lip, remaining silent.

The facts were laid bare; any defense would seem pale and powerless.

Levi didn't mind. He walked straight to the collapsed area, observed for a moment, then took the roll of blueprints from Hill's hand and unfurled it on a relatively dry and flat rock nearby.

“Your Highness, the reason traditional magic and engineering methods fail here is that the rock strata are rich in a special mineral we call ‘calamity alloy.’ It not only has a strong dissolving effect on most elemental magic, but its texture is also loose, and its structural changes after encountering water are completely unpredictable.”

Levi's voice echoed in the damp mining tunnel, clearly reaching everyone's ears.

He didn't propose any new magical solutions, and what was drawn on the blueprints wasn't some profound magic array.

It was a set of extremely complex mechanical devices, unlike anything Ella had ever seen.

Gears, crankshafts, pistons, pipes of all sizes... were precisely combined in an inconceivable way, forming a multi-tiered, interlocking system.

“This is...” Ella couldn't help but step forward, her gaze drawn by the exquisite design on the blueprints.

“A multi-stage differential water pump system designed based on the properties of the ‘calamity alloy’ itself.” Levi's finger pointed at the core of the blueprint. “We cannot stop the water from seeping out, so we change our approach and pump it away. This system is self-driven by hydraulic power, lifting deep water to the surface level by level. Its core components will be forged from purified ‘calamity alloy,’ making them completely immune to the erosion of the magical environment here during operation. This is a purely engineering solution, requiring precise calculations and in-depth application of new materials, not more powerful magic.”

Ella stared blankly at the blueprints. She didn't understand terms like “differential linkage,” but she could grasp the grandeur and ingenuity of the design.

It was a cold and rigorous industrial beauty, completely different from magic, making her feel both unfamiliar and deeply shaken.

She had lost, completely and utterly.

While she was still blindly trying to “block” the problem, he had already designed a systematic solution to “divert” it.

Levi seemed not to notice the disappointment on Ella's face. He put away the design blueprint and took out another document, a list filled with numbers.

“This is the budget sheet for initiating this project.” He handed the list to Ella, his tone flat. “Purifying ‘calamity alloy’ requires building a new high-temperature furnace, manufacturing precision gears requires ordering special molds from the Dwarves, plus labor and material loss... A preliminary estimate suggests we need approximately three thousand gold coins in initial startup capital.”

Three thousand gold coins!

Ella gasped. This amount was enough to arm a five-hundred-man heavy infantry regiment.

Levi watched her reaction, a subtle curve forming at the corner of his mouth, and continued, “Blackstone Territory has just completed the acquisition of Ironhoof Territory, and most of our liquid capital has already been invested in restoring production and establishing the employee compensation system. Frankly, we don't have such a large sum of money right now.”

His voice paused here, leaving Ella ample room for thought.

Ella's heart suddenly sank. She instantly understood Levi's true intention.

He wasn't here to flaunt his solution; he was here to... ask for money.

“So...” Levi's voice resumed, full of inducement, “if Her Highness Ella, in your capacity as an Imperial Royal Supervisor, could sign a document certifying that this investment is a necessary expenditure for ‘territorial infrastructure construction and post-disaster reconstruction,’ then we can legitimately and legally temporarily reallocate the ‘Border Mining Tax’ that would normally be submitted to the Empire this quarter as this special investment fund. This way, the funding problem will be solved.”

The air seemed to solidify at that moment.

Ella stared intently at Levi. This man had been setting a trap for her from beginning to end!

He deliberately threw out a problem she couldn't solve, made her try all traditional methods, and let her lose all credibility in front of the miners.

Then, at her most defeated and disheveled moment, he appeared with the perfect solution, and then, as a matter of course, presented a financial request she couldn't refuse!

Refuse?

Refusing to sign this document would mean she would personally cut off the mine's lifeline, cause hundreds of miners to lose their jobs, and admit her own incompetence and failure to everyone.

Her “supervision” mission on this trip would become a complete joke.

But once signed...

Once she put her name on it, it would mean that she, the Third Princess of the Radiant Empire, would use the Empire's taxes and her own royal authority to fund this “capitalist” lord whom she originally intended to judge.

She would transform from a high-and-mighty supervisor into an indispensable part of his development plan, a “partner”!

She was checkmated.

Levi took out a pre-prepared document and a pen dipped in ink from his Huai, smiling as he handed them to her.

All around, the miners, engineers, and even her own guard, Sir Kane, watched her with bated breath, awaiting her decision.

Every gaze was like a rope, binding her tightly.

Ella's gaze swept over the clear clauses on the document; every word seemed to mock her naivety.

Finally, her eyes fell on the blank signature line at the end of the document.

She tremblingly reached out and took the pen.

The cold touch of the pen tip seemed to chill her to the core.

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, Ella Radiance, with an almost humiliated posture, signed her name stroke by stroke.

Levi calmly retrieved the document, carefully blew dry the ink, then neatly folded it and placed it in his Huai.

His smile had not changed throughout, gentle yet filled with the composure of a victor.

He not only solved the territory's technical problems and secured future production capacity, but more importantly, he made the Imperial Princess personally stamp his act of reallocating tax funds with legitimacy and compliance.

From this moment on, their relationship was firmly bound together by this document.