Ravina entered the Blue Room, her steps softened by the plush white carpet patterned with delicate blue threads. Siet had just finished helping her dress in a simple yet elegant purple and white indoor dress. Her eyes scanned the unfamiliar room. It was painted blue of course, the walls having a delicate white pattern rising from the floor to around halfway up the wall. There it faded into the blue, cracks of the paint. While the room did offer a view of the garden, it was obstructed by a large black stone pillar. The blue room had a simple feeling to it. The walls had only a couple of banners but most of it was bare, unused.

Kelim stood as she entered, swallowing as he rose with his hat in hand. He was dressed in his finest clothes. A simple suit made from linen that was a little too large for him. As a hardworking commoner, he didn't have the nicest clothes or a reason to wear them. Clothes were a waste of money for him and he only had the suit that he inherited from his father. His simple brown hair framed a square, somewhat gentle face, accentuating his dark grey-green eyes. Despite the loose fit of his suit, his muscular physique was subtly noticeable, speaking of strength without ostentation. He nervously ran a hand through his hair, a gesture betraying his unease as Ravina stepped into the room.

“My lady,” he greeted, his voice tinged with nervous respect as his fingers fumbled with the brim of his hat.

“Mr. Kelim I presume.” She drew out the word mister. As if humming it in thought. Ravina for her part strived to emulate the poise of an adult. However, she realized she didn't know how to properly address those without titles.

Or last names…

Or anyone who didn't introduce them to her first…

Her eyes widened a bit a the realisation that this would be her first time meeting someone alone.

Aurelia was with her, she glided into the room so silently behind her that if Ravina hadn’t seen the woman's shadow dance in the candlelight, she would have thought that she had left her behind. Despite her calming presence, however, the silent guard wouldn't know more about noble society than her.

Kelim merely nodded, his voice constrained by a dry throat. “Y-yes, ma’am.”

“Please, have a seat,” Ravina suggested, concealing her nerves as she gracefully lowered herself into a chair. While the two nervously smiled at each other, Siet quietly poured tea for Ravina, leaving Kelim's already filled cup undisturbed.

With a soft "thank you," Ravina took the cup in her hand and sipped at its waters, feeling its warmth spread through her, instilling a moment of bravery. Doubling down on her earlier statement, she began, “Mr. Kelim, I was hoping you could help me with an issue I have been put in charge of.”

"Me, my lady?" Kelim blinked, his surprise evident, as he glanced at the maid and the knight before returning his gaze to the noblewoman. "What can I do for you?"

"I've heard you're an expert in the field of mining, and I have some questions about it." Another sip of the tea eased the tension in her shoulders. She set the cup down, comforted by the pace of the conversation and emboldened by the presence of the two women beside her.

"I understand, my lady." Kelim couldn't stop fiddling with his cap. "What can I help you with?"

"It concerns two mines..." Ravina began, carefully omitting the names of the mines and focusing solely on the issue itself. She provided such detail that anyone familiar with the field would recognize the locations she referenced. Of the seven mining towns producing massive amounts of iron, three were in Ravenshield County, and only one had shared rights to a mountain.

“I see… that is interesting.” Kelim fell into thought. He relaxed in the chair, resting a hand over his lips while his hat hung loosely in his other hand. “Unfortunately there isn't really anything I can help you with. While the larger mine did hire the mage to find the ore the smaller mine did nothing wrong. Claims on a vein are only considered true if the vein is open. Er, active. Especially since the larger mine did not properly document their tunnels, the smaller mine could not have known about them and could not follow the one three rule.”

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"The one three rule?" Ravina echoed, curiosity tilting her head.

"Yes, ma'am," Kelim nodded, leaning forward and resting his arms on his legs, his hat twirling in his hand. "The one three rule is a fundamental safety measure in mining. For every foot of the tunnel excavated, at least three inches of solid rock must be maintained around it to ensure the structural integrity of the mine. It was a rule made in the kingdom long ago to ensure that mines don't collapse due to company negligence.”

Kelim shifted in his seat, raising his hands as he elaborated. "For instance, if you want to construct a tunnel six feet wide, you need to maintain at least eight inches of rock as support." His fingers danced in the air to illustrate the point. He concluded, “The smaller mine claims the larger mine never documented this and they opened a shaft too close to another tunnel, causing the shafts to merge and the added stress forced the mine to collapse into a domino effect. Once it fell it was only over by the grace of the earth.”

Ravina absorbed his words for a moment. “So, neither party is fully to blame?” She finished her tea, and her maid quickly refilled the cup.

“Well,” Kelim bobbed his head, “both parties are at fault.” He looked at the table and finally noticed that he had a cup as well. Gingerly picking it up he continued. “The larger mine failed to document properly, while the smaller mine aggressively pursued the new vein… actually, it is odd that the smaller mine would suddenly try and open another tunnel so desperately.” His eyes widened in shock as he tasted the liquid.

“They're struggling to pay their employees, aren't they?” It was well-documented. They were scrambling to keep up with paying all the miners, pushing the line that would send them into the red.

“Well… maybe, they are making quite a bit of money for a mine, they could be making a lot less.” his words confused the girl, was there something he saw in the report that she did not? “However it would make more sense to let go of a few people. Otherwise, they would be forced to do a mass firing and that's always bad. The smaller mine has other resources in their town so that would be fine but if they had to fire a lot of people it would cost them quite a lot of money.”

“A lot of money, why’s that?”

“Well, it’s due to the Axepick law. Lord Henrel enacted a law requiring mining companies to pay up to a year's wages to employees they dismiss. This was to prevent a repeat of the Axepick bandit incident, ensuring financial support for those laid off until they secured another job or until a year elapsed.”

“I see… the lord must like his employees then,” Ravina suggested.

“Oh no, this was a long time ago,” Kelim shrugged. “The Axepick bandits were a really big deal a few decades ago. Lords don't control the employees, just hire the companies.”

“I see.” she frowned, “then why would the lords be asking for mediation?”

“Ah, I'm not sure about that, but while lords don't run the companies, they are accountable for major operations like iron mines. Both mines are likely owned by the lords. Take our company, for instance. We’re contracted by Lord Sheren, who owns the Kormin Mine. The Ocelot company mines it. The company manages hiring, wages, logistics, and sales, subject to the lord’s approval. If we generate more profit than the agreed quota, we can keep the excess. However, if that happens too often, the lord might increase our quota. Essentially, the mine is leased to us, and we pay a significant fee to mine there.”

“So, the mining company would lose a lot of money if the miners are fired?”

“No, the lord is responsible for their wages. It's typically deducted from the lease fee. But with the smaller mine, if ten people are fired, it would be a substantial financial hit. They’d still make some profit, though.”

“Why would the lord be responsible for that if the company manages the employees?”

“That's… well, it’s just how it is. I'm not in upper management. I've been supervising miners since I was ten, and now, 12 years later, I pretty much yell at kids for trying to kill themselves." He started laughing at his usual joke but seemed to remember where he was. More than that he realized she wasn't laughing. “S-sorry.”

“Hm, oh no it's fine,” she said when she realized he was worried about his poor joke. “I’m just trying to think, I’ve been tasked to find out who is at fault and who should pay for the damages and owns the mine.”

“That’s a tough situation,” he sympathized. “I wish I could be of more help.”

“Just for laughs, what would you do?” she pressed, insistent.

“Honestly, I’d side with the older mine.”

“Why?”

“Mines aren’t infinite. They last a few generations but eventually run out. Giving the older mine the ore would sustain it for a few more years.” It made sense, the larger mine was the one focused on actually making a profit. The smaller one was basically just a resort for the rich.

Yet. something didn't sit right about that with Ravina. Something was off…