Kingdom Simulator: I, a Fallen Noble, Build a God-Level Kingdom!-Chapter 69: Black Coal Ball

To incorporate Highmount Fortress was not just about incorporating Highmount Fortress.

It was similar to reclaiming Stone Town, which included not only Stone Town itself but also the surrounding areas.

Similarly, incorporating Highmount Fortress would also bring with it the attached regions.

Romon took the opportunity to open the Simulator Blueprint for a quick look.

The map of Highmount Fortress resembled a breast, with the fortress situated at the highest point.

In the northwest corner, there was an open-pit mine, which didn’t even need a marker to identify it, as it clearly resembled a pile of ore.

Zooming in for a closer look, it was evident that it was a coal mine.

Coal in this world was far less useful and valuable than Magic Crystal, but some people had managed to become wealthy through the accumulation of such seemingly insignificant items.

After entering the Highmount Fortress town hall, Romon said to Mangton, "Mangton, bring me the accounts of the coal mine."

Hearing this, Mangton’s face showed hesitation, but he quickly found the accounts.

As he handed over the documents, he explained, "My Lord, for the past few months, the coal mine has been on fire, and we can’t extinguish it. This has severely affected the production."

Romon flipped through the accounts and saw that the coal production had plummeted by almost 90% since August.

Was this all for nothing?

Romon refused to believe it. He zoomed in on the Blueprint in the simulator for a closer look and then said, "Let’s go and see it for ourselves."

"Of course, my Lord, I’ll take you there," Mangton replied. He had nothing to hide and was confident that there was no corruption to uncover.

After quickly gathering some protective gear, Mangton led two horses over.

"My Lord," he said, leading the black horse and preparing to help Romon mount.

However, Romon had no intention of riding the horse. He flipped his hand, and a spellbook appeared.

The [Flight] spell was so convenient that he would often draw a few pages when he had the chance. After use, the pages would revert to their original state, so there was no limit to the number of pages he could draw.

Under Mangton’s astonished gaze, Romon waved his right hand, and he effortlessly took flight.

This spell required no incantation and no continuous mana expenditure, making it seem mysterious and profound to outsiders.

Mangton, for his part, looked up in disbelief at Romon, who was now flying in the air. A busy Lord who could also cast a flying spell—what kind of person was this?

Thomas Nightingale must have had his head kicked in by a donkey to declare war on such a person.

Could it be that the once-fallen Thune family descendant was actually a genius who had been biding his time and now was making a spectacular comeback?

Otherwise, how could he have subjugated the dwarves, created mysterious machinery, and mastered advanced magic on his own?

"Follow me."

Romon paused in mid-air and addressed those below, both Mangton and his army.

The northwest corner of Highmount Fortress was already close to the border.

Since they were near the border, it made sense to take care of a few things while they were there.

...

Three quarters of an hour later.

The group arrived at the coal mine area.

From the air, Romon could see a black mine with a red crack running through its center.

That red crack was the mark of the ongoing fire.

"The temperature is very high, indeed a tough problem," Romon said as he descended. Mangton hurriedly stepped forward and said, "My Lord, I have also sent people to manage this area, but all efforts have been in vain."

Romon merely nodded in response, saying nothing more.

A burning coal mine wasn’t an extraordinary occurrence. Even in his previous life, there were coal mines that were mined while they were burning. The explanation given in his previous life was scientific, but Romon now had a more magical explanation.

With his eyes blessed by the ’Elven Queen,’ he could vaguely see something alive moving in the molten fire. However, he lacked the ability to enter the molten lava alone to investigate.

"Everyone, stand back," Romon ordered. While he couldn’t enter the molten fire himself, it didn’t mean he was without options.

"My Lord?" Mangton looked puzzled for a moment but then dutifully shouted, "Everyone, move back! Lord orders, stand back!"

Romon watched from the air as everyone retreated. He then summoned his spellbook, and the pages turned automatically according to his thoughts, stopping at the [Taming] spell.

Previously, to capture the bloodthirsty wolf king, he had learned this spell. To keep the spell fresh in his mind, he would occasionally draw and practice it.

Thus, with a wave of his right hand, he launched a golden chain at the strange creature moving in the molten fire!

The golden chain, upon contact with the molten fire, immediately wrapped itself three times around the creature!

The golden chain tightened instantly!

Romon could feel that his [Taming] spell had indeed hit a creature, but this creature was beyond his understanding.

The [Taming] spell was not a tug-of-war but a one-sided process of implanting certain mental imprints into the target’s mind. The prerequisite was that the target’s intelligence level must be lower than the caster’s intelligence level.

Therefore, when the golden chain tightened, Romon simply gave a gentle tug with his right hand, and the strange creature moving in the molten fire was pulled up.

It rolled and thrashed on the black, charred ground, its body resembling an enlarged sea urchin, at least five meters in diameter.

"L-Lord?!"

Mangton looked at Romon’s achievement with incredible shock. For months, he had hired numerous experts to manage the burning coal mine, but to no avail. Yet, Romon, with just one move, had pulled a monster out of the burning coal mine!

"Lord!"

Romon’s army, witnessing the thrashing giant sea urchin, stood ready for action, awaiting Romon’s command to charge forward and cut the monster to pieces.

However, Romon did not issue the order. As the [Taming] spell took effect, the creature’s struggles grew weaker and weaker. By the three-minute mark, it had come to a complete stop, obediently remaining in place.

Through the golden chain, Romon could sense the creature’s thoughts, as if it were a rare pet he had raised for years. The creature, in turn, could feel Romon’s kindness, like that of a beloved owner.

"Ning~"

It let out a sound, its massive body producing a meow-like noise.

Romon slowly descended, and in the tense gaze of his soldiers, he boldly stood before the monster, even extending his hand toward it. He touched one of the protruding spikes on its body, which felt like a mineral. When he withdrew his hand, his palm was covered in black soot.

"This is... coal?"

"Ning ning~~"

Now that it had become Romon’s pet, it naturally began to be influenced by [Culture], becoming more intelligent. Romon pointed to the burning crack in the coal mine and asked, "Who did this?"

The creature’s spikes contracted slyly, clearly indicating that it was responsible. It looked like a dog caught in the act of defecating indoors by its owner.

Seeing this, Romon continued, "You can’t do that!"

Hearing Romon’s tone, the creature rolled its body in a pitiful manner and slowly moved back into the molten fire. As it passed, the persistent flames began to extinguish, inch by inch. Within a quarter of an hour, the massive burning crack in the coal mine had turned black once again.

The burning had stopped, and the surrounding temperature rapidly cooled down. Sensing Romon’s improved mood, the creature rolled back to him, dog-like in its manner.

"Ning ning~ ning ning ning~~"

Seeing its pleading expression, Romon said, "From now on, you’ll be called Black Coal Ball. As long as you behave, you’ll be well taken care of."

"Ning ning!"

Romon avoided the creature’s spikes and gently patted its head—or what he assumed was its head.

"Alright, the coal mine is fine now. Continue the mining. Winter is approaching, so apart from the coal for civilian use, transport the rest to the dwarven factories," Romon instructed Mangton.

At this point, Mangton’s jaw was nearly hitting the ground. Romon had not only pulled a monster out of the molten fire but had also used it to solve the coal mine’s problem. Such a feat was hard to describe as anything but divine!

"Continue advancing westward," Romon ordered the army without waiting for Mangton’s response, issuing the next set of instructions.

Taking advantage of the fact that Thomas Nightingale’s death had not yet spread, capturing Highmount Fortress was a straightforward task. Romon needed to continue advancing to maximize the benefits.

This army, trained by Pir and Pito, was a blend of melee fighters and archers, a common sight on the battlefield. However, they were not the main force of the Thune Territory; that distinction belonged to the Magitech Drone Legion.

To eliminate Thomas Nightingale and the priests he carried, Romon had no choice but to sacrifice 600 third-generation drones, and a few operators were injured in the process. The operators needed to be re-equipped and receive new gear from the dwarven factories before they could rejoin the battlefield.

Therefore, Romon’s strategy was to have the conventional army lead the first wave, and once the Magitech Drone Legion caught up, they would begin to push forward relentlessly. As for Mayus’ Knights and the Golden Stone Mages, these two units would remain stationary, serving as the internal forces of the Thune Territory.

In the past, due to a lack of manpower, Romon had to go all out whenever he engaged in battle. Now, with a certain level of resources, he could not afford to continue such reckless tactics; they were not sustainable and could lead to his base being vulnerable to attacks.

"My Lord, further west is the territory of Millbrook," Mangton observed, looking at the neatly advancing army formations. He suddenly realized that Romon had brought his army to Highmount Fortress not for him, but with the intention of targeting Millbrook from the beginning!

"Of course, I know," Romon replied. "This time, Highmount Fortress need not send troops. As new members of the Thune Territory, you should rest and recuperate for now. Once you’ve adapted, you can begin serving in the military."

While Romon said this, in reality, he was wary of the Highmount Fortress troops mixing with his own, as it could lead to coordination issues and undermine their effectiveness. His army was trained to modern standards from his previous life, a far cry from the disorganized soldiers of Highmount Fortress.

Romon’s forces were a well-oiled machine, and integrating the less disciplined soldiers from Highmount Fortress would be counterproductive. He needed a cohesive and efficient fighting force to achieve his goals.

"Prepare for the next phase," Romon ordered, turning to Mangton. "We will move westward and bring Millbrook under our control. The future of the Thune Territory depends on our unity and strength."

Mangton nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. Romon’s strategic vision and command were clear, and the path forward was set. The Thune Territory was expanding, and with it, Romon’s influence and power.