The headquarters of the Magnolia Upper, located in Bialytskal. Akiya’s gaze narrowed as he listened to the report from the upper-level employees.

“You can’t obtain mica stone? What nonsense is this?”

Mica stone was a type of brick made from granite. The construction of buildings in the Magnolia hot springs used rock to minimize corrosion due to the saline nature of the springs.

Because of this, Magnolia had placed orders for mica stone in the eastern region, where there was plenty of granite.

They believed the deal had been finalized since the payment had already been made. However, this morning, they suddenly received a notice stating that mica stone could not be supplied.

“That… It seems to be the work of Parchia Upper.”

Saturn, the person in charge of construction, hesitated with an awkward expression.

“Parchia…”

Parchia. It was an Upper managed by Leo Road, the younger brother of Empress Hwang Tai-hoo.

‘Probably the work of Ilay.’

Or maybe Hwang Tai-hoo.

The area in the east, where they planned to trade for mica stone, was tightly controlled by Parchia Upper. It could almost be considered the financial lifeline of that region.

They would likely have to consider Parchia Upper’s intentions.

Akiya’s lip lifted slightly. He had anticipated that the Emperor would interfere to some extent.

The problem was that they had overlooked the fact that the location where they traded for mica stone fell under Parchia Upper’s jurisdiction.

‘I was too careless.’

He had missed such an important detail while undertaking such a significant task as hot spring development. It tasted bitter in his mouth.

But regretting past actions wouldn’t improve the situation.

With the recruitment of laborers already completed, they were in a situation where they had to wait for the arrival of mica stone. Any delay could result in significant losses.

“Is there a way to obtain rock from another source?”

“I’ve already looked into it, but it seems Parchia Upper has already intervened. No matter how much we offer, they refuse to trade.”

‘Tsk.’

Akiya clicked his tongue.

If they had obstructed trade in the eastern region from the beginning, they would have blocked all possible alternatives in advance. In that case, the only method would be importing from abroad.

The fastest way would be by ship, but the weight of the stones posed a risk of sinking. If they used overland transportation, it would take a long time. Time was the problem.

“How about importing wood instead? Using something like the wood we’ve used for internal support structures in the mines…”

A nearby upper-level employee timidly suggested an alternative, but Akiya cut him off with a single breath.

“Building a space with high humidity, like a hot spring, with wood. It would look great if it rotted as soon as it was built.”

Only now did the employee realize his mistake and lowered his head.

‘Crazy.’

No wonder everything was going smoothly from the beginning. A sigh escaped Akiya’s lips as he pressed his forehead, seemingly troubled.

“Lord Duke!”

A familiar voice penetrated his ears.

“Lea?”

He wondered if he misheard. But when he raised his head, Lea was standing in the doorway, waving at Akiya.

“How did you get here…”

“Since the Duke didn’t come for so long, I came!”

‘A fortnight.’

It had been a whole fortnight since he last saw Lea. Seeing Lea with a bright smile made the persistent headache seem to vanish.

However, the observant Lea sensed the strange atmosphere in the office.

“What’s the problem? The atmosphere seems a bit dark. Lord Duke doesn’t look very well. What kind of problem has occurred?”

While examining Akiya’s face by holding his cheeks, Lea inquired.

“Lord Duke’s complexion doesn’t look good. What kind of problem has arisen?”

Akiya, who tried not to reveal anything, couldn’t escape Lea’s discerning eyes. Akiya responded with a short, bitter laugh.

“There’s a bit of a problem. It’s nothing major, so don’t worry.”

“What kind of problem is it?”

“The mica stone trade is causing trouble. It seems difficult to find it domestically, and we might have to get it from another continent. I’m worried about transportation.”

“Hmm…”
Lea, who had been listening to the current situation, stroked his chin.

“So, Duke, does that mean you couldn’t find the stones needed to build the hot spring facility?”

“Yeah. If it were just ordinary hot spring water, we could manage somehow. But the hot spring water in Bialytskal is saltwater. We need sturdy stones.”

While there were plenty of rocks in the Bialytskal region, they were insufficient for building due to the salt content.

‘But what if we don’t need to build a structure?’

Lea, as if having a good idea, sparkled his eyes.

“How about turning the mine itself into a hot spring?”

“What?”

“Without building a new structure. Using the mine itself as a hot spring facility. Experiencing a natural hot spring.”

Akiya, who had been quietly listening to this suggestion, asked the architect beside him.

“Do you think it’s possible?”