Obviously in a business like this, such invasion of the mineral business was unheard of, usually if one found a mineral vein, they would have to lay claim by purchasing the land than registering license to extract the resources, plus equipment and manpower also factored into establishing this, technically, Daruises business if discovered was deemed illegal, but had already made steps to use proxies to register his operations, which took weeks.
A guard returning from an outpost mentioned that his replacement spear felt different, held its sharpness longer than it should have. A trader passing through the town noticed that the blacksmiths were no longer haggling over scraps, no longer stretching inferior metal into something barely passable.
Even the enchanters, who rarely concerned themselves with the origin of what they worked on, began to comment in quieter tones about how the new pieces accepted inscriptions with less resistance making enchanting easier.
That part mattered more than most people realized. Better refined metal didn't just last longer but it held more.
Blacksmiths who had been competing over limited supply now found themselves in a different position entirely. Requests came in faster than they could comfortably handle, and for once, the limitation wasn't material—it was time, labor and exacution. Orders specified not just quantity, but quality tiers, enchantment capacity, compatibility with specific techniques that had previously been reserved for higher-grade alloys.
Workshops expanded their hours. Assistants who had once been relegated to basic shaping found themselves trained more quickly, pushed into roles they would have taken months to reach under normal circumstances. The rhythm of production shifted from careful conservation to controlled output.
—
The room was built to suggest permanence.
High ceilings, reinforced beams carved from timber that had no business being cut so cleanly, walls lined with stone that had been polished rather than simply placed. Light filtered in through narrow windows, not enough to expose the interior to the outside, just enough to keep the space from feeling enclosed.
Everything in it was expensive in a way that didn't need to announce itself.
Seven individuals occupied it, each seated with enough distance from the others to suggest autonomy rather than unity. They were not equals in title, but in that room, the difference mattered less than what they collectively controlled.
Wealth, in its most grounded form land, Labor and extraction. These individual had mineral rights that stretched across regions most people would never see in their lifetime, let alone claim.
Networks of mines that fed into make shift refineries, refineries that supplied forges, and forges that, until recently, had depended on them without question.
That dependency had been the foundation. Now it was being questioned.
"I'm guessing you all know why we are here even though we are busy individuals," one of them said, fingers resting lightly against the arm of his chair, tapping once in a measured rhythm. "My sources have informed me of a company called the Dagon Conglomerate has formed with a special technique in refining iron to 90% purity"
At the far end, the Duke of the empire leaned back just enough to suggest he wasn't pressed for time, though his attention remained fixed on the discussion. He had not spoken yet, which in itself carried weight. The others filled the silence carefully, aware of it without acknowledging it.
"The reports are aligned with what our people could gather, here are the files, I hope you all go through them throughoutly," a woman said, sliding a document across the table, though most of them had already seen copies of it. "Multiple garrisons, Outposts and Eldor town, our friend here knows where to distribute their product and start their operations"
"Hm, why didn't this organization start here in the city that way word can spread faster, but than again that wont be necessary as the purity if the iron is already rocking the world," someone else added.
"If this operation had backing we should have noticed, that way we know whos making a move on our market dominance of this resource" another replied, the faintest edge entering his tone.
That was the part that sat poorly with them. They did not miss things at this scale. Not usually. Supply lines of this size required movement—labor, transport, coordination. All of it could be tracked, influenced and interrupted.
And yet, this had slipped in quietly, built momentum before it became visible enough to demand attention.
"The problem isn't the volume and growth" the woman continued. "It's the refinement process they use that puts them far above us!."
That drew a different kind of focus. She didn't rush as she spoke, choosing her words with the precision of someone who understood exactly where the problem lay. "The purity levels are unheard of and being reported above our standard outputs. Not only that but they also have consistency so its not a fluke"
A pause settled over the room, heavier than the ones before.
"That's not possible without a change in process," one of the men said, leaning forward slightly now. "Either they've developed a method we don't have—"
"—or they're sourcing material we haven't accessed?" another finished.
Neither option was acceptable. The Duke finally spoke, his voice even, carrying without effort. "We account for both for all viable possibilities."
The room adjusted around that.
"If it's a process based outcome" he continued, "then it can be learned, replicated, or removed from the equation. If it's a source of materials, then it can be claimed one way or another....."
"Iron constitutes what portion of revenue of our empire?" he asked instead, though the answer was already known.
"Forty percent," the woman replied without hesitation. "Across combined operations."
"Then we are not discussing a minor disruption, this person didn't even bother convening or letting themselves known to us, they clearly are a threat to the future of this empire" he said. "We are discussing a potential shift in market control from the empire to a hidden organization, I will not have it!" The duke spoke with visible annoyance, like this situation was merely inconvenient but frustrating
And that, more than anything, clarified the situation.
This wasn't about a few blacksmiths receiving better material. It wasn't even about increased production at isolated points. It was about what happened if that quality became expected. If enchanters began to demand it and never want thier iron ever again which would destroy their control.
"Please tell me we have samples?" the Duke asked.
A small nod from one of the others. "Acquired through indirect purchase and verified by two separate refiners."
"And?"
A brief hesitation. Not from uncertainty, but from the weight of confirming it aloud. "It holds true to the rumors. Structure is well, fewer impurities. It accepts layering without destabilizing."
In other words, it did exactly what the rumors suggested. The Duke exhaled slowly in acknowledgment. "Then speculation is no longer useful, we have what we need to make our move, this better be over and done before the emperor finds out."
"We trace it, from point of use back to origin. No disruptions until we understand the full scope."
"And when we do?" someone asked. This time, the answer came without pause.
"We determine whether it becomes ours," the Duke said, "or whether it stops being anyone's."
No one in the room misunderstood what that meant.
The discussion shifted after that, moving into specifics. Routes that could be monitored without drawing attention. Contacts within garrisons who could be leaned on without revealing the purpose. Merchants who might already be moving between these points, carrying information without realizing its value.
By the time the meeting began to wind down, the concern that had filled the room hadn't lessened.
Outside, the broader world continued as it had over the past weeks—Inside that room, seven individuals began the process of ensuring that whatever had changed would not do so without resistance.