Venturing into Gold Hunting (2)
It was Andrew who responded to Rockefeller’s words.
“I think I've heard about it! Long ago, there were a lot of dwarfs here! They all mined gold, didn’t they?”
The third child also seemed to have heard something, as he started to speak.
“I’ve heard about it too. This domain used to have a lot of gold mines. Really a lot. Although there’s none left now…….”
The reaction of the younger siblings was predictable.
“First, you guys also need to learn the work. So, Andrew and Joshua, dig as deep as you can in the soil beneath the river bank and bring it to me. Then I’ll show you how to find gold dust in that soil. You just need to watch and follow along.”
The method of extracting gold dust was simpler than expected.
Gold, being of a high density, usually settles at the deep bottom of the river.
So, if you dig deep into the river bank and put the soil into a large dish called a panning dish, and then swirl it on flowing water, the gold and a few other metals, being heavy, will not be washed away by the flowing water and will remain in the concave part of the panning dish.
After separating the sparkling gold, that was the method of panning for gold.
‘I remember having to do it several times before just to get a few pieces, I wonder how it'll go here.’
Rockefeller, half in doubt, started to swirl the panning dish slowly over the flowing water, filled with the dirt his younger siblings had gathered.
The visible pebbles and sand were quickly washed away, and the dirt underneath was also swiftly carried off by the flowing water.
Joshua, who had been watching the panning process with bated breath, spoke anxiously.
"Is there really gold in there? It all seems to be washing away…"
"You fool! How can there be so much gold? Just wait, Rockefeller is looking for it."
The usually quiet fourth child also spoke up, his eyes sparkling as he watched the dirt flow out of the pan.
"Is there really gold here?"
Rockefeller, silent, was fully focused on the panning dish, intent on finding the gold dust.
'Please, please show up. I need to make a living too.'
As the panning process concluded, the immediately noticeable sparkling gold dust came into view.
It was a much larger amount than expected.
‘Can this much really come out?’
The amount under the panning dish was incomparable to when gold was mined in Korea.
The younger siblings, new to gold panning, were bewildered by the situation, but Rockefeller found it too difficult to hide his excitement.
"With this much... at least we won't starve to death, right?"
It was the moment when he, lost in a novel's world and wandering in endless darkness, first saw a ray of salvation.
"No. With this, life could change. This alone won't change life, but what if we grow from this foundation?"
As Rockefeller was overwhelmed by the unexpectedly large quantity, the third sibling, staring intently at the panning dish, said,
"Is this all gold? The stuff that's shining here."
The younger siblings knew what gold was, but they seemed disappointed by the lesser amount than they had imagined.
"But isn't this too little? How are we going to live on this?"
If there had been experts who had mined gold dust even once, they would have been ecstatic at the amount, but the children, unaware of this, reacted as one might expect.
As the disappointment of the third child deepened, Rockefeller spoke up.
"No, this is actually a lot."
The one who brightened up the most at these words was the second child, who had harbored strong doubts just like the third.
"Is this really a lot?"
"I never imagined it would be this much. You might not know, but mining gold dust doesn't usually yield this much."
The third child also brightened up.
"Really? So this is actually a lot? Wow!"
Rockefeller was already imagining escaping poverty and becoming rich.
'If it keeps coming out like this, becoming truly rich isn't just a dream. It's a dream that could come true!'
Although he lacked talent in swordsmanship or magic, unable to become a Sword Master or a Great Mage, he felt he could at least become a filthy rich person.
That is, if they could mine all the gold dust here.
"It's a jackpot. A real jackpot."
As Rockefeller excitedly contemplated the future, his younger siblings were chattering among themselves with excitement.
"Does this mean we won't have to starve anymore?"
"Starve? What are you talking about! Now we're going to be rich! Right, Rockefeller? We can really become rich, right?"
Even the usually quiet fourth sibling raised his voice amidst the excitement of his brothers.
"It's really a relief. Truly a relief..."
The young sister, holding the fourth sibling’s hand tightly, sucked on her fingers quietly, soothing her hunger, unaware of why her brothers were so excited.
"Let's make money!"
The excited second sibling, Andrew, shouted, followed immediately by the third sibling, Joshua.
They were the most enthusiastic, and the fourth sibling also began to help his older brothers while taking care of the youngest, Lucia.
"Indeed. This land is not dead yet."
In a land others deemed finished, Rockefeller found a possibility to change the dire situation of himself and his younger siblings in an instant.
"This is somewhat exciting, isn't it?"
To others, it might just seem like mere gold dust, but Rockefeller saw beyond it - a feasible dream.
‘Honestly, speaking bluntly, I can't become a Swordmaster or a Great Magician. I'm neither of that lineage nor do I have any innate talent for it.’
There was no need to stubbornly pursue a path that held no possibility.
It was a waste of time and money.
However, as an economics student who studied finance and history, he saw a worthwhile challenge in this world's rather primitive financial system.
‘Right, what does it matter to become a Swordmaster or a Great Magician? Those paths are incredibly dangerous anyway.’
Just as it had been back in Korea, at this moment, the most important things to him were money first and foremost, and money second.
‘In the end, money is supreme. Really, nothing else matters; money is the best.’
With money, he could buy power, honor, anything at all.
‘Even safety can be bought. Money is like a universal cheat key that makes it all possible.’
