The moment Marcus finished his account, Kaito could only cover his face with his hand. If he had known Marcus would spill every detail without hesitation, he would have answered himself. As Marcus went on, the expressions of the elders grew darker and heavier. Watching their grim faces, Kaito knew instantly he was in for a serious scolding.
And sure enough, the moment Marcus stopped speaking, his eldest grandfather's face hardened into pure anger. His eyes flared, and he slammed his hand down on the armrest of his chair before pointing sharply at them.
"You all really have guts, don't you?" his grandfather snapped, his voice rising. "Stronger than me, now are you? Marching into unexplored caves as if you own the place, coming out with treasures as though it's nothing! Tell me are even the high-ranking monsters of the Endless Mountains afraid of you now?"
The sarcasm in his tone stung more than the words themselves. His voice thundered across the hall, filled with disappointment and fury. He taunted them mercilessly, his anger only growing as he spoke.
"You think this is some kind of game? Charging straight into danger without a second thought, as if your lives don't matter? Do you have any idea what could have happened? One mistake, and all of you would have died in that cave!"
Marcus and others flinched under the verbal onslaught. At first, Marcus tried to stand tall, but the longer his grandfather spoke, the more his confidence melted away. When he realized the scolding was only getting harsher, he quickly retreated, slipping back behind Kaito as though trying to hide.
Kaito found himself shoved into the front once again. He forced a bitter smile, standing silently while his grandfather's words rained down on them.
But while his anger seemed uncontrollable on the surface, Kaito's eldest grandfather's mind was working. He had read the information on Spirit Stone Mines displayed by the holotab, and his thoughts were already weighing the danger. If the Mine Spirit Leader Marcus described had been left unchecked, its strength could have grown far beyond a Rank 1 high grade. In time, it might have reached a level surpassing even his own. The thought sent a cold shiver down his spine.
In truth, part of him was relieved. By defeating the Mine Spirit Leader, Kaito and the others had removed a looming threat that could have endangered the entire family. Still, that relief did not excuse their recklessness. They had been lucky this time but luck was not something he would ever stake his family's future on.
He scolded them harshly, not only out of anger but to anchor their hearts. He wanted them to remember that martial cultivation was not about chasing reckless glory or gambling their lives for benefits. Even though Kaito and his group had brought back an incredible opportunity with the Spirit Stone Mine, the cost could easily have been their lives.
His voice softened slightly, but the weight behind it remained. "Remember this," he said firmly, glaring at each of them in turn. "No benefit, no treasure, no so-called opportunity is worth throwing your lives away. I will never allow the lives of my family members to be sacrificed for gain. Never."
After that the scolding continued for what felt like an eternity. For ten straight minutes, his voice filled the hall, hammering the lesson into them. Kaito, Marcus, and the others stood quietly, shoulders bowed, absorbing every word.
Finally, the tirade ended. His eldest grandfather leaned back into his seat, breathing hard, his expression still stern. The rest of the elders remained silent, their own anger mirrored in his words. What he had said spoke for all of them.
The hall was heavy with silence.
At last, Kaito straightened. He took a step forward, his voice steady but respectful. "Eldest Grandfather, please don't be angry any longer. I know what we did was dangerous. But we are martial artists. If we shrink away every time danger appears, then we'll never grow stronger. More importantly, leaving the Mine Spirit Leader alone would have been far more dangerous for the family in the future. Sooner or later, it would have grown, and when it did, it would have threatened us all."
His tone was calm but earnest. "That is why I decided to destroy it. Not only to protect us now, but to prevent a disaster later. I understand your anger, but this time, I believe it was necessary."
He bowed his head slightly, hoping to dissuade his grandfather's fury and show his sincerity.
The hall remained quiet, all eyes on the two of them.
Kaito seeing that the hall quieted, he then continued, speaking calmly. "Eldest Grandfather, yes, it was dangerous, but we still came out on top. Even though it looked like we were overwhelmed, we managed to fight through it. We also strengthened ourselves for future battles, and we brought back something that will benefit the family."
His Eldest Grandfather's face stayed grumpy for a moment, but Kaito saw the hardness in his features soften. The old man glanced at his third brother with something like wonder, thinking how lucky he was to have a grandson like Kaito. After everything Kaito had already done for the family bringing resources and advanced techniques, the new find was one more great gain. The danger had been real, and he would complain and scold them for a while, but in the end he knew they had acted for the family's good. He could not stay angry forever.
Finally Kaito's eldest grandfather nodded once, as if accepting what had happened. He wiped a hand across his face and asked in a clearer voice, "Alright. Tell me plainly how much does that Spirit Stone Mine have? What level is it?"
Kaito felt a small relief at the question. He replied honestly. "We confirmed it's a Spirit Stone Mine, but I can't tell its level or how much it contains. We need a trained mine master to find that out."
Mine masters are a special profession that became common after many ruins were discovered in his previous life. They don't only search for mines, trained mine masters can identify a mine's grade and estimate its inventory. Right now, because of the library ruins, the Ren family does have the books that teach mine-master skills. But no one in the family has been trained into that role yet.
Kaito spread his hands slightly and continued, trying to make a plan everyone could accept. "We can only move step by step. We must continue our martial arts training, but we should also start cultivating other skills among the hundred arts. Let the cousins each pick one of those arts to study alongside their martial training. That will strengthen our family in many ways, not just in fighting."
He paused, then spoke about the mine itself. "As for the Spirit Stone Mine, we should mine it slowly and secretly. Only take a small amount at a time so that no one notices."
He wanted them to do so as there is barely any spirit stone presence visible now, and even if there was, only the powerful might have them. And If word gets out that they found a Spirit Stone Mine, the danger will be much greater than the risk they faced with the mine spirits. People will come looking, and some of them are far deadlier than the monsters. So secrecy and caution were the most essential.
The elders listened closely. Kaito's words were careful and measured, he did not try to exaggerate his success or hide the risks. He simply laid out what needed to be done, train a mine master, spread out other arts among the younger generation, and quietly develop the mine without drawing attention.
His Eldest Grandfather's expression shifted again, showing slow approval. He still wore the lines of worry, but the sharp edge of anger had eased. The old man exchanged a glance with the second grandfather and the other elders, and they seemed to agree that the plan was sensible. They valued the family's safety above all, and Kaito's proposal balanced caution with progress.
No one spoke right away. The hall still held a thoughtful silence as the family considered the implications.
Then his Eldest Grandfather gave a long, slow nod. He did not smile, but there was less hardness in his eyes now. The scolding had served its purpose, the lesson was learned. For the moment, they would accept Kaito's plan and begin to prepare, to train and let the younger generation study other arts.