Chapter 64
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 64
Chapter Title: Why Are You Coming Out of There? (2)
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"Lady Silena. Did you see something?"
"No, nothing at all. But is that person entering your home now a guest?"
"Yes. It seems I need to have a quick talk with them."
"If it wouldn't be rude, may I join you?"
"Of course. Everything will be as Lady Silena wishes."
At those words, the woman sitting there with a thin cloth over her eyes smiled radiantly.
A fragrance bloomed in the room, as if thousands of flowers had suddenly blossomed.
'This is the first time she's shown interest in a human first.'
The one who had maintained a courteous demeanor toward the woman of indeterminable age was none other than Sahar—the master of this mansion and the very person Dominic had so desperately wanted to meet.
At Sahar's glance, over a dozen servants lined up to assist her.
"Shall we go?"
The mansions of desert tycoons had a peculiar structure.
Inside, the corridors twisted like a maze, and the walls towering over three meters high made it impossible to take in the space at a glance, disorienting anyone as to their exact location.
Yet the blindfolded woman proceeded without hesitation toward the reception room to greet her guest, as if none of that mattered.
The reception room lived up to the title of a great merchant, exuding opulence at every turn.
Top-grade marble floors, carpets handwoven stitch by stitch by artisans, vessels and curtains adorned with intricate arabesque patterns, lavish wall decorations.
Amid it all was a partitioned space that appeared at first glance like just another wall.
The woman called Silena settled onto the cushions within that space.
Swish—
At the same moment, a red lace curtain descended, concealing her silhouette.
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Sahar!"
"A pleasure to meet you, Lady Sahar!"
Soon after, the guard captain and Dominic entered the reception room. Karim and Ian followed behind as attendants.
The guard captain was visibly tense, squeaking in his boots, never expecting Sahar to actually make time for them. Dominic, meanwhile, was tense for an entirely different reason.
"To think you'd make time for us—I'm at a loss for how to express my gratitude, Lady Sahar!"
The guard captain spoke to Sahar first.
Even as the captain of the guard in the capital of the desert kingdom—specifically in the affluent district—meeting a powerhouse like Sahar face-to-face was still a nerve-wracking occasion.
"How could I ignore young men from the Empire striving to uphold the desert's laws? Especially since they already have ties to this old body of mine. I welcome them gladly."
"We're sorry to trouble you. Please accept this pouch, and grant us your forgiveness."
Dominic pulled a pouch from his bosom and offered it.
Sahar smiled faintly at the silk pouch before tucking it into her own bosom.
"I trust it wasn't brought with ill intent, so what need is there for forgiveness? But since the desert's supreme laws demand it, I grant you the forgiveness you seek. Guard Captain, is that sufficient?"
"Yes, Lady Sahar. However, to avoid any future disputes, if you could just sign here..."
The guard captain produced a document.
It was a kind of confirmation that the self-surrender procedures had been properly completed.
"Here you are. Know that I am always grateful for your efforts in maintaining order."
Clap!
As Sahar finished speaking and clapped, one of her attendants stepped forward and presented a silver tray bearing a gold plaque to the guard captain with both hands.
"A fine camel has just arrived—take it in exchange."
"Oh, no, I couldn't! Lady Sahar!"
"It's Lady Sahar's wish that you continue your public duties diligently. The merchant group will formally compile a sponsorship list for the bureau and handle all tax payments, so you needn't worry about any repercussions."
"W-Well, then, I gratefully accept!"
Only after the attendant's detailed explanation did the guard captain stand with a beaming smile and exit the reception room.
Dominic thought the desert officials were remarkably upright.
'Or maybe the laws are just strict?'
Either way, it was fortunate. Seeing one thing meant understanding ten—at the very least, this neighborhood ran on common sense.
"Now, speak freely. Why go through all this trouble to seek me out?"
"Ah, so you knew?"
"This isn't mine—return it."
Sahar produced the pouch again.
It seemed everyone had already realized the story about stealing his pouch was a fabrication.
'What should I say to get a hint without getting entangled?'
Dominic's mind grew complicated.
The most urgent matter was proving that the Grayton Merchant Group was behind releasing the centipedes in the south.
Two ways to prove the Grayton Merchant Group's involvement.
First: Secure direct material evidence. Anton was diligently investigating through various channels, so a lead or witness here would help.
But Dominic rated the odds low. They were under the protection of an imperial marquis's family—they wouldn't hand over evidence easily.
'That leaves the second option.'
Second: Prove the ragtag adventurer expert on bugs was telling the truth.
If the ancient city discovered in the desert was real!
If they needed help from Viscount Melbourne's domain, presumed to have a similar barrier, to breach it!
If Sahar had personally traveled to Viscount Melbourne's domain for that!
If imperial capital nobles, catching wind of this massive movement, had mobilized the Grayton Merchant Group to approach the ancient city the desert folk had kept hidden—and in the process, acquired a centipede as spoils and tossed it into the south,
'Then it'd be believable. No one would fabricate such an enormous lie just to cover up one centipede's origins.'
So, how to confirm all this was true? What questions, in what order?
Dominic eyed the seasoned merchant-politician. His deep eyes gave no hint of his thoughts.
"I thought you'd come with something to say."
A hint of disappointment colored Sahar's voice.
He'd arrived in an unexpected way, and piqued her interest—the human she'd taken note of.
He'd cleverly drawn her attention during their first meeting, after all.
"A spirit?"
As Sahar moved to rise, a riddle-like question flew at her.
"What did you just say?"
"Ah, not a spirit, then."
"You..."
"A druid, maybe? I hear it's a field absorbed into the mage towers."
"What are you..."
"Not that either."
Dominic began firing off guesses with resolute determination. Sahar took the bait.
Ian and Karim, watching from behind, exchanged glances without a word.
This was the real Dominic they knew.
His signature conversational style: piercing the opponent's guard regardless of who they were, digging to the core, throwing them off balance.
"I made time for you thinking you clever, yet you're no different from some street rabble babbling nonsense. What a disappointment. I'll take my leave..."
"An elf, perhaps?"
Thud—
Sahar felt her heart drop to her toes at Dominic's interruption.
That momentary hesitation gave Dominic his confirmation.
"An elf, then."
"You...!"
"So the ancient city was an elven one. The world truly is vast and full of wonders."
Snap—
Sahar's eyes sharpened as she flicked her fingers with a sharp sound. Warriors appeared from nowhere, blocking every door and window of the reception room. They wielded curved swords, short bows, spears—their blades gleamed with deadly sharpness, hinting at their formidable skill.
"I won't ask how you knew. Such a pity. We could have been good friends."
Shing!
Ian drew his sword in an instant, but they were hopelessly outnumbered.
"I'll carve a path somehow—don't look back, just run."
Ian growled lowly to Dominic.
But he remained utterly composed.
"Ah, well. This is basically a confession, right? Old Lord?"
- Indeed. I heard every word with these two ears.
Dominic pulled a small crystal orb from his bosom.
A communication magic tool.
'Ah, isn't a bug or two essential for spy work?'
A staple of K-crime dramas: bugs and radios.
This compact all-in-one version, small enough to carry in a pocket, had cost hundreds of gold coins. Absurd for barely ten minutes of use, but
'It wasn't my money anyway, so whatever.'
No point regretting something he'd gotten from the Old Lord.
"So, ready to negotiate now, Lady Sahar?"
The moment Dominic revealed the magic orb, Sahar had already dismissed her warriors.
She grasped situations quickly.
She'd only just gathered descendants of ancient elves capable of breaching the ancient city's barrier and brought them to the desert.
The desert magnate tensed.
"...You anticipated this?"
"Well, I hoped it wouldn't come to that."
"How?"
"I pieced together the intel and guessed in order of likelihood."
Dominic had thought of elves thanks to Stonehammer, who had recently settled in Evergreen.
Until then, he'd known of them but never seen one, treating them as mere legend. But after laying eyes on the dwarf, he'd realized he might one day meet elves or beastkin too.
'Perfect fit. Trees thriving in barren desert soil means they're intimate with wood. A city-scale settlement implies high intelligence and power. And tying into Viscount Melbourne's domain's prosperity? Elves nail it. Yep, time to call it.'
Unlike dwarves, elves were a mysterious race whose cities remained unknown.
A secretive, enigmatic non-human race: elves.
Their existence was drawing near.
"Who else knows?"
"In the desert, just our group. But you saw? Our Old Lord heard everything. Harm us, and this secret spreads instantly. So, spare us, please. Without a single hair out of place. I can't handle pain well."
"Hahaha! What an entertaining fellow!"
Sahar finally burst into laughter, slapping her knee at Dominic's banter.
Then she added slyly.
"I have three unmarried daughters, all twenty years old—desert-famous beauties, sharper than most men."
"Pardon?"
"I'll give you one. With enough dowry to fill a pond with gold coins and float a rowboat for leisure paddling. Why not quit village chief by the sea and become my son-in-law here in the desert?"
The group's jaws dropped.
It was practically a bombshell recruitment offer. Knowing Dominic's love of money, Ian was genuinely anxious.
"Oh man, I'm not thinking marriage yet. And could the lady behind the curtain please come out and join the talk?"
"No point hiding now, but the time hasn't come yet."
Sahar shook her head slightly, conveying Silena's refusal from behind the curtain.
"I see."
"Will you keep silent?"
"Yes. We came chasing something else entirely—no intent to dig up desert secrets from the start."
"The desert's revival threatens the Empire, yet...?"
"Not the Empire—the capital nobles, I'd say."
Sahar beamed at Dominic's unflinching reply.
"No loyalty at all. I like it. Fine, two daughters it is. Dowry doubled."
"Not even one wife appeals, let alone two... Just make one easy decision."
"Hm?"
"Help me take kapam fruits to the Empire exclusively."
"...Kapam fruits?"
Sahar tilted her head.
Rejecting her daughters for mere trading rights on fruit?
"Solve that, and elves? Clean forgotten. For real!"
No one in the reception room likely caught Dominic's true feelings: swamped as he was, he had no desire to meddle in finding elven homelands.
Dominic truly wanted out of these entanglements now.
'Just wanna grab an iced Americano already.'
Elves? Handle it yourselves.
I'm going home.