Chapter 106
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 106
Chapter Title: Merchant's Son (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
-Rumble, rumble.
Where am I? And who am I this time?
-Shake, shake.
I turned my gaze outside and spotted a road for the first time in ages.
Not a well-paved one, either, but a rough dirt path that jolted and bucked mercilessly.
Noah grinned across from me.
"Mom and Dad are gonna be over the moon. Well, Mom for sure. It's been four whole years since you last went home, big bro."
"...You say that awful casually."
But we weren't alone in the carriage.
"A carriage trip? First one since I was preaching as a kid."
"Ugh..."
"Journeys on foot are the height of tedium. Yaaawn..."
Erzena, Elaine, and Mnatsil were with us.
"Haaaah..."
How the hell did it come to this?
Simple enough.
[Sis, you should come too!]
Noah's offhand remark.
Just one little sentence, but it lit a fire under them.
Stuck in the safehouse and Immigration Control Office for so long, they'd all been feeling cooped up deep down.
[Sis...?]
[Huh?]
[Oh?]
...Or maybe they latched onto a certain word. Whatever.
And to top it off, official permission came through.
-Heading home on leave? Solid idea. Your hometown's right near the palace.
Even Melanie approved without hesitation.
My family home was on the outskirts of the capital.
Not too far from the palace, not too close—perfect distance.
From Intelligence's perspective, vacationing near the palace was way easier to monitor than lounging at the southern border. No reason to say no.
Just one problem.
-What? The whole crew, including the ex-Saintess? To your house?
-...You joking right now? Taking three women home? VVVVIPs, no less?
These three coming along together.
'I planned to go alone, obviously.'
Triple security—margrave, border guards, Intelligence agents.
Plus protective spells on the safehouse. Leaving that was risky as hell.
But there were reasons I had no choice.
-If you collapse, who else can heal you? I'm coming, no arguments.
-[Royal order. No refusal. Big trouble.]
Didn't you swear to protect me and Kirba? Our fates are bound—we can't part.
They pushed so hard, I had to give in.
-You want me to secure the carriage route, add agents, and control the area for five days?!?!?
'Been a while since I heard Melanie scream in person.'
I'd dumped a mountain of work on her without meaning to.
But what could I do?
The Minister himself ordered full support for my vacation.
Intelligence, under Foreign Affairs, had to obey.
And finally...
-Screech.
The carriage halted after six hours.
Noah's shout rang out at the same time.
"We're here! Home!"
Back in my hometown.
The Kell family home was a two-story house on the city's outskirts.
A lone structure in a quiet district, with a spacious front courtyard and backyard.
Dealing with people daily as merchants, they'd chosen a peaceful spot to unwind at home.
Something felt off, though.
Lots of footprints at the front door.
'Visitors?'
Dad wasn't the type to entertain guests.
I tilted my head, and a mossy nameplate caught my eye.
[Tillean Kell].
A name I knew all too well.
As I stared at the slightly unsettling plaque, Noah piped up.
"Bro. You knock."
"What? Why me?"
"Duh, surprise! Mom'll love it."
"Hm..."
Fair point. Mom and Dad probably never dreamed I'd show up.
No reason to refuse.
-Knock knock knock.
A light rap on the door.
A gruff voice from inside soon after.
"Who is it?"
"...It's me. Nathan Kell."
The door opened in under two seconds.
-Clack. Creeeak...
Stepping out from behind the iron door was a middle-aged man with the same black eyes as mine.
I forced my lips apart.
"...Father."
"...Nathan."
Tillean Kell.
Head of the Kell Merchant Group, former guildmaster.
And my dad. He looked down at me with his usual stoic face.
Seven seconds of silence.
"What brings you h-?"
"Dear? Who's there?"
Just as Dad opened his mouth in his cold tone, a woman's voice echoed from inside.
Unmistakably familiar.
Noah yelled into the house at full volume.
"Mom, big bro's here!"
"What!?"
The reply was instant.
"Nathan!!!!!"
-Thud!
A middle-aged woman shoved past Dad's stern figure and burst out.
Wearing a light shawl instead of the jacket from her adventuring days.
"My god, you really came. This isn't a dream, right? Or am I drunk? Huh?"
She grabbed my cheeks without hesitation and twisted my face around.
Exactly like Noah yesterday.
As she manhandled me, I greeted her awkwardly.
"Uh, Mother. Long time no see."
Miriam Kell.
My mom, who'd roamed the world alongside Dad.
Her orange eyes welled up as she pawed nonstop at my face.
"No wonder Intelligence showed up an hour ago. It was all for this!"
"Huh? Intelligence?"
"They barged in demanding some nondisclosure agreement. I thought Noah pulled another stunt... but this is wonderful!"
Ah.
Melanie had already handled it.
"Welcome. Truly welcome."
Her heartfelt words, after so long, melted my heart unwittingly.
Then Mom's eyes narrowed fiercely, and she whipped her head around.
"Dear. No greeting? It's been four years since our son's home."
Dad grumbled under her sharp rebuke.
"...Why're you here."
"Honey!!!"
"...You're back."
"Separate bedrooms?"
"Come in."
Still bickering, as always.
Miriam's glare shifted slowly behind me.
"Oh, brought guests too."
Straight to the three women.
"Ah, these are..."
"Not door talk. Come inside first. Details later."
The house interior was shockingly unchanged.
Even the parlor carpet color was identical.
Over ten minutes, I gave my parents tea and a brief rundown on why I was vacationing here.
Dad sat far off to the side; Mom across from me. They listened quietly, then tilted their heads.
"An immigration officer... nearly died? Taking leave for that. Tragic? Lucky?"
"Well..."
Telling the truth was tricky.
Dragon hunter killed Mnatsil, tried stealing her egg; I miraculously used dragon tongue to stop it, but organ necrosis at 44%, half-dead; Erzena's holy power barely saved me; out cold three days; then leave.
So I condensed it.
"Happens sometimes. World's full of lunatics."
"...I see."
A short sigh.
They'd get it. Having traveled the world, they knew assholes were everywhere.
I sipped my tea with a wry smile. Mom turned to Erzena.
"So, what's your relation to these lovely ladies?"
Straight to the point.
"That's..."
How to explain?
As I hesitated, Erzena beside me spoke up bravely.
"Um... Ma'am...?"
-Flinch.
Mom's eyes narrowed.
"Aha."
She grasped it instantly.
I panicked at her hawkish glare.
"Mother, it's not-"
"Shh. Quiet. I'm appraising this fine young lady."
Miriam's tone turned syrupy sweet.
"Goodness, forgive my manners. Too excited seeing my son after so long, I forgot to greet you properly."
We'd already exchanged nods and all.
Undeterred, she smiled faintly.
"I'm Miriam Kell, wife of the Kell Merchant Group head. This is Tillean Kell. You've met Noah."
"Ah... yes."
Erzena, closest, stammered a stunned greeting.
Then she leaned toward me and whispered.
"Nathan. Your mom... doesn't recognize us?"
"Apparently not."
Unexpected for me too.
Normally it'd be 'Saintess!? Princess!?' like Noah.
'But it makes sense.'
They'd retired from merchant life, living quietly.
Erzena'd been Saintess only a decade or so; they probably knew her predecessor.
Elaine'd secluded fifteen years; only a few knew her face.
What a coincidence.
Erzena looked dazed at the novel treatment.
That's when it happened.
"Ah, yes. You must be Nathan's dam. Delighted. Younger than expected."
A bizarre line that made everyone doubt their ears.
Me, Noah, Erzena, Elaine—all froze.
I knew who instantly.
Why? A crazy red dragon was petting my mom's head.
-Schick schick schick.
"Eek!"
"M-Mnatsil!?"
"Ugh!?"
Noah, Erzena, Elaine freaked.
Even Dad, who'd seen every type of person, gaped and stiffened.
"Yet Nathan inherited little of his dam's traits. Brown hair, orange eyes."
I barely regained composure.
"Mnatsil. In human society, we don't pet elders' heads."
Polite way to say stop now.
But she smiled.
"Oh? No issue then. I'm the eldest here."
"..."
Checkmated.
True enough.
Mnatsil was 1,291; Mom just hitting fifties. No contest.
But the optics were weird.
She looked like a stunning young beauty; Mom was greying middle-aged.
-Schick schick schick.
The petting sound echoed in the silence.
I couldn't stand the dissonance.
"...Please just stop."
"Merely admiring this commendable dam. Who bore you. I offer deep gratitude. Well deserving of praise, Miriam."
Now on first-name basis.
Mom's expression darkened by the second.
Oh god.
"Bro."
Noah called softly.
Mouthed: 'Introduce. Them. Now.'
Screw hiding it.
Five days crashing here.
No need to cover everything.
They'd signed the NDA anyway.
"Ahem!"
I cleared my throat, pulled Mnatsil's hand down forcibly, and spoke calmly.
"Mother. Father. Allow proper introductions."
"...Yes. Now I'm truly curious. Especially this one."
Words laced with edge, Mom.
Before cold fury reignited, I turned to Erzena.
"Erzena. Come here a moment?"
"Y-Yes? Oh, sure!"
She blushed, hurried to my side.
"This is Erzena Selaph. Not my... well, currently staying with me..."
I paused.
'Staying with me—what?'
Friend? Girlfriend? Person?
Realizing I was introducing a live-in in front of Mom, my face heated.
"Sh-she's staying with me."
Safest neutral term.
"...Tch."
Erzena pouted oddly.
Mom, watching intently, extended her hand slowly.
"Pleased to meet you, Miss Selaph. Make yourself at home."
"Th-thank you... Mrs. Kell."
"Such manners. Unlike some."
I added,
"Erzena's the former Saintess of the Holy Church. Currently a temporary exile in Crossroad Kingdom."
-Wobble.
Mom, mid-graceful handshake, lost balance.
"Son. Wh-what did you say?"
But that was just the opener.
Next, I called the green-eyed girl munching cookies silently.
"Elaine."
"Ugh."
She shuffled over hesitantly.
No way they didn't know this name.
"El-Elaine?"
"Hold on. Those green eyes..."
Overwhelmed by stares, she hid behind me.
"Elaine Castor. Princess of Crossroad Kingdom."
The clincher.
"Nathan, did you just call the prin-princess by name?"
"...Yes."
Or she'd sulk.
But no time to recover.
The big one remained.
"Finally... Mnatsil?"
"I'll handle mine."
Mnatsil stood tall beside me.
"Greetings, young dam and sire of Nathan Kell."
"Dam... sire...?"
Oh no, bad vibes already.
"I am Mnatsil Theranas, Marchioness."
Folks don't say marchioness in self-intros.
"Lord of the volcano, last of dragons. Currently eating and sleeping alongside Central Officer Nathan Kell."
Worst. Intro. Ever.
"Wait, bro!? Dragon?! That western one!?"
Noah yelped, shocked after laughing at our parents' panic.
"You said just marchioness, you lunatic!"
Couldn't mention it then.
But Mnatsil wasn't done.
"And this, my child. Kirba."
She revealed the egg cradled in her tail.
All eyes on the egg.
"Ch-child?"
"That egg is...?"
Then all eyes on me.
We spoke in unison.
"No."
"Yes."
"Pardon?"
"Huh?"
What nonsense?
"Why's Kirba my kid!?"
"Obviously. I named it, fed it my blood, swore protection. As good as yours."
Dad's gaze shifted.
"...You named the child?"
From prodigal son to family man with grandkid in tow.
I waved frantically.
"It's not like that!"
First time Miriam stared blankly at her son.
Shock, horror, and 'My runaway son turned playboy' eyes.
"Nathan... you wouldn't..."
Trailing off, but loaded.
My only reply:
"...It's complicated."
Too much for one line.
Everyone has a saga.
"Why would people like this... come here... with our son...?"
Mom's dazed mutter voiced it all.
"Mom. I thought the same at first."
Noah nodded sympathetically.
Then,
"Nathan."
Dad approached seriously.
Hand on my shoulder,
"...Well done."
Praise he'd never given in twenty-three years.
My patience snapped.
"It's NOT like that! Just a vacation, dammit!!"
Why was I defending myself at home?
Not in any Immigration manual.