Chapter 91
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 91
Chapter Title: Blood Ties (4)
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Meanwhile, in the royal castle of the Crossroad Kingdom.
- Thud, thud.
Incansus Vermotem was striding down a long corridor toward some destination.
The guards who recognized him snapped tense salutes, craning their necks upward.
"Lord Incansus. No anomalies during patrol."
"At ease, men. Everything well? And His Majesty?"
"Ah, he still hasn't left the reception hall. It's been five days now."
"Thank you."
A calm, grave voice drifted back as he swept past them without breaking stride.
But the regent's steps toward the reception hall felt somehow different from his usual gait.
Instead of his typical heavy, silent tread, his pace was quicker, more forceful.
In his hand were fresh documents from the Intelligence Bureau and an urgent letter from Foreign Affairs Minister Carton Grayson.
Critical updates that had to reach King Rio immediately.
Incansus glanced once more at the minister's letter in his right hand.
[Princess Elaine Castor's ability control successful. Stabilization via emotional liberation rather than suppression, with fine-tuning now possible.]
The message was brief, but its implications were staggering.
'Something the queen couldn't achieve in fifteen long years.'
The Central Officer had done it in less than two weeks.
'A miracle, plain and simple.'
Two weeks ago, he never would have believed it.
No one would have—pure fantasy, he'd have dismissed it.
But things were different now.
Everything the man called the Central Officer had accomplished so far defied belief.
Halting the Holy Church's crusade, the saintess's self-immolation, sparking a civil war between the Evil God Cult and Black Hand, and now stopping the princess's ability rampage in the castle.
Each feat impossible for any one person.
Yet he'd pulled them all off.
'So this letter can't just be empty words.'
Besides, Carton Grayson was a man of iron integrity, the type to oppose the queen to her face and speak harsh truths. No reason for him to lie.
It all pointed to one conclusion.
The gambler named Nathan Kell was truly succeeding.
- I, Incansus Vermotem, pledge my trust in Central Officer Nathan Kell.
He still could hardly believe it.
Weeks ago, he'd made that vow to the man who'd abandoned his post to save the princess.
A pledge he'd never given anyone in his 112 years, save King Rio—his last resort, sworn once more.
A man walking the path of communication they'd never found, too late to choose.
And he'd found the answer.
Proved it.
With a method diametrically opposed to the queen's 'control and suppression.'
'Once His Majesty learns this, the queen's influence will shrink even further.'
Her power had taken a major hit after the rampage, but it still lingered deep in the castle.
This could shrink it more.
And for King Rio, it was a chance to show that purging Holy Church affiliates in a bloodbath wasn't the only path.
'Change has already begun. At the kingdom's southern edge.'
Incansus unwittingly tapped the floor with his tail.
"Hrm."
Beneath his veil, his lips stretched wide, baring his teeth.
A ticklish thrill, like scales rising—the first in ages.
Excitement, anticipation, a faint hope.
But the Intelligence Bureau dossier in his other hand stirred different emotions.
Without slowing, he glanced at the thick stack.
His eyes fixed on the bold title atop the report.
[True Purpose of Gold Rush Volcano Collapse Unknown. Volcano's Owner Missing. Investigation Ongoing.]
He muttered lowly.
"Ancestors..."
Two ominous pieces of news.
Gold Rushes like this always hid a true motive amid the greedy frenzy.
Usually orchestrated by foreign powers or merchants' backroom schemes.
'But if this report's accurate, there is no such force.'
No backers? So it was just about the gold and jewels from the dragon's lair that collapsed with the volcano?
'Impossible. Who started those rumors, then?'
And the volcano's owner missing? Incansus had never even considered it.
Draconians, as their name implied, bore diluted dragon blood.
Deeply linked as a race, they could 'sense' a dragon's death.
When a dragon died, its final mana wave rippled across the continent.
Draconians felt it and knew.
'But no mana wave in nearly ninety years.'
Meaning the volcano's master hadn't died.
'Not dead, then it abandoned its lair and left.'
Impossible. Dragons never forsook their lairs.
Their territorial greed rivaled survival instinct.
How could they abandon it?
One exception.
Unless something more precious than itself was in peril.
'Ancestors... why?'
Incansus murmured softly.
Fleeing what? To where?
'Sudden Gold Rush with unknown backers. And the ancestor's disappearance.'
These two facts felt even more foreboding.
Something... out of order, contradictory.
Then—
- Flutter.
A tiny slip of paper slipped from his grip.
- Whip, thunk.
His tail deftly snatched it midair, returning it.
But a nagging wrongness made Incansus tilt his head.
"...Hrm."
Odd.
Intelligence never varied document sizes.
'They always use strict formats. Why slip in something finger-sized?'
As if they had to report it but hoped he'd overlook it.
He read slowly.
[Central Officer Requests Ghost Identity Creation: Noble Lady Mnatsil Terenas.]
Short and dry.
'Ghost identity.'
An Intelligence Bureau protocol for protecting identities.
Twisting records to shield high-value targets, akin to temporary exile but more vital.
Using names of the dead or obscure houses.
But scouring every noble house on the continent, Incansus knew no Terenas.
He murmured the name.
'Mnatsil Terenas...'
Seven stark syllables.
Uncommon. Eerily unique.
Yet faintly familiar.
'From ancient times?'
Old tongues could sound alien now.
"Heard it somewh—"
A lightning bolt of realization struck his mind.
- Halt.
Incansus froze in place.
"........"
Age catching up? Or the sunlight glaring through the window?
He slowly lifted his veil, peering at the paper again.
[Mnatsil Terenas].
His scales prickled head to toe.
No house name. No random fabrication.
A name forged in dragon tongue.
The extinct language of myth-era beings.
The strange familiarity stemmed from there.
For the first time in fifteen years, Incansus spoke in shock and awe.
"...Ancestor?"
With the volcano's master gone, why was a dragon-tongue name tied to the Central Officer?
No coincidence.
"...Princess?"
The moment Noah arrived at My Home Sweet Home, those were her only words.
Why?
[Nathan! There's a woman here who looks just like you! An intruder!]
Elaine had spotted the sudden intruder and was on the verge of telekinetically hurling every chair, sofa, and table in the house.
"Whoa, whoa. Calm down. It's my little sister, Elaine. And she's under the secret oath, so no risk of her blabbing about you."
"Ah. Ooh."
Once he explained her worry, she released her power instantly.
- Crash, clatter, thud.
Furniture rained from the ceiling like hail.
After restoring it all, Elaine approached and tentatively offered Noah her hand.
"Ah-ooh. Hee-yay."
"Huh? Wha?"
No time to respond—she scurried back to the hearth and crouched.
"Elaine says you look a lot like me."
"Oh. Yeah? Well, siblings, so of cour—wait, no."
Noah finally snapped to, her face paling as she shouted.
"E-Elaine? Bro, are you insane!? Calling the princess by name!? You'll lose your tongue!"
"It's fine. No issue."
"How's it no issue!? Princess! Princess! Wait a sec."
Her eyes bulged round.
With a trembling voice, she asked me.
"Why... is the princess in your house...?"
Finally clocking the real problem.
There were extenuating circumstances.
"Royal command."
"R-Royal command..."
Her legs wobbled at the terrifying phrase she'd never heard.
But her shock wasn't over.
"Oh, the Central Officer is here? And guests too—quite the occasion."
Mnatsil emerged from the kitchen amid the commotion.
"Uh...?"
Noah's gaze traveled up.
At the towering height and devastating figure, she gulped.
"...Wh-who's the lady?"
"Oh ho. I thought the scent resembled the Central Officer. Siblings, clearly."
But Mnatsil looked different.
She'd wrapped her egg in the sling and cradled it as she walked.
"Lady Mnatsil. What's with the sling?"
"That girl Hanna gave it to me earlier. Since I'm human now and can't carry it in my usual way, she suggested holding it like this."
"Wise."
"Who knew even a young one could teach me something so delightful."
Standing before Noah, she said.
"Pleased to meet you, young female. I am... not of the volcano, but Noble Lady Mnatsil Terenas. Welcome to my lair."
"Y-yes? Oh, n-nobility. Sorry!"
Noah bowed hastily, regaining her wits.
Manners before nobles, no matter the shock.
But curiosity won out.
"But ma'am, why are you at my brother's house...?"
"Can't you tell?"
Mnatsil stroked the egg fondly.
"I've decided to raise this child with the Central Officer."
"...Pardon?"
"He swore it. He'd give everything to protect me and the child."
Strictly speaking, it was his duty as an immigration officer—but not wrong.
- Creak.
Noah's head swiveled toward me with a rusty grind.
"Bro... you're not married."
"Nope. No ring."
"You... had a kid? Without marrying?"
Noah scripted my life story on the spot.
"What the hell have you been up to these four years?"
She shot me a look of utter incomprehension.
Then shook her head wildly, ignoring my answer.
"N-no, it's fine. I've seen it all, the good and the ugly. Nothing shocks me anymore. Even my bro fooling around with a stunning noble lady... it's a lot, but okay. Happens."
But one more step remained.
- Creak.
A woman entered through the door.
"Sorry. A bit late. One of my attendants hurt her hand at the end."
"Huh...? Wh-why is the saintess here!?"
"Hm? Obviously."
Erzena stood beside me.
"I'm living here too. With Nathan."
"Nathan... calling by name again... that means..."
Noah mumbled like her soul had fled.
I told her.
"This is where you'll stay the week. Let's get along."
Secret oath in place—no need to hide.
Share my pain.
Family's what it's all about.
"Ha. Haha... hahaha...."
About five seconds later.
"I see. So that's how it is."
Noah murmured with sudden serene enlightenment.
"Nathan bro."
"Yeah."
"That secret oath magic from earlier."
"Yeah."
"Just swap it to memory wipe."
Correction.
Not enlightenment—overwhelmed by the heavy truth, she'd given up.
"Wipe everything about meeting you. No, make it like I never came to Crossroad Kingdom."
Fleeing into oblivion.
- Click.
I locked the front door.
"Yeah, no."
Too late.
You're in the boat now.
Should've listened when you had the chance.
"Wipe it!!!! I can't live here!!!!"
Noah's scream echoed through the house.