Chapter 92
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 92
Chapter Title: Something More Precious Than Gold (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
About 30 minutes later.
"That could be."
It was Noah's first words after failing to bash her own head against the wall in a bid for self-induced memory loss.
"The world is full of outrageous things. It was my mistake to assume you, Oppa, would always live a safe, ordinary life."
"Uh... Noah?"
She muttered in a voice that sounded like she'd tossed all her worries aside, still seated on the sofa.
"The missing saintess of the continent's largest church, the princess in seclusion for 15 years, and a dragonkin noble widow from a fallen house all living together in Oppa's place? Yeah, that could happen."
Clean and tidy summary.
As expected from a merchant—her speed at piecing together info was impressive.
In truth, there were still things I hadn't told her.
That Mnatsil wasn't just a dragonkin, but a full-fledged dragon, and the master of a volcano at that.
No need to tell her this one.
I didn't want to watch the girl lose her mind again after barely regaining her sanity.
I spoke to her in a soothing tone, like I was admonishing her.
"Noah. Now do you get why I slapped you with that 7-year secrecy oath?"
Understand that I had no choice but to do this to you.
If word got out about even one of them being here, it'd spell trouble—and of all people, my merchant sister had stumbled onto it.
So what else could I do? Spill more secrets and seal her lips for good.
But Noah shook her head instead.
"No. Actually, you didn't even need the secrecy oath in the first place."
"What're you talking about? Of course you—"
"Look at this situation."
She pointed at the three women.
"Does any of this make sense?"
"...What?"
"A powerless, no-connections civil servant from commoner stock who bolted barefoot from home like you, Oppa—and bigwigs like these crashing at his place together? Who'd buy that?"
"Stabbing me right in the gut, huh, little sis."
As expected from family—no mercy in her words.
"This is the kind of intel that wouldn't fly even if a foreign spy bureau leaked it, mister. I couldn't sell it as dirt if I tried. Less credible than some drunken old bachelor wagon driver from our guild bragging about his wild womanizing days."
Harsh, but spot on.
Even I had to admit the whole setup was bizarre.
Noah let out a deep sigh as her parting shot.
"Still, phew—what a relief. They're all here because of circumstances. I almost jumped to weird conclusions."
"Weird conclusions like what?"
"A young guy shacking up with two young beauties and a noble widow? What d'you think the world would say?"
"..."
"Nah, that doesn't even make sense."
She let out a hollow laugh.
As if she found it ridiculous herself, she waved her hand dismissively.
"A total nerd like Oppa, who only sticks to his assigned tasks, wouldn't give a damn about that stuff anyway."
"I'll agree to half of that."
"And ladies like these falling for Oppa? Come on, what's missing in them? Right?"
She tossed the question with utter confidence.
But no reply came.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Silence.
"Uh... hello?"
Everyone dodged Noah's gaze at once.
"Ahaha..."
"Ugh."
"Well, that's a bit hard to agree with."
The three women voiced their takes, each in her own way.
"...Oppa."
Noah's face grew fiercer by the second.
Before she could sink her teeth into me again, I jumped in.
"Um, ladies. If you don't back me up here, I'm in deep trouble. Erzena?"
"Yes? Oh. Right. Yeah. It was... unavoidable. We had no choice but to live together. Ah, not that I hated it! Miss Noah, Nathan's a really good man... er, examiner!"
Erzena fumbled her words even as she answered.
Noah narrowed her eyes at the way she fidgeted with her hands, unable to meet anyone's gaze.
"...Hmm."
"E-Elaine. Back me up here."
I redirected the heat to the princess.
Her green eyes flicked slyly toward the wall.
"U... uuuu."
She wasn't just mumbling—she was straight-up stammering.
Four word cards floated into the air.
- Unique. Understanding. Precious. Man.
"Precious... man...?"
"...!!! Uuu!!"
Elaine panicked, forgetting her telekinesis as she scrambled to rearrange the cards with her hands.
- Man. Unique. Understanding. Precious.
But it was too late.
"Hey. Nathan. What the hell is this?"
"M-Mnatsil! Explain!"
I shouted in pure desperation.
You've gotta have some tact at least.
The volcano's mistress chuckled softly.
"Worry not. I merely hold the Central Officer's steadfast principles in high regard."
Ah, relief.
At least she's keeping it vague and polite.
As expected from a dragon—smooth talker.
Or so I thought—
"But I cannot deny he is a truly remarkable male. Noah, was it? Take pride in having such an outstanding brother. He gifted me a night I shall never forget."
This red dragoness delivered the knockout punch.
"...Nathan Kell."
Noah called my name in a voice straight out of a ghost story.
- Grab.
Before I could even react, she yanked my collar and bellowed.
"You crazy playboy! Not every woman's fair game!"
"Kek! I-I didn't do anything!"
"You expect me to buy that!? After she says crap like that!?"
"Kuhk! I-It's true!"
"Then swear to my face that nothing—nothing—happened with these three?"
Easy.
"Of course..."
Hold up.
Let me think back.
Really nothing?
Erzena accidentally caught me naked during the sow fiasco—unintentional, but still. Living together meant minor mishaps now and then. We'd crashed out on the sofa together after exhausting workdays a few times.
Elaine had outright clung to me sobbing. Even now, the slightest sign of injury and she'd levitate me for overprotective coddling. Sitting glued to my side at meals was routine.
Mnatsil... offered to share my bed in exchange for egg protection. Just yesterday, she said, "The offer still stands."
All facts.
"Can you swear it? Answer me, Oppa."
"..."
But spilling this? I'd be dead.
Look at those eyes. Pure murder.
So, as casually as humanly possible,
"Yeah, nothing happened."
I averted my eyes and shrugged exaggeratedly.
No way my top-tier merchant sister missed the tell.
"You crazy bastard—go after the ones you can!!!"
- Slap!
My second line of mental defense crumbled as Noah's palm met my cheek.
The next morning.
Thanks to Erzena's holy power finally bringing down the swelling, I rubbed my cheek and bellowed.
"One more time! Entrants to the left, those exiting to the right!"
Noah's arrival hadn't shaken up the Immigration Control Office much.
The gold rush fallout was far from over.
If anything, it was just ramping up.
"All western entrants, out to the open field! Everyone else gets screened inside!"
Another day kicking off with waves of people to wrangle without fail.
But there was one key difference...
"Come on, entrants! Water and snacks right here! Guidebooks for anyone clueless on entry rules! All priced at just 10% above market rate!"
Noah had straight-up set up shop in the square out front.
"Ice to beat this heat, quick boredom-busting word quizzes, fairy tale books for the kids—got it all!"
About 30 minutes earlier.
She took one look at the chaotic mess, paused... then her eyes blazed as she muttered,
- This many people, just standing bored in line like idiots?
She snapped up three passing empty wagons on the spot with hard cash, dashed to the market, bought out nearly everything, and started hawking it.
The results? Phenomenal.
"Water and cookies here!"
"Need firewood. Charcoal."
"Nervous about banned items—gimme a guidebook."
I watched a wagonload vanish in under 30 minutes. A miracle.
Faster sellout than my academy days slinging water in the desert.
"Thanks to your fiery support, we're sold out, sold out, sold out!"
Noah hollered in bliss as she declared it.
"This is the gold rush!!!"
Her eyes were practically raining coins, sis.
The frenzy mini-gold rush raged right up until break time.
"Yeehaw, Oppa."
"Noah. Get in here... Ow."
In she struts, sporting a necklace strung from her coin haul.
Strutting like a peacock.
"What the hell are you doing?"
"Ahem. 'Great Merchant Noah,' if you please, civil servant sir."
V-sign with a cheeky grin.
"Thinking of camping here to trade. Just 10% markup, and the profits? Insane."
The sheer absurdity drew a hollow laugh from me.
"Just head west already."
"Six days left~."
The girl bawling for a memory wipe yesterday? Money changed her overnight.
This is why merchants terrify me.
Erzena, looking flustered at the 540-degree turnaround, murmured to me,
"...Nathan. Your sister's one of a kind."
"Wasn't always like this. Guess environment shapes people."
Give me back the pure, adorable Noah from childhood.
Then, her excitement finally cooling, she scanned the room and cocked her head.
"Hm. Knew something felt off. Why so empty?"
"Inspectors are out handling stuff—makes it look sparse."
"No, I mean—how many examiners here total? North's got nearly 40."
"Five including me. Ninety-seven with aides."
"South used to have around 30, right? Where'd they go?"
Ah, headcount.
"Used to. Not anymore."
"Why? What happened?"
"..."
I stared at Noah instead of answering.
No real reason to spill to my sister.
Oath or no, some pasts you just don't share.
Thankfully, the Olfactory Officer jumped in quick.
"Ah, miss... There were circumstances. Tough to discuss."
"...Got it."
Noah read my vibe and dropped it.
Instead, she pivoted.
"So that mob—you and four aides handled it solo every day?"
"No choice. Only the trustworthy stuck around."
"Poor things... Must've been brutal..."
Super fake sympathy as she sidled up to the Olfactory Officer.
"Work must be grueling."
"Haha. Duty sees us through—no issue."
"My bro put you through hell, huh?"
"...................No?"
Why the delayed wolf reply?
Noah, like she'd planned it, rummaged behind her.
"Knew it'd be bad—brought gifts."
She handed out big and small packages to each sense officer.
"Whoa? Ink for my favorite pen!"
"Free meal for 12-family? Ours is exactly that!"
"Tentacle moisture cream...? This is perfect right now!"
"No way—eastern nomad goat milk cheese? The priciest snack kind!?"
Every one nailed their tastes dead-on.
The Great Merchant beamed.
"Figured you'd appreciate useful stuff over random junk~."
Merchant secret technique: taste profiling.
Offer exactly what they crave.
Moved, the officers mobbed her, grabbing her hands.
"Thanks, sis! Truly. We'll treasure 'em."
"Booze fan? My treat~."
"Central's always raging at us, but you turned out right."
"Noah sis okay?"
These punks trash-talking me to my face.
After all I've done.
Noah welcomed them with open arms and a warm smile.
"No worries. You've slaved under that tyrannical, unethical boss long enough. Need anything on shift? Holler. For these six days, Kell Merchant Group foots the bill."
Merchant secret combo: 1+1 overload.
Give generously to seal the deal.
That's when I clocked her game.
Our eyes met—she flashed a sly grin, eyes narrowing slyly.
Payback for screwing with her yesterday?
Stealing my crew.
Repaying that mega-secret drop like this.
I crossed my arms, feigning nonchalance.
Fine. Our bond's ironclad.
Crises conquered together—not crumbling to this.
But damn, the effect was nuclear.
"Ooooh, Noah Kell!!"
"Noah Kell! Noah Kell! Noah Kell!"
A few words and trinkets, and officers plus aides went feral like pups spotting their owner.
Unlike my newbie days grinding for their trust.
The Olfactory Officer, teary-eyed, clutched her hand.
"Kell Merchant Group gets VIP passage forever. South border visits? Find Olfactory Officer Blaszek Winterfang."
"Aw, gotta slip you pocket money then."
Watching merchant-official collusion bloom live.
Couldn't stomach the rot—I stepped up.
"This is bribery. You know that?"
"No one's asking. Just a citizen donating to overworked public servants."
"..."
"Plus, trading profits get 'returned' to the state. Call it bonus tax, Oppa."
Air-tight logic. Pure motive.
Damn.
I bit my lip hard.
Outflanked on every front.
Felt like something precious—mine—was snatched away.
That's when—
- Creeeak.
Amid the materialist mania inside the office, a faint door creak cut through.
"Pardon the intrusion."
A vaguely familiar voice followed.
The Tactile Officer, clinging to sanity, turned.
"Ah, break time now. Come back in 15... Gah!!"
She jolted, bowing low.
"Tactile? Who's got you—"
Rare panic from her—I turned too, and froze solid.
"Long time no see, Central Officer Nathan Kell."
A black-veiled behemoth topping 2 meters.
"...King's Proxy."
Incanser Vermotem himself.
His name dropped—silence crashed down.
"...Hic."
Only Noah's hiccup echoed, post her hype parade.
But the shocks didn't stop.
"Yahoo, Central! How's it hanging?"
"D-Director?"
My direct boss, Haillin Metaharasin, popped out from behind the proxy.
"What brings you two here?"
What day was this?
hulking dragonkin radiating intimidation.
Exotic desert native with boundless energy.
Roles, races, genders—zero overlap. Why together?
Haillin spoke first.
"Heard some juicy news. Came to see for myself. King's Proxy insisted I tag along."
Incanser closed in, bowing low.
"Central Officer. You have words that must be spoken."
That gruff dragon drawl—ages since I'd heard it.
But something felt off.
...Pissed?
Veil hid it, but I could tell.
'What the hell did you pull?' vibes lurking.
How? His tone matched the minister's scolding pitch from before.
So no denial—instead,
"...How much do you know?"
Recent messes ain't one or two, y'know.