Chương 146

Rudra grabbed his coat.

"Alright," he said, heading for the door.

"I'll go find us a merchant."

"Please wait a moment, My Liege," Winfred said with a soft chuckle. Rudra stopped. He looked back at the desk. Silas was sitting quietly in the corner, tightly hugging a shiny, high-quality golden abacus. Rudra had casually pulled it out of his inventory a few minutes ago. Silas was currently treating the item like a holy relic.

"As an advisor to this Duchy," Winfred said, rolling up a map.

"I saw this gold shortage coming a month ago. I already took care of it." Rudra blinked.

"You did?"

"I sent my disciple on an errand," Winfred explained.

"I told Haster to track down an old friend of mine. She runs a large company trading across multiple kingdoms."

"Is she tied to the Saharan Empire?" Rudra asked. Winfred shook his head.

"No. When I was a disgraced drunk, hiding from the world, she was the only person who quietly provided me with supplies so I could live on. I trust her." Before Rudra could ask anything else, heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway. A militia guard pushed the office door open.

"Sir Winfred! A merchant caravan just reached the city gates. They are asking for you." Winfred gave a rare, warm smile.

"Right on time. Let's go meet them." Rudra followed Winfred out of the office and down into the main courtyard. The estate was busy. Out in the distance, Rudra could see Piaro working in the farmlands, happily tilling the dirt by hand with a simple iron hoe, completely ignoring the visitors. Near the front gates, Haster was leaning heavily against his spear. The player looked deeply exhausted. He had been the main navigator and protector for the merchant group the entire trip.

"Guarding a VIP caravan is worse than raiding a dungeon," Haster muttered, rubbing his tired eyes. A sleek, expensive-looking carriage pulled into the courtyard. The door opened, and an elegant older woman stepped out. She wore rich silk clothes and had sharp, calculating eyes. Then, she looked at Winfred. Her eyes went wide. She froze. Winfred wasn't a drunk anymore. He stood tall. His eyes were clear, his armor was polished, and he carried the quiet pride of a knight.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it. Tears welled up in her eyes.

"Winfred..." she whispered, taking a step forward. It was painfully obvious to everyone watching. Haster cringed. Rudra raised an eyebrow. The woman had a massive, undeniable crush on him. Winfred smiled gently.

"It is good to see you, Vespera. Thank you for making the long trip." He gave a polite bow, smoothly stepping back to keep a respectful distance. He completely ignored the romantic tension. His hand rested near his sword hilt, right next to the silver wedding ring he still wore for his late wife. Vespera noticed the distance. She blinked away her tears and cleared her throat, regaining her professional posture.

"I... I am just glad to see you well." She turned to look at Rudra. She bowed deeply.

"You saved him. You gave him a home and a reason to hold a sword again. I owe you a debt I can never repay, Lord Duke." Rudra waved a hand.

"Don't worry about it. He does most of the hard work around here anyway." Vespera smiled, looking around at the bustling walls and the ongoing construction.

"Your territory is growing fast, My Lord. But I will not sugarcoat it. Even with my deep history with Winfred, I do not mix personal feelings with business. The Ves Merchant Group requires a profitable deal."

"That's why you're here," Rudra said.

"Indeed," Vespera nodded.

"However, I will not be the one sitting at the table today. I am preparing to step down in the coming years, but my successor must earn the seat. I brought the head of the Silver Crest trading company to negotiate on our behalf. If she secures this deal, she proves she is ready to become my official heiress. This is Cecilia." Another woman stepped out of the carriage. She wore a sharp, tailored coat and had an intense, assessing gaze. Rudra then noticed the green tag with her name indicating that she was a player.

He blinked in surprise. Cecilia. Wait. Cecilia? Rudra knew that name from the global leaderboards. She wasn't an NPC. She was a player. Not just any player, but the 2nd ranked merchant in the world. An actual player was trying to inherit this massive NPC trading company? Cecilia stepped forward, fully expecting to negotiate with some grumpy, stuck-up NPC noble. She looked at the Duke's name tag as well.. Her brain short-circuited. Wait. What? she thought. Rudra? The Zenith is the Duke?

Before she could even open her mouth to speak, a golden system window flashed directly in front of her face. [You have become lost in front of an immeasurable existence. Your head involuntarily bows. Your body is shaky and your head begins to move.] Cecilia gasped. Her knees instantly wobbled. She tried to fight it, but an invisible weight forced her head down. She violently snapped into a deep, perfectly respectful bow. Her face turned bright red from the sudden humiliation.

She was staring at the dirt, completely unable to stand up straight against the pure weight of his Charm and Dignity stats. Rudra quickly realized what was happening.

"Uh. You good?" He mentally pulled back his presence, relaxing his posture. The heavy system pressure instantly vanished from the courtyard. Cecilia sucked in a sharp breath and shot up. She glared at Rudra. It was a look of pure annoyance mixed with intense, burning curiosity. Rudra just grinned. A top-tier merchant player was exactly what he needed.

"Come on inside," Rudra said, turning toward the estate.

"We have a safe trade route through the sea and exclusive Siren Kingdom goods to talk about."