Translator: penny
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: The Storm is Coming
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Noah had returned to the White Merchant Guild's home base for the first time in ages.
It was to report to the guild's master—her father, Malek White—that she had become an advisor to the Cron Family.
Malek, who was fifty years old, looked more like Noah's grandfather than her father.
With his snow-white hair and kindly, plump features, he even resembled that grandfather who brought gifts in winter.
Malek was startled once upon hearing Noah's report of the young Cron lord's policies, which transcended common sense.
And he was startled a second time upon learning that Noah had become an advisor to the Cron Family.
"This is unusual. You've ignored invitations from lords and nobles alike to focus solely on guild matters, yet now you've decided to enter service."
"That's how it turned out, Father."
Noah replied with her usual cool expression.
Malek wasn't a bad father, but he wasn't an ideal one either.
He showered Noah with affection, yet he constantly imposed his own path on her.
From offers to become the steward of a powerful noble house to even the wife of a grand duke—all proposed under the guise of benefiting the family for her own future. Noah had survived by becoming a merchant.
She had produced results on her own and become a key figure in the guild, so Malek had no choice but to respect her choices.
Or more precisely, he was forced to respect them.
"I won't say anything about your decision, but tell me one thing, my daughter."
"Yes, Father."
When Malek spoke like this, it meant he would yield one concession.
In exchange, he wanted complete honesty. Noah met her father's gaze squarely and accepted the question.
"In your eyes, what is the value of Lord Cron?"
For all his words, Malek held Noah's judgment in the highest regard within the guild.
So when he heard she had chosen to serve, he grew curious.
Just how valuable was the young lord of the Cron Family?
Was he a vessel capable of surviving the chaotic times ahead?
Or was he something more—a vessel who could become the empire's new ruler?
As Malek awaited his daughter's answer, Noah flashed a bright smile.
"I don't really know."
"You don't know!?"
Malek was flustered by his daughter's deflating response.
The daughter he knew never spoke without reaching a conclusion.
"Yes... Lord Calix is beyond anything I can measure."
"That significant...?"
Malek was startled for the third time at Noah's words.
He knew she viewed most lords and nobles with disdain.
For such a woman to say someone possessed a vessel transcending her own—Malek wasn't sure whether to see it as promising or dangerous.
"Oh, but there is one thing I'm certain of, Father."
"And what is that?"
"I don't know how far Lord Calix will go, but without a doubt..."
A young lord who had suddenly appeared at the southern edge.
He was making astonishing reforms in a short time, gradually making a name for himself.
But most dismissed it as a young lord overextending himself to build his foundation, paying it no mind.
Yet in her eyes, his actions were far beyond that simplistic level.
"He will surely bring a storm to this Novarens Empire."
He would bring a storm to the empire.
Noah was absolutely certain of that one thing.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"A storm is coming."
One day, amid the frenzy of administrative work swelled by tariff reforms, Hart received a report.
"A storm?"
"Yes. Yesterday, we got word from the Blue Mage Tower. A powerful storm is expected to hit Cron territory in one week."
According to Calix's memories, Cron territory was coastal and regularly battered by major storms.
I recalled Calix's memories and checked with Hart on storm preparations.
"I see... Are our storm defenses in order?"
"Of course. We've prepared tarps and ropes to minimize damage at the warehouses, castle, salt pans, and stables. No need to worry."
Hart answered confidently.
By Calix's memory standards, this was sufficient preparation.
But I wasn't satisfied with that anymore.
"What about preparations for the common folk?"
"Yes, of course, my lord. We've informed the villagers of the incoming storm and prepared tarps and ropes for them as well."
Hart seemed to have adjusted his preparations to match my changes.
But it still wasn't enough.
"Is that all?"
"Pardon?"
In my past life, my hometown was by the sea.
So I could say this with certainty.
With the preparations Hart described, some villagers would die when the storm hit.
"What about breakwater maintenance? Shelters? Drainage ditches?"
"We haven't gotten to those yet..."
Hart looked flustered at my words.
I'd never pressed him this hard before, so it was understandable.
I usually refrained from overworking Hart due to the Confucian dragon inside me, but this time, I had to push.
"From now on, the entire territory shifts to storm preparations. Make it the top priority over all other work. Mobilize every laborer, halt knight training, and put the knights to work on storm prep. Understood!!"
"Y-yes... Understood, my lord."
I wasn't sure what expression I was making.
But Hart paled at the sight of my face and rushed out of the office.
The sky beyond the castle walls already looked overcast, as if the storm was approaching.
"Storms even in this world... Damn it."
I hated storms in my past life, and I hated them now.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Baron, who worked at the Cron Family's salt pans, was enjoying the happiest time of his life lately.
Thanks to the lord doubling wages, he had finally moved out of his parents' home and gotten a new place for his wife and kids.
And that was just the start.
Somehow, the lord had worked magic on the market prices, making goods far cheaper.
Now Baron could feed his family proper bread and meat at every meal.
The market even had clothes, toys, and liquors he'd never seen before.
All affordable, so Baron bought his wife and kids the outfits and toys they wanted, spending joyful times together.
It felt like a dream compared to last year, when on slow days at the salt pans, he could barely feed his starving kids watery gruel amid the hardship.
"Alright! Let's head to work, everyone!!"
"Yeah!!"
That day, as usual, he went to the salt pans with his friend Leon.
But for some reason, no one entered the pans; they were all gathered out front.
Baron and Leon joined them, where Old Man Sora, the salt farm manager, stood.
"Alright, is everyone here now?"
"What's going on, Old Man Sora? Something happen?"
"An official notice came from the lord's castle. Let me see... A storm's coming in one week."
"A storm!?"
Everyone's faces turned blue at the news.
Cron territory's storms were notoriously vicious.
Last year, roofs flew off—including Baron's nearly endangering his family—and some workers lost kin to the gales.
"So by the lord's order, we're shifting to storm prep now. All salt work halts; focus on defenses, per the lord's command."
"The lord himself!?"
"Yeah, knights are coming to help, and they'll supply needed ropes and tarps. Go to the castle if you need any."
The previous lord had prepared for natural disasters like storms.
But not to the extent of deploying knights or providing equipment.
Baron was deeply grateful for a lord who cared this much.
Then his friend Leon asked from beside him.
"What about our daily wages, then?"
"Let me check... By the lord's order, full pay as usual. No worries."
"No way! Even full wages!?"
"Long live the lord!!!"
Help with prep was thankful enough, but full pay on top!!
Baron truly believed Lord Calix was a lord sent from the heavens.
With the briefing over, Old Man Sora said,
"Now, we need to assign tasks. Team leaders, step forward."
Baron and the other salt pan team leaders came forward and received their assignments.
Drainage ditch construction, breakwater repairs, securing houses and pans with ropes and tarps—they split the work and labored hard to protect their livelihoods.
Calix personally toured the territory, inspecting each detail.
Noah, following him and watching, asked,
"Are you afraid of the storm, my lord?"
"Afraid... Aren't you, Noah?"
"It's scary, but not frightening. I can just stay inside."
Noah had seen a storm before.
With rain and wind raging as if everything might fly away, she had terrifiedly barricaded herself indoors until it passed.
Easily imagining her experience from her words, Calix said,
"You've been blessed."
"B-bl-blessed!?"
Noah panicked for a moment.
Very few knew she possessed a blessing.
Does he know about my blessing?
As she thought that, Calix continued,
"To the destitute, a storm is no different from divine wrath. Remember that, Noah."
So that's the blessing he meant.
Noah sighed in relief and replied,
"Understood, my lord. I'll remember it well."
Noah grew intrigued by Calix's words, as if he had lived the common folk's lives himself.
What experiences had he gone through in the past?
She decided to ask later and changed the subject.
"Still, with preparations this thorough, nothing should go wrong."
"I hope so..."
The entire territory's able-bodied were pitching in.
With such meticulous prep, surely nothing would happen.
Even thinking that, I felt uneasy.
Something bad was going to occur.