Chapter 182 New Member

Edgar remained seated on the throne, his fingers still tapping lightly against the armrest.

The main hall had become quiet after Gordon left, with only the faint sounds of the castle’s servants moving through the distant corridors.

He leaned back and looked toward the large doors.

A few minutes later, they opened.

Two people walked inside. The first was Father Oren, the older priest Edgar had met before.

Beside him was Sister Elara. The two of them stopped several steps away from the throne before giving Edgar a polite bow.

“Lord Edgar.” Father Oren straightened himself. “You called for us?”

Edgar nodded. “Yes. I need some help from the church.”

Father Oren smiled. “After what you did for us by helping reduce the tax, I am more than grateful for the opportunity to repay you.”

He placed one hand over his chest. “If there is anything within my ability to provide, I will do my best to help.”

Edgar nodded.

“I appreciate that.” He leaned forward slightly. “I’m planning to expand my territory.”

Father Oren listened carefully.

“And for that, I’ll need funding.”

Sister Elara gave him a slightly awkward smile. “You mean financial assistance?”

Edgar shook his head. “No. I have enough money for now.”

The two priests looked at him with some surprise.

“What I need are connections.” Edgar folded his arms.

“I have a lot of resources inside my Fortress, but I don’t have a proper way to sell them. I want access to the church’s connections and trade routes.”

Father Oren looked thoughtful. “So you want to start trading?”

“Exactly.” Edgar nodded. “I have crops, medicinal plants, ores, weapons, and several other things that can be produced in large quantities.”

He paused for a moment. “I want to sell them.”

The two remained quiet.

Father Oren exchanged a glance with Sister Elara before looking back at Edgar.

“If you don’t mind, Lord Edgar…” He hesitated. “Could we know what quality these products are?”

Edgar tilted his head. “Why?”

Sister Elara answered this time. “The church is also interested in purchasing some of those items.”

Edgar remained silent. He looked at her for several seconds.

Sister Elara was a young woman with long light-orange hair that fell neatly over her shoulders and clear blue eyes that carried a calm and gentle appearance.

Her features were delicate, and even though she wore the simple robes of a nun, they couldn’t completely hide her natural beauty.

Edgar couldn’t help wondering why someone who looked like this had chosen to become a nun.

‘Why is she even working as a nun?’

He quickly pushed the thought aside. There was no reason to concern himself with it.

Edgar took a slow breath. “I don’t mind trading with the church, as long as you give me the proper market value for my items.”

Father Oren smiled. “Of course.”

Sister Elara nodded. “We won’t be stingy.”

Edgar raised an eyebrow. “How do you plan to check everything?”

Father Oren thought for a moment before his eyes moved toward Sister Elara. “Let Sister Elara come with you.”

Sister Elara blinked.

“Me?” She pointed toward herself in surprise.

Father Oren chuckled. “I’m too old to be traveling around and inspecting large quantities of goods.”

He looked toward Edgar. “She is young and capable. She can remain in your Fortress and inspect the items you have available.”

Sister Elara opened her mouth slightly. “But…”

Father Oren waved his hand. “You’ll be fine.”

Edgar narrowed his eyes. He looked at Sister Elara for a moment before looking back at Father Oren.

‘Are they trying to spy on me?’

The thought immediately entered his mind.

It wasn’t impossible. The church knew very little about his Fortress.

If Sister Elara stayed there for several days, she would inevitably see his people, his defenses, his resources, and perhaps even his Soul Guardians.

But at the same time, Edgar couldn’t completely reject the offer.

He needed connections. He needed a reliable way to trade his resources without exposing too much of his strength.

And if the church genuinely wanted to buy his products, that would make things much easier.

‘It could be a trap.’ Edgar’s eyes briefly moved toward Sister Elara. ‘But if they wanted information, there are easier ways to investigate my territory.’

He remained silent for several seconds. ‘Besides, I can keep an eye on her.’

After thinking about it for a while, Edgar nodded. “I don’t mind.”

Sister Elara looked slightly surprised.

Edgar turned toward her. “Pack your things. I plan to leave in an hour or two.”

Her eyes widened. “So soon?”

Edgar nodded. “There’s a lot I need to do at the Fortress.”

Sister Elara quickly nodded.

“Then… I’ll prepare everything.” She looked slightly flustered as she bowed. “I’ll meet you outside the Fortress.”

“Fine.” Edgar nodded before waving his hand. “You’re dismissed.”

Father Oren bowed again. “Thank you, Lord Edgar.”

The two turned around and walked out of the hall.

The large doors closed behind them. Edgar remained seated for a moment.

‘This should be interesting.’

He had originally planned to establish a trade relationship with the church. He hadn’t expected them to send someone directly to his Fortress.

Still, it wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

If the church could provide stable trade routes, Edgar could focus on increasing production rather than worrying about how to sell everything.

A few moments later, Gordon returned to the hall.

He approached the throne and stopped several steps away. “How are things going in the Fortress?”

Edgar smiled. “Do you want to return?”

Gordon blinked before chuckling. “Actually, I really like being around you.”

Edgar raised an eyebrow. “Then why don’t you come?”

Gordon shook his head. “The Soragon Bazaar needs stability first. Once everything here is properly settled, I can return.”

Edgar nodded. “That’s fine.”

Gordon smiled. “Thank you.”

His expression slowly became more serious.

Edgar noticed the change. “Did something happen?”

Gordon remained silent for a moment before he quietly let out a sigh. “There has been an influx of foreigners coming into the bazaar.”

Edgar blinked. “Foreigners?”

“Yes.”

Edgar leaned back. “But the Eternal Night is coming. People shouldn’t be traveling around this time.”

Gordon nodded.

“That’s what I thought as well.” He paused.”I tried to find out whether they were causing any trouble.”

Edgar’s eyes narrowed. “And?”

“They aren’t.” Gordon shook his head.

“They’ve been living normally. They’re buying things, renting rooms, trading with merchants, and going about their business.”

Edgar remained silent. ‘Could they have been sent by the people behind the slave trading?’

It wasn’t an unreasonable possibility.

He had already interfered with their business by taking away the people they had enslaved.

Eventually, someone would notice.

And the Soragon Bazaar was one of the closest places to the Han River where people could live relatively safely.

If outsiders wanted to investigate the area, this would be one of the first places they would come.

‘They were bound to come sooner or later.’

Edgar tapped his fingers against the armrest. He couldn’t immediately assume they were enemies.

But that didn’t mean he should ignore them. “I want you to keep an eye on them.”

Gordon nodded. “I already have people watching them.”

“Good.” Edgar looked toward him. “Tell me what else happened here.”

Gordon nodded and began explaining the other changes that had occurred in the Soragon Bazaar.

There had been an increase in merchants, several new families had arrived, and some of the damaged buildings had already been repaired.

Edgar listened carefully.

The more he heard, the more he realized that the city was slowly becoming more important.

That meant more opportunities but it also meant more attention.

And Edgar had no intention of letting that attention reach his Fortress before he was ready.

—

Several hours later, Edgar was ready to leave.

A carriage had been prepared outside the castle. Edgar climbed inside before settling into his seat.

A soldier was sitting at the front, holding the reins.

Edgar looked at him for a moment. He had considered letting one of the Soul Guardians drive the carriage.

But that would immediately attract too much attention.

A headless knight or an enormous undead creature sitting in the driver’s seat wasn’t exactly something he wanted ordinary merchants to see.

‘It would definitely raise some questions.’ Edgar leaned back. ‘Especially from the church.’

The carriage began moving through the streets of the Soragon Bazaar.

As they approached the gate, Edgar glanced outside.

Sister Elara was standing nearby with a small travel bag in her hands.

She looked noticeably nervous. Her eyes occasionally moved toward Edgar before quickly looking away.

Edgar watched her for a moment. ‘She’s nervous.’

He couldn’t tell whether it was because she was going to his Fortress or because she was traveling with him.

Either way, it was somewhat amusing. The carriage stopped briefly.

Edgar looked toward her. “Are we going?”

Sister Elara blinked before nodding quickly. “Yes.”

She climbed into the carriage and sat down.

Edgar leaned back into his seat.

The soldier pulled the reins. The carriage began moving toward the Fortress.