[Silver Ash] - Become The Strongest In Another World
CHAPTER 290: The Author

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The next morning, Noelle had been in the city of Vulip after making a lightning trip by running from the city of Fencen.

Arriving at Vulip, Noelle immediately rented a rather expensive inn, and lay down in her own room while thinking about her next course of action.

He had already achieved his main goal of getting information about the Asterisk from the church. And now he doesn't have any plans, but he still has goals.

The goal this time can not be done carelessly. Instead, this was the most confusing thing Noelle had ever experienced.

How could he steal Lecca and return her to Goddess Zelica?

Although Noelle had already received the blessing of Dewi Zelica, she still did not have the readiness to face the Lost Traveler in the cosmos. If he threw away his common sense and went straight to attack, then he would instantly die one second after leaving the planet.

As Noir once said, the cosmos is a very dangerous place. There are many existences that focus their attention on the planet, and Noelle also believes there are many who are observing it right now.

Let alone going to the cosmos, mentioning the name Noble Armament belonging to Goddess Anastasia alone was enough to trigger a response from them.

This was the first time Noelle had been directly involved in the conflict of the gods, so it was natural for her to be confused.

Noelle looked at her own palm covered in red gloves, and sighed tiredly.

(My own strength will obviously not be enough.)

Vampires are not gods. He would not be able to match that level even with the power of a vampire king.

(Is the previous vampire King that strong? )

What a silly question. Noelle knew the answer herself.

The previous vampire king was extremely powerful, but such a figure was even defeated directly by Goddess Anastasia, so it could only wait for hundreds of years to find a suitable resurrection container. And even after he had found a good container, he was once again defeated, and this time was completely annihilated by the blessing of the same figure who had once defeated him.

"Local gods alone are already difficult, how should I fight against a mad god who has adapted to the cosmos? "

『Hehe, look, there's a confused boy now.』

Noelle instantly frowned as the voice she knew suddenly appeared.

"What do you want? "

There was no way Noir would deliberately open the conversation after he disappeared for a few days.

『Nothing. I just want to remind you that there is no point in being too hasty.』

"Whatchu mean? "

Noelle knew the meaning, but she chose to ask because Noir always had the double meaning of each of his words.

『Hehe, it's simple. The wolf woman was indeed in a state of emergency, but she could still keep the situation at least for another five years. That's more than enough for you to gather strength and save it.』

Five years is quite a long time, but it will feel very short for a long-lived creature like a god. Of course, Noelle was one of the long-lived creatures, but she had not yet reached the stage where she could forget the time that kept going.

To Goddess Zelica, five years might be nothing. But, still the situation would worsen as time passed.

"Is that not a problem? "

Noelle herself doubted that five years would be enough for her to gain a power that surpassed that of a god. The problem is, he must have that power to conquer Lost Traveler.

『Hehe, I don't intend to wait that long either. I have other goals, you know? That's why, I will help to improve your capabilities with this authority.』

Arguably, Dominance's authority was the strongest thing Noelle had right now. It was not limited to its own concepts and strength, and would continue to increase its strength as time went on.

If he could increase his control over 'Domination', then it would not be impossible for Noelle to dominate some conceptual form.

There is also the authority of 'Theft'. Indeed, Noelle's compatibility with authority was not as good as her compatibility with 'Domination', but this power was also important in the implementation of her plan to seize Lecca from Lost Traveler.

Noir was even able to steal Anastasia's system, and dominate time with his limited power within the seal. I don't know what kind of thing Noir would be capable of if 'He' had his full strength.

"Wait, wouldn't it be easier if I freed you, and made you complete the Goddess' request? "

『Keh–hehe, it's not impossible, but the wolf woman will definitely reject it. After all, he was one of the few people who sealed me in the past.』

" … You're right."

It would be strange if Noir took it for granted. Currently, Noir chose to help Dewi Zelica was because she also gained an advantage. With the aim of helping Dewi Zelica, Noelle was able to develop her powers, and it was in line with Noir's wishes.

But, if from the beginning Noir had not made a contract with Noelle, he would not have bothered to provide assistance to the figure who had sealed her in the past.

"By the way, I've been curious about this for a long time, but ... what did you do until it had to be sealed by Goddess Zelica and the others? "

It was likely that Noir committed a great crime that even the gods could not forgive. But of course, it was just a random thought coming out of Noelle's head. The truth is known only to those involved.

『Hehe, Noelle, do you know the Minerva Empire? 』

Noelle nodded. Although he did not know much, but he understood that the Minerva Empire was an important part of this story.

『Satisfy your curiosity, and solve all the mysteries about it. One day, you'll understand what really happened in the past. But to do that, you have to be patient and try to find it yourself.』

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A few hours have passed since that conversation. From there, Noelle knew that she had obtained permission to explore and investigate the lost history. Although that doesn't mean he needs Noir's permission from the start.

Noelle who had finished resting was now out of the inn, and visited some material stores to buy the materials she would need.

With all that in mind, Noelle planned to create a small house that she could live in when she was in a place far from the city, such as a forest or the depths of a dungeon.

He could have created a new《Reign》 space, but to do that he had to modify the magic he had already created. Because if he used the exact same structure and magic circle, he could have recovered his relationship with《Reign》 which had been severed earlier.

Modifying magic was also not too difficult, but it was quite risky. What was more, what he modified was his own homemade magic, which there had never been any modification attempts before.

That's why Noelle thought of building a new house.

Most of what he bought from the store were ready-made wooden boards, and many additional fixtures such as nails and other things.

Noelle wasn't too worried about the lack of materials since she could get them from the forest, but it would be best if she could get a good, ready-made material from the store. That way, he did not have to worry about the different quality of wood.

In the backyard of the store, the employees were busy compiling and calculating the total groceries Noelle. Stacked wooden planks rose up and nearly filled a third of the courtyard, and hundreds or even thousands of nails were placed on several head-sized wooden boxes.

An employee approached Noelle with a small book in her hand, and she looked tired as she threw the towel that had previously hung around her neck.

"Where should we send this? "

"That's not necessary" Noelle said casually as she gave a rude snort.

Noelle raised her right hand slightly, and all the groceries that filled the courtyard instantly disappeared after being swallowed by the thin black fog.

(Now I wonder, does inserting objects into spatial magic always give off that black fog? )

Noelle knew that when she changed clothes using spatial magic, there would be black smoke enveloping her body first. However it was a thing that from the beginning was arranged by him. The black smoke appeared to cover his body which in the process of changing clothes, had to remove all the clothes used. However, Noelle did not remember that putting something in the warehouse would result in something similar….

In fact, the black fog or smoke was quite similar to the one that came out when he used 'Domination'.

"Ohh, that's good. But you still have to pay for the transportation service."

The clerk did not look so surprised, and immediately wrote something in his little book. Then, he tore the sheet off, and handed it to Noelle.

Noelle accepted it, and saw that it was bill paper.

The total bill is about 800 Lunar. It already covers the cost of taxes, services, and material prices. In fact, it wasn't too expensive considering Noelle's current wealth. However, Noelle still thought that it was quite a high price.

Now that he realized, it was natural that many people choose to live in rental homes when young, and only build permanent homes when they are nearing retirement age.

Noelle paid all the bills, and left the store just like that. In the middle of the road, he suddenly got the idea to build an additional structure in his small house. And for that, he needs marble.

Unfortunately, marble is not sold in Vulip. The store owner said that it was too expensive material, and difficult to transport. So the sales are still limited to the capital only.

Noelle really wanted to reject the idea. However, his desire to add one additional building was unshakable.

Noelle's greatest doubt in visiting the capital lies in the fact that it is the headquarters of her enemy. The Voyager headquarters is there.

'He Who Liked Fairy Tales and the Past' had even warned him to avoid the capital.

(We have a ceasefire deal, but .. I don't know what Voyager will do when it finds out their enemy is around their base.)

Initially, Noelle's relationship status with Voyager was only a 'surveillance target. But everything changed since 'Noelle' finished off Gild who was one of their god contractors.

Voyager had raised its vigilance, but they did not take any movement at all as it still had a ceasefire deal that would last for three years.

"I'll assume it's safe to come there. After all, the one to come was Grei Noctis, and not Noah Ashrain."

It is likely that they do not yet know the relationship between Noah Ashrain and Grei Noctis. However, it might not take long until they realize it.

Eventually, Noelle returned to the inn, and prepared herself for a long trip.

He wasn't in too much of a hurry, so he planned to take the train from Vulip city station to the capital, Alten. He also planned to leave in the morning, so it was better to spend the rest of the time here by relaxing for a moment.

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In the morning, Noelle looked in the mirror, and noticed every detail of her own appearance.

For him, Grei Noctis persona is the most difficult to play in a relaxed moment. The figure of Grei Noctis he imagined was someone who was cold-hearted, rude, and indifferent to everything. However, on the other hand Grei Noctis identity is very comfortable to play when he is excited. Noelle had absolutely no need to hold back as it matched Grei Noctis' personality.

"My acting ability improved," he said with an unhappy look after snorting annoyedly at the mirror.

For starters, Grei Noctis Noelle made an appearance by making someone he had seen as his reference. That person was a member of a yakuza group who had come to contact Black Marine for an affiliate request.

Noelle once again combed her hair up using her fingers, and clicked her tongue as her gaze fell on the heartless dark blue eyes.

(I probably wouldn't like this identity.)

The church bell rang, and Noelle without saying anything immediately left her room, handed the keys to the inn clerk, and rushed her suitcase towards the train station.

Tickets had been purchased the night before, and the time of departure was after morning mass. There was still time, but Noelle had no intention of waiting any longer.

The train had already stopped on the platform, and Noelle immediately climbed up, then entered the second classroom which she had fully rented for herself.

The second-class room was usually used by four people at maximum, but Noelle paid for all the places, and made the room her own. He did this because of the quite stark cost difference between second and first grade.

Noelle placed her suitcase beside the table, and sat down while staring at the slightly cloudy morning sky finger. It might rain soon. That's natural, now it has started the season.

(I really need to get ready for the new moon.)

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Due to a sudden rainstorm, the trip was delayed, and Noelle's train stopped at Antern city station, the nearest town to Alten.

Being on a midnight train like this was not a problem for Noelle, but she could not spend her time just sleeping, so she went around the carriage for a moment to relieve the boredom.

"Ah–"

In the middle of a certain carriage, he collided with a young woman so that the woman fell down. Noelle reached out her hand to help, and the woman also casually accepted her help.

Perhaps because it was dark and not so visible, the woman narrowed her eyes as she tried to look at the figure that had just helped her.

After seeing Grei Noctis' form clearly, the woman immediately smiled stiffly.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your time. There are a lot of scripts I have to work on, so I'm a little out of focus right now."

"Would it? "

Those words piqued Noelle's interest a little.

"That's right. I am a novelist and journalist. If you read a magazine or a newspaper from the Daily Welton, you'll see my name often."

The young woman took out her business card, and awkwardly handed it to Noelle.

'Fuu Kafhka' is the name listed on that business card. At the bottom, there is the name of the publishing company Daily Welton, where this woman works.

"A pretty unique name" Noelle said unconsciously in a low voice.

Kafhka clearly heard it, and immediately let out a dry laugh. "Really, right? I think so too. Actually Kafhka is my real name. I added the word 'Fuu' to make it more unique."

So it's basically a pen name. Noelle put the business card in her pocket, and gave her own card that she just made this afternoon.

"Grei .. Noctis .. that's a good name. Are you a native of the Republic? "

"You could say so," Noelle casually replied.

For some reason, this light conversation made Noelle feel somewhat at ease.

Putting aside the storm outside, the conversation with Kafhka managed to calm her from worry and boredom.

"By the way, Grei .. have you ever had intercourse? "

That's such an absurd question for two people who just knew each other. Surprised, Noelle was late in responding accordingly.

"Why ask? "

Kafhka kept smiling even though it was a bit awkward now. "Look, my boss asked me to make an article in a magazine that was just about to be published. The article was about the things the couple went through, but unfortunately I had no experience with anyone at all. Can you help me by answering a few questions? "

Noelle slightly frowned. "From those words .. do you assume that I have experience with it? "

"Hehe, it was very easy to distinguish an experienced person and not from the aura they emitted while being next to someone of a different gender. Some of the men who approached me were quite innocent, but your aura clearly said that you have a lot of experience." Kafhka slightly blushed after he said it.

Although it looks rather gloomy and outspoken, in fact Kafhka is a beautiful young woman. She wears a spring-colored direct dress with a blend of brown and pale yellow. On top of his shoulders, was attached a fairly thin yellowish-white cardigan.

In addition to her face and good dress sense, she also has a body that is quite feminine, with a height of only reaching Noelle's chin in the form of Grei Noctis.

When a woman like Kafhka asks this sensitive question, it will certainly give a strange impression.

"You already know the answer, but you still ask? No, more than that, your ability to read the auras of others is quite impressive."

"Really, right? I'm pretty proud of that ability." Kafhka smiled in satisfaction and puffed his chest slightly at the compliment.

The two then chuckled slightly before Kafhka finally took out a small book from his skirt pocket, and took out another object from the same pocket.

The second thing Kafhka took out caught Noelle's attention. It was a beautiful quill pen, with fur that looked extremely smooth, golden in color and emitted a faint warm glow.

In addition, it is also seen when Kafhka wrote some words in his notebook using the quill pen.

Kafhka noticed Noelle's gaze, and she immediately widened her smile.

"I understand how you feel, Grei. It's a beautiful pen, isn't it? I don't know how, but this quill was on my desk this morning. At first I didn't really care, but then I realized that I could write with him without dipping him in the ink first."

As Kafhka put it, the quill pen was actually capable of writing words without even needing to be dipped in ink, an unnatural thing for a quill pen.

"You sure it's safe? " Noelle asked to be sure, but Kafhka only answered her with a small, almost inaudible laugh.

"When there is ease before your eyes, why should you care about danger? Just use what you can use."

After saying that, Kafhka then tore off a piece of paper in his book, and handed it to Noelle.

"If we've arrived in the capital, I'd like to have an interview with you. Come at any time to this address, I will always be there. Ahh, also make sure not to pass the 20th of November, because that is the deadline."

Kafhka then stretched his own body, and sighed with satisfaction.

"All right, one more script, and I can sleep. Well then, good night, Grei."

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