_Before Arrival_


    It was the middle of the night, and a horse-drawn carriage sped down the lonely, broad path leading to Winterseed. On top of the carriage sat a gorgeous man with long white hair tied in a ponytail, seated in a lotus position, his eyes closed as he absorbed mana from the surroundings.


    KNOCK KNOCK


    Suddenly, knocks came from within the carriage, causing D''andre to open his eyes. With a signal from him, the two horses pulling the carriage halted immediately.


    He floated down from the roof and approached the door, opening it to find ra standing there with her usual serious expression.


    "We''re getting close to your vige, prettydy," D''andre said with a smile. He is aware that the women still didn''t fully trust him.


    "I know," ra replied, "That''s why I stopped you."


    "Huh, I thought you wanted to return to your vige? Don''t tell me you''ve changed your mind so soon."


    "It''s not that," ra responded almost immediately, her serious expression crumbling into one of worry and pleading. "I need to ask you for a favor."


    D''andre found her sudden change in demeanor strange but signaled for her to continue. ra began speaking, her voice and tone sincere as she made her request.


    After hearing her out, D''andre smirked and nodded in agreement. "Rest assured, I''ll do exactly as you ask. I won''t deny it, you''re a truly intriguing person, and I''d like to discover more about you." He smiled sweetly at her, but she only responded with a wry smile before retreating to bed.


    D''andre locked the door, returned to the roof, and signaled the horses to continue on their way.


    ---


    "What''s up, y''all?"


    Oliver and the soldiers watched in surprise as the strange man suddenly opened his eyes. He yawned, as if waking from a deep sleep, then casually waved at them as though they were old friends reunited after a long time apart.


    His friendly greeting left the soldiers exchanging puzzled looks before they quickly turned their focus back to him.


    "Who are you and why are you in Winterseed territory?" Oliver demanded, pointing his sword at him.


    "Me? I am your friendly neighborhood superhero, D''andre Draegorath." D''andre introduced himself. His introduction leaving everyone even more confused.


    ''D''andre Draegorath? What a strange name,'' Oliver thought, his brow furrowing slightly.


    "State your intention for stepping into our territory," he quickly demanded, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinized the stranger. "And what exactly is it that you have inside that big box you''re sitting on?"


    "My intentions are nothing but pure, I assure you. As for the content of my carriage, I can only reveal it after speaking with your Lord." D''andre replied with a sweet smile ying on his face.


    Though D''andre exuded an imposing presence, his words were entirely the opposite—friendly, with no hint of ill intent.


    ''What is he nning? Why does he want to see Lord Rowan before revealing what''s in the box? Could it be some kind of weapon, and he''s nning to ambush Lord Rowan?'' Oliver''s mind raced with these thoughts as he continued to scrutinize D''andre.


    As his thoughts wandered, considering every possibility, the galloping sound of a horse approaching reached his ears. He quickly turned around, greeted by the sight of Rowan riding toward them, a frown on his face.


    Rowan halted his horse beside Oliver, gave him a nod, and dismounted before using [God''s Eyes] to inspect D''andre.


    ----


    [ Name: D''andre Draegorath ]


    [ Power: A-rank ]


    [ upation: Merchant ]


    [ Title: Harbinger of Prosperity ]


    [ Special Skill: Trading (SS-rank) - Uncopyable ]


    [ Status: Curious ]


    ----


    ''Who is this guy? He''s got an SS-rank skill I can''t even copy, a power rank high enough to crush my vige with a flick of his finger, and a title—NPCs aren''t supposed to have titles!" Rowan''s eyes narrowed as he studied D''andre.


    Rowan wondered about the true identity of this person—why he held a title only yers could possess, and why he was here in a small territory like his even though his power and skill far out ranks it. Naturally, someone with such high power rating wouldn''t gain much even if he plunders the whole of Winterseed, so why was he here?


    Even with [God''s Eyes], D''andre remained a mystery to Rowan. He was like an open book written in an ancient and indecipherablenguage; everything was visible, but understanding it was impossible.


    Nevertheless, Rowan decided not to antagonize this person, as it could bring more harm than good to his vige. He also had a sudden urge to dig deep into this character and discover who he truly was.


    He also had one question, ''Could he be a yer who transmigrated just like me?''


    As for D''andre, when he saw Rowan arrive on horseback, he immediately recognized him as the Lord of the territory, and a smile crept across his face.


    ''A new customer!'' he eximed merrily in his heart as he observed Rowan.


    He watched as Rowan dismounted, noticing the strange look on his face as he assessed him.


    ''That''s not the proper way to wee a visitor,'' D''andre thought.


    ''Maybe this one isn''t friendly,'' he concluded, and proceeded to introduce himself.


    "You must be Lord Rowan of Winterseed. Your subject''s name is D''andre Draegorath. I have many things that could help your territory develop rapidly. You should wee me."


    Rowan narrowed his eyes, his expression serious. "You im to have things that could help my territory develop rapidly. What exactly are these things, and why should I trust a stranger who suddenly appears in mynd?"


    D''andre chuckled, clearly unfazed by Rowan''s stern demeanor. "Oh,e on, my Lord. You wound me with your suspicion! But I understand, it''s not every day you meet someone as extraordinary as me. I have wares and knowledge that could turn your humble vige into a thriving hub of prosperity."


    Oliver and the soldiers found D''andre''s words too impossible to believe.


    "Lord Rowan, we should not trust this person," they suggested.


    Rowan could have agreed with this suggestion, but he had already seen enough to understand that D''andre''s ims weren''t a scam.


    However, despite this, Rowan did not trust himpletely. D''andre''s identity remained a mystery, and his reasons foring to the vige were far from satisfying. Why would an SS-rank merchant choose to trade with a small FF-rank vige when he could easily establish connections with powerful kingdoms and empires?


    Moreover, anyone who possessed a badass title like [HARBINGER OF PROSPERITY] was far from ordinary.


    "Oliver, lower your weapons and let him in." Rowanmanded after further contemtion.


    ...


    AUTHOR NOTE: Thanks for reading!!