Chapter 10: Chapter 10 - Merchant of Opportunities

Chapter 10 — Merchant of Opportunities

Dorian Vale smiled like a man who smelled money.

Or in this world’s case—

faith.

Honestly, businessmen were terrifying across every universe.

The merchant’s sharp brown eyes moved carefully between me, Elena, and the villagers surrounding us.

Calculating.

Observing.

He reminded me of corporate managers from Earth.

The type who could estimate profit margins within thirty seconds of entering a room.

Very dangerous people.

Chief Rowan stepped forward nervously.

"Merchant Dorian, you arrive during sacred matters."

The merchant bowed politely.

"So I noticed."

His gaze returned to me immediately.

Not fearful.

Respectful.

But not blind devotion either.

Interesting.

That meant he had experience dealing with divine authorities before.

Probably traveled between territories ruled by different gods.

Which also meant—

he likely understood how valuable information could be.

Bad combination.

Elena crossed her arms slightly.

"The village is under divine protection currently."

Subtle warning.

Dorian noticed it instantly.

The man smiled politely again.

"I have no intention of causing trouble, Lady Elena."

So he definitely knew her.

The merchant then looked toward me.

"Though I confess... I did not expect to encounter a newly awakened divine authority here."

Straight attack.

No hesitation.

I kept my expression calm.

"Many things happen unexpectedly."

Dorian chuckled softly.

"True."

The villagers nearby watched nervously.

They clearly didn’t understand the tension beneath this conversation.

But Elena did.

And honestly?

So did I.

This wasn’t a normal introduction.

This was negotiation disguised as politeness.

Dorian gestured toward his wagons casually.

"My caravan merely seeks rest and trade opportunities."

Trade opportunities.

There it is.

Every businessman’s favorite phrase.

I smiled slightly.

"And what exactly do merchants trade in these lands?"

Dorian’s eyes sharpened.

"Depends on the territory."

Interesting answer.

The merchant stepped closer slowly.

"Food. Artifacts. Information."

Ah.

There it is.

Information networks.

Makes sense.

In a world ruled by gods, knowledge itself would be incredibly valuable.

Especially news about divine movements.

Dorian glanced subtly toward the glowing shrine nearby.

"Miracles also affect markets."

Okay.

This man was absolutely dangerous.

I liked him already.

Elena clearly did not.

"We should continue this elsewhere," she said firmly.

Probably wise.

Half the village was eavesdropping already.

Chief Rowan quickly offered the meeting hall again.

Dorian agreed immediately.

Within minutes, we gathered inside alongside several nervous guards and hunters.

The atmosphere felt completely different from previous discussions.

More political.

Dorian sat across from me comfortably.

Too comfortably honestly.

Like he wasn’t intimidated at all.

Interesting confidence.

The merchant folded his hands together.

"I’ll speak directly."

Good.

I preferred that.

"Rumors of divine activity spread quickly," he continued calmly.

"A purification miracle especially."

Elena’s expression hardened slightly.

Dorian noticed.

"I mean no disrespect," he added smoothly.

"But the appearance of a new god changes regional balance."

Exactly what Seraphine warned earlier.

I leaned back slightly.

"And what balance would that be?"

Dorian smiled faintly.

"The balance between churches."

There it is again.

Religion as political infrastructure.

Honestly, this world was terrifyingly realistic.

Dorian continued casually.

"The western territories are currently dominated by three major faiths."

He raised one finger.

"The Flame Sanctum."

Second finger.

"The Order of Eternal Light."

Third finger.

"And the Storm Crown."

Cool names.

Probably dangerous people.

"Minor gods survive beneath them," Dorian explained.

"Usually by forming alliances or accepting protection."

Translation: Bigger religions absorb smaller ones.

Corporate mergers but with divine miracles.

Interesting.

Elena finally spoke quietly.

"Lady Seraphine refused integration."

Ah.

That explained a lot.

Dorian nodded respectfully.

"Which earned her both admiration and difficulty."

Diplomatic answer.

Meaning: independence made survival harder.

The merchant then looked directly at me.

"But your situation is... unprecedented."

I already hated where this conversation was going.

"No temple."

"No church."

"No divine faction."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"And yet your authority manifested publicly."

The room became silent.

Even the guards looked nervous.

Dorian leaned slightly forward.

"Power attracts attention."

Yeah.

I figured that out.

"What kind of attention?" I asked calmly.

"Curiosity first."

That didn’t sound terrible.

"Then fear."

Ah.

There it is.

Dorian tapped the table softly.

"Ancient divine systems dislike unpredictability."

Honestly fair.

I was unpredictable even to myself.

The merchant suddenly smiled again.

"Fortunately, unpredictability also creates opportunity."

Businessman detected.

Maximum level.

I crossed my arms slightly.

"And what opportunity do you see?"

His answer came instantly.

"Innovation."

Interesting.

Dorian gestured toward the villagers outside.

"These people worship you because your miracles differ from traditional divine blessings."

That was true.

No sacred swords.

No holy chants.

Just flashlights, speakers, and accidental divine evolution.

The merchant’s eyes sharpened.

"Humans are naturally drawn toward novelty."

Okay.

Now I definitely liked this guy.

Because he understood something important.

Faith wasn’t only spiritual.

It was emotional.

Psychological.

People believed in things that inspired wonder.

And Earth’s entire technological history specialized in creating wonder.

Dorian continued thoughtfully.

"Most gods repeat ancient patterns endlessly."

Fire gods create fire.

Healing gods heal.

War gods fight.

Makes sense.

Fixed authorities.

Rigid identities.

"But you..."

His gaze locked onto mine.

"...feel different."

The blue divine core inside my chest pulsed softly.

Like it recognized the conversation.

Dorian leaned back slowly.

"You feel modern."

That word hit strangely hard.

Modern.

A concept completely normal on Earth.

But here?

Probably revolutionary.

Elena looked toward me thoughtfully.

"Your authority evolves quickly."

The merchant nodded immediately.

"Exactly."

Then he smiled.

"A god connected to progress itself could become very influential."

Dangerous sentence.

Very dangerous sentence.

Because he was absolutely correct.

I carefully kept my expression neutral.

"You speak as if you’ve already calculated my future."

Dorian laughed softly.

"No."

His eyes narrowed slightly.

"I’m calculating possibilities."

Definitely a businessman.

The merchant reached into his coat calmly.

Several guards tensed instantly.

He slowly placed a small metallic object onto the table.

A silver coin.

But unlike ordinary currency, strange glowing symbols covered its surface.

Divine energy.

I could feel it immediately.

"What is this?" I asked.

"A faith coin."

Interesting.

Dorian gently rotated the coin across the table.

"Created using condensed spiritual energy."

My eyes narrowed slightly.

So faith could literally become currency.

Holy crap.

This world monetized religion physically.

That was simultaneously genius and horrifying.

Dorian explained calmly.

"Major churches use them for trade between divine territories."

Elena added quietly—

"Faith coins store purified spiritual energy."

Energy storage.

Batteries.

Wait.

My brain suddenly froze.

Technology plus spiritual energy storage?

No way.

No actual way.

I picked up the coin slowly.

Warm energy flowed faintly through the metal.

The moment I touched it—

the blue core inside me reacted violently.

The coin flickered.

Then suddenly emitted blue sparks.

Everyone froze.

Dorian’s eyes widened slightly for the first time.

Interesting.

Finally surprised him.

The sparks danced across the coin briefly before stabilizing.

My heartbeat accelerated.

No.

No no no.

This was huge.

Spiritual energy could interact with technological authority.

Meaning—

technology in this world might actually be possible.

Not Earth technology exactly.

Something new.

Something combining science and divine energy.

Holy crap.

The possibilities exploded inside my head instantly.

Electricity.

Communication.

Engines.

Weapons.

Computers.

If spiritual energy could replace conventional power sources...

then I might eventually recreate modern systems here.

No wonder the original Technology God dominated Earth.

Technology wasn’t just invention.

It was civilization acceleration.

Dorian noticed my reaction immediately.

"There it is," he said softly.

I looked up.

"The look of inspiration."

The merchant smiled faintly.

"Most gods seek worship."

His gaze sharpened intensely.

"But you..."

The room became quiet.

"...you seek creation."

Silence followed.

Because honestly?

He wasn’t wrong.

I didn’t want temples.

Or prayers.

Or kneeling villagers.

What excited me was possibility.

Progress.

Change.

And for the first time since arriving here—

I realized something terrifying.

This world had magic.

Spiritual energy.

Divine systems.

Ancient powers.

But technologically?

It was centuries behind Earth.

Meaning—

even basic modern knowledge could appear miraculous here.

A dangerous excitement began spreading through my chest.

Elena noticed immediately.

Her blue eyes narrowed.

"Kaiser..."

Too late.

My brain was already moving.

Fast.

Because suddenly—

I understood exactly how the God of Technology conquered Earth.

Not through brute force.

Not through war.

But through dependence.

Technology becomes stronger the more civilization relies on it.

And humans always rely on convenience eventually.

Dorian watched me carefully.

Then quietly asked the most dangerous question yet.

"What kind of world do you intend to build?"