The Fun-Loving Noah

The next day.

Noah, having slept soundly until noon, checked out of his hotel room, grabbed some local specialties from a roadside stall to fill his stomach, and headed to the train station to buy a ticket.

The Magical Train wouldn't arrive for a while yet, so Noah waited in the departure hall.

The entire waiting hall buzzed with chatter over a single topic, lively as could be.

"Great news! Absolutely fantastic news!"

"That damned Black Bird is finally finished!"

"The mayor put out an announcement this morning—won't be long before everyone gets their swindled money back."

"Damn it all, what bullshit about being forced by the Dark Priest. That bastard Joel is cut from the same cloth!"

"This great god named Nexus, I worship you!"

"..."

Noah yawned. He had to admit, even if it was a fake name, being respected felt pretty good—just a bit too noisy.

The Magical Train soon pulled in. A mysterious man in a black robe, carrying five staves on his back, stepped off the train and accidentally bumped into Noah's suitcase in the crowded flow of people.

"Sorry."

"No problem."

Though his outfit screamed shady, he was surprisingly polite. Noah didn't think much of it, brushing past the man and boarding the Magical Train.

But the mysterious man turned back, staring at Noah's retreating figure with a flicker of doubt in his eyes. Only after Noah disappeared entirely into the carriage did he shake his head slightly and walk away.

Agalifa, the commercial guild Love & Lucky.

Noah happened to run into the same enthusiastic young clerk from before, but this time the guy was heading out on business. Noah didn't hold him up and made his way to the chairman's office with practiced ease.

"Rena! Stay out of my business!"

"Enough! Jude! You lucky fool, it's time you woke up!"

Before Noah could knock, he heard two men shouting at each other inside, followed by the sounds of a scuffle.

Just from the names, he knew who was in there.

Rena, the current chairman of Love & Lucky.

Jude Heartfilia, the head of the Heartfilia family.

Both were big shots in the financial world. Hearing them throw down was a rare treat—he couldn't miss this drama.

Noah even dashed downstairs, grabbed a chair, and sat down right outside the door.

Sitting there, listening to the ruckus inside, Noah could almost analyze their every move in real time.

So even rich guys throw wild haymakers when they fight...

Rena looked pretty frail, but who knew he could kick Jude into the wall like that? Never judge a book by its cover.

Jude had such a hot temper, but he kept taking hits. Still, his constitution was something else—he could take a beating, even dragging Rena's stamina down to empty.

With that kind of tankiness, wasn't the tide turning?

Now Jude had Rena pinned to the ground, grinding him down.

Noah savored the fight's progression by sound alone, with no intention of stepping in to save his client.

Inside the room, as the fight wore on, Jude got tired too. He let go of Rena, panting, and slumped onto the sofa. "Rena, I'm begging you. For friendship's sake, help me through this crisis..."

"Heh heh heh~"

Rena lay on the floor, face swollen and bruised, letting out a sneer. "Jude, you still think that Black Bird investment will turn a profit? What a fool. Don't expect any loans from our guild."

"Once the mage I hired comes back, everything will come to light."

At the word "mage," a flicker of anger crossed Jude's dejected face. "You bastard, I told you long ago not to get involved with those magic users. Magic only brings misfortune! It killed Layla!"

Rena didn't hide his mockery. "So you hate magic, and by extension, everyone who uses it—even your own daughter!"

"You have no right to talk about my family!"

Jude stood up, his eyes complex as he looked at his old friend. "I'll ask you one last time: can you give me a loan? If not, I'll find someone else."

"Don't kid yourself. I'm the chairman here!"

"You'll regret this, Rena!"

With that, Jude didn't linger. He took two or three steps to the door and yanked it open—only to find a young man lounging in a chair, blocking the way.

Jude froze on the spot. "You... how much did you hear?"

Noah crossed his legs, a smile on his face. "I had my chair set up before you two even started fighting."

Having his embarrassing brawl overheard from start to finish—not just Jude, but even Rena was dumbstruck.

Luckily, Rena snapped out of it quickly, pulling himself to his feet. "Mr. Noah, you're back. Looks like everything went smoothly. Please, come in and talk."

"Jude, don't leave just yet."

Blocked at the door and called back by his old friend, Jude had no choice but to turn around and sit back down.

Noah carried the chair into the room, closed the door behind him, wedged the chair against it, and sat down. A smile spread across his face as he looked at the two men. "You two have really broadened my understanding of what it means to be wealthy."

"Haha, Jude and I were just having a long-overdue sparring session. Don't misunderstand, Mr. Noah."

Rena was stubbornly sticking to his story, but Noah didn't press the issue. He'd already savored the drama—two words summed it up: "quite the show." Now it was time to get down to business.

"President Rena, your commission is complete."

"You've obtained proof that Black Bird belongs to the Dark Magic Cult?!"

Rena's joy was written all over his face, but Jude frowned deeply. For reasons of his own, he harbored a profound disgust for magic and little goodwill toward mages.

Noah shook his head. "Evidence won't be necessary anymore."

"What! Have they already transferred their assets and decided to abandon Black Bird..." Rena's heart raced with anxiety. If so, Jude's funds would be lost for good.

Noah shook his head again, speaking with an air of calm detachment. "You misunderstand. I took care of the Dark Magic Priest behind Black Bird. The Magic Council's action squad has already taken over."

"Before long, the Kingdom of Fiore will contact Mr. Jude to reclaim the Heartfilia Consortium's assets."

Just then, the communication magic crystal on the desk lit up. Still stunned, Rena instinctively put it to his ear, then glanced at his old friend.

"Jude, it's your secretary. Take it."

Jude took the communication magic crystal from Rena with a cold expression. "Hello, it's me... What?!"

A hint of delight flickered across his brow. Jude turned to look at the young man blocking the door with his chair, spoke a few hurried words into the crystal, and hung up. His face was a mask of barely contained shock.

Just as Noah had said, the Kingdom of Fiore was instructing the Heartfilia Consortium to reclaim the investments defrauded by the Black Bird Consortium.

As his old friend, Rena could tell from Jude's expression what had happened. He leaned back comfortably on the sofa, a smug grin spreading across his face. "Jude, aren't you going to thank Mr. Noah?"

Noah wore an expression of pure amusement. "That's right. Say thank you."