CHAPTER 180: SEVERE CRISIS IN THE EASTERN REGION

Nighttime...

"So, what are you two doing in my room?"

Standing by the open window, Nolan crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Elina and Rafine, who were sitting casually on the sofas in his room.

Both of them wore nightgowns that accentuated their slim and alluring figures.

Elina was dressed in a white nightgown adorned with floral lace along the collar and hem. Her long white hair, usually left flowing, was now tied into a bun on the right side—adding a touch of elegance without diminishing the cool aura she naturally exuded.

On the opposite sofa, Rafine wore a red nightgown that was looser and more modest than Elina’s. Her golden blonde hair cascaded freely over her shoulders, enhancing her already enchanting beauty.

If any other man had been in Nolan’s place, he probably would’ve had a nosebleed and a racing heart.

It was only natural—both Elina and Rafine were strikingly beautiful, nearly flawless young women.

Unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately—Nolan didn’t feel anything of the sort. Elina was his twin sister, after all. There was no way he could feel attracted to her... right?

As for Rafine, Nolan admitted she was the most beautiful girl he’d ever met—aside from Elina and her older sister, Seira.

But with his real age being over forty, her looks alone weren’t enough to sway him.

Besides, he had been surrounded by beautiful girls since childhood. By now, he had built up a natural resistance to that kind of charm—no matter how alluring Rafine might be.

Seeing Nolan’s flat expression, Rafine felt a strange, hard-to-explain annoyance bubbling up inside her. She glanced down at herself doubtfully.

What’s going on? Isn’t this look supposed to charm this annoying guy? She muttered silently in confusion.

As the sole heiress of the Austin family, Rafine had never gotten close to men—let alone while wearing something as revealing as this nightgown.

But tonight was different. She had done it intentionally—to tease Nolan, to make him nervous, or at the very least, to throw him off balance.

Instead, the result was the complete opposite. Nolan’s face showed nothing but irritation—maybe even mild discomfort.

For the second time, Rafine tasted the bitterness of defeat... and with it, a creeping doubt about her own charm.

"Pfft!" Elina couldn’t help but laugh at Rafine’s gloomy expression. She was both amused and a little sympathetic.

Of course, Elina knew Rafine had a crush on her brother and was trying to make him fall for her. But to Elina, it was a hopeless effort.

There was no way her lazy, emotionally numb brother would fall in love that easily.

Besides, judging by Rafine’s behavior so far, she came off as a clueless girl who didn’t really understand what love meant.

However, Elina quickly composed herself and suppressed her smile. As ridiculous as the situation was, Rafine was still a future Duchess.

She didn’t want to offend or embarrass her. Still, Elina was genuinely pleased to see someone taking an interest in her brother—it was proof that he truly had some charm.

Turning to her brother, Elina smiled and said, "Brother, I came here to discuss something important."

Nolan simply shook his head with a sigh, looking helpless. He closed the window behind him and walked over.

"I figured it," he replied as he sat down beside her. Taking a sip of the coffee his sister had prepared, he leaned back against the sofa.

"Is it urgent news?"

Elina’s expression gradually turned serious. Instead of answering, she looked toward Rafine, silently asking her to explain.

Catching the signal, Rafine straightened up, regaining her graceful composure.

"My father sent a letter," she said, her tone heavy. "Only two ships will be available for the operation against the sea monster."

"Only two ships?" Nolan raised an eyebrow. "Didn’t your father say there were three still available?"

A thought immediately crossed his mind, and he continued, "Don’t tell me, the other ship is damaged or under repair?"

Rafine blinked in surprise and looked at him. "How did you know?"

Nolan rolled his eyes lazily. "Not important. The point is, there are only two ships, right?"

"Yes," Rafine nodded with a helpless expression. "And... there’s another issue that’s a bit troubling."

"Another problem?" Nolan narrowed his eyes. "What now?"

"We’ve run out of Magmoral stones to power the warships... and also Lucite stones for the cannons," Rafine said, her voice low, almost embarrassed.

Nolan: "..."

He wanted to throw out a few aphorisms but held them back at the last second.

"Huh..." Nolan let out a heavy sigh and looked at Rafine with an exasperated expression. "Why are you only telling me this now? Shouldn’t something like this have been anticipated days ago?"

He hadn’t expected such a basic issue to be overlooked.

Magmoral stones were rare minerals found in volcanic regions. They were used as the primary fuel source for powering large ships—warships, merchant ships, and even fishing ships.

The Great Velmora Empire had many active volcanoes—particularly in the northern region.

As a result, they should have had no shortage of Magmoral stones.

Meanwhile, Lucite stones—magical crystals used as cannon ammunition—were rarer and more difficult to obtain.

Even so, the Empire operated specialized mines in the western region, so there shouldn’t have been a shortage of those either.

And yet, Rafine had just reported that they were running low on both materials—a fact that clearly irritated Nolan.

After all, there were only two days left before the battle against the sea monster was set to begin.

Despite being scolded, Rafine didn’t respond with anger—only shame.

"I admit this was a mistake on our part," she said honestly, bowing her head slightly. "However, there are several reasons why it turned out this way."

Nolan’s irritation slowly faded. He crossed one leg over the other and fixed his gaze on her.

"Tell me—what’s the reason?" he asked flatly.

Rafine let out a soft sigh, then began her explanation.

"Previously, we launched an attack on the sea monster. As a result, two of our warships were destroyed. The Austin family suffered a major loss and had to pour a huge amount of money into repairs."

"In addition, the sea monster’s appearance brought the economy to a standstill for nearly a week. The eastern region lost billions of Sharn in revenue as trade came to a complete halt. To make matters worse, the supply of Magmoral stones from the northern region has continued to decline, as mining activity there grows increasingly restricted."

"As you know, the Holy Empire of Valtanir has a military base near the Magmoral mining sites. According to my spy reports, frequent clashes between our soldiers and theirs have repeatedly disrupted the mining operations."

Nolan was momentarily speechless. He hadn’t realized the situation was this complex. The eastern region—second only to the south in wealth—was in serious trouble.

This is turning into a real mess, he muttered under his breath.