Chapter 35
Chapter 35
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 035
Chapter Title: Precarious Companionship (5)
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Four mages were sprinting through the underground waterway.
Leading the way in order were Bauman, Boland, Paponi, and then Regin bringing up the rear.
‘Swift magic scrolls aren’t bestsellers for nothing.’
The scrolls produced by the Spellcrafting Association were all sold on the kingdom’s trade market.
Among them, the ones with consistently stable sales were none other than the swift magic scrolls.
They were structured like the Path of Wind used by archers—an item that boosted the caster’s movement speed.
‘People in other professions who aren’t archers often grab these swift scrolls to keep up their mobility.’
He could tell now that he was using one himself.
This was magic with a very tangible effect.
Watching the scenery whip by around him, Regin nodded.
‘Compared to other buff scrolls, this one hits you right away. With your speed ramped up, the world looks totally different from the caster’s perspective.’
It didn’t just feel like running—it was like pedaling a bicycle.
Since it meaningfully increased travel speed, he figured stocking up a few for the next tower raid would be efficient.
“Heh heh. Is this really your first time at the black market?”
“Of course. Would Master Nuada have allowed it otherwise?”
“That’s true. But your expression…”
Even so, the path to the black market was quite a haul, even at this pace.
Right in the middle of their run, Bauman glanced back at Regin and let out a smirk.
“You look more excited than I expected.”
“It’s my first time using swift magic, so I guess I’m just caught up in how novel it feels.”
“Hmm. Is that really all?”
“Pardon?”
“You don’t look like you’re heading to some dark, shady hole… More like you’re off to a playground. It’s not just awe at the swift magic.”
“…”
“I can tell you’re itching to get there, buy and sell stuff.”
Regin smirked and nodded.
“To be honest, yeah, I’m a little thrilled. I get to see all sorts of new materials.”
For Regin, the black market was a place that lowered the entry barriers for spellcrafters quite a bit.
There were plenty of materials that would be hard to source anywhere else.
…Some items only dropped starting from the 11th floor.
Things you had to fight balance-breaking monsters like lycanthropes to obtain.
“That said, I hope you don’t get too carried away, Regin.”
That was when it happened.
A low, clipped voice came from up ahead.
It was Paponi, the lone woman of the Nemed School.
“No one comes here without staking their life on it. If we catch the kingdom’s eye, we’ll all get rounded up one by one.”
Paponi continued in her composed tone.
“That’s why we’re wearing these long, thick robes even while sprinting this far. To hide our identities.”
“…”
“If you let your guard down and leave any trace behind because of it, we’ll all be in trouble.”
From her tone to her words.
She was the type who could easily come off as cold.
He recalled how opinions were split in the community about her.
Some said she had a point, while others argued she was just rude about it.
‘From a gamer’s view, it’s annoying to have some NPC lecturing you.’
He couldn’t see her face since she was running ahead.
But he had a pretty good idea why she was laying it on so thick.
The strong survival instinct in her voice.
‘Paponi’s staking her life to come to the black market, too.’
Bauman and Boland weren’t free of tension either.
But after years of using the black market, it was inevitable to get a bit lax.
Paponi, meanwhile, was trying not to drop her guard.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Regin thought a baseline level of caution was necessary too.
Of course, he already knew it was safer than she thought.
But there was no need to dismiss her attitude outright.
“…Well, I didn’t mean for you to freeze up.”
They had arrived in front of a massive door. As the four lined up before it, Paponi continued cautiously.
“Still, there are things available only today, so I hope you grab what you need.”
“Thank you.”
Creak—
Paponi held up a silver coin to the door, and it slowly began to open.
That was one reason he could take her nagging in stride.
‘They’re VIPs, Paponi and Bauman.’
With the volume of scrolls they made and sold, their trading volume was substantial.
Stick with them right, and you’d at least get treated like a person here.
That’s why seeking out association oddballs took priority over finding other routes.
‘You don’t just snag black market VIP status easily.’
So, not just any oddballs.
They were big shots in the black market world.
* * *
“You’ve had a rough trip. The way here’s always a bit treacherous. You looked eager from the start, though, so I wasn’t worried.”
Bauman tossed out the comment as they stepped inside.
“It’s just how it has to be. It stays hidden from the public, which naturally keeps regular folk away—that’s what makes it the black market.”
“Yeah… this setup doesn’t seem easy to detect.”
“The kingdom claims to guarantee top-notch public safety and citizen protection on the surface…”
Bauman, who hadn’t wrinkled his nose once despite the constant stench.
His expression started to twist bit by bit.
“…but they use that as an excuse to control even the pettiest things. Tch. It’s not like we want to come to a stinking hole like this to trade. Anyway, welcome.”
Swoosh—
The doors fully opened, revealing the black market sprawl.
‘The shadow of the kingdom. A gathering spot for those dodging the kingdom’s strict laws…’
It was basically a large plaza in the underground waterway repurposed, so dark, damp corners lingered here and there.
But the spread of tents and bustling foot traffic made it feel like a regular market on market day.
“Hey, this price make any sense? You trying to scam me?”
“Scam? You done talking, punk? In the black market, the merchant sets the price. Don’t like it? Get lost!”
“What a rude mouth on you. Wanna make sure it never opens again?”
“Rotten bastard. Even if you sew my mouth shut, no haggling! Scram!”
…Of course, it wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight.
The black market vibe boiled down to pure chaos.
Street vendors and customers on the verge of fistfights, not even trying to hide it.
“Phew… You know how rare this smoke is?”
“…Makes my head fuzzy.”
“Heh heh. That’s the good part.”
Some were blatantly puffing on something clearly bad for the mind.
“Odd or even? Pick.”
“Odd!”
“Even!”
“…It’s even.”
“Aaaagh!”
“That’s how it’s done!”
“You total con artist! Mage! Check if he cheated!”
Others were gambling out in the open.
‘They’re here to dodge the law in the first place.’
It helped to think of them as people honest about their desires.
Most who came this far to claim forbidden profits from the capital were like that.
‘…And they’ve built a space this size. Impressive, I guess.’
Regin realized anew just how small his monitor had been.
The black market was wider than he’d imagined, seen with his own eyes.
Maybe there were even hidden areas off-screen.
Paponi and Boland split off to handle their own business.
Bauman decided to stick with Regin, the black market newbie.
“Heh heh. A bit different from what you expected?”
“It’s a shock, yeah. Compared to the kingdom… it’s like another world.”
“Don’t tense up too much. It butts up against the slums, so the mood’s grim and everyone looks rough, but they don’t just attack people lightly.”
“…Was I hallucinating the conversation I heard right as we came in?”
“Oh, sure, minor scuffles happen, but if they escalate too far…”
Bauman glanced around before continuing.
“The ones who run this place show up.”
“Huh?”
“It’s not beyond the kingdom’s laws entirely. Someone manages it, keeping it in this form.”
“…I see.”
“Most don’t know, but anyone who matters does.”
“So it’s not public knowledge.”
“They’re already watching for the kingdom’s gaze. They won’t let noisy incidents slide.”
Regin nodded as he listened.
‘Even Bauman doesn’t know the full story.’
Watching for the kingdom’s eye?
It could be deliberate secrecy, but his expression suggested otherwise—unlikely.
Regin had seen this place’s manager a few times.
A tough encounter each run, honestly.
‘The king of the black market…’
He had no reason to fear the kingdom.
They weren’t outright enemies to begin with.
If they were, this black market would’ve been ashes long ago.
‘He’s craftier than Bauman thinks.’
That’s why nothing Paponi worried about would happen for a while.
‘…Until the day the black market king clashes with the kingdom. Grab everything you can here before then.’
It wouldn’t be today, at least. Regin calmly scanned his surroundings.
The goal here was to sell and buy goods, after all.
His bag held items he’d pulled from his inventory yesterday.
Unregistered contraband in the kingdom—he needed a buyer.
“Hey, Bauman!”
That was when it happened.
A man nearby called out Bauman’s name.
“…Huh? Who’s this! One-Eyed Jack! What brings you here? Finally snag a new eye you like?”
“You maniac. Still got that knack for pissing people off!”
The man called One-Eyed Jack wore an eyepatch over his left eye.
He looked like a street vendor, with all sorts of goods piled on his makeshift stalls.
“Heh heh. Just kidding, Jack. So, what’s up? You said you were closing shop for a bit, then vanished from the black market.”
“Oh, got some juicy intel. Figured I’d sell it off for booze money.”
“Intel worth booze money?”
“You bet.”
Paponi had described One-Eyed Jack as an info broker.
She’d warned to be careful, so he’d thanked her right away.
She was still embarrassed about it.
Anyway, Regin’s eyes lit up at the sight of One-Eyed Jack.
‘Guy who buys and sells rumors and personal info floating around.’
If you had info, you could sell it to him for a high price.
‘I’ve got more info on this place than anyone.’
Regin’s knowledge was his lifeline for survival.
Here, it could turn into cash fast.
* * *
What info could he sell to Jack?
‘In the game, when you had major intel, a bargaining prompt with him would pop up.’
That let you confirm how deeply the game handled the info and dialogue you’d picked up.
No wonder users cited “Jack says, 10 gold info” as gospel.
So he was curious.
In this setup, where he could talk freely unlike the game—
Just how much info could he buy and sell?
“You brought an extra guy today. Wanna both hear it?”
“Oho, can’t you give us a peek just for us? We won’t blab.”
“No dice! But obviously, not for free.”
Jack demanded cash upfront, no hint about what it was.
“Money-grubbing Jack. Same as ever.”
Even at that brazen attitude, Bauman couldn’t hold back his curiosity and slapped a gold coin on the stall.
“Nice! Love how generous you are. I’ll say it once, so listen up.”
“Alright. Spill it!”
“…Word is, a lycanthrope showed up.”
“…What?”
“And there are survivors. Kingdom expedition’s heading out next time to confirm it themselves.”
“…”
“All those rumors were true. Kingdom moving in person proves it.”
Bauman blinked for a second, then—whoosh!—grabbed Jack by the collar.
“Wh-what the hell?! This is solid intel I chased down kingdom guys for!”
“Damn it. I didn’t shell out gold for some half-assed rumor like that.”
Jack looked genuinely aggrieved.
He’d thought it was big news.
‘Bauman knows I’m the survivor.’
It was old news to these two already.
“Jack.”
Regin spoke up as Jack choked and sputtered, still collared.
“How about a deal with me too?”
Thanks to Jack, he had a feel for what info to sell today.
“You know about that lycanthrope and the survivor you mentioned?”
“…”
“You don’t. Doesn’t that make you curious who it is?”
“What?”
Just share a light firsthand account and pocket some coin. Two birds, one stone.
“Tell you the exact survivor count first—think that’d pique your interest?”