Chapter 87
Chapter 87
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: The Black Market
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Some time later, Orelia officially became a knight of the Grave Guard.
Aura Masters, each having reached a state of absolute mastery.
It was not unheard of for a great lord to command knights composed of Aura Masters. But few were as shrouded in mystery as House Sachsen's Grave Guard.
The greatest fighting force of House Sachsen, who, from among the Night Raven Knights, had taken a vow of silence to protect the family from the shadows. They possessed none of a knight's nobility or virtue. They were swords wielded from the shadows, strictly in the 'Sachsen way.'
Each one was a knight and an assassin who had reached the highest level of skill. They were the swords of shadow, who, when necessary, would not hesitate to enhance House Sachsen's infamy without a shred of mercy.
Orelia had become one of those 'Guardians of the Grave,' the very first Grave Guard acquired by Dale.
By forming a very special contract with Dale and, by extension, his grimoire, 'Shub'. She was a dark Holy Maiden loyal not to House Sachsen, but entirely to Dale's shadow.
Lady Shadow.
That was Orelia's new name.
No longer the Holy Maiden of a fallen kingdom, burned at the stake as a witch after a religious trial in the frozen lands of Sachsen, reduced to a few handfuls of ash.
***
Dale's training was yielding steady results.
He had reached the fourth circle, and along with his sword training, he was now being tutored in nullification magic by Sephia. In addition, the teachings of Lord Black, the greatest black magician on the continent, were no exception.
There is no end to learning. Thus, Dale's training, honed among the greatest of teachers, grew more fruitful with each passing day.
And around that time, an uninvited guest arrived at Castle Sachsen.
It was a high-ranking envoy from 'Guild City'.
The successor to the Seven City-Republics of the southern continent, a center of highly developed finance and commerce, an empire of gold that controlled the continent's currency.
"I am honored to be in the presence of His Grace, Duke Sachsen, and the 'Black Prince' of House Sachsen."
The high-ranking envoy from Guild City bowed to the Sachsen father and son, not hiding his trademark business smile.
For them to have come all the way from Guild City in the south of the Empire to the frozen lands of the Sachsen Duchy could mean only one thing.
"The reason I have come to House Sachsen is none other than..."
"──The black market is opening, I presume."
"Heh heh, as expected of Your Grace."
And this was no ordinary market. It was the largest black market on the continent, the pride of Guild City.
The Black Market.
A place whose existence was unknown to the common person, accessible only to a select few who received an 'invitation' from Guild City.
"The City Master expresses his deepest regrets for not being able to visit House Sachsen in person."
"Enough with the pleasantries. State your business."
Duke Sachsen added coldly, and the envoy smiled as if he had expected as much.
"To open the Black Market and exclude the great House Sachsen would be an unforgivable discourtesy."
The man had come to invite House Sachsen to that very black market.
'Has it already been that long...'
The Black Market did not open on a regular schedule. The goods traded there were so exorbitant that lesser nobles could not even dream of them, items of such value that even the greatest nobles of the realm had to accept significant losses. The market only opened when enough such goods had been gathered.
A secret venue permitted only to the continent's greatest nobles and wealthiest merchants.
And as its name suggested, the market dealt in goods of all forms, whether objects or living beings. From all sorts of rare items acquired by adventurers in underground labyrinths to various riches and treasures obtained by Guild City through its own channels. From the sons and daughters of fallen noble houses sold as playthings to rare creatures seldom seen.
"Furthermore, at this Black Market..."
The envoy from Guild City continued in a meaningful tone.
"A 'very special item' has been prepared, one that even Your Grace, Duke Sachsen, will covet."
"An item that even I would covet."
Lord Black repeated gravely from his throne.
"Are you prepared to take responsibility for your words?"
"Who would dare make an irresponsible claim before Your Grace, Duke Sachsen?"
There was no need to elaborate on the infamy of the man sitting on the throne. The name Lord Black was enough to make even the 'Black Prince' seem like a mere child.
"You may look forward to it."
The envoy from Guild City produced a small jewel from his coat. A skull ornament cast in gold. Within it resided Guild City's special encryption magic.
The invitation to the Black Market.
"Furthermore, I trust you are aware of the rules of the Black Market."
Duke Sachsen did not answer. But the envoy from Guild City bowed his head as if he didn't need one.
"Then, with this, we shall take our leave."
The envoy silently bowed and crossed the great hall of Castle Sachsen.
Perhaps this was what was meant by a storm brewing on a calm plain. On the tranquil ground, winds and waves began to stir.
***
The most important rule of the Black Market was that the 'invited party' could never attend in person.
For great nobles of such power to gather in one place was far too risky. Therefore, the invited noble would appoint a 'proxy,' and it was the proxy's duty to actually enter the market.
Crucially, since the items for sale were unknown beforehand... the proxy had to exercise extreme caution in determining what their lord needed and what to buy, among items so costly that even the Empire's greatest lords would have to endure a loss.
In a way, that was the very charm of the Black Market.
Thus, the role of proxy fell to the person who best understood their lord. In the case of House Sachsen, there was only one person who could best understand the intentions of its head, Lord Black.
"Send me to Guild City."
It was Dale of Sachsen, Lord Black's son.
"...I knew you would say that."
Duke Sachsen's office.
Lord Black replied to Dale's words as if it were no surprise. The recklessness and spirit his son displayed were nothing new.
"How much do you know about the Black Market?"
"It's a place where 'high-priced goods' that cannot be handled publicly are traded."
And Dale was now a mage who had reached the fourth circle. While still not enough to call himself a high-ranking mage, considering the significance of Dale's fourth circle, his skills were more than sufficient to protect himself, unless he was facing the powerhouses of the Empire.
"Guild City is an extremely dangerous place."
"I am well aware of that."
Guild City. The new name given to the Seven City-Republics when they were subjugated by the Empire. A city-state alliance and an oligarchic republic, where seven great guilds each ruled one of the seven cities, with numerous smaller guilds serving under them.
The 'City Master' was the representative elected by a vote among those seven 'great guilds'.
During the Unification War, the Empire's various dirty deeds could not have been accomplished without the cooperation of 'Guild City.' That was why the Dale of the past, acting as a hound to handle such sordid affairs, had come to understand the inner workings of Guild City in detail.
For instance, the 'Shadow Court,' which even the City Master and the great guilds could not treat lightly.
"It is a lawless zone where gold and violence justify any action."
It was just as he said. An empire of gold where even the act of taking a human life could be settled with a few gold coins. To survive, one had no choice but to acquire greater wealth than one's enemies, or possess strength greater than theirs.
'Gold is Power.'
Just like the phrase the Guild Masters were always spouting. That was why Guild City was of paramount importance. Especially now, with the Black Market about to open.
"Guild City has everything our House Sachsen lacks."
Therefore, this was an opportunity that could not be missed.
"As a center of finance and commerce that even the Empire cannot trifle with."
From advanced finance to the textile industry, which formed the backbone of daily life.
"In other words, it is like the lungs that sustain the entire continent."
House Sachsen had power, wealth, the Black Magic Tower, and an innumerable army of the undead. But at the same time, it was beset by barren lands and countless threats. It would not be wrong to call them warlord nobles.
That was why the power of Guild City was needed.
Financial networks and commerce that stretched across the entire continent. A card that could peacefully, yet more surely than moving soldiers, choke the life out of an opponent. Sometimes, gold and wool could be more threatening than weapons.
"It seems you don't see the Black Market as your only objective."
Lord Black said, having discerned Dale's intentions.
"Do you have something else in mind?"
"I am always thinking for the good of our House Sachsen."
Dale replied, and Lord Black smiled faintly. It was a conversation like any other between the father and son.
***
The second ironclad rule of the Black Market: the proxy officially attending the market could not reveal their identity. Fortunately, twelve-year-old Dale was a precocious child in many ways.
When he used the artifact 'Shadow Cloak' to mimic a black robe and pulled the hood down low, he was, at a glance, largely indistinguishable from an ordinary traveler.
Disguised as a traveler in a black robe, his journey to Guild City began.
Without even the escort of Sephia and the other Sachsen knights. It wasn't that he had no insurance of his own. But considering the activities he would undertake in Guild City, cumbersome companions like before were unnecessary.
As an exceptional mage who had reached the fourth circle.
'I'm now skilled enough to use Dispel magic in a real fight.'
Finally free from the hands of his guardians, he could truly maneuver in the shadows for his own purposes.
Officially, Guild City was ruled by the seven great guilds. But alongside the seven guilds that oversaw legislation and administration, there was another power that effectively controlled the city.
Those who enforced Guild City's justice.
'The Shadow Court.'
And before that, the Black Market to be held in Guild City.
What kind of item could it be, to tempt even Lord Black? It would be a long journey, but one well worth undertaking. Dale raised his head and pulled on the horse's reins.
Sunlight poured down, but the shadow cast beneath the black robe was exceedingly dark.