32
Chapter 32
'F-Finally, I found it!'
An apprentice knight of the Empire.
Lucy felt like cheering right this very moment.
It was only natural, in a way.
Only today did she finally discover the location where the Black Market was being held.
For an ordinary person like her, merely finding out the venue was incredibly difficult, let alone obtaining an Entrance Ticket.
Furthermore, as an apprentice knight, she was in a position where she had to assist with various chores and odd jobs.
Squeezing in time here and there to gather information was extremely difficult as well.
However, Lucy ultimately succeeded.
Though her family had fallen, she used her status as a noble to track the movements of the Mana Train passengers.
Being a lowly member, she couldn't just take time off as she pleased, so she couldn't arrive on time in the end.
Still, the fact that she had found out was what mattered.
After being tormented by her seniors today as well, she immediately rushed to the Mana Train.
"Wait right there! Drop your weapon and surrender!"
"Huh? Me?"
Because of her shabby attire, she was mistaken for a commoner and investigated.
Even after proving her identity, she blushed at the skeptical looks asking if anyone from the Valiere family was even still alive.
Inside the train, someone complained that a commoner had snuck in, calling her a terrorist and causing a huge commotion.
Various things happened, but...
'B-But the important thing is that I made it!'
Lucy quickly steadied her mind.
So what if she was a bit discouraged.
Ever since her family's downfall, despair had always clung to her life.
But that didn't mean she could always sit around in resignation and depression.
Positive thinking was what mattered most.
That was why Lucy smiled softly as she gazed at the entrance to the Black Market, cleverly hidden by magic.
The reason Lucy was doing this was simple.
She was too embarrassed to tell others about it herself... but it was to punish the wicked and bring justice to the world.
The Black Market, where all sorts of filthy goods were traded.
Slave trading was just the basics; it was truly a den of evil where all kinds of horrific atrocities took place.
She couldn't just stand by and watch such things happen.
'Because I decided to become like that person!'
The hero who saved her when her entire family was consumed by that fire. To become like that person, Lucy had resolved to become a knight.
So she had to save people and do good deeds, just like that hero...
[The hero does not exist in this world.]
A voice suddenly whispered in her ear.
She stared blankly for a moment before recalling a certain fact.
Come to think of it, the hero did not exist in this world.
A black-haired man.
A hero who introduced himself as Ian and saved her from the fire 11 years ago—someone like that didn't exist in the world.
Why on earth was she making such a foolish mistake?
Creating a person out of thin air all by herself.
Her stress lately must have really gotten to her.
'...Huh? Then how did I survive back then?'
[That is not important.]
The girl thought about it for a moment. But such things weren't important.
Seeing as she couldn't remember it at all, it clearly couldn't have been that important. Thinking about it would just be a waste of time.
What was important was that she had to do something about this Black Market where atrocities were taking place.
She didn't know exactly why, but she felt that she had to do the right thing. That it was her purpose in life.
She gulped, maintaining her vigilance as she slowly headed towards the entrance.
She had already thoroughly investigated the information regarding the Black Market.
So she already knew all about their strict security system. She would likely have to break through heavy security.
'Can I do this?'
It was only natural to have such doubts.
She was somewhat confident in her swordsmanship.
Among the other apprentice knights, there was no one who could rival her.
Furthermore, though she kept it a secret from everyone, she also possessed somewhat special eyes.
Eyes that could see what normally couldn't be seen.
The Spirit Eye that pierced through the essence of the soul.
It was a power inherited from her parents.
But... even so, this was the infamous Black Market.
The Black Market operated by that Archmage.
No matter how confident she was in her skills, she wasn't strong enough to defeat an Archmage.
Therefore, she absolutely had to sneak in secretly.
Carefully, so as not to catch the guards' attention as much as possible. If a report went up the chain of command, it would be over.
The girl gulped and tore the Scroll imbued with an invisibility spell.
Watching a month's worth of salary vanish in an instant felt like her heart was tearing apart.
However, there was no time to hesitate. The duration of a cheap Scroll like this wasn't very long.
That was why Lucy quickly ran towards the hidden entrance of the Black Market, only to.......
"Huh...?"
She let out a dumbfounded sound.
It was bound to happen. Because right now, her body was not transparent, no matter how she looked at it.
Lucy quickly grasped the situation.
-You look so kind, miss, so I'm specially giving it to you for half price.
......She had been scammed.
She had been tricked by a fake Scroll.
She had thought something felt off. But getting swept up by the promise of a half-price discount was the cause of this disaster.
Instantly, Lucy's face turned pale.
The current situation.
She could roughly guess what was going to happen next.
Was she really going to die over something like this?
Was the Archmage going to personally show up and kill the intruder?
Her mind filled with thoughts that she shouldn't have fallen for those words, and that she should have bought the Scroll from a verified store even if it was more expensive.
But it was too late for regrets.
Sure enough, not long after, rough-looking men pointed their swords at her while shouting about an intruder.
She would lose her life right then and there, and the bloodline of the Valiere family would be severed.
......Such a thing did not happen.
"......?"
Lucy looked around in bewilderment, completely baffled.
Even though she had dashed so brazenly toward the entrance, not a single person could be seen trying to stop her.
What was going on?
Wasn't this the entrance to the Black Market?
It looked like an ordinary wall at first glance, but passing through it should lead to the Black Market, right?
Why was there no one guarding this place?
She couldn't understand the situation at all.
She had wondered if she was still hidden by the invisibility spell, but that didn't seem to be the case.
Why was the security so lax? No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't figure out the reason... but she couldn't just stand there blankly either.
In the end, Lucy gathered her courage and entered the Black Market.
The scenery changed in an instant.
The streets of the Black Market, which had been hidden by Illusion Magic, spread out before her.
Disgusting products brazenly put on display. A horrific sight enough to make one vomit.
However, there was something else that flustered her more than that gruesome scenery.
'Why is no one here?'
It was strange.
It was far too strange.
No matter how much she looked around, there wasn't a single soul in sight.
The streets of the Black Market were chillingly quiet.
'W-What in the world is going on?'
Furthermore, looking closely, the place was drenched in blood everywhere. It was impossible to tell just how many people had died here.
Traces of explosions,
The iron bars of cages used to confine slaves being unnaturally bent,
Shops left abandoned with only their valuables missing, as if someone had fled in a panic.
The more she saw, the more questions arose.
She couldn't even begin to guess what had happened here.
She was only certain of one thing: an incredibly terrifying and ominous premonition.
Lucy's hands and feet began to tremble.
She was prepared to sacrifice herself for the sake of justice..., but that was an entirely different matter from being scared.
On nights when her mischievous father told her ghost stories, she could never sleep.
She absolutely hated this kind of atmosphere.
In this desolate street, she felt as if she were the only person left in the world.
Lucy shivered as she looked around.
Anyone would do.
She needed someone, anyone, to talk to.
To overcome this kind of fear, it was important to stick close to others.
Fear was something that lessened when shared with someone else.
She wandered the streets, desperately babbling questions like asking if anyone was there and if they could please answer.
And... was it a stroke of luck from heaven?
Not long after, a person wearing a black robe came into her view.
A smile naturally formed on Lucy's lips. She had never been so happy to see another person.
Given the current situation.
What Lucy had to do was clear.
Lucy quickly ran toward that person.
......No, she tried to run.
Something felt off.
Her eyes slipped out of her control.
With a maddening throb, her eyes revealed the true essence of that person.
'......Ah.'
Her head grew dizzy.
Her legs naturally gave out.
She helplessly slumped to the ground.
Lucy naturally realized it.
The cause of all these bizarre phenomena.
In a way, it was obvious.
She felt something incredibly sacred and divine, yet at the same time, more terrifying and ominous than anything else.
She saw something that could neither be understood nor should be understood.
......Standing before her was not a person, but a monster.