Whispers of Doubt in the Black Market
Eloise slipped out of the dormitory building and began walking briskly. Even as she moved, the scene from their room kept resurfacing in her mind as a nagging question.
She had planned to scold her roommate Serina and put her in her place, but when she came to her senses, all she saw was a roommate apologizing profusely and the clock showing that quite a bit of time had passed. Maybe she had been too absorbed in her irritation. Her memories after slapping Serina’s cheek were hazy.
But as if to interrupt Eloise’s worries, she suddenly found herself at the meeting spot she had arranged with Chloe. After turning through several deserted alleys, a flickering streetlamp greeted her. The Black Market had multiple entrances like this, but most of them were tucked away in places with little foot traffic. There were rumors of private portals reserved for true VIPs, but those were not something that could be solved with money alone—and certainly beyond her influence.
She glanced around. Fortunately, her master Chloe had not yet arrived. It was almost expected; Eloise had made it a routine to arrive at least an hour early for any appointment with her. Thanks to that, even after giving her roommate a little hell, she was never late.
While she waited and reviewed today’s plans, Chloe finally appeared from the alley behind her. Unlike Eloise, she wore a lavish dress that screamed nobility at first glance. Chloe usually preferred bright colors, but today she had chosen a dark-toned gown. Even so, her golden hair and noble features lit up the surroundings.
Eloise, who had been staring blankly at Chloe’s appearance, cleared her throat lightly and asked carefully.
Just as Chloe said, the color and design of the dress were completely different from what she usually wore. Honestly, it was the kind of dress that would have drawn plenty of eyes on the way here. Since the Black Market’s very existence was illegal, it wouldn’t do for anyone to see Eloise or Chloe coming and going.
Chloe thrust forward her plunging neckline as if to prove a point and tapped the brooch pinned to her dress. At that moment, a strange scent wafted from Chloe as she drew closer, and Eloise instinctively stepped back.
‘…Did I just flinch away from Chloe?’
It wasn’t her mind—it was her body that had reacted on instinct. Even she found the moment bizarre, but while she was confused, Chloe simply smiled softly, apparently thinking Eloise was feeling shy.
Swallowing her bewilderment, Eloise examined the item Chloe had pointed out. The uniquely designed brooch gave off a faint trace of magic power; it was probably an artifact.
Eloise nodded at Chloe’s words. It must have some kind of recognition-inhibiting magic on it. With that, she led Chloe toward the entrance of a crumbling building.
Agreeing with her, Eloise pulled out the items she had prepared from her pocket. Masks—the one thing every visitor to the Black Market was required to wear.
For a split second, Eloise almost smiled at Chloe’s words, but she managed to keep her expression under control and avoided showing any embarrassment. Seeing that, Chloe smiled again.
Eloise cleared her throat and held out several masks to her master.
Chloe chose a mask that looked like something a noblewoman would wear, while Eloise picked a simple design that covered most of her face.
Seeing Chloe looking so excited, Eloise swallowed hard. Just as she had said, Chloe in the mask looked even more noble. On top of that, the dress revealed more skin than usual, enough to stir up lust.
When Chloe extended her hand as if asking to be escorted, Eloise hesitated for a moment before taking it. A strange sensation washed over her. Normally, the touch of Chloe’s hand would have filled Eloise with excitement and joy, but now an unpleasant feeling—like insects crawling across her skin—began to rise from where their fingers met.
‘No way. There’s no way I would feel that toward Chloe.’
Even thinking about it herself, the reaction was ridiculous. It had to be because her condition was off after everything that happened with Serina that morning. Deciding she would have to punish her again when they returned, Eloise led Chloe through the entrance to the Black Market.
The entrance to the Black Market began in a quiet alley past a flickering, half-broken streetlamp. But after walking just a short way down that alley, a completely different, bustling world suddenly unfolded.
Temporary shops were crammed tightly between shabby buildings, and beneath tattered awnings, all kinds of goods were displayed in dazzling arrays. The air carried the smell of cigarette smoke, food mixed with spices and seasonings, unidentifiable medicinal herbs, and the oily scent of various weapons and armor—everything blending together to announce that this was the heart of the Black Market.
People wearing masks of every shape and outfits of unique design moved constantly, buying and selling all manner of things. From artifacts sold as ancient relics to the latest magic items, rare herbs, and magical potions—there were countless fascinating objects whose names alone sparked curiosity.
Of course, even the merchants selling them probably didn’t know if any of it was genuine. With luck, one might find something truly valuable, but most items were flashy on the surface and little else. Moreover, the place was flooded with counterfeits of herbs and gemstones, so anyone who entered with a naïve heart could easily leave with a pile of useless junk.
Fortunately, the elixir Eloise and Chloe were after came with a certificate proving its authenticity, which lowered the risk of it being fake. Of course, there were shameless swindlers who forged even those certificates… but that wasn’t something to worry about right now.
Before long, Eloise and Chloe were walking arm-in-arm through the interior of the Black Market. Even so, Eloise was distracted by the goosebumps running down her arm and the foul odor that had been stinging her nose since earlier.
‘What on earth is going on? This smell… could it be coming from me? No, Chloe doesn’t seem to be reacting strangely, so it can’t be. Unless… it’s coming from Chloe?’
Even she knew how blasphemous that thought was, but Eloise gritted her teeth and endured the discomfort. Thankfully, the mask covering her entire face hid any subtle changes in her expression.
Following Chloe’s lead as they wandered the Black Market, Eloise could only hope that the stench of herbs and food would mask that horrible odor.
‘That’s right… it must be a problem with her perfume or something. There’s no way I could hate a scent coming from Chloe. It’s never been a problem before.’
With that thought, Eloise continued following Chloe through the market. Haggling over prices echoed endlessly from every corner. Sometimes the bargaining between seller and buyer was friendly conversation; other times it turned into heated arguments.
On one side of the street, a lively chase unfolded between pickpockets and security guards. Petty crime and the resulting crackdowns were simply part of daily life in the Black Market. Even the academy instructors tended to overlook the place’s own brand of justice unless something truly serious happened. In fact, among the masked crowd, there might even be an academy professor or two. All of it mixed together to create a fierce arena of survival, competition, and negotiation.
Within that chaos, Eloise and Chloe—both wearing masks—leaned on each other and carefully selected the items that caught their interest. After making their way through the market, their final destination was a shabby hut with smoke rising from its chimney. Located slightly on the outskirts of the Black Market, this was the shop that carried the elixir they were looking for.
The two of them entered the shop arm-in-arm as if they were used to it. Even then, Eloise continued to suffer from the inexplicable stench emanating from Chloe.