Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Ledacabel Black Market
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In the gradually brightening dawn, the city's watchtower came into view. The thief Brien arrived first atop a low hill and gazed down at the city.
"<Ledacabel>. We got here quick."
"Looks smaller than I thought. Is that really the place where the empire's biggest black market opens?"
Spearman Willis spoke in wonder, prompting Brien to snort derisively.
"The surface city is small. <Ledacabel>'s true face shows in the underground city. You didn't know?"
"Underground city?"
"There's a whole district down there twice the size of the surface one. The thieves' guild keeps order."
"That fancy lord doesn't know about it?"
"He knows. He takes tribute from the thieves' guild. Why else would he turn a blind eye when the profits are that juicy?"
The empire's largest black market...
Rain scanned the city's skyline with keen interest. But the surface city held no particular distinguishing features.
"Why would a noble house have business in a place that looks evil at first glance?"
In Rain's mind, those with strange collection obsessions were shady old men. Hirpien was young and had a bright personality.
Spearman Willis cackled.
"You're young and don't know a thing. Rich women are the biggest enthusiasts for collecting. They can show it off to girls from other houses too."
"That's true in most cases, but I doubt it's that simple for her."
Brien nodded lightly toward the carriage. Hirpien had been paying extra tuition since yesterday to learn the lute from Yanar.
Perhaps because she'd grown up surrounded by music, she picked it up in a flash—unlike Rain, who watched enviously.
"The Diarl House rose through trade. There's an amusing rumor about their succession rite."
"Like what?"
"When the Diarl patriarch gets old, his kids scatter across the world to fetch expensive treasures. The one who brings back the most valuable one inherits the house."
Hmm... Merchant house style meritocracy.
It seemed like a solid method. Fetching a treasure meant you needed the skills for it—be it eloquence, connections, or wealth.
Rain nodded in understanding, but Willis yawned boredly.
"So what if we know that? It's not complicated. We just guard the girl, go home, and pocket the pay."
When they reached the city's south gate, a long line stretched before it.
Every group had weathered bodyguards, and unless they were adventurers, mercenaries in chainmail escorted the carriages.
They showed invitations to the gate guards while slipping them a few coins. Rain eyed it curiously, and escort captain Bardwell explained.
"You pay the lord a fee for the right to buy and sell in the black market. Nothing surprising."
"Looks like the lord's in on it too."
"What did you expect? Alright, gather round."
Bardwell's subordinate approached with a stack of parchments, handing one to each adventurer and house guard.
"These are the must-acquire items."
Drawn on the parchment with fine skill was... a music box.
Details on color and features were listed, with the biggest being the inscription on the bottom: "To my beloved Brenda."
Hmm, as expected of a noble house. Music boxes were the only music-recording devices left after clocks were invented, rivaling the priciest luxuries in rarity and cost.
"Soldiers, move in pairs. If you spot one, one haggles to keep others from buying it while the other fetches the lady."
Hirpien smiled warmly as she wrapped up.
"If it's genuine, condition doesn't matter. Price doesn't either—just find it."
The adventurers got other assignments, befitting their role as guards.
"Brien, patrol the area and watch for suspicious presences or killing intent."
"Got it."
"Yanar, since you're not great in sudden fights, take a spot where you can survey our whole path and stand by for emergencies."
"Understood."
"Willis and Rain, you're with me on direct protection of the lady. Guard her no matter what."
No matter what... Back then, he'd brushed off the phrase as cliché. How could he have known such a thing would happen?
* * *
<Ledacabel>'s underground city was nicknamed the Ant Nest. Because a dozen holes on the surface led down into it.
VIPs with invitations like Hirpien, however, could descend via elevator from the thieves' guild headquarters in the city center.
Kikikikik... clang.
Amid the moldy, rotten sewer stench that wrinkled noses on instinct, the group split by sector.
—Potions you can't even see aboveground! Touched by dark magic...
—Take a look at this. Rare snake species...
—Ancient cursed spear from Trident Point...
Shady vendors in suspicious garb hawked fervently from blankets spread in the Ant Nest tunnels.
Indeed, only rare items unavailable on the surface. Some would land you a hot date with the "golden boys" just for possessing them.
And beyond the clamor, unfriendly gazes sized them up.
'The thieves' guild only manages the Ant Nest—they don't meddle in outside disputes...'
Meaning, if you looked rich or tailed someone who bought what you wanted and ambushed them at night, the guild stayed out of it.
But inside the Ant Nest was different. Start trouble, and the guild smashed you flat.
Spearman Willis led aggressively, spear slung over his shoulder. Hirpien and Bardwell stayed safe in the middle, Rain at the rear.
"Can I ask you something?"
Hirpien approached, hands behind her back, as Rain skimmed stalls for Tureina's book.
"Why'd you take this black market escort job?"
"...What for?"
"You don't seem in it for the money. Unlike the adventurers, your skin's ridiculously smooth. You scream noble's kid no matter how I look."
Spot on.
No way to hide a life of luxury in the mansion. Lin might've pulled it off, but not him.
"If I'm right, you're Rain Ludwig, the top first-year at <Delaiten> this term?"
"......!"
"But why take a gig like this? You came for something in the black market, right?"
No point hiding it, so he nodded.
"Ooh, what is it? What're you hunting? I'm dying to know!"
"A book about Tureina."
"Tureina? Oh, that famous shrine maiden?! Why?"
Why... Answering honestly might take all night.
*I'm Lin, the great mage from 300 years ago, and Tureina was my first disciple ever.*
But he had no duty to spill that. After a brief silence, he played it cool.
"I'm a mage too. Big shots like Tureina interest me. But her books are impossible to find these days."
"Hmmmmm."
"So what about you? Why come here? For the succession rite?"
Hirpien's pupils widened in surprise, then she grinned and shook her head.
"Nope, got nothing to do with the succession."
"Then what's the item?"
"My grandpa got captured by pirates long ago and lost it. Turns out it was a memento from my great-grandma, who passed when I was little."
A memento...
Come to think of it, what happened to Lin's stuff? The diary came to him, but the rest? Still with his corpse?
"He spent his life searching but never found it. Every spring, he'd whistle the music box tune, staring far off with tears in his eyes."
"......"
"Grandpa won't last much longer. I came to make him smile one last time. That answer your question?"
Watching Hirpien's bright smile brought a sudden, sad realization.
*I know nothing.*
What Rista loved most. Or Fride and Kies. Even Tureina's favorite food.
*'Cause I never tried to find out.'*
Five years traveling together, and he never bothered learning more about them. Why? Didn't expect the sudden parting?
"What, what? That moving enough to cry?"
He hadn't realized he was crying, but hot tears streamed down his cheeks. He wiped them and shook his head.
"Nah, too much dust underground."
"Aw, no need to be shy... Oh, books over there. Could that be it?!"
Unlike other vendors, that stall had proper shelving, piled mountain-high with tomes.
His heart fluttered faintly. Anticipation?
The plump, bearded owner looked up as they approached cautiously.
"Welcome. What're you after, young mage?"
"Got anything on Tureina?"
"Tureina? Oh yeah! Perfect timing! Brought three, sold two already—one left, and it's the best condition!"
Unlike the mistreated others, he reverently fetched a corner volume.
*『The Life and Deeds of Tureina, Ashen Shrine Maiden and Disciple of Lin and Fride.』*
Dry swallow. The exact book librarian Karen had fetched. Excellent condition. The problem was the price.
"Seven gold coins."
"Seven golds? You're kidding. Maybe for a first edition, but come on with a real price!"
"Ho ho! That's already a steal, young sir!"
"Seven golds is a steal?"
"Yeah! The 'golden boys' are on fire for anything Tureina-related these days. Just word of this in the black market gets you burned at the stake!"
That big a deal? More mysteries piling up. What the hell did Tureina do to hype like this now...
"So this is me selling my life with it. Not buying? Scram! Shoo! Plenty others'll take it."
Stuck.
Five gold from the Rat-Spider Queen hunt, two from the Alliance...
That'd cover it, but he'd spent one buying the lord off. Thought three would suffice.
Then, golden gleam at vision's edge. The merchant's eyes reflected it, lips curling in a grin.
"Here, seven coins. Hand over the book."
It was... Hirpien. She shelled out the fortune with just a sunny smile.
"Of course, right away! Here you go!"
She snatched it, rifled the pages to check, then nodded.
"No issues. This the one?"
He reached, expecting her to hand it over freely... but hesitated with odd wariness.
"Why...?"
"Grandpa says I've got a knack for people. Can't argue. Since I was little, I smell luck whenever I meet someone."
"Luck smell?"
"More like intuition? Hard to explain..."
Muttering, she tucked it into Rain's arms and winked.
"Call it an investment in connections. Feels like building a good tie with you brings massive luck."
In stunned joy, Rain clutched *A Disciple's Life*.
Vague intuition... Hirpien couldn't know handing that gift meant indebting herself to the great mage from the hero party 300 years ago.
"...That intuition of yours? Spot on."
* * *
Ant Nest, Hole 11.
A thieves' guild member leaning against the sewage-damp wall squinted at passersby.
"What're these now?"
A man and woman in dark blue robes. The tall man was expressionless; the short woman fidgeted restlessly.
"Are they nuts, wearing that? Dark mages? Unbelievable."
Had the thief understood mana, he'd have sensed the wild writhing inside her and backed off...
Ignoring the mana killing intent, he shoved her shoulder—and from his hand up arm, torso, face, legs bulged grotesquely, exploding in sprays of blood.
The blast spread via gore, shredding a dozen nearby guild thieves who merely got splashed into bone shards, brains, blood, and flesh.
In the carnage feast, the blood-soaked woman giggled.
"Wow, how'd you know? That I'm the Black Witch."
"Lady Libeni, approval's not cleared yet."
"Why? Self-defense. He figured us out. Normal to strip flesh from bone, right?"
"Oh dear, being unreasonable again."
The stunned guild member bolted; queued passersby screamed and fled.
Then a crow appeared. Not alive—mana coalesced into crow form. Like Lin's RudiyËn.
It perched on the man's shoulder; scattering feathers turned to indigo text before his eyes.
"From Lady Tureina."
"From Mom?! What? What'd she say?!"
"Do whatever you want."
A chilling, goosebump grin spread on Libeni's lips.
Her palm bubbled dark blue liquid that formed a massive scythe.
Swinging it—ignoring all terrain—the fleeing met the thieves' fate.
"Ahahahahaha! Blood stench gets me high every time! Today, lightly cull five thousand! Yeah!"