Chapter 102: Black Market
After walking for a long time, finally they reached a citadel.
The grey citadel wall rose formidably, towering with watchtowers side by side, on top were clan banners fluttering. The city gate of wood plated with heavy iron, in front there were always guards strictly guarding. Inside, streets were crowded, shops lined up, shouting voices and horse hooves blended creating a prosperous life rhythm. Going deeper, streets paved with sophisticated stone, houses orderly, clean. On the high ground at the end of the city, the Marquess's castle reached green-tiled towers to the sky, both magnificent and cold, the absolute symbol of power for the whole region.
The whole group went there along with merchants.
The guards still did their duty, putting out hands to block in front of the group, voice normal quite calm:
"You people are a group? Entering the city for what?"
Kazuka: "We want to enter the city to find work."
The guard glanced at Airi with an appearance quite prominent with light pink hair to the point of being thought of as white. Takeshi had red hair which was quite normal, Ayaka also normal, Aoto with yellow hair was also normal, Kazuka and Elyssia with black hair were also normal.
He frowned slightly, but seeing one prominent person going with a normal group was nothing strange, also seeing they were quite young, he guessed this was a group of friends. Lowered his hand and tossed his head signaling they could enter.
"Go in."
The whole group went through smoothly without obstruction.
Airi sighed, she also realized the guards' gaze.
"Haizz, knew it, coming to big cities the appearance is more noticed."
Takeshi: "I thought in small cities one rarely sees prominent appearances so they notice more?"
Airi: "No, because prominent appearances usually go with big status."
Kazuka: "You also have big status."
Airi did not like anyone talking about her status, but the group had played together for a while, so she also let it pass.
"Probably I have to find some stones or spells with transformation capability."
Elyssia: "Sounds expensive too."
Airi nodded.
"Um, if there's money then buy."
Standing at a walking intersection, high houses and horse footsteps everywhere.
Kazuka propped his hands.
"Everyone divide tasks, what do we do now?"
Airi pointed her finger at Kazuka.
"You are the group leader then divide, I'm very lazy."
Kazuka stepped back.
"No one in the group is leader. You guys divide, I also don't know how to divide."
Elyssia: "We also don't know anything, how about splitting up and finding work. Then when the moon reaches the peak of the head, we gather back here, how about that?"
Aoto snapped his fingers "click".
"Reasonable. What does everyone think?"
Takeshi nodded.
"Let's do that."
The whole group also nodded.
Kazuka: "Then moon at peak of head."
Takeshi: "Good luck."
The whole group split up, one side girls went, one side boys went.
On the side of Kazuka, Aoto, and Takeshi, the three went and observed surroundings.
Kazuka was quite interested in this place.
"This place is crowded indeed."
Aoto nodded.
"This citadel is large."
Takeshi: "So what to do now? We aren't familiar with this place to go find."
Aoto: "Then must ask, not knowing but keep doing alone is stubborn, headstrong."
Takeshi sighed.
"But ask whom?"
Aoto: "You see whoever you feel most sympathetic toward when looking then ask. That's easy."
Kazuka: "So only ask those with sympathy?"
Aoto sighed helplessly before these two.
"Sympathy through the eyes, then talking only then know good or bad. Sounds like I'm criticizing people with bad appearances, right?"
Kazuka nodded quickly.
"Right."
Aoto: "But looking closely it is the truth, if meeting people with bad appearance then we need to get acquainted long-term."
"Whether bad or beautiful, still need to talk, then we see if they are good or not to stay away."
Takeshi sighed.
"So ugly people are hard to be approached? Like me."
Aoto glanced.
"You aren't ugly at all."
Kazuka pointed at himself, mouth still blooming a smile as if only participating for the sake of it.
"Then me?"
Aoto silently glared at Kazuka.
The whole group just kept going and talking. Not caring about the matter just discussed.
…
Walking past a long line of horse carriages side by side at the roadside.
Kazuka discouragement spoke a bit loudly:
"What work to find now? I'm hungry."
Suddenly from behind a carriage, a middle-aged man stepped out and smiled brightly.
"Hey wait."
The three immediately stood still and turned over.
The man stood with hands on hips.
"You three want to find work?"
Kazuka nodded.
"Right."
The man pointed his finger toward the back.
"Want to carry goods? I will hire you three."
The three boys' eyes lit up.
Aoto: "Really?"
The man nodded, pointing his finger at a series of horse carriages.
"Because my people have business so they all went. Here are more than twenty carriages and there are quite heavy cargo boxes. If you guys carry them all from now until noon I will pay 10 gold coins, while if until evening then only 5 gold coins."
The three's eyes lit up seeing money.
Kazuka excited.
"So if within one incense stick is there extra pay?"
The man also realized.
"You guys seem to have some strength? Then I will pay twenty gold coins."
The three jumped up for joy.
Aoto: "Seems the goods in boxes are very expensive so you hire with high price like that, right?"
The man also burst out laughing.
"Right, this is a form of Elixir. They were just manufactured, the faster drunk, the more nutritious. This merchandise I deliver to a noble and he said 'noon will arrive'."
"But if you guys carry fast within one incense stick, I will go call him."
Kazuka nodded.
"Deal, 1 incense stick."
The man quite happy then nodded.
"Good." Done speaking, immediately ran away.
The three set to carrying, some boxes to normal people were heavy, but to the three too easy.
The three easily carried into a quite large house and stacked them.
A while later, the man ran over then saw the three sitting nodding off sleepily. Peering into the house and seeing many boxes already stacked, joy was clearly shown.
"Hey, wake up?"
The three opened eyes and woke up, looking at faces alone one already saw they were sleepy.
As if realizing, they became alert.
Kazuka pointed into the house, voice full of confidence:
"We finished stacking then."
The man did not say much, immediately pulled the money bag from his person and handed it out.
"Yours here."
Kazuka used two hands to receive with care and sparkling eyes.
Aoto: "Great, doing a bit but equal to others doing for a very long time."
"Seems your trade is quite large? You are willing to spend."
The man burst out loudly with delight.
"Guessed correctly."
Kazuka put the money in the bag.
"Thank you. We'll be going."
The man: "Yeah."
The whole group turned away and left.
Walking on the street, the three still had joy clearly shown on faces.
Takeshi: "Didn't expect someone would hire us with a high price like that."
Kazuka nodded.
"Me too."
"So now we divide the money to keep for safety."
Aoto turned over.
"Need to?"
Kazuka nodded naturally.
"Need to, in case someone steals or forgets. Wouldn't we be sniffing the air to live?"
Takeshi nodded.
"Right."
Kazuka: "So I keep six, while you two keep seven. I forget more often than you guys."
Aoto: "That works too."
Kazuka took money from the bag and divided it for Takeshi and Aoto. They took it and put it in bags.
Takeshi: "So now where do we go?"
Kazuka: "This time is too early, how about we find a few more jobs."
Aoto nodded.
"Right."
The three again went on, weaving through the crowds. Glancing at the children running and jumping, large horse carriages, people with expensive and sparkling clothes in the eyes of the poor.
Aoto: "How about now we split up, one person goes find an inn, then goes find work. One person goes find work. And another person goes buy things, we also need clothes to wear."
Kazuka turned to Takeshi.
"Reasonable."
Takeshi nodded.
"That works too."
Kazuka: "Then when the moon is at the peak of the head, gather back."
Aoto and Takeshi nodded together.
Kazuka: "I go find work, Takeshi goes find a house, while Aoto goes buy things."
Dividing finished, then the three separated.
Aoto at this time was going deeper inside, he weaved through the bustling flow of people, glancing at the stalls placed at the roadside. They looked quite attractive with eye-catching items.
"Antiques here."
"Anyone buy swords?"
He did not care and continued going, focusing on dodging people, some drunk walking staggeringly, some with large bodies with scars and large axes.
—"Which place sells clothes? This place is too wide."
—"Many stalls at the roadside like this, but surely not yet the market. I need to find the market to have clothes."
—"Luxury stores surely aren't in the market, and how do I have money."
Going, he suddenly stopped. Looking to the right was a small alley with several people entering, only through the small gap he also saw it had quite many people. The people entering here seemed very secretive.
—"Huh, inside here is the black market?"
—"Try entering, surely no problem? Maybe in here someone sells those swords that know how to recognize owners with dirt cheap prices, I can take note and some other time having money buy for Kazuka."
Thinking finished, Aoto picked up a black cloak on the ground quite dirty, he dusted it off casually and put it on. Covering the slightly prominent hair.
Stepping into the alley, walking a segment also arrived.
Inside the black market was very large, stalls stretched along everywhere and crowded together. Most people here all wore cloaks covering tightly.
Aoto glanced at a stall selling types of plants. He recognized a few types but did not care.
Walking slowly and observing. He passed through many stalls.
Stepping past a street a bit different from other places.
This place was called Moonlight Street or had another name as Moon Flower. It was a place of prostitution with Succubus.
The Succubus with provocative bodies with skin white to the point of pale and only covering necessary places, long thin black tails with heart shapes. Pink eyes of desire.
Thin bat wings behind the back, sometimes folded like a cloak. Breath or fragrance sweet making passers-by feel dizzy, heart beating fast.
When laughing or speaking, small fangs flashed, suggesting a feeling both inviting and dangerous. Voices smooth, echoing like whispers in dreams, easily making listeners lose guard.
They were standing many outside and waving people in, creating extremely provocative poses to seduce.
"Hey, boy. Sun is still up, but play with me until evening."
"What do you want me to do to you tonight?"
"Come in here with me, I promise to be gentle."
Many people were being pulled inside by the Succubus. Pressed close with near distance making them unable to endure before those bodies.
Aoto quickly stepped very fast past not wanting to be involved. He thought to himself, a bit of pity but also distancing:
—"This race still operates strongly indeed. But to be said, back then Lord Loid Kencho truly was cruel."
Passing through successfully, he breathed a sigh of relief when no Succubus called him back.
Walking on, every step more intersections appeared but he just kept going.
—"In here truly many items."
Suddenly his eyes stopped at a seller by the road. Only a black cloth and there were three swords placed on it. Looking at the seller covered completely, only revealing two eyes, but also covered by a large dome hat.
Aoto was quite curious and looked down at the swords.
—"Only three swords but also brought out to sell. One, high-quality swords and needing money, two, swords have something suspicious."
Standing far away watching to avoid being noticed, but he was still recognized. The seller glanced at Aoto for a moment and met eyes with him.
Being discovered watching, he felt quite shy if he just walked past so he had to step over.
—"Walking in here sensing a whole bunch of energy. But most are very large, proving also very strong."
—"The person in front is also like that."
Aoto stepped over and sat in front, trying to probe through the eyes. He pointed his finger at the three swords on the ground but eyes looked at the expression on the seller's eyes.
"Do these three swords have anything prominent?"
The two's eyes bumped, but the sword seller still ignored and pointed down.
"These three swords are very special, they have consciousness and know how to choose owners."
Three swords with three different colors. Respectively from left to right: black, white, and black mixed with a bit of white.
Before letting him introduce, Aoto said:
"Go into the matter of its ability and harmful effects."
The sword seller glanced at Aoto, then again looked down at the sword.
"This black one will self-recover if broken."
Aoto decisively spoke right after he finished speaking:
"Skip."
The sword seller still continued introducing.
"The white one carries quite pure energy."
Aoto silently thought.
"Pure? No need. Elyssia's energy is even purer. If said probably she equals several priests combined when purifying something."
He remembered the time practicing at Velmoura castle.
Elyssia fought with Takeshi.
Takeshi burst with energy and rushed with extremely fast speed. Because the floor layer of this place was very hard, so there were no cracks.
Elyssia held the sword loosely in hand, she swung a slash vertically toward Takeshi. The slash with white energy a bit transparent.
Takeshi immediately rotated his leg, he circled around the slash and approached Elyssia from the left.
Elyssia entered stance, two legs opened wide as pillars, she rotated her hip.
Another energy slash was released. Takeshi did not dodge, he immediately confronted the slash. Fist clenched tighter.
The energy slash and the punch overflowing with Takeshi's energy collided. Takeshi laughed with excitement.
But suddenly. Takeshi was flung away and rolled several rounds on the ground.
The whole group standing above observing in bewilderment stood up abruptly.
Kazuka: "What happened?"
Takeshi scrambled to get up. Left hand firmly grasped the right wrist, he howled loudly in pain. Two rows of teeth clenched tight, two eyes stared wide.
"Aaaaaa."
Takeshi, Aoto, Airi, and Kazuka from above jumped down with panic. Elyssia also ran over.
Kazuka sat down.
"Hey? What's wrong?"
Aoto as if realizing, he opened eyes wide glancing at Elyssia.
"Right, she is an angel. Her energy is like a purification spell."
Airi also understood.
"The creature inside Takeshi has been 'swallowed soul', and now the two sides are like having a link."
"Although Elyssia's energy only wants to destroy that creature."
"But because it is inside Takeshi's very soul, this means when destroying it one needs to go through the outer layer which is Takeshi's soul."
Elyssia opened eyes wide in surprise, voice trembling:
—"N-No wonder I saw Takeshi was a bit strange."
Takeshi had stood up again with difficulty. He breathed out a heavy breath.
"I'm fine, don't worry."
Aoto stroked his chin.
"If so in the future when Takeshi confronts angels or those possessing light energy he will be like being countered."
Ayaka was quite worried.
"So there is no way?"
Airi: "Difficult."
Takeshi returned to calm.
"I'm fine. I have also determined in the future to live with it anyway."
Inside Takeshi. Vermyx was still howling loudly from pain: "Aaaaaa, damn it. Stay away from that angel."
Elyssia felt quite guilty.
"Sorry, I didn't know that."
Takeshi scratched his head.
"No matter, not knowing is not a crime."
Kazuka stroked his chin thinking, his mind drifted.
"Ah, so it means Takeshi must get strong together with the monster in his body. That way he won't be troubled by angels?"
Aoto nodded.
"Exactly, you guessed correctly."
"Normally when confronting it's hard to know who is stronger."
"But with Takeshi. He is forced to have an extremely large energy well and overwhelm that angel, that way he won't be overwhelmed."
Ayaka: "That is too difficult."
Aoto nodded.
"Right, so that's why practice for getting strong is needed."
Elyssia: "I have another way."
"There is a form of barrier with the ability to seal right inside oneself."
"If he has it, along with a compromise with the thing inside, then detach the link. But because the barrier already exists, that creature won't escape."
"As for him, he is forced to have a strong soul and overwhelm that creature."
Takeshi scratched his head and laughed.
"Don't worry, I'm not afraid."
Kazuka sighed: "Both ways sound not okay, huh?"
Airi: "Inherently it's like that."
Takeshi: "Currently I still occupy all rights except when out of energy. I can actively remove it, but fear it will kill me. So just leave it there, whenever I am stronger than it I will actively perform."
Returning. Aoto pointed his finger at the last sword.
"So what does it have?"
The sword seller lowered his voice. Aoto also sensed it and silently listened.
"This is a sword with consciousness. It is called the Echoing Sword. The more one fights, the more strength will increase..."
Aoto smirked as if knowing beforehand, he spoke immediately after:
"But in return it will make emotions increase gradually and hard to control, right?"
The sword seller glanced at Aoto once with an annoyed look.
Aoto pointed his finger at the two swords earlier.
"So do these two have will? Or only abilities?"
The sword seller: "Only abilities."
Aoto stood up.
"Then I won't buy."
—"All nonsense swords? Nothing normal? Like manipulating fire or water at a small level is fine too."
Aoto turned and went on.
"Truly the black market, everything is there but all just whatever."
Suddenly he passed a shop hanging many clothes.
—"The black market also sells clothes?"
—"Great, then enter here to buy three sets."
—"The set already being worn and the set bought is enough. Two sets then."
Aoto stepped over.
The shop owner was a middle-aged woman propping her hands in discouragement. Seeing Aoto, she was overjoyed and stood up.
"Oh, boy wants to buy clothes like what?"
Aoto pulled the cloak hood low.
"I want to buy three simple sets of clothes."
After a while of choosing clothes, Aoto with a fabric bag a bit large, inside were three sets of clothes he just bought.
—"Probably turning back. I've gone quite far already."
Looking at the bag in hand, he exclaimed:
"Clothes here are truly cheap. Buying three sets of clothes but lost only two silver coins."
He turned back and stepped on the old road. His stomach made several "ug ug" sounds. Seems he was quite hungry.
—"Must find something to eat."
In front was a large crowd huddled together. The noise emitted made his ears ache and he frowned.
—"Why so noisy? Is there a friction or argument?"
Stepping over and peering into the crowd.
Two men with large statures were arguing loudly. He did not care and turned away, vigilantly looking down at the bag of clothes in hand.
—"These crowds are dangerous, there will be thieves for sure."
—"Whatever."
Suddenly, a stranger went very fast. Aoto still kept his gaze on the crowd and concentrated his focus there.
Thump
The two collided, Aoto stepped back two steps in panic and looked at the person in front.
This person wore a quite normal and slightly dirty set of clothes, face quite young with several scratches, looking like he was only Aoto's age.
Aoto hurriedly spoke urgently when remembering he didn't pay attention in front:
"Ah, sorry."
This person silently looked at Aoto, eyes a bit surprised. Then he himself felt he needed to say something:
"Um, no problem."
Done speaking, this person immediately went past Aoto. Aoto forced a smile but also let it pass.
—"Just a stranger."
The other person stood still watching Aoto go, those eyes had changed differently as if having some intention.
Seeing Aoto far from sight, he immediately followed right after and turned into an alley.
He is Droven, 17 years old.
Aoto had gone out of the black market. In his hand was a small bag of apples with four fruits. Looking at the bright red apples he already sensed they would be delicious.
Escaping the market, Aoto was at an empty ground devoid of people. Choosing a stone he felt satisfied with and stepped over. He sat down and placed the bag of clothes down.
Placing the bag of apples in his lap and two hands holding two apples. He did not hurry to eat but watched the apple first, as if enjoying with the eyes.
His stomach made an "ug ug" sound as if signaling he could eat. Aoto bit a large piece and chewed slowly enjoying.
—"Apples are delicious."
While eating and thinking:
—"Don't know what Takeshi and Kazuka are doing? Those two surely are working, yet I am here sitting eating apples seems not okay, huh?"
Lifting his head and looking at the crimson sun. He had to squint his eyes because it was hard to look and determine position, the sun was like a shy girl not wanting to be stared at, the feeling that the more one looked, the stronger it shone.
He stopped looking and again ate the apple.
—"This time is not even noon yet. Finding work at this time truly is a bit hard. Finding jobs that pay immediately is needed, but hard."
Staring at the building opposite, but he was like just temporarily resting his gaze there while thoughts drifted again.
—"Don't know how those three are. But surely they will be fine."
Breathed a sigh.
—"Although only went together for not long, but also experienced plenty of events."