Demon-Hunting Genius Mage

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]

Chapter 81

I took one step at a time, relying on the faint light.

Unlike the quiet upper floors, the noise level increased as I descended.

“Uhaha! Alright, at this price, it's a steal!”

“Oh my, it's been a while since you've been here.”

“What? It's already sold out?”

The noise was none other than the chatter of the people here.

I hadn't even arrived yet, but I could already sense the sheer number of people present.

And just as I felt...

“Wow.”

The black market stretched on endlessly, teeming with countless people.

People buying goods, people selling goods, people haggling over prices with a grumble...

Just from what I could see, there seemed to be at least a few hundred people.

But there was something even more surprising.

“Is this really the black market I know?”

The spaciousness, the facilities, the layout of the shops…

It was completely different from the Asternon black market I had seen in the game.

The black market had changed almost as much as academies had developed.

It felt like looking at an underground shopping mall in Seoul...

But on a much larger scale. It was practically another city in itself.

“Well then, where...”

Putting my amazement aside, I started to browse the goods.

Items were displayed on counters in front of each shop, and true to its nature, the black market was mainly filled with things you wouldn't normally find in regular stores.

Especially equipment.

Perhaps due to the war season, there were a plethora of protective gear and artifacts.

At this rate, I might have a good chance of finding what I'm looking for.

“Excuse me?”

I chose a shop that caught my eye and stepped inside.

As expected, the owner rushed over to greet me.

“Welcome! Hehehe. Is there anything you're looking for?”

“I'm looking for [Anatak's Great Axe].”

“Yikes! You mean that expensive item...?”

The owner was startled and then clicked his tongue in disappointment.

“We don't deal with such luxury goods in our shop. You'll probably have to go over there for that.”

“Over there... you mean the shop with the gold sign?”

“Yes, yes. That's right.”

“Thank you.”

My hunch was wrong, but the outcome was good.

The owner kindly informed me even though it wouldn't benefit him.

'Since I'm here, should I look around?'

I feel like buying something.

A conscientious owner like this wouldn't rip off his customers, at least.

As I pretended to look around the items, the owner's face brightened.

“Hehe, you've made a wise decision. The goods in our shop are of excellent quality.”

As he said, the items displayed on the counter were indeed of high quality.

Most were in A-grade condition, almost as good as new.

Among them, one item particularly caught my eye.

It was a deep tan mage robe with a distinctly autumnal feel...

The reason it caught my eye was simple.

It was obviously a large size.

'Mister will like this, won't he?'

Thompson, being a large man, has trouble finding robes that fit him.

This would be a good opportunity to get him one.

However, the owner's expression wasn't very good.

"Ah, um... that item."

He seemed to struggle to find the right words, hemming and hawing.

Clearly, there was something about this robe.

"Does it have any special effects?"

"Ah, well... it has the property of 'assimilation' to the magic used by mages."

Assimilation.

It's an effect found on some high-value equipment. With this effect, the robe remains unaffected no matter what magic is used.

Simply put, the robe will never be damaged by magic cast by the wearer.

It would be a perfect fit for Thompson, who mainly fights by encasing his body in earth magic.

However, this didn't explain the owner's reaction.

This was a beneficial effect, wasn't it?

"Is there anything else?"

In the black market, items are often brought in through unusual channels.

As such, they often have special effects that are rarely seen in the regular market.

This robe was probably one such case.

As I expected, the owner spoke up.

"Well, you see... this robe... has a consciousness."

"Excuse me?"

At that moment...

-Get your filthy hands off me, human!

A voice that seemed to pierce through my mind echoed, and I was so startled that I dropped the robe.

I looked at the owner with a bewildered expression, but he just gave an awkward laugh.

"Ha, hahaha..."

A robe with a consciousness?

I had heard stories about such things existing, but this was the first time I had actually seen one.

Whatever its story, it certainly wasn't an ordinary item.

"...There are no other effects, right?"

"Yes, yes. It's just that it can be a bit noisy, that's all."

I felt a mix of worry and anticipation.

'Can anyone even fight wearing this?'

Talking might be fine in everyday situations, but in battle, it could cause a lot of problems.

What if it suddenly started shouting in the middle of a fight?

That momentary surprise could determine the outcome of the battle.

Moreover, judging by its "filthy hands" comment, it didn't seem to have a very pleasant personality.

It could have a negative influence on Thompson.

That was the worrying part.

But there was also something to look forward to.

Having a consciousness meant that other senses might be open as well.

I picked up the robe again to check.

As if waiting for this, the robe started talking.

-I clearly told you to get your filthy hands off me!

Ignoring whatever it was babbling about, I asked what I was curious about.

"Can you see me? Can you hear me?"

-Ha! What a ridiculous question! Do you perhaps think that only humans possess those senses? If so, that's incredibly arrogant...

Blah blah blah.

Having obtained enough information, I put the robe back down.

The noise in my head quieted down as if nothing had happened.

I had already made up my mind.

"I'll buy this."

"R-really?"

I nodded with a serious expression.

The moment I confirmed that it had senses, my decision was made.

The existence of senses meant that there were elements that could be helpful in battle.

Like telling me about attacks coming from behind, or sensing an energy that the wearer couldn't feel, and so on.

Well, the noisy chatter was a bit of a concern...

'I can tame it.'

It was just a robe, after all.

If I threatened it, like saying I'd burn it in fire, it wouldn't be able to do anything.

Besides, it wasn't like I was going to wear it.

'Mister will take care of it.'

Even if he treated it like a personal punching bag, I wasn't going to interfere.

Anyway, the important thing now was the price.

'5,000 gold coins, plus the 1,000 I borrowed. After deducting the entrance fee and the axe price...'

I had about 900 gold coins left.

Of course, it was 900 gold coins, but I couldn't spend it all here.

I had to buy other things too.

'It's worth buying if it's under 200 gold coins.'

After making that calculation, I opened my mouth.

"How much is it?"

"200 gold coins."

200 gold coins.

The exact amount I had deemed reasonable.

But...

'It's a shame...'

Human desire is truly fickle.

Now that the price was exactly what I had in mind, it somehow seemed a bit expensive.

"Is it possible to get a little discount...?"

"H-how much of a discount would you like...?"

The owner, who had been so positive until now, hesitated.

It seemed that, as a merchant, he was sensitive about haggling.

Well, that was that.

If he was a merchant, I was a customer.

The cheaper the price, the better.

"How about 100 gold coins?"

100 gold coins.

A price cut in half.

Naturally, the owner was startled and waved his hands.

"...Oh, no way! 100 gold coins would be a losing deal for me!"

‘A losing deal, huh? So that means the cost is at least that much…’

"Who would even wear this thing? Just look at it, it's obviously loud and has a terrible personality. Let's make it 110 gold coins."

I started the real bargaining process, gradually raising the price.

"W-well, that may be true, but 110 gold coins is n-no way enough! This is worth..."

"Then 120 gold coins. It's not going to sell anyway."

"Hmm... I might consider it for 140 gold coins..."

"Alright. Let's go with 130 gold coins. That's my final offer."

Around that point, the owner reluctantly nodded.

"You're a real robber, customer... Fine. 130 gold coins it is."

130 gold coins.

I had cut the original price by 35 percent.

This was a reasonable compromise.

"Thank you."

"...Here you go. Please wear it well, no, treat it well."

"Don't worry."

I bowed in thanks and received the robe from the owner.

The robe was inside a luxurious disposable bag, as if it were a gift.

Fortunately, it seemed like the voice couldn't be heard unless it was in direct contact with the body.

I was already looking forward to it.

'Thompson will love this.'

This should be enough.

As a way of repaying him for the experience point artifact.

'I'll get you something better later.'

As I was thinking that, I arrived at the shop with the gold sign that the owner had mentioned earlier.

It certainly was a place that dealt with luxury goods. The size, the exterior of the building, and the overall appearance of the shop were all different.

It even seemed like a perfume-like scent was wafting from inside.

I stepped inside, earnestly hoping that they had what I was looking for.

"Welcome."

A gentleman dressed in a refined manner greeted me at the front.

The man bowed his head and remained standing in place.

It seemed like I was supposed to browse on my own.

'Well then...'

I slowly walked around the shop, taking in the sights.

Weapons, accessories, equipment, and more.

Items were well-organized by category.

Everything looked expensive.

I felt like someone who had come to splurge with their first paycheck.

Of course, putting aside that feeling of inadequacy, my eyes were delighted.

'Whoa, this is definitely a legendary-grade staff, isn't it?'

'...What? The robe has a built-in barrier function?'

'Crazy, a single ring costs 10,000 gold coins...'

The prices were high, but the quality was top-notch, comparable to anything.

These must have been meticulously crafted by artisans from all over the world.

Of course, there was probably a reason why they were in the black market.

For example...

BOOM!

Yeah, like this.

"Oh my gosh!"

A paper book displayed behind me suddenly exploded.

Fortunately, the book was kept inside a transparent cubic glass case, so I wasn't harmed.

Only its pages were burnt black.

"Sir, are you alright?"

"...What was that?"

"Ah, that's an artifact that periodically explodes."

"But then it can't be used, can it? It looks like it's all burnt."

"Haha, don't worry. If you wait a little, it'll recover soon."

"Recover?"

Just as he said...

Flip, flip, flip!

Whoosh!

Not long after, the pages of the book flipped madly and it spewed black smoke around it.

When the smoke cleared, the book appeared completely fine.

It had self-restored.

'...I'm speechless.'

This was the black market, after all.

No matter how much I saw, it was a mysterious place.

[Translator - Prøks]

[Proofreader - Prøks]