Chapter 19 : Underground Black Market
As the night deepened, the capital’s bustling surface quieted, but beneath the ground, another world stirred to life.
Ailiya clutched the magical compass Vice Principal Melissa had given her.
Its needle glowed with a faint blue light, like a stubborn firefly, pointing resolutely in one direction.
Following its guidance, she passed through brightly lit avenues, turning into one deserted alley after another, until she stopped before a rusted, abandoned sewer entrance.
A strange mix of damp mold, rotting sludge, and an unfamiliar spice wafted from the dark opening.
…No way.
Ailiya stared at the unwavering compass needle, her heart sinking.
The rumor-monger lives in a sewer? That’s some unique taste!
Reluctant but driven by the memory of the bulletin board’s venomous words and Liliane’s cold back, she gritted her teeth, covered her nose with her sleeve, and descended the slippery steps into the pitch-black depths.
This was the capital’s “underside”—the underground black market.
The passage wasn’t as filthy as she’d imagined. It was wide, with glowing moss embedded in the walls, casting a faint blue light that replaced torches.
The air carried the odd scent of mixed potions and alchemical materials.
People moved through the space, their faces hidden by wide hoods or bizarre masks, their steps hurried, their voices hushed, like ghosts in the shadows.
Stalls lined the path, displaying forbidden items unseen on the surface:
Glowing soul fragments writhing in bottles; still-beating hearts of unknown beasts; skulls etched with taboo runes…
Ailiya gripped the compass tightly, feeling like a rabbit in a wolf den.
Her clean maid uniform stood out more than a king’s crown.
She hunched her shoulders, trying to be inconspicuous.
But the more she tried to blend in, the more attention she drew.
As she turned a corner, a towering figure blocked her path.
More shadows emerged from the sidelines, surrounding her.
“Hey, little girl,” a burly man in a bull-skull mask rasped, his voice like sandpaper. “You look new. Lost, wandering a place like this alone?”
His lanky companion eyed Ailiya’s simple but well-made maid outfit with greedy interest.
“Dressed so clean—not one of us. Sneaked out of some noble’s back door? Got anything good on you?”
“I-I’m just passing through…”
Ailiya’s heart leaped to her throat as she stepped back, only to bump into a solid chest.
She was completely trapped.
Just as tension peaked, a lazy voice came from a nearby stall.
“Hey, you lot, hard up for cash? Robbing a girl who can’t even stabilize her mana? Not embarrassed?”
Ailiya glanced over and saw a young man leaning against his stall.
He wore practical leather armor, his black hair a messy mop, a roguish grin on his face.
His stall brimmed with odd alchemical materials and magical trinkets.
The bull-masked man seemed wary, clicking his tongue: “Kel, this isn’t your business. Butt out.”
“Not my business?” Kel straightened, casually tossing a jar with an eyeball inside. “She’s standing in front of my stall, blocking my view, ruining my business vibe. Take your trouble elsewhere—don’t annoy me.”
The group exchanged glances, unwilling to escalate, and shot Ailiya a venomous glare before slinking back into the crowd, muttering curses.
“Thank you! Really, thank you so much for helping me!”
Ailiya bowed deeply to Kel, her voice filled with relief.
“No big deal.”
Kel waved lazily, then pointed with his chin at a stack of crates by his stall.
“But I don’t help for free. Since we crossed paths and you don’t seem bad, help me move these boxes to the warehouse with the skull sign. That’s your thanks.”
“Huh? Oh, sure, no problem!”
Ailiya agreed without hesitation.
Manual labor to settle a debt? Perfect.
She grabbed the topmost wooden crate.
It was heavier than expected. As she staggered with it, the lid loosened, and with a “thud,” a lifelike severed arm fell out, rolling to her feet.
“Ahh!”
Ailiya screamed, nearly dropping the crate.
“Relax, relax.”
Kel strolled over, nudging the arm with his toe and picking it up, waving it in front of her.
“Just alchemical material, made from a golem core. Not real. See? No blood.”
Ailiya stared at the disturbingly realistic fake arm, her face still pale.
While hauling the crates, she panted and tried to fish for information.
“Um… Mr. Kel, do you do business here all the time?”
“Yup. Why?”
“Have you… seen anyone else in a St. Freya uniform here recently?”
“St. Freya?” Kel raised an eyebrow, chuckling as if she’d told a joke. “That place for prissy noble girls? Nope. People here wrap themselves up like dumplings. Nobody’d prance around in a flashy uniform like yours. You’re a rare breed.”
He eyed her curiously: “Speaking of, what’s a maid doing in a place like this? Steal your master’s goods to fence?”
“No way!” Ailiya retorted, flustered. “I… I’m looking for someone.”
“Looking for someone? Here?” Kel’s interest piqued. “They owe you money? Steal your man?”
“Neither!”
Ailiya’s cheeks burned at his crude questions.
“It’s… complicated. They might’ve come here to buy… uh, special tech or services.”
“Ohh,” Kel drawled, smirking. “Got it. Good luck, kid.”
Finally, she moved the last crate, sweating profusely.
She bid Kel farewell, ready to follow the compass’s glowing pointer again.
“I’d wait till near dawn,” Kel advised, leaning against the warehouse door. “Fewer people, safer.”
“No,” Ailiya shook her head, glancing at the compass’s steady light. “I’m out of time. Right now’s the most dangerous moment for me.”
With that, she vanished into the black market’s blue-lit depths without looking back.
After Ailiya left, a hooded subordinate, silent until now, spoke softly from behind Kel:
“Boss, why not just tell her the alchemist who tampered with the board is at the ‘Three-Eyed Raven’ tavern across the way?”
“I saved her because it was amusing—scared out of her wits but still bold enough to barge in here alone.”
Kel lounged back in his chair, flipping a gold coin he’d pulled from somewhere.
“But that doesn’t mean I’m her nanny for free.”
He paused, his lips curving into a merchant’s cunning smile.
“Besides—I got paid a ‘hush fee’ by the client. Took the money, so I follow the rules here. Can’t break a deal; it’d ruin my rep.”
He flicked the coin into the air, catching it neatly, his gaze lingering where Ailiya had gone.
“But send someone to keep an eye on St. Freya’s recent moves. I’ve got a feeling something big’s brewing.”
“We can’t miss a chance to make a killing.”