Chapter 58 : Chapter 58
Chapter 58. The Merchandise
Creak.
In a space where darkness had settled thickly, a door in the center opened, and a faint light seeped through the gap.
Thud, thud, thud.
Heavy footsteps, illuminating the light, entered the space.
Thump.
The door closed, and darkness returned once more.
Snap.
With the sound of a finger snap, a single flame bloomed. Following that, the deep eyes of the man watching the flame were revealed. He moved his finger to extinguish the blazing flame.
A moment later, fires ignited in various places in the space where the man stood. Numerous shadows stretched out in a disarray. The man stood upon the shadows and looked ahead.
“Hmm.”
The man swallowed a breath filled with uncomfortable emotions. What unfolded before his eyes were broken boxes, bars, shattered glass fragments, and about a dozen soldiers dying, bleeding.
“Tsk.”
The man, as if bothered, frowned and looked around.
The people remaining inside the iron cages cowered, trying their best to avoid eye contact with the man.
The man ignored them and continued to walk. He stopped in front of an iron cage where a woman with long hair was seated, a place where the light faintly reached.
“Where is it?”
The man asked, looking at the woman. But he received no answer.
The woman, having turned away from the man, was staring into the darkness where the light did not reach.
“Is this what they call motherly love?”
“……”
“Motherly love is a good thing. But is it good for you and your daughter?”
The man drew a crooked smile. He pointed his hand at the woman. At that, the woman’s long hair caught fire.
“If you tell me now, I’ll put it out.”
“……”
“How foolish.”
The flames grew stronger. The intense heat was enough to burn the wooden planks where the bars were embedded.
“Krrgh.”
The woman bit her lip to keep from making a sound. But it was a futile act. The flames, having consumed all her hair, were now devouring her face.
“Your hair, your face, even if they all burn away, they’ll come back. But listen here.”
The pain of living flesh burning, it was too much for the slender woman’s body to bear.
“Kyaaaaak!”
“It comes back, but that doesn’t mean there’s no pain.”
The man let out a light snort.
The woman, her face burned to the point where her bones were exposed, screamed and rolled on the floor.
“Now, how long are you going to just watch?”
The man said, looking at the corner filled with darkness.
“No! Stay hidden!”
The woman, writhing in pain, shouted.
Tap.
But, belying the woman’s shout, a small, thin sound leaked out from the darkness.
The man smiled.
“No matter how great, she’s still just a child.”
With the man’s words, a small girl, covered in blood, leaped out.
“Kraaaaaaah!”
The girl roared and charged at the man.
“No different from a beast.”
The man grabbed the sharp piece of metal the girl was holding.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The woman in the cage, looking at the man and the girl, struck the bars as if screaming in despair.
The man, seeing this, clicked his tongue. Then he waved his other hand and extinguished the fire that was burning the woman.
“Now, what are you going to do?”
The man asked the girl.
The girl gritted her teeth and looked at the man with eyes full of rage.
“Tsk. It can’t be helped.”
Fire erupted from the man’s hand and melted the piece of metal.
The girl, her hand burning, opened her mouth in pain from the heat.
At that moment!
Kwang!
The man’s other hand snatched the girl’s face. And with incredible speed, he slammed it against the bars.
The girl’s face was crushed. Her bones shattered and her eyeballs popped out.
“Two days until the Moonlight Festival.”
The man said in a cold voice, looking down at the broken mother and daughter.
“Since you are important merchandise, I will send medicine. Finish recovering before then. It doesn’t matter if you can’t make it by then, though.”
“G-get… out…”
The woman in the iron cage said, struggling to raise her body. Her broken face was slowly recovering.
“The more I see it, the more amazing it is. That you can be like that without having received the grace of a god.”
The man, showing a crooked smile, sent his gaze to the girl lying face down on the floor.
“It’s a pity that the regenerative ability is only transferred to one person.”
The man grabbed the girl’s arm and forcibly pulled her up.
The girl, having lost consciousness, dangled like a broken doll.
“D…on’t…”
The woman desperately reached out her hand, trying to stop the man.
But the man lightly ignored her and dragged the girl, walking into the deep darkness.
***
“Are you really not going to help?”
Adellian asked me, as if questioning me.
“The price isn’t right.”
Saying he would help with our work as much as possible because he has no money, was a completely useless offer. He wouldn’t even tell me the specific reason for wanting to ruin the Moonlight Festival. He just kept repeating the plausible words that the dirty act of buying and selling people should be eliminated.
“I-if I s-see injustice, I c-can’t stand by.”
Odekerkh stated the duty of a knight.
“We’re not official knights yet.”
“Th-that… is true… but still!”
It seemed the spirit of a knight was somewhat ingrained in his mind. It wasn't bad. It wasn't bad, but…
“You used to endure it well even when you saw injustice before, didn’t you? Is there a reason you’re suddenly acting like this?”
“……”
Odekerkh remained silent, avoiding my gaze. It was because he had once turned a blind eye even when he knew the 5th Prince was being attacked.
“Still, isn’t it right to help? It’s not just any matter…”
“What kind of matter is it?”
I cut Adellian off sharply.
At this, Adellian frowned deeply and strained her eyes as if to ask how I could not know.
“Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
“Then does our young lady know so well?”
“What? Ha! Seriously. They’re buying and selling people. People.”
“That’s what the event is about. Do you know for what reason that man is doing what he’s doing?”
“He said it’s because the Moonlight Festival is horrible.”
“He’s risking his life for a reason like that?”
“He didn’t say he was risking his life.”
“Do you really think he’s not?”
Adellian, angered by my words, let out a hot breath. But she didn't argue back. It seemed she herself felt that something was strange.
“Something is really strange.”
Piontek said, looking at Nigues who was standing a little distance away.
“He’s hiding something.”
Michelle also chimed in.
“I think it’s right to refuse this.”
Accepting this in a situation with insufficient information was too dangerous. Especially because of the aura Nigues exuded.
‘He’s prepared to die.’
His outside was alive, but his inside was frozen cold. The fishy feeling of a living corpse flowed from Nigues.
A 2nd Circle human, prepared to die, goes to ruin something? That sounded quite dangerous. So I couldn’t move on sympathy alone. The duty of a knight was important. But it was only important within a manageable scope.
“Was it Jordi? That foolish guild. Let’s get out of the Black Market before they make a move.”
It was unlikely we would get any information about the crest either. So it was wise to leave this place.
“We can’t leave.”
Nigues said, approaching me.
I looked at him with a hardened face, as if to ask what he meant.
“All entry and exit are blocked from one day before the Moonlight Festival.”
“W-why?”
A surprised Odekerkh asked.
“It’s because of the management of the items used in the auction. The number of guards will also be more than doubled, so moving freely won’t be easy. And…”
Nigues took out a fist-sized firecracker and threw it on the ground.
This is dangerous.
“Odekerkh!”
Kwaang!
With a loud explosion, the corpses scattered on the ground were blown to pieces.
My companions and I were not particularly harmed thanks to the stone wall Odekerkh created.
“What are you doing!”
I shouted, grabbing Nigues by the collar.
“I need you.”
Nigues looked at me with intense eyes.
“But I don’t need you.”
What's the point if only one person needs it? We have to work together if we both need each other.
Sizzle.
The exploded firecracker began to burn again, emitting red smoke. It wasn't ordinary smoke.
It was smoke that emitted its own light.
I looked at Adellian. She, too, seemed to have recognized the seriousness of the situation and was circulating her mana, imbuing it into her sword.
“It’s useless.”
Nigues said.
At that moment, a spray of water shot out from Adellian’s sword.
“Why is the smoke…”
The embers were extinguished by Adellian’s water spray. But the intensity of the smoke grew even stronger.
“Didn’t I say it’s useless?”
Nigues let out a weak laugh.
Seeing this, a hot energy surged up from within me.
Thwack!
My fist sent Nigues’s face crashing to the ground.
“Do you not know where you are?”
“I know. Very well.”
Nigues looked at me with strained eyes.
We were in the center of the Black Market, right in the front yard of where the manager works. So the sound of the explosion must have reached the ears of those who manage the Black Market. They must have seen the shining red smoke as well.
Beep!
“Intruder!”
The Black Market guys were moving quickly.
“All directions.”
Michelle looked around with panicked eyes.
Just by looking at her face, I could tell. All paths were blocked now. If we tried to escape with all our might, we might somehow manage, but it would be difficult to avoid serious damage.
“M-Maxim.”
“I think something big has happened.”
“Shouldn’t we run from here?”
Odekerkh, Adellian, and Piontek each spoke in urgent voices.
I maintained a calm atmosphere and raised my mana.
‘There must be a way.’
Damn it… Is it because of the Moonlight Festival or something? It's packed on all sides.
There's no gap to escape through.
“Please help me.”
Nigues said, looking at me. No, he had been looking only at me ever since he said he needed me.
“Who created this situation? How can you help here? I can’t even see a way out for myself.”
“I can stop them. You and I can get out of here without a scratch.”
The sound of footsteps closing in on us grew clearer.
“There they are!”
“Catch them! Don’t let a single one escape!”
“The Moonlight Festival is just around the corner! There must not be any problems!”
“It’s okay to kill them! Don’t let them be!”
The voices were also excessively clear. The shadows of the guys rushing in beyond the fog also grew darker.
The number of guys caught in the mana wave, the intensity of their voices, the degree of their footsteps. At least 40 to 50 people.
‘Should I use a Saga?’
I could deal with all of them rushing in. But the problem was what came after. A larger number of pursuers would be attached. And not long after. I, having used a Saga and depleted my mana, would not be able to even hold my body properly. Adellian, Piontek, Odekerkh, and Michelle would not be able to shake off the pursuers while dragging me along. Then everyone would die.
“Say it. That you’ll help. Then I’ll make a way.”
Nigues forced a choice.
“Alright.”
“Are you saying you’ll help?”
My, my. He’s unnecessarily meticulous instead of just letting it slide.
“I said I’ll help!”
“Understood.”
Nigues raised his hand high.
I gestured to my companions, telling them to come closer.
“May the flowing become a wall and bind everyone’s feet.”
Nigues spoke softly. At that moment, the surrounding fog began to change its form. The damp feeling that had touched our skin disappeared completely. Instead, a thick fog rose up in front of our enemies.
“Th-the color?”
Odekerkh said, seeing the change in the fog.
The color of the fog changed from white to gray, to blue, and to black.
I looked at Nigues. The terrible fog that had confused our eyes was his work.
‘A man who swore an oath to Aquoris.’
He wasn't 2nd Circle either. To create this much fog and maintain it for a long time would require a considerable amount of mana. He had to be at least 3rd Circle or higher.
“What is this!”
“Shit! There’s a mage!”
“Do something about this!”
The fog gathered together and brought darkness to them. But this was not enough to break through the crisis. I needed to prepare something else…
“Friend who uses lightning.”
Nigues called out to Piontek.
“Please shoot some lightning at me.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s no time, so hurry.”
Following Nigues’s request, Piontek drew out his mana.
Kwaang!
“How can this be?”
Piontek, who had shot lightning at Nigues, was greatly surprised. Not only him, but everyone who was watching was surprised. It was because the falling lightning was sucked into the fog that had been gathered by Nigues’s hand.
“Kraaak!”
“Kaak!”
“Kiyaaaak!”
Screams erupted from all directions. The sound of something burning also echoed. Following that, black smoke billowed up.
Nigues, who had been breathing heavily, cut the air with both hands. The wall of fog collapsed as it was. And dozens of people who had been burned by electricity were revealed. It was a far greater number than I had expected.
“It’s dangerous to stay here, so let’s move.”
Nigues, having composed his breathing, started to run ahead.
I looked at him silently.
‘Damn it.’
A 3rd Circle mage asked me for help. And he was risking his life for it.