Chapter 62 - 9.3 : Dimensional Stone
It was only three in the afternoon when Al left school. But instead of heading straight home, he decided to drop by Indra’s place first—a spontaneous decision fueled by a strange gut feeling. When he arrived, he found his friend already dressed and looking ready to head out somewhere.
"Going somewhere?" Al asked, pulling down the hood of his jacket.
Indra gave a small smile. "I’m heading to the fish market to help my dad. Business has been booming since the partnership with Nipponia. My dad’s still short on manpower, so I need to lend a hand."
"Oh yeah? In that case, I’m coming with you."
"Alright, let’s go."
They set out together.
Al glanced up at the sky, which had started to cool even though it was still bright. There was something off in the air. Not quite a bad feeling—just... unfinished. Like the day wasn’t done with him yet. Maybe it was just the lack of sleep. Still, something about today felt like it would lead him somewhere far bigger than simply helping out at the market.
Once they arrived—
The atmosphere at the fish market was stranger than usual. Some areas were buzzing with activity, while others felt almost deserted.
The stalls managed by Indra’s father were overflowing with customers and traders unloading stock, weighing fish, and calling out prices.
On the other side, a few stalls stood eerily quiet—those belonged to the Norvalien family, the previous rulers of Makazhar’s fishing industry. In recent years, their monopoly had begun to crumble, losing ground to Nipponia, a newer player offering better terms for suppliers, vendors, and buyers alike.
Nipponia’s operations focused on quality control, steady modernization, and health standards—things sorely lacking under Norvalien’s reign. Back then, prices were arbitrary, and market thugs or officials constantly harassed vendors for bribes or "taxes."