Lord of The Mysterious Realms-Chapter 61: The Lily and the Black Market
Briny Mikhail was a bit surprised to hear that, but the brilliant smile on her face didn't falter.
"My apologies, I misspoke," she said. "I never imagined a man could take such good care of his skin."
As she spoke, she pulled a ruby from her pocket and placed it on the table. With a light nod to the two men in the shop, she took Hathaway's arm and led her toward the door.
Ding-dong~
The door swung shut. The red-haired girl glanced back, her eyes conveying a silent apology to Jenkins, before Hathaway pulled her onto the waiting carriage.
"She's still a bit embarrassed," Jenkins mused, still a little dazed. "Otherwise, she wouldn't have left in such a hurry."
"Yes."
Papa Oliver picked up the gem from the wooden counter, his expression one of mild interest.
"Is it just me?" Jenkins asked, completely ignoring the value of the ruby as he stared at the shop door in bewilderment. "Or were those two just now..."
"Yes."
"Huh?"
Jenkins turned to look at Papa Oliver. The old man just shrugged. "I only found out by chance recently myself. Neither Briny Mikhail nor Hathaway Hersha will inherit their family's titles. So, as long as they don't get caught messing around with men before marriage and don't make their little hobby public knowledge, there's not much their families can do about it... Nobles, you know. Being a bit eccentric is practically a requirement. I've even heard a certain baron has a taste for..."
"Alright, alright, I don't need to know!" Jenkins exclaimed, throwing his hands up in surrender.
Seeing him still staring at the door, Papa Oliver lazily shifted his gaze from the ruby. "What, interested in her? That might be a bit of a challenge. Don't tell me you've never been in a relationship before? Want me to introduce you to someone? I'll even waive the wedding gift."
"No, that's not it," Jenkins said, shaking his head quickly, though a blush crept up his neck. "It just feels... strange."
He kept the rest of his thoughts to himself. Miss Mikhail was, just as Papa Oliver had said, a complete ordinary person. But if she was searching for a way to become an Enchanter, she surely couldn't know that her "good friend" was a level two Enchanter right beside her.
Besides, wasn't the color combination of the light motes around her a little familiar?
"Oh, well. What's it to me?"
Jenkins shook his head, pushing the matter to the back of his mind for now.
He looked at Papa Oliver. "Is this ruby valuable?"
"It's exceptionally pure. In exchange for that badge of yours, I'd say it's worth about twenty percent more. You should keep it. Many rituals require gemstone powder of this purity, and it's not easy to come by."
He tossed the ruby with his right hand. It traced a graceful arc through the air toward Jenkins, who fumbled to catch it. The stone felt faintly warm in his palm.
"That's the warmth from my hand, not from that noble young lady. Don't get any ideas."
In that moment, it was as if Papa Oliver had gained the ability to read minds, seeing straight through Jenkins's thoughts.
Although he hadn't received the gold pounds he was expecting, the ruby was certainly beautiful. As evening fell, Jenkins bid farewell to Papa Oliver. He hailed a carriage, but instead of heading home, he directed it to the Nesser & Bro. United Bookstore on Sophistu Avenue.
After paying the fare, Jenkins straightened his clothes and slowly strolled into the bookstore.
Literacy rates in this era were low, and since it was a weekday and the kingdom's legally mandated end of the workday had not yet arrived, the shop was nearly empty.
Unlike the overflowing bookstores of his old world, there weren't many books published here. So instead of endless rows of shelves, the shop was furnished with quaint, antique wooden tables set against the four walls.
He took a deep breath.
"Ah, the smell of ink."
Jenkins offered a silent prayer to the Sage, then glanced around. It was easy to spot his book—the style of its cover art was completely different from the others.
He walked over to it and estimated that fewer than ten copies had been sold today. A bitter smile touched his lips. After a moment of hesitation, he picked one up, pulled a few banknotes from his pocket, and called over an attendant to pay.
Just as he had joked to Papa Oliver in the shop, he had genuinely hoped his "Stranger's Story Collection" would become an instant success. It wasn't about the money; it was simply a psychological need for validation.
"Is my writing really that bad? Or is the audience for fairy tales just too small?"
Jenkins walked out onto the street with the book, vexed. He first picked up his repaired clock from the clockmaker, paying the remaining thirteen shillings. Then he passed the grand bank, with its white stone pillars carved with the holy emblem of the Traceless Traveler, and turned onto another street, disappearing into the smog that perpetually shrouded the city.
He was so lost in thought that he completely failed to notice the increasingly strange sound of whirring gears coming from the clockmaker's shop.
Elsewhere, in a corner of the city he couldn't see, the old painter, Mr. Grant, was holding a copy of Jenkins's book and introducing its revolutionary new style of illustration to his art class. Meanwhile, Professor Burns, having signed a contract with the Church and passed their rigorous background check, strode cheerfully out of the half-burnt cathedral. He hailed a carriage on the street and, holding the new book Papa Oliver had given him, headed back to the academy.
If it weren't for the sizable salary he received each week, Jenkins's funds would be dangerously low.
His plans to move were still on hold. The first payment from Mr. Bro for the "Stranger's Story Collection" wouldn't arrive for at least another two weeks, and Jenkins was feeling more and more that living with his family left him with almost no time to himself.
Though his arranged meeting with the huntress was still some time away, he decided to use his half-day off this week to visit the black market.
He was hoping to find an affordable Extraordinary item to complete his trade with Skylark Miss. His recent string of bad luck made him all the more eager to increase his strength.
As for the gold nugget he had brought back from the Mysterious Realm, Jenkins had hesitated for a long time before deciding to store it away for future use.
Just like last time, he paid a fee to the bartender in the tavern, donned his mask, and descended from the cellar into the black market sewer.
The place was as dim as ever, the air thick with a faint, foul odor. Only a few vendors had small, flickering lights illuminating their wares.
Sticking to the shadows, Jenkins passed by one lit candle after another. There was a fair amount of light, but all he could do was look.
"A soul-soothing charm is this expensive?"
He stopped in surprise before a thin figure sitting cross-legged on the ground. This vendor had all their materials and items laid out before them, with prices marked on small paper tags. The price for the soul-soothing charm was three times what he had seen on his last visit.
Chapter 61: The Lily and the Black Market
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