Chapter 120
The market near the loading bay.
The streets were filled not only with people but also with carts loaded with goods.
Efforts to widen the roads and divide the areas to manage the crowds were noticeable, but the place was still overwhelmingly chaotic.
Even so, the movent of people and goods was sowhat orderly, thanks to those managing the flow. Whoever designed it had done so thoughtfully.
Ian was about to walk inside without much thought when Eor, walking beside him, stopped in his tracks. Ian had no choice but to stop as well and look back.
“Why did you stop?”
Eor’s complexion was pale. He had looked fine when they left the station, but now he seed exhausted.
Ian wondered if the Arbiter of Hellfire had sensed sothing unusual, but the response he gave was unexpected.
“This place… feels suffocating. Just the thought of going inside is already tiring.”
“…And?”
“Sigh. I need to rest. There’s a temple over there. It seems less crowded.”
Eor’s gaze landed on an ornate building that looked like a carved piece of art, as though sculpted from a single stone.
It was a temple dedicated to the First Lord, Tessa of Consecration.
“I’ll talk with the brothers there for a while. You can look around at your leisure.”
Without waiting for Ian’s approval, Eor walked off.
As usual, he did as he pleased. But there wasn’t much Ian could do to stop him. After all, Eor hadn’t officially been assigned to accompany him.
“……”
Since he didn’t need Eor’s help right now, Ian entered the market alone without hesitation.
In so ways, this worked out better. Gaum was practically his hotown.
Before crossing into the Empire of Xail with the Hero, he had spent a long ti here.
He might not know every corner of the city, but he was familiar with it, especially the market. He could confidently say he knew it like the back of his hand.
As soon as he passed through the entrance, a familiar and appetizing sll wafted over him.
Thick chunks of at skewered on wooden sticks were being grilled over open flas.
Each drop of juice from the at caused the fire to flare up dramatically.
Whoosh!
A burly man was tearing into a skewer in front of one of the stalls with a wild appetite.
Ian instinctively checked his pocket. Finding so spare change, he bought one for himself.
It was a bit chewy, but there was no unpleasant sll, and the spicy seasoning suited his taste perfectly.
Carefully avoiding collisions with others, Ian continued exploring the market.
‘Nothing’s changed.’
The market was just as noisy and bustling as ever. It was the sa feeling he had experienced back then.
The food stalls, the goods displayed on the stands—it was all familiar.
As Ian was smiling faintly, a man approached him, head slightly bowed, staring at the ground as he walked.
It was the perfect setup for a collision.
Ian imdiately sensed the man’s ill intent. As the man’s shoulder approached, Ian dodged and caught the hand reaching for his pocket.
“Huh?”
Ian twisted the man’s wrist and pressed the greasy skewer into his palm.
“Argh!”
The man let out a groan, but in the noisy market, few paid attention.
At most, a few passersby glanced over before continuing on their way.
Ian walked away as if nothing had happened.
A piercing gaze followed Ian from behind, but the presence soon disappeared.
As he casually looked around the market, many familiar faces ca into view. He resisted the urge to greet them and continued walking, only to sense sothing unusual.
‘Huh?’
Goods that should have been extrely popular on the stands were nowhere to be found.
That wasn’t all. Byproducts said to be worth their weight in gold were being purchased for surprisingly low prices. And it wasn’t just one or two items.
‘Could this be a chance to make so serious money?’
It was only natural given that he had returned to the past, but he realized it too late.
Ian had regressed, and that ant he knew the future.
Although he didn’t recall exact dates or tis, he rembered which items would beco trends or which trading companies and workshops would grow rapidly.
Caught up in honing his skills amidst various incidents, he had forgotten about simpler ways to make money.
‘I have enough starting capital.’
Not only did he have hundreds of gold coins on hand, but he could also raise thousands if needed.
With a black card in his possession and reasonably good relations with his family, he could rely on them for additional funds.
Although certain events, like the movents of Battle Wraiths, had begun to deviate from the future he rembered, the major developnts likely remained unchanged.
In short, a well-placed investnt in a single trading company could yield both the principal and imnse profits.
‘Once this task is done, I should seriously dive into this.’
There’s no such thing as a risk-free gamble, but the thought of turning thousands of gold coins into tens of thousands made him smile.
His head was practically in the clouds. However, a different problem soon ca to light.
When he reached his destination, the area that should have been occupied by the Silverwave Trading Company was empty. Not a single item was on display.
‘This should be the place.’
It wasn’t possible for him to get lost in Gaum’s market, of all places.
The Silverwave Trading Company had occupied this spot for years, and now there was nothing. It was bewildering.
‘Can things really go this wrong?’
Just as Ian considered heading to the adjacent area to ask around, soone spoke to him first.
“Are you looking for the Silverwave Trading Company?”
Ian turned toward the rough voice and saw a middle-aged man wearing a white robe. Ian imdiately guessed his identity.
‘White Owl.’
Only they would wear such high-maintenance robes like this.
When Ian’s gaze dropped slightly, he noticed the white mask the man was holding.
Seeing Ian’s focus, the man smirked and casually hid the mask behind his back.
“Ah, don’t mind this,” he said with an awkward chuckle.
The man’s attitude felt strangely out of place, but he continued speaking without hesitation.
“It seems you’re looking for the Silverwave Trading Company, but unfortunately, they’re not here anymore.”
“Why?”
“They were expelled. Not long ago, one of our seniors drew a sword against none other than a Level 6 Lord.”
It was exactly what the rcenary guild staff had ntioned.
“So, it wasn’t just a rumor.”
“Of course not. We don’t shy away from a fight. If we’re tasked with escorting soone, we see it through, even if our opponent is stronger. Running away out of fear isn’t our way.”
“That’s a fair point. Hearing it like this makes it sound quite reasonable.”
“Right? But don’t worry about rumors like us drawing swords at the slightest glance. Look at .”
Ian let out a dry laugh. That might be true for now, but in the future, even the wildest rumors would beco reality.
“So, what brings you here?”
“I’m doing so volunteer work for the trading company head. If you need directions, I can guide you. Follow .”
Ian considered calling Eor but decided it wasn’t necessary.
Following the man who led the way, Ian noticed how the passersby recognized him and quickly avoided his path. It seed the reputation of being better off not provoking him was well-ingrained.
After walking for quite so ti, the bustling crowd began to thin as they moved away from the market.
“Hey, so why are you looking for the Silverwave Trading Company?”
“I heard they deal in artifacts. I wanted to see if they had anything worthwhile.”
“Oh~ A fine choice. Their prices are a bit steep, but from what I’ve seen, they have plenty of good stuff. Still, you’ll need to choose carefully. I’ve spotted a few cursed items among their stock.”
“Do you have any recomndations?”
“Well, that depends on what kind of artifact you’re looking for. I’m not a rchant, just a rcenary. If you’re looking for sothing specific, you’ll need to ask them directly. They’re quite helpful. Here we are.”
In front of the store stood a group of rugged rcenaries. Despite their intimidating presence, they were quite orderly. Upon closer inspection, so of them wore white masks near the entrance.
“Good luck finding sothing useful.”
With that, the rcenary turned and retraced his steps, leaving Ian to handle things on his own.
Ian glanced at his departing figure before heading toward the store.
The masked individuals outside avoided making eye contact, their heads tilted skyward as if actively refusing to look at anyone. However, their restless fingers, which hovered near the hilts of their swords, betrayed their unease.
Inside, the shop displayed a variety of items.
There were weapons like longswords, daggers, maces, and spears, as well as defensive gear such as leather gloves, pauldrons, cloaks, and robes.
Even accessories and jewels were on display.
One could describe it positively as an all-purpose store—or negatively as a cluttered bazaar.
However, all these items exuded traces of magic, indicating they possessed special properties.
Unfortunately, there were no labels to explain their features, forcing custors to rely on the rchant’s explanation or specify their needs directly.
What stood out was the notice on the display cases:
“So cursed items are present. Please refrain from touching carelessly.”
Though polite, it felt like a veiled threat. Mixing cursed items among the stock was likely a asure to deter theft.
But Ian could easily discern which ones were cursed just by looking at the display.
“Are you looking for sothing specific?” a rchant asked.
“Do you have anything that amplifies fire-based abilities?”
“Ah, yes! Please follow . How about this? A ruby necklace—an artifact yet to be nad. It enhances the potency of fire-elental abilities. Give it a try.”
Taking the necklace, Ian conjured flas in his hand.
Whoosh!
“Not great.”
The rchant had described it as “amplifying,” but “increasing” would have been more accurate.
While the power was indeed enhanced, the effect was underwhelming—far below expectations. Compared to Freya, the artifact his father had gifted him, its capabilities were insignificant.
“Ah… Then how about this?”
The rchant showed him several more items, but none were satisfactory.
The Silverwave Trading Company was known for its quality goods, but nothing caught Ian’s eye.
Even the artifacts he was shown were more suited for mages than a warrior like him.
“I’ll co back another ti.”
After all, Ian wasn’t here to shop but to investigate whether the White Owl rcenaries had ties to Battle Wraiths.
He stepped outside, noticing the masked individuals still gazing at the sky.
When Ian stared at them directly, one of them shifted his eyes montarily to et Ian’s gaze before quickly turning his head away.
“…Hey, what’s your business here?”
“I’m curious about sothing.”
“What is it?”
“I heard that the White Owl rcenaries draw their swords the mont you make eye contact, but they seem rather polite.”
“…That kind of pointless curiosity is bound to get you in trouble. You look like a rcenary yourself. Why don’t you move along? Or keep your gaze down.”
Ian didn’t respond. Instead, he simply locked eyes with the man, as if trying to peer through the mask.
“I warned you.”
The masked man’s eyes were bright yellow, with stark white sclera.
Well, it was unlikely for Tougui to be roaming openly in the heart of a city located at the center of the defensive periter. This place was effectively a sanctuary.
However, the White Owl rcenaries’ temperant wasn’t much different from Tougui’s.
Hostility flared instantly as the man gripped his sword’s hilt and charged forward, blade drawn.
Even so, it seed he knew better than to cause real harm, as he swung with the flat of his blade instead of the edge.
Clang!
Ian deflected the blade aid at his neck and drove his weapon straight into the man’s shoulder.
“Argh!”
A scream shattered the quiet of the previously silent street.
———–
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