Chapter 90: The Black Forest Market
I sighed as I watched the group disappear among the trees, taking the bound young woman with them.
For a brief moment, everything fell silent again.
The campfire crackled softly.
I looked at the pot still resting over the embers and shook my head.
— Damn...
— Now I’ll have to relocate again.
My presence had been exposed.
Even though those guards showed no intention of pursuing me, staying there would be an unnecessary risk.
I’ve never liked trusting the goodwill of strangers.
I immediately began dismantling the camp.
The pot was washed.
The ashes from the fire were carefully scattered across the ground before I covered the spot with dry leaves.
I pulled up every tent stake.
I erased the more obvious footprints using a small branch.
Even the leftover food was buried far away to avoid attracting animals.
When I finished, there was practically no trace that anyone had ever passed through that clearing.
I nodded in satisfaction.
Without looking back, I led the horse into the forest.
Soon, the trees completely concealed my presence.
...
Another day.
...
The night sky resembled a vast ocean of stars.
A silver moon dimly illuminated the path ahead, causing the treetops to cast distorted shadows across the ground.
According to the Biochip’s map...
I had finally arrived.
I stopped for a few moments.
I slowly looked around.
I dismissed the holographic map from my vision.
I carefully compared every detail with my surroundings.
The position of the mountains.
The course of the stream.
The slope of the terrain.
I smiled.
The Black Forest...
I had finally found it.
Without the slightest hesitation, I crossed the tree line.
The darkness immediately seemed to swallow the outside world.
Crack...
My boots crushed small dry branches as I advanced.
That was when I felt it.
My Magic Sense began to tingle.
It was an extremely familiar sensation.
Mana.
Magical particles were scattered throughout the entire area.
In a concentration far greater than normal.
My expression turned serious.
— Biochip.
— Analyze this area.
[Bip!]
[Low-level illusion spell detected.]
[The spell alters the spatial perception of ordinary individuals.]
[Normal humans will continuously walk in circles until they completely lose their sense of direction, potentially remaining trapped for days or collapsing from exhaustion.]
Now it made sense.
The countless ghost stories.
Demons.
Missing travelers.
Most of them had probably just wandered into this forest by accident.
After that...
They had never managed to leave.
Unfortunately, that didn’t mean they all died solely because of the illusion.
Knowing Mages...
If an Acolyte came across a lost human in this place, they would hardly waste such a convenient opportunity.
Free test subjects were always useful.
I continued walking without concern.
The Biochip constantly corrected the subtle distortions in my perception, allowing me to ignore the spell entirely.
A few minutes later...
A voice broke the silence.
— Greetings, Acolyte!
I raised my head.
— Welcome to the Black Forest Magic Market!
A white dove slowly descended from the top of a tree.
It wore a small monocle over one eye and an elegant black hat tilted to one side.
Its yellow eyes shone with unmistakably non-human intelligence.
The creature landed gracefully on a branch a few meters ahead of me.
I observed it in silence.
A Parasitic Beast...
My interest immediately grew.
The so-called Parasitic Beasts, or Bonded Beasts, were creatures whose very essence had been altered through elaborate arcane rituals.
An apprentice or a Mage could create a permanent bond with one of these creatures by separating a fragment of their own soul and fusing it with the Beast’s soul.
From that moment onward, the two would share an inseparable connection.
The benefits were enormous.
The Mage could make use of the creature’s unique natural talents.
Enhanced vision.
Extraordinary senses.
Special abilities.
Everything depended on the chosen species.
However...
The price was equally terrifying.
If the Beast died...
The Mage’s soul would suffer direct damage.
Even severe injuries could permanently reduce their affinity with mana.
In the worst cases...
Their mind would simply collapse.
For that reason, nearly every scholar agreed that a Mage should form only a single bond throughout their lifetime.
Even so...
There were legendary figures capable of maintaining hundreds or even thousands of Bonded Beasts at the same time.
A true living army.
Unfortunately...
Knowledge related to the soul was absurdly rare—so rare that even in the Tower, I had never found anything about it, not even in theory. Naturally, that wasn’t by accident.
I pushed those thoughts aside.
I gave a slight nod of greeting.
— I’m merely a wandering Acolyte.
I looked directly at the dove.
— I heard that any Mage is allowed to trade in this market.
It absentmindedly pecked at a few ants crawling along the tree trunk before replying,
— Correct.
It swallowed one of them.
— This market belongs to the powerful Dubral Family.
It straightened its little hat with one wing.
— As long as you remain within the market’s boundaries, every Mage is guaranteed protection.
It paused briefly.
— Naturally... only inside the market.
I nodded.
A very sensible policy.
— In that case...
— I’d like to enter.
The dove tilted its head.
— Mages enter free of charge.
— Acolytes pay one magic crystal.
I took a crystal from my pouch.
— Here.
I tossed it upward.
The little dove quickly spread its wings and caught it with its claws.
The very next instant, it almost fell off the branch.
The crystal was too heavy for its tiny body.
I watched as it frantically flapped its wings, desperately trying to gain altitude.
I couldn’t suppress a smile.
The sight was ridiculously comical.
After several seconds of struggling, it finally managed to stabilize its flight.
It turned toward me with a clearly irritated look.
As if pretending absolutely nothing had happened.
Then it made an elegant gesture with one wing.
— Follow me.
I shrugged.
— Certainly.
I followed it deeper into the forest.
The farther we went...
The denser the concentration of magical particles became.
The mist grew thicker and thicker.
Shortly afterward, the dove flew straight through it.
I did the same.
The moment I crossed the barrier...
The entire mist vanished.
My ears were immediately flooded with voices.
People bargaining.
Laughter.
Arguments.
The clinking of metal.
The smell of potions, herbs, and alchemical ingredients filled the air.
The dove spread its wings proudly.
— We’ve arrived.
I looked at the bustling scene before me.
For a brief moment...
It was almost like returning to the trading district of Arcangrove Tower.
I slowly walked through the market entrance, observing everything around me.
The first difference from Arcangrove Tower was striking.
There...
Almost everyone was human.
Here, however, it seemed as though half the continent had decided to gather in the same place.
I saw marine humanoids walking naturally through the streets.
Their skin was covered in bluish or greenish scales, and some had small fins running along their arms and necks. Despite their unusual appearance, they traded normally with the other customers.
Farther ahead were men with beast-like appearances.
However, they were not Beastmen.
The Biochip quickly pointed out subtle anatomical differences.
They possessed membranous skin around their necks, resembling small natural collars, and their facial features were far less aggressive than those of traditional Beastmen.
From what I remembered, that species was known precisely for its gentle temperament.
Far more sociable.
Far friendlier.
I continued walking.
Soon I spotted another individual who completely caught my attention.
A Mage.
Or at least, his magical force field made that unmistakably clear.
His body was almost entirely human...
Except for his head.
In place of a human face was the complete head of a goat.
His enormous horns drew attention wherever he went.
Body fusion or a degenerated bloodline.
As I walked, my Magic Sense discreetly analyzed everyone around me.
I noticed something curious.
A good number of those wandering Acolytes were at levels similar to mine.
But...
Their auras were completely different.
They reeked of blood.
Violence.
Death.
Each of them exuded a heavy presence, as though they had survived countless brushes with death.
My gaze turned serious.
The Acolytes from the academies possess far more solid foundations.
However...
Those who survive outside advance with virtually no resources.
That could only mean one thing.
Experience.
Real combat experience.
Every one of those individuals had probably killed far more people than most of the students at Arcangrove Tower.
If any one of those Acolytes discovered my explosive fire crystals...
Especially knowing I was only a Level II Acolyte...
I would most likely be attacked the moment I stepped outside the market.
I made a mental note of that.
While I was reflecting, the little dove in the hat simply waved a wing.
— Good luck with your negotiations.
Then it took flight.
A few seconds later, it disappeared among the rooftops.
Now...
I was completely alone.
Or almost.
— Hello!
A cheerful voice came from beside me.
— Do you need a guide, sir?
I turned my head.
For a moment, I thought I was looking at an ordinary dog.
But a closer look was enough to reveal the truth.
Its body resembled that of a dog.
However...
Its posture.
Its eyes.
Its expressions.
Even the way it carried a small shoulder bag was eerily human.
Numerous scars covered its body.
There were several visible deformities.
On top of that...
My perception detected a strange flow of mana circulating through its body.
Contaminated.
Unstable.
It wasn’t difficult to imagine what had happened.
Some Mage had used this child as a test subject.
The experiment had ended by transforming the child into something that was neither completely human...
Nor completely animal.
Even so...
Its eyes remained astonishingly lively.
Filled with hope.
The Biochip performed a quick analysis.
[Estimated Level: Level I Acolyte.]
I smiled faintly.
— How much do you charge?
Its tail immediately began wagging.
— Just one magic crystal!
I nodded.
— Then show me around the market.
The boy’s face practically lit up.
— All right!
He ran ahead of me.
His tail wagged so quickly that it was hard not to laugh.
As we walked, he pointed in every direction.
— This market belongs to the Dubral Family!
— They protect both Mages and wandering Acolytes.
He pointed to an enormous wooden building located at the center.
— That shop is managed directly by the family.
I looked at the building.
It was clearly larger than every other structure around it.
Most likely the true commercial center of the market.
I continued following the boy.
A little later, I noticed dozens of Acolytes sitting on the ground.
Each of them had a small cloth spread out before them.
Displayed on top were...
Potions.
Herbs.
Ores.
Ancient books.
Parts of magical creatures.
I pointed discreetly.
— Do those stalls belong to independent vendors?
— Yes!
The boy answered immediately.
— You just register your name with the administration, pay a small fee, and they’ll rent you a spot to set up your own stall.
I nodded.
It was practically an open-air market.
A very well-organized one, at that.
The boy then looked curiously at the chests strapped to my horse.
— Sir...
— Are you planning to sell something?
— Or perhaps make an investment?
— The Dubral Family also lends money to merchants.
— The interest rates are very low.
— I’m in no hurry.
I looked toward the center of the market again.
— Just keep showing me around.
— Of course!
We continued walking.
Throughout the tour, I identified several Official Mages.
The boy kept explaining each building.
— This is the blacksmith!
He pointed to a massive stone building.
The constant ringing of hammer blows echoed from within.
— They forge weapons, armor, and special equipment.
Soon afterward, he pointed to another building.
Above its door was the drawing of a test tube.
— That’s the alchemy shop.
— They buy ingredients and also sell potions.
Then he pointed to an elegant building a few meters ahead.
— That’s the auction house.
His eyes sparkled.
— Sometimes incredible things show up there.
I continued memorizing everything.
A few minutes later...
I stopped walking.
I took a deep breath.
The boy walked a few more steps before noticing.
He quickly turned around.
Then hurried back to me.
His tail was still wagging.
— Sir?
He tilted his head slightly.
— Do you need anything else?
I took a magic crystal between my fingers.
Without saying a word...
I tossed it to him.
The little dog opened his mouth and caught it effortlessly in midair.
His eyes lit up with happiness.
His tail wagged so hard it looked ready to fly off.
I smiled faintly.
— Keep it.
— You did a good job.
— From here on...
— I’ll continue on my own.
The boy gave me a clumsy little bow, still carefully holding the crystal between his teeth.
Then he waved at me enthusiastically before disappearing into the crowd at a run.
....
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