18. Going to the Black Market

After my unexpected splurge at the armor shop, I made sure to show some restraint at the Mage Guild. I limited myself to buying scrolls for <Create Water> and <Detect Magic>. The former cost five silver coins, while the latter was a bit pricier at ten. With my current funds, I could have bought them both without a second thought, but I had other priorities in mind, so I kept my spending to a minimum.

I was ready to move on to my main objective, but the sun was still high in the sky. If I was going to find what I wanted, it would likely be at the black market—and as luck would have it, today was the day one was being held in Cygnil.

The black market was an illegal gathering that dealt in stolen goods, illicit items, and anything else that couldn't be sold through legitimate channels. To avoid crackdowns by the guards, it was held at irregular intervals. The location was usually in one of Cygnil’s seedier districts, but even then, it changed frequently. Word apparently spread only through a private, underground network. Consequently, ordinary citizens living normal lives had no idea when or where it was happening.

So, how did I know about it? The reason was simple: Dolga-san had told me during my [Dagger] lecture. I’d only brought it up briefly during some small talk, but I hadn't expected him to actually know the details.

Is that man actually a law-abiding citizen? I was starting to have my doubts.

I idled away the hours wandering through the streets, waiting for sunset. As I drew closer to my destination, the people around me began to look increasingly shady. Then again, if we were talking about looking shady, most adventurers weren't much better. Plenty of them had intimidating faces, and when you factored in the weapons they carried... well, you get the idea.

Regardless, I realized I might have made a tactical error. Dinner service at the Wildcat Inn didn't last forever. I probably should have eaten before heading out. If I moved quickly and found what I needed, I could probably make it back in time. Probably.

Lost in thought, I eventually arrived at the market's location. A sharp-eyed man stood guard at the entrance, his gaze scanning everyone who approached.

Wait, do I need some kind of invitation to get in?

I felt a twinge of anxiety as I approached, but I managed to slip inside without being stopped. Perhaps he was only watching out for the city guard.

Even though the black market was supposedly a secret, it was bustling with a fair number of people. Braziers and magical lamps were lit throughout the area, casting a brilliant glow that made it easy to see. I had imagined a small, cramped operation hidden from the law, but this was surprisingly large-scale.

Could the authorities be turning a blind eye? Even so, the vendors seemed wary of the guards. It was more likely that some of the watchmen had been bribed to look the other way.

I couldn't afford to dawdle if I wanted to make it back for dinner. I began to scan the suspicious stalls one after another.

They sold all sorts of things—mirrors that looked cursed, daggers with ominous backstories... I couldn't help but wonder who bought this stuff and why. Perhaps they were still on display precisely because no one wanted them.

As I navigated through the stalls, I finally spotted one selling exactly what I was looking for. The owner was a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression. Business was clearly stagnant; there wasn't a single customer in sight.

His wares consisted of questionable items pulled from the dungeon. They weren't illegal to possess, but they were the kind of items that came with such massive drawbacks that no sane, practical person would ever use them.

For instance, there was a Guardian's Charm. It allowed the user to absorb all damage dealt in the immediate vicinity. I could imagine a few niche scenarios where it might be useful, but for the most part, it was junk. If it only absorbed damage dealt to allies, it might have been worth something.

Then there was the Gambler's Staff, a magic tool that fired random bolts of energy. It sounded convenient in theory, but the success rate for actually firing a bolt was only about one in eight. Furthermore, it required a cooldown period between uses, so you couldn't spam it. To top it off, there was a one-in-four chance it would break and a one-in-eight chance it would backfire. It was far too dangerous to be practical.

The rest of his inventory followed the same pattern. The man was strangely conscientious—or perhaps just too honest—as he had prepared wooden signs for every item, dutifully explaining their flaws. No wonder he couldn't move any stock.

However, among that pile of junk sat the item I was after: a Pandora Gift. Sally had warned me to stay away from them, but my curiosity was getting the better of me. I intended to keep my promise and not open them for now, but...

Well, if my Luck stat kept increasing, I might eventually be able to open them with zero risk. Collecting them now wouldn't be a waste of time!

"Mister, business any good?" I asked.

"...A kid? What are you doing in a place like this?" the man grumbled. "As you can see, I'm not selling a thing! Dammit. I heard there was someone out there collecting Pandora Gifts, so I went through the trouble of stocking up, but they won't move!"

It seemed this man had originally been an honest peddler. He’d saved up some capital and was deciding where to open a shop when he heard rumors about the Pandora Gifts. He had used his connections to secure a supply, hoping to make one last big score, only to end up stranded with inventory no one wanted.

The person "collecting" those gifts had likely been my former master. But since I had pulled an Elixir Soma so easily, he probably didn't feel the need to gamble anymore. This poor guy really had no luck.

"How much are the Pandora Gifts?"

"What's it to you? Fine... they're two large silver coins apiece. Any lower and I'll be in the red."

Oof. For an item that was essentially a gamble, that was pretty expensive. Then again, if they were dungeon-only drops that didn't circulate much, maybe that was the market rate. Or maybe the man had been ripped off when he bought them. Honestly, both seemed plausible.

There were four Pandora Gifts on the counter. Buying the lot would cost eight large silver coins. I could definitely afford that.

"Are these four all you have?"

"Yeah, but... you aren't actually thinking of buying them, are you? Don't do it, kid! Look at the sign. Most of the time, they just bring misfortune. A kid like you shouldn't be throwing a fortune away on these!"

I blinked. This man was surprisingly decent. Or, at the very least, he wasn't cut out for the black market.

"It's okay. I just like collecting rare things. It's eight large silver coins for all of them, right? Is a gold coin okay?"

"Ah... no, sorry. I don't have any change on me right now. See? Take it as a sign and reconsider."

Wait, really?

I didn't have any large silver coins on me either. This was becoming a hassle.

"I'll tell you what—one gold coin is fine. You said you were selling them near your purchase price anyway, right? Consider it a tip. I'm definitely buying them."

"Alright, alright, I get it. But it doesn't sit right with me to take more than the price I quoted. Here, just take these other items too. Then we'll call it a deal!"

Ugh. To be honest, I didn't want his other junk.

But then I paused. Maybe items that broke "by chance" would behave differently with my Luck bonus? Besides, continuing the negotiation was going to be more trouble than it was worth. I decided to just accept the extras and head home.