Chapter 107. The Academy's Black Market

‘Today happens to be the day the black market opens.’

Radel moved his steps, recalling what Pasion had told him.

The location of the black market was near Professor Cailin's workshop.

The fact that the black market opened next to a professor's workshop probably meant that the academy's professors were also turning a blind eye.

According to Senior Pasion, the black market opened only once a month, on the day of the full moon.

And it only opened until just before the dormitory lights-out.

‘More than that, to think the seniors were also secretly going in and out of the dungeons.’

It seemed that breaking the school rules was a tradition of the academy.

It was at that moment when Radel was thinking that he might be a rather traditional person.

He saw a faint light leaking from the nearby forest.

Radel followed the light and entered the forest.

After walking a little, the fog thickened, and he heard a notification sound in his ear.

Ding.

[An unknown magic is interfering with the user's perception.]

[Status Effect Nullification is activated.]

[A hidden space is revealed.]

[The Academy Black Market reveals itself!]

Soon after, the fog cleared, and the black market appeared before Radel's eyes.

To enter the black market, you had to answer a riddle given by a gatekeeper, but thanks to Status Effect Nullification, he had passed with ease.

Radel pulled the hood of his robe down so his face couldn't be seen and looked around the black market.

He had heard that it was mannerly to hide each other's identities here.

A soft light flowed from the magic light bulbs hanging on the tree branches, and a considerable number of students were walking around with their faces covered.

Although it was a place known only to those in the know, it was full of the lively atmosphere of a market.

"You want to trade five bundles of blue sow thistles for one northern oak branch?"

"It's not just a branch, it's a lightning-struck oak tree, I'm telling you."

"If I believe that, I'm a madman."

He could see students haggling at the stalls set up under the trees.

As Pasion had said, the items were diverse, from dungeon rewards and rare herbs to various magical tools made by seniors, and even desserts from famous shops in Marcellent.

"Isn't this moldy?"

"It's because it's a blueberry cake, you know? I even cast a preservation spell on it. What are you talking about, if you're not going to buy it, go."

"No, I'll buy it! How much is it?"

"I won't accept anything other than a frost forget-me-not."

It even seemed that bartering was the standard here, not money.

They won't sell it even if you give them money.

It was a strange sight for Radel.

"Oh? Aren't you my junior?"

As Radel was slowly looking around the stalls, someone spoke to him in a friendly voice.

He could tell it was Anesha just from her voice.

Radel spotted Anesha, who was running a stall, and approached her.

Anesha was wearing a butterfly-shaped mask.

"Senior, you recognized me."

He thought he wouldn't stand out.

As Radel greeted awkwardly, Anesha laughed.

"Do you think just wearing a robe will cover you? Here, I'll give you this, try it on."

Anesha handed a rabbit-shaped mask to her clumsy junior.

"Thank you."

Radel put on the mask on the spot.

Wearing the rabbit mask, he definitely felt his identity was more hidden than before.

Although it looked somewhat suspicious…….

"That's a little better. How did you get here? Did Senior Pasion tell you by any chance?"

"Yes, I didn't know a place like this existed."

"Most first-years don't know. By the second year, most of them know, though."

Anesha said as if she found it amusing.

"Still, it's rare for a first-year like you to come in so early. It's not easy to answer the riddle the gatekeeper gives at the entrance."

It seems it's quite difficult to enter the black market.

Radel was glad that he had been able to just walk in thanks to Status Effect Nullification.

"Do you come here often, senior?"

"Yeah, I come here often. I have things to sell and things to get."

Anesha showed Radel the things she was selling.

On Anesha's stall were displayed the strange potions he had seen at the last Spring Festival, various firecrackers and sticky traps, and jellies.

"What is this firecracker?"

"If you shoot it at a flying golem at the right time, it can block its vision for a moment. It's my secret item."

"I'll buy it."

Radel expressed his intention to buy without hesitation.

It seemed it could be useful when he had to break the school rules at the academy for unavoidable reasons.

"Aha, so you like this kind of thing, junior? I also have a new product I made recently."

Anesha grinned and proudly took out her new product.

"If you spray this on an object, it makes it transparent for about 5 seconds. Isn't that amazing?"

"I'll buy this too."

Radel decided to buy the potion Anesha had taken out without a moment's hesitation.

Didn't everyone have a time when they wanted to sneak a root of a herb from the herb garden during alchemy class? It seemed like a potion made for such a time.

‘Her talent is amazing.’

No matter how much she was an alchemy major, they were outstanding items for a second-year academy student to have made.

He thought there was a reason she was a grade representative.

"How will you pay? I need some white moss mushrooms these days."

Even as she said that to Radel, Anesha didn't have high expectations.

It was difficult for a junior who had come to the black market for the first time to have prepared something suitable for bartering.

On top of that, white moss mushrooms were an ingredient that you had to go near the boss room in a dungeon to find.

It wasn't something a first-year could easily obtain.

"Or I'll just pick from the ingredients you have."

Anesha, who was thinking of trading for some of the junior's ingredients, stopped talking at his following action.

As soon as Radel heard Anesha's words, he had untied the bag he was wearing.

"Ah, I think I have that. Please wait a moment."

"Huh? What did you say?"

Did I hear wrong?

While Anesha was wondering, Radel rummaged through his bag with a serious expression.

And he soon took out a few white mushrooms.

"This is it, right, senior?"

"Goodness…… it's a real white moss mushroom?"

How could a first-year have such an ingredient?

Anesha was admiring it without even realizing it.

"It's incredibly fresh, and the quality is good too. Five of these is enough."

"That's a relief."

As Anesha received the white moss mushrooms and handed over the potion, she asked.

"But what were you trying to buy at the black market that you came so well-prepared?"

It was a question asked because she thought that if he had come this well-prepared, it must be because there was something he wanted to get.

At that, Radel answered nonchalantly.

"I wasn't trying to buy anything in particular. I came to sell."

After finishing his words, Radel set up a stall with a skillful hand.

So many neatly trimmed ingredients came out of his bag that even Anesha, an alchemy major, was surprised.

"Did you trim and dry all of this yourself, junior?"

"Yes. If there's anything lacking, please let me know."

However, even to Anesha's eyes, there was almost nothing to fault.

Anesha smiled with an interested expression.

To think there's a first-year who starts a stall as soon as he comes to the black market.

He was a truly interesting junior.

* * *

"There's nothing good this time."

Ishan Rau, a lizardman, grumbled as he looked around the black market.

He was a research-grade student who had graduated from the academy and remained at the school to continue his studies.

Although he was often cooped up in his lab or out on the field, he would occasionally come to the black market.

It was because he might be able to get the ingredients he needed for his research if he was lucky.

Ishan, with a mask on his face, turned his body.

It didn't seem like any more items would be coming out even if he stayed longer.

It seemed he would have to go to Marcellent and make a separate request for difficult ingredients like monster shed skins.

"Wait, is that……?"

Just then, something caught his eye.

Ishan hurriedly approached a stall in the corner.

Getting closer, he saw that what was spread out on the stall was undoubtedly the shed skin of the monster he was looking for.

"To think there's a wyvern's shed skin in a place like this."

Ishan admired it as he picked up the wyvern's shed skin and examined it.

The shape, size, and preservation state of the shed skin were all perfect.

No matter how much he looked at it, it was unusual.

It was the size of Professor Donton's wyvern, which Ishan had wanted but had ultimately failed to obtain.

"This is almost the size of Professor Donton's wyvern's shed skin."

"It is Professor Donton's wyvern."

The student wearing a rabbit mask who was sitting at the stall said.

"Is that really true?"

"Yes, I heard it from the Cryptozoology major seniors. I received it as a prize at the festival."

At those words, Ishan's eyes lit up.

"I'll buy it. How much is it?"

"Well, I wasn't particularly trying to sell it……."

Radel scratched the back of his neck.

Although he had spread out the herbs he had dug up from the dungeon and the wyvern's shed skin he had gotten as a prize at the festival, he had no intention of selling everything today.

It was more like he was participating to see the atmosphere and check the market price since it was his first time.

In fact, there were a few people who wanted to buy the wyvern's shed skin, but he had been continuously refusing because he didn't like the items they offered.

Just then, Anesha, who was next to him, whispered to Radel.

"That lizardman senior is a magical tool creation major. He's a research-grade senior who lives in our dormitory, and his skills are no joke. Ask him if he has any magical tools."

Magical tools?

The ones that are hard to get even with money?

Upon hearing those words, Radel straightened his posture.

"I don't accept cash."

"Then what do you accept? Tell me what you want."

"I only accept magical tools."

Ishan's pupils became vertically elongated.

Radel was nonchalant even when meeting the lizardman's characteristic glistening eyes.

"Then how about this."

Ishan took out a crystal ball from his bosom.

"It's a magical tool that reads your memories and shows you the scene you want to see again. You can't buy it with money."

"It certainly seems precious. But I don't need it."

"Then this?"

At Radel's lukewarm reaction, Ishan put his hand in his bosom and took out something else.

"If you cough into this handkerchief, it will distract the attention of others. It's a necessary magical tool for a cultured lady and gentleman."

"Unfortunately, I don't think I need it."

After showing a few more things, Ishan ground his teeth at the continued rejection.

"What in the world do you want?"

"Do you happen to have a bag with space expansion magic on it?"

Thinking this was the time, what Radel requested was a space expansion magical tool.

Recently, even the bag Edward had given him was feeling insufficient.

However, he couldn't get a similar one even if he wanted to.

Magic that interfered with time and space was the highest level of magic.

Not only were magicians who could handle it rare, but magical tool artisans were even harder to find.

However, Ishan was a genius among the lizardmen, outstanding enough to study abroad in Marcellent.

He, who had been letting out a hollow laugh, threw a pouch to Radel.

"Take it."

"Is it a space expansion magical tool?"

"Yes. There's enough room for a person to go in."

Ishan, who grumbled that this was a complete losing deal, took the wyvern's shed skin.

"There's a persistent one among the human royalty."

"Royalty? I am a rabbit mask."

As Radel played dumb, the lizardman who had slung the wyvern's shed skin over his shoulder laughed from behind his mask.

"Just as my mask is meaningless, so are you."

After Ishan left, Radel opened the pouch and smiled with satisfaction.

‘So a person can go in too.’