As we enter Vera, the capital city of Valeria, the sight that greets us is incredible, straight out of a medieval fantasy. Houses are mostly multi-story buildings with wooden frames and plastered walls, and the cobblestone roads are lined with tall lamp posts. There is no electricity in this world, so I guess these lamp posts must be powered by some sort of magical stone. It is almost noon, so the streets are bustling with activity, filled with pedestrians, animals, carts, and the occasional carriages or horse riders. Here, I can see all kinds of fantasy races: humans, beast-men, elves, dwarves, all living together and speaking the same language, which I can easily understand. Surprisingly, the sanitation here is really, really good. There are no open sewers, and people seem to keep a good habit of not littering in public spaces.
"Master," Sophia whispers to me. "As you can see, Vera is the biggest and busiest city on the continent."
"Indeed," I nod, quickly blending into the stream of people flowing through the street.
But according to Sophia, this is still nothing compared to Vera at night. It has many names. The Capital of Light. The City that never sleeps… Thus, its true beauty will only be revealed under the moonlight, and I can't wait to see.
As we weave through the crowd and reach the main market, our senses are immediately enveloped in a tapestry of aromas—roasted meats, freshly baked bread, and the sharp tang of various spices emanating from open-air food stalls.
However, we are not here to sightsee or sample new foods.
"As expected, they are there," Sophia murmurs, tugging at my sleeve.
My eyes follow her pointing finger, and I immediately signal Yumi to stay closer to me and be more careful.
As I thought, the King has already issued the wanted orders. Our faces are displayed on the posters plastered on the notice board, each of us with a bounty of two million crowns on our heads.
Curious, I ask Sophia about the value of the amount—essentially, how much a loaf of bread or a kilogram of meat costs in crowns. After her explanation, I do some quick calculations. Interestingly, it seems that one crown is roughly equal to one US dollar. With a bounty of two million crowns per person, the total translates to six million dollars for the three of us.
"Let's move," I whisper, and we slip away from the crowd, careful not to reveal our faces. The hefty bounty is the reason we need to reach the black market as soon as possible.
As we proceed, Sophia leads me into a narrow alleyway, a stark contrast to the lively atmosphere of the main streets. Here, it is quieter; the lamplights are fewer and the shadows more pronounced. We stop in front of an old pub named The Jumpy Hare. Then, instead of entering through the main entrance, Sophia guides me to a back door. This hefty wooden door bears no sign.
"Master, this is not an ordinary door, but an enchanted one," Sophia explains. "If you just open it as it is, you will find a room with nothing. But if you knock on it with a specific pattern like this..."
Knock.
Knock knock.
Knock.
Knock knock.
The door creaks slightly open, revealing an eye, old and wrinkled, examining us intently.
"Password?" a raspy voice asks.
"Basilisk's tears," Sophia whispers.
The door swings fully open, inviting us inside. Then, it immediately closes once we have all stepped in.
But we are not there yet. We then have to descend a steep, dark, and narrow staircase leading underground. After about five minutes, we reach the bottom, and the black market unfolds before us.
"Oh, this place is huge!" I exclaim, not expecting such a large market, especially after navigating through such a narrow entrance.
It is essentially a market inside a spacious underground area, roughly the size of a football field. The atmosphere is thick with tension, and lanterns cast feeble blue glows that only slightly cut through the gloom. Instead of established stalls, shady figures display their wares on rugs or mats spread out on the ground. This setup, I surmise, allows merchants to quickly pack their items and flee if necessary. Everyone here dons a mask or hood, concealing their identity. In this place, discretion is a must.
"Yumi, stay close," I whisper. The girl complies, clutching onto my arm.
As we proceed further, the distant sound of dripping water echoes through the vast underground chamber, and there is a persistent, earthy scent overlaid with the sharp tang of metal and the smoky fragrance of burning herbs. I quickly survey the various merchants. Some are selling vials containing various substances, while others offer weapons and books. Monster parts and a myriad of herbs are also on display.
Interestingly, I'm also noticing some signs that read "Platinum trade."
"Sophia," I whisper. "Do people here trade platinum as well?"
"Ah, yes! Platinum is really, really valuable here! It's even a hundred times more expensive than gold!"
"Oh? Is it because it's too rare?" I press.
"Yep! But that's only one of the reasons."
She then explains it to me in more detail. Turns out, this silver-white metal has the unique property of disrupting mana flow, effectively interrupting spells. It can be crafted into weapons to counteract magic users and monsters that depend on magic. On the other hand, armors forged from platinum can shield its bearer from magical assaults, making them a perfect choice to go against a mage.
However, just as I hypothesized, platinum is exceedingly rare, making it incredibly expensive. The kingdom even goes to great lengths to hoard and restrict the supply of it. As a result, the black market has become the prime venue for platinum trading, offering the most competitive prices. Despite this, a gram of platinum still commands a price a hundred times greater than its weight in gold, and among the so-called platinum equipment available here, many are nothing more than cheap fakes. Genuine items with more than three percent platinum content would already be considered a treasure find.
Knowing that, I can't help but grin. I have platinum with me—pure platinum from Earth, right in my pocket.
But, of course, we didn't come here merely to trade metal. Our primary objective is located in a remote corner: an accessory shop managed by an impressively tall, muscular man with wolf ears.