The silver staff is dirty. Did this guy kill a clergyman, a Divine Magician from the church?
At that moment, the room fell silent, and many people turned their curious gazes toward Oliver.
Many of those in this black market, though anti-church, were mostly people who had been persecuted by the church.
Killing a clergyman was not something just anyone could do!
The regular clergy of the Church were almost all Divine Magicians, and a trainee priest like Oliver would never be able to truly become a clergyman without The Divine Circuit.
So, killing a clergyman was an extremely difficult feat!
At this moment, as the crowd looked on, Oliver hid his face in the hood of his cloak. They couldn't make out his features, which only fueled their curiosity even more.
This guy doesn't seem to have the aura of The Divine Circuit on him. Could he be hiding it? Or perhaps he's using an illegal spell?
Meanwhile, the blacksmith owner picked up the silver staff and, after carefully inspecting it with a magnifying glass, said seriously, "Young man, this is quite a fine piece. I'll offer you a flat price of 500 silver coins. We'll take it off your hands. What do you think?"
Oliver thought for a moment, felt the price was fair, and nodded.
"Okay."
As they exchanged words, some of the Divine Magicians present became even more emotional.
Some of them had worked in the Solon mining area outside the city, stealing materials or battling wild beasts, risking their lives from morning until night. A group of them together could only earn 100 silver coins a day, which made money hard to come by.
But this young man in front of them, selling a silver staff for 500 silver coins?
It seemed that killing clergymen really was a lucrative business!
But, was it really so easy to kill one?
They often tried to find a solitary clergyman to target but rarely found the opportunity. Yet, this young man had actually pulled it off.
Could it be that he was far stronger than them, the veteran anti-church Divine Magicians?
A seasoned anti-church Divine Magician couldn't help but laugh. "This kid's a new face, isn't he? He's got a lot of potential. He might just end up in the Shadow Covenant!"
The Shadow Covenant was a small organization made up of the strongest anti-church figures.
It was said that once you became a member, you gained privileges in the black market.
For starters, you'd be exempt from transaction taxes, which for newcomers like Oliver, could be as high as 20%. That meant that for the 500 silver coins Oliver got from selling the staff, 20% would be taken as tax.
Oliver would only receive 400 silver coins.
In addition, some high-ranking Shadow Covenant members had access to even higher levels of the black market, where they could buy contraband that wasn't available to outsiders.
There were also rumors of a legendary black market safe house. Allegedly, if you knocked on the shadows on a wall in certain locations, you could be transported to a safe house that the church couldn't find.
It sounded like a legend, but there were those who swore they'd seen it with their own eyes...
At that moment, when someone mentioned Oliver's potential for joining the Shadow Covenant, a young Divine Magician in his twenties named James arrogantly raised his chin and said, "Joining the Shadow Covenant isn't so easy!"
James wore a gray raven insignia on his chest, marking him as one of the Shadow Covenant members.
"To become a member, you have to kill three clergymen!" he declared.
"It took me three years just to barely qualify!"
His boastful words left some in the crowd displeased, but considering his impressive track record, many could only cast envious glances his way.
"Our Glensorne City black market has absorbed over five thousand members, but fewer than five people join the Shadow Covenant every year, and most of them are heirs or disciples of original members."
"For ordinary people, becoming a Shadow Covenant member is incredibly difficult."
A blacksmith apprentice also chimed in.
Among the anti-church crowd, there were different tiers, with those of higher strength receiving better treatment.
If one wanted access to more contraband or even to learn the secret techniques required to use illegal spells, the only way to obtain them was to join the Shadow Covenant.
But to join, one had to hunt down powerful clergymen—and kill three of them.
The difficulty of it was obvious.
However, if successful, the status and wealth were unparalleled.
In addition to tax exemptions and the legendary safe house privileges, high-ranking Shadow Covenant members could also buy into black market stores and share in the profits.
There were only seven stores in the black market, each one generating immense profits.
If you could share in the dividends, you'd just sit back and collect money, even without lifting a finger. The earnings would be credited on time!
"Anti-church people have their share of poor and rich..."
Oliver couldn't help but quietly reflect as he accepted the 400 silver coins from the blacksmith owner. The weight of the coins in his pocket gave him a deep sense of satisfaction.
He couldn't resist stopping by the food stall next door and sitting down.
The store was dimly lit, with a warm fire burning in the corner. The smell of stew and freshly baked bread filled the air.
Oliver ordered a loaf of buttered bread and a jar of beef stew.
The total came to 2 silver coins.
Though the price seemed high, it was actually cheaper than the food available outside under the rule of the clergy.
Especially the beef stew, which was rich and flavorful, with every piece of beef tender and juicy.
Under the Holy See's rule, ordinary food had become a luxury. Beef and vegetables were reserved for the nobility, and common folk could only eat a paste made from cockroach protein or nibble on bread laced with wood shavings.
A similar meal of beef stew and bread would cost at least 5 to 10 silver coins in the outside world.
Oliver used to earn only 7 silver coins a week, so he couldn't have afforded it.
Now, he enjoyed the delicious bread and stew, and as he sipped a cup of rich red wine, he savored the soothing taste.
It was a flavor he hadn't tasted in years.
He couldn't resist ordering more food and another glass of wine, which cost him 5 silver coins in total. Satisfied, Oliver thought, It's so good to have money!
He now had more than 500 silver coins in his pocket. Of course, there were still many things he planned to spend money on. He hadn't come to the black market just to eat.
During his meal, though, he hadn't wasted any time.
He had been eavesdropping on the conversations of the other diners, and from their talks, he gathered some valuable information.
"Master Hector of the Magic Prop Shop is aggressively buying The Divine Circuit, with a bid as high as 1,000 silver coins!"
The Divine Circuit?
Oliver just so happened to have one.
But he wasn't planning to sell it right away.
"The Divine Circuit? Isn't that risky to buy? If I had one, wouldn't I just have it modified and installed for myself?"
"Exactly, that's why the price is 1,000 silver coins. Plus, Master Hector promised that if anyone sells them three Divine Circuits, they'll cover the modification fees and either install a new clean one or help upgrade the one you already have..."
The cost of modifying the Divine Circuit was also extremely high, with such an offer, someone might very well be tempted.