Chapter 417: The Underground Magic Black Market
"Why did you suggest we come here?" Sorano asked Noah, voicing the question on everyone's mind.
"I asked Lucy, and she mentioned there's an underground magic black market in this town. So, I figured we'd pay it a visit," Noah explained.
"You want to study this world's magical knowledge, don't you?" Ultear immediately deduced his motive.
Noah nodded. The Edolas Fairy Tail surely possessed a wealth of magical knowledge, but suddenly interrogating them for it would have been highly inappropriate. An underground black market, on the other hand, was the perfect alternative: a straightforward transaction of goods for money.
"I'm also curious about the magic here and how it differs from ours," Laxus chimed in, and most of the others nodded in agreement. Having spent so much time with Noah, his insatiable curiosity for magical knowledge had inevitably rubbed off on them.
"Then let's go together," Noah said, and the group agreed.
Guided by Lucy (Edolas), they navigated through a labyrinth of winding streets and narrow alleys until they finally arrived at a highly concealed corner.
A flight of stairs led downward, disappearing into pitch-black darkness.
"Wow, this is incredibly hidden!" Meredy whispered, amazed by how long it took to find the entrance.
"They have no choice. If it weren't this well-hidden, the black market merchants would be immediately arrested by the Royal Army. After all, selling magic is strictly prohibited now," Lucy (Edolas) said, spreading her hands helplessly.
"We have people like this in our world too. They hide just as well; it's how they survive. Sometimes, information or items that are impossible to find through official channels can be easily acquired from them. When you girls start taking on harder missions, keep them in mind as a potential resource.
"However," Noah cautioned, shifting into 'lecture mode' for Meredy and the younger girls, "always remember that these merchants are rarely good people. When dealing with them, prioritize your safety above all else. They are not benevolent samaritans. If you drop your guard, they will not hesitate to exploit or harm you."
"Understood, Noah-nii!" Meredy, Yukino, and Wendy chorused obediently.
"It's true that most black market merchants are shady," Lucy (Edolas) admitted. "But the guy I'm taking you to is an exception. He used to own a legitimate, thriving magic shop. When the King's decree was issued, he was forced to choose between abandoning his livelihood or becoming a criminal. Because he loves magic and couldn't bear to let his life's work disappear, he chose to become a black market merchant, living his life constantly on the run from the Royal Army."
"It seems the King's decree has upended countless lives," Erza observed thoughtfully.
"Yeah. Every city has people like him to some extent. That's the only reason our guild has managed to survive this long," Lucy (Edolas) sighed heavily.
"Alright, let's head down. We shouldn't linger out here," Mirajane suggested.
The group agreed and descended the long, dark staircase. At the bottom, a single, flickering candle illuminated a sturdy, closed door at the end of a short corridor.
"I'm going to cast an illusion to blur your features. It won't change how you look drastically; it will just make your faces indistinct and unmemorable to anyone outside our group," Noah informed them.
Everyone nodded. Noah snapped his fingers, and the subtle illusion settled over them. From an outsider's perspective, their faces would look incredibly generic, impossible to recognize or remember.
Confirming everyone was ready, Lucy (Edolas) stepped up to the door and tapped a specific sequence on a hidden panel near the frame. A series of mechanical clicks echoed, and the heavy door slowly swung open.
"The door opened with machinery? I thought you said magic power was precious here?" Earth Land Lucy asked, confused.
"It is. That's why the door operates purely on mechanics. Since magic power is so scarce, most people rely on mechanical engineering whenever possible to conserve energy," Lucy (Edolas) corrected her.
"Ah, that makes sense..." Earth Land Lucy nodded.
Lucy (Edolas) led the way inside, and Noah's group followed.
The room behind the door was surprisingly small. Rows of densely packed shelves lined the walls, piled high with a chaotic assortment of items of all shapes and sizes.
"Ah! Lady Lucy! Welcome, welcome! Please, take a look and see if anything catches your eye!" the shopkeeper, standing behind a cluttered counter, greeted her with immense enthusiasm.
"There are so many weird things lined up here," Happy said, examining a bottom shelf filled with strange bottles, jars, and bizarre contraptions.
"Say, why does this shop smell like mold?" Carla asked, wrinkling her nose.
"Probably because it's underground," Wendy guessed.
"Ohoho! That's because these are all historical, antique items! The mold, the scratches, the smells—that's what we call 'character' and 'heritage,' my dear customers," the shopkeeper laughed, rubbing his hands together.
"Spare us the sales pitch about 'heritage.' The only thing that matters is if they work," Lucy (Edolas) said, hands on her hips. She turned to Noah's group. "There's a lot of junk mixed in here, so be careful what you pick."
"Hey, old man, do you have any fire-type magic?" Natsu asked, having scanned the bizarre items without a clue as to what any of them did.
"Ohoho! For fire magic, I have just the thing!" The shopkeeper beamed, pulling a short, cylindrical handle from beneath the counter. "Edolas Magic: The Flame Sealing Sword! Watch closely..."
He flicked a switch on the device, and a steady blade of fire, roughly the length of a short sword, erupted from the handle.
"See? Incredible, isn't it?!"
"BWAHAHAHA! That fire is perfect for you, Salamander! It's just as weak as you are!" Gajeel burst into roaring laughter, clutching his stomach.
"You bastard!" Natsu flared up, ready to brawl, but Erza quickly restrained him.
"Buy it. Let's see how the fire generated here differs from ours," Noah instructed.
"The customer has an excellent eye!" the shopkeeper cheered loudly, startling Natsu and Gajeel out of their argument.
"I think this one is really nice," Wendy said, holding up a small, exquisitely crafted cylindrical device.
"What's nice about it?" Carla asked critically.
"It's small and cute, isn't it?" Wendy smiled.
"You can't choose a magical weapon just because it's 'cute'!" Carla scolded her, hands on her hips.
"Ah, that is the Air Shatter Cannon! It may look like a cute little box, but if you just open it a fraction like so..." The shopkeeper hurried over, took the device from Wendy, and gently twisted the top.
Instantly, a gentle updraft manifested beneath Wendy's feet, playfully lifting her skirt and fluttering her hair.
"Wow! It's wind magic! It feels so romantic," Wendy said, delighted. She took a small sniff of the generated breeze and smiled brightly. "The wind tastes a bit different too. It's quite nice."
"The customer truly has an exquisite eye!" the shopkeeper beamed. He didn't quite understand why she was talking about the 'taste' of the wind, but praising a potential buyer was always the right move.
Zzzzt! Crackle!
A sharp sparking sound drew everyone's attention. Noah turned to see Laxus holding an activated device that was discharging bolts of electricity directly into his body.
"How does it feel?" Noah asked.
"Incredibly weak. But the composition is somewhat unique, different from the lightning I'm used to," Laxus noted, shaking his head.
"The customer has an exceptional eye for quality!" the shopkeeper praised dutifully.
"If you see anything you like, go ahead and pick it out. Don't be shy," Noah told the group with a generous wave of his hand.
"Yeah!" Everyone cheered and enthusiastically began selecting items, not standing on ceremony.
Noah himself picked out several devices and books that caught his interest and brought them to the counter.
"I'll take these," Noah said, gesturing to the pile he had gathered, along with the items the others had selected.
"Excellent! Thank you for your patronage! The boss truly has incredible taste!" The shopkeeper grinned so widely his eyes vanished. A haul this large meant a massive payday for him.
"The total for everything comes to 505,000 Jewels. However, I'll round it down for you. How does 500,000 sound?" the shopkeeper asked, practically vibrating with joy as he finalized the calculation.
A significant portion of the total came from the large stack of books and intricate devices Noah had selected.
"That's so expensive!" Earth Land Lucy gasped.
"Well, supply is incredibly low, which makes these items extremely precious," the shopkeeper explained smoothly.
"Hold on. We forgot the most important thing. Do you guys even have money?" Lucy (Edolas) asked Noah, suddenly realizing a glaring issue.
"Of course not," Noah replied casually, spreading his hands.
"Then why did you buy so much?! You aren't expecting me to pay for this, are you?! Let me be clear: I don't have that kind of money! Covering your food and lodging is already going to drain my funds!" Lucy (Edolas) stared at him, horrified.
"Relax. I'm not going to make you pay for our stuff," Noah smiled reassuringly.
He turned around, snapped his fingers to deploy a localized cloaking barrier, and clenched his right hand. Magic power surged and condensed rapidly within his grasp. Within seconds, he produced a small, glowing magic crystal—significantly smaller than the one he had given Levy (Edolas), but still brimming with energy.
Turning back, Noah handed the crystal to the shopkeeper. "This contains a substantial amount of pure magic power. How much is it worth?"
The shopkeeper carefully took the crystal and immediately retrieved a specialized scanner from beneath the counter.
Lucy (Edolas) stood frozen, staring blankly at Noah.
She knew exactly how insanely valuable pure magic power was in Edolas. The massive crystal Noah had given the guild was virtually priceless. Even this smaller crystal had to be worth a fortune.
He was literally printing money on the spot! The sheer absurdity of the action left her completely speechless.
"This... this contains an incredible density of magic power! It's worth at least 700,000 Jewels! Are you absolutely certain you want to use this for payment?!" the shopkeeper exclaimed in shock after scanning the crystal.
"Mhm. I'll use it to pay," Noah confirmed firmly.
"Items like this are rarer than dragon scales these days. With the right buyers, I could easily sell it for much more. Tell you what—since you were brought here by Lady Lucy, I'll add an extra 20,000 Jewels to the appraisal. After deducting the 500,000 for the items, I owe you 220,000 Jewels," the shopkeeper offered eagerly.
"Sounds good. Thank you," Noah smiled.
"It's the least I can do. Lady Lucy helped me out tremendously when the Royal Army tried to forcibly search my old shop," the shopkeeper said, looking at Lucy (Edolas) with deep gratitude.
"Oh, come on, that was nothing," Lucy (Edolas) replied, finally snapping out of her daze, a happy smile replacing her shock.
"Regardless, consider this a small token of my appreciation," the shopkeeper insisted.
"Then I won't refuse," Lucy (Edolas) accepted his goodwill graciously.
"Thank you, old man," Sorano smiled at the shopkeeper.
"Have a safe journey, everyone," the shopkeeper waved as he handed Noah the remaining Jewels.
The group waved back and exited the hidden shop.
Once they were back on the surface, Noah reapplied the illusion magic to blur their features.
"You were literally printing money just now! How did you even come up with that?!" Mirajane looked at Noah in amazement, and the others shared her sentiment.
"It's a shame we can't condense magic power like Noah does. Otherwise, I'd love to experience the thrill of printing my own money," Sorano sighed dramatically.
"You shouldn't try that anyway. Haven't you noticed?" Noah addressed the group seriously. "Our magic recovery rate here is significantly slower than in Earth Land. Our world's atmosphere is saturated with ethernano; this world's is not. We cannot draw magic power from the environment to replenish our reserves. You must be careful with your magic usage. If you exhaust yourselves, you won't be able to recover quickly."
"I see. We'll be careful," Erza nodded, her expression turning grave.
"Since I scored an extra 20,000 Jewels thanks to your reputation, just let me know if there's anything you need," Noah smiled at Lucy (Edolas).
"You can literally print money! 20,000 Jewels is pocket change to you! I feel like cashing in my favor for that is a total ripoff!" Lucy (Edolas) complained playfully.
"Haha, this is different. Hmm... how about this? Think of this as a personal gift from me, a small return for the favor we owe you," Noah said.
He clenched his hand again, and this time, he materialized a magic crystal significantly larger than the one he had given the shopkeeper.
He offered the glowing gem to Lucy (Edolas).
"This is too much! I can't accept this. You've already helped us out so much," Lucy (Edolas) quickly refused, overwhelmed by the gesture.
"Just take it. This really is nothing to him," Ultear interjected from the side.
The others nodded in agreement, assuring her that creating such crystals was truly effortless for Noah.
Seeing everyone's insistence, Lucy (Edolas) finally relented and accepted the precious crystal.
~~~
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