Sovereign of the Ashes

Chapter 517: Public Waters

During this time, Sein’s focus, mana, and constitution levels had nearly tripled.

The resources he had acquired and the depth of knowledge he had mastered were even more remarkable.

Though Zorro’s appearance remained largely unchanged over these twenty years, he had changed in other ways.

After all, he had not wasted his years in the public seas.

Thanks to his decent alchemy skills, Zorro had secured multiple contracts with Blackhaven’s black mages and black knights, who had commissioned him to craft magic items during this period.

The magicoins and various magic ingredients he had amassed were substantial, even for a Rank One mage.

As a result, Zorro had become quite wealthy among the Rank One black mages of Blackhaven.

Even Without Sein’s assistance, Zorro’s earnings from his years in the public waters would have been sufficient to provide Faye with the resources she needed to advance to a full-fledged mage.

Thanks to the traditions instilled by their late mentor, Master Morsidor, the bond between Sein, Zorro, and Faye was significantly stronger and more cordial than what was typical among black mages.

Unlike their peers, they did not have to worry about betrayal from those close to them.

For most black mages, trust and friendships were attributes to be forsaken.

Yet, in some cases, these qualities could be invaluable.

It was likely that other black mages, those who still retained kindness in their hearts, might envy the relationship between Zorro, Faye, and Sein.

When Sein arrived, Zorro had just completed a commission for a customized magic item and was currently selling his wares in a medium-sized black market.

Having traveled across the Western Archipelago and through half of the Magus World, the bustling scene of the black market no longer captivated Sein.

Sein noticed several unique resources from the Knight Continent on offer in this medium-sized market, all priced exorbitantly.

For instance, the corpse of a Rank One creature was listed for over two thousand magicoins. Such pricing suggested that the vendors were driven mad by greed.

However, given the rich blood qi in the corpse and knowing that many black mages in Blackhaven possessed the skill to synthesize undead chimera from such remains, the price seemed justifiable.

This corpse, still teeming with vitality, represented an excellent resource for such synthesis.

From this perspective, the high price tag was understandable.

Zorro steered clear of trading such high-level materials; only black mages of Rank Two or above typically engaged in such transactions.

Moreover, one did not necessarily need to have two thousand magicoins on hand to make a purchase.

Magicoins were only circulated throughout the Magus World and within the Magus Alliance, but it was not the primary currency in Blackhaven.

In Blackhaven, the primary mediums of exchange were energy crystals, souls, and rare ores, with magicoins merely serving as a standardized measure of value, rather than a direct medium of exchange.

Zorro had set up his stall near the center of the black market where foot traffic was heavier. He even installed a metal canopy to attract attention.

The items displayed were the culmination of years spent crafting magic equipment.

Over seventy percent were “little gadgets” below Rank One, while the remainder included ranked magic artifacts, though these were available in limited numbers.

Most of the ranked magic artifacts Zorro crafted were for custom orders, so only a few pre-made pieces were available for immediate purchase.

The bestsellers at Zorro’s stall were pieces of magic equipment suitable for senior initiates and Quasi Mages.

Sein noticed a few copies of “Alchemy Technique Explained” on display and saw that they were actually being purchased by other mages.

Zorro was busy tending to customers when Sein and Leena arrived.

One should not assume the security of the black market was reliable—almost none of the knights and mages frequenting this place were pushovers.

This included those from the divine towers and orders of the knights who, having dared to venture into the public sea for refuge, were not the type to be easily intimidated.

The market experienced violence almost every few days, with battles breaking out and bodies of knights and mages occasionally thrown out.

Zorro’s ability to secure a prime spot in the market was likely due to the influence of Martin, a Rank Three black mage.

Sein would not be surprised if Martin was the one who had built this medium-sized black market.

Given the capabilities of a Rank Three black mage, establishing such a marketplace was not a significant challenge.

Not far from Zorro’s stall, Sein spotted Liliana.

Liliana was a pure Rank One black mage, unlike Zorro who was known for his strong alchemy skills.

She was probably at Zorro’s stall to lend a hand.

At that moment, there was a heated argument in front of Zorro’s stall.

A burly knight in gray armor was pointing at a magic item on display, words flying from his mouth like spit.

Flanking him were two knights, presumably his companions.

The dispute seemed to be a tense bargaining session over a blue arm shield—one of the few ranked magic artifacts on Zorro’s stall.

This item was popular among mages and knights for its small, practical design.

It appeared the gray-armored knight was not really rich as Zorro’s wealthier patrons typically commissioned custom items from him, rarely purchasing the pre-made equipment.

Behind the stall, Zorro, his face covered by a metal mask, was patiently explaining something to the man.

Zorro had always been a calm person, especially after the passing of his late mentor and a defeat by Daelis.

Regrettably, the knight was disrespecting Zorro.

As the argument escalated, it drew the attention of other knights and mages at the market.

The gray-armored knight was shamelessly loud. Despite being unable to afford the item, his voice grew louder as more people gathered.

As long as the situation did not escalate into violence, the black mages aligned with Zorro did not seem inclined to intervene.

However, Liliana and the others were already poised to intervene.

“Ahem, I think 27 magicoins is a fair price for this magic artifact,” Sein suddenly interjected, standing in front of Zorro’s stall.

His interruption captured the crowd’s attention, particularly the loud knight, who turned and glared at Sein menacingly.

After sizing Sein up, the knight sneered. “Where did you come from, pretty boy?”

Before the knight could finish his taunt, a fist enveloped in verdant flame was already flying toward his face.