"Thank you, Cooper," Helen said to the carriage driver as she descended. Neo followed right after, the assigned guards dismounting their horses in practiced unison.
"So, where is this?" Neo asked, standing before a massive three-story building. Bold calligraphy adorned its facade, spelling out 'Blue Merchants'.
"This is the Blue Merchant store, part of the Blue Merchant Trading Organization. They're very popular." She lowered her voice, making sure no one was listening in. "Even in the Templar Empire."
Neo raised an eyebrow at that but simply nodded in understanding.
"Anyway, I've always wanted to shop in a Blue Merchant store. Now I actually can, hehehe."
RING.
Stepping through the front doors triggered a chime. Helen entered with her cloak drawn over her face, while Neo—dressed entirely in black, hood drawn over his head, green eyes barely visible within the shadows—stood beside her. For a pair trying not to attract attention, they looked thoroughly suspicious.
"Hello there, young miss, young master. Welcome to the Blue Merchant store." A receptionist greeted them with a polished smile. "I'm Cassie. How may I assist you?"
Neo, having no clue where to begin, deferred to Helen while surveying the first floor with his eyes. Examining the neatly constructed stalls lining both sides of the hall.
"We'd like to start on the second floor," Helen requested politely.
They followed Cassie, who handed them two black cards. "These are your second-floor passes. Two hundred gold coins each."
Helen took both cards and made the payment without hesitation. "The passes expire after three days. You'll need new ones to access the second floor beyond that point."
Cassie spoke with professional ease as she led them up the stairs. Upon reaching the second floor, the difference was immediately apparent. Unlike the bustling first floor with its crowded stalls, this level resembled a museum. Artifacts, armor, weapons, and ores—each displayed within individual glass cubes and shelves.
"Wow," Helen breathed, stepping away and leaving Neo with the receptionist.
Cassie noticed Neo hadn't moved from his spot. "Young master, is there a specific thing you are looking for?"
Her face tightened with concern, seeing that look of dissatisfaction her customer had as an insult to her professionalism.
Neo finally spoke. "Can I see samples of your Rank 1 artifacts?"
"Artifacts?....."
"Oh!..... Sure. Please come this way, young master."
Though Cassie struggled to maintain her composure, Neo could clearly see how shaken his request had left her.
Artifacts were essentially relics whose owners were dead. Owning one could dramatically improve an ascendant's combat potential depending on its rank, but acquiring one after an ascendant's death was incredibly rare. That scarcity made them luxury weapons among ascendants.
She led him to a corner display table and opened a transparent case, withdrawing two daggers.
"This is one of the deadliest Rank 1 artifacts we possess for assassin-type ascendants." She spoke as she placed both daggers on the surface of the transparent case, introducing its function.
"It grants its user invincibility for a few minutes with a short delay after each activation of the ability, and you don't have to worry; it was acquired through proper channels, so you needn't worry about retaliation regarding its origin."
Neo had already tuned her out, activating his True Sight to observe the artifact properly. Immediately, its structure unraveled before him.
Artifacts were Relics unbound upon their user's death, and this had become one of his persistent curiosities since he began studying Relic creation.
First came the components of a True Relic: Creation energy, which Relics possessed in the form of a core, and the only energy that can write the language of the cosmos.
Second was spiritual channels, which relics used to absorb energy from the ascendant that wields it.
Third was elemental energy bound into the relic. Provide the elemental particles for the ability written into the Relic in cosmic language.
Then came the expensive part: forging. The combination of rare magical ores and metals served as the relic's base.
Currently, Neo had archived a library of various ores and their affinities. He observed the Rank 1 artifact—which was essentially an F-rank relic while its ascendant still lived.
> Moon Daggers. F-rank. Special ability: Invincibility.
'System, which of these materials do you recognize?'
Neo could observe the internal structure of different materials, gauge their durability in accepting various energies, and cross-reference with the System's archive on known metals.
> Affirmative, Creator. Most ores and metals used in this relic's creation were light-based, most likely to enhance the ability the relic possesses.
Neo nodded. He'd already suspected this.
This was the second time he'd successfully used True Sight on a relic. The first was with Helen's relic, whose internal structure he had already mapped.
Unlike the shoddy craftsmanship before him, Helen's relic was a masterpiece in elemental energy manipulation. The creator optimized her relic, allowing her to form threads of different elements.
But the same creator had done careless work with the spiritual energy veins, resulting in a failure that now limited Helen to only the Light element with her relic. He wasn't about to tell her that, of course. Most of his deductions remained theoretical until he could prove them.
Neo shook his head at Cassie and asked to see another artifact once he finished saving his observations to the System database.
He smiled as they brought out a spear nearly twice his size. When he finally checked the System's compiled information:
> Bloodbloom (Unbound). F-rank. Special ability: Bloodburn.
Neo observed the mix of alloys and rare materials that had gone into crafting the relic. "Hmm... Firestones, Black-ash, Hillcreak wood... System, most of these materials are fire-related, right?"
> Affirmative, Creator. More extensively, the materials are both related to the flame and blood elements.
"I see. Mildew and Soulface Thorns, too. Blood element materials." He paused. "Can I see another, please?"
A flash of disappointment crossed Cassie's face. "Unfortunately, young master, those are the only Rank 1 artifacts we currently have. However, on this floor, we also have a Rank 2 artifact. Will you be interested in seeing it?"
"Rank 2 artifact means an E-rank relic," Neo thought, nodding outwardly.
Cassie beamed, suddenly focused on the possibility of a significant sale. She quickly moved to a display case and withdrew a staff, bringing it closer.
Neo could appreciate the craftsmanship even if he'd need several more years of growth before wielding something like it without looking ridiculous. The spiraling thin brown wood curved from base to tip, with a smooth black substance interwoven between each layer, creating a harmonious whole.
Neo activated his True Sight, examining the wood carefully. "Ghosthail wood? Isn't that a cursed elemental material? What exactly is wrong with the Blue Merchant?
> The System would advise the host to purchase this artifact.
"Huh? Why?"
> Creator, please take a closer look at the secondary material. The density, the weight, the structure—all match one material in my archive.
"What material is that?" Neo asked inwardly while maintaining a calm exterior.
> Space Dust.
"What?" Neo pulled up the specifications for Space Dust and cross-referenced them with his observations. "It really is Space Dust." He quickly calculated.
"How much does this cost?" Neo paused, muttering to the System. "I really hope it's space dust; that was a Rank 3 material used in the creation of an E rank relic. The creator clearly wasted the use of a treasure like space dust."
> The System advises the host not to drool so much over the artifact for more effective bargaining.
"What? droo-"
"Well, if it isn't you." A loud voice cut through his thoughts.
"You know? Staring any harder wouldn't make you understand the artifact. That's why appraisals exist—to know an artifact's true ability. Maybe if you actually read with the time the Tasher family gifted you in the Grand Library instead of showing off, you'd have such basic knowledge."
Ronald strode forward, his guards fanning out behind him.
Neo smiled, trying to recover from the system reminder on drooling. He was just excited. "This kid again, System, tell me, is there something that makes me look like I can be bullied?"
> According to the information within the system archives... There might be a couple of factors, like the delayed growth curve of the creator.
> Does the creator want more information on this topic?"
"..." Neo was speechless. "Delayed growth curve?"
"Did the system just call me short?" Neo was totally appalled at the blunt response... yes, he asked, but he wasn't really looking for an answer.
>The system notices the creator's confused state. The initial information can be further explained by....
"Wait!!! stop stop stop... I understand," Neo screamed out in his mind as the system stopped the explanation.
'Sigh, ' Neo finally turned to Ronald, recognizing the leader from the library confrontation. "How did he even know it was me?"
"Hey, Cassie." Ronald snapped his fingers. "How much does that artifact cost?"
Cassie's gaze shifted nervously between Neo and Ronald.
"Come on, Cassie. Do you honestly think this bum can afford an artifact?" Ronald's smile turned predatory. "I'll even add a little something extra for you to sweeten the deal. What do you think?"
Neo hadn't spoken a word throughout the exchange. But after Ronald's last remark, Cassie's reservations crumbled.
"Young master," she said, looking at Neo, "this artifact costs thirty spirit stones."
"I—"
"See? He doesn't have that much." Ronald quickly placed a pouch of spirit stones in her hand before Neo could respond. "Here."
"Do you still think we shouldn't kill him?" Pandora, who had been watching the entire interaction, chimed in.
"No," Neo replied, his face still hidden beneath his hood. "It's sounding like a really good idea now."
He accepted the loss, unwilling to make a scene, and quietly walked away.
He surveyed several other items on the second floor, his mind elsewhere, when he noticed a particular door that people kept entering and exiting. No one seemed to be restricting access, so he glanced around to confirm Helen was occupied before approaching.
With Pandora perched on his head—invisible to everyone else—he stepped through.
The room inside was surprisingly spacious, nothing like the cramped space its inconspicuous entrance suggested. A wave of sound hit him immediately.
"This is a twenty-four-year-old fallen noble with proper sword training! He has ascendant potential that has yet to be awakened. With a small investment in this slave, you'll have a loyal mercenary for your different desires—if you can think of it, then it's possible."
The auctioneer's voice carried across the room. He added with a suggestive grin, "And for the interested noble ladies present today, as I suggested, he's suitable for many purposes. I'm sure you understand."
The taste in Neo's mouth was unsettling, with his obvious discomfort at a sight like this.
"We'll start the bidding at a thousand gold coins."
"One thousand two hundred!"
"One thousand five hundred!"
"One thousand nine hundred!"
Neo stood frozen, watching the scene unfold. Reading about Zekaa's social structure was one thing. Experiencing it was another entirely.
At the bottom existed slaves, their social standing beneath even commoners. Above them came commoners, then servants whose status typically reflected their masters'. Next were low-ranked noble houses, and finally, high nobles stood just before the Royal family at the peak.
"Sold at two thousand five hundred gold coins. Congratulations." The auctioneer smiled faintly. "That concludes today's auction. The next batch of slaves will arrive in fifteen days, as always."
Neo stared hard at the dispersing audience before finally exhaling. 'Well, there goes human rights out the window.'
He walked back out, heading towards Helen, who was still selecting clothes to try on. He watched her, offering occasional comments, but his mind remained in that room. The reality of this world was finally sinking in.