Arcane Innovator

"It's about time..." I smiled with anticipation as I peeked out of the window of Isadora's workshop to see the sun directly above. Now that I've made up my mind to sell the potions on the black market, I need to carefully prepare for it.

That is why I rushed to finish today's work as fast as possible so that I had enough time to set my somewhat daring plan into motion.

The first thing to do after I excused myself from the workshop for the day was to visit the secondhand clothing store in the Northern Quarter to pick up some plain clothes so that I could blend in with the people in the slums.

I still had my poor-villager clothes at the bottom of my trunk from when I first came into the city, but I had already outgrown them, so I needed to buy something new—or, old in this case, to wear.

I entered the store and looked around. Well, more than anything, it looked more like a big warehouse than a regular shop, with plenty of people going in and out. But I didn't let its outward appearance confuse me, as I knew that this was one of the most popular shops in the quarter. Despite never going in here, I knew quite a bit about it as it was situated near my apartment.

Big, open boxes full of haphazardly placed clothes of every kind filled the open space of the warehouse, with dozens of people standing around and rummaging through them eagerly. As the new clothes were very expensive for the majority of people living in the northern parts of the city, they had no other option but to buy them secondhand.

When clothes became worn out but still somewhat usable, most people usually sold them in here and other similar shops around the city rather than straight out discarding them. So the clothes sold here were of varying degrees of quality, and it was up to your scavenging skills and quick hands to try to find a good deal.

I had the advantage that I didn't exactly need good clothes. On the contrary, the more rugged looking, the better, so I went to the less populated boxes in the corner. I picked a simple gray tunic with several holes in it and a pair of trousers that would match it.

I also picked a worn-out cloak with a hood that could hide my face, as I didn't want to take the risk of anyone recognizing me there. I paid a few copper coins for it to the women in charge of the warehouse and went back to my room to give my new disguise a quick wash, as it smelled pretty bad.

Now, dressed for the occasion, I made my way toward the water fountain, where the old Martha was selling vegetables. I quickly spotted her among the other sellers as she was standing there, arranging her goods.

I put on my best innocent-looking expression before cautiously approaching her. "Good afternoon, Martha," I greeted her, trying to sound as polite as possible.

"Ah, it's Darian! What brings you to me today? Are you once again buying vegetables for that grumpy old man?" Martha smiled at me.

"Oh, not today, Martha," I replied with a bright smile. We stumble upon each other here from time to time when I'm going to the market to run an errand for my landlord, so she has already known me pretty well over the last year I have been living in the quarter.

I then moved closer and lowered my voice so that no one else would hear me. "But there is something I want to talk with you about."

"Hmm?" Martha looked at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Martha, I heard a rumor. They say there's a hidden market somewhere in the slums where one can find rare and valuable items. Do you know anything about it?" I asked, trying to sound nothing but curious.

Martha's eyes widened. She glanced around, making sure no one else was listening, before leaning in closer to me. "You shouldn't be asking about such things, child. The black market is no place for someone like you," she whispered, her voice filled with concern.

"I know... It... It's just that I'm struggling..." I said as I tried to look desperate. "You know that I come from a poor family, and I don't have much money... I heard that you can find many rare ingredients for much cheaper prices than in normal shops, and I need them so that I can progress with my training and won't fall behind my fellow apprentices. Please, Martha, you have to help me!"

She released a long sigh: "Even if I wanted to tell you... I don't know how to access the black market."

She then paused for a bit before she looked into my eyes. "But seeing as you have already made up your mind, I will tell you about a place where you can learn more about it rather than seeing you get killed wandering through the slums..."

"Yes!" I exclaimed inwardly while making sure not to let it show on my face.

"There is a tavern in the slums where the locals go to quench their thirst...''She said as she explained to me how to get there. When you arrive, look for a man that goes by the name Limpy Sam, but just call him Sam; he is very touchy about the limpy part." Martha chuckled

"He's an old acquaintance of mine, but we don't see each other much nowadays since he started doing his shady dealings... Just tell him I sent you, and he will tell you what you want to know..." She said in the end.

I looked up at her, "Oh, thank you, Martha. You're the best!" I put on an excited expression that was actually genuine for the most part.

She chuckled, a rare glimmer of warmth in her eyes, before her face grew grim. "Darian... These men you are about to meet aren't like you and me. They are ruthless in what they do, and they will hurt you or even kill you if you do anything that displeases them, so tread very carefully."

I nodded somberly. "I will keep it in mind..." I then said my farewells and proceeded deeper into the dark alleys of the quarter toward the slums.

I wore my cloak, hiding my face, and my potions were safely tucked away under my tunic. The slums were a stark contrast to the streets I was familiar with. Poverty clung to the walls and the faces of the people I passed. I navigated cautiously, avoiding suspicious glances and blending into the shadows.

Dilapidated buildings leaned against each other for support, and everything was submerged in eerie silence as if everyone here was afraid of drawing any attention to them. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I arrived at the place Martha described. Its entrance was unmarked, hidden away from prying eyes.

I opened the shabby-looking doors, and the sounds of raucous laughter and hushed conversations instantly filled my ears. The room was dimly lit, with smoke swirling in the air. About half the tables were taken, as it was still quite early in the day.

I looked at the mix of unsavory characters occupying the tables. I steeled myself and took a deep breath before moving further into the tavern. 'Hmm, so what now?' I wondered as I looked around the room.

'How am I supposed to find this man?' I was apprehensive to just start randomly asking around as I saw the hard look the locals were giving me. But then I noticed a man sitting quietly in the corner who looked somewhat similar to what Martha described.

I looked around one more time before gathering my courage and cautiously approaching him. "Are you Sam?"

He measured me with a hint of curiosity as he saw my short stature, but he couldn't guess my age as I had my face covered. "I might; it depends on who is asking." He said after a while.

"Martha told me you would be able to help me..." I said as I sat next to him and removed my hood to show him my sincerity.

"Martha, you said? Ah! That's a name I haven't heard in a long time. How is she?" Sam said as he looked at me, but then he furrowed his brows. "Wait... you're just a kid!" He said with surprise, "This is not a place for you... Get lost before you get yourself into some trouble!"

I, of course, wasn't going to get deterred so easily after everything I went through to get here. "I need to get to the black market, and I heard you were the one who might help me with that," I replied to him, trying to sound serious.

"Hahaha! You want to go to the market? That's the best joke I heard all day!" Sam said as he burst into a round of laughter. "Listen, kid, the market is invitation only, and there is no way they would let a child snoop around... Why would you even want to go there?"

I didn't want to reveal my cards so soon, but I think I have no choice given the course that the conversation is taking. So instead of replying, I just retrieved one of the vials and set it on the table between us. "I want to sell some potions there."

He looked at the potion before again bursting into laughter. "Hahaha! Kid, it looks like someone pulled one over you..." He then pointed at the vial and said, "There is no seal on the vial, see? It's a fake one. Probably just some colored water..." Sam said with a pitying look.

I just smiled at him before taking out my knife and repeating the same thing I did yesterday: making a small cut on my finger before carefully pouring a few drops of the potion on the wound. The wound disappeared without a trace in an instant. "See? It's real," I said with a smug face.

Sam's slightly amused expression instantly changed into one of utter disbelief. With widened eyes, he carefully looked around before leaning over the table and whispering to me.

"It's real...!? Quickly hide it and don't show it to anyone else around here... Many people would slit your throat for far less than something like this!"

I quickly put the vial back into my satchel and asked him, "So will you help me get to the market?"

Sam thought for a short while before he shook his head. "Well, the answer is still the same; they wouldn't let you in." However, he grinned at me and added, "But I will take you to someone who would be very interested in this potion of yours..."