Chapter 2498 Sandworm Market <TOC> Chapter 2500 Red Sword Daus
Translator: SumTLMan
When Angel arrived at the Eighth Lane, the bustling width of the road and the long streets made it hard to believe this was what was referred to as a “lane”.
Isn’t an lane supposed to be a narrow, secluded path? Or perhaps, the people at the Sandworm Market had a misunderstanding about what a “lane” was.
With constant internal complaints, Angel walked into this spacious and lively Eighth Lane.
Although the lane was not what Angel had imagined, its vibrancy and the distinct shops made it easier for Angel to look for Building Numbers.
Building Number 816 sold live sandworms.
Building Number 817 had an unremarkable exterior, and not many people were around it.
Building Number 819 was… the Bliss Pavilion. Although Angel knew that Bliss Pavilions were common in various places, the appearance of this one, wrapped in various entwined sandworms, gave off a peculiar vibe. Was this meant for human amusement, or for the amusement of sandworms?
Shaking his head, Angel continued forward, and Building Number 820 was a small shop selling sandworm skins.
Upon reaching this point, Angel suddenly paused and looked back, 821, 822… each number was distinctly marked. However, Angel did not see Building Number 818!
Angel turned back between buildings 817 and 819, hesitated for a moment between the two shops, and eventually entered Number 817.
This shop, from the outside, did not reveal what was sold inside. Upon entering, Angel discovered shelves full of various jars and bottles. However, these containers were not filled with magic potions but with sandworm powder and some sandworm corpses preserved with preservatives.
“May I help you, sir?” asked a man sitting behind the counter, dressed not like a waiter but more like an elegant, middle-aged nobleman with a mustache.
The mustachioed middle-aged man initially asked casually, but when he saw the Dangros quietly perched on Angel’s shoulder and sensed no aura from Angel, his eyes lit up.
He was always accurate in judging people. The fact that an elemental creature was submissive and the person’s aura was undetectable almost certainly meant he was a formal wizard.
The items that could attract a formal wizard in their shop were invariably valuable, this was potentially a big catch!
With this thought, the mustachioed middle-aged man immediately stood up and approached, smiling warmly: “We have alchemically processed thorny sandworm powder here, an excellent casting material for earth spells. The thorny sandworm is just one of our medium-grade materials; we have higher-grade spell materials too, all usable provided one has sufficient power to release spells.”
He paused, then leaned closer to Angel and whispered: “Moreover, we have a treasure here that is valuable enough to be featured in the Somiya Auction House.”
The mustachioed middle-aged man rambled on, watching Angel with hopeful eyes. If Angel took the bait for the treasure, it would mean a huge profit. Even if he didn’t buy the treasure, purchasing any wizard-grade materials would still be profitable.
However, as the mustachioed middle-aged man waited, he heard Angel ask a question completely unrelated to the materials he had been introduced to.
“I’m not here to buy anything, I just wanted to ask, do you know where Number 818 is?”
The middle-aged man rolled his eyes internally… It was just someone asking for directions! What a waste of his enthusiasm.
The middle-aged man reluctantly returned to his seat and lazily pointed to the side: “This is 817, and 818 is next door.”
Angel: “But next door is 819.”
The middle-aged man yawned: “That means he has temporarily left, his shop is a magical cottage, it moves around.”
“Do you know where he went?”
“Who knows, I’m not close with him. That guy always prefers to keep to himself. When he opened his shop, I once brought over a bottle of sandworm juice to foster relations. He just spat it out, infuriating me.” The more the middle-aged man spoke, the more agitated he became, his eyebrows furrowing deeply.
“Just leave if you’re not buying anything, stop asking about that stinky boy, the more I think about it, the angrier I get.”
Angel didn’t mind the man’s attitude and simply said: “Sorry for the bother.”
Then, he walked out of the shop.
After Angel left, the middle-aged man tapped his fingers lightly on the table, murmuring softly: “He doesn’t seem like the wizards I know… Moreover, he’s looking for the disciple of Aesop. Maybe he’s related to Aesop, who could he be?”
Unaware of the previous shop owner’s speculation about his identity, Angel had already reached the door of Number 819.
Even just standing at the entrance of the Bliss Pavilion, a strong scent of makeup could be smelled.
Unlike the empty doorway of 817, the entrance of 819 was bustling with people. Those entering were all filled with anticipation; those coming out were visibly satisfied.
Angel did not enter the grand doors of Number 819, but approached a waiter at the entrance to inquire about 818.
Initially, the waiter was dismissive, but after Angel casually tossed him a half piece of a magic crystal, his attitude changed to one of eager helpfulness.
“Number 818, eh? His shop hardly opens a few days each month… When it’s not open, nobody knows where he goes…”
Having taken the money, the waiter was quite forthcoming, although still without much information.
A shop that only opens a few days a month, it’s not feasible to wait here to see when it might open again. If it didn’t open at all this month, wouldn’t that be a waste of time?
“Do you have any other information, anything at all?” Angel persisted in his inquiry.
Angel hurried to ask when the waiter hesitated in his speech: “Did you recall something?”
The waiter didn’t conceal it: “I indeed thought of some things, but they are just mundane daily events.”
“It doesn’t matter, go ahead and talk about it,” encouraged Angel.
The waiter continued: “Since I always work here at the entrance, I often get to observe the situation at Number 818…”
What the waiter narrated were indeed ordinary daily matters, all of which he witnessed firsthand. He believed them to be of no value because every shop here sees a constant flow of people, and he had never entered Number 818, so he thought there was nothing special to mention.
However, unbeknownst to the waiter, but caught by Angel, was a critical piece of information.
——Wandering wizards frequently visited Number 818!
Aesop was a wandering wizard, as was his disciple.
Wandering wizards are also known as wilderness wizards or solitary wizards. The nickname might not sound impressive, but these are wizards without a wizard organization, generally lacking a clear hierarchical legacy, yet they are freer than those within organizations.
The number of wandering wizards is not small; many wizards, when outside, often disguise themselves as wandering wizards, leading to an overflow of them for a while.
Wandering wizards are not entirely unorganized. According to what Angel knew, they do form loose groups for mutual support, like the underground group that had targeted Angel instead of confronting Sanders previously, which was composed of wandering wizards.
These types of loosely organized groups are not strictly binding and do not restrict freedom, so many wandering wizards are willing to join.
The largest of these groups is known as “The Cross.”
Whether the actual name is “The Cross,” Angel did not know, and even some of the members might be unaware. They are called this because their robes bear a black cross emblem.
Previously, Angel had seen Aesop at the Star Pool Ruins wearing a robe with The Cross emblem.
Since Aesop was part of “The Cross,” his disciple would likely be connected to The Cross as well.
The Cross probably has similar outposts or gathering spots in the wizard market; finding The Cross’s location might lead to news about Aesop’s disciple.
The bases of wandering wizards are generally very secretive; the waiter at the Bliss Pavilion probably didn’t know, but that didn’t mean others inside the Bliss Pavilion were unaware.
With this in mind, Angel nodded to the waiter and strode into the Bliss Pavilion.
…
Without trying any of the offerings, Angel stepped further inside the Bliss Pavilion.
Although primarily an entertainment venue, places like the Bliss Pavilion are often where information flows most freely. Therefore, there are specific individuals here tasked with buying and selling information.
Several minutes later, Angel arrived in a room adorned with lavish decorations.
A woman with a seductive figure entered gracefully. She wore a transparent thin veil through which the contours of her curvaceous figure could faintly be seen, adorned with various jewelry on her bra and mini-skirt.
Angel took one glance and knew she was an apprentice, likely injected with some type of mermaid bloodline; her body emitted a faint mist of water and some subpar mental allure.
The reason he considered it subpar was that Angel had once experienced the enchantment of a Panaces Succubus in the Abyss, which truly was of the highest caliber. The allure of this apprentice paled in comparison, much like a firefly to the sun.
“Drop your tricks, I’m here strictly for business,” Angel stated sternly.
The apprentice, who was initially moving towards Angel, paused and then slowly took a seat across the table.
Once seated, she ceased her enchanting efforts, which ironically added to her an aura of sanctity.
“Powerful stranger, may I know what you seek?” her melodic voice floated from across the table.
It was clear from her address that she recognized Angel as a formal wizard. However, Angel had no intention of concealing his power; his aura was merely subdued to avoid unsettling ordinary people or other apprentices.
“I want to know about Building Number 818, and where the owner might be currently.”
“Ten magic crystals, but I can only address your first question. We don’t know the answer to the second,” she replied.
The price was reasonable, neither cheap nor overly expensive, indicating that there wasn’t much of significance concerning Building Number 818. Aesop’s apprentice likely wasn’t the type to court trouble.
Angel placed ten magic crystals in front of her using a Magic Hand.
The apprentice collected the crystals and began detailing the situation of Building Number 818. The information wasn’t much different from what the previous waiter had shared, but it included more details about the shop’s functions.
Previously, Angel was unaware of what Aesop’s apprentice sold; now he understood that the shop specialized in selling one-time-use spatial capsules and spatial extension packages. These items were not rare; spatial capsules were disposable items while spatial extension packages were simply tricks to make a bag or pocket hold more items, though the weight still remained. Compared to true space tools, their effectiveness was quite average.
However, these products were more than sufficient for ordinary apprentices.
The information shared by the apprentice was somewhat trivial but provided Angel with a clearer understanding of Aesop’s apprentice. There was nothing more.
Nevertheless, it was clear that Aesop’s apprentice was a normal, trouble-avoiding wizard, which relieved Angel. He had no desire to deal with a troublemaker.
After inquiring about the first question, Angel asked the second.
“In the Sandworm Market, where is The Cross… that is, the wandering wizard’s gathering spot?”
The apprentice glanced subtly at Angel: “I was considering offering that as a reminder to our clients. It seems, however, that you have already thought of that yourself.”
“So, where is their gathering spot?”
“50 magic crystals.”
Angel furrowed his brow, finding the price rather steep.
Seeing Angel’s displeased expression, the female apprentice explained: “There are constant disputes among wandering wizards, and they often don’t care about the rules. If they knew that the information leaked from us, we at Bliss Pavilion would also face risks.”
The other party’s morally righteous tone seemed reasonable, but in fact, everyone in the Wizarding World knew that those who dared to target Bliss Pavilion were likely none other than the mighty figure who had returned from a millennium of silence, foretold during the recent Star Observing Day.
Not even organized wizard groups would target Bliss Pavilion, so what could the loose wandering wizards do?
However, Angel couldn’t be bothered to argue, as the other party had provided a plausible reason.
Tossing out 50 magic crystals, the female apprentice’s smile grew even wider.
“In the entire Sandworm Market, there are two strongholds of wandering wizards, one above and one right on Sandworm Long Street. Their bases are magic cottages, always on the move, never in a fixed location. However, finding them is not difficult.”
“As long as you have a token, then use the simplest of prophecy tricks——the Guiding Spell, you can find them.”
Angel’s brow furrowed: “A token? Guiding Spell?”
“Don’t worry, we have a token here.” The female apprentice used a sound spell, whispering something, and half a minute later, a man in a full black robe entered and placed two items on the table before silently retreating.
The female apprentice pointed to the table: “Here it is. One is the token, and the other is a small gadget with the Guiding Spell attached.”
Angel looked at the table, where the so-called token was actually a stone tablet engraved with the wandering wizards’ cross emblem.
The so-called gadget with the Guiding Spell was a black wooden short staff, to which the prophecy apprentice had somehow attached the spell, albeit with a limited number of uses. To Angel, it seemed more like a toy, not even touching the threshold of alchemy.
“The token is for 50 magic crystals, and as for this short staff, if you know the Guiding Spell, you don’t need to buy it. But if you need it, 30 magic crystals for you,” the female apprentice said with a beaming smile.
Angel: “…” The speed of making magic crystals was incredible, and the other party linked everything together, giving no room to breathe. You wanted to argue, but couldn’t dispute the reasons, and even felt their service was quite good, considering all aspects for the clients.
It was no wonder they could expand Bliss Pavilion across the entire Vast Continent.
Angel wasn’t very knowledgeable about prophecy magic, having previously learned “Lucky Decision,” also known colloquially as “Lucky Two Choices,” from Popoca, but had yet to master it.
Looking at the female apprentice smiling so widely that her eyes curved into crescents, Angel knew that this time, it would cost him.
Chapter 2498 Sandworm Market <TOC> Chapter 2500 Red Sword Daus