Are MZ Shamans In Trouble In Romance Novels? - Chapter 114

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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114.

 

“….”

 

The sewers connected to the club room-. The COMISAE team members looked at Izriel with eyes full of worry and suspicion. Could there really be a path leading to the black market here?

 

“It, was around here, I think.”

 

Izriel knelt down and groped around the floor with his hands. On the damp and smooth stone path, he felt something protruding between the cracks.

 

A raised crescent moon symbol – it was the mark of the black market.

 

“Found, it…”

 

Izriel let out a giggling laugh as he injected mana into the stone piece. White light seeped into the floor, and soon the crescent moon began to glow blue.

 

Rummmmmble-

 

After a moment, the ground beneath shook and violent waves rose above the water surface. The startled COMISAE members took a defensive stance and stepped back.

 

“Captain. Are you sure this is really okay?”

 

The drunkard with his nose buried in the floor, giggling away. Balak whined that he couldn’t trust this at all.

 

“I’m not exactly feeling confident about it either right now.”

 

“What irresponsibility is this! Is that something a captain should say! Rather than this, it would be better to turn back even now!”

 

Raktar declared complete surrender. Whether this path was real or not, he didn’t think anything good would come of it.

 

“The Third Prince only has his mouth alive. If we go back, what will you do after that? When you oppose an opinion, you should also present an alternative.”

 

Ian blocked Raktar’s path as he tried to slowly back away.

 

“Hey, guys! It’s, okay!”

 

Just then, Izriel shrugged his shoulders and pointed toward the waterside. Swoooosh-. An old ferry boat rose up from beneath the bubbling water surface.

 

“….”

 

COMISAE gulped nervously. A hull charred black as if struck by lightning, a flag whose form was unrecognizable, and even a ferryman wearing a black cloak. An ominous aura was creeping up around the ferry boat.

 

Shwiiiiing-

 

The ferryman instantly raised his arm and swept his oar through the air in a long arc. The flat wooden end pointed at the children like a blade.

 

“…Password?”

 

Yellow bones barely visible beneath the cloth. The jaw bone worn away by time opened, and a harsh metallic sound echoed through the sewers. The children’s hair stood on end at that eerie voice.

 

“C-Captain.”

 

Balak poked Calisia’s side repeatedly. He meant to ask if they really had to ride that thing.

 

“…Hyacinth. I’m asking just in case, but that thing – I mean, is that person a skeleton?”

 

Calisia stepped forward and shook Izriel’s shoulder. If her intuition wasn’t wrong, that skeleton’s name was Charon. The ferryman of hell who guards the river of the afterlife.

 

“Y-Yeah! Say, hello. It’s Ch-Charon.”

 

Izriel grabbed the oar as if shaking hands and waved his arm up and down.

 

‘…Did the author grow up reading Greek and Roman mythology? Why did they bring another country’s mythology into the Arkea worldview? Hahahaha.’

 

Calisia unconsciously took a step back. It was because she was about to cross the Sanzu River in Arkea, something she had never crossed even in her homeland.

 

“…Password.”

 

“Gooood, clooose youuur, eyeees undeeer the moooon, niiiight. Weeee, shaaall waander in the daaarknessss.”

 

Izriel raised his finger and drew a crescent moon symbol in the air.

 

“…I shall take you to a place where even moonlight holds its breath.”

 

The ferryman who had put away his oar extended his hard palm without a trace of flesh. It was his own form of escort.

 

‘…Kill what? Breath? Is this some kind of declaration of war saying he’ll make something suffocate?’

 

Though the kids seemed to think otherwise.

 

“Thaaank youuuu. Siiiir.”

 

Izriel, his cheeks shyly flushed, gently took the ferryman’s hand.

 

“…Slippery.”

 

The skeleton gentleman responded quite gallantly to expectations.

 

“What are you dooooing. Get ooon!”

 

Izriel, who had plopped down on the ferry boat, gestured toward Comisae who had turned pale blue.

 

***

 

“….”

 

The COMISAE team members, their souls drained, entered the black market with staggering steps. It was because of the eventful journey they had just endured.

 

-Huh, huuh? Waaaahhh!

 

The cliff waterfall hidden at the end of the sewers and-.

 

-This is the black market entrance? It’s blocked… Huh? What’s that over there? On that altar.

 

The massive stone wall and altar they faced at the end of the treacherous boat journey-.

 

-They say it’s a demon mask for identity protection?

 

-Well, where would you find someone wandering around the black market with their bare face showing. Hmm, so you wear it like this… Uh, brbrbr!

 

Even the strange masks that provided shower and dry service upon wearing. The COMISAE team members drooped their shoulders as if thinking about it again made them tired.

 

“We buy cursed artifacts! We pay higher than market rates, so please visit us comfortably!”

 

Unlike the kids who were already drained, the black market was filled with vigorous energy.

 

“We sell various prohibited import items! Advance orders are also possible, so come on in!”

 

“Academy spiritual cultivation assignments done for you! Confidentiality guaranteed! Grades guaranteed!”

 

“We sell and buy rare monster byproducts! We also handle poisonous herbs, so please visit us often!”

 

Various shops and stalls lined along the wide street welcomed them. Contrary to expectations of it being gloomy and dangerous, the black market was bright and lively. So much so that they wondered if they had taken the wrong path.

 

“Wow….”

 

The COMISAE team members’ eyes widened at the larger scale than expected. It was because they had imagined a crumbling back alley when they heard it was a black market.

 

“The atmosphere is no different from the Western Market.”

 

Ian bent down and whispered low in Calisia’s ear.

 

“The atmosphere is like that but… Hey, hey! Soettong! Isn’t that a human hand?”

 

She, who had been looking around the streets, urgently grabbed and shook Ian’s forearm. It was because of the severed hand brazenly displayed on the stall.

 

“It must be a model, right? No matter how much it’s a black market, it’s run by kids.”

 

Calisia glanced at that grotesque thing with doubtful eyes. A hand dried and twisted in a blackish color. It was spreading its palm toward the sky as if screaming.

 

“Would you like to touch it once?”

 

At that moment, the Shop Owner, not missing the opportunity, kindly recommended his products with a friendly voice, saying it was a divine statue he had barely managed to bring in after much effort.

 

“You want me to touch it?”

 

Chuckle-. Calisia, with a disgusted expression, lightly poked the severed hand. Indeed, the squishy texture was like wax, not human skin.

 

“But what is this used for… Ah, ahhh!”

 

Suddenly, the severed hand clenched like pincers and grabbed Calisia’s wrist.

 

“Soettong! Soettong!”

 

She was startled out of her wits and shook her wrist in all directions.

 

“Stay still.”

 

Ian, who embraced Calisia from behind, roughly tore off the withered hand. His grip was so strong that the severed hand trembled violently.

 

“You can’t squeeze it too hard!”

 

The Shop Owner carefully picked up the hand that was rolling on the dirt floor.

 

“Edward. Are you okay?”

 

The clenched hand let out a sob of sorrow.

 

“…Does that thing even have a name?”

 

Calisia snorted while vigorously wiping her wrist with her sleeve.

 

“Of course. This is the wrist of a guard named Edward Evans. Given his background, he’s perfect for catching thieves. It would be very useful if you keep it in your bedroom.”

 

“Ugh, what a long concept. Anyone would think it’s a real human wrist.”

 

“What? Of course it’s a real human wrist! Our shop doesn’t deal in fakes!”

 

The shocked owner jumped around frantically, asking what would happen if someone overheard. Calisia and Ian slowly backed away.

 

“Don’t act like such a country bumpkin.”

 

Meanwhile, Izriel whispered to Raktar, who was looking around unusually much.

 

“Country bumpkin? How dare you call me a country bumpkin? I am of sacred bloodline and have lived my entire life in the heart of the Empire…”

 

“Quiet. Everyone come quickly.”

 

Izriel cut off Raktar’s words and guided COMISAE to the left alley. It was Human Skin Mask Street, marked by a sign with a craft knife pattern.

 

“Monster Skin Masks for sale! Made by skilled craftsmen for seamless wearing!”

 

“Through special processing, we’ve greatly reduced the distinctive smell of monster leather! Now you can use even cheap leather fragrantly!”

 

COMISAE covered their mouths and noses as they entered the alley. It was because of the distinctive fishy smell of beasts and chemical odors penetrating through their masks.

 

“Siren, vampire, and harpy leather newly arrived. Very similar to human skin with excellent wearing comfort!”

 

Vendors wearing monster skin masks promoted their shops’ specialties and went into business mode.

 

“…Sirens, vampires, and harpies are humanoid monsters. So it’s not similar to human skin, it’s just human skin, isn’t it?”

 

Balak stroked his chest as if feeling nauseous. No matter how much of a warrior he was, he didn’t have the stomach to wear someone else’s skin.

 

“If you act like such a country bumpkin, the vendors will overcharge you.”

 

“What? Overcharge?”

 

Calisia was the first to react.

 

“Balak Titan. Take your hand off your chest. Even if you feel like vomiting, swallow it down.”

 

“Ugh!”

 

“Swallow it with ‘gulp.’ Take your hand down, I said.”

 

With a firm expression, she personally grabbed Balak’s hand and lowered it.

 

“Ahem! Is this your friends’ first time in Quiet Moon?”

 

At that moment, a man wearing goblin leather stuck his head between the two of them.

 

“What is it?”

 

Calisia quickly stepped back and looked the Goblin Mask up and down.

 

“Me? I’m the owner of that Leather Mask Shop over there!”

 

He grinned and naturally led COMISAE to his shop.

 

[We carve anything for you]

 

The old shop sign had elegant letters delicately carved into it. Even a layperson could tell it was clearly the work of a master craftsman, and COMISAE’s eyes lit up.

 

“Now then, shall we negotiate the price?”

 

The Goblin Mask standing in front of the long wooden shelf clapped his hands.

 

“I’m telling you upfront, we’re broke.”

 

As soon as the topic of coins came up, Calisia struck first.

 

“I like your honesty. No wasting each other’s time. Well then, I’ll present you with our shop’s best value 3-Type Leather Set, dear customers!”

 

The Goblin Mask bowed at the waist and began rummaging under the shelf.

 

“We have absolutely no coins. We’re beggars. If you don’t care about quality or whatever! It smells like rotten meat! It’s mushy and sticky! Kobold Leather 40 coins!”

 

Thud!

 

“We have coins but we don’t. We’re on the verge of bankruptcy! But we’d like the quality to be juuust a little better! In that case, it’s squishy. It smells fishy! Goblin Leather 60 coins!”

 

Thud!

 

“We do have coins but our budget is tight. Something that roughly balances quality and value! It smells bad. It’s stiff! Orc Leather 80 coins!”

 

Thud!

 

“By the way, these are non-negotiable lowest prices. My beloved customers!”

 

The Goblin Mask clasped his hands together and winked at COMISAE.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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