TFM 94

Chapter 94

***

One of the attendants was looking at her with a respectful expression. Was his name Daren Dru Shiokan? The man, who was said to be a distant relative of Varkas, continued cautiously.

“If there is anything you like, I will have it purchased for you.”

“Never mind. I don’t need it…………………”

Talia, who had been about to utter a reflexive refusal, suddenly clamped her mouth shut. She was just starting to get bored of sitting there motionless like a piece of ornamentation.

She glanced at Varkas, who was surrounded by administrators and council members, then pulled her hood down over her head and rose from her seat.

“Fine. Lead the way.”

As they exited the conference room through the back door, a vast space teeming with hundreds of merchants came into view.

Talia stood at the railing and looked down. Colorful woolen fabrics and felt were piled high on densely packed stalls, and behind them, carts and crates loaded with goods stretched out in a long line.

“This way, please.”

The man led her to the stairs. Talia gripped the railing with one hand and stepped down cautiously. As she reached the bottom step, the bustling scene of the auction house filled her view.

Talia made her way through the bustling aisles, watching the merchants compete for bids. While men dressed as elegantly as any nobleman haggled heatedly, brokers calculated commissions and taxes using scales and abacuses, and transporters loaded neatly stacked bolts of fabric onto carts.

It felt as though she had been dropped right into the middle of a frenzied banquet hall.

After browsing the spices sold by foreign merchants, she turned toward a relatively quiet stall.

On a somewhat shabby counter, crudely crafted trinkets were displayed. As she scanned them with a disinterested gaze, the man who had been quietly following her like a bodyguard spoke up.

“The jeweler is in the Survey District. Would you like me to show you the way?”

“No thanks. I don’t wear anything unless it’s Dwarven jewelry anyway.”

“Ah… I see.”

The man scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. Ignoring him, Talia stepped into the alley lined with small shops. Just then, a tapestry hanging on the wall caught her eye.

Talia stepped forward and stared intently at the ornate fabric with its unique pattern. On the fabric, intricately woven with golden, red, and deep reddish-brown threads, were embroidered the figures of a young woman with snow-white skin and a black beast with three heads.

As she scrutinized the somewhat eerie image, furrowing her brow, a strange voice came from nearby.

“Do you like that tapestry?”

Talia turned her head and spotted an Eastern woman standing behind the counter, her expression wary.

The woman set down the ledger she was holding and proposed a deal in a polite tone.

“It’s listed at 30 soldem, but if you’d like to purchase it, madam, I’ll sell it to you for 26 soldem.”

“Who would buy such a strange tapestry?”

At her curt retort, a hint of curiosity flashed across the woman’s face. She tilted her head and studied Talia’s face intently.

“It seems you’re from another region, my lady.”

Talia shot her a wary glance.

“How did you know that?”

“This tapestry depicts the most famous folktale in the East. Since you didn’t recognize it, I assumed you must be from elsewhere.”

“A folk tale?”

Talia looked up at the tapestry hanging on the wall again. Perhaps pleased that she was showing interest, the merchant immediately began her story.

“Long ago, a giant monster lived in this land that sought to devour even the stars in the sky. Filled with greed, that beast tried to swallow up all life on this earth.”

Having set the stage convincingly, the woman paused briefly to gauge her reaction.

Talia gave a nod, as if to say, “Go on.” A clear voice, tinged with a strange resonance, continued slowly.

“Then one day, the spirit of the earth awoke to subdue the beast that threatened the world. She sang without rest for a hundred days and nights to tame the monster, and eventually, a great warrior was born from their union. The ancient Easterners believed themselves to be the descendants of this warrior.”

Talia furrowed her brow, recalling a similar story she had heard from the maids at Raedgo Castle.

The merchant, rummaging through a neatly arranged pile of fabrics, pulled out a handkerchief and spread it out on the sales counter.

“Even today, there are many among the Easterners who believe that possessing the emblem of the black beast wards off misfortune. Why not purchase one as a keepsake, my lady?”

Embroidered on the crimson fabric was a three-headed monster. The pattern looked vaguely familiar.

Narrowing her eyes, Talia soon recalled that it was the emblem she had seen in her history books from the Era of the Ten Kingdoms. It was the symbol used by the Shiokan family before they were incorporated into the Roem Empire.

As if drawn by some force, she picked it up.

It was far from her taste, but she felt awkward about ignoring the merchant’s enthusiasm.

She glanced over her shoulder.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to pay?”

At that moment, a strong, firm hand reached out from right beside her.

“Will this do?”

Accompanied by a cool voice, several gleaming gold coins were placed on the counter.

Talia flinched and turned around. Varkas, wrapped in a deep maroon cloak, was looking down at her with an indifferent expression. Pressing his body against her back, he murmured softly near her temple.

“Is there anything else you’d like?”

Talia, who had been staring blankly up at him, slowly shook her head. Varkas, who was staring intently at her face, turned his gaze toward the merchant.

“Is that enough to cover the cost?”

“Y-yes, it’s plenty. More than enough.”

As the merchant hurriedly gathered up the gold coins, Varkas turned away without hesitation.

Led by his hand, they emerged from the narrow passageway, and the relatively quiet scene of the auction hall came into view.

As they stepped into the central aisle of the building, he spoke quietly.

“The jewelry shops are over there. I hear that major merchants from the Southern Continent have set up shop there as well, so you should be able to find something to your liking, Your Highness.”

Talia stared blankly up at his face. Just then, the man who had been silently following them rudely interrupted.

“Your Excellency, I’ve heard that Her Highness wears nothing but jewelry made by dwarves. How could the Princess possibly be satisfied with trinkets from a mere merchant like this?”

Talia shot a glare at the man from beneath the folds of her robe. She couldn’t let some fool like that ruin her chance to receive a jewel from Varkas.

She blurted out somewhat impatiently.

“Come to think of it, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have a piece of jewelry that’s a little out of the ordinary.”

Varkas, who had been looking down at her over his shoulder for a moment, turned his gaze back to her.

They passed dozens of stalls and moved toward the side aisle of the building.

Before long, the entrance to the jewelry exchange, guarded by grim-faced security guards, came into view. Varkas led her inside.

“Welcome.”

A merchant standing behind a display case mumbled a greeting without even looking up. Varkas showed no reaction to the rude attitude and simply led her to the counter.

“Please let me know if you see anything you like.”

Talia scanned the red velvet display carefully. Gems of various sizes and quite exceptional quality were neatly arranged.

Among them was an item that looked extraordinary even to her eyes, which had seen all manner of rare treasures. As she absentmindedly picked it up, the merchant, who had been checking the quality of the gemstone with a small magnifying glass, let out a sharp cry.

“Customer! If you touch them carelessly……………!”

The merchant, who had belatedly recognized Varkas, gasped and jumped to his feet.

Varkas spoke in a flat tone.

“I’ll be purchasing everything Her Highness has touched.”

“Ah, no, Your Highness! Please don’t worry about it; feel free to examine them as you please. I failed to recognize you earlier, and I apologize for the rudeness…”

Talia didn’t even glance at the stammering merchant, instead turning her gaze to another gem.

Then, suddenly, she spotted a faintly glowing blue mineral and stopped in her tracks. Picking it up and holding it to the light, a mysterious silvery glow shimmered across its smooth surface. It was a beautiful moonstone, reminiscent of Varkas’s own eyes.

“Do you like that one?”

Just as she was gazing at the gem as if spellbound, Varkas spoke to her.

Talia flinched and set the gem down. The back of her neck grew hot under his gaze, which seemed to see right through her.

“N-no, not really.”

Talia snatched up the red ruby lying next to it.

“I’ll take this one.”

***

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