Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 11: Chapter 11 — The Market

Chapter 11 — The Market

Victor stood outside the door to his quarters, waiting for Jacob to finish getting ready. The day had given him more information than he expected. He had learned that Jacob was his roommate and throughout the hours they spent in the mines, Jacob had slowly explained more about the Tower.

There were three major families that held influence over the Tower, each with their own faction. The Graveborn Family, the Brightshield Family, and the Draven Family. None of the three completely controlled the Tower. Instead, they kept each other in check, constantly struggling for influence while preventing any single family from gaining enough power to dominate the others. Jacob compared it to something resembling a judicial system, where each side had enough authority to challenge the others and keep the balance from tipping too far in one direction.

Each family possessed a Tier 3 Alchemist, along with several Tier 2 Alchemists beneath them. That alone gave the three families enormous influence within the Tower. Victor didn’t understand all of the politics yet, but Jacob had made one thing very clear: as a slave, crossing any of them was a good way to make your life much shorter.

The Tower Master stood above all three factions. He was a Tier 4 Alchemist, making him the strongest alchemist within the Tower, but he rarely involved himself in their political struggles. As long as the three families maintained the balance and didn’t interfere with his research, he had little reason to care about their disputes.

Victor had also learned more about Elder Benton. Apparently, Benton was part of the Draven faction. He wasn’t known for getting heavily involved in the political struggles between the families, and Jacob didn’t know much more about him than that. Still, the connection was interesting. Victor had already been given an opportunity by the old man, and now he understood that Benton carried considerably more influence than he had initially realized.

Victor was still thinking about it when he heard someone call his name.

"Victor!"

He looked up and saw Jacob approaching from down the hallway.

"Hey, Jacob. You ready to go?"

Jacob nodded. "Yep. Let’s do this."

The two started down the corridor together.

"Just so I’m clear," Jacob said after a moment, "our main goal is finding you a beginner’s alchemy book, right?"

"Yeah. That’s the goal. I don’t know how much it’ll cost, but I need to get one if I’m serious about starting down the path of alchemy."

Jacob gave him a nod. "Then let’s hope you brought enough credits."

Victor glanced at the bracelet around his wrist.

"I guess we’ll find out."

After walking through several corridors and descending toward one of the lower floors, the atmosphere around them gradually began to change. The quiet stone hallways gave way to voices, footsteps, and the constant sound of people talking over one another.

Then they stepped into the market.

Victor stopped for a moment.

The market stretched across a massive open area, far larger than he had expected. Rows of stalls filled the space in every direction, with merchants shouting out prices and customers moving between them. Tables were covered with herbs, ores, beast materials, bottles of strange liquids, cultivation resources, and countless objects Victor couldn’t even identify. Some vendors sold alchemy recipes while others displayed weapons and artifacts beneath simple cloth canopies.

On the other side of the market, several open-air restaurants lined the walkway. Food was being cooked and served from small stalls, with waitresses carrying trays between tables while customers talked and laughed. Different races moved through the crowd alongside humans, creating a chaotic mixture of voices and appearances that Victor had never experienced before.

It felt almost like a massive farmer’s market mixed with a bazaar, except nearly everything being sold had some connection to cultivation.

Victor looked around with genuine interest.

He hadn’t expected this.

Despite being a slave, he couldn’t help feeling excited.

There was so much here.

Jacob continued walking, eventually leading him toward one of the smaller stalls.

Victor’s eyes moved over the various items displayed across the table before settling on the merchant behind it.

The man was short and broad, with a large belly, thick beard, and weathered face. At first glance, Victor almost thought he was a dwarf, but he quickly reminded himself that he had barely been in this world long enough to know what was normal.

The merchant leaned forward.

"So, what are you looking for, pal?"

Victor looked over the books.

"I’m looking for a beginner’s guide to alchemy."

The merchant rubbed his beard and looked through a small stack before pulling out a worn book.

"I think I’ve got one right here."

He placed it on the counter.

"Ten credits."

Victor stared at the book.

Ten credits?

Victor almost laughed.

He had only recently started earning credits. Every single one mattered, especially if he intended to buy ingredients and equipment later.

He looked at the merchant.

"I’ll give you three."

The merchant blinked.

Victor kept his expression completely neutral.

The merchant stared at him for a moment before a smile slowly formed on his face.

"The lowest I’ll go is seven."

Victor looked back at the book.

Seven was still too much.

He’d seen the condition of the book. It wasn’t rare, and judging by how worn it was, the merchant had probably bought it cheaply or acquired it from someone who no longer needed it.

Victor looked back at him.

"Four."

The merchant’s smile disappeared.

"Six."

Victor shook his head.

"Five."

The merchant leaned back slightly.

Victor could almost see the calculation taking place behind the man’s eyes.

Good.

That meant the merchant was willing to negotiate.

Victor had learned something about bargaining long before arriving in this world. Never reveal how badly you want something. The moment the other person knows you’re desperate, the price stops being a negotiation.

He wanted the book badly.

The merchant didn’t need to know that.

The merchant stroked his beard.

The merchant stared at him.

Victor didn’t move.

A small bead of sweat formed near the merchant’s forehead. He had expected some haggling, but this kid was relentless. The book hadn’t cost him much to begin with, and he could still make a profit at five credits, but apparently the boy wasn’t interested in giving him a single credit more than necessary.

"I can’t do five," the merchant said. "Six is the lowest."

Victor looked at the book again.

Then he looked back at the merchant.

"5 credits is the highest I’ll go."

The merchant opened his mouth.

Victor continued before he could respond.

"You can take it or leave it. If you want to sell it, I’ll buy it for five. If not, that’s fine."

He waited.

The merchant stared at him.

Victor stared back.

After a few seconds of silence

Victor finally turned around.

"Let’s go."

Jacob looked at him in disbelief as Victor began walking away.

The merchant suddenly leaned over the counter.

"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!"

Victor stopped.

"I’ll do it," the merchant called out. "Five credits. You drive a hard bargain, kid."

Victor turned around.

A small smile appeared on his face.

"Okay. Let’s do it."

The merchant shook his head as he handed over the book.

Victor transferred the five credits through his bracelet and took the worn beginner’s guide into his hands.

He looked down at it for a moment before smiling.

His first step toward becoming an alchemist.

Jacob simply shook his head as the two walked away from the stall.

He didn’t say anything.

He didn’t need to.

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