Black Phoenix Heir

Chapter 12: Chapter 12 — The Young Master

Chapter 12 — The Young Master

Victor looked down at the worn alchemy manual in his hands as he and Jacob stepped away from the stall. He was now five credits poorer, but he didn’t regret the purchase. The book was only the beginning. He would still need equipment, ingredients, and eventually somewhere to practice, but none of that mattered if he couldn’t control the Black Flame in the first place. For now, learning how to use it was his priority. Still, since they were already in the market, it wouldn’t hurt to look around a little longer and get a better idea of what else he might need.

Victor glanced toward Jacob. "I’ve got the book. Since we’re already here, we might as well look around a little more. Maybe I’ll find something useful."

Jacob nodded. "Sounds good to me."

They continued deeper into the market, moving between the crowded stalls. Victor kept his eyes open, studying everything he passed. There were countless things for sale that he had never seen before, and every few steps seemed to reveal something new. Herbs were arranged in baskets, strange ores were stacked in wooden crates, beast materials hung from hooks, and small artifacts sat beneath glass containers. The more Victor looked, the more he realized how little he actually knew about this world.

Eventually, he stopped at another stall.

The merchant behind it immediately caught his attention.

The man looked almost like a tiger that had learned to walk on two legs. Orange-and-black striped fur covered his body, his shoulders were broad, and two long saber-like fangs protruded slightly from his upper jaw. His muscular arms were crossed over his chest, and his sharp golden eyes followed Victor as he approached. He wore a wide grin that showed enough teeth to make Victor reconsider the idea of arguing with him.

Victor glanced over the table.

There was a little bit of everything. Several beast cores were displayed inside small containers, though their prices were far beyond anything Victor could afford. There were herbs, strange minerals, pieces of beast hide, small bottles filled with liquids, and various weapons scattered across the table.

Victor’s attention eventually settled on a small dagger.

It was barely five inches long, with a narrow blade that gave off a faint glow beneath the bright lights of the market.

Victor picked it up and slowly turned it between his fingers, examining the strange glow along its edge. Before he could ask anything, the tiger-man leaned forward with a grin.

"Interested? It’s a danger-sensing dagger. When something hostile gets close, it’ll start glowing brighter. The closer the danger gets, the brighter it becomes."

Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly.

That would have been useful.

His thoughts immediately returned to the cavern and the Columdite Lizard that had nearly caught him off guard. He had been lucky that day. If the creature had bitten him somewhere more vulnerable, the result could have been very different. All he had been carrying was a pickaxe, and while it had been enough to kill the beast, it wasn’t exactly a weapon he wanted to rely on every time his life was in danger.

A dagger was small enough to carry and easy to reach. If it could warn him before something dangerous got close, it could make the difference between being prepared and being caught off guard.

Victor looked at the dagger again. There was a price tag of 15 credits attached to it.

Fifteen wasn’t cheap.

He had just spent five credits on the alchemy manual, and now another fifteen would take a considerable portion of what he had left. Still, he couldn’t ignore the usefulness of the weapon.

Victor looked back at the merchant.

"I’ll give you ten."

The tiger-man stared at him.

For a moment, neither of them said anything.

Then the merchant’s eyes shifted toward the stall Victor had just left.

He had seen the kid haggle with the merchant there. The boy had somehow talked him down from ten credits to five, then simply walked away when the merchant refused to budge.

The tiger-man wasn’t interested in wasting time with another battle over a few credits.

He looked at Victor for another moment before letting out a short laugh.

"Ten? Fine. Take it."

Victor’s eyebrows lifted slightly.

That was easy.

He handed over the credits and accepted the dagger.

The merchant reached beneath the table and pulled out a small leather sheath designed to hang around Victor’s waist. He gave it to Victor.

Victor secured the sheath against his waist and slid the dagger inside.

The weight was barely noticeable.

Good.

He glanced down at the glowing balance on his bracelet.

His remaining credits were getting low.

That’s enough spending for today.

If he wanted to become an alchemist, he would need ingredients, equipment, and probably plenty of failed attempts before he made anything worth selling. Spending everything he earned wasn’t going to help him get there.

Victor was about to turn toward Jacob when a scream cut through the market.

"What the hell do you think you’re doing?!"

Victor and Jacob both looked toward the commotion.

A small crowd had already begun forming.

Victor narrowed his eyes.

At the center stood a young boy who looked to be around thirteen or fourteen years old. His red hair was neatly styled, though a few strands had fallen across his forehead, and his crimson eyes were sharp enough to make his already arrogant expression seem even colder. He wore expensive dark robes trimmed with subtle crimson patterns, and a small insignia was embroidered near his collar.

Two boys stood behind him, both slightly older and dressed almost as well. They weren’t saying anything. They didn’t need to. The way they stood behind him made their relationship obvious.

Followers.

The red-haired boy looked furious.

Standing in front of him was a young girl, perhaps fifteen or sixteen. She wore simple servant’s clothing and was trembling beneath his glare.

"You worthless slave!" the boy shouted. "Do you have any idea what you just did to me?"

"I’m sorry," the girl said quickly, lowering her head. "I didn’t mean to. It was an accident."

"An accident?"

The boy stepped closer, his expression becoming colder.

"You spill a drink on me and think an apology is going to fix it?"

The girl lowered herself further. "I’m really sorry. Please, I’ll clean it up."

"Shut up!"

The boy’s voice echoed through the market.

Several people nearby looked over, but nobody intervened.

Victor watched silently.

He didn’t know who the boy was, but he didn’t need much information to understand that he was trouble. The expensive clothing, the followers, and the fact that everyone nearby was watching without daring to interfere all pointed toward the same conclusion.

Someone important.

Victor felt his fingers tighten slightly.

Don’t get involved.

That was the smart thing to do.

He was a slave. He had been in this world for barely any time at all. He didn’t know the rules, and he certainly didn’t know the people involved. Getting between someone powerful and a slave was exactly the kind of thing that could get him killed.

Jacob seemed to reach the same conclusion.

Neither of them moved.

The red-haired boy’s expression twisted with disgust. He raised his hand in preparation to hit the young girl.

The girl looked up in fear.

"Please..."

The boys cultivation flared as he got ready to bring his arm.

Victor watched.

He knew what was about to happen.

He also knew he should stay where he was.

This had nothing to do with him.

The girl’s eyes squeezed shut as the boy’s hand rose higher.

Victor remained still.

For one moment, he thought about the consequences. He could walk away. He could pretend he hadn’t seen anything. That was probably the smartest thing he could do.

Then he looked at the girl.

She was terrified.

Something inside him shifted.

He didn’t think about justice. He didn’t think about being a hero. He didn’t even think about what would happen afterward.

He simply couldn’t bring himself to watch.

Victor’s body moved before his mind finished making the decision.

Jacob’s eyes widened.

One moment Victor was standing beside him.

The next, he was gone.

Jacob stared at the empty space where Victor had been.

"Victor?"

The red-haired boy’s hand came down.

It never reached the girl.

A hand caught his wrist.

The boy froze.

The girl flinched, expecting the blow, but when she opened her eyes, she found Victor standing between them.

Victor looked at her first.

The girl’s frightened expression changed to one of confusion.

Victor slowly turned his attention back to the boy.

For the first time, he got a proper look at him. The boy was younger than Victor had initially assumed, but there was nothing childish about the way he carried himself. He stood with the confidence of someone who had never been forced to question whether the world would bend to his will.

The boy looked down at Victor’s hand wrapped around his wrist.

Then he looked at Victor.

His anger seemed to disappear for a moment.

"Let go of me."

Victor didn’t.

The boy’s crimson eyes narrowed.

"Unhand me, you filthy slave."

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