Black Hearted Mage

Due to the special nature of the black market and its elusive and hidden nature, even if Caesars racked his brains and put in a lot of effort, he was unable to find out any valuable information in such a short time. This did not make him discouraged or frustrated. After all, in addition to exploring the secrets of the black market, he also had other important tasks.

The next morning, when the first rays of morning light shone into the room through the window, Caesars had already gotten up early and began to prepare for the next journey.

Kaisas took out an exquisite elven mask from his space ring and gently placed it on his face. With a faint wave of magical power, the once youthful and handsome face instantly disappeared, replaced by the image of an elderly magician with wrinkles and white hair.

After completing his disguise, Caesars walked out the back door of the Baron's mansion. He passed through a deserted alleyway and onto the main street, where he hailed a passing carriage. He nimbly climbed aboard, settling firmly into the seat, and said to the driver, "Take me to the main square in the outer city." With that, he closed his eyes and pretended to doze off.

The carriage galloped along the wide, flat road, the clatter of hooves and the rustling of wheels interweaving to form a unique symphony. On both sides of the street stood sturdy, upright flame maple trees, their dense, luxuriant branches spreading out like giant green umbrellas. It was summer, and the leaves of the flame maple trees still shone a rich green. While not as vibrant and beautiful as in autumn, they effectively shielded the scorching sun, creating patches of cool, pleasant shade for pedestrians.

After about a quarter of an hour, the carriage finally slowly pulled up to the edge of the outer city's large square. The sun was already high in the sky, scorching the earth mercilessly. The entire square felt like it was encased in a giant steamer, with waves of heat rolling in and the sweltering heat oppressing everyone. Looking around, the vast square was deserted, save for a few scattered figures, huddled in the shade of the trees, setting up stalls, trying to escape the unbearable heat.

After the driver stopped the carriage, he turned around and shouted to Caesars inside, "Master Mage, we've arrived!"

Hearing this, Caesars immediately opened his eyes, swiftly got off the carriage, threw a few silver coins to the driver, and then strode towards the Earth Dragon Merchants.

The Dixinglong Trading Company was a well-known merchant in the imperial capital, specializing in a wide variety of clothing materials and precious fur products. However, it was the height of summer, and the unbearable heat had significantly reduced demand for clothing, plunging the entire industry into a sales slump.

In such a sweltering heat, it seemed as if even the air was distorted by the heat. People walking on the street were sweating profusely and were eager to go shirtless in order to get a little coolness.

Kaisas quickly arrived at the door of the Earth Dragon Trading Company and gently pushed the heavy door. A low creaking sound followed the hinges, and a refreshing cool breeze blew in, instantly isolating the sweltering heat outside.

Upon entering the trading house, the first thing that caught my eye was the four or five huge blocks of ice placed in the center of the hall. These blocks of ice continuously emitted a chilling air, making the surrounding temperature significantly lower than the outside world.

And among these pieces of cool ice, Locke, who was as fat as a hill, was lying leisurely on a spacious recliner, snoring and immersed in a sweet dream.

Caesars's lips curled up slightly, revealing a sly smile as he tiptoed towards the ice cubes. He stretched out his right hand, gripping one of the ice cubes tightly with his five fingers. With a slight force, there was a crisp "crack" sound, and the hard ice cube was easily broken into countless pieces by him, like fragile porcelain.

Then, Caesars grabbed a handful of ice and gently placed it on the fat man's thick neck. Instantly, a bone-chilling coldness spread through his skin and his entire body. Locke, who had been sleeping soundly, suddenly shuddered and let out a terrified scream: "Ouch!"

Locke, struck so hard by this, leaped up from his recliner, as if struck by electricity, his face filled with astonishment. When he saw Caesars standing before him, smiling, his chubby face immediately broke into a flattering smile. Due to the excess fat on his face, his already small eyes were squeezed to the point of being reduced to just two slits.

"Master Mage, you are here!"

A portly man stood up with a big smile on his face and turned to look at the waiters beside him. However, at that moment, when he saw the waiters were still stunned, the bright smile on his face disappeared without a trace, replaced by a gloomy and angry expression.

His eyes widened, and he roared at the top of his voice, "Are you all dead? Didn't you see the Master Mage coming? Hurry and serve me some good tea, and bring me some exquisite snacks and fresh fruits!"

Kaisas couldn't help but find it a bit amusing to watch the fat man in front of him, whose expression changed faster than the pages of a book. He slowly walked to a nearby chair and sat down. The jewelry he wore, which contained a weakened ice array, gave off a slight coolness that didn't affect his comfort even in such hot weather.

Seeing this, the fat man quickly waved his big, fleshy hands, signaling the shop assistants to leave the shop. After everyone left, he quickly walked to the door, locked it, and carefully lowered the door curtain.

After doing all this, he turned around and said to Caesars with a flattering look on his face, "Master Mage, I wonder what you want to know since you have come here this time? How about we complete the transaction of the magic crystal first? Anyway, no one will come to the store to disturb us now!"

After hearing this, Caesars nodded in agreement. "Then let's complete the magic crystal deal first, and we can discuss other matters later!"

Seeing that the other party agreed to his proposal, the fat man quickly took out more than thirty large wooden boxes from his storage ring, and then took out a piece of paper densely covered with handwriting. It clearly stated the number of magic crystals in each box and the total amount of gold coins.

When the large wooden boxes were opened, the dazzling magic crystals inside suddenly appeared before Kaisas' eyes. Looking at the vast number of magic crystals, Kaisas couldn't help but gasp, "Oh my god, there are so many magic crystals! But I'm afraid the gold coins I brought with me this time won't be enough to pay for it. I wonder if I can use my storage ring to pay for it?"

The fat man's eyes lit up when he heard this, but he didn't show too much surprise on his face. Instead, he pondered for a moment and said, "Well... using the storage ring to pay off the debt is fine, but as for the price, I have to give you a little discount!"

"No problem! I'll give you a discount of one thousand gold coins for each storage ring. That should be enough, right?" Caesars answered without hesitation.

"Okay, Master Mage, then I'll do as you say!"

The fat man was practically beaming with joy, for he had already made a fortune from this batch of magic crystals alone. Furthermore, if he resold these storage rings, he could make a small profit. To be able to pull off such a big deal during what was supposed to be the off-season was even more profitable than during peak season.

As for Caesar, he was actually eager to use the storage rings to complete the transaction. After all, selling over 300 storage rings in a short period of time would be extremely difficult. Therefore, being able to directly exchange them for magic crystals was undoubtedly a very good option.

When Caesars slowly took out the slightly old animal skin bag and gently grabbed a storage ring that was shining with mysterious light from it, the fat man next to him shuddered involuntarily and his body trembled slightly.

In the fat man's round eyes, each storage ring seemed to represent a living life. He secretly thought that this seemingly amiable old magician in front of him might have his hands stained with blood and was probably an out-and-out murderer.

At this time, Kaisas turned his gaze to the fat man and asked in a low and slightly majestic voice: "Fatty, do you know how to enter the black market in Fire Maple City? I have a lot of items here that need to be disposed of as soon as possible."

The fat man swallowed his saliva and quickly replied, "Master Mage, although I have never personally set foot in the black market, I do know some information about it. It is said that the black market in Fire Maple City is controlled by several powerful forces, including the prestigious Mercenary Guild, the feared assassin organization, and the all-pervasive Imperial Eagle Eye. There are also rumors that even the Imperial Duke is secretly involved in the black market!"

Upon hearing that an imperial duke was involved in this black market, a barely perceptible glint flashed in Caesar's eyes, and he instantly knew who he should ask for relevant information.

Then, the fat man seemed to have opened a chatterbox and continued to talk about the various situations in the black market.

He told Caesars that the black market was not a safe place; a single misstep could lead to irretrievable ruin. Therefore, to successfully enter and exit the black market, it was best to wear a mask that concealed one's features and carefully disguise oneself to avoid being discovered. Furthermore, most items traded on the black market were either unseen or prohibited. Those who dared to sell these items on the black market were undoubtedly ruthless and ruthless.

Not long after, Caesars left the Earth Dragon Trading Company and, under the scorching sun, stopped a carriage, preparing to head to the Duke of Solomon's Mansion in the inner city. While other nobles could escape the summer heat in their fiefdoms, powerful nobles rarely had the leisure to do so.

Caesar took off the transmogrification mask in the carriage. If it weren't for the accessories with the ice magic circle, wearing the mask in such hot weather would be a real torture.

In less than half an hour, the carriage stopped outside the tall castle, and the guards of the Duke's Palace immediately gave way when they saw Caesars.

"Master Mage, you came at the right time. The Duke has just returned!" The guard commander Deron, who was hiding in the shade of the tree, knew Caesar and said to him.

"Commander Delong, it's so hot today. The flowers, plants, and trees are all wilting under the scorching sun. It's hard to endure even in the shade!"

It was almost noon, and the scorching sun was raging against everything. The guards of the Duke's Palace were not wearing armor, but they were still sweating profusely from the heat.

"Oh, I don't know what's wrong with this weather. It's already so hot right after summer begins. I'm afraid there's going to be another cold wave this year!"

"Maybe. I'll go in and cool off first!"

As Caesars walked towards the castle, Delon watched from the shade of a tree, muttering with envy, "Magicians are so lucky! They don't have to sweat even in such hot weather, and their robes stay dry!"

The Duke's Castle had thick walls and the magic array was activated, so the hall was very cool. The elderly Duke Solomon was sitting on the sofa, wearing a black noble robe and enjoying exquisite tea.

"Your Excellency, I am having tea!"

The old duke's complexion was rosy, his eyes sparkling, and he looked energetic and radiant, as if he were a dozen years younger. He must have taken a powerful life-giving potion to exude such vigorous vitality.

At this moment, a figure rushed into the living room without notifying anyone.

The old duke looked up, a helpless smile on his face. "Caesars, you're the only one in the entire duke's mansion who dares to barge in so brazenly. But since you're here, you must have something important to discuss with me. So, just be frank. No need to beat around the bush."

The old duke gestured for Caesar to sit on the sofa beside him, and turned to tell the maid beside him to prepare tea quickly.

The reason Caesars received such courtesy from the old duke was due to his rare herb, golden ginseng. This golden ginseng was incredibly valuable, a rare treasure in the world. Therefore, even the powerful Duke Solomon greeted Caesars with a friendly smile.

Caesars followed his instructions and sat down on the soft and comfortable sofa. After adjusting his posture slightly, he asked the old duke, "Dear Duke, I came to bother you this time because I wanted to inquire about the situation in the black market in Fire Maple City."

Hearing this, the old duke raised an eyebrow, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes: "Oh? Could it be that you have some contraband on hand that you need to get rid of?"

Duke Solomon stared at Caesar with interest, secretly speculating on his intentions. You know, the black market in Fire Maple City has a long history. Despite the Roland Empire's repeated attempts to shut it down, it has always been unsuccessful. After all, it involves the interests of many nobles and even members of the royal family. Many people have items of unknown origin that they need to cash in or exchange on the black market.

Over time, the Empire simply chose to turn a blind eye and allow the black market to continue. This way, they could not only collect a considerable amount of gold coins as tax, but also send specialized agencies such as the Eagle Eye Organization to closely monitor it to prevent uncontrollable situations.

In response to the old duke's question, Caesars quickly waved his hand and explained, "It's not a contraband item. I just have some unused weapons and equipment that I want to sell."

"Do you really need to sell weapons and equipment on the black market? Prices on the black market are already very low, and there's a 10% tax. You can just set up a stall in the Grand Plaza and sell them!"