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#140. Light and Shadow (3)
“Oh, shit! That’s a surprise!”
“What, what! Where did you come from?”
“Father, there was definitely no one next to you?”
A boy’s voice was suddenly heard.
The three street vendors who were in the middle of a conversation were shocked.
Soon, I confirmed my opponent’s appearance and let out a sigh of relief.
“What? He’s just a kid.”
“I thought the church people heard us.”
“Kid, it’s not like adults surprise you like that. You’re being rude. Phew, phew.”
Ray turned his gaze to the side.
He looked at the three stalls lined up and took out a large bill from his pocket.
“You are a guest.”
“I already knew that you had a flaw that couldn’t be hidden by that plain outfit.”
“I found out too. I just pretended not to know. Yes, my lord. What are you curious about?”
Adults who had been acting as apostles of nuisance and unfriendliness suddenly turned into serial salesmen.
Ray asked as he purchased a large balloon at stand number 1.
“Is the ball on top of the trailer an artificial sun?”
“Oh, thank you. Yes, yes, that’s right. That ball that looks like it would cause a disaster if you rolled it around on the street is an artificial sun.”
Ray asked, this time buying a bundle of candy from stand number 2.
“You’re going to put that in the sky?”
“Yes, that’s right. That’s what the priests said. They said that instead of the current sun, which is weak and barely visible due to clouds, it will drive away all the shadows that have fallen on the world.”
The merchant quickly gave me change and continued speaking.
“A world will come where everyone can live happily without any worries. That… what was it called? Happy… happy…”
“It’s paradise.”
“Yes! That’s right! It’s an unfamiliar word, so I couldn’t think of it for a moment.”
Ray then bought a teddy bear from stand number 3.
“Um… I don’t go to church, so I don’t have anything to tell you.”
“I want a refund.”
Ray returned to stand number 1, leaving his opponent behind with a sad face.
He said, picking up a piece of cotton candy.
“Is it a metaphor to say that the sun is floating in the sky?”
“Um… I don’t know for sure, but it didn’t seem like a metaphor. The priests often talked about making the sphere float with magic.”
Ray tilted his head.
The sun he knew was an object that emitted light so strong that he couldn’t look at it straight on.
‘First of all, the light must be strong enough to drive out the shadows.’
I couldn’t hold back and expressed my doubts.
“But that sphere wasn’t glowing at all earlier.”
“Oh, that’s….”
“Let me tell you! I know the story!”
Ray moved to stand number 2 where the answer came from.
Merchant number 2 said as he put the snacks Ray pointed at into a bag.
“So the church is looking for someone. A saint who can breathe light into the artificial sun.”
“Are you a saint?”
“Yes. I don’t know the details, but sometimes people from the church walk around the streets with something that looks like a strange detector.”
Ray nodded and grabbed the bag of chips.
And then, unintentionally.
“Aren’t you curious about anything other than religion and denomination?”
Moved to the front of stand number 3.
“Do you know anything about rainbows?”
“Huh? A rainbow? That’s fine….”
“Okay then.”
“Ah, ah! Wait…! Just buy me one thing…!”
As a result of several purchases and questions and answers.
‘Artificial Sun, Saint, Doomsday.’
Ray was able to draw a rough outline of the group called the cult.
“If you are interested, I recommend that you attend the service in person. The weekend service is open to non-church members as well.”
“I’ll think about it.”
After finishing the conversation, Ray left the stand.
‘I have too much luggage.’
Her arms were full of balloons, dolls, candies, cookies, chocolates, etc.
Of course, I didn’t buy them because I needed them.
I ended up buying it because I wanted to interact with people without relying on artificial emotions.
‘How do I deal with it?’
If I carried this around, I would definitely become a piper who would lead greedy kids down the street.
Ray looked around for a moment and spotted someone on a bench in the square.
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Knock knock knock─
He quickly walked and hugged everything he had.
“Oh! Are you giving it all to me?”
He was the little kid who pulled on the sleeves of the students during the march.
Ray resumed his movement, leaving the surprised mother and child behind.
Knock─ Knock─ Knock─ Knock─
As the number on the street increased, the scenery became more and more backward.
People’s emotions also became as gloomy as the gray sky.
Everything became discolored.
From chromatic to achromatic.
Then, at one moment, I sensed a pungent smell brushing my nose.
“… … .”
The boy could tell.
That he had entered the slums.
widely.
I stopped for a moment and looked at the map.
The slums were left almost empty.
In a way, it was natural.
Due to the nature of slums, where buildings are built and expanded indiscriminately, and even roads that were easily accessible can suddenly become blocked.
Map making was a nearly impossible task.
‘If it’s a small place like Sector 50, then it might be okay. If it’s a large area like Sector 36, then it would be even more so.’
Ray asked the passersby.
“What’s the quickest way to the black market from here?”
The man, who appeared to be a slum dweller, pointed to the alley with a corpse-like gesture.
Ray entered the alley.
‘I can hear people’s voices coming from over there.’
I followed my intuition and wandered around the intricately twisted alleys like an anthill.
At the end of it, let’s exit the alley.
“Let’s go and take a look!”
“Hey boss! Is there anything you’re looking for?”
All sorts of street stalls spread out endlessly along the streets and buildings.
“So, I’ll buy this first….”
“I thought the store was a lot cheaper?”
I could see countless crowds of people passing by.
Ray passed through the crowd of pedestrians and took a good look at the scenery.
‘It’s not that different from what I thought.’
A large market formed in a slum.
That was the impression Ray got.
What’s special about it is that there are a lot of interesting things scattered around.
Also, the ceaseless hawking and the large crowds of people walking along the street created a strange liveliness in the air.
“From sandworm scales to ghost bug dust! There’s nothing we don’t have!”
‘Sandworm scales?’
“A must-have for traveling! We carry magical tools for travelers!”
‘A magic tool for travelers?’
“I’m selling a medicine that will make you grow 8cm in one day!”
‘Growth pills?’
The boy’s head turned every time he heard the merchants’ shouts.
I soon came to my senses.
‘Is it a magic spell?’
I stared at the merchants’ hearts, but I couldn’t see the ring.
“I just have cat treats!”
‘Cat treats?’
Ki-ki-ki-ki.
The boy’s head, which had been turning for a moment, returned to its original position.
…black market.
It was a place where you couldn’t let your guard down for even a moment.
Not only were there many objects that caught your eye, but the proportion of people with black mana in their bowls was also much higher compared to other streets.
It was malicious.
Or trying to commit fraud.
Or trying to steal something.
Or trying to commit robbery.
There was a lot of room for interpretation.
Ray pulled his hood down deeper and quickened his pace.
It certainly wasn’t a bad option to just walk by and look at the items carefully.
But there was an overriding goal to be achieved here.
‘I need to find a card technician.’
That way, we can find John and Skyle’s money on the card.
Once we confirmed the total amount of funds that would increase, it would be possible to make a consumption plan.
“We are selling a subspace bag that can hold anything!”
“For sale is the legendary kitchen knife that cuts through steel like tofu!”
Ray walked quickly, shaking off the merchants’ enchantments.
As the Nostra members said, it was not difficult to find shops or booths related to cards.
The only problem was that they were all closed.
“The Amon guys are drying up the seed of card technicians in the black market. Either recruit them or kill them. One of the two.”
“They’re trying to drain our finances. They’re trying to make it so that even if someone steals our cards, they can’t use them.”
The Nostra Clan in the northern sector.
The Amon family in the eastern sector.
The two organizations were in conflict.
The other two groups in the West and South were also said to be too busy fighting each other to pay attention to the North and East.
‘If I keep walking like this, I don’t think I’ll be able to find an open door.’
The black market was in a ring shape around the outskirts of the sector, and boasted a very large area.
But I had a feeling that if it was this thorough, it would have already been done throughout the black market.
As Ray was walking along, a gunshot wound caught his eye.
Squeak─
As I opened the old glass door and went in, the smell of iron and gunpowder hit me.
“You are a young guest.”
A middle-aged man who was cleaning a shotgun at the counter said.
“Errands? Are you looking for something?”
“… … .”
There were several customers inside the store.
Ray looked around the walls and shelves filled with guns, and thought about Philip’s request.
“I need a gun. Something that fits my hand and can be carried in my pocket. I couldn’t bring the one I was using because I had to lighten my load.”
While the war in Sector 46 ended and the magic circle was being prepared, Philip was not just sitting around.
With the help of his teammates, he had acquired a certain level of driving and shooting skills.
“I should be able to protect at least one part of my body.”
That was the right story.
Normally, I would go around exploring sectors with Veronica, but this was the 30s sector, not the 40s.
As the area becomes larger, there will be more risk factors, and there may also be instances where you will need to work alone.
Ray pointed to the type of gun Philip had mentioned.
“That one.”
“Manikarov No. 3. It’s a good gun with a generous 12-round magazine and is known for not breaking down.”
“Please give me a box of coals.”
“I can give you as much as you want. I’ll check the amount first.”
Ray placed a few bills on the counter.
The store owner, holding up the bill to the light, took the pistol Ray had mentioned down from the shelf and placed it on the counter along with a box of ammunition.
“It’s my first time seeing you. You don’t seem to be from some organization. Are you buying it for your own use?”
Crunch!
Ray quickly filled the magazine and finished pairing it with the gun.
The shop owner was impressed by his skill, but he put his hand under the counter where the loaded gun was, just in case.
“Not for me, it’s for my friend.”
“Hmm… Most of the time, kids like you buy guns to run errands for someone or to save up money for revenge.”
Creak.
The shop owner’s gaze was fixed on Ray’s finger on the trigger.
He said, wrapping his now clammy hands around the gun handle under the counter.
“No matter what, you’d better be careful, kid. The world isn’t as easy as you think.”
It was a kind of warning.
If you are having vain thoughts right now, it would be better to stop them early.
“… … .”
“… … .”
A moment of silence.
The moment when the boy and the store owner’s eyes met straight ahead.
Wheeeeeeee!
Ray’s hand holding the gun rose like lightning.
The shop owner also quickly pulled out his gun, but at the same time he realized that it was too late.
‘What speed…!’
For a split second, I had a gut feeling that death was coming.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three gunshots rang out in quick succession.
The shop owner, who had not even placed his finger on the trigger, stared blankly at the scene unfolding before his eyes.
“What is this…?”
The boy’s target was not this person, but three customers inside the store.
They were all lying on the floor in the exact same position, with their foreheads furrowed, trying to take their guns out of their arms.
Iron Buck.
Ray, who had stepped on a puddle of blood, kicked the bag that had fallen next to him.
Then, tools for opening the safe poured out.
“I think you should be careful. The world is not easy.”
Ray said.
A small room extending beyond the counter,
Looking at the safe you see there.
*
After finishing the conversation, Ray quickly left the gun shop.
“Most robbers can figure it out in advance. I guess I’m getting old. Thanks to you, I saved my life. I’ll give you the gun and ammo for free. And I promise to give you a wholesale discount every time you come.”
That wasn’t important to Ray at all.
“If you have any information about the current market situation, I’d like to hear it.”
“Market situation…? What…?”
“Is there a card technician working in sales?”
The shop owner’s face hardened as soon as he heard the word card technician.
“Don’t you know anything?”
“It’s not a good topic to bring up in this tense atmosphere, but… I’ll tell you in detail since I received some help.”
The conversation continued, and it was as expected.
All the card technicians in the black market were either taken away by the Amon Family or killed.
The remaining staff are also not doing business because they are concerned about the Amon family.
A warning was added.
“It’s best not to bring up the topic of card technicians in the black market right now. You might be mistaken for a member of Nostrane’s gang and targeted by Amon.”
The black market is a gray area that does not fall under any organized power.
However, not all street stalls and shops could be said to be purely private.
“There are definitely places that are closely connected to each organization. Places that act as a nudge along with the business.”
In other words.
The story was that each organization had its eyes and ears spread throughout the black market.
‘In particular, he said that there are locations that can be called spheres of influence.’
The course of action has been decided.
What if someone had swept away all the stuff that was there?
Hit— Hit— Hit—
All you had to do was go to where that someone was.
The boy’s emotions boiled over in an instant.
Dismissed!
The jewel’s mana responded to it and scattered bright yellow sparks into the surrounding air.