Chapter 17: Frost Sword Princess
The Phantom Thieves who arrived early had already set up stalls that stretched for several kilometers in the makeshift market.
The armory with a dazzling array of muskets, the blacksmith shop with billowing black smoke from the boiler, the potion shop with a strong smell of medicine, the steam equipment shop...
Most of the stalls are covered with tattered sackcloth.
The streets were crowded with people, most of them dressed as adventurers with muskets and sharp blades.
These were all members of various Phantom Thieves groups. Even from a distance one could sense the desperate ferocity emanating from them.
The weather was good today, the poisonous fog was not so thick, and some people were not wearing gas masks, revealing the terrifying tattoos on their skin and fierce eyes. Worn leather pants, sweaty linen shirts, smoky makeup, nose rings, small dreadlocks, colorful cockscombs, mechanical arms with exposed clockwork gears...
The strong heavy metal dark punk style gradually comes into view.
…
"Come and have a look... Excellent musket, 300-meter ultra-long range, high-precision sight, smokeless gunpowder... Wholesale price 13,000 riels, starting at 100."
"A weapon enchanted with fire element, a famous weapon [Bajir's Red Snake Scimitar], a family heirloom of the Lafitte family... for only five million liros!"
"I'm selling a ton of potion materials. They're still hot after I looted them. The price is 30,000 gold crowns..."
"War slaves of excellent appearance, daughters of wealthy merchants, ladies from wealthy families, female knights from the Marquis's mansion... come and have a look..."
"Imperial standard steam engine with external skeleton, the current model of the Royal Guard Corps, the quantity is limited, come quickly..."
“…”
Along the way, the sounds of hawking were endless.
A group of robbers who didn't look like serious businessmen were setting up stalls and selling their wares.
Those valuable goods were placed randomly on the ground, looking as chaotic and disorderly as a grocery store...
The numb-looking female slaves were only wearing a piece of clothing to cover their private parts, and were tied up with chains like livestock and sold in rows on the exhibition stand. Under the stage, a group of buyers with obscene eyes were pointing and talking...
There were also occasional gunshots, which were the arms dealers on the black market selling their muskets and steam equipment...
On the open-air fighting arena, two strong men with bare upper bodies were fighting desperately, and the gamblers below were shouting with excitement...
Of course, the most lively places are the pubs and gambling dens where flirtatious girls solicit customers at the door.
Those speculators who secretly colluded with the thieves would not give up such a good opportunity. They had already prepared fine wine and girls, waiting to "rob" all the gold coins in the pockets of the thieves...
These guys who live on the edge of a knife are the ones who are most willing to spend money to enjoy indulgence.
…
This is a chaotic, disorderly and bloody "black market trade fair"...
But Raymond saw it, and a certain emotion in his heart became more and more uncontrollable.
After traveling through time for a year, he has been on the brink of life and death every day. This is the time when he feels he is closest to "freedom".
This "black market fair", the largest in the past decade, probably gathered more than 100,000 people!
This is the best chance to escape, he must seize it.
Of course, a certain old guy thought so too.
"Let's go. There's nothing good on the street. At this kind of exchange, the really good things are exchanged in small private circles..."
"Yes, teacher."
“…”
Pisis pretended to lead Ryan for a walk, and then they walked more and more remotely until they came to a sake tavern called "Hyacinth Tavern".
This kind of black market trade fair, a tavern without call girls, is rarely frequented by lustful and alcoholic thieves, but it is the favorite meeting place for those arrogant potion masters.
This is an upscale pub in a remote location, suitable for doing some secret things.
For example, murder and robbery.
…
"Clang" the butterfly spring door was pushed open from the outside to the inside, and the wind chimes hanging on the door rang crisply.
What meets the eye is a western cowboy style decoration, but the difference is that there are many more black pipes and gas valves of steam boilers in the house.
Maybe it was because it was still early, but when Ryan and the others came in, there were not many customers in the pub. The bartender with a mustache at the bar was wiping the goblet repeatedly out of boredom.
Pisis, the two-star potion master, seemed to be quite famous. When the bartender saw him coming, he greeted him warmly.
"Hey~ Mr. Pisis, my old friend, we meet again!"
"Um."
Pisis nodded indifferently and asked, "Boss Tom, have Joseph and his men from the Flower Snake Group been here?"
The bartender shrugged and responded, "No, Mr. Pisis. But the fair hasn't started yet, and I think Mr. Joseph is still on his way..."
"oh……"
Pisis raised his eyebrows.
He was not stingy at all. He flicked out a gold crown with his fingers and landed it steadily on the bar. "As usual, prepare a large, quiet room for us."
This is a full ten thousand miles.
The bartender took the gold coin and smiled happily: "Well... It's my honor to have the noble potion master patronize my tavern."
Listening to their conversation, there didn't seem to be anything suspicious.
Ryan didn't say a word the whole time, but he took in the entire scene in the tavern with his peripheral vision.
He was looking for an opportunity, but was also always on guard against a sudden attack from Pythis.
Tap, tap, tap…
The wooden stairs make a slight crisp sound when you walk on them.
Ryan followed Pisis upstairs cautiously, only to discover that there was an inconspicuous guest house in the corner not far away.
"Eh...why didn't I see any guests just now..."
He took a glance.
The guests were a man and a woman.
The man was a burly bearded fellow, as sturdy as a bear. He was probably a transcendent fighter.
The woman had a graceful figure and wavy flaxen hair draped over her shoulders, but she was wearing a half-covered gas mask that only exposed her eyes, so her face could not be seen clearly.
The two seemed to be talking about something secret. Even if you listened carefully, you couldn't hear what they were talking about.
"These two guys...are a bit suspicious."
Ryan pondered in his mind.
At this moment, everyone in the room could be an "enemy."
After taking a glance, he naturally retracted his gaze and followed Pisis upstairs calmly.
He was completely unaware that he was observing others, and that his every move was seen by the two people in the corner.
…
Two outsiders suddenly came to the tavern, and a look of vigilance flashed across the faces of the two men in the corner at the same time.
But when he sensed the strength of the person coming, his vigilance disappeared again.
Extraordinary people of this level could not possibly pose any threat to them.
No matter how you look at it, they are just two guests who happened to come to the tavern.
After waiting for Ryan and the other man to go upstairs, the bearded man finally spoke and said to the woman opposite: "Your Highness, let's continue to discuss cooperation... The conditions can be discussed, but I need to see your sincerity first..."
The woman wearing a half-face gas mask spoke in a cold tone that kept people away, and said calmly: "Mr. Bazel, you should know that I came here alone to talk with you, which has shown you my sincerity."
"hey-hey……"
The sturdy man smiled and shrugged, his tone not disguising his praise at all, and said: "Your Highness Ymir is indeed the most courageous noble I have ever seen, much better than those hypocritical villains. Well, I don't trust the Omar royal family, but I have decided to trust you. We can talk about cooperation..."
Hearing this, the woman nodded calmly.
I'm afraid no one would have thought that the two inconspicuous drinkers in the corner of the tavern would be two famous figures in the Omar Empire.
One is the leader of the "White Wolf Phantom Thieves" [White Wolf] Bazel Gustav; and the other is the eldest princess of the Omar royal family, [Frost Sword Princess] Ymir Spurgeon, who is also a top master!
