Genius Wizard Hides His Sword Skills [EN]: Chapter 63

63. Renegade (2)

“What brings you to Aital?”

His eyes quickly scanned me up and down.

“Just here on some business.”

Our presence prompted an employee to rush out from behind the counter.

“Boss, do you know him? This kid wants to see something fun. He doesn’t look like he has any money, so I was holding him back…”

He couldn’t finish his sentence, as the mustached man shot him a chilling glare.

“You idiot. Can’t you even read the room?”

“Huh?”

“He’s a young master from Delema! What’s a little money to him?”

“De-Delema, you say?”

The clerk then scrutinized my face again, his eyes widening in disbelief.

“Ah, I didn’t think his eyes were red earlier…”

“You must be mistaken! You can’t even recognize a noble when you see one. Ugh. It’s my fault for taking you in.”

The man scolded the clerk before turning to me with a bow.

“I’m Dorn, the owner of this establishment. Please accept my sincerest apologies.”

“It’s nothing. The lighting isn’t great, so I understand why he didn’t recognize me. Of course, I have no desire to flaunt my Delema status.”

“You’re as magnanimous as I remember. Those destined for greatness are always different.”

As a seasoned merchant who doesn’t shy away from the black market, his social skills were top-notch.

‘This guy’s no amateur.’

He preemptively put down his employee, taking away my chance to get angry.

And he even flattered me to a comfortable degree, naturally taking the lead in the conversation.

“Oh, by the way, I received the 100 gold coins you sent last time. I didn’t expect them so quickly.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Even though it hadn’t been long, it seemed Anghel had already sent the gold.

“So, young master, is there something you’re looking for?”

Dorn stroked his long mustache.

“I heard you sell a lot of interesting things here. I’d like to take a look around and see what you have…”

His lips twitched into a wide grin.

“Was that Suwang beast girl not enough for you? Hehe.”

I struggled to keep my face neutral.

‘Damn this guy.’

Dorn headed towards a small door behind the counter.

“This way, please. This area is only open to my most valued customers.”

Having already shown him my wealth, Dorn seemed eager to show me his wares without suspicion.

Finally, I had the chance to see the real merchandise they were dealing in.

“Drew, want to come along?”

“Yeah. Maybe there’s something even more special.”

We immediately followed him behind the counter.

Creak.

The door was so small that we had to bend over to pass through. It must have been intentionally made to look shabby to conceal the secret space.

‘Damn, it’s huge.’

Beyond the small door, another space unfolded.

[This is the real deal.]

The area was as vast as the space outside the door. As I straightened up, I saw countless items on display.

“This is Dorn’s VIP room.”

“Is this where you get the items for Dorn’s auction house?”

“Exactly. I only keep the finest items here. Feel free to look around. If you need any explanations, don’t hesitate to ask.”

Dorn smiled proudly.

‘Hmm.’

This was indeed no ordinary shop.

[There’s even a magic bomb.]

From the magic bomb that Rakhoon used to all sorts of colored potions.

‘All forbidden items.’

However, I couldn’t spend too long examining the items on display. A cage installed on the innermost wall seized my attention.

‘You son of a bitch.’

I couldn’t take my eyes off the three beings trapped inside.

[A Myo and a Longtail, huh?]

Two beings with pointed ears on their heads, and one with a long, lizard-like tail. Clearly, residents of Ego.

“Gasp!”

Drew also covered his mouth as he looked at the cage. Knowing that I cared for the other races, he was just watching my reaction.

‘Where the hell are they capturing them from?’

They looked like they could barely breathe from all the beatings they had endured.

‘What a truly piece of garbage.’

He deals in forbidden items and doesn’t hesitate to trade in other races.

“I see you’re quite interested in the other races, young master. Myo and Longtails are quite popular.”

As my gaze remained fixed on the cage, his lips twitched strangely. It was a situation where I couldn’t help but frown.

“But, you don’t like them?”

He noticed my furrowed brow and cautiously watched my reaction.

“Ah! We might be getting some Leafkin soon. Though it’s not confirmed.”

“Leafkin, you say?”

At the mention of Leafkin, I turned to face Dorn.

“Oh, you’re interested in them, I see.”

Seeing me look at him, Dorn seemed to think I was interested and eagerly began to tell the story.

“Some adventurers came here a while ago. They said they needed to get revenge on the Leafkin, so I sold them a magic bomb.”

I knew immediately who he was talking about.

[Rakhoon.]

We had already met him.

“So? What does that have to do with bringing in Leafkin?”

“Leafkin are extremely protective of their forests. But what happens if you detonate a magic bomb in Ego? They’ll rush to protect it.”

“So, the person who bought the magic bomb is planning to kidnap and bring back Leafkin?”

“Not quite. If they use the magic bomb, even that fool won’t survive.”

Dorn shook his head.

“However, if the forest burns, the Leafkin nearby will have no choice but to temporarily evacuate. They’re weak against fire, you see.”

“So, you’re saying they’ll capture those who flee?”

“Yes. All they have to do is throw a net over the ones who come running out. It’s a net made of magic restraints, so they’ll be captured without a fight. I’ve already sent my men.”

Now the pieces fell into place.

‘So those guys from earlier…’

The ones who threw the net at Drew and me must have been Dorn’s men.

“Hmm…”

Drew, too, seemed to grasp the situation, letting out a small groan.

Dorn, unaware of our feelings, continued to smirk.

“Leafkin are especially small and cute. Their appearance is unique, so they’re very popular. I’m sure you’ll like them, young master.”

I could hardly bear to listen to his disgusting words any longer. But to find out more about their methods…

“Sigh. Are there any other races? Leafkin aren’t really my type.”

I had to force myself to continue the conversation.

“Well, tell me what kind of race you’re looking for. It might take some time, but I’ll get them for you.”

Dorn confidently declared.

‘He can get any race?’

I was curious about how Dorn was acquiring these other races. According to Grantel, the Leafkin chieftain, it was extremely rare for other races to leave Ego.

‘I need to find out every detail of how he gets them.’

I had to play along.

“The Origin or Radiant races would be nice…”

“Oh, you know about such rare races too. You truly are amazing. Hehe.”

Dorn wore a nasty smile.

“But, to get you what you want, I’ll need a bit more upfront…”

His eyes, filled with greed, were fixed on me.

“So, how much would it cost to get the Origin and Radiant races?”

“Hmm. It’s hard to say.”

I preempted Dorn, who was calculating in his head.

“I’ll give you a hundred gold coins upfront. And if you succeed, I’ll give you two hundred more.”

“T-Totaling three hundred, you say?”

Judging by his surprised reaction, it was clearly a significant amount for Dorn as well.

“That’s right. But you have to tell me how you catch them.”

Taking advantage of his surprise, I pressed on.

“The method? That’s our trade secret…”

“I need to know if the method is effective before I can give you the upfront payment, right?”

If I could get their methods just by giving the upfront payment, it wouldn’t be a bad deal for me either.

“Hmm. There are various methods. Like I said before, we can use foolish adventurers…”

“And?”

“Actually, to reliably capture the races you mentioned, we need to use a more special method. That’s why we need the upfront payment.”

“What method is that?”

Dorn finally revealed.

“Isn’t there always a traitor somewhere?”

“A traitor…”

“Yes. We trade with some of the other races in Ego. We give them what they need, and in return, they hand over the races we want.”

I couldn’t help but widen my eyes. It was an unexpected method.

“…Did you do that with the Myo and Longtails in there?”

“Yes. Those guys only live deep in Ego, so we can’t catch them any other way.”

I was speechless at the shocking truth. I knew from Grantel that the relationship between the races had deteriorated.

‘But not to this extent.’

The idea of handing over another race to humans was unimaginable. The rift was much deeper than I had thought.

“Can I come with you to the trading place? I’ll give you even more gold if I can.”

I needed to see it with my own eyes to root out the rotten seeds of Ego.

However, this time Dorn shook his head firmly.

“I’m sorry, but that’s impossible, no matter how much more money you offer. I can’t say any more than that. I hope you understand, as it could harm my business.”

He was quick to calculate his interests. For him, trading in other races was a goose that laid golden eggs. He would never want to expose it.

“But I can assure you that it’s a method only I can do. Shall we proceed with the deal?”

There was no need to think deeply.

“Alright. I’ll bring you the upfront payment tomorrow, so please prepare the work in advance.”

“Excellent. I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

As I shook hands with Dorn, Oberon raised an eyebrow.

[What are you planning? Are you going to buy all the residents of Ego?]

‘Of course not. I’m going to raid the site where this guy is trading.’

If I could catch them in the act of trading, I could get a clue about the guys who are disrupting the order of Ego.

‘I need to come up with a plan.’

We were shaking hands with different thoughts when.

“B-Boss!”

A commotion came from outside the shop.

“Just a moment.”

Dorn opened the small door and peeked out.

“T-That net you gave us earlier, it’s torn.”

A familiar voice. And the content of the conversation.

‘That guy from earlier.’

It was definitely the guy who threw the net in front of Ego’s forest.

“What nonsense are you spouting? It’s made of magic restraints.”

“W-Well, the kids made a mistake and covered two human boys with it. But one of them was all cut up…”

“What? Two boys?”

“Yes. They were just in their mid-teens. One was big, and the other was pretty.”

The man gradually described Drew and me.

‘This is getting annoying.’

Dorn’s gaze returned to us.