Ambient Mage

"So, why are we here?"

I stared up at the massive emporium.

I knew this place, mostly only for two things though.

For one it held the upper part of the black market, and had connections to an underground fighting ring.

The dean could understand a few weapons being sneaked in, as long as they weren't harmful, or counterfeits, but he would never allow an underground fighting ring, since most fighters were slaves or those gambling.

I forgot about one thing. Slaves.

A horrid mark on the mostly progressive empire.

Slaves, a people who were bound to a master.

Forced to do whatever the master desired.

Fortunately here the treatment of slaves was better.

The reason is quite disgusting though.

Slaves all wear marks, in the form of tattoos or collars.

The slave pact is a type of contract magic.

If a slave is born with anti-contract, specifically, anti-slave pact magic, they are usually killed upon discovery.

However the thought of one maturing or already being out in the world, keeps most slave owners in line, since once the method to break the slave pact with magic comes out, slaves will essentially be free.

Slaves, aren't all innocent people though.

Many are criminals, in fact, according to the game statistics, roughly 40% of all slaves are criminals.

The other 60% are part of the innocent in the law.

However, 30% of them are people who are in debt.

Those 30% are gamblers, drunkards, and over-spenders.

Not good people either.

The rest are people who illegally crossed into the country and refuse to be sent back their own, those who got into debt in a way that forced a pact, or in the worst cases I've seen, totally innocent people sold as slaves for masters' sexual needs.

That was the black market here.

As for the second, it was the auction, more specifically the 'Blue Ribbon Auction'.

The auction here has professional overseers, experts, and some nobles, to guarantee the authenticity of the things auctioned off.

 And the Auction owner was none other than Sarah, the person who oversaw most of the shops and stalls within the city.

She owned roughly 38% of the city, mostly in the financial parts.

She also controlled almost 2/3rds of the objects moving and out of the city.

In fact the egg cradle that Makarov is selling me is going through her, since his finance operator is her.

Fun fact, Makarov's leaser, or landlady if you prefer is Sarah.

Therefore as his finances are related to her, his objects sold and ordered are known to her since the orders he places must go through the city, and they are checked by the finance operator of that person.

So to say she knows about 2/3rds of the city's imports and exports, I mean it.

Sarah is also extremely good at intelligence.

As the owner of stalls, bars, and shops, much information is passed around, and even some of her shops are fronts for actual information guilds.

And that woman owned the very emporium I was at.

'Blue Sea Emporium.'

Charlotte looked at me and deadpanned.

"We're here to buy rocks."

Immediately she began to smile again.

"Just kidding."

She lightly tapped my right cheek twice.

What an odd way to joke.

Then I remembered Isla's words.

[She looks interested in you].

Maybe she was trying to be flirty, but was failing?

I hope it wasn't because it was god awful.

She began to walk into the emporium, and I followed her.

"So tonight, I heard the auction had something nice."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"What is it, exactly?"

"Well it's a surprise."

Wow, that was helpful.

We walked into the auction area, but instead of heading towards the receptionist, to receive a bidder card, we walked into the offices.

"Why are we headed here, I thought you were buying something?"

"I happen to know the owner."

"Really?"

Now I was invested, how did she know, and figure out the owner of the auction?

We walked into another hallway.

Then we turned into a room.

Odd. This isn't the room that Sarah receives you in game.

This room is dimly lit, more like a business partner's room, or room for a manager.

Her room, has many of her own personal details including a picture of herself, her late husband, and her daughter.

Charlotte sat down in the chair in front of the desk.

She patted the seat next to her.

"You may sit down, you aren't my guard remember?"

"Sorry, I guess old habits die hard."

It wasn't habit.

I preferred to stand in order to avoid ambush.

The door behind us opened and a man walked in.

I quickly scanned him over.

Nothing about him screamed it was a disguise.

I scanned him with mana next, I couldn't find any magic disguise.

I couldn't tell if he had a artifact that exceeded my magic scan.

The auction sold many odds and ends, on top of that the draconic blood enhancing my eyes weren't all powerful. Yet.

"Are you quite finished, sir?"

"Lucas did you just scan him?"

"Yes, your highness."

"It's Charlotte, Lucas, I'm with friends here."

"So who is the man pretending to be the owner?"

"Excuse me?"

"Charlotte this man isn't the owner you know?"

He didn't flinch, or move.

Nothing to indicate he was put off by my statement.

Either he knew something was up, or he was Sarah in disguise.

Maybe I can lure him out.

The general structure of the management from Sarah went like this.

Herself at the top, the sovreign.

Then the overseers.

The branch managers.

The general managers.

Managers, and finally employees.

There were some special positions, but they weren't very important to my current predicament.

Branch managers and above hold a code, that allows them to contact Sarah directly, they are also aware of her true name.

Most other employed by her, only think that the branch manager or overseers are the real owners.

The upper echelons also have a code that allows them to self identify.

It goes, codeword, then number for ranking, then district of work.

So lets see if he picks up on this.

"Hey Charlotte,"

The codeword, or in this case the passphrase in the auction is 'Bluegills hide'.

"Did you know that, Bluegills hide, in packs of 2, in the market district?"

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means the bluegills in their aquarium tanks hide when people come to buy them."

"No, I mean what the hell are you talking about in front of the owner."

"He's no owner."

"General manager, please self-identify."

"...."

"Welcome to my esteemed establishment, I'm sorry for the delay sir."

"What the hell Lucas?"

"What did you just do?"

 I smirked at her.

"It's quite alright, I need to find an overseer, so I can speak to the owner."

"You can't contact them yourself sir?"

"I wasn't expecting to need it, and most of the time, we don't carry them with us, unless we're working."

"Understood. I'll contact an overseer right now."

"Lucas, explain right now."

"I think it's my turn to say: it'll just have to wait. It's a surprise."

"That's not fair, I didn't keep you waiting."

"Well, technically, I'm not either, the overseer is."

The door opened and another man walked in.

"So who are you exactly?"

"Me, just someone who is close the real owner of all this."

He narrowed his eyes at me, and told us to follow him.

The branch manager seemed quite confused.

I thanked him for his cooperation and left his office.

As we walked down the hallway towards an overseers office, he started to ask questions.

"So who are you to know the owner?"

"Well, Sarah's a good friend."

He turned around to look at me.

He looked normal, aside from his shaking eyes.

He clearly didn't believe me, and thought me to be a spy from inside or outside the city.

"Then I apologize, I'll let her know you're here."

"It's quite okay, I'll wait in the reception room next to hers."

"As you wish. Ah, and if you ever need the help of the overseers, call this number, or send a magic message."

He handed me a card.

"If I may, which overseer are you?"

"Overseer of the Auctions, Malred."

"Ah, so you're Malred."

"Has she said anything about me?"

"Yes, only good things, and your son is doing quite alright inside the knight's course as well."

"That's always good to hear. Thank you for your time sir."

He bowed to me and left us in the overseer room.

"Lucas, you're going to explain this all to me later."

"Yes, princess."

I smirked again.

"It's Charlotte, and if you make that mistake again you will be punished."

"You would like that wouldn't you?"

"What?"

"I said lets get to the reception room."

"Liar."

She smiled.

She must've heard a little of what I said.

We walked into the reception room, and I sat her down on the couch surrounding a coffee table.

Not many minutes later a woman sat down on the couch across from us.

"Hello, Mr. Mysterious. I thought you were a student I had yet to see from another year, since you already knew how to exchange credits."

"I should've never doubted my intelligence, you really were a prospective student huh?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"So Lucas, Knight of Aurelia Svarmet, adopted son of Kelson and Annelise, why are you here?"

"Oh, and I would like to add that, should you feel like lying to me here, I can't guarantee that merchants will still move to Garment village."

Threatening my parent's huh?

Well...

"I guess that's alright, speaking of family, how is your daughter?"

"Is she still running around in the shopping district right about now?"

Her face steeled.

"So who are you? You even know of my daughter, which is known to no one else, aside from the maid that takes care of her when I do business, and she cannot tell others the truth."

"And I surely didn't tell you, so I ask again who are you?"

"Isn't that part of my charm?"

"I can't be sure of your intentions yet, Mr. Lucas."

"Please, call me Lucas, I'm not your better or equal for that matter."

"So then, as my inferior I ask who are you?"

"First I'll relieve your worries."

As a person and merchant she was worried about two things.

Her daughter and the city.

So I decided to help her relax.

"I solemnly swear to mana, that I, Lucas, will not harm your daughter."

"I also swear to mana that I will not harm the assets of Sarah Tenning, unless she harms me with malicious intent."

"I am Lucas, a knight to Aurelia Svarmet, a friend to the imperial siblings, and the person tasked with my lady's safety. Therefore, it was my intention to completely scour the city."

"I see, I guess those in love really are different."

"Of course you would know, Ma'am."

"Of course I would, a ducal lady, and her knight roaming my streets, who knows what could go wrong?"

"My city is quite peaceful and there is little to no crime."

"But the two of you created risk, so naturally I had you monitored."

"Good work with the demon by the way."

"Thank you."

Charlotte's jaw dropped further.

"Lucas you dealt with a demon."

"Yes."

"So you know Lucas, I knew you were a good person from the beginning."

"I also know you helped my daughter while you were on the streets, whether intentionally or not, I am in your debt."

"I didn't do it to put you in my debt you know?"

"I just thought that you were a nice person, and I should help people like that, besides I can't help it. You're a pretty woman, and who doesn't want to look good in front of them?"

"You have quite the silver tongue there Lucas, is that how you seduced our ducal lady, and the princess?"

"I would like to remain silent on this subject."

"Lucas, you knew?"

"Well... I mean anyone could see it."

Even my sword, but I couldn't how shameful.

"Wow, Lucas, you're quite the playboy, perhaps, I should back away and keep my daughter away from you."

"Please, she's 9 I have no intentions but to help her."

"Fufufu.... you're cute when you're flustered."

"Here take this card, I'll issue you a VIP card when I get the chance."

I gawked at the card in front of me.