Holy Water That Shone Upon the Darkness

The decaying city carried a decaying stench, like rotten food drawing flies. In the slums far from the city center, vendors hawked their wares through the streets. As a city forgotten by the kingdom, Canfor's only remaining vitality lay in this vile and despicable place.

This slum was one of the main routes connecting to the neighboring city of Alderbu. Wealth plundered by Canfor's bandits often passed through here before being sold in Alderbu. Food, clothing, and Holy Water that cleansed curses were the best-selling goods in this lawless slum. Thus, bandits and merchants were far more active here than anywhere outside.

On streets flowing with sewage, bandits gathered to discuss whom they should sell their stolen goods to. Thieves clutched their daggers, watching passersby like venomous snakes. Merchants who came here were surrounded by bodyguards, terrified that their goods and money would be taken from them.

Only Denolan seemed out of place. Yet he looked utterly accustomed to it all, like an old hand at the black market. The clay jar in the twenty-year-old's arms was wrapped layer after layer in black cloth, making it impossible to see what was inside.

"Hey—" A man crouched by the roadside called out to Denolan. "Kid, where are you from?"

Denolan looked around before saying, "Are you talking to me?"

"Of course—" the man replied with a roguish grin. "What's in that jar you're carrying? Gold, jewels, or clean food?"

"None... none of those..." Denolan answered timidly. "It contains rotten soil from Elrina Forest..."

"Ah—" The man suddenly understood. "So you're some country bumpkin selling materials. Get lost... get lost... Just looking at you makes me sick."

"Oh..." Denolan simply responded before hurrying away.

The streets within were a maze of interconnected paths, and every intersection had several rough-looking men like that. These people were idle loafers entrenched in the slums, usually making their living by extorting passing merchants.

Compared to bandits who robbed travelers along the road, they lacked courage. Compared to nimble-fingered thieves, they lacked skill. When they encountered wealthy merchants who hired adventurers as guards, they lowered their heads and greeted them, hoping for a handout. When they encountered desperadoes, they took detours to avoid them at all costs. Denolan privately called them the maggots of the slums, but people like them were never scarce in the darkness...

Following his old memories, Denolan arrived at the black-market shop that specialized in buying and selling Holy Water. As usual, nothing about the shop had changed. The wooden counter stood about ten centimeters above the ground, and the pitted earthen wall displayed the day's Holy Water prices.

"Excuse me, is Lord Abelato coming today?" Denolan asked quietly.

"Lord Abelato isn't coming today. The price for Holy Water is based solely on what's written on the wall..." the clerk behind the counter replied.

"Then I'll sell all this Holy Water..." Denolan handed his water jar to the clerk. As he watched the black strips of cloth being unwound from the jar's opening, layer by layer, his heart grew tense. Only after all the cloth had been removed did the old man in the shop pour the Holy Water into a magical container.

The Holy Water shimmered with a clear white light. Then, a bottle-shaped symbol gradually appeared within the pitch-black container.

"Second-grade goods—" the clerk called out. "One Kralimaya Gold Coin!"

"Just... one?" Denolan asked weakly.

"Just one. Phantom Thief Bernard has been appearing frequently lately, so the price of Holy Water has fluctuated greatly. One gold coin is the most you'll get."

"Then can I exchange it for silver coins...?"

"Sure." The clerk readily tossed a bag of Kralimaya Silver Coins before Denolan. A careful count showed there were more than four hundred silver coins inside.

"Ah... only... one Kralimaya Gold Coin..." Denolan let out a long sigh.

After leaving the shop and looking at the people passing by, Nolan clenched the bag of silver coins against his chest and murmured thoughtfully, "Not enough... not enough... This isn't nearly enough..."

"Bastard—take your hands off me!" A young girl's voice rang out from the street corner. Denolan secured the silver coins in his arms and hurried toward the sound.

In a narrow alley, the man who had stopped Denolan earlier was now shoving a young girl around. She had silver hair and blue eyes, with a pair of silver earrings hanging from her pointed ears. A dark hood covered her body, while her exposed skin was smooth and white like the finest milk. Judging by her appearance, she was clearly descended from forest elves.

"An elf—showing up in the black market..." The man gripped the girl's arm with ill intent. "Tell me, which caravan did you run away from? Uncle here will definitely help you regain your freedom..."

Slap— The girl struck him across the face. "You're the slave! My teacher is Miss Oyana. Let go of me if you know what's good for you!"

"Oyana?" the man said shamelessly. "I know her! There's a madam called Ouyangna in Alderbu, but I didn't know she had elves doing this too—"

As he spoke, the man pulled the girl into his arms, his filthy hands groping up and down her body. The girl struggled to escape, a blush rising to her pale cheeks. Her slender legs nearly buckled beneath her from the strain.

"Let go of me—" The silver-haired girl twisted her body, trying to escape the man's claws.

"Baby, don't move around. Be careful, or the knife in my arms might stab the wrong place—" the man threatened.

"No... no..." the girl cried helplessly. "Someone save me~"

"Bastard, get your filthy hands off her—" Denolan shouted as he rushed forward and punched the thug square in the face.

"It's you, kid!" The man fell to the ground, clutching his nose and howling, "You damn country bumpkin, I'll fucking remember you!"

"Remember all you want!" After straightening her clothes and hood, the girl kicked him in the groin. "I'll make sure you remember! I'll make sure you remember!"

"Stop kicking! Stop kicking!" Denolan grabbed the girl's right hand and hurriedly fled from one end of the alley.

"You... why are you grabbing me?! I wasn't done beating that guy yet!"

"What are you still fighting for... That guy's a local thug, and you're an elf. If his companions show up, you'll definitely be sold as a slave!" Denolan said as he ran.

"Let go—" The girl violently shook Denolan off. "Are you even a man?"

"You... you..." Denolan was left speechless. He stopped running.

"A real man should protect girls. What's there to fear from a few street thugs?" The girl pulled her hood down to hide her long ears and silver hair. "Not a single man I know is as cowardly as you! Someone like you is a disgrace to human men!"

"But... but I saved you..." Denolan stammered.

"So what? Do you expect me to offer myself to you because of that? Country bumpkin, ugly toad—" With that, the girl turned and walked toward the other side of the street.

"I..." Denolan felt hurt as he prepared to leave the black market. At that moment, a familiar voice rang out again.

"You little bitch—I finally found you!"

The voice of the thug from before came from behind him again, but this time, he had not come alone. Denolan quietly pressed himself against the wall and saw dozens of middle-aged men surrounding the elven girl. The leader was the man who had been beaten earlier, while the others were his companions.

"You little bitch... you've really got guts... You beat me and didn't even run. You still dared to stay here... I'd say you're too lonely and want to have some fun with my brothers."

"W-What do you want..." The girl backed away step by step until she was forced into a corner with nowhere left to retreat.

"What do you think we want..." The thugs chuckled.

"Whose money is this? Whose money fell on the ground—"

A shout rang out, followed by the sound of hundreds of silver coins hitting the ground.

"Money—Boss! Money!" A sharp-eyed man spotted hundreds of silver coins scattered not far away. Under the winter sun, the coins gleamed with an eye-catching brilliance.

"Money—money—money—" The thugs scattered in a frenzy.

"Go—go—go—hurry!" Seizing the chance, Denolan grabbed the girl's hand and ran toward the other end of the alley.

"Boss, that woman ran off with a man!"

"What? She ran?!" The lead thug shouted, "Brothers, get them—"

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