The underground trading market

Early the next morning, Nimrod strolled through the streets of Tingen City.

The pale yellow sun gradually rose above the horizon, casting soft, warm light over Tingen's streets. The cries of vendors and customers rang out around him, lending the scene little touches of everyday life.

But whenever Nimrod remembered that this sun was a manifestation of the Eternal Blazing Sun, he couldn't help feeling a little at a loss.

"-The Evil Dragon Bar."

Before long, Nimrod stopped in front of a bar with a sign reading "Evil Dragon Bar."

The Evil Dragon Bar stood in Tingen City's Harbor District. Since the area was close to the docks, most of the people passing through were ordinary folk dressed as sailors or dockworkers.

Occasionally, Nimrod spotted people among them who glittered with brilliant points of light-these were probably Beyonders automatically identified by his Marauder talent.

Even before Nimrod stopped there, passersby had already begun casting puzzled, wary glances his way. His clothes were far too respectable, leaving him utterly out of place.

He had chosen to come here today because, last night, several Aurora Order members who regularly monitored the Church of Evernight's wanted notices had spotted a new one-the notice for Tris, a Sequence 8 Beyonder, an Instigator belonging to the Aurora Order.

Originally, this wanted notice had merely been one entry on the "list of unaffiliated Beyonders in Tingen City available for hunting" submitted by Mr. Z. But Tris was simply too recognizable, and Nimrod had spotted this future Mr. Demoness at a glance.

As the Divine Descent Vessel chosen by that madwoman Cheek, Tris was quite valuable, well worth a special trip.

Nimrod didn't linger. He merely smiled faintly and walked into the bar.

As he made his way through the bar, a hot, stuffy odor wafted toward him. It was still early morning, and several hungover customers lay sprawled around the counter, their pockets glowing with the light that signified "valuable objects."

Nimrod's fingers itched a little. He casually lifted a wallet, but after feeling its thickness, he put it back in disappointment, almost unable to resist stuffing a few extra soli into it.

After passing the drunks, Nimrod walked up to the counter and casually took a seat. He ordered a drink from the bartender, whose face showed faint signs of fatigue, then said quietly:

"I heard there's a trading market here."

Hearing Nimrod's words, the bartender behind the counter scoffed. "Which drunks did you hear that rumor from this time?"

His words sounded perfectly natural, but the brilliant glow shining from his body told a completely different story. It was the light of a Beyonder Characteristic, meaning that he was, at the very least, a Beyonder.

-A Marauder's Excellent Observation couldn't reveal someone else's Beyonder Sequence. This was an ability Nimrod had gained through the properties of Sefirah Castle.

Although Sefirah Castle now had an owner, preventing Nimrod from entering it of his own accord, to Sefirah Castle, Nimrod was now practically equivalent to the Celestial Worthy.

Thus, in the real world, Nimrod could use certain abilities beyond his current Sequence, much as Klein could inside Sefirah Castle, though only to a limited degree.

And since he was a Beyonder, the fact that he could work as a bartender at the Evil Dragon Bar-a place with considerable ties to the Church of Storms-meant that he, too, belonged to that church.

"A rumor?"

Nimrod shrugged and deftly began using Thought Disruption on the bartender:

"But a friend of mine said the owner here used to be a respectable, responsible man. I had other options, but I still felt that a place under the protection of the Lord of Storms would be safest."

Mr. L using blasphemous language to bewitch a loyal believer of Storm.jpg

After hearing Nimrod's words, the bartender felt a strange, inexplicable pleasure well up inside him. Part of it came from the disruption of his thoughts, while the rest came from this new customer's praise of his boss, Swain.

Is he a believer of Storm? Someone craving Beyonder powers? Hmm, people like that need to be kept under control, right under our noses...

Even if he doesn't seek Beyonder powers here, he'll look for them elsewhere...

Ahem! But since the first organization he approached belongs to the Lord of Storms, we can't let him go looking for another god!

So the bartender cheerfully cleared his throat twice and, guided by his simple sense of justice, told Nimrod how to enter the underground trading market.

After hearing the helpful bartender's instructions, Nimrod took a wallet from the man's pocket, earnestly pulled out two banknotes, and placed them in his hand:

"Thank you, kind sir. Praise Storm."

Nimrod quite naturally made a simplified gesture of praise. The Celestial Worthy by his ear couldn't help making an amused sound, while the inverted cross at the back of his neck expressed slight displeasure.

"Praise Storm!"

The bartender happily accepted the money from his own wallet and casually stuffed it into the same pocket where Nimrod had slipped the wallet back. He waved a hand and said in a swaggering tone tinged with authority:

"No need to thank me, but don't forget-the Lord of Storms is watching you!"

Nimrod smiled and quickly left the counter, following the bartender's instructions into the billiard room behind the boxing ring.

Seeing that no one was around and that the snoring drunks showed no signs of waking, the bartender's eyes filled with delight. He eagerly stuffed the two large-denomination banknotes he had crumpled in his hand into his wallet, then carefully counted his money.

-The pay for low-ranking church members was only middling. A little unexpected income was always welcome.

But then he gave a slightly hesitant murmur of confusion and muttered to himself:

"Did I remember how much money I had wrong? Did I spend a few extra soli drinking earlier?"

"Come to think of it, wasn't the wallet he used just now pretty similar to mine...?"

The bartender scratched his head, unable to understand quite what had happened. But he soon put it out of his mind and went back to making a show of being busy behind the deserted counter.

Very busy, though with what, he couldn't say.

Still, he couldn't let his boss think he had nothing to do.