"Do not look back. And do not remove your masks"
Those ominous sounding words filled my ears. It was getting annoying to use a mask over another mask.
I had used the spirits to send the message to everyone about my plans, and thankfully had been on time with making them make me sober so that I could move through this place.
With Seri Al in the front, and many more in the back, I took in a breath and heightened my senses as we passed through the cave that led to the black market.
A creature…
The entire darkness in this narrow path leading into the black market was not just an absence of light, but a creature likely pulled out from deep within a dungeon.
There were only three major dungeons in Schwarz anyway. One in the Hall territory, another was the merged project of Deep Down Town, and the last was the Forever Icy Caps of the north.
This being was likely from one of those. It couldn't possibly be the Deep Down Town, though. The dungeon town of legends couldn't have that little security.
Icy caps having a shadowy creature was unlikely.
That would make only one possible place where this could have happened. The newly found and growing dungeon in the hall territory.
"We're here, I hope you didn't mind the crude way."
"Not at all, lord."
I looked ahead at Seri Al's words and a smile appeared on my face.
Past the opening in the dark cave was the grand site of the black market led by the Fonias family. Hundreds of people walked around in the virtual precinct created inside the cave systems.
Lights and chandeliers of yellow gently lit up the cave as the glamor of the interior revealed itself. Intricate carvings and decorations made up the walls while slabs of polished marbles accounted for the flooring.
Men and women in masks and tail coats walked around, trays in hands as they greeted the customers on their ways inside and handed out drinks and servings for free.
One even came to us with some champagne, which Mr. Shilon gladly indulged in.
Strangely enough, I heard not a squeal nor a scream. If anything, everyone with masks in here slightly reminded me of Acacia's tenth district of the empire.
It felt less like a black market and more like a place for people to hang out.
This guy must have cleaned up well since we were going to be here with some bights.
"I'll go and to some of the guests, Mr. Yujin," said Seri Al. "My daughter here, Mary"
At his words, someone with a mask suddenly popped out from behind him.
"Will attend to you."
"Greetings."
Shilon bowed and I followed. Of course, I didn't want to lower my head so I kept my eyes turned as up as I could make them.
"Then, I will see you in two hours. Feel free to take a look around, or to take a break in the green room."
"Thank you, of course."
Seri Al left and his daughter, Mary led us ahead.
"See. Anything?"
Those snappy sentences reminded me of two people I knew.
"What all happens down here?" I asked.
If possible, I would like to look into just what kind of human trafficking these guys were up to.
But that possibility seemed down for now.
"Not much. I suggest patiently waiting."
It seemed that any bit of mana I would use or any amount of Ki would be detected. Using spirit magic to look into where the trafficked ones were being kept. But the fucking spirits weren't interested in a word I said if I wasn't drunk.
Mary Fonias led us to the green room and led us inside. It was a lavish place that seemed more of a room for a noble than a greenroom. With a bed and table to boot, it seemed nigh indistinguishable from someone's private chambers.
"Feel free to rest here, if you need anything tell me," Mary said. She then turned toward Shilon. "And you do whatever you want, just don't bother me."
"Even going outside?"
"Sure. As long as I am not involved."
Oh…
This was going to be useful.
"Mr. Shilon, I am going to write some music, if you don't mind."
"Oh? Here?" He asked as he fetched me some paper from the table. Mary looked at us, slightly amused.
That was fine.
It didn't matter.
With a quill, I made the staves and the clefs, notations for both the piano and the guitar. Using some of my own liberty, I made notes that could only be played on the fourth finger or the little finger.
The repeat bars signified captivity, and around all of them, I added the pause symbol, the fermata.
It was more of me clutching at straws, but I had hopes.
Shilon, it was time to be a hero.
In a way of my own, trying to merge the limited symbols and notations on hand to convey the message. Crescendoes and diminuendos to illustrate where he needed to move the notations already telling of captivity.
The piece was prepared, and Mary was looking at it rather intensively.
"I don't know music as much as my siblings, but this seems like an eccentric piece," she said.
"It is," I answered, and wrote the title on top of the piece. "I call it the song of the captured children, based on a true story."
"Oh, interesting."
Shilon flinched.
Who the fuck would even imagine that a piano piece was supposed to be a sign toward helping captives? No one! Even if the name spelled it out loud, I doubted anyone would get it, including Shilon.
But this was the most I could do.
It had to work.
"Uhm, if you will excuse me for a while."
After reading this entire piece, Shilon placed the papers down and bowed. And then, he left.
For the next two hours.
We didn't hear from him.
Not long after.
"Master Yujin, the time has come."
It was 7 PM.
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