The City of Jerano was one of the busiest places in the world. Not only because of the college and the powerful awakeners that live there but because of a special program that allowed people to open stores and shops as long as they showed talent in their fields.
That's why you would find weaponsmiths, armorers, brewers, tamers, and anything you might need. That's why Arthur skipped his practical lesson to head into the city and gear himself up.
A great rune he had bought during the ambush in Runera was the Ancient Armor rune. Sadly, it was an armor that required a set of runes to operate, so using it as a temporary rune was less efficient than using the barrier.
Arthur wanted to buy an item that would allow him to inscribe several runes on it. He also needed better armor for his Stats Amplification runes.
Since Arts wasn't mandatory, he can practice them on his own. That's why the professor didn't stop him. Poor Oliver, however, would be running ten laps around the field.
Leaving the campus's grounds, Arthur was greeted with the busy streets of the city. He passed through a few residential districts with bricked houses and rising chimneys before reaching a place called the Iron Market.
As he entered the market, Arthur headed to Woodrock Street, the place known to have the best accessories in Jerano. He wasn't only going for an accessory, but also information.
He looked through the street for a shop called Aba's Repairs. The bell rang as he entered. There was a man of a thin build and glasses standing behind the counter.
"Welcome to Aba's Repair," The man turned to Arthur, examining him. "Do you have anything that needs fixing?"
"Well, no." Arthur looked at the items offered on the shelves. He noticed that although most of them looked old, they were usable. "I'm here to ask about Jason." Arthur turned to the man, looking for any clues on his expression.
"A friend of his?" The man asked with a sigh. "I've told you since last year, I..."
"I'm his relative," Arthur said as he picked up a sword, weighing it. "I'm here to check if the investigators missed anything."
"Hah," The man sighed again. "Jason worked for me after his finished classes. He said he needed money and he was diligent enough for me to hire him."
"Did you notice anything abnormal the day he disappeared?"
"Nothing in particular," The man had a thoughtful expression. "He left this place at eight in the evening, there was nothing unusual except his tired expression. He had exams at that time, so it's nothing out of the ordinary."
"What about the days before that?" Arthur asked with a frown. "Was he tired as well?"
"As I just said, it was the exams season. Every student in Jerano appeared lethargic." The man waved his hand. "Jason wasn't any special before he vanished. That's all I have to say."
"That's not all I have to ask." Arthur rebuked. "Did you notice any changes in his personality?"
"A change?" The man was stunned. "Not really, he was just..."
"Rage fits?" Arthur pushed again. "Did he seem confused?"
"No, he was mumbling all the time but as I said, it was the exams season. Most students try to memorize their studies while they do other tasks. It's not weird." The man frowned. "What's your last name? Are you his relative?" He was getting suspicious.
"I am. That's how I know you two fought the night he disappeared." Arthur glared at him. "He broke something here, so you reprimanded him. I guess you didn't say that to the investigators."
"No! That didn't happen!"
"Jason told me he broke something before he disappeared, I want it. If you hand it over, I won't say anything." Arthur's face was cold, making the man hesitate. He retreated to the back and brought out a broken bracelet.
"It wasn't a fight, I just sent him home. If I had known that he would disappear, I..." The man sounded regretful. "He was a nice kid. I'm sorry for what happened."
"It's alright, I'll find him." Arthur grabbed a piece of fabric and wrapped it around the bracelet. He nodded at the man before leaving the shop.
He found an alley where he examined the bracelet in depth. As he has suspected, he could see a black miasma around the bracelet. It seems the man couldn't see it or smell it like Arthur did, proving that his theory was right.
The missing students had something to do with the Enders, the foul creatures of nothingness. Many questions were on the table: where were the students now? What happened to them? Why did they need to kidnap the students, to begin with?
This reminded Arthur of a place he's been to, the memories of the orphanage. He can either asks Rayxin about this or ask the one who survived, Yuran. However, Yuran didn't know that he was alive.
He needs to go back to the prison of memories to find out. Getting inside is a problem, however. He can't walk in because the dungeon is locked.
For now, he would have to retrace Jason's steps. To do that, he would need to learn a new rune. Arthur placed the bracelet in his subspace before going deeper into the market to look for items he can inscribe.
He left the alley and walked deeper into Woodrock Street. He chanced upon a giant building that couldn't be missed. As he walked beside it, he heard noises coming from the inside.
'Jerano's Auction House,' Arthur read the sign. 'I should find an accessory that would be a fit for my Ancient Armor.' He walked inside with a bit of expectation.
"Welcome, sir!" As he did, staff rushed to meet him. It a handsome man in a uniform. "Would you go into the hall or to the cabinets?"
"What's the difference?" Arthur asked in puzzlement.
"For some customers, they would prefer to have some privacy. That's why, for extra points, we can offer you a private cabinet." The man explained with a bright smile.
"The cabinets then," Arthur scanned his bracelet and his points were deducted by five. The man led him through a few corridors and they reached a cabinet that overlooked an auditorium.
In the middle of the stage was a man that had a table beside him. He used grand gestures to introduce the items on the table.
"All you have to do is to press that button to raise your bid. If you want to bid higher than the set amount, please use this other button to speak." The man explained before leaving the room.
Arthur sat down as he picked up the plate of grapes and started eating. As he did, the man kept introducing the objects.
"A set of Fire Weapons!" The man introduced the items and Arthur almost spat. He looked at the weapons with wide eyes. These were things that he created. "The fine work the runes' master did on these swords, despite being of a lower quality, allows them to amplify each other's powers! It has also been called weapons of pure fire, because of the high-intensity fire it produces!"
The bids were then thrown around, but they were in Jerano Points instead of actual cash. Arthur saw this set sell for a hundred points, making his jaws drop.
He remembers these items being sold for over ten million, making the comparison in price jaw-dropping. He used his detection rune and tried to see who bought his weapons.
'Prince Caleb...' Another shocking coincidence. However, that wasn't what Arthur was shocked about. This Prince was sitting intimately next to someone while cuddling together. 'It is not... Emma?' Arthur frowned.
His detection rune allowed him to sense every detail in the room, including their faces. With the high-density mana Jerano had, his detection rune went 'undetected.' This meant that...
'This bastard is cheating on Emma.' Arthur gritted his teeth. Even though he knew this person was rotting, he didn't expect him to cheat on her in broad daylight. 'Did she know about this? It can't be. Even if she wanted to become a queen...'
"Our next item is one of practical and aesthetic properties!" The host announced. "The Thousand Leaves Wrist Protector!" Arthur's attention was pulled by the name. "It consists of a string of a thousand different leaves. This item isn't inscribed with any runes, because no runes' master can inscribe on such small plates! That's why it would forever be an aesthetic accessory!"
'Bingo.' Arthur grinned. 'Is it finally time to make an ultimate artifact?' His heart started beating faster due to his excitement. Before the bidding started, Caleb placed a bit of ten points higher than the base 30.
It seems he was trying to get it for the women he was cheating with, so Arthur had no plans to stand idle. He won't give up on such an item even if he wasn't facing this cheating bastard.