Chương 14: Shard Market

The moment Anadis stepped into the Shard Market, chatter and hurried footsteps assaulted his ears. This was not his first time here, though it was just as overwhelming. Once, about three years ago, Father had brought him and Albus to buy equipment right when the man was hired for the Blessen Division. Back then, Anadis could do little more than stare around in wonder. He had just been a kid. But now he was older and a Blessen. That title carried real gravitas, his title… well, not officially. Not yet.

That would come tomorrow, once his and his siblings' insignias were ready to be picked up at the cathedral. The market was just as he remembered: booths lining both sides of the stone path, awnings glowing under blue-shard lanterns, weaponry of all kinds, lances, swords, axes, some etched with runes that shimmered as he passed. Shelves overflowed with potions, elixirs, and enhancers, their glass bottles swirling with tinted essence.

There were everyday items infused with purified Grullshards, such as heating stones coated in shard dust for cooking, and more. That same shard dust was also sold separately to purify dirty water, and even used in cooking to enhance meals. There were plenty of beauty products and jewelry made from empty Grullshards, and apparently even Grull repellent, though he doubted the last was useful.

Farther down the path, he spotted scrolls and manuals with titles like How to Survive a Grull Attack, How to Become a Blessen, and How to Be Chosen by a God. Those are some really eye-catching titles… even misleading to a point.

"I'll need you to head toward the apothecary stalls," Hel said as she spiraled into existence beside him." What for?" he asked through the mental bond. She gave him a look that said the answer was obvious, then flickered toward the apothecary stalls without waiting for a reply.

"Move!" Having no other choice, he exhaled quietly and followed.

"Here, talk to this one, the old hag," Hel said, hovering over a small stall draped in a purple mantle and lined with various concoctions. Old hag? You're thousands of years older than her! Of course, he wouldn't voice those thoughts aloud, not unless he wanted to hear the end of it.

"Ask for a clarity draught elixir," she said, ogling the variety while still floating above the stall.

"Why would we need that?" he asked through his head, careful to keep his lips still so he wouldn't sound like a crazy person talking to himself. Hel didn't look at him as she responded out loud, "Because thoughts are starting to melt."

"Melt?"

"You'll understand soon enough."

"Greetings, young one," the wizened woman said from behind the counter, her eyes barely open, as though she were speaking through a dream.

"What calls you today? I deal in many things, simple cough draughts, refined shard elixirs… even a charm or two for that maiden who's been stealing your sleep." She lifted a crooked hand, gesturing to the spread before her, rows of glass vials and stoppered bottles, each filled with slow-swirling sharddust mixtures that glimmered faintly in the light. No prices were listed anywhere, which immediately told Anadis they were expensive.

"Umm…" Feeling overwhelmed, Anadis stammered a bit, "I-I'm looking for a Clarity Draught elixir."

"Oh, Elandris up above," the wizened woman whined, her thin lips pursing.

"That's a very refined elixir you're asking for, one expensive as well, child. Sadly, my current inventory lacks an item of such magnificence." She tilted her head, studying him.

"Though… do you perhaps feel like you've forgotten something? As if part of your brain has gone aloof?"

"Not in any particu—""Try asking her for something that can steady the mind." Hel's voice brushed against his thoughts, cutting him off.

"Do you have anything that… could steady the mind?" The woman let out a skeptical "Heh," as she picked up a small jar and shook it between her fingers.

"This may not be as potent as what you wanted, but this clarity potion is great for the mind. It aligns your thoughts with the Leywaves, clears the fog in your head, and sharpens your memory. Makes it hard to forget anything." Hel's gaze lingered on the vial, her expression sharpening.

"It may fall short. But it is preferable to having nothing. Buy it." Anadis's face scrunched as he glanced at the flying goddess beside him.

"Why do we need to buy this? My memory is great!"

"You question me?" she said aloud, her tone brooking no argument.

"Buy it." Then it clicked. He recalled how she had mentioned her memory was fragmented, and some details were missing. I see, she wants me to buy it for her own use, of course.

"How much is it?" He felt the meager coins in his pouch dangling at his side. Hopefully, it would be enough.

"This one I can let go for six Argen and five Auri," she said.

"A bargain, truly." Anadis nearly choked at the audacity of calling that a bargain. He opened his pouch and counted the Auri bronze coins… there weren't many. Not even close. One Argen silver was worth ten Auri bronze, and he only had about four Argen and a couple of Auri in total. He'd need to rob someone or sell a kidney— Wait, why would anyone buy my kidney? Then he thought of how nice it would be to have a Solan gold coin; those were worth ten Argen silver, and he'd need to save for months for one of those.

Then there was the Crown Solan—Anadis had never seen one, but he'd heard a single coin could buy an entire mansion. They were supposedly minted from pure shard and reserved for emperors and citadel lords and some gold-class royals. In any case, his monthly allowance was only fifteen Auri coins, and he currently had forty-five, which equates to four and a half Argen. This was the result of saving half his allowance for months. Forty-five Auri, I need six and a half Argen. The math was not encouraging.

The apothecary lady seemed to catch on. She smacked her lips.

"I can give you a discount, young one, since I haven't made many sales today." His eyes brightened, and he breathed in.

"What do you say, five Argen coins?" She opened her hand, all her wizened fingers stretched wide. His shoulders sagged. Still too expensive. The old lady let out a weary sigh.

"This is a good -quality mind-healing concoction derived from purified shard dust of an Abominant Grull. It's capable of treating many types of mental conditions and toxin-induced ailments that affect mood, thoughts, and behavior, those that severely disrupt daily life." She placed the vile back in her stock.

"Even if I wanted to, I couldn't sell it for any lower than that." As Anadis tightened his coin pouch at his waist, his hand brushed against the sharp edges of the Grullshard in his pocket. He pulled it out slowly. Should I sell it? He considered asking the lady how much she would pay, but then he hesitated and shook his head.

"Is that an unpurified Grullshard?" the apothecary asked.

"I'm going to assume you're a Blessen, and a new one at that. Perhaps this year's batch?" He bobbed his head slowly and bit the inside of his cheek. He had planned to get it purified and then absorb it himself. That was an advantage not many, if any, newly Blessed would have after coming out of the trial with a Grullshard in hand, so selling it was the last thing on his mind. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"I wouldn't do right by you by buying it myself," she said with surprising honesty.

"Since I couldn't give you the best price for it. But there is an Attuner's shop farther down the hall. The seller can be a bit of a coin-pincher, so don't take less than nine Argen silver coins for it." He gave her a bow, which felt a bit excessive for the affair, and said, "Thank you for the recommendation. I'll see what I can do." She gave a weak smile, eyes still shut, and waved him goodbye. Walking through the Shard Market, the bossy butterfly decided to voice her thoughts.

"I intended for you to absorb that Grullshard," she said, a finger resting lightly against her chin.

"But clearly, that opportunity has been squandered. I suppose selling it is the best option." It truly hurt him to part with the Grullshard, especially after what it had cost to obtain it. But as he looked from the shard to Hel, he made his decision. If the potion could restore even a fragment of her memories, it would be worth far more than anything he could gain from absorbing it himself. Absorbing a purified Grullshard could and would accelerate a Blessen's growth in the path of ascension—he'd read that much.

But a goddess's memories… that kind of knowledge is beyond value. Up ahead in a corner was a booth selling all kinds of swords and various other armor. He wanted to check it out, just to satisfy his curiosity, but something else caught his eye: the Attuner's shop sign illuminated dimly by an amber lantern. With a sigh, he turned that way. He had to be responsible and do what mattered before checking anything else. Behind the counter sat a man with a beard so long that it reached his waist.

"Excuse me, sir," Anadis said. The man gave him the barest of glances and turned, ignoring him. Anadis scowled. He had clearly heard him. Why pretend otherwise? Fine. He'd try again.

"I have an unpurified Grullshard here." He lifted it.

"I wanted to see if you were interested in buying it. What do you say?" That got the Attuner's full attention. The man turned toward him and ogled the shard in Anadis's hand, eyes wide and hungry like a dog staring at a bone.

"Where did you get that shard, kid?" he asked, suspicion heavy in his gaze.

"From a Grull," Anadis replied.

"Where else would I get it from?" The man yanked the shard out of his hand, leaving Anadis stunned by the boldness." Hey—!"

"It's not a fake," the Attuner muttered as he examined it closely.

"Of course it's not. I just told you—""I'll give you three Argon silver coins for it," the Attuner cut him off with a bad offer.

"What do you say?" Grullshard trading, or any kind of trading, for that matter, wasn't Anadis's strong suit. Still, the nice old lady had given him her bottom price and warned him that the Attuner was quite stingy. But this… this was outright robbery!

"No," Anadis said firmly.

"That's not even half of what they're worth." The vendor's grin wavered. He ran his fingers through his long beard, something flickering in his gaze, perhaps calculation or greed, before letting out a low, rumbling laugh.

"I think I'm going to keep this shard. I'm pretty sure you stole it."

"What?" Anadis's eyebrows shot up.

"I'm a Blessen. I earned that shard fair and square," he retorted.

"You're not a Blessen. I don't see any insignia on you," the bearded vendor said, still ogling the shard.

"Well… that's because I just got Blessed three days ago. I haven't received my insignia yet, but I did kill a Grull for it." The man scoffed.

"And you expect me to believe that a kid who was just Blessed went into the wild and killed a Grull?"

"It was during the trial!" Anadis insisted.

"I got the shard in the Blessed Trial!"

"That settles it. This isn't yours," the bearded man said, pocketing the shard.

"Everyone knows the trial's Grulls don't drop shards." What kind of Attuner acts like this? Anadis was truly baffled. Should he force the shard out of his hand right here and now? No… that would make a spectacle in front of all these people.

"Listen, I don't want any trouble. Just give me my shard, and I'll be on my way." Anadis stood his ground, fists clenched.

"Insolent brat, get out of my sight before I call the market guards." Hel drifted into view.

"Don't let this dusty old bearded oaf get his way." You know what? She's right… Gotta teach this bastard a lesson. With a swift motion of his wrist, Anadis grabbed the man's beard and yanked hard. The Attuner yelped in pain as his face stretched like leather.

"Ow!" the man tried to pull back, but Anadis twisted his wrist hard with his other hand and squeezed until his fingers curled open, revealing the shard. The old man's eyes watered, his weathered face strained with pain.

"I told you I was a Blessen," Anadis whispered sharply. This man was taller and broader than him, and yet he could do nothing against Anadis's strength. It was so easy to make him submit.

"Now give me my shard back."

"Help!" the man yelled through clenched teeth.

"I'm being assaulted!" All eyes in the market fixated on them, and accusations flew instantly.

"Guards! Catch this kid, he's assaulting me, trying to steal my shard!" the old crooked Attuner cried out. Anadis released the man's beard. He hadn't thought about the consequences too much; his body just moved. The bastard had played him. Two guards moved in to restrain him.

"He's lying! He's the one trying to steal from me," Anadis pointed out, his voice tight but steady as he jerked his arm free.

"I'm a Blessen."

"Kid, let it go," one of the guards said.

"We saw you assaulting this man." The vendor flashed a self-satisfied grin. Anadis wondered what he should do. Should he resist? Or would that create more trouble? Hel shot forward, a rare edge in her motion.

"…This should be interesting," she murmured.

"Well, my vessel. Let's see if you can get yourself out of trouble." Wait. Is she just going to hover there and do nothing? Not that she could do anything. He racked his brain, trying to figure out what to do. First, he shouldn't resist; the Attuner was clearly the one in the wrong. He himself hadn't done anything wrong… crap, he had yanked the man's beard. Why the hell had he listened to Hel's provocations? He forced himself to relax and raised his hands slightly.

"Listen, let me explain what happened."

"You can explain once we've detained you."

"Wait—what? No, I haven't done anything!" Was he really about to lose his Grullshard and get detained on top of it?

"The kid is telling the truth," a calm voice of reason sounded behind them. They all turned to see who had spoken. A man who looked like a blacksmith stepped forward.

"I saw the kid politely trying to trade the shard with this crooked Attuner," he declared.

"The bastard yanked it from his hand and threatened to claim the kid had stolen it." The guards turned to the Attuner.

"Is this true?"

"I-I didn't! He is lying! It's all lies!" the bearded Attuner stuttered as he shouted, his voice cracking under the guards' gazes. Both guards exchanged a weary look as if this was the last thing they wanted to deal with.

"Give the shard back," one of them ordered, facing the Attuner who had been nervously stroking his beard.

"No! The kid stole it!" the Attuner cried in refusal.

"Kid, what's your name?" the other guard asked, his elbow resting on the rod of his spear.

"We need it for the report."

"Anadis Kalonis," he replied, smoothing down his tunic.

"The man and I are both telling the truth; it's my shard." The guard ignored him as he scribbled his name, then he paused mid-writing.

"Wait, did you say Kalonis? As in Hadrian Kalonis from the Blessen division? Are you his son?" Furrowing his brows, Anadis gave a hesitant nod in reply. The guard turned to the Attuner, who continued sputtering protests to the other guard, as the man pried the shard from his hand.

"Here, this is yours," the guard said, offering a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry about anything. We'll take care of this for you."

"Why?" Anadis gawked.

"I'm sure no son of Hadrian would steal," the guard said, placing the shard on his palm.

"Just try not to do that again. If something like this ever happens, come to us instead." The shard was warm in his palm again. Anadis felt relieved, truly he did, but something else gnawed beneath that relief, quieter and less comfortable. His and the blacksmith's testimony had been the truth, and that should have been enough. Instead, what had actually settled the matter was a name. His father's name. What would have happened if he weren't his father's son? Or if it had been some random kid instead of him?

He filed that away without examining it too closely and bowed lightly.

"Yes, thank you so much. And I'm sorry."

"Unfortunate," Hel exhaled softly, crossing her arms.

"I was curious how you would've performed with my Blessing… Try not to waste the next opportunity."

"I wouldn't fight two guards. That would be foolish," he said through their mental link. Really, what was she thinking?

"You would have won. You are a Blessen now. Act like one." Before he could respond to such simplistic logic, another firm, steady hand landed on his shoulder.

"I think I can help with your Grullshard issue," the blacksmith said.