Ch#94
One of the retainers was looking at her with a polite expression. Was his name Daren Dru Sheakan? The man, a distant relative of Varkas, spoke cautiously.
“If there is any merchandise that catches your fancy, I shall purchase it for you.”
“No need. I don’t want—”
Thalia, about to reflexively spit out a refusal, suddenly fell silent. She was just starting to get bored of sitting still like a decorative ornament.
She glanced at Varkas, who was surrounded by administrators and council members, then pulled her hood low over her head and stood up.
“Fine. Lead the way.”
As they stepped out of the meeting room through the back door, a vast space bustling with hundreds of merchants revealed itself.
Thalia stood at the railing and looked down. Heaps of brightly colored woolens and felts were piled high on tightly packed stalls, and behind them, long lines of carts and crates laden with cargo stretched out.
“This way, please.”
The man guided her toward the stairs. Thalia gripped the railing with one hand and stepped down carefully. As she reached the final step, the vibrant scene of the auction house filled her vision.
Thalia moved along the crowded aisles, watching the merchants compete in bidding. While men dressed as finely as any noble haggled and spat mid-sentence, brokers used scales and abacuses to calculate commissions and taxes, and transporters hauled neatly stacked fabrics onto carts.
It felt as though she had been dropped into the middle of a frenzied banquet hall.
She observed the spices sold by foreign merchants before turning her steps toward a relatively quiet row of stalls.
On a somewhat shabby display table, ornaments crafted with crude workmanship were laid out. As she scanned them with a disinterested gaze, the man following quietly behind her like a bodyguard spoke up.
“The jewelers are in the transept area. Shall I lead you there?”
“Don’t bother. I don’t wear any jewelry unless it’s made by Dwarves anyway.”
“Ah… I see.”
The man scratched the back of his head, looking embarrassed. Thalia ignored him and stepped into an alley lined with small stalls. Just then, a tapestry hanging on a wall caught her eye.
Thalia approached it and stared up at the uniquely patterned decorative cloth. On the fabric, where gold, red, and deep auburn threads were intricately interwoven, the figures of a young woman with snow-white skin and a black, three-headed beast were embroidered.
She frowned as she examined the somewhat eerie image, and a strange voice spoke from nearby.
“Does that tapestry please you?”
Turning her head, Thalia discovered an Eastern woman behind the stall and put on a wary expression.
The woman set down the ledger she was holding and offered a deal in a polite tone.
“It is listed for 30 soldems, but if you are the one purchasing it, My Lady, I shall let it go for 26.”
“Who would buy such a strange tapestry?”
At Thalia’s blunt snap, a faint curiosity appeared on the woman’s face. She tilted her head and looked intently at Thalia’s features.
“It seems My Lady is from another region.”
Thalia glared at her with suspicious eyes.
“How do you know that?”
“This tapestry depicts the most famous folktale in the East. Since you did not recognize it, I assumed you came from elsewhere.”
“A folktale?”
Thalia looked up at the fabric on the wall again. Pleased that she was showing interest, the merchant immediately began the story.
“Long ago, a giant beast lived in this land that sought to swallow even the stars in the sky. Filled with greed, that beast attempted to devour every living thing on this earth.”
The woman, having set the stage grandly, paused for a moment to gauge her reaction.
Thalia gave a chin flick, signaling her to continue. A clear voice with a strange resonance continued slowly.
“Then one day, the spirit of the earth awakened to soothe the beast that threatened the world. She sang without rest for a hundred days and nights to tame the monster, and finally, a great warrior was born between them. The ancient Easterners believed themselves to be the descendants of this warrior.”
Thalia knitted her brows, recalling that she had heard a similar story from the maids at Raedgo Castle.
The merchant, rummaging through a pile of neatly folded fabrics, pulled out a handkerchief and spread it on the counter.
“Even now, there are many among the Easterners who believe that bearing the mark of the black beast will ward off misfortune. Why not buy one as a souvenir, My Lady?”
Embroidered on the red cloth was the three-headed monster. It was a somewhat familiar pattern.
Narrowing her eyes, Thalia soon remembered that it was a crest she had seen in books when studying the history of the Era of Warring Kingdoms. It was the symbol used by the Si’eikan family before they were incorporated into the Roem Empire.
She picked it up as if drawn to it.
It was an item far from her usual taste, but it felt awkward to ignore the merchant’s enthusiasm.
She gestured over her shoulder.
“What are you doing? Pay for it.”
At that moment, a slender hand with prominent knuckles reached out from right beside her.
“Will this suffice?”
Along with a cool voice, several glittering gold coins were placed on the counter.
Thalia flinched and looked back. Varkas, draped in a dark navy cloak, was looking down at her with an indifferent face. Pressing his body against her back, he let a low, melodious voice drift near her temple.
“Is there anything else you desire?”
Thalia stared up at him blankly for a moment before slowly shaking her head. Varkas, who had been staring intently at her face, turned his gaze to the merchant.
“Is the payment sufficient?”
“It—it is plenty. More than enough.”
As the merchant hurriedly gathered the gold coins, Varkas turned away without hesitation.
Led by his hand, they emerged from the narrow passage, and the relatively less crowded scenery of the auction house came into view.
He spoke quietly as he stepped into the corridor in the center of the building.
“The jewelry shops are over there. I hear that even great merchants from the Southern Continent have set up shop, so you may find something to Your Highness’s liking.”
Thalia looked up at his face vacantly. Then, the man who had been following them silently cut in tactlessly.
“Your Grace, Her Highness says she only wears jewelry made by Dwarves. Would the wares of heathens truly satisfy the Princess?”
Thalia glared at the man through the folds of her robe. She couldn’t let the chance to receive a jewel from Varkas be ruined by such a fool.
She blurted out somewhat hastily.
“Now that I think about it, it wouldn’t be so bad to have at least one unique ornament.”
Varkas looked down at her for a moment over his shoulder before turning his gaze forward again.
They passed dozens of stalls and moved toward the transept of the building.
Before long, the entrance to the precious metals exchange, guarded by grim-faced sentries, appeared. Varkas led her inside.
“Welcome.”
The merchant standing before the display case tossed out a clumsy greeting without even lifting his head. Despite the rude attitude, Varkas showed no reaction and brought her to the counter.
“Tell me if anything catches your eye.”
Thalia scanned the red velvet slowly. Large and small gems of quite excellent quality were arranged neatly.
Among them were items that looked extraordinary even to her eyes, accustomed as she was to all sorts of rare treasures. As she reflexively reached out to pick one up, the merchant, who had been checking the quality of a raw stone with a small magnifying glass, barked in a sharp voice.
“Customer! If you touch it recklessly…!”
Recognizing Varkas late, the merchant gasped and jumped to his feet.
Varkas said in a dry tone.
“I shall purchase everything Her Highness has touched.”
“N-no, Your Grace! Please don’t mind me and look as much as you like. I failed to recognize you and committed a discourtesy…”
Thalia didn’t even spare a glance for the babbling merchant and turned her attention to other gems.
Then, she suddenly stopped in her tracks upon discovering a soft, glowing blue mineral. When she picked it up and held it to the light, a mysterious silver sheen swirled over the smooth surface. It was a beautiful moonstone that reminded her of Varkas’s eyes.
“Do you like that one?”
As she stared at the gem as if possessed, Varkas spoke to her.
Thalia flinched and set the gem down. Her neck grew hot under his gaze, which felt as if it were seeing right through her inner thoughts.
“It—it’s nothing special.”
Thalia snatched up a red ruby lying next to it.
“I’ll take this one.”
