As Kaste conceded his own defeat, the spectators around the table stood up, clapped their hands and laughed, while others shouted in celebration.
But not everyone was happy. Some of the people at the nearby tables were visibly upset, cursing in low voices and throwing silver coins on their tables to settle their bets. They had lost a lot of money betting on Kaizen's opponent, the Tiefling. Some of the people who had been cheering for Kaste left the tavern in silence, their expressions dejected and their eyes disappointed. They were so angry that they pushed their chairs back hard and left the tavern without a word. They were really confident that the tiefling would win, after all, he was known for never losing a bet.
However, most of the tavern was in high spirits, celebrating Kaizen's victory. One of the organizers of the bets approached Kaizen with a smile on his face and pushed a bag of coins in his direction. Kaizen took the bag of coins and nodded his thanks.
[You have won 100 gold coins.]
As the crowd dispersed, a few mages approached Kaizen, wanting to know how he was able to move so quickly, only to have the drow, who was Kaste's friend, approach and stagger them.
Moments later, the tavern returned to its normal hustle and bustle, but there was still an atmosphere of excitement in the air. People were talking about Kaizen's victory and how agile he was.
Sitting at the table of this strange group of mages, Psyker looked at their leader and inquired:
"So where does your story about 'The Cave' begin? I just heard rumors that it is a very scary place where some more experienced mages go to trade things."
The drow looked at Kaizen and nodded with a serious frown. "And those rumors are partly true. In this place, not only things are sold, but also people and animals. You don't seem to be a noble, but even then you must have heard about the use of slaves for spell testing."
Psyker watched the drow with curiosity. He had never heard of this place when he was in the Forest of the Lost, but now he was truly intrigued.
"Among the wealthier mages, 'The Den' is known as a marketplace where they can find anything that is theoretically illegal. They buy and sell slaves, drugs, forbidden magical items, and even confidential information about the activities of the guards and other nobles. It is a very dangerous place, full of criminals and mercenaries who only need a gold coin to motivate them to commit any kind of crime. This place is well known throughout the city today, because in the past it was almost impossible to get in and out of there without being killed or kidnapped, but that has changed recently, there is an organization within 'The Den'."
Kaizen frowned. "That means the crime has become more organized."
The drow noticed his tense expression and said:
"Don't worry, young man. We have no immediate plans to return to that place. We were only interested in finding buyers who really appreciated our products. And we certainly haven't even gone ¼ of the way up to the second floor."
Psyker nodded, pretending to be relieved to create the aura of a concerned citizen. He looked around, and when he noticed that no one else was looking, he asked, trying not to look too interested:
"Do you guys know who is behind this whole place? I mean, I know it is pointless to ask, because if you knew, the guards would probably know and take down the leader, right?"
The mages in the group exchanged uncertain looks. "We're not sure," one of them replied, and the tiefling continued.
"There are many theories, of course, but no one is sure who runs The Den. Some people say it's probably a group of nobles trying to gain control of the black market, while others believe it's a consortium of former criminals who have banded together to maximize their profits. There's no way for us to know which version is correct."
Psyker nodded, considering the possibilities. He couldn't deny that he was curious who could be behind such a dark place, because if that person was Adohorn, the mage who had kidnapped Alina, he would have much more work than he could imagine.
The mages continued to talk about 'The Cave' and discuss possible theories about the organization of the place, at which point the drow turned to Kaizen and whispered:
"I've noticed that you're really interested in the black market, and I can't tell if it's because you're looking for some lost relative, or if you're a military man, or if you're an idiot, but if you want to know more about The Den, I can really help you. I know a few paths that could lead you there, but I wouldn't go there with you even if you begged me. It takes more than courage to go in there."
Psyker looked at him, considering the offer. He knew that if he wanted to find Adohorn and rescue Alina, he would need all the information he could get, and his only lead at the moment was exactly this local black market. However, Kaizen also knew that agreeing to go there would mean putting himself in danger and possibly wasting his precious time.
After a moment's thought, watching the others talk about 'The Den', he finally replied to the drow:
"I want to know more, and I need to know more about 'The Den,' even if it means risking my neck."
The drow nodded, seemingly satisfied with Kaizen's answer. "Very well. I will give you the information you need, but I will need something from you in return."
Psyker looked at the drow, then at the coin purse he had won from the customers earlier, and asked:
"In exchange for the information I want, you will take all my winnings from your friend and, who knows, pay a gentle harlot to comfort you. It's a fair deal, right?"
The drow smiled, almost laughing. "You really are a strange boy. All right, we have a deal."
...
Edited by: DrHitsuji
If you want to see original illustrations of Rise Online characters, consider helping me on pa treon: /NandoFalske
More character images in:
https://discord.gg/bpqq9u4gS8
Like it? Add to library!
Don't forget to vote with Powerstone to support the book if you like it...