The next day dawned, and Mr. F decided to take advantage of his free time by leaving the estate and wandering through the bustling market. The streets were lively with a variety of stands, some permanent fixtures of the city, while others were set up temporarily by traveling merchants. These traders often brought goods from distant regions, items rarely found in this city, which sparked curiosity in those who sought something unique.
As Mr. F meandered through the market, nothing initially caught his attention. He was accustomed to many of the common wares sold here, and he wasn’t one to be easily impressed. That was, until he noticed a peculiar cauldron at one of the smaller, more unassuming stalls. It was unlike any he had worked with before, and its design intrigued him. The cauldron was smaller than those typically used in alchemy, only about 50 centimeters wide, but it was unusually thick, with a screw-top lid that piqued his curiosity.
As Mr. F examined it closely, the vendor, a man with an unremarkable appearance but dressed in clothing that clearly marked him as from a foreign province, spoke up.
"Good day, sir. Might I assume you’re an alchemist?" the vendor asked, his tone polite yet probing.
Mr. F glanced up from the cauldron, taking in the merchant’s demeanor. There was nothing particularly notable about him, yet his attire stood out. Mr. F recognized it immediately as being from a southern province, most likely Andria. He chose not to comment on the man's origins directly but remained curious.
"Indeed, I am," Mr. F replied calmly. "I was curious about this cauldron. It’s quite different from the ones I’ve seen. What can you tell me about it?"
The merchant, sensing a potential sale, leaned in slightly, ready to offer his pitch. "Ah, yes. This cauldron is commonly used in my homeland for crafting recipes that require a significant amount of heat. It takes roughly twice as long to heat up compared to regular cauldrons, but it retains heat much better. You won’t need to inject as much magic to keep it warm. It's also a rank 2 artifact, though it’s typically used as a secondary cauldron for preparing specialized elixirs."
The merchant paused for effect before continuing, "It’s not well known in these parts, which is why I’ve had some difficulty selling it. I’d be willing to offer you a discount—500 gold pieces if you buy it now."
Mr. F, always skeptical of sales pitches, eyed the man with thinly veiled suspicion. The cauldron itself was intriguing, but the vendor’s description had holes in it. He knew these types of cauldrons well, and the merchant wasn’t being entirely truthful.
"Your clothing marks you as someone from the South, likely from Andria, if I’m not mistaken?" Mr. F said, his voice calm but cutting through the vendor’s carefully constructed narrative.
The merchant’s eyes widened slightly, though he tried to mask his surprise. "Indeed," he responded smoothly. "I traveled here with a caravan to sell the wares from my village. You have a sharp eye, sir. I’ll tell you what—how about I lower the price even further? Let’s say... 450 gold?"
Mr. F shook his head slowly, his gaze never leaving the merchant. "That price is still far too high, considering this cauldron is most likely stolen."
The vendor stiffened, his composure faltering for the first time. "How dare you accuse me of such a thing!" he spat, attempting outrage, but Mr. F wasn’t fooled.
"This cauldron didn’t come from Andria," Mr. F continued, his voice steady and unrelenting. "It’s from Beruka, a city to the north of that province. You weren’t entirely wrong about its heat retention, but its primary use isn’t what you claimed. This type of cauldron is often used for preparing ingredients that require crushing after heating, not for maintaining elixirs over extended periods. The wider surface allows for faster grinding. My guess is you either acquired it on the black market or stole it yourself. Or perhaps you're just another bandit, looking to make a quick profit."
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
At these words, the merchant began to sweat, his hand subtly slipping beneath his robe where a small dagger was concealed. Two hooded figures, likely accomplices, edged closer to Mr. F from behind, preparing to strike if the situation escalated.
The merchant let out a nervous laugh. "Oh, it was just a joke, a harmless joke, sir! I, uh, I don’t really know where the cauldron came from."
But Mr. F wasn’t finished. "It’s always good to joke among friends, isn’t it?" he said, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Why don’t you do me a favor then, friend, and sell me the cauldron for one gold piece? After all, friends help each other out."
The vendor’s eyes widened in disbelief, but before he could protest, the cauldron in question began to levitate off the ground, floating effortlessly in mid-air. The vendor’s pulse quickened. As a rank 4 bandit, he knew all too well what this meant. Only mages of rank 6 and higher possessed the ability to move objects through telekinesis. He realized now who he was dealing with—a man whose power far exceeded his own.
Sensing the impending danger, the merchant quickly recalibrated his approach. "A wonderful joke indeed, my friend!" he said, forcing a grin. "Of course, you may have the cauldron for one gold piece. Consider it a friendly discount."
Mr. F’s expression remained impassive as he tossed a single gold coin onto the merchant’s stall. He then retrieved the cauldron, stowing it away in his spatial pouch, and disappeared into the crowd without another word.
The merchant, his face pale and his hands trembling, breathed a sigh of relief. He signaled to his companions to pack up the stall. "This city brings nothing but trouble," he muttered under his breath. "We’d better try our luck somewhere else."
As Mr. F made his way through the crowded streets, he reflected on the encounter. He had dealt with enough shady characters in his life to recognize one when he saw it. Still, the cauldron was a valuable find, and he knew it would serve a certain someone well.
With the cauldron safely in his possession, Mr. F allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. Today had been a good day after all.
…
Meanwhile, in a hidden chamber elsewhere in the city, a figure stood once again before the massive crystal that tracked key targets, monitoring their movements across the city and revealing their locations. The room was dimly lit, with only the soft glow of the crystal casting eerie shadows on the stone walls. The figure, a woman with her hair tied back, watched intently as glowing dots moved across the crystal's surface, each representing a marked individual.
Behind her stood another man, his face obscured by a hood. He leaned over her shoulder, his breath hot and impatient. "Anything new on the target?" he asked, his voice low but laced with tension.
The woman didn’t immediately respond, her eyes still fixed on the crystal as she tracked the movements of one particular dot. "Not yet," she finally said. "The target is just wandering through the inner city market. The only unusual thing is that they had a brief interaction with another marked individual. They stood together for about three minutes before going their separate ways."
The man straightened slightly, narrowing his eyes. "Could they have exchanged information? A message, perhaps?"
The woman flipped through a stack of documents on a nearby table, her fingers scanning rapidly over various reports. After a moment, she found what she was looking for. "The other marked individual is a confirmed bandit. He’s been operating as a merchant in the city center, peddling goods to unsuspecting buyers. It could be coincidence, but given the circumstances, I've already sent guards to apprehend him."
Just as she spoke, the door to the chamber creaked open, and another figure entered, moving silently across the stone floor. The newcomer leaned in close to the man and whispered something in his ear. The man's expression darkened, and he turned to the woman with a curt nod.
"It seems they’ve already captured him," the man said, his voice now more urgent. "They've taken him to the dungeons. I’ll handle the interrogation personally. You stay here and keep monitoring the target."
He paused for a moment, his gaze hardening as he thought over their situation. "Reinforcements will be arriving in a few days. If we don’t have something solid to show by then, we’ll be removed from this investigation. We’ve been tracking this target for far too long to let them slip through our fingers now. Do your job well, or the consequences will be severe—for both of us."
The woman remained silent, but her lack of response was acknowledgment enough. She knew the gravity of the situation, and failure was not an option.