Chapter 16: Toka

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Chapter 16: Toka

As it turned out, getting the truth out of a legendary thief was far more difficult than recovering the stolen goods. Not only could they not pry a word out of her, but she was practically infuriating enough to kill them.

George hurried after Salomon, muttering as they walked, “She’s only getting away with this because we’re upright, brave, and kind!”

If they resorted to evil magic methods, even the most formidable thief wouldn’t be able to withstand interrogation. But obviously, the Black-Armored Knights would never do such a thing, and Captain Salomon even less so.

Just then, Salomon said, “George, call Leon back.”

George instinctively agreed, then immediately realized what he meant, his face filling with surprise. Oh no. They’d just been congratulating themselves on being upright, and now the one who wasn’t upright was coming back.

“Captain, how do we investigate this next?” George asked.

“Bounty Z visited the treasury several times. That proves it had already been robbed long ago, perhaps as far back as half a month ago. Do you remember what happened around then?” Salomon asked solemnly.

Of course he remembered! How could he not?

A ship had capsized at sea, and then believers had started fighting in the city, with the disturbance even spreading to Gray Hat Street. When they went to suppress the fighting, they had also discovered traces of magic. Now that this theft had occurred and Gray Hat Street was involved again, Captain Salomon had already sent them back to investigate the area, and they had gone through considerable trouble to trace things all the way to the magic academy.

A new student at the magic academy had taken part in that fight.

He said he was just passing by.

George was utterly deflated. But they had no evidence, and they couldn’t simply drag someone away from the magic academy by force. That academy was far too protective of its own. And now Captain Salomon had brought it up again…

“This means…” George’s heart skipped a beat. “It means all of this might have been aimed at the stolen goods?!”

Salomon’s piercing eagle-like eyes gazed toward a certain direction in the city. “George, do exactly as I say. You and the others take care of Gray Hat Street. I’m going to the city lord’s residence again.”

The city lord’s residence was in the southern district, while the jeweler’s shop was on Boken Street, near Marguerite Gardens.

As the carriage entered the area, the scenery around them changed. Vivid roses bloomed in the flower beds, with blue cornflowers scattered among them. The shops here were several levels above those on Gray Hat Street, with elegant storefronts and beautiful calligraphy displayed prominently. From perfume and wine to jewelry, they had everything.

Of course, the great holy city of magic was not without its magic shops.

Charlie stepped out of the carriage, but before he could take a look at their destination, his attention was drawn to the magic shop next door. The shop was called “Unicorn,” and its display windows were filled with all kinds of beautifully decorated magic apparatus.

An elegant young noblewoman came out of the shop chatting and laughing with her companions. She held a wand encrusted with gemstones, while her cloak shimmered with iridescent light.

“Once you receive your payment, you should be able to afford… about one-third of that wand.” Suddenly, that familiar voice sounded behind him again.

Charlie’s eyes immediately went deadpan, a faint aura of death spreading around him before he forcibly suppressed it.

Just as he thought. He hated men who talked too much.

“The House behind Unicorn is Kornweiss.” Vic started talking on his own again.

Charlie’s heart tightened. He glanced around from the corner of his eye and, seeing that there was no one else nearby, finally turned to look at Vic. Kornweiss was the royal family’s surname. The lord of Magipo, that prince, was also a member of the royal family. Vic certainly had quite a nerve to discuss them so openly here.

“The Magic Council has no objections?” Charlie asked, his curiosity beginning to stir.

“They get thirty percent.” Vic’s lips curved into a faint smile as he casually looked at the things in the display window. “Expensive jewelry and gold. What they truly give a wand is more worldly value. When it comes to making money off those nobles, neither the royal family nor the Magic Council will feel any pain.”

Charlie didn’t dare respond to that. Instead, he looked at the sign above the jeweler’s shop. It bore a complicated word that wasn’t in the common language spoken across Totolando, so even after inheriting the original owner’s memories, he couldn’t understand it.

Vic followed his gaze and said, “It’s an ancient language. It’s pronounced ‘Toka,’ meaning ‘immortal miracle.’ Once you come into contact with more magic spells, you’ll understand.”

Charlie understood. The Door-Opening Spell Ben had taught him wasn’t in the common language of Totolando either, so it probably came from the same source as “Toka.” No wonder magic had become so prosperous while the threshold for becoming a mage remained so high. Language alone was already a problem.

“Come in with me.” Vic courteously opened the door of the jeweler’s shop for Charlie. Once inside, Charlie discovered that although the storefront itself wasn’t particularly large, there was a whole different world inside.

The first thing he saw upon entering was a deer.

The deer appeared to be made of copper, but it was exquisitely crafted. Jewelry for display hung from its two antlers, and even its eyes were made of obsidian. Above the deer hung a luxurious crystal chandelier.

Beyond the deer, the view suddenly opened up. Cashmere carpets, solid-gold candleholders, and luxurious decorations everywhere made people instinctively slow their steps, as though even one heavy footfall might shatter the jewelry inside the glass display cases.

Charlie didn’t consider himself someone who was easily intimidated, but even this sight was a little hard on his poor man’s eyes.

He suddenly began to worry about what would happen if he lost the jewelry while wearing it. Would he have to flee for his life? Or should he go all the way and lock Vic in the basement, then inherit his fortune?

He might not have enough fighting power, but there were plenty of ways to get rid of someone.

Vic turned around and was just about to introduce the jewelry Charlie would be trying on today when he saw Charlie looking down thoughtfully. His face remained flawless, and his unique air was in no way overshadowed by the jewelry, but…

Why did he look so much like he was plotting something bad?

“What are you thinking about?” Vic deliberately stepped closer.

“Nothing.” Charlie unexpectedly met his gaze, but managed to keep his composure. “I’ve been trying meditation lately, but I haven’t quite gotten the hang of it. Something seems to be going wrong, and I keep getting distracted.”

For a moment, Vic couldn’t tell whether Charlie was lying or telling the truth, and he raised an eyebrow slightly. Just then, the door leading to the back room opened, and a man in formal attire and pristine white gloves walked out carrying a tray. His hair was graying, but it had been combed with meticulous care and tied back with a dark green lace ribbon.

The moment he saw them, he automatically ignored Vic and walked toward Charlie with delighted surprise in his eyes.

“You must be Mr. Charlie Blaze?” The man was no longer young, perhaps in his fifties or sixties. The passage of time had carved its marks into his face like a knife, but it had also given him a mature charm.

He looked at Charlie with a warm smile. “My master said that he had finally found a suitable jewelry model this time. I thought he had once again seen fragile bubbles in a springtime dream and fallen prey to some sort of illusion. I never imagined that there would truly be someone like you in Magipo City, someone capable of making people’s eyes light up.”

At those words, Charlie secretly glanced at Vic. If he hadn’t misheard, hadn’t that over-the-top, aria-like compliment also been mocking the shop’s owner at the same time?

Vic remained completely expressionless. “Bubbles may be fragile, but they’re beautiful enough, aren’t they?”

The man acted as though he hadn’t heard him at all. He lowered his head to look at the jewelry on the tray, seemingly dissatisfied, then shook his head. “No, no, this set still isn’t good enough. Please wait a moment. I’ll go get another set.”

With that, he walked away without looking back.

Charlie looked at Vic.

Vic shrugged. “Don’t worry about it.”

I wasn’t worried about it. Shouldn’t you be the one worrying?

Charlie deeply felt that the prerequisite for becoming a competent merchant was probably to abandon one’s sense of shame first, and Vic was undoubtedly one of the best at it.

Indeed, he had already casually and naturally opened the liquor cabinet, taken out a bottle and some glasses, and asked Charlie what he would like to drink.

The whole scene made it seem as though they were friends who got along wonderfully, rather than two “partners in crime” forced into some sort of under-the-table arrangement because one of them held the other’s leverage.

When Charlie didn’t answer, Vic poured him a glass of wine himself and handed it over. “I’ll bet you anything he’ll bring out the Serpent’s Heart for you. It suits you very well, but a little wine to bring some color to your complexion would make you look even better.”

Charlie took the glass, while Vic once again caught the faint scent of honey bread coming from him. He couldn’t help touching his nose.

The scent was a little too sweet for his taste, but in the frigid northern lands, sitting by a fire and taking a bite of something warm might be quite enjoyable.

Thinking this, Vic poured himself a glass as well and settled comfortably onto the sofa, telling Charlie to make himself at home. Charlie didn’t wander around, maintaining a basic degree of vigilance as he held his wineglass and examined the jewelry in the glass display cases.

Jewelry was innocent. Just as the shop’s name said, it was—an immortal miracle. Even though Charlie knew little about jewelry, he could still appreciate its beauty for what it was.

Before long, the man returned with another set of jewelry on the tray. He smiled as he introduced it to Charlie. “This set of jewelry is called the Serpent’s Heart. It’s crafted from gold, garnets, and top-grade turquoise. Both the quality of the gemstones and the design are exceptionally well suited to you.”

Charlie looked over. It was a “Serpent Biting Its Own Tail.” Its body was made of gold, with garnets for its eyes and turquoise outlining the snake’s head as it bit its tail. It was accompanied by blood-drop-shaped earrings and a turquoise ring in the same serpent design.

“Allow me to put it on for you.” The man set down the tray and placed one hand over his chest, observing every proper courtesy. “I forgot to introduce myself earlier. I’m Frank, and I take my master’s surname. You may simply call me Frank.”

Charlie nodded, set down his wineglass, and let Frank put the necklace on him. As it happened, the original owner already had pierced ears, so there was no need for any extra trouble.

He remembered that warm afternoon. Thirteen-year-old Charlie had already begun to grow into his looks, and his increasingly striking appearance had brought him some trouble. Young Master Armand, innocent and lively, had somehow obtained a box of beautiful jewelry. As he casually handed pieces out as gifts to them, his adopted brothers, he laughingly used the silver post of an earring to pierce Charlie’s earlobe.

Charlie covered his bleeding ear and lowered his head without saying a word.

To everyone who had been there that day, those two pierced ears were proof of Charlie’s humiliation. But Charlie himself had never seen it that way. His appearance had been a gift from his parents, and not once had he considered it a burden or something to despise. Jewelry was innocent. Even stained with blood, it still bloomed with beauty. He had only thought that things would be fine once he left.

The memory came to an abrupt end.

Frank had already put the earrings and necklace on him. Charlie picked up the ring himself and slipped it onto his finger before looking toward the mirror. Vic was right. The jewelry, with its turquoise and serpent motif, really did suit his blond hair and slightly pale complexion.

“Change to another set.” Vic’s voice suddenly sounded behind him again.

Charlie turned around and saw Vic leaning back on the sofa with his legs crossed, one hand holding his wineglass and the other resting on the back of the sofa as he casually offered his unsolicited opinion. “This set won’t do.”

Frank smiled. “Why won’t it do, my master?”

Vic said, “Save this set for someone else. As for him—bring out the most expensive one.”

Frank thought about it and seemed to agree. He turned around and went back for another set. This time, he brought out a much larger tray, and from more than ten meters away, Charlie could already see the enormous ruby resting on it.

One look showed just how enormous it was, and another look confirmed it. The necklace was built around diamonds, elaborate and magnificent, with a ring of rubies hanging beneath it. It perfectly embodied one simple principle—the most expensive was the most beautiful.

At that moment, Charlie’s urge to kill and seize the treasure reached its peak. Especially when Frank carefully put the jewelry on him, Charlie felt that this set of jewelry ought to be welded permanently onto his body.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t do that yet.

Even more melancholy.

The smile on Vic’s face grew brighter as he happily snapped his fingers. “No need to try anything else. This one will do. Frank, take his measurements and have a suitable outfit made for him.”

Frank immediately fetched a measuring tape and began taking Charlie’s measurements.

Since Charlie had agreed, there was no reason for him not to cooperate. He obediently spread his arms and let Frank take his measurements. But just then, Vic suddenly seemed to remember something. Propping his cheek against one hand, he said, “Aren’t you going to ask about that vampire assassin?”

“Would you be willing to tell me, Mr. Vic?” Charlie asked in return.

“I’ve always been sincere with my partners.” Vic set down his wineglass. “After bringing him back, I awakened him and did everything I could to get information out of him.”

Charlie said nothing and waited quietly for him to continue.

Vic stopped keeping him in suspense. “He was lying low near Gray Hat Street, and his target was the guru. But obviously, he hadn’t had a chance to make his move before the guru was caught. That night, someone attacked him in the shop.”

Charlie frowned slightly. “Who?”

Vic spread his hands. “He said he didn’t know. The other party was fully armed and impossible to identify. They fought to a draw. What happened after that is what you saw.”

Charlie fell into thought at that.

Vic watched him with interest. “Do you believe what he said?”

What difference did it make whether he believed him or not?

The vampire assassin’s account and Vic’s account intertwined in Charlie’s mind, making it difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood. But there was one thing he could venture to speculate: “Is it possible that the person who attacked him is still somewhere around Gray Hat Street?”

Vic looked impressed. “Exactly.”

That meant Charlie’s earlier speculation had been correct—there was still danger lurking around Gray Hat Street.

Had Vic told him this so readily out of sincerity toward his partner, as a kind warning, or did he have another purpose?

Charlie didn’t believe for a second that Vic was acting out of pure goodwill. Yet after all those suspicions had gone around in his mind, they came out differently when he finally spoke.

He showed the first smile he had worn since arriving. “Mr. Vic, thank you for the warning.”

Beneath the brilliant light of the crystal chandelier, the rubies and diamonds shimmered together, all those scattered points of light growing hazy and dreamlike. Vic raised his glass to Charlie from afar, his gaze deep and unreadable, impossible to tell what he was thinking.

Once Charlie had left by carriage, the jewelry shop returned to its usual tranquility.

Frank put away the jewelry and, seeing that Vic was still sitting motionless on the sofa, said, “We’ve found all the jewelry models, and the landlady’s hound is willing to take part as well. However, don’t you think you may have revealed too much information to Mr. Blaze?”

Vic raised his eyes. “Do you think he’ll ruin things?”

Frank said, “No. He seems quite capable, doesn’t he? He suits the jewelry so well, but jewelry is fragile. The more he knows, the more dangerous it becomes.”

“Perhaps he doesn’t see it that way.” Vic smiled. “Besides, keeping someone where we can watch him is the safest approach. I believe he’s still hiding some secrets; the time simply hasn’t come yet. Perhaps he’ll bring us some unexpected surprises in the future.”

Frank was somewhat surprised. “You think highly of him?”

Vic ran his fingers over his wineglass and replied inscrutably, “The Transparent Sea is about to see a storm.”

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