How to Live as the Terminally Ill Younger Sister of the Villain - Chapter 49
The term ‘Sun Star’ that the priest mentioned upon seeing the pattern. It was clear that this name and the pattern were connected.
Angelina answered lightly, as if she had been waiting for this question.
“The largest black market in the Empire that opens on the night of the new moon, when the moon completely disappears.”
“…!”
The content was too heavy to be thrown out so casually, but.
“Sun Star is the name given to those who manage it.”
She spoke nonchalantly.
This time, Laura, Haley, and Mason’s eyes all grew round. As they lost their words, Angelina continued the explanation.
“Think of this pattern as a secret code used by the management to recognize each other. It became a bit crude since I made it in a hurry…”
Angelina examined the handkerchief closely.
Looking at it now, she thought if that priest had had a proper chance to examine this handkerchief, their plan would have failed before it even began. Fortunately, Laura had been quick-witted and only showed it briefly.
“Is that bastard a Sun Star? No way, the Order running a black market…!”
Mason shouted heatedly, unable to believe it. But Angelina waved her hand dismissively.
“Don’t get too worked up. It’s just a place where items that can’t be sold legally are traded, not exactly crawling with criminals.”
Well, one could argue that they’re already ‘criminals’ at the point of trading forbidden goods…
“Anyway, not all ‘illegal items’ are terrible.”
Foreign books were banned due to various diplomatic issues, ancient artworks known to be lost but actually intact, new magical tools awaiting licenses – the range of items traded in the black market was broad.
“Rather than vicious criminals, it’s more frequently used by wealthy collectors and curious researchers.”
Looking at the people who came to the black market, ordinary folks were more common. Priests, mages, commoners, nobles – truly diverse.
“Anyway, Sun Star is the group that manages these black markets to keep them from getting out of control.”
The black market itself couldn’t be called bad. It was just a natural phenomenon that occurred where people gathered to live.
“But since it deals with human desires, things can often get quite intense. That’s why Sun Star particularly focuses on security…”
If regular markets have tax offices and management security, black markets have Sun Star.
In fact, they could be considered indispensable as they control the black market and prevent bad things from happening.
“The problem is the Imperial Palace. They wouldn’t allow ‘black market management’ to form a security force. And if they secretly formed one and things went wrong, it could be troublesome if accused of treason…”
Angelina added, pointing to Laura’s mercenary outfit.
“They have no choice but to rely on mercenaries.”
This explained why such attire was chosen for today’s plan.
“But the problem was that the scale of the black market was too large for that.”
It was too expensive to operate solely with hired mercenaries. Even taking more than half of the transaction fees as commission wasn’t nearly enough.
“That’s why Sun Star joined hands with the Order. More precisely, with certain factions within the Order.”
“…So that’s why those bastards were acting suspiciously every month…”
Mason felt that the questions from his past were now being answered.
He had been following their suspicious activities and ended up being framed and cornered, forcing him to quit being a holy knight. He never imagined there was such a hidden story behind it all.
Knowing the truth now made him feel somewhat empty.
But that feeling completely disappeared with Angelina’s next words.
“In exchange for lending holy knights on the day the black market opens, certain factions within the Order demanded specific information.”
“Specific information?”
Angelina slowly brushed her lips, withholding her answer for a moment.
“The location of the sacred objects.”
Silence fell.
A moment later, the stillness was broken by the sound of Mason swallowing hard. Angelina spoke again.
“The Order is looking for five sacred objects. To awaken the power within them…”
Unlike her light explanations so far, she added with a shadowed face.
“With the purpose of creating a fake Saint.”
Mason’s face turned pale. It was too enormous a backstory to be called empty.
***
In the middle of a pitch-black space without a speck of light, there were two brightly shining entities that didn’t fit the surroundings.
One was Pudding emitting a soft glow, and the other was Ante, who had a light magic spell floating beside him instead of a torch.
“Seems like you really are a divine beast. Holding up well?”
“Sniff!”
When Ante spoke to Pudding ambling along beside him, it snorted as if to say, “What a silly question.”
“Pudding really doesn’t suit you. Such a cute sound coming from this terrifying form.”
Pudding had increased its size. This made it easier to match Ante’s pace and was more comfortable for crossing this place thick with magical power.
“Sniff.”
Pudding seemed to be saying, “What nonsense are you spouting after naming me yourself?”
Regardless, Ante, having said his piece, turned his head forward again.
“We’re here.”
They had finally arrived at the center.
“…It really is a lake.”
Ante muttered softly.
Until they got here, he had been half-doubting.
When they reached the lowest level and the magical power became so thick that ordinary people would find it difficult to breathe, he started to wonder, “Is this for real?”
And the moment the magic lake appeared, Ante had no choice but to realize that the information his sister had given him was accurate.
“How did she know?”
He knelt on one knee and scooped up some water from the ink-black lake in his hand. It was a lake that could be considered magic itself, not just highly concentrated.
As Ante touched it, the lake’s magic quickly seeped into him.
All the magic he had used coming here was replenished, and beyond that, it plastered magic thickly around him.
“Certainly, it would be difficult for any ordinary mage to handle.”
He stood up, gently dispersing the magic that had started to press on him.
If an ordinary person had come along, they might have seen the ridiculous sight of someone being crushed to death by magic.
Ante turned his gaze to the tree beyond the lake.
“A tree full of vitality, yet dyed black as if it shouldn’t be alive.”
That description fit well. It was alive and well in a state that seemed like it shouldn’t be.
It was a tree that had grown by feeding on magic.
Ante rolled his eyes, searching for the “particularly protruding thick root” that Angelina had described. It didn’t take long to locate it.
“Anyway, we need to cross this lake, what do you want to do?”
Ante turned his head to ask the divine beast beside him.
“If you say something horrible like ‘I’ll shrink, so carry me,’ I might just dunk you in that lake.”
As Ante shuddered at the thought, Pudding also shuddered and growled fiercely.
As if daring him not to even think about approaching, Pudding casually stepped forward.
“Even if you’re a divine beast, that lake…!”
Ante raised his voice in surprise, but he had to trail off at what happened next.
The water of the lake where Pudding’s foot touched had turned transparent. It had been purified.
The surrounding magic attacked with tremendous force, trying to swallow up the purified water again, but it was no match for the power of the divine beast.
“Ha. Insane.”
Ante let out a wry laugh and raised both hands.
“Alright, I admit my mistake. I’m an idiot for daring to think a divine beast would be comparable to a mere High Priest.”
“Sniff.”
Pudding walked across the lake with steady steps.
Watching its back, Ante narrowed his eyes.
‘I thought the barrier alone was impressive, but as expected, a divine beast is on a different level.’
The divine beast was even more extraordinary than he had thought.
The reason Pudding could be in this place thick with magic without any problem was that it had created a barrier around its body with holy power.
But the concentration of magic here wasn’t something that could be solved with a simple barrier. The air and the barrier, being of opposite nature, destroyed each other the moment they touched.
So to protect itself, it had to continuously create barriers faster than that speed, layering multiple barriers around itself.
Not only that, but it also had to thoroughly purify the surrounding air of magic every time it breathed.
And now it was even partially purifying the lake of pure magic as it walked across.
To do all of this simultaneously required the ability to control an enormous amount of holy power with great precision.
Among humans, perhaps only a High Priest could do it.
It was amazing enough just to be able to do it, but Pudding didn’t even show signs of effort. Its posture remained unshaken and its expression nonchalant.
‘It would make sense to say that its very existence is holy power.’
Ante silently followed Pudding into the lake.
Although called a lake, it was only waist-deep, so they could reach the other side without much difficulty.
Soon, they stood at the exact location Angelina had described. Pudding, who had come along, scratched the ground vigorously.
