I looked at him strangely. “What else did I need to think about?”
He was a good friend of Rufus and also my first mentor. We had experienced so many things together and were practically a family now.
“You are right. There’s absolutely nothing to worry about.” Satisfied with my answer, Blair strode forward and slightly closed the distance between us. I wanted to step back, but he held me on the shoulders.
He then lowered his head and whispered in my ear, “Since you trust me this much, it looks like I do have a special place in your heart. I’m delighted to know that, Sylvia.”
Sylvia’s POV
I pushed Blair’s hand away and stepped back. “Of course, you’re special to me. You’re not only my teacher, but you’ve always been helpful to me. Most importantly, you’re Rufus’ best friend.”
I intentionally emphasized the last sentence to warn him not to cross the line.
Although Blair never said it outright, his words and actions implied a lot.
However, I didn’t want things to be awkward with him because he meant a lot to both Rufus and me.
For a moment, he didn’t say anything. Then, his smile suddenly dissipated. His expression was now rather complicated. He stared at me quietly for a few seconds and said nothing before putting his hood back on.
“What are you doing here in the black market? I can help you.”
I hesitated for a while before finally saying, “I’m here to find an expert in witchcraft.”
Blair nodded. “Come with me. I’ll take you to meet the most powerful wizard here. Ordinary people can’t see him.”
Soon, Blair took me to a darker place. Earlier, I could still see some lamps in the alley, but only candles illuminated the area here. All the buildings and structures were very primitive. Even the sound of wind seemed like it came from an ancient forest.
Still, a sizable number of people were present. This place was also lively, but people wore more luxurious robes and cloaks.
This place was much more advanced than where I had been earlier.
Along the way, Blair took the time to explain to me what the black market was and its operations. I could tell he knew this place very well, seeing how he seemed to be familiar with even the smallest alleys and all the shortcuts.
He seemed to know what I was thinking and murmured, “I often come here. Rufus is also a regular customer here.”
“Rufus comes here a lot?” I was shocked. I thought the black market was an illegal place, so when I decided to come here, I tried to psyche myself up.
Blair cracked a grin and said matter-of-factly, “Let’s not be judgmental. The royal family also needs to engage in business in other unlawful areas. But they have to be discreet and must not overdo it. So it requires secret regulation and supervision. The wizards and witches may look mysterious, but many of them are actually Rufus’ people. Many of their customers are also from the royal family.”
I swallowed and felt like a naive fool falling into a trap.
I was under the impression that the black market was closed off to the general public and that anyone who went here was actively breaking the law.
Unlikely as it may seem, the royal family had already been supervising it.
I should have thought of this. The black market was located in the heart of the capital city. It was only natural that the royal family knew its existence.
I couldn’t help but touch my forehead in frustration. I had been so stupid recently.
“So if you don’t want Rufus to know you are here, you should be more careful. Maybe one of these passers-by is his confidant,” Blair said in a firm tone.
Hearing this, I immediately pulled down the hood of my cloak and looked around vigilantly.
A playful smile crept on Blair’s lips when he saw me like that. “It looks like you and Rufus still don’t trust each other completely. What secret are you trying to hide from him?”
Sylvia’s POV
“It’s none of your business…” Before I could finish my sentence, I suddenly realized that Blair was testing me.
Exasperated, I gritted my teeth in anger, but just as I was about to say something, he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer.
“Here we are.”
It was not until then that I found myself standing in front of a dilapidated cottage. There was a huge sail hanging in front of the door riddled with intricate runes. On both sides of the door frame, there were firefly lights.
Suddenly, the wind blew the old wooden door open, revealing a mossy yard and a few giant puppets sitting under the eaves. The puppets looked like children in different poses; about half as tall as Blair. At first glance, they looked very real.
The sound of crows cawing broke the silence. Blair looked up at the crows and then led me inside.
“What was that? Some sort of signal?” I asked curiously.
“Kind of. If there are crows, it means the master is at home.” Blair went ahead. When he was about to reach the center of the yard, he suddenly turned around and walked towards me.
I immediately retreated and distanced myself from him, glaring at him vigilantly. “What are you doing?”
Blair smiled playfully, revealing his white teeth. “Nothing. I just want to tell you that the owner of this place is an old wizard named Murray. Apparently, his power is as legendary as his temper. He doesn’t show himself around ordinary people. However, his greed for money has put him in a great deal of cooperation with the royal family. We are friends now because I am more generous than most ordinary people. So don’t worry. Just tell him what you want him to do for you.”
“Got it,” I replied. At the same time, I took two steps back again to keep a distance from him. I couldn’t let my guard down around him.
Blair seemed like he couldn’t care less about the fact that I tried to keep him at arm’s length as he continued to lead me inside.
As I was following him into a room, a ferocious dog jumped on me, pinning me down, while a red crystal ball came at me at an extremely fast speed.
Fortunately, Blair was quick to react and he blocked the crystal ball for me before shouting, “Tim!”
All of a sudden, the fierce dog that was growling at me, turned away meekly, wagging its tail at Blair with excitement.
Suddenly, I heard an old man’s voice.
“What are you doing here? You’re the head of the guards in the royal palace! What do you want with my beloved dog?”
A frail old man in a dark purple robe walked out from behind the curtain. He had his hands clasped behind his back, a pair of black sunglasses resting on the bridge of his nose, and a goatee that made him appear very unruly.
“Murray, you should be careful! You almost hurt my friend!” Blair expressed his anger at the old man with a narrow-eyed glare.
However, the old man Murray seemed angrier than Blair. He took off his sunglasses to reveal a pair of sharp eyes and said, “Then, you shouldn’t have brought a black witch here! I could smell that cheap hybrid stench on her from a mile away! You know very well that I hate nothing more than black witches and I will never change my stance on that matter!”
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