The Forgotten Field Novel - Chapter 94
C94
One of the vassals observed her with a respectful expression. It was Daren Dru Siokan. The man, who was said to be a distant relative of Varkas, spoke cautiously.
—”If there is any product that is to your liking, I will buy it for you.”
—”Forget it. I don’t need anyth…”.
Talia, who was about to let out her usual words of rejection out of habit, suddenly closed her mouth. She was starting to get tired of sitting there motionless, as if she were a simple ornament.
She looked sideways at Varkas, who was surrounded by administrators and council members, and stood up from her seat after pulling the hood over her head.
—”All right. Guide me.”
Leaving the meeting room through the back door, a vast, bustling space filled with hundreds of merchants was revealed.
Talia stopped at the railing and looked down. Over the tightly set up stalls, vibrant colored fabrics and felts were piled up like mountains, and behind them, long lines of wagons and chests loaded with luggage lined up.
—”Come this way.”
The man guided her toward the stairs. Talia held onto the railing with one hand and carefully descended the steps. As she stepped on the last step, the vibrant atmosphere of the auction area filled her vision.
Talia walked through the congested aisles, observing the merchants competing in the bidding. While men dressed in robes as luxurious as those of any noble bargained heatedly, brokers calculated commissions and taxes using scales and abacuses, and haulers loaded the piled fabrics into the wagons.
It felt as if she had suddenly fallen into the middle of a crazed banquet hall.
She stood observing the spices being sold by foreign merchants until she directed her steps toward a comparatively less crowded stall.
On a somewhat dilapidated counter, roughly crafted handicrafts were displayed. While she examined them with an indifferent look, the man following her in silence like a bodyguard spoke to her.
—”The jewelers are in the side sector. Do you wish for me to guide you?”
—”It’s not necessary. In any case, I don’t use accessories that are not of dwarven manufacture.”
—”Ah… I see.”
The man scratched the back of his neck with an awkward gesture. Talia ignored him and ventured into an alley where small shops lined up. At that moment, a tapestry hanging on a wall caught her attention.
Talia approached and stared intently at the decorative cloth of peculiar patterns. Upon the fabric, crafted with intricately interwoven golden, red, and deep maroon threads, was embroidered the figure of a young woman with white skin and a three-headed black beast.
While she frowned, analyzing the drawing, which turned out to be somewhat creepy, an unfamiliar voice was heard nearby.
—”Do you like that tapestry?”
Talia turned her head and, upon discovering an Eastern woman behind the counter, put on an alert expression.
The woman set aside the account book she had in her hand and proposed a deal in a formal tone.
—”It is a piece that went on sale for 30 soldem, but if you buy it, I will let you have it for 26 soldem.”
—”Who would buy such a strange tapestry?”
Faced with her blunt response, a slight flash of curiosity appeared on the woman’s face. She tilted her head and carefully observed Talia’s face.
—”It seems you come from another region.”
Talia glared at her with a look full of suspicion.
—”How do you know?”
—”This tapestry represents the most famous folk tale of the East. I thought you must come from somewhere else since you do not recognize it.”
—”A folk tale?”
Talia looked back at the fabric hanging on the wall. As if glad to see her interest, the merchant began the story immediately.
—”A long, long time ago, a giant beast lived in this land that tried to swallow even the stars in the sky. That animal, filled with greed, tried to devour every living being in this land.”
After throwing the hook in a convincing manner, the woman made a brief pause to observe Talia’s reaction.
Talia made a gesture with her chin for her to continue. The clear voice, imbued with a strange resonance, proceeded slowly.
—”Then, one day, the spirit of the earth awakened to appease the beast that threatened the world. She tamed the monster by singing without rest for a hundred days and a hundred nights, and finally, from both, a great warrior was born. The ancient inhabitants of the East believed themselves to be the descendants of this warrior.”
Talia remembered having heard a similar story from the maids of Raedo Castle and knitted her brows.
The merchant, who was rummaging through a pile of carefully folded fabrics, pulled out a handkerchief and spread it over the counter.
—”Even today, there are not a few inhabitants of the East who believe that carrying the emblem of the black beast wards off bad luck. How about taking one as a souvenir?”
Embroidered on the reddish cloth was the three-headed beast. It was a pattern that felt strangely familiar to her.
Talia narrowed her eyes and soon was able to remember that it was an emblem she had seen in books when studying the history of the Warring Kingdoms. It was the symbol used by the Siokan family before being incorporated into the Empire of Roem.
As if drawn by something, she took the handkerchief into her hands.
It was far from being an object to her liking, but it felt uncomfortable to ignore the merchant’s enthusiasm.
She cast a look over her shoulder.
—”What are you doing that you don’t pay?”
At that instant, an agile hand with prominent knuckles reached out from right beside her.
—”This will suffice.”
Along with a gelid voice, a few gleaming gold coins were deposited onto the counter.
Talia startled and looked back. Varkas, wrapped in his dark blue cloak, observed her with an indifferent countenance. Pressing his body against her back, he let out a soft whisper near her temple.
—”Is there anything else you wish to have?”
Talia, who looked at him flabbergasted, shook her head slowly. Varkas, who observed her with intensity, directed his gaze toward the merchant.
—”Is that enough?”
—”Y-yes, it is enough. More than enough.”
While the woman gathered the gold coins hurriedly, Varkas turned around without delay.
Upon exiting the narrow corridor guided by his hand, the scenery of the auction area, now comparatively calmer, entered her vision.
He entered the corridor that ran through the center of the building and spoke in a low voice.
—”The jewelry is over there. They say that even the great merchants of the southern continent have stalls there, so you will be able to find something that is to Her Highness’s liking.”
Talia stared intently at his face, absorbed. At that moment, the man following them in silence intervened inopportunely.
—”Excellency, Her Highness says she does not use accessories that are not of dwarven manufacture. Do you think objects from pagans will be able to satisfy the Princess’s heart?”
Talia glared at the man from beneath her hood. She could not allow that idiot to make her lose the opportunity to receive jewelry as a gift from Varkas.
She blurted out with some urgency:
—”Now that I think about it, I think it would be fine to have at least one accessory that is a bit different.”
Varkas observed her for a moment over his shoulder and then looked back ahead.
They crossed dozens of stalls and headed to the side wing of the building.
Shortly after, the entrance to the precious metals exchange appeared, guarded by rough-looking guards. Varkas guided her inside.
—”Welcome.”
The merchant in front of the counter tossed a coarse greeting without even raising his head. Despite the rude attitude, Varkas showed no reaction whatsoever and led her in front of the showcase.
—”If there is anything you like, please tell me.”
Talia scanned the red velvet with her gaze. There were jewels of various sizes and of a fairly remarkable quality placed in order.
Among them, there were pieces that did not seem common even to her eyes, accustomed to seeing all kinds of rare treasures. Without thinking, she went to touch one, but the merchant, who was checking the quality of a raw stone with a small magnifying glass, let out a sharp shout.
—”Hey! If you touch it carelessly…!”
Recognizing Varkas belatedly, the merchant choked back a shout of surprise and leaped to his feet.
Varkas spoke in a monotonous tone.
—”I will buy everything Her Highness has touched.”
—”Ah, no, Excellency! Please do not worry and observe as much as you wish! I did not recognize her and committed a disrespect…”.
Talia, paying no attention to the babbling merchant, directed her gaze toward other jewels.
Suddenly, she discovered a blue mineral that shone softly and stopped. Upon taking it and putting it under the light, a mysterious silver glow enveloped the smooth surface. It was a beautiful moonstone that reminded her of Varkas’s eyes.
—”Do you like that one?”
While she observed the jewel as if bewitched, Varkas spoke to her.
Talia startled and dropped the stone. The back of her neck warmed up before that gaze that seemed to read her deepest thoughts.
—”N-not much.”
Talia took a red ruby that was next to it as if she wanted to snatch it from destiny.
—”I’ll keep this one.”
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