The clock tower in the square struck midnight.
Dong, dong, dong…
As the clock chimed exactly twelve times, the presence of people began to stir in the shadowy alley behind the fountain in Kellever Square. The few people initially spotted quickly multiplied into dozens.
Each person held a dim light that illuminated only the area in front of them within a meter, indicating their intent to avoid attracting the attention of anyone who might notice a brighter light.
“Captain, the black market has opened.”
The black market of Kellever was now active. Commander Clovis, who led the Alpha investigation team, nodded solemnly.
Just a month after the complete ban on private commercial transactions within LaHart, the black market began operating, just as Karl had predicted.
“People aren’t that generous. They can’t hold back for too long.”
“His Grace the Duke was correct.”
“Especially when it comes to matters related to money.”
Despite Clovis’s doubts that it would take at least two or three months for the black market to emerge, Karl remained firm. People wouldn’t tolerate waiting that long.
It wasn’t that they were completely prohibited from selling; they merely had to go through the royal channels to sell their goods, yet Clovis wondered if they couldn’t hold out for even a month.
However, his concerns were proven wrong, and Karl’s predictions were spot on. The public wouldn’t wait long, especially regarding financial matters.
“Not yet. Wait. If we act too hastily, the other merchants might notice and flee before we can even catch them.”
“Yes, Captain.”
They took a few moments to reflect on their respective roles and continued waiting. Gradually, more merchants appeared.
Perhaps worried about a patrol from the royal family, the merchants seemed to maintain a strict vigilance.
“Commander.”
Cautioned not to use any names or titles implying the Duke’s involvement, Clovis chose to address him simply as “Commander.”
The fact that the Duke was directly involved in cracking down on the black market seemed to highlight the gravity of their mission for the search team.
They straightened their postures, a determined look on their faces. After a brief survey, Clovis lowered his voice and called out to Karl.
“The vigilance is quite severe. It seems they’ve hired mercenaries; armed guards are positioned at strategic points leading to the black market entrance.”
Karl and the Alpha search team had taken up their position on a nearby hill, allowing them to have a clear view of the alley below.
With a telescope in hand, Clovis counted the figures on the border, “One, two, three.” Karl also raised his telescope.
Most of the magical stones circulating in the capital are processed from ores mined by the Count Louisette family. Karl knew that the actual responsible person and owner of mining and processing was Franz.
Originally, the Count family held a monopoly on mining, processing, distribution, and sales, but now the royal family managed distribution and sales.
In other words, Franz manufactured the stones, but the royal family took care of the selling and transporting.
Authentic magical stones stamped with the royal seal sold for high prices, with records of purchase locations, storage, transportation routes, and sales. Hence, they were not favored by those seeking magical stones for dubious purposes.
“With any authentic product, there will always be illegal replicas.”
Where there is a real item, there will be a fake. The existence of fakes enhances the value of the real ones. Once illegally processed magical stones were discovered somewhere, the value of genuine magical stones increased even more.
As this cycle continued, people unable to pay for the genuine items reached out more frequently for illegal ones. This created a seemingly endless vicious cycle that increased the value of authentic stones.
For illegal goods to circulate, where would they go?
While some were purchased through secret transactions between individuals aided by brokers, passing through personal hands would often inflate the price indefinitely.
In such cases, it seemed easier to pay a little more for safe, authentic stones, which led to the emergence of magical stones in the black market.
To some extent, the royal family turned a blind eye. However, my grandfather, the previous emperor, had always been particularly lenient towards them, a fact that remained puzzling.
Yet the reason the black market had not faced significant crackdowns was perhaps a suspicion that the illegal actions were connected to my grandfather.
“But that can’t continue now.”
Once given a lifeline, they wielded a sword in return, showing no gratitude, only ingratitude.
Karl’s jaw tensed. The black market, which had been covertly permitted for those in desperate need, had distributed illegal magical stones that resulted in the death of a duke in the empire.
Not only that, it had attempted to kill his wife and was likely used in the plot against Emperor Maximilian.
“I will uproot those selling illegal processed magical stones.”
“What about those captured?”
“They sell what has been used to cause death, so they must pay with their lives.”
“Then…”
“For now, we’ll capture them alive. We must ensure no one dies, focusing our efforts on safe apprehension.”
“Yes, Commander.”
Clovis, who had been watching from a distance, turned on his flashlight and signaled to the Alpha team, who were already hiding in the alley of the black market.
Now. Begin.
***
The capital last night was both quite noisy and eerily quiet.
Early in the morning, news broke that the Kellever black market, which had secretly thrived, was undergoing a major crackdown, surprising many in LaHart given how quietly such a significant event was unfolding.
Alongside this article, there was also a report stating that the royal decree banning commercial transactions would soon be lifted.
Shopkeepers, who had been struggling with declining sales due to the black market, praised the authorities for their enforcement. They had long expressed frustration over the lack of action, wondering why enforcement was not more stringent despite the clear ability to do so.
“So, who is this remarkable person behind this operation?”
“Who else could it be but Duke Albrecht? He’s truly different from the noble elites who only served their own interests in the past imperial rule.”
“Such a person should become emperor.”
“Even I, who know little about politics, believe Duke Albrecht is the only rightful candidate for that position.”
“If he governs this nation, much will surely change from the past. I hope it comes to pass.”
The secretive yet decisive actions of the royal investigation squad were especially welcomed by the common people. The black market, originally created for cheaper goods, had long been extorting them and threatening their livelihoods.
Many who had turned away from retail stores, opting instead for cheaper prices in the black market, turned out to be far more numerous than the royal predictions suggested.
However, the welcoming crowd was limited to common citizens affected by the black market.
“What’s the point of cracking down on the black market?”
Nobles neither applauded nor welcomed the royal squad’s sudden raid, as they had no direct ties to the black market. Their wealth ensured they could purchase authentic magical stones, and many of their goods couldn’t be replicated by the fakes sold in the black market.
Custom dresses or unique jewelry couldn’t be found anywhere but through legitimate channels.
Still, the royal investigation squad had no time to focus on which way the public sentiment leaned. They were solely determined to execute their mission with speed and success.
“There were three elderly women among those arrested.”
Clovis didn’t sleep a wink after successfully completing the operation until dawn.
The reason was that all those arrested needed to be transported to prison, and each individual’s identity had to be confirmed one by one.
Such tasks had to be carried out simultaneously with the arrests, leaving no time for leisurely rest.
“What about the identities?”
“Not yet. This is their appearance description.”
Karl had also stayed up the entire night. As the overall commander of the operation, he wasn’t on the front lines but was receiving reports on even the smallest details.
How could a leader afford to rest while his subordinates were out in the field?
“Don’t we have a composite sketch made based on the description from his wife?”
“Yes, Your Highness. We are currently comparing that sketch with the description of the old woman. However, it’s challenging to accurately distinguish them as the appearances and descriptions of the three individuals are quite similar.”
“It would be better to go see for ourselves.”
After quickly reviewing the documents that had been organized, Karl stood up.
He had received detailed information from Celeste about the old woman who sold the magical stone discovered in Urentum and had already prepared a composite sketch.
