Following Quevedo's lead, Florent stepped into the basement.
Compared to the cramped, dimly lit entrance, the scene inside could only be described as magnificent.
The underground space was brilliantly illuminated by rows of candles atop ornate chandeliers. Despite the basement's vast size, it was packed with a bustling crowd.
Florent had assumed from the deserted appearance outside that few would attend this mystical bazaar, but the reality proved him wrong...
Though everyone spoke in hushed tones, the collective murmur created a surprisingly noisy atmosphere. Standing beside Quevedo, Florent couldn't hide his astonishment.
His friend, having anticipated this reaction, smirked and said, "What, did you think there wouldn't be many people here? Dead wrong. When I first saw how empty it looked outside, I thought the same, even fancied myself some uniquely chosen guest. But reality hit me fast. Oh, and back then, Carrette was the one guarding the door too."
Erich turned to Quevedo and asked, "If this place is so prosperous and the organizer has invested heavily, how does he collect fees? Does he just rely on the merchants' honesty? And what if someone buys counterfeit goods... does the host intervene?"
Quevedo grinned at the pointed questions, clearly pleased, "Heh, you really are a thorough sociologist, cutting straight to the heart of it. I wondered the same at first, but after hearing some rumors, it all made sense."
Gathering his friends in a circle, Quevedo led them to an unoccupied corner before explaining in a low voice:
"This is just hearsay from the gatherings, but Old Man Sage collects taxes based on the earnings from every sale of mystical materials. Yeah, 'taxes'..." He paused dramatically, clearly hoping to pique their curiosity.
After a full minute of silence, Quevedo grew uneasy under their impassive stares and hurriedly continued, "Ahem... so, rumor has it Sage is part of a Beyonder Organization. He has Beyonders under him who can track exactly how much sellers earn from their transactions. Sage uses that to levy taxes and turn a profit..."
"...Once, someone tried underreporting their income. Sage didn't say a word, but that person never showed up again. People who knew him later found out he'd died mysteriously at home. After that, nobody dared fudge their earnings here..."
Seeing his friends' thoughtful expressions, Quevedo added, "And get this, after Sage pulled that move, the vendors stopped trying to cheat 'him' and just raised their prices instead. Guess who ended up footing the bill? Us. Most folks who come here are wealthy ordinary people curious about the mystical world, so they don't complain. Not that complaining would help. But hey, the sellers are allegedly raking it in. Plenty of people dream of becoming merchants here."
"That said," Quevedo shrugged, "the bazaar only cares about collecting fees. If you buy fakes, that's your problem. Most buyers here aren't Beyonders anyway, and the goods are hit or miss."
Florent noticed Karl's usual stoic expression hadn't changed, and Erich had fallen silent after his questions.
Left with no choice, he asked Quevedo, "So this bazaar has such a... 'mystical' vibe... Are we just here to browse, then?"
Quevedo chuckled, "Of course not! While you won't find purely mystical items here, plenty of things skirt the edges. Like, if Karl wanted to gather all the materials he needs for his potion, he'd probably manage it."
Hearing this, Karl finally spoke up, "And the materials here... are they reliable?"
Instead of answering directly, Quevedo grinned and glanced at Erich, who understood immediately, "No issue. I know the properties and forms of those materials. These people can't fool my eyes. I can identify what Karl needs."
Quevedo nodded sagely before suddenly pushing Florent forward, "In that case, let's split up. We'll regroup at the entrance by four... don't lose track of time!"
Realizing Quevedo was determined to stick with him, Florent quickly grasped his friend's intent... Karl and Erich would procure the necessary materials without revealing the specifics of the 'Reader' potion ingredients.
'Quevedo's enthusiasm doesn't override his discretion,' Florent mused in amusement... 'He knows even friends must keep some accounts clear to avoid future strife...'
But rather than steering Florent into the bustling market, Quevedo guided him to yet another secluded corner.
Suddenly, long-buried memories surfaced in Florent's mind...
When the pushing stopped, he turned with a twitching smile and said, "Quevedo, I don't swing that way..."
Mid-way through retrieving a scroll from his inner pocket, Quevedo froze, "Huh? What? Swing what now?"
Seeing his genuine confusion, Florent sighed, 'Sometimes knowing too much is its own curse...' and deadpanned, "Never mind. Why'd you drag me here?"
Not one to dwell on odd remarks, Quevedo ignored Florent's inexplicable comment and handed him the scroll with a smile, "Here, you have to take this. A promise is a promise."
Now it was Florent's turn to be baffled...
Quevedo offered no explanation, simply unrolling the scroll to reveal the heading «Savant», followed by a list of mystical ingredients. Understanding dawned, and Florent instinctively tried to return it.
Quevedo pushed it back, his expression uncharacteristically solemn, "Florent, I promised you and Erich the 'Savant' potion formula as payment. A 'promise'... You wouldn't want your friend to break his word, would you? For us, losing credibility is far worse than losing a Sequence 9 formula. Right?"
Staring at Quevedo's unusually grave face, Florent felt as though he was truly seeing this friend for the first time...