After being turned away by three tailor shops that actually looked somewhat respectable, Lucian was thoroughly frustrated. Even though he had pulled out the black silk from the start, the tailors refused to believe him and wouldn't bother examining what kind of fabric it was, treating this stranger with deep suspicion.
The Market District was large, with over a dozen streets running east to west and north to south. People came and went in a constant bustle, and one could frequently spot dwarves, elves, and other non-human races — it was remarkably prosperous. Before long, Lucian found an elegant, clean tailor shop at the end of one of the streets.
Tending the counter was a golden-haired boy of fifteen or sixteen, his smile shy and youthful. "Master is in the back working on garments. My name is Banst. How may I help you, sir?"
"Could you take a look at this piece of black silk for me?" Lucian had learned his lesson and asked indirectly, producing the fabric cautiously.
Banst assumed Lucian wanted to browse similar black silks and took the fabric without suspicion, rubbing it between his fingers and holding it up to the sunlight. His expression grew increasingly astonished. "Sir, this is the 'Black Nightingale' from the Holm Kingdom — a black silk only true nobles can afford! Where did you get it?"
He showed the same wariness and suspicion as the other tailors. Lucian, dressed in a tattered linen short-coat, clearly couldn't afford a 'Black Nightingale' — in fact, even many wealthy merchants couldn't acquire it no matter how much money they had. If that was the case, the provenance was highly suspect.
Seeing that everyone reacted the same way, Lucian simply lowered his voice. "Rest assured, I won't bring you any trouble."
"Oh?" From the back of the shop emerged a man in his thirties with a thin, elongated face — Maider, the owner of the tailor shop. Banst, caught up in his surprise, had failed to keep his voice down, disturbing Maider, who came out to investigate just in time to hear Lucian's explanation.
He's not kicking me out immediately? Seeing a promising interaction at last, Lucian couldn't help but feel a surge of hope and a tinge of excitement. "I swear it on the Lord's name. And look — it already has holes in it. No lady or miss of noble birth would want it anymore. But if you turn it into lace edging or ribbons for a dress, no one will ever know what it originally was."
Maider took the black silk from Banst's hands, examined it closely, and was silent for a moment before speaking in a measured tone. "So how much do you want for it?"
Lucian's heart raced with excitement. He clenched his fist tightly, nearly pumping it in triumph, but the experience with the red-eyed rats kept his outward composure intact. He looked at Maider with a smile. "I trust you won't disappoint me, sir."
Maider stared into Lucian's eyes for several seconds. Seeing no desperation in him, he spoke softly. "Forty Copper Fels. It's only this large, and with the holes, there's not much usable material."
"One Silver Nal. A magnificent gown adorned with the 'Black Nightingale,' as deep and beautiful as the night sky, would be absolutely perfect — far more befitting for noble ladies and misses." Lucian suppressed his excitement and haggled using the doubling principle.
Maider shook his head and handed the black silk back to Lucian. "Fifty Copper Fels at most. If that doesn't work, take it and leave."
"What a shame." Lucian accepted the silk with a calm expression, turned, and walked toward the door — though inside, his heart was pounding with tension and conflict. Will he call me back? Will he raise the offer? If I miss this shop, I might not find another buyer willing to purchase goods of questionable origin!
One step, two steps, three steps... Just as Lucian was about to step out of the shop, Maider's voice finally rang out from behind him. "Eighty Copper Fels. If it weren't for the fact that I happen to have a gown that would be perfect with Black Nightingale lace, I wouldn't offer nearly this much."
Nailed it! With his back to Maider, Lucian pumped his right fist in a silent, triumphant gesture against his chest, then turned around with a perfectly composed smile. "As you wish."
Eighty clinking copper coins found their way into Lucian's pocket, making it bulge awkwardly and weigh him down — but he found them irresistibly endearing.
Before Lucian left, Maider called out to him once more. "I don't know you, and I don't want to know your name. But in the future, if you come across any more precious fabrics — provided they won't cause trouble — you're welcome to bring them here."
"It would be my honor." Lucian was in high spirits, so he smiled and gave a slight bow.
Stepping out of Maider's tailor shop, Lucian found that the sky was a brilliant blue, the sunlight warm and bright, and the air fresh and clean. Everything felt wonderful.
Eighty Copper Fels wasn't a fortune, but it wasn't negligible either. Besides bringing him much closer to the five Silver Nals he needed, it proved that Lucian's method of making money by collecting discarded goods actually worked. For Lucian, that was what truly mattered!
…………
"Brother Lucian, you're finally back! My brother has already arrived home, and Mom asked me to invite you over for dinner."
Not far from his own house, Lucian spotted Evan standing at his doorway, and Evan spotted him at almost the same moment, waving happily and calling out.
"Elisa auntie's eldest son John? The young man who's become a Knight Squire?" Lucian recalled what he knew about Evan's brother, then smiled at Evan. "Wait a moment — let me wipe off the sweat." The ninety-two Copper Fels on him absolutely couldn't be seen by Evan. Who knew if he'd blab about it? Once Lucian had scraped together the five Silver Nals for tuition, there wouldn't be much to worry about. Lucian was certain he wouldn't be doing this forever.
Evan answered cheerfully. "Sure, Brother Lucian! Oh, my brother brought back some bison meat. They went hunting in the wild during their knight training a while back, and Sir Vein distributed it fairly among everyone."
"At last, I get to have beef and potato stew! Ever since my brother was picked by Sir Vein and taken to the manor for training, I've barely eaten it twenty times in two years!"
His grimy face was full of unconcealed longing and hunger.
Joel was one of the better street performers. His income fluctuated, but it was still far better than someone doing manual labor or working as a day hand. Combined with Elisa taking on odd jobs doing laundry for the Textile Guild, the family's income was actually approaching that of common folk. However, they had spared no expense on food for John's training over the years, which was why they had always lived so frugally — occasionally even needing old Evans to help out.
Once John was successfully selected by Sir Vein and no longer a burden on them, Elisa had begun planning for Evan's future, which resulted in their meals becoming noticeably worse than before.
As for this, Lucian — still unfamiliar with how this world worked — didn't find it strange at all. In fact, he thought it was rather impressive that a poor family could eat beef even once a month.
After hiding the Copper Fels and casually wiping his sweat, Lucian followed Evan toward Elisa auntie's home.
Outside the house, a group of neighbors Lucian recognized had gathered, chatting animatedly:
"I heard young John has become a formal knight squire under Sir Vein?"
"Elisa said it herself — she'd never lie!"
"A formal knight squire before he's even nineteen! Young John might really be able to awaken his bloodline power and receive divine grace — become a true knight!"