A Peacock Husband of Five Princesses by day, a Noble Assassin by Night-Chapter 36: Exploring the blackmarket

"The more challenging the quest is, the better it is for me."

Those words made Seraphina sigh in resignation. She knew that this recklessness of her husband wouldn’t disappear so soon. She didn’t argue and stayed silent.

Reiner hesitated before nodding. "Very well. Lord Moonstone, if you succeed, this will net you 770 merits—a decent step toward Gold-tier status."

Kael knew it wasn’t much in the grand scheme. To reach the Gold tier, he needed 10,000 merits. Merchants’ evaluation is different from adventurers. If an adventurer slays one dragon, they would automatically be pushed to Adamantine, but it is next to impossible for a merchant to reach such a stage unless they had direct deals with the imperial palaces of atleast ten queendoms all over the world.

The highest active merchant across the Queendom of Elyria was only an Emerald tier.

The ranking system was indeed brutal. It goes like this:

Novice (10 merits)

Iron (100 merits)

Bronze (1,000 merits)

Silver (10,000 merits)

Gold (100,000 merits)

Platinum (1,000,000 merits)

Sapphire (10,000,000 merits)

Emerald (100,000,000 merits plus recognition as a direct dealer to the imperial palace)

Ruby (100,000,000 merits plus recognition as a direct dealer to imperial palaces of atleast three Queendoms)

Adamantine (100,000,000 merits plus recognition as a direct dealer to imperial palaces of atleast ten Queendoms)

Those who reached the Gold tier were considered trustworthy elites. Discounts, influence, connections—it opened doors far beyond just money.

And Kael? He wasn’t stopping at Gold.

He was aiming for higher.

***

The streets grew darker as Kael and Seraphina ventured deeper into the slums.

The grand, polished roads of the merchant district were long behind them, replaced by uneven cobblestone paths riddled with cracks and filth. The air was thick with the scent of damp wood, sweat, and something metallic—likely blood.

Seraphina, draped in a black hooded robe, glanced around warily. It was her first time in such a place.

Why would a noble lord, an heir to a powerful ancient house, willingly walk into the black market?

She assumed Kael wanted to keep his identity hidden. But as they neared the entrance of the underground bazaar, her assumptions shattered.

Everyone was dressed the same.

Cloaked figures moved through the market like shadows, their faces obscured beneath hoods, veils, or masks.

Even the shopkeepers—those selling their illicit goods—were clad in black robes.

Seraphina exhaled sharply. So, this wasn’t about Kael’s identity at all. This was just… how things worked here.

But at the same time, the fact that her husband knew it beforehand could only mean one thing. He wasn’t here for the first time. Seraphina couldn’t help but cast a suspicious gaze at Kael’s back. "Assassin K protecting him, a spectral wolf bonding to his soul, that killing intent and intimidation tactic he displayed in the morning, and now, being familiar with the rules of the underground market, Kael is becoming more and more mysterious…" Her mind raced with thoughts.

Kael, on the other hand, moved casually, unbothered.

His steps were confident as if he had walked these streets many times before.

Seraphina followed in silence, scanning their surroundings. Unlike the lively, open-air markets of the city, the black market had an eerie stillness to it. No one shouted to advertise their wares. No one laughed or idled in conversation.

Instead, business was conducted in hushed voices.

Gloved hands exchanged coins for weapons, alchemical concoctions, forbidden relics, and even information.

"How do you know this place?" Seraphina finally asked in a low whisper.

Kael chuckled. "A merchant who doesn’t know where to find cheap goods isn’t a very good merchant, don’t you think?"

His answer didn’t satisfy her at all. This wasn’t just cheap goods. This was an entirely different world.

And Kael knew it too well. Her suspicion only grew stronger.

Kael led her through winding alleys before stopping at a wholesale shop.

The wooden stall was aged, its sign barely readable under layers of dust and dirt. Inside, crates of rusty swords, dented armor, and battered shields were stacked haphazardly.

A hunched man, face concealed beneath a crow-shaped mask, stood behind the counter. His eyes gleamed like a vulture spotting fresh prey.

Kael stepped forward. "How much for the whole batch?"

The shopkeeper tilted his head. "The whole batch? These are... not of the finest quality, you know."

"I know," Kael smirked. "That’s why I’m asking for the whole batch."

The shopkeeper’s beady eyes narrowed. "Two hundred gold coins."

Kael scoffed. "For this pile of rust? Fifty." He raised his hand, showing his five fingers. For a man, his fingers were a bit too beautiful and long.

Seraphina nearly choked. "Fifty? That’s not haggling—it’s robbery."

The shopkeeper made a choking noise of his own. "You insult me, sir. This is quality work—"

"Really?" Kael kicked a nearby helmet. It rattled like a tin can.

"One good hit and this will shatter," he said dryly. "Seventy-five gold coins. That’s me being generous."

The shopkeeper hesitated. His gloved fingers tapped against the counter as he studied Kael’s face. "One Hundred. I can’t reduce it further."

Kael stared at him for a few seconds. Finally, he sighed. "Fine. One hundred. Give the whole lot." He smirked under the hood and tossed a small pouch of coins onto the counter.

As laborers loaded the battered equipment onto a cart, Seraphina couldn’t stay silent any longer.

Her brows furrowed in disapproval as she crossed her arms.

"Are you seriously planning to deliver this junk to the Countess?"

Her voice was low, but her displeasure was evident.

A noble wouldn’t tolerate subpar goods. Even if the Countess wouldn’t dare to scold the Queen’s son-in-law, it would still earn them a bad reputation. That’s even worse.

Kael, however, didn’t seem fazed. Instead, he gave her a relaxed smile, storing all the things from the cart in his storage ring.

"Just trust me."

Seraphina’s lips thinned.

"Kael, this isn’t just business. Your reputation is also at stake here."

"And it won’t be a problem," he said smoothly, moving past her. "Come on. We’re not done yet."

Seraphina hesitated, watching him with narrowed eyes before sighing and following.

Their next stop took them to Steel Alley, a hidden lane where raw metals and alloys were sold.

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

The scent of heated iron and oil hung thick in the air. Unlike the other parts of the market, this place echoed with the rhythmic clang of blacksmiths forging weapons in shadowy corners.

Instead of finished weapons, ingots of steel, copper, and rare alloys were stacked in neat rows under guarded stalls.

Kael stopped at one of the larger vendors, scanning the slabs of steel alloys on display.

"How much for the best-quality batch?" he asked.

The blacksmith, a burly man with arms like tree trunks, eyed Kael up and down. "Depends. You looking for durability or flexibility?"

Kael’s lips twitched. "I need both."

The blacksmith let out a grunt and motioned toward a crate of dark steel alloy.

"Two hundred gold coins for the whole lot."

Kael nodded and handed over the coins without argument.

Seraphina raised a brow.

"You haggled over rusted weapons but not over this?"

Kael smirked. "Because this is worth every coin."

Right then, realization finally struck her.

Kael wasn’t planning to deliver low-quality weapons to the Countess.

He was planning to reforge them.

By purchasing cheap, damaged goods and acquiring high-quality steel separately, he was cutting costs while ensuring that the final weapons would be of superior quality.

Seraphina blinked, stunned. "You’re going to have them melted down and reforged."

Kael’s lips turned into a smile. "Yes," He said with a nod.

Seraphina couldn’t help but shake her head with a smile, secretly being proud of her husband. Putting her suspicions aside, at the very least, her husband’s notable quality isn’t just his looks, as people in their social circle deemed it to be. He was smart, and she had something that she could brag about him if some noble made any unpleasant comments about Kael. That itself is a happy occasion for her.

"Here you go." As Kael was handing over the pouch of gold coins to the shopkeeper, something at the corner of the shop caught his eye.

A small idol of a cat, its form carved with simple precision, sat atop a dusty shelf. The surface was rough and aged, coated in a layer of rust, yet despite the wear, the idol’s pure black color remained untouched.

Kael felt a strange pull toward it.

He turned to the shopkeeper, who had been stacking ingots onto a weighing scale. "Say, how much for that idol?"

The man paused, following Kael’s gaze. His shoulders tensed. Then, in an almost bored tone, he waved a hand.

"Take it. Free of charge."

Kael narrowed his eyes. "Free?"

Seraphina stepped closer, her expression darkening. "It’s cursed."

The shopkeeper let out a dry chuckle. "That obvious, huh?" He leaned on the counter, tapping his fingers against the wood. "Sold that thing over seven times. But no matter who buys it, they always return it to me and give it back due to nightmares. I’m not sure whether the idol is cursed or me."