Chapter 7: Maxwell

The Founder’s Market was located in the outer regions of the city. This meant that its area wasn’t high class despite being wealthy. 

The Black Spider market on the other hand…

I didn’t think it was in the heart of the city. 

Even more that it would be clearly marked for the public to see. 

Besides the monolithic magic tower and the royal palace, there were several other skyscrapers around them, though they weren’t as tall. 

I roughly counted 8 other skyscrapers that could compare in height. 

And one of those was the Black Spider Hotel. 

Many might see it and think it a mere luxurious hotel, a place for other diplomats or politicians to stay temporarily. 

But apparently it was a front for a much deeper reality. 

Plex led me into the hotel, and it was there that we met the receptionist. 

He was a man of average height and build, not looking special in any way besides his prim appearance and demeanor. But of course, no assumptions could be made about anybody associated with this place. 

“Ah, Plex. It’s good to see you again. Making another delivery?”

“Not quite, Key Master. I’m actually here for my protege John right here.”

He pat my shoulder, prompting the Key Master to nod toward me. 

“John, is it? I wish you luck during your session with the Polaris Family.”

He smiled toward me as Plex put two coins on the table. 

Taking them, the Key Master waved his hand. An owl was momentarily summoned on his shoulder. 

That big eyed bird looked at me before looking down at the coins. Its eyes flashed, and then, the Key Master placed the coins back on the table. 

Plex took one, and I took the other.

The owl disappeared as I took the coin. 

“Welcome to the Black Spider Hotel. You have been granted entry. Here are the keys.”

He brought out two keys from seemingly nowhere, handing them to us. I felt its weighty significance and copper-like texture that was refined with masterful craftsmanship, giving it intricate yet sleek designs. 

After that, Plex said his goodbyes, as did I. 

We left for what seemed like an elevator. In fact, the entire first floor of the hotel was filled with elevators. At least a dozen of them filled the walls, and we quickly chose one before stepping inside. 

“Go ahead and insert your key.”

Plex said that as he did so. I could see 10 keyholes on one of the walls, so I picked one at random and stuck my key inside. 

“Turn to the right.”

*Click*

I listened to him and heard a noise. After that, a screen flashed above the keyholes. It showed two buttons. One had the number three on it, and the other was blank.

“Remember this for the future.”

Plex spoke while pulling out his coin, looking at its surface. 

“Every day, the floor to access the Black Spider market is different. The correct floor is indicated by your coin, so if you’re going for the market, enter the number on the coin. On the other hand, if you’re here for the hotel, click the button with the number three on it.”

“Okay…”

I pulled out my coin like he did and saw a number on it. 

Then I tapped the blank button, causing a dial of numbers to appear around it. 

I typed in ‘82’. 

*Ding!*

With my input, the elevator made another noise as it began to move. 

“Good. Just remember, only one person needs the coin, but both people need the key. That means you always go to the Key Master first. Hence his name.”

“Alright.”

“Oh, and don’t mess with the guy either. He may not look it, but he’s the emissary for the entire Black Spider Market. Let’s just say, if you happen to see him outside of that reception desk, something somewhere is seriously fucked up.”

“Right…”

I just let out a sharp sigh. Seriously, you couldn’t judge anyone by appearance here. 

It wasn’t long before the elevator brought us to our destination. When it opened, I could see a luxurious hallway with a red carpet, chandeliers along the ceiling, and large paintings of what seemed like notable figures, both men and women. 

There were two people standing guard at the end of the hallway, both standing to the side of a set of double doors. They were wearing full plate armor seemingly made of silver, their faces covered by intimidating but intricately designed helmets. 

We walked up to them, Plex taking out his coin while doing so. I also did, and upon seeing both, they pushed open the doors for us. 

And then, we were allowed into the Black Spider Market. 

“Oh, I forgot this was today. What a coincidence.”

Plex let out happy chuckle as we descended a small set of stairs, walking into a huge plaza. 

It was full of floating lights and colorful sprites that looked like fairies. There were men and women dancing within this plaza to the melodic beat of an orchestra playing within an open building. Their music, both upbeat yet complex in its musical design, had everyone laughing, smiling, and clacking the heels of their shoes to its rhythm. 

The atmosphere was intoxicating. I felt like jumping right in, joining all those strangers with passion and freeing enthusiasm. I could also smell the high class alcohol, rich in flavor yet carrying an aroma of powerful ethanol. 

Plus, everyone was dressed so nicely, like it was some kind of public ball. They were also wearing masquerade masks that covered the top half of their faces, all of them designed with flamboyant feathers or designs. I felt out of place in that way. Even though I was in a suit, it seemed casual compared to the luxurious dresses and tuxedos of everyone else. I also didn’t have a mask.

“This is Vatsy’s Gala. It happens at the end of every third month, put on and paid for by one of the richest men in the damn world, Herald Vatsy. I’m surprised the Polaris family is having you come to them today. That or Patriarch Tavera is fucking with us.”

“Seriously?”

“He has a sense of humor, so it wouldn’t be the first time. Let’s just head over. Maybe whoever is supposed to meet you isn’t drunk yet.”

Plex lead me through the plaza. We passed through wide open streets, most of which were filled with people who were passing through to other buildings nearby. 

Most buildings here were the highest class. Their entries were exotic, carrying flashing designs not unlike neon lights and statues or art. 

I saw some food establishments, but the majority of buildings were occupied by some sort of craftsman. There was even a library, which turned out to be one of the biggest buildings within the market. 

The only building bigger than that was the Auction House. 

Plex explained to me that there was no safer place to be than within the auction house during the monthly auctions. And Vatsy’s Gala was the party that came after the tri-monthly auction, which was the one that sold the most powerful and exotic items. 

The gala served as a major resting point, almost like a holiday, allowing everyone to get some much needed entertainment. Of course, only those who could actually enter the Black Spider Market could participate. 

So the final day of every quarter year was full of chaos, money, and fun. It wasn’t uncommon for hundreds of millions of coin to be passed around in that 24 hour period. 

After all, the things that were sold during the auction were nothing but the best. A small selection of exotic, world shattering, or insanely luxurious items that caught the eyes of the elites. Of course, there were also numerous sets of things like gear or mass amounts of items that, while not incredibly rare or unique, were still valuable and hard to find. Many illegal items could be attained this way, and nothing lowly like the drugs passed through the Founder’s Market. 

It was a place I definitely wanted to know about, as apparently our delivery service was also responsible for moving some things for that auction. 

It was kind of amazing, the privileges afforded to us mere delivery men. 

The Black Spider Market wasn’t huge, nothing compared to the Founder’s Market. After all, it was located in the city center behind the Black Spider Hotel. Besides the Library and Auction House, there were only a few dozen other buildings, along with the massive plaza currently hosting the Gala. 

So it didn’t take long to walk to the headquarters of the Polaris family. 

It was called the Polaris Gate, the entrance that led into the family’s estate. And at first glance, the place seemed like a compact college campus. 

But it was almost entirely empty. Lights were on, but there wasn’t a soul in sight besides the guards at the gate. This was obviously due to the party. I was sure everyone was partaking in their night of unhinged entertainment. 

We approached the guards. 

“State your business.”

“We hail from the Tavera Family on business. I am Plex, and this is John.”

“Ah, I understand. Please follow me.”

One of the guards seemed to be expecting us as he led the way into the estate. 

He walked us along beautifully paved roads and magical lights. With nobody around, the atmosphere was full of mysticism and serenity. 

Eventually we entered a large building. Within its halls were pairs of large double doors, each of them adorned with unique designs that seemed to represent the demeanor of their owners. 

The one we stopped at was a pair of doors that seemed luxuriantly decorated, yet weathered by time. It was a deep navy blue with inlaid gems that glistened like stars, but it clearly hadn’t been taken care of for a while. 

*Knock Knock*

The guard knocked. 

“Esteemed Summoner Anderson, John has arrived. 

“Just send him in already!”

There was an exasperated shout from within the room, yet muffled by the doors. The guard turned to me. 

“The Esteemed sir is named Maxwell Albarain, and he has quite the temperament. Do be sure to muster your patience, because he has no qualms with kicking you from the estate if he gets angry. He is still one of our most esteemed teachers, however, so take full advantage of this opportunity.”

“Right. Thanks.”

I gave the guard a nod as he pushed open the door. Plex smacked my shoulder as he turned. 

“Have fun.”

“Mm.”

I hummed while going inside, scanning the room as I did so. 

At first glance, it seemed like a magical lab. My nose was hit with the thick aroma of what I could only describe as herbal must. But at the same time, there was a fresh hint of alcohol. 

All around the room were desks, bookshelves, and various pieces of lab equipment like glass flasks, exotic plants, and animal parts stored in containers. 

The most eye catching thing in the room though floated below the ceiling in the center of the room. It was a huge blue crystal dodecahedron that slowly rotated while shining soft light on the lab. Just the sight of that magical geometric figure spurred something within me. 

Other than that, the second thing I focused on was the man who slumped down in a chair, a large bottle in his hands that was still completely filled. 

It was still capped as he held it in his hands. His visage was gray, and he seemed to be brooding over something. Unlike everyone else, he didn’t seem to be enjoying this holiday evening. 

He had a short beard and brushed back hair that was unkempt. He also wore navy blue robes above a nice suit. At the same time, his eyes were deep as they reflected the sight of the unopened bottle. 

For a while I stood by the door, unsure of what to do. It didn’t seem like this man was in any mood to teach me anything. 

He just continued to stare at the bottle. Perhaps five minutes passed like that. 

Eventually, he closed his eyes and placed the bottle in a drawer of his desk. After slouching back once more while pinching the bridge of his nose, he muttered. 

“What do you know?”

“…Absolutely nothing.”

I didn’t sugarcoat things as I answered directly. It seemed to catch him off guard, since he glanced at me with slight incredulity. 

His eyes looked me over with criticism. 

“You come straight off the farm or something?”

“No?”

“Then straighten your damn back.”

“Oh…”

Realizing that I was slouched a bit from waiting around for so long, my abdomen tightened and my torso straightened. But even then, he didn’t take his scrutinizing eyes off of me. 

He stared at me for several moments before opening his mouth. 

“What’s your name?”

“John Cooper.”

I gave my name, but I was also confused as to why he didn’t already know it. Then again, neither of us had more than one day’s notice about this. 

“Where do you come from?”

“Uh…”

I hesitated. After all, I didn’t exactly know about any places of significance beyond this city, and I wasn’t about to speak about something as outlandish as coming from another world. 

So I gave the name of the only place I knew the name of. 

“A place called Yumir Village.”

“So you did come straight off the farm.”

“Well, yes and no.”

I remained vague as he pried further.

“How old are you?”

“22 years old.”

“You were sent to me at the request of Patriarch Tavera. What is your affiliation with him?”

“I’m a delivery man, and I helped him with a single job. It almost cost me my life, but since I came back, he said I would get some tutelage.”

“I see…”

He let out a small sigh before scratching his head. 

“You’re a summoner? Have you gone through an activation ceremony?”

“What’s that?”

“You really do know nothing… An activation ceremony is the first step all with crests take to properly initiate their powers. Some say that it’s a process of enlightenment or a way to wake up your soul, but really, its nothing more than infusing your crests with power in order to make your mind aware of it.”

“Oh. No, I haven’t been through the ceremony.”

“Figures.”

“But I have become aware of my crest. I’ve even used its power.”

“Hm?”

His eyes sparked with the slightest hint of interest. 

“Tell me the details.”

“Basically, I was hit with a wave of invisible energy by a warlock, and afterward, I could see the 13 stars of my crest within my mind. I was even able to summon something, but it disappeared not long after I used it.”

“Energy… You mean Mana? You’re telling me that being hit with a low level Mana Wave actually activated your Authority?”

“…I suppose?”

Through inference I could tell that the wave of invisible energy I was hit with was called a Mana Wave. 

I asked about what I didn’t understand though. 

“What’s Authority?”

“An Authority is what we call the levels of power one can achieve through Crests. To be able to summon something means you have activated your first Authority. And to think it happened by being hit with a Mana Wave…”

“I see. What about Mana? What is it?”

“The invisible energy ever present throughout the world that allows one to call upon nature’s elements. However, only Warlocks can utilize Mana. Summoners use what’s called Psyka, the extra-dimensional power of the mind. Knights use Vigor, the profound power of the body.”

“Oh.”

It seemed the three different types of Magi also had three different types of energy. In that case, they were very clearly divided by more than just their powers. 

So basically, I had awaken my first Authority, or my first star, allowing me to summon items from another dimension using Psyka. 

That was where my knowledge stopped. 

It seemed Maxwell had also summarized the shallow depths of my knowledge, as he went quiet once more. 

And I suppose I wished he stayed that way. The next words to come out of his mouth were nothing but irritating. 

“You’re ignorant.”

“I guess?”

“An idiot who knows nothing. Not even common knowledge seems to have a place within that thick skull of yours.”

“…”

“It’s like you’ve spent your life intentionally being a dumbass, taking zero impressions from anybody who has ever spoken of Magi within your presence.”

My gaze turned deadpan as he continued to insult me for something that wasn’t my fault. While I understood his words from the standpoint of a native, I was still ticked off. 

Just as I was about to retort though, he stood from his seat, disappearing amidst a few of his bookshelves. 

After listening to the shuffling of paper and a few dropped books, he came back with 6 books with papers sticking out of them. 

“There are two things you must learn as a summoner. First is what we call Accumulation. I won’t teach you any of that right now since you don’t need it yet. So I will teach you the second thing. Since you are someone with absolutely no impression of Summoning in the slightest, having come from some backwater village and having yet to even get your citizenship, I will teach you this.”

*Thud*

He dropped the books on his desk. 

Now, while I was still irked by all his prior insults, I was beginning to understand that he would at least give me some valuable knowledge. 

“Accumulation is standard. There is very little deviation from the normal formula, and the Magisterium holds a legal monopoly on the distribution of the technique. But Summoner Calls, like Warlock Magic and Knight Martial Arts, are diverse and plentiful. The Polaris Family has their own sets of Martial Arts, Magic, and Calls. However, what I will be teaching you deviates from the standard.”

Picking up the topmost book of the pile, Maxwell flipped it open, his eyes scanning across the pages with a look of melancholy. 

“Summoning is looked down upon, scorned as weak, the Calls likened to nothing but a cane for the frail. And there have been some who have proven the world wrong, but they have been outshined by the multitude of Warlocks and Knights who have so frequently attained vast power. And Summoners are not innocent, failing to better themselves like the Warlocks and Knights, failing to rise through adversity like they have, failing to innovate as they did over millenia. Which is why I have devoted my life to this work. A Call to join the league of Disaster Magic and Apex Martial Arts.

“A Call that makes Bond Limits obsolete. A Call to bring down even the most powerful beings.

“It is the Call of the Fallen Angel.”

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