The silent market encompassed the entire castle. Every room in the castle, including the dungeons, became a shop. There were no decorations inside the stony chambers of the castle but each room held a plaque that identified itself in the common language. Beneath its bold font, several smaller writings in other scripts presumably said the same thing.

Rowan first led Syryn to a store that sold books. Every available inch of the walls was covered by floor to ceiling bookshelves stocked with tomes of all thicknesses and colours. More books were stacked on the floor and then even more overflowing across the tables. An old woman sat on a comfortable chair near the door. Open at her table was a book that Syryn was familiar with.

Leaving Rowan by the door, Syryn entered the book shop and browsed the titles. Each shelf was organised by theme and it didn't take long for Syryn to find the alchemy shelf. Several titles he already owned but a book on mathematical modelling of alchemy caught his eye. He pulled the book out and held on to it even as he found rare books that tempted him to splurge.

He had money so why was he hesitating? Syryn walked to the old woman's table with a stack of books so high that it even covered his chin. Rowan was quick to rescue the alchemist from his tower of books that slowed him down.

870 crowns.

Syryn grit his teeth and signed over the money to the old woman. Before their departure, Rowan had taught him how the payment process was carried out so he didn't require help during payment. The process was hassle-free for the customers and it also ensured that the sellers weren't cheated by the buyers.

Their next stop was at a shop that Rowan chose for his needs. Items imbued with magic were sold at the shop by a teenage boy who had exotic features. Oblique eyes and tanned skin stood out most if one disregarded his shocking white hair.

While his anti mage looked at the items and their descriptions written in the pages of a book that was handed over by the seller, Syryn looked at a wall where jewellery hung from little hooks on a wooden board.

Amongst all the pretty and shiny jewellery glimmering in the light, a silver ring caught Syryn's attention. It was a plain band on which sat an indigo-coloured sapphire that matched the colour of his eyes. Upon a closer inspection, the inner surface of the ring showed symbols that he had never seen, and they were etched with delicate workmanship. Syryn slid the ring out of its hook and looked closer at the strange symbols.

He felt a tap on his shoulder. It startled him out of his focus.

Syryn turned around and made eye contact with the teenage boy who smiled at him. The boy held up a sheet of paper and pointed with his finger to an entry.

234: Ring of Luck - Goodluck will follow the wearer, but, for a small price.

After everything that had been happening to him, Syryn figured he could use some luck. The vagueness of its description and the mention of a small price nearly dissuaded the alchemist. Still, he decided to buy it just because he liked the colour of the gemstone.

The next thing he looked at was a golden monkey displayed in a glass case. The monkey had a disproportionately large phallus that hung down from between its legs. Syryn was fascinated. What the hell was the monkey about? He pointed to it and the teenage boy brought him a book.

112: Idol of fertility - Keep the idol under your bed when performing intercourse. The hand of fertility will bless a barren womb.

Syryn was half tempted to buy it, not because he wanted a baby. The alchemist wanted to test the effects of the idol. If it really worked then couldn't he just rent it out to infertile couples and make a lot of money from it? His gaze drifted to the price.

100000 crowns.

The alchemist slammed the book shut with force but there was no satisfaction in it. The sound was absorbed by the castle.

Syryn then wandered over to where Rowan was looking at a non-descript key. The anti mage put the key in a tray of items that he was buying.

Syryn was curious about the door that the key opened to. But something else on the tray grabbed his attention away from the key. A flute carved out of bone sat amongst the items on the tray. After the weird whistling that he'd heard, Syryn couldn't help but wonder about the sound produced by the flute and what sort of magic came from it.

Rowan seemed to be done with his purchases because he took Syryn's ring out of the tray and placed it amongst his items. The anti mage then paid for the group of items without blinking at the length of numbers that appeared on the paper.

Syryn had fooled himself into thinking he was rich. But now that Rowan had enlightened him with this purchase, the alchemist put away his pride and decided that Blue could hug Rowan's thick thighs. Syryn could hug Rowan's thick thighs. Why was he slaving away in the alchemy room when he could get married to the anti mage and live like a king?

The proprietor of the shop placed the items in individual cases and then put them all inside a bag that went straight into Rowan's pocket dimension.

The anti mage then turned to Syryn with a question in his eyes. Where would Syryn like to go next? He seemed to ask.

The alchemist shrugged. He actually wanted to visit every single shop in the castle but feared that all his money would get thrown to the vendors of the silent market. But then again, Rowan was around. Could he be shameless enough to have Rowan fund his shopping spree? Only after Syryn spent more of his own money.

He walked out of the shop and saw a store that boldly declared - Alchemy Box.