"Well, since you actually got paid," Vanessa said with a sly smile, eyeing Asta and Noelle who stood awkwardly nearby, "how about a shopping trip, kiddos? Time to blow some of that hard-earned cash!"
Asta's face immediately lit up. "Shopping?! Yeah!! Let's go, Noelle!"
Noelle, on the other hand, folded her arms and lifted her chin. "I suppose it would be good to purchase some proper supplies... and maybe a new robe…"
Vanessa laughed lightly, looping her arms around both their shoulders in a casual hug. "That's the spirit. Come on, leave all that pride at home. We'll find you something nice—and maybe I'll grab a few things myself." She winked.
Together, the three of them set off toward the nearby market town, lively and bustling under the late afternoon sun.
The market was loud and chaotic in the best way—merchants yelling about fresh bread and vegetables, clothiers waving silks, children running between stalls. Asta darted from place to place, eyes sparkling at every new sword, cloak, and piece of gear, while Noelle walked stiffly, pretending she wasn't also interested.
Vanessa strolled leisurely behind them, humming to herself—until suddenly, the peaceful market energy shifted.
A loud crash echoed across the street, followed by shouting.
"MOVE IT, MORTALS!! I'M ON A MISSION!!"
It was like a hurricane of noise and energy, and at the center of it was none other than—
"SARU?!" Noelle cried out, her eyes wide.
Sure enough, Saru was storming through the market like a tiny wild typhoon, arms full of roasted meat skewers, pastries, and at least three bags of bananas. Secre still clung stubbornly to his head, looking unimpressed as Saru bulldozed his way through the crowd.
"OUTTA THE WAY, OLD MAN, I'M STARVING!!" Saru barked at a poor fruit vendor who tried to stop him from taste-testing everything without paying.
"Is he... shopping?" Asta asked, baffled, as Saru climbed onto a crate to shout over the crowd.
"ATTENTION!! I HAVE MONEY NOW, SO BRING ME YOUR FINEST SNACKS!!"
Vanessa covered her mouth to hide her laugh. "That little rascal's causing more chaos than a drunken goat…"
"He's embarrassing us!!" Noelle hissed, cheeks burning red.
Saru spotted them a moment later. His face lit up like a sunrise.
"HEY!! IT'S MY SERVANTS!!" he shouted, waving wildly.
"We're not your servants!!" Noelle shouted back.
Before they could stop him, Saru sprinted toward them, nearly tripping over his own overflowing snack bags. He skidded to a stop in front of Vanessa, Asta, and Noelle, grinning ear to ear, his cheeks stuffed with pastries like a chipmunk.
"I bought everything!!" Saru declared proudly. "I'm rich!! Look! Look!" He thrust a half-eaten skewer at them like it was a trophy.
"You're going to get banned from the market…" Vanessa sighed, patting his head lightly.
Secre let out a resigned chirp from her perch atop Saru's hair.
"Come with us, Saru," Vanessa said, laughing. "We'll keep you from getting arrested."
"YEAH!" Asta said enthusiastically. "It's way more fun with you around!"
Noelle looked like she wanted to argue… but Secre flapped her tiny wings and chirped sweetly at her, making Noelle's resolve crumble. "F-Fine. But behave yourself, monkey."
Saru beamed and promptly latched onto Vanessa's arm like a child being taken to a candy store.
As they walked through the crowded streets, the colors and noise of the regular market slowly faded into quieter, narrower paths. Saru, unable to handle the slow pace anymore, clung to Vanessa's arm like a hyperactive monkey.
"Hey hey hey, Vanessa, where are we going?!" Saru whined, pulling her sleeve. "I'm bored, I'm hungry, I wanna fight, I wanna do something!"
"Just shut up, monkey," Vanessa said, flicking his forehead lightly, although her tone was more fond than annoyed. "I'm taking you somewhere special. You'll see."
Saru grumbled but started jumping around again, clambering up onto the low walls and springing from brick to brick like a wild animal.
"Huh? Special? Where? I don't see anything!" he called out, spinning around on top of a lamp post.
Asta was also looking around with wide, eager eyes. "Are you sure it's not just another food stall or something?"
Vanessa only smirked mysteriously. As the group rounded a tight corner into a seemingly empty dead-end alley, even Noelle began to look skeptical.
"Are you messing with us?" Noelle said, hands on her hips. "There's nothing here."
But Vanessa only chuckled and walked straight up to the solid brick wall ahead. With a little push and a whisper under her breath, the wall suddenly shifted.
With a low rumble, part of the stone slid inward, revealing a dark, narrow tunnel beyond. A faint scent of old parchment, incense, and iron drifted out.
Saru's eyes widened like saucers. "WHOA! Magic wall!"
"Come on," Vanessa said, motioning them forward with a sly grin. "Welcome to the real shopping spot."
They stepped into the hidden passage, and the air immediately changed. It was cooler inside, almost damp, and the faint sounds of the outside world faded behind them. Torches along the walls flickered to life as they passed, illuminating carved symbols and ancient-looking murals.
As they walked deeper, the passage opened up into a vast, underground cavern bustling with life.
The Black Market was like a whole different city hidden beneath the capital.
Stalls and tents were crammed close together, their goods stacked high: weapons that hummed with hidden power, grimoires bound in strange materials, rare potions that glowed in the dark, armor sets with runes stitched into the metal. Strange merchants hawked their wares, some whispering secret deals, others shouting for attention. Shady characters loitered in corners, their eyes sharp beneath their hoods.
Overhead, ropes crisscrossed the ceiling with cloth banners fluttering down, and strange magical lights floated freely like lanterns, casting everything in a golden, slightly eerie glow.
Saru zipped ahead immediately, darting between stalls like a kid in a candy store. "SO MUCH COOL STUFF!!" he howled.
"Be careful!" Noelle called after him, but it was useless. Saru was already trying on a helmet that was way too big, tipping over a rack of enchanted swords, and poking a bottle filled with tiny floating fire spirits.
Asta's jaw dropped as he looked around. "This... is... AWESOME!!"
Vanessa laughed and threw an arm around Noelle's shoulders. "Don't think too hard, princess. Just enjoy it. And watch your purse."
Noelle huffed but couldn't help looking around in awe herself. This place, for all its suspiciousness, had an exciting energy to it.
Saru, meanwhile, had already started causing chaos, climbing onto one merchant's table, picking up a weird glowing staff and waving it around like a madman. "BEHOLD! SARU HAS COME TO CONQUER THE BLACK MARKET!!" he roared, much to the merchant's horror.
"PUT THAT DOWN, YOU BRAT!" the merchant shouted.
Vanessa sighed, already pulling out her coin pouch. "We're gonna need bail money, aren't we?"
Asta just laughed and chased after Saru. "WAIT UP, SARU! I WANNA SEE TOO!"
And with the chaos fully unleashed, the Black Bulls' little shopping adventure truly began.