SWNOVELXO Chapter 68
Unlike the previous Royal Capital Street Market, this time, the location I had been granted permission to use was Area 3 of the Northern District.
The Northern Main Street of the capital, combined with the unique characteristics of the Northern District, had an entirely different atmosphere compared to the other main streets. First of all, unlike the other streets, opening a stall in the Northern District required an inspection from both the Merchant Guild and the Northern District administration.
While the Street Market is an event where traveling merchants from all over the world bring products they’ve acquired from various regions to sell in the capital, the Northern District, like the Central District, has strict entry restrictions. This makes it somewhat contrary to the open and free spirit of the market.
As a result, the Street Market in the Northern District operates under a special system, with far fewer stalls than on the other main streets. Consequently, fewer customers visit the Northern Main Street as well.
Most of the people who come to the Northern District Street Market are either students of one of the many educational institutions located there, their families, or alumni. It gave the whole event a bit of a “student festival” vibe, as I noticed many familiar faces.
(Hmm, compared to the Western Main Street, there are fewer stalls, but each one is larger in scale.)
Thanks to my affiliation with the Enfibe Magic Academy, it was significantly easier for me to enter the Northern District. Early in the morning, I smoothly made my way into the Northern Main Street.
If I had to describe the layout, the Northern District is shaped like a triangular slice of pizza. A wide canal runs along the boundaries of the adjacent Eastern and Western Districts.
At the tip of the Northern District, close to the center of the capital, there is a large checkpoint. From there, a broad street runs straight toward the outer walls of the capital.
Enfibe Magic Academy, being a school for nobles, is located relatively close to the Central District, but the spot I was assigned to this time was in Area 3, near the outer wall.
This area is close to Laiosar Magic Academy, where Camille went to school, and has many stalls catering to commoners.
“Are you Lord Allen?”
“Yes, that’s me.”
While I was setting up the same equipment I had used at the previous Royal Capital Street Market, a voice suddenly called out to me.
I turned around, wondering who it could be. I didn’t recognize the person, but from the way they spoke, it was clear they knew who I was.
“I’m a representative of the Ari Merchant Company.”
“Ah, I see…”
After a brief pause, the person introduced themselves, and I immediately understood their purpose.
“Of course, I’ll be selling trading cards at today’s Street Market. However, there will be purchase limits.”
“No problem. As long as we meet our client’s request, that’s all we need.”
The Aari Merchant Company is one of the trading companies serving noble students from the Enfibe Magic Academy, similar to Diero and the merchant who recently tried to pressure me.
Most of the people who have come to me for trading cards after the shipments have been delivered are from trading companies like Aari, which have connections with nobility and the ability to enter the restricted Northern District.
After exchanging pleasantries, the representative from Aari left. However, I noticed a few people who seemed to be from the same company waiting near my stall.
—
*Chatter, chatter*
“What’s going on? Why is Area 3 so crowded?”
“I don’t know, but most of them seem to be related to Enfibe. Why are they here?”
“Isn’t this Svor and Laiosar territory?”
Though it was still early morning, a time reserved for setting up the stalls, there was an unusual tension in the air. The merchants gathered in groups, whispering to each other.
Their faces showed a mix of confusion and heightened vigilance, wondering what was happening.
Unlike other main streets, the merchants setting up stalls on the Northern Main Street were fiercely territorial and extremely wary of any unfamiliar traders or companies.
For them, their “territory” was the academy they were contracted with and the specific area of the Street Market they were responsible for.
In other areas, the closer you are to the Central District, the higher the status of the merchant or company required. But I later learned that on the Northern Main Street, each area had its own specific territory.
To put it simply, the area I was in—Area 3—was considered the territory of trading companies serving Svor Knights Academy and Laiosar Magic Academy. Naturally, most of the customers who came to this area were students or affiliates of those schools.
The territories are divided based on proximity to the nearest academy. In the case of Enfibe Magic Academy, being a school for nobles, their territory was Area 15, the one closest to the Central District.
And now, what was happening here was that outsiders—namely myself, who had unknowingly claimed a spot, and the early-morning crowd of Enfibe Magic Academy students and affiliates waiting to buy trading cards—had invaded the territory of Area 3, creating a tense standoff with the merchants of the area.
The whole situation had been caused by me, without realizing it, when I secured this location.
“…This is bad.”
I muttered to myself, realizing the tense atmosphere I had inadvertently caused.