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Name: Gray Vireux D'Aurélion [1]

Titles: ##$$#$?##$??, Exiled Noble

Race: Human

Class: Villain

Rank: Intermediate Master Realm

Unique Skill: 𖤐 Villain 𖤐

Active Skills: Shadowless Sword Art [GrandMaster Stage - 89%], Dimensional Storage, Nine Illusionary Dream Steps [0% (9th Step)]

Passive Skills: High Mana Recovery, Parallel Mana Processing, Heightened Senses, Sinful Mind [Class], Villain's Presence [Class], Cruel Instinct [Class], Shadow of Sin [Class]

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"…Already reached Intermediate Master Realm, huh?" Gray murmured, stretching his arms lazily before sliding his rapier back into its sheath.

Three days had passed since the midterm exam. Most of that time had gone into quiet training sessions and a few hidden meetings with Cassandra.

He usually preferred to spend his time alone, but Cassandra was too important to ignore.

She was a key piece in his long-term plans, especially now that she had told him her fallen family might not be as dead as everyone thought.

Apparently, a large number of her family's warriors and servants had survived.

They had been hiding in the mountains, slowly gathering strength and money, waiting for Cassandra's signal to reemerge into the world.

Now, they were beginning to move again by forming alliances, buying weapons, and preparing to rebuild what they had lost.

Gray had agreed to help them. Not because of compassion, but because power, in any form, was worth investing in.

"Mhm… that's enough training for today." He shook his head, rolling his shoulders to relax the tension.

"Can't push too far or I'll end up frying my brain."

The sun was still high in the sky, filtering through the tall glass windows of the training hall. It was only 15:37, which meant he still had plenty of daylight left to do something else.

Cassandra had said she would be busy today, so there was no need to meet her.

"…Guess I'll go to the black market," Gray muttered finally.

There were two reasons behind that decision.

He needed to buy a suit... yeah.

They had higher quality and were much cheaper on the black market

The first was simple... he needed a suit for the ball he was going to attend with Gloria.

The black market always sold better-quality clothes for half the normal price, even if most of them came from questionable sources.

And second… he wanted to look for useful items. Elixirs, artifacts, maybe a rare medicine, anything that could strengthen him or give him an advantage.

He had already pushed his body to its limits during training; now it was time to improve in other ways.

With his plan decided, Gray returned to his dormitory.

He stripped off his training clothes and stepped under the shower. Steam filled the small bathroom as he washed the sweat and dust off, taking his time to clear his head.

Ten minutes later, he stood in front of the mirror, buttoning a black shirt and pulling on a light jacket.

The dark clothes fit him perfectly, simple yet sharp.

"…Good enough."

He left the dorm quietly, blending into the academy's outer streets.

Gloria Academy was so massive that it functioned almost like a city. It had districts, alleys, hidden corners, and, of course, places the professors pretended didn't exist.

The black market was one of them.

It didn't have a fixed location. Instead, it moved often, always hidden behind coded marks known only to those who paid attention.

A normal person would've needed information from a guild or an underground broker to find it. But Gray wasn't interested in wasting money.

He relied on his eyes instead.

He scanned every dark alley and shady street, every corner where the light didn't quite reach.

His heightened senses picked up murmurs, faint movements, and small signs others would've missed.

The mark of the black market was simple: a black balance scale, usually painted somewhere discreet.

And finally, after almost an hour of walking, he found it.

Right next to a dimly lit brothel, a small, barely visible symbol of a black scale had been etched into the brick wall near the entrance.

Gray's lips twitched faintly.

"…Figures it'd be near a place like this."

The street smelled faintly of perfume and smoke. Voices and laughter leaked out from behind the brothel's curtain doors.

He touched the faint mark lightly and instantly felt a familiar mana fluctuation that led right into the brothel.

Without hesitation, Gray walked towards the entrance. Normally, if one found the mark, they could easily enter as it would reveal a passage, but if this one led to the brothel...

Today was probably a special day in the black market.

"Oh my~ what a handsome one we have here!"

"Big brother~, care for a little company?"

Another giggled, her perfume thick and sweet enough to make the air dizzying.

The moment the whores in the brothel saw Gray, their eyes instantly lit up as they rushed towards him.

Normally, they would prioritize money, but seeing such a handsome guy, they didn't even bother looking to see if he looked noble or not.

Besides, Gray looked quite young, having a mature vibe around him, and that caused the ladies to be even more interested in him, as he probably had that youthful vigor on him.

Squish~

He was surrounded by big-breasted women, but his eyes weren't on them as he scanned the room instead.

That was when he saw her.

Sitting near the back of the room was a woman dressed in a deep crimson kimono, her long hair pinned up with gold ornaments.

She wasn't like the others; her smile was subtle, controlled, and her eyes watched everything quietly.

The oiran.

Her beauty wasn't overwhelming, but refined.

Her face held elegance and a trace of mystery, though compared to the true beauties Gray had seen before, she was only slightly below their level.

Still, she stood out easily among the crowd of the whore in here.

Gray's gaze lingered on her for a moment.

He had a feeling she wasn't just here to entertain guests.

If this brothel was being used as a front, then either she or the unseen manager ran the connection to the black market.

But before he could take another step, the women around him clung tighter.

"Aww~ don't leave so soon, handsome," one said, pressing against his arm.

"Stay a little, I'll give you a special discount~"

He ignored them, his focus shifting when a faint glint caught his eye.

Right there, just below the oiran's pale neck, hidden between her collarbones, was a small tattoo, black and faintly glowing under the light.

The black balance symbol.

So it was her.

Gray already knew what to do. He gently removed the woman's hand from his arm and stepped away from the group.

"Excuse me."

The ladies blinked, confused but too flustered to stop him.

He walked across the room, weaving between low tables and laughing men until he reached the oiran's side.

She sat surrounded by two men already deep in their cups, one short and red-faced, the other tall, with greasy hair and an expensive coat.

The men's laughter filled the air the moment Gray approached.

"Oho? What's this? A kid trying to sit with our lady?" the tall one said, slapping his thigh.

"Hah! Go find yourself another girl, brat!" the other sneered before whistling at the oiran. "Don't waste your time on children, beauty."

The oiran smiled softly, hiding her lips behind her fan.

Her eyes shimmered with a strange amusement.

"Oh my, you flatter me too much, gentlemen," she purred, voice warm as honey. "But don't say that, young ones have their own kind of charm."

That earned a few chuckles from the men nearby, who were already calling out their own comments.

"Maybe she likes them fresh!"

"Hey, boy! You even old enough to pay her fee?"

Gray didn't react to any of it. He simply sat down beside her, uninvited, his calm presence enough to quiet some of the laughter.

The oiran tilted her head slightly, her fan lowering just enough for her to study him up close.

"How bold," she whispered playfully with a hint of curiosity.

Gray leaned slightly forward, lowering his voice so only she could hear.

"I'm looking for the Goblin Market. I wonder if you know about it?"

For a brief moment, her fan stopped moving, and her eyes flickered with recognition.

Then, just as quickly, her gentle smile returned.

"…I see," she murmured, before adding a casual yet unusual comment that didn't actually reply to his question.

"You must be quite the collector, young master."

He gave a faint nod.

"Something like that."

She laughed beautifully at his words.

"Then allow me to guide you. But, of course," she said louder now, turning toward the crowd, "a lady shouldn't be rude to her guests."

The drunk men booed playfully, waving their hands as she stood up.

"Aww, come on, already leaving?"

"Hey, we weren't finished talking!"

"Later, darlings," she teased with a wink, tapping her fan lightly against one man's cheek.

"Be good for me."

The men roared with laughter, but Gray barely glanced at them.

The oiran gave him a subtle nod, then walked gracefully toward a door behind the beaded curtain.

Gray followed after without a word.

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