I Stole the Heroines' Tragedy Flags-Chapter 40: Easter Egg

"Ain. Isn’t this the black market?"

"It is."

"Is there something you want to buy?"

"Not really. I just wanted to look around."

More accurately, it was something I couldn’t buy even if I wanted to.

It wasn’t for sale—because it had been rotting away in one location for thousands of years.

But the path to that item ran through this black market.

"I see. Then let’s go, Ain."

Ren readily took the lead, walking straight into the dark alley.

As if she’d been here dozens of times before—her steps were confident and unhesitant.

She probably visited black markets fairly often while working as an adventurer.

In truth, the black market here was a legal one.

Not all black markets were, of course, but there were a few in the Empire that operated with official approval and oversight.

This particular one was under Headmaster Lili’s tacit permission.

...Though to be honest, it was more neglect than permission.

Aside from the academic facilities, Lili rarely involved herself in the outer districts.

That’s why this place walked a fine and blurry line—it was technically legal, but in a sketchy way.

It was probably different from the black markets Ren had visited before.

In a bad way.

‘I’ll have to make sure to steer clear of those kinds of places.’

I recalled the layout of the black market in my head.

As long as it matched the game’s version, there shouldn’t be any problems.

Following behind Ren, we disappeared into the shadows of the alley.

.

.

.

After walking quite a while down the dim passageway, a faint glow appeared in the distance.

At last, a bright scene unfolded before us.

"So this is what the black market looks like."

"Seems like you’ve been here before?"

"Yeah. There’s a lot of cheap and useful stuff in black markets."

I just nodded along at what I already knew.

Then I looked around the familiar sight of the market.

It was just as I remembered it.

The outer edge of the black market was lively and bustling.

No different from a normal marketplace in the Empire.

Since it was so close to the surface, nothing too dangerous was being openly sold here.

‘There are even Ella Academy students here.’

I spotted several students in academy uniforms.

Even they used this part of the black market frequently—meaning the outer ring was pretty tame.

...Though that wouldn’t be the case if you went any deeper.

"Ain. Let’s check over there."

"Huh? ...Oh, that place?"

Ren pointed toward a stall selling a variety of magic tools and weapons.

Things adventurers commonly bought.

She probably had plenty of experience with that, too.

Ren approached the merchant with a serious look and browsed the items.

The merchant gave her a standard sales pitch.

Eventually, she purchased a few things, and both seemed satisfied as they parted ways.

"Just bought a few utility magic tools. Got something for Ron, too. ...Do you need anything, Ain? Want me to pick something for you?"

"No, I’m good."

"Then at least take this."

She handed me one of the items she’d bought.

Resting in my palm was a badge-shaped magic tool.

"Hm? This is...?"

"A communication device. If you pour magic or aura into it, you’ll be connected to the other person."

As she explained, Ren held up a matching badge.

"From now on, even if we’re far apart, we can always talk using this."

"...Got it. Thanks."

"Mm."

Not bad.

At the very least, if anything urgent or unexpected came up, she’d be able to contact me first.

I’d probably never be the one to call, but still—I pinned the badge to my chest.

Ren smiled faintly at the gesture. For some reason, it made me feel oddly restless.

We continued browsing the black market afterward.

Ren’s eyes sparkled as she kept glancing around.

Seeing my chance, I struck up a conversation.

"Looks like you still want to buy more stuff."

"...Yeah."

"Then how about we split up for a bit?"

"Split up? ...I don’t want to."

She was very clearly broadcasting her reluctance.

Anyone watching would think we were a couple.

"Where are you planning to go?"

"I’m thinking of heading further down."

I tapped the badge on my chest as I spoke.

"We’ve got these anyway. Once you’re done looking around, just contact me."

"...Okay, Ain."

She hesitated briefly, but agreed with a nod.

Judging by how her eyes kept darting to the side, she probably still had a lot she wanted to buy.

I watched her head off toward the stalls, then turned and made my way elsewhere.

The black market on the Neutral Continent where Ella Academy was located.

I’d visited it often during the five years I played the game.

But I didn’t discover the existence of that item here until nearly the fourth year.

That’s how cleverly hidden and maliciously designed the game’s choices were.

‘Now, this should be the third floor.’

Descending the stairs, I surveyed the third basement level.

Compared to the first and second floors, it was noticeably quieter.

Almost no light, and few people wandered this deep.

Still, it wasn’t much different from the upper floors—yet.

In most black markets, there’s an unspoken rule.

The division between surface and deep zones.

A separation between the area for everyday folks and the place where the "real" stuff happens.

‘Most illegal activities happen in the deep zones.’

Slave trading, banned drugs and magic tools, and so on.

Sometimes it’s just shady. Other times, it’s outright horrific.

The deeper zones are so hidden and remote that even the Empire has trouble keeping track of them.

Naturally, they’re illegal.

Lili left this place alone, but...

The Empire itself would dismantle a black market the moment they discovered a deep zone within it.

They’re just «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» that disgusting.

‘I’ve personally wiped out a few myself.’

But black markets, like cockroaches, always crawl back into existence.

The deep zones, too.

And because I knew exactly who kept building and managing these places, I cursed them under my breath.

‘...Good thing Ren didn’t follow me down here.’

If she saw the deep zone, her reaction would be predictable.

The deep zone was connected directly to the far edge of the third floor.

Access to it was only known by a tiny handful.

Even in the game, I had spent months figuring out how to get in.

‘Let’s see... the brightest light is... over there?’

The third floor was dark and empty.

Yet there, at the back of a deep alley, stood a single streetlamp.

A baffling detail whose placement could only be described as random—it was impossible to guess what the developer was thinking.

I approached the streetlamp and looked around.

After confirming no one was nearby, I placed my hand on the pole.

I pressed around the back of the narrow column with my index finger.

After several taps, one particular spot sunk inward.

Click.

With a sound, the lamp’s light went out.

Darkness enveloped the alley.

‘Got it.’

Even with my vision clouded in darkness, I could feel that something around me had changed.

Whoever made this gimmick must’ve been a total pervert.

Teleportation magic that only activated when there was no light?

I stepped forward, out of the original spot.

And the scenery that greeted me was no longer the third floor of the black market.

‘...A corpse right off the bat, huh.’

The first thing to greet me as I emerged into the alley was a corpse.

It had been dead for quite some time—its stench assaulted my nose.

I instinctively wrinkled my brow.

I glanced around.

Even though I had left the alley, the area was still eerily quiet.

So this was the deep zone, after all.

The casual display of murder and crude disposal matched every other deep zone I’d seen.

‘Guess I’ll have to clean this place up soon too. After I find the item.’

With that thought, I tore my eyes away from the corpse.

I moved through the desolate passage and finally emerged into the open.

There it was—a familiar sight.

The deep zone was more crowded than the third floor had been.

Not quite as lively as the entrance, but still, this was larger than most black market deep zones I’d seen.

Items were displayed all over.

‘...And every last one of them’s dangerous.’

Illegal drugs, explosives, unlicensed magic tools, etc.

I even saw a chimera locked in a massive cage.

Monster-fusing experiments had long been a classic forbidden art.

‘Yeah, I can gauge the level of this place now.’

If there was anything to be thankful for—

At least this black market wasn’t trafficking slaves.

If they were, I’d have flipped the place upside down right then and there.

But this level was within expectations.

‘Not that it matters. Even if I shut them down, they’d just crop up elsewhere.’

Even if I cleaned out this place, others would sprout again.

I forced myself to ignore it and made my way to my destination.

***

An easter egg.

A hidden element in the game I used to play.

Of course, now that this was reality, I understood most of those "developer jokes" weren’t jokes at all.

But back then, that’s all I thought it was.

Just another dev prank.

That’s how bizarre the conditions for this hidden location had seemed.

"Is anyone here?"

I opened the door and stepped inside.

The air was hot—filled with the clanging of metal striking metal.

Clang!

Clang!

It was the shape of a typical blacksmith’s forge.

Someone sat at the hearth, hammering away at something.

Rusty blades were scattered all around him—God knows when they were made.

‘He’s here after all.’

Recognizing his silhouette, I approached.

And soon, I confirmed his identity up close.

Even from behind, I could see his well-built frame and fiery red hair.

Eyes that blazed like living flame—yet focused solely on the blade before him.

He struck it again and again.

Like a machine performing preprogrammed motions.

"Excuse me."

"..."

"Excuse me? Can you hear me?"

"..."

Nothing. Just as I thought.

Well, maybe that’s to be expected.

‘A rare without a master. Of course the gatekeeper would fall into slumber.’

I thought for a moment about how to wake him.

Then, eyeing the swords scattered nearby, a simple solution came to mind.

"...Tch. This method’s pretty insane, though."

I picked one up and infused it with aura.

Then slammed it with full force into the back of the man’s neck.

***

Squelch.

The man’s neck burst open like a dying ember, his head separating instantly.

The body, now headless, went still.

As I looked down at him in silence, I muttered.

"...Did I get him?"

At that moment, an explosion erupted from his neck stump.