The scam

The wolfman merchant stands at least two meters tall, his muscles bulging beneath his clothes. Despite the black mask that covers all but his piercing eyes, his imposing physique makes him easily recognizable as the most intimidating figure in the entire black market.

"Psst, Curtis, I'll take three of these," Sophia whispers, pointing to a specific box filled with earrings of various shapes and sizes. Each one is adorned with a small gem of varying colors, known as 'Chameleon gems.'

Interestingly, these gems are a rare find, dropped only by high-level chameleon monsters in a specific dungeon. They grant the wearer the ability to alter their appearance. While not exceedingly difficult to acquire, the possession of Chameleon gems has been criminalized by the kingdom, making it a capital offense. This has driven the price far beyond its intrinsic value.

Fortunately, Sophia seems to have a history with Curtis. On our way here, she mentioned they had worked together in the black market for several years. When he hit rock bottom in life, she helped him, so the guy is deeply indebted to her.

However, Curtis's response is unexpected.

"One hundred thousand crowns each," the wolf-eared man declares, a grin evident even beneath his mask.

"Eh!? Are you serious?" Sophia's disbelief is palpable. "They're not worth a tenth of that! Curtis, what is the meaning of this? Are you kidding me right now?"

"Okay, find them elsewhere then," Curtis's eyes squint. "But you won't. I've already made sure of that. After all, I'm the only vendor with these in stock, Sophia!"

"WHAT!?" Sophia's frustration boils over, her face flushed with anger. "Curtis, what the heck did you do?"

"Well, nothing much, just a little agreement between me and my buddies, sorry," Curtis says, then moves his head closer to Sophia, continuing to whisper in a raspy voice, "but I have to say, I'm very surprised that you've got such a big number on your head, boss."

"WHAT!? YOU SON OF A BITCH!!!"

Sophia's voice reverberates with anger as she slams her hands against the table, her frustration boiling over into a torrent of insults and curses. She even goes as far as grabbing Curtis by his shirt.

But Curtis remains unfazed.

"Are you buying or not?" his expression unchanged, he swiftly removes Sophia's hand away.

Given our situation, we have no choice but to agree to his ridiculous price demand, and this guy is really aware of this.

"Fine, how about twenty thousand each?" Sophia yields.

"Alright, because we've known each other for so long, I will give you a discount. Eighty-five. Take it or leave it."

"Ugh!" Sophia's frustration reaches its peak as she reluctantly reaches for her pouch.

I watch the exchange, amused. Curtis is Sophia's former partner, and they appear to have been quite close. Yet, for some unfathomable reason, he chose to betray her for his own gain. It appears that in the underworld, loyalty is a rare commodity indeed. No matter how strong the connections, they can be easily severed, just like that.

"Here's one hundred thousand crowns. I don't have all the money here with me. I'll pay the remainder in two days, so draft a fucking contract for it!" Sophia demands.

But Curtis shakes his head. "Nope, that won't do. You're now a wanted criminal. If you get caught tomorrow, who will pay the debt?"

"CURTIS!!!" Sophia yells, her eyes blazing with anger. "I had your back when you were down and out. Isn't it time you returned the favor?"

"Alright then, one hundred thousand crowns, plus the ring on your hand."

"What!?" Sophia exclaims in disbelief.

I glance at Sophia's hand and notice the ring she wears—a golden band with a huge ruby gemstone. It is truly stunning. Back on Earth, such a ring would easily fetch tens of millions of dollars. In fact, the Estrela de Fura, the largest ruby ring ever made, sold for fifty million dollars a few years ago, and the ruby on Sophia's ring even surpassed it in size.

"But... this ring is…" Sophia hesitates.

"Is what? Is it worth more than your life?"

…

Sophia falls silent, her gaze shifting between the earrings and her ring. With a deep sigh, she begins to remove her ruby ring.

But I intervene.

"Sophia, there's no need for that."

Given her reaction, it is evident that the ring holds significant sentimental value for her. A family heirloom, maybe? Not that I care, but, as her master, at least I should share some expenses.

With a swift movement, I withdraw something from my pocket.

Bam!

I lay my currency on the table.

"P-p-platinum!?" Curtis' eyes widen, his speech faltering as he beholds the five pure platinum bullets before him.

"M-m-master!" Sophia's astonishment mirrors Curtis'. "H–how did you acquire so much platinum!?"

The sight of such an extraordinary amount of platinum seems to leave them both on the verge of fainting. As for how I acquired the platinum, well, I had anticipated its value even before arriving in this world. However, I hadn't expected it to be that absurd.

"Wolfman, is this enough?" I raise my voice, presenting the four platinum bullets. "Four of these for four earrings. Do we have a deal?"

"O-of course!" Curtis stutters, visibly taken aback.

I hand the platinum to the wolfman and receive my Chameleon Earrings in return. It is still a dreadful trade considering the exorbitant price of the earrings, but we have no other choice. It is a necessary sacrifice. With these earrings, our safety during travel is assured. Curtis may have been despicable for swindling us, but his warning holds true. Nothing is more valuable than our lives. There is no point hoarding wealth if we are all dead.

Curtis swiftly pockets the platinum, then leans in closer to Sophia.

"Anyway, because you saved my life once, I'll offer you some advice," he whispers.

"What nonsense are you trying to feed me now?" Sophia retorts, clearly enraged after the contentious trade.

The wolfman lets out a sinister laugh. Then, his tone turns ominous as he utters a single, chilling word:

"Run."

The moment the word leaves his lips, he vanishes!

In an instant, the bustling black market dissolves before our eyes, vendors and wares disappearing into thin air. Within moments, the once-thriving marketplace lies deserted, leaving us in an eerie solitude.

As the air grows thick with foreboding, a glowing magic circle materializes beneath our feet.

"Sophia! Yumi!"

I call out urgently, grasping their hands in an attempt to escape the circle. It dawns on us then: Someone has been working with Curtis to capture us! The entire transaction has been a ruse!

But our realization comes too late.

A barrier of magic erupts around us, its impregnable walls trapping us within. Sophia unleashes a torrent of kicks and punches, flinging herself against the invisible confines of the barrier, but her efforts prove futile.

Despite the dire situation, I maintain my composure.

I extend my hand, trailing my fingers along the barrier's surface as I study the intricate symbols etched beneath it.

"Fascinating," I remark aloud.

This barrier bears a striking resemblance to those used in the spell that summoned me into this world, and that means there is a way to get out of it.

However, I opt to bide my time and allow our adversaries to reveal themselves.

Before long, the silence is shattered by the ominous resonance of heavy footfalls and the clinking of armor and weaponry. I turn, see a big fat man clad in noble attire approaching, followed by dozens of women of various races, all wearing tattered clothes and slave collars. Though unmistakably human, the man's appearance bears a resemblance to that of an orc.

"Bromrik the Chainmaster…" Sophia recoils, her voice trembling with dread, her eyes widening in alarm.

Judging by Sophia's reaction, that guy must be bad news, because I can clearly see the terror on her face.