Chapter 49 – Encounter at the Market

The morning market of East Town was always bustling. Merchants shouted over one another, trying to lure customers to their stalls. The air smelled of fresh fruit, leather, roasted meat skewers, and a faint trace of alchemical smoke from potion vendors.

Zareen strolled through the crowded street at a leisurely pace, his staff resting across his shoulders. After the exhausting mission race against Gino yesterday, he wanted nothing more than a quiet walk to clear his mind.

He let the noise of the market wash over him—children laughing as they chased each other between stalls, the clatter of blacksmith tools somewhere down the road, and the sing-song calls of vendors announcing “Fresh herbs! Healing salves! Magic crystals for cheap!”

And then, something caught his eye.

At the far end of the market, tucked between a spice seller and a jeweler, was a small wooden stall that seemed ordinary at first glance. Behind it stood an elderly man with a long, white beard, arranging glass bottles filled with colorful liquids.

But Zareen’s attention was not on the potions. Hanging from the man’s neck was a black amulet tied with a thin strip of purple cloth.

Zareen froze. *That necklace… It’s Sensei’s emblem.*

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### Disguise Revealed

Heart pounding, Zareen pushed through the crowd and hurried toward the stall. “Sensei! What are you doing here!?” he blurted out, loud enough that several passersby turned their heads.

The old man nearly dropped the bottle in his hand. “Shhh! Don’t call me that!”

Zareen stopped in front of the stall, incredulous. “But it’s clearly you—Master Gifa, the Lavender Wizard!”

The man coughed loudly and tried to look casual. “You must be mistaken, young man. I am but a humble herbal merchant. Look!” He gestured dramatically to his wares. “I have two-hundred-year-old ginseng root, eye-clearing leaves, and—yes—handmade soap with a delightful floral aroma!”

Zareen crossed his arms and glared. “You’re not fooling anyone. That’s your necklace. And those potions—wait a minute.” He leaned closer, scanning the shelves. “These are the exact potions I’ve been collecting from my quests!”

The old man’s smile didn’t falter, but there was a mischievous twinkle in his eye. “Ah, sharp as ever, my little apprentice. But really, must you shout? You’ll ruin my cover.”

Several market-goers had already started gathering, murmuring among themselves.

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### The Strange Accusation

The old man—Gifa, without a doubt—sighed, then smirked. “You’re far too noisy, Zareen. If you insist on outing me like this, I suppose I’ll have to distract the crowd.”

Before Zareen could ask what he meant, Gifa suddenly lifted a small vial into the air like a trophy.

“Everyone!” he announced loudly, voice carrying through the marketplace. “This young man is here because he wishes to sniff my socks—socks that have not been washed for two thousand years!”

For a moment, the entire market went dead silent.

Then came the whispers.

“…What did he just say?”

“Two thousand years? Good heavens.”

“Look at the boy—his face is bright red!”

Zareen felt his blood pressure spike. “Wha—NO! That’s not what I said! I don’t have some weird ancient sock fetish!”

Laughter began to ripple through the crowd. A woman covered her mouth to stifle her giggle, while a group of children pointed and laughed openly.

“Did you hear that?” one merchant whispered loudly. “He denied it—but that just makes it sound more suspicious!”

“Poor kid,” another said, though his grin betrayed that he was enjoying the spectacle.

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### Zareen’s Humiliation

Zareen’s face burned hotter than a fire spell. He grabbed his hood and pulled it over his head, wishing the ground would swallow him whole.

“Sensei, this is not funny!” he hissed through clenched teeth.

But Gifa was already chuckling, stroking his beard. “Relax, boy. A little public embarrassment builds character. Besides, you’re too uptight these days. Consider this a lesson in humility.”

“Lesson in—?! You just turned me into the town’s number one weirdo!” Zareen nearly wailed.

The stares from the crowd grew unbearable. A couple of kids began chanting “Sock sniffer! Sock sniffer!” and Zareen could feel his soul leaving his body.

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### The Humiliating Escape

Without another word, he spun on his heel and bolted from the market, covering his face with both hands.

*Why!? Why does it always turn out like this!?* he cried inwardly as he darted between stalls and nearly ran over a fruit cart. *Now everyone thinks I have some bizarre ancient-sock obsession! Senseiiiiiii!*

Behind him, Gifa stood calmly at his stall, rearranging the bottles as though nothing had happened. A satisfied grin tugged at his lips.

“That boy is still as naive as ever,” he muttered to himself. “But that’s good. Innocence is a rare thing in this world.”

With a soft chuckle, the old wizard returned to polishing his necklace, his eyes glinting knowingly—as if everything had gone exactly as he planned.