Underground Market
After dinner, Rebecca led Will to the carriage. The butler joined the coachmen in the driver's chair. Will, Elizabeth, and her lady-in-waiting sat inside the carriage.
"Where to know?" Will asked.
"It's a secret," Elizabeth said.
"If it's a secret, how Will the carriage driver know where to go?" Will asked playfully.
"My maid has already told carriage driver where to go. Although, I'm not thrilled about my father's man knowing my secret. I suspect long ago, my parents already knew my secret," Elizabeth said.
The carriage driver tapped the reins and the carriage took off at a slow pace. By now it was dusk, the poor men with soot on their faces, lit the candle streetlights. Will had never seen Yorkshire at night. It was beautiful and peaceful.
A few people and fewer carriages were out at this hour. Will watched as several shops closed for the evening, the candles lit outside their businesses still burning.
Will and Elizabeth rode in silence. Elizabeth and her maid whispered at length. They seemed to be enjoying their conversation, Will did not pay them any more attention.
As the carriage rambled forward on the stone street, Will noticed the shops, houses, and people looked more unkempt and deteriorating. There were drunkards and prostitutes on the street. Toothless dodgy men waved at him, and whores made themselves look presentable.
"Elizabeth are you sure we're going the right way?" Will asked.
"Yes, this is the Rabble Quarter. This is where the destitute live, nobles keep far away from this place," Elizabeth said sadly.
As the carriage meandered through the streets, the ride became rougher. The carriage wheels shook as they rode across the damaged pothole-littered road. With every bump, Will felt himself jump in the seat.
Finally, the carriage took a turn before it stopped. Will heard vibrate music, cheers, and shouts.
The footman that opened the door said, "Milord, this neighborhood is not safe. We should return at once to the commercial district."
"Will the place I want to show you, is just up ahead. I need to send my maid ahead to inform them of our arrival," Will said.
Addressing the footman, Will said, "Thank you for your concern, but we'll be getting out here to explore. I am more than a match for the men here," Will said encouraging the driver and footmen.
Will and Elizabeth stepped out of the carriage. Elizabeth sent her lady-in-waiting to deliver their arrival. Will and Elizabeth laughed at being severely overdressed for his bazaar. The average person wore tattered clothes
The musicians and street vendors recognized Elizabeth, but it was clear they feared Will. Newcomers were treated cautiously.
"Lady Elizabeth, we've missed you," said an old hunchback lady.
Elizabeth greeted people, healing others with her power. A small girl selling flowers gave Elizabeth one for free. Elizabeth thanked the girl, the butler quickly hand the girl a few copper coins.
"This is your secret?" Will asked in amazement.
"Yes, and no, these people suffer from the worst atrocity. Being poor. Will do you it cost 30 coppers to hire a healer? For many here, 30 coppers is a year's wage. That is why I periodically stop by and heal them for free when I'm able. Although, now that I've been away there's no one here to help," Elizabeth said teary-eyed.
Will listened as Elizabeth described the health, civil, and educational social problems that existed in the medieval epoch. In Fermion, elemental users had similar characteristics and traits. Light mages, overall, were emotional and empathetic. Their magic was tied to helping those in need. As Will listened to Elizabeth, he thought, the light mage personality trait fit her perfectly.
"It sounds like your biggest problem is money," Will said.
"Yes, but what noble would donate money to help the rabble of society?" Elizabeth would.
"I would, I bet others would too if the kingdom decreased taxes a percent for giving money to the poor?" Will said.
"You think decreasing taxes would motivate people to help the rabble?" Elizabeth said confused.
"It would motivate me?" Will said.
Will's statement sent Elizabeth into thought. As she thought, Will examined the second-hand wares in the bazaar.
Will stopped in front of one stall selling beast cores.
"Oi baronet, how my I humbly serve you?" the vendor greeted with a poorly preformed bow.
"These beast cores, where did you purchase them?" Will asked curiously.
"From here and there. People bring them to me, I don't ask where they got?" the vendor said sitting back down. The man wore a cloak and it was difficult to make out his face in the shadows.
"Do you have any wyvern core?" Will asked.
"Those are too precious and fierce guarded. There are less than a hundred wyvern cores in the entire kingdom," the man said.
"This purple core, what animal is this?" Will asked feeling a sense of familiarity with the core.
"Oi, that be a shadow panther core. Shadow panthers are large black beasts with large claws and powerful jaws. Shadow panters hunt at night. They live all over Fermion but prefer forest and rock hills where they make their cave," he said in an eerie voice.
As the man spoke, Will's remembered tonight when the marshals and rocky fought the shadow panther. The shadow pather was a dire beast and poor Rocky was torn apart acting as a shield. Will did his best to heal Rocky, but the dire beast ripped apart Rocky faster than Will could fix him. Thankfully, the Marshals were able to subdue the monster.
"Did you know baronet, there are two types of shadow panthers?" the old man said quizzically.
"Go on" Will encouraged him.
"Oi, knowings yous a good tipper, I'll tell you," the man said sticking his hand out.
Will gave the man a silver.
"Well now, you are a decent man if I do say so," the man said smiling, which made Elizabeth giggle.
"At first the book like the same, but smaller shadow panther's coat doesn't have any spots inside. They also hate water and would rather live in trees than caves, like their larger cousins. The larger one is more fierce and dwells in caves. They have little dots in their coat, but it's hard to see them. Moreover, they love to swim and will chase after you even in water," he said.
Will remember Elder Thaddeus saying Archimedes and the Shadow Panther were similar but different species and he was able to change his size. When Will rode back to Guidon, he planned to confront Archimedes.
"How do I know you're telling the truth, that this beast core is a shadow panther?" Will asked.
"Would I lie to my dear friend Lady Elizabeth's suitor? Lady Elizabeth is a saint around here, she's helped me out of a few scraps," the old man said grinning showing his missing tooth.
"Then I'll purchase it, how much?" Will asked.
"Let's agree to 25 silvers. It's too much for you is it?" the old vendor said.
"I'll give you 10 silvers or I walk," Will said.
"Now how shameful to fleece a friend of Lady Elizabeth. How about you show off and give me 20 silvers for this beast core?" he said.
"Let's go Elizabeth, I want to look around the bazaar some more before we leave," Will said turning to leave.
"Come back, come back, I can do 15 that's my lowest," the vendor said.
Will yelled out from another booth, "Remember I said 10 silvers or I walk. I walked away, I'm done negotiating."
"Fine 10 silvers, here's your beast core," he said happily handing over the beast core.
When paid the 10 silvers, just as the lady-in-waiting returned to Elizabeth.
"Will it looks they are ready for us. Are you ready to see my secret place?"
Will head Elizabeth walked back to the carriage. On the way back, Will noticed someone playing a version of Three-Card-Monte. Will was surprised people were already using his cards to trick people.
The carriage bumbled through the Rabble Quarter until it stopped in front of a dilapidated house. Seeing the decaying old house, Elizabeth provided Will with the backstory.
"A hundred years ago this was the military district. The barracks stood there before they burned down. But when a new military district was built near the southern wall, this area became vacant. Slowly the poor and destitute moved in, and the district was renamed 'Rabble,' to represent the undesirable people living here," Elizabeth knocking on the door of the decrepit house.
"When I was little I went with my father to the Rabble District. I can't remember why my father was here, but I got lost. When I was separated from my father, I went to a shop to look at the wares. The vendor accused me of stealing and called a soldier over.
When the kind soldier found me, he thought I was an orphan and brought me here. I spent a whole day in the orphanage before my father tracked me down," she finished the story just as the door opened and she was hugged by a group of children.
"Hi Miss Elizabeth, we missed you," coughed a girl in a tattered patched dress.
"Yeah, we missed you," various children agreed.
"Miss Elizabeth you look beautiful. I hope, I'm as beautiful as you when I grow up?" the coughing girl said sitting on the floor.
"You look pretty," the other children agreed.
"We thought you weren't coming back, we thought we upset you?" said a sad-looking sturdy boy.
"Who is this man?" another boy asked.
"Greetings, I am Baronet William vont Ballard. It is a pleasure to greet you," Will said waving to the kids.
"You, your William vont Ballard, the Lord of Games?" different children said in disbelief.
"Are you two getting married?" a small preschool girl asked.
Will and Elizabeth froze at this question. Elizabeth looked a Will as if to say, 'I want to hear this answer too.'
"Lady Elizabeth and I are on a date right now, and she brought me here to her favorite place in the capital," Will said thinking honesty was the best answer.
"A date? And you brought him here Lady Elizabeth? Bad move, you must try hard if you want to marry him," said the first coughing girl. Everyone, except Elizabeth, laughed.
"Alright that's enough questions, for now, you all come here so I can heal you," Elizabeth said as she began healing the children.
"Ever since Lady Elizabeth received her light powers, she's been healing the children from free," said an old grandmother woman. The woman had a tan complexion, with brown eyes. Even in old age, her skin was not wrinkly or loose.
"Will this is the sole caregiver for the orphanage, Miss Jane," Elizabeth said.
"Greetings, Miss Jane," Will said bowing respectfully.
"Don't bow for me, I am but an old commoner. Now that the children are healed, you two return to your date. It's past the children's bedtime" Miss Jane said.
Will and Elizabeth boarded the carriage for the duke's estate.
"Thank you for not berating or looking down on the children," Elizabeth said starring out the window.
"Elizabeth what you do in the Rabble District is very honorable. I think the idea of helping the less fortunate is wonderful," Will said to a smiling Elizabeth.
After escorting Elizabeth to her house, Will returned home. His father, mother, and sisters having a late tea.
"Micheal send a courier for Mei, right away!" Will said joining his family for tea.
An hour later Mei arrived at Will's estate.
"Mei, are you familiar with the Rabble District? Will asked.
"Yes, Boss Will. All the riffraff and undesirable live there," Mei said wondering why her boss would ask her about such an awful place.
"Mei, in the Rabble District there is an orphanage. I want you to spend 100 gold to build an inn. That inn will serve as the new orphanage. There should be a dining and game room, with all our games. Also, hire dedicated staff for the orphanage someone to help cook, clean, heal, and watch the children. I do not want the total monthly expenditure to exceed 10 gold. Have the sign read [Miss Jane's Home for Children], and start construction right away," Will asserted.
Will's parents and sisters looked at him in wonder.
"Will how was your date this evening?" Will's mother asked.