The Merchant Quarter of Manhattan was a different world from the polished halls of the academy. Here, the air smelled of spices, leather, and the subtle tang of enchanted goods. Street vendors hawked everything from low-grade mana crystals to questionable "authentic" relics, while wealthy merchants in silk robes negotiated deals in shadowed doorways.Marco walked through the crowded thoroughfare with Vargas at his back, the A-rank bodyguard's presence parting the crowd like a ship's bow through water. The morning sun had barely cleared the rooftops, but the quarter was already alive with commerce."You've never been here before," Vargas observed. It wasn't a question."My previous financial situation didn't exactly allow for shopping," Marco replied, his eyes scanning the storefronts. "What's the best place for information?""The Dancing Coin." Vargas nodded toward a three-story building at the end of the street, its sign depicting a gold coin balanced on its edge. "But Fiora runs the