Bones chuckled. "I see someone's thinking big. You probably noticed today that most businesses here are run from street stalls. If you're serious about selling, you could rent one and try it out for yourself."
"Can anyone rent a stall?" Alex asked, his eyes lighting up.
Back home in Britain, the Ministry of Magic imposed all kinds of regulations on alchemical products. Everything had to be rated and approved.
"All the external stalls in Kara Bazaar are managed by the Egyptian Alchemy Research Center, in coordination with the Egyptian Ministry of Magic," Bones explained.
"The stallholders don't own the space they're all rental-based. Prime spots are usually locked down by well-established alchemists who sell their own goods, but there are still plenty of short-term rental options available."
"So I could apply directly at the Research Center?" Alex asked.
"Exactly. You might not get the best location, but it's not hard to get started," Bones said.
"Also, the category management here is much more relaxed than in the UK. As long as your items aren't cursed, even props bordering on dark magic can be sold legally.
If your products catch on, there'll be plenty of local merchants willing to partner with you and help distribute them."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like the Alchemy Research Center must be raking in a fortune."
"Of course," Bones laughed. "Alchemy's an expensive field, and master alchemists practically bleed Galleons. Running the infrastructure to support them isn't cheap either."
"Do you happen to know anyone local who might be open to representing my products?" Alex asked. If he could break into the Egyptian market, it might open doors across Europe.
"I do," Bones replied, nodding. "They've got a good impression of you, but don't expect any special treatment.
They're practical folks. If your products don't impress, they won't waste their time."
"I understand," Alex said seriously. The atmosphere in Egypt was becoming clearer to him now,much less bureaucracy than in Britain, but also much more driven by merit, wealth, and usefulness.
Personally, Alex didn't mind. In fact, he preferred this kind of straightforward environment.
They spent the rest of the evening chatting about daily life and local culture, with Bones filling him in on what to expect over the coming days. Eventually, Bones bid him goodnight and left Alex's room, leaving the young man thoughtful but excited for what lay ahead.
After everyone had left, Alex didn't rush to go for a stroll. Instead, he sat in silence, waiting. Time passed quietly until, at last, someone knocked on his door. When he opened it, standing there was Azalea.
"How did it go? Did you manage to reach Thunderbird?" he asked the moment she stepped inside.
"I did," Azalea nodded. "He agreed to meet tonight. What do you want me to do?"
Alex didn't answer right away. He walked over to the window, glanced out toward the fading light of the Cairo skyline, then turned back to her.
"I've already locked onto his position through the Mask of Iseron," he said. "He's in the city right now, somewhere in Cairo's urban district. Not ideal. Too many people. I can't make a move yet."
Azalea remained still, waiting for the rest.
"When you meet him tonight, your first goal is to figure out why he came to Egypt. Knowing him, he probably won't give you a straight answer, he's too proud for that. But pick up on whatever you can, even small clues."
She nodded.
"Second," Alex continued, "you need to find a way to lure him out of the city. Ideally, to somewhere deserted. If you can't manage that right away, it's fine, take your time.
Use me as bait if you have to. Make something up. Just get him away from the crowd."
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"When I tracked Thunderbird just now, the mask showed another signal nearby, another Iseron contact. If Azalea's information is right, that second person might be the Sphinx his former superior in the Silver Wand. But here's the strange part: the Sphinx is currently inside Kara Bazaar."
Alex's gaze sharpened. "That's not a place someone like him should be wandering casually. It means his identity must be special. And it complicates things."
Azalea frowned slightly. "You want me to lead Thunderbird out of the city? Are you sure you want to handle him alone?" she asked, hesitant.
"Director Barnabas and Professor Bones are here. Medea and I are fighters too. If we work with the local Ministry of Magic, we could easily put together a proper team.
Why go through all this trouble? We could just arrest him together."
She clearly didn't understand why Alex insisted on acting solo, especially when they had strength in numbers.
Thunderbird wasn't weak, and any misstep could spell disaster. To her, Alex's approach felt almost reckless.
Was he really just another old-fashioned duelist like Thunderbird, obsessed with handling things one-on-one?
But Alex only gave her a cold smile. "I have my reasons. You don't need to worry about them.
What matters is that Thunderbird must be dealt with quietly. No one else can know about his movements or even his presence here. That's not up for discussion."
Azalea stared at him for a moment, then gave a slight bow. "Yes. Understood."
With that, she left. Once alone again, Alex gathered his things and headed out toward Kara Bazaar. Dealing with Thunderbird was one thing, but he still had his own goals to pursue.
Retracing the path he'd taken earlier, Alex returned to the bustling heart of the Bazaar. But he didn't head straight to the alchemy stalls or stop by the rental offices run by the Alchemy Research Center.
Instead, Alex followed the signal from Iseron's mask. His focus wasn't on Thunderbird now, but on the second contact, the one he suspected might be the Sphinx, the head of the Silver Wand's Egyptian branch.
If that was true, then this meeting could prove even more important than he'd first thought.
Following the tracker's signal, Alex made his way through the bustling Kara Bazaar with purpose. The market was alive with color and sound, but his focus didn't waver.
When he finally arrived at the building the tracker pointed to, he paused, surprised despite himself. The building ahead was grand and symmetrical, with a classic Arabic onion-shaped dome rising from the center and two tall minarets flanking either side.
From the outside, it looked almost exactly like a traditional mosque nothing like what he'd expected.
What truly caught him off guard was the sign above the entrance. It was the very same alchemy research center he had planned to visit later during his trip.
'Don't tell me… the Sphinx is an alchemist too?' Alex frowned slightly at the tracker on his monocle.