Monday evening in the Goddess temple.
Joy massages his muscles outside the storeroom.
While doing so he mumbles to himself quietly.
‘I didn’t get any time for a nap or to rest.
I even had to do all the remaining chore of those two slackers.
Sigh.
When I return home, I will go straight to the bed and sleep.
This don’t want to any side quests tonight.’
He isn’t even looking forward to eating food.
He has experienced eating after gaining Purity and all the food taste like nothing.
It is like chewing without flavor and enjoyment.
This has made him unhappy as he didn’t think that it would be this effective at removing taste from food.
He doesn’t regret doing the ability ritual but now he has mixed feelings about it.
Does gaining powers means losing something else?
Joy scratches his heads and starts walking back to his hut.
While going back he encounters Priest Nors in the way.
He greets him and then tells him about his morning encounter with that old lady.
He doesn’t say that she looked like a senile old woman.
But he does say that she looked strange.
After hearing this Nors reply.
“If she comes on Friday, you should first tell me about it. If you can’t find me then tell some other priest. Don’t go let her in all alone and don’t go out with her. It is for your own safety.”
After hesitation, he continues.
“Last years, some children were going missing. Later, police caught a lot of kidnappers who were doing awful things. The matter was settled and no more kidnapping happened after that. However, it can happen again. So, you should be careful if you go outside to something for yourself.”
After that, he tells Joy about what to do when someone approaches you with bad intentions.
He has heard this lecture before and has understood very well what to do at times like these.
One thing is to scream as to try to get someone else’s attention.
It is impossible for a child of his age to actually do anything to an adult so getting help from someone else is the only option.
If that doesn’t work then bite or try to poke at their eyes and face.
He never thought that old man would tell him such barbaric methods.
But for survival you have to do everything.
So, it makes sense.
He is glad to have been picked by him when he was a baby.
He sure is lucky in some aspects at least.
Priest Nors finishes warning him and then ends it with…
“Don’t be reckless and always believe in the Goddess.”
He nods to him and Priest leaves after moving his right hand from left to right on his chest.
Joy does the same.
Afterwards, he gets to leave.
Later, he returns to his hut and sleeps.
***
Tuesday morning in the Goddess temple.
Like every day, he is cleaning the outside first before going inside.
He likes doing this part all by himself.
He can exchange his shift with those three helpers.
However, even though he eavesdrops a lot. New chapters come out on g.com first.
He still like to be alone from time to time.
This is the prime hour, the morning before the sun his risen up in the sky, for doing chore.
It is peaceful and good for his mental health.
While doing chores, random thought comes and go in people’s minds.
It is same for Joy and right now he is thinking how many years has passed since his last death.
‘It is 1136 now.
I was born at 1131 and so it took a year or so for me to be reborn as Joy.
Time sure flies.’ He sighs instinctually.
It is still unknown to him what does this time period before rebirth signify.
It could be that it is a recovery period for his… soul?
Or maybe the delay is necessary to find the suitable body of rebirth.
Whatever the case, it confirms that there was a delay before he was reincarnated as a Hugo.
So, the incident of Livlong shouldn’t be too far off into history.
He just hopes that it reaches Country of the poor soon.
Who knows, maybe other countries of the main continent are already aware of what is happening.
The country of the poor, of course, would have some isolation from the outside.
This doesn’t depress Joy though.
While he isn’t getting any info about his first life, he still capable of getting info on in 2nd.
He only needs a clue as to where he was born in the last life.
He isn’t sure if he should focus on his past or not.
But he wants to find out if his parents are okay.
It has been seven years so has they moved on?
Or maybe they’re still despair.
Only thing that he wants to know is that for now.
‘Take short steps as old Nors says…’
He sighs and continues doing his work.
It doesn’t take him old and he finishes brooming soon.
However, as he is about to leave.
He hears someone calling his name.
It is Poen.
He is running towards him.
Joy isn’t sure why is he here.
If he wanted to talk to him.
He could’ve waited a little longer.
He was going to come into the temple eventually.
‘What does he want from me?’
He can’t make any guesses as he doesn’t know the other party that well.
He never admitted to be friends with this guy.
So, all he can accept is some favor that he wants.
Poen reaches him and after taking a breather.
He asks.
“Joy, are you free tonight? Would you like to go with us outside? Just us boys in the night.”
Joy doesn’t want to say no.
So, he asks.
“Where are we exactly going?”
Poen answers as he gets a little closer to him.
He speaks lightly so that nobody will hear his words.
“We will be going to look at the illegal bazaar. It opens very rarely and always has quite a lot of things that are rare to find. Of course, it is very easy to get scammed there too. But we will just be going to look at the stuff and if we find some worth buying then why not get it. You know what I me… right”
He sighs inwardly.
It isn’t a bad thing if they’re just going to look at the things that might be available.
But such a shady place won’t be safe and will definitely have some strange people/.
Also, his tone implies that he is planning to trying some things that are not for kid to consume.
Poen might be a candidate to have some bright future at the streets.
His enthusiasm towards these things is just too much.
‘Didn’t his parents sent him to work at temple to straight him up?
And here he is planning on sneaking in some place like that.
Honestly, I feel pity for his parents… when did I started talking like an adult?’ Joy lampoons in his mind and thinks about Poen’s invitation again.
But he is indecisive about it and make up his mind.
Poen notices his hesitation and speaks to persuade him.
“Come on, Joy. You always stay in the temple. You should go out and enjoy your life. Why waste… I mean it is good to serve the Goddess. But sometime you have to let loose. When was the last time you went out? I am telling you it would be fun. How old are you? Nine?”
Joy wanted to reply so bad with….’I am only six.
Where do you see a nine years old kid here?
Also, I sneaked out last week to get myself the salt and beakers.
That also means that I got not money to speak of.
Going to the that place wouldn’t be of much use to me….
By the way, should tell the priest what were to about say about the Goddess?
You need to keep your tongue tied up, bud.’
He says all that in his head.
Not interest in giving this guy any advice about how to live his life.
He has doing fine.
However, if he thinks about it again.
It could be a good experience.
Also, days have gotten too monotonous.
This would break a little bit of that for the time being.
Also, an illegal bazaar would sure have something to do with mysticism or magic.
The chance came to him on silver plater how can he say no?
He replies.
“Sure, why not. Are we going all?”
Poen answer with confidence and pride.
“Nope. We are going with my brother. He will be our guide of sorts. We will meet his friends and have some fun…. I promise we will not do anything over the top. Even my big brother won’t let anything too bad happen… I think.”
Joy wanted to roll his eyes so bad at that “I think”.
It didn’t sound very confident and his big brother is a troublemaker.
So, it would definitely be more… thrilling.
He can only hope that nothing too excessive will happen.
To be safe though, he is only to let Old Nors know that he will be going out.
So as if something happens to him then he could contact the police.
With that confirmed, both returns inside the temple to work.