Joy looks at one of the shops from afar and find two people inhaling or injecting unknown substances inside their bodies.
He makes a guess that it is some sort of psychedelic.
Both struggles to keep their sobriety.
However, in just few second one of the men falls and other started laugh out loud in joy.
Then the people who were watching them like a show cheer for him.
It isn’t uncommon to see this here and there.
When they were walking through here.
He saw many people unconscious, but still smiling, lying on the ground without a care in the world.
Some were being beaten up while other cheered on.
People who were being beaten up weren’t affected as if they can’t feel a thing.
Could it be a result eating some mushroom of unknown origins?
Here with Kek and Mar, Joy observes with interest and makes a comment in his head, ‘If I were to drink, inhale or inject any of it in my body.
I would vomit violently and waste these psychedelics.
If this is a competition then I surely will be disqualified or booed cause I waste their important stuff.’
If his ability were to completely nullify the effects of these ‘poisons’.
Then he could gamble with people about who can stay sober the longest.
He would win without any struggle.
This could be an easy way of earning money.
But of course, this isn’t a place where people are supposed to make money.
People will just ban me or throw me away.
This place truly is a hell for people like him and heaven for degenerates.
There are also other shops or tents or just sheets that are set on the ground that is being called a shop.
All these places are filled with chaos and looks dramatic.
No person looks or sound sane.
There are even few woman who are even more of a degenerate some of the time.
They show their privates to make men go dizzy.
Of course, even one peek required a fair amount of money.
Kek and Mar didn’t even look at places like these.
They felt ashamed and prayed to Goddess for forgiveness.
Joy didn’t understand why they come if they find this stuff so overwhelming.
His own reaction isn’t extreme towards these things.
He is a person who has hyperthymesia in a sense.
He remembers his infant years far too well then ordinary people.
Unfortunately, the result of such a thing is that he remembers drinking his mother’s milk very vividly.
Two mothers actually.
He can’t help but sigh at such a thing.
He even wants to apologize to his two mothers; Selina and Oliva.
Cause of such strong memory, he feels almost nothing.
He isn’t a prevent but just knowing such a detail truly makes him disgusted.
He shakes his head to remove these thoughts from his mind.
Also, he asks forgiveness from the Goddess.
As Everyone is roaming to see if they can find some normal looking shop.
Mar’s attention falls on an item of the shop.
However, he is too nervous and uncertain.
This is naturally noticed by Joy.
Him always listening and watching people has helped him see through people’s emotions most of the time.
So, he asks Mar.
“You saw something you want?”
Mar was surprised at first but he composes him and nods.
Then he points to the thing he was looking at.
The item that has gotten Mar’s fancy is a colorful accessary.
It looks like a bag that could be used to hold money or anything that isn’t bigger than your hand.
The frame of the bag is a little feminine but that doesn’t make it weird to be used by boys.
Joy doesn’t find it to be that interesting to look at.
He doesn’t find material goods to be useful either way.
He has lost many items from his past.
So, he has gotten numb to these accessories.
This store only has belts to hold guns, some daggers with sheaths, fake looking blood and even boots that don’t look that well made.
Getting your eyes on one thing that is so unassuming and gets blended with everything else is definitely a talent.’
With Joy by his side, Mar gets the confident to ask the price for the thing.
When they approach the store, the man sitting in front of the store notices the two boys.
He makes an annoyed face and shouts.
“Get out of here, you brats. Beg somewhere else…”
Mar freezes with fear and so, Joy is the one who speaks.
“We just wanted to ask how much would that colorful bag will cost.”
The man answers quickly and stare to the point.
“30 trupess…”
He almost wanted to say that this price is unacceptable.
But he doesn’t as he doesn’t want to make him mad.
He already looks like someone who isn’t fond of kids.
Joy looks at Mar and asks him how much he has brought with him.
Mar tells him that he only has 25 trupees left in his pocket.
‘If Kek was here.
He could’ve let you borrow some of his money.
But just has to leave to check some other shop.
Now what?
Should I try to bargain?’ He things to himself a little and come to a conclusion that bargaining might work.
Joy speaks.
“Would you lessen the price a little? Please.”
He tried to at innocent and childish to make the man feel pity on him.
But didn’t seem to work.
His expression is as crude as before.
However, he does think about it and then says.
“Only 3 trupee less… if no, then scram.”
Joy brings out two of his own trupees and add it to Mar’s sum.
With this they got enough to buy the fancy bag which from here looks like a purse.
The man takes the money and throws the bag at them.
Both of them leave too.
When they’re far enough, Mar speaks.
“Thank you very much. I will return your trupees as soon as possible.”
Joy inwardly says, ‘I wasn’t doing it for the goodness of my heart.
If you didn’t have said it.
I would’ve reminded you to return it by tomorrow.’
Later they meet up with Kek and Mar shows him his newly bought purse with great enthusiasm.
His reaction isn’t too excessive like Mar.
He is just happy that he is happy.
He himself didn’t seem to have bought anything.
Or perhaps, he has and is hiding it form them.
Joy curious makes an assumption that Kek might be looking for something like a psychedelic or medicine.
But he doesn’t harp on the subject too much.
It really bothers him what he buys for himself.
Now only Joy is left who hasn’t bought anything.
Why?
It is simply because he didn’t find anything that worth his attention.
He either wants something that is related to mysticism or some sort of weapon.
Like a dagger.
However, it is almost impossible to get anything related to mysticism.
If he tries to do so by asking around.
Then he is just putting himself into trouble and even getting some bad attention.
He doesn’t want that.
If he looks at some weapon then everything he wants is expensive.
And if he goes for cheap items then it is just throwing money into fire.
So, he has made his mind to not buy anything and just look around.
It isn’t like he has the whole night.
Soon, he and friends have to return back to the Dog fighting tent to meet back with Ziggy and Poen.
Who knows if they are late.
Ziggy might leave or forget about them.
With the limited that is left to him, he doesn’t focus on the item that are kept in the shops.
He looks at the people that are running these shops.
In few minutes though, he does find something interesting.
Or should he say he found someone who he didn’t thought he would ever see again.
It is that shop owner from his 2nd life who loved setting traps and then beating up kids.
‘He hasn’t died yet?
Is he immune to the curses of children?’ He lampoons and thinks of what should he do.
After a few seconds, he told Kek and Mar to wait for him.
If something happens then they can run away.
This makes them nervous but he reassures them that would run away too.
This warning is given because he isn’t sure what could the old geezer will do if something went wrong.
He doesn’t want to take responsibility of others so he told them to be cautious.
Old geezer notices the boy coming towards him.
It brings a little smile on his face and he thinks of many well to deal with this little kid.
He even thinks of removing all his clothes and making everyone beat him up with sticks for money.
That surely be profitable.
He just wants this little kid to be greedy so that he can teach this little brat who is the adult here.
Joy stops in front of me and the first thing he does is bring out two trupees from his pocket.
The geezer looks at him with puzzlement but then understands that the two trupees are for him.
He takes the two coins which gives a sign for a little mutual understand.
Then he speaks.
“I wanted to ask a question. So, I hope this is enough.”
The old geezer smirk while showing his black and dirty teeth.
“You are a smart kid. Ask then… what is the question?”
Joy speaks.
“Seven years ago, you had a shop in a different bazaar. There you used to sell tabaco. Would you tell me where is that place?”
Old geezer looks at him for few seconds and then speaks.
“Heh, that shop was in Daz side’s Poli bazaar. That place is in the west direction before the coal mines.”
Joy listens to it carefully and then brings out two more coins and give them to the old geezer too.
Then he says.
“Now how much of that was lie. I can give one more for the right info…”
After hearing this, the old man laughs out loud.
He continued laughing for more than thirty minutes.
Joy just watched him in silence.
He didn’t want to disturb whatever amusement he got form his answer.
The old geezer calms down and answer.
“You are a very smart kid. It is actually after the coal mines, nearly five kilometers apart from the poli bazaar. Now the place might have expanded a little or moved. Just asked the resident and you will know. The whole journey will be a day long if you go on foot. Don’t be careless there a lot of pickpockets there.”
Joy sincerely thanks him and leaves with caution.
He didn’t though the old geezer will find him this amusing.
Perhaps, the man always just wanted someone who can see through his lies and tricks.
‘Sigh.
I had to give up four coins.
I am glad I didn’t have to give more than that.’ He is just glad that four was enough.
He regroups with Mar and Kek.
Mar asks with concern in his voice.
“Are you okay? Did something happen?”
They heard the loud laugh of the old geezer so they were both worried at what exactly happened.
Joy answers without much thought.
“I guess he just doesn’t like kids.”
Both look at each other with confusion.
Then they all leave to return to the dog fighting tent.
They do wonder if they won anything.