Amidst Freaks, Part 3

"I'm sorry," the man muttered, putting his hairy forearm against on the stall, "but I don't have the clarina-thingy or whatever medicine you're searching for."

"Thank you," I said, fighting back a sigh. "I apologize for bothering you."

His thick brows flinched as if I had spoken something strange before uttering, "S-sure."

Crap, I completely forgot I needed to be mindful of my demeanor. When I'm not paying attention to my language, politeness appears to flow unconsciously from my mouth. I crept away, not wanting the merchant to read too much into my behavior.

I've visited numerous stalls, but to no avail. The costs were slightly lower than what I had seen previously, but everything around me seemed to be suspicious in one way or another.

"—monster flesh!" shouted a butcher as he wiped the cleaver's blood away with a rug.

I turned to face the voice, keeping a wary eye on everything. The way he moved the cleaver suggested he knew what he was doing. I sneered as I watched folks gathering around his stand, daring to taste this so-called monster meat.

I could tell it was a lie. My studies had thought me that no matter how thoroughly you prepared a monster's flesh, you couldn't eat it. Of course, hunters may be able to do something similar due to their higher metabolisms and stronger immune systems, but I've never read anything specific on the subject.

Not only that but there wasn't even a body to show the tender flesh belonged to a monster. And I doubted the butcher would show what was in his freezer, which I assumed was in the building next to his stall.

The only thing that drew others in was the thrilling prospect of attempting to devour a monster. It was something new, and everyone detested them on a subconscious level.

In conclusion, that butcher was most likely scamming others while keeping a straight face.

I was a little jealous. I've spent so much time working hard to win my bread, and then someone comes around with a clever lie and makes far more than I could ever imagine.

It wasn't fair...

"It would be best to avoid getting involved with someone like him..." I mumbled and diverted my gaze, unable to get rid of his delighted look as he lied to another person from my mind.

No, I just didn't to stay in this place any longer. I'm going to leave, go home, and pretend none of this ever happened. How I'll deal with Logan... I'll figure something out, later. Maybe in the morning, once I'm out of here.

Then I found myself creeping closer to another one of the Underworld's entrances. It wasn't the one I arrived through, but I doubted there'd be any issues if I left by it.

Something else caught my eye. A stall. It appeared to be utterly separated from the rest. A light bulb flickered above the products, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

I tried to walk past, but one of the products on the table attracted my attention.

"Come on," I grumbled, feeling as if something had dragged me back.

Despite its appearance, I figured it would be best to give it a shot before leaving.

I reached my hand towards the alp of objects, aiming right for the box I had seen serval times before. clarinadryl was also scrawled down the edge, mocking me.

"I'm afraid I can't let you steal that," an aged tone came out, startling me as I withdrew my hand. "After all, I have a reputation to uphold."

I doubted such a creepy place had much of a reputation, to begin with.

Concerned that he had misinterpreted my intentions, I said, "I just wanted to check the product. That's all."

"Really?"

"Yeah." I nodded, trying to get rid of his suspicions.

"Then I guess I have no choice but to trust you," he said, flashing a toothless grin as the harsh lighting underlined most of his wrinkles. "Don't worry, I was just kidding."

"You scared me a bit there," I confessed.

"I'm aware my behavior was impolite. And I apologize for it," with a tender smile, he added. "But there's no way for me to defend myself if a man in his prime, like you, resorts to violence to get what he wants. Intimidating you was the least I could do to prevent that from happening."

"I understand."

He appeared to be rather ill. Although I wasn't a doctor, and it could have been more than just an assumption on my part, a single glance was enough to tell me this old man didn't have much longer to live. As if to confirm my doubts, he coughed in his fist.

"Are you okay?"

"Don't worry—ahem—I'm fine," he answered my concerns with a raspy voice, dismissing me with his palm.

"Are you certain that's the case?"

"Don't mind me. I know my body. It's probably just a cold," the elderly merchant tried to reassure me. "What about you, young man? Can you tell me why you're here? This stall doesn't compare to others..." his voice trailed into a faint whisper, implying he wasn't proud of what he possessed.

It didn't seem like a cold, but... if you say I shouldn't mind it, then I won't.

The elder probably knew how to deal with it. He must've been in a similar position before and learned how to manage his health appropriately, so my worries were mostly unfounded. That was my reasoning as I focused my eyes on the object I came here for.

"Well then," I pointed towards the medicine, trying to relieve the tension between us. "How much does it cost?"

Let's get down to business.