The ugliness

Zemin turned off the direct connection with the Void System and asked, following Danis with his eyes,

"Pill-addict? You mean relaxation pills?"

"Well, I knew some people who were addicted to heavier stuff…" Danis said as he patted Gane's pockets and pulled out a small pill bottle. He threw it at Zemin.

The youth caught the bottle and looked at the label. They were, indeed, relaxation pills—a common luxury item, even more so than alcohol. The key ingredient in pills was extracted from the cannabis plant, which was easy to produce, and the pills had less negative side-effects than alcohol.

In the academy, almost everybody used relaxation pills to deal with the stress of studying. Zemin was one of the rare exceptions—they just made him jittery instead.

More importantly, this bottle held about the same amount of pills as top students got MONTHLY in the academy!

"They got this much monthly, and they still wanted MORE?" Zemin asked in shock. "At that point, the pills will harm them instead of relaxing!"

"Addicts don't care about the consequences. They are hungry for more, no matter how much they ate already," Danis said darkly. "Now, kid, we should clean these guys' pockets quickly and move to a more private place for a chat. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be caught next to a crime scene."

If Zemin's package also had a bottle of relaxation pills, he definitely didn't need ones from Gale's pockets. But after what Danis said, taking the pills felt as right as smashing Gale's face into the ground.

The man's nose was definitely broken after this.

Pills weren't the only thing Zemin and Danis got from the fallen Esquires. There were three tickets to a middle-class brothel, and four coupons that could be exchanged for tickets for various other city establishments, but of lower class.

After that, Zemin followed a quiet and purposeful Danis to the man's room. At the threshold, he took a moment to look around.

Danis's room had the same size and amount of furniture as Zemin's, but was much more lived in. Some clothes were lying in a heap on a chair, begging Zemin to fold them properly. Some clutter filled the table. The bed was unmade.

"What did you want to talk about, Mister Danis?" Zemin asked. His eyes moved between the pile of clothing and Danis. "Thank you for helping me out, but I'm sure that you don't like or trust me much. So… was there some ulterior motive?"

Danis raised his eyebrows and chuckled. "Wow. So you are sharp enough to catch this all, but still chose the most direct approach possible? Who the hell does that? Don't you know a thing about subtlety, kid?"

Zemin pressed his lips together. "I know about it, but I don't see what it changes here, Mister Danis."

"Alright, alright. So, first—I helped you because I wanted to beat some shit out of these guys. You are not the first person Gane and his pals tried to rob, you know? And Gane is marked for death—he's lowest of the low on Esquire rankings, and only survived so far because of what a coward he is—but I give him another month at most. Gotta grab my chance while I can."

Zemin frowned. "Then what does he even do here? Esquires… Exemplars… They are supposed to be the best of the best!"

At this, Danis laughed out loud. Zemin watched him with the same dour expression until the older man stopped.

"I don't know where you heard this… Maybe it's some shining sir angel's pipe dream! But the reality? They will let in anyone who's foolish enough to look a demon in the eyes without fear just for the promise of a sweet reward. Or those who have nowhere better to go. But I guess you can keep believing. Determination, hope and faith are the best fuel for Psionics, after all."

"You sound like you should eat a relaxation pill yourself, Mister Danis."

Danis tsked. "No, another time. Shouldn't get any more distracted. Listen, I have a proposition for you, kid. There are some people who need certain things, but don't need others… And people who need other things, but don't need certain ones. Like you don't need as many pills as you got."

Zemin caught on easily. There was a similar system in place in his academy, after all.

"An exchange system? Without the approval from above, I assume. The goods are supposed to go to us and serve as the motivation and reward to work harder… Not to go to someone undeserving."

Danis waved his hand in dismissal. "I can talk a long time about why a market system doesn't break any of that, but it's not like I will break through that thick skull of yours, kiddo. Just know that if you have something unneeded to be taken from your hands, you better go to me. And of course… If you try snitching on me—then I will tell everybody about the terrible robbery of three innocent Esquires you have committed today. Those who know, they know."

Zemin frowned at the threat, but didn't feel like retaliating in kind. It was fair enough.

"And what can I get for all these pills?" he asked.

As for the tickets and coupons, Zemin decided to use them himself—or make a gift for someone. Would Citri agree to go to a cinema—as a date?

Danis grinned.

"A lot of things, kiddo. Get enough stuff—and just about anything. If you are high enough in the rankings, you can ask for things in supply shipments. Even specific combat equipment—not your standard issue guns and swords. This may very well save your life one day."

Zemin widened his eyes. This sounded… Quite incredible. He wasn't sure what to ask for yet, but his mind already swirled with possibilities.

"Thank you. I must think about it, Mister Danis."

"You know where to find me, kid."

Zemin nodded to the man and went to his room. He still had his own package to open.

And there was something unexpected.