Better safe than sorry (part 2)

...taking back two bottles from the original six he offered to sell...

"That information wasn't free, so let's say two small silvers each for the rest of them... bringing the overall price of this lovely pellet casket to three big silvers and two small silvers."

Satisfied with the boy's reaction, the pawnshop owner reached out and grabbed the rest of the offered goods – only with them safely behind bars did the violet-haired man put the hip-flask-sized box in his young client's reach.

"...! R-right. Okay – now, let's talk about the pellets to fill it with!"

Medea flinched and put his head back in the game.

A few minutes later, the boy was about to leave the store with a new pellet casket full of magic-filled marbles...

"..."

...but hesitated and looked back at the overjoyed violet-haired man skipping behind bars, finding a storage space for his new inventory.

"Umm... mister... here."

"Hmm?"

Troubled, Medea ended up biting his lips before reaching to the sachel and leaving one bottle of tonic on the counter, surprising the pawnshop owner.

"You did teach me a lot, and... I... I haven't used all the money I have in your shop's account, so... go build up your immunity or something so you will be alive when I drop by again..."

"~!"

The black-haired boy muttered under his breath, about to leave as the excited violet-haired man snatched a welcomed freebie without a second of delay.

"Un-until next time, I guess..."

Medea's embarrassment won, and he turned around to hide his face.

"Young master Medea~!"

*thump* *thunk* *thunk*

"...?!"

Before Medea managed to open the door, the pawnshop owner called after him, and the black-haired boy flinched, feeling something small hitting his back.

"!!!"

As he turned around, his eyes instantly followed a yellow marble slowly rolling on the floor.

"I get the feeling that you want to do one more thing before leaving Daakvillan... It would be a shame to use the good stuff that you just bought, so why not make do with this old thing? Magic pellets lose potency the longer they are stored, and I found this one under the shelves the other day. I don't know how long it was there, so I can't imagine the paralysis spell very strong. Oh, and don't worry, I might say it lost power, but it will be enough for whatever you have in mind."

The violet-haired man spoke proudly while the boy leaned down and picked up the yellow marble.

"...that was a lot of unnecessary words for – I am worried about you, so take this – mister Mercury..."

"Shhh. Young master Medea, remember to keep my name a secret – bringing it up in the wrong company could end badly."

Medea pocketed the gift and laughed, but the violet-haired man put his index finger to his lips and silenced him with a serious expression.

"Also - I'm basically just getting rid of some trash to make space."

The pawnshop owner scoffed dismissively, acting exactly like Medea was a moment earlier.

"I understand~ Take care, mister!"

"You too, young master."

*ring*

The black-haired boy waved goodbye, and the small bell above the door chimed as he left while the violet-haired man was smiling at his gift.

***********

A middle-aged man with graying light-brown hair was dressing up, readying himself to leave.

He put on his habit and made sure that the prayer book wasn't tempered with as he went to the toilet moments earlier and breathed out in relief seeing every bookmark in perfect order.

"Mmmhm~ Hey, mister priest~ This lost lamb still needs your guidance... won't you boy me for another hour~?"

The dark-haired woman with strong makeup and a jaw-droppingly large chest purred at the man from the bed, sprawled coquettishly while boldly presenting her body.

"Oh, I would, Sophie... the lord knows I would – but I'm in charge of tomorrow's morning prayer. Unfortunately, our temple is as poor as it is. If I fail to uphold the spirituality of our believers, the donations will dry up, and I will have no money to see you again!"

The man's expression turned sorrowful in a blink of an eye, and he frolicked towards the bed frivolously, leaning down and kissing the woman's left breast.

"Hmhm~ I'll miss you..."

The girl let out an almost melancholic chuckle, reaching out and stroking the graying hair on the man's temple.

"Oh, Sophie... your words feel like the sweetest healing honey being poured on this old fool's weary heart! Don't worry. If by any chance I stumble upon unexpected fortune, I will come for you to whisk you away into the world of luxury that you deserve~!"

"Hmhmhm~ Such a charmer, as always.

The man grabbed the woman's hand and moved in towards his cheek before kissing it and smiling back, making the woman chuckle before she took her hand back.

"Until next time, my sweet."

"Meeting you was an unexpectedly nice, mister priest. Goodbye."

The man waved his hand and left the room without paying much attention to the woman's farewell.

"Hmph~!"

As the priest walked out of the brothel to the almost empty street well past midnight, he scoffed to himself, smiling with self-satisfaction and combing back his hair with his finger gazing into the bright moon.

"Henry, you sinful, sinful man. Playing with a whore's heart like that~!"

He laughed to himself, proudly walking down the dimly lit streets. Being a priest in the poorest part of the town had surprising benefits – while the aristocrats tended to often argue with the clergy, the commoners always revered them without question. Even the lowly thugs would leave him alone – although the more influential criminals were a different matter... still, at that hour, only the small fries were still out trying to strike it big by hunting down stragglers. Which meant he could feel as safe as in his own temple.

Besides, the walk from the brothel to the temple was less than ten minutes if one used a few shortcuts – and by that time, Henry knew all of them like the back of his own hand.

"...tsk..."

Still, midway through the walk, his age showed up in the form of the bladder calling out to be emptied, making the priest click his tongue and sneak into one of the blind alleys to relieve the built-up tension.