Amidst Freaks, Part 4

"What's your angle?" I inquired, unable to believe what I had just heard and filled with mistrust as soon as I heard the bargain.

There had to be some underlying basis behind that proposal. Otherwise, he'd be the one at a loss. And I understood that if something seems too good to be true, it probably is. I couldn't agree to it until I figured out why he made it so appealing.

"Are you seriously going to make me say that again, young man?" He let out a tired sigh, acting as though I had already rejected him.

I doubted the elder could notice the frown on my face because of the darkness cast over it. If it meant I could get my hands on that clarinadryl, being asked to be an errand boy in return wasn't so bad. That section of the bargain didn't bother me at all. However, I was still reluctant to accept it. I had to pinch myself to remember where we were. Not a civilized society, but the Underworld.

Putting aside some items, the merchant reached for a familiar bracelet. With one of his skeletal fingers, he pushed toward me. I was distracted for a moment by the dark veins in his hand spreading out like a spider's web as he uttered, "Can you tell what this is?"

"A bracelet," I stated the obvious.

"An expensive one. This little thing should be enough to accomplish the trade."

It didn't appear to be anything valuable at first glance. It wasn't crafted from gold or another expensive material. The bracelet was only composed of dark beans stuck together.

"Fine," I grumbled and shrugged, attempting to believe him. "Why aren't you carrying this bracelet around yourself if it's so valuable? Shouldn't that be much better for you? What is preventing me from just taking it from you?"

There was a chance I'd run away with the bracelet, and I doubted the elder could do much about it now that I knew a little more about him.

"You could do that, and there would be nothing I could do to stop you," the merchant conceded bitterly.

"Then?"

"First and foremost," he said, lifting a finger. "Just walking around is killing me."

Which was completely understandable. The merchant in front of me is probably in his eighties, give or take a few years. Regardless of that, walking around must be tough for him. That, however, did not explain why he was so hesitant to take the job himself. I felt he omitted an important detail.

"And what about the other reason?" I question, presuming there was something more to be said. He wouldn't have phrased it that way otherwise.

"The other reason," he repeated, his gaze piercing through my chest. As he gradually lifted his glassy gaze toward my face, I could easily see the heavy rings beneath his eyelids. "It's because I'm afraid."

I almost raised an eyebrow, but I didn't stop him because he seemed to divulge everything of his own accord.

The elder inhaled deeply, as though embracing the reality in front of him. "Let us set aside any acts of violence. A robber merely needs to stumble into me to grab the bracelet. I wouldn't be able to respond in any way. I'm just too old now... Maybe someone on the verge of death shouldn't be in the Underworld—"

"Enough," I replied, lifting my hand to prevent him from continuing. Something must have happened, judging by the shiver in his tone. I didn't want to know about his past trauma, and I had already found out what I wanted. "I think I got the gist of it."

The elder needs someone to take the bracelet to a place named Jacob's on his behalf since he is too afraid something may happen to him.

"And you're saying this bracelet is sufficient in return for the item you desire?" I inquired, reaching toward the bracelet and lifting it with two fingers. It was light and plain. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"Exactly."

"Really?" I brought it closer to my face. "How is a bracelet supposed to be enough to get you that dagger?"

"That bracelet is a little more expensive than the dagger, I can assure you," said the merchant. "My boy, I'm a collector. I don't care how much money I have to offer to get what I want."

"Really..." I grumbled as I examined the various products scattered across the table. It nearly made me question when he had last organized them.

I knew the bracelet's actual worth. There was only one plausible explanation as to why it was so valuable. It was most likely an SCO. An operator I shouldn't have been able to touch under normal circumstances.

If I had asked nicely, Reyna might have let me touch the prototype she had used as an experiment, but that was irrelevant at the moment.

"Can't I just tell Jacob that I'm there on your behalf?" I fidgeted with the bracelet's beans.

"He loathes my guts," confessed the elder bitterly. "He's not going to hand that dagger to me, let alone someone I've sent on my behalf."

"You're aware this sounds shady, right?"

"Then don't take my offer," he said, seeming to be uninterested. "It's not like I can do something about it. Young man, you are not the first or last person to reject me."

So he'll just have to accept his fate, huh...? That might also explain why his stall was in such a remote spot.

If he stood shoulder to shoulder with the other merchants, he'd be ripped to shreds. That was apparent, and the elder was all too aware of it.

It was unfortunate. Because I couldn't channel mana, I couldn't tell if this bracelet was genuine or not. It was also pointless to ask someone else to do it for me. It would be exceedingly dangerous, and the chances of encountering a hunter in this place are incredibly slim.

I kept my thoughts to myself as I looked at the merchant. He was a head shorter than me, and his hunched stance didn't help either. On his mostly bald scalp, white flecks could be seen. Time had been harsh to him.

"I'll take your offer," I said as I slid the bracelet into my inner pocket opposite the badge. That would severely lower the chances of both being stolen.

"I'm not sure what I'm meant to say," the merchant whispered, relieved. "Good luck?"

Neither did I. I turned away and walked away from the round cavity that would have taken me out of the Underworld.

I looked around once I was far enough away from the elder's stall, wanting to see if anyone would rather listen to my business than mind their own, considering the spiteful setting I was currently in.

The merchant may not be aware of it, but I was grateful for the chance he had provided me with.

I wasn't going to let him down.