The atmosphere in the living room illuminated by a single candle was as silent as if it had solidified.
A few seconds later, the man suspected to be Mr. Apothecary muttered a sentence:
“Why didn’t you leave an address? That way, I could at least get something from your corpse.”
Seemingly a curse, but actually a piece of advice… Klein pretended not to understand and looked at Black Snake, saying:
“If I don’t take the bet, I have no chance of survival. If I do, at least there is a sliver of hope.”
“I will not sit around waiting for death to descend.”
Hearing this, Old Man Wisdom Eye, who was about to speak, closed his mouth because he couldn’t offer any other hope.
“I really appreciate this attitude of yours!” Black Snake laughed heartily.
“I appreciate it too. I’ve had several friends with this kind of attitude. I go put a bouquet of flowers on their graves every year now,” the man suspected to be Mr. Apothecary muttered quietly, outwardly agreeing but secretly mocking while actually giving a piece of advice.
He didn’t care that Black Snake was stronger than him, saying whatever he wanted.
Mr. Apothecary must have suffered losses because of his temper… Klein silently thanked him.
He handed the iron cigarette case containing the Hunter’s Beyonder characteristic to the attendant who had led him in, watching him walk over to Wisdom Eye.
The old man counted 400 pounds in cash from the leather suitcase beside him and had the attendant give it to Black Snake.
Black Snake glanced at it casually and said:
“I trust Mr. Wisdom Eye.”
He took out a small wooden box from his bosom, bent down, placed it on the ground, and pushed it hard, letting the item slide in front of Klein, bypassing the attendant.
As soon as Klein’s fingers touched the surface of the box, he immediately experienced a slight auditory hallucination and a dizzy spell caused by intense jolting.
For him, this wasn’t something hard to endure; its intensity was even lower than the illusory voices brought by the prayers of Justice and the others.
After sitting up straight again, Klein carefully opened the wooden box and saw an “ear” inside!
The ear looked incredibly real, except the skin was darkish, with several spots that were rotting and leaking green pus.
“How am I supposed to use this?” Klein asked.
Black Snake answered nonchalantly:
“Holding it without gloves means using it. Heh, you better try it at home, when you’re by yourself.”
Klein didn’t ask further, closed the box, and put it in his pocket, deliberately forcing a bitter smile:
“This makes one dizzy.”
After a brief silence, the man suspected to be Mr. Apothecary suddenly shouted loudly:
“I want to buy the medullary crystals of the Spring of Elves! Anyone have it?”
His voice echoed, but no one answered.
Mr. Apothecary smacked his lips and mumbled:
“Seriously, not a single one every time I ask.”
“Maybe you can book a boat ticket to Sonia Island,” Old Man Wisdom Eye said with a smile, joking.
The “Spring of Elves” is also known as the “Sonia Golden Spring,” so it’s clear from the name where it’s produced. The water of the Spring of Elves is common, as it is a highly spiritual substance, but the medullary crystals are a mystical material, not so easy to buy.
After that, a few more trades fell through at the gathering. Old Man Wisdom Eye clapped his hands and said:
“Let’s call it a day. As per the rules, leave one by one, with an interval of three minutes between each.”
Leave one by one… an interval of three minutes… Klein received Wisdom Eye’s hint and stood up. Under the guidance of the attendant, he left the living room and arrived at the main door.
He took off his hooded robe, returned it to the other party, then followed the roads he remembered back to the back door of the Brave Bar. He then removed his iron mask, walked through the kitchen, and amidst the noise of barking dogs and shouting men, saw Kaspars standing outside the card room.
“I’m relieved you came back,” the red-nosed old man said, clearly letting out a sigh of relief. The hideous wound on his face seemed to twitch.
Klein leaned in and lowered his voice:
“Are there going to be more gatherings like this later?”
“It seems you didn’t get what you wanted. By the Storm, I don’t think it’s necessary for you to waste any more time.” Kaspars glanced at the troublesome customer. “Maybe a few days later. I’m not sure of the specifics. It depends on whether you can make it.”
Klein nodded, then shifted the topic:
“Is Maric here?”
“Are you trying to persuade him? No, that will only anger him!” Kaspars warned in a deep voice. “He’s in the card room right behind you.”
No, I don’t plan to persuade him, I want to stay as far away from him as possible, so his living corpse won’t revolt… Klein touched Azik’s copper whistle in his pocket and said:
“I understand.”
He immediately left the Brave Bar, made a detour to the one-room apartment in the East Borough, and only then returned to Minsk Street.