章 10: When Great Minds Think Alike

"Uwah~ such a sad kid [tears falling]. Shou, you should go help him," Si said. Shou, hearing that, didn't know what to say. How was he supposed to help him?

Realizing he was being stared at, the boy asked, "what are you looking at?"

Shou only sighed. "Keep fighting."

The boy, who was very mature for his age, turned even more confused. It was very hard to hold a normal conversation with this fellow. He coughed twice, to dispel the awkwardness, before he continued, "sorry, this must have been a bit too much information coming from a stranger."

Shou shook his head. He didn't know a lot about this current world and its problems, but he always liked hearing stories, as it fed his curiosity. "It's fine."

"As you see, my hands are bound here."

"Looks like it," Shou answered. He then walked around the shop and touched everything he could again.

The boy looked at him confused, and asked, "Why do you feel the need to touch everything?"

Shou, who had just picked up another jar filled with green herbs, said, "this place gives me a weird feeling, I don't know why."

The boy didn't understand what Shou meant by that. He took a seat by the counter, cleaned the desk, and placed his arms down to lay his head down. "What do you think about this shop," he asked.

"Hmm? Why would you ask me that?"

The kid hit the walls. "It's old, but not bad, right?"

Shou and Si both looked around. They could not find what was special about this house. Though it gave them both an inexplicable feeling, it was only a wisp, not worth being bothered by—rather it felt comfortable. Maybe it was the ambiance. The cozy sunlight breaking through the windows and illuminating the moldy wood, was very pleasing to the eye. But other than that, the house was no different from any other house.

"The feel is nice," was what he answered.

The kid, hearing that answer, broke into a minuscule smile. A rather weird expression to see, since Shou had already gotten accustomed to that frozen face of his.

The kid propped his head with his hands and stared at Shou. "As you may have realized, this city currently isn't safe for newcomers, especially if they are alone. And since you were alone, I assumed you aren't here to sight-see, but want to stay longer, I might not know the reason for why you are here, but I can tell you have a goal."

"Are you really just a kid?"

He shrugged his shoulders. "I am. But I guess my circumstances made me see things from different perspectives."

Shou innocently tilted his head. "So what do you want me to do?"

The kid, as if waiting for that question, lightened up. "Stay here. I might not be of help much, but it is better than nothing. At least it is a roof over your head. What do you say?"

Now, it was Shou who was confused. He might have been out of society for an untimely amount of time, but that didn't mean he knew nothing at all. There aren't many people who were willing to help a stranger in need in their own suspense. "Why," he asked. He wasn't suspicious; he was only curious.

"I won't lie, I have a request for you. Since I helped you out, won't you help me out too?"

"Oh," Shou blinked. "With what?"

"Please, for a period of time, take care of my father."

The answer stunned him. He thought back about the man he had just met and how he lay sickly in his bed. Occasionally, the man coughed, but other than that he dozed. Sleep, wake, sleep—that was how he imagined him. A mundane life, in his mind, but maybe also fulfilling.

Seeing Shou's silence, the kid turned anxious. "You only have to keep watch over him, I don't want to see him do something stupid and leave for the afterlife. I have been looking for many people, but most don't fit the criteria."

"What makes me different?"

"Since you are only a mortal, I believe you wouldn't harm him, even if you wanted to."

"Can't you hire someone? Is that not a thing anymore? Though I am open for new things, this is rather sudden." He had just met the kid. He didn't even know what the city looked like, taking in such a responsibility did not suit his personality, and his craving for excitement.

The kid turned silent, his face expressionless again. "I can't." He sighed, "The store here is a bit special."

"Oh, does it contain valuable memories," Shou asked. He thought about the kids gaze when they talked about his mother.

"No, nothing of that sort. I mean it literally." The kid suddenly turned serious. his high-pitched voice, an octave lower. "This store, though ordinary looking, has a strange ability," he opened his mouth, "it attracts weirdos."

"Huh?" Shou thought he had misheard. "What does it do?"

"It attacts weirdos," the kid repeated in a grave tone.

"Wait hold on." He closed his eyes and knitted his brows. "There seems to be a language barrier? I don't think I am following."

"We speak the same language, you heard correct. My parents bought this shops a few years ago. They are rather well-known merchants and had decided to open another business, when this place was sold at low-point. Inexplicably, my parents felt the need to buy this place, even though it is in such a secluded area," the kid narrated, "they soon realized, this shop was no ordinary one. Over the few years, more and more unique people entered, all with a story. Thankfully, this is a herb-shop, thus we didn't have to interact with them much, but when I remember some of the characters, I feel the shivers. That is why we can't just hire someone randomly."

"Wait a minute, and what made you think I'd be good for the job?"

The kid ignored his question. "My father, after hearing of the emperors illness, decided to sell this store and move out, but he unexpectedly fell ill too, too weak to move out his bed. Few months have passed by then."

"Hey, hey, don't just continue your story."

"Now I only wish to get rid of this place. But I can't find a suitable buyer if I also have to watch my father. Do you understand my conundrum?" He sighed once more, "though it does guarantee good business, the quirky people really take a toll on you."

Suddenly, Shou turned serious. He took a seat at the floor, not caring about the dirt and placed his hands before him, his fingers in a weave. His usual carefree gaze became sharp. He seemed to be thinking of something. He pinched his chin and whispered, "quirky people..."

At the same time, Si's voice resounded. "Good business..."

Shou looked at the sky; Si looked at him. His eyes were gleaming; Hers—they would probably too, if she had any.

"Hehe," he laughed out, "I just had an absurd idea."

"[Smile]. What a coincidence, me too."

The mechanical voice silently rang in his head. "Quest completed. Reward issued. ExportError: No value defined to Reward. Ask Host to wait for fix."

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