Chapter 296: Garbage (1/2)
Not many days before his arrival at Oakenfair, the place seemed to Yoichi so far away as to be beyond his reach. Now, however, his eyes were really witnessing the interior of the stone city, the supposed hiding place of the blacksmith Shusaku.
Besides the narrow tunnels and tiny spaces between buildings, something else welcomed the two southern travelers: homeless people were lying side by side on the side of the road. Their hygienic conditions were poor, and their stench permeated the air.
One of them was snoring blissfully, holding in his hands a large clay jug, probably empty. On the other hand, the other was sitting on the floor with his back against the wall and looking down between his half-open legs.
Yoichi walked over to the bums and tried to interact with them with total nonchalance and his usual friendly manner. ”Good morning, gentlemen,” the Goldhaven warrior greeted, smiling. No response came to his hearing, nor to Takuma's, who watched the scene laughing up his sleeve. ”Can any of you tell me where I can find Kinnojo-Sama, the spice merchant?” he inquired.
Once again, no answer. One of the bums continued to snore with his mouth open, while the other kept on staring at the rocky floor smeared with vomit and mud.
”Okay, we better get off the horse,” Yoichi thought aloud, lifting himself onto Ichiro's back and then jumping to the ground. ”Hop!” - The impact between the soles of the young tamer's boots and the floor startled the homeless man and drew his gaze to him.
The man was sporting a long, black, gray beard and long, dirty, tangled hair. Perhaps he hadn't washed in months or years, and his hair had naturally become long dreads in perfect Jamaican style. His eyes were open just wide enough to make out the shadows in front of him.
”Yoichi, I don't think that man can...”
”Good morning, my friend!” - the young tamer paid no attention to Takuma's words, and before he could finish his sentence, he crouched before the homeless man and spoke loudly in front of him, causing him to flinch. ”Can you tell me where I can find Kinnojo-Sama?” he repeated insistently, not wanting to give up until he had received an answer.
Oakenfair's bump's eyes widened more, and his arms rose out of his control like weak twigs in the wind. That movement pushed the stench of his filthy body toward the Goldhaven warrior, who had to hold back a puke.
After Yoichi's insistent request, the bearded man with a face smeared with some sticky substance pointed his finger in the direction of one of the alleys leading away from the entrance. His trembling hand remained steady in the direction until Yoichi's gaze went beyond his fingers, and he knew which way to go.
*pat*pat* - Showing a rather mindless kindness to a man who didn't even have cognition of time and space, Yochi rested a hand on his shoulder in a friendly sign. ”Thank you! Have a nice day!” he exclaimed, turning away from him and returning next to Ichiro.