Chapter 14 Festive Mood (4)
The square welcomed me with noise, the smell of food cooking over open fires, and the bright colors of garlands and flags. Banners with greetings to the Emperor, green and gold Imperial flags, models of various gifts from nature, and just bright pieces of cloth swayed on ropes strung between posts. From a platform, a figure more than two meters tall, a full-figured woman in a festively embroidered peasant dress, gazed at the crowd. She had woven spikes from some grain-like plants into her golden hair, and in her hands, she held a bunch of agricultural produce. Presumably, the creator of this figure intended to symbolize Mother Nature or something like that.
For some reason, this figure reminded me of a collective farm worker. It wasn't that the resemblance was striking; rather, my subconscious mind was to blame, influenced by thoughts about revolutions in the past world. Grinning at the association, I straightened my red tie and continued to look around.
There was a young ragamuffin who, for some reason, was missed by the police, possibly a thief; there was a couple of not very rich townspeople; there was clearly a wealthy matron with her well-fed husband and son. And here, surrounded by six guards with machine guns, an official in a dark suit "in a spark" is strutting. At least outwardly, the holiday united different social classes.
After a while, thoughtfully eating honeycombs bought from a cart, I found myself contemplating various ways to eliminate the bureaucrat and make a quick getaway. Shaking my head and finally putting an end to these work-related musings, I wiped away thoughts driven by professional deformation. In any case, it would be too easy. The noisy crowd would play into the hands of hypothetical assassins, and the gathering of machine gun-toting idiots, ogling attractive townsfolk, was only suitable for show.
"And in general, I'm not here for that, but in order to join the life of ordinary citizens of the Empire, for whom (haha) we're kind of fighting." I thought.
I tried. I watched the clowns (I hate clowns!), ate some grilled ribs, shot a bit with a pneumatic rifle, and won a large stuffed tiger, with which did not know what to do. In general, I behaved like most of the people around me, trying to blend into the general atmosphere as best as I could.
It didn't work very well.
The cacophony of the crowd, the colorful festive outfits, flags in the hands of laughing children, the music of performers, and barkers inviting people to participate in contests... The reaction of a necromancer who foolishly ventured to this celebration of life could be summed up in one word: "Annoying!"
No, if I had gone shopping with my friend as originally planned, things might have turned out differently. But going alone to a noisy and crowded event was a terrible idea. The more time passed, the more keenly I felt my own alienation. And the sharper the sense of alienation, the stronger my anger grew.
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"How dare they have fun when it's not fun for me!" A thought, laced with a desire to wipe out this irritating gathering, flared in my mind with icy fire.
Perhaps the idea of using Yatsufusa's power to scare off pickpockets and revelers wasn't so brilliant in practice. The artifact clearly didn't affect emotions in the best way. Unlike the CI, where maintaining the bloodthirsty mood was necessary for the ability to work, the power of Teigu did not require any effort, but it still exacted a toll. As it turned out, the skill subtly affected emotions and had a cumulative effect.
Sad, that meant even in passive mode, the artifact still weighed on the mind, only more slowly and discreetly. On the other hand, now that the influence had been confirmed, I could try to separate my feelings from those induced from the outside.
Moving forward, I had to switch off the ability. However, the effect on emotions didn't disappear immediately and completely. Or was it my own feelings surfacing?
In terms of useful acquisitions, I bought a masquerade costume of a dark spirit. The purchase consisted of a black cloak with a hood adorned with raven feathers along the edges. It came with a smooth white mask. Although the costume looked quite cheap in broad daylight, like something from a school theatrical group, I didn't care. I bought the cloak and mask for a purpose, so I paid more attention to the strength of the seams. Pleased with what I saw, I paid off the cheerful seller, who wished me a good time.
I definitely planned to follow their advice. However, a certain criminal authority, a Puppeteer chosen as a sponsor, probably would not appreciate my idea of having fun. Although the people from whose conversation I learned about the gang meeting in his mansion, and thanks to whom I guessed to come to visit, probably would just gloat. It looks like they didn't like the Puppeteer.
Perhaps crashing the party of a randomly chosen gang was a debatable decision, but I needed money and test subjects. Moreover, our group would be leaving the city early tomorrow morning.
"Some small (or even medium-sized) thug – certainly not the kind of scale for launching an investigation and searching for suspects beyond the Southern Gates. And even if they start looking, they'll focus on those with motives, not some random killer.
Later, I had to gut yesterday's bandit, who had not yet been thrown out of the Collection, precisely in order to get information. Even the small fry necessarily knew the names and some information about the "shadow authorities". In addition, it does not hurt to evaluate the place of residence of the object.
* * *
I only managed to return by lunch. After disembarking from the wagon, I slung the tiger over my shoulder and strode toward the 'Smile of Destiny' doors. Beside the entrance, Babe was feeding a pack of either young vagrants or the offspring of the poor.
'Are you not tired of playing the benefactor?' I asked the silent one, glancing at a dirty little girl around seven. With her mouth full of pie, she looked like a cute hamster. 'Did you at least warn them not to eat too much? It will be funny if they die from the inversion of the intestines' I chuckled briefly, imagining the benefactor's face after such helpful results.
The little girl hid behind Babe.
'Yes, I'm watching. Who else will help them?' the closely cropped healthy guy replied succinctly.
Sighing silently, I agreed with my comrade, toning down my cynicism. In the Empire, there were more than enough street kids and children from troubled families, whom everyone simply ignored. There were no state orphanages in sight. Something similar was created by the churches, but I had little faith in their selflessness. Orphans had to live according to the principle: if you don't want to starve to death, earn, steal, or rob. It was the same battle with fate that we had, but these "fighters" were in a worse position and much more helpless.
'What if we give them some money?' I looked at the kids with a bit more compassion. I even shared a bag of candies I bought at the square with them.
All the same, the sweets turned out to be mediocre.
"What's the point?" the big man nodded towards the older teenagers who were pacing in the distance like predatory fish next to prey. "I'll give them some crackers," he pointed to several neatly arranged packages nearby.
"Logical. The money will be taken away, as well as delicious or expensive treats, but they are unlikely to take cheap and tasteless crackers. And if we chase these jackals away now, it won't change anything; later they will take it out on the little ones. Unless we "take care" of them..." I muttered to myself. But, catching Babe's disapproving look, I decided not to pursue this topic and headed to the hotel.