-Coincidental- meeting

*ring*

"Welcome~"

The moment that the door opened, the bell attached to it let out a clear sound, and the smooth-skinned man with long violet hair and dark bags under his eyes so big they were taking over his face sprung up from behind the large counter and peeked through the bars at who his customer was this time.

"Oh…"

"..."

But the next moment, the pawnshop owner froze up, staring in disbelief at the just as much baffled black-haired man.

"Ehem…! Young Master Medea~! It's so nice to see you! I certainly didn't expect to chance upon meeting you while helping out in my acquaintance's shop! Normally, I don't travel much, after all."

It only took a second or five for the pawnshop owner to shake off the confusion, clear his throat, and straight up lie without as much as batting an eye.

"Truly, what a strange but convenient meeting."

Medea agreed, moving right to the counter and leaning forward a bit.

"By any chance, does my credit score from your pawnshop carry over to here too?"

"Of course! The acquaintance I am helping out is indebted to me. There will be no problem."

The black-haired man asked while keenly looking through the bars at the counter, while the violet-haired man assured him.

"You wouldn't be having your record book with you while you're helping them out, though, would you?"

Medea inquired without a trace of a smile but with an amused look in his eyes.

"Nnnn… no. Unfortunately no. But since you are my favorite customer by far, I have it all memorized anyway, so there will be no problem."

The pawnshop owner hesitated, glancing down for a moment as if checking something under the counter before declaring with the brightest smile.

"Do you happen to have access to your acquaintance's record book, though?"

"...what is it about, young Master…?"

When Medea kept inquiring, the pawnshop owner became suspicious and furrowed his brows, leaning forward…

"...and where are the glasses I gave you?"

The violet-haired man added, sounding a bit betrayed.

"They broke."

"Give them here."

Medea explained with a shrug, and the pawnshop owner immediately demanded it without even considering the possibility that the black-haired man wouldn't be walking around with a pair of broken glasses in his pocket.

"..."

And then, lo and behold! Medea simply leaned back and reached out to his chest pocket, taking out the broken pair of cracked and bent rectangular glasses, and placed them on the counter.

"I had no idea you were into letting priests punch you, young Master."

The pawnshop owner picked them up and inspected the damage before showing off way more insight than he should have.

"Give him a bit more credit, Mister. I'm just glad I didn't take my knives with me back then, anticipating him being way over my league. I almost messed up the whole plan."

"..."

Medea shook his head and pointed out while reaching out both hands and making a motion to slash at something with invisible weapons while the pawnshop owner watched him with an intrigued expression.

"But, enough of that. I want to buy some information."

"What kind?"

As the black-haired man lowered his arms, he announced, and the violet-haired man asked back.

"That priest. I want information on him."

"Big gold coin."

When Medea made his request, he got an immediate response.

"One big silver coin, you say? That's quite harsh. How about three small ones?"

The black-haired man chuckled, leaning down and resting his elbow on his side of the counter, reaching into his pocket.

"Young Master, you said you want the information, not that you need it. You found quite a fortune not that long ago. Why not share it around? One big gold coin."

The violet-haired man shook his head and placed the broken pair of glasses under the counter before crossing his arms, pointing out with a sneaky smile.

"Mister, reason with me. I am interested, but not that much… unless he is a noble. Do this for your favorite customer and at least confirm that. It might even change my approach to the negotiation~"

Medea lowered his head with a heavy sigh before humming cheekily.

"Two big coppers for that one."

"Four small ones."

"One big and four small ones.

"One big.

"One big, three small ones.

"One big, one small."

'Deal!"

After a rapid-fire auction, the pawnshop owner clapped his hands, and Medea took out the coins that were gladly accepted.

"Not just a noble. He is a disgraced and disinherited one. But while that story is an interesting read, you want the information I have on him because it includes the names of an individual or individuals that hold his leash."

After pocketing the coins, the pawnshop owner's smile became even brighter, and he leaned in to reveal the teaser.

"..."

While Medea's expression didn't budge, his eyes widened a bit.

"That is indeed a tempting offer. NIne big silvers, upfront."

Medea kept nodding as he stated his offer.

"Oh, come on! At least offer a small gold coin!"

"Deal!"

Said offer clearly took the distraught pawnshop owner by surprise and caused him to smack his hands against his side of the counter - and right then, Medea reached through the bars and agreed, grabbing the violet-haired man's vulnerable right hand, shaking it.

"Wh…? I DIDN'T MEAN THAT AS AN OFFER!"

At first, taken aback, the pawnshop owner roared in disbelief, enraged by such a daring attempt to cheat him… although even while shouting, he didn't try to break the handshake.

"Mister, how could you say that? I am a customer, and you clearly made an offer. You, of all people, wouldn't make the mistake of thinking that your customer is some young student eager to learn the art of haggling! That would be looking down on a customer too much, and you already taught me that~"

"..."

Medea gasped, with an indifferent face but with an amused look in his eyes, causing the pawnshop owner to look away with a grumpy expression…

…although the corners of the violet-haired man's mouth kept twitching as if he was doing his best not to crack a proud smile…

"And while we're at it, how about adding some information about the orphanage too, for… let's say, a big copper coin?"

And while shaking hands through the grid of metal bars, Medea tilted his head and asked in the tone of someone coming out with a peace offering.

"Revealing the name of one of my customers would cost you one big silver, though."

"...?"

The pawnshop owner declared, causing Medea to raise his brow in confusion.

"You will give me the information about Leon, anyway, though…?"

"He isn't that customer."

Medea pointed out as if clearing up some misunderstanding, but the pawnshop owner shook his head and explained calmly.

"Just out of curiosity, Mister, how much would it cost for someone else to buy my information?"

"Ten thousand and three hundred and seventy-eight ancient big orihalcion coins. Non-negotiable. Must be paid in ancient big orihalcion coins and not their equivalent of any kind."

Medea asked half-jokingly since the pawnshop owner had already said how the information on the customer's costs, but then the violet-haired man said something rather unexpected.

"Oh…!"

Medea leaned back, his eyes widened in pure shock, staring at the serious pawnshop owner, quite literally speechless.

"I… I kind of wish that there would be someone willing to pay that. That kind of money is simply too good to pass…"

"Even including the ones back in the old continent and your find in the ancient dam, there are currently ten thousand and three hundred and seventy-seven ancient big orihalcion coins left in existence."

Medea coughed before cracking a joke that was treated seriously and answered by the pawnshop owner without batting an eye.

"...ehem…! Or so I've heard."

The violet-haired man realized his response was too fast, so he cleared his throat and added awkwardly.

"But… didn't you say that everything is on sale for the right price…?"

Medea shook his head, trying to compose himself, but couldn't hide the pure shock in his voice.

"Of course, that's how it is. It's not my fault that the price I would want for revealing your information is impossible to be paid. It still exists."

The pawnshop owner shrugged his shoulders and grumbled without looking Medea in the eyes.

"Then… One small gold and one big silver for all the information we discussed. Here."

Slightly teary-eyed, Medea stepped back from the counter before placing the amount on it while awkwardly rubbing the back of his head.

"Here it is."

The violet-haired man took the coins and then pushed a book-sized stack of notes to the other side of the counter…

"And here are your glasses."

He then added, reaching under the counter before placing a pristine pair of thick rectangular glasses on top of the papers.

"Pleasure doing business with you, Mister."

"Pleasure all mine, Young Master."

Medea nodded, taking his purchase, and the pawnshop owner nodded back at him, watching as the black-haired man reached the door.

"Young Master."

"...?"

The violet-haired man called out, making Medea stop with his hand on the door handle.

"I have acquaintances owning pawnshops in most of the cities and even some towns… even in a village or two, and I happen to be on a road trip of sorts. There is a possibility that we chance upon each other like this again."

"I will certainly look forward to that."

The pawnshop owner said, trying to sound dismissive and aloof, making Medea nod with a gentle look in his eyes, obstructed by the glasses he already put on.

After exiting the pawnshop, Medea immediately noticed a faraway movement.

Someone was approaching, or at least would end up passing by on their way to an unknown destination…

…so Medea sneaked around to a secure spot and observed…

"...!"

After a while, Medea's eyes lit up playfully, and even in the dim light of the torches, he saw not some random straggler or a passing guard but a familiar face.

Only not one he expected~!

Medea took one amused glance at the papers with the information he bought and then looked back as Rolph, the boy from the orphanage whom Medea helped as a part of his plan to recruit Leon, looked around cautiously while carrying some trinket before entering the pawnshop.

"..."

But after the boy got off the street, someone else came by, making Medea's eyes look different.

That one was a stranger.

A sneaky man with the cautious moves of a seasoned thief.

He might have been another customer waiting for the pawnshop to empty out…

…but that option was out of the picture when the stranger approached the pawnshop, standing just outside the range of light from within, and licked his lips while never taking his eyes off the boy.

"Oh~? Is this what they call an awakening of a parental love~?"

That sight, in turn, caused Medea to smile as he removed a yellow marble from one of his earrings and aimed it at the stranger…