Act Three: The Laws of Engaging with the World (Part Five)

five

After wandering around for a while and figuring out the way, their first destination was the bathhouse—a suggestion strongly recommended by Yubi. "You absolutely have to take a bath!" Yubi grabbed Yakov, unbuckling the leather strap of his chainmail behind his neck. "If you don't, you'll stink half the town!"

"No, don't be ridiculous!" Yakov pulled him off his back. "I'll find another place myself, and I'll have Schumer go with you!"

“Yakov, I can’t go into that bathhouse either.” Schumer gave an awkward smile. “It’s against the rules. It’s a sinful place.”

“How is bathing a sinful thing!” Yubi glared and turned around. “Cleansing one’s own body is something that makes one decent and healthy. How is that sinful!”

Schumeer didn't answer him directly, but simply pointed into the bathhouse. Yubi took a few steps, peered inside, and discovered the baths were open-air. With Christmas approaching, the public bathhouse was bustling with people. The large number of guests attracted a large number of businessmen mixed in: barbers with razors, merchants selling spices and medicines, errand boys temporarily storing guests' clothes, and disheveled women flaunting their allure. Yubi looked closer and saw that the guests in the pool were both men and women, separated only by a sparse wooden fence, and the hot water inside looked like murky soup that had been boiled. Suddenly, he hesitated.

“Look,” Schumacher said, pulling him back, “this is not the private baths of the Roman emperors.”

"So what should we do?" Yubi frowned. "What are you two planning to do?"

"I can only ask for some hot water and wipe myself down with a cloth," Schumacher shrugged.

“Once we’re out of the city, I’ll find a river that doesn’t freeze,” Yakov said in a muffled voice.

Yubi was in a dilemma. He thought he neither wanted to be perfunctory like Schumeer, nor did he want to go out into the icy water with Yakov. The night before, he had eagerly packed all the bottles and jars he had used into a small bundle, and now he really didn't want to delay any longer. He glanced at Schumeer and Yakov's silent faces, then turned back to look at the smoky bathroom. He twirled the obsidian-backed ruby ​​ring on his finger.

“…I’ll go by myself. You guys wait for me here!” Yubi said, biting his lip. He picked up the small package, grabbed a clean set of clothes, and rushed into the crowd without looking back.

Yakov, leading his horse, while Shumel whiled away the time outside the gate. A smug, mocking smile crept across his face. He thought that when Yubi came out, he would surely be shouting that he would never come to such a terrible place again.

“If he doesn’t come out for a while, you have to go in and look for him, Yakov!” Schumacher nudged him with his elbow. “I’m really afraid something’s happened in there!”

“How can someone this age survive if they get into trouble while taking a bath?” Yakov leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, revealing the longsword strapped to his belt. “I have something to ask you. Do you recognize the ring on Yubi’s hand?”

What ring?

“He always wore a ruby ​​ring with an obsidian base on his left middle finger,” Yakov recalled the ring’s appearance. The ruby ​​was a pure, bright red, like blood; while obsidian was brittle and hard, difficult to carve, so to make it into a small ornament must have been the work of a master craftsman. “You must remember. You must have drawn it several times.”

“That was a gift from Mrs. Camilla.” Schumer quickly understood what Yakov meant. “His mother wore it all the time 18 years ago, and he wears it all the time now. It was probably a birth gift. Why are you asking about that?”

Yakov didn't answer him, but remained silent for a while with his head down. "Have you seen Camilla's other children? Were they like Yubi?"

"What's the same?"

“You saw him fight me, don’t play dumb, you must know more.” Yakov’s tone was aggressive. “I’m asking you, are other vampires like that too, knowing nothing when they’re young?”

“My God, how could I know this?” Schumeer stared at him, his eyes wide. “I’m just an artist, how would I know how they fight and kill? What are you trying to say?”

Yakov hesitated, remaining silent.

Schumer bought a piping hot beef pie from a passing vendor's basket—after careful deliberation, he was certain it wouldn't break his vow—for brunch. The aroma wafted into Yakov's nostrils, making him silently swallow, but he dared not remove his helmet to eat by the roadside, lest someone see his Slavic face. Guests came and went at the public bathhouse, the sun moved from the east to its zenith, and the whole morning passed in this way. Just before Yakov, growing increasingly annoyed by hunger, was about to storm into the bathhouse to grab someone, Yubi finally sauntered out.

Yubi had transformed back into the impeccably dressed man Yakov had first met him: impeccably dressed, with a fair complexion, neatly combed black hair, and an alluring fragrance—the very image of a noble young master. But he stood before Yakov with his head bowed, saying nothing, two strange blushes rising on his cheeks. Behind him emerged a row of smiling young women. They placed baskets before Yakov, then immediately pushed each other away, still laughing. Yakov stared wide-eyed; inside the baskets were Yubi's dirty cloak and clothes, washed, dried, and neatly folded.

Yakov felt a tightness in his chest, unable to breathe. "What were you doing in there?" He leaned closer to Yubi. "How much did you spend?"

“They massaged me, washed my clothes, applied essential oils… that’s all fine, but…” Even through the helmet, Yubi didn’t dare look Yakov in the eye, “They wanted me to… I didn’t agree, I was too embarrassed…”

Upon hearing this, Schumacher narrowed his eyes and took a step back.

Yakov felt a strange sense of relief, but the other half remained stuck in his throat. "What about the money? How much did you spend?"

“I gave them, the hairdresser, the luggage watcher, one gold coin each… and the bath attendant, he said if I added one gold coin, I could get a private bathtub. I didn’t want to give it to him, but he said I must have the money in my pocket, and I shouldn’t refuse to give it to someone else… so I went to the private bathtub…”

Yakov didn't let him finish. He was so angry he felt like he had a fishbone stuck in his throat, his throat felt like it was about to breathe fire. He pushed Yubi's hand away and snatched the purse from his belt. With just a squeeze, the once full and sturdy little goatskin bag deflated. Yakov opened it and found only a few silver coins left inside, thinly spread out at the bottom.

"Come on, get on the horse." He grabbed Yubi's arm and led him to the horse. Without saying a word, he lifted him up, then stepped into the stirrups, flipped himself onto the horse, pulled on the reins, and rode away.

"Oh dear, you haven't collected these clothes yet!" Schumeer hurriedly picked up the clothes basket and dragged the donkey to catch up with them.

"Clothes?" Yakov's anger burst forth from every syllable. "Before long, even his last piece of underwear will be stripped off and sold!"

They spurred their horses through the crowd and returned to the market. Yakov stopped his horse beside a deserted alley, untied his money bag, tied it around Yubi's waist, and then, scooped him up by the armpits, gently lowered the wealthy little prince from his horse to the ground. Yubi remained silent. He knew he had done something wrong, letting Yakov do as he pleased, finally standing helplessly on the ground, staring at the ground with a wronged expression.

“Go in from here, there’s a small stall selling pork sausages.” Yakov, perched high on his horse, didn’t even glance at Yubi. “Go in, buy ten pork sausages, and bring them back to me.”

Yubi finally dared to look him in the eye. Seeing that Yakov ignored him, he turned to look at the alley again. "Alright." He turned and walked away, the hem of his thick, full cloak tracing an elegant arc, his small boots, which had been wiped clean and shiny, treading on the muddy ground.

"Are you crazy? You're sending him to buy things?" Schumer finally caught up with Yakov, scrambling to catch up with him.

That proud, upright figure disappeared from Yakov's sight. "If I don't tell him to go, he'll never learn," Yakov squeezed out the words through gritted teeth.

This was a narrow alley that grew increasingly secluded as he walked, the buildings on either side narrowing the path more and more, and the mud and filth on the ground becoming thicker and thicker. But Yubi thought, what's the big deal? He had money, and having just been cheated, he was now on his guard. Could he really be ripped off buying a pork sausage? He also thought, "Now that I'm dressed neatly and behaving politely, who wouldn't look at me differently and show me more respect? It's not difficult at all; I must get this done smoothly and impress Yakov." Yubi made a silent resolution in his heart.

He heard children playing and old people chatting around the corner, and the aroma of meat wafted down the alley—it must be the sausage stall Yakov had mentioned. Yubi quickened his pace, moving out of Yakov's sight, then stopped at the edge of the corner. Suddenly worried about the money bag Yakov had given him, he reached for it at his waist and opened it. Yubi frowned; it contained only silver coins, no gold. He quickly counted them—roughly fifty. He thought that should be enough for ten pork sausages.

Yubi couldn't think of anything else that could go wrong with the mission, so he mustered his courage and walked around the corner. A sausage stand immediately appeared before him. Yubi was secretly surprised. He had assumed that the shop Yakov had sent him to would be owned by a tall, burly, and menacing man—perhaps a butcher with a face full of scars. But there was only a simple little cart, its worn wooden wheels riddled with dents. A thin woman stood nearby, leaning against a bare wall, seemingly not expecting any customers. Her bony hands, red from the cold wind, were warming themselves by the stove.

The moment the elegantly dressed young man emerged from the alley, the children stopped playing, the old man ceased his conversation, and the woman stood up, no longer resting. All eyes were on him.

Just as Yubi's compassion was about to overflow, he was so frightened by the scene that he dared not breathe. He looked around warily, then forced himself to straighten up and walk over. "Have mercy!" a toothless old beggar called out to him, holding up a bowl. Yubi ignored him and went straight to the cart.

The woman stared at his clean face with suspicion, remaining silent even as he walked to the small stove on the cart. Yubi frowned, feeling a tightness in his throat, and coughed twice.

"How much are your pork sausages?" Yubi asked haltingly in Hungarian.

Yubi noticed that the woman looked him up and down, her lips pressed tightly together, as if she were making an important decision. "How will you pay?" she asked quickly, almost catching Yubi off guard.

“Denier silver coin.” Yubi quickly realized and took a silver coin out of his purse to show her. He was so nervous and clumsy that the purse was wide open. Yubi noticed that the woman’s gaze was fixed on the gleaming silver coin, and he hurriedly closed his purse.

“Pork sausages are normally two silver coins each.” The woman looked up and stared at Yubi’s red eyes. “You are beautiful and well-mannered; you must be an adult. I’ll give you a 50% discount, one silver coin each.”

Yubi's mind raced. He thought, this is already half price. He should have at least fifty silver coins in his pocket; even at the original price of two silver coins each, buying ten would only cost twenty, leaving him with thirty. And now the stall owner only wanted ten silver coins, which was a great deal. He had enough money in his purse to complete Yakov's task. But then Yubi thought, she must be trying to rip me off. Otherwise, why would she keep looking me up and down and say nice things to me?

"Can you make it cheaper?" Yubi asked cautiously, pretending to be confident.

“Sir, it’s already half price.” Upon hearing this, the woman immediately grabbed a fork, picked up a slice of tortilla meant for holding, rolled it into a small tube, and kept picking up sausages from the grill for him. Yubi went to unpack his purse, and in the blink of an eye, the sausages opposite him were piled up like a mountain.

"Too many, I only need ten!" Yubi grabbed a handful of silver coins from his purse and placed them on the cart, then realized he had grabbed too many and quickly counted the extra back into his palm. "These are my family's special sausages, you can't buy them anywhere else," the woman said expressionlessly. "Buy a few more to share with others."

Yubi was a little angry. He had just experienced something similar at the bathhouse, and he thought that now that he had the experience, it was time to firmly refuse. "I want ten, put the rest back!" He was about to speak when he saw a dirty little girl, not even as tall as the stroller, standing next to him.

"Sir, I haven't eaten for days." The girl looked at him with dry, empty eyes. "Could you buy me a sausage?"

Yubi swallowed back the words he was about to say, speechless for a moment. He thought, he couldn't let such a young child go hungry. He turned to look at the stall owner and found the woman staring intently at him, urging him to make a decision. Yubi panicked and blurted out, "Okay, I'll buy you one."

He immediately regretted it. In an instant, all the children, big and small, jumped up and surrounded him, a row of dark little hands stretched out in front of him. "Sir, I haven't eaten for days either." "Sir, I want sausage too." "Sir, she's my sister, please be kind and buy some for our whole family." Sweat beaded on Yubi's forehead. He subconsciously looked around, trying to find Yakov and Shumel, but couldn't find them. Instead, he noticed that a little further away, the old people who had been sitting by the wall were also walking towards him, leaning on their canes and holding bowls, without saying a word. "Don't do this, I won't buy any for you, I won't buy any!" Yubi shouted, trying to squeeze out of the crowd, but afraid of stepping on the children. Countless hands pressed on his newly changed clothes, as if searching for something. Suddenly, his waist felt empty. Yubi's heart sank.

"My money! Who took my purse?!"

The children cheered and fled like clouds scattered by the wind, darting towards the corner Yubi had come from. The sound of horses' hooves came from that direction, blocking them back into the alley, where they hid one by one in doorways and under roof beams, like a group of mice exposed to the light.

Yubi stood there, filled with shame and anger, his face flushed red. He gripped his cloak, clenching his fists, feeling like the most foolish person in the world, wearing the most foolish clothes, doing the most foolish thing. He turned to look around the corner. Yakov, fully armed, rode slowly towards them on horseback. His cloak was still stained with dried blood, and he was carrying the largest of the band of children. The boy was struggling desperately, trying to pry Yakov's fingers off, but couldn't break through the hard iron gauntlets. His clothes were pulled high, and his belly twisted and turned.

"How much are your pork sausages?" Yakov asked casually.

“…Ten silver coins, sir.” The woman lowered her head, her lips trembling with fear.

“That’s not what you just told me!” Yubi turned around in disbelief. “You said two silver coins each, but you gave me a half price, one silver coin each!”

"Sir, you must have misheard," the woman said softly.

"What, one silver coin each? You can't afford it? Even two silver coins each? You can't afford it?" Yakov's voice was as cold as ice. "You're so noble, to give you this price, isn't that a sign of respect, that you deserve to eat pork sausages that cost two silver coins each?"

Yubi was speechless with anger. He wanted to seek Schumeer's judgment, but found his painter friend sitting on a donkey, watching him silently from around the corner. Yubi suddenly understood something. A chill of disappointment and dizziness swept over him, as if he had always lived within a thin membrane, and now Yakov had ruthlessly torn a hole in it, letting the harsh reality surge in.

“…Yakov, I’ve lost your purse.” Yubi finally bowed his head to him.

“That’s not my money, that’s your money,” Yakov said. “It’s your mother’s money.”

“I understand.” Yubi lowered his head even further. He stood there like a penitent sinner, a stone pillar, motionless.

Yakov said nothing more. He looked around and shouted, "Who took the money bag? If you can find it, I'll give him a silver coin."

All the children quietly hid in their places, not uttering a sound, as if they didn't exist.

“Look, I’m out of options.” Yakov turned to the older boy who was still fiddling with his gloves, trying to escape. “I have no choice but to either arrest you as a thief and cut off your hands, or tie you to a car wheel and roll you down the mountain. Which do you choose?”

Fear flared in those bright eyes. The child cried out, "Karl, Karl!" He desperately pointed to a corner of the roof beam, "Karl, give it back to him! I'm going to die!"

Soon, a small leather pouch flew out from the corner and landed with a clatter beneath Yakov's horse. Yubi was extremely surprised. He rushed over and cautiously opened the pouch to check. Fortunately, it was indeed full of silver coins. Yubi looked up at Yakov. He should have been happy, but he couldn't be; his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

“What are you waiting for?” Yakov said. “Get on your horse.”

Yubi tied the money pouch and stuffed it into his pocket. Yakov grabbed his wrist and pulled him onto the saddle. Yubi's elbow ached from the pull. But he thought, this was the first time he hadn't been carried onto the horse by Yakov.

Yakov finally released the poor child, letting him land on his backside in the mud. "Here's your reward," Yakov said, tossing him a silver coin. He then spurred his horse to a small cart by the wall and took a handful of pork sausages from the woman. The sausages, seasoned with onions, were fragrant and sizzling, the warm oil dripping from the casings onto the flatbreads. He stuffed the food into Yubi's arms and nudged the horse's belly with his heel. The horse immediately turned, reared up, and left the dark alley, passing by Schumacher. The woman and children, having received the silver coin, shouted words of gratitude and beamed with joy behind them.

"Have you learned it?" he asked Yubi sullenly from under his helmet.

"Why did they have to cheat me?" Yubi looked down at the sausage and said aggrievedly, "Couldn't they have given everyone the same price? Why did they have to ask me for things and steal my money? Why don't they earn their own living?"

“Because some people collect taxes and conscript soldiers. Some people not only eat pork sausages worth two silver coins, but also drink wine worth two gold coins and keep slaves worth two thousand gold coins.” Yakov’s voice was deafening like thunder. “Either you go along with it or you become lowly and despicable. People only have these two choices.”

Yubi remained silent. He turned to look at Yakov's face, wanting to see what expression he would have on his face when he said those words. But his face was completely obscured by the helmet with the cross pattern, with only a pair of bloodshot, icy blue eyes flickering faintly through the gaps.

"So what did you choose, Yakov?" he asked.

The person being asked remained silent, as if they themselves had not found the answer to the question.