Chương 126: Chapter 127: Heavenly Knead

Thump thump. Thump thump. Evel stared into the empty air where Avid's image once hovered. Befriending them subtly is the hard part? A sly smile grew on his face. He was Eth, the owner of the Ichoris Legerdemain—the very circus Moe desperately wanted to work for. The hard part? He'd practically already succeeded! He straightened his clothes and returned the VTR to the closet. His heart slowed, and his breathing returned to normal. Placing the top hat firmly on his head, he pushed out into the cool outdoors.

Moe was a regular VIP at the Legerdemain's performances, and someone he often spied on. The round-bellied merchant talked mostly about business or how much he enjoyed the performance, so Evel hadn't actually gained much key information on his personal life. Even then, he was able to pick up on the basics without issue. Moe was the owner of a business called Moezaar, which focused on selling basic goods—the type of goods you could find in any corner store.

The doors jingled as Evel walked into the store, a serious expression on his face. Stephen was mid-read when he looked up to see Evel staring at him.

"E-Eth!" He stammered.

"How can I help you?" Although he didn't like how he'd treated the members of the circus in the past months, the same couldn't be said about random people like Stephen. The terrifying and serious Eth persona was far too useful not to use.

"Where is the Moezaar?" He spoke evenly.

"The Moezaar? Everything gets delivered directly to me." Evel narrowed his eyes. If Stephen didn't know, then he'd have to wait until the next performance Moe showed up to.

"But I know the approximate location!" Stephen was sweating.

"All the shipping comes from the northwest side of the city. H-here." He took out a map and circled a fairly large area directly north of the store. Evel memorized the location instantly. It wasn't too far. Evel walked out without another word, leaving the piece of paper behind. As he left, he heard Stephen sigh in relief behind him. He walked back into the streets and headed towards the general location. Soon the constant layer of two-storied houses began to thin, giving way to larger buildings.

They weren't that much taller, only spanning three to five floors, but they were wide. And they stretched far. Evel walked along the streets, scanning carefully for any signs of the Moezaar. Instead, he found another familiar face walking down the street. Upon seeing him, the other man's face lit up.

"Eth? Of the Ichoris Legerdemain?" One of the merchants Moe brought with him. Evel didn't recall his name.

"That's right. Have you seen Moe?" The merchant's face fell." Him?"

"I have some urgent business I'd like to discuss with him."

"Whatever he's offering you, I can promise a better deal." The merchant leaned forward.

"The circus has a bright future, and you don't want to be dragged down by that dullard."

"I'm not buying anything."

"Oh? What else could you possibly need him for?" Evel narrowed his eyes as he weighed his options. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. He could tell him that the circus was hiring Moe. It would be the most straightforward approach, but then the information would become public. Alternatively, he could make a simple lie, which potentially could ruin their future relationship. Or he could maintain the Eth persona and tell him it wasn't any of his business.

"He wrote a few interesting plays for me, and I wanted to talk about them with him." It would eventually be public knowledge, and there was no reason to make extra enemies. The merchant scoffed, "Moe, a playwright? How much did he pay you? Be honest."

"Do you know where he is?" Evel calmly asked. The merchant sighed.

"Probably getting a... massage. A place called Heavenly Knead, not too far north from your circus." The man looked him up and down.

"You're a little young... just wait by the front entrance; he usually doesn't take too long."

"Thank you for your help." Nobody interrupted him as he crossed through the city again. Once he was in the general area described by the man, it wasn't difficult to find the area Moe was supposed to be in with the giant cutout of a scantily clad girl, with the words 'Heavenly Knead' right below it. Evel wasn't unfamiliar with establishments like these. There were many in Yosten that the workers of the Yosten Phantasmagoria would often visit.

Apparently, massages were extremely helpful in loosening up after difficult days of work. Unfortunately, he was always too young to go. Massages apparently stunted your growth. Though Rick never confirmed that... he never denied it either. Evel entered through the front entrance, his face still and eyes uncaring. There were no Energy lights, as was common within the buildings in Upper-Ichoris. The whole entrance was lit with a row of scented candelights.

The warm lavender aroma mixed with the smell of fresh linens washed over him. With the scent was a woman's soft voice.

"Good evening, stranger." A young woman approached him with a smile. Her clothes were just as revealing as the board outside.

"Here for a massage?" Evel subconsciously took a step back.

"I–" He cleared his throat.

"I'm here to see Moe, th-the owner of Moezaar." Why am I so flustered?

"Ah," She stepped closer, brushing her fingers on Evel's arm. He took another step back.

"He'll be done in a few minutes. Would you like to do something else in the meantime?"

"I–""I don't bite, no need to be so scared." Evel gulped.

"Unless you want me to."

"I-I'll wait outside." He bolted out the front door and clenched his knees as he caught his breath. The environment was so soft, and she seemed like such a nice young lady, but something about that place was terrifying. I'll take that other merchant's advice... By the time he heard activity in the store, his heart was calm, and his mind was refocused. Moe would be befriended today whether he liked it or not. And he'd do so without underestimating him.

"I'll see all of you again tomorrow, WHAHAHAHAHA!" He heard Moe's familiar laugh booming out the door. The round-bellied merchant walked out with a wide smile on his face and saw Evel. His smile grew wider.

"Eth? You frequent here too?" Evel caught his bearings and shook his head.

"No, I'm actually here to talk about the plays you wrote; one of your friends told me you'd be here." His eyes lit up.

"You read them?" Moe's smile slowly faltered, his bottom lip quivering.

"D-did you get the jokes? What did you think?"

"They were very interesting." Evel kept his face absolutely still. Moe's eyes widened.

"Wh-which ones?"" The Shepherd who Fed the Wolves is very well written. The final reveal was well set up, and the message resonated with me deeply."

"Mhm, mhm." Moe urged. I was expecting a bit more reaction... Too subtle?" The Gardener's Debt was a heart-shattering piece, and I... sympathize with those in similar circumstances in the world. It was a powerful commentary, and it makes me furious so many must suffer."

"Mhm, mhm."

"But the best one..." Moe's face brightened. At least pretend you wrote them! Evel cleared his throat.

"The one that got me thinking the most was certainly No Curtains for the Crown." Moe's eyes shone with the brilliance of a child given popcorn, and a wide open-mouth smile filled his face.

"The story was... very powerful. Super consistent, too. I think the circus could potentially use something similar with a few tweaks." He needed to add that last bit so Yuna wouldn't jump off a building in frustration, making it work. I really do owe them a fair warning before I hire him... Moe's eyes were shining, but he was still waiting for more. Evel internally sighed.

"What struck me the most were the jokes, which all... landed just right."

"WHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" He slapped Evel's back so hard he almost got launched forward.

"I knew you'd understand good writing!" Dammit, why does that hurt? Evel shook him off and straightened his body. Moe was getting friendly now and had his guard lowered. Now was the perfect time to keep the discussion on his two other stories so he could show his disdain for the Imperium!

"Could you tell me your inspirations for the Shepherd and Gardener stories? They were very unconventional to be written as plays."

"Of course I could tell you! I wrote those when bored." Moe puffed out his chest.

"As for No Curtains for the Crown, it was a story floating around my head for ages, and I finally decided to let my mind flow." Evel patiently waited for Moe to finish.

"There were so many jokes I wanted to put in, but I kept only the best ones in there. The king is really cool, and he's really strong, so it was easy to write about him destroying everyone in fights!"

"That's fantastic. For the other two st–""Don't worry, Eth! I've saved some of my best jokes for future plays too. Wanna hear some?" Evel politely smiled. A strained, wide smile.

"I'd love to."