Chapter 123 The Frightened Civilians
A group of merchants, who were about to line up, found themselves left behind as the commoners quickly took their place.
"Well, well! These folks are quite considerate, giving way to us." one of the merchants remarked.
"It's a refreshing change. In the Royal City, the commoners need to drive to show such courtesy," another added.
The merchants had initially considered skipping the line, but Vincent's stern gaze kept them in check. They knew better than to act presumptuously on someone else's turf.
Moreover, they were not nobles, just mere merchants. Provoking the nobility could result in not just financial loss but also damage to their life.
Vincent must watched them closely. Some of the merchants were being crude, even contemplating spitting on the ground. Such behavior was intolerable.
Ironically, Vincent himself had spat on the ground the day before, only to be reprimanded by his grandson. The young boy had lectured him on the importance of self-cultivation, citing the teachings of their teacher, Emily, who emphasized the unhygienic nature of spitting.
Having been subjected to a thorough admonition by his young grandson, Vincent felt compelled to express his own criticisms in reciprocity. He intended to portray himself as an erudite individual with a wealth of knowledge.
Unfortunately, these opportunistic merchants had become adept at adapting to their surroundings. Before doing anything, they would discreetly scan their surroundings for signs, and indeed, they noticed a sign prohibiting spitting.
This led to several merchants swallowing their saliva and smirking at Vincent, who was taken aback. It was his preconceived notion that these merchants would act inappropriately.
After all, spitting in public was not uncommon among the commoners of Eldoria. It was just that some had shown restraint after being reprimanded by their children.
Changing such habits in a short span of time was not an easy task, which was why Henry had decided to start with the children and then influence the adults.
"It stinks. Let's go. I've lost my appetite for the hamburger," one of the commoners remarked.
"So foul! They must not have bathed in at least a month, just like me before," another added.
"Yeah! I wonder how we managed to live like that in the past," a third person chimed in.
Such conversations reached the ears of the merchants, leaving them dumbfounded. Were the commoners leaving because they found them smelly?
The merchants watched as the commoners covered their noses and walked away, especially those who were closer to them, who hastened their pace as if they were carrying several foul-smelling eggs.
"Hey! Since when did the commoners start looking down on us?"
"Is it really that bad? Why don't I smell anything? It's just not taking a shower for a month, right? We used to go for three months without washing."
Soro, who also wanted to try the hamburger, was reminded by someone and, indeed, caught a whiff of a foul odor. He had taken a shower three or four days ago when it rained, and that was when he had bathed. So, he had to thank for the rain.
"Father, they smell just like the old you," Gael added fuel to the fire.
"Shut up!" Soro retorted in embarrassment. Who would have thought that the commoners here had such sensitive noses, or rather, that the commoners bathed every day?
Soro found it hard to believe. Who would waste time on bathing, and didn't those witch doctors always say that bathing was bad?
Soro remembered that he had once visited a famous witch doctor who had treated the king, and that was how he had introduced himself.
Water would weaken the body's protective layer, especially when taking a hot bath, it would relax the body, and some devilish diseases could enter the body through the mist.
So, the more you bathe, the more likely you are to get sick. Only by not bathing could one be healthy and live a long life. If there was a thick layer of dirt on the body, it could resist the invasion of devilish diseases!
Soro found it quite reasonable, just like how knights have armor protecting them, preventing the invasion of diseases. After taking a bath that day, he was still worried about getting sick.
Such magical theories were quite popular in this era, except for a few girls who loved cleanliness, who would take a bath every few days, and they would do it secretly.
The line continued to move, but the faces of these merchants were filled with embarrassment. Being called smelly was something no one wanted to hear.
"Hey! How much does a bottle of perfume from the Royal City cost now? I'll go buy one."
"You probably can't afford it. I heard it's like twelve gold coins now, and as soon as it's available, the big nobles snatch it all up. We don't even stand a chance."
"So expensive? I can't afford it even after saving for a year!"
Brandon endured the stench coming from behind, and he was about to reach the front of the line. He didn't want to give up his spot.
In fact, Brandon hadn't taken a bath in half a month, but he was still better off than those who hadn't bathed for months. The smell of the hamburger, mixed with a hint of stench, was the most unbearable.
"What can I get for you, sir? We have meat hamburgers, vegetarian hamburgers with cabbage, and bread." the hamburger shop attendant asked.
"Five hamburgers." Brandon quickly replied.
"Alright, that will be two copper coins and five steel coins." the attendant swiftly prepared five meat hamburgers, collected three copper coins, and returned five steel coins.
Brandon grabbed the hamburgers and ran off with his wife and children. If he stayed any longer, he felt that the hamburgers would start to be smelly.
He hadn't noticed any problem before, but after being nagged by the commoners, he felt that everything smelled bad, even his own wife.
The hamburger shop attendant looked at the merchant in front of him, blinked, and forced himself to say, "Sir, what do you need? How many meat hamburgers do you need?"
The merchant was speechless. He had just heard about other types of hamburgers, so why was he being asked if he wanted meat hamburgers? Was everything else omitted?
"Two meat hamburgers." The merchant felt a wave of malice. So what if he hadn't taken a bath for a few months? Wasn't everyone like that?
"One copper coin!" The attendant carefully handed the hamburgers to the merchant, holding onto the coin that was handed over.
The merchant suddenly felt like a monster. He quickly took the hamburgers and felt like he needed to find a place to take a bath.
"Sir, there is a public bathhouse on the other street. You can go there for a bath." the attendant kindly suggested.
The merchant nodded silently. He had decided to go and take a bath.
Brandon also heard the suggestion. He decided to visit Lord Henry first and then go to the public bathhouse.
This was the peculiar thing about Eldoria, was it?
