Chapter Text
The buzz of the city never ceased to get old. Everything within it was at a constant move. The city never followed the rules in the book, always breaking and making them whenever.
Such could be said the same for the citizens. The bugs in the city did as they pleased. It was why the capital of the Hallownest Area had such a high-crime rate.
The city was also the one place where the Higher Beings had mixed worshippers. One could pass a group of bystanders and fail to realize that none of them followed the same Higher Being.
The Higher Beings knew of this, so they divided the city into sections where the bugs could preach their beliefs without fights. Most bugs stayed in their sections, but some intentionally caused havoc.
There was an old goddess whom everyone had forgotten. The Radiance, once a benevolent being, turned on those who had betrayed her for the other Higher Beings. She created a sickness, one that affected the dreams of bugs where they could hear her voice and return to her light.
It was the sudden increase in hostility that alerted the Pale King. The diseased bugs obeyed every command their goddess gave them, attacking anyone who stood in their way. They came in waves to the palace-like mansion of the Pale King.
The Pale King fought back, of course, but even his followers weren’t enough to stop the Radiance. She was offered a compromise- if the sickness was to come to a halt, the Old Light would be restored to her status. The Radiance agreed.
Despite the changes, the city continued to be riddled with crime. And that thought made the Relic Seeker sigh in annoyance.
Just a few nights ago, a poor sap’s shop was destroyed by an unknown gang of bugs. Lemm had watched from the entrance of his own shop, an archaic but trusty nail in hand. The gang were obvious Radiance followers, signified by the small insignia each had on their dark clothes.
Lemm had watched them until they had absolutely decimated the building. There was only three of them but they had done a lot of damage. One let out a snicker as they set fire to the shop. The three had arrived on motorcycles and the engines were loud as they left. Lemm watched them go, getting a good look at one.
Lemm heaved a sigh as he watched bugs come and go. The side-by-side coffee shop tended to attract more bugs than Lemm would’ve pleased. The owners were incredibly nice, a pair named Jiji and Jinn, but Jiji had an obsession with rancid eggs. Lemm made it clear he wouldn’t tolerate the smell of the things and Jij spent her time away from the shop more than she did in it.
There were a few regulars that Lemm liked. One was Quirrel and Monomon, a team of scientists. They were friendly enough and always stopped by Lemm’s shop. Usually, it was for business, as Monomon was always bringing him new trinkets, but the occasional friendly chat wasn’t rare. Quirrel, usually silent around others, never hesitated to entertain Lemm with his stories.
Another regular Lemm could tolerate was God Tamer. A title, he presumed. She was the Champion of the Colosseum nearby, an expert at any sport involving her trusty steed. She had a lot of relics to sell Lemm from her winnings. Her beast, Dilip, was only present at Tamer’s fights. Lemm wouldn’t pass up an opportunity to see one.
Today was a slow day. Lemm glanced at his watch. It had been an hour since he opened and not a single bug showed up. Lemm glanced over at the door separating his and Jinn’s shops. A coffee didn’t sound too bad at the moment.
The bell hanging over his door chimed, signaling someone had entered. Lemm looked up and rested his head on a hand when he saw who it was. “Zote.”
Zote glared up at Lemm. He was flanked by Bretta, the timid girl who had fallen for him. He looked up. “Stepstool.”
“O-of course…!” Bretta hurried out, then came back in with a small stool. Zote huffed as he adjusted the collar of his way-too-long trenchcoat, stepping onto the stool so he could reach the counter. “Relic Seeker. I request a ring for my lovely Queen!”
Lemm gave him a dirty look. “I’m not a jewelry shop. And even if I was, I don’t sell my trinkets.”
Zote glared at him. “You’d refuse my offer to buy one of these trinkets?”
“Absolutely. You want a ring? Head to the shop of Pale Lurker. She collects shiny objects and a few Geo could sway her instantly.”
Zote seemed to ponder the thought. He turned to Bretta. “Worry not, my Queen. We’ll find you a beautiful ring soon enough.” He turned back to Lemm. “I will take my offer elsewhere.”
Lemm watched his small horns vanish beneath the counter. He smirked and waved. “Bye,” he called sarcastically, snickering when he saw Zote trip on his coat on the way out.