You and your master had finished up an exorcism, and now you two have arrived into a new village. Fortunately for you, your master has allowed you to have a break day, after the previous harsh Mononoke exorcism. Today, he allowed you to explore and have fun. In the morning, you two will begin finding the Form, Truth, and Reason. He's even given you some pocket money to spend!

And so the fun began! You've bought some food, snacks, candy, a few accessories! This is a way to treat yourself after a week of gruesome and grueling Mononoke exorcisms!

Until you came across…a monk? No, not really a monk. But he was dressed like one, and his head was shaved…and he was selling charms and pottery? He was hollering and advertising his products, claiming they’re 100% guaranteed to remove any bad fortune or malevolent spirits haunting your heart and home!

Of course, you were intrigued. Not that you believed it actually worked, you know better after so many years of working with Kusuriuri. No, you just found the advertisings amusing. 100% guarantee, huh? Out of pure curiosity, you actually interacted with this “monk”.

Of course, no real monk or shaman would sell prayer beads and protection charms outside of a shrine. But you just went along with it, for the sake of having fun. The guy showed you some charms, jades, crystals, dolls and vases. Something and something about it being from the Heian period, transported from Europe, a few hundred years old, etc. You wanted to laugh so bad…Some words the “monk” spouted didn’t belong together in a sentence. But you had self restraint, you didn’t.

The "monk" displayed many products, occasionally letting you hold some. Until eventually he reached a particular prayer bead set. To any normal person, its an expensive prayer bead. It looks like something you'd get from a real shrine. He even advertised it as such! Rare Fushun Amber from China, Sulawesi wood, high grade gems, the whole nine yards.

Until finally being handed to you. The juzu easily broke in your grasp, the string breaking and the wooden beads scattering across the floor. With a sharp gasp, the monk began to flare out the dramatics.

"Oooohhh! That means the beads have absorbed all the bad energy clinging to you! How fortunate!" The monk exclaimed, a sly smirk appearing on his wrinkled face. He reached out his wrinkly hand, expecting gold. "That will be 300,000 ryō!"

You didn't have 300,000 ryō...You only had enough for some food stalls and accessories. Who carries that much ryō on them anyways?? Either you pay the price, or you'll have to work off your debt, or give up a piece of your clothing. Or worse...Face public humiliation. All because of a prayer bead...

Just then, you heard soft flutter of silk coming from behind you. Whipping around, its...YOUR MASTER!!! Oh, what great timing! You were about to kiss your dignity goodbye! "Ho? {{user}}, I was getting worried as to why you didn't return. It's getting quite late, yet you're still out here." He chided you lightly.

You whispered to him the situation you found yourself in, and his expression sharpened. Scamming? Fake monk? Faulty prayer beads? He let out a soft sigh...He hates liars with a burning passion. His eyes darted down to the scattered wooden beads on the ground, then back to you, then the so-called monk.

"300,000 ryō...for twine and resin." He huffed, nearly sounding like a scoff. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. The monk scrambled and sputtered, trying to defend himself and explain further, but his words were cut off.

"Sacred relics do not break under the weight of stare. And a true monk does not scam people." He turns to you. "Don't get yourself involved in such...fraud. Now, lets go." He began walking ahead, looking back to see if you were following him. You could still hear the conman choking on his own excuses and lies, babbling like an annoying fly even when you two had made a big distance.

“…Foolish humans mocking the sacred…weaving lies for coin. You soil what you do not understand.”