Chapter 12- Books don’t always contain knowledge
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I learned today that it is actually rather common to get unexpected results from your various attempts when intelligent life is involved. There are so many kinds of people that even if you classify them in groups it doesn’t make them be similar in other aspects. One man may walk the criminal life because he enjoys the freedom while another believes it is the best way to help those who are in need. They may both be criminals, but they are so vastly different that even if you made them rich there would be few similarities in how they spend that wealth. It also is rather fascinating the strange habits that develop in the so-called intelligent races that is incredibly foolish.

While we made our way back to the inn, I find myself amazed at how easy the plan of infecting the pick pockets were. Actually, it was too successful honestly. No sooner than they got out of general sight they bit the coin. The filthiest object in regular use in my opinion is money yet they bit the coin for some weird reason. Its not gold, so what use is it to bite the coin? What's worse is, not 20 minutes later, they gave the coin to someone else who then bit the coin as well. By the time we got back to the city there were 23 people infected by those 5 coins. I'm impressed how organized this city’s crime ring. And how untrusting they all are that each would need to check a mere large copper. How does biting copper determine its legitimacy anyway? Well I guess I can look it up once the takeover is complete. The races have some strange habits.

The strange effectiveness of the plan aside, one of the infected is a smuggler. That in and of itself isn’t strange to me since there always seems to be people who help circulate illegal substances or objects. What is strange is he is smuggling food, spices, and various daily necessities. Things that aren’t illegal in the least yet the child self that sprouted within him can feel his nervousness about the delivery. What can make a man that regularly breaks or skirts the law so fearful of being caught? His guard routine of 6 rough mercenary seeming men, are looking in every direction for monsters but I get the distinct impression they are looking for people rather than monsters. Even though he just left the city from the north west gate that should be the safest area. But he soon left the road and made his way back around to the east of the city. I will have to keep an eye on them and see where they are going. Its unfortunate that travel takes so long with these inefficient methods like a tamed animal pulling a carriage. I will check back on them later.

We made it back to the inn around lunch time, yet the busy duo are still in their own world. Now I'm not usually one to interrupt others in their hobbies but even I have my limits in keeping them both hydrated as well as the fact if they don’t come out soon the inn keeper may start to investigate if they are dead or not. So, I sent a jolt of energy to their heads mixed with the feeling of thirst and a subtle desire to look out the window to check the time.

I'm an extraterrestrial lifeform for goodness sakes. Why do I feel more like their nanny! Don’t laugh at that Chia I'm troubled enough without a woman who randomly laughs at nothing, by herself added into our already strange group. Haaa. I can’t wait to have everyone join us so I can stop worrying about standing out. But then I'm sure I’d get noticed.

After lunch, our group of oddballs headed for the bookstore. It took a lot of arguing and haggling but I got the right to read as many books as we could until they closed for a little over 10 small silvers. A hefty price but since I can just save the data to review later and the speed that the three enhanced combat technicians can move we will have easily made more from this deal than what we would have paid to actually buy all these books. From there it became a race to see who can read the most books in the allotted time.

Sadly, we ran out of books before the time ran out. Even worse many of these books were total tripe. The history of this country for example. Cutting out the over embellished and nationalistic brainwashing you have a story of this 'grand hero' who threw off the oppressive rule of the old ruler and expanded the borders by righteously waging war on some of its neighbors. That’s called rebellion, in fact since the ‘hero’ was a close aide to the former ruler I would go so far as to say it was a coup. And an expansionist warmonger. So, he suddenly seized power for himself and had a powerful military to war against whoever had land he liked. And he made sure he would be remembered as grandly as possible by future generations… reading between the lines he has many of the traits of a dictator. Though perhaps a liked one since he didn’t end up being killed and replaced in the same way many were in the history of the humans in the dimension I operated in last. There was even crappy poem books with poems like ‘Everyone got sick and then they died. Why, oh why, did they have to die? We can only wonder as we sigh.’ Is this really worth the trouble of hand-writing copies to sell? Or is this considered good in this world?

Still all in all it was a rather profitable trip. While the bookstore owner was looking at us like we were freaks, I had already managed to infect her, so I won’t have to worry about her spreading rumors soon enough. You really shouldn’t leave your drink unattended just because there are three people you are worried might steal some of your books miss. Well not that I minded anyway. I do feel like a have been spreading unrestrained lately so I may need to reel it in a bit. I'm eyeing the smugglers to help me spread to other cities though. Hmm decisions, decisions.

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