Chapter 146: The Two Crown Tour
“What?” the dumbfounded crab asked.
Being accustomed to dealing with humans as he was at this point, Balthazar realized he had never actually interacted much with their children, and being suddenly accosted by one of their miniature spawns took him by surprise. Especially given the subject of her spontaneous question.
“Have. You. Got. Any. Money?” the little girl asked again, mouthing each word slowly.
“Why are you asking me that, kid?” the slightly miffed crustacean asked back. “What’s it to you?”
The child shrugged. “Just trying to know if you’re worth investing my time.”
Balthazar’s left eyestalk rose, while the right one squinted at the sample-sized human. For some reason, this seemed to amuse her.
“What do you mean?” the merchant asked.
“No point in trying to offer my tour to someone if they don’t have two coins to rub together, mister,” she said, punctuating her explanation with a sassy head tilt.
The crab looked up and down at the little rascal. She wore simple peasant clothes, their faded colors telling him they had seen a fair share of wear, the biggest standout being her shoes. The moccasins were old and full of worn-out spots where the leather was starting to tear apart. Likely a hand-me-down, if he had to guess. Despite her lively attitude, Balthazar also thought her to be a little too scrawny, like someone lacking a couple of pies in their diet.