Ch.169Arba (4)

“I would appreciate it if you could stay while I make my decision. For accommodations…”

“I’ll handle that myself.”

Llewellyn, Lucilla, and Ortemilia stepped outside the office.

Perhaps because it wasn’t a matter to be decided easily, Arba herself had fallen silent after saying she needed to think about it.

Her subordinates seemed to prefer that a destructive entity like Llewellyn remain within monitoring range.

But truthfully, there was nothing they could say if a walking nuclear weapon and his companions refused.

All they could do was be careful not to offend them.

So Llewellyn reached the city much earlier than expected.

However, that didn’t mean Arba’s people simply let Llewellyn go without any oversight.

“I heard drug distribution in the city has been halted. What happened?”

“…I’m not sure if I should tell you about that.”

“It’s quite alright. What use would we have for such information? It’s merely idle curiosity, so speak freely.”

The soldier seemed to find it strange that a girl young enough to be his daughter was not only speaking informally but using speech patterns typical of the elderly.

Still, he didn’t show it. With a living nuclear weapon standing right beside him, he had no time to worry about such things.

“Well, you see… there’s been an increase in people experiencing delusions.”

His explanation continued as follows:

Drugs typically cause delusions and hallucinations anyway.

While it varies by drug, this city generally had widespread access to both stimulants that elevate mood and heighten senses, and painkillers that calm and dull sensations.

People passed out on the ground from drug use were a common sight. There were even soldiers under Arba’s command busily preventing others from robbing these individuals, maintaining a semblance of order.

The problem was that recently, whether due to newly introduced drugs or some other reason, the symptoms displayed by addicts had become concerning.

“We’ve always had dark mages causing such issues occasionally, but… it’s happening too frequently now.”

“How frequently?”

“Usually it would happen maybe once a month at most, but recently we’re seeing it about four times a week.”

Four times a week meant essentially once every two days. Llewellyn clicked his tongue upon hearing this, while Lucilla walked alongside him.

Her eyes swept around like sharp blades, causing those who recognized Llewellyn as the Annihilation to flee in terror when her gaze fell upon them.

It might seem overprotective, but that was simply Lucilla’s nature.

Not everyone fled, however. There were a few people who had no reason to be watching in the first place.

Several people staring blankly at Lucilla and the space around her, as if sleepwalking or in a trance.

Though they showed no hostility or ill intent, their gaze was unsettling. Lucilla briefly frowned before linking her arm with Llewellyn’s.

“Sis?”

“It’s nothing. I just felt like linking arms with Sejin for a change.”

“Again?”

Lucilla was naturally affectionate. Though they were both women, she was the type to cling to others, and before meeting Llewellyn, her targets had mainly been Melody or Eshaterra.

After Eshaterra left and Melody became busy, she had been holding back since she couldn’t do the same with strangers.

She leaned her head against Llewellyn’s thick arm and surveyed their surroundings through narrowed eyes.

Meanwhile, the soldier carefully explained to Ortemilia.

“Has anyone died or been injured?”

“Yes. While such incidents weren’t unheard of before… there are concerns about organized activity.”

That’s why they had halted drug distribution, the soldier explained as he escorted them. When the explanation was complete, he made an excuse and withdrew.

Of course, with the entire city within range of “Star’s Death,” it was a meaningless gesture, but for a soldier who had witnessed it firsthand on the battlefield, seeing Lucilla being affectionate with her own kin was too jarring.

People tend to either remove or avoid uncomfortable sights.

Since removal was essentially impossible, the soldier could only avoid them.

“Hmm, concerning information indeed.”

Ortemilia, now occupying the space the soldier had vacated, folded her arms and frowned slightly.

“I should investigate this a bit.”

“Really? Is that necessary?”

“Curiosity is an important virtue for a mage. Creating a debt in this city might make it harder for Arba to refuse your proposal… but there’s also something that doesn’t feel right about this.”

That wasn’t something to be ignored. “Something that doesn’t feel right.” When Llewellyn’s gaze shifted toward her, Ortemilia declared:

“This is not the effect of the drugs I distributed.”

“Oh, really?”

“Indeed. I actually distributed drugs specifically designed to minimize such side effects. They only provide stimulation, pain relief, and pleasure. Overuse might endanger one’s life, but they shouldn’t cause hallucinations.”

“Could it be drugs that you didn’t distribute?”

Lucilla rarely spoke up. She tended to like small things, and Ortemilia in particular didn’t seem to harbor romantic feelings for Llewellyn.

“That’s possible. But… something feels off. I don’t sense a connection between the drugs and these side effects. That’s why I need to investigate. Lucilla.”

“Hmm? Me?”

“Yes. Come with me.”

Lucilla tried to refuse with various excuses, but to no avail.

Ortemilia spoke with considerable confidence.

“I intend to leave independent investigation to Llewellyn. He has good intuition, a sharp mind, and most importantly, he’s a Mourner. His senses, different from those of us with magical power, might be helpful.”

With those words, Ortemilia departed with Lucilla, leaving Llewellyn alone.

Llewellyn felt this was merely a pretext, but there was nothing he could do now that they had left.

So after staring briefly in the direction Ortemilia and Lucilla had gone, he walked in the opposite direction.

Well, with nothing else to do…

He might as well investigate. Llewellyn spread his anti-magic power, focusing on the sensations flowing through his body as he heightened his awareness.

This was already familiar to him. Just two months ago, while still at the fortress of the Three Clans, he had done this consistently for a year.

As a result, Llewellyn had reached the point where he could perceive space through touch and hearing even with his eyes closed, gauging everything through the wind on his skin, the sounds in his ears, and the sights before his eyes.

Looking at it this way, the city of Arba was certainly unique.

It was filled with mercenaries exuding murderous intent in all directions. They had been eyeing Llewellyn warily when he was with Lucilla, seemingly looking for an opportunity.

That wasn’t all. Every alley had makeshift stalls manned by such mercenaries.

They sold crude weapons or ornaments made from monster body parts, as well as the body parts themselves or even entire corpses.

‘These are monsters typically found underground.’

The mercenaries traded with each other at these stalls. Typically, mercenaries wore armor made from monster hides, scales, and such.

A mercenary’s job was fundamentally to hunt monsters or people, and one couldn’t make armor or weapons from human materials.

Llewellyn carefully examined the buildings connecting these stalls, and occasionally noticed a distinctive color between them.

Brilliant walls made of metal ranging from teal to jade green.

But on top of these walls, which looked as if they had been torn apart haphazardly, were newly built brick structures.

Llewellyn stopped in front of one such building and lightly tapped the ornate metal wall with his finger.

It was solid. And it emanated a subtle warmth.

‘Similar to dungeon walls.’

Looking closely, this building wasn’t the only one. Every street had one or two such buildings.

Traces as if built directly over ruins. A familiar method seen somewhere before.

‘A dungeon? No, that’s not it…’

Llewellyn felt vibrations beneath his feet. Beyond the floor, deeper down, the movement of trickling water.

It touched the walls, eroded the floor, and flowed forcefully.

There was also a faint smell. A pungent odor subtly permeating the sweet powdery scent.

‘Sewers.’

There were sewers below.

That’s why all the monster corpses being sold by mercenaries were creatures that appeared underground. The sewers were both the foundation of this city and the workplace of mercenaries.

This city was built over ancient sewers.

Llewellyn realized this and clicked his tongue.

‘Could that be related to the problems occurring in the city?’

He wasn’t certain. But his intuition faintly suggested it might be.

‘Perhaps regularly dumping drugs into the sewers led to this.’

It would be good to mention this to Ortemilia, he thought as he turned around.

Suddenly, a soft sensation covered his face.

Though somewhat familiar, Llewellyn couldn’t immediately identify what it was.

Rather, he stood dazed before stepping back and finally realized.

It was a sensation he had felt when intertwining bodies with Isla.

The distinctive feel of breasts. When Llewellyn touched his face and looked up, he saw:

“…Gasp.”

A beast-person with four breasts barely covered by revealing undergarments.

Most men would be momentarily speechless at the excessive number of breasts, regardless of their preferences, and Llewellyn, being a robust man, was no exception.

The cow beast-person smiled.

“Your jaw might drop. Did you like it that much?”

Taller than Llewellyn with skin prominently displayed. A nameplate around her neck with a price tag beside it.

A beast-person prostitute.

Though overwhelmed, Llewellyn regained his senses when she puffed smoke from her pipe.

A sweet fragrance. Somehow familiar.

Llewellyn’s mouth closed, and his superhuman vision recognized what was inside.

It was a substance he had seen several times in Ortemilia’s laboratory. Though it had been well-sealed for sale.

The scent and appearance were familiar. Llewellyn instinctively thought:

She might hold a clue.

Eventually, he followed the cow beast-person into the building.

Into a place filled with scantily clad beast-people and humans like her.