Ch.2323. Illuania

Originally, I would have just passed by.

My feelings and prejudices toward prostitutes of this era weren’t particularly positive.

In my previous life, I had never met women who worked in the night trade, so I didn’t know much about them, but here I encountered them quite frequently.

Like touts, they would come out at night, naturally seducing people and taking them to their establishments.

And in the midst of all that, I had seen it several times.

Fetal ghosts sitting on women’s shoulders looking for their mothers, or men pouring curses upon them.

Naturally, my perception of them had become distorted.

‘This woman, however.’

She had none of that. I was about to just pass by, thinking there are people like this too, but two things bothered me.

One was her condition.

The hand linked with mine was trembling slightly, her eyes were faintly bloodshot. Her lips had lost their color, and strangely, she spoke rapidly.

The other was my condition.

My heart was pounding. Personally, I felt nothing for her, but Deus’s body was responding to her.

‘What a disgraceful man.’

He had a fiancée named Erika Bright, yet the woman he claimed to like was a prostitute?

The more I dig, the more I dislike him.

The woman whispered discreetly so that Deia and Findenai, who were approaching, couldn’t hear.

“Colton’s looking for you. He’s asking why you haven’t bought the drugs you requested.”

“…Haa, what was your name again?”

“What? Are you joking? You forgot me?”

“Tell me.”

“Tsk! What a strange act you’re putting on! It’s Illuania! You held me tight saying you loved me so much.”

Damn you, Deus.

“If you’re going to a brothel, can I clock out for today?”

“…Trash.”

Findenai hoping to leave work and Deia immediately cursing me with disgust in her eyes.

Even if I tried to explain, given what the previous Deus had done, it would just look like I was abandoning her.

Besides, it didn’t seem like I could just let this go.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

“What?!”

Findenai and Deia showed opposite reactions to my decision to follow the woman. I crushed Findenai’s impudent expectation of leaving work immediately.

“You come too, Findenai. It won’t take long.”

“Are you a premature ejaculator?”

Oh for…

I almost lost my temper for a moment.

Having seen so many shocking things since childhood, I’ve become numb to most situations, but Findenai’s casual remarks occasionally make me snap.

“What premature ejaculator! He can go for hours, hard as a rock!”

Illuania proudly answered right beside me.

Findenai nodded with interest saying “hooo,” while Deia glared at me with an expression that said she genuinely wanted to kill me.

“Deia, go to the ‘junkyard.'”

“Huh?”

Not expecting me to give her instructions, Deia uncrossed her arms and asked again.

“…What do you mean?”

“I know you understand.”

Though Deia grumbled, she realized I wasn’t following the woman to the brothel just for pleasure and headed toward the junkyard’s quarters.

Then Findenai and I followed Illuania.

“Are you Deus’s new lover too? Just so you know, I’m his official one.”

“Ha! What nonsense! All I’ll give that master is my middle finger! And the tea I brew!”

That tea that tastes like pig urine. Last time I told her not to boil it, but she seemed to take it as a challenge and kept bringing boiled tea.

Illuania looked at me in surprise at Findenai’s words.

“Huh? But Deus said last time that only his sexual outlets wear those revealing maid uniforms?”

“Ah, he said he’s stopping that. Thanks to that, the other girls are very happy too.”

Of course.

I had already burned all those outfits long ago, and the maids who had suffered once were relieved.

The reason Findenai was still wearing it was just one:

“A master who keeps a maid dressed like this looks like a bit of a pervert, right?”

“Right! Very much so!”

“That’s why I’m wearing it. Just to rebel against the master somehow.”

Illuania accepted this without much thought.

“And isn’t it pretty? Our girls were impressed when they saw me.”

Findenai twirled around while walking ahead, lifting her skirt slightly and pretending to be a maid.

Having always had to hide her body and wear dirty clothes while working with the resistance, she seemed to quite like it.

Illuania clapped and agreed, cackling.

The two of them really got along well.

When we arrived at the red-light district in Norsweden, Illuania asked us to wait a moment and entered a building.

Findenai couldn’t wait and took out a cigarette, immediately lighting it.

“Ah, hot! Can’t I smoke outside?”

She only uses formal speech when she wants something from me.

As I ignored her, Findenai got annoyed, threw the burning cigarette butt on the ground, stepped on it, and grumbled.

“She’s a drug addict, isn’t she?”

“…You noticed.”

When I just rolled my eyes and spoke, Findenai put her hands on her hips and answered with contempt.

“You know there are about three times more drug addicts in the Republic of Clark than in the Griffin Kingdom, right? There are probably more people high on drugs than in their right mind.”

“Most drugs are made in Clark, after all.”

“Right! For example.”

Findenai unnecessarily took a deep breath. She seemed to deliberately hide her facial expression behind the white breath.

“The Flower Garden, for instance.”

“…”

“Well, whatever. Just saying.”

Findenai clicked her tongue bitterly and instinctively reached into her pocket for tobacco, but after glancing at me, she just crossed her arms.

“One more thing. I know something you might not know. Want me to tell you?”

“…”

When I gestured with my chin for her to go ahead, Findenai giggled and looked at the door Illuania had entered before answering.

“She’s now…”

Some time passed.

Burly men poured out of the door Illuania had entered.

They immediately split to both sides, making way and bowing deeply to welcome me.

At the end stood a rough-looking bald man with a long scar across his head.

“Hey, young master! It’s been so long! I was shocked when I heard you suddenly became an academy professor!”

“Colton, is it?”

“Yes, that’s right. Seeing you after so long, don’t I look a bit more handsome?”

I took a guess and got it right.

I wondered where Illuania was, but she was leaning against the doorframe, grinning with a syringe in her hand.

Colton approached with a smile.

The stench of money was incomparable to Findenai’s tobacco smell.

“We just got some good stuff in, and I saved it for you, young master. Shall we go right away?”

“No, this ends today.”

“Pardon?”

To Colton, who asked what I meant, I declared with deep disgust:

“Dispose of all the drugs you have. They are completely useless in Norsweden.”

“…What nonsense are you talking?”

Colton’s expression showed genuine incomprehension. The burly men who had been bowing slowly straightened up and glared at me.

“Young master, no. Deus. Are you crazy? Too high to understand the situation? Don’t you remember licking my shoes while trembling because I couldn’t give you drugs for a few days?”

“Kik.”

Findenai covered her mouth and laughed, asking if it was true. Pretending not to see, I sighed and struck the ground with my staff.

“Clean this up, Findenai.”

“Watchooo!”

Findenai’s fist immediately drove into Colton. A strike fitting for the piercing winter cold.

Blood and teeth brilliantly decorated the air before staining the snow-covered ground, and Colton passed out.

“Boss!”

“You bastard!”

“Grab them! Drag them into the shop first!”

The burly men rushed at us. I walked forward as if they didn’t exist, and Findenai moved elegantly, making her skirt flutter.

In the end, my steps forward were not hindered for even a moment.

Findenai, who had swallowed up the thugs like a storm, stretched with a satisfied smile.

Illuania was trying to inject herself with a syringe, completely oblivious to her surroundings.

Crack!

My mana violently shattered her syringe.

“Huh? Huh? HUH!”

Illuania stared blankly at the syringe before gritting her teeth and glaring at me in anger.

I told her bluntly:

“You’re not alone. Be mindful of your behavior.”

“…What?”

That was the end of it.

Soon after, Deia arrived with the junkyard personnel as I had instructed.

“Oh! Boss!”

“It’s been a while! You’re still beautiful!”

“That outfit really suits you.”

“Right? Don’t get too excited, you guys.”

Findenai twirled her body as if dancing on the floor covered with sprawled thugs and blood.

Meanwhile, Deia approached me with a frown.

“What’s going on?”

“There should be drugs stored inside. The junkyard people are from the Republic of Clark, so they should be skilled at disposal. Have them dispose of everything.”

“…So you weren’t doing drugs? I honestly suspected you.”

I didn’t bother to answer.

It’s not now, but it’s obvious that in the past, he did.

I looked down at Illuania, who was hugging her stomach protectively, and clicked my tongue.

“I’ll hire another maid, so please prepare a contract.”

“What? Why should I…”

“Ah, my baby. My baby.”

Deia, who was about to grumble, heard Illuania’s muttering and her eyes flashed.

“…Don’t tell me it’s yours?”

I sighed and answered Deia, who had an expression that said this was absolutely unacceptable.

“I was in Robern for three months. That woman seems to be about a month along.”

“Right? Phew, that’s a relief. That would really be crossing the line.”

As Deia spoke as if warning me not to cause trouble elsewhere, I turned my gaze from her to look at Illuania.

A completely broken woman who suddenly appeared. She would be useless anywhere, just a wreck hopelessly addicted to drugs.

‘This is perfect.’

I was certain that she would be the key to solving the biggest problem.