Chapter 197: In The City, Honey Flows And The Moon Seeps Through The Door (3)

The group planned to have lunch at the hotel but were then confronted by an unexpected obstacle.

– I apologize. We do not accept beastfolk at this hotel.

Starting with Earth’s renowned brand-name hotels to budget accommodations similar to tourist hostels, as soon as they saw Corvus, every hotel refused to give them a room in fear.

Unable to tolerate it any longer, the Saintess protested, but it had no effect.

The reason the hotels refused to accept beastfolks wasn’t because of discrimination or hatred, but due to an innate fear.

– Just a week ago, beastfolk terrorists used room service to capture and eat the hotel staff. We apologize, but please go somewhere else.

As a result, the group were unable to even find a hotel and had to settle for eating their meal on the street.

Fortunately, the barley bread with barley jam (?), sold by a dwarf on the street, was tasty. The McCol, however, was not great.

Anyway, the group sat on a street bench and filled their stomachs as cars passed by.

As Neti secretly emptied the McCol into a flower bed, and the setting sun cast long shadows over them, shaking off the breadcrumbs from her wings, Corvus spoke up.

“It seems that having me around makes it difficult for you to find accommodation.”

Her tone was light, but the atmosphere of the group turned tense as they realized what she was trying to say.

“A day or two isn’t a problem, but here…”

At that moment, Yeomyeong, who had been chewing on the barley bread, interrupted her.

“Are you suggesting that we part ways? There’s no need.”

“But, the accommodation…”

“You don’t have to worry about that. If necessary, we can just rent out an entire guesthouse to ourselves.”

Saying so, Yeomyeong then pulled out a pouch of gold coins from his inventory.

Corvus was momentarily stunned speechless upon seeing the heavy pouch of money, but after the Saintess let out a small chuckle, she spoke again.

“I never thought there would be a day when I’d be moved by the sight of money.”

Corvus’ voice contained a mix of jest and sincerity as she spoke. Upon hearing that, Neti giggled, the Saintess grinned, and Seti silently dipped her barley bread into the McCol.

For a moment, everyone simply focused on filling their stomachs in that relaxed atmosphere.

And before they knew it, they finished their meal, stood up, and turned toward the next lodging.

With his bread basket now emptied, the dwarf waved them goodbye as everyone gathered at the traffic light to cross the street.

At that moment, a black limousine came to a screeching halt in front of them.

The appearance of the luxury sedan limousine, rare even on Earth, immediately drew attention from the passersby. As the back door opened, a dwarf in a suit wearing a monocle with burn marks covering his face stepped out.

Unlike the other dwarves they had met so far, this one gave off a distinctly military vibe.

Seeing a few people on the street immediately flee at the mere sight of him, it seemed he was quite a famous figure in the city…

Without hesitation, he suddenly approached the group and spoke directly to Yeomyeong.

“Could you spare a moment? There’s someone who wishes to speak to you about the inventory.”

As history had proven, criminal organizations were all born in similar environments.

An ineffective government and unstable security.

People who would stop at nothing for profit.

Discrimination against minorities and workers.

When those who conformed to society became objects of ridicule, and both the rich and the poor preferred easy violence over justice, criminal organizations naturally became a part of society.

This was true in medieval Sicily, in modern America, and it was also true in the p Gemini City…

“Just summarize it.”

Seated on the comfortable limousine seat, Yeomyeong cut off the conversation.

The dwarf, who had been driveling non-stop until then, glared at Yeomyeong.

“This is still an important story.”

“We just came from Dreitherial.”

Upon hearing the name of the city of scums from beyond the Dimensional Portal, the dwarf’s face hardened.

“…So you are a native from that garbage dump, huh? It seems that I have just made a fool of myself in front of the expert.”

“…”

Yeomyeong neither confirmed nor denied it.

He just tilted his head a little and aimed an ice spike at the dwarf’s forehead.

The dwarf alternated his gaze between Yeomyeong and the ice spike, and by the time Neti asked, “Can I open the fridge?”, he spoke again.

“Then let’s talk about something other than our history.”

“Summarize it.”

“Hmm, are you aware that the organization that rules this city is called ‘La Cosa Nostra’?”

Yeomyeong nodded. The mafia from America that had crossed over to the Dimensional Portal.

“Actually, ‘La Cosa Nostra’ is just the front organization. In reality, three organizations have formed an alliance.”

“Three organizations?”

“The Beastfolk’s Prairie Brotherhood, La Cosa Nostra run by the Earthian mafias, and… our Knight Order.”

Yeomyeong furrowed his brows. Not just any other groups, but three criminal organizations coexisting in a single city?

What reason did the mafia have to join forces? An external enemy? A balance of power? Or maybe an absolute powerhouse?

As Yeomyeong pondered over that, the dwarf provided the answer.

“The peace between the three was established entirely thanks to our captain. It’s the result of his efforts for the city’s citizens.”

“…”

Even though the words “Knight Order” and “Captain” coming from a mere gangster sounded cringe-worthy, Yeomyeong didn’t mock him.

After all, the Count Palatines in Dreitherial were also gangsters who ruled the city with power and authority.

And moreover, this was a city connected to Earth.

If someone was able to control gangsters here, they must be exceptional in both strength and wisdom.

Of course, this was just a hypothetical scenario. So, Yeomyeong responded with a slightly sharp voice.

“Even if you have an arrangement like that, the situation still looks pretty messed up.”

Far from the city, a band of thieves roaming on the plains were exploiting the name of their organization. Meanwhile, in the heart of the city, Beastfolk gangsters were tailing the CIA…

Yeomyeong didn’t bother bringing it up, but the dwarf shut his mouth as if he had heard those unspoken words.

A brief silence ensued.

Perhaps embarrassed, the dwarf stared out the window for a moment, let out a deep sigh, and broke the silence.

“Recently, the Captain… has been a bit… unwell.”

“…”

“As soon as that news began to spread, all sorts of scum started making their moves. Those idiots who don’t even know what loyalty and honor mean.”

As he said that, the dwarf stared directly into Yeomyeong’s golden eyes, which had turned cold and calm.

Just as he was about to continue, Seti interrupted.

“Enough already. Just tell us the reason you came to see Yeomyeong.”

That was right. Just moments ago, the dwarf had approached Yeomyeong’s group out of nowhere, demanding they come with him, and Yeomyeong couldn’t refuse.

It was because of the word he had mentioned: “Inventory.”

Seti, who also knew what that word meant, had no choice but to follow Yeomyeong into the limousine.

And now…

Tired of the long-winded conversation, Seti could not hold back any longer and decided to speak up.

“If you’re planning to trap us, stop dragging it out and just be done with it. We don’t have time to waste.”

The cold tone of her voice was enough to make Neti, who had been sipping on cola from the limo fridge, freeze.

Wiping his scarred face, the dwarf responded.

“…I apologize if my actions led to any misunderstanding. That wasn’t my intention.”

“Forget the apology and just tell us the reason.”

The dwarf didn’t answer right away. He hesitated for a moment, then sighed and spoke.

“…I don’t know the exact reason either.”

“…”

Just as Corvus clicked her beak, the dwarf quickly gave an excuse.

“I’m just here on the vice captain’s orders to bring you all.”

“For someone who knows nothing, you sure talk a lot.”

“Having a conversation is better than stifling silence, don’t you think?”

Unable to tolerate the lame excuses any longer, the moment Seti stood up, the limousine came to a stop. It had circled the city and finally reached its destination.

The group looked out of the limo window almost simultaneously and frowned in unison.

This was the second hotel they had checked out before being turned away from during their visit.

Whether he was aware of the ice spike aimed at the back of his head or not, the driver smoothly announced the destination.

Unlike their first visit, the hotel staff didn’t dare to refuse Corvus this time.

In fact, they were repeatedly apologizing to Corvus for having failed to recognize her connection with the dwarf.

And perhaps trying to take advantage of the situation, the dwarf asked slyly.

“How many rooms would you like to reserve?”

While Seti’s gaze turned cold, Yeomyeong stepped forward and answered him instead.

“Three large rooms, please—the finest, with the best cityscape view.”

“What about your meals?”

“All room service.”

The dwarf nodded as if he could easily accommodate such requests. He then naturally began issuing commands to the staff, which made it clear that this hotel was probably owned by the Knight Order.

“Is this really okay?”

Seti asked after stopping the staff who tried to carry their luggage. It seemed the others had similar thoughts, as the staff members reluctantly stepped back with awkward expressions.

Yeomyeong shrugged and replied.

“Even though they know about the inventory, they still sent the limousine. We might as well have a conversation.”

“And also take care of the lodging at the same time?”

Instead of replying, Yeomyeong merely chuckled. As Seti shook her head in exasperation, large, burly men, noticeably distinct from the hotel staff, approached the group.

“Sir Jepun, we’ve come to escort the guests.”

It seemed the dwarf’s name was Jepun. He extended his hand toward Yeomyeong.

The burly men bowed their heads to Yeomyeong before positioning themselves in a circle around him.

“We will escort you to the special suite.”

As they attempted to lead Yeomyeong away, Corvus blocked their path.

“Apprentice, is it really okay for you to go alone?”

Yeomyeong glanced around before nodding.

“I’m fine. You can go ahead and have some rest first.”

“If any trouble arises, just send a signal. I’ll destroy this hotel without hesitation.”

Her words definitely didn’t sound like a joke. Yeomyeong nodded in agreement before following Jepun and the burly men, separating from the group.

Contrary to his expectations, they didn’t lead him through a secret passage or underground tunnel.

Instead, they simply took an elevator and led him to a room on the far end of the 7th floor, an oddly specific but inconspicuous floor.

The room at which they arrived seemed like one with good soundproofing.

There were no elaborate locks, no magic circles, just an entirely ordinary hotel room.

And the only one who could enter the room was Yeomyeong.

The burly men disappeared into the hallway, leaving only Jepun standing at the entrance, bowing to Yeomyeong.

“The Vice Captain is inside.”

With the sound of the door closing behind him, Yeomyeong stepped inside the room and found a middle-aged man sitting at the table.

With his slicked-back hair streaked with gray, a well-groomed mustache, and solid muscles visible beneath his suit, this middle-aged man already seemed extraordinary just based on appearance alone. And the mana emanating from him only reinforced that impression.

That was a level of superhuman ability that would be hard to find anywhere else.

He greeted Yeomyeong after placing a magnificent sword on the table.

“Nice to meet you. I am Sancho, the vice captain of the Knight Order that governs this city. Thank you for accepting my sudden invitation.”

“Yes, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Yeomyeong took a seat across the table. His gaze naturally fell on the sword resting there, and with just a single glance, he could tell it was no ordinary weapon.

The entire blade was made from a dragon’s bone, and there were not one, but three intricate magic circles engraved on the hilt.

If this were to be auctioned on Earth, it would easily fetch hundreds of billions.

Why on earth would someone place such a valuable sword on a table like this? As Yeomyeong pondered over this question, Sancho spoke up.

“It’s a fine sword, isn’t it?”

“…Yes, it looks like an incredibly fine sword.”

Though not quite as good as mine. Yeomyeong swallowed those words as he watched Sancho stroke the blade gently.

“It is a treasure that belonged to the fallen Imperial Knight Order.”

“…”

“And as you’re probably aware, it’s a very rare sword. To explain it based on your standard… it’s a weapon that can perform well even in the later stages.”

My standards? Yeomyeong loosely clenched his hand, ready to draw the sword from his inventory at any moment.

“I… don’t quite understand what you mean…”

“There’s no need to pretend you don’t understand. After all, I’m just like you.”

“…”

“Someone who fell into this world, which is not reality.”

Yeomyeong still said nothing in response. Sancho alternated his gaze between Yeomyeong’s face and his hands before quietly standing up.

“I was a movie director who made a movie about this world.”

A player, an author, and now a movie director.

The director looked at Yeomyeong’s cold, subdued eyes and asked.

“You must have fallen into a game, right? Were you a game developer? Or just a regular player?”