episode_0043

“Hello there, sir!”

Someone who entered greeted me brightly with a smile.

Hair tied up with a silver flower-shaped pin.

A small face with a cute nose and fox-like eyes.

She appeared to be in her early twenties with a youthful appearance, heavily made up.

“Oh, hello…”

“Wow… You’re the lucky one this time!”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh! It’s nothing. Just talking to myself.”

She approached me with a cushion in hand.

After glancing at the table opposite, she sat down next to me instead of taking her own seat.

“Um…”

“Why are you like that?”

“No, there’s space in front, but you chose to sit beside me…”

“Does it bother you?”

“No, not really…”

“Hehe!”

– Snuggling closer.

She sat right next to me, linking arms with me.

I could feel something sizable touching me from the center of her tightly pressed body.

Bold.

She seemed entirely comfortable with physical contact, showing no hesitation.

Perhaps she works here as an entertainer.

“What does a handsome man like you do?”

She leaned in close, her eyes full of curiosity.

The scent of cosmetics and perfume wafted over me strongly. Smelled like plum blossoms…?

With our arms linked, I dryly replied to her.

“…Just a regular merchant.”

“A merchant?! You must be wealthy!”

“I make a decent living. And, I’m not ‘oppa’.”

“If you’re good-looking, you’re automatically ‘oppa’! Or maybe… ‘nuna’ is better?”

Her eyes narrowed seductively like a fox.

Her gaze was sharp, as if she could devour me in an instant.

The high-quality silk fabric of her loosely draped clothing looked expensive at first glance.

Her innocent eyes and gentle tone were inviting.

She seemed quite adept at dealing with men.

…Could she have been involved in the entertainment industry since she was young?

I felt like I understood why so many people spend money on such indulgences and get lost in alcohol.

“I… want to order some drinks.”

“Oh! Get a hold of yourself! What would you like to have?”

“I’d prefer something with relatively low alcohol content.”

“Well, all we have here are strong drinks… How about some light pine wine?”

“That will do.”

“Sure thing~.”

She opened the door again and hurriedly walked out.

“Phew…”

As I watched her leave, I felt a moment of relief.

Being in the Red Light District had kept me on edge due to the constant tension.

There might be powerful forces behind the scenes, and the group that kidnapped Rozaria might be lurking nearby.

This wasn’t the time for leisurely drinking and chatting.

‘I came here to rescue Rozaria, not to engage in these activities…’

These recent events helped clarify my thoughts.

I definitely wouldn’t become Rozaria’s bodyguard.

Getting involved in these matters repeatedly would stretch me too thin.

Instead…

“I brought the drinks, oppa!”

She returned with the drinks while I was lost in thought.

I looked at her and replied.

“…Thank you.”

She sat back down next to me, placing one glass on the table.

She poured the pine wine and cheerfully pushed a filled glass towards me.

“Drink up!”

“…”

Silently taking the glass, I pondered.

I should drink moderately for about 30 minutes, pretend to be tipsy, then excuse myself to the restroom.

That way, I could gather information while wandering around.

Let’s drink just enough to not appear drunk, as I might encounter the Black Magic Sect at any moment.

I raised the glass.

– Sip, sip.

“Gulp…”

The liquor, made by mixing acorns with malt powder, tasted sweet.

However, it had a slightly bitter aftertaste, probably due to its alcohol content.

“Even though my physical age is fifteen, is it okay to drink this often…?”

I needed to drink to avoid suspicion. But still, I shouldn’t let my guard down, as I sipped the drink.

After drinking a few glasses, the feeling of intoxication slowly began to rise.

She looked at me with a smile.

Just as I was about to say something to break the awkward silence her gaze brought, she asked me first.

“…What do you want?”

Ah.

A brief moment of silence ensued.

An awkward atmosphere lingered.

It was understood implicitly that as long as you paid, you could treat the hostess however you wanted in the bar.

Of course, engaging in physical relations was out of the question…

It was a common understanding that some degree of physical touch was expected.

But I didn’t want that.

It wasn’t the mood or the situation for it.

“Just, well, this is fine as it is.”

“Why? Then why did you come here?”

“Just to drink and receive. I felt lonely being alone suddenly, so that’s enough.”

“…Is that so? A bit thankful, aren’t you?”

“……”

Thankful.

Even if it were me, I would have been grateful as a guest like myself.

In the entertainment industry, being touched was probably a daily occurrence, so she must have been tired.

Silence fell again.

I would leave soon, and since I seemed to have nothing to say, she didn’t say anything either.

She just silently refilled my glass when I finished my drink.

“……”

“……”

The awkward silence was a bit uncomfortable.

“…Are there any difficult aspects to your work?”

Feeling uneasy, I blurted out without thinking.

“There are many!”

But thankfully, she responded enthusiastically to my formal question.

“What kind of difficulties do you mainly face?”

As I poured liquor into an empty glass she hadn’t used out of courtesy and handed it to her, she took it.

And then she quickly gulped it down.

“…Cheers!”

“……”

Continuing on, she said, “Lately, strange groups of customers have been increasing suddenly, causing stress! They’re old but they don’t treat me with respect… They just stand there and gossip among themselves or touch me like a doll!”

“That must be tough.”

“Yes. They mainly talk about politics and magic. In a world dominated by those who can use magic, it’s disadvantageous for talentless commoners…”

“……!”

I was momentarily taken aback by her words.

This story… It sounds familiar.

But is it okay to casually leak information about other guests like this?

“Do they also talk about changing the world?”

“Huh?! How did you know…?”

“……”

I unexpectedly obtained information.

“Do such people still exist?”

“Yes. They said more will come in about two days… They might even be here now.”

“I see.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll just go to the restroom for a moment.”

I put down the glass I was holding, opened the door, and hurriedly went outside.

If my guess was correct… they were from the Black Mage Sect.

Whether they were high-ranking officials or ordinary members, I had no idea, but upon hearing the conversation, I had to take action.

It was a despicable act, but to gather information, I passed through each room, eavesdropping on the conversations behind the doors.

“‘Hah! Brother… You can’t go that far!’”

“Just stay quiet, woman!”

“……”

It seemed like this wasn’t the right place.

I kept moving on.

“‘Brother, can you really provide for me?’”

“Of course! I earned 10 silver coins today alone!”

“……”

Not this room either.

Standing around aimlessly for too long might raise suspicions, so I continued passing rooms, behaving like a drunkard who couldn’t find his way.

And then, while passing through numerous rooms, pretending to be lost like a drunkard searching for a room, my steps momentarily halted.

“‘They’re transferring her to the Brace Kingdom? For what reason?’”

“They said it’s because of the altar.”

I paused briefly, listening closely near the wall.

‘Her…? Who is she?’

I leaned closer to the wall, trying to hear more.

“‘Ha! I’d like to get rid of her right away if I could. I have no idea what the higher-ups are up to.’”

“I agree. Somehow, the higher-ups seem to have a different agenda than just the country’s rebellion when they involve themselves on this side…”

She was taken aback by the conversation inside the room.

Moving her and inciting a rebellion in the country?

If that was the topic, the suspected possibility became more plausible.

Could it be members of the Black Magic Sect?

“I’ll go to the restroom for a moment!”

“Oh, take your time! …I’ll be here playing with this side.”

“Ugh….”

The sound of footsteps walking away briskly.

Startled, I quickly pretended to continue walking down the path.

Immediately after, the door of the room I had been eavesdropping on creaked open.

“Ahem….”

The man who opened the door stretched and walked slowly towards the restroom.

“…Should I call Emil?”

Acting alone would cause confusion between Emil and me.

However… this was a sudden golden opportunity.

The possibility of it being the Black Magic Sect seemed likely upon hearing the conversation.

When would they go to the restroom?

Perhaps, after using the restroom, they could leave immediately, saying that dinner was over.

“Yes, this is an opportunity. Let’s move.”

I followed behind the man pretending to walk down the path as well.

He opened the restroom door and entered.

Fortunately, it seemed like no one was inside the restroom.

If I entered, it would be just him and me.

As soon as he went in, I casually opened the restroom door and went in.

And….

-Click.

The door locked.

“……”

“……”

As he was about to urinate, he suddenly stopped his moving hand.

The situation changed abruptly.

And that moment came.

-Swish!

-Thud!

He lunged at me with a dagger.

But I reacted immediately, drawing the sword hidden at my waist to parry the dagger.

In the moment he lost the dagger, I swiftly aimed my sword at his throat.

“Urgh….”

“As expected, it was the Black Magic Sect.”

Although he hesitated due to the sword at his throat, he was already cornered against the wall with nowhere to retreat.

“Who are you! Are you the princess’s lackeys?!”

“You’re quite talkative. I had suspicions until now.”

“You son of a b**** who’s going to kill me!”

“If you move a bit more, I’ll strike.”

…It wasn’t an empty threat.

I pressed the edge of the sword closer to his neck.

Thin streams of blood trickled from the skin where the blade grazed.

…These guys are truly despicable.

Kidnapping innocent people under the guise of their beliefs.

There was no reason to treat them gently.

But then, suddenly, the Black Magic Sect member started chuckling.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Do you think you’ve won?”

“…?”

What is he talking about?

Just as I was thinking that.

“….!”

A formless black aura began to emanate from the sword in my right hand.

“Black magic…?! When did I get hit?”

There was a slight wound on my right hand that seemed to have been cut when I deflected the dagger earlier.

“Hahaha! If you want to kill me now, go ahead. I won’t go down alone! Foolish fellow, let’s die together!”

“……”

The formless black aura was gradually seeping into my skin.

It seemed like black magic reversing the tide of battle, similar to what happened before.

Silently, I touched my waist with the other hand that was aiming the sword.

-Pavabat!

As I did so, the black aura that was penetrating my body lost its strength and dissipated into the air.

…I calmly looked at the man in front of me again.

“Hahaha! Haha! Haha… Huh?”

“……”

After laughing for a while, he suddenly stopped.

Even as time passed and I didn’t show any signs of distress, he wore a dumbfounded expression, not understanding what was happening.