6. Red-Light District
'Those worthless human scum, less than insects! How dare they touch my sister...'
A man spurred his horse into a frenzy, unleashing his rage in his mind. Amid the wind whipping at his hood, strands of silver hair slipped free, catching the sunset light in an ethereal hue that traced mysterious arcs through the air. In that moment, the final confession of the filthy kidnapper he'd just interrogated flashed through his head—the words extracted after gutting the bastard and promising a merciful death.
'They offered three extra gold, so I—urk—handed her over to Igor in Arke's red-light district. That's everything I know, so please just...'
Throughout history, most brothel districts have been tangled up with organized crime. The same held true here in Rondia's red-light district—every single one was backed by a gang or straight-up run by them.
In other words, behind the seductive facade, all sorts of crimes festered unchecked. Not that I gave a damn; I was just there to blow off some steam and lust. That is, until I rounded a corner and slammed into some guy.
Thud.
"Ugh—"
"Hng..."
A tall bastard popped out of a blind spot. I staggered for a second from the impact but quickly steadied myself, my right hand instinctively gripping my sword hilt. Then I turned and saw him frozen in a counterattack stance—and I couldn't hide my surprise.
He had to be at least two meters tall, his bulk amplified by the cloak, but that wasn't it. Peeking from under his slightly tilted hood was silver hair framing a strikingly rare face.
A dark elf? The kind who hate humans and hole up in the forests—why the hell is he here? Don't tell me...
In a human village—no, in the red-light district of all places—running into a species I'd never expect set my instincts on edge, highlighting one glaring possibility. The odds were high that this dark elf encounter was the 'opportunity' I'd been hunting for.
So in the next instant, I released my sword first, placed my hand over my chest, and greeted him.
"Noble shadow who treads the Night Forest. It's a rare pleasure to meet one such as you here. Name's Eugene."
"...I am Lumentar. The pleasure is mine as well. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend—"
"Hold up. Looks like you could use some help."
When a human like me used a dark elf greeting, surprise flickered across his face, but he still tried to bolt in his urgency. Before he could pass, I stepped in his path and offered assistance—but he misunderstood my intent completely. His expression hardened further, and with a faint shing, he drew a sliver of his bluish blade to threaten me.
"Don't try any funny business, human. Step aside quietly."
"Whoa, whoa. Seems like a misunderstanding. I'm a mercenary. And that wasn't some cheap ploy—it was a legit offer to lend you my strength as one."
"..."
"No idea what's driving you, but you're clearly planning to tear up this red-light district. You think you can take on a gang alone? In their home turf, no less?"
"Why would a stranger like you help me?"
"Who said anything about free? I'll do the job for pay, like any merc. What grand reason does a mercenary need to earn coin?"
"Coin... How much?"
At my straightforward talk of money, he gave that inevitable 'figures' look and asked for a price. The disgust flashing on his face grated a bit, but I played it cool and kept talking.
"Depends on what you want from me, Lumentar."
"...I'm searching for a kinswoman who was kidnapped."
"Care to elaborate?"
..."
"So to sum it up: Yesterday, kidnappers sold your kinswoman here to the red-light district. To some guy named Igor?"
"Correct."
His urgent situation meant the briefing wrapped in under a minute, but the impact was massive.
Damn... Kidnapping dark elves from the Night Forest is ballsy enough, but the buyer being Igor? That's a problem.
Those dark elves had continent-wide notoriety as vengeful ghosts, and the balls it took to snatch one was one thing. But the name 'Igor' from Lumentar's lips hooked me instantly.
And for good reason. Igor, the buyer, was the gang boss owning the biggest brothel in Arke's red-light district. An acrotomophile—a freak who got off on amputees. Famous for fucking women who'd been fully dismembered, wriggling on the bed like worms until they broke, then tossing them to the dogs.
Of all people, he gets tangled with the biggest psycho in town... Should I bail?
Right as the option to cut and run crossed my mind, something appeared before my eyes.
If you give up now, the opportunity to recruit the dark elf Selene as a companion will vanish.
Later, if Selene dies or suffers harm, Lumentar may harbor vengeance against you for wasting his time without helping.
So... Limb-chopping bald psycho versus vengeful dark elf ghost...
Weighing the outcomes, I met Lumentar's gaze and spoke with resolve.
"Two gold. No less."
In the end, I'd decided to help Lumentar rescue the kidnapped dark elf. Igor was just a disposable psycho once we left Arke, but earning a dark elf grudge? That was next-level stupid. These revenge demons tracked enemies to the continent's remotest corners—they were the real deal.
And their specialties include assassination and poison...
..."
First, I took one gold as an advance from Lumentar, then led him straight to Igor's brothel—the towering centerpiece of Arke's red-light district.
"Welcome. Looking for anyone in particular?"
No sooner had we passed the red-curtained entrance than a woman approached with a honeyed voice. Her foxlike face oozed allure, and the sheer dress hinting at her curves was mouthwatering. If not for the rescue op, I'd have grabbed her wrist and dragged her to an empty room. Alone, savoring those firm tits and ass, then slamming my throbbing cock into her dripping—
Focus. Haven't busted a nut in two days; impulses are running hot.
I shook off the lewd fantasy flickering unbidden in my head and shook my head at her.
"Nah. Wanna browse and pick."
"Of course. Take your time, and when you find someone you like, head to one of the rooms over there for some fun."
She smiled, gesturing to the Persian-style lounge packed with about twenty women waiting for customers, and the hallway beyond lined with rooms, before stepping back.
We moved into the lounge, ignoring her, scanning the whores teasingly barely covering—or outright revealing—their goods.
All humans or half-beastkin hybrids.
As expected, no sign of Selene among the twenty-odd women.
Makes sense—she was sold yesterday; too soon for her to be working the floor. But if Igor's keeping her for personal fun, we're in deep shit...
The anxiety nagged, given how the limb-freak shelled out three extra gold for her. Pushing it aside, I approached the leftmost whore in the group—a plain-looking one, not ugly but paling next to the others.
Experience says these types talk easier.
"You do two at once?"
"Yes. As long as it's not anal, I can use hands or mouth together."
"Good. Let's go."
We followed the rising whore down the hall to a room tucked deep in a corner.
Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!
"Hah, hah—yes♡ Harder, pound me harder♡"
We peeked into a few rooms leaking obscene sounds along the way, but as I'd figured from the lounge, no Selene anywhere.
Moments later.
"Now, before we get down to some sloppy fun—mmph!"
As the whore parted the heavy curtain and stepped in, I grabbed her from behind, clamping her mouth shut. She trembled rigidly, and I whispered in her ear.
"Shh... Just a few questions, so relax. Nod if you understand."
"Mmph..."
She whimpered softly and nodded soon after. Time to pump her for info on Selene.