Chapter 77: Dominating the Market - 4
Chapter 77: Dominating the Market - 4
As the sun set, the red-light district was stirring to life.
Women selling their bodies were already out on the streets, looking for customers.
They caught sight of Jiha and started to toss a few flirtatious glances his way—until they noticed Enril beside him and their expressions curdled into sneers.
"What's this, a dark elf lady?"
"Fresh meat looking for work?"
"She'd bring in customers, all right. How about starting from the bottom at our place?"
Enril frowned at the jeers flying from every direction.
In a place like this, being a Unique Grade meant nothing.
None of the women recognized her, and—
"If you're going to turn back, do it now."
—bringing a woman into a brothel district was a poor move.
In fact, Enril was the only outsider woman on the streets at this hour.
Even the men who had come to sleep with women couldn't tear their eyes away from her; lust flared up the moment they saw her.
A few of them mistook her for a working woman and tried to approach, but they spun right around when Jiha fixed them with a glare.
Jiha had offered a rare bit of consideration, but Enril shook her head.
Her gaze was fixed on the back of the gray elf walking ahead, Iroha, who had pulled her hood down low to hide her ears.
"Is she really that unusual a species?"
"They were extremely scarce even before the Thousand-Year War. A highly secretive race that even elves and dark elves know little about."
Jiha stared at her openly.
After a moment's hesitation, Enril parted her lips to speak.
"In an era so ancient it isn't even recorded in the histories, elves and dark elves quarreled bitterly over how to make use of a certain treasure—and that rift became permanent. In the midst of that conflict, the treasure's whereabouts were lost, but a legend has been passed down that the gray elves hid it away in secret."
"Hmm."
"The dark elves bear a mission to find that treasure."
Iroha's existence seemed to have shaken Enril considerably; she had the look of someone determined to extract whatever information she could.
But the deeper they moved into the red-light district, the harsher the catcalls became.
"Look at her tits and ass sway with every step. Her whole body's begging for it."
"Watch that ass jiggle."
"She'd eat a man alive."
"Is that layabout next to her the lover? Think a human boyfriend like that can keep up with a body that lewd?"
"......."
The brown nape of Enril's neck flushed red with humiliation.
No matter how much she prioritized her objective, being openly degraded by dozens of women she'd never met was a new experience for her.
The authority of a Unique couldn't possibly hold sway in a place like this.
And as long as she wanted to learn something from Iroha, causing a scene wouldn't do any good.
With no way to respond, she could only try to ignore it...
Jiha tsked and wrapped an arm around Enril's neck.
"......."
Startled or not, he didn't care—Jiha raised his middle finger toward the jeering women.
"She's a hell of a lot better than any of you."
"What..."
"Uh..."
The women gaped in shock, clearly never expecting a counterattack, and Jiha sneered.
"Instead of spewing ugly jealousy because she's prettier than you, put in some more effort. You really think you can make any money like that?"
"The hell is wrong with that bastard..."
"Hey, come out here!"
Faces cycling through shades of crimson and blue, the women erupted into an uproar.
Pimps emerged at their summons—and the moment they saw Enril, they froze, mouths clamped shut.
She was a peerless beauty beyond comparison with any other woman present.
A few of them recognized her as a Unique from Blue Seal.
Why she had set foot in a grimy place like this was completely beyond their understanding.
Any fight would have an obvious outcome, and—
"Those two are pissing me off!"
"Beat them and throw them out!"
"No! Just kill them!"
The enraged women shoved at the pimps' backs, and the men just shook their heads helplessly, looking thoroughly put out.
Jiha kept his arm around Enril's neck as he asked, "What do you want me to do?"
"...Huh?"
"I'll do whatever you want."
Enril stared at him with a startled expression.
Jiha always acted according to his own judgment, and she was the one who simply went along with it. This was the first time he had ever asked for her opinion.
"They're my guests. Enough."
Iroha had returned, only just realizing that Jiha and Enril, who had been following behind, had vanished.
The moment the pimps spotted her gray hood, they flinched and hastily bowed their heads.
"Madam!"
"What brings you here..."
"It's truly been years, hasn't it?"
A few of the women recognized her as well, while some of the greener ones showed only blank faces.
But when Iroha gave the long bamboo pipe in her hand a light shake, everyone fell silent.
"They're guests I haven't entertained in a long time. See to it nothing disrespectful happens."
At Iroha's command, everyone backed off.
A handful of the women still shot Jiha and Enril hostile looks, but they couldn't defy the mood of the crowd.
Once the people parted, Jiha guided Enril through the opening.
Iroha gave a cool smile.
"That's why I said not to bring a woman along. You only end up showing her an ugly spectacle."
"Looks more like I'm seeing that you can't keep your own people in line."
"A lot of them have never seen my face before, so it can't be helped."
After that retort, she added, "This will only keep getting uncomfortable. Instead of whispering behind my back, why not walk side by side? If you stay close, there won't be any more trouble."
"Just do your job and guide us. Since you've deigned to visit us, ma'am."
"......."
At Jiha's needling, Iroha simply turned and resumed walking without a word.
As Jiha glared at her retreating figure, Enril, pressed close at his side, spoke in a small voice.
"Thank you... for helping."
"......."
Jiha moved forward without answering. His arm still draped across her neck. Enril, who had been studying his profile, lowered her eyes slightly and matched her pace to his.
He was the only one allowed to tease this arrogant dark elf, to corner her. The thought of anyone else doing it was deeply unpleasant.
Jiha filed that fact away and walked on, eyes fixed straight ahead.
Iroha stopped at the very edge of the red-light district, in front of a three-story building that looked ready to collapse at any moment.
"A shabby guest comes to a shabby place. Fitting, isn't it?"
Iroha laughed coolly and stepped inside first.
Jiha and Enril followed, greeted by the groaning of rotting wooden stairs that creaked underfoot everywhere.
"It's not as if she lacks money, and yet she chooses to live in a place like this."
Enril ascended the stairs looking utterly dumbfounded.
The building itself was old and rundown, but by the time they reached the third floor, it was at least somewhat tidy.
The space consisted of a single room and a bathroom.
A folding screen stood in one corner of the room, and a rug was spread across the floor, making it comfortable enough to sit down or even stretch out on.
Though the wooden window rattled loosely, as if it might fall off at any moment.
"This is about the best I can offer."
Iroha set cups down in front of Jiha and Enril.
Clear liquor sloshed faintly inside.
"Make yourselves comfortable. I'll go wash up for a bit."
Having announced that unilaterally, Iroha disappeared into the bathroom.
Jiha took a seat, and Enril settled carefully beside him, letting out a sigh.
"It's astonishing that a gray elf was here in Waris, but the fact she lives in such a squalid place is even more so. Why on earth..."
"She's in hiding."
Jiha cleared up one of Enril's mysteries, an unusual move for him. He typically held back on sharing information, but this case was a little different.
To understand Iroha, he also needed knowledge from a dark elf.
"Hiding from what?"
"From those who want to find her."
At Jiha's words, Enril sank into thought.
"... Dark elves searched for the gray elves for hundreds of years, but we ultimately concluded they were extinct. We never imagined one could be living in a place like this. If she had asked for help, the dark elves would have mobilized every means at their disposal to protect her, so why...?"
Jiha didn't elaborate further.
He didn't know exactly why Iroha was living in seclusion, but one thing was certain.
Whoever she was hiding from stood above a Unique.
'A Legend... or perhaps the only one in Warsland...'
The straightforward Enril didn't seem to have followed the thought that far yet.
Under Jiha's gaze, Enril hesitated for a beat, then lifted her cup to her lips.
The way she drank was neat and refined.
Come to think of it, this was also the first time he and Enril had been alone together like this.
Making the most of the rare moment, Jiha leaned his body to the side.
Thump.
Resting his head on Enril's brown thigh, he closed his eyes.
"Wait..."
Having a man lay his head in her lap flustered her. This was something she had never experienced in her life.
When Jiha opened his eyes just to look up at her, she grew even more flustered and murmured.
"We aren't alone..."
"So if we are alone, it's fine?"
"......."
They'd already shared their bodies, so what was a little skinship like this?
Enril thought it naturally—and then startled herself. The idea of giving her body to Jiha had somehow become something she took for granted.
Her consternation was written all over her face. Reading her inner thoughts, Jiha smirked and reached up.
As his fingers traced her lips, Enril averted her eyes, looking troubled. Her shyness was cute.
"Come here."
"Wait..."
The sound of splashing water drifted from the bathroom.
Ignoring her hesitation—fully aware a third party was nearby—he pressed down on the back of her head and drew her close.
Then Jiha lifted his own head and kissed her.
"Nn..."
At first, she looked like she might push him away, but once their lips met, she obediently closed her eyes and stayed still.
That response was so endearing, and the thought that this once-haughty dark elf had become so docile was so remarkable that raw lust surged up inside him.
Savoring the damp lips of a peerless beauty, Jiha brought his hand up and clutched her breast.
"Haaht..."
The dark elf's eyelids fluttered as her lips were devoured and her breast was toyed with. As Jiha's tongue traced her lower lip and his hand began kneading the mound of her chest, Enril turned her head away slightly.
"Wai... no."
They weren't alone, and the owner of the house was bathing with no telling when she might emerge.
But Jiha straightened his upper body, caught the dark elf trying to escape, and covered her mouth with his again while slipping his hand inside her top.
When he squeezed a breast that more than filled his palm and stirred a man's greed, Enril's brows relaxed.
A slight tremor ran through her upper body from the pleasure, and the strength drained from the body that had been trying to resist.
Just from a kiss and having her chest fondled, her nipples were already aroused and standing stiff.
As Jiha pinched a nipple between his thumb and forefinger and began to roll it, Enril's brows drew together in a pained look and her body gave a faint shudder.
"Nn, hh..."
Worried the sounds might carry to the next room, Enril struggled to stifle her voice, and Jiha tugged lightly.
Each time he rolled it teasingly, then pulled as if he meant to pluck it free, a sharp intake of breath accompanied a quiver that ran through her womanly frame.
Smack.
When Jiha ended the long kiss and pulled his lips away, Enril gazed at him with damp eyes. Her shallow breath had already turned sweet.
With his hand still buried in her top, still toying with her nipple, Enril furrowed her brow, fighting to hold back her moans.
"Nn, hh..."
Pleased by her desperate effort to choke down every sound—so pleased the thought even crossed his mind that she was adorable—Jiha tormented the nipple relentlessly. He wanted to make her break down and sob.
"Ahng..."
One hand kneading her breast, the other singly focused on her nipple—the moment the combined assault overwhelmed her, Enril's efforts gave out and her lips parted in a sweet, involuntary cry.
Just as Jiha was about to draw even more sound from her, she took the lead, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing her mouth to his.
"Nnn, nnht..."
Enril's coquettish moan swirled inside Jiha's mouth. Unable to endure any longer, and determined to at least keep them from being heard, she had come to him first.
The image of Enril initiating the kiss as she pressed herself forward was intensely arousing.
The playful spark in Jiha's own heart began to catch fire in earnest.
Without it being clear who led, their tongues intertwined, and Enril's hands, still awkward, began stroking Jiha's chest through his clothes.
Only after a long while, after tasting each other's mouths and caressing each other's chests, did their lips finally part.
Enril's face was flushed a deep red, and Jiha was thoroughly aroused as well.
He wanted her.
But this was someone else's home—no, even leaving the place aside, the owner of the house was about to step out of the bath at any second.
Enril knew that too, and she closed her eyes, steadying her breathing to forcibly calm herself down.
Jiha, however, had little inclination to hold back.
Click.
The moment Iroha emerged from her bath wearing nothing but a robe, Jiha rose straight to his feet.
"We'll use the bathroom."
"What?"
Iroha, a liquor bottle in hand, blinked.
Jiha took Enril's hand and pulled her up as she struggled to steady herself. She swayed and leaned into him.
Her slackened expression and dew-slick eyes made her state perfectly clear.
"We're washing up."