Episode 2-a. Tebris, the City Where Night Never Comes (6)
Truth be told, I'd never set foot in a place like a brothel. Not in my past life, nor in this one. I was a pretty upstanding young man, after all—someone who just wanted to escape the bounds of ordinary life, to see my small yet grand dreams come true. To that end, I was always too busy chasing after the heels of those brimming with talent.
If I let my male urges distract me, it felt like those far-ahead figures would glance back, sneer, and cast me aside. People who could afford to indulge their desires so leisurely were already miles beyond me. No amount of lazy, sticky pursuit would let me catch up. Like the tortoise doggedly pursuing a slacking hare, I had to stare piercingly at that pure white tail and charge forward.
So honestly, I was just as scared of this place as Aberly. The long street lined with red lanterns, the dim and shadowy interiors of the buildings, the vulgar chants and all sorts of noises. These unknowns terrified me too, and if it weren't a necessary step, I'd never have come. And that held true even now.
"You'll have to leave your weapons here before entering. Mind if I pat you down?"
"...Well, I've only got this sword on my belt and a dagger in my pocket, but go ahead and search."
The inside of the pleasure house shimmered with iridescent purple light. I'd parted ways with old man Horn right at the entrance, leaving just me, a guard-looking guy, and the woman I'd pointed out beside me.
"Hm, yeah, just what you said. Leave your weapons here, and we'll guide you to your assigned room."
"Sure, thanks."
From the rooms lining both sides of the long corridor came the crude, base sounds of men and women pressing flesh. As we passed, doors cracked open one by one—grunting men stumbling out, followed by disheveled women whose clothes had slipped, barely covering their breasts.
Was this really just your average brothel? Had our trio's suspicions that something was off turned out to be nothing?
"Here's your room. Use 1103, and just a reminder: you've got two hours, sir."
"...Got it."
Such thoughts flickered through my mind, but they vanished with a thud as the door shut behind me.
Truthfully, there wasn't even time to be scared—a luxury when the clock was already ticking. I checked the remaining time right away.
"...?"
"Sir, should I help you undress completely, or do you want to stay like that?"
It was a small room. Bed, mirror, bathroom—bathed in lewd lighting that gave off a humid, seedy vibe.
Before answering the woman, I stepped inside and inspected every corner. Under the bed, behind the mirror, beneath the floor mats, the wallpaper seams.
"Sir...?"
"...?"
I hadn't checked everywhere, but nothing looked suspicious. Maybe there were secret traces I was too ignorant to spot, but to my eyes, it was clean.
So, I needed to slip out before the two hours were up and scout the other areas. And as I did this, the prostitute who'd entered with me spoke up, looking troubled.
"Sir... that kind of behavior is a problem. This is a place to release your desires, not for investigations."
"...?"
I turned to the woman, who was biting her lip anxiously. Truth be told, before entering, it might've looked like I'd picked her at random. But among the whores, hers were the clearest eyes, so I'd chosen her.
"If you keep this up, I'll have to report you to the manager. Otherwise... I'll get punished."
"What's your dream?"
They weren't the hollow, drugged-out eyes of the others. Tiny flames still flickered there, as if she hadn't fully abandoned life or dreams.
"...If you're not here to fuck, then leave."
"I've got one dream. Every day, I think about changing the world."
"Keep this up, and I'll call the guards!"
So I figured a woman like her might offer even a tiny hint if this place really was shady. Lifting the bedsheet to check inside, I continued.
"I set out on this adventure to make a world where everyone can live ordinarily. Because for some, just living normally is their biggest dream."
"...Hey."
"Sounds ridiculous, right? Some no-name adventurer suddenly claiming he's traveling to change the world."
"...?"
Doubt and unease clouded her half-lidded eyes. She clutched at her thin clothes that barely covered her body, standing by the door like I was some weirdo.
"But what can I do? The letter's prophecy and my gut both whisper that I must. And for me, lifting this city's curse is the starting point."
"The letter's prophecy... Lucky you."
By then, I'd finished searching the room. Straightening up, I turned to her. She stared back from the door, a bit surprised.
"I got the letter, probably because I dream so big. So let me ask again."
"...?"
I asked once more.
"Do you want to dream again?"
"...?"
Dreams. They were vital to humans. The blessing that let you sleep, rise, live the day, and close your eyes under the darkening sky. Even if they were futile hopes with slim odds, they gave direction, purpose.
Though the people of Tebris had lost both.
At least, the dream I sought was hidden here.
"You're human too—you must want to dream again."
"...I do. Of course I do, but this is... Tebris. And I'm... just a sold whore."
So, stretching to loosen up, I said,
"Night will return here too. I'm thinking of rolling that first tiny snowball."
"...?"
"Aren't you curious how far a no-name adventurer's snowball will grow, tumbling down the slope and swallowing snow along the way?"
Time to head out. She bowed her head thoughtfully, and I slipped past, quietly opening the door.
No advice was fine—as long as she stayed quiet, it helped.
"You've still got an hour fifty left, so rest easy and head out later. I'll just... "
And then.
"...The basement."
"...?"
"I've never been, but... people get dragged there sometimes. If there's anything shady here, it's gotta be that."
"Thanks."
Stepping out, I got some solid info. Grinning, I left the room and turned toward the basement.
I'd wanted my weapons first, but a guard was at the storage. So unarmed, I strode the moaning corridor until I spotted stairs leading down, descending cautiously.
Dim and eerie. The purple shimmer was gone, replaced by pitch black broken only by faint, milky lanterns lighting the path. No more moans—my footsteps echoed louder. The stairs were long and deep; I swallowed hard, descending for what felt like ages.
Finally, I ducked behind a wall and muttered quietly.
"Ah... fuck."
Why didn't other adventurers investigate brothels like us? It wasn't just about pretext, as old man Horn or Aberly said. Anyone who'd come to probe like us probably entered and vanished without a trace—dead.
Unlike the brothel's pristine walls, this was rough brick. Not just old, but raw, evoking something ancient—beyond the stabilized world, the first civilization, the glorious peak of regressed magic.
Ruins from that era lay before me. And amid them, black-robed figures with strange symbols chanted spells.
"...Black mages."
No one else in this world chanted like that in the shadows, extracting something.
And then.
"What, black mages?"
"Probably black mages...?"
Voices from behind. No footsteps on the stairs, but someone had snuck up.
I spun and kicked with all my might. No questions asked. Basic brawl technique one: rib-breaker.
But my full-force kick whiffed.
"...Never seen such a rude bastard."
"You little shit... Gramps, I nearly died of fright."
It was old man Horn behind me. Luckily, dwarves were short as fuck, so not even his hair got near rib height.
"I nearly did die, you rotten punk."
"Anyway, how'd you get here? No info."
We'd been apart less than an hour, but reuniting felt good.
"No info? Just beat it out."
Gramps grinned, pulling his hammer and tapping it on his palm boastfully.
"The woman...?"
"Dwarves don't discriminate."
"...?"
Huh. Truly, this world's best search engine: beatings. Crack the skull hard enough, and info spills instantly.
But wait.
"...How'd you keep the hammer?"
"Screamed it's part of my body like a damn whale, so they only took axe and shield."
"Whoa, they bought that excuse?"
They took my weapons but left Gramps's massive hammer? Makes sense?
"Worked. Idiots actually believed a hammer's body part. It's worn anyway—gonna ditch for a new one."
"First dwarf you've met, huh? I'd probably believe if you pulled that shit on me."
I'd have bought it meeting Gramps first too.
"Never seen such a dwarf discriminator."
"Speciesist over all-racist? That's more honest, no?"
"I don't do gender discrimination like you, whelp."
"No one calls beating everyone equally 'equality,' Gramps... "
Of course, once I learned he was a fucking racist dwarf gramps, any faith evaporated.