Federica's Invitation
I headed for the Thorn Rose Legion building at the heart of the City of Roses in Area 970. It was the largest mansion in the entire city — something out of a noble estate, complete with high walls and a rose garden. Guards stood watch at the entrance.
They must have been briefed already. The moment they confirmed my identity and Ju Seo-hyeon's, they opened the gates and led us across the beautiful rose garden toward the mansion itself.
The moment we stepped inside, the eyes of every Thorn Rose Legion member present locked onto us. Not openly hostile — but far from friendly, either.
I'd heard that more than half the legion was women, yet there were almost no beauties among them. Most of them looked as rough as any mercenary.
"Walking in like you own the place."
"Not a bad-looking guy. The woman, though — not my type."
"The A-Plan Legion Master is more my taste."
They murmured among themselves as they looked us over. Ju Seo-hyeon scowled, clearly displeased. That only made them snicker harder. Crude jokes spilled out of their mouths without a second thought — deliberate provocation.
I'd been worried Seo-hyeon might take the bait. Instead, she gripped my arm tight, as if she were the one worried I would snap. Irritating? Sure. But this much I could handle.
Kang Myeong-jin's words still stand. I just need to get through today without incident.
Tomorrow, the A-Plan Legion's assault would begin. If it succeeded, everything would change.
Still — standing among these plain-faced women, Seo-hyeon's looks shine even brighter.
That was probably exactly why they hated her.
Modern Earth or this world, beauty got you preferential treatment. Li Mei was living proof — chosen by a Divine Seat for her looks alone.
It can get you into trouble, sure. But used right, it's a weapon.
Not that the saying applied to Seo-hyeon. She had a talent for the sword that outshone even her face.
The woman who becomes a Sword Emperor in the future… is mine right now.
I grinned at the rose necklace I'd given her, resting against her throat. Her breast shape, the color of her nipples, the form of her pussy and its hair, the look of her asshole — all of it rose unbidden in my mind. Over her proud face, I saw her panting beneath me, and the two images overlapped.
Her grip on my arm tightened hard.
"Ugh. What the hell was that?"
"That look on your face just now was disgusting. You were thinking something filthy, weren't you."
"Filthy? I was thinking about you."
"…"
Seo-hyeon shut her mouth and didn't answer. The strength drained from her hand. We'd already fucked in an alley on the way here, and looking at her now, I wanted her all over again.
I forced my eyes off her and surveyed the room. There were men in the Thorn Rose Legion too — though unlike the swaggering women, they looked thoroughly cowed.
Just like Li Mei said. In this legion, women hold the higher ground by default — with the exception of Federica's boyfriend, Santanu.
The core of the Thorn Rose Legion was two people.
Federica and Santanu.
Those two were what held the legion together. Put another way, they were also its ceiling.
The guard's escort ended. Our destination was a room on the third floor. He knocked with practiced ease. Federica's voice answered from within. The door opened, and there she was.
Federica sat in a chair, smiling with languid allure — a black dress, thick red hair cascading to her thighs, a figure that drew the eye without effort. Of every woman in the Thorn Rose Legion, she was the only one who truly belonged in this elegant mansion.
"Welcome. I'm glad you're here."
She offered us tea she'd prepared in advance. At first I took it for black tea, but the scent wasn't the familiar one — it was roses.
Neither Seo-hyeon nor I reached for the cups. The A-Plan Legion and the Thorn Rose Legion were on the worst possible terms. Accept a drink from an enemy and you could die of poison. I had Complete Recovery, sure — but there was no reason to drink it.
"There's no poison. I'm not so stupid that I'd serve you laced tea to your face."
"I'm just not much of a tea person."
"Is that so. I should have prepared wine, then."
Federica took my deflection in stride and lifted her own cup, taking a deliberate sip for us to see.
I watched her, then slowly bowed my head.
"I offer my apologies for the unfortunate incident involving the mercenary of the City of Roses."
I drew a pouch from my coat and set it on the table — jewels inside. Kang Myeong-jin had given it to me after learning Federica's fondness for gems.
"I'll accept the apology. Honestly, that mercenary was the one who started it."
Federica collected the pouch with an elegant hand. She was the one who'd put the mercenary up to it in the first place. The crippled man had spilled everything.
"Thank you for accepting it."
"You came in person. The least I can do is take an apology. And frankly, the apology isn't what matters. What matters is that you came here at all."
Federica smiled. Something dark lived in that smile, and Seo-hyeon tensed, watching her warily.
I, on the other hand, relaxed. I'd expected this. There was no way she'd singled me out and summoned me to legion headquarters just to extract an apology.
"Seong Yujin, the Brain Severer. Your Divine Seat is the famous Master of the Firmament, and you're said to have close ties to the Empire's Illusion Duke. There's talk that the A-Plan Legion receives the Illusion Duke's patronage because of you."
"You've looked into me."
"I didn't dig particularly hard. Information about you comes to me even when I sit still."
"The rumors about me are somewhat exaggerated. I do have a connection to the Illusion Duke, but it isn't a deep one."
"You dove into hell for the Illusion Duke's sake, didn't you? And yet you claim it isn't deep… Who would believe that? Heh."
Federica laughed, unhurried. Judging by her manner, she'd already finished verifying every scrap of information.
No surprise there. Anyone with half a brain already knew I was deeply involved with Elena. People even came to me with favors from time to time.
"Seong Yujin. Ju Seo-hyeon."
Federica set down her cup and called our names. The smile vanished from her face, and the air in the room shifted with it.
"I have a proposal for you. Leave the A-Plan Legion and come to the Thorn Rose. Your talents are wasted rotting away over there. As Master of the Thorn Rose Legion, I promise you my full support."
"Don't be ridiculous…! The A-Plan Legion doesn't fall short of the Thorn Rose in any way!"
Seo-hyeon's face hardened as she spoke. Typical of her temperament. I, by contrast, stayed silent.
"I'll grant you that. The A-Plan is a formidable legion. It's been on a winning streak so far. But it's hit its limit. Climbing any higher won't be easy — especially for a legion that pursues conquest above all else."
"And the Thorn Rose Legion doesn't pursue conquest?"
"For us, conquering Atlantis is second. First is wealth and glory. Don't you want to become a noble — to hold money and power?"
"Not just anyone can become a noble. Wanting it isn't enough."
"The preparations are mostly finished. We've been at it for over a year. All we need now is recognition from the existing nobility."
"You need the Illusion Duke's influence."
The previous incident had shaken House Valdert's standing, but Elena had returned from hell intact. Her place among the Empire's Five Dukes was unchanged. With even a little help from her, becoming a noble wouldn't be difficult.
"You understand well. Do you happen to share my thinking?"
"No. I have no desire to become a noble."
I'd played noble long enough in the world of Baekhwan. If I wanted, I could be a noble or a king in any number of other worlds.
There was no need to become one in God's Atlantis. The nobles here didn't hold any greater power than those elsewhere. With force and money, you could live as well as any aristocrat in this world.
"Hmm. I may have asked for an answer too quickly."
"My answer won't change with time."
"Perhaps. Still, you'll need time to think it over carefully. Stay at the mansion tonight. I'll hear your answer again tomorrow."
Federica's eyes gleamed as she spoke. Her voice carried force. Refuse even this, and a fight would break out on the spot.
"Very well. I'll give it calm consideration and answer you again."
I said it formally and rose with Seo-hyeon. Staying at the mansion wasn't a bad arrangement. Tomorrow night, Kang Myeong-jin would lead his forces in an assault on the Thorn Rose Legion.
Seo-hyeon and I were assigned separate rooms. Fortunately, they were right next to each other. The moment she entered hers, she sat on the floor and sank into meditation. Even here, she refused to neglect her training — impressive, in its way.
I left my room. I figured I might as well walk the mansion and map its layout while I was at it. The Thorn Rose Legion would find my wandering irritating, but so what.
I went down to the first floor first. There was a detached building. Judging by its size and design, it was used as a banquet hall.
The door stood open. Nearly thirty men and women lay sprawled across the banquet floor — every last one of them half-naked, men and women alike.
Some kind of wild sex party?
A closer look said otherwise. Not a sex party — a drug party. Narcotics littered the floor everywhere. It was almost absurd.
And at the center of them all, a massive man lay face-down. Black hair, thick with muscle. Santanu. Federica's boyfriend was high out of his mind.
Perfect opportunity to kill him.
Killing Santanu here and running with Seo-hyeon didn't sound half bad. I approached him quietly. Even drugged, Santanu reacted — lifting his head to look at me with unfocused eyes.
"That you, Gale? Take a hit yourself. Feels good…"
"You don't even recognize me. You're completely gone."
"Oh, Gale. Your mother's seducing me. Damn it! I'll kill her! Gale!!"
Santanu suddenly went berserk. He roared, lurched to his feet, and launched himself at the ceiling — clearing over three meters before crashing back to the floor. He writhed with a small groan.
"Federica… Federica… save me… Federica… Gale's trying to kill me…"
He was begging for his life, yet a vacant grin was plastered across his face. I frowned at the grotesque sight. Whatever this drug was, it had to be potent.
I steeled myself to kill him and stepped closer — and that was when I felt a presence behind me.
"Interested in the drugs, by any chance?"
Federica. She was watching me with a soft, knowing smile.
I abandoned the idea of killing Santanu.
"Drugs, is it. I've never tried them, but I am curious."
"Is that so. Want to give it a go? The first time is the hard part. After that, it feels wonderful."
She came closer. I rolled my eyes, scanning the room. No clean way out presented itself.
Before I knew it, Federica was right in front of me. A thick rose scent filled my nose.
"It's our city's secret specialty. A drug refined through alchemy from a special variety of rose. People simply call it Rose Drug."
The top of Federica's black dress slipped slightly. My gaze dropped on reflex, drawn to her full breasts. A flush of pink nipple showed for an instant. I swallowed. The half-hidden glimpse hit harder than any full display.
Federica put something in her mouth and took hold of my shoulder. She parted her lips and extended her tongue. On that alluring red tongue sat a black capsule.
Smiling seductively, Federica pressed her mouth to mine.