Chapter 198: A Formidable Sucker for a Pretty Face
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 198: A Formidable Sucker for a Pretty Face
“Isn’t the scenery of another world quite enchanting?”
“Didn’t you say you were from here, Marika? Isn’t it weird to call it ‘another world’?”
“When the Chairwoman first took me by the hand and brought me to the Empire, it was like a different realm entirely.”
Marika began to indulge in a trip down memory lane—something that ranks high on the list of things one shouldn't do with a younger romantic partner.
A typical younger man might have listened with feigned interest before moving on, but for someone like me, who works hard in the service industry, this kind of hospitality was second nature. I could offer the right reactions with ease.
“A different realm… was it really that much?”
“Indeed. Back then, the tallest building I had ever seen was only eight stories high. Even this pavilion we’re standing on now is one of the newest structures, built using architectural techniques the Empire subtly introduced.”
Considering that my neighborhood—which isn't even the capital—has skyscrapers over a hundred or two hundred stories tall, I couldn't even begin to imagine what the heart of the Empire must be like. It was several times larger and had a much higher GDP than the capital of the United Kingdom or any other kingdom.
“The lights that never went out at night, the faces of people walking the streets without a hint of fear… I still remember it all vividly. The sound of laughter, the cheap bag I wanted so badly, the clothes—everything.”
I didn't have a shred of genuine interest in Marika’s dreamy reminiscence, but I had to play along.
“Since you know it was cheap… I guess you bought it?”
“Yes, it looked so wonderful to me. I wanted it so badly that I saved up the salary the Chairwoman gave me for an entire year. I went to the shop just to check the price, thinking I’d still be short, but…”
Marika chuckled softly and filled her glass halfway.
“I spent days searching for it whenever I had a spare moment, and when I finally found it? It cost less than my daily wage.”
Giggling, Marika drained her glass and brushed back her bangs.
“Our Chairwoman is a bit oblivious about those things. That’s why I make sure to look after the children she picks up—the ones who, like me, save up every penny for a year with sparkling eyes, desperate to buy something they desire.”
“Isn't that a bit too trivial for a CEO to handle?”
“I do it because they stay on my mind. They just stay on my mind. I was someone abandoned by my family, hunted by pursuit squads, living a life of killing and stealing. And yet, the thing I tried to buy—trembling with fear that it might take a lifetime of honest work to afford—was just that cheap bag. Isn't it funny?”
Marika asked back.
“No, it’s not funny.”
Marika, who had been refilling her glass, stared at me blankly. I could see the liquor overflowing.
“Right. It’s a pointless story.”
“No, I mean it’s not a story you should describe as ‘funny.’ It’s an unforgettable memory for you, Marika. It’s something that stayed with you, something you remember so clearly that you look after the new recruits because of it. It’s a story that might even be painful.”
“Ah, I really can’t win against you.”
Exhaling a short sigh, Marika began to chug straight from the bottle until it was completely empty.
“I really, really like you, Husband.”
“A lot of people say that. Go take a number and wait in line.”
Marika giggled, then crawled over and pulled me onto her lap.
“You don't like tall, muscular sisters?”
“I think they’re cool. Besides, that’s not what’s important.”
“Then what is?”
“What’s important is having a heart wide enough to accept me even if I cheat with other women.”
“Wow, Husband, you’re a total piece of trash.”
I could smell a faint scent of alcohol on Marika’s breath.
“My mom told me I have the right to be.”
“I wonder what the Senior Superintendent General is thinking… well, with a husband as cute, handsome, and lovely as you, I suppose I could overlook three wives and four concubines.”
“I’m going to get way more than that, though~?”
“Just you try.”
Marika laughed as she playfully stretched my cheeks. She said it as if she didn't know that my "third leg"—enhanced by two Worldly Possession-grade elixirs and Sexual Art—was currently busy seeding various women.
Tearing a piece of jerky from the table, Marika popped it into my mouth, chewed on the remaining bit herself, and let out a short sigh.
“It’s much better than before, but it still falls short compared to Imperial food.”
“There are no seasonings, but it’s still tasty. Give me another piece.”
Marika smirked and tore off another piece of jerky for me. Perhaps because it was made specifically for a drinking table rather than long-term storage, it was soft and savory.
I didn't mind it; it tasted like the natural essence of the ingredients without being overwhelming.
“I heard your name is Hahou-ju. Are you from the Hahou Family?”
“You’ve gathered quite a bit of information already. Yes, I’m the child of a low-born concubine. My mother was a slave.”
“You’re a concubine’s child, yet you were allowed to take the family name?”
“I didn't have a surname originally. Even my name didn't mean ‘fine liquor’ like it does now; it was just ‘Kitchen.’”
Despite being the boss of a gang in another world, she was starting to spill her tragic childhood past. It seemed like everyone in the world had a story, but Mafia types especially loved to sell their sob stories.
“There was a bastard son of my father who was kind to me. I used to call him ‘Brother.’ He was incredibly talented in martial arts—more so than the legitimate children.”
The story I didn't want to know continued to unfold. A talented bastard son. The gist was that he was so gifted he beat down all the legitimate heirs and eventually became the successor.
And in the midst of all that, Marika had secretly learned martial arts from this ‘Brother,’ only to turn out to be even more talented than him.
“Wait, hold on. Based on what you’re saying, you are from here, right? Not from the Western Region, where the blue-eyed goblins live?”
“...I call you ‘Husband’ now, but yes, I was born here.”
“Your father is from here, your mother is from here… then why is your hair and eye color like that…?”
“Ah, that’s a side effect of the martial arts the Chairwoman taught me…”
It was now confirmed. That scammy dragon bastard had mixed a bunch of random martial arts together, turned someone’s appearance into that of a foreigner, and then taught me some weird Sexual Art by mixing things together for me too.
“Anyway… he was a kind brother, but… he began to envy my talent.”
The rest of the story was something you’d see anywhere. The brother who had been so kind suddenly changed and began to persecute Marika. Trembling with the sense of betrayal, she secretly learned the Hahou Family’s secret techniques, only to get caught.
Then, branded a traitor to the family or a spy for the Demonic Cult, she was cast out. After a grueling pursuit, she eventually met Hindel. The cowardly part was how she glossed over the details of all the people she killed, the things she stole, and the bad deeds she committed during that time!
“So, did you get your revenge?”
“No, I left them be. When I reached the state of Peak Expert, I dreamed of revenge, but after experiencing the world in the Home Country, it all felt futile. That ‘talented’ brother of mine doesn't even rank in the top 40 of the current Murim.”
She tried to sound nonchalant, but it seemed Marika still had some lingering resentment.
“I’ll go with you later as your husband! Then you can brag all you want. Tell them you met a great guy in the Western Region and got married!”
“Heh, sure. That sounds like it could be fun.”
Since she was already ranked in the top 20 of the Murim, simply going to the Hahou Family and crushing her brother in a duel would probably be enough. It was almost funny seeing a Yakuza-type who worked in construction and other dirty jobs acting like she was taking the high road.
As the alcohol took hold, Marika started getting clingy and annoying. I eventually called Amber over to be her drinking buddy and went to sit in the rest area of the inn built on the middle floor, watching the waves on the lake.
It was uncomfortable having to wear the veil all the time when I was out, and it obscured my vision. Since no one seemed interested in me and my hair color was common in these parts, I took off the veil and set it beside me.
The view through the thin fabric was definitely different from seeing it with my own eyes. Looking down from the 12th floor felt too distant, but from the middle floor, it was truly atmospheric.
Higher isn't always better, but it seemed the Murim people had gotten a taste of otherworld engineering and were obsessed with building everything as tall as possible.
As I was contemplating whether it would be better to build a 70-story mega-hotel instead of a 12-story pavilion and how many years it would take to recoup the investment if they secured a private zone from the state, someone spoke to me.
“Is this your first time here?”
I glanced sideways and saw a very beautiful black-haired sister. I briefly wondered how I might flirt with her, but since it didn't look like I’d even have a chance to ‘sample’ her like instant food within the next few hours, I just ignored her.
“I’m not a bad person, kiddo.”
I glanced again at the sister who was trying to get my attention. She fell short compared to my mom, but compared to the sisters I usually spent my time with, she was a top-tier beauty. She began to poke my cheek.
“I don't think it’s right to touch someone’s body like this just because they’re young.”
“You… don't people tell you that you’re quite bold?”
The sister, dressed in purple silk with her long hair held up by a hairpin, looked at me with an absurd expression.
“I don't hear that I’m bold, but I do often hear that I’m sensible and clear-headed about right and wrong.”
“You really have a thick skin… which family are you from?”
It seemed she was trying to pull the ‘connections’ card now that she was at a loss for words. Like the sword-wielding barbarians they were, she was indirectly asking if I wasn't afraid of the consequences of offending someone like her.
“I wonder. Is that important to you, Sister?”
“Haha, right. It’s not import—wait, ‘Sister’?”
The beautiful woman’s expression suddenly turned serious.
“Yes, Sister. Why?”
“You’re a boy…? With that face?”
She suddenly grabbed my shoulders and began to scan my face up and down.
I might be a hopeless sow who gets off on being poked by a dick, but as the child of Ame Cal Degrain—a woman who challenged the title of the most beautiful person in the world—I was also a super ultra pretty boy. It was understandable that she might mistake me for a girl.
“...By any chance, are you betrothed to anyone?”
The way she gripped my shoulders—hard enough to hurt—told me one thing. This lady was a formidable sucker for a pretty face.