Chapter 471: Give a Peck, Get a Bushel
Chapter 471: Give a Peck, Get a Bushel
Night falls on every city.
And in every city, the streets of the night exist.
The streets of the night. They are known by many other names, such as the red-light district or the slave market, but most Users simply call the markets that open after dark the streets of the night.
These streets are too vast to be described by any single feature, but if one were to pinpoint their common characteristic, it could be summarized in a single word.
Desire.
As mentioned, it starts with brothels and gambling dens. A little deeper, you find black markets and contract killings. Deeper still, arenas and slave markets. In essence, these are the streets where the dark desires of Users—desires that cannot be revealed in the light of day—are made real and traded under the cover of night.
While it’s true that no city is completely without its night streets, the degree to which they are tolerated varies. You could call it the difference between permission and prohibition. Some cities permit them, while others do not.
For the Users, however, such restrictions are of little consequence. As long as there is a single city that allows it, they can simply travel there using the warp gates that connect the cities like a spiderweb.
From that perspective…
The city on the Northern Continent with the most prosperous night streets was Coran, a small city in the south. If Monica’s city was one that thoroughly rejected the streets of the night, Coran was the first to officially condone them.
Despite occasional criticism from disapproving cities, Coran’s response was always, “This is our city’s business, so don’t tell us what to do.” As a result, it now boasted the most active night streets on the entire Northern Continent.
The small southern city of Coran.
On a street bathed in a red glow that created a sensual atmosphere, various buildings competed to show themselves off. Some lured Users with their flashy exteriors, while others had people step out to entice passersby with lewd poses and gestures. Of course, there were plenty of Users who entered of their own accord.
“This kid looks pretty good. He looks young, and his skin is so smooth. I like him. How much?”
“Huh? But this one hasn't finished his training yet… It hasn't even been three months since he left the User Academy.”
“Oh, come on, uncle! What’s with the act? It’s not like this is our first time doing business. I like them like this. Look at him, all embarrassed. He still has that fresh, modern scent~. Hohoho.”
“Aish… Tsk! Then 100 gold coins—no, 200! I absolutely won’t go any lower than that.”
A fat man clicked his tongue and made a V-sign with his fingers, a silent, firm declaration that he would not go below 200 gold coins.
But a moment later, the man’s eyes widened in surprise. He had expected her to give up on haggling, but after muttering, “Hmm? A bit expensive, isn’t it?” the woman readily held out two platinum coins.
The fat man stared blankly as the gold coins were forced into his hand and the young man was dragged away by the woman.
“Hee~. You’re even more adorable up close. We’ll have a fun day together, and I’ll send you back in one piece, so don’t you worry. Shall we go? Hoho, hohoho!”
The woman let out a soft laugh as she pulled him by the hand. The young man, while feigning reluctance, was dragged away with a look of subtle anticipation. It was because the woman who had just bought him was quite beautiful.
However, the fat man’s heart was heavy as he watched the two of them disappear. The woman was a regular customer, and he knew all too well what kind of hobbies she had.
She had a rather unusual proclivity for watching men together. In other words, the young man she had just taken would most likely be playing the role of the receiver.
“Goddamn it. Send him back in one piece, my ass! She won’t even be doing anything! Ugh, what rotten luck…”
She would probably stop somewhere on the way to pick up a burly man to play the aggressor. Once they got home, she would force them to be intimate while she watched for her own amusement. The kid would probably come crawling back tomorrow morning, walking bow-legged. With that thought, the fat man spat on the ground, turned, and entered the building. On his way in, he slapped a woman who was shyly soliciting customers by the entrance, seemingly taking his anger out on her.
A short while later.
Another man, who had been quietly watching the scene from the side, waited for the fat man to go inside before he began to move. He wore a faded robe with the hood pulled low, obscuring his face, but he appeared to be remarkably tall.
It was an outfit any User would find strange, but on the streets of the night, it was an exception.
No. In truth, even in a red-light district like this, a User dressed this way wasn’t exactly welcome.
It might have been different in a black market or a place for contract killings. But he reeked of suspicion, practically screaming, ‘I’m a shady person,’ and there was no telling what kind of trouble he might cause on a street where prostitution was the main business. For that reason, solicitors usually avoided Users in suspicious attire.
However, there was one exception to this: when they entered on their own. In such cases, the brothels wouldn’t turn them away unless it was an extreme situation. After all, there were Users who wished to hide their identities.
He followed the fat man into the building, and the entrance thrummed with the sound of sensual music and a boisterous crowd.
The man glanced around for a moment, then gently opened a door to the side.
Thump, thump, thump, thump!
“Yeah, that’s it~!”
“Hey! Shake that ass some more!”
Inside was a large space. In the center, illuminated by a soft red light, stood a stage where three or four nearly naked women were dancing lewdly. Around them, countless Users were cheering wildly and throwing things onto the stage.
A faint smile touched the man’s lips before he immediately closed the door. Without hesitation, he turned and walked toward the counter at the front.
As expected, a scantily clad woman was at the counter. She flashed a brilliant smile at the approaching man. It was a smile for business.
“Welcome, Oppa! Thank you for visiting Eve! Is this your first time here?”
“…It is. But I’ve heard a few things, so you don’t need to explain.”
“I see~. Alright, Oppa. Would you like to enter the stage area? Or would you prefer a room where you can have a good time?”
“A room.”
At the man’s simple reply, the woman nodded enthusiastically.
“Okay. A room it is… The base price for a room is 50 gold, with additional charges depending on your requests~. Ah. Do you have a particular type you’re looking for?”
“Hmm. I’d like her face to be sexy, her body to be on the slender side, but with large breasts.”
“…We have so many who fit that description~. It’s better for your selection if you could be a little more specific!”
“Hmm~. In that case, could you pick a woman so sultry that I’ll never be able to forget her after seeing her just once? The kind I’ll be thinking about at night when I’m pleasuring myself.”
“……”
At first glance, the man’s request sounded quite niche.
However.
A strange light flickered for an instant in the eyes of the woman, who had been smiling cheerfully at him. Though her face remained smiling, she had quickly sized him up. It was only for a fraction of a second, but the man knew she had been observing him.
The woman quickly regained her original expression and took out a small crystal from her bosom, handing it to him. The man accepted it without a word.
A moment later, the woman spoke in a whisper.
“Second floor. Third room from the end on the left. She’ll be waiting.”
“Thank you. Well then. Ah, you’re very pretty.”
After confirming the woman’s scoff, the man quickly ascended the stairs. The soundproofing was decent, so the staircase was quiet, but an inexplicably hot breeze swirled through the upstairs hallway.
The man quietly looked left and right before heading to the location the woman had given him. He stood before the third door from the left, took a deep breath, and touched the crystal orb to the doorknob.
With a soft click, the door opened, and the man took a step inside.
It was in that instant.
“Ugh!”
Not a sound was made.
But a pair of soft hands clamped over the man’s mouth and pulled him into an embrace. Feeling as if his heart would stop, the man barely managed to turn his head to the side.
Where he looked, a black shadow shimmered like a heat haze.
*
“Did you meet Park Hwanhee?”
“Yes. It makes things easier that way. Hmph.”
As I spoke, Ko Yeonju’s characteristically languid voice immediately replied. However, the snort at the end of her sentence was quite resentful; she seemed very annoyed that I had asked about the mission’s progress the moment I saw her.
But I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. It wasn’t that I didn’t feel sorry, but I deliberately ignored Ko Yeonju’s hurt expression and turned my gaze to the desk.
(That’s right. Very clever. And as I thought, they all knew, didn’t they? Yes, that’s right. I was the one who orchestrated the Mercenary incident. But you all knew about it, didn’t you? The fact that you said nothing means you turned a blind eye just the same…)
Two crystal orbs rested on the desk. Both were emitting a clear light, replaying a certain scene.
That scene was the meeting of the Southern Free Alliance.
I had already watched it once while listening to what Ko Yeonju had discovered, and this was the second time. Of course, with every viewing, a stream of words that grated on my nerves flowed out.
“…They’re insane.”
Unable to hold back my thoughts any longer, I muttered, and Ko Yeonju, after smacking her lips a few times, continued.
“As I said earlier, once I found out about the relationship between Kim Sujeong and Song Heeseon, my suspicions naturally fell on the Southern Free Alliance. So I was wondering what to do~? And what perfect timing, that guy Soohyun planted was right there. So I happily contacted him.”
“…Did he help you without complaining?”
“Did he? What’s with that tone? You sound like you’re over forty. Anyway, he had a lot to say, but in the end, he did as he was told. What choice did he have? If it weren’t for you, Soohyun, he’d be scraping by somewhere right now. Am I wrong?”
“Hmm.”
“By the way, you’re really something else, Soohyun. To be honest, when you first decided to back him, I didn’t understand why you were helping him. Did you know something like this would happen and prepare for it in advance?”
“…Who knows.”
I answered vaguely on purpose. Ko Yeonju’s question was related to the first playthrough, and in truth, he had been a form of insurance.
I was well aware of what kind of people the Southern Free Alliance were. In fact, hadn’t they played a huge part in bringing about the Spring and Autumn Warring States Period?
So I had thought I should prepare for a potential contingency, and that was when the User Park Hwanhee caught my eye.
After the war with the Allied Forces, Park Hwanhee had lost all his comrades and his foundation—he was, in short, completely ruined. Recalling his attitude and disposition from the User Academy, I deliberated for a long time before deciding to support him. Not through our clan, of course, but through the Southern Free Alliance.
Just as Ko Yeonju said, the insurance policy called Park Hwanhee, which I’d taken out with the first playthrough in mind, had paid off. This crystal orb alone could serve as definitive proof. Yet I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was still missing, and I tilted my head in confusion. It felt like the answer was right in front of me, but I couldn’t comprehend the answer itself.
‘There is a reason for every attack.’
Recalling Salmun’s words, I began to tap my fingers on the desk.
Mercenary and the Southern Free Alliance hadn’t been particularly close, but they weren’t on bad terms either.
Should I say that since our cities were different, we just didn’t pay attention to each other’s affairs? Besides, while there were plenty of Users who disliked the way we operated, given the Alliance’s strength, they shouldn’t have had much reason to resent us.
“……”
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t figure it out. The only point of connection, which I had just confirmed from the crystal orb, was the upcoming selection of a representative clan in the western city.
But even that was strange. Because we had already officially announced that we would be focusing our efforts on the Magic City Magia and had little interest in Halo. So, unless these bastards were deaf…
“Ah.”
“What is it? Did you figure something out?”
It was then.
A thought flashed through my mind, and I stopped tapping the desk. I ignored Ko Yeonju’s curious voice and bit my lip hard.
Don’t tell me these bastards… Are they doing this because of that?
The moment the thought struck me, an inexplicable laugh burst out.
“Hahaha! Hahahaha!”
For the first time in a long while, I was able to laugh with genuine delight.