Lord of the Sewers
As Snow White and Silveryia, the mother-daughter duo of sows, were out meeting Veronica, every underground sewer tunnel riddling the Isis Territory—stinking of rotten water and musty mold like those in other territories, a paradise for rats—held something unique. Unlike elsewhere, this sewer had a self-proclaimed "lord of the sewers." He commanded the rats, sold desperately sought information about the tunnels to those who searched them, and in truth gripped the kingdom's darkest secrets in his own hands—a shadowy kingpin whose existence must never leak to the surface. Those who met him were first baffled by his inhuman form, but once they glimpsed the vast, hidden intel he wielded, his identity became a trivial footnote.
"Clink one coin! Clink two coins!"
The kingdom's ruling royals might govern the nation above, but Gojuju—the top underground info broker across the Dracania Kingdom founded by those who once called themselves dragon descendants, lord of the Isis Territory sewers, proprietor of an adult toy shop, and goblin freelance shaman—cackled today as he stuffed another bulging coin purse of gold into his safe. When Silveryia first came to him, he'd thought he was done for, but now humans flocked with sacks of gold just to glimpse his face. No exaggeration: swimming in a bathtub filled with that gold was his daily thrill. Gojuju kicked the human slave beneath his feet with his tiny toes, giggling all the while.
"The boss should've seen this! What a shame!"
"Why's it a shame?"
A black silhouette slipped from the shadows behind Gojuju, addressing him. The rats squeaked warnings, but lost in his money, he didn't hear, flicking a gold coin as he replied.
"You asking 'cause you don't know? The boss is long dead—wait, who the hell are you?! Which bastard's butting in like that?!"
"It's me, you little shit."
"B-B-B-B-B-Boss?!"
You're not dead?! Shocked by the impossible identity of the sudden shadow, Gojuju dropped the gold coins in his hand with a clatter, but that wasn't what mattered now.
"For real, the real boss?!"
I thought he was definitely dead! Gojuju pawed at the orc's sullen face staring down at him, checking this way and that. Doubting if it was a ghost or illusion, he inspected like appraising genuine from fake.
"Lemme see... these ugly jutting fangs... eyes like a starved bear after months... Ah! The key to spotting the boss: that left-eye scar from Blood Peak... Hmm, hmm..."
"So, professor, am I the real deal or a knockoff?"
"Judging by this butt-ugly mug and the left-eye scar, this boss is..."
A tense moment.
"Congrats! Genuine article! Congrats, boss!"
"Waaaaaah!!!"
The orc wept, the goblin bawled, even the rat pups shed tears—the sewers became a sea of sobs. Gojuju grabbed the orc's hand with his tiny paws, swinging it wildly as he shrieked.
"You're really alive, boss! I figured you were goner, didn't even send rats!"
"Came damn close to dying."
"You mean...? N-No way! Don't bullshit me, boss!"
"..."
"F-For real?! You really... that human sow...!"
No way, probably a lie. Silveryia, of all people? She'd slain more demon army than anyone, hated the boss more than any human. But really?
"Heh heh, fifteen orcs born between me and Silveryia."
Gojuju collapsed in tears at the orc's smug grin and boast of Silveryia's lewd corruption, proudly tenting his pants.
"It's really the boss! The real boss! Till just now, I thought I was hallucinating your ghost from missing you so much!! But that sleazy grin and boner—pure boss!!"
"Then what about feeling it with your hands?"
"The world’s full of illusions anyone can pull off! Like shaman tricks."
"Ah."
The orc nodded, recalling the spell that made Gojuju grope naked Silveryia while mistaking her for a dog, then flicked fallen gold coins like playing keepie-uppie and asked.
"Heard you're raking it in? Humans coming nationwide with money bags?"
"Yup, boss! Humans, elves—all got dirty secrets!"
Arms crossed, Gojuju boasted to the orc, who profited selling those secrets.
"Humans act all noble and smart up front, but dig deeper—they're worse beasts than us! Worse than goblins!"
Like guys demanding affair intel 'cause they don't trust their wives, or checking if a hitman they hired croaked—most filthy, stinking requests came from humans, he tsked. The orc nodded in agreement.
"Whatever. Show me the way to the Lord's Mansion."
"Mansion?"
Why the mansion outta nowhere? Gojuju tilted his head, baffled.
"You weren't just playing here—you know every inch of these sewers, right?"
"Yup! Lived here years! Know every secret passage and what's at the end!"
"Exactly! So lead to the Lord's Mansion!"
"Dunno!"
"You little shit!"
Gonna get smacked after all this time? Gojuju panicked as the orc advanced, fists crammed with stones.
"R-Really dunno! None! No path up to the mansion!"
"Huh?"
Has to be one! The orc, who'd assumed fantasy logic—sewers under lords' places as emergency shelters—yanked Gojuju's collar in frustration. Gasping, the goblin explained.
"I-I searched everywhere! But no real path to the mansion!"
"Then guide me roughly toward it."
Even I'm a top kingdom broker—boss or not, this bullying... "Can't live like this!"
"What?"
"M-Means I can't stay in the sewers anymore!"
"...Behave yourself."
With rats as guides, Gojuju led the way. Curious, the orc asked.
"What's with that slave?"
"Bought her!"
"Bought?"
"Yup! Post-war, humans broke—act friendly with other races up front, enslave and sell 'em behind! Elves, beastkin, dwarves—got 'em all!"
"Hmm..."
Something about slaves drew him, but realizing his own status, the orc gloomied. Gojuju squawked.
"Auction soon—I'll buy you one, boss!"
"Oh? You know I only eat female knights."
"..."
Orc through and through, still yapping about knights—but that confirmed the boss's return. Grinning ear-to-ear, Gojuju lalala'd ahead.
Deep in the sewers, they entered an alley. Rats suddenly turned, staring at Gojuju.
"Why they doing that?"
"We're here! Mansion's above!"
"Wait... this is..."
Not quite a refugee shelter, nor secret passage—an unexpected spot. The orc eyed Gojuju.
"The underground prison?"
Moldy from sewers, but the vibe was distinctly different. The orc crept forward cautiously.
"Weird? Why's the prison right under the Lord's Mansion?"
First time seeing a dungeon, he stepped extra careful. Thick iron bars on cells to thwart escapes, skulls glimpsed inside—eerie atmosphere.
"Thought dungeons were just burrows under big trees... Huh?"
Poking torture tools—fire pokers, chains, iron maidens—the orc checked his hands, then beckoned Gojuju.
"What's up, boss!"
"Why no rust on my hands?"
"Whaddya mean?"
"This prison looks ancient—moldy walls and all—but these tools? No rust. Just dust."
Ordering Gojuju to investigate, the orc muttered ascending the spiral stairs ahead.
"If Silveryia knew about this prison, she'd have tipped me off. She acted clueless about any underground spot like this, let alone a prison."
This could lead to "something fun." A smile lingered on the orc's lips.