by Fujino Omori
It was common knowledge that some deities got most of their entertainment from places like the Pleasure Quarter. The anger of their followers was not enough to prevent them from emptying their bank accounts of hard-earned valis.
The storm had passed. The adventurers looked at one another in awkward silence.
“Wh-why are you here…?”
Free from the barricade of the gods, it was Mikoto who finally broke the silence.
Lilly sighed again and stepped forward.
“Miss Mikoto was being strange. It may have been rude, but we followed you.”
“We’re a full-fledged familia now. No hiding anythin’ from one another, got it?”
Eyes still hidden behind her bangs, Chigusa stepped out from behind Mikoto.
“I’m so sorry,” said the thin girl in a weak voice. Her shoulders shrank as she offered an apology.
Welf scratched his red hair and said, “How about an explanation?”
“…You see, we learned that…someone, from our hometown in the East, was seen here, and…”
Chigusa struggled to speak and looked back at Mikoto for support.
Since the girl wasn’t the best at communication even under normal circumstances, Mikoto nodded and took over for her.
“Lady Chigusa acquired this information from a trusted acquaintance yesterday…This person, she went missing from our hometown many years ago…”
Finding her bearings, Mikoto looked at her allies apologetically and answered their questions in full detail.
Lilly listened intently, whispering, “That’s why,” after Mikoto explained where they got the information.
“Miss Chigusa and Miss Mikoto came this far to verify the report, yes?”
“That’s correct. This was our matter, and we have no proof. It would have been improper to involve anyone else at this stage…A-and it’s this place…”
Revealing the contents of the conversation that took place on the lawn this morning, Mikoto repeated that she didn’t want to get Bell or the others involved.
“What about that big guy? He’s from the same place—why didn’t you ask him?”
Just as his name suggested, Ouka was also from the East and the commander of Takemikazuchi Familia. A childhood friend of Mikoto’s and Chigusa’s, they still maintained a close relationship to this day.
Chigusa blushed and hid her face the moment that Welf brought him up.
“I-I didn’t want to bring him here…I don’t want him to come here…”
“If I may, Lady Chigusa doesn’t see Captain Ouka as just a friend…More of…as a man.”
Mikoto‘s face turned bright pink as she divulged one of her friend’s secrets to help the others understand. Both girls avoided making eye contact. Chigusa’s throbbing red ears stood out against her black hair.
That was enough to convince Welf. Rather than get her own familia involved, she went to a valued friend currently in a different group to help her confirm the information first.
Lilly also nodded in agreement. After catching a glimpse of Chigusa’s pure maiden heart, how could she not?
“But how can someone else’s description be so precise? They might have made a mistake…”
“This person is a member of a rare race…There were too many defining characteristics to ignore.”
Mikoto answered Lilly’s question.
Memories flooding into her mind, Mikoto shook her black ponytail as she looked at the ground.
“Unlike us, she’s a member of the aristocracy. We cannot take some outsider’s word that she was spotted in the Pleasure Quarter…We had to see her with our own eyes…”
They had to fight to overcome their fear of this place. However, they could not sit idly by, knowing that this person might be here.
At the same time, Welf’s shoulders jumped the moment he heard the word aristocracy.
Aristocrats—nobility.
Lilly shot the member of the Crozzo family a sideways glance. Sensing the tension in his posture, she changed the subject.
“Lilly understands the situation, but this was reckless. The Pleasure Quarter is under the direct control of another familia that is not to be trifled with. It would be best not to make a scene while searching for your acquaintance.”
The girls’ heads drooped in the wake of Lilly’s sharp warning.
They looked genuinely remorseful for their actions. “For now,” began Welf before the silence became awkward, “we should go somewhere else. Staying in the same place too long here is just asking for trouble.”
Lilly and the others agreed.
Welf turned around to leave, when suddenly—he finally noticed.
“…Hey, where’s Bell?”
“Eh?”
Lilly spun around and couldn’t believe her eyes.
The white-haired boy was nowhere to be seen.
“Did Sir Bell accompany you? He hasn’t been around since you arrived…”
“Yes, not here.”
Mikoto’s and Chigusa’s words confirmed the worst.
Time seemed to slow to a crawl as everyone broke out in a cold sweat.
They were completely surrounded by the din of the Pleasure Quarter. They could clearly hear the voices of the working women less than a block away.
Welf was lost for words as all the color drained from Lilly’s face.
—No way.
“Th-they’re gone…?”
I’m alone in the middle of a street full of strangers.
We were halfway through the street, but I could still see Welf’s red head. Then from out of nowhere, “It’s Special Playtime!” I got swept up in an avalanche of men—and now I can’t find Welf or Lilly.
I fight my way back to a spot I think I recognize, but all that’s here is the front of a brothel I haven’t seen before. I tried my best to follow…but I’m on my own now.
Did I make a wrong turn somewhere?
Maybe instead of moving I should have waited where I was on the street for Lilly and Welf to find me?
So many faces, but I don’t know any of them. Heck, I don’t even know where I am.
Lines of brothels made of stone, soft light of magic-stone lamps, and lewd female voices coming from every direction—seductive invitations. Thanks to my Status, my hearing is much stronger than it used to be, to the point that I’m very clearly picking up all these moans and screams coming out of the buildings.
I’m in the middle of the street but my feet won’t budge. I wonder what color my face is right now. All the blood drained out a long time ago, but my cheeks and ears are burning.
I don’t know if I’m a coward, ashamed, or anxious. There are so many emotions swirling in my head.
As my face goes from pale to flushed red and back again, I feel like I’m standing on the brink of going crazy.
“What have we here? Are you lost, little one?”
“GAH!”
My body jumps at the sudden voice.
I look up and see one with incredible snowy-white skin—one of the ladies of the night, an elf, no less. She’s smiling sweetly at me.
Her dress is the same shade of white as her skin. There’s a big slit running down the front, all the way to her belly button, showing off her considerable bust. Her beauty and seductive aura make me lose my voice.
“I-I’m fine!” I yell as I break out of her spell, and waste no time running away.
Welf, Lilly, Mikoto?!
Shouting the names of my friends in my head, I race toward anywhere that’s not here.
I get off the main road and turn into a narrower alleyway. One of the brothels towers over me. There’s so little light back here that I can’t tell where the building ends and the night sky begins. Several of the brothel windows are open. Young faces are looking down at me. One beast-girl, who can’t be much older than me, leans outside and blows me a kiss. A new wave of heat reaches my face as I nearly fall over.
The atmosphere of this place is strangling me. I have to get out of here, have to escape. Running a
s fast as I can, I yell at the top of my lungs and race through the Pleasure Quarter.
“Haaa-haaa-haa…!”
Had to stop to catch my breath.
This isn’t the Dungeon, but running around like an idiot won’t get me anywhere just the same. I have to stop, focus.
Who’s looking at me…? Ah, just some guys in the corner over there. I must be a wreck.
I put my hands on my knees and take a few deep breaths. Wiping the sweat from my face, I take a look around.
Where am I…?
All these buildings are completely different from the earlier ones.
A nice change from the stone brothels, it’s actually rather bright here.
Did I walk into some kind of festival? Looping around the area, it sure feels like it.
“…Far East design?”
Many tall red gates line the path. Even the design on the pavement looks foreign.
Wooden buildings with highly decorated white walls and red pillars are everywhere. Each of them stands three stories high and is surprisingly colorful. Thick, brick-like tiles cover the roofs of the buildings and the tops of the red gates. This whole area is built in the same way.
If I remember right…this is called a red-light district?
This is the same style as Mikoto’s homeland. I remember her descriptions and someone else’s, not sure whose, as my eyes scan the area.
That’s right…Gramps told me about it. He didn’t go into much detail, but these designs match his story perfectly.
The pictures carved into the stone pavement are so inviting, drawing me in. Gramps was right.
Lilly said that the Pleasure Quarter was a mixture of different cultures, all in the same place…
The red-light district—it’s not just red lights, it’s bright. Of course there are magic-stone lamps all over the place, but there are also balloon-ish lanterns with lit candles inside hanging from the gates. They cast soft spotlights on the men and women passing beneath. The women, w-working ladies, are wearing something that looks like a robe but with a lot more folds. A kimono…Traditional clothing of the Far East.
Trees called ajura are planted on each side of a wide path. These blue flowering plants grow only in the Dungeon, so they must’ve been brought up here. The most amazing thing about them is that they are always in bloom, no matter the season. A few of the sky-blue petals are scattered over the stone walkway. If I remember right, real cherry blossom trees are white and pink—but they’re exactly the same shape. The Pleasure Quarter may be a melting pot of cultures, but there’s no doubt that this spot is meant to be the Far East.
I look forward, admiring the blue blossoms, when I see something out of the corner of my eye.
The first floor of one of the brothels. Several young women dressed in kimonos are lined up in a room facing the street.
Heavily accessorized, they’re calling out to people on the street, trying to lure customers. It seems to be working. There’s a group of about six or seven men standing outside, their eyes gliding over every inch of the girls, trying to find one who suits their fancy. One of the men steps up to the waist-high wooden fence separating the girls from the street, beckons one of them forward, and then disappears into the entrance after exchanging one or two words.
I keep walking forward, taking in the mix of races lined up behind that wooden fence.
I accidentally make eye contact with the girl seated at the end of the room.
“…”
Her golden hair sparkles around green eyes.
She’s an animal person of some kind. Wide, round ears at the top of her head and a bushy tail the same color as her hair give that away.
Based on the shapes of her ears and tail alone, I’d say she’s a fox person.
—A renart.
This is the first time I’ve ever seen one.
They’re an extremely rare race that mostly lives in the Far East.
Even among all the other young women and gorgeous ladies, her beauty stands out. For lack of a better word, she’s cute.
Clad in a flowing red kimono, she’s sitting behind the other working ladies. There’s a black choker around her neck…No, I think that’s a collar.
My feet come to a stop so that I can admire those amazing green eyes.
Vast as the night sky, they look at me with a twinge of envy and longing, a desire to be on the other side of the wooden fence.
Her lips spread without her looking away. A sad smile.
The other women around her are laughing, jeering, and full of energy. But she’s so different from them, fascinatingly so. I can’t take my eyes off her.
Her eyelids quiver, like she’s on the verge of tears. But that smile of hers is making time stand still.
It lasted only a second, but I wouldn’t be surprised if we’d been staring at each other for almost a minute.
“—Well, well, if it isn’t Bell!”
Tap. I jump in surprise as a hand touches my shoulder.
My head whips around. There, staring back at me, is an orange-haired, orange-eyed deity.
“L-Lord Hermes?!”
“Ha-ha, I thought that was you.”
Hermes flashes a toothy grin, clearly enjoying my reaction.
His face morphs into his usual dandy smile, eyes shining back at me from just above mine. I’ve never seen him without Miss Asfi, but she isn’t here. Perhaps Lord Hermes is by himself?
He’s dressed in his usual traveler’s clothes, except now he’s got a feathered hat on his head and a small pouch over his shoulder.
“Imagine, meeting you here. Hee-hee, you’ve grown up so quickly.”
“Eh…No, it’s not that. I have a perfectly good explanation…!”
“Saw you taking a gander at the gallery. See anything you like?”
Lord Hermes looks over my head at the lineup of girls behind the wooden fence. I’m glad he looked away because my face is burning again. He’s got the wrong idea. I follow his line of sight back toward the gallery, as he called it, but the renart is hidden behind the ones coming up to the fence.
The two of us spend several seconds watching the transactions take place. “Do you want some pointers on how to get a good one?” he asks with a grin.
“N-n-no thank you!” I yell back at him.
If I don’t change the subject now, who knows what will happen. Forgetting about the renart for the time being, I turn away from the lineup.
“Eh, um…So Lord Hermes, why are you here? And what’s…what’s in the pouch…?”
“Now, now, Bell. Invasive questions are a no-no in this place.”
He lowers the brim of his hat to hide half his face, but I can still see that toothy grin.
…He snuck away from Miss Asfi. That realization sends a wave of cold sweat down my back. And he dodged the question about what is in the pouch over his shoulder.
“I’d like you to keep the fact I was here a secret between us. Agreed?” Lord Hermes leans in real close to me as he speaks.
“S-sure…” is all I can say in response.
On the other hand…I think having this conversation has settled me down a bit.
There’s nothing like the relief of seeing a familiar face. Thanks to him, the feeling of being strangled by the atmosphere in the Pleasure Quarter is gone.
Now to ask him how to get out of here.
“To think, the Bell I know would come to the Pleasure Quarter on his own…”
But before I can ask, a dangerous smile that I know all too well appears on his face as he wraps his arm around my shoulders.
“L-Lord Hermes?”
“I’m happy you discovered the wonders of this place. Of course, you came here in secret as well, I assume?”
“No, I…Lord Hermes, this is just a misunderstanding!”
I try desperately to convince him that I’m not here to take part in the “fun,” but Lord Hermes keeps going.
“No need to be embarrassed. Hestia won’t hear a thing out of me.—Here, a parti
ng gift.”
All my efforts in vain, Hermes opens his pouch and thumbs through it.
One of his cheeks pulls back into an evil grin as he hands me a small bottle.
It’s roughly the size and shape of a chess piece. There’s a thick red liquid sloshing around inside.
“Wh-what is this?”
“An aphrodisiac.”
—A what?! I nearly cough up a lung.
“So long, Bell! I hope you enjoy your night as much as I enjoy mine!”
“Wait, Lord Hermes!”
I catch another glimpse of that smile as he moves away.
“I-I don’t want this!” I yell as I take off after him, the bottle of love juice in my hand.
I can’t be alone again! It’ll be even worse if I’m carrying this thing by myself, too! I don’t have the courage to put it in a pocket, but I can’t just throw it away. Someone might see it and get the wrong idea! What am I supposed to do?
I follow that feathered hat through the crowd like this bottle’s a ticking time bomb and he is the only one who can stop it. He knows his way around here; the feather dips in and out of my sight at every turn. I pick up speed in a desperate attempt to stay close.
Completely focused on returning the bottle to him, we leave behind the Far East red-light district and travel through more dark alleyways.
“—Whoa!”
And when I follow Lord Hermes around the corner—
A person comes at me from the other direction. I turn the corner with such vigor that I nearly run into her.
“Watch it.”
I kick off the ground and manage to avoid hitting the surprised woman head-on, using my Agility to limit contact to just grazing her shoulder.
I can’t lose Lord Hermes, but I can’t leave without apologizing. I spin on my heel and try to get back on his tail as quickly as possible.
“S-sorry about that! Are you okay…?”
Words leave me the moment I get a good look at the woman I nearly crashed into.
The first thing to greet my eyes is a pair of long, beautifully chiseled legs.
Smooth muscle lines and curves work their way up to her hips. I don’t think a master sculptor could design something more sleek and beautiful than these.
The woman isn’t wearing much in way of clothing. She does have one purple band of cloth around her chest that’s somehow containing cleavage large enough to rival Lady Hestia’s. Her shoulders and stomach are completely exposed. As for her legs, they’re covered by a sheer fabric that’s not much thicker than a veil…I can clearly see her thighs, along with every other feature of those amazing legs, right through it. It’s hard for me to believe, but she’s barefoot. She does have quite a few accessories, though, especially around her neck and wrists.