Despite Beatrice taking the lead out of Samantha's shop, Ember quickly took over to guide Beatrice out of the depths of the dark, half-abandoned, maze-like undercity back to the Wholesome Inn by the shortest path possible.
Far from the first time on the main streets of Klapsus, Beatrice was already used to the half-naked, debauchery nature of the city with non-stop carefree, exhibitionism style fucking and making out. Which was precisely the reason that she felt uneasy. The streets were emptier than yesterday, even though it was not even close to dark yet. And Beatrice never got an impression that the citizens of Klapsus went to bed early.
More importantly, despite not lacking in the numbers of hot, fuckable girls and dudes, there was nowhere near enough of the fucking and sucking going on in the open as usual. Where usually there'd be threesomes and orgies, now gloomy discussion and heavy drinking took place. And the bloodstains spread here and there, on the walls and smeared across the pavement, combined with some broken doors and windows and other, surface-level damages, did not help the image of the non-stop party city.
"What's your favorite color?" Ember suddenly asked Beatrice.
"H-huh? Green, I guess. Why—"
"Mine's crimson red," Ember interrupted Beatrice. "Even though crimson red is neither the color of my hair nor the color of blood some people would think I enjoy seeing because a couple of assholes I used to work with spread nasty rumors about me. None of this matters, and you don't even know if what I said is true, but it was a lot easier and natural way to distract you than warning you not to look or make sudden movements, which would only make you act suspiciously just as the Purple Capes passed us. But, please, don't turn around."
"That does answer my question," Beatrice said. "But what happened here?"
"Obviously, the news of demons appearing in this last bastion of the Kingdom, would not be taken well," Ember said. "And after claiming that the threat has been dealt with, the captain of the Purple Capes cracked down hard on anyone causing any disturbance."
"Under the penalty of death?" Beatrice asked when she saw a dried pool of blood big enough to leave a regular human empty.
"A few vivid examples go a long way," Ember said, and Beatrice felt this was from first-hand experience. "The celebration they have announced for the day after tomorrow will probably return things to somewhat "normal". After all, almost everyone in the city would prefer for things to continue as they did for the last few years when compared to terrifying alternatives. People just need an excuse to hope or forget—whichever gets them through."
"Day after tomorrow… Celebrating Fridge's so-called victory… If that celebration happens as intended, then I've failed."
"You're going to crash it?" Ember asked.
"The Purple Capes are the organizers, right? If I'm successful, there will be no celebration to crash, no one to even start it. Ah, finally!"
Up ahead, Beatrice saw the wide, three-story building where she left Tabitha yesterday. Rafaelia too, Beatrice reminded herself again. The same sign was over the door was one of a kind as far as anything Beatrie saw. A carved purple eggplant, croosed out with a fat red line and a ricle around it.
At least this part of the city was busier that the earlier streets through which Beatrice and Ember walked through. Though busier was not the same as livelier, and the amount of lewd activities was still woefully inadiquete. Especially considering that none were permitted inside the Wholesome Inn, thanks to a certain cat girl's tyranicall rulership.
Just as Beatrice quickened her steps toward the Inn, she noticed Ember fall behind, just for a couple seconds, not enough time for Beatrice to even consider if anything was wrong before Ember herself hastened her steps, overtook Beatrice and said, "Follow my lead."
Ember then approached one of the loner citizens who just stood around, looking bored out of his mind. Dressed like a vagabond, with a short, uneven beard, the man stood just beside an alley not too different from the one in which Beatrice had a sexual adventure with a bunny girl and her friend(?).
Before the man could even react, Ember clasped his hand with both of hers and spoke quietly, but urgently, "Oh, praise the King, I found you! There's not a moment to lose! I have information about the demon attack! Quickly, before they find and kill me!"
"W-what? We—whoah!" by the time the astonished man even processed what Ember hastely jabbered to him, the redhead had already dragged him half across the alley, out of view of everyone in the streets.
Beatrice followed quickly, throwing a quick glance to see if anyone took notice, before she too disappeared in the shadows.
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