"So where we goin'?"
I got my first job as a part of the cult. I'm mildly looking forward to what we're doing, as I've basically done nothing for the past few days.
Y'know, for an honest working man such as myself, just sitting around doesn't feel right. I just feel all empty inside, like I'm wasting my days away.
Am I a workaholic?
Yesn't. I am just an upright, principled citizen of the kingdom.
Actually, maybe not citizen, but an upright individual at the very least.
"We go make transaction, quick in and out,"
It's just me, Lily, Lazari and of course Lacer.
"However, be ready, comrade Jeffrey, things will most likely get messy,"
Ooh, I'm guessing that the people we'll be dealing with are of the unreputable kind, meaning target practice. I've learnt a couple tricks so if things do get messy, I'd have live subjects to test it out on.
*Step*
From the paved city streets to the compacted dirt of the slums. It looks like the people we're dealing with are more unreputable than I thought. Walking past numerous shacks and makeshift housing, a stench assaults my nose.
Damn! Not even the slums in Joost were this bad.
Though I guess the security here just simply doesn't compare to the one back in Joost. After all, I would''ve already been arrested had this been Joost. But then again, this place was also much larger than Joost, which meant that there were a lot more places to hide.
I follow Lacer through the grubby slums as we pass into another cobbled section of the city. We cut through the slums to enter another district which is surprisingly well lit despite the time of night, and most businesses here seem to be of the same type.
Interesting. Though why couldn't we just walk here normally?
"Shortcut," Is all Lacer says.
Nonetheless, we enter an institution of some sort. It's brightly lit like the rest of the buildings here, yet this one seems to stand out from the rest. Whether it be its decorations or how imposing the building is, it just exudes an aura of wealth that others cannot compare to.
Entering we pass through a couple armoured mercenaries, of which, I'm assuming are the guards here.
A strange scent of narcotics impacts me. Or are they aphrodisiacs? I can't tell.
"Oh my~ Are you perhaps looking for a good time~~" A woman whispers to me as I pass through the entrance. She doesn't look half bad herself, though I would flag her for public indecency with her skimpy outfit.
I'm getting a strange intuition that children shouldn't be here.
"Ay, do not get distracted, they are all chock full of venereal crap, would not want to be sticking it in any ol' hole," Lacer huffs, looking at the women around us in disdain.
I don't know what he's talking about, nor would I want to stick anything in any holes.
"Good lad,"
Notifying what appears to be a servant of some sort, we are quickly led through this hotel like building.
Swiftly moving forward, he leads the way to a private reception room near the back of the building, again passing by another set of guards. The room, despite its arrangements of top quality items and furnishings, is dirty with the fetid smell of bodily fluids quickly making itself known.
Are there animals in here? On second thought, it smells human…
Seated on a couch is a rather plump man. He reclines back with his arms around women on either side of him.
"You're late," he snarls, showing his yellowed teeth.
"Small problem, small problem," Lacer waves his hands as he approaches the man and stands in front of a couch opposite.
I'm not too sure what's happening here, so I just stand beside the door. However, as soon as Lazari enters the room, a glint flashes through the man's eyes. I'm unsure of his name, so he'll be fat cunt for the time being.
"You bringin' me some stock?"
Stock? What a sick bastard.
As I'm glaring daggers at fat cunt, Lacer speaks again,
"I'm afraid not, let us speak about our agreement first,"
"Hm, ah, yes," Snapping his fingers, he has a skimpily dressed woman bring him a pot with a sack over it.
"This is what you asked for," Tearing off the sack, it reveals a small flower, "The executioner's rose,"
It's a metallic looking flower with a lavender sheen. It only has a single stalk, but it's decorated with numerous barbs and thorns with purple petals comparable to that of a fine blade.
"I had to pull a lot of strings to get this, and it cost me quite a hefty sum,"
"Hmm, good," Lacer inspects the rose for a moment, before placing a small crystal on a low table between them. The crystal is pure white and gives a soft, pure glow.
Is that a life crystal? Damn. Is a flower really worth a life crystal? That's insane.
However, as Lacer moves to collect his end of the transaction, he's quickly blocked by an armoured guard.
"Hey now, no need to be so hasty, sit down, have a sip of tea," He says with a mocking tone, "After all, you never know when you will get to enjoy such pleasures again,"
I don't quite understand what he says, but Lacer does,
"Enough horse shite, what do you want?"
"Well, let's just say, I've done a bit of research, because well, I was wondering what someone from the empire was doing here. And well, you aren't exactly clean now are you?"
"Nobody is clean,"
"Hah, true, but what would happen if the city knew about you, huh?
"Well, let's say that after all I went through to get this rose and I'm feeling that a life crystal may not cut it anymore…"
He goes on to say some other jargon, but…
Is this guy trying to blackmail us?
I always hated rich bastards like fat cunt, but this going to an extreme. Sigh, however, this isn't my place to make a move, after all, it was Lacer's transaction.
Though, I could swear he said something strange.
"Jeffrey, would you like to do the honours?" He gestures toward me.
Honours? If he thinks I'm selling Lazari or serving this guy then that's a big no. As if already detecting my misconstruction, he quickly adds on.
"Killing him I mean,"
At these words, the two women beside fat cunt burst forward pulling out straight daggers from who knows where and shielding fat cunt. Glazing us over, fat cunt seems oddly composed as he smirks at us in contempt. He's clearly underestimating us.
"Hmm, did you think you could just waltz into my territory and call the shots 'round here?" Fat cunt's stomach jiggles as he makes a feeble attempt at standing up. "Do you take me for any wayside trash to kick!?"
"Well yes," Lacer snaps his fingers as he subtly gestures for me to do something. Well, here I go killing.
One of the women tries to intercept me, but although she does look to have some skill, it looks more to be self taught street know how rather than actual training. As a testament to her street style techniques, she lines up a kick straight for my groin. It was predictable, and slow as well to boot. Backhanding the kick, I follow through with a headlock. Though, it's just an ordinary headlock, using life siphon I quickly drain her life essence.
She starts screaming in agony as her skin shrivels and dries up, which attracts the horrified gaze of her comrade. Grinning, Lacer takes her distraction to land a heavy push kick, slamming her through a wall most likely rupturing her internal organs. Before turning and catching a nearby sword strike.
"Godsdamnit! Useless! You're all useless!"
Fat cunt starts yelling, at the dead people? I'm not going to question it, but we should probably finish up as we've made quite a bit of noise.
Kicking his shins, he topples onto the ground, with a *thud!* at this, he starts whining. But damn, I think he made a dent in the floor…
"StaHP! Ple-please! I'll give you anything! Anything!"
What was with this pathetic willpower? This feels too easy.
"I'll stop resisting, just take it! Take it all!"
"In the fatherland, it is not 'I'll stop resisting' it is 'I'll stop existing',"
His eyes widen as Lacer stamps his neck and slowly kills him. Withering his life away.
Rather overkill, but I felt like he deserved it. I didn't like the look he gave my girl.
So, what was the point of that senseless killing? I mean yes, I wanted to kill the guy but why did we even come here in the first place?
"Get the plant and let us go!"
Oh yeah! The flower!
Picking up the pot, I see Lacer take back the crystal before we all bolt out of the building.
My hands are full, but with Lacer clearing the way, the guards don't stand much chance against, an elder cultist — at least, I guess he'd be called that —.
Though, leaving through the front entrance, after our display in the hallways of the place, the others gave us way as they backed off.
Self preservation instincts actually helping out for once. Usually, it makes everything a pain…