The smell of the smoke was the first thing anyone could smell entering the room. It was potent enough to even clog the stubbornness of the noses but it was an integral part of the establishment. It had seeped deep enough into the very foundation of this place.
"Y-You has b-brilliant mind m-miss. Y-You're too g-good for a place l-like this. H-How about *hic* I bought your c-contract. W-Won't you like to bet-this heroes?" The courtesan smiled a gentle smile at the man leaning on her body.
The man was not bad looking and seemed rather fit for someone who boasted of having everything he wanted. He had a glow about him that seemed to denote the man as someone special.
"I d-don't know. This place is not so bad to work with and it also gave me the opportunity of having met a hero such as you. A-Also, I don't think you have enough money to buy my contract out. I have acquired too much debt" the words of the courtesan were delivered at the same time the music missed its beat.
It was not clear to the courtesan whether it had been her words or the change in the music's tempo that caused the man in front of her to frown. But something seemed to have disturbed the guy enough to no longer lean on her.
"M-Money is not an issue for me. I h-have a lot of it. I can buy your contract t-ten times over" the man boasts, clearly in a foul mood at not being believed. His words slurred into each other, a clear indicator that the alcohol inside his system was a little too much for him to be able to handle.
A nervous giggle escaped the courtesan's lips as she tried to steady the man but his bulk was too much for her to handle. It caused the courtesan to fall and end up in a compromised position.
The music picked up in speed, getting more erotic and low-key in the matter. It served to highlight the mood that had been set up and it seemed to be working as well. Even the scent of the sandalwood in their surroundings blazed like an inferno, making the whole place smell like a blooming flower field.
And then the man picked up his head and his eyes met the covered pair of the musicians in front of him. The musician was no more than a child barely past the mark of 10 and malnutrition.
The attire the kid supported was similar to the courtesan the man had been with. However, unlike the beautiful and harmless flower of before, something was unsettling about this kid. It had his senses going ablaze as nothing else had in this world.
However, the hero was far too intoxicated to be able to make out clearly what bothered him about this kid. But he did know what he needed to do. He had to kill the kid or he would be in big trouble in the future.
"H-Hey kid. Y-You, belong to this establishment as well?" The hero asked, stopping right in front of the kid. The sound of his voice caused the kid to look up at the hero but only the cloth covering his eyes met his pair.
Again, the feeling of being studied and being dismissed filled the man. It caused his boiling anger to come back and his vision began blurring.
"Y-You didn't answer me. ANSWER ME OR I'LL MAKE YOU REGRET IT" the man yelled, losing any hold he had on his temper.
The courtesan behind the man looked at the scene in front of her with a regretful face but she did not interfere. The man was glad to see that at least someone here knew how to behave in the presence of a great hero such as himself.
Now if only the kid in front of him learned that at this very moment as well.
But well, he would have time to learn later, won't he? The hero would make sure that the low IQ data script such as the child in front of him learned his lesson.
Ah yes, you see, the hero was no mere mortal. He was one of those 'world hoppers' and had been blessed by the god of this world. He had been brought to this world to fulfil a great prophecy and was hailed by everyone. He even had been granted a blessing from the goddess in the form of unlimited money.
And everyone knew money was the ultimate resource. Already his name had started to spread across the masses as a rich and upcoming hero. With his unlimited money, he had been able to buy top of the line magic scrolls as well as weapons. Even parity members wanted him because of his money.
He was the prime pick.
"My L-Lord, pardon him. He's an invalid. P-Please come with me and let's continue our sweet talk form before" the courtesan pulled lightly at the hero's sleeves to divert her attention from the child in front of him.
And the hero folded in front of her pleas. She had sounded so sweet and helpless and it had struck all the cords inside the hero.
He would let them believe that he had forgotten the kid for now. And when he proposed to buy the contract from the owner, he would take the kid along with him and shove manners down his throat.
"Of course. How can I refuse the words of a lady as lovely as you? Now, show me a good time" the lady's sigh of relief was obvious, and so was the small light that shined through the hero's fingers.
The very next second, the light was replaced by a small heap of a coins purse. The courtesan's eyes widened as she looked at the 'magic' being performed in front of her and a gasp of wonder left her lips.
"Mister, are you some kind of magician? How did you do that?" Words poured themselves out of the courtesan's mouth as she pressed herself harder against the man.
An instant blush bloomed on the intoxicated man's face. The contact was too much for the poor man to handle and his head spun as a result.
It made him completely miss the exchange of glances taking place right above his head.
The node of acknowledgements was the last thing that was passed over his head before he lost consciousness. He did not feel his body being lifted, nor did he see the incoming blow being dealt to his neck.
In the end, the 'so-called' hero dies an unassuming death at the hand of a silent assassin.