WHAM!! Phryne slams into the wall but she screams, "Outta my wayyy!"
She knocks all three of the attacking Amazons clear across the street with a single flick
of her arm.
"GAAHHH!"
I finally take a deep breath, coughing in the process. More and more Amazons appear
from the roofs of the other brothels, jumping down and engaging Phryne in combat
one after another.
"Keep that idiot busy!"
They keep raining down on her. A flurry of kicks and punches is keeping the massive
woman from regaining her feet.
It feels like I'm watching a party of adventurers keeping a large-category monster at
bay. Phryne bellows once again as the Amazons wrap their arms around her neck,
shoulders, and legs.
They're breaking both familia and racial alliances for their prey—me. "Hyeeee…!" A
pitiful sound escapes my throat.
"You're mine!"
"DAHH!"
I'm still sitting on the street, trying to catch my breath, when another Amazon drops
down from overhead.
I force my body off the ground and dart forward to escape her trap.
"Ahhh, he got away!"
"I don't mind if he escapes. Just don't let Phryne have him!"
Now several of the Amazons are on my tail. They've split up, one group on Phryne and
the rest coming after me. My lungs are on fire, but there's no time to breathe.
Several male customers on the street ahead of me turn in to another street or take
cover to avoid trouble as I race down the long alleyway.
"—You're not going anywhere."
"?!"
Aisha?!
She's been following me on the rooftops! As she jumps down from out of nowhere, I
see one of her long legs stretch high above her head.
It's a perfect ambush. Even though I manage to block her kick with my right arm, it's
powerful enough to knock me off balance.
Not good! I yell at myself as I force myself backward to gain some distance.
Unfortunately, her long legs didn't give me the time.
Another kick is already heading my way—it reaches out like a long scythe and catches
my shoulder.
Flying forward, I see her body flow like water as she prepares to launch another one
of her ranged attacks with legs that could pass as swords. I'm caught in the middle of
a deadly dance.
Martial arts?!
One leg on the ground. The other one is high over me, coming down hard heel-first. I
roll out of the way, but she's already airborne and spinning.
Spinning down! Both her hands hit the ground as both her legs whip through the air.
I can't predict her movements—I can't defend!
The prowess of one Amazonian warrior, not to mention sharp kicks from her long legs,
has me pinned down.
One moment those deadly appendages are being thrust at me like swords, the next
she's whipping them around like clubs. I don't have enough arms to block
everything—the moment I lean down to protect my head and upper body, she
undercuts everything with a low sweep.
"UWAH!"
I fall, hitting my back on the stone pavement once again.
"You're mine."
Pain, lots of pain. The stars in front of my eyes fade in time for me to see Aisha swing
a leg over my chest and straddle me.
I've got to be pale as a ghost by now. She leans down, long hair brushing across my
face. I'm completely pinned.
She wets her lips, smiling like she enjoys inflicting pain, and reaches for the collar of
my shirt.
"Aisha, look out!"
An out of breath yet desperate warning echoes in the night.
At that very moment, an Amazonian woman hurtles through the air and slams into
Aisha.
It knocks her off my chest. I can't believe my eyes. That poor woman is still tumbling
through the street. I don't even know her name.
Aisha groans next to me as she tries to recover. I turn my head to look in the direction
that the other woman came from.
"OUTTA MY WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!"
Big mistake. That's an image that will give me nightmares.
A group of Amazons are lined up, making a wall. However, Phryne breaks through by
grabbing two of the unfortunate ladies, one in each hand. The moment I happened to
catch a glimpse of was when she burst through, two women in her clutches and the
rest in various stages of being trampled or launched toward the walls.
She's throwing women around like projectiles… Now even my cheeks are shaking.
"That damn toad!"
Aisha growls from the deepest pits of her soul, her eyes locked onto the incoming
monstrosity.
Which means she's not looking at me. This may be the only chance I get. Forcing all
my muscles into action at once, I roll up, forward, and back onto my feet. I hear a
frustrated "TCH!" from behind me, but I'm already in a dead sprint. Aisha's footsteps
are echoing behind me, too, but I'm faster.
With the exception of Phryne, I'm faster than any of the Amazons here in terms of pure
speed. The gap between us is widening. Lose them this time…! I yell inside my head,
but…
"Liscia, Eliza! Stop the kid who just entered Third Street!"
Aisha, still on my tail, shouts into the night.
I've outrun all the other Amazons, so who is she talking to? Suddenly, two working
ladies—an animal person and a human—jump out of buildings on both sides of me.
"Yaaaaaa!"
Even more ladies of the night appear farther down the street, doors opening left and
right."Stop right there!" one of them yells as the rest brandish brooms and frying pans
like weapons. What do I do?! THERE! I dart off the main path into a separate back alley,
just moments before running into the sudden mob.
"Wh-why?!"
Aisha's voice sounds again the moment I thought I'd found safety in a new escape
route. Exactly the same scene unfolds in front of my eyes: scantily dressed women
flood the back alley to bar my path. I yell in despair.
New voices are raining down from above. The brothel windows are open, heads
poking out of each one and yelling to one another. "He went that way!" Fifth Street!"
"A white-headed adventurer!"
I'll never be able to get away if they keep shouting where I am! Wait a second, I've seen
that elf in a white dress before! That long-eared beast girl, too! She's the one who blew
me a kiss earlier! Every one of the women I've encountered so far tonight is trying to
help the Amazons or get in my way.
What the hell is going on?! I yell inside my head, changing direction yet again. That's
when, even in panicked confusion, I catch a glimpse of the same emblem as before: a
naked female body hidden by a veil.
There itis on the side of the brothel, another one engraved in that door, and over there,
as well. All these buildings have Ishtar Familia's emblem somewhere.
Don't tell me…!
A fresh wave of sweat runs down the back of my neck. I know why.
A net that's far too wide. Lady Ishtar's fingers reach all over the third district of Orario.
All the women working here are members of Ishtar Familia, noncombatant and
otherwise.
"This whole area is our island." Aisha told me herself, but she was being serious.
It's as if their home were the castle and all the buildings surrounding it were a town
under its protection. This is practically their backyard.
I'm trapped in an area completely under Ishtar Familia's control—their territory!
"Th-this can't be happening…!"
The interference of the working ladies buys the Amazons enough time to catch up.
What's worse, the persistent warriors are now equipped with weapons. My only
reason for coming out here was to follow Mikoto, so of course I didn't wear any armor.
I have the Divine Knife, but it can't protect me from an army!
The only item I have on me is Lord Hermes's aphrodisiac. Absolutely useless!
"Take out his legs!"
"Prepare nets and ropes!"
Arrows hit the street at my feet; boomerangs whiz by my face. I just barely get out of
the way of the net before it ensnares a barrel on the street.
This isn't a race anymore; it's an all-out battle. The Amazons keep coming, and I don't
know how much of this I can take.
"Samira, cut him off!"
"You owe me one, Aisha!"
Hungry lionesses on the hunt, licking their lips.
I can see it in their eyes—they're enjoying every moment. The joy of "devouring" after
a successful "kill" is written all over their faces.
"We'll squeeze him dry once we have him! Squeeze until he breaks!"
"At least let me hear him scream!"
I'll be overrun if I can't get away from them now.
The moment I lose my strength and slow down, it's all over. I'll lose something
precious.
"GE-GE-GE-GE-GE-GEH! There's no escape!"
Fear, despair, anguish, lamentation, annihilation, deterioration, darkness.
All of them are reaching out, chasing me.
A miserable, horrid, tragic fate awaits me should I fall into their clutches.
Run.
Everything will be over.
Bell Cranell will end at their hands.
Run, run.
Unable to fulfill my dreams, unable to express my deepest wishes.
Every hope I've had, including standing next to her, will be completely obliterated,
gone forever.
Run, run, run!
With that gone, I won't be able to grow anymore.
I just know.
The person I am now—will be gone forever!!
Run, run, run, run run run ruuuuuuuuuuuuuuun!!
I blaze forward with even more desperation than when I was being chased by the
Goliath.
My eyes are wide, most likely bloodshot, and leaking tears. My lungs are in revolt.
Catching a glimpse of my pursuers out of the corner of my eye, I convince my body to
pick up speed.
"What's with this guy?!"
"He sped up!!"
"Give up, already!"
I never knew before.
I never knew women could be this scary.
I've always seen the other gender as this sparkling, pure being.
All the women around me have always been so good to me. They spoiled me, and only
now do I know the truth.
That's growing up, I guess.
Escape, escape, escape!
Darting out of the way of incoming projectiles and dashing through the streets, my
hair whips to and fro with each twist of my body. A white rabbit trying to escape the
lion's den.
If the other working ladies are going to block the street, that leaves only one option:
the roofs.
I spot a pile of barrels and use them as a springboard to get on top of the closest
brothel.
"The boy's headed to the red-light district!"
I finally gain some distance, with my instincts screaming at me to get away. I barely
notice the change in scenery in my high-speed desperation.
The stone buildings of the Pleasure Quarter give way to the tiled roofs of the red-light
district.
Red, white, and flowers with blue petals. Anywhere is better than here. I set my course.
Thwak, thwak! More arrows slice through the air behind me. Many lights are flickering
on street level. The Pleasure Quarter is still busy. I can lose them in there!
"—GaaHHH!"
I jump toward the cover of people on the opposite block, but I feel the ominous air
pressure of an oncoming boomerang arcing right toward my head.
I draw my knife out of reflex and knock away the weapon, but now my momentum's
carrying me in a different direction.
I'm heading directly toward the largest brothel in the red-light district, right next to
the main street.
"EH-EKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!"
And right through a second-story window.
Portable and foldable paper dividers, called shouji if I remember right, are set up as
barriers between rooms—at least they were until a second ago. I fly right through
them and tumble past the room and into a wooden hallway. The lady inside was really
surprised; my ears are still ringing from her shriek. Her male partner fainted the
moment I passed overhead. "S-s-sorry!" I yell over my shoulder as I regain my feet and
take off running.
The inside of this brothel is just like the outside, decorated in a Far Eastern style.
Sliding doors, called fusuma, decorated with gold leaves separate individual rooms
from the hallway. I'm pretty sure there's a party really living it up behind the one on
my right. Red pillars and railings flash in and out of view every so often as I keep
moving.
A few people poke heads out of the stairwell to see what all the noise is about but
immediately disappear the moment they see me charging through. CRASH! CRASH!
CRASH! The Amazons have arrived, through the windows by the sound of it. The
brothel is engulfed in chaos in the blink of an eye.
"This is really bad…!"
More screams as I race past even more rooms. Apologizing as I go, I'm not slowing
down for anything. All the Amazons' powerful footsteps are making an avalanche of
sound that threatens to overtake me at any second. Ignoring the warriors' random
threats and demands, I lead them on a wild chase through the brothel.
If Ishtar Familia's home was worthy of being called a castle, then this place should be
called an estate. The part that faces the red-light district isn't all that wide, but this
building is surprisingly deep. There are several sections of various sizes all strung
together. The scene outside the windows changes dramatically depending on the floor
I'm on. Sometimes it's a vast cityscape and others it's a garden or water feature. Every
so often I catch a glimpse of a Dungeon Fly—a harmless monster that continuously
generates light. KER-THUNK! A piece of bamboo set up like a seesaw sitting under a
small waterfall fills up with enough water to tilt forward. It strikes a rock, the water
flows out, and it resets.
I don't know if it's the confusing layout of this brothel, but the tidal wave of footsteps
is gradually thinning to a mere trickle. There was a whole group just behind me a few
moments ago, but now there are only two or three at most. I doubt Aisha or Phryne
are among them.
At the same time, I've pushed my body beyond its limit.
Running on fumes, I make my way to the deepest part of the brothel.
"G-got to find a hiding place…!"
Gasping for breath, I arrive on the fifth floor and look both ways down the hallway.
Compared to all the ruckus in the other sections, it's eerily quiet here.
"Freeze!" A voice comes from the other end of the hallway.
But this is the end. There's no more hallway on the side. So I quickly open the closest
sliding door and duck inside.
"Haa-haa…"
Closing the door behind me, I clutch my chest and gasp for breath. Then, as quietly as
I can, I back away from the door.
It's pretty dark in here. No idea what it's for, but that doesn't mean there isn't a good
place to hide.
I go deeper into the dark room, my left hand on the wall to guide me… Wait a minute,
there's light coming from the other side of that fusuma.
I take a quick look over my shoulder to make sure I'm not being followed, take a deep
breath, and go inside.
Then…
"I have been awaiting your arrival with great anticipation, master."
An animal person is sitting on her knees on the other side of the fusuma.
—It's her…
Long, shimmering golden hair, with matching tail and wide ears on the top of her head.
The absolutely gorgeous red kimono makes it blatantly obvious—she's the renart I
saw in the gallery.
I can't take my eyes off the fox ears on top of her head. I might be in shock.
She bows in her sitting position, three fingers outstretched in front of her on the Far
Eastern–style bamboo mats. Tatami, isn't it? She slowly raises her face. Yep, there's no
way I could mistake her for someone else.
"I shall be accompanying you this night. Please address this humble servant as
Haruhime."
She looks me in the eyes and says that.
"… Huh?"
"Right this way, master."
She gestures behind her without getting up. That golden fox tail of hers swishes back
and forth on top of the tatami.
I freeze in place, mouth half open. She rises to her feet and in one quiet, swift motion
takes my hand before gently leading me inside.
We pass through another set of golden sliding doors and into another chamber… A
futon is laid out on the floor.
"…?!"
Seeing the pillows on it brings me back to my senses.
"Is something the matter?" comes a quiet voice beside my ear.
"Eh, no, w-wait!" Another spark of desperation floods through me, and I trip over my
own feet trying to get away.
Losing my balance, I reach out to grab onto a wall but hook my arm around her neck
by accident. Both of us tumble onto the futon.
"Eaah…"
I couldn't catch myself in time and land flat on my back on top of the thin floor bed.
The back of my head even missed the pillows.
I hear a cute little groan of pain next to my ear. My eyes shoot open as I turn my head
to look at her and I open my mouth to apologize… Her large green eyes are looking
right through me. Words, they won't come out.
"…"
"…"
She's close enough that I can feel her breath on my face.
On top of me, her left hand is pushing down on my chest. We just lie there, staring into
each other's eyes.
Both her cheeks are getting redder by the moment. Neither of us is moving, though,
nothing more than bed decorations.
A magic-stone lamp next to the pillows illuminates the right side of her face. She's cute,
stunningly so.
She has the air of a beautiful young maiden… who happens to have fox ears. She's not
even wearing makeup. Compared to the ravenous and rather violent temptresses I've
come in contact with tonight, she seems, I don't know, pure.
In fact, I think she's pretty close to my age. The difference between her and the others
is mind-boggling.
"… rst time?"
I was so caught up in those pristine eyes that I barely noticed her lips were moving.
She must've sensed the storm raging in my head because now those green orbs look
slightly concerned.
"Eh?" I respond, my shoulders shaking. She repeats herself in the same soft voice as
before.
"Is this your first time… in a brothel?"
"Yes!"
Her question catches me completely off guard. My voice suddenly comes back to life
and bursts from my lips much louder than I expected.
But I quickly cover my mouth with both hands.
The Amazons will find me if I make any noise at all…!
She looks at the desperation on my face, fingers interlocked over my mouth, and tilts
her head. I think she misunderstood.
She quietly clears her throat.
"Th-that being the case… I, Haruhime, shall take lead…"
Her eyes change. It's like she's made up her mind but doesn't know if she can. Sitting
up, she starts loosening her clothing.
My eyes practically jump from their sockets.
She unravels the thick belt-like sash of her kimono. Different sections of the red fabric
fall away from her body.
In no time at all, there's only one thin layer left—practically underwear.
"P-please, wait…!"
"Please be at ease, my master. Entrust… this Haruhime with everything."
"I-I'm not…!"
"Try to relax…!"
My tongue can't handle all these words at the same time. My voice cuts out.
Her pink thighs flash before my eyes. They're nothing compared to her full, curvy
breasts. That kimono hid them unbelievably well. A flash of light off her black collar
draws my eyes even farther up to the nape of her neck and delicate collarbones. My
heart is beating so fast it could shatter any second.
I try protesting again, but she seems to be in her own world. A look of determination
overtakes her face as she lifts her leg and straddles me just like Aisha did. I can't move.
"I shall provide you with my services, master…"
A quiver shoots through her ears and down her spine as both hands grab onto my
shirt.
My body feels pitifully weak; there's no way I can escape. I try pushing with my arms,
arching my back to throw her off, but nothing works.
She unbuttons the top of my shirt—what's left of it anyway—exposing my chest to the
light of the magic-stone lamp just above my head.
"... Teh."
In that moment—the almost naked girl pinning me down freezes in place.
FLICK! Her tail shoots straight out and ears stand on end. Her eyes are locked on my
chest.
"M-master, master has such a beautiful collarbone!"
Her eyes roll back into her head, and she collapses on top of me with a dull thump.
Wha… WHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!
My soul screams out as two round lady-pillows fall right on my face. FMUMM! I can't
breathe!
It's utter chaos in my head, despite the soft skin around my nose and mouth.
Shaking and wiggling my body, I desperately try to get out from underneath the
breasts that I didn't know could be so deadly.
"Haruhime, you here?"
?!
They've found me.
A sliding door slams open with a bang and a loud voice echoes through the room. Two
sets of footsteps, but I can't see anything with her on top of me like this.
I completely forgot the Amazons were on the hunt. My mind goes blank.
No time to hide—they're right outside the second set of doors. Can't run, can't move.
Wham! They're here!
Dammit, they're going to be practically on top of me…!
"Haruhime, you seen a scrawny human around…"
I squeeze my eyes shut, bracing for impact. The Amazon's voice trails off, hanging in
the air.
Silence. I open my eyes and remember what it must look like from above.
She's mostly naked and on top of me. This would be perfectly normal here, a pair of
mostly naked men and women on top of the bed.
To be more precise, a working lady and her customer.
I still can't see anything around the enormous breasts in my face, but that means they
can't see me, either. The sound is the echo from the door being slammed open.
"Oh, sorry."
"As you were."
The two Amazons quietly close the door and leave. I can barely hear their footsteps as
they go back to the first room chamber.
"To think that Haruhime could pin down a man. Didn't know she had it in her." That
Amazon sounds strangely happy as the two of them close the outer sliding doors.
Shifting my head slightly to breathe, I lie there for a good minute before attempting to
move again.
I gently guide the girl to the side and place her softly on the futon. At long last, I sit up.
I take a look around while wiping the sweat off my beet-red face with my arm. All clear.
Slowly, very slowly, I look down at the girl.
Completely unconscious, her face looks hot enough to boil water. I tilt my head.
"What the hell just happened…?"
"—M-my sincerest apologies!"
The still-blushing renart bows her head.
I couldn't bring myself to leave the room—the Amazons wandering around are scary
as hell, and I can't just leave an unconscious girl lying there helpless—so I put the
covers over her and waited.
Both of us are fully clothed once again. She's sitting on her knees and bowing as deeply
as possible, that fox tail of hers curling behind her.
"For it all to be just… a grave misunderstanding…!"
"Ahh, um, well, I was the one who snuck in here, so…"
I'm sitting away from her, on the tatami mats rather than the futon, and blushing just
as badly as she is. The most I can do is offer an apology.
Trading apologies with someone I've never met before, in a brothel… Well, this is
different.
"I thought it strange that my appointed customer had yet to arrive…"
She finally raises her head. Those beautiful green eyes of hers are shaking with
embarrassment.
She explains that she waited for a man who never showed up in the first room. So
when I came in, she immediately thought I was that customer. And the rest is history.
… One man passed out the moment I burst through this brothel's window. Justimagine
what would've happened to some poor guy who saw the horde of Amazons come
bursting through the windows. Then there was the chase through the hallways. Her
customer never made it…
It had to be my fault. I grimace and look away.
"… It may be too late for proper introductions, but I am Haruhime. How should I
address you…?"
"Oh, yes… I'm Bell Cranell."
I finally get my embarrassment in check and tell the girl, Haruhime, my name.
"Well then, Master Cranell… If you are not my appointed customer, then why are you
here?"
An inquisitive look takes over her face as she speaks in a soft voice.
Her being in this brothel means that Haruhime is more than likely a member of Ishtar
Familia. If I told her that her allies chased me all the way here… What choice do I have?
I decide to let every cat out of the bag.
Surely she's figured out I'm the intruder by now. But she hasn't called anyone and is
patiently waiting for my response.
Above all else, I've got a strange feeling that I can talk to this person… She has an aura
of innocence that's completely unlike anyone else in the Pleasure Quarter. I tell her
everything that happened in the past few hours, why I became a fugitive deep in
hostile territory.
"You have experienced… a rather turbulent evening."
Her demeanor didn't change even after I finished talking. In fact, she looks sympathetic.
Do Amazonian manhunts happen that often…?
"The Amazons pursuing you… Was one among them named Aisha, by chance?"
"Do you know her?"
"I do. Lady Aisha has been very kind to me."
Her voice sounds a little apologetic, but there's a very honest smile on her lips.
So it's true, then—that Berbera Amazon has a softer side.
A bit hard to believe, after being chased around town and serving as her mobile
kicking bag.
"I have a proposal. Once our time together has come to an end, I shall guide you to the
safest escape route. It's highly unlikely you shall be discovered if you remain hidden
in this room until early morning."
"Eh… A-are you sure?"
"I am. It may be for only one night… but I, Haruhime, would like to lend my assistance
to you, Master Cranell."
It's hard to believe her; this could be a trap. But there's something in her smile,
something genuine.
My cheeks start burning again. That smile, those eyes, the innocent air about her…
She's amazing.
"Shameful as it is… I do have a request for you."
"Eh?"
"May we… engage in conversation until the appointed time comes?"
She looks away, her cheeks turning a rosy pink. She must've worked up a lot of courage
to ask.
She must not get many visitors who aren't customers.
She's smiling at me like the main character's love interest in a fairy tale. I force a smile
and nod. How could I refuse?
"Thank you so much!" She smiles from ear to ear and bows down to the floor again,
except this time her fox tail is happily wagging back and forth.
She slides one of the shouji paper walls to the side and blue moonlight fills the room.
Then she grabs four pillows for the both of us. We get comfortable and start talking.
"Where do you hail from, Master Cranell?"
"I'm from north of Orario, in a small valley behind the mountains…"
Still not sure how I feel about this "Master Cranell" thing, but I let it slide and answer
the question.
Haruhime asks me about every little detail of my hometown. North of Orario, a village
so small that most maps don't even bother printing its name… Her expression changes
with every answer, hanging on to every word.
Are there many humans there? What kind of view did you have of the mountains? And
so many other questions I've never even thought about before.
She's so happy listening. It's like talking to a really interested child who's never
ventured beyond her own house.
She runs her fingers through her golden hair, clearly enthralled by my answers.
Something tells me she was extremely sheltered when she was a little girl.
But why would someone like her be here…?
At the same time, I can't figure out how someone this pure ended up in the Pleasure
Quarter.
She couldn't be more different from Aisha and the others. The air about her and the
overwhelming aura of this Night District are polar opposites. I'm a fugitive, running
away from her friends inside the territory of her familia, but here she is, talking to me
like we're at a cafe or something. Haruhime clearly doesn't belong here.
"So then, you came to Orario to follow your dream of becoming an adventurer?"
"You could say that. I'd always wanted to, and I didn't have any money at the time…"
But I can't just outright ask her.
I hold my tongue and instead wait for her to ask the questions.
Haruhime blinks a few times and blushes again before falling silent. Maybe she
realized that she'd been leading the conversation the entire time.
I can't help but giggle at her. She's a little older than me, so to see her get embarrassed
over something so minor seems strange.
"Okay, well then… Where are you from, Miss Haruhime?"
The silence was too awkward. I break it by asking her the same question she asked
me.
She sits back up again, her shame disappearing, and looks at the ceiling as if deep in
thought.
"My birthplace… is in the Far East."
I already knew that most renarts are from there. Judging by her name, I kind of had
that impression already.
She starts to paint pictures with words, images flowing out of her memory like leaves
carried downstream by a river.
"It was a mountainous island country, completely surrounded by a beautiful blue
ocean. The four seasons were much more pronounced than the ones here in Orario.
Beautiful pink sakura trees covered the land in spring. The songs of semi beetles
regaled us in summer. The mountains became brilliant shades of crimson during the
frosty days of autumn… and everything was covered by thick blankets of snow in
winter."
Nostalgia is absolutely oozing out her eyes. Her descriptions are even making me feel
homesick.
Haruhime's gaze shifts from the ceiling to the moon, just visible between the shouji.
Bathed in moonlight, she looks more like an artist's painting than an actual person.
Looking at her face in profile, I decide to ask her about her family.
"Miss Haruhime, were your parents high-ranking people? Aristocrats, maybe?"
"How did you ever guess?!"
She nearly jumps off the futon in surprise.
"Just kind of got that feeling…" I mumble as I scratch the back of my head. Then she
starts to explain.
"It's just as you say, Mr. Cranell. I'm descended from a long line of nobles going back
many generations. My mother was never present, and my father worked long hours
for the government… I was raised by many servants from infancy."
Years of being trained to be an aristocrat, with no knowledge of the outside world…
Raised with a silver spoon in her mouth, she was very lonely in her spacious cage, with
very few friends.
Haruhime's face suddenly becomes clouded.
"Those days came to an abrupt end five years ago… I was disowned when I was
eleven."
"What?!"
That completely blindsided me. I have to stop myself from falling over.
Disowned… Her parents cut off ties with her?
"W-why…?"
"In a state of grogginess… I ate an extremely valuable divine offering that was carried
by one of my father's guests."
She goes on to explain that another aristocrat, a prum, was staying at their manor
when she was eleven years old.
The aristocrat had been traveling to present an offering of purified rice cakes to their
deity Amaterasu—and Haruhime ate all of them while sleepwalking.
… What's up with that? A bead of sweat rolls down my back.
"Did you, um, really eat them?"
"I have no memory. However, there were crumbs around my mouth when I returned
to consciousness… I must've gotten hungry in the dead of night and my body acted on
its own…!"
Haruhime hides her face with both hands, tears starting to pour out of her eyes.
Continuing her story, she says that her father was furious with her after that and
demanded severe punishment—but the prum stepped in and said, "Well, there's
nothing we can do about it now." The visiting aristocrat saved Haruhime's life that day.
Being nobles, their families had a great deal of pride and had no choice but to protect
it. So Haruhime was given to this aristocrat in exchange for saving her life.
The decision was made in a matter of moments. The prum left their manor almost
immediately with Haruhime in tow.
… I don't want to doubt her story, but that prum sounds extremely suspicious.
I ask her about it, and she says that he treated her very well. Well enough that she
became attached to him.
I'm getting an image of a pompous short man wrapping his arm around the shoulder
of the weeping girl.
I want to point this out to her, but one look at her crying face and I just can't do it.
"S-so what happened next?"
"Sniff… Yes. I was in the back of a carriage, no idea where we were… when suddenly a
deafening roar came from outside. The carriage was attacked by monsters…!"
Now she's got me on the edge of my seat.
"He ran away from the horde of ogres, abandoning me in my state of panic…"
"… Eh?"
"… A band of marauders rescued me at the last moment. Once they discovered my
virginity, they decided to sell me, here, to Orario."
"—"
I'm stunned.
The full impact of what she says doesn't hit me at first, but no words will form in my
mouth.
She was sold… to Orario…?!
"What do you mean by 'sold to Orario'…?"
"In layman's terms… a homeless, friendless girl like me is brought to the Pleasure
Quarter to be sold as merchandise."
I watch her lips form those words in the moonlight, each of the dots connecting in the
way that I had been praying they wouldn't.
The marauders protected her from the monsters but then treated her like everything
else they stole from the carriage. She was still very young, so they didn't touch her. But
they knew that she, her unsoiled body, would be worth a lot of money to the right
people one day. And so they brought her to Orario.
"For a city with as many adventurers as Orario, locations such as the Pleasure Quarter
are irreplaceable necessities to keep the peace."
Apparently, strong adventurers have similarly strong urges…
Those venturing out with their lives always on the line deal with enormous amounts
of stress. Constantly spending time in the Dungeon, battling against death itself takes
its toll. The need to vent stress and frustration can take violent forms, but it can also
be relieved legally and peacefully in places like this.
That's why the Guild turns a blind eye to this place. Its existence reduces the amount
of bar fights and property damage caused by adventurers. The Pleasure Quarter is a
necessary evil.
Sure, her explanation makes sense. But the thought that the Guild is looking away from
the truth—that human beings are being bought and sold—is absolutely horrible. I try
to avoid making eye contact with Haruhime, but it's no use.
My eyes follow her long golden locks to the gorgeous green orbs in the center of her
face.
Renarts are a special race within animal people because they are the only ones who
are natural-born magic users.
When it comes to magic, most people think of elves right away. However, a renart's
magic is a bit different. Each of their spells is quite unique. I've heard that they're
referred to as sorcerers in the Far East.
Therefore, her "saviors" saw her value—in terms of potential strength and economic
gain—when they brought her here to the center of the world, Orario, and sold her into
this business.
She would have been brought here ostensibly under the guise of wanting to come on
her own, but really she came through the gates as merchandise.
This is terrible…
Then she was sold off to the highest bidder. It just so happened that Lady Ishtar was
in the area and took notice. The goddess purchased Haruhime to make her part of the
familia…
Unable to follow her dreams, she experienced one tragedy after another.
She had no choice but to come to Orario. And now…?
I thought that all the working women here were like Aisha. But how many of them
have stories similar to Haruhime's?
It's the truth I wish I'd never known.
And I realize something at the same time.
I was completely clueless. But now, after listening to Haruhime, I can never go back.
"Umm… I had always wanted to come to the continent, being from an island nation. So
my wish was fulfilled… from a certain point of view."
She must've seen the gears turning in my head and desperately tries to console me.
But now all I see is pain in that beautiful smile. "It may not be the best of
circumstances, but my newfound sisters take very good care of me." Another attempt
to convince me she's okay.
My lips refuse to open. I can barely even look at her.
What the hell am I supposed to say? I'm an adventurer; I'm part of the reason she's in
this mess.
I want to say, "Let's run away together, right now," but I'm a fugitive deep within Ishtar
Familia's territory. The Amazons are still after me. I'm in no position to help her.
But Haruhime's eyes haven't changed at all. Another awkward silence falls, and this
time she's the one to speak up.
"There's also the fact that… many stories of this city have reached the Far East. Orario
has always been appealing to me."
Her eyes soften. That must have triggered my voice to wake up, because it bursts out
of my mouth:
"Are you talking about Dungeon Oratoria?"
"The same!"
That's a collection of Dungeon stories I received from my grandfather when I was a
child. It was my bible growing up, Dungeon Oratoria.
It documents in great detail the journeys and deeds of many heroes in Orario. I've
heard there aren't many copies of the original book, but I guess the stories have spread
around the world.
Haruhime nods energetically in my direction.
"Dungeon Oratoria is fascinating… But the story I remember most was about a group
of valiant knights from different countries joining forces in search of the Holy Grail."
"Isn't that 'The Adventures of Garland'? Where the queen was sick and only water
purified by the Grail could cure her?"
"You know of it? Then what about the story of a spirit trapped in a lamp and the young
mage—?"
"If I remember right… 'The Wizard Aladdin'?"
"Yes!"
That's the first time she's sounded excited.
Her eyes sparkle every time I correctly guess the title of the story she describes.
"Don't tell me—you like legends and fairy tales?"
"I absolutely adore them! They were the only way I could learn of the outside world
when I still lived in the manor…!"
A common interest. She's so happy she's found another person with this kind of
childish hobby that—FLICK! Haruhime's ears perk right up.
The stories come flowing out of her, and I'm right there, sharing ideas along the way.
"Durandal the Lost." "Our Song of Enou." "The Legend of Saint Giorgio."... More and
more. She knows quite a few unusual stories. Wait a second, I have no room to judge.
I doubt that any of the other prostitutes here know about any of these. This might be
the first time she's been able to talk about it in years.
Not to mention that most people "outgrow" fairy tales at a certain age.
I still don't know how to talk about the Pleasure Quarter with her. I'm so lucky that
Haruhime brought this up. Now we can both honestly smile and laugh with each other.
Some part of me realizes I'm only hiding from the truth, but it's not every day I can
completely escape into a beautiful world with a companion like her.
"I truly admire the knight who sang of love to his queen, despite both of them knowing
their dreams could never come true!"
"I think that the jousting scenes from 'Sir Laslow' are much more impressive…"
"Master Cranell, are you familiar with the story of Snow White?"
"I don't know much other than the heroes' stories…"
She leans closer to me and I readjust on my pillow.
I can hold my ground when it comes to heroic tales, but Haruhime knows so much
more than I do, it's almost intimidating.
For the first time in a while, she falls silent. Her thick tail is swishing back and forth a
bit slower now.
"So then, Haruhime, what's your favorite kind of story?"
"It's hard to choose… but the one that has left a lasting impression on me was about a
princess who was saved from a demon by a young, nameless warrior… It is one of the
oldest stories in the Far East."
That would mean that she likes stories where the hero saves a damsel in distress…
The moment where a strong hand reaches out to rescue a princess from danger.
It could be because she's been cooped up in a box most of her life. Hang on, my cheeks
are blushing.
That look on her face, it's like she's just revealed the location of an irreplaceable
treasure… She closes her eyes.
"There was a time when I, too, wanted my own hero to take me somewhere far away,
just like in the pages of the book…"
I was about to say something, but the soft smile in her eyes makes me stop.
Was she talking about back in the Far East, where she never set foot outside her
family's manor?
Or sometime much more recent?
"… But that was the foolish dream of the girl lost in fairy tales. No hero would ever
come for someone as lowly as myself."
"Of—of course he would!"
Startled by the resignation in her voice, I rise to my knees and try to deny her claim.
"No hero would leave behind someone like you! Don't give up hope!
"Some pitiful, naive guy like me might not be able to do anything meaningful.
"But the heroes I look up to, the ones Gramps told me about, would never do such a
thing.
"If any one of those brave souls were here, he would rescue you from this place on
sight."
I deliver an impassioned speech. She just watches me with those beautiful green
eyes… and smiles.
"I am quite sure that the heroes you speak of had the same kindhearted soul as you
do, Master Cranell… However, I am neither a beautiful queen nor a fair maiden in
imminent danger."
She slowly blinks and says:
"I am a prostitute."
"!!"
My eyes fly open. Her words were soft and gentle, but they sliced through my heart
with the sting of a thousand knives.
"While still inexperienced, I have given my body to many men."
" "
That's when it hit me like a ton of bricks.
My brain had been purposely avoiding the word prostitute this entire time. It felt like
a slap in the face to hear it directly from Haruhime.
"It was not my destiny to wait as a pure flower for true love. In my story, money took
priority."
Pure flower… I've heard those words before, but now I know their true meaning.
And now it's her job to provide customers with a night of their dreams, locked in an
embrace of physical passion.
Prostitutes are not pure flowers. Quite the opposite.
This beautiful girl, with such an untainted aura, has been with many men…
The truth I had been trying to escape overtakes me. I can feel its grip, strangling my
lungs from within.
Emotions, images, heat—a whirlwind rages in my head. I feel like I could puke at any
second. I grab my chest and support myself with my free arm, struggling for breath.
"Why would heroes want to save… someone as soiled as myself?"
That innocent smile has never left her lips. It's haunting in the blue moonlight.
It's the same one she wore when I first saw her in the lineup, stunning yet distant.
Despite how close we're sitting right now, there is a great distance between us.
"Prostitutes are the ruin of heroes. Surely you know this already." Those words sting.
She starts summarizing, like the conclusion of a debate that she's already won.
"I have had no right to indulge in the world of fairy tales and heroes since the day I
learned what had become of me. Dreams and desires have no meaning. I'm not
allowed to have them."
"…"
"I am just a prostitute."
What was that look of longing I saw on her face as she stared out from the back of that
chamber earlier tonight?
She's trapped in the cage of prostitution, but she's just accepted it? Accepted
everything?
The black collar around her neck flashes in the moonlight, looking more and more like
a shackle every moment.
"… It appears the time has come."
Feeling pathetic and absolutely useless, I watch Haruhime turn to the window and
gaze outside once more.
I take a look as well. The red-light district has almost come to a standstill. More than
half the magic-stone lamps are off and all the lanterns are snuffed out. The ruckus
from before feels like a distant memory.
Haruhime gracefully rises to her feet.
"I very much enjoyed our time together this evening… Thank you."
She's thanking me? Why is she thanking me? What do I say?
She takes something out of a closet in the back corner—a thick, hooded cloak—and
hands it to me. I absentmindedly take it from her outstretched hands and obediently
follow her out of the room after putting it over my head. She leads me out of the
brothel so quickly I don't realize we're outside until the cool air hits my face.
There isn't a soul in this back alley. We leave the red-light district with the same
obscurity as childhood memories disappearing from an adult mind.
Haruhime is guiding me with a smaller paper lantern hanging on the end of a stick.
"This passage is connected to Daedalus Street. If you avoid the main passageway, it is
highly unlikely your presence will be discovered by Aisha or the other Amazons."
She stops and turns to face me. Many soft lights illuminate the complex twists and
turns that make up Daedalus Street.
Over two months ago now, during Monsterphilia, the goddess and I got lost in there
trying to escape from a monster. To think the Pleasure Quarter's red-light district is
directly linked to that place…
"Can you read the Ariadne signposts?"
"Y-yes…"
"Follow them closely, and you will cut through the maze in very little time."
Then she hands me the lantern.
I tilt my head, a little confused. "Quickly now, hurry." She sends me through the
archway.
I walk in a little ways before realizing she didn't come with me. I stop and look over
my shoulder.
There she is, still standing in that same spot. She smiles before giving me a deep bow.
That archway feels like a gate between two different worlds, and she can't take a step
into this one.
"…"
I feel her gaze on my back as I make my way out of the Pleasure Quarter, alone.
The moon was visible from the highest floor of the palace.
Beautiful tapestries decorated the walls and a rug resembling a large wheel added
color and texture to the floor. A table stood in the middle ofthe room, with two covered
sofas on either side. Even though this area functioned as a meeting room, a wide bed
equipped with a canopy took up most of one corner. A profound musk hung in the air.
The magic-stone lamps mounted on the ceiling lit up the figure of a goddess sitting on
the sofa facing the doorway. A thin pyre of purple smoke rose from the long pipe in
her right hand.
"Hey, Ishtar. I'm here."
CLACK! The door opened to reveal a handsome god with a dandy smile: Hermes.
Led to the room by the goddess's assistant, Hermes gave a quick wave. The goddess—
Ishtar—curled her lips upward the moment she saw his face.
"You've kept me waiting."
"There was quite the show going on outside. Got a bit caught up in watching,
completely forgot the time. Sorry 'bout that."
Hermes's shoulders drooped down as he apologized and cautiously took a few steps
into the room.
With that, Ishtar let the transgression slide without losing her grin.
The evening guest took a seat on the closest sofa and set down a small pouch on the
table. Ishtar's assistant kept a close eye on it from his post just inside the doorway.
A secret meeting between deities had begun in one of Ishtar's many private quarters.
"Any chance you're in the mood to enjoy more small talk?"
"I told you, you've kept me waiting. Get to it."
"Scaaary… Anyway—as requested, your parcel has arrived."
Hermes reached into the pouch and took out a small wooden box covered in black
lacquer.
Ishtar's grin grew even wider, satisfaction written all over her face.
"Just to be clear, news of our meeting doesn't leave this room."
"But of course. That's my duty to my client. I won't damage my own name."
Hermes had been contracted by Ishtar to do a "delivery" for her.
This particular item had traveled a great distance, passing through many cities before
finally arriving in Orario. Hermes Familia was known for their "light footwork" and
efficiency as couriers. They were often contracted to do jobs like this.
The fact that Hermes delivered this particular package himself spoke volumes as to
the level of secrecy Ishtar required for the job.
Since the presence of guards would stick out like a sore thumb, Hermes mingled with
the customers of the Pleasure Quarter to elude prying eyes by hiding in plain sight.
"But I can't say I feel too good about it."
Hermes leaned back onto the sofa and jerked his thumb in the direction of the box.
Ishtar's assistant shuffled his way around the room until he stood directly behind his
goddess, eyes locked on the dandy deity as he moved.
"That's a Killing Stone, isn't it?"
The content of the box was revealed by the god himself.
The human man's eyes narrowed. Ishtar's lip twitched before she took in a deep
breath of smoke from her pipe.
"So you saw it. So much for keeping your good name as a delivery boy, Hermes."
"Wasn't on purpose."
The deity avoided her sharp gaze and responded as if discussing the day's news over
dinner.
Suddenly, his long, thin eyes opened into a more serious expression.
"You got something in the works?"
Ishtar laughed defiantly from her seat on the other sofa.
"I'll show you something very interesting before too long."
A fire burned brightly from inside her amethyst eyes.
"A stuck-up bitch calling herself queen being knocked off her pedestal."
Hermes's shoulders quivered as Ishtar had visions of a certain Goddess of Beauty
falling into the flames.
A woman's jealousy was truly frightening.
"Hermes, do you have any information that would brighten my day? A weakness that…
woman has, perhaps?"
Ishtar's feelings of hostility toward the goddess Freya had become a raging inferno. So
she asked Hermes to provide her with a direction for the flames to spread.
Her desire to see the one everyone called the "most beautiful"fall into the deepest pits
of despair was now an obsession.
She could see it now, Freya's pitiful face, Ishtar laughing at her from the top of her new
throne.
Hermes was always in the know and might have the information that would allow her
to make these visions a reality.
"Well, I'm a terrible liar when talking to a Goddess of Beauty; can't seem to focus.
Couldn't help it if a few things slip once in a while."
Hermes's eyes caressed the goddess's fully exposed body line, spending a great deal
of time outlining the curves of her breasts. His cheeks turned red before he hid his
eyes beneath the brim of his feathered hat.
Seeing the god like this returned the smile to her lips, her eyes flaring.
Hermes looked up, his eyes thin again with a hint of sparkle—like he was trying to
make a joke while being as vague as possible. However, what he saw was the goddess
rising from her sofa and removing her coverings.
"… What are you…?"
The crown, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and finally the piece of cloth holding her
breasts in place all hit the floor at her feet.
Hermes's eyes shrank to the size of pinpoints as a dark shadow fell over him. The full
power of the Goddess of Beauty's tanned body had been brought to bear.
"Rejoice. I'll squeeze every bit of useful information out of you—for free."
Hermes sat there, absolutely petrified. His joking demeanor from just a moment ago
was nowhere to be found.
She leaned down over him, puckering her luscious lips right in front of his face.
"H-hold it, Ishtar, I-I didn't mean…!"
The dark shadow completely enveloped Hermes as the human assistant quietly went
about his business, picking up Ishtar's discarded accessories.
"AaaaAAAHHahHHAaaaaaa!" echoed throughout the room.
"Unn… Ahhh…"
A shirtless, powerless Hermes lay sprawled out on top of the canopied bed. Tiny tears
fell from the corners of his eyes.
Ishtar was back on the sofa, still naked and smoking her pipe. She exhaled a long
stream of smoke, enjoying the flavor.
"The most recent child to catch Freya's attention, yes…"
The sweat covering her body glistened in the soft light as she dramatically crossed her
legs. Her seductive aura at its peak, she smiled and whispered under her breath.
"Bell Cranell…"
In the end, Hermes had indeed given her a way to inflict pain on her sworn enemy. He
tried to hold out, but her allure had overwhelmed him into submission.
She had more than just Bell's name. Hermes had revealed enough details for her to
realize she had seen the boy that night. She took another hit from the pipe, images of
their brief encounter filling her mind.
"Head over heels for a pip-squeak like that… What poor taste."
More purple smoke drifted from her mouth as a smirk overtook her face.
Then, a sudden shift—to the ravenous grin of a beast.
"Fine, then. I'll make that kid mine."