"A light novel scenario, huh?"
"? Light novel?"
I asked Katarina why she had collapsed there, and her answer was almost identical to a cliché light novel plot. Well, at least it wasn't something worse than I had imagined.
"What happened to those guys?"
"I don't know. I was desperate, so there's a possibility I might have killed them by accident."
After being exiled from the Elven Kingdom, Katarina had spent about a year traveling as far as she could before arriving in the Spanda Empire.
Apparently, this place was called the Petes Frontier Marquisate of the Spanda Empire. First time hearing that. A marquisate is quite a high rank, isn't it? I thought this was just some run-down town, but maybe it's bigger than I expected.
This territory is known for its abundance of monsters, so the emperor entrusted its defense to the marquis. Because of that, there are plenty of monsters around, providing adventurers with lots of work.
Though, I rarely see any adventurers myself. Then again, I haven't left the slums much.
"Guess it's a good thing I didn't try to go out that night. I might've died."
"Were you planning to go outside? That would have been a fatal mistake. Especially at night. This area has many magical hotspots, meaning the monsters are not only numerous but also of high quality."
Whoa. I'm lucky the gate was closed. Lately, I had been wandering around, looking for any holes in the outer wall, getting sick of eating nothing but slimes and rats. Good thing I didn't find any.
After arriving in this marquisate, Katarina quickly became an adventurer and worked solo.
Since she was a beautiful elf, there was some trouble at first. But there were a few other elves in this territory, and since they had also left their homeland, they didn't take much interest in her. At most, they exchanged greetings. After all, no one would know she was exiled unless she said something.
However, the monsters here were much stronger than she expected, and she reached her limit as a solo adventurer. That's when a party invited her to join them.
It was perfect timing for her, so she temporarily joined their group. Yesterday was her first day with them.
"So at dinner after the adventure, they drugged you, and you barely escaped becoming a slave?"
"Yes, it was a close call."
Katarina countered the strong sleeping drug by stabbing her own leg with a dagger, then fought back right there in the dining hall. What a beast.
She barely remembers what happened due to the drug, but it seems she cast as many spells as she could while trying to escape. In the process, she got slashed with a sword and stabbed with daggers, but she managed to flee into the slums to hide.
She then stumbled upon the underground sewer, pushed forward as far as she could, and collapsed from exhaustion.
"Hmm… If you killed them, this could be a problem."
"There were other regular patrons in the dining hall. If they were harmed, the city guards have likely already taken action."
Katarina is now a wanted criminal. Will the guards search the slums too?
"Oh? If I stay with you, I might get dragged into this."
"Yes. I was planning to leave soon. I wanted to offer some kind of reward, but all my belongings were left in the inn. By now, they've probably been taken."
Well, I wouldn't have much use for a reward anyway. Even if she gave me money, there's nothing I can do with it here. A kid like me carrying cash would just get robbed by adults.
Maybe food? That'd be nice.
Wait, hold on.
"I don't know if they'll search the slums, but if you have nowhere else to go, you can stay here."
"Are you sure? You might get involved."
"Yeah. But in exchange, I have a favor to ask."
Hiding Katarina is a gamble. If they find out, I'll be arrested as an accomplice.
But if I manage to get through this, my future prospects will improve dramatically.
The main reason? I don't want to let go of such an overpowered ally.
"A favor? If it's about sleeping together, I think you're a bit too young for that."
"What the hell? No! That's not it! I just want you to teach me how to read and write. You can do that, right?"
"Of course. That's no problem at all."
Sleeping together… It's an exciting thought, but I definitely don't want to do it in such an unsanitary place.
Also, I'm not even sure if Raymond's body has gone through puberty yet. If his biology is the same as my past life's, then maybe, but…
"Alright then, it's a deal. Looking forward to working with you."
"Thank you. Likewise."
Haha! I've secured an elite companion! This really feels like the start of my life in another world.
I haven't decided what to do next, but…
"I was thinking of starting a trading company at fifteen, but I might need to reconsider my plans."
"Because of me?"
Well, if we can get out of this town, maybe the investigation won't reach us. The problem is, I don't know how to escape.
"My original idea of taking over the underworld is starting to sound a bit more realistic. I just need power. Enough power to make sure no one can mess with me."
I've always wanted to do something that wasn't just a typical hero's journey.
In modern times, mafia and gang leaders in crime dramas always seemed cool to me.
"Of course, that's only because I'm not the one getting killed."
In reality, if I tried that in the modern world, I'd either get arrested or assassinated instantly.
But in a world like this, where brute force rules over everything…
Maybe my fantasy could come true.
Raymond seems like a capable character, and now I have Katarina as well.
I don't know how far I can go, but…
"I'm going to be the king of the underworld!"
With a dramatic thud sound effect in my mind, I clenched my fist and made my declaration.
Katarina just watched with a warm yet slightly exasperated gaze.
---
Interlude: Searching for the Elf
"Master, the adventurers have failed."
"Tch. Those lowly commoners. They can't even abduct a single person?"
Inside the grandest building in town, the lord's mansion, a young noble in his late twenties—Viscount Berlin Petes—could not hide his irritation as he listened to his butler's report.
"There was a skirmish in the dining hall. The elf escaped. Based on eyewitness accounts, she fled into the slums."
"Of all places..."
Berlin grimaced upon hearing the word "slums." Even though it was part of his own domain, the slums were a troublesome area. Numerous underground organizations and assassin guilds operated there, completely disregarding the lord's authority.
When Berlin inherited his title from his father, he once attempted to suppress the slums, but the conflict resulted in heavy casualties on both sides. Though the criminal groups temporarily quieted down, new factions soon rose to power, making the slums even more dangerous than before.
By now, he had chosen to leave them alone, allowing the various factions to fight amongst themselves. The slums had effectively become an extrajudicial zone.
"Shall we send pursuers after her?"
"If we act within the slums, we must negotiate with the right organizations first... Damn it! Those lowly peasants dare defy their lord!"
Berlin was a firm believer in aristocratic supremacy. He viewed commoners as a different species altogether—mere insects whose only purpose was to pay taxes. He openly despised and discriminated against them.
Yet, despite his disdain for commoners, he had found himself captivated by an elven adventurer he had spotted while returning from an inspection of the merchant guild.
The contradiction was unbearable. Even his butler, who had served his father before him, was utterly exasperated by the absurdity of the situation.
(Honestly. Master's words and actions are completely contradictory. He was so reserved when the previous lord was alive, but the moment he took over, he became arrogant. If he truly despises commoners, he should simply give up and leave the elf alone.)
"Damn it! Old man, contact the organization you mentioned. I don't care how much it costs—bring me that elf!"
"Understood, sir."
In the end, Berlin could not abandon his obsession. He ordered his butler to issue a request to a criminal syndicate.
The butler, despite his visible exasperation, agreed without hesitation. It was proof that he, too, was deeply ingrained in the ideology of noble supremacy.
To them, the life and dignity of a single commoner meant nothing.
Thus, through a network of intermediaries, the butler sent out a kidnapping request to an underground organization.
Little did they know that this decision would set the stage for the rise of a formidable syndicate.
---
"Boss, we've got a job offer. The client is paying a hefty sum. Should we take it?"
Inside an unusually large mansion for a slum, a hulking man, built like a bear, accepted the request without hesitation.
"Of course. If they're paying, we'll do whatever they want."
"Understood. I'll go collect the advance payment."
After his subordinate left, the boss picked up the request document.
"Kidnapping an elven woman, huh? That means the client is either a noble or a major merchant. Well, considering the amount of money involved, I'd say it's definitely one of them."
Elves rarely left their homeland, making them a rare sight in human cities. Since they often traveled alone, they were usually highly skilled fighters.
In fact, four out of the world's ten S-rank adventurers were elves. Their long lifespans allowed them to accumulate extensive experience, making them formidable warriors.
(So, they want to abduct an elf... Probably to turn her into a sex slave. But keeping an elf as property requires considerable power and wealth. I could probably raise the price even further.)
Elves were highly valued in the underground slave market, far beyond the initial reward for this request.
If the client refused to pay extra, he could simply threaten to auction her off instead.
"Heh. This job came at the perfect time. I'll use this to expand my influence even further."
The massive man chuckled, his body shaking with amusement.
(Now that I think about it, wasn't there a report about a wounded elf escaping into the slums two days ago? I told them to keep an eye on her… I wonder what happened since then.)
"Hey!"
"Yes, sir!"
At his call, a maid entered the room.
"Bring Ahum here."
"Right away, sir."
A few minutes later, a lean man entered the room. Despite his scrawny build, Ahum was the second-in-command of the organization.
"What's up, Boss?"
"The elf that entered the slums—where is she now?"
"Oh, her? Last I checked, she disappeared into the underground sewer system."
"Tch. The sewers, huh?"
The boss clicked his tongue in irritation. The underground sewers spanned the entire city, and not even his organization had fully mapped them out.
Rumors suggested that some tunnels even led outside the city. If the elf had escaped, retrieving her would be a challenge.
"Gather every available man. This job is a big one. We can't afford to fail."
"Ugh. We really have to go down there? That smell sticks to your clothes for days… Can I sit this one out?"
"Hell no. You're in charge of the entire operation."
Ahum grinned lazily, trying to worm his way out of the task. Despite his carefree attitude, he was the most reliable fighter in the group.
And so, with Ahum forced into action, the great elf hunt began in the slums.
Unbeknownst to them, their movements would soon disrupt the balance of power in the underground world.