Chapter 5: Already Too Late
In the capital of the Galarc Kingdom, inside a cheap inn downtown, morning was nearly over, and the time was fast approaching noon.
“Mm...”
Sendo Takahisa woke up; he seemed to have fallen asleep on his side. His mind slowly surfaced from sleep and he opened his eyes to see Julia’s face right before him.
“Oh, you’re awake.”
The two had fallen asleep beneath the same thin blanket. Takahisa blinked a few times, still half asleep.
“Good morning, Takahisa,” Julia said with a grin.
“M-Morning,” he eventually said with a blush.
“Hmm? Are you blushing?” Julia asked teasingly.
“If you woke up first, you could have woken me...” Takahisa looked away from Julia to hide his embarrassment.
“I wanted to watch your sleeping face.”
“I...see...”
“And I only just woke up as well. It should almost be noon, I think.”
“Huh? We slept for that long?”
“Well yeah, considering everything we did last night... Y’know?”
Julia’s cheeks reddened as she grinned mischievously. Takahisa’s face grew redder and redder.
“You’re so easy to read, Takahisa. Ha!” Julia grinned and clung to Takahisa.
“Wah! H-Hey! They’re touching me! Why aren’t you wearing any clothes?!” Takahisa warned her in a panic. He used both his hands to stop her from clinging to him naked.
“Eh? We went way further than just touching each other yesterday. Isn’t it a bit late for that?”
“Well... Erm...”
“Who was the one devouring my body as he pleased again?” Julia snuggled up to Takahisa and questioned him with feigned innocence.
“Y-You were the one who started it... Doing what you pleased...” Takahisa stopped pushing her back with his hands and gave in to her.
“Then we’re equally to blame,” Julia said with a cheerful smile.
Takahisa smiled back at her peacefully. Just then, both their stomachs rumbled at the same time. They both giggled at the sound.
“Sounds like we’re hungry. Let’s go get some food,” Julia suggested.
Thus, the two went on their way to find food.
◇ ◇ ◇
Roughly half an hour later...
“Thank you for the meal.”
Takahisa and Julia finished eating the food they’d brought to their room from the inn’s dining hall and sat face-to-face at the table.
“Phew, I’m so full.” Julia sighed in satisfaction.
“Yeah, we ate well...” Takahisa, who’d finished eating just a little before her, rubbed his stomach and agreed.
Julia hadn’t eaten anything since noon the previous day, and Takahisa’s last meal had been dinner two nights ago, so they had spent the entire meal eating in silence.
“It feels like I’m living life to the fullest right now,” Julia said, staring into the distance with a look of happiness.
“What about you, Takahisa?” she asked.
“Yeah... I’m managing to hold on thanks to you, Julia.” Takahisa clenched his jaw with a pained look, his expression steeped with intense guilt. The mistakes he’d made at the castle and his murder of the young master weighed on his chest like a thorny lump.
“It’s not your fault,” Julia suddenly said, defending Takahisa.
“Huh?”
“The young master’s death wasn’t your fault. He merely received divine punishment for all the evil deeds he’d committed until now. A man like that deserved to die.”
Takahisa lowered his head in guilt, saying nothing in response.
“He treated people like objects. He threatened people, stole their freedom, pocketed all the money other people risked their lives to earn, and acted like he was within his rights to do all of it. He’d get angry at the slightest criticism and wave his weapons around. He was the worst scum in the world.”
Julia justified the young master’s death, speaking as though she was relieved.
“But it isn’t right to kill people.”
“You’re wrong!”
“Wh...?”
Takahisa’s eyes widened at how harshly Julia had spoken in denial.
“You’re wrong! You didn’t kill him. You saved me, Takahisa!”
“But...”
“Saving people is a good thing, isn’t it? Or are you saying it’s bad to save others?”
“That’s...”
Just an excuse, were the words on the tip of Takahisa’s tongue. But he didn’t say them out loud. He swallowed them before they came spilling out and held his silence. Perhaps he wanted to soften the pressure of his sins and find peace in Julia’s words.
“I’d always hated it. I always felt pathetic. Being forced to return a loan I didn’t take out, being forced to become a slave and work in a brothel, having no freedom... I was reminded at every point that there was nothing I could do about it. I ran away from that unpleasant reality with no hope for tomorrow, because it was easier to live without thinking.”
Julia suddenly clutched her slave collar and started talking about her life. She then stood up from her seat and walked over to where Takahisa sat facing her.
“Takahisa, you’re the one who saved me from that. You’re the one who gave me a new tomorrow. When the young master died, my first thought was ‘Ah, I’m finally free.’ It’s all thanks to you. You’re my prince,” she emphasized, shaking his shoulders.
“Julia...”
“That’s why you’re not bad. I won’t forgive anyone who says what you did was wrong.” Julia embraced Takahisa as though to say she’d protect him.
“Thank you... But I’m really not a prince.” Takahisa’s facial muscles relaxed as though he had been saved. He smiled shyly as the weight lifted off his shoulders.
“I told you yesterday you’d do as my prince, didn’t I?”
“Do you have an obsession with princes or something...?”
“Well, I did always admire them. I lived every day hoping a prince would come save me one day,” Julia answered, using Takahisa’s thighs as a seat as she clung to him.
“I-I see...” Takahisa startled at the sudden contact.
“Besides...”
“Hmm?”
“The first time I saw you, I truly thought you were like a prince. Your appearance certainly gave me that impression,” Julia revealed bashfully.
“Aha ha,” Takahisa laughed in amusement.
“But your personality was kind of a disappointment. Your lack of money too.”
“Ha... Ha ha...” Takahisa’s smile twitched at Julia’s follow-up comment.
“If you’re not a prince though, what are you?” Julia watched Takahisa for his reaction as she finally asked about his background.
“Come to think of it, I still haven’t told you about myself. You didn’t ask anything either...”
“Yeah, because you obviously had some things going on. But will you tell me now?” Seated on Takahisa’s lap, Julia peered into his face at point-blank range.
“I’m...a hero.” Takahisa made up his mind and revealed his identity.
“Huh...?” Julia was taken aback and blinked.
“I’m a hero. The one from the Kingdom of Centostella. I was staying in the Galarc Castle until yesterday,” Takahisa added with a wry smile.
“Huh? Wha?”
“Err, do you know what a hero is?”
“I do, but what? A hero?! You?!” Julia leaned back in utter surprise.
“Yup, me.”
“Isn’t that more amazing than a prince?!”
“I don’t think so...?” The corner of Takahisa’s mouth crinkled up in embarrassment.
“Huh? HUH?” Julia raised her voice, staring at Takahisa. “HUH?!”
“Is it really that surprising?”
Takahisa had no idea what a normal reaction towards a hero should be, so all he did was shrug uncomfortably.
“Of course it is! Heroes are the people who appear in the fairy tales that everyone knows. I knew there was some commotion before about the heroes appearing, but I never expected to meet or speak to one in person!”
“You met me yesterday and we’ve been talking this entire time... If anything, the way you’re clinging so closely to me is more...” Takahisa pointed out with a subtle blush. Julia was still sitting on his lap, so it made no sense for her to make a fuss over speaking to him at this point.
“Wha? Oh, well, that’s true... You have a point. Aha ha, especially after last night...” Julia recalled how they had lain with each other all night long and blushed. She quickly climbed off his lap and distanced herself from him.
“Umm, you don’t have to avoid me so blatantly all of a sudden either,” Takahisa said with a sad pout.
“I-I just need time to calm down. You can’t just bring up being a hero like that... I mean, I could tell you were important the first time I saw you. No wonder your clothes are such good quality. Ah, should I be speaking to you more politely? And calling you Sir Takahisa instead?!” Julia seemed to be rather shaken, flailing her arms in a fluster.
“C-Calm down, it’s fine. You can just treat me like you have been until now! Deep breaths, okay?” Similarly flustered, Takahisa tried to calm her down.
“R-Right, deep breaths. Phew... Hah...” With that, Julia finally gathered her composure.
“Better now?”
“Somewhat.”
“That aside, you believed me immediately when I said I’m a hero...” Takahisa watched Julia’s expression. After all, he had no way of proving it.
“Yup, I believe you.” Julia nodded innocently.
After being told so many times that he couldn’t be trusted by everyone at the castle, Takahisa felt her words keenly.
“Thank you...” he mumbled, face crumpling as he thanked her in a teary voice.
Seeing him like that made Julia sigh quietly. “It seems I’m really weak to that face of yours. I wonder why...”
She reapproached the chair he was sitting in and gently hugged his head to her chest.
Unable to point out her breasts were pressed against his face, Takahisa asked in embarrassment, “What face...?”
“Hmm... The face of an abandoned puppy? It makes me want to spoil you and protect you... Is it because you’re triggering my motherly instincts?” Julia said, squeezing her arms around Takahisa more tightly. “Listen, can I ask more about your situation, Takahisa?”
“Of course...”
“Why did you run away from the castle?”
“How... How did you know?” Takahisa asked back in surprise.
“Why would a hero from the castle be in the shady red-light district by himself?”
“I guess it does seem obvious when you put it like that.”
“Yup. Besides,” Julia paused, pursing her lips as though to summon her courage, “you said you upset the girl you love, right?”
“Ha ha...”
“Was it that bad?”
Takahisa stiffened, then hunched over and nodded. “Really terrible... She said she never wanted to see me again.”
“I see. Then that girl must have terrible taste in men. How else could she act so coldly to such a good man? I’m sure she’s regretting it now that you’re gone.” Julia pouted, expressing her displeasure in Takahisa’s place.
“You think so?” Takahisa asked unsurely.
“Yes, I’m sure of it.”
Julia answered firmly and instantly, giving her stamp of approval. She patted Takahisa’s back encouragingly, soothing him like he was a frightened animal. She eventually felt the strength drain from his body as he relaxed.
“So what are you going to do from here?” Julia asked, bringing up a new topic.
“What do you mean...?”
“What are your plans for the future? Will you go back to the castle?”
Takahisa stiffened once more as though to say no, he didn’t want to.
“So you don’t want to go back. Okay, that means we can’t rely on the castle. I can’t return to the brothel, and there’s nowhere else we can turn to either. But it’ll also be dangerous to remain in the capital like this...”
Julia hummed in thought as she rubbed his back. Then an idea came to her mind and she let out a gasp. “How about we run away together and go somewhere far away?” she suggested.
“Somewhere far away...?”
“Yup. I’ll comfort you until you get sick of me, then we can live together happily ever after. Once we become old and wrinkly, we’ll look back on what happened yesterday and today and tell each other, ‘I remember that man, he was better off dead after all,’ and, ‘Oh yeah, there was a woman like that, but I’m much happier with Julia instead,’ and laugh over it.”
By then, time would have healed everything. That’s why they should throw everything aside and run away together—was what Julia said to Takahisa with a carefree smile.
“Yeah... You’re right. That might be good too.” Takahisa paused for a while, but eventually nodded his head.
“All right, it’s decided!” Julia said excitedly, happily clinging tighter to Takahisa. “We’ll have to prepare for our departure. What do we need for a journey? Travel expenses? I wonder if I have enough money...?” In high spirits, she quickly went over all the things they needed to do before they left in her head.
“If it’s money we need, how about we sell my clothes?” Takahisa suggested, watching Julia with a smile.
“Huh? Is that okay? They look like such expensive clothes...”
“That’s precisely why. I’ll only stand out if I wear them, so it’s better to get rid of them. Selling them would be better than throwing them away.”
“I see. Then if you don’t mind, let’s do that. Thank you.” Julia beamed as she thanked him.
“It’s fine. The problem is where to sell them...”
“We have to sell them off and leave as quickly as possible. The organization the young master was in has quite a lot of influence over the poorer parts of the city, so we won’t be able to hide forever.”
They would have noticed his death and started the search for the two of them by now, Julia explained.
“I see... Then we better hurry.”
“Yup. I know a good store to sell at. Normal stores will refuse to buy high-quality items they consider suspicious, but this store will buy without asking questions.”
“Is it a shady store...?”
“I think it should be fine. Well, there are a lot of shady clients, but that’s why they’re very secretive about their business. I know brothel workers who sell gemstones they don’t need there.”
“All right, then let’s go there together.”
“No. I’ll go alone.”
“Huh? Why?”
“They know we ran away together, so they’ll be on the lookout for hooded people walking in a pair.”
“In that case, I’ll go alone—”
“You’ve never been to this side of the city, have you? Would you know where it is even if I gave you the address?”
“Urk...”
“You wouldn’t know how to live outside a castle. Leave this to me.”
Takahisa gave in and nodded. “Fine... But be careful.”
“Of course. With that decided...”
From where she sat on Takahisa’s lap, Julia brought her face close to his as though she was about to kiss him—and started groping his upper body over his clothes flirtatiously.
“H-Hey, weren’t you about to leave to sell the clothes...?”
Just what had Takahisa imagined? He blushed until he looked like his face had been painted with bright red paint.
“I’m checking for what can be sold. It’d be pitiful to leave you naked, so I’ll spare your shirt and pants.”
Julia grinned and began to strip Takahisa of his clothes.
◇ ◇ ◇
In the morning, around the time Takahisa and Julia woke up...
The silver werewolf girl Sara had left the Galarc Castle with Charlotte’s personal guards in order to search for Takahisa. Sara’s contract spirit, Hel, was materialized in the shape of a large dog and led the way.
A downpour of rain last night had caused the search to be called off. The rain had washed away any scent of Takahisa, making it difficult to track him. But that was no trouble for Hel’s and Sara’s senses of smell after enhancing their bodies with spirit arts.
They took over the search from where the castle’s search team had left off yesterday and spent several long hours searching from early morning. Eventually, they arrived at the red-light district of the capital and paused at the entrance of the main street leading in.
“There’s no mistaking it. The scent continues this way,” Sara said to the young female knight with her.
“This way...leads to the red-light district.”
The commander of the knights, named Louise, checked their location on a map. She didn’t seem to have a very good impression of the red-light district, as there was a grim look on her face as she spoke.
“Red-light district?”
Sara tilted her head curiously, unfamiliar with the term. There was no red-light district in the spirit folk village, so that was a natural reaction for her.
“It’s, well... A place where certain services are sold... Ahem. It’s not a very safe area. But there should be no problems during the day, so let’s continue with care.”
Embarrassed by explaining such a thing, Louise cleared her throat and brushed off the matter.
“All right.”
Thus, Sara and the knights braced themselves and entered the red-light district.
This scent is...
There were barely any people on the streets of the red-light district at this early hour, but there was a strong and peculiar scent ingrained in the area. That seemed to make Sara realize what kind of place they were in, as she blushed faintly.
“It’s this way,” she said, clearing her throat briefly. She led the knights to a backstreet off the main road. However...
“Oh? This seems to be a dead end,” Louise said, looking around at the alley.
“It seems he stopped here for some time. He was probably sitting here,” Sara explained, pointing to where the scent was the strongest.
“You can even tell he was sitting? That’s amazing... No one must be able to escape you and Hel.” Louise praised the two of them in awe.
“It’s not that big of a deal. Let’s turn back. I’ll search for where he went from here.” Sara looked a little shy as she shook her head, then turned back to the main street of the red-light district. This time, she noticed Takahisa’s scent leading down a different alley and followed the scent down that way.
They proceeded down the backstreet of the red-light district until Sara and Hel stopped before a certain building.
“It seems he entered this building,” Sara reported, looking up at the building. It was the brothel that Julia had worked at until yesterday.
The knights all had awkward expressions on their faces. They knew he had run away out of grief, but they didn’t want to believe a hero had run straight into a brothel.
“There was someone with him. A young woman, I believe,” Sara added hesitantly.
“I see... And they went in here. We’ll have to go in and ask...” Louise sighed and moved to enter the building.
“Please wait a moment,” Sara said, stopping her.
“Is something the matter?”
Sara pointed at the alley beside the brothel. “The scent continues into that alley beside the building. It seems like a dead end, so let’s check that out first.”
“All right.”
Thus, the group entered the alley beside the building. That being said, the dead-end alley was less than ten meters long, and immediately came to a stop from the walls of other buildings. The group stopped as soon as they entered the alley.
Louise looked around at the alley and tilted her head curiously. “What was Sir Takahisa doing here?”
The dead end of the alley could clearly be seen without even entering it. There was no need to turn into such a place for no particular reason. A grim look came over Sara’s face as she walked down the alley with Hel. When she reached a certain spot, she crouched down. It was the spot where the young master had died. His corpse had already been moved, and the blood had been washed away by the rain, but...
There’s no mistaking it. This is the scent of blood...
Sara sniffed out the lingering scent with certainty. The problem was whom the blood belonged to, and why it had been spilled here. Not even Sara was able to tell that much through her nose alone.
Did he move around here? The scent of the woman he entered the building with is here as well. Does the blood spilled here have anything to do with Takahisa?
She considered the various possibilities as she looked around the alley.
“Is something the matter, Lady Sara?” Louise called out to her back.
“Hey, ladies,” a man’s voice said. There were around ten rough-looking men standing by the entrance of the brothel. One of them had called out to Louise and the others in the alleyway.
“Who are you?” Louise demanded with a stern look, reaching for the sheath at her waist. Her four subordinate knights swiftly reached for their swords as well.
“Whoa there, no need for that. We have no intention of picking a fight with a noble lady’s knights.” The man at the front of the group raised his hands exaggeratedly, expressing how they had no will to fight. He then looked up at the brothel building and introduced himself. “The name’s Norman. I’m the one in charge of this area, and I own the brothel here too.”
He was the uncle of the young master that had been killed—the same person searching for the missing Takahisa and Julia.
“How convenient. We have business with your brothel. Let’s hear what you have to say,” Louise said, returning the sword she had almost drawn back into its sheath. However, she remained wary of the men, as the gaze in her eyes was still sharp.
“Oh? What business would beautiful young knights like you have at a red-light district in the outskirts?” Norman asked, licking his lips as he observed them all closely. But when he spotted Sara crouching at the back of the alley, his eyes widened dramatically.
“If you’re here to find employment, you’re all very welcome. One of the workers here just went missing, so we’re in need of new people. The silver-haired girl at the back in particular would be top of the line. She’d be able to make dozens of gold coins in a night if she wanted,” he said with a vulgar grin.
“Insolent man!” Louise reached for the sword in her sheath once again.
“Calm down. I said we have no intention of picking a fight. With this many beauties gathered in the red-light district, you never know if at least one of you could be interested in working here. It’d be ruder not to say anything.”
Norman admonished Louise in a hurry, raising his hands to show his compliance.
“Tch... We’re here on an investigation. I’ll overlook your impudence if you answer our questions, but there’ll be no mercy the next time you lump us in with your lot.”
Louise clicked her tongue and sheathed her sword, prioritizing the questioning.
“I see. An investigation... However, we’re running an honest and legitimate business here. What is there to investigate?” Norman shrugged in an aloof manner while staring at Louise sharply.
“We’re searching for a boy in his midteens. He has brown-tinted black hair and a thin build, and is roughly 170 to 180 centimeters in height. Did someone fitting this description, possibly wearing tailored clothing, come to this brothel last night?”
When Louise described Takahisa’s appearance, Norman’s expression stiffened. “We are a high-class establishment, and our reputation means everything to us. Even if that boy visited, we cannot freely give out information about our customers.”
“Are you refusing to answer?”
“Well, not if I have a duty to do so. I’m just saying that I can’t reveal anything confidential to a group of people I don’t know the backgrounds of myself.”
“We are knights directly serving the royal family at the castle. This is an investigation ordered by His Majesty himself. All residents of the kingdom are obliged to cooperate with the investigation.” Louise presented the metal plate with the crest of the royal family stamped into it.
“Oh my, His Majesty himself? In that case, as a citizen living in this kingdom, I will endeavor to answer the best that I can.” Norman agreed to the questioning in a dramatic tone.
“Did a boy matching those features come here?”
“Yes, there was a boy like that. Don’t tell anyone I revealed that though. I didn’t meet him in person, but he was certainly here. It isn’t rare for an establishment as high-class as ours to receive noble clients, but he stood out in his particularly fine clothes. He apparently said he wanted to try doing it with a shabby woman.” Norman gave his reply with a vulgar chuckle.
“I see. So he was here...” Louise sighed heavily, pressing a hand to her head to hold back her headache.
“So why are you in search of that boy? Who is he?”
“He is a person of high importance. Do not pry any further. More importantly, do you know where he went afterwards?”
“Unfortunately, there is no way for us to tell where our customers go after they leave the store. Regrettable as it is...” Norman replied with a smile devoid of any emotion.
“I see.”
“I have a question as well. Was anyone injured or killed in this alleyway recently?” Sara asked, standing up and looking at the spot where the young master was killed.
“Oh...?”
“There’s a strong scent of blood left behind.”
“How...?”
How could she tell? Norman wondered as his eyes widened in shock. But when he saw Hel materialized as a large silver wolf, a look of understanding crossed his face.
Louise startled. “Is that true?!” she asked Sara.
“Yes. His scent is faint, but it’s there beside the stench of blood. Could you tell us if the blood spilled here has anything to do with the boy we’re searching for?” Sara asked boldly, staring at Norman.
“Why, color me impressed... Indeed, someone did die here the other day. Is that puppy of yours able to tell who the murderer is?” Norman asked Sara, his eyes fixed on Hel.
Sara slowly shook her head. “No, there are too many scents here to be able to tell that.”
“I see...”
“Hey. Answer the question first. Is the boy we’re searching for related to the incident that happened here?” Having imagined the worst-case scenario in her head, Louise’s tone harshened.
“No, they’re unrelated. There was a bit of a scuffle here that resulted in bloodshed. The victim was my nephew, not the boy you’re after. I don’t know why the boy’s scent would be here as well.”
“I see... Sorry for your loss. If you’re still in search of the culprit, I can contact the local patrol and put in a word for you.”
“No, there’s no need for that. The incident is on its way to being solved,” Norman replied immediately.
“All right. If you have the time, please ask around for anyone who’s seen the boy once again. There will be a cash reward for any useful information. We will probably stop by to investigate again ourselves, but you can bring any information to the nearby station as well.”
“That’s a rather generous offer. Fortunately, I have quite a few contacts outside the red-light district. I’ll ask around about the whereabouts of that boy for you.”
“Please do. Now if you’d excuse us.”
Louise shot Sara and her subordinates a look, indicating her intention for them to leave the dead-end alley.
“We shall head back to the brothel as well.”
Norman led his thugs back inside the building.
“Let’s go that way next,” Sara said, pointing in the next direction the scent led.
Thus, the group resumed their search away from the brothel Takahisa had been at. But after walking for about ten meters, Sara looked back at the entrance of the alley they had left.
The scent of blood hanging in the air over there... It’s faint, but Takahisa’s scent is mixed in with it...
She shook her head to dispel those unnecessary thoughts and looked away from the alley.
◇ ◇ ◇
Meanwhile, as soon as Norman entered the door of the brothel...
“Hmph. To think the kingdom would dispatch the royal knights to the red-light district. It seems the rumors you heard in the noble district were true, Nick,” he said to the mercenary walking beside him.
He was referring to the events of that morning, when Nick had brought back the intel he had gathered in the noble district of the capital. In short, the rumor was that a hero visiting the Galarc Castle had gone missing since yesterday, no one knew where he had gone, and the castle was in an uproar. And now, knights dispatched by the king were in the red-light district as part of an investigation. Which meant...
“Indeed so. Who would have expected a legendary hero to buy a woman from a brothel, huh? I was half skeptical at first, but this pretty much confirms he was the one who killed the young master.”
“Yes, we’ll have to find that hero before the castle does...” Norman declared, boiling with irrepressible anger.
“But isn’t it bad if the castle is making a serious effort on the search?” one of the thugs said hesitantly.
“Huh?”
“I-It might be easy for us to apprehend him first, but the knights were tracking his scent using a dog. Even if we catch him first, wouldn’t they be able to know that? It’d be risky to kill the hero and defy the kingdom, so wouldn’t it be better to hand over the hero and receive the cash reward from the kingdom instead...?”
The thug twitched nervously under Norman’s glare as he explained why he was opposed to revenge.
“He’s got a point...”
“We really shouldn’t be killing a hero.”
“It should be a significant amount of cash too, right?”
The other thugs expressed similar opinions against taking revenge.
“What are you all scared of the bigwigs for?! Have you forgotten who it was that made this red-light district so prosperous?! Not the kingdom, not the hero, but us! We’re not citizens of the kingdom—the red-light district is our kingdom!”
Norman didn’t falter in the face of power. The resentment he felt over the murder of his beloved nephew exceeded his fear of authority. The thugs shrank back and fell silent.
“Listen up. I’ll pay the guy who finds the brat who killed Sammy a hefty amount of gold coins. I’ll prepare a fitting position for them too. I have no intention of backing down, no matter if we’re up against a hero or the king himself. Those who want to stay out of it are free to leave, but don’t think you can live where I can see you ever again.”
Norman made appropriate use of threats and bribes to convince the thugs the risk was worth the return.
“If you want to rise in the world, get to work! We know Julia took the brat to buy coats. We also know which area they chose to stay in for the night. The ladies from the castle aren’t your only rivals—the men on lookout in the area will beat you to the punch!”
Norman set the thugs into motion, and they ran out of the brothel in a hurry.
If the castle gets ahold of him, we won’t be able to lay our hands on him. He’s not getting away... I don’t care if he’s a hero. I’ll put an end to him myself.
The flames of revenge burning within Norman were gradually closing in on Takahisa and Julia.
◇ ◇ ◇
Around an hour later at noon, in a district of the Galarc capital with a market stood an old store tucked away between a jumble of buildings and a convoluted series of back alleys. Julia stepped out of the entrance of that store with a hood over her face.
“Heh heh...”
She gazed at the pouch that served as her wallet and smiled happily. Inside were the two gold coins and six large silver coins she had received for selling Takahisa’s clothing. When added with the money she’d originally possessed, her fortune came to a total of four gold coins.
With this much, we should be able to travel for quite some time.
Using this money, they were going to run as far as they could. Julia wishfully thought about the bright future that was in store for them.
Using this money, Takahisa and I will...
Julia carefully tucked the pouch into her clothes and looked up at the sky. After being sold as a brothel worker to repay her parents’ debt, there had been no one she could rely on. That was why she swore she would live the best she could on her own.
There was no dreaming of the future when she was shut away in the room of a brothel. She’d thought that she’d spend forever at rock bottom, but things were different now.
The sky felt shockingly bright today. She could believe that a different tomorrow from today awaited her. Takahisa would change her tomorrow for her. That’s why she believed her meeting with Takahisa was one kind of fate.
After all, Takahisa had lived in a completely different world from a brothel. Two people who should have never crossed paths were now sharing a common destiny.
Wait for me, my prince... No, I guess he’d be my hero now?
She wanted to see him. She really wanted to see him right this moment and leap into his arms. She wanted to feel his skin against hers. Unable to hold back her desire to see him, Julia started walking briskly towards the inn where Takahisa awaited.
However... At the same time, she was also scared. It felt like the moment she let her guard down, her fear would spread through her chest and paint all her happiness black. What if the young master’s organization was hunting them down for revenge right this moment? The thought of that made her feel helplessly terrified.
Their departure was the next morning. If they were able to remain hidden until then, an amazing future was sure to be waiting for them.
“...”
Julia eventually broke into a run in an attempt to leave her terror behind her. It was moments later that a hemp sack appeared in front of her, plunging her into darkness.
◇ ◇ ◇
Several hours later, at an hour approaching dusk...
Something’s not right...
Sendo Takahisa paced around the room of the inn, plagued with worry.
“She said she’d be back in two to three hours...” Julia had yet to return after this long. Had something happened to her?
Don’t tell me—did she get caught?
A bad feeling crossed his mind.
“Tch...!”
Takahisa donned his coat, covered his face with the hood, and ran out of his room. Julia had told him not to leave the room, but he couldn’t help but act on his worries. He wandered around within sight of the inn’s entrance so he wouldn’t miss her in case she returned. After twenty to thirty minutes of circling the inn’s entrance...
“Hey, bro.”
A number of men approached Takahisa and called out to him. They clearly appeared to be thugs, and not the friendliest of them.
“What do you want...?” Takahisa pulled his hood over his face and replied with blatant wariness.
“You’ve been moving around suspiciously for a while now. What are you up to?”
“Nothing... I’m just looking for someone. Got a problem?”
“Is that someone a woman called Julia, by any chance?”
“Huh?!” Takahisa showed an obvious loss of composure at Julia’s name.
“Looks like we got him.”
“All right!”
The men pumped their fists excitedly.
“Who are you people?”
“The owner of the store that woman went to sell your clothes to is under our patronage. Same for the store that sold the coat you’re wearing. Get what I’m saying?”
Takahisa’s wariness turned to hostility. “What did you do to Julia?!” he demanded.
“She wouldn’t spill the beans on your location, you see. But we knew the general area you were staying in, so we searched by process of elimination.”
“It helped that you were walking around aimlessly.”
The thugs chuckled as they explained the situation smugly.
“Julia better be safe!” Takahisa grabbed at the thugs, completely shaken up.
“That depends on what you do from here, no?”
“Wh...?”
“Let’s start with letting go of me, yes?”
“Guh...” Takahisa released the thug, body trembling with vexation.
“Our boss has been looking for you. Come on.”
The thugs smirked at the psychological advantage they had. They ordered Takahisa to follow them to where they’d taken Julia.
It was only a few minutes later that Sara and the knights arrived at the inn Takahisa had been staying at.
◇ ◇ ◇
Around the time the sun had finally set...
“We’re here.”
The thugs had led Takahisa back to the red-light district. They stood before a particular building.
“This place is...”
The building was familiar to Takahisa—indeed, it was the brothel where Julia had worked. He stepped foot into the lobby.
“Wait there for a minute,” one of the thugs said before climbing the stairs.
The same man who’d served Takahisa the last time he was in the brothel sat at the reception. But unlike last time, there were bandages wrapped around his shoulder and splinted leg. And above all, he was glaring at Takahisa as though he wanted to kill him. The reason for that was because of the unfair violence he had suffered from Norman over the young master, but Takahisa had no way of knowing that, so he was left in an awkward situation. Before long, the thug that went upstairs returned.
“Follow me,” he said, leading Takahisa up the stairs.
“Go on, move.”
“I know.”
The thug beside him shoved him in the back, making Takahisa frown as he climbed the stairs. Their destination was Julia’s room on the second floor. When they opened the door and entered the room, they found Norman seated on the bed.
“Yo. I’ve been waiting.”
“Where’s Julia?” Takahisa immediately asked, looking around the room. He couldn’t see Julia anywhere. Norman appeared to be alone.
“No need to panic,” Norman said, grinning.
“Ngh?!”
A blunt impact struck the back of Takahisa’s head, shaking his vision.
“Wha...?”
Unable to understand what had happened, Takahisa tried to look behind him as he fell. Reflected in his blurry vision was the mercenary, Nick, that Norman had hired...
Takahisa lost consciousness.
◇ ◇ ◇
Around the time the sun had set and the sky was completely dark, Sara had handed over the search to another squad after pinning down the inn Takahisa had stayed at and returned to the castle. She gave her report of the situation with Louise in a room with King Francois, Miharu, Aki, Masato, Satsuki, Charlotte, and Lilianna present.
“And so, the main search party has taken over the investigation. Lady Lilianna’s knights are accompanying them. They will attempt to persuade Sir Takahisa as soon as he returns to the inn.”
That’s why it was only a matter of time before Takahisa returned to the castle, Louise explained, concluding her report.
“Thank you for searching since so early in the morning, Lady Sara, Lady Louise.”
Lilianna stood up from the sofa and bowed her head deeply towards Sara and Louise.
Louise shook her head and looked at Sara. “I merely accompanied Lady Sara. If it weren’t for her, we wouldn’t have been able to find the inn so quickly.”
“No, we were only able to move so smoothly thanks to your guidance through the streets. The capital is so large, I would have gotten lost if I were alone.”
Miharu also stood up and bowed her head. “Thank you both so much, Sara, Louise.”
“Thank you very much!”
“Thank you for your hard work.”
Aki and Masato both spoke up, following Miharu’s lead.
“We’re so sorry for the trouble our brother has caused...” Masato continued, apologizing to the entire room.
“It’s not something you need to apologize for, Sir Masato. It was my duty to support Sir Takahisa, and I failed to do that.” Lilianna defended Masato, shifting the blame to herself.
“No. If you’re going to say that, then I shouldn’t have gotten emotional and slapped Takahisa,” Miharu began to say.
“That’s not true! I failed to support him as his little sister too!” Aki said, claiming part of the blame as well.
Seeing everyone like that made Satsuki sigh. “Okay, that’s enough! Stop! No more!”
She raised her voice and called for everyone’s attention. Once all eyes were on her, she started speaking.
“For now, we know the inn Takahisa’s staying at, so let’s make one thing clear. This was nobody’s fault. No matter how you look at it, the only one to blame here is Takahisa. Otherwise he’ll just be getting what he wants for throwing his tantrum,” Satsuki stated bluntly.
“This is him throwing a tantrum?” Charlotte asked, tilting her head curiously.
“He knew that rationally, things aren’t going to go the way he wants. So by making unreasonable demands and constantly acting out, he can get everyone else to concede to him.”
It was just like a toddler throwing a tantrum to get what they wanted, Satsuki explained.
“I see. What an interesting comparison.”
And a common sight in the royal court, Charlotte added with a giggle. Francois seemed to find that amusing as well, as he chuckled along with her.
“Just because he couldn’t get Miharu to do what he wanted, he ran away from the castle to make everyone else feel guilty. That’s what Takahisa’s trying to do, in my opinion. I mean, you’re all feeling guilty, aren’t you? If he returned right now, would you all change the way you treat him?”
Miharu, Lilianna, Aki, and Masato fell awkwardly silent at Satsuki’s question.
Satsuki sighed. “As I thought. That’s why I want to make this clear: none of you are at fault. Don’t let Takahisa and his tantrum win,” she said to them sternly.
“I agree with Lady Satsuki’s thoughts on this matter. If you spoil Sir Takahisa here, you’ll be creating the precedent for him to get whatever he wants if he acts out. That won’t be good for Sir Takahisa’s sake, and will only become a burden for all of you in the future,” Charlotte said, taking the initiative to agree with Satsuki.
“That’s right. If Takahisa gets a taste of success here, who knows what he’ll do next time. Will you keep giving him whatever he wants to prevent that from happening? It’s pretty stressful to be unable to say no to something you don’t want to do. And Miharu will be the one getting the short end of the stick.”
It was impossible to pamper him forever, Satsuki convinced Miharu and the others with the support of Charlotte’s statement.
“You’ve got a point. It’d be wrong to let him get away with this, and Miharu shouldn’t feel any responsibility either. What my brother said to Princess Lilianna was the worst. I’ll never forgive him for those words. He deserved the slap he got from Miharu.”
Masato looked back over how Takahisa had messed up and agreed with Satsuki.
“That’s right. You can’t forget what Takahisa did. Miharu, Aki, and Princess Lilianna have no need to feel responsible over this matter. In fact, you should all be angry at him. He’s the one at fault. Got it?”
As she said, Satsuki was probably angry at Takahisa herself. She looked at Miharu, Aki, and Princess Lilianna, ensuring they were listening to her words.
“Uhm...” Miharu expressed reluctance.
“Got it?”
“Y-Yes...” She nodded hesitantly, folding to Satsuki’s pressure.
“Good. Next, Aki and Princess Lilianna. Got it?”
“Umm...”
Aki was still hesitant. But Aki probably intended to support her brother even if he was in the wrong. Her situation was different from that of Miharu, who’d been one-sidedly forced into her position.
“Takahisa is the one at fault, but that’s irrelevant to whether you want to continue to support him or not. If you want to do that, you can.”
Satsuki amended her explanation with Aki’s situation in mind. Those words seemed to convince Aki, as she nodded firmly. “Okay!”
“Like Lady Aki, I also intend on continuing to support Sir Takahisa from here...” Lilianna said after Aki.
“That’s fine. Now that this matter is settled, no more bringing it up again!”
Satsuki clapped her hands together and put an end to the topic. Then, in order to distract them from the matter of responsibility—or perhaps because she was utterly astounded herself—she kept speaking.
“That aside, what was he thinking?! After making such a fuss about Miharu, the first thing he does is run to a brothel to see another woman?! He even stayed overnight at the inn with her... Does that mean he brought her back from the brothel?!”
Satsuki reddened in anger at Takahisa’s actions after he left the castle.
“There there. You know how gentlemen can get when their frustrations build up,” Charlotte said jokingly, giggling to herself.
“Well, I guess... But still...”
Satsuki blushed, showing a reaction fitting for a girl her age.
“I have a question about that,” Lilianna said. “Sir Takahisa shouldn’t have had any access to money. How did he obtain the funds for a brothel or inn...?”
She brought up the point that had her concerned.
“Wait, really?”
“Yes. We prepared everything he needed...”
“Did Takahisa receive money from someone before coming to Galarc? Or maybe the girl he was with paid for them?” Satsuki wondered, guessing at the possibilities.
“That’s the only explanation I can think of as well...”
“At any rate, we’ll know once he returns to the castle. We can ask him then.”
“Right... I’ll also ask the others from my kingdom if anyone has ever given him any money,” Lilianna agreed.
Without knowing what kind of situation Takahisa was currently in, the group ended their meeting together.
◇ ◇ ◇
Somewhere in the red-light district of the Galarc capital...
Splash.
“Ugh...” Takahisa woke up, but was drenched with water.
“Morning, boy,” Norman said coldly.
“Agh...” Takahisa lifted his heavy eyelids and gazed vacantly at the sight before him. Norman was seated on the wooden chair in front of him, legs crossed and looking down on Takahisa. The mercenary Nick stood beside him, and the other thugs that’d brought him to the brothel were also nearby. But the angle that Takahisa was looking at them at was strange; everything was rotated exactly ninety degrees, making Takahisa realize he was lying sideways on the floor.
This...
This wasn’t Julia’s room in the brothel. The interior of her room had been wooden, but the room Takahisa was currently in had a stone floor, walls, and ceiling. There wasn’t a single window, and magic artifacts kept the interior bright.
This isn’t the brothel?
Was it the basement? Takahisa could remember going to Julia’s room, but his thoughts were slowed by having just woken up.
Besides, even if he tried to stand right now, his limbs wouldn’t move: they were restrained by heavy shackles. At some point, someone had snapped a magic-sealing collar around him.
“The knights from the castle were looking for you. They were using a trained dog to track your scent, so we relocated somewhere where we won’t be disrupted. This is the basement of the brothel, normally reserved for special customers. They won’t be able to find you even if they can track you into the building.”
Even if the knights came to search again, they’d simply lead them to Julia’s room on the second floor to avoid suspicion. That was the situation Norman explained to Takahisa.
“Where’s Julia...?”
“Hey hey, is your first thought seriously to worry about that dirty prostitute? How kind. I guess that’s the legendary hero for you, huh?” Norman laughed mockingly, then looked around at his subordinates for their agreement.
“Heh heh.” The thugs all sneered in agreement.
“Julia has nothing to do with this,” Takahisa argued, hostility seeping through at the insult towards Julia.
“Huh?” Intense anger oozed from Norman. He stood up from his chair and ran up to Takahisa, using his momentum to kick him in the stomach with all his might.
“Guh?!” Takahisa’s body hovered in the air. His organs were crushed, causing him to throw up his stomach acids as he rolled across the floor. Norman approached Takahisa once more and grabbed a fistful of his hair, lifting his head up.
“What do you mean, ‘nothing to do with this’? She hid you after you killed Sammy. Even if that wasn’t true, it’s forbidden for a brothel worker to run off with a customer. It’s a serious crime. This is definitely where you die, but don’t think it’ll be swift and painless.” He leered at Takahisa threateningly, leaning right into his face.
“N-No!” Takahisa tried to say something in a fluster.
“Shut up!”
“Gah...!” Norman ground Takahisa’s face into the floor.
“Hey, bring the woman here.”
“Right away!”
At Norman’s order, some of the thugs opened the door and left. They returned from the corridor less than a minute later and threw Julia to the floor, her hands and feet tied with rope.
“Aah...!” Julia fell heavily, falling before Takahisa.
“J-Julia!” Takahisa shouted in alarm. Their gazes met.
“Takahisa...!”
Julia’s face crumpled. Her eyes were red and bloodshot from crying so much, and her eyelids were also swollen like welts. On top of that, the ragged clothes she loved to wear so much were stained red like she’d had a huge nosebleed or something of the sort.
“Wh-What happened? Your clothes are bright red! Is that blood?!” Takahisa’s voice cracked in surprise.
“I-I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I...!”
Tears streamed from Julia’s eyes as she apologized through her wails. But Norman grabbed her by the hair. “That isn’t who you should be apologizing to, is it now?!”
“Eek...!”
“What did you do to her?!” Takahisa yelled, seeing the fear in Julia’s twitching face.
“Healing magic is a convenient thing. If you cast it right after an injury, the wound heals without a trace,” Norman said, chuckling.
“Wh-What did you do to Julia?!”
“Oh, nothing much. We just tried to get her to tell us your location. She’s still got a few more years of sales in her, so I made sure to hold back, you know? I even had her healed with magic.”
“Did you hit her?! In the face?!”
“In the end, she never cracked. She kept insisting she wouldn’t say anything. But when she heard you were caught because of her, her heart finally broke. That’s why she looks like this now.” Norman laughed mockingly.
“How could you do that?!” Takahisa screamed shrilly.
“Huh?! That’s what I should be saying to you, bastard!” Norman’s anger boiled over in an instant, and he kicked Takahisa’s face in his rage.
“Gah?!” Takahisa was bent back hard and blown away. At the same time, several of his teeth snapped and came flowing out of his mouth in a stream of blood.
“Takahisa?!” Julia struggled to stand up in her tied state, writhing fiercely on the floor.
“Hey, Julia! Don’t get cocky just because we interrogated you so softly. Did you think you wouldn’t be treated like him just because you’re going back up for sale after this? Who gave you permission to speak, huh?”
Norman approached Julia and yanked her towards him by the hair. He then shoved her face towards the puddle of blood with Takahisa’s teeth in it.
“Eek...”
Julia’s face twitched in fear.
“There are good things about having no teeth as well, you know? I can do the same thing to you. Did you know? Teeth don’t grow back through healing magic. Funny, isn’t it? Shall I pull one of yours out to demonstrate?”
Norman’s wide shoulders shook as he guffawed with laughter.
“Ah... Uh...” Julia trembled as she cried.
“S... Stop...it...” Takahisa said as he rolled on the floor.
“Huh? You say something?” Norman abruptly ceased laughing and released Julia’s hair. He stood up and walked over to Takahisa once more, bringing his ear close to hear him.
“Stop...it...” Takahisa slurred inarticulately.
“Oh, ‘Stop it,’ was it?”
Norman tilted his head. “Are you still failing to understand the situation? This is my kingdom. I’m the king. The legendary hero is no greater than a maggot to me. So what gives you the right to order me around? If you’re asking the king for a favor, rub your head on the ground and say, ‘I beg of you, please stop.’ Isn’t that how it should be?!”
He grabbed the back of Takahisa’s head and ground it into the floor again. He then released his hand, stood up, and looked down expectantly, awaiting Takahisa’s words.
With his lips still pressed against the floor, Takahisa trembled from head to toe. He mumbled the demanded words in humiliation. “I... I beg of you... Please...stop...”
“I can’t hear you at all, dumbass!” Norman immediately stepped down on the back of Takahisa’s head.
“Gah!”
“Is Julia the important one to you? Or is it yourself? Which is it, Mr. Legendary Hero? Who do you want me to forgive, huh?”
“Please... F-Forgive...” Takahisa begged with his face pressed to the floor.
“Nope, not happening, never!” Norman increased the force behind his leg and stomped on Takahisa’s face over and over again. Even the thugs’ faces were twitching at Norman’s merciless actions.
“Urgh...”
The floor Takahisa’s head was against gradually grew dark with blood. When Julia realized that, her face got paler and paler.
“S-Stop it! Please stop!” she screamed.
“Yeah? Hey Julia, did you already forget what I just said? Who gave you the right to speak?” Norman paused in his movements and looked at Julia incredulously.
“Oh... U-Umm... It’s just...” Terribly frightened, Julia looked away from Norman. But when Takahisa’s tragic state entered her view once again, she mustered up her courage.
“P-Please, I beg of you... Please forgive Takahisa. I’ll do anything. You can make me a slave for the rest of my life. I’ll earn lots of money for you. So please, please...”
Julia knelt and pressed her forehead against the stone floor, desperately pleading with Norman. Even Norman seemed to be amazed by that, as he gazed at her with a look of deep wonder.
“Oh? Looks like it’s your lucky day, boy.” Norman lifted his foot off Takahisa’s head and crouched to talk to him. “It’s hard to find a woman who’d go this far for you, you know? How’d you get her to fall this hard for you, huh? Ain’t that a wonder.”
“Uh... Guh...” Takahisa groaned in pain.
“Ah... All right, Julia. Out of respect for your spirit, I’m going to have a chat with this boy. You can go back now.” Norman stood up with a satisfied smirk and ordered Julia to be taken away.
“R-Really?!” Hope filled Julia’s eyes as she lifted her face happily.
“Yes, really. Hey! Take Julia away already.”
“Th-Thank you!”
One of the thugs picked Julia up and carried her out of the room. She continued to plead hopefully at Norman until the moment she left the room. The door immediately closed afterwards, leaving only Takahisa on the floor.
“Hey boy, did you see that? That woman honestly thinks you’ll be saved. What a moron.” Norman chuckled and grabbed Takahisa by the hair.
“Listen here, boy. No—listen here, great hero. The man you killed was my beloved nephew. That’s why I’m going to kill you no matter what. I will never forgive you. And yet, that stupid woman rejoiced so happily...”
Norman smiled like he was unable to hold back how funny it was to him.
“Grrruh!” Takahisa made an inarticulate sob.
“That said, I’m no demon. I promised I’d have a chat with you, after all. So let’s discuss something interesting. You heard that stupid woman say she’d earn us lots of money, right? But we were intending on working her to her death anyway, so that wasn’t even a bargaining point to begin with. Yet she believed she could negotiate by offering to work for money... Pfft. Ha ha ha ha ha!” Norman ignored Takahisa’s cry and laughed like a child with his deep, hoarse voice.
“Graaah!” Takahisa began to struggle furiously, kicking his legs and flailing his arms. His tied-up limbs and the magic-sealing collar around his neck should have made it harder to control his magic, but he was able to struggle with pure strength alone.
“Hey, you. Hold him down facing up,” Norman ordered his subordinates with a sadistic grin.
“Yes sir.”
“Whoa, he’s strong.”
Two brawny men moved to hold Takahisa down. Once they did, Norman drew the dagger at his waist and showed it to Takahisa.
“Now, legendary hero, I’m going to stab you where you stabbed Sammy and kill you. I’ll even lean my weight forward so slowly, you can feel every inch as it pierces your heart.”
“Ugh! Uuugh!”
“Don’t worry, I’ll tell that stupid woman you’re still alive so that she can keep working with hope in her heart. I’ll introduce all the worst customers to her first. There are plenty of rich men with outrageous preferences here in the capital.”
“Ugh! Ah!”
“We normally offer our disposable girls to those customers, but that stupid woman will be a special case. Each time she takes a client, I’ll pay to have her healed with magic. It’ll be a sight to see whether her body breaks from something untreatable first, or whether her heart breaks from losing hope. Don’t you agree?” Norman looked down at Takahisa and spoke to him gleefully.
“Guh! Ggh!”
“M-Mr. Norman, please hurry!”
“This guy seriously has the strength of an animal!”
The thugs held Takahisa’s limbs down using all of their body weight.
“All right, all right. How pathetic. Nick, you hold his legs.”
Nick paused for a brief moment, then nodded with a shrug. “Got it.” He moved over and held both of Takahisa’s legs down.
“Bye now, hero boy.” Norman clutched the dagger upside down and crouched down.
“Uuugh!” Tears streamed down Takahisa’s face as he glared at Norman, cursing him to death.
It was at this moment that Takahisa realized it:
In this world, there were bastards no one could do anything about; demon-like humans that were beyond salvation.
Thus, Takahisa asked himself: why had he been so insistent that murder was a bad thing before?
And so, he decided to change his half-deified values. Kill. Killing was the answer. Murder was acceptable. If he had free use of his limbs right now, he would be swinging his sword without hesitation in order to kill this man. No, he would kill everyone here. For the first time in his life, Takahisa felt bloodlust. But it was too late.
Everything was too late.
“This is for Sammy.”
“Guh?!”
Takahisa’s body lurched up. He watched on as the tip of the knife in Norman’s hand sank into his chest.
“Oh, poor Sammy. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry.” Norman apologized towards the dead young master as he stabbed Takahisa through the heart over and over again.
“Urgh?! Ugh... Ugh... Uh...”
Takahisa’s body jerked up each time his heart was pierced, but those movements gradually ceased. The light disappeared from Takahisa’s eyes, and his consciousness was cut off.
“All right, you all can throw this rubbish hero into the incinerator now. Make sure you burn everything, including his clothes and that collar.”
Norman stood up and ordered Takahisa’s cremation.
No Comments Yet
Post a new comment
Register or Login