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August 18, Year X741
The Godly brothel of Hetaira, Pleasure Quarter
2:00 am
The moon was visible from the highest floor of the palace. A table stood in the middle of the 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.
"Hey, Ishya. I'm here!"
The door opened to reveal a handsome guy with a dandy smile - Hector. Ishya 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 about that."
Entering the room, Hector takes a seat on the closest sofa. He set down a small pouch on the table.
"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."
Hector reached into the pouch and took out a small wooden box covered in black lacquer. Ishya's grin grew even wider, satisfaction written all over her face.
"I am sure you're well aware, but not a word of this must get out."
"Come on, I know better than that. I do not intend to betray your trust. Although I am curious to know what you need it for."
"You looked inside? So much for keeping your good name as a delivery boy, Hector."
"I didn't mean to, it just sort of happened."
Ishya laughed defiantly from her seat on the other sofa. A fire burned brightly from inside her amethyst eyes.
"I am going to show the world something very interesting. That woman who thinks she's the queen, she'll be groveling at my feet soon enough."
"You sure are intimidating."
"Hector, do you have any information that would please me? Any weaknesses she would have?"
"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."
He said, gazing at the her fully exposed body line, spending a great deal of time outlining the curves of her breasts. Seeing the man like this returned the smile to her lips, her eyes flaring.
Rising from her sofa, she starts to remove all of her coverings. The crown, necklaces, bracelets, anklets, and finally the piece of cloth holding her breasts in place, all hit the floor at her feet.
"Rejoice. I'll squeeze every bit of useful information out of you-for free."
Alluring Charm
"Wait, what was that-"
She leaned down over him, slaming her luscious lips right into his. Soon the light of the room dims and the night of lust continues.
__________________________
Pleasure Quarter, Red light district.
2:20 am
She was fully clad in her clothes, with her long black hair now tied into a ponytail. I told her everything that happened in the past few hours, why I became a fugitive deep in the hostile territory.
"You have experienced... a rather turbulent evening."
She says with a sympathetic look.
"The Amazons pursuing you... Was one among them named Lily, by chance?"
"Yeah, you know her?"
"I do. Lady Lily has been very kind to me."
Her voice sounds a little apologetic, but there's a very honest smile on her lips. So that Lily had a soft side? Kinda hard to imagine, after being her kicking bag.
"...It may be too late for proper introductions, but I am Suzuhime. And you...?"
"Alucard Zastrea."
"Alucard... the current Arbiter of light?"
"Yeah, but don't worry about it. Now I am just a rabbit trapped in lioness's den."
"...I can see how it would be difficult for someone who's never been here before to find their way out. Why don't you hide here until the pleasure district shuts down? Once the sun comes up, I would be more than happy to show you the way to the exit."
"Woah! Really!?"
"Yes. We may never meet again after tonight, but I would like to help you out in whatever way I can, master Alucard."
It's hard to believe her, this could be a trap. But there's something in her smile, something genuine.
"Although.. I do want to ask something of you in return. Could you continue talking with me until you have to leave?"
"Just talking?"
"Yes. I've never left the pleasure district. So I'm curious about the world and your adventures as well! Would that be too much of trouble?"
"Of course not, I would be happy to."
"Thank you very much!"
Hearing my confirmation, she smiles from ear to ear, extremely overjoyed. She must not get many visitors who aren't customers. Sliding the window curtains as the blue moonlight fills the room, we get comfortable and start talking,
"Where do you hail from, Master Alucard?"
"I'm from south of the Empire, in a small valley between the mountains..."
Still not sure how I feel about this "Master Alucard" thing, but ignoring it, I answer. She asks me every little detail of my hometown. South of Moniyan, 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.
'How were the people around 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.
But why would someone like her be here...?
The air about her and the overwhelming aura of this Night District are polar opposites. I am a fugitive, running away from her friends inside their territory, but here she is, talking to me like we're at a café or something. She clearly doesn't belong here.
"So you came to the capital city after you father joined the army?"
"Yeah, I was five years old at the time, so I don't clearly remember the reason he joined. What about you Miss Suzuhime, where are you from?"
"I came from... the Cadia Riverlands."
"Cadia Riverlands, you mean the Far east?"
"Yeah, its a mountainous island country, completely surrounded by a beautiful blue ocean, with four distinct seasons."
She describes, gazing at the moon. Bathed in moonlight, she looks more like an artist's painting than an actual person. Looking at her beauty, I decide to ask her about her family.
"Miss Suzuhime, were your parents high-ranking people? Aristocrats, maybe?"
"How did you ever guess?!"
"Just a hunch...." Her surprised reaction, so my guess was right.
"It's just as you say, Master Alucard. I'm descended from a long line of nobles going back many generations. My mother was died when I was born, 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.
"Those days came to an abrupt end two years ago...I was disowned when I was 17 ."
"What?! Why?... Ah, I'm sorry, that's rude of me..."
"No. That's alright.
They told me, 'You're a disgrace to our family. Never tell anyone about what happened here.' So I can't tell you the details but.. to put it simply, I committed a terrible offense towards the great God that I was supposed to serve.
After I was disowned, I was married off to one of the servant prum. Soon I left the estate with him. But on the way, we were attacked by monsters."
Now she's got me on the edge of my seat.
"He ran away from the horde of demons, abandoning me in my state of panic... A band of bandits rescued me at the last moment. But just like everything else they stole, they treated me like an object too.
Using my body for their satisfaction, after few months, they decided to sell me, here, in Lumina."
"....."
I'm stunned. I don't know what to say. Since I'm the arbiter, isn't it my job to help in such situations? And here I am now just being a piece of shit. I can't even look into her eyes now.
"Please don't feel guilty, master Alucard. I always wanted to come to Moniyan. It may not be the best of circumstances, but the older prostitutes, as well as lady Lily and other amazons, take a very a good care of me. That and, lady Ishya, our leader, told me that I was 'needed' here."
"......You wanted to come here?"
"Yeah. Many plays set on the stories from here are quite common in Far East. They have always appealed me."
"You mean Legends of Dawn?"
"Yes!! Especially the story about the knights from far lands traveling through the land for the search of the holy grail...."
"Oh, that's 'The adventures of Garlad'. He goes to search for the grail to save his queen from an incurable illness."
"You know it!? Then what about the wizard who saves the spirit sealed in lamp?"
"That's 'The wizard Aladin'."
"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.
"Are you fan of legends and fairy tail, Suzuhime?"
"Yes, I absolutely adore them!!
A common interest. She's so happy she's found another person with this kind of childish hobby. The stories come flowing out of her, and I'm right there, sharing ideas along the way.
'Diraldo the lost.' 'The Odyssey' 'The holy legend of Saint Giorgio.' ...more and more. She knows quite a few unusual stories, well I have no room to judge.
"I truly admire the knight who sang of love to his queen, despite both of them knowing their dreams could never come true!"
"And the jousting scenes from 'Sir Lanzelet' were also very awesome!"
"Master Alucard, are you familiar with the story of Snow White?"
"I don't know much other than the heroes stories..."
I wait for her to ask the questions. She 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.
"So then Suzuhime, which is your favourite story?"
"It's hard to choose, but the one that has left a lasting impression on me was about a little hero. A brave warrior who saves a girl being attacked by an evil demon despite his small stature. 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...
..But I know it's nothing more than a selfish empty dream. I don't deserve to be rescued since there's not much value in me."
"No!"
Startled by the resignation in her voice, I rise to my knees and try to deny her claim.
"That's not true! I... I know I am stupid and pathetic, but, a true hero that mother told me about would never leave someone like you! Of course you're worthy of a life!"
"...you're very kind master Alucard. I appreciate it but, I not a tragic princess nor a saint offered up as sacrifice."
She slowly blinks and says: "I'm just a prostitute."
Her words were soft and gentle, but they sliced through my heart with the sting of a thousand knives.
"I may be inexperienced, but I've shared my bed with many men. I don't protect my chastity with a strong will. I offered myself to them in exchange for money. Why would they save a filthy girl like me?"
This beautiful girl, with such an untainted aura, has been with many men... The truth overtakes me, strangling my lungs from within. whirlwind of emotions 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 does it hurt?
"Besides, to a hero, a prostitue is a symbol of destruction. On the day I realized I was no longer pure, I lost the right to read those beautiful stories. I'm no longer allowed to wish for them. After all I'm just a prostitute."
She said it all, with an innocent smile.. it's pained me.
She has accepted her life of being trapped in a cage of prostitution. Its not my right to interfere.. get a grip Alucard.
"....It's time, isn't it? This was very fun. Thank you."
DAMN it, don't thank me.
Feeling pathetic and absolutely useless, I watch Suzuhime turn to the window and gaze outside once more. It was dawn already. The pleasure quarter almost come to a stanstill, the ruckus from before feels like a distant memory.
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.
Guiding me through the back alleys, she brings me to a crossroads, pointing towards a direction.
"If you follow this road, you will soon run into southern main street. Miss Lily wouldn't be able to find you all the way out here."
Is it alright?
"Go on, quickly."
After running a little jogs away, I turn around to see her smiling before giving me a deep bow.
If only I was strong enough..
Sprinting away, I feel her gaze on my back as I make my way out of the Pleasure Quarter, alone.
____________________________________
The Godly Brothel of Hetaira, Pleasure Quarter.
5:00 am
A shirtless, powerless Hector lay sprawled out on top of the canopied bed. Tiny tears fell from the corners of his eyes.
Ishya was back on the sofa, still naked and smoking her pipe. She exhaled a long stream of smoke, enjoying the flavor.
"So it's Alucard Zastrea huh? I don't get what's in that woman's head. Why does she want a brat like him?"
More purple smoke drifted from her mouth as a smirk overtook her face. Then, a sudden shift - to the ravenous grin of a beast.
"Okay then, I'll just steal him out from her."