Chapter 53. Taking You to See Something Fun
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"L... Loki!"
Cyd covered his face as he looked at the inappropriate street before him, a fiery mark flashing across his face.
No wonder Mia, Ryuu, and the others had that expression.
This place was basically the red-light district!
And it's still daytime!
Though it wasn't the first time he'd seen such brazen displays during the day, what he saw now wasn't as explicit as what he had encountered on the Isle of Women. Still, it shocked him.
"You understand now," Ryuu tugged at her cloak, her calm demeanor suggesting she didn't even notice the blatant s*x sounds around them.
"Now I want to go back and bury Loki alive," Cyd sighed.
He had been too naive, thinking that Loki could occasionally be serious.
Loki is the god of mischief, not because her power was meant to cause trouble, but because she chose to prank for her own amusement. Her divine power and words were simply some of her "abilities."
In any case, there was no doubt that the Ishtar Familia was up to something. Otherwise, Loki would have been too bored, and that would've been beneath her. A mix of reality and some headaches-inducing pranks was truly her style.
But Cyd still planned to give Loki a hard time once he got back.
Knowing that he didn't know many people, and that those he could find would be just a few, Loki had tricked him into bringing someone here to this red-light district, clearly intending to make him a laughingstock.
No wonder Loki suddenly turned away at that time, probably to hide the victorious smile on her face.
Damn it!
"Forget it. It's my fault for trusting that prankster Loki so easily," Cyd rubbed his neck, "But everything's fine now, Ryuu. You can head back. Staying here... you're probably feeling pretty awkward."
Ryuu blinked. "You mean to leave you in this red-light district and return by myself?"
"Uh... yes, that's what I mean," Cyd froze for a moment, then nodded.
"I refuse," Ryuu said seriously, crossing her arms.
"Don't you dislike this place?" Cyd tilted his head.
"I dislike the idea of you staying here even more," Ryuu's gaze deepened, "Besides, with me around, you might have an easier time."
During the time Cyd and Ryuu had been talking, quite a few people had already been eyeing them. No, more accurately, they were looking at Cyd with undisguised lust in their eyes.
They hadn't pounced yet—probably because Ryuu was standing right next to him.
But whether it was his imagination or not, those gazes were becoming more heated, and he wouldn't be surprised if they lunged at him in the next moment.
Ryuu quietly lifted her hood and grabbed Cyd's arm.
"They won't make a move now," she whispered.
"Good point," Cyd's eyes brightened as he took her hand and stepped into the boundaries of the red-light district.
However, both Cyd and Ryuu underestimated this district—or rather, the members of the Ishtar Familia.
The moment Cyd stepped into the red-light district, the scantily clad women pounced on him like hungry wolves spotting a little white rabbit.
"This can't be happening!"
Almost instantly, Ryuu and Cyd were separated by the women of the Ishtar Familia.
"Come, Pure White Hero, come and claim me!"
"Get lost, he's mine!"
The women swarmed around Cyd with no restraint, their slender arms bursting with strength that even made Cyd's brow twitch.
These were prostitutes, but they were also warriors. They were not weak women to be exploited by men—they were capable of completely draining them.
Damn it! Stop pulling on my clothes!
Cyd twitched his mouth.
It wasn't the first time he'd encountered passionate women. The women on the Isle of Women had been quite enthusiastic, but compared to these prostitutes of Ishtar, those women were as gentle as bunnies.
Ryuu had also been pushed somewhere unknown.
Should he knock them all down?
Cyd hesitated.
The behavior of these prostitutes didn't seem malicious. Instead, it felt like... hunger. It seemed like he was quite popular, and somehow... he didn't want to strike back.
[Knock them all down!]
A black scarf eerily rose up, with layered scales rapidly forming a huge dragon claw above Cyd's head.
"What... what is that?!"
The combat instincts of the prostitutes around Cyd kicked in, and they quickly retreated.
Boom—
The dragon claw struck the ground, cracking the earth and raising a cloud of dust that completely enveloped Cyd's body.
[Hmph, I thought at least a couple of them would be squashed.]
The black scarf grumbled regretfully.
"I'm here to negotiate, not to reveal my final hand too soon," Cyd sighed and took out Hades' helm, hesitating for a moment before putting it on.
[It's going to end like this anyway.]
As the smoke cleared, and before the prostitutes of Ishtar could react, Cyd's figure had already vanished without a trace.
"Hurry up and find him! He must still be in our territory!"
"We have to catch him before that woman finds out!"
The scantily clad prostitutes darted through the streets like agile leopards, starting a ground-level search. But whenever they spotted a tempting man, they would naturally wrap their arms around his neck and guide him into a room.
That's just how things worked here. But that had nothing to do with Ryuu.
He wasn't leaving, just hiding.
Ryuu scanned her surroundings but still couldn't find any trace of Cyd. Clearly, he wasn't planning to show himself in front of her.
"You want me to just go back?" Ryuu donned her hat and walked into the street, expressionless. "I won't leave you here alone."
…
"You really shouldn't be doing this, Bell-sama," Lili tugged desperately at the hem of Bell's clothing, but with her small strength, she could only be dragged forward, "If Cyd-sama finds out you snuck after him, he'll be furious."
"It's fine, Lili," Bell turned around, giving her a thumbs-up, "Even if Teacher beats me up, I want to help him."
"You can't! The Ishtar Familia... it's forbidden territory for Bell-sama!" Lili raised her voice.
"Exactly, Bell. It's dangerous in more ways than one," Welf said seriously.
"Then that's all the more reason I can't let Teacher face this alone!" Bell said with determination. "He's always helping us. This time, no matter the danger, I'm going to face it with him!"
"Well said!"
A familiar voice rang out, and a figure descended from the sky, landing in front of Bell.
"Now that's a proper Hero's Apprentice," said a young man wearing a cowboy hat, a slight smirk curling his lips as he flashed what he thought was a charming smile.
"Lord Hermes?" Bell tilted his head, then looked behind him, "Asfi isn't with you?"
"I ditched that troublesome woman. A man needs his downtime," Hermes gave a thumbs-up. "Little apprentice, Cyd is indeed in trouble right now. A danger far greater than the Goliath, and one that will leave him utterly helpless! Only you can help him now!"
"I'll definitely go!" Bell stood tall, puffing out his chest.
"That's the spirit."
"Huh?"
"Come on, come on. I'll take you to see something fun."
With a mischievous grin, Hermes slung his arm around Bell's shoulders, half-dragging him toward the Ishtar Familia's street.
"B-Bell!"