Underlings

Sadly, while Leon wandered around he wasn't able to speculate which of the restaurants were popular due to the time of day it was. With it being too late for lunch and too early for dinner none of them had any customers at the moment. The taverns were a little busier but they also showed signs that were nowhere near their peak hours making it hard to judge them.

As Leon continued to tour the Entertainment District he was disappointed to see that the district didn't have that wide of a variety when it came to the types of businesses that he came across. Most of them were related to either food and alcohol, sex, or gambling. He did overhear some people talking about an area though, but he has yet to see any signs of it. Sadly, he couldn't learn much from them as the moment they saw him they clammed up and quickened their pace.

The lack of technology had really impacted the types of entertainment in this world, or at least in this city. Then again most people would probably be content as long as their basic needs are met. As he continued on he started to see a shift in his surroundings. It wasn't that he had left the Entertainment District or that the types of businesses around him changed, but rather that the quality of the district itself had improved. Apparently, Leon had made the mistake of wandering around the poorer part of the district and he was just now reaching the more luxurious part of it.

Ah, he must have really stuck out if he had been walking around the part of the Entertainment District that had been set aside for the common people. Strangely enough his stalwart follower had not made a single comment about this little jaunt in such an unexpected location, at least for someone of his status and reputation. As he let his gaze wander his new surroundings he saw how the quality of both the people and the shops had improved drastically. There were still people walking about that looked similar to those that he had passed by earlier.

Unsurprisingly, even if the quality improved he could still see the same types of establishments that he had seen before. People really had the same basic desires, no matter how rich and powerful they became.

"Boss!"

Wow, someone was being really noisy. As he continued to walk he kept hearing someone repeatedly calling out. Seriously, he didn't know who this 'Boss' was but would they just shut this guy up? It was really getting annoying now. But why was it getting closer? Wasn't he walking away from the source? Suddenly someone stepped out right in front him. Holy shit, that scared him. Leon had to fight the urge to flinch.

"Boss, why'd you ignore me?"

Wait, he was the 'Boss'? Was the original some gang boss? Scary. So who was this guy? Well since he was addressing Leon as 'Boss' did that mean he was his underling? He didn't look that threatening for a gangster. Leon was on guard against this unknown before him. Was this one of those situations where if he showed an opening he might end up being stabbed in the back by some opportunistic lackey?

What really unsettled Leon was that for the first time since becoming the 'Seventh Young Master' of the Rain Clan someone actually showed a positive response to his presence. Hell, Leon would even go so far to say that he looked glad to see him. No way, did the original actually have friends with his shitty personality? Seems like no matter who it is, they'll have someone who gets along with them.

"Boss, where've you been, the guys have been lonely without you."

The guy continued to talk without Leon's input to his question with the same cheery smile on his face. Impossible! What do you mean lonely? Are you telling him there's actually people that could not only stand the original, but actually miss him? There really were all sorts of people in the world. Oh wait, he's not even in his own world anymore.

As he was lost in his thoughts at the possibility of such a thing being real, he felt his friend? Underling? Whatever he was, put his arm over his shoulder and start to lead him towards some building. It popped into his mind that this was in the direction that he had heard the first shout. Leon's eyes traveled towards the sign that was nailed above the door, The Seductive Pearl. He had the feeling it wasn't some jewelry store.

He was proven right as he saw scantily clad men and women upon his entrance. Wasn't this a brothel? Leon felt his face heat up, luckily the place was dimly lit so no one could see it. While the place looked to be classier, with the employees wearing clothes that seemed to leave more to the imagination than the ones he had passed by earlier. There was no denying that it really was a Brothel.

After giving a wave to the receptionist his guide led him further into the establishment until they reached the door of a private room. Finally he released Leon and opened the door allowing him to see the occupants of the room. Inside were about seven or eight guys being served by beautiful women and even some men for a couple of them in highly revealing clothes. Both their looks and their clothes were of higher quality than the employees he had seen outside. It seems like the shop really took care of its VIP customers.

The attention of the occupants in the room was redirected towards the door when the duo walked in. A plethora of expressions could be seen on their faces. Some looked happy or even excited at his arrival, while others had a more strained look to them. So it would appear that not everyone was happy to see the return of the Seventh Young Master.

His status as boss of this group could probably be more attributed to his identity rather than his charisma or likability. Him being from one of the three Major Clans definitely put him head and shoulders over almost everyone else in the City, and Leon doubted that with the rivalry going on between the three Major Clans that any other scion of equal status to him was amongst those before him.

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

"Boss!"

Multiple voices call out, welcoming him. The tone of their voices also ended up matching the expressions visible on their faces. Immediately after he was overwhelmed as multiple people started to talk over each other, trying to get his attention. He could make out some of them asking where he had been, while others talked about how some people had started to act up in his absence. There was also one of the courtesans asking if he would like a drink.

"Woah, woah, woah. Give the boss some room."

Thankfully, the underling who had brought him here stepped up and calmed everyone down. After they quieted down he stepped aside and looked at Leon. Was he giving the floor to him? Please don't.

"There were some matters at home that I had to deal with."

When all else fails, blame it on the Clan. It's not like anyone here could verify if what he was saying was true or not. Why have a backer if you can't rely on them? Well, it seemed like it was a good excuse as everyone simply nodded in understanding. As for his servant? Thankfully, he was currently waiting outside the room and transitioning back into the familiar role of a door guard. With no one to dispute him the conversation moved on to a different topic.

"While you were gone for those two weeks Blaine has gotten cocky, he even dared to openly slander you in front of others down at Phoenix Cry Pavilion."

Leon had no idea who Blaine was or where Phoenix Cry Pavilion was. Wait, two weeks? He had only been in this body for less than four days. So something really did happen to the original. Did the original get into some accident two weeks ago? Or maybe it wasn't even an accident, just the thought sent a chill down Leon's spine. This world might be more dangerous then he had given it credit if even someone with the status that the original had could die.

It seems like the guys had no idea why the original disappeared. But if something had happened to one of the children of a Major Clan shouldn't it be the talk of the city? He hadn't heard any of the servants gossiping about it either. Even on his first day none of them showed any surprise at him walking about. Does it have something to do with the Rain Clan, had they stopped any information from spreading?

The only person who he had met so far that seemed to know anything about what happened to the original was the old servant.