BAAM!

The man burst out of the tavern like a hunted animal.

His breath came out ragged, chest burning as he shoved past people in the narrow street, nearly slipping on the worn stone ground slick with spilled wine and melted wax.

His hands were shaking so badly he could barely keep them from scratching his own neck, as if he could still feel something tightening there.

“Crazy bastard… crazy bastard…” he muttered under his breath, teeth chattering.

The City of Pleasure was already waking up for the night.

Lanterns glowed with soft pink and red light, casting long shadows across silk curtains and carved wooden doors. Laughter drifted from open windows.

Music hummed from somewhere deeper in the district.

Women in thin dresses leaned against balconies or stood by doorways, fanning themselves slowly, their eyes trained on passing men like practiced hunters.

“Hey, handsome~ come inside for a drink?”

“Rough night? We can help you forget~”

One of them stepped closer, waving a lace handkerchief, her smile bright and rehearsed.

The man swore loudly and shoved past her.

“Move! Get out of my way!”

The woman frowned, startled by his tone.

“Tch… what’s his problem?”

The man didn’t stop, as he couldn’t wait to get far away from that inn!

His mind was racing, his anger boiling hotter with every step.

‘That bastard… that fucking bastard…’

He had buyers. Important, and extremely dangerous ones.

The kind of people who didn’t ask twice and didn’t forgive excuses. He had promised them eight bottles, and they even were supposed to meet tonight!

And now?

Now he had nothing.

His fingers dug into his coat as he staggered into a darker stretch of the street, where the lantern light thinned and the noise faded just a little.

He fumbled inside his pocket and pulled out a small, cracked communication crystal. His thumb hovered over it, trembling.

“Calm down… calm down…” he hissed to himself.

It wasn’t over yet.

He could explain what happened, and blame the matter entirely on Gray.

That damn monster with the calm eyes and a strange power that made something insivible tighten around his neck.

His lips twisted into a bitter grin.

“Yeah… I’ll sell him out! Ill let those people deal with him. Let that damn bastard see what happens when you mess with the wrong middleman!”

He brough out a crystal from his pockets, and raised it.

Splurt!

Unfortunatelly…

The man never finished pressing the crystal.

His body jerked once, stiffening like a puppet whose strings had been cut. For a brief, frozen moment, he was still standing, eyes wide, mouth half-open.

Then his head separated from his shoulders and flew sideways, spinning once through the air before crashing into the stone street.

His body collapsed a heartbeat later, hitting the ground with a dull, heavy thud.

Blood sprayed across the lantern-lit stones.

For a second, the street went silent.

“AAAAAAAAAH!!!”

Screams tore through the night.

The women nearby recoiled in horror, hands flying to their mouths.

One of them slipped and fell backward, dress tangling around her legs as she shrieked uncontrollably.

Another dropped her fan, staring at the headless body with eyes so wide they looked ready to burst.

“Wh-what the hell?!”

“Did you see that?! His head!!!”

“MONSTER! THERE’S A MONSTER HERE!”

People scattered, the curtains slammed shut, the doors were pulled closed in a panic. Someone ran, knocking over a lantern that shattered on the ground, its flame sputtering uselessly.

.

.

.

.

.

.

“Done,” Gray said simply, dropping back onto the wooden bench beside Ronan.

Ronan took a long sip of his cold beer, then glanced sideways at Gray, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

“…What did you do to that guy?” he asked. “I swear, he looked like he was running for his life. Like something was chasing him.”

Gray shrugged, resting one of his arms on the table. “Nothing special. I just told him there were prostitutes with an I-cup in the brothel across the street.”

“I-CUP?!” Ronan slammed his mug down so hard beer splashed over the rim, already half-rising from his seat, his eyes shining with pure instinct.

“WHERE?!”

Obviously, Gray didn’t stop him.

Honestly, if Ronan wanted to run off chasing tits and fantasies, that was his problem. Gray wouldn’t lose a second of sleep over it.

“Ahh… nevermind,” Ronan suddenly froze, frowned deeply, and sat back down, folding his arms with a huff.

Gray looked at him with deep surprise, even raising an eyebrow at how unexpected his actions were.

Then, Ronan jabbed a finger toward him, eyes sharp with misplaced confidence.

“That was totally a trick! You were trying to get rid of me so you could sneak off again, weren’t you?!”

He puffed out his chest proudly, and also raised his chin.

“Nice try, you sucker. This time I completely read you. Didn’t fall for it at all.”

Gray stared at him for a second.

“…You’re overthinking,” he said.

“HAH!” Ronan laughed loudly, slapping the table.

“That’s what you want me to think!”

He grabbed his mug again and took a victorious gulp, foam sticking to his upper lip.

“This time, you’re stuck,” he declared. “You’re my drinking buddy tonight, whether you like it or not!”

“Sure, sure, sure…”

Gray answered lazily, already lifting his mug. The cold glass clinked against Ronan’s with a dull clack, and Gray took a deep mouthful.

“Haah~”

The chill slid down his throat, washing away some of the tension that had been clinging to him all day. He leaned back slightly, resting an elbow on the table.

“By the way, where are the others?” Gray asked curiously.

“The others…?” Ronan stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“If I remember correctly, the girls are in the best inn we found earlier, as for Leon and Adrian… they also were at the Inn, but by now, they’ve probably gone for a brother or something. If they didn’t, it would be a waste of such a good opportunity!” He nodded lightly to himself.

“Mhm… it really woud be a waste,” Gray agreed lightly.

The moment the words left his mouth, Ronan’s grin widened.

“Suuuuuch a shame you’ve got a girlfrieeeend~” he sing-songed. “How about declaring a one-day breakup, huh? Just for tonight! Enjoy the city properly! Ahahahaha!”

His loud laughter drew a few glances from nearby tables.

Gray frowned slightly, his eyes half-lidded as he looked at Ronan.

“Well…Are the girls in those brothels really prettier than Lyra?” he asked casually, lips curling faintly.

Ronan blinked, and then smirked.

“Are Lyra’s techniques going to be better than a prostitute’s?”

“She’s a virgin.”

“And they’re experienced,” Ronan shot back immediately. “They know exactly what they’re doing. Way more pleasure.”

“The tightness of a virgin gives more,” Gray replied without hesitation.

“No, it doesn’t!”

“Have you ever taken someone’s virginity?”

“…No.”

“Then how would you know?”

Ronan opened his mouth, then froze.

“…Did you?” he asked slowly.

“Yes.”

Gray nodded once, completely unbothered.

Ronan stared at him.

“…Oh.”

Then his eyes widened in sudden realization.

“…Right. I forgot.”

Forgot that the man sitting across from him wasn’t just some academy student, but the biggest scumbag of the nobility….

The biggest playboy on the entire continent.

“Damn it!” Ronan slammed his mug down, grabbing it again and chugging the rest of the beer in one go, liquid spilling from the corner of his mouth.

“That’s completely unfair! How am I supposed to compete with the biggest playboy ever?!”

He wiped his mouth roughly with his sleeve, sulking.

Gray watched him for a moment… then shook his head lightly.

“You simply don’t.”

They continued drinking for a while, and surprisingly, Ronan was already halfway gone by the time the second mug was empty.

His words started to slur, his tongue growing heavier, and his body leaned closer and closer to the table as if gravity itself had suddenly doubled just for him.

He waved his hand in the air, nearly knocking over Gray’s mug in the process.

“Y’know…” Ronan hiccupped, squinting at Gray like he was trying to focus on a distant mountain. “I almost died today. Not me, well, almost me, but Adrian. That idiot.”

“Oh?” Gray curiously glanced at him.

“Yeah! That bastard!” Ronan laughed loudly, then immediately lowered his voice as if sharing a secret.

“He actually tried to flirt with Cassandra.”

Gray paused mid-sip.

“…He did what?”

“I swear on my life!” Ronan slapped the table.

“We were at the inn, right? Everyone just settled in. Cassandra was standing there, arms crossed, face cold as ever. You know that look she has, like she’s already decided how to kill you if you breathe wrong.”

Gray nodded once as he knew it very well.

“So Adrian walks up to her,” Ronan continued, eyes shining with drunken excitement.

“All confident. Smiling. Fixing his collar like he’s some noble young master from a romance story. And then he says something real stupid. I don’t remember exactly what, but it was definitely flirting.”

Ronan burst out laughing again.

“And then?” Gray asked calmly.

“And then… shhk!” Ronan made a slicing motion across the air.

“Her hand moved. I didn’t even see her draw the scythe properly. One second she was standing there, the next her scythe was right here—” he pointed at his own arm, just above the elbow, “—this close to chopping his arm clean off!”

Gray’s lips curved faintly.

“Adrian froze,” Ronan went on.

“I mean completely froze. Face white. Smile gone. He didn’t even dare breathe. If she’d moved just a bit more… yeah. Arm gone.”

“What did she say?” Gray asked.

“She didn’t,” Ronan replied, shaking his head.

“That’s the scary part. She just stared at him. Like he was already dead and she was deciding whether it was worth the trouble.”

Ronan grabbed his mug, realized it was empty, and clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“After that,” he continued, “she just walked past all of us, went to the counter, paid for a room. One room. For herself. Didn’t even look back.”

“Living alone,” Gray murmured.

“Exactly!” Ronan nodded hard.

“No roommates or company. Just her, and her personality that is as cold as ice.”

He leaned back in his chair, staring at the ceiling, and then, his voice suddenly got quieter.

“Sometimes I wonder… will someone like her ever get a boyfriend?” he muttered. “I mean, she’s strong. Pretty. But damn… that personality. Who’d survive that?”

Gray didn’t reply as he didn’t know the answer.

“Whoever it is… better have a thick neck and a strong will. Or they’ll lose more than just an arm.” Ronan snorted softly.

“Indeed.”

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