Queen of the Pleasure District
“Hey there, handsome! Want to spend the night with me?”
“Ah, what a lovely invitation, but I’ll have to decline.”
“Oh, you’re such a tease.”
“Well, since you were kind enough to invite me, I’ll give you this in exchange for some information.”
“Oh my, that’s quite a sum! What do you want to know?”
“Who is the master of this area?”
“The master? If you’re looking for the queen, she’s at the top of that red brothel over there. I can’t guarantee you’ll get to see her, but she’s a wonderful person, so it’s worth a try.”
“I see, understood. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome! But next time, make sure to buy something, okay?”
“If we meet again, perhaps.”
“Hehe, then I’ll be looking forward to it!”
“Hey, what’s wrong?”
“I… lost my wallet.”
“That’s unfortunate… Well, here, take this. In exchange, will you tell me a story?”
“!! Are you really giving this to me?!”
“Yes, I am. So, what do you want to share?”
“Sure! What do you want to know?”
“I want to meet the queen here. How can I do that?”
“The queen? Ah, you mean the owner of that establishment over there. Since there aren’t many customers, just go to the reception and say you want to buy the queen. They should let you in, but whether you get to spend time with her depends on her mood.”
“I see. Here, this is the promised payment.”
“Oh! Thank you so much!! Now I can go have some fun!!”
“Oh? You seem to have no hesitation, yet your scent is faint?”
“…And you are?”
“Hmm? I’m just a humble old woman, born and raised here.”
“I see… So, what do you want?”
“Hehehe, you’re quite sharp. You’re going to see the queen, right? Take this and give it to the reception. They’ll let you meet her.”
“…Why?”
“Well, it’s partly because I’m being nosy. The other part is gratitude.”
“??”
“Your daughter has been taken care of by me, and you’ve protected my husband’s homeland. Thank you, Hero. Because of you, I haven’t fallen.”
“…I see. I’ll gladly accept this.”
“Hehehe, that’s the spirit. After all, it’s just an old woman’s kindness.”
“Ah… right, the payment.”
“You don’t need to. It’s a gesture of gratitude. If I accept payment, then I’d have to repay you somewhere else, right?”
“…Ha, then I have no choice but to give it to you.”
“Hey now, are you really going to push an old woman like me?”
“If I give it to you, we can meet again, right?”
“Oh, you…”
“I’ll be based in this city for a while. If we meet again, introduce me to a good restaurant, along with your stories from the past.”
“…Hehehe. Well, I suppose that’s fair. I’ll look forward to it. I’ll take you to a special place.”
“Ah, I’ll be sure to anticipate that.”
After departing from the mansion, the increase in foot traffic allowed me to move slowly, and by the time the sun had set and the moon had risen, I finally arrived at the pleasure district.
For now, I thought I could gather information from the gambling house or the most influential person around. As I made my way down the street, I encountered a prostitute trying to attract customers, followed by the old woman who knew me and the man who had lost his wallet. Conveniently, I learned the whereabouts of the queen, the master of this area, and how to meet her.
If I could gather information, that would be perfect. If they told me to leave since I wasn’t a customer, I would quietly return and head to the gambling house. If I couldn’t find anything there either, I could always enter a lively tavern and chat with others while enjoying a drink.
For now, I decided to focus on meeting the queen first.
“Welcome! Is this your first time here?”
“Yes, it’s my first time, but… I have business with the queen here.”
“…I see. Do you have a letter of introduction?”
“I don’t have anything like that.”
“Then, I apologize, but please wait a moment—”
“However, I have this. Will this allow me to see her?”
“…Please, take this.”
“What is this?”
“That’s the key to the door over there. Once you enter, you’ll find a staircase. Just go up and follow the path, and you’ll reach the queen’s room.”
“I see. Thank you.”
“Yes… Please be careful.”
With a voice filled with welcome, suspicion, relief, surprise, and then pity, I was sent off by the receptionist. I opened the door directly opposite the one where the customers were entering and stepped inside.
The moment I took a few steps away from the door, it closed behind me with a click, locking shut. I returned to the doorknob, but no matter how I pushed, pulled, or twisted it, it wouldn’t budge. It seemed I was trapped in a one-way passage.
I lightly tapped the door, realizing it was made of a material that could be easily broken, giving me the confidence that I could escape whenever I wanted. With that in mind, I ascended the staircase before me, heading toward the queen’s room.
After climbing the long, spiraling staircase and proceeding down the corridor, I reached the innermost room.
Sensing a presence inside, I knocked, and a voice called back, “The door is open.” I turned the doorknob and stepped into the room.
What caught my eye first was an ordinary room.
It wasn’t particularly provocative, nor did it smell of any aphrodisiac incense or oils. There was just a bed, a round table, a chair, a bookshelf with a few books, and some flowers decorating the space.
As I shifted my gaze to search for the room’s owner, I quickly found her.
With long, raven-black hair and a figure that was both voluptuous and slender, her porcelain-like skin glistened under the light, adorned in a smooth, red dress that hugged her curves. Her face, a perfect blend of calmness and elegance, was highlighted by shimmering golden eyes.
A beauty capable of captivating nations.
That was the most fitting description for the woman at the center of the room.
“Welcome, Hero. Or should I say, former Hero? Either way, I welcome you as the master of this place.”
“…Are you the queen?”
“Queen, yes, that’s right. I am the queen of this area, though I don’t often step into the limelight or govern anything, so I don’t think the title suits me well.”
Her voice was calm and steady.
It resembled the alluring tones of a succubus, yet it was more delicate and beautiful than any I had heard before. Anyone with a weak will would likely succumb to desire, and Fon might even bleed out from a nosebleed at the sight of her.
“Now then, what do you wish to know? I can’t claim to know everything, but I do have knowledge of things that aren’t easily accessible.
For instance, the phenomena occurring among the Other Races, the current whereabouts of the Demon Lord’s Army Executives, and even where the new Hero is and what they’re doing.”
“…What?”
“Hehe, surprised, are we? There are many who share information with me, and I’m quite curious about you, so I know a lot.”
…I felt a sense of unease.
I couldn’t grasp what she was thinking or feeling. She smiled warmly, conveying a sense of welcome, but it felt like a facade.
Moreover, her words were hard to process.
“Ah, I should have introduced myself. It’s rude of me to know your name, Ferno Desire, and your family structure without saying mine first.”
“…”
“Hehe, please don’t be too wary. My name is Ronaria Vinice Ren Norrevina, just a woman who happens to be the queen of this area. You probably know my family structure as well; I have a younger sister.”
“…Huh? You know?”
“Yes, you should know. You must have heard the name Norrevina or Vinice before, right?”
…Ah, now that I think about it, she was also a Norrevina.
Since we generally don’t introduce ourselves or call each other by name, I had forgotten… Wait a moment?
“The sister of the vengeful spirit.”
“Hehe, that’s right. That girl has been quite a handful.”
“Wait. She said her entire family was killed. I even saw the bodies and burned them, burying the ashes beneath a grave.”
“Yes, that’s what she believes, and I thought so too. But perhaps it would be faster to show you? Here, look.”
“Huh? …What?”
“Do you understand now? …This is what I mean. So, I am not dead, and I can live and converse here like this.”
The self-proclaimed queen suddenly extended her tongue, revealing a dark, squirming heart-shaped mark burned into its surface.
It was a curse wielded by succubi, one of the most vile curses known as the Lust Mark. It retains its coercive power until the caster is killed, affecting both mind and body, and with an average willpower, it could unleash devastation in the surrounding area.
I knew well of the victims who had been killed before the damage could spread; the very pattern that was the source of the curse was etched there.
“…Who did that?”
“Can you imagine it? You’re the one who has fought against the Demon Race and killed more of them than anyone else in this world.”
“…A Demon Lord’s Army Executive, huh?”
“That’s right. So, will you believe me and listen to what I have to say?”
“Yeah, I’ll believe you. It’s exactly the kind of thing those bastards would do. Even in a state where my face was smashed and I was violated, I couldn’t clearly recognize who I was dealing with.”
“Hehe, I’m glad to hear that. Now, before we dive into the story…”
“…What is it?”
“Could you help me out? I got caught up while playing with magic and now I can’t get down. My dress is tangled, so I can’t just drop down either.”
…………
“…So you weren’t doing this on purpose?”
“I was acting calm, so it seemed mysterious, right?”
“It was mysterious, but now you just look like a fool.”
“Hehe, I can’t deny that. So, will you help me?”
“…Sigh, what do I need to do?”
“I’ll dispel the magic that’s causing this and untangle my dress, so I need you to catch me when I fall.”
I thought you were some kind of witch or monster, sitting there nonchalantly in a chair hanging from the ceiling… but you’re just a complete airhead.
“Hurry up, hurry up!”
“…Should I just cut the rope and let you drop?”
“Oh, I’ll be quiet now!”
“You don’t have to be quiet, just hurry up.”
“Are you not going to brace yourself?”
“It’s faster for me to go out, buy a drink, and come back to catch you than it is for you to start free-falling.”
“Ooh, impressive! Alright, I’m coming down now!”