67 Sword dancer (1/2)

The Little Scoundrel Marcias

'd*mn. ....... I've failed.

He muttered to himself as he walked down the moonlit street at night.

I was supposed to push Shenna into the ocean, but she avoided me just in time and I fell in myself.

That's when I dropped the flute that was entrusted to me by sister Ainoe.

'What am I going to do ....... If you don't do this, this Master Marsyas will be finished .......

Honestly, I want to run away.

But it will be difficult.

There will be more horrible reprisals for me if I escape from that witch.

And I have nowhere else to go.

I don't want to go back to being a thief.

I have to earn her forgiveness.

While I was thinking about it, we arrived at our destination.

We have arrived at the darkest place in the Republic of Ariadia.

There are three walls in the Republic of Ariadia.

This is because as the city of Ariadia grew, the walls were built outward from time to time.

However, the expansion of the city stopped decades ago.

And the place where we are now is outside all the walls. In other words, the outer city.

Anyone can enter and live in this place.

Of course, even exiled criminals from other countries can enter.

In such an outer city, there are many organizations formed by criminals.

And among the criminal organizations, there is also an evil cult that worships demons.

This evil cult oversees and controls the criminal organizations in Ariadia. In other words, it could be said to be the shadow ruler of Ariadia.

Without citizenship and without any backing, I had no choice but to become a freedom fighter or a criminal.

Well, I wasn't confident in my armor, so I had to choose the latter.

As I walked, I saw a large building ahead of me.

The building is quite a fine structure is wooden.

The reality is that the headquarters of the criminal organization is an ordinary restaurant and inn at first glance.

This inn has a basement where there is an altar to the black goat-headed demon.

This is where Ainoe's sister is supposed to be.

Hmm?

Then you notice that someone is at the entrance.

Standing at the entrance is a man.

He doesn't look like a traveler. He is not dressed to travel. The one the man is wearing is commonplace.

What is he doing?

I wonder if he's here for the hookers.

The women who work in this diner and inn are also prostitutes.

Probably one of them is the girl you are looking for.

She looks mature, but the bastards are all dirty in their own skin. There's no doubt about it.

Or maybe they're after a male prostitute, but somehow it doesn't feel like it.

I've seen a number of homos*xuals in my life, and they don't look like those guys.

But I wonder. Why don't they go inside?

The only thing I can think of is that this man is a virgin.

Perhaps it is the first time he has asked out a prostitute. That is why I do not know what to do and cannot enter.

If it looks, it has a face that seems to be well brought up.

The face is so well-groomed that I want to punch it if I look closely.

Then I think of something.

If I take this guy with me, he might forgive me.

It's called human trafficking.

I'm sorry, but this man is going to be a sacrificial lamb.

He could be sacrificed to the witches, or drugged and turned into a male prostitute.

This man's people might find him.

But if they find out he tried to get into one of these establishments, they'll try to hide it.

And when that happens, the investigation will never lead back to me.

So there should be no problem.

”Hey, bro. What are you doing in there?

I call out softly to him.

Then the man turns around.

He looks a little surprised. I guess he didn't expect to be approached out of the blue.

'No, nothing in particular ......'

The man says with difficulty answering.

Just as I suspected. Buying prostitutes is a legal right, but it's forbidden by nature.

Someone born in an honest family would balk.

But I can't shake the feeling that I want a woman.

That's probably why he's acting like this.

”If you want, I'll show you around. I can introduce any girl to you because I'm the person in charge of this store. I can introduce you to any girl.

I say this and the man opens his eyes and looks at me.

Then he looks at me again as he thinks about something.

'If that's what you mean, please do.

The man smiles at me.

He doesn't seem to be wary of us. I chuckle at that.

'It's settled. Follow me, brother.

I take the man into the store.

The first floor of the shop is a restaurant and a bar.

The sun has already set, so the light is on inside the shop.

Many people come to the bar to drink.

Some of them will have citizenship.

The reason why these shops with prostitutes are tolerated is because of the support of the citizens.

Whether they have citizenship or not, human nature will not be changed.

The reason why the goddess Ishtia is counted among the twelve gods is because her existence cannot be denied, despite the fact that it is contrary to the teachings of the goddess Feria.

That's why God King Odis must have welcomed Ishtia as one of the 12 gods.

I go to the back of the store, avoiding the drunken customers and the women and men who work there.

The man follows me without question.

What a fool he is. Even though a terrible fate awaits him down the road.

He goes to the back of the store and walks down the aisle. Then you enter a room.

The room is just a warehouse.

'What is this place?'

The man looks a little confused as he's brought into the warehouse.

'Hehe, well, look at you.'

I laugh and approach one of the cupboards.

Then I move the cupboard to the side. Then a staircase that leads to the basement appears.

'Oh!'

The man lets out a surprised voice.

'Kuh, surprised?　We're going to go downstairs from here, okay? There's a hell of a beauty inside.

I'm not lying.

The witches are all beautiful.

They may be using magic to disguise their appearance, though.

'Good. I don't know why you're being so nice to me, but it helps.'

The man thanks him.

How stupid can he be?

There's no way there would normally be a woman in the basement.

Don't you think that's a little strange?

Maybe I was blessed to grow up in an environment that allowed me to live without questioning people.

I can feel a black fire forming in my heart.

You want to knock this guy down to the depths of your misery.

You are now going to be a sacrifice.

I laugh in my mind.

I go down to the basement with the man.

The basement is not just dug out of the ground.

The stones, the floor, and the ceiling have been neatly cleared and the ground is not bare.

We don't know who made this basement. It's quite a feat.

However, considering the existence of the demon that gave Ainoe his magic, this much might not even work.

The man and I walk through a wide underground passage. The walls are lit, so it's not dark.

The man doesn't say anything, he just follows me.

As we walk, we arrive at a large place.

In the room are the usual witches and men in robes.

I've never seen the men in robes before.

All but the man in the lead are wearing white masks.

The masks are simple in structure, with only a few openings in the eyes and mouth.

Who are they?

I can sense a bad feeling from the white masked ones.

When we enter the square, Ainoe and the others look at us.

'Hmm, it looks like you didn't run away. Marcias. I'm sure you can't run away. I've put a curse on you, you know.

Ainoe looks at you and says

You can't run away from ...... that's impossible. By the way, Miss Ainoe. Where are your people?

I look at the guys in robes to distract them from the topic.

'Hm, you don't need to know, but I'm going to tell you something. It's a good idea to have a good time with them. I'm sure he's our collaborator.

Ainoe tells me when she sees the only man who isn't wearing a mask.

Indeed, the man is dressed as a sorcerer.

However, I didn't think the vice-president of the sorcerer's association was a collaborator.

''Lord Ainoe. If you speak too much like that ......

Talabos says with a troubled mouth.

It's certainly not a good thing to talk about. It would be a big deal if it was known that the vice president of the Magicians Association was in league with the witches.

However, Ainoe is not a tight-lipped person. Moreover, he is quite lacking in some areas.

She speaks flippantly and seriously.

I'm sorry about that. I'm sorry, Mr. Tarabos. I'm sorry, Mr. Tarabos, but who is that man? He's a nice guy.

Ainoe looks at the man and says.

'Hehe. I'm sure you do. I was wondering if you guys would like it.

I say, and quickly get behind the man and draw my dagger.

I have to stick this man out and get him to forgive me for my blunder.

'Don't move. Brother.

I say in a low voice, holding the dagger out to him.

Now the man will know he's been tricked. But it's too late. I won't let him go.

I watch the man's reaction.

But the man does not react at all.

Something is wrong with him.

”You must be Zeal!　I need to ask you something!!!

Suddenly a man shouts out.

When he says the name Zeal, Ainoe and the witches in the vicinity cry out in surprise.

Zeal is the name of the demon that turned Ainoe into a witch.

How does this man know this?

The man's gaze is on Ainoe.

But I don't feel that he is looking at Ainoe.

He seems to be looking at the space behind Ainoe. There's nothing in that space.

'Ho....... Can you see me? Who are you?

A wild voice rang out in the room.

It was then. A huge figure comes out from behind Ainoe.

The figure resembles a satyr, but unlike a satyr, it has black hair and a head that is more like a goat. It is also more muscular and one size larger than the satyr we've seen before.

That black satyr looks at me.

''Hi!

The pressure of his gaze was unbearable. He sits down on the floor.

Even Talabos looks at the black satyr with a surprised look on his face.

The only ones who aren't surprised are the witch and the man next to her.

He looks at the man next to him. Nothing is surprised by the black satyr's appearance.

He is unconcerned.

'I don't believe we've met. Zeal. I've heard about you from Lord Ulubald, in case you were wondering.'

The man says to the black satyr.

Who the hell is this man?

When he sees the black satyr, he is not surprised, but rather unconcerned.

That's when you realize for the first time that the man is not a mere mortal.

'You know about Master Urbalt!　You!　Who are you?　You're not just a man!

The black satyr exclaims.

'Yes. ....... Would it be easier to understand you in this form?'

When the man said that, black flames enveloped the man's entire body.

And when the black flames disappeared, there was a knight in jet black armor standing at the place where the man was standing.

''Ridiculous?　The Dark Knight!　Who the hell are you?　...... No you are.

Suddenly a black satyr kneels down.

'That's right!　Zeal!　I am what you think I am. I've got questions!　Answer me!　Zeal!

That was when the man called the Dark Knight said that.

A powerful wind emanates from the Dark Knight.

'Gu......'

When you are hit by that wind, you moan and fall to the ground.

An inexplicable fear rises from deep within my body.

My legs tremble. I can't stand.

I look across my face and see Ainoe and Tarabos also falling to the ground and shaking.

The demon called Zeal has not fallen, but he is shaking.

But the masked men behind Tarabos are standing normally.

'Oh ......'

I hear voices coming from the entrance of this room.

I turn my head to the other side and see someone kneeling.

Probably hobbled by fear.

Then I am surprised to see the face.

'Shenna: ......'

It was Shenna who was at the entrance.

Shenna, the dancer.

Where does he think he's going?

The drowned Marcius was soon restored by the healing magic of Lady Sahoko.

And when night fell, he went out of the troupe's quarters.

There's nothing wrong with leaving your quarters at night.

The Midas Commander allows you to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't interfere with the show.

There is nothing special about tomorrow.

The troupe has postponed the play to entertain the brave men.

That may be why some of the troupe members seem to have gone out to the outside tavern.

Even Ainoe's sister seems to have gone out somewhere.

Maybe she went to her lover's place.

I follow Marcias.

Marcias is heading to the entertainment district outside the city walls.

I know that he heads there from time to time.

I couldn't find him yesterday, but I wonder which shop he goes to?

But you can't escape this Lady Sienna, Marcius.

No footsteps and no sign of life.

It's easy for me, as I've mastered the art of walking without making a sound.

After a while, Marcias walks to the biggest store in the outer city.

I'm sure Marcias wasn't there yesterday when I looked for that store.

'Huh?　I'm pretty sure that man is ......

In front of the store, Marcias spoke to a man.

The man's face was familiar.

He was the man who was with the woman his brother Decius had called the goddess of moonlight.

Why was he here? Could it be a member of Marcias?

But you can't hear what they say from this position.

Marcius and the man accompany him into the shop.

I follow them into the shop.

Some people look at me as I enter the shop, but they immediately turn away, as if they are not interested.

I'm not dressed as a dancer now. They are hiding their faces and bodies in hooded robes.

Sometimes people who hide their identities enter these places.

Such people hide their faces when they enter the shop, so my outfit should not be that strange.

Underneath this outfit, I carry my two favorite curved swords and several weapons.

Marcias must not be the only one who controlled Kalkinos. There are others who are backing out.

And I'm pretty sure he's dangerous.

We'd better be careful.

As you enter the store, you see the two men walking into the back of the store.

I found out when I entered the store yesterday, I believe it was off-limits to all concerned.

Why do they let Marcias through?

But I don't have time to think about that.

Two of them go ahead of me.

But as expected, I can't go in there because of the eyes of the employees.

Then what should I do?

I hold the Tethuiken small enough so that others cannot see it.

The Tejosen is a small sword that can fit in my hand.

I throw the sword by moving my wrist only.