Chapter 35 - Damn Reincarnation

Bolero Street

“Why did you buy something so useless?”

Gargis asked with a bewildered expression. An unidentified piece of metal that had gone unsold for ages. Even Gargis, who knew nothing about magic, could see no value in it.

It was only about the size of a finger, and apparently it could neither be worked nor accept mana. Its starting price had been the lowest of anything offered at the auction, but Gargis still did not think the metal was worth a million sals.

Eugene said nothing. He clenched his trembling hand and tried to put his jumbled thoughts in order.

Vermouth had wielded countless weapons, many of them treasures powerful enough to turn the world upside down.

There was Wynnyd, the Storm Sword, which Eugene now possessed. Asphel, the Devouring Sword. Carbos, the Dragon Spear. Pernoa, the Lightning Bow. Javel, the Flying Sword. Gedon’s Shield, and more.

The most famous was the Holy Sword. Vermouth had not used it all that often, but in the present day, it was the weapon that symbolized him.

There were others, too.

Ruinthos, the Demonic Spear, which the Demon King of Cruelty had wielded.

Jigollas, the Crushing Hammer, which the Demon King of Carnage had wielded.

Although those weapons were less prominent than the Holy Sword, records of them had survived. Strangely, however, no record whatsoever remained of the Moonlight Sword.

As Eugene remembered it, the Moonlight Sword had torn straight through Ruinthos’s fierce assault and brought down the Demon King of Cruelty. Yet fairy tales and historical accounts alike said the Holy Sword had defeated that Demon King.

It was not just the Demon King of Cruelty. Three hundred years ago, Helmuth had been full of powerful foes besides the Demon Kings who made their journey a torment. High-ranking demons who had failed to become Demon Kings. Vampire lords. Chieftains of the giants. In their clashes with such enemies, it had not been the radiant light of the Holy Sword that opened the way.

It had been dreadful moonlight that tore through the front ranks in a wave of destruction.

‘A fragment of that Moonlight Sword.’

Not an intact sword. Whatever had happened to it, this was a fragment of something shattered to pieces. Perhaps he had been mistaken. However vivid his memories of his past life were, he could not be certain from one tiny fragment.

A little later, someone knocked at the door. Since the item was so small, they had brought it straight over after his bid. Eugene immediately rose and opened the door.

‘... It is.’

Eugene looked down at the fragment he had been handed. Its peculiar, murky color was exactly as he remembered. This was undoubtedly a fragment of the Moonlight Sword. How on earth had it ended up at an auction?

‘The Kazad Hills...’

The place where the fragment had reportedly been found reinforced his certainty. The Kazad Hills lay a short distance from the Demon King of Carnage’s castle. They had originally been a plain, but the aftermath of the fierce battle in the castle had caused the entire ground to subside, turning it into hills.

After defeating the Demon King of Carnage, while leaving the castle, they had discovered a dungeon hidden deep underground. Thinking demons might be hiding there, they had explored it, and in its deepest depths, they had found the Moonlight Sword.

‘... The possibility that comes to mind... is that Vermouth took the Moonlight Sword back to where it had been and sealed it away on his way out of Helmuth.’

Why had the Moonlight Sword been smashed into fragments? If Vermouth had sealed it away again, Eugene could imagine why it had ended up shattered.

The Moonlight Sword was too dangerous. The Demonic Spear and Crushing Hammer favored by the Demon Kings were dangerous as well, but the Moonlight Sword went far beyond them.

That ominous sword had acknowledged no master but Vermouth, and whenever it was drawn from its sheath, it wrought terrible destruction. Merely sealing away such a dreadful, dangerous sword would not have put Vermouth’s mind at ease.

‘... It’s quiet.’

The fragment of the Moonlight Sword lay silent. It gave off nothing ominous at all. Then again, had it retained its terrifying power from three hundred years ago, it would never have been offered at an auction like this, much less left neglected after failing to sell.

With a bitter feeling, Eugene placed the fragment of the Moonlight Sword in its wooden box. A fragment that now held no power whatsoever. He would be lying if he said he had not had hopes. He had thought that perhaps a trace of its power remained.

Even if it was nothing but an ordinary scrap of metal, he was not terribly disappointed. Simply having this troubling thing in his possession gave him a little peace of mind.

[“Sir Eugene.”]

His communicator vibrated.

[“Sir Eward has arrived.”]

It was the guide’s voice. Eugene tucked the wooden box into his clothes and stood.

“I’m leaving.”

“Hmm? Aren’t you going to watch the rest?”

“No. I’ll leave the card here, so tell them we’ll pay for the bid later.”

The black card could not be used without authentication. Still, black cards were so prestigious that arranging to pay a winning bid a little later should be possible.

And if they refused? That was not Eugene’s problem. In fact, he would be delighted not to spend a fortune on a pair of balls.

He pressed the button on the left to summon an attendant, then left the auction house. Quite some time must have passed; the night was deep, and the air was cold. Yet everything around him was still brightly lit. The lights on this street would not go out until dawn.

‘Where should I go?’

[“Well... if you head toward the north end of the street, you should find a place called Rafflesia. Come there.”]

Eugene set off.

[“But what exactly are you planning to do? Places like this are very strict about protecting their customers’ privacy...”]

He did not bother answering. He had not decided to go with any clear idea of what he would do. He simply wanted to go and see Eward’s face first. How would the main family’s eldest son react when his sordid behavior was exposed?

Would he lash out in shame? Or would he keep his mouth shut without even getting angry? Would he make excuses? Eugene did not know. Honestly, he wanted to grab him by the collar and slap him.

‘... He is in a pitiful position, in his own way.’

Even if he stopped short of slapping him, he would at least hear what Eward was thinking.

The farther north he went, the more the atmosphere of the establishments changed. Lights that had merely illuminated the darkness turned red, and the touts’ clothing grew more revealing. Handsome men enticed passing women, while beautiful women smiled at the men.

‘Incubi, succubi. Even vampires. Beastfolk, too.’

There were not only demons. He saw quite a few beastfolk, a mixture of human and beast, as well as humans. Eugene gave them not a single glance, checking only the names of the establishments.

Rafflesia.

After walking a fair distance down the street, he found it. The exterior looked more respectable than he had expected. Without hesitation, Eugene approached the entrance.

“Are you a customer?”

The hulking figures loitering around the establishment blocked the doorway as if they had been waiting for him. Five of them. Eugene stared at the man in the middle. Pale skin and blood-red eyes. Pointed ears... small horns.

Demons came in many varieties. Dream demons were one kind, and giants had been counted among demons for the past three hundred years. Fallen dark elves and vampires belonged to their ranks as well. The word did not refer to a single race, but collectively to the races ruled by the Demon Kings.

Among them, horns were the distinguishing feature of the race known as “daemons,” who made up the largest proportion of demons. Indeed, daemons could be called the true demons. All five Demon Kings who had existed three hundred years ago had been daemons.

“... I want to go inside.”

Eugene spoke as he glared at the young daemon. This was his first direct encounter with a demon—and a daemon, at that—since his reincarnation. In his past life, he would have killed the creature before their eyes even met, but Eugene let none of his killing intent show.

“... Is this your first visit to our establishment?”

“Why? Can’t I come in if it is?”

“Not at all. You are welcome to enjoy our services as long as you pay the admission fee.”

“How much?”

“The basic admission fee is two million sals. Additional charges are determined by the content and duration of your desired dream. Would you like to enter?”

The daemon asked with a faint smile. Without answering, Eugene took out his wallet and handed over two checks.

“Enjoy your time with us.”

As soon as he received the admission fee, the daemon stepped away from the door. Eugene ignored his words and went inside.

Red lighting.

The first thing he saw was a boisterous drinking scene. Apparently, the entire first floor served as a tavern. Succubi and incubi in revealing clothes carried drinks and flirted with the customers. Eugene stopped for a moment to watch.

“Let me show you to a seat.”

A beautiful succubus approached and linked her arm with his. Ignoring her, Eugene looked up. The tavern extended through the third floor. There were no bedrooms in sight where customers could enjoy dreams.

‘Underground, then.’

He saw succubi and incubi escorting customers downstairs. Where was Eward? Was he drinking, or dreaming in a room? The smell. The succubus pressed against him reeked of perfume.

“... Do people dream here?”

“In a hurry, are you?”

Despite having greeted him politely at first, the succubus slipped naturally into a familiar tone, smiling coyly at him.

“You’re a cute one. Your first time here, right? How about a drink first?”

The succubus’s smile deepened. Leaning subtly against Eugene’s arm, she whispered,

“You see, drinking makes your body nice and relaxed, so you can dream more deeply.”

“I can’t sleep unless I’m in a bed.”

“Don’t worry. Once you’ve had a little, I’ll take you downstairs. More importantly, what kind of dream would you like?”

The succubus lowered her voice. With practiced ease, she led Eugene to an empty seat.

“Don’t be shy. Tell me. You have to be precise and detailed if you want me to give you a pleasant dream.”

Those words told Eugene the caliber of the establishment’s succubi. High-ranking dream demons could make people collapse into sleep against their will and create dreams from their unconscious desires. Needing alcohol to put someone to sleep and asking them to explain the contents of their dream marked these as low-ranking dream demons.

“... I can’t tell you yet.”

“Then you need a drink. Don’t worry, I’ll mix you something strong and delicious. After a few glasses, you’ll be able to tell me what you desire without any embarrassment.”

The succubus, who had sat down beside him, got up. Before long, she returned with two glasses.

“You don’t mind if your big sis has a drink too, do you?”

Who decided she was his big sis? Thinking that, Eugene picked up his glass. This was his first time drinking in this body. Would it handle alcohol well, too? Surely this marvelous body, which never suffered minor illnesses and hardly felt fatigue, would not be a lightweight. With that thought, Eugene brought the glass to his lips.

‘... They’ve even drugged this.’

A faintly sweet scent mingled with the smell of liquor. It was the scent of a hallucinogenic herb that grew naturally only in Helmuth. Apparently, the succubi were so inferior that they had to resort to this sort of herb.

‘Well, a high-ranking succubus wouldn’t sell dreams on a street like this.’

Judging by the smell, it was not a particularly potent drug. To test his body’s resistance, Eugene took a sip. It sent a tingling sensation through his throat. His first drink since reincarnating tasted fairly good. The place was so fucking awful, though, that it left a bad aftertaste.

“You can really drink, can’t you?”

The succubus giggled. Eugene set the glass down after that first sip and checked his body’s reaction. The heat warming his stomach surged toward his head, trying to cloud his consciousness.

‘Born with a tolerance, too.’

He drank the rest, surveying the establishment as he did.

‘People are going down, but no one’s coming up.’

Eugene set down the empty glass.

“Let’s go downstairs.”

“Huh?”

“The drink tastes bad.”

“Aha... you’re embarrassed to say it here? You don’t need to worry about that... Shall we go to a bedroom, then?”

The succubus was privately disappointed. She had meant to make him have a few more glasses and run up his tab. Still, she could hardly ignore a customer’s request. She rose with Eugene and headed downstairs.

“I’m a little scared.”

“Of whaat?”

“I’ve never done this before.”

“You don’t need to worry. We do take some vitality, but you’ll just be a little tired the next day.”

“You take my vitality and charge me money, too?”

“Well...”

“If you get my vitality, shouldn’t you stop charging money?”

“No... um... we give you good dreams in return.”

“Now that I think about it, that’s too unfair. I can dream when I sleep on my own. Why should I pay money on top of giving you my vitality?”

Rather than enter a bedroom, Eugene merely checked the layout of the underground corridor. He shook off the succubus’s hand and took out his wallet.

“I’ll sleep in my own bed. I’m just paying for the drinks and leaving.”

“What the hell is wrong with you?”

“It happens. I’m scared, and it feels unfair. What do you expect?”

He took a check for a million sals from his wallet and handed it to the succubus. Though dumbfounded, she accepted the money.

“Keep the change.”

“Uh... yeah, sure.”

Was he an idiot? Or a sucker? Either way, it was no bad thing for the succubus. A million sals was more than two glasses of cheap liquor cost.

“Bye... Next time... come back when you feel ready. I’ll take care of you then, too. My name is...”

“No need to tell me. Where’s the exit?”

“... I’ll show you.”

There was a room at the end of the corridor. It looked like a storeroom inside, but it had stairs leading up. Leaving the succubus behind, Eugene climbed them.

“Did you enjoy your dream?”

Upstairs was a restaurant. Apparently, after drinking and having their vitality sucked out in dreams, customers were encouraged to have a meal before leaving. Eugene opened the wallet he was still holding and handed the man some money.

“You’ve already paid your fee—”

“A quiet corner table.”

“Ah...”

“What’s good here?”

Why was this little shit talking to him so rudely? Despite that thought, the man smiled broadly and politely accepted the money.

“Our specialty is magma stew. Its spicy flavor will clear you right out. There’s plenty of meat in it, too.”

“Extra meat.”

“Yes, sir.”

The nameless restaurant was as noisy as Rafflesia’s first floor. It served ordinary customers as well as those emerging from dreams. Not every establishment in a black market was illegal. Even a place like this needed restaurants.

Eugene sat in a secluded corner and pulled up his hood. Plenty of other customers were dressed that way, too. Thanks to that, he could eat quietly without attracting attention.

How much time had passed? Quite a few people came up from underground, but Eward was nowhere to be seen. As time went by, Eugene ordered several more dishes. The food was quite decent.

‘Bastard.’

Just as he finished his fourth dish, Eward came up the stairs. His hood concealed his face, but Eugene clearly remembered his build. And the hands showing beneath his sleeves—the hands that had lost their calluses were unmistakably Eward’s. He staggered as he walked, as if he had drunk an enormous amount. That alone made irritation surge through Eugene, but...

Eward had not come up alone. Several people who had followed him from below were supporting him. Not succubi, but daemons with horns on their heads. Two men and one woman. At the sight, heat flared in Eugene’s chest.

‘Not only has he been fooling around with dream demons, he’s letting daemons hold him up?’

As soon as Eward appeared, two men seated in the restaurant stood. They paid their bill without fuss and went outside, exchanging glances with the daemons as they did.

A hooded head nodded. Eward and the daemons went outside. Once he had confirmed that, Eugene rose.

With so much time having passed, the street had grown less crowded. Eugene checked which way Eward and his unidentified companions were going, then turned and headed in the opposite direction. He circled the building immediately ahead and followed behind Eward.

‘Where are you going?’

They passed several blocks. Still being supported, Eward entered a building with no sign. After confirming they had gone inside, Eugene approached it.

Just as he was about to push open the closed door...

“Hey, kid. You’ve got the wrong place.”

Three large men emerged from the alley beside the building. Their already ugly faces twisted as they glared at Eugene.

“This isn’t a shop. Fuck off.”

“Then what is it?”

“I said, fuck off.”

“You’re awfully rude for someone I’ve only just met, friend.”

“Fuck off, you little shit.”

“Instead of talking out here, shall we go inside?”

“Are you fucking crazy? You think you can laugh off what an adult tells you?”

One of the men strode over and seized Eugene by the collar.

“It is pretty funny.”

“Come here.”

The man smelled alcohol on Eugene. Dragging him into the alley, he spat,

“If you’re drunk, go home and get some fucking sleep. Don’t run your mouth like you have no idea how dangerous the world is.”

They would give him a beating, make a little pocket money, and send him packing. The men exchanged glances, thinking exactly that. Guessing their obvious intentions, Eugene obligingly followed them deeper into the alley.

“First, get your wallet out...”

Now that they were in an alley away from prying eyes, Eugene had no need to listen any longer.

He pushed down on the arm gripping his collar and punched the man’s jaw as he tilted forward. Before he could finish speaking, the man lost consciousness.

“You crazy bastard!”

The remaining two shouted furiously and lunged at Eugene.

“Friends.”

Neither managed to throw a proper punch before collapsing on the ground. Eugene gave them a few light kicks as he continued,

“Now talk. What is this place?”

“I... I don’t know.”

“If you don’t know, never mind.”

THWACK!

Eugene kicked the man in the jaw and turned away.

“It’s quicker and easier to see for myself than to listen.”