Chapter 6

Half a day’s journey by carriage to the royal capital. My ass was killing me.

The road was so rough you’d think the concept of paving didn’t exist here. It looked relatively well maintained, but it was bumpy as hell. Even the stone pavement had loose stones and holes here and there, making the carriage shake like crazy.

The seat cushions were paper-thin, too. I wanted something like Tempur foam, maybe. One of those memory foam pillows. Or a waterbed. Well, that last one was a joke.

There was no way I could sleep like this. Couldn’t I build some kind of rest stop along the road? Something like a highway service area or a roadside station, with a hotel attached. At the very least, I’d want coffee, toilets, and a souvenir shop.

…Actually, why not build a railway while we’re at it? A railway. If I was going to develop another world, I’d want to give that a shot, wouldn’t I?

At least give me some asphalt. But how the hell did you make asphalt? The only construction-related work I’d ever done was a part-time job as a security guard at a construction site.

The scenery wasn’t much to look at, either. Just endless plains stretching as far as the eye could see. I was a little impressed at first, but thirty minutes later, I’d already gotten bored.

If there’d at least been a girl with me, I could’ve enjoyed a conversation. Instead, sitting across from me in the carriage was Clive. My knight bodyguard. A quiet man who only spoke when necessary and kept his words to a bare minimum.

But something about his attitude had changed since yesterday. Probably ever since I’d used that miraculous light.

He hadn’t exactly become friendlier, but he no longer seemed so sharp that I’d cut myself just by touching him. Maybe he’d reevaluated me, or perhaps I’d leveled up in his eyes as a human being.

Well, as long as he didn’t suddenly point a sword at me again, I didn’t care.

—Seriously, though, wasn’t I a hard worker? It was only my second day after dying and waking up in another world.

Just as I thought my ass was about to split in two, the carriage finally passed through the royal capital’s city gates.

It had taken forever. Seriously, forever.

At least the roads were properly paved once we reached the royal capital, which reduced the damage to my poor ass. I was incredibly grateful.

Now, since this was a discreet trip, we weren’t going to the castle.

Even if I went there and met the king or queen, I wouldn’t have the slightest idea how to behave. If I went into host mode, they’d probably shout, “Insolent fool!” and have my head chopped off.

The guards seemed accustomed to nobles sneaking out for a little fun. Without hesitation, they stopped the carriage somewhere inconspicuous and handed me a black cloak.

Yeah, the taste was good, but the details were lacking. This thing was so clean and brand-new that I might as well have been wearing a sign that said, I’m some rich young master’s spoiled brat.

Or was that deliberate? Maybe it was meant to warn people not to mess with me because I was some important official’s idiot son.

Whatever. It was better than wearing something filthy.

“Okay, Clive, you’re my bodyguard for this trip. Walking around with a whole crowd will only draw attention. And don’t call me ‘Your Highness’ or ‘Prince’ while we’re here.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“Yuri. From now on, I’ll pretend to be your attendant, so you act all high and mighty, got it?”

For a split second, Clive’s eyebrow twitched.

“…I cannot do that.”

“Do it.”

“…Understood.”

“Good. First, give me some pocket money.”

I held out my hand. I needed some money to get things started.

A pouch full of coins was promptly placed in my palm.

This guy sure was prepared.

All right, then—time to go have some fun at the very bottom of hell.

As I walked along the road carrying a lantern, the nighttime entertainment district gradually came into view.

I was a little moved. So even another world had an entertainment district. Of course it did. People were people, after all.

Drunkards disappearing into narrow alleys, couples walking shoulder to shoulder, and women wearing ingratiating smiles as they called out to potential customers.

Ahh, this almost felt like coming home.

This dark city. The dark sky, the dark streets, the eyes of the people. It was perfect.

But damn, this world was seriously dark. There weren’t even any streetlights in the royal capital? Or was that just because we were in the slums?

I looked up. An astonishingly bright moon hung in the sky, surrounded by countless twinkling stars.

You couldn’t see a sky like this in Tokyo.

“Good evening, miss. Isn’t the moon beautiful tonight?”

I flashed a goofy smile at a sexy woman dressed in revealing clothes.

She glanced at me and sized me up in an instant.

Some rich young master who looked like an idiot. A large man standing beside him. Expensive clothes. That was probably all she needed to know.

“I’m looking for someone reliable around here. Think you could point me in the right direction?”

“Ooh, someone reliable? I guess that’d be Mama!”

The woman answered with a playful smile of her own. What a nice lady.

“Mama? Which one?”

“Go down that alley and take the second left. It’s the place with the purple lantern.”

“Thanks, miss.”

“Don’t mention it. Anyway, hey, handsome, why don’t you have some fun with me? You can bring your big friend along, too!”

“That’s a tempting offer, but I’m running an errand tonight. Maybe another time!”

The moment I stepped into the back alley, a low, ragged voice reached my ears.

“Hey, you ain’t getting away from me…”

A woman was cornered against the wall while a man gripped her arm and persistently pressed her.

I could tell just by passing them—this woman wasn’t a street tout trying to drum up business.

Her posture, her scent, the way she looked at people. She carried herself like a woman only select men were allowed to touch.

…I see. This guy wasn’t even a customer. He was a stalker who couldn’t take no for an answer. And he was dressed pretty well, too. Maybe he had a bit of money.

When I stopped, the man glared at me.

“…Keep moving. This ain’t a show.”

“Yeah, this isn’t exactly something I’d call entertaining. Hey, buddy, don’t you know how to have fun?”

I laughed, casually swinging my lantern.

“No forcing yourself on people. This isn’t a place for satisfying your disgusting desires. It’s a place to enjoy a dream that lasts one night. For both you and the other person.”

I had no idea what the rules of the entertainment districts in this world were, but these were mine.

The man gritted his teeth. And then—

A sharp whoosh cut through the air. By the time I realized what had happened, Clive was already behind him.

In an instant, he had locked the man’s elbow, forced him to his knees, and quietly pinned him to the ground.

Unable to even cry out, the man curled up and lay there, completely immobilized.

“Man, you’re as reliable as ever, boss. Nice work!”

Suppressing the urge to whistle, I turned toward the woman.

“Are you okay, miss? Want me to walk you somewhere? Oh, don’t worry. The wolf-in-sheep’s-clothing service is currently closed.”

I delivered the joke with a playful grin, and she gave a soft laugh.

A mature, knowing smile appeared around her eyes. Yet there was something faintly lonely about it, too.

“Thank you, but I’m fine. I was just a little unlucky today. …Or perhaps I was lucky after all.”

Her eyes fixed intently on me.

…Whoa. This woman was seriously seductive.

Her glossy black hair swayed gently, and her fair skin glimmered softly in the light of the lantern.

The dress she wore was in a completely different league from the outfits worn by the other women.

Even her perfume wasn’t overpowering. If anything, it suited her gestures and voice perfectly. Everything about her felt carefully calculated.

Ah, shit. Women like this were the ones who had the richest customers.

The phrase femme fatale suited her perfectly.

I straightened up a little and smiled.

“Then I’ll see you around, miss.”

A purple lantern glowed like a neon sign.

This seemed to be the place I was looking for.

The moment I stepped through the heavy curtains, I was enveloped by a thick, stuffy atmosphere.

The air was saturated with the sweet, heavy scent of perfume, the bitterness of tobacco, and the pungent stench of alcohol that had seeped into the walls and floor.

The interior was dimly lit, with only a small lamp illuminating the counter at the back.

Beneath its light sat a woman, elegantly crossing her legs as she puffed on a cigarette.

“…Well, aren’t you a young one? What do you want?”

She gave me a quick once-over, then smiled with just her lips.

She looked to be in her late thirties, at least at a glance. But her eyes weren’t young. They were the eyes of someone who’d seen more lives than she could count.

“Are you the mama here?”

“Don’t call me that. It makes me feel like you’re treating me as an old woman.”

The woman gave a thin smile and exhaled a stream of smoke.

“I’m Nina. And you are?”

“I’m nobody worth introducing, but… Yuri. I’m planning to build a new city. Nina, would you hear me out?”

“…Hmm.”

The tip of her cigarette glowed red.

Nina prepared two drinks and placed them on the counter.

I took a seat, but Clive remained standing behind me without moving an inch.

Come on, boss. Sit down already…

Well, whatever. I had a feeling Nina wasn’t someone I could fool easily.

I took a sip from the fancy glass—

Whoa, that’s strong. What’s the alcohol percentage in this stuff? It burned all the way down my throat.

Was this her way of saying she wouldn’t talk to some little boy who couldn’t handle his liquor? Fine by me.

But this was the kind of drink that could kill you if you downed it in one go. And I was drinking on an empty stomach, too. Perfect. Well, if things got bad, I’d just throw up.

As I silently sipped my drink, Nina tapped the ash from her cigarette into the ashtray.

“So? What is it you’re planning to build?”

“…The greatest entertainment district in the world. A fun place like a dream where anything goes. And its name is… Seven Trees.”

Saying it out loud was a little embarrassing. Maybe being drunk wasn’t such a bad thing after all.

“We’re currently welcoming new businesses. It’s half a day’s carriage ride along the northern highway. The place used to be a rundown town, but I’m developing it now. If you know anyone who might be interested, let them know.”

Just then, I sensed a sweet presence behind me.

“Oh?”

A sultry voice rang out from behind.

When I turned around, there she was—the elegant, high-class woman I’d rescued in the alley.

“How interesting. The city, I mean. But you, too.”

She gracefully took the seat beside me. Without even glancing at the untouched drink in front of Clive, she kept her eyes on me.

“Say, I’d love to hear all the details at leisure. Just the two of us…”

“Haha… That’s a tempting offer, but I’m a little short on cash right now.”

“You don’t need money. Consider it a thank-you for helping me earlier…”

Hmm. In terms of the situation, this was an incredibly sweet deal.

But good things never came without a catch.

If I weren’t a prince, if I hadn’t been poisoned, and if I hadn’t been stabbed to death in an alley, I might’ve happily followed her without a second thought.

Honestly, though, I was kind of fed up with women already…

“Normally, I’d jump at the chance to be invited by a beautiful woman like you, but—”

I chuckled lightly and tilted my glass.

“I’m here on business today. If we meet in private sometime, let me try my hand at winning you over.”

“…Hehe. You’re a wicked man, aren’t you?”

I’d heard that more times than I could count.

“I’m Verina… Remember that.”

“Verina. That’s a beautiful name. I don’t think I’ll ever forget it.”

Verina smiled, then walked away with graceful, sensual steps.

Nina watched her leave before speaking with a faint note of admiration in her voice.

“To think you’ve caught Verina’s eye.”

So she was famous.

Well, with that level of sensuality and elegance, she was probably the number one woman at any establishment.

“She’s the most expensive courtesan in the royal capital. They say she has several noblemen as lovers.”

I immediately spat out the drink I’d been trying to swallow.