"Hey, wanna have some fun."
"I'll do it for just two silver coins."
Two young girls tugged at Leon's sleeves.
"What do you say?" one of them whispered. "Wanna do it?"
His heart pounded harder than it ever had. Sweat trickled down his forehead.
Before returning to the Valentine Dukedom, Leon had decided to make a detour toward the red-light district of Shinra.
"You've got smooth skin~."
"..."
Leon ignored them and kept walking.
"Hey! Come back!"
"Alright, fine! I'll do it for one silver coin!"
They yelled after him, but Leon neither stopped nor looked back.
On both sides of the road stood houses painted in red and purple, with banners draped overhead.
Men and women leaned out from balconies, waving or calling to passersby.
Most of the buildings here were brothels, frequented by nobles young and old alike, to relieve their stress.
'How disgusting.'
Adjusting the hood covering his whole head, Leon walked forward, ignoring the irrelevant stuff.
TWAK—
"Hey, watch it brat!"
Leon quickly nodded apologetically.
He didn't want to indulge in any unnecessary conversation with anyone here.
The air was becoming chilly as the sun began to set. The sky shimmered with early stars, making it oddly beautiful.
He glanced up for a second, then pulled his hood lower over his face.
'I don't have time to waste.'
If he didn't get back before family dinner, the Duke would just have another excuse to scold him.
'It was supposed to be here…oh, found it.'
Leon lifted his head to get a proper view of the banner.
[Aurora Cherry Shop]
The sign hung high atop the tallest house in the red-light district. Its walls were lit with colorful lights, probably enhanced by some kind of magic tool.
Several people including both men and women can be seen walking out from the front door.
Leon gulped, then stepped inside.
'It has to be done today.'
As he entered, a red-haired girl in a rather revealing outfit approached him.
"How can we serve you tonight, sir?"
Leon said just one word.
"Hibuki."
"Hibuki?" she tilted her head.
"I want Hubuki."
"Ah, my bad, sir. That'll be twenty silver coins."
Leon reached into his pocket and handed her the amount.
"Please come this way!"
Leon followed behind her, his eyes darted around every corner.
Unlike the noisy exterior, the interior was calm and dimly lit.
'As expected of her.'
The girl stopped in front of a wooden door, then turned to Leon.
"Do you know the rules here?" she asked, holding out her hand.
Resting on her palm was a black mask.
Leon looked up, then nodded and took it.
"Good. So it's not your first time." She clapped her hands with a smile.
He had been here hundreds of times before.
Lifting his hood slightly, Leon placed the black mask over his eyes.
The mask covered only the upper half of his face, leaving his mouth and nose exposed, but that was enough to hide his identity in a place like this.
FRRR—
The door slid open, revealing a small cozy room.
"Please enjoy yourself."
The girl bowed before closing the door behind him.
The scent of roses lingered in the air, but there was also a strange tangy sweetness that could melt anyone who entered.
The room was designed in traditional Japanese style, it was an easter egg in the game mimicking Edo-era craftsmanship.
A white futon was placed in the middle of the room, large enough to fit two people in. And there was also a dressing screen at the corner.
Leon noticed faint movement behind the screen… someone was fixing their hair.
"Ahem," Leon coughed lightly to announce his presence.
The movements behind the dressing screen stopped.
The figure stood and stepped out.
What awaited Leon's gaze was a woman likely in her thirties, blonde hair, and emerald green eyes, wearing a pink kimono, and barefoot.
She bowed gracefully.
"My name is Hibuki," she said. "How would you like to be served tonight?"
Her voice was soft like a delicate leaf brushing past his ears. For a moment, all of Leon's anxiety melted away.
He raised a hand.
"Stop with the greetings, I have a job for you."
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted.
The air grew colder. Leon felt pressure bearing down on him from all sides.
"What business does the third son of House Valentine have with me?" Hibuki asked.
Her tone shifted. Her once calmer voice has now turned colder.
Her radiant green eyes locked onto his, brimming with veiled malice.
'Impressive. She knew who I was all along…'
But Leon didn't flinch.
If anything, he seemed calmer now.
Keeping his voice level, he spoke.
"I want to hire you, to be my personal informant."
Hibuki narrowed her eyes. A small smirk tugged at her lips.
"And what makes you think I'm an informant?"
"I have my ways."
"Oh my~"
She walked a little closer, tilting her head. "How can a sorry excuse of a man be this confident?"
But inwardly, she was on full alert.
'How is he this calm? Was the rumor about him being an idiot a lie? I know my intel was accurate… then what's going on?'
She couldn't figure it out.
"Hibuki." Leon coldly called out. His golden gaze didn't look away from hers.
'What's… with him?'
He was creeping her out.
This wasn't the Leon Valentine she thought she knew.
Hibuki realized that this young man in front of her was not an idiot. And more than that, he managed to hide his real personality from her for all those years.
He was not what others think he was.
So, Hibuki didn't provoke him further.
"How long do you want my services?" she asked.
"Two years."
"...What?" She blinked.
"Two years—"
"I heard you the first time," she cut him off. "What do you mean, two years?! That's too much!"
She shook her head, rejecting him outright.
"I'm sorry, but I can't offer that kind of service. No matter how much you pa—"
"Are you sure about that?" Leon interrupted.
"Wha—"
"Even if the payment is [Drop of Limitless]"
"..." Her jaw dropped.
She didn't believe what she'd just heard.
[Drop of Limitless]?
Its name alone belonged in legends and fairy tales.
A single drop could boost someone's power tenfold. A single drop could cure any illness.
It was the very item Leon had used to forcefully awaken himself.
And after awakening, he'd brought several of them back with him.
Hibuki bit her lip and said irritably,
"You take me for a fool? Do I look like a joke to you?"
She had always longed for it.
In her early days, she had searched for the [Drop of Limitless] just to cure her brother's illness, only to learn it was nothing more than a myth.
And now… some random noble brat was offering it like candy.
It was laughable.
Until Leon pulled out a yellow, coconut-shaped fruit from inside his cloak and casually tossed it toward her.
"Here's your pay."
"..."
The shape, the color, the overwhelming mana it radiated… everything matched the descriptions in the ancient books.
Hibuki's hands trembled as she inspected it.
"The Drop of Limitless…" she muttered.
Her eyes wide,
"It… can't be."
"So," Leon said coolly, "are you accepting the job or not?"
"How… did you even…?"
"If you don't want to accept, that's fine. I can just—"
"I ACCEPT!"
She shouted at the top of her lungs.
"From today on, Hibuki will serve you for two—no—for three years!"
"..."
"Just tell me the name, and I shall bring you any intel you desire! There's nothing this Hibuki cannot uncover. If you want my body, I shall even give you that for th—"
"Stop." Leon rubbed his temples. "I have no interest in your body."
"Oh, how shameless of me." Hibuki cut him off dramatically. "How could a lowborn woman like me possibly satisfy a man like you…"
"What."
"I shall offer you the body of any noble lady you desire—"
"I don't want any of that. I just want intel."
"...Oh. Alright then." She quickly adjusted her kimono, shedding the flirtation from her voice.
"If it's intel you want, you're in the right place. I can get you anything on anyone. Just name it."
"Veronica Valentine."
"Eh?"