Most of the Loki Familia were in the dining hall, munching on late-night snacks while watching a feature.
A huge black screen had been mounted to one wall—tonight's program: "Great Familia Cinema: How Raul Resists Temptation."
"Damn! Raul's eating like a king!"
"An elf—an elf from the Pleasure Quarter, no less. I've been there so many times and never once saw a female elf courtesan."
Every man present felt a twinge of jealousy. Elves were rare in the Quarter; few elves sank so low, which made them precious—and pricey. A gorgeous face, a scorching figure, and a gentle demeanor, all in one elf big sister… and she just happened to appear before Raul as his 'guide'? The lucky bastard was overindulging.
The women were cooler about it.
"Elven courtesans are already rare. For Raul, of all people, to bump into one in the street? He should be asking himself why."
"Exactly. If he had two brain cells to rub together, he'd smell something off. Is he acting?"
"No, not with reactions that raw. Look at his nose and eyes—those eyeballs are about to fall into her neckline. He's drooling. Acting? Please. He's already wound around her little finger."
The women all shook their heads. Raul had taken the bait; a few more crumbs and he'd roll over like a good dog and spill everything.
Tiona pouted. "So that's how our info got blown last time—Raul nuked it for us."
"Don't," Tione growled. "I want to put my fist through his face."
Loki sipped her drink at a nearby table, glancing lazily at Raul on-screen. "That guy's always had a thing for mature big sisters. One crook of a finger and he's done."
Her eyes slid to Finn and Gareth. "Well? What do you two think of the courtesan?"
Both men wore complicated looks. You're really asking us? Their gazes flicked, involuntarily, toward Riveria's darkening expression.
Elves were proud and elegant, with rigid principles—and a notorious aversion to contact. Some refused even their own kind. So the existence of elven courtesans… even knowing every life diverged, Riveria's face still soured.
"Cowards," Loki muttered, then turned to Tsuna. "Tsuna, your take on our elf courtesan?"
"She's very beautiful. Elves just have a strong baseline—I've never seen an ugly one. Loki, she's probably an adventurer, right?"
"More than likely. Any elf will have decent talent with magic—and with how few elven courtesans there are, Ishtar would have folded her into the Familia long ago."
"That tracks. No wonder Raul seems under the influence of enchantment."
Loki's expression sharpened. "Enchantment? Elves with magical talent are prone to awakening those sorts of skills and spells. Ultimately it still comes down to the individual's gift. Which means this elf has real talent—at least enough for information work."
"Tch. That woman Ishtar is lucky," Loki clicked her tongue. The elf didn't need to be strong; with enchantment plus a courtesan's role, she'd be lethal at extracting intel.
Riveria's color steadied. Rather than dwell on why a fellow elf had fallen into the Quarter, she focused on Raul. "Tsuna, will he be alright in that state?"
"He'll be fine. To keep him from leaking anything unnecessary, I gave Raul a gentle suggestion—using the dream method Ais experienced, I implanted corresponding memories, so he won't reveal the wrong things."
"Of course, I asked Raul first. He agreed to the implant."
"Good," Riveria nodded faintly.
Tione nailed the subtext. "So he agreed because he's simply desperate not to fail this mission—and get hammered by Loki."
Tiona snorted, then winced. "Yeah, he's thinking about Loki 'smashing half his future happiness'…"
Half his happiness. Every man present felt a sympathetic ache below the belt.
Crush one half, the other won't work either. The psychological shadow from that alone could cripple a man for good. A heavy punishment for anyone.
Tiona eyed the screen where Raul was already drifting on the elf's current. "Tsuna, do you have a way to counter that enchantment?"
"No need to overcomplicate it. Average enchantments barely affect adventurers with 'abnormal resistance.' Raul's getting caught because she's stacking tools and skills, and because they've entered a sealed room."
From his observations, Tsuna was sure Raul had been touched by the effect before stepping into the suite—but he lost control only after they went inside.
"As long as you don't let yourself get dragged into a private room like Raul, her charm won't land so easily."
(End of Chapter)
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