Lynn En vaulted out the window, his toes tapping lightly against the sill as he soared onto the roof like a swallow.
The rooftops of the Pleasure Quarter stretched out in an endless expanse, their tiles shimmering with a dull grey luster under the moonlight. Standing tall, he scanned his surroundings. The main thoroughfares in the distance were still a cacophony of noise and crowds, but the nearby alleys had finally fallen silent. It seemed the women chasing him had finally given up.
Just as he was about to leap down to find Bell, his gaze swept toward the entrance of the Pleasure Quarter. A familiar figure was walking away at a brisk pace. Long black hair tied in a ponytail, a long blade strapped to her waist—her stride was sharp, though tinged with a hint of urgency.
It was Mikoto.
She kept her head down, walking quickly as if burdened by heavy thoughts. Lynn En narrowed his eyes, watching as she turned onto the main street and vanished into the bustling crowd.
It looks like she managed to withdraw successfully, he thought. Good. At least she won't be dragged into any more trouble tonight.
As for why she was here in the first place, that would have to wait until next time.
Lynn En retracted his gaze and began moving across the rooftops. His movements were light and swift, the tiles barely making a sound beneath his feet. The nightscape of half the Pleasure Quarter unfolded beneath him—pavilions draped in red lanterns, taverns echoing with music, and the suggestive flickers of light hidden deep within the dark alleys.
Where could that kid Bell be?
Lynn En calculated as he searched. Given Bell's personality, his first instinct after getting separated would be to find a place to hide. But in a place like the Pleasure Quarter... where could he possibly hide?
He didn't actually get dragged into one of those shops, did he?
At the thought, Lynn En picked up his pace.
Half an hour later.
Under the stone archway at the entrance of the Pleasure Quarter, Lynn En finally found his man.
Bell was crouching by the side of the road, huddling against the base of a wall. His hair was a bird's nest, and his cheeks were so red they looked ready to bleed. His light adventurer's armor was skewed and messy, his collar torn open to reveal his pale collarbone. His clothes were soaked in wine stains and smeared with patches of rouge and powder—vivid reds and yellows that made him look utterly pathetic.
He was panting heavily, his chest heaving as he stared vacantly at the ground, looking for all the world like he had just escaped a horde of monsters.
Lynn En walked up to him and stopped. Bell didn't look up; he just kept wheezing.
Lynn En waited three seconds before he couldn't help it. He snorted, then burst into laughter.
Bell stiffened and slowly raised his head. The moment he saw Lynn En, the panic in his ruby-red eyes turned into pure grievance. His lip wobbled, and his voice took on a tearful edge. "L-Lynn En..."
"What happened to you?" Lynn En looked him up and down, his lips twitching. "Get hunted down by an Amazonian warband?"
"It was worse than that!" Bell scrambled to his feet, gesturing wildly and incoherently. "A-After I got separated from everyone, a few sisters... no, a few Amazonian women surrounded me! They dragged me into a building! They said they were going to 'serve' me, and then they started tearing my clothes off!"
He grew more agitated as he spoke, waving his arms around. "I tried to fight back, but they were too strong! They almost stripped me naked! And then, and then..."
Bell's voice began to tremble.
Lynn En tilted his head. "And then?"
"And then this... woman appeared." Bell swallowed hard, the color draining from his face. "She looked... she looked like a giant toad! I'm serious! Her face was huge, her eyes popped out, and her mouth stretched all the way to her ears! She laughed when she saw me and said she was taking me away. She said... 'The little bunny is so cute'..."
He shuddered violently. "I took a chance when they weren't looking and jumped out a window! I ran all the way here before I finally lost them..."
Lynn En stroked his chin. A woman who looked like a giant toad? He didn't know the name, but in a place like the Pleasure Quarter, all sorts of eccentrics existed. It wasn't that surprising.
"You've had a rough time." Lynn En patted Bell on the shoulder, his tone clearly teasing. "I didn't expect your first visit to the Pleasure Quarter to include such a... stimulating program."
"Lynn En!" Bell's face turned scarlet. "That wasn't a 'program' at all!"
"Right, right." Lynn En nodded dismissively, his eyes lingering on Bell's disheveled collar. "So, exactly how much did they manage to strip off?"
"J-Just my coat and spaulders!" Bell hurriedly pulled his collar tight. "They didn't have time for anything else!"
"Oho..." Lynn En drew out the sound, giving him a deliberate look.
Feeling extremely uncomfortable under the scrutiny, Bell quickly changed the subject. "What about you, Lynn En? You didn't get caught, did you?"
"Lost them," Lynn En said nonchalantly. "Met someone... interesting."
He didn't mention Haruhime. Some encounters didn't need to be shared with everyone.
As they spoke, a cheerful voice suddenly drifted from the side. "Oh my, you two just coming out of the Pleasure Quarter?"
Lynn En and Bell turned simultaneously.
A young man had appeared just three paces away. He wore a wide-brimmed traveler's hat pulled low, obscuring most of his face. Dressed in simple brown traveling gear with a bulging pack slung over his shoulder, he looked like an ordinary traveling merchant.
But Lynn En's pupils constricted.
When did this guy get so close? He hadn't sensed a thing.
"Who are you?" Lynn En asked. His voice was calm, but his body had shifted into a defensive stance.
"Just a passing merchant," the youth said with a smile. His gaze landed on Bell, and his grin widened. "From the looks of this young man... he might need this."
He pulled a palm-sized glass vial from his cloak and handed it to Bell. The vial contained a pale green liquid that shimmered under the moonlight.
Bell froze, not daring to take it. He looked toward Lynn En.
Lynn En reached out, took the vial, uncorked it, and brought it to his nose. A faint scent of herbs mixed with the essence of magical energy. It was a Recovery Potion. A common one, but high quality.
"Why give us this?" Lynn En looked up at the youth, his eyes sharp.
The youth blinked, caught off guard by the intensity of the gaze, then laughed. He reached up and removed his hat, revealing short dark-brown hair and a handsome face. His pale gold eyes danced with amusement as he looked Lynn En over.
"Because..." the youth said slowly, "I've heard your name before, Lynn En."
He paused, then added, "The one who breached the city gates single-handedly during the War Game."
Bell let out a small "Ah," looking at Lynn En in surprise.
Lynn En's expression remained unchanged. "And?"
"And seeing you today, your reputation is well-deserved." The youth's grin grew broader. "It's not often someone makes such a stir in the Pleasure Quarter and walks away unscathed."
He leaned in half a step, lowering his voice conspiratorially. "I just didn't expect a hero like you to frequent such a den of vice... It seems you, too, are a 'gentleman' of culture."
Lynn En's lip quirked. "Who exactly are you?" he asked directly.
The youth straightened, replacing his hat but tilting the brim up to show his face. As the moonlight hit him, his handsome features suddenly took on an indescribable, divine radiance.
"Hermes," he said, his voice laced with mirth. "Patron God of the Hermes Familia."
Bell gasped. Lynn En narrowed his eyes.
A God.
Since coming to this world, Lynn En had met several deities—Hestia, Take-Mikazuchi, Apollo... Each had their own personality and way of doing things. The vibe he got from the man before him... was that of someone who loved a good show and couldn't resist getting his hands dirty in it.
"Why help us?" Lynn En asked bluntly.
Hermes shrugged. "I told you. I love watching the stories of heroes."
He pulled another vial from his pack, this one filled with a pinkish liquid. He playfully shoved it into Bell's hands.
"Take this one too—a Special Grade Stamina Potion. I think this young lad could use it."
After stuffing the potion into Bell's grasp, he looked at Lynn En, a spark of deep meaning flashing in his eyes. "The waters in the Pleasure Quarter are deep, Lynn En. The Ishtar Familia... they aren't people you want to mess with."
Lynn En was silent for a moment before speaking. "You were waiting here for us."
It wasn't a question; it was a statement.
The smile on Hermes' face stiffened for a split second before returning to normal. He lowered his hat brim again, his voice light. "Who knows? Perhaps I was just passing by and happened to see something interesting."
He took two steps back, his figure beginning to dissolve into the shadows of the street corner. "Good luck to you both. I hope the next time we meet, there's an even more spectacular story to tell."
With those words, his silhouette vanished completely into the night.
The street was left with only Lynn En and Bell, accompanied by the faint, distant music drifting from the Pleasure Quarter. Bell stared blankly at the two potions in his hands, then at where Hermes had disappeared. He opened his mouth, "Lynn En, that was..."
"A god who likes to meddle."
Lynn En retracted his gaze and took the Special Grade Stamina Potion from Bell, giving it a shake. "The items are real, though. Things given by gods aren't usually bad."
He shoved the Recovery Potion back to Bell. "Keep these. You might need them."
Bell carefully tucked the potions into his pouch, then looked up. He hesitated before whispering, "Lynn En... that God, Hermes... what did he mean when he said the Ishtar Familia isn't to be messed with?"
Lynn En glanced at him.
"It means," he said, turning toward the main thoroughfare, "that tonight ends here. Don't mention it again, and don't go back to the Pleasure Quarter."
Bell scrambled to follow. "But... aren't we going to look for Mikoto and the others?"
"Mikoto has already left," Lynn En said without looking back. "Let's head back to the Take-Mikazuchi residence and report in."
The two walked side by side through the nocturnal streets, the moonlight stretching their shadows long. After a while, Bell said softly, "Lynn En, thank you for coming to find me."
Lynn En didn't stop. "I couldn't exactly let those women eat you alive."
"N-No, I didn't mean it like that..." Bell scratched his head. "I mean... thank you for always looking out for me. From the Dungeon, to the War Game, to tonight... I'm always causing you trouble."
Lynn En glanced sideways, seeing the boy's lowered profile and the genuine guilt in those red eyes. He was silent for a few seconds before reaching out and roughly ruffling Bell's hair.
"If you know you're a hassle, then hurry up and get stronger."
By the time Lynn En and Bell reached the Take-Mikazuchi Familia residence, the moon was high in the sky. The wooden gate was slightly ajar, a dim yellow light spilling from within.
Lynn En pushed the door open and saw Mikoto sitting on the wooden floor of the corridor. She was hugging her knees, her head buried low. Her deep blue kimono looked dull under the flickering lamp.
Hearing footsteps, she snapped her head up. The moment she saw Lynn En and Bell, her eyes lit up, only to dim again instantly. Her lips moved as if she wanted to say something, but she ultimately just looked away, unable to meet their eyes.
"You're back?"
Ouka's voice came from the inner room. She slid the door open and stepped out, a rag in her hand, evidently in the middle of cleaning. Seeing the disheveled state of the two—especially Bell, who looked like he'd just crawled out of a pile of rouge—Ouka blinked, then sighed.
"Come inside. Mikoto, you too."
She led them into the inner room and closed the sliding door. The room was small, covered in tatami mats with a low table in the center. Take-Mikazuchi was absent, likely already resting.
The four of them sat around the table, the atmosphere heavy and silent. Bell shifted uncomfortably, the scent of perfume and powder on his clothes becoming particularly pungent in the enclosed space. He stole a glance at Mikoto, then at Lin En, looking like he wanted to speak but didn't know how.
Mikoto kept her head down, her hands clutching her sleeves so tightly her knuckles were white. The silence stretched for nearly a minute.
"I'm sorry."
Mikoto finally spoke, her voice thin and raspy. Lynn En didn't say anything, just watched her.
"I shouldn't have gone to that place without telling you..." Mikoto took a deep breath and looked up. Her eyes were rimmed with red. "But... I had to go."
Bell couldn't help but ask, "Mikoto, what were you actually doing in the Pleasure Quarter?"
Mikoto bit her lip, silent for a few more seconds before she slowly began to speak.
"I was looking for someone."
"A Renard girl named Haruhime... she was my childhood playmate back in the Far East."
As she spoke, her gaze drifted toward the night sky outside the window, as if looking at a place far away. "We grew up together. Her house was right next to mine. We played every day—climbing trees, stealing cherry blossoms and mochi from the neighbors to eat..."
A faint smile touched Mikoto's lips, but it vanished as quickly as it appeared.
"We used to read Heroic Epics together." Her voice softened. "Haruhime... she loved those stories more than anything. We'd lie by the river, taking turns reading passages, imagining we were the heroes in the stories, going off to save the world and defeat the Great Evil."
"What happened?" Bell asked softly.
"Later..." Mikoto closed her eyes. "Later, her family fell on hard times. Her father went into debt, and the whole family moved away overnight. They didn't even have time to say goodbye. I only knew they went west, but no one knew where."
"We lost contact after that." She opened her eyes, her dark pupils filled with pain. "I've been looking for her ever since. A few days ago, I heard there was a Renard girl named Haruhime in the Pleasure Quarter... but I didn't dare believe it. It wasn't until recently that I got confirmation. She really is there, in a brothel managed by the Ishtar Familia."
Bell gasped. "A brothel?"
Mikoto nodded, her eyes welling up.
"And... did you see her?" Bell asked cautiously.
Mikoto shook her head, her voice starting to tremble. "No. I went several times, but before I could even get near the building, I was chased away by the Ishtar Familia. They said it was private property, no loitering... but I heard rumors that Haruhime..."
She couldn't finish. She lowered her head, her shoulders shaking.
The room grew so quiet that the distant barking of a dog could be heard. After a while, Mikoto took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She looked at Lynn En and Bell through a veil of tears.
"I just want to see her once... to know she's alive... to know she's okay..."
As she spoke, she finally lost control, and tears began to roll down her cheeks. She wiped them away with the back of her hand, but they only fell faster. Bell panicked, wanting to comfort her but not knowing what to say, so he looked to Lynn En for help.
Lynn En remained silent for a while, picking up a teacup and taking a sip. The tea was cold and slightly bitter.
"She's alive," he said. His voice was calm.
Mikoto snapped her head up, staring at him through tear-filled eyes. Bell's eyes widened in shock as well.
"And," Lynn En put down the cup and continued, "she's still reading Heroic Epics."
Mikoto's breath hitched. "You... how do you know?" her voice wavered.
Lynn En briefly explained how he had accidentally ended up in Haruhime's room. He omitted most of the details, simply saying he had been cornered by pursuers and jumped through a window, where he met a Renard girl named Haruhime, saw Heroic Epics on her table, and chatted for a bit.
"She seemed..." Lynn En thought for a moment, choosing a more delicate way to put it, "...her virtue appears to still be intact."
Mikoto's expression froze. A few seconds later, she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.
"I have to save her," she said. Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was heavy with resolve. "I have to get her out of there."
Bell nodded vigorously. "Right! We'll find a way together!"
Lynn En looked at the two of them but said nothing. In truth, he was already calculating.
That girl, Haruhime... she really shouldn't be in a place like that. There was still light in her eyes; they still sparkled at the mention of the stories in Heroic Epics. A girl like that shouldn't wither away in the Pleasure Quarter.
And...
The image of the girl who was willing to become kindling for his path to kingship flickered in his mind. He had walked the Path of Frenzied Flame specifically so that a girl like that wouldn't be destroyed.
Lynn En couldn't help but touch the spot where his Frenzied Flame brand was hidden. This fox girl—he wanted to save her.
"Fine."
Lynn En spoke a single word. Mikoto and Bell both turned to him.
"Count me in," Lynn En said, standing up and rolling his shoulders. "I don't have much else to do anyway."
Mikoto's tears surged again, but this time from relief. She wiped her eyes and bowed deeply to Lynn En. "Thank you!"
Bell followed suit, bowing quickly.
"Don't thank me yet," Lynn En said, waving them off. "Rescuing her isn't the hard part. The hard part is what happens afterward. The Ishtar Familia isn't easy to deal with. If they mark us, there will be no end of trouble."
He paused, looking at Mikoto. "Have you thought this through? This isn't a game."
Mikoto nodded without hesitation. "I have. No matter what, I have to save her."
"Good enough," Lynn En muttered, scratching his head. "But we need a plan. Tomorrow, I'll go out and scout for information. It's better if we can settle this peacefully, isn't it?"
He gave them a few more instructions—Mikoto wasn't to go near the Pleasure Quarter to avoid alerting them, and Bell needed to be careful. By the time they finished, the night was far spent.
Lynn En and Bell left the residence and walked back toward Eina's house.
"Lynn En," Bell whispered. "Are you really going to help Mikoto save her?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Lynn En glanced at him. "You don't want to?"
"I do, of course!" Bell said quickly. "But... but can we really do it? The Ishtar Familia is one of Orario's top Familias..."
"Scared?"
"N-No, I'm not scared!" Bell's face flushed. "I'm just... I'm worried about causing you more trouble, Lynn En..."
"Trouble?" Lynn En chuckled. "I'm not afraid of trouble."
He looked toward the shadows at the corner of the street, where something seemed to flicker for a moment.
"Besides," he said softly, "some people are worth causing trouble for."
Bell didn't understand the depth of the sentiment, but he saw a flash of something in Lynn En's eyes—a flicker of something almost obsessive. It vanished as quickly as a hallucination.
The next morning, Lynn En went to the commercial district alone.
He needed to restock—recovery potions, antidotes, torches, and rope for the Dungeon. Eina had nagged him for a long time last night, saying he had made so much money but hadn't even bothered to upgrade his armor, so he'd better go shopping today.
Lynn En grumbled internally, I didn't even need torches in the Lands Between, but he went along with the shopping nonetheless. Eina could be terrifying when she was actually angry.
He bought some status-curing potions from an apothecary and picked up a bundle of sturdy hemp rope from a general store. Just as he was about to head to an armory to change his outfit, a familiar voice called out from behind.
"Well now, if it isn't Lynn En?"
"What a coincidence, meeting you here." The voice was full of mirth as the speaker approached. "How about a drink? My treat."
Lynn En turned around.
Hermes stood three paces away, still wearing that wide-brimmed traveler's hat and brown gear, pack slung over his shoulder. He grinned at Lynn En, his pale gold eyes brimming with mischief.
"No," Lynn En refused bluntly. "I have things to do."
"Don't be so cold," Hermes said, stepping closer and lowering his voice. "I have intel on the Ishtar Familia."
Lynn En narrowed his eyes.
Two minutes later, the two were sitting in a small tavern on a street corner. The shop wasn't large but was very clean. The owner, an old dwarf, simply nodded when Hermes entered, clearly recognizing him. He brought over two mugs of ale and retreated behind the counter to read a newspaper.
Hermes took a sip, sighing contentedly. "The ale here is the best in Orario. A shame so few people know about it."
Lynn En didn't touch his glass. "What's the intel?"
"In such a hurry?" Hermes laughed. "Fine, fine. I'll get straight to the point—Ishtar is preparing for a massive ritual."
"A ritual?"
"Yes." Hermes set his glass down, his expression becoming more serious. "She intends to use that Renard girl for some kind of ceremony. I don't know the specifics, but Ishtar has been preparing for this for a long time, pouring in a massive amount of resources."
He paused, adding, "And, she plans to use this ritual to deal with Freya."
Lynn En raised an eyebrow. The Freya Familia was one of the strongest in Orario. Ishtar wanted to take her down? Did they have a grudge?
"Why tell me this?" Lynn En asked.
Hermes smiled. "I told you. I love watching the stories of heroes."
He lifted his glass, looking at Lynn En through the amber liquid. "You have the potential of a hero, Lynn En. Not the pure, sun-drenched kind like Bell, but another kind—the kind that crawls out of the ashes. I can tell. You've been through a lot, you've died many times, yet you've stood back up. Those are the most interesting hero stories."
Lynn En was silent for a moment. "Can Haruhime be bought out with money?" he asked, a practical question.
Hermes shook his head. "Impossible. Ishtar won't let her go. Haruhime's magic is a key piece in her plan against Freya. No amount of money will buy her."
"Magic?"
"I'm not sure of the specifics," Hermes shrugged. "But they say it's powerful. Powerful enough to change the tide of a war."
He leaned forward, lowering his voice further. "If you want to save her, you have to do it before the ritual. And you have to be prepared—prepared to make an enemy of the entire Ishtar Familia."
Lynn En didn't say a word. He simply picked up his ale and took a drink. The liquid was slightly bitter, with the aroma of malt.
"Why help me? Just to see a hero's story?" he asked again.
Hermes leaned back in his chair, smiling radiantly. "Because I want to see how far you can go."
He paused, then added, "And besides, that woman Ishtar... I don't like her very much. She's too greedy, wanting to grasp everything in her hands. People like that always crash and burn eventually."
"And you?" Lynn En looked at him. "Aren't you a god too?"
"I am the God of Travelers and Merchants," Hermes winked. "What I love is the journey itself, the process of the trade, the development of the story. As for the result? That's for heroes to worry about."
Having said that, he finished his drink and stood up. "Well, I should be going. Remember—"
He leaned in close to Lynn En, his voice a mere whisper. "Don't tell anyone I told you."
With that, he walked to the tavern door and stepped outside.
Lynn En sat alone at the table, staring at the remaining ale in his glass. Sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a bright patch of light on the wooden surface. The tavern was quiet, save for the rustling of the dwarf's newspaper.
Lynn En finished the rest of his drink. He stood up, paid, and walked out.
The street was full of people, the noise of the city rushing back into his ears. Lynn En stood at the tavern entrance, looking out at the bustling city—the towering white spire of Babel, the crowded streets, and the perpetual fog hovering over the Dungeon entrance in the distance.
He thought of Haruhime again. The girl sitting at the low table, clutching Heroic Epics. The longing and hope in her eyes when she asked, "Are heroes... always brave and strong like in the stories? Can they protect everyone?"
And then there was Mikoto. The girl clenching her fists, saying, "I have to save her."
Lynn En took a deep breath and walked toward the other end of the commercial district.
He needed to buy more things now—but not recovery potions or rope. He needed things for combat.
He would try to talk first. But if Ishtar really wouldn't let her go, then he'd just have to take her by force.
After all, it wouldn't be the first time he'd done something like that.
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Danmachi: My Primary God is Hidetaka Miyazaki? (Simulpub – Ongoing)
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