CHAPTER 43: WILL BE FIXED SOON!

With just a few words, she took control of the situation.

I couldn’t help but be impressed. The way she handled everything so naturally, with such authority... If it were me in her place, I’d have frozen on the spot.

But then I was reminded of her identity.

If she really was the daughter of Victor Serena, her ability to handle a crowd made perfect sense.

Was Aiden hiding gold or something?

Or maybe there’s been a hidden basement inside the house all along, one that holds a buried secret of humanity?!

It had only been a few hours since I inherited the original Aiden’s memories, and there was still a flood of information to process. Trying to pinpoint any specific memory that might offer a clue was like finding a needle in a haystack.

"Wait, why was I trying so hard to guess? I’m about to meet them anyway. I can just get the answer straight from their mouths."

As I walked closer to my destination, Richie’s words suddenly echoed in my mind. Instinctively, my gaze shot upwards, scanning the ceilings and roofs above.

"Nothing, huh? Well, Richie said his drink buddy saw an owl. It’s noon now, perfect napping time for an owl. I guess even a beast tamer can’t push their pets to go against their nature."

I was on the verge of exhaling in relief when a faint squeak reached my ears. My head instantly turned around to the noise’s direction, catching sight of a rat. It stood there, staring at me oddly before darting off somewhere else.

"A rat? I recall Peter was seen conversing with one. That odd stare... could that have been one of his tamed animals?" I whispered to myself.

At this very moment, a flash of lightning struck my mind.

’Is it possible for Peter to be nearby at this hour? Or better yet... is he at my house?’

If that were the case, I had to act fast. Capturing him now could save me a massive amount of effort, and might just be the key to wiping out the Sadis Gang entirely.

With that thought, I reached into the worn cloth bag where I kept all the items Althea had given me and pulled out a fiery red pill.

[Mid-Tier Temporary Stats Enhancer Pills]

[Function: Grants the user a temporary boost in all stats to B-Rank for 60 minutes.]

[Usage: Consume directly.][Usage: Aim the talisman at your target. It can be used from a distance. Speak your chosen Incantation to activate it.]

Her father was the head of a gang. As his daughter, she’d naturally have some experience giving orders and taking control.

Though, calling it a gang might be a bit of a stretch.

From what I could tell, the Workers operated more like a labor union than a typical criminal group. They didn’t extort protection fees from random people or businesses like most gangs did. Instead, they only collected dues from their members, and those members actually received real benefits in return.

Based on what I could piece together from my memories, membership in the Workers came with certain protections. Employers were less likely to abuse or exploit Workers-affiliated laborers.

There were probably a lot more benefits to being part of the Workers, especially considering nearly every laborer in the West Borough had joined. But the original Aiden hadn’t paid much attention to the details.

’If I really wanted to know more, I could just ask Richie. I remember he’s a member too. Huh... maybe not all of the Five Rings are bad after all,’ I muttered under my breath.

My eyes drifted to Esther, now surrounded by a group of Radhanians demanding to take the vagrant with them.

The other, nearby vagrants had stirred up from their slumber and now trembled with fear, unsure of what would happen next.

I watched them for a few more seconds before turning away and continuing on my way.

What I didn’t realize at the time was that, the moment I walked off, Esther’s eyes followed me intently. Her hand, which had been resting tensely on her hip, immediately relaxed.

"Phew... that guy feels dangerous..."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing."

...

After the stabbing incident, I didn’t run into any hidden quests or unexpected events.

In fact, things were so quiet, I started to wonder if I had somehow wandered into the wrong district... because this didn’t feel like the West Borough at all!

According to my memories, the West Borough was crawling with criminals. You had to constantly watch your back, pickpockets, random thugs demanding protection fees, and if you refused, they wouldn’t hesitate to rough you up or even stab you. On top of that, there was always the risk of being swarmed by desperate, hungry vagrants.

But strangely enough, I encountered none of that.

’What’s with the sudden peace and quiet?’ I thought to myself, scanning my surroundings.

Soon, I spotted a man leaning against the wooden railing of his house, puffing on a tobacco roll.

I walked over and cleared my throat.

It had become a habit of mine to clear my throat to get someone’s attention instead of waving or saying hello. Saved me the trouble of speaking too much. And clearly, it worked.

The man instantly took notice of my presence, glanced over, and eyed me with suspicion. "Who are you?"

I was at a complete loss for words. I did what to men? Isn’t that rumor too exaggerated? Who comes up with this kind of nonsense? And everyone seems to be buying it?!

But more importantly, I suddenly realized how badly this had screwed up my brilliant plan of setting up the new ero-massage program!

This was supposed to be perfect. I had the massage skill inherited from the original Aiden’s memory, and with the "Sensual Touch" skill on top of that, I was sure I could bring in plenty of customers and finish the main quest just in time.

But now?

If everyone’s started avoiding my parlor like it’s the plague, how am I supposed to get any customers?

Fuck! Who the hell started spreading this crap?

Could it be the Sadis Gang again? Of course, it had to be their doing again! That would explain everything. News about my capture spread far too fast. And knowing the Sadis Gang specialized in gathering and leaking information, it wasn’t a stretch to think they were behind this too.

’Looks like me and those shitheads really are fated to be mortal enemies, huh? Fine by me, after all, it’s not like I can rest peacefully until I’ve destroyed them.’

Still, there’s something that bothers me.

If the Sadis Gang was behind the rumor... why go through all this trouble? They’d already killed the original Aiden. Why keep targeting the massage parlor? What exactly is their goal?

Just then, I was struck with realization.

The rumor wasn’t just about me being some predatory scumbag; it specifically said I went after men and women equally. And that had made people of both genders scared to set foot anywhere near Nolan Street...

Is it possible...

Could there be something in my parlor, something so important that they had to go to these lengths, start this wild rumor just to keep people away and make sure nobody stumbled onto... whatever it is?

...

A short, plump man with two front teeth sticking out stood in front of a two-story building.

Pasted across the entrance door was a sheet of parchment bearing the kingdom’s crest, a golden scabbard.

In bold letters, it read:

"The business within this property is closed under investigation. Reopening is forbidden without formal clearance."

"Kekeke, good thing we got word those knights were coming last night," Peter chuckled. "If not, they would’ve caught us red-handed while we were still tearing the place apart."

He then turned to face his subordinates behind him. His posture was slightly hunched, but no one dared make fun of him. "Anyway, Lord Sadis wants us to sweep the place again. This time, he made it clear that we can’t come back until we find that map. Got it?"

A thin man scratched his head among the crowd, looking unsure. "But sir, we already searched the whole house last night and found nothing. What exactly are we supposed to be looking for now?"

Peter shot him a glare. "That’s your job to figure out, genius! If David hadn’t panicked and screwed everything up, we’d have the map by now."

He spat on the ground. "How the hell did he get scared of a half-dead, beaten-down guy and accidentally stab him?"

Someone else hesitantly asked, "What happened to David? Why haven’t we seen him?"

"He’s dead," Peter replied coldly.

The man who asked instantly froze.

Peter indifferently looked over the group. "If you don’t want to end up like him, then get your asses in there and find that map. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now move!"

As his men spread out and slipped into the building through windows and the front door, Peter stayed outside.

"Kekeke, I’m just a nobody," I blurted out, following my intrusive thought.

I initially wanted to try to lighten the mood by starting off a friendly laugh, but what I didn’t expect was that what came out of my mouth sounded more like a creepy giggle than anything else.

’Fuck, what did I just say?’