Chapter 133: Chapter 97: Ah—Stop Hitting Me

Kali clung to his leg, not noticing that her fingers were digging tightly into the clown doll’s sensitive parts.

’So tingly, so tingly... Hee hee ha ha ha, heh heh... This could be a fun punishment for the game!’

"As for the mission, I’ll tell you after we get back. It’s probably not convenient to talk here."

"Hmm," Lisi said, her brow furrowing as she noticed the bare-chested Marco. "What are you doing here?"

"I... Can I say I was here to rescue Wei’en, too?" Marco asked timidly, covering his chest with both hands and shrinking back.

"You think..."

"Dammit, who is it this time?"

Old Ross came running over again with his guards. He had just breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the massive blade of light cleaving down toward the castle. His mood instantly soured, and the sight nearly scared the soul right out of him.

"How dare... Uh, is that... Lady Lisi of the Montoya Clan?"

Lisi shot Marco a glare, then turned to size up the guards. "It is. Who are you?"

"Umm, well..." Old Ross was flustered, looking to Marco for help.

But Marco was even more embarrassed than him and wished he could find a crack in the ground to crawl into. He wanted to be anywhere but here.

"Also, why is there a castle here?" Lisi continued, noticing the two rows of scantily clad girls standing below it in the distance.

Wei’en, Marco, and Old Ross were speechless.

’Should we answer her, or just run for our lives?’

"So, this is the Nocturnal City you mentioned before?"

After a long moment, Lisi finally got the answer she wanted. Grinding her teeth, she glared at Marco. "So, you didn’t go to the Yidrisu District to wrap up the case. You ran off here instead..."

Marco laughed sheepishly. "Actually, umm, well, I was planning to go..."

Before he could finish, he waved his hand to summon his Lamp Staff and immediately cast a Magic. "Zack, Broo, Zack," he chanted, casting Gentle Spirit Wind.

POW!

""Gentle"? You dare run? I’ll show you running!"

Before he could slip away, Lisi had already raised a massive fist and started pummeling him. "You tricked me into holding a party, did you?!" she yelled as she beat him. "You slacked off and snuck out to have fun, did you?! I’ll..."

"Ow, ow, ow! I was wrong, Lisi, I was really wrong!!"

Old Ross watched Marco’s handsome face turn into a bruised mess in an instant. Grimacing, he said, "Investigator Wei’en, if there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading back now, okay?"

’I’d heard about her reputation, but the rumors didn’t do her justice. Seeing her in person... she’s even more terrifying.’

"Mm."

Wei’en nodded lightly, watching Marco get thrashed. ’That’s what you get for coming out to play without me. Serves you right!’

’Of course, even if Marco had invited me, I would’ve had to think twice about coming.’

’Especially because—’

[You are being scrutinized at your very source by Mitra, the Favored One of the Lord of Desire. Reward: Survival Points +3.]

Wei’en glanced impassively toward Nocturnal City. ’I thought you hated being disturbed?’

’Why don’t you try eroding me with your power of desire now?’

’Hmph. You’re just a loser who only knows how to bully the weak. Just you wait. Sooner or later, I’ll put you in your place!’

"Wei’en, should we tell Sister Lisi to stop? I... I think he’s going to be beaten to death..." Kali couldn’t bear to watch Marco’s pitiful state, only daring to peek every now and then.

"It’s fine, the captain knows her limits," Wei’en replied casually. "Let’s go. She probably won’t be done for a while. We can wait outside."

"Oh."

With that, Wei’en took Tina’s small hand and led her and Kali, who kept glancing back over her shoulder, toward the tunnel exit.

"Aaaah—stop hitting me! I was wrong—"

The pitiful screams echoed throughout the cave, scaring the regulars in Nocturnal City so much they all went limp. They scrambled to get dressed and quietly slipped away through another exit.

Meanwhile, at the top of Nocturnal City, Mitra watched them with a lazy expression. Her fluid eyes were fixed on Wei’en’s departing figure, and she didn’t even notice when the flimsy string of her garment came undone.

’This kid’s essence is growing pretty fast. Last time it was two sub-bodies he absorbed, right?’

’Interesting...’

...

...

「Around three in the afternoon.」

Everyone returned to the Secret Investigation Department—well, everyone except Marco, who had to rush to the Yidrisu District to wrap up his case.

"Lisi, Kali, thank you for coming to rescue me. Was your own mission affected?"

"No. The case in the Basil District was clearly the work of an Aberrant."

Lisi leaned back nonchalantly in her high-backed chair, crossing her arms under her chest in a way that made it all the more prominent. "So, tell me, what happened at Ceres Manor?"

Kali, equally curious, chimed in. "Right! Weren’t you headed to the Natali District? How did you end up in... in Nocturnal City?"

"There was an unexpected complication. Captain, do you remember Butler Collins from that other time?"

"I remember him. That old fellow was quite generous. What about him?"

"He’s the one who conspired with Gengrich Ceres..."

Wei’en recounted what had happened with the Ceres Clan, focusing on how he was pursued by Collins and Elno, forcing him and the old Sir to flee to Nocturnal City.

"...and finally, after those two left, the old Sir went into Nocturnal City."

Lisi mused, "So, you’re saying Collins and the people who attacked the manor are all part of the Vazquez Race?"

"Most likely. But Sir Sayam wouldn’t confirm it. I have a feeling there’s a lot more to this story. And that Divine Statue... I doubt it’s as ordinary as they claim, either."

"Alright, let’s leave it at that for now. Finish up your report, and I’ll submit it to Yegor. We’ll see what the higher-ups say."

"Okay."

Wei’en nodded lightly, having no objections to Lisi’s plan.