Chapter 231 – Night Stalker.

“Hey! Where do you think you are touching? Stop that. Do you even have enough money to pay?”

“Hehe, what do I need money for? I’m with the Black Hounds. They’ll pick up the tab later.”

A drunken man placed his hand on a woman’s hip as he stood before a red light district establishment. He was not alone. Another similarly intoxicated customer was trying to enter the same building, but the guards stationed at the entrance were having none of it.

“Dear customer, if you wish to partake in our ladies, you will have to sober up first. Please come back tomorrow with the correct amount of money and…”

A large bald man spoke calmly while four other men stood behind him, their weapons ready to be drawn. Before he could finish his short speech, the drunk hurled his nearly empty beer mug at him.

“Why are you talking back? Do you know who you are talking to? We are part of the Black Hounds. We own these streets!”

“Yeah, move it baldy!”

Soon, the other man joined, and they started shouting at the establishment guards. The shouting drew the attention of nearby onlookers and even a pair of city guards who began to approach.

“What are you doing? Just move along.”

The city guard barked the order at the mercenary. Even in his drunken state, the man knew that provoking soldiers owned by the nobles was a bad idea.

“Please visit our establishment again, good sirs.”

The large man said, smiling as the two troublemakers began to retreat. Some of the crowd chuckled, which caused the two to turn around and shout.

“Screw you! You’ll all be sorry!”

“Yeah, you better watch yourself from now on. People go missing in these streets every day!”

The two mercenaries moved on. The bald man’s perfect smile twisted into a menacing frown the moment they were out of sight. His fist slammed into a brick wall, which cracked under the impact.

“Fuckers…”

“Boss, was that really alright?”

Asked one of the guards standing behind the large man.

“Two of our girls have already gone missing. I won’t let it happen to another one.”

The other men frowned. They all knew it was true. Every one of them clenched their fists, wishing they could chase after the two mercenaries and beat them to death, but they were powerless.

“It’s fine. Get back to work. The night is still young, and there is money to be made.”

The bald man trailed off as his gaze drifted down the street. For a brief moment, he saw a strange, robed figure. He could not make out much, but moonlight reflected off something shiny beneath the hood before the figure disappeared in the same direction the mercenaries had gone.

“Back to your positions. If I catch any of you sleeping, I’ll break your bones.”

“Yes, sir!”

The men shouted, and everything returned to normal. With the trouble gone, customers began filing back in, and laughter once again filled the place of debauchery. Meanwhile, the two mercenaries headed alone toward the slums, shouting profanities as they went.

“Those fucks.”

“Calm down. You’ll get us in trouble. The captain helped us get rid of that mess last time, but he said he would kill us if he caught us doing it again.”

“So? We just don’t get caught.”

“That’s true.”

Both men laughed as they continued forward. Once they entered this part of town, the lights faded, leaving only the pale glow of moonlight. There were no guards, no one who would interfere. Soon enough, to their surprise, they heard something interesting.

“You boys want to have some fun? I’ll give you a good price.”

A sultry voice echoed from one of the nearby alleyways. The two had not expected to find anything worthwhile, and they could barely make out the speaker due to the lack of light, but her voice was undeniably enticing.

“So… you boys want to have some fun or not?”

The voice came again, clearer this time, soft, breathy, and sensual. It drifted from the narrow alley to their right, where the moonlight failed to reach, and shadows pooled thick and deep. The two mercenaries stopped and looked at each other, gulping hard.

“Hah?”

“Did you hear that?”

“Yeah…”

They turned, squinting into the darkness. At the far end of the alley stood a slender silhouette, half hidden behind a stack of broken crates. The figure looked inviting, but the moment the two men focused on her, she slipped away deeper into the alley.

“…”

“…”

They exchanged glances, then slow, devilish grins spread across their faces. This was the slums, a place without guards or even the protection of hired muscle from the red light district. To them, she looked like an easy target. They had only a few copper coins left, but they did not care. In their eyes, they could simply take what they wanted.

“Hey, wait up, sweetheart!”

The taller mercenary called out, his voice thick with lust and ale.

“Don’t go running off now. We’ve got plenty of appreciation to show you.”

They stumbled into the alley, boots splashing through puddles of stagnant water and filth. The air grew heavy, reeking of damp stone and rot. With every step, the light from the street faded until it was nothing more than a thin sliver behind them.

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“Where’d she go?”

One of them scratched his head as they reached the end of the alley, only to find a dead end waiting for them.

“I saw her slip behind those barrels. Maybe there’s a door she went through?”

“I don’t see anything. Did she figure it out and run away?”

“But where?”

The two men were dumbfounded. They could not see any way out. The walls were steep and far too slippery for a woman to climb, especially if she were trying to escape trained mercenaries. However, just as the two men turned away from each other, something happened.