Chapter 1: The Wounded Mocker (I)

After waiting for the cruise ship to finish docking, I, along with thousands of other passengers, began to leave the ship and make my way to the port building via one of the connected walkways. The gleaming white marble floor, towering steel pillars, and the mezzanine opening to the main atrium with a hanging welcome sign were enough to captivate my attention.

Hm… A truly promising place. Under this scorching sun, I left the port and walked towards the parking building. After briefly exploring it using a photo of the parking code on my phone, I finally found a black sedan with a young man leaning against it. Come on. You don’t need to be so formal in that batik outfit with a rose tucked into your pocket.

“Mr. Dika. Welcome to Kusumajaya.”

He introduced himself as Roland, a personal driver for a mysterious figure named “Fukushu.” Using a V8 engine car, “Fukushu” had sent Roland to rescue me from the sun’s relentless rays. Opening the back door of the car, I slowly placed my belongings inside before taking a seat on the left side, greeted with a bottle of tea.

“Thank you for picking me up, Roland.”

“The honor is mine, Mr. Dika.”

Leaving the port complex via a road that cut through the forest, the journey took about ten minutes, transforming the coastal landscape into the city center with its towering skyscrapers. I also persuaded Roland to play a local rock album, causing him to start tapping the steering wheel in rhythm with the music.

“…Did everything go smoothly in Vienna, Mr. Dika?”

“Hm. The migration and Niki’s condition are quite good… If everything goes according to plan, I’m confident we will establish a solid foundation before the year ends, Roland.”

“…It seems that Ms. Nikita’s arrival will also be a birthday gift for you, Mr. Dika.”

“…Not wrong.”

I found myself entering the Cakra Raya District, an area renowned for its elite housing and shopping centers, especially along Kalimas Street… Naturally, Sunday brought a swarm of visitors to this place, much like a storm of fireflies.

“…Roland, I think I’ll get off here.”

“Hm? Do you want to check out Kalimas first, Mr. Dika?”

As expected, Roland sensed my desire to make an appearance under the scorching sun… However, it would be wise to blend in and observe the local atmosphere to gauge the “potential” this prosperous city has to offer.

“…Even so, I can’t shake my concern about what they will say to you later, knowing you will arrive late.”

“I’ll handle it later. Is my destination still far?”

“About three kilometers to the east.”

“Not far… Alright, thank you for the ride, Roland.”

“Anytime, Mr. Dika.”

After unloading my belongings, I watched as Roland’s car slowly drove away, leaving me alone in this bustling crowd. I decided to explore this red-brick road to begin my expedition and reconnaissance mission.

Along Kalimas Street, I encountered various shops, from supermarkets, boutiques, jewelry stores, grocery shops, to towering malls and apartments… Navigating through this sea of people, I took a left turn to avoid the crowd—finding myself entering a narrow alley. It was barely two meters wide, even less so with the potted plants, stacks of cardboard, plastic, and a small drainage ditch that, oddly enough, was clean on my left.

Ignoring it, the recessed position of this alley made the windowless shop walls around it conceal and hide the alley from the outside world. Thus, it was no wonder that this “cave” felt abandoned and lonely, away from the tourists outside… Yet this silence also concealed something that was enough to raise the hairs on my neck… This isn’t good.

“KYAAA!!!”

“…Long live.”

I saw a woman, an office worker, emerge from another corner of the alley, followed by two men who quickly cornered her against one of the shop walls on Kalimas Street. Our guests today were a middle-aged man with a filthy, overweight body and a skinny young man resembling a twig.

Following my instincts, I hid behind a stack of food boxes, securing my belongings before taking out the cold bottle and stealthily trailing the three of them, who were still unaware of my presence even at a distance of less than four meters… I could hear their lewd remarks, wrapped in sweet promises to simply rob the woman.

“What a shame… You’re looking sexy again~”

“L-Let me go!!”

*Whoosh\~* *THUCK!*

“GAH!!! W-WHO THREW THAT!?!”

Feeling the cold bottle hit the back of his neck, the skinny thug turned his fierce gaze toward me, finally revealing the pale face of the woman he had taken hostage. However, the other thug seemed oblivious to what had just happened to them.

“Y-You bastard… Get out of here!”

“…Why would I? To miss this little show?”

“Hiick—!!”

Wrapping his arms around her tightly, he pulled out a shiny knife and aimed it at the woman’s neck. Hm. Not a bad attempt to doubt a “prince’s” intentions when he wants to save his “princess”… But miracles and fantasies like that don’t just happen in the harsh reality of this world.

This world is not a cheap fairy tale.

“…How dare you interfere, kid. Looking for trouble? HUH!?”

Finally realizing what was happening (thanks to his partner’s shout), the filthy thug turned his attention to me, taking arrogant steps that shook the folds of his fat. He looked like a rotten cake with an uncontrollable desire, as if he wanted to spread rabies. Instead of feeling scared, this pig-faced man made me feel nauseous with a rising sense of annoyance.

“Haah… Calm yourself…”

Exhaling a breath full of disappointment, I looked up at the blue sky through the small gaps between the shop buildings. I suppose even the “Fresh Meat” city of Kusumajaya is not free from societal trash like them, parasites that come only to gnaw at the prosperity of their host.

“When will… a trash like you ever learn to repent?”

“A… What did you—GUHK!!”

Quickly dodging the hand aimed at my shirt, I landed a punch on the greasy side of his face. Not giving him a chance to recover, I followed up with a hard kick to his round belly, sending him crashing to the ground.

*BWAK* *THUD*

“G-Guh…”

“…Eh?”

“Tch… My shoe is dirty. Think about what you’ll do after this, twig.”

“K-Ko!! H-Hraaghh!!!”

Seeing his “boss” fall, the skinny thug’s anxiety made him drop the woman he had been holding roughly onto the ground of the alley. Without taking a second breath, he charged at me with a knife trembling in his hand, aiming for my chest… Did he think I was a vampire?

Regardless—once again, I dodged the amateurish stab from this twig, before grabbing his dominant arm and smashing his elbow, causing him to drop the knife and making it easy for me to slap him down onto the paving stones beneath us… Your position is now equal to that of the woman.

*Fwish* *Clank!*

“A-Aarghhh!!!”

“It seems you like to be stubborn, even after I gave you a hint to surrender… Now, who do you work for?”

“A-Are you… What do you mean—Ghaahhh!!!”

To silence his barking mouth, I slowly twisted the skinny thug’s arm to show who was in charge here. Don’t play with me, amateur. Do you want to die? I won’t hesitate to drive your mother’s knife deep into your heart.

“S-Solo!! We’re doing this on our own!”

“…Are you sure?”

“****Cough*  *Cough****  Y-Yes!!”

Finally releasing my grip on his arm, I wiped my hands on his tattered clothes before pulling out antiseptic from my pants pocket to clean them… From the corner of my eye, I noticed the woman still sitting in the alley—clearly watching me with fear. Various scratches were visible on her legs.

“Go. Forget what happened today.”

“—!!!”

*Tap* *Tap…* *Tap…*

“Ghuk…”

“…I suggest you and your pig-faced friend abandon this vile behavior. If I find you like this again, I will make you beg for a swift death.”

“…O-Okay…”

Leaving the skinny thug, who was now struggling to catch his breath, I stepped back to my belongings to open the map application on my phone, inputting the location of my destination for today… But I also sensed a third party approaching from behind me.

Turning my head to confirm this instinct, I found both thugs being forcibly apprehended by a mysterious group clad in black robes. The sharp silver motifs swirling on their robes threatened anyone foolish enough to interfere with their affairs.

“Heh… Looks like you’re doing just fine here.”

Having finished putting on my backpack, I resumed my journey through this series of alleys, slowly but surely approaching the location previously marked on the map… A place called the National School of Kusumajaya.

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