Seeker 229

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Chapter 229. The Red-Light District Of The Cat-Ear Tribe

I followed Rebecca-san and turned into a side street. 

As we continued down the narrow, winding alleyways, we eventually arrived at a place that resembled a slum more than anything else.

Well, it was more like a street filled with shady establishments.

"Hey there, mister, want to have some fun~?"

"Such a cute face you've got there, mister. We'll give you special treatment~."

It was a street lined with dubious-looking shops. 

Scantily clad ladies standing by the roadside beckoned one after another. These ladies had cat ears and tails attached, resembling beastmen. 

Apart from the ears and tails, they looked almost human, and I couldn't help but think that their appearances were indistinguishable from mere cosplay. 

However, they all had curvaceous figures, ample chests, prominent derrières, and shapely waists.

Well, putting aside their body shapes, I couldn't help but think about how cute it would be if Kazane-san and Yuzuki dressed up in such outfits.

Vivid daydreams filled my mind. The two striking poses with cat ears and tails attached—dangerously adorable.

"Hey, Daichi-kun, you're daydreaming again."

"Your lack of restraint is really something, senpai. Especially when it comes to well-endowed women."

"N-No, it's not like that! I swear!"

"Really? Then why were you grinning like a Cheshire cat?"

"That's, well... I was just imagining how Kazane-san and Yuzuki would look in those costumes..."

My voice trailed off in the latter half of my explanation.

My face turned crimson. 

Kazane-san and Yuzuki exchanged glances, looking somewhat surprised. Then, both of them chuckled.

"Oh my God, Daichi-kun~"

"I can't help it, senpai. I can do it when we go back to our original world. I'm sure they sell that kind of thing somewhere, right?"

"Me too, me too. It sounds kind of fun.

"Really? Yes!

That's one more reason to go back to my world.

I'll definitely make it back alive.

"Hey, guys~ Over here, over here!"

"""Oh, yes?"""

We were called over by Rebecca-san, who was leading the way.

We hurriedly followed her. She had an exasperated expression.

"Boys are really weak to female temptation, huh?"

"W-Well, no, it's not like that... But, by the way, it seems like all the beastmen here are cat-eared, right?"

I decided to change the topic forcefully. I remembered that they were a type of beastmen called the Cat-Ear Tribe, among others, like the Wolf Fang Tribe, and Tiger Tribe.

"Of course. Cat-eared women have been in heat non-stop since they reached adulthood at around 15, you know?"

"Eh, I've never heard of that. Heat...?"

"You young men are the same. Since I've met you, I've been in heat non-stop. Nyahaha!"

"...Uh..."

I couldn't come up with any excuses... 

I felt like I had been quite affectionate with Kazane-san and Yuzuki in front of Rebecca-san, too.

"But, you see, we haven't been doing anything indecent or mating or anything like that!"

"Calm down. And don't use the word 'mating'."

I gave Yuzuki a chop on the back of her head through her hat. 

She blushed and looked embarrassed, lowering the brim of her triangular hat. 

If she was going to get embarrassed about it, why did she use those words in the first place?

When I looked around, it was clear that even Kazane-san's cheeks had turned red, and I was probably no different. Seeing us like that, Rebecca-san let out a deep sigh.

"Well, jokes aside, it's a characteristic of the Cat-Ear Tribe. Many of them engage in prostitution as a hobby and for practical reasons. Especially in this country, it's not easy for Cat-Ear people to live in the mainstream society."

"They find it hard to live in the mainstream society...?"

"Yeah. In terms of how they are perceived, it's somewhat similar to adventurers like us, but because they lack power, they're treated even worse. That's why there aren't many Cat-Ear people doing legitimate jobs in the mainstream."

"Is it really like that?"

"Yeah, it is. Even though it's called the Holy Kingdom, it's quite messed up in various ways."

So, it seemed like there was discrimination and persecution involved. Even so, I felt it might not be appropriate for outsiders like us to delve too deeply into these matters. Perhaps if we had Cat-Ear friends, we could better understand the situation.

With these thoughts in mind, we continued through the shady street and entered another narrow alley, just like before. 

As we navigated the winding path, we eventually emerged onto a clean, bustling main street. 

It was as crowded as the initial prominent street, and the people there looked well-dressed. 

It appeared that the route we had taken was indeed a shortcut.

If we continued straight on this road, we would soon reach the castle.

Following Rebecca-san, we headed down the main street. 

Eventually, we arrived at a large bridge.

There was a river flowing between the city and the castle, with a bridge spanning it. 

As we crossed the bridge and climbed a gentle slope for a while, we finally reached a point where we could see the entire castle.

The castle was surrounded by high walls, with a moat circling it, and there was a drawbridge in front of the castle gate. 

Two guards stood at the open gate, and even from a distance, it was clear that they were eyeing us with suspicion.

Both guards appeared to be experienced Awakened Ones, equipped with various weapons like swords, spears, shields, chainmail, etc. 

When we got close enough for them to discern our faces, Rebecca-san called out.

"Oh, it's Gerald. What a coincidence."

"Rebecca-san...?"

One of the guards responded, and he was the younger of the two. Nevertheless, he appeared to be older than us, likely in his early to mid-twenties.

Rebecca-san certainly had a lot of acquaintances here. 

It was a relief that she was with us. 

We followed her as she continued forward without much hesitation, crossing the drawbridge.

However, when we had crossed over half of the bridge, one of the guards familiar with Rebecca-san called out to us.

"Wait, please."

"What business do you have at the Royal Castle, Rebecca-san? And it looks like you're accompanying adventurers."

He seemed somewhat cautious. Despite Rebecca-san's wide circle of acquaintances, it seemed she wasn't entirely trusted.

"Well, if you ask what my business is... Yes, boy, it's your turn."

"Huh...? Oh, right."

Rebecca-san came up behind me and pushed me forward. 

I hadn't been mentally prepared for this.

But I decided to speak with the guard and explain our situation.