I'm in Love with the Villainess!

"So, what’s going on?"

Comfort Street—it was obvious what kind of place it was from the name alone. A place of comfort, or more specifically, the kind that came from vice. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what this place was for.

"See that place there?"

Marcellus was leaning against a wall at the corner of an alley, and while it was a smart hiding spot, it definitely didn’t suit him. Someone with bright golden hair trying to hide in a corner only stood out more than anything.

The place Marcellus was pointing to was the opposite of obscure; it was huge, a five-story compound with all the obvious signs of being a strip club—or, considering this place’s complete lack of restraint, something more.

Definitely a brothel.

"I’m guessing there’s more than meets the eye?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"Correct. I’m sure you’ve been seeing all these inquisitors everywhere, right? Well, I’ve been investigating them. That’s the sole reason I chose to stay instead of returning to the academy."

"What about your exams?"

"I have a high enough reputation that they allowed me to take them remotely. I’m the last person they’d suspect of cheating, and as for the duels, they just assigned me a professor to settle them with."

"So, what did you find?"

"Well, if you’re wondering about their hideout, this is it."

"Seriously? I thought they weren’t allowed inside."

"On the surface, yes, but the government is taking bribes. The supposed strictness about not allowing inquisitors in was just a front, so the inner district citizens wouldn’t get worried and stop business altogether."

"So, you plan on wiping them out?"

"Exactly..."

I hadn’t actually expected him to say that. Really? He wanted the two of us to just go in guns blazing and kill everyone? What exactly was his plan here?

"That’ll just make things worse, y’know?"

"Don’t worry, being a prince has its privileges."

This bastard... but I couldn’t really argue with him. He was right, irritating as that was. He was a prince; anything he did here would likely get covered up quickly. Even the imperial court could give the D’Arclights a run for their money when it came to burying drama.

"Here, wear this, and make sure you don’t take it off."

Marcellus tossed me a mask, its fabric woven with dark magic runes that further concealed the wearer. Guess he’d taken a lot more precautions than I’d initially thought.

"I’m not that much of an idiot."

***

The moment we got even slightly near the building, gunshots were already ringing out. The two of us wearing masks didn’t exactly make us look friendly, after all.

"Pathetic."

[Light Guardian]

Marcellus snickered, deflecting all the bullets as we continued walking straight ahead.

THUD!

Marcellus struck the two guards waiting by the entrance, sending them flying. They were most likely dead from the sheer impact of his magically infused fists.

Even when raiding a place, he still wanted to look cool.

"You look like you could’ve done this yourself."

"Don’t be ridiculous. These are just bystanders; they aren’t even the inquisitors themselves."

"So you just killed bystanders?" I teased.

"Guilty bystanders. They got what was coming to them."

BANG!

Marcellus continued leading us deeper into the establishment, kicking another door open as we entered what seemed to be the VIP area, and he wasn’t exactly wrong. This place was definitely a den of sin.

I think it could even give the Cold Iron District a run for its money.

"Get going, folks. Fun’s over."

"Heads up, Arden."

Marcellus took a step to the side a second after issuing the warning, and before I even knew it, someone was already charging toward us, spear in hand, planning to impale Marcellus—except now I was the target, since he’d stepped aside.

[Dark Manipulation]

I flicked my hand to the side, a massive hand forming as I swatted him into a nearby wall, leaving him stuck to it unceremoniously.

"Congrats, you just took out an inquisitor."

"Didn’t feel like it."

"Well... not all of them are big deals," Marcellus smirked behind his mask.

***

Before we knew it, we’d reached the far end of the building, where the inquisitors were actually holed up.

A storage room sat at the end of the hallway, a small wooden latch placed conspicuously at its edge and secured with a reinforced lock.

Too bad it wasn’t exactly immune to being bypassed.

[Light Manipulation]

Marcellus imbued the lock with a searing light, melting it clean off its hinges before using that same manipulation to pull it away without even touching it.

"Disgusting... couldn’t they at least maintain some semblance of cleanliness?"

"You’re talking as if we didn’t just walk across floors covered in... interesting liquids."

"Don’t remind me..."

Marcellus descended the stairs first, and I followed close behind. Honestly, nothing that had happened so far made me think I was even needed here. Marcellus wasn’t a pushover, after all.

I could easily believe he was capable of taking on a High Inquisitor by himself.

"Seems like you’ve got things handled."

"I’m not one to underestimate my opponents."

"You seemed to underestimate me the first time we met, though."

"You can’t blame me. You were actually fairly weak back then."

"You bastard..."

"The truth hurts, Arden."

"You’re lucky I don’t just kill you right here."

"Should I thank you, then?"

We kept descending, and after a while, the narrow stairway opened into what looked like a vast underground cavern. Even calling it vast felt like an understatement.

A literal waterfall poured into an underground river below, while pillars of pure stone held up the surface above and kept it from caving in. At the center stood a massive circular arena.

Each pillar was inscribed with divine letters spelling out Elion’s name.

How had they even managed to prepare something like this in the short time they’d been here?

"It’s emptier than I expected," Marcellus said, curiosity creeping into his tone.

"Were you expecting us to fight a hundred of them?"

"Quite frankly... yes."