The Return Of The Exiled Villain-Chapter 190: A Trip To The City Of Sword & Magic (VII)

It had been four days since the start of their trip.

From the pace they were keeping, it would still take about one more week, maybe a few extra days, before they finally reached the City of Sword & Magic.

It was so strangely timed...

If things continued like this, then by the time they arrived at the city... he would likely have already stepped into the Great Grandmaster realm.

And Gray couldn’t help but get a bad feeling about it.

’Did Gray plan this or something?!’

The idea crossed his mind before he dismissed it almost immediately, as it was very improbable, as the other academy suggested this.

And there’s no way Gray had the authority to ask for something like a favor from the headmaster of the other academy.

Still... the feeling wouldn’t go away.

"Huff... we’ve finally reached one of the cities on our trajectory!" Adrian suddenly exclaimed, stopping for a moment and wiping the sweat from his forehead.

"Yeah... and I’m damn tired of walking!" Ronan complained, dragging his feet beside him.

"Are we taking a break here?" Selina asked, glancing toward the city gates ahead with clear interest.

Leon nodded as he walked past them. "Yes. We arrived almost exactly when our instructor expected us to, just before nightfall. It’s not ten yet, so we’ll stay at an inn for the night."

He continued calmly, "We leave tomorrow morning at nine sharp. Until then, you’re free to do whatever you want, as long as you’re all at the entrance of the inn by nine."

"HELL YEAH!" Ronan shouted, instantly energized.

Before Gray could react, Ronan rushed over and threw an arm around his shoulder with a wide grin.

"Bro, we should totally go to a brothel!"

"..."

A sudden chill crawled up Ronan’s spine.

"...Why does it feel like the temperature just dropped?" he muttered in confusion, while Gray simply shook his head, letting out a sigh.

"Did you forget I have a girlfriend?"

Ronan blinked at his words.

"...Ah. Right. My bad, man. Must be rough having to deal with tha—"

CRACKLE!!!

Golden lightning snapped through the air.

"GYAAAH—!!"

Ronan spasmed as a sharp jolt ran through his body, his hair standing on end as he collapsed to his knees, smoke faintly rising from his clothes.

Lyra stood behind him, her smile bright and calm, golden sparks still dancing around her fingers.

"Can you say that again?" she asked sweetly.

Ronan lay face-first on the ground, his body twitching continuously.

"...I regret everything," he croaked.

"Pfttt... you never learn, do you?"

Claire chuckled as she crouched beside him and offered her hand. Ronan grabbed it like a lifeline and let himself be pulled up.

"Thank you. I really, really needed that," he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck without thinking.

Claire smiled and nodded before approaching the others, who were a little more forward. At that moment, Ronan approached Gray and whispered to him,

"She totally wants me, bro."

Gray glanced sideways at him, raising an eyebrow.

"...You should get your head checked."

"What?! No way! She was definitely giving me the look."

"The look?"

"The look!!!"

"Just go visit a brothel on your own," Gray sighed deeply at his confident expression before patting his shoulder and walking a little faster, leaving Ronan behind, in a completely dumbfounded state.

"...He’s just in denial," Ronan muttered confidently.

When they finally reached the city gates, a long line of people stretched out in front of them. Carriages came and went, guards shouted orders, and the massive walls loomed overhead.

"This city is... more crowded than I expected," Katia muttered.

"That’s a given!" Ronan nodded confidently, grinning widely.

Everyone slowly turned to look at him.

"This is the City of Pleasure!" he declared proudly.

"The most famous red light district on the continent! Brothels on every street! Taverns that never close! Beautiful women everywhere!"

His eyes were practically sparkling as he said those words.

"And it’s not just normal stuff," he continued without taking a breath. "They even do themes here! Costumes! Cosplay! Knights, maids, mages, demons—"

"Ronan," Leon warned.

"—even legendary heroes!" Ronan added louder. "Some places recreate famous battles! Others do royalty play! There’s even—"

Selene stared at him like he was something she’d stepped on.

"...Why do you know so much about this?" she asked flatly.

"R-research?" Ronan froze for a second, then let out an awkward laugh.

"I mean, think about it, right? We were probably going to pass through here sooner or later, so I figured I’d, you know... prepare myself."

No one replied.

"I mean, it’s important to understand local culture!" he added quickly, gesturing at the city walls.

"Customs! Economy! Nightlife contributes a lot to—"

Gray walked past him.

Leon followed without even glancing his way.

Selene turned her head away in visible disgust, while Lyra stayed close to Gray, her golden lightning still faintly crackling like a silent warning.

Even Claire gave Ronan a strange look before shrugging and moving on.

"...Guys?" Ronan muttered.

The group continued forward, blending into the line near the gates as if he had never spoken at all.

"Hey, hey! Wait!" Ronan hurried after them, waving his arms. "Guys, come on! Don’t just leave me behind like that!"

He jogged to catch up, shouting again:

"GUYS! WAIT FOR ME!"

Shortly thereafter, they all got in the line that led to the entrance, however...

The line barely moved.

People complained under their breath, merchants argued with guards, and carriage wheels creaked as they were inspected one by one.

Gray stared at the gates for a moment, then clicked his tongue.

"Aren’t you the crown prince or something?" he asked casually, glancing sideways at Leon. "Just order them to let us pass."

Leon stiffened instantly.

"Ahem." He straightened his back, placing a hand over his chest.

"I will not abuse my authority for something so trivial. Status should not be used to trample fairness. Everyone here is waiting their turn, and as royalty, I should set an example."

He paused, subtly shifting his stance so the girls could clearly see his profile.

Gray blinked once and then shrugged his shoulders.

"Suit yourself."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a single silver coin. Under everyone’s confused gaze, he flicked it forward with his thumb.

Clink, clatter!

The coin sailed in a clean arc, bounced once on the stone near the gate, and rolled to a stop a few meters past the guards, right inside the city.

Gray dusted his hands.

"Cya y’all in while."

He lifted two fingers above his head in a lazy salute.

"[✧Swap✧]."

Gray vanished from the line and reappeared exactly where the coin had landed.

"WHAT?!" Ronan shouted upon seeing this.

"HEY, HEY! THAT’S CHEATING! AT LEAST TAKE ME WITH YOU!"

Of course, his dumb shout caught the attention of the guards, but as they tried to take a look behind them, Gray had already slipped away, leaving the rest of the group behind.

"Tch..." Ronan clicked his tongue.

"Unbelievable."

Meanwhile...

Gray moved through the city streets at an easy pace, hands in his pockets as his eyes calmly looked at everything around him.

’...Sweet, I guess it indeed deserves the name City of Pleasure.’

It was already close to night, and the city looked completely different from the rough roads outside.

Lanterns hung everywhere, glowing in soft shades of pink, red, and violet.

The light spilled onto the stone streets, blurring shadows and giving everything a warm, almost hazy feel.

Music softly drifted through the air, and laughter mixed with it.

Women leaned against balconies and doorframes, dressed in thin fabrics that clung tightly to their bodies.

Some wore silk dresses cut far too high on the thigh, others had loose robes that slipped just enough with every movement.

They waved at passing men, fingers curling slowly, eyes half-lidded and inviting.

"Handsome~ come inside for a while?"

"Just one drink, love~"

From a nearby brothel, a group of girls leaned over the railing, giggling as they waved colorful handkerchiefs through the air.

Their chests pressed forward without shame, curves clearly shown as they laughed and called out to anyone who looked their way.

Perfume hung thick in the air, almost dizzying.

Men passed by with flushed faces, some trying to act calm, others openly staring.

Coins clinked, doors opened and closed, and every few steps, someone was being pulled inside by a soft hand and a playful smile.

It indeed deserved the name of City of Pleasure.

Click, click...

"Mhm?"

The sound of heels clicking softly against the stone reached Gray’s ears as he saw seven figures detaching themselves from their position and closing the distance between them and himself.

Perfume mixed with warm night air, clinging to his senses before he even truly looked at them.

"Well, well..." one of them purred, stepping right into his path.

Her finger traced the air near his chest, deliberately not touching him.

"Did the heavens drop you here just for us?" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

"By the gods..." another breathed, circling behind him.

They closed in, not aggressively, but confidently. Arms brushed his sleeves "’by accident’, warm breath ghosted near his ear.

"Hehe~"

Soft laughter followed every small movement he made.

"I’ve worked here for years," a third said, smiling lazily.

"Never seen a face like yours. Not even close."

"Come on, sweet thing," a fourth teased, tugging lightly at his collar.

"One night. We’ll make it worth your while."

Normally, very normal, Gray would have accepted. Hell, he would’ve already had an arm around someone’s waist.

But this time... Gray simply stopped.

He looked at them calmly.

"No."

The women froze.

"...No?" one repeated, blinking.

"No," he repeated, stepping past them.

For half a second, disappointment flashed across their faces, a few even pouted while one clicked her tongue softly.

"...What a shame," someone muttered.

"Playing hard to get?"

"Come back anytime, handsome!"

"We’ll be waiting!"

"Don’t forget us~!"

"We don’t forget faces like yours!"

Their voices playfully chased him down the street.

Even as he disappeared into the crowd, they were still waving, still calling, still smiling as they’d already claimed him in their minds.

Gray didn’t look back.

"...Huh," he muttered quietly, putting his hands back into his pockets.

"Guess I really did change."

Whether that was because of Lyra or some other thing... he actually didn’t know.