■ Queen Gremory □
Club Melujin.
As soon as I returned to the Governor’s Office and checked the information, it turned out that this place was actually quite famous in the red-light district near the South Gate.
Since it earned a lot of money, it was the establishment that paid the most taxes among similar businesses.
I found the shop suspicious at a glance and wondered why I had never heard of it before, so I looked around the people in the office and said,
“Is there anyone here who has looked after this place for me? Raise your hand.”
Then, the Finance Management Room became deathly silent like a mouse had died.
“I’ll go easy on you if you confess now, so raise your hand quickly.”
Amidst the uncomfortable silence, someone from the back row raised their hand.
“It’s me, sir.”
It was Martin, a guy with a protruding belly.
While receiving disapproving glances from other employees, Martin hurried over, drenched in cold sweat, making excuses.
“It wasn’t intentional on my part…”
“Shut up. What bribes did you take?”
“Some money and favors…”
“Okay, pack your things and leave.”
When I issued the order to dismiss him, Martin hastily knelt down.
“I’m sorry! I never expected to get involved in something like this! Please give me one more chance!”
I looked down at Martin with a cold expression and said,
“Do you know what I hate the most?”
Martin didn’t say anything.
“Not taking responsibility for your actions and trying to avoid it.”
I didn’t say anything further.
With a nod from me, all the items on Martin’s desk were thrown out of the finance room by the other employees.
I then spoke to Aness, who had quietly approached me.
“Seize all the assets he’s accumulated outside of his salary, comb through his house for cash tonight so he doesn’t run off, and find out everything about his connections to Club Melujin.”
“Yes.”
Once a bureaucrat starts accepting bribes, it’s hard to stop.
It’s better to make an example of such cases.
Both the earlier incident and this one have been grating against my nerves.
Because it seemed like I was extremely annoyed, the employees began to cautiously observe my mood.
Regardless, I was lost in thought while looking at the report with the name “Melujin” written on it.
How should I handle this so that the rumors spread properly?
After pondering for a long time, a good idea came to mind.
“Aness, I’ll be leaving early today, so I’ll leave the follow-up to you.”
“Are you going to deal with this personally again?”
“No, just catching them by the tail. The rest will be handed over to the police department.”
Right now, we only have testimonies, and we lack decisive evidence.
Of course, even without that, I could easily mess with them using my authority, but if accusations of abuse of power arise later, it would be troublesome, so I decided to investigate personally.
I warned the other employees not to end up like Martin, doing meaningless work, and resolved to leave a little earlier than usual.
Today, my destination isn’t home, but the red-light district near the South Gate.
The area originally known for its nightlife in Oz was on the east side, but since I destroyed the Constantinople Wall in one blow, unease spread among the residents, causing the bustling area to naturally shift here over time.
In nearly two years, I’ve also visited this place a few times with others.
Among the women, Dorothea especially loved the nightlife. That girl, after quitting as one of the Four Heavenly Kings and becoming a private guard, often invited me out to play.
Anyway, even though it was still too early for full operations, there were already pimps wandering around in the red-light district near the South Gate.
Among them, the most noticeable were the succubi.
Seeing a sleek succubus dressed as a bunny girl holding a sign advertising on the street, any man would feel compelled to check it out.
Apparently, she worked for Melujin.
I approached her and asked,
“Sister, which way do I go to get to Melujin?”
The red-haired succubus smiled mischievously when our eyes met and replied,
“Is this your first time at Melujin? If you mention my name when you get there, I’ll give you a small discount.”
“What’s your name, sister?”
“Agni.”
It sounds like a name suited for someone skilled in flame magic.
“Could you show me the way, Agni?”
“I’m busy right now. Can’t you see?”
I took out a gold coin from my pocket and flicked it with my finger.
When the spinning gold coin slipped into the gap between her breasts, Agni’s eyes widened slightly.
“Well, that changes things, brother.”
She linked her arm with mine in a friendly tone and asked,
“What kind of girl are you into, brother? At Melujin, we can accommodate any type of woman.”
Without much hesitation, I replied,
“If I’m going to embrace someone, I’d prefer someone of high status.”
“For instance?”
“The governor, perhaps?”
At that, Agni laughed and lightly tapped my shoulder.
“That shouldn’t be difficult. A succubus’ illusion can create any object of desire!”
Bingo.
Fortunately, the first person I met is a corrupt one.
She confidently revealed that illegal activities are being conducted in her own establishment.
“Can I choose costumes or scenarios as well?”
“Of course. If you want, we can offer special plays too, though there may be some additional charges.”
“That sounds promising.”
“Naturally! It’s done by highly skilled succubi!”
I smiled brightly and nodded in response to Agni’s bold claims.
“Thanks for the info, Agni.”
“This is nothing compared to the tip you gave me, brother!”
Agni laughed heartily as she said this, but her nature remained unchanged.
Hmm, it’s fortunate that she’s attracted to money. I won’t need to inquire around unnecessarily.
With that thought in mind, I quietly followed the red-haired succubus.
The store named Melujin was surprisingly located right in the middle of the road.
I expected a place conducting illegal business to be hidden away somewhere darker, but this wasn’t the case at all.
If they were openly operating, it might be another story.
Following Agni inside Melujin, since it wasn’t yet fully open, the people inside naturally directed their gazes toward me.
I assumed it would only be succubi working at a succubus brothel, but unexpectedly, there were various races of sisters inside Melujin.
Given the size of this establishment, besides creating illusions, they also seem to engage in regular prostitution.
Well, that’s none of my business.
Normally, as long as they pay their taxes well and don’t engage in illegal activities, frankly, it’s not related to me.
But now, the latter is the problem.
Apparently, Agni is somewhat of a socialite here. When she gestured and requested, we were quickly led to a nice room.
To capture crucial evidence, I generously sprinkled some money from my pocket and thanked Agni with 10 gold coins.
The Melujin crew started to look at me with greedy eyes, thinking I was a rich fool.
After Agni left, a few guys tried to enter my room, but I thoroughly disciplined them until tears streamed down their faces.
Since I didn’t need males in my room.
When all their antics failed, it seemed they concluded to provide the service I originally requested, and other sisters entered the room half-naked.
“Sisters, I want to cuddle with the governor and a buxom girl.”
The unsuspecting succubi sisters laughed and said it was possible.
For the options I could request, I wrote down a competitive swimming suit.
It was attire that the shy Ozma would absolutely never wear under normal circumstances.
Eventually, as I drank alcohol and felt increasingly elated, I lay down on the bed set aside in the corner of the room and closed my eyes peacefully.
I felt drowsy and had a sense that I would have a pleasant dream.
‘Aang! Caldlasth!’
Guilty!
Guilty!
By hurriedly practicing vision breathing, I managed to escape the dream world, still stroking my burning face, unable to hide my discomfort.
Indeed, the succubi’s illusions were extraordinary.
Even though I didn’t physically do anything, the level of character recreation was incredibly detailed.
Perhaps because I know Ozma better than anyone else, the details were even more vivid.
I shook the nearby succubus awake.
The bewildered succubus woke up, sensing the unusual atmosphere emanating from me, and was about to scream loudly.
Of course, I had no intention of letting her do so. I immediately clamped her mouth shut and said,
“Sister, don’t ruin the mood. Listen carefully. I am the Chief Financial Officer, Partarth. I’ve come here based on intelligence about illegal activities at this establishment. You understand the implications, right? Now, I’d like you to call the boss here. Honestly, I don’t want to escalate this matter if we can communicate reasonably.”
She nodded repeatedly.
Since she seemed to have understood the gist, I patted her bottom gently and released her safely.
About ten minutes later, the door to the guest room where I was sitting alone opened quietly, revealing a pink-haired succubus I had seen somewhere before.
They say enemies meet by chance on a narrow bridge, and I recognized her face.
It was the same brazen succubus who had intruded into my dreams two years ago.
I greeted her with a broad smile, knowing full well her notorious reputation.
“Who’s this? Someone familiar.”
Though I may not excel at many things, when it comes to desiring others, I’d confidently win a world championship.
