The district trolled by the Fmingos is one of depravity, sex, more sex, and a lot of leather. Also, it’s very colorful. Invitingly so- like a dy store. Except repce the dy with bondage and items to be ied into bodies.

  “Seems like a ame pce. My guess is It’s probably worse on the insides.”

  “I heard it used to be worse before the fang Leader] was killed.”

  “Killed?” I ask.

  Gino nods. The kid g the gss windows and the woman dang- expeg to see his sister as one of them.

  “The story is that the [Gang Leader]- I think her name was Tiffany, was gifted a poisoned dildo.”

  That’s… a first.

  “What do you know of her rept?”

  “Jonathan is his name, and he lived and worked as a boytoy for the wealthy.”

  “So he banged rien.”

  Gino g me for a moment but doesn’t expin. “Apparently, he is more petent than Tiffany and is far better liked by the gang.”

  “I imagine he has to be, otherwise he too may die ihroes of pleasure.”

  Gino nods absentmindedly while his eyes roam for his sister.

  I lean forward on his shoulder for a more fortable position. “Do you think we’ll get an audience? I mean, why would he talk to us anyway?”

  “Maybe…”

  “Maybe? Really? So we’re going to just ask for an audiend we might be accepted.”

  “Y-yea. We could also sneak in.”

  I sigh. “Let's just ask. If they say no, then I’ll sneak in. You clearly ck the skills to do it properly.”

  “It was a trap,” he ters.

  “That you cked the skill to notice beforehand.” I ter his ter. “And don’t worry, if need be, I always wage indiscriminate sughter upon those who deny my superiority.”

  Gino sighs and stops. “We’re here.”

  In front of us is a building smothered in pink, red, and white. The front of the building are a plethora of atues, all illuminated by runed lighting. Past the statues are two [Guards] iher. They stand at both sides of the door, very non-menagly. We walked past the statues and stopped before the [Guards].

  “Who are you and why are you here?” one [Guard] asks.

  “I’m Gino and I’m here to talk to Jonathan about my sister Julia.”

  The [Guards] share a look. Oers the building and theurns shortly.

  “Jonathan will see you.”

  __________________________________________________________________

  Jonathan sits behind his desk as all men in power do. And power he has, for that power does not e from sex. Sure, his gang makes good money pleasing the wealthy and making sure their lust is sated. But the real money es from selling information. You’d be surprised how loose lips get after a bit of drinking and a lot of fun. That information is then sold to the highest bidder- most especially information in regards to coliseum fights. To nobody’s surprise, these fights aren't purely random.

  Whether that is matg fighters whose css ters another or supplying a superior on to a batants makes it possible to bet on a winner with a much higher degree of success. With the uping tour, bets have already begun being pced- both for winners and for losers.

  Jonathan fingers a ret bit of information. A bounty on Gino to be defeated early iour. If the kid has a bid pced on him winning, then Jonathan might be willing to take the bidder's money. 500 Trist is going to put a pretty big target on his back, especially so sidering winning the first round only pays a hurist.

  As he shifts a paper to the side, he hears the patter of feet. Turning to the side, he watches as a white cat walks towards him.

  “Faelisa, you’re here early.”

  The cat's body shifts and grows, morphing from felio a naked human female barely five feet i. With milk-chocote skin and long bck hair, the womahes towards the desk.

  “I was attacked!” she practically growls.

  Leaning down, he grabs a bag of clothes and throws it to her. She catches it and begins putting the tents on.

  “Generally, you’re usually the oag.”

  “There was another cat.”

  “That you probably egged on.”

  “It was a mut- some hybrid I’ve never seen before.”

  Jonathan raises an eyebrow. “Sounds like you lost.”

  “I wouldn’t be here if I won, you idiot.”

  Jonathan, hearing that, leans forward in i. “What happened? How did you lose.”

  “That cat- Quasi was its ’s smart, fast, and too fug strong. Whatever training the [Tamer] gave it must have been skill enhanced. Such a small form shouldn’t be able to overpower me so easily.” Wearing a bra, underwear, and short skirt, Faelisa ys down on a nearby sofa. “I spent far too much mana healing my bones. I’m going to o rest here a bit.”

  “That's fine. I’m guessing Vulturan still has no clue you’re a [Spy]?”

  “He shouldn’t unless he bypass my [Espionage] skill.”

  “Nobody in Gdius has the skill to ter [Espionage]. You should be safe.”

  Faelisa nods. “Good, because Vulturan already suspects a [Spy]. You should have caught that Gino kid differently.”

  Jonathan tsks in annoyance. “Not my fault. Gino should have been caught much earlier, but the kid has a good avoidance skill.”

  “Well, now you ge-” Fealia quickly goes silent as the door to the room is khe handle moves and a [Guard] peaks inside.

  “There is a Gino here asking to speak with you in regards to his sister, sir. Should I let him in?”

  Faelisa and Jonathan share a look. Faelia shrugs. “I was kinda gettien into a wall to do my job. So I know nothing if there's a pn.”

  “I see… send him in.” Jonathan orders.

  The door closes and the [Guard] walks away.

  A mier, the door opens with Gino pushed into his office. On the man's shoulder is a very fluffy cat that looks fused.

  “Gino, correct? Please take a seat.” Jonathan points at ay chair. “Don’t mind my associate. She’s just a bit tired after some strenuous activity.”

  Gino plies. He takes a seat. When he does, Quasi hops off his shoulder and nds on the desk. He sits down, sniffs, and then looks directly at the singur annoyed woman in the room.

  Jonathan leans into his chair while folding his arms oable. “I hear you’re he about your sister, correct?”

  “I want to buy her freedom.”

  Jonathan chuckles. “Her tract, you mean. Unfortunately, a virgin like Julia is a prized piece that sells for quite a bit on the market. She’s also quite pretty and her body is unmarred- something many of my wealthier ts would pay well to rent.”

  “How much?”

  “More than you make.” Jonathan answers.

  “I’ll have the money by week. Just give me your price.”

  The man leans forward. His elbow shifts oable to support the hand now on his . “ week? Why not now? Julia’s worth decreases every day that I wait.”

  “I’m going to wiour ahe money for her.”

  Jonathan snorts. “You’re quite something. First you try to steal from me, and now you make promises you ’t keep.”

  “I’ll win.”

  Jonathan shakes his head. “You won't, nor do I care if you do. But, I’m willing to make a bit of a wager.”

  “W-what wager?”

  “You ask for a week, so I’ll make sure you get a week. In exge, you buy your sister from me at an agreed price. If you ot, then you will sign a tract like your sister.”

  “I accept.”

  Quasi meows loudly at Gino, who quickly adds: “So long as the price is reasonable.”

  “Oh, it is- for someone who wins the tour. Three huhousand Trist or that runed champion armor set for her freedom.”

  “T-three huhat’s too much! Julia isn’t worth anywhere close to that amount. How about twenty-thousand.”

  Jonathan chuckles. He shakes his head. “Making a legal tract costs hundreds of trist per level for a basic csser, a ten-thousands surcharge for an Advanced css and a thousand trist for every advanced level. Julia is a level thirty-three [Versatile Manager] and a level twenty-four [Cook]. Her tract alone cost nearly twenty-three thousand Trist.”

  “Then I’ll pay that price.” Gino answers.

  The [Gang Leader] stares at Gino for a long moment before realizing the kid is being serious.

  “I don’t think you realize the situation you’re in. You want what I have and I don’t need what you offer. But, in fairness, three huhousand is more along the lines of maximum market price. So, I’ll lower that to a ret ot for her of two hundred and twenty-seven thousand.” He grins predatorily, “and not a trist less.”

  Gino gulps at the insane price. The kid knows that winning the whole tour is very unlikely, but if he win multiple days a all the winnings on himself- then he get somewhere iens of thousands. But hundreds of thousands will require far more than just luck. He’s going to o level iour- whivolves even more risk.

  “I accep-”

  “-Dee.” Quasi interrupts Gino and causes Jonathan to pause. Both Jonathan and Faelia focus on the smiling cat. “Jonathan, I think you misuand the situation here. You’re not the one in trol here, that would be me.”

  Jonathan frowns, “You’re not a normal cat.”

  “her is the woman ying on the couch.”

  The man tio frown. “I don’t know what you-”

  “Of course you do.” Quasi interrupts again. He sniffs. “ you smell it, Jonathan? you smell the st of a cat that just so matches one I’d only retly beaten down like the slut she is.”

  “Fuck you!” Faelisa curses.

  Quasi looks at her with a shit-eating grin. “What’s wrong Tiera? Are you still upset I threw you into a bookcase? I mean, I’d be upset too if I got beaten so badly I had to run away.”

  “Shut up.” She growls.

  “Quasi, what's happening.”

  “Remember that cat I beat up in Valtura’s office?” Quasi raises a paw at Faelisa. “She is that cat and probably the reason why you got caught stealing.”

  “Tiera is the [Spy]? The cat is the spy?” Gino asks.

  Quasi nods. “Yup. A perfect [Spy] to easily ter anang. Isn’t that right, Jonathan?”

  Jonathan is no longer smiling. He looks pissed, angry even, but is holding himself back. “What do you want?” He asks.

  “Jonathan!” She yells in e.

  “Shut it, Faelisa. You fucked up ing here.”

  “She did indeed.” Quasi says. “As for what I wan’t, well, your price is a bit high for the girl. How about l it down to, say, the cost of her tract?”

  Gino blinks. “Couldn’t we just ask for my sister instead?”

  “Of course not,” Quasi answers. “You still tried to steal something and got caught, so your sister being a servant is still your fault. You will still o fork over trist for her release.”

  “But this is easier!”

  “True, but you’re a brat who did something stupid and you o deal with the sequences like a man. So accept the new lower priow alongside keeping information about the [Spy] a secret, or I’m going to Vultura right now and telling him about this whole situation. Then you figure out how to pay off whatever hundreds of thousands of trist Jonathan wants.”

  Gino stares at Quasi for a long moment with his mouth open in surprise. Then, like a switch, he bites his lip and nods. “Fine. I’ll accept that.”

  Both Gino and Quasi return their attention to Jonathan, who looks like someone just shat a cat-sized turd on his desk.

  “I say we kill them before they talk.” Faelisa stands up and rolls her shoulders. Her pupils dite slightly as though she’s about to transform.

  Quasi chuckles. Quasi’s fur bursts into a weak fme, causing both Gino and Jonathan to take a step back. As the fme tinues and grows stronger, Quasi’s fur shifts colors until it is a dark blue. “Kill me?” The fming cat tilts its head while the desk starts sizzling. “I don’t think you realize how dangerous I truly am. I don’t fear yanization. I don’t fear yang. And I absolutely don’t fear anyone in this room. The only reason why I haven’t resorted to sughtering yanization is because the effort is beh me. So,” Quasi shifts his gaze to Jonathan. The man looks ready to run. “Don’t force my hand and instead do the reasonable choice of accepting the deal.”

  Jonathan swallows and nods. “I will accept it.”

  The fme immediately goes out, leaving a dark-blue fluffy kitten sitting in a scorched circle on the desk. Quasi grins.

  “Good choice.”