Chapter 66: From Bait To Prey - Part 2

"Just to clarify, Lynn... We're not here for you to sell more of those, right?" "We're not on a quest to search for the seven orc balls... So you can rest assured, Mr. Arezu." "Pfft—" "Seriously, what's so funny about that?" Taking a turn into a familiar, suspicious back alley, Lynn and Arezu found themselves standing in front of a shady shop that screamed danger no matter how you looked at it—especially for Arezu, knowing exactly what kind of material this place dealt with. Upon entering, they immediately spotted the person Lynn was looking for—a young woman who specialized in curse research, known as Marionette. "It's been a while, Lynn—" Her greeting was cut short the moment she noticed Arezu standing behind Lynn. Then, in a tone far more teasing—and misleading—than Lynn's, Marionette continued: "—So the rumors were true. You two are going steady." Whatever Marionette was hinting at—whether directed at Lynn or more especially at him—Arezu instinctively looked away, unable to meet her gaze. Marionette was undeniably attractive, not to mention her eye-catching rose-pink hair that waved all the way down to her hips. But what made Arezu avert his eyes wasn't just her beauty—it was the extremely revealing dress she wore. That, and Lynn's hand suddenly slapping his face, forcing him to look away. "Are you two here to sell more jewels?" That question instantly made Arezu freeze, disgusted by the thought of seeing more of those jewels Marionette was referring to. Luckily for him, Lynn was telling the truth about what she said earlier. "Or are you here to buy something for the two of you?" Ignoring Marionette's teasing, Lynn promptly declared what she and Arezu needed from her shop—or rather, from her. "We need to talk to you about the Curse of Lust from the previous goblin-slaying quest." After a brief explanation to Arezu—about how Marionette had been involved with the Adventurers' Guild investigation regarding the half-broken Dungeon Core their party recovered from that same quest—Lynn began filling Marionette in on the details of the bounty-hunting quest. As well as what happened to their party during the goblin-slaying incident. At least she left out Alex, Liz, and Hannah's true identities, Arezu thought as he sat beside Lynn on a couch around a low table in Marionette's office, listening quietly. At the end of her explanation, Marionette fired her own question at Lynn. "First of all... You said that this Alex was freed from the influence and corruption of the Curse of Lust, right? How can you be so sure, Lynn?" "Ehh?..." It was all thanks to her eccentric eyes, which granted Lynn the unique ability to perceive curse corruption. During the fight between Arezu and Alex on the goblin-slaying quest, when Arezu had Alex pinned down and was landing punches on his face, Lynn saw how Arezu somehow absorbed—or rather, purified—the Curse of Lust corrupting Alex. But it's not like she could, or would, tell anyone that. Not just to protect Arezu's secret and his mysterious dungeon-like power, but because she wanted to keep that secret for herself. Pressed by Marionette's oddly threatening glare, Lynn tried to dodge the question by giving a half-lie, half-truth answer. "Because we already defeated the giant goblin flasher and destroyed the Dungeon Core..." "And how exactly did your party destroy the Dungeon Core without a hero bearing a divine gift?" "Huh?..." For the first time, Arezu saw Lynn stunned and speechless, unable to talk her way out of the situation she had walked into. That sight brought a faint smile to his face—until Marionette's threatening gaze shifted from Lynn to him. "Don't tell me Arezu is a hero—" "He's not!" Lynn said quickly, her voice rising in panic. "Mr. Arezu is just a country bumpkin I'm looking after, out of my sheer generosity and immeasurable kindness!" Arezu's discomfort from Marionette's questioning was quickly replaced by his irritation at Lynn's over-the-top dramatics. Still, understanding that Lynn clearly planned to monopolize whatever she found interesting about Arezu, Marionette put aside her own curiosity. "So, what do you think happened to Alex?" Lynn asked, pressing the conversation forward—away from the topic of Arezu. "Well, isn't it obvious?" —"Obvious?"— Marionette's remark left both Lynn and Arezu staring at her in confusion. Or at least, Lynn did—because her hand moved immediately to slap Arezu's face again, covering his eyes. To clarify, Marionette began explaining. If Lynn was truly certain that Alex had been freed from the Curse of Lust and its corrupting influence, then it likely meant that Alex had lost the ability to strengthen himself—both physically and magically—through violating and defiling others. Along with his insatiable lustful desires toward the same gender. "Which only means one thing—" Marionette paused, trying to see if Lynn and Arezu could connect the dots. Why did Alex go rogue after that hideous incident involving his butler? Why does he keep assaulting other men? Why did he try to kill Lynn? Why is Alex now, probably, looking for Arezu? Seeing how those questions only left Lynn and Arezu more confused, Marionette decided to spell it out for them. "That Alex... probably got hooked from the taste." —"Ehh?..."— Their conversation with Marionette ended with the two of them stunned and speechless, walking blankly through the bustling capital streets in disbelief. What shocked Arezu even more was how Lynn's usual teasing and mischief were completely overwhelmed by the disturbing conclusion they had just heard. "So Alex's goal is... you, Mr. Arezu?..." "That can't be true... right?..." At this point, Arezu fully expected Lynn to throw in another teasing remark—but somehow, she seemed to be seriously thinking about the situation and the bounty-hunting quest. Or so he thought. "I guess we've got no more choice!" Her sudden serious tone—despite the lack of her usual mischievous grin—still made him uneasy. And his gut was absolutely right. "For this quest, you will be our bait, Mr. Arezu." "No... I think we still have other choices."