When the Serial Killer Next Door Gained Harem System

Chapter 143: Two Roads

I slipped into the clothes I had bought and let out a long exhale. The whole day had been exhausting already, with classes stacked one after another and the thought of Cadence still hanging over me like a bad smell. I just wanted to breathe for a minute, but even that felt out of reach.

I headed for the door and stepped outside. Ken was already waiting there, leaning against the windowsill and looking out at the city below. The sun had almost finished setting, leaving the sky darkening by the second, and the rain still hadn’t stopped. It was only a light drizzle now, but it had been going on long enough to soak everything in that miserable, damp kind of way.

"Done?" Ken asked, glancing over his shoulder. "Come on. Mio’s already outside."

"Hmm."

We walked down the corridor and headed for the stairs. Null was standing by the dormitory door, his sharp eyes tracking every student coming and going. The moment he saw us, he raised a hand and stopped us before we could pass.

"Don’t wear your boots in the dormitory again," he said. "Take them in hand. Remove your slippers and put them in the box assigned to you."

Ken rubbed the back of his neck with a chuckle. "Sorry, Student Council President. Won’t happen again."

"Better not."

"Yeah... have a nice evening."

Once we got outside, we walked quickly toward the tree where Mio was waiting beneath the rain. When we reached her, I let out another sigh and looked up at the drizzle. It still didn’t look like it was going to stop any time soon. Terrible weather. Just like back home, really. Rain, more rain, and then maybe a little more rain if the forecast felt generous.

"Finally," Mio said.

"Sorry," I replied. "Did we make you wait?"

"Yes."

Ken laughed and shook his head. "Liar. I saw you coming over just now, Mio. That couldn’t have been more than a minute."

"Whatever," she said, shaking her head. "I found out something about the Merygold family."

"What is it?" I asked.

"Their mansion is close to Two Roads," Mio explained. "Apparently there’ve been a lot of poaching issues around that area, so they’re also the ones handling game control there."

"Do you know where Two Roads is?" I asked.

Ken nodded. "Yeah. It’s called Two Roads because there are literally two roads. Straight ahead takes you to the Circle, and the one on the left..." He shrugged. "I don’t know. I never went that way."

"So we know where they live," I said.

"That’s not all," Mio added. "They’re also holding a wedding ceremony in two days. Their son is marrying the daughter of another noble family."

"Cadence?" I asked.

She nodded once. "Cadence. That’s the son’s name."

"Shit... can we attend the wedding?"

"Anyone can attend," Mio said.

That made it sound almost too easy.

"Of course," she added, "if you can pay a hundred gold for the entrance fee and another fifty gold afterward to ’show respect to the couple.’"

"A hundred and fifty?" Ken said, his mouth falling open. "Ambly’s tits. That’s impossible."

"Well, then imagine how much chaos there’d be if every commoner could walk in," Mio said.

"How are we even supposed to get that much coin?" I asked, exhaling through my nose. "Shit... maybe I can sneak in?"

"If you get caught at the wedding without your name on the guest ledger, you’re done," she said. "Don’t even think about it. And even if you did get inside, what would you do once you found him? Kill him in front of everyone?"

That was a good question, and the answer was no. I couldn’t just stab Cadence in the middle of a noble wedding and expect to walk away from it. They’d come after me instantly, and not like ordinary people would. These were nobles. They had influence, guards, connections, power. If I made a move there, it would not just be treated like a murder. It would become a political disaster. And if Cadence’s involvement ever came to light, the Queen would know I had been after him too. That would turn into a different kind of mess entirely.

I took a slow breath and let it out again.

I needed to be smarter than that. If I wanted Cadence dealt with, I had to make sure people understood he was responsible for Jelda and her mother. Once that was clear, the rest would follow. Maybe not easily, but it would follow. The people would want justice, and even the Queen wouldn’t be able to ignore that forever.

"I’ll try to find clues, I guess," I said at last. "Something to let people know Cadence is a sick bastard."

"How?" Ken asked.

"I don’t know," I admitted. "But I’ll figure out a way."

"Well, for that," Mio said, crossing her arms, "you’d need a hundred and fifty gold. And you’d have to hope Cadence doesn’t spot you during the wedding, or he’ll call the guards over immediately."

"Hm," I muttered. "I need some coins... maybe the Guild has some quests?"

"You’d need to complete hundreds of them," Mio said flatly. "Don’t bother."

"Shit... or wait..."

I remembered what that boy in the arena had said to me. What if I worked for Garmonna for a day? I was Ambly-blessed, after all. One touch from me could make the opposite sex practically fall apart. Maybe she’d hire me?

"I need to go," I said, taking a step back.

"All of a sudden?" Mio asked. "Where?"

"Got something to take care of," I said.

"You want me to come with you?" Ken asked.

"No, no, this one’s something I need to handle by myself. Personal thing." I lied without much trouble. "I won’t be long."

"O-okay?" Ken said. "See you then, man."

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

The crowd outside was... questionable, to say the least. It was drizzling, and the guys who couldn’t afford the cover charge were loitering near the entrance, shivering in the damp air. Every time the heavy doors swung open, they’d crane their necks like starved dogs, trying to catch a fleeting glimpse of the half-naked women working inside. Jeez... talk about desperation. These idiots were something else, I swear.

"Excuse me..."

I shouldered my way through the press of damp wool and cheap cologne, finally breaking free at the front of the line. The bouncer guarding the door wasn’t some burly guy in a suit, she was a stunning, dark-skinned woman who looked like she was carved out of pure temptation. She crossed her arms, instantly sizing me up with a pair of sharp, unimpressed eyes.

Her outfit barely qualified as clothing. She wore a micro-top made of sheer, dark mesh that did absolutely nothing to hide the heavy, breathtaking curve of her breasts, the dark circles of her nipples clearly visible beneath the fabric. The scraps of leather making up her skirt were dangerously low-slung, showing off wide hips, a flat stomach, and a teasing glimpse of smooth, rich skin that went on for days. She was sexy as hell, and she clearly knew the power she held over every man on the street.

"Hey," I said, trying to keep my eyes on her face. "Uh, Garmonna is expecting me."

"Is she, now?" her voice rolled out like smooth silk, though her expression stayed flat. She didn’t believe a word. "Who are you?"

"Ace," I said, crossing my arms to look sturdier than I felt. "Like I said, she’s expecting me."

The woman exhaled a heavy, disappointed sigh. Then, she shifted her weight, locking her fingers beneath the plush undersides of her breasts and pushing them upward. The sheer mesh strained against the sudden pressure, spilling her massive, warm cleavage right into my line of sight, completely exposed to the chilly rain.

"Here, kid," she scoffed, giving them a subtle jiggle that nearly made my heart skip a beat. "You saw some tits. Now fuck off."

"Tits!" one of the losers in the crowd behind me screamed, tracking the movement like a hawk. "Woo! Let us see!"

"No, no," I said, shaking my head and forcing my focus back to her eyes. "I’m really here to meet with Garmonna. It’s important. Really important."

She groaned, dropping her hands to her hips, though the view didn’t get any less distracting. "Gods... you’re a persistent little leech, aren’t you, kid?"

"Please," I said, trying to hold my ground. "I really need to meet with Garmonna. I’m not here for joy. I’m here for business."

"What business?" she asked, tilting her head slightly. I couldn’t help but notice the way her heavy chest shifted with the movement. "Pay the entrance fee. Or go away."

"Just tell her I’m here," I said, opening both my palms to the side to show I wasn’t a threat. "The man who delivered the potions a few days back. Tell her I’m here on important business."

She put a hand on her waist, her long fingers pressing into her rich, dark skin. She groaned and turned back toward the entrance. "I swear, if you’re wasting my time..."