Chapter 29: A Beacon in the Slums

Not long after, in the bustling heart of the city, three hooded figures walked against the flow of the crowd, heading toward an unknown destination.

"Where are we going, Big Brother? Are we bringing Mary with us?" asked Casca, who was wearing a hooded cloak.

"Yeah... if we don’t, she’ll be killed. We don’t know where to go yet, so let’s find a safe place first," replied Clyde, who was walking in the middle, carrying the still-unconscious Mary, who was also draped in a cloak, on his back.

"But... didn’t Sister Celes say we have to wait for Brother Craig?" asked Corie.

"That’s why we can’t leave the city just yet. We need to find a safe place where no one is around, far from both the rehabilitation center and the military base," Clyde answered.

"Far from the guild, too," added Casca.

"Yeah... you’re right," Clyde replied.

They kept walking, but since they were still unfamiliar with the vast layout of the city, the overwhelming array of neon signs proved useless for navigation. Coupled with the heavy foot traffic on the streets, they were a bit confused about where to go, yet their feet pressed on relentlessly toward parts unknown.

As they wondered where to turn, a static-filled holographic screen suddenly flashed before their eyes.

Though Corie flinched slightly, Casca tugged her along so they could keep moving without getting distracted by the static display.

["Go... to the... east... train station... Craig... is coming... from there... after that... go... to the south... orphanage... free... me."]

Hearing Celes’s broken, faltering voice, Clyde abruptly stopped, causing Casca and Corie—who were walking right behind him, to bump straight into Mary on his back, both holding their noses in pain.

"You heard that, right?" Clyde asked his twin sisters.

"Yeah... we heard it, but isn’t there... a guild to the east?" Casca answered.

"True, but we have to go there... pass the guild and head to the train station. When we went to the guild the other day, I saw a directional sign pointing toward the station," Clyde replied.

"Alright, got it... let’s go, Big Brother, Corie," Casca replied, turning to look at Corie.

"Okay... let’s head over there... she said Brother Craig is coming from that way," Corie added casually.

So they turned and took the road to the right, the same street leading toward the guild they had walked before, where they had seen groups of mercenaries hanging out and repairing their vehicles along the curb. They walked at a brisk pace, but because they were wearing cloaks, they looked suspicious, and naturally, everyone they passed turned to watch them. Even though no one made a move, spoke up, or blocked their way, the three of them still felt uneasy and quickened their pace even further.

When they arrived in front of the guild complex, they merely glanced over and kept walking past it before pausing briefly; just as Clyde had said, there was an overhead sign, faded blue like an old, worn traffic sign. In front of them was a T-intersection, with the sign indicating that the way to the station was a left turn.

"Come on... let’s get out of here quickly before those two turrets up ahead spot us," Clyde said.

"Okay, Big Brother," Casca and Corie answered together.

They continued walking to the intersection and turned left, only to be startled by how packed the street was. A crowd of people stood along the curb, numerous skimpily dressed women were soliciting customers, and many men were sitting around smoking and playing some kind of dice game. A lot of people gathered around oil drums filled with fire for warmth, and the street was dimly lit, though not entirely dark, as a few neon signs stubbornly flickered on and off.

Those neon signs seemed to mark inns, restaurants, and shops selling sketchy goods; the location looked far more dangerous than the street they had just passed.

"Um... is this really the way we’re supposed to go... it doesn’t look like a safe area," Corie said.

"I don’t know, but the sign back there pointed this way to get to the station," Casca replied.

"Hmm... there seem to be a lot of restaurants up ahead. If we get lost, we can just ask around. Besides, we need a place to rest so we can lay Mary down before she wakes up," Clyde replied.

"Okay, Big Brother, agreed," Corie replied.

"Um... do you think it’s safe if we eat at one of those restaurants up ahead?" Casca asked.

"Whether it’s safe or not, we’ll worry about that later. Let’s keep moving, come on," Clyde answered.

They resumed walking, but this time no one turned to look at them because almost everyone there wore hooded cloaks, ragtag clothes, and a few were even sleeping on the roadside using cardboard and boxes as makeshift shelters.

"This... looks like a spot specifically for homeless people and outcasts," Casca said.

"Right, and it’s a hundred times more dangerous than a place where thugs gather... look, they look hungry," Corie replied.

"Shh... you two, quiet down and stop talking," Clyde reprimanded them.

"Sorry, Big Brother," Casca and Corie replied together.

The three kept walking until they passed an area where several skimpily dressed women leaned against a wall, smoking and drinking.

"Hey... you guys looking to work here?" one of the women shouted out.

Casca and Corie glanced over at the woman, who wore nothing but lingerie and high heels, leaning against the wall and smoking her cigarette with a seductive frame. The two pulled their hoods further forward and quickened their pace to catch up with Clyde, ignoring her completely. Finally, they reached a boxy building with a large exhaust fan built into the wall and a flickering neon sign that read "ramen," though the letter ’d’ was upside down.

Since the building looked cleaner than the rest, Clyde turned to look at Casca and Corie behind him.

"Let’s just stay here for a bit," Clyde said.

"Okay, Big Brother," Casca and Corie replied in unison.

Clyde took a step forward and pushed the door open; swoosh, the aroma of ramen and meat greeted them, but as they stepped inside, all three froze dead in their tracks right at the doorway.

"Flap... flap... flap,"

"Ah... yes... feels so good... fill me up, baby... nggh... yes,"

The sound of a woman groaning in intense passion echoed alongside the rhythmic slapping of skin meeting skin, followed by,

"Wel... ah... come,"

Before them sat a tan-skinned, beautiful woman with wavy black hair, looking sensual as she wore only an apron over her bare, sweat-glistened body, riding up and down on the lap of a skinny, middle-aged man with a white beard who had his pants pulled down, both of them gazing back at them with a lustful smirk.

"Just hold on... ah... almost done," the woman said, lost in pleasure.

"Oh.. okay," Clyde said, dumbfounded.

Clyde darted a glance at Casca and Corie, both of whom had covered their eyes with their hands. After that, Clyde looked away, not daring to gaze straight ahead. But because Clyde had looked away, the woman, who had been riding up and down in pleasure with a lustful expression, suddenly snapped to her senses and stared intently at Clyde, or more precisely, at the person on his shoulders.

"Huh... Mary? Hey... that’s enough for now," the woman said.

She immediately stood up, covering her private parts with the apron, and walked toward Clyde; "kyaaa," Casca and Corie screamed as they saw the man sitting in the chair stand up with his junk still erect, grumbling as he bent over to pick up his pants and put them on, after which he brushed past Casca and Corie, who still had their faces covered and exited the restaurant. The woman checked on Mary, whose head was resting on Clyde’s shoulder.

"Hey... what happened to Mary? Why is she unconscious, and who are you people?" the woman asked.

"Um... do you know Mary?" Clyde asked, his eyes facing another direction due to the woman wearing nothing but an apron stained with broth.

"My name is Selma, I’m Mary’s best friend... what happened to her? Tell me," Selma said.

Even though they were currently in an awkward situation and felt like they had entered the wrong place, Clyde, Casca, and Corie felt relieved to hear Selma claim to be Mary’s best friend, looking genuinely worried about her.

"It’s a long story," Clyde said.

"I’ve got plenty of time. Hurry up and bring Mary inside, lay her down on one of the booths, and I’ll grab some water for you guys and Mary," Selma said.

Selma closed the door and locked it, then pressed a button on the side of the door frame to turn off the illuminated "open" sign outside. Right after that, she hurried behind the counter and disappeared into the kitchen, leaving Clyde, Casca, and Corie standing there stunned. Corie glanced over at the chair Selma had been using just a moment ago for her activities, then looked down at the floor,

"Ugh... why didn’t she clean up that sticky mess on the floor first?" Corie asked, her face flushing bright red.

"Why on earth are you bringing that up right now, you idiot," snapped Casca, whose face was just as red as Corie’s.