Ero Saint: I Created An Ero Massage Parlor In Another World
Chapter 15: Monster

Chapter 15: Monster

"Gods, I envy him so much..."

The man went on, "Anyway, because of that rumor, people, both men and women, are now avoiding Nolan Street unless they absolutely have to go there. They’re all shitting their pants thinking they’ll get abducted by that pervy massage owner."

"They’re convinced they’ll be the creep’s next victim," he added with a shiver.

I was at a complete loss for words. I did what to men? Isn’t that rumor too exaggerated? Who comes up with this kind of nonsense? And everyone seems to be buying it?!

But more importantly, I suddenly realized how badly this had screwed up my brilliant plan of setting up the new ero-massage program!

This was supposed to be perfect. I had the massage skill inherited from the original Aiden’s memory, and with the "Sensual Touch" skill on top of that, I was sure I could bring in plenty of customers and finish the main quest just in time.

But now?

If everyone’s started avoiding my parlor like it’s the plague, how am I supposed to get any customers?

Fuck! Who the hell started spreading this crap?

Could it be the Sadis Gang again? Of course, it had to be their doing again! That would explain everything. News about my capture spread far too fast. And knowing the Sadis Gang specialized in gathering and leaking information, it wasn’t a stretch to think they were behind this too.

’Looks like me and those shitheads really are fated to be mortal enemies, huh? Fine by me, after all, it’s not like I can rest peacefully until I’ve destroyed them.’

Still, there’s something that bothers me.

If the Sadis Gang was behind the rumor... why go through all this trouble? They’d already killed the original Aiden. Why keep targeting the massage parlor? What exactly is their goal?

Just then, I was struck with realization.

The rumor wasn’t just about me being some predatory scumbag; it specifically said I went after men and women equally. And that had made people of both genders scared to set foot anywhere near Nolan Street...

Is it possible...

Could there be something in my parlor, something so important that they had to go to these lengths, start this wild rumor just to keep people away and make sure nobody stumbled onto... whatever it is?

...

A short, plump man with two front teeth sticking out stood in front of a two-story building.

Pasted across the entrance door was a sheet of parchment bearing the kingdom’s crest, a golden scabbard.

In bold letters, it read:

"The business within this property is closed under investigation. Reopening is forbidden without formal clearance."

"Kekeke, good thing we got word those knights were coming last night," Peter chuckled. "If not, they would’ve caught us red-handed while we were still tearing the place apart."

He then turned to face his subordinates behind him. His posture was slightly hunched, but no one dared make fun of him. "Anyway, Lord Sadis wants us to sweep the place again. This time, he made it clear that we can’t come back until we find that map. Got it?"

A thin man scratched his head among the crowd, looking unsure. "But sir, we already searched the whole house last night and found nothing. What exactly are we supposed to be looking for now?"

Peter shot him a glare. "That’s your job to figure out, genius! If David hadn’t panicked and screwed everything up, we’d have the map by now."

He spat on the ground. "How the hell did he get scared of a half-dead, beaten-down guy and accidentally stab him?"

Someone else hesitantly asked, "What happened to David? Why haven’t we seen him?"

"He’s dead," Peter replied coldly.

The man who asked instantly froze.

Peter indifferently looked over the group. "If you don’t want to end up like him, then get your asses in there and find that map. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Now move!"

As his men spread out and slipped into the building through windows and the front door, Peter stayed outside.

He looked up at the roof. A pigeon was perched on the ceiling, staring straight at him. After a moment, it spread its wings, glided down, and landed gently on Peter’s shoulder.

"Do you see anyone suspicious coming to this street?"

The pigeon tilted its head, then let out a soft squawk. "Ku! Ku! Ku!"

"Hmm, so no one, huh? From the looks of it, the rumor worked really well at keeping people from going through this street. Other than the residents who lived on this street, probably no one else wants to set foot here. Haha, I’m such a genius for coming up with that rumor!"

Just then, Peter saw a rat scurrying toward him and patting his shoe with its paw.

"Squeak, squeak!"

Right after the rat made its squeaking noises, Peter nodded. "So, someone is coming down this street right now? It’s probably one of the residents."

He didn’t think much of it and promptly ordered the rat to check other areas.

The rat immediately headed off in the opposite direction it came from and soon disappeared.

Peter grinned as he watched it go. "This power really is fantastic. I’m not a Mage, a Priest, or an Aura Master, yet I can talk to animals and order them around. If only it didn’t come with the side effect of turning my body into... this, it’d be even more amazing. Though Lord Sadis did say I was one of the lucky ones, considering not many survived the process like I did."

About a minute later, Peter noticed someone had just turned up on the street. He looked up and saw a tall, broad-shouldered figure in a hooded robe walking in his direction.

’A Radhanian?’ Peter thought with disdain. As a local, he naturally considered himself superior to immigrants from the neighboring empire.

As for how he figured it out so quickly, it was because Radhanians had distinct features that made them easy to spot.

’Who does this guy think he is? Walking around all mysterious, wearing such a concealing robe. Keke... is he hiding an ugly face or something?’ Peter sneered inwardly.

’I’d love to mess him up a little... but Lord Sadis had made it clear that I must find the map no matter what. I can’t let myself get distracted now...’

Yet, a few seconds later, Peter couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows. He noticed the hooded man wasn’t taking a detour or changing lanes; he was walking in a straight line, heading directly toward him.

’Ha! Looks like even fate wants this guy dead. He’s walking straight at me. Is he blind? Or just completely clueless about how things run around here? Either way, I’ll make sure he learns his place once he gets here. I’ll show him who’s in charge around here. And just in time too, Bella hasn’t eaten in days. This guy looks like he’s packing plenty of meat, perfect for her lunch. Lord Sadis won’t blame me, right? I mean, I’m just doing what they call... ah, self-protection.’

As Peter thought this, he silently stroked the coiled snake hidden inside his sleeve, sending a silent message.

A soft hiss answered him from beneath his clothes.

Standing on his shoulder, the pigeon locked its gaze intently on the approaching hooded man.

"Fifty..." Peter counted the distance between them in his head.

"Forty..."

"Thirty..."

"Twenty..."

His grin widened with every step closer.

"Ten."

When the distance closed to around ten meters, the hooded man finally stopped in front of him.

Peter looked up and sneered. "Do you know who I am?"

"Yes," the hooded man said calmly. "You’re "Rat" Peter, right?"

The voice made Peter freeze. It sounded... familiar. Too familiar.

’Where the hell have I heard that voice before...?’

Knowing he couldn’t afford to get distracted in front of a stranger, Peter quickly shoved the thought aside and continued in a mocking tone, "So you do know me, and you still walk up to me like this? Either you’re brave... or just plain stupid."

In response to his ridicule, the hooded man said nothing.

Peter’s eye twitched as his irritation flared up.

Even though the man said nothing provocative, that kind of blank, dismissive response was exactly what he hated the most. And since he was much taller than him, it looked like he was staring down on him like a bug.

’Damn it, this guy’s really pissing me off! Fine. I’ll let him walk past. And once he turned his back against me, I’ll let Bella strike him!’

He forced himself to calm down, masking his anger with a smirk. Then, reaching out toward the man’s robe to pat it, he said, "I don’t know what you’re trying to pull by walking up to me, but I’m busy right now. So I’ll let you off... just this once."

But the moment his hand got close, it was smacked aside with a violent snap.

Pa!

It was just a slap, but Peter was beyond surprised to see his fingers were instantly bent in the wrong direction upon the impact. A split second later, the pain shot through his arm like lightning.

"A-AHHH! My hand! My fingers!" he screamed, dropping to one knee and clutching his right wrist. His five fingers were completely broken!

"Ah, sorry, I’m still not getting used to my new power."

"A-asshole! Bella, get him!" Peter snapped in rage.

From his sleeve, a slender snake slithered out and launched itself at the man’s neck.

But just as it closed in, the man’s hand shot up, and caught the snake mid-air by the head.

It didn’t even have time to react or struggle before it was squeezed.

Crunch!

In a single squeeze, its skull exploded in a spray of blood. The body twitched once, then went limp, the brain matter spilling out like crushed fruit.

Peter’s face was dyed red with the spilling blood. His expression froze. His mouth moved, but no words came out at first. It looks like he went mute.

"W-what... what exactly are you?" he finally croaked.

"Are you... a monster?"

He might have been slow to catch on, but he wasn’t a complete fool. The man standing in front of him was clearly someone he couldn’t mess with. No, rather than a man, it looks like he was facing a beast! A beast in human form!

That overwhelming strength... that suffocating presence, it couldn’t be mistaken. He was facing a monstrous beast.

’How the hell did I miss it? I should’ve known from the start, his strange behavior alone was a dead giveaway. Am I the clueless one here?’ Peter thought, as intense fear slowly began to creep in.

"Me? A monster? Maybe..." the man repeated unsurely. Then he reached up and pulled back his hood.

As the cloth fell away and his face was revealed, Peter could no longer hold back his astonishment. In shock, he blurted out, "A-Aiden Edwards!"

"You... you’re still alive?!"

I didn’t bother answering. I just smiled.

"Peter, where’s your boss?"

I wouldn’t have minded dragging things out just for fun. Unfortunately, the clock was ticking, and I had no time to spare.

[Stats Enhancer Pill Activated]

[All Physical Stats Boosted to B-Rank]

[Time Remaining: 58 minutes, 40 seconds]