‘Alluring’…

That’s the word that better describes what motivated me to visit Dublencourt after quitting my sister’s guild.

If I was going to leave Iregorn forever, I at least owed myself a visit there. It has casinos, spas, restaurants… I owed myself my own adventure after everything Emily put me through, goddammit!

I owed myself an escape from all this guild drama!

I owed myself some fun…

So, my drunken feet brought me to the aforementioned ‘alluring’ street, where an alluring gaze caught my eyes and didn’t let go… Alluringly…

There I found him…

I stared at his perfect physique, barely covered by an unbuttoned shirt with the same fascination a critic admires a work of art. While his white, immaculate hands ran through his black hair, he formed a perfect smile that seemed to say: ‘Get close, I won’t bite you nor judge you if you stare more than necessary…’

When I looked at his canine ears, I was even more confused. He was on the other side of a glass, displayed as if he was a toy to be played with at any time.

By anyone…

How could such perfection be locked there, as if he was someone’s possession?

“Do you fancy what you see, miss?” a soft voice said beside me, while the smell of tobacco reached me. A man wearing a goatee contemplated my bewilderment. “300 gold an hour, my dear,” he said, before puffing out smoke.

“E-excuse me? 300 gold for what?”

“For you to play with my handsome fella over there, for sixty exquisite minutes,” he replied, lifting his chin.

“I… I don’t understand. What is this place?”

He giggled mischievously.

“Honey, don’t tell me you stumbled upon Dublencourt’s red-light district by accident. You’re already here, so drop the act. Nobody will judge you while you walk through these streets, so relax a bit.”

“Red light? What’s that?”

“Oh…” he expressed, pouting. “You really came here by accident, huh? Well, allow me to enlighten you…”

My curiosity was so high that his tobacco pestilence didn’t bother me when he whispered to my ear. After a brief explanation of what this was all about, my entire face turned bright red.

“Y-you’re kidding me! Do people really do those things with NPCs?!”

“How can you explain this, then?” he said, turning his attention back to the display, where the gorgeous adonis was posing for us. “As you can see, my NPCs are not regular ones. These are made of flesh, from toes to head. Well, something that feels like real fleshy deliciousness, since this is all virtual fakeness, anyway. A sensorial experience that you won’t find anywhere else, regardless. And best of all, they can’t get dirty or get sick, if you know what I mean…”

Hearing that made my head tilt to one side, while contemplating the model in front of me, who struck a thoughtful pose, looking at a distance with a gloomy expression. Inadvertently, my eyes concentrated on those built arms… On that magnificently exposed torso… On something lining between his crotch.

Wait… Did I say crotch?!

“Our establishment is completely private and safe,” the man whispered behind me, in an effort to convince me. “You enter through this door and can exit through another. No one needs to know that you spent a wonderful night with my Fabio here. For sixty straight minutes, he’ll never say no to you. Whatever you want to be called, he’ll oblige. He can whisper anything to you. He can fulfill whatever task you order him to. And most important of all, we can set his parameters to act however you want. He can be a docile childhood friend for you, a stoic war veteran, a charming prince from a faraway land, or a trusting, loving new boyfriend… Perfect for first-timers…”

“I see…” I whispered while checking my Gold balance. “Would you… would you consider selling him?”

“Hmm? Would you rather have him all for yourself? I suppose I could afford to lose one of my ‘employees’, yes, but for a fair price. This quality does not come cheap, you know?”

“It’s okay,” I said to him, half-smiling. “I’m a former guilder, so I have some savings.”

“I see…” he said, puffing thoughtfully. “But before we reach a deal, I can show you the others.”

“No…” I replied while not taking my eyes off the NPC, finally looking at me. “I want this one…”

So… after selling the old combat gear I didn’t need anymore, I paid 80,000 gold for my new partner.

Although the previous owner ‘blanked’ him, I decided to keep the NPC’s old name as a reminder of where he came from.

“We’re both on the same boat, my dear. We both want to start anew, don’t we?”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll follow you wherever you go.”

And after crossing the sea in a literal boat, that ‘wherever we go’ culminated in Unus Town.

The quiet town where no one knew about my past as a failed guilder. Besides, I had arrived at one of the many Beginner’s Town, so it was expected that everyone living there was an even bigger loser than me, hah! The highest level player there was 34, for christ’s sake!

Poor fellas indeed…

* * *

“Good afternoon, adventurer, please come in!”

A second after I placed a foot in that place, a female NPC beamed at me as if I was the first person to enter in a long time.

“Hi there… Um… This is the Unus’ Townhall, right?”

“That’s correct, miss,” the long-haired NPC said from behind her reception desk. “What can I do for you…” She paused for a second. “...Miss Clara?”

I’ll never get used to NPCs having inside info about us.

“Thanks, sweetheart. Listen, I just arrived here yesterday, and don’t get me wrong, your inn is lovely, but I’d rather rent or buy a house in this town. So be a nice gal and tell me if there is something available.”

“I’m sorry, Miss Clara, but I’m afraid that all the residences are occupied.”

“Bummer,” I said, turning towards my companion. “We’ll have to try luck in the next town then, my dear.”

“But if you’re serious about moving in here,” the Townhall’s NPC said, “I could order the building of a new lot on the town’s outskirts. It would cost you 10,000 gold. Payment in advance, please.”

I certainly liked that place. It was quiet, peaceful, and most important of all, without guilds… No one would find me there, and I wanted to avoid the risk of not being the highest level User around if I went somewhere else.

“How long would the construction take?”

“Three days, at minimum.”

“So cheap! Deal!”

A system window popped up in front of me, asking me for the aforementioned fee. Pressing my thumb against it was the sign for me to turn around and wait until the promised deadline ended, but I wasn’t in the mood to return to the inn or talk to the other townspeople yet.

“So… What do you do here?”

“I’m Unus Mayor,” the virtual gal answered while holding a bright smile. “I’m in charge of helping new Users start their adventure, and everything related to this town’s management.”

“Neat! Um… Do you… need an assistant? I’m looking for a new job.”

“I’m sorry, but an NPC can only perform this job, since we have direct access to the Novus’ framework.”

“My Fabio, here, then! He could help you with that. Come on, just say yes!”

“I’m sorry, but one NPC only can perform this job. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“You’re no fun…” I whispered. “Can I at least hang around here? I don’t want to return to the inn just yet.”

“Sure,” the NPC grinned at me. “Feel yourself at home.”

She shouldn’t have said that, because that’s exactly what I did…

* * *

I made an experiment.

For the next following weeks, I visited that building every morning as if it was my everyday job.

After eating breakfast there, I spent most of my time watching Battle Streams in the lobby or taking a nap on those couches.

So, what about that NPC gal? Well, she never looked bothered by my presence… But I hated watching her standing behind the reception desk… Staring at the nothingness… Ignoring mortality…

People rarely visited the Townhall, I noted it. Only two visits in two weeks. And every time the visitors left, she remained there, doing nothing.

One night I overstepped the limits of what I could do while inside that building, and I stayed there long after the working hours. The NPC did not lock the door and just remained in her waiting place, on eternal standby.

Like a useless doll…

* * *

“Good morning. What can I do for you, Mr--”

Her annoying, sugary voice woke me one day. Was she greeting someone? That would be a first in two entire months…

“I need some info,” a male voice spoke nonchalantly. “Two and a half years ago, the Shooting Stars guild was registered here. I’d like to review the form’s info.”

Shooting Stars? As in the guild the Golden Comet is part of? One of the most powerful Users in all The Novus?!

I peeped at the lobby from behind my couch and found a young man whose level I could not read. A Max-Leveler, most likely. The black color could describe his entire persona. Black hair, black coat, black pants, and shoes. But once his gaze found me, I could see that his eyes looked like a pair of bright golden coins.

“Greetings,” he said, faintly smiling. “I hope I’m not interrupting something.”

It took me a moment to realize that I was in my underwear, and Fabio was beside me. It was wearing cute underwear, mind you, but it was embarrassing nonetheless!

“T-this is not what you think! Give me a minute, please!”

I ducked and changed clothes as fast as I could. Unfortunately, I had nothing remotely close to an office outfit, so I had to wear a white t-shirt and shorts.

“I’m sorry, sir, but I cannot provide that info,” the Mayor said to him in an apologetic tone.

I heard the man exhaling.

“Check my info, then. I’m not trying to access unauthorized data. I’m part of the guild.”

“A second, please… You’re right! Marco Souza, Shooting Star’s second in command. I’ll be glad to--”

“Show this gentleman the info he needs, assistant!” I said while hurrying my way toward them. “You’ll have to excuse her inefficiency, my good sir. She’s kinda slow.”

For a moment, I thought that the tall man would inspect my plain outfit, but he looked me in the eye instead.

“And who might you be, miss…?”

“Miss Clara Domínguez! This town’s Mayor, obviously! Assistant, give him what he needs.”

The female NPC did not say a word and opened a system window in front of him, which he read carefully.

I don’t know what he was looking for, but he seemed annoyed by what he found there.

“That would be all,” he said, nodding, before turning to me. “I’m sorry for coming this early in the morning, but this was important to consult.”

“Don’t worry about it! You can visit us any time you want! 24/7!”

“You’re too kind. I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be on my way then. It was a pleasure meeting you, Mayor Domínguez.”

And with a parting smile, that gorgeous man returned to a surely exciting, max-level life…

“Thanks for visiting us, the mortals, you divine being…” I whispered, sulking. “Mayor Domínguez… It has a good ring to it…”

That man may have been the most handsome, hot, and wonderful man I’ve ever seen…

“Fabio? Did you see that man’s good manners and mannerisms?”

“I did, ma’am.”

“I want you to act like that from now on, okay?”

“As you wish.”

“And it wouldn’t hurt you to look physically like him… You can change your appearance, right?”

“I’ll try my best.”

“Oh, my god, what is happening to me?! Is it hot in here or is it just me? This is the most exciting thing that has happened to me in a while! He’s a Second in Command? No wonder why he looked so imposing!”

My wide grin quickly faded when I caught the female NPC looking at me while maintaining a smile.

She didn’t say a word even if I stared back.

I didn’t like her gaze in the slightest…

* * *

“Are you sure you want to do this? This is all theoretically, after all.”

“What’s the worst that can happen? Is she going to throw me in jail? There’s nothing like that here, I know because I’ve asked her, ha!”

“You may get flagged by the Administrator of Conduct, you know?”

“I’ve done my homework! I’ve checked in the Navinet, and there are no instances of her appearing in small misdemeanors like this. Everything will be okay.”

“I wouldn’t call assassination a ‘misdemeanor’, but fine. It’ll be quite funny if you pull this off.”

The large man from the shady shop placed a silver pocket watch in front of me.

“‘Combat Battery’, huh?” I read the artifact’s skill. “Sounds cool.”

“The Mayor is quite tough thanks to a bunch of passive skills the System gives her for free just for being a leader. If your NPC manages to survive for at least a minute, that will be your trump card. Is he already geared up for this? What about Rogue-class weapons?”

“Nah, we’re good. My Fabio already has brass knuckles.” I grinned, meeting the shop owner’s dumbfounded expression. “What? There’s nothing more manly than killing things with one’s fists.”

* * *

And just like that, I carried on my plan to take over the Townhall.

I had to act fast before the bitch called reinforcements from all over the town.

The resulting battle left the building almost in ruins, but nothing that I could not repair once my plan worked.

A second after that female NPC with lavender hair turned into pixels, the System ordered all NPCs in town to rush their way inside the Townhall. The first to step inside would be the next mayor.

Two seconds later, Fabio received the job.

* * *

It would be a waste to ask that girl for forgiveness since she got a new persona once she got blanked.

Maybe someday, and only if I’m drunk…

After all… I don’t feel remorse in the slightest. It was fun being a mayor for half a year.

She wasn't doing anything useful, so I did her a favor.

She got a better job at the Dragon’s Belly, and now she’s with Alan.

Hmm… Maybe I shouldn’t say those nasty things about her now that she’s part of our team… Even though she was killed off in a second in our battle against Serenity

Oh, Alan, I pity you. Her ‘uselessness curse’ may still haunt her to this day…