Clockwork Bride

Page 306

Wow, so much money? That makes all the difference.

Tanaka immediately opened the list, intending to memorize everyone on it—if he could capture just one agent, he could make a lot of money, strengthen himself, change jobs, and change his current life!

On the first page of the wanted list, the first person was a very dangerous foreign wizard named... um, Hayden?

Looking at his photo, Tanaka felt like he'd seen him somewhere before. But it was probably just his imagination…

...Is it an illusion?

374: New and Old People

At first, Hayden refused when Koyo told him that they should go to the geisha district of Kyoto first.

"Hongye, I'm a married man with a family, how could I go to a place like this..."

Hongye felt utterly helpless in the face of Hayden's hypocritical attitude: "Sir, I only intend to take you for a stroll, not to have you buy prostitutes for the night."

Ah, I see.

But if that's the case, why bother coming to the red-light district or brothels?

"Since ancient times, all the islands of Japan have been protected by the [Great Barrier of the Imperial God], and the Great Barrier was built with Kyoto as its core."

Before coming to Japan, Momiji explained it this way.

"Four hundred years ago, the Mithra Group broke the [Imperial God Great Barrier] and forcibly ended Japan's isolationist state. Later, the God of Humanity betrayed the God of the Land, suppressed the Land God Clan, seized control of the country under the Mithra Group, and rebuilt the [Imperial God National Defense Great Barrier]. Moreover, a new barrier core was built in Tokyo, but the old flaws could not be completely repaired."

Hayden seemed to understand half of it: "So Kyoto is the area with the most flaws left by the old Great Barrier, making it the least likely place for sneaky infiltrators like us to be discovered. The logic is simple, but you still haven't explained why we should go to brothels and entertainment districts. Why don't we just go to Ashihara Province?"

“To enter the Land of Reed Plains without alerting Susanoo, we must find a ‘guide’,” Momiji replied. “When I died and was resurrected by the master, I was removed from the original authentication system, so I need to find a fellow countryman within the system, and of course, I cannot betray our fellow countrymen.”

Hearing this, Hayden frowned: "So all your compatriots are in brothels? Doesn't that sound a bit strange..."

“Master, the reason is actually quite simple.” Hongye gave a sad smile. “After the Mitra Group broke Japan’s isolationist policy, it abolished Japan’s slave system and prohibited the buying and selling of people. However, the courtesans and geishas in brothels not only need to be beautiful, but also need to be able to sing, dance, and have cultural refinement in various ways of speaking and talking. So, the most suitable people for this profession are, of course, the noble ladies who were high and mighty yesterday but have been overthrown and fallen today.”

Hayden was speechless.

This is about a respectable young lady who was sent to a brothel after losing a battle... No, actually that's what happened.

So although Hayden was persuaded by the red leaves, he was actually quite melancholy when he came to the red-light district, after all, it was a great tragedy.

Let's go back to the present.

After leading Hayden and Ange off the rickshaw, Hongye led them all the way to their destination, showing that she knew the way well.

Once upon a time, in feudal times, Japan's brothels were self-contained communities, surrounded by walls with only one gate. To prevent the courtesans from escaping, moats were dug outside the walls. The courtesans were trapped in these places, hence the name "Yukaku" (literally "courtyard houses").

Four hundred years ago, after the Mithra Group forced Japan to open its doors to the world, it also prohibited such forced restraints on people. As a result, the current "red-light district" is literally a street lined with brothels of various sizes and classes.

The courtesans were no longer confined to the courtyards as in ancient times; they could come and go as they pleased. Dressed in flamboyant kimonos, some sat at the door applying powder, some leaned cutely against the door, and others buried themselves in books, appearing quite free.

"Aren't you afraid they'll run away... Oh, right, I was being stupid."

Hayden glanced at them a few more times, then realized what was happening.

"No matter where you go, the need for money will always come back to haunt you."

Although there are no longer any city walls or brothels, the prostitutes sitting in the brothels are still just like the merchandise displayed in shop windows, bound by the chains of money.

Meanwhile, Hongye led Haiden on a brisk walk through the red-light district and soon found a particularly luxurious-looking brothel, the highest-class "Omi-se," a beautiful classical Japanese-style building. Although it was only two stories high, it occupied a very large area and must have been enchanted with space-expanding magic, as the surroundings were decorated with exceptional elegance.

As Hongye led Haiden toward the brothel entrance, a courtesan who had been leaning against the inside of the door suddenly darted out, smiling as she blocked the doorway. In a soft, airy accent, she said, "Young man, we're here to introduce... oh?"

Then the courtesan finally saw the red leaves clearly and was immediately taken aback: "Your Highness!?"

Hayden was also taken aback: "What princess?"

"Tell Komakusa Tayu that I'm back," Momiji hurriedly said to the woman at the door. "Long time no see, Shizuka."

The courtesan was even more surprised, so much so that she reverted to her original accent: "Does Your Highness know my name?!"

Hongye pulled Hayden into the brothel without a second thought. Angela followed behind with great interest.

It was just around the time the brothel was about to open. Many courtesans were emerging from their rooms, hurrying to wash and groom themselves in the corridor. Hayden and his two companions' sudden entrance naturally attracted a lot of attention. Then, when they saw Hongye, many of the courtesans were startled: "Isn't this Her Highness the Princess?"

Hayden finally couldn't help but complain, "Red Leaf, are you sure this won't give us away? How come everyone here knows you?"

“Absolutely not.” Hongye’s answer was decisive. “The courtesans here are all our compatriots.”

Hayden was taken aback. He opened his prophetic eye and looked at the courtesans. He then discovered that they all had fox tails or cat ears, as well as some Japanese yokai features that Hayden couldn't recognize at the moment, and even some with spider legs. It turned out that all the courtesans in this brothel were Japanese yokai from the old era, all of them were ancient gods!

However, the women who had gathered there soon dispersed, because a woman whose temperament and demeanor were clearly different from theirs—the courtesan, the highest-ranking prostitute in this brothel—had come over.

She was a glamorous woman dressed in a heavy, ornate, multi-layered, bright red arabesque-patterned kimono. She held a gold folding fan to cover her mouth in her left hand and a slender pipe in her right. She had long, pinkish-purple hair, like the violets on a mountain.

Hayden carefully examined the alluring courtesan and found that while she possessed no obvious monstrous features, she exuded a subtle, almost imperceptible, aura. This feeling… could she be a local deity who had lost faith and worship, and fallen into monstrous form?

"Tao Komagusa."

Hongye bowed slightly to the courtesan.

Komagusa is a common alpine plant in Japan, and is considered a close relative of the peony. Its flowers are pinkish-purple.

The term "Taifu" refers to the highest-ranking prostitute in ancient brothels. In feudal times, brothels had a strict hierarchy, and "Taifu" was the highest rank, possessing both beauty and refinement, and being proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. She was reserved for the most distinguished guests.

In this day and age, the title "Taofu" no longer exists; people only refer to the top courtesans as "Queen of Flowers." But the Queen of Flowers is ultimately just a flower. The honorific title "Taofu" is derived from the concept of "female officials of the Jiaofang" (a type of courtesan service).

In other words, this Komakusa Tayu was like the highest-ranking "official" in this brothel.

"Oh dear, isn't this Your Highness? We thought you were dead or hiding somewhere." The courtesan covered her mouth with her golden fan and said casually, "What are you doing back now? Did you get into trouble outside?"

"I need to go back to Ashihara and I need a guide," Momiji said calmly. "I can't let the gods find out, and I also need to take these two noble people with me."

She gestured to the doctor, who was following behind Hayden and Angela.

The courtesan immediately frowned: "What nonsense! Do you know that Lord Tujini Tian has already issued an arrest warrant for you? You'll get us all killed. Let's go, let's pretend you were never here."

The order to leave was issued swiftly. But before Hongye could reply, the other courtesans around her hissed and berated their courtesan, "The princess rarely returns, how dare you so easily order her to leave?"

"You think you're the smartest? You're as scared as a tortoise!"

Enraged by their outburst, Komakusa Tayu turned around and berated the lower-ranking prostitutes: "Shut up! All you do is act on emotion! We've managed to survive here by hiding, and if we harbor traitors and anger the company, we'll all be stripped back to our original state and banished to the underworld, never to rise again!"

Several courtesans shrank back, too afraid to speak. But a few continued to argue with the court attendant: "What's there to be afraid of about death? It won't get any better if we live. We just need a minute to kill ourselves before we get caught!"

So now, Hayden finally understood that Momiji's help in "going to Ashihara to find Asmodius" was not an easy task at all—he had originally thought that it was just a matter of having Momiji lead the way back to her hometown to avoid the surveillance of the Mitra Group and the Japanese government, but who would have thought there would be this turn of events!?

Now that things have come to this point, and faced with this stalemate, Hayden, as the instigator, certainly can't just stand by like a fool any longer.

"Cough cough."

He coughed deliberately, walked between Momiji and Komakusa, and drew out his voice.

“Friend, whether you’re going to say something or curse someone, make sure you target the person in charge. I’m the one responsible for this.”

The courtesan glared at Hayden, frowning. "Who are you? You seem somewhat familiar."

Good question. This is such a philosophical question. Hayden didn't really know how to answer it for a moment. Who is he?

He couldn't very well say he was Karen's husband and the Peacock King's son-in-law, even though that was indeed Hayden's official status in the divine society. Aside from that, Hayden didn't really have any particularly impressive social standing.

But if one wants to gain the trust of this fallen courtesan, these identities are clearly absurd.

So appealing to emotions and saying "I'm here to save you"... doesn't seem very convincing.

These thoughts raced for only a fleeting moment. Many options were possible, but Hayden's first thought was only one, and it was incredibly audacious.

You know about smoke goggles from South America, right?

Hayden said,

"I just killed Him yesterday. I came to Japan today to kill the capitalist god who currently rules you."

As soon as he finished speaking, he reached out and opened the portable dimensional portal, and began to pour out a large pile of Japanese yen banknotes and gold coins from the space, piling them into a small mountain.

"This is, and it's just for the journey fee. I need to go to the Ashihara Kingdom first, and I need you to guide me. Once I come out, I'll kill all these gods."

This brothel is the highest-class "Daikense," and Komakusa Tayu is the highest-ranking courtesan, over 500 years old. She's definitely not some naive young girl who's never seen money or the world. A kiss from her usually costs at least several million yen; she's truly as valuable as if she were studded with diamonds.

Even Komakusa Tayu had never seen anyone use a spatial portal to dump banknotes and gold coins, piling them up on the brothel floor. Besides, this wasn't payment for prostitution; it was, uh, a toll for guiding someone?

And he even said he was going to kill a god??

This is a very serious matter. This person spoke out and threw out so much money; everyone here heard it. Even if the courtesans immediately report to Dakini, it will probably not be easy to resolve the matter simply afterward.

As the saying goes, ordinary people always suffer a lot when they get involved with the government, whether it's good or bad. How much more so in a case like this, an assassination attempt on a deity? Especially since these old gods are a thorn in the side of the new gods, their origins are illegitimate!

No wonder Komakusa Tayu is now in such a dilemma. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said to the onlookers, "What are you all standing there for? The shop is about to open, what will happen if the customers see this? Quickly take them to the room! And change their clothes!"

Angela, standing nearby, raised her hand enthusiastically and asked, "Can I wear the courtesan's clothes too?"

No one recognized Angela, but Komakusa Tayu, with his vast experience, immediately recognized her as a Valkyrie-level cybernetic body. Of course, he dared not let her change into a courtesan's clothes—imagine a top-of-the-line, cutting-edge captain fighter jet dressed as a prostitute walking around a red-light district; there would be something wrong with that, wouldn't there? So Komakusa Tayu quickly said, "Change him and her into guest yukatas!"

While it might seem a bit odd for female warrior goddesses to be visiting the red-light district, it's not entirely unreasonable; it's quite normal by modern standards of sexuality.

And so, a group of prostitutes who were usually responsible for entertaining guests quickly surrounded them and dragged Hayden and his companions away to change clothes.

——————————————————————————————

Frankly, even by Hayden's standards, what happened today is rather strange.

However, he was well aware that he was largely to blame for this, as it was mostly his idea and decision to do it. Therefore, Hayden had no intention of complaining and let the prostitutes help him change clothes and dress up.

Five minutes later, Angela, wearing a light blue guest yukata, came into Hayden's room and looked quite happy.

"I thought you would be very resistant and hate me for coming to such a disreputable place."

Hayden asked casually.

“I probably would have objected before, but didn’t I chat with Remiel and Melek Tauss for a while yesterday?” Angela said with a smile. “For your own good, I think I should interfere with you a little less.”

……what?

This is so, so unexpected!

“Since I’ve decided to mind my own business, I should naturally experience more of the process… Ah, the rest of the process.” Angela said, leaning back happily on the soft cushions for guests. “Master, seeing these so-called ‘immoral’ corners is a good thing for you, as long as it makes you more determined in your goals. Because the world is here, because people’s lives are here.”

Hayden rubbed his temples, remaining silent. He was indeed a bit smarter than before. Clearly, Angela was trying to convey an important truth, and Hayden didn't consider it foolish. Especially after his conversation with Komakusa Tayu, Hayden truly felt a sense of enlightenment.

Yes. He's going to acquire the power of the Outer Gods and then kill all these capitalist gods!

...I hope things really go that smoothly.

Suddenly, the paper door to the guest room was pulled open. A girl slowly walked in from outside. Hayden turned his head and saw that it was Hongye, but she had already been dressed in different clothes by the courtesans.

A bright red long-sleeved kimono, made using Kaga Yuzen's unique dyeing method, is paired with a pale pink jacket; a silk sash woven in the traditional Nishijin weaving style of Kyoto is embroidered with gold thread, and a family heirloom short sword, "Hatsushimo," hangs on her back. Momiji walks in with a dignified and resolute air, like a peony flower, and indeed, the more you look at her, the more she resembles a samurai princess.

“This outfit is my mother’s heirloom.” Noticing Hayden’s gaze, Momiji quickly explained, “It was inherited from our ancestors. Komakusa Tayu kept it.”

Hayden sat cross-legged on the tatami mat, scratching his head: "So you really are a princess of the ancient Japanese gods."

"No."

Unexpectedly, Hongye immediately shook her head, her expression turning somewhat gloomy.

"What kind of princess dresses in noble clothes, keeps her body pure, and lets her people spread their legs to make money?

"I was chosen by Dajini to be her ninja simply because I inherited more divine power and was the closest to the bloodline of the ancestral god among the surviving members of my clan. I didn't have to sell my virginity. It was just good luck, not because I did anything or deserved anything."

“A true princess should be able to protect her people, and I have not done so, therefore I am not a princess. Someone as radiant and remarkable as Lady Karen is the Peacock King’s princess, and will surely be the greatest goddess in the future.”

...In fact, from Hayden's own point of view, enduring humiliation and doing dirty work as a ninja for his enemy was actually a way of protecting his own people...However, Hayden also knew that this situation was caused by Momiji's guilt, which could not be resolved with just a few words.

So Hayden had to change the subject: "Now I understand why Hela told me that Japan is a semi-feudal, semi-capitalist country. In other places, although there are theoretical 'princess's, such as Karen, people don't really care about this kind of 'status'."

Karen does receive special treatment because she is the daughter of the Peacock King, but that's because her father is strong, terrifying, and very lively.

Momiji's parents and even ancestors were all dead, so her family name and bloodline brought her no material benefits. But strangely enough, both the defeated land gods and the capital gods of Susanoo's lineage truly took Momiji's bloodline seriously. They either respected her or feared her.

Although Hongye is a princess of the old gods, she and her people probably never imagined that they would rebel against the new gods now, let alone actually do so. However, the current ruling gods are still wary of her, target her, and torment and humiliate her people.

Because bloodline, government, and the power of the state still exist and are very important here, and because Japan's capitalist god is only a "semi-capitalist" god. When political power is still passed down through bloodlines, it means that this country has not yet achieved true "modernization."

If Hayden really wanted to do some political maneuvering in Japan, he suspected he could even use Momiji as a banner to oppose the Kagami lineage of Susanoo... Unfortunately, Hayden didn't have the time.

After all, Mithras was almost conquering the world, Hayden really didn't have time for this.

Therefore, Hayden couldn't say things like "I will save you" to Koyo, and he wasn't that confident in himself.

All he could say was, "Once we finish our business in Japan and go back, I can take everyone who wants to run away to New Sprout City."

This is certainly better than doing nothing, but can it be considered a victory? Can it be considered winning back everything that was oppressed, humiliated, and taken from them? Probably not.

But Hongye was already very grateful for this.

“Master, Hongye is not an ungrateful fool.”