Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 46: Back Down To Reality

"Can I roam around for a while, No. 1?"

"Feel free to do whatever you want, No. 6. Just be back here by 16:30."

"Ah, No. 6. Hold your long fucking legs, I'm coming with you!"

The Lowborns. No one really talks about them.

Perhaps no one cares, or perhaps they are disgusted by the mere presence of their name included in their conversation. And whenever they do get to the news, it is news of them committing a crime. Stealing, trespassing, squatting.

In truth, Rhys also did not have that good of an opinion about other Lowborns too. It is also true that they do steal and they trespass — and most of what Rhys has seen on the internet was them being rude to everyone.

And now that Rhys was walking through this so-called village of theirs in the Underworld, seeing the rusted metal sheets that served as their walls, the steel wires that held them together, the rotten wood. None of them truly had a choice, did they?

"You were right, No. 2." And as Rhys passed by a little boy who was sitting on the ground, just wearing an oversized white shirt that seemed to have not been washed for years, he stopped walking and glanced at No. 2 who was walking beside him,

"I guess I lucked out."

"W—don't fucking mind what I said, I don't know anything," No. 2 once again stuttered as he slightly looked away, "I am sure you had it rougher than most too."

"No," Rhys shook his head, "I had food, a house, an education...

...My tragedy lives in my memory, these people are still living in it."

"No, one look at you and I could see you're also still living yours," No. 2 approached the little boy that was sitting on the ground, gently brushing his hand on the boy's hair and wiping the dirt on his face,

"I have seen the worst of people. Do not become one of them, Rhys."

"..."

No. 2 then grabbed a pouch of jerky from his pockets, giving the last piece to the boy, whose eyes immediately lit up as soon as he caught scent of the dried meat.

"Ah! Tavi, don't bother the little lady!"

"Oh, it's fine, Ma'am," No. 2 immediately raised both his palms up as the boy was suddenly pulled away by who he could only assume to be his mother, "He wasn't bothering us at all."

"Mama... mama!" The boy did not seem to know how to speak yet, the only thing he did was smile and show the beef jerky to his mother. As soon as he did so, however, his mother snatched it from his hand.

"G...give that to me!" The mother glanced at No. 2 and Rhys, before just looking away and leaving abruptly.

"Hey, that's for your fucking son!"

"..." Rhys could really only watch as the mother ate the piece herself, leaving only a small crumb for her son.

"Fuck," No. 2 clicked his tongue before just letting out a small but very deep sigh, "I told you, No. 6. Bad people are everywhere, the only difference is the number of options they have."

"Hm," Rhys grunted.

"Want to help these people, No. 6? Don't become one of them," No. 2 started waving his hand as he walked away, "Let's go before we get mobbed, they're already starting to gather."

"..." Rhys looked around, only to notice that there were people hiding behind the metal walls; their eyes, almost glowing as they looked at him and No. 2 as if they were prey,

"The dregs of society, that is us. Thank you for showing this to me, No. 2."

"Huh? The fuck are you talking about?" No. 2 snorted, "I just walked with you because I didn't want to deal with having to face the families of those women. Those poor things... they would probably die soon from their wounds too."

"Is the government really not providing them aid?"

"The government is blind with what they don't want to see, No. 2," No. 2 almost spat out there and then.

"Those hissyrs, what were they doing to the women in the first place?" Rhys somewhat already had an answer in his mind, but he wanted to confirm it.

"The Surface," No. 2 stopped walking as he pointed to the ground, "Most other races living in the Underworld could shapeshift into one of us. But there are others like the hissyr that are not capable of that sorcery...

...and so they just learned how to wear our skin. The Faceless Crew's mission is to stop them from going to the Surface, by all means necessary."

"..."

"Grim, right?" No. 2 giggled as he started walking again, "Anyway, let's go. Still have lots of destinations to go to."

"Wait," Rhys blinked as he walked beside No. 2, "We're not going back to the base?"

"The fuck are you smoking, No. 6?" No. 2 burst out in a fit of laughter as he started slapping Rhys's leg, "You're in the military, you're deployed...

...You'll be traveling with us for 2 months."

***

"Ah, I miss this floor! Shower, I need the bath!"

"Wait, No. 2! I thought I was going to go first?"

"Fuck you, No. 6! Seniority matters here! Take a shower in the public shower like everybody else, you tall fuck!"

"But we had a deal!"

"You snooze, you lose!"

"Hey!"

Two months had gone by, with Rhys barely even noticing time passing. How could he, when almost every other day, he found himself covered in blood? There were not really that many that attempted to steal faces and go up to the Surface, mostly just the hissyrs. But it did not matter as the Faceless crew also had to face every monster they came in contact with.

He was looking forward to meeting the other races, but he was told they like to keep themselves hidden and completely separate.

And now, almost 2 months of no rest for everyone except No. 3, whom Rhys had never really seen awake yet, they were back on the base.

Rhys was currently holding the knob of a door, but No. 2 was also holding it from the other side and preventing him from opening it.

"You fucking pervert! Do you really want to see my naked body that much, huh!? You pedophile!" No. 2 was laughing maniacally; his voice, loudly heard even though he was inside the Faceless Crew's private bathroom.

"Do you want me to ram the door open for you, No. 6?"

"Stay out of this, you obese fuck! Haha!"

"You're never going to win, No. 6." And as the noise in their office grew louder and louder, No. 6 let out a long and deep sigh and patted Rhys's shoulder, "Also, you don't have time to clean up, the Commander's calling for you."

"Oooh."

Everyone let out a small hum, even No. 4 was signing with his hands and making weird noises with his mouth.

"You seem to truly curry much favor with the Commander. I know we have talked about this before, but are you truly not in a relationship with her?" No. 5 squinted his eyes, causing his fat cheeks to rise up.

"No," Rhys let out a sigh as he finally let go of the doorknob and walked away, "I'll just take a shower later. Call me when we have a mission again."

"No. 6."

"Hm?"

"She's not in the building," No. 1 tapped Rhys on the back, before pointing down,

"She's back on the Surface."

***

"Rhys Wilder, Ma'am. You called for me?"

"Recruit, you—Well, by the gods. Is that really you, Rhys Wilder? Did you just get taller in two months?"

"I haven't measured yet, Ma'am."

"Come, sit."

Rhys lowered his salute as he entered Ayesha's tent. And like before, there was a scent of smoke of a certain sweetness lingering in the air. And as he sat down in front of Ayesha's desk, he once again noticed the small teddy bear... this time in Ayesha's hands.

"Damn, I barely even recognize you, Recruit. Your hair is still eating your face, but I could see you smiling from a mile away."

"...Am I?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he touched his face, which he hadn't done in a very long time since he was always wearing a mask.

"You are, you seem happy," Ayesha looked Rhys in the eyes.

"I... guess I am?" The sides of Rhys's lip very slightly moved up as he returned Ayesha's gaze, "No. 2 and the others, I don't know what they look like, I have barely even spoken their names...

...but they have become very good friends."

"Good, that's very good," Ayesha nodded several times before placing her teddy bear on the desk and standing up, "I did not actually summon you here to ask about you. You have a call from the outside."

"A call...?" Rhys then watched as Ayesha dialed something on the phone from his desk and handed it to Rhys, "Is it from Dr. Lopez?"

Or perhaps Lina?

"..." Ayesha once again looked Rhys in the eyes,

"...Your sister."

And with those words, Ayesha watched as the glimpse of a smile on Rhys's face just faded away instantly.

"...Oh."