Surviving in my Own Unpublished Failed Novel

"Aha! I've told you about that before, right?"

Amelie teased Freya regarding the prostitution service, which works depending on the prostitute's Constitution stat. The higher the Constitution stat, the higher the price of the service of the prostitute.

"...Shut it!"

Freya fiercely glared at Amelie, causing the latter to grin.

"There is also this kind of service in a black market."

Amelie spoke, not minding Freya's previous reaction. Ken, on the other hand, just listened to Amelie's words, though he was somewhat honestly curious about why such a thing was known to a student of an academy.

When Ken became part of Russell's Chaos Companion, he didn't know much even today about their past, but he was silently respecting them — if they wouldn't tell him, then he'd just hope that someday they would as an act of trust.

But considering the demeanor, when they were out of sight of the crowd who had the slightest idea about them, that Russell and the others were showing, Ken had already accepted the fact that these people weren't ordinary in any way.

Walking across the glistening lively streets, Ken asked Russell.

"...Russell, where exactly are we going?"

Although he was informed previously that they would go to the Red Lunar District, which was considered as disobeying the law written in this country, Ken wasn't told yet about the exact location they would go, and the reasons behind it.

"We're close."

Russell whispered before he spotted a dim alley with an ominous atmosphere from a few blocks away from where they were. After a few minutes, regularly taking their pace, they found themselves in front of a metallic door.

"...Purpose?"

A guard, with orange eyes and blonde hair, in a formal suit opened a small window on the door, seeing the four youths outside.

"Table for four. Light drinks only. No extra service. And... a fine bonus."

Russell casually answered the man. The latter then scrutinized him for a moment before he opened the door.

"Here's a hundred thousand."

Russell quickly handed the money, in short, a bribe, to the guard before he and the others went inside without saying anything.

What was screened in their eyes were the various things that humanity commonly desired; lust, drunkenness, gambling, and vanity.

Glancing around the disco atmosphere of the luxurious bar — something that's against the nobility of this country since the nobles believed that there should "only" be a party among the nobles and mere commoners shouldn't act like them.

'Most of them are a pack of fools.'

Russell thought for a moment. Then, after they grabbed their seats, with his eagle eye vision, he found who he was looking for.

He then told the others to look in a certain direction, near the bartender's table, to which they complied without question. After seeing the person, a woman, sitting on a wooden stool, Amelie and the others had different reactions.

Amelie chuckled at the sight; Freya constricted her eyes, unable to believe what she was seeing, and Ken had a curious look on his face regarding why such a person was in this place that embodied human nature.

But, they didn't approach the woman in question.

***

After a few minutes, what Russell ordered arrived on the table, presented in front of them.

"Oppa... It's only this time, okay!?"

"Hey! Let your brother drink sometimes."

Ken just listened and grabbed a glass of drink with almost no alcohol. Russell and Amelie did the same while Freya just looked at the three of them, chugging down the drinks as though it had been so long since they tasted something similar.

"What's good about it, anyway?"

Freya whispered as she puffed her cheeks.

"...You won't understand the lender of happiness!"

Amelie spoke firmly with a smile painted on her lips. After that, she then grabbed the glass that was meant for Freya since the latter wasn't one to drink an alcoholic beverage.

Seeing Freya look at her, Amelie continued to speak her thoughts.

"...For most people, alcohol is considered as the lender of happiness because people who get drunk would be happy for certain moments, temporarily forgetting their problems.

"And then tomorrow, the reality of life will come back and hit them hard, and without much choice, they will move forward until the day something better happens."

Amelie spoke with a smile of gratefulness, though she was not drunk while looking at Russell.

"Anyways, don't mind me. It's just many things have changed."

Ken seemed to relate to Amelie's words since he came from a family that could barely be considered to be in the middle class. On the other hand, Freya just fell silent for a moment, reminding her of Amelie's past — everything that Amelie went through.

After at least ten to fifteen minutes, Russell and the others went to the bartender.

"Excuse me, Sir, where can I find another secluded exit here?"

Russell politely asked. The bartender, a woman with shoulder-length crimson hair and black eyes, who was in her late thirties, and currently rubbing clean some wine glasses, looked at him, somewhat perplexed. After three to four seconds, the woman told Russell the direction as her gaze landed on Freya, Amelie, and Ken.

During that moment, Russell beckoned the bartender and whispered something to her ears, after that, he gave her quite an amount of money as payment for a certain favor.

Glancing again at Russell who was walking with the others, the woman winked before she spoke shortly again.

"...Have fun."

Russell brushed off the teasing smile and went in the direction that the woman had spoken of. Following him, Amelie giggled because of the bartender's words.

***

After at least a minute or two, they found themselves outside the bar. It was another secluded alley, and this time, although resplendent red-orange lights illuminated the surroundings, people could barely be seen walking in the streets.

It didn't take five minutes when a figure appeared from a few meters away from them. It was a blonde woman with blue eyes, as well as fair, tender skin. She was wearing a simple black sleeveless shirt, which exposed her supple arms, and a pair of shorts, which exposed her thighs. In other words, what's standing in front of Russell was an alluring assassin.

Sometime later, under the illumination of the moon, the woman spoke casually.

"...We meet again."

Russell's deep blue eyes constricted, but he wasn't in any way worried about what might happen. Sighing for a moment, Russell then replied, but he didn't show any hint of surprise.

"...I didn't expect to see you here... Czerina?"

Czerina scrutinized every face of Russell's companions. The only one that she wasn't familiar with was Ken Raven though she had seen him in the auction earlier.

For some baffling reason, Czerina almost instantly realized that Russell and the others weren't perturbed by her sudden appearance as though they knew she was coming for them.

'Did they... no, Russell anticipate that I'll come looking for him?'

"May I ask what brings you here? Are you looking for me or..."

Russell spoke in the middle of Czerina's thoughts. Without wasting any time, in this dark alley of seclusion, Russell took out something from his Dimensional Inventory.

It was an ancient, yet looked modern, orb.

Pausing for a second or two, Russell continued:

"Or this one?"

'T-that's...'

Czerina's blue eyes widened. She had the urge to just grab the orb and left, but when Russell voluntarily took it out, she became curious about his peculiar action, as well as his way of talking.

'Is he... really a kid? He's not even eighteen.

"I see. It seems you anticipated why I came here, looking for you.

"If you understand, then hand it to me so that no one will get hurt."

'I have no choice if they resist, but I can easily take care of them.'

Czerina thought, waiting for Russell's response. She was clearly ready to take out her new weapon since the previous one was lost during her first encounter with Russell — though she had no idea that the man was alive and standing in front of her.

"...I hope you make the right-"

"Alright. I'll hand it to you."

Czerina's ears pricked up upon hearing Russell's answer.

"...What?"

She didn't expect that Russell would have the Orb of Truth that easily. She felt like something was amiss, but she couldn't just figure it out.

With Mana Control, Russell controlled the Orb of Truth. It floated from his hands and landed towards Czerina's. She then inspected the artifact if it was a counterfeit, but it truly was the authentic one.

It would be absurd if she asked him why he handed it to her because she's the one who asked for it, though she was acting this way as part of an order from the higher-ups of the Shadow Guild.

"...Can we go now?"

Russell casually asked. His expression was no doubt tired of this night and just wanted to go home. Slowly taking their steps, Russell walked past Czerina, who was dazed.

"Wait-!"

As their backs faced each other, Czerina stopped Russell, causing the others to do the same. Half-turning his head, Russell looked at her curiously.

Without responding to her abrupt action, Czerina continued:

"...Do you perhaps know something about the Orb of Truth?"

Since Sir Britz told her that she shouldn't stick up her nose to confidential matters, Czerina still couldn't help but wonder about the ancient artifact.

"...It determines the truths, lies, or the mix of both."

"Ah..."

Czerina's mouth agape. She truly found it strange that Russell would hand the artifact over without hidden meaning behind it. In other words, it would make Russell someone who spent a hundred billion Obel just to be given to people he had no idea about. 𝐟r𝒆ℯ𝘄𝑒𝒃𝚗𝒐𝘃e𝗹.c𝘰𝐦

Turning her body, she then looked at the disappearing Russell and his companions, but at that moment, Russell spoke with a cold emotion.

"You should go home... eldest daughter of the Elydine Grand Duke Household."

Although his voice was joining with the cold air of the night, gradually dissipating, Czerina didn't miss any single word that came out of Russell's mouth.

Reflexively, she vanished from her spot and lunged toward Russell.

At least that was what suppose to happen... until when she heard a woman's voice behind her.

"...S-sister Czerina??"

Glancing back, Czerina found the second sibling, holding a bottle of hardcore wine.

"...C-Celiya...? W-what are doing here?"

"...S-sis...? I-is that really you? P-please come back home."

Czerina clenched her fists and tried to look for Russell or any of his companions, but her sight didn't manage to find any single one of them as though they vanished into thin air.

"...Celiya..."

Quickly accepting the situation that might have been set up by Russell, Czerina approached one of her siblings.

***

"I still can't believe that it's the true nature of an Orb of Truth, especially when there are around nine of them throughout the continent, right?"

Amelie spoke, exhausted. With the help of Nihility, they warped from the Red Lunar District, concealed from the prying eyes and attentive ears, to Russell's designated guest room in the Star Hotel of Nobility.

"By the way, during the last day of the School Trip, all of you should stick close to me, and be attentive at all times."

It was a stern warning from Russell. Freya, on the other hand, had a look of apprehension. Since she could flip the pages and read the chapters of the Last Defector of Reality, what would happen next, though might not be accurate according to her older brother, would bring disaster to humanity.

Without questioning his words, they left the guest room, leaving him alone.

***

At the same time, on this cold, chilling night, a woman, wearing a black hoodie, entered a certain museum without being detected by any security.

A few seconds later, the woman called someone through a smartwatch.

"My Lord, I'm inside the museum. The coordinates will now be put in place."

With a compliment from the other end of the call, the woman proceeded to use one of her skills.

The sound that would signify the destruction of true peace resounded from where the woman was standing.