Absolute Depravity: Reincarnated with a lustful System

Chapter 72 72 - Corruption Bleeds Gold (Part 1)

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[Sensitive content warning]

"By Asmodia's order, consume my enemies!" Trying to cast a dark magic spell for the hundredth time, Haruki could no longer bear to keep repeating those incantations.

"Consume!" When Haruki's spell failed, Margarette used her own magic to drain all the energy from an enemy slime. After just a few seconds the slime was stripped of all power and got turned into ash.

"Why does yours work but mine doesn't?" He grunted, frustrated out of his mind.

"Unlike you, I've been a mage my whole life," pointing to the sapphire brooch hanging by Haruki's neck Margarette explained further. "Besides you've been too heavily reliant on that thing so obviously trying to cast spells by yourself will give you some trouble."

"You didn't have to do the incantations," Haruki mumbled in response.

"That's because she used to be a holy mage, but you were a swordsman in your previous life, the contrast in those two classes must be hard for your soul to work around," Finally been shown Haruki's memories on their visit to Moriyana, Riley was already adding valuable input wherever needed.

"Ekkk! Riley help me!" Asuka cried running away from a slithery slime following her through the grassy open plains.

"Ughhh…" Shrugging her shoulders, Riley reached into her cape and took out a throwing knife.

Swiftly throwing it in the direction of the slime, she pierced through it in a single shot. Squealing out a cry the slime lowered into a puddle before turning into ash.

'If this is our situation in an open grass field, then I don't have high hopes for us if we have to fight monsters in a dank decrepit dungeon.' Failing to recruit any adventurers after sending out anonymous flyers in the adventurer's guild, Haruki knew he had no other choice but to capture the minotaurs himself. 'No wonder nobody wants to go after minotaurs if defeating slimes is already this hard.'

"Didn't you kill a person before? Why does slime bother you so much?" Walking closer to her, Riley asked Asuka.

"It's different! And don't complain to me I'm your master!" She growled.

"Alright, alright," Riley's casual response only enraged her further.

"Forget it, for now, we're going back to the city," standing shaded under a tree, Haruki yelled out to the two. "I need to check some stuff in the city."

Turning to look back at Haruki, both of them seemed a bit delighted that the practice monster hunt was over. Margarette felt the same, although in her case she was enjoying her alone time with Haruki by teaching him about magic skills.

"Mask presence: Arnold," turning into his mercenary form, Haruki eyed the others to do the same.

Once they had all turned back into their disguises, they were off on their way back to the city. Having escaped the castle by using their clones, walking on foot was the only unfortunate option they had.

"Belladona, Ray, go meet up with Moriyana, she'll give you our cut of the gold, you have to drop it off with Arnold the treasurer," sending the two off on their own mission, Haruki decided to check up on the crime and see what kind of state the duchy really was in.

Sweeping by the streets in broad daylight, Haruki wasn't expecting to see much, however, that all changed when he saw the two men who he'd saved Riana from. Hanging around in the same alley, they both instantly noticed Haruki approaching them from a distance. Shaken by his sudden appearance, their body jolted back in terror from the memories of that unfortunate night.

"Moriyana put you two to good use I'm assuming?" Standing in front of them, he glared them down with tightly squinted eyes. "What are you gents up to? Tell me."

With only the slightest idea of Haruki's relationship with their master, both of them knew better than to oppose him in any way. Steeling their heart, they reached for the collars hidden inside their hoods. It served as a reminder of what Haruki had done to them and how he'd trapped them through the city tugging on the same piece of cloth.

"W-we were just asked to alarm others in case we see any guards," muttered one of them.

'Looking for guards? Gorgon already knows we're earning blood money, so why would Moriyana have them stationed here?' Wanting to know more, Haruki moved even closer to the two. Grabbing the guy who'd just spoken by the shoulders, he glared down at him as intimidation.

"Show me everything you know about your master's operations," urging Asuka to use charm on them from the back, Haruki managed to get them under his spell. "Lead the way."

Following the two for a while, he was led into an inn at the very corner of the business district. There after being introduced as an accomplice of Moriyana he was led further down into the basement where a file of masked men were shedding sweat working on some sort of hallucinogenic herb.

"This smells horrible…" Scowling at the putrid smell, Asuka covered her nose. Even though she was posing at the busty mage Rise, her senses were keen as her demi-form form.

"What kind of drug is it?" Haruki asked one of the workers.

At first, he gave Haruki a nasty look wondering why he was being bossed by a stranger, but noticing the familiar faces of his guides, he quickly gave him an answer.

"It's Mesha, gets you higher than a cloud," picking up a sealed bag he handed it to Haruki. "Used to be a fertility drug, but when the empire found out about its aphrodisiac effects they banned it from every kingdom and duchy."

'She's trying to get the people hooked with drugs that affect libido, I doubt it'd be long before she tries to introduce prostitution too.' Scanning the place, he noticed boxes upon boxes of the drug being carried out of the back entrance.

"How much are we selling each day?" he asked, still following the boxes with his gaze.

"Almost all of it, but once we get that bypass done then we might have to increase production to smuggle into other duchies," shooting a sharp gaze, the worker got back to his station.

From there the two guides took him to the other hubs of crimes. Most of them were under Haruki's expected profession, but then there were some that shocked even his demonic instincts.

'I knew these royalties were never up to any good,' standing in a slaughterhouse of people, Haruki was glaring at the shocking sight of the corpses hung up by hook.

"Do people really eat other people?" Still possessing a bit of innocence Asuka couldn't believe the truth.

"They do but don't feel bad, everyone we kill was neck deep in debt," answered the first pale vampire they both had ever seen.