Many people come looking for the Soft Club.
It is made up of loyal regular customers.
This massage shop was flourishing smoothly.
However, it wasn’t necessarily because the staff’s massage skills were exceptional.
After all…
This place was actually a location where the sexuality of beastmen was sold.
The massage shop was just an excuse to cover up their real intentions.
In truth, it was a place for those who wanted to engage in intimate activities with beastmen.
Anyone who knew the backstreets well would be aware of this.
Especially those well-versed in underground knowledge, such as those who had infiltrated the Silence of the Lambs, would know it all too well.
And that’s why everyone affiliated with this place was in shock.
The new professor from Huangli Academy, Riyan.
‘How could someone like him set foot in such a place?’
There is a limit to even unrealistic events.
As soon as the staff saw Riyan, they quickly started thinking.
At first, the idea of a powerful figure’s depraved hobbies came to mind.
However, they quickly dismissed that thought.
A beastman who couldn’t think straight wouldn’t have made it this far.
Most of the staff quickly concluded that Riyan was here for one of two reasons.
He was likely here for a raid or a search.
There was no way he had come as a customer.
He must have brought a group of imperial guards with him.
“Do you have a coupon? Is it still valid?” Riyan asked casually.
But his tone and actions made it clear that he wasn’t there for a normal massage.
A fox beastman muttered, “He once summoned me when my name wasn’t that well-known. He asked me to set up a sunbed in front of the students… and said it was fine to do the work here. Told me to hurry up and get to it…”
The fox muttered, blushing in embarrassment, “Thankfully, the students kicked me out, so I didn’t have to do anything embarrassing in front of everyone.”
It was clear now.
Although it was hard to believe, Riyan was a pervert.
He had come here to satisfy his own desires.
Riyan briefly scanned the staff.
He pointed to a beastman casually.
“This one looks like a veteran. Is he available?”
Everyone’s faces turned pale.
The beastman Riyan pointed at was a muscular fox with silver fur.
In other words, he was male.
The fox’s face was drenched in cold sweat.
He had met all kinds of people and had been through many strange experiences, but even he had some preferences.
Not only was this beastman of a different species, but he was also the same gender.
He would rather die than accept it.
It wasn’t his specialty, but he had no choice.
The official title was a contracted labor agreement.
But everyone called it a slave contract—a shackle.
Beastmen were second-class citizens.
They couldn’t even use public facilities properly.
They were clearly inferior beings, separated from humans.
The one running the Soft Club, Bakun, was an evil man who captured and shackled beings of all species, regardless of age or race.
If he missed this customer, he didn’t know what kind of trouble he might face.
He would probably be yelled at, called insane.
If he was lucky, it would only end with a whipping.
If not, he might be thrown into solitary confinement.
Dignity didn’t fill his stomach.
It was better to sell his dignity than starve alone in a dark cell for a month.
With a tense face, he swallowed.
He steeled himself.
The silver fox took Riyan to a room…
***
The sound of snoring echoed.
As soon as Riyan lay on the bed, he fell asleep immediately.
‘Was this part of some sort of neglectful play?’
After thinking for a while, the staff decided to wake Riyan.
When they did, he spoke in an odd manner.
“I’ve been really stressed lately, so I must have dozed off without realizing it. Has the massage already finished?”
He sounded like someone who had really come for a massage.
But it didn’t make sense.
Riyan was the one who had caught the Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal.
He was an intelligent criminal who had avoided the Empire’s notice for over a decade.
‘Could it be that he didn’t recognize this place as a place for entertainment and debauchery?’
The club was a well-known establishment, not a place for innocent relaxation.
It was clear that Riyan knew full well where he was.
Despite this, he had come and behaved as if he had no other purpose than to get a massage and chat.
‘Could it be that he was trying to help oppressed beastmen?’
‘Or perhaps, he had just come out of the blue, asking for a massage and nothing else?’
It was hard to believe, but…
The possibility of him trying to help those like himself was… plausible.
Riyan seemed to view the beastmen as people and believed they deserved better treatment.
‘Could it be…’
The thought crossed the fox’s mind, though he wasn’t sure if it was just wishful thinking.
Still, something about Riyan’s actions didn’t sit right.
‘Is this really a misunderstanding?’
…No, honestly, it didn’t matter whether this was a misunderstanding or not.
To survive, hope was necessary.
There might be a better tomorrow.
Without such hope, the beastmen would have been unable to endure the dire situation they were in.
The silver fox quickly took action.
Beastmen who hadn’t received proper education.
The illiteracy rate was abysmal, and, naturally, he wasn’t fluent in the Imperial language.
But even if it was impossible now, he had to make it happen.
He hastily scribbled a note in the guidebook.
“Please read this confidential letter.
If your mind is made up after reading, please come back to see me.”
With these words, the fox sent the guest on their way and quickly spread the news to his fellow beastmen.
Since everyone was in such a desperate situation, the spread of the news was swift.
Everyone was hoping for some good news.
What sealed the deal was the conquest of the Dark Realm.
It was a feat accomplished with only summoned creatures.
That person was a true superhuman who was not bound by common sense.
If it were Riyan-sama, perhaps he could really pull it off.
Many of his fellow beastmen gathered with such hopes…
“We have been waiting for you, our savior.”
That was the origin of this incident.
***
It’s infuriating.
‘How could anyone seriously read a promotional guidebook? Who the hell would read a leaflet from the street without missing a single word?’
‘Besides, how could I have known this was a brothel?’
I’ve lived decently in both my past and present lives.
I’ve never stepped foot in a place like this.
‘How could I have known what to expect from a place I didn’t even recognize?’
…But whether I feel wronged or not, the world was unforgiving.
“We’ve only gathered about 200 people here, but many couldn’t come due to circumstances.”
A beastman, wearing a hood, delivers the message.
“We’re not just the fox tribe following you. There are thousands of others who wish to follow you.
There are slaves who can’t even express their intentions to join, but they, too, wish to follow you.”
They were treated like property.
With no right to act freely, many slaves likely numbered in the thousands.
“We are at the point where it’s difficult to gather even in one base.”
The fox tribe specializes in illusions.
Using their abilities, they charmed their masters and turned this place into their base.
A secret group had been formed without my knowledge.
“Please, can we borrow your wisdom?”
The beastmen’s eyes shone brightly.
The furry creatures wagged their tails and stared at me.
Logically, the answer was clear.
I should refuse.
I must refuse.
However, saying “no” was harder than expected.
I wasn’t that cold-hearted.
I knew well that if I ran away and left the students to die, I could be fired.
And yet, I’d missed that opportunity several times.
My life was the most important thing.
I didn’t care about others.
It didn’t matter who died, as long as I survived.
Even knowing it was more efficient to live like that, I couldn’t make the tough decisions when it mattered.
In the end, what surfaced was my indecisive thinking once again.
…Indecisive thinking, but so what?
What’s wrong with helping people while also ensuring my survival? The right answer between cutting ties with people and surviving alone was obvious.
‘If I play my cards right, I can make use of this situation.’
There was considerable opposition to beastmen.
Just by expressing support for them, I could make a lot of enemies.
Discrimination against beastmen had deep roots.
It was tied to the Empire’s history.
I knew many would criticize me.
The newspapers would be filled with insults directed at me.
From hero to traitor to humanity.
It would be an opportunity to make my image plummet in an instant.
I would be fired while getting beaten by everyone.
That future was undoubtedly waiting for me.
Still, I smiled at the beastmen and nodded.
***
[Riyan Declares Struggle for Beastmen’s Rights!]
[There was a brief backlash from extremists, but soon, support came pouring in from the Imperial Family: the Emperor, 2nd Princess Sylvia, 5th Princess Lucie, Saint Christiana of the Holy Kingdom, General Scott, Archmage Midas, Archmage Nero, and even the winner of this year’s journalist award, Monthly Empire’s reporter Cromwell, as well as all board members and professors from Huangli Academy, and the King of Mercenaries Karin.]
[Even the Witch Hunters, Wild Hunt, and the current president of the Adventurer’s Guild and the Empire’s Sword Master have all shown their support! The backlash quickly died down.]
…Ah.
Too popular with powerful people.