Daniel started walking, apparently giving up on waiting for me.
'I wonder who he's off to meet. Come to think of it, he mentioned enjoying intellectual debates with friends once or twice a month.'
Lucas had shown a flicker of interest at first, but quickly lost it once he realized it was basically a book club for novels and poetry.
'He's always been a bookworm, though. Makes sense for a journalist, I guess.'
He naturally fell into step, trailing Daniel's back. The moment I moved, the furball did too.
"I told you not to follow me, pup."
Huff huff!
A bright, cheerful panting echoed back.
Daniel seemed perfectly natural at a glance, but he'd occasionally glance back like he was on guard.
For someone trying to tail him discreetly, it was a nightmare.
It got even worse once he veered off the main road into the alleys. Twisting, maze-like narrow paths and dilapidated buildings cluttered the view.
Drunks roaring with laughter from their daytime boozing, the savory smell of cooking oil wafting from somewhere.
Daniel weaved through the bustling crowd with impressive ease.
Schupaven's capital, Lüdelheim, had supposedly benefited from the Leader's orders for orderly urban planning and redevelopment.
...Or so the government propaganda claimed, but back alleys like this were still everywhere.
He ducked behind rickety shops or used portly passersby as cover, doggedly chasing Daniel.
'Damn, I don't come around here much. No clue where I am.'
The moment that thought crossed his mind, Lucas's memories hammered into his head as if to contradict him.
"Ugh!"
His knees buckled with a thud. He braced his hands on the ground and frantically scanned the surroundings.
The sun was dipping low, and magic lanterns were flickering to life here and there.
A soft red glow seeped through glass windows. Heavily made-up men and women flashed coy smiles at people passing by.
The so-called "heart of the night."
The red-light district that Lucas had treated like a second home.
Realizing where he was, his face twisted involuntarily.
No wonder the night air felt sticky and laced with that weird scent. Booze and drugs, huh.
'Damn, is it because he's a guy too? Even so, why here of all places?'
He had no interest in whatever went on in Daniel's bed.
He was just tense about bumping into one of Lucas's old contacts.
'Like that bar owner who kept the freeloading Lucas fed. What was her name? Amelie, right?'
"Whine, grr!"
The puppy grunted, awkwardly bending at the waist and tugging at his sleeve.
"I'm fine. But where'd Daniel go?"
He'd vanished from sight in an instant. Probably swallowed up by the crowd or ducked into a building.
As he scowled in frustration, the mutt wriggled and twisted like it was trying to get his attention.
"What now?"
"Woof woof!"
It bolted forward before he could say another word.
"Hey! Pup!"
Worried it might bite someone, he chased after it, reaching out—but the dog was already at the front of a rundown building, tail wagging furiously.
"Huff, pant... What the hell?"
"Woof!"
Was it trying to say Daniel had gone in there?
'Out of all the damn buildings?'
A golden sign proclaiming it a "high-class bar." A polished old wooden door. Just looking at it stirred up steamy memories, flushing his face.
How many lewd escapades had Lucas—ten years younger than him—tumbled through with Amelie!
"Lucky bastard..."
Regrets from his drab previous life flooded in. It was a daily thing since landing in this country.
But anyway, if Daniel was really here, was it just coincidence?
'The dog would laugh at that.'
No way an intellectual debate club met in a sleazy dive like this.
Not unless there was some other motive.
After agonizing hesitation, he pushed open the creaky door.
"You wait here."
He patted the eager pup. No telling if it'd actually stay put.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"Lucas?! What the hell are you doing here!"
"Hey, Ame―."
Slap!
Before he could even ask, his furious ex slapped him hard.
"...Ow."
"I told you never to show your face here again!"
"I'm not here to see you."
He clutched his stinging cheek and met her gaze head-on. Lately, it felt like he was getting hit left and right.
"You rotten bastard!"
"Yeah, do whatever."
Luckily, the small hall was empty this early in the evening.
He looked at the trembling Amelie and lifted his chin calmly, as if daring her to hit him again.
Even if Lucas's body was frail, it had basic toughness. He was willing to let her vent until she calmed down.
Amelie huffed and twitched her hand several times, but in the end, she didn't strike. Her ragged breathing slowly steadied.
"So, what do you want?"
Once she'd composed herself, Amelie glared at him with eyes blazing like she wanted to kill him right then. A wry chuckle escaped him.
'Can't blame her for that.'
Back when they'd lived together, Lucas had played the role of a frustrated young man beaten down by a harsh world—but in truth, he was nothing more than a useless leech living off his girlfriend.
He hadn't been violent or anything, but spending all day lounging around, chain-smoking, and badmouthing elves would've driven anyone crazy.
'Wasting away his days on loser crap with a girlfriend this gorgeous.'
Fox-like upturned eyes, a voluptuous figure, soft tawny curls.
She had celebrity-level beauty, whether in Schupaven or Korea.
'Not the point right now, though.'
He carefully reached out and straightened her disheveled hair.
"Has a guy named Daniel Hartmann been in? Tall, reddish-brown hair."
"Hoo!"
Amelie took a deep breath to steady her anger, then nodded.
"He was here a bit ago."
"Where is he now?"
"No idea. He left through the back door. About five minutes ago."
"Not here to drink?"
Amelie raised an eyebrow.
"He asked a bunch about you—or rather, about him—tossed some money, and left."
He barely stopped himself from gnawing his lip out of habit.
'Doing a background check or what? Us tailing and suspecting each other like this.'
Apparently, he'd been that suspicious. The situation was almost comical.
"Mind telling me what he asked?"
He tried to sound as gentle as possible, but Amelie fixed him with her pretty green eyes.
"Lucas, have you... changed?"
"Yeah, of course. It's been years."
"Grown up, maybe? Or..."
Her eyes scanned him up and down.
"Got a new girl?"
"No time for that."
He didn't miss the subtle flicker of emotion on Amelie's face.
"Anyway, talk's cheap."
"What do you want?"
She held out her hand. Without hesitation, he pulled out the envelope from the bank and handed it over whole.
"That's all I've got right now."
Amelie roughly counted the bills, then let out a deep sigh.
"Yeah, you haven't changed. Here."
As expected, she handed the money back. She wasn't the type to fleece an ex's entire fortune, even if she'd once loved the broke bastard.
"Nothing major. He said he was your friend. That he'd heard a lot about you, that you were as beautiful as described—total bullshit, of course. Then he asked if you two were dating, how long you lived here, what kind of guy you were. That was it. Bought one beer."
Amelie didn't seem to be lying.
'Sly son of a bitch.'
Just enough questions to brush it off as idle curiosity if confronted.
'Of course, if he sniffed out anything suspicious while probing, he'd rip into it like a dog.'
Daniel's true nature was starting to gnaw at him.
"Thanks, Amelie. I saw my friend heading in here, so I followed. Guess he really wanted to meet you after all my stories."
"Really? I thought he was some undercover Ossel at first. Though his attitude was way too amateur for a pro."
Amelie stared at him intently. For a split second, a shadow of concern crossed her eyes.
"Has something happened to you?"
Her question left him speechless for a moment.
'Has it ever. A ton.'
It had been one shocking event after another—too much to put into words.
Suddenly, the events from just over ten days ago in Korea felt like they'd happened in another universe.
"What would've happened to me?"
He shrugged and flashed a smile.
Amelie's lips parted like she was about to say something, but she turned away as a customer walked in.
He slipped out the back door. Thanks to Lucas's memories, he knew the area around Amelie's bar like the back of his hand.
He checked a few nearby alleys, but no sign of Daniel.
'This bastard... is he back home rifling through my room?'
Fatigue suddenly washed over him.
He felt uneasy—if he didn't handle Daniel's movements properly, he'd get blindsided by a counterpunch.
No idea why a nobody like him warranted this scrutiny, though.
As he headed back to the main street, the pup that had been lying in front of the bar bounded up joyfully and stuck to his side.
"You really waited? You're no ordinary dog, huh."
"Woof!"
"Wanna come live with me? Some kind of chosen one thing?"
"Woof woof!"
"Sorry, but I'm renting a room in a boarding house. Keeping you might be tough."
"Whine..."
The pup let out a pitiful whine but kept wagging its tail.
"Eh, whatever. Let's see. Follow if you want."
"Woof woof!"
It wasn't that his heart had softened—he just figured a dog this smart could be trained as a guard.
His top priority was survival, after all. In an emergency, it could watch his back.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"I'm back."
"Finally? We already ate dinner."
A savory stew aroma hit him the moment he stepped inside.
"Lucas, hurry up! Before I eat it all."
Seeing Daniel grinning and waving from the kitchen made his blood boil for some reason.
That casual, nothing's-wrong attitude spiked his wariness.
'Definitely a dangerous guy.'
As he grumbled inwardly, Mrs. Schmidt came to the entryway and gasped in surprise.
"Lucas! What's that pup behind you?"
"Uh, well..."
He racked his brain for an excuse, but it didn't seem necessary.
"It's so cute!"
"Uh..."
"Oh dear, why's it so skinny? And that matted fur. Poor abandoned thing."
"Yeah, it's in rough shape. You picked it up, Lucas?"
Even Daniel crowded in, making a fuss.
"Something like that. It was near the office."
"Tsk tsk, who dumps a dog like that? Come here, let's find something to eat."
Thanks to the kind-hearted Mrs. Schmidt, the pup got stuffed with meat and even groomed.
Just a rough trim with kitchen scissors, but clearing the face fur revealed a surprisingly handsome look.
And after a thorough wash—Mrs. Schmidt couldn't stand dirt in the house—it started showing off a stately presence despite its youth.
"I figured Korean mutt at first, but after the bath, it kinda looks like a Great Pyrenees. Hmm, is there even that breed in Schupaven? Maybe a mix."
He muttered while hosing the sand off its paws with the yard hose.
"The more I look, the handsomer it gets. Not sure on the breed, though. Named it yet?"
Daniel came out with a lantern to shine on the pup and asked.
"Japsal—er, dunno. Collin?"
"Pretty old-school. You sure?"
That reaction was fair. Nobody named dogs Charcoal or Coal these days.
"Cool black fur, right? Like perfectly charred coal all over. You like it, Collin?"
"Woof woof!"
"See? It likes it."
Daniel kept nitpicking, but he tuned him out.
He nodded and smiled vaguely while inwardly plotting how to tail the guy again and uncover his real deal.