Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei finds a Freylian

Chapter 631 Pleasure Street

Pleasure Street. A slight stirring ran through Frillie's heart.

“It’s alright.” Frillie stood up and gently placed the empty plastic cup beside the old woman. “Grandma, please take good care of yourself.”

The old man looked at her, nodded, and suddenly pulled out an old, slightly tattered black fisherman's hat from a pile of odds and ends beside him, handing it to her: "Please wear this. Your hair color is too conspicuous. It will also protect you from the rain."

Frillie took the hat and put it on, the wide brim further obscuring her face. She bowed slightly to the old man again: "Ariga tou gozaimashita." (Thank you very much.)

"気をつけてね." (Be careful.), the old man said softly behind her.

Frillie didn't look back. With a swift movement, like a shadow blending into the rainy night, she silently left the courtyard and continued towards Shinjuku. The hat the old man had given her unexpectedly worked, concealing her most distinctive feature: her long, silver hair.

The journey ahead required even greater caution. The closer they got to the heart of Shinjuku, the more spies and cameras the Hebi-Hachi family had. Frillie had to spend more time taking detours, utilizing the shadows of buildings, the sparse crowds at night, and even the blind spots of freight trucks to move around.

She avoided all the main roads, weaving through the back alleys of pubs, the narrow firebreaks between brothels, and the lanes piled with recycling bins.

The markers deep within his mind were becoming increasingly clear. Lu Mingfei was not far ahead, inside a rather large building. The lingering emotions of "ambiguity," "tension," and "complaint" were becoming more and more obvious, occasionally mixed with a trace of "humiliation" and "what's the use of trying" fluctuations.

Frillie stopped at the edge of the rooftop of an old commercial building, hiding behind the shadow of the water tower.

Across a relatively quiet street in front of her stood a rather imposing four-story building with a classical Western style. The exterior walls were decorated with slightly ostentatious reliefs, and most of the windows were covered with heavy curtains, but the ground floor porch was brightly lit, and one could faintly hear lavish music and laughter.

There were many luxury cars parked at the entrance, and uniformed waiters respectfully greeted and saw off the guests—most of them were women dressed in gorgeous clothes and with different expressions.

The building's sign shimmered in the rainy night, displaying the dazzling kana and English characters – "TAKAAMAHARA" (Takamagahara).

Frillie's gaze swept over the signboard and then landed on the guards at the entrance who were clearly dressed as gangster bodyguards.

Lu Mingfei's markings clearly pointed to the interior of the building.

For the first time, a subtle, inscrutable expression flickered across Frilline's usually calm face. She tilted her head slightly, confirming the accuracy of her perception.

A host club? Lu Mingfei was in a host club? And he even felt "humiliated", "complaining", and "giving up"?

This discovery was far more bizarre than any imprisonment or escape scenario she had anticipated.

But the markings couldn't be wrong. Although she couldn't track Caesar and Chu Zihang's mental fluctuations as precisely as she could track Lu Mingfei, she could vaguely sense that they were most likely here as well.

So, this is where the three of them hid after they disappeared? A host club?

Frillie silently gazed at the brightly lit building, which exuded an eerie atmosphere. Rain dripped from the brim of her fisherman's hat, forming small puddles at her feet.

She needed to go in, check on their situation, and determine whether it was a trap or a bizarre refuge they had been forced into.

Barging in directly would be unwise. The gangster bodyguards at the entrance weren't just for show, and the security situation inside was unknown. Besides, her current appearance—soaked in casual clothes, wearing a tattered hat, and looking travel-worn—was completely out of place among the glamorous guests coming and going.

She needs to observe, wait for the right opportunity, and also needs an identity and excuse to blend in.

Frilian slowly retreated, completely hiding herself in the deepest part of the rooftop's shadow, like a patient hunter or a cold reef, gazing silently for a long time at the bizarre and fantastical sea opposite her, called Takamagahara.

...

As night deepened, the rain subsided slightly, leaving only a few scattered drizzles. The flow of customers at the entrance of Takamagahara was no longer as surging as it had been in the first half of the night, but there were still a few slightly tipsy female customers being escorted out by attentive male escorts or waiters and boarding waiting luxury cars.

Frillie had been standing silently in the shadows of the rooftop for over two hours. Her breathing was alarmingly slow, her body almost blending into the cold concrete wall, only her calm eyes observing all the entrances and exits, the changes in lights, and the movement of people through the low brim of her fisherman's hat.

Her perception of Lu Mingfei's magical mark had reached its peak; she could even vaguely "touch" the subtle fluctuations in his emotions, which now seemed to be shifting from a tense and awkward state to a tired, slightly bewildered relaxation. Caesar and Chu Zihang's vague presence was also firmly established within that building.

Almost all the guests coming and going were women, while the men were mostly staff members dressed in fancy clothes or uniforms. The guards relaxed their vigilance somewhat in the latter half of the night, but it was still not an easy place to break through.

Frillie's gaze fell on a relatively quiet alleyway to the side and rear of Takamagahara. It was a logistics passageway, where young men in waiters' uniforms would occasionally come out to smoke or carry boxes of liquor. There was a simple awning at the entrance of the passageway, dimly lit.

The plan slowly took shape in her calm mind.

Frillie moved silently along the edge of the rooftop like a gecko, choosing a spot away from the streetlights, just below which was a corner of the alley where clutter was piled up.

Without ropes or cushioning, she simply calculated the angle and distance, then leaped up, as light as a falling feather, landing silently on the pile of discarded cardboard boxes and styrofoam below, without making a sound.

Upon landing, she quickly disappeared into the deeper shadows, her gaze sweeping across the alleyway. Not far away, a young waiter leaned against the wall, idly scrolling through his phone while smoking, the red glow of his cigarette flickering in the dim light. Beside him was a small cart with several empty champagne ice buckets on it.

Frilian approached silently, like a feline approaching its prey. When she was three steps away from the waiter, she raised her hand, her fingertips tracing runes in the air with incredible speed. There was no light, no sound, only a wisp of mental energy, like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, rippled towards the back of the waiter's head.

The waiter paused in his smoking, his eyes momentarily glazed over, as if he were suddenly extremely drowsy, or as if a small fragment of memory had been gently erased by an invisible hand.

He shook his head, muttered something, and subconsciously felt that he should go back to work. He threw the half-smoked cigarette on the ground and stomped it out, pushed the cart, and walked unsteadily toward the entrance of the logistics passage.

Just as he turned away from Frilian, Frilian swept past the waiter, casually pulled a clean rag from the spare cloth hanging on the edge of the cart, and at the same time, lightly brushed her fingertips on the pressure points on the back of the waiter's neck.

The waiter was completely unaware; he just felt a slight itch on his neck, scratched it, and continued pushing the cart forward.

Frillie disappeared back into the darkness of the corner, casually draping the white linen rag over her arm. She then removed her worn-out fisherman's hat and stuffed it behind a half-open trash can. She quickly ran her fingers through her long hair, which was slightly disheveled by the hat, tucking it behind her ears as much as possible. Then she lowered her head slightly, adjusting her breathing and gait.

When she emerged from the shadows again, her demeanor had subtly changed.

Although her clothes were still ordinary and even a little dirty, her walking posture became steady and slightly rigid, with her chest slightly hunched and head bowed, her arms hanging naturally at her sides, with a white rag draped over her arm.

The image of an ordinary young female waitress who may have just finished her errands and is about to go back inside to tidy up.

Frillie followed a few steps behind the still somewhat dazed waiter, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far, with her head down and her steps hurried, as if she was in a hurry to get back to work.

As she passed through the passageway, another security guard standing there, yawning, glanced at her. Seeing the rag in her arm and her head bowed, he assumed she was just a junior staff member who had taken a break to get some fresh air. Too lazy to ask any more questions, he waved her through.

Chapter 632 Frilian: Lu Mingfei, are you guys taking a bath?

We entered the building smoothly. The corridor was covered with thick carpets, providing excellent soundproofing and blocking out the sounds of rain and city noise. The music drifted in from deep within, its rhythm much more soothing, indicating that it was close to closing time.

Frillie didn't linger. Sensing Lu Mingfei's markings, she headed towards the back of the building. She avoided the main hall and the dimly lit booths, choosing instead the staff entrance and quiet corridors.

The markings grew stronger, almost right in front of her. She arrived at a heavy, soundproof door, unmarked. But the source of the markings, Lu Mingfei, and the vague presences of Caesar and Chu Zihang all clearly pointed behind the door.

Frillie stopped at the door and listened intently. Behind the door was silence, save for the faint sounds of water and snoring.

She reached out, grasped the brass doorknob, and gently turned it.

The door was unlocked.

"Kara".

The door was pushed open a crack, and a warm, humid mist mixed with the scent of lavender essential oil wafted out. Before me lay a rather spacious bathroom, distinctly Japanese in style. Steam rose from the ceiling, and three enormous cypress wood bathtubs stood in a row, with faint embers of charcoal glowing dimly beneath them.

In the bathtub...

In the leftmost bucket, Caesar Gattuso, the nobleman of the Gattuso family and the student council president of Kassel College, leaned his head against the edge of the bucket, his permed blond hair sticking wetly to his forehead, and some glitter still lingering on his face. His mouth was slightly open, and he was emitting even, soft snores. He had already fallen asleep while soaking in the water, and he was still holding an empty sake bottle in his hand.

Inside the middle tub, Chu Zihang maintained a posture of alertness even in his sleep, his back straight against the tub wall, arms crossed over his chest, a long black sword resting within easy reach on the rim. His eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even, but his brow was slightly furrowed, as if pondering some unsolved problem. Hot water reached his collarbone, steam swirling around his cold, handsome face.

In the bucket on the far right, Lu Mingfei was almost submerged, with only half his face and messy black hair visible above the water. He wasn't asleep; his eyes were half-open, staring blankly at the wooden patterns on the ceiling, his mouth moving slightly unconsciously, silently muttering something. His face bore a mixture of exhaustion, resignation, and a bewildered sense of "Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?"

The scene is extremely beautiful.

Frillie stood in the doorway, her hood already removed, her wet silver hair clinging to her cheeks. She looked at her three companions in the bathtub, so different in style yet all equally naked. The scene before her was quite different from anything she had imagined.

She gently closed the door behind her, shutting out the corridor.

The faint sound of the door hinges turning was particularly clear in the quiet bathroom.

Chu Zihang's eyes snapped open, his golden pupils gleaming coldly in the mist, and his right hand gripped the hilt of his sword with lightning speed. Caesar's snoring also abruptly ceased; he sat bolt upright, splashing water in his wake, his eyes regaining their clarity as he scanned the doorway like a hawk.

Lu Mingfei let out a scream and frantically shrunk down, hiding himself completely in the water, leaving only his panicked eyes darting around on the surface.

All three of them stared at the figure that had appeared silently at the door, soaking wet.

Time seemed to freeze for a few seconds.

"Fri, Frilian?!" Lu Mingfei was the first to recover his voice from the shock, stammering and almost choking on water.

Caesar and Chu Zihang recognized him as well.

"How did you find this place?" Caesar asked in a deep voice, his tone wary, his muscles slightly tense. Despite being soaked in hot water, his warrior instincts were activated.

Frillie's gaze swept calmly over the three of them, lingering for a moment on Lu Mingfei's face, which screamed "I'm doomed, I've been seen, I can never clear my name," before turning to Caesar and answering in her usual flat tone: "A magic mark. On Lu Mingfei."

Lu Mingfei: "??? When did I get this mark on me? How come I didn't know?"

Chu Zihang's golden eyes flickered slightly.

"What's the situation outside? Are the Snake Clan still pursuing them?" Caesar pressed, temporarily accepting this explanation, as he was more concerned about the current situation.

"Yes. The manhunt is very strict. The Shinjuku area is especially tight," Frillian said succinctly. "Are you safe here?"

This question caused the expressions of the three men in the bathtub to become somewhat subtle.

"Safe, I guess," Lu Mingfei said, popping out of the water a little, his face long and drawn. "It's just that the price was a bit high."

His gaze involuntarily drifted towards Frillie, then quickly looked away, his face burning, whether from the hot water or something else, he didn't know.

"This is Takamagahara, a host club," Chu Zihang stated the facts. "We are currently hiding here as 'trainee hosts.' The manager has no connection with the Hebihachi family, but he has provided shelter for the three of us for the time being."

Host club. Trainee host.

Frillie nodded, her face expressionless, as if she had heard nothing more than "we're studying in the library."

“I understand,” she said. “I need a temporary place to stay and replenish my strength. It’s not advisable to move around outside for the time being.”

Frillie looked very tired, and her wet clothes indicated that the journey had not been easy.

“You can rest here. There’s a small storage room behind the bathroom; it’s fairly dry,” Caesar said, pointing to a small door deep inside the bathroom. “But we can’t guarantee absolute safety. The manager and the others here…”

Before he could finish speaking...

"Knock, knock, knock." A polite but undeniable knocking sounded on the door, likely from Fujiwara Kansuke.

The atmosphere in the bathroom became tense again.

"Who?" Caesar called out, giving Chu Zihang a meaningful look. Chu Zihang silently submerged his longsword in the water.

A voice, completely different from Fujiwara Kansuke's deep and resonant tone, now carried an air of utmost respect, even a hint of trepidation, coming from outside the door: "Basara King, Ukyo, and Sakura-sama? I am the manager of this shop, Humpback Whale. I heard that distinguished guests have arrived, and I have not yet come to greet them; this is truly the most impolite thing I can do. Would it be convenient for me to open the door and see them?"

A humpback whale? The store manager came in person? And his tone was a little too respectful, wasn't it?

Caesar and the other two exchanged a surprised and uncertain glance. How did the shopkeeper know about Frillian's arrival so quickly? And why was she referred to as a distinguished guest?

Lu Mingfei looked at Frillie nervously and mouthed, "You've been exposed?"

Frillie shook her head slightly, indicating that she didn't know either.

Caesar took a deep breath and quickly weighed his options. There was no way to avoid the shopkeeper coming in person. He raised his voice, "Please wait a moment, shopkeeper."

The three climbed out of the bathtub as quickly as possible, hastily dried themselves, and put on bathrobes. Lu Mingfei was so flustered that he almost tripped over the sash of his bathrobe. Chu Zihang quickly wrapped the long sword in a dry cloth and hid it under a pile of bath towels.

Chapter 633 Humpback Whale: Distinguished Guest Arrives (Part 1)