Roman
Walking along the dreadful and dilapidated town, Roman suppressed a scowl of disgust as he avoided the pitfalls and holes on the road. One of the many reasons for the ignition of his youthful ambition and vigor: were so as to never step onto the sullied pavement of the town ever again.
Of course, the same money that the town lacked was what drove him back.
Instead of focusing on the matter, he pushed back unwanted memories and opted to talk to his only companion, Neo's toy and his current student "So you aren't going to ask where we're heading?"
Ludvik gave him an incredulous look "Would it even matter?"
Roman barked a laugh, "No, not in the slightest. But you should at least observe and ask for information, mindlessly following a criminal is a pretty quick way to get mugged and left in a dark alley."
Ludvik gave a silent smile at the man's humor.
But instead of feeling proud of his success, Roman grumbled under his breath, Neo wasn't kidding when she said he was quiet and shy, he didn't even doubt how she had drawn a full on conversation from the boy, she had a way with people. Be it through her charisma or provocation.
The two walked in awkward silence, one taking glances of the younger male, while the other absentmindedly dozed off. If it weren't for Roman knowing he himself was sober, he would've assumed Ludvik was staring directly at an object.
Roman sighed to himself, the sole reason why he even bothered with the Schnee lookalike was to get out of his responsibilities. With Ludvik as the 'catalyst' Neo wouldn't be able to object, as she possessed a certain fondness for him, whether that was good or not didn't really matter to the thief.
But still, for the trouble of the silent kid and nostalgia he passively brought, it would be good if he could teach him a few skills to handle himself on the streets. It could even be fun, having a little student, it could be a Roman junior.
Alright, he would admit, even he shuddered at the thought.
Having one of him was already proving too much for the kingdoms, having a second one would be akin to having a stable Neo, something that had no right to exist.
Just as he dwelled in his own thoughts to pass the time, the hesitant voice of the white haired brat soon entered his ears "Hey, can - can I ask a question?"
Roman rolled his eyes "Come on kid, just speak, if you've got a question then just ask, it's not like I'm going to bite." Saying so, he held back the inappropriate euphemism that was about to come forward, reminding him that in his company was a young male kid and not his usual female adult companions.
Once again, awkward silence ensued. An annoyed Roman took a glance at Ludvik, not so surprised to see him mulling over his thoughts, it was obvious to see there was an internal debate going on. The chances of it being personal or sensitive were high, something he doesn't want to share, it was probably the reason he wanted to talk with Neo in the first place.
Giving an inward sigh, Roman gave a humorous thought. 'He's so easy to read, it's almost as if he's doing it on purpose.'
Seemingly coming to a conclusion, the boy asked with a hint of confidence "What exactly is a marauder?"
Roman almost tripped over his own shoes, what sort of question was that?!
Out of all the things he could've said, he asked him the definition of a word? And here he assumed it would be concerning Neo or their operations as criminals, maybe even advice on women, but it was just about a single word?
Roman, for all his charisma and social skills almost didn't know how to reply to the randomness of the question, but in the end he managed to awkwardly mutter out "Is that it?"
Ludvik shook his head in reply "Ah no, I have one more."
Oh that's good, perhaps the first question was for probing? Or may-
But before he could form his thoughts, Ludvik's words managed to beat him to the punch "What's a charlatan?"
"…"
The silence as Roman struggled to form an answer was deafening, Ludvik himself seemed embarrassed as he made no eye contact with the orange haired man. Even though he himself was the one who asked the question.
Clearing his throat and mind, it seemed as if the boy had already picked up the art of fooling with people. One most likely taught by Neo, but there was also a chance that they were genuine questions due to his age.
A true conundrum.
In the end, he decided to not focus on the intent of the questions as he replied "Hmm, well if we're going with the definition answer, then a Marauder would be a thief, a rogue, a person who raids. A charlatan would be a fake, someone who pretends, they're typically suave and charismatic to be considered one."
By the end of his explanation, Roman seemed to have lingering pride in his tone, almost as if he wasn't speaking about the word but himself. A thief and gentleman like himself could be considered a charlatan in a way, one of the best.
Ludvik nibbled at the bottom of his lip, a habit of his, and then asked another question "Don't thieves often lie? Wouldn't they be a charlatan too? Is there any difference?"
The answering male frowned, why would it matter? Irritated, he rubbed his temples "If you want to go into more specific terms, then I guess a charlatan would be a smooth talker and a marauder would be a robber, a person who steals. Seriously, why do you want to know this?"
The boy in question gave an awkward smile "For no reason."
Roman snorted as he twirled his cane, clinging onto the momentum of the conversation, Roman continued on with a laugh "If these are the questions you wanted to ask our dear sociopath, then she might consider throwing you into the forest again."
Ludvik frowned, a look of barely concealed worry on his face, the laughter that was in Roman's throat quickly died out. Did he seriously think she would do that- okay, she would but that didn't deter the fact he meant his comment in a joking way.
'Shy, hesitant, and below all of that is seriousness mixed with denseness. Great.'
As Roman made his observation, he was forced to awkwardly calm the worries of the boy"It-It was a joke, loosen up a bit."
Ludvik showed a strained smile, as if remembering something "But she would…"
'Without hesitation too.' Roman inwardly added, it was the moment as both boy and man walked almost aimlessly through the streets of the town did they sigh, they both felt the chaotic antics of sigh so in a way they could be considered kindred spirits. Or more specifically, victims.
"So where are we going?" Although surprised by the now talkativeness of the boy, Roman wasn't too shocked, talking about Neo would do that to a person. Fortunately for the white haired brat, he too wasn't all that eager to reminisce about the past, "We're going to a private bar, it's pretty far, but we're getting close and it has a few things I need and it'll serve as a lesson of experience for you. At the very least, you'll learn to not trust random short mercenaries."
Ludvik avoided Roman's gaze with embarrassment. Roman spared another glance before humming and walking to a particular destination, completely diverting from their original path "Come on now, there's something we must do before heading to the bar."
Although confused, the boy followed.
In a matter of seconds, Roman and the boy stood before a rather poor looking shop, the sign half bent and leaned towards the left. Punctured holes littered the wall of the front, evident cracks on the visible glass panes, but despite its ugly appearance, the smug and naturally taunting appearance of the thief softened considerably.
"Stay quiet and follow my lead, if you tell Neo just know that I will toss into that same forest."
Roman actually saw a shadow of a smile on the boy, but it almost seemed as if he was focusing his attention somewhere else. Ignoring the feeling, he exhaled a breath as he opened the fractured door to the shop.
And without any problems, the two entered.
000
Ludvik
He had done a mediocre job, right?
'But what job was that?'
He gave an inward self deprecating chuckle, even to him, the questions he asked Roman had barely made any sense. Even if Neo's partner had discovered his 'intentions' it wouldn't have done the man any good, it would be more confusing than helpful.
And it was primarily because of what appeared before the white haired boy.
[Select a class preferable to you.]
[Marauder] [Charlatan] [Spellweaver] [Ravager]
His eye twitched, no matter what he attempted, no matter what he said, the 'screen' in front of him wouldn't move. It was forever an obstacle to his sight, unless of course he followed the order and chose one of the four 'classes'.
He had isolated himself from the world and played enough games to know what classes meant, they are archetypes that typically determine the capabilities of a player's character for all eternity. And yet, for all of his online knowledge, he couldn't understand what these classes were.
A marauder? Wasn't that basically the rogue class, what was the difference? Spellweaver, magician or combat mage? Ravager, a brawler class, sounds a bit brutal though. As for Charlatan, it was anybody's guess, it sounded more like a merchant class.
Even worse, the weird box wouldn't give him any information and when he tried to tap on a class, hoping it was akin to those games he played, it instead gave him the option of confirming his choice.
He was hesitant, yet also annoyed. After he had fallen unconscious in the World of Cards, he was immediately awoken to intense and searing pain, and with that came the virtual black box that appeared before him, the letters written in gold.
And with that… came something else, he tugged at the cloth nearest to his ribcage. His silver eyes gleaming with uncertainty and fear, fear for the unknown. Too many mysteries, too many things he needed to decipher, and he wasn't sure if he wanted to in the first place.
"What are you standing there around for, try to follow along." Hearing the rather annoyed tone of Roman, Ludvik didn't hesitate to quicken his steps, his mind lingering more on the vision in front of him rather than the store.
And yet, his attention couldn't help but be drawn. Filled with costumes and outfits of all sizes, the walls of the shop were packed with a variety of odd designs, hooked onto the peeling painted wall.
It was an organized mess.
Just as Ludvik's eyes started to wander, an elderly man slowly emerged from one of the rusty and worn down counters. Hunched back, aged, and what left the most prominent impression upon the transmigrator would have to be the deep and ugly scar that ran across the upper corner of his lip to the bottom.
Surprised, the elder male smiled down at Ludvik as he glanced at Roman "I didn't expect you to have a child, heh, about time you old man."
Roman's expression shifted onto a gentle grin "What about you, you old geezer, another step into the coffin?"
Ludvik stared at the exchange with a strange countenance, their insulting words didn't match their faces nor tones, it was heavily contradicting.
"So that is your child?" The emphasized comment of the hunched man made the ginger snort in laughter, "He's just a little pet my partner picked up along the way, well, he's more like a student at this point."
Although peeved, Ludvik remained silent as he looked around, attempting to hide the annoyance about the 'screen' in front of him. After multiple hours, one would've thought it would vanish or he would naturally adapt to it.
And all the while as he did so, his ears perked as he heard the conversation between the two grown ups "While it's good to see you again Manny, I know you didn't visit me specifically for no reason, so just say what you need."
"I need a mask for the boy, we're going to the Red Velvet Bar, and while I don't particularly care, a certain someone might." Roman tossed Ludvik a gaze and casually commented, both knowing full well what it meant.
'Should I feel happy about that, or worried?"
Ludvik felt conflicted.
"The Red Velvet Bar?" The old man gave a quizzical look as he paused, "Tsk, why would you need to go to that place of degeneracy, don't tell me you plan to show the young kid the sensation of a woman's touch."
The aforementioned kid's expression contorted even further, his former conflictedness replaced with dumbfoundedness. Roman gave a resounding laughter before grinning "That all depends on the kid himself, gotta boost up his confidence."
The unnamed elderly man hummed, turning his back on Roman before rummaging through what seemed like a box, tossing things to the side as he spoke "I usually get customers that are above the legal age, but if you're lucky enough then I might have something in store."
As Roman and the boy waited, the latter nervously gleamed at the virtual and translucent appearing screen in front of him. Charlatan, it sounded more of a support class than anything, one that would be picked for a troll or some type of newbie. Ravager, a gruesome brute that was made for those in close quarters. Spellweaver, a person who constructs magic or uses it? He wasn't too sure on that one.
And lastly but not least, Marauder, the class that Roman unknowingly identifies as a thief. If there weren't so many unknowns, he would feel giddy, but he doesn't. Why did the classes pop up? Why these four specifically? What did they mean, what would it do once one was chosen?
The pressure on his shoulders caused his features to grimace with nervousness.
"Tsk, don't be worried, at worst we'll have to delay the time until you can get a custom mask. Or travel back to see if we have one, the other shops are closed and even if they weren't, they're run by gangs or are naturally shady." Mistaking his agitation for the anxiety of being unable to find a mask, Roman attempted to quell the boy.
Ludvik only nodded with a simple "alright." it was best to not voice the fact he was staring at an illusionary option box.
'Marauder, Charlatan, Spellweaver, Ravager, which should I choose?'
The question bothered him to no end, making him feel as if he had returned to his world, as he sat there in contemplation of choosing which class would give him the best advantage, watching hours of explanation videos to do so.
His eyes gazed back towards the words.
[Select a class preferable to you.]
'Preferable to me?'
Did that imply that each class was equal? Yes, in all games there shouldn't be all that much of a difference, but this wasn't a game so was there a possibility of dooming himself? What even was the consequence?
"Ah there we go, I found two of them!" The old man's hoarse voice managed to snap Ludvik out of his thoughts, allowing his curious young eyes to gaze onto the masks that were placed in front of him. Problem was, the screen covered them up almost entirely, he suppressed his annoyance to the best of his capabilities.
But the two masks were distinctive enough for the boy to gather enough detail on their features. To the left, was a mask that resembled that of the midnight dark sky embroiled with the glorious white of the sunlight of day, swirling with two eye holes for the person to see; an addition was that due to its size, it left no skin to be seen.
And to the right was a simpler yet flamboyant design, with the fiery red dragon coiling around the visible left hole, only to come down its side like a teardrop. Besides that, it was simply colored with a shade of black. It was more revealing, as it only allowed the upper half of the face to be covered.
Roman didn't comment on the masks, instead picking one of his own from the large selection that were hung up as he mindlessly spoke "Alright, choose a mask kid, it really doesn't matter which one, so don't think too much about it.'
Blinking, Ludvik smiled "Alright." he repeated the words deep into his mind, calming his mind.
'Don't think too much about it...'
Smiling, his hand reached out and pointed at the mask to the left, and with the action came a change: the dialogue and cleanly written words contorted, forming another sequence of sentences.
The old man raised an eyebrow "And here I thought kids were more interested in dragons. You sure you want the yin-yang one?"
At the same time, the screen in front of the white haired boy changed.
[You are choosing the "Marauder" Class, are you sure of your choice?]
Without delay, Ludvik responded to both inquiries.
"Yes."
000
Walking out from the shop, both males kept their mutual silence as they walked to an unknown location, one out of lack of social skills and the other from reluctance. Though the former, being Ludvik, did shoot a glance at the accompanying man.
In reaction, he scoffed in embarrassment, hurrying his steps towards the left of the shop upon exit.
'Maybe he is more than just a criminal.'
The reason for the young boy's thoughts would be due to the sequence of events after choosing his 'class' and mask. Roman had thrown at him what seemed like a small pair of formal clothing, a black and sleek blazer that was accompanied by a contrasting ivory white linen shirt, and with that came a pair of matching dress shoes.
Overall, it made him uncomfortable to wear, it was itchy and tight.
But it was worth seeing the sight of an uncomfortable Roman accepting the warming hug of the old man, who he came to know as Arien. After that, Roman refused to match the boy's amused gaze.
Maybe Neo affected him more than he'd like to admit.
Following the thief's faster steps, Ludvik took Roman's previous advice to heart and tried to observe his surroundings, attempting to distinguish them from the rest and see if he could get a clue as to his destination. That being the mentioned Red Velvet Bar.
Of course, the word tried would be the key word here.
[Absorbing "Marauder" characteristics. Adjusting frame of host, synchronizing souls, tuning physique, modifying genes. Please be patient, the process will take time.]
{Progress: 13.5%}
{Duration left: 4 Hours}
"..."
There was a high chance that if Roman were to turn his head, he would be greeted with the sight of a very annoyed Ludvik, his left eye continuously twitching. He had basically traded the previous screen for one that covered more than half of his vision with translucent darkness, and worst of all was that he still couldn't move it!
Sighing, the boy redirected his attention. Everywhere he looked, from the damaged buildings to the shriveling old men on the roads, the town practically reeked of poverty. And it begged the question as to why it remained populated, despite the lack of government influence and repairments, many criminals and bandits still remained. As for merchants and entrepreneurs, he had yet to see any, but that wasn't surprising.
Locking onto Roman's back, Ludvik began to match the aforementioned male's pace before asking "Why do people still come here? Shouldn't they want to move somewhere else?"
Roman gave him a long look before giving a pleased nod "Ah good, it seemed like a good pair of clothes gave you some confidence." gazing at his surroundings, the ginger paused before continuing, "The answer is a bit complicated and I won't mince my words, so listen up and try to understand what I'm going to say."
"The town of Wind Path is entirely independent, the Mistral Council has no influence, so it could be considered an abandoned area at this point."
Ludvik nodded in understanding, it wasn't hard to come to such a conclusion, with the lack of workers and construction going on, it was easy to see that it had long since been forsaken. And atop of that, the town remained in such a poor state due to the wealth it would require to fix it, no criminal was insane enough to parade their riches for no reason. There was no reason to, and as such it forced the town to deal with the struggle of time by itself.
Seeing no confusion or hesitation in the boy, Roman continued, "Of course, when I say independent, it's only free from the government. Some gangs have attempted to claim the town for themselves, and have managed to take a small bite of the cake. The gang that was chasing you, Dishonorable Crows, was a small faction that had managed to do it. Of course, if the town was equivalent to a company, than even if all the gangs pooled their 'stock' together it still wouldn't compare to the Branwen Tribe."
Ludvik's eyes glittered, feeling as if he grasped the current situation somewhat. It seemed as if there wasn't much gang warfare, not as much as he had expected, due to this 'tribe' that suppressed them. Only by working together could they scrape by, it only made him more curious about this tribe.
Ludvik was quick in an attempt to satisfy his curiosity "What's the Branwen Tribe, what do they manage and control? How did they come into power? Who's the leader? And-"
Chuckling, Roman interrupted him as he spoke in an almost mocking tone.
"Unfortunately for you though, as curious as you may be about the tribe… we have arrived."
As Roman stopped, Ludvik reciprocated in sequence, taking the chance to fully look at what stood before him. Staring at another fractured wooden board that was the sign of the bar, it read out in dark yellow peeled letters "The Golden Cup", the white haired boy paused as his gaze gathered to his surroundings.
Drunken men and women loitered around the area, some far too tipsy for their own good, others flirting in an attempt of warming up their bed. The thick and nauseating scent of alcohol lingered in the air, causing for Ludvik's face to scrunch in distaste.
If it weren't for the expression of confidence Roman gave, then the 'apprentice' would've thought old age had finally caught the ancient thief.
Without any more pause, Roman and Ludvik both dodged the dazed and chattering adult figures and entered the bar. The boy noted from amusement that it looked nearly identical to the bars of his own world, minus the TV at the corner, they were replaced with a nearly see-through aqua version of them.
And with an embarrassed receding look, they told him that the revealing women who wore small and tight shorts were something that this world hadn't replaced. Their long legs, bulging chests, and swaying hips caused a maddening blush to settle onto the nicely dressed boy's cheeks.
Judging by the wide grins and lecherous eyes, he wasn't the only admirer of the well desired scene. But before the underaged teen could pry his eyes off, he felt a nudge to his shoulder, and he turned, looking back at him with a smug grin was Roman.
The boy's cheeks burned even hotter, feeling the same embarrassment that Roman had previously felt.
'This is a natural reaction towards the body of a woman! I'm-I'm just a teenager!'
He couldn't help but cry inside his mind, even back in his previous world he wasn't exactly good at communicating with women. He often stayed silent or rambled too much, combining his experience there and present time, it would still equate to near zero.
Maybe Roman felt as if he had tormented the boy enough, or he was in a rush, but he eventually grabbed onto the boy's sleeve.
"As fun as it is to see you deal with your raging hormones, we've got things to do. Just stay quiet, smile and look pretty, maybe you'll get a tip." Roman's sarcastic yet commanding tone received a sigh and a soft "Alright" from the boy before he paused in confusion.
'Wait, aren't I wearing a mask?'
Pleased, Roman released his light grip and walked towards the counter, casually slipping through the drunkards. In comparison, Ludvik seemed lacking, tumbling and bumping into others as he moved, often positioning himself awkwardly. He pushed the fault onto the black loading screen.
It took a longer while than the former had taken before he arrived.
Roman chuckled before leaning his attention onto the bartender, the corner of his lips curling as her near topless form entered his view, her blonde straight hair gleaming under the light of the bulbs.
Ludvik once again redirected his gaze.
'Another one!'
There was a difference between Neo, who wore what could be described as a suit, and the woman who wore near nothing. With his hormones, the boy knew it would be difficult to calm himself down, he could only numbly tear his attention away and place it towards the illusion-like square in front of him.
Although amused, Roman gave a charming smile, but just as he opened his mouth
Although amused by the boy, Roman held his attention on the woman, perking up a charming smile but just as he opened his mouth the voice of the blonde snapped at him "Save it Roman, I've already heard them all."
Roman dryly chuckled as he smoothed out ginger hair beneath his bowler hat "Come on Lucy, you know me, I know you. I'm sure you especially remember my last visit."
The now named woman gained a deadpan expression as she scoffed, grabbing a shot glass and wiping it, the 'consequence' of the action drawing many leering eyes as she disinterestedly spoke "That was a one time thing, and that in itself was because of pity, Seconds."
Roman's smile strained as Ludvik trembled, his lips pursed in an attempt to halt his laughter. The surrounding males held no restraints as they roared in laughter, some even ordered the former a shot in pity.
In response, Roman chuckled as if he had accepted his loss before sliding a few bills on the counter. The young boy watched with gleaming eyes, quickly absorbing the image of what he assumed to be lien, he had never been able to obtain a chance to see one as Neo had paid with her… device.
'So that's this world's currency, I wonder how it compares to my world, is the use of it any different?'
He didn't allow his thoughts to run free, still clinging close to the thief as he paid attentively to the two adults. After receiving the money from the counter, Lucy gave a small grin before Roman spoke with a sigh.
"Fine, you win, just give me a Red Spirit."
Lucy mused at the ginger as she grabbed various multi-colored and labeled bottles behind her. For what connotation she was making, he wasn't able to tell, he wasn't even at an appropriate age to drink alcohol in his past life.
But his eyebrow couldn't help but twitch as he saw her pick up a small metal container, did alcohol have spices in them?
A few minutes later, Lucy poured the drink into a glass as she slid the glass over but not before questioning the man, "You don't usually drink a Red Spirit late at night, what's the occasion?"
Ludvik frowned, he hadn't been to a bar in his previous life, but the question seemed a bit out of place. Maybe he was just overthinking it, if it was anything important, then Roman would at least tell him later. Possibly.
'Sigh, my head is starting to hurt with all this thinking, I haven't even taken a nap. Heh, I wanted to live in peace and comfort, but I couldn't even sleep for a few hours. Unless that time Neo knocked me out counts.'
Ludvik's lips twitched just as Roman replied to the female bartender, his voice… strained as he spoke, "It's quite a beautiful velvet night, it would be a shame if one didn't drink."
He seemingly hummed in satisfaction at the thought, currently the boy had no idea what was transpiring. Whether the purpose of going to the bar was to train, or for Roman to have a chance to flirt with the bartender, Ludvik didn't know.
He was simply confused.
Velvet night? Ludvik almost thought that Roman had turned into a poet, he simply couldn't understand his thought process. His choice of words were bizarre.
Lucy rolled her eyes as she quipped, "Is that why you have a child with you as you reminisce over alcohol, because you can't grab yourself a nice lady?"
Roman gave her a good look before grabbing the shot glass and downing it with a satisfied sigh, he still managed to keep his signature grin "You can be that nice lady if you so desire. Well, I'll be heading off, if you accept my invitation, I'll be in the V.I.P lounge~"
Without waiting for a response, the ginger took a single look at Ludvik before walking off. With a sigh under the mask the boy once again followed, and as he did he almost grew shocked as the patrons paid him no mind. Whether it was the influence of alcohol or non intruding attitudes none of them spared the masked male any second glances.
Shaking off his shock, he kept up with the heels of the thief, following him to what seemed like the entrance to an ever expanding hall. Beside the aforementioned entrance of the hall were two faunuses, staunt and buff as they shared similar animalistic wolf features.
But it was without movement did they allow the bold Roman to walk into the hall, Ludvik gaped at the sight, it was that easy? Just as he reciprocated his 'teacher's' movements, a single large sideway stride of one of the respective guards impeded his action
"Ah-ah, he's with me boys, let him through." Before the guards and Ludvik could move, Roman's intruding voice echoed loudly enough through the drunken shouting as they teresely nodded.
Sighing with relief, Ludvik entered under the gaze of the two faunuses as he looked around within the hall. Besides the oddity of the two guards, nothing in particular stood out, not the striped aqua wallpaper nor golden knobbed dark oak doors.
Each side of the halls were perfectly lined up with them, five to the left, five to the right, there wasn't any difference. And yet it seemed as if Roman moved with meaning, scrutinizing each and every wooden passage with a lasting look before coming to a stop on the second to last door to the left.
He gave a knock, paused, a harder tempered knock twice, waited even longer, and then gave one more small knock before stepping back. Reaching into his white coat, Roman pulled a half mask and donned it on the upper half of his face, it was of simple design.
The action made Ludvik tense, making him reach over to his face as if afraid he had lost his own mask.
"Don't be afraid, just stay quiet and follow my lead, don't hesitate. My little performance back then was for me to show that I was vouching for you, don't make it a waste." Roman grumbled as the white haired boy was enlightened, the procedure seemed… odd to say the least but he was grateful nonetheless.
Waiting patiently, the two males didn't react as the normal door was opened by a dressed blonde gentleman, behind him were pool tables with multiple chatting men. Upon noticing the two males with the masks, the V.I.P room turned tense, almost unbearably so.
Ludvik resisted the urge to shuffle awkwardly, instead watching as Roman walked briskly inside without a word. The boy was quick to follow, stepping into the room along with him. The thief halted in his steps and with a small smirk he glanced at the yellow haired man.
"Beautiful velvet night."
It was only until he finished the phrase did the man relax, the atmosphere was restored to its previous state.
'The same phrase, is that the code meant to be used?'
As he had seen the same words sprout from Roman's mouth, it was easy for Ludvik to make the connection. And it wasn't like the boy couldn't put two and two together, what Roman came here for couldn't be as simple as something as the V.I.P Lounge of some bar.
But as for what he truly came here for, Ludvik didn't have the slightest of inkling.
His gaze wandered through the room, five handsome and well dressed males who seemed to have a good relationship, two pool tables that were being used to play, a private male bartender cleaning a shot glass, two barmaids that stood awaiting their orders, an oil painting depicting two clouds completely overlapping the bright sun, and a few gray ashtrays with cigarette butts in them.
Ludvik receded his gaze as he thought, 'This probably isn't his true destination. He isn't the type to laze around in such a place, in fact, I haven't seen him rest even once. So then there's probably something he wants out of the V.I.P Room'
Despite his limited understanding of the man, he knew enough through Roman's actions to know that there was always a reason for every action he took.
Without a word, the blonde man closed the door and resumed his chatter with his friends, allowing a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere to develop as they ignored the new 'visitors' that had entered.
Roman, similarly, didn't say anything besides the phrase as he walked towards a particular corner of the room. He slid his hand over the walls of the room, almost as if feeling for something in particular. Ludvik looked with rapt attention, hoping he could broaden his horizons towards skills belonging to a thief
'Is it a hidden compartment, perhaps a secret passage?'
He couldn't help making such guesses towards the man's actions, it was the only thing that made sense. A few seconds later, he paused as his palm pressed further onto the wall. A faint gearing sound resounded briefly throughout the room before the wall almost caved in and shattered like some illusion.
Ludvik felt a bit proud of being correct, although he wouldn't admit it was mostly due to watching quite a lot of spy movies and such.
His eyes glistened in curiosity under the ivory and ebony colored mask, was it some material that allowed it to shatter and reform? Replacing it with every entry seemed like a brother and huge expense, so the thought of it being glass didn't even come to the boy's mind.
He could only come to the conclusion that it was some other material, as for what it was, Ludvik didn't have the slightest of ideas.
Sighing in his mind, almost painfully at his lack of knowledge, he didn't delay as Roman moved into the open space of the wall. As the taller man took a step inside, it lit up with an ethereal and aqua glow, allowing them to properly view what was inside this 'dark space.'
It was a bricked staircase that traveled downwards, although not in a spiral. It reminded Ludvik even further of those movies pertaining to castles and their style, a noticeable frown appeared under his face, thankfully due to the mask it vanished without the slightest of hints of its appearance.
The white haired boy further analyzed the staircase as the gentlemanly thief took a step. The contrast between it and the bar was heavy, almost confusingly so, but it almost seemed perfect for its location.
Just as the two formally entered, the entrance closed with a light vibrating sound, it glowed a vibrant turquoise hue before it distorted into the appearance of the walls of the staircase. Ludvik stared in amazement, he had never seen such technology before, or was it a form of magic?
Roman breathed out just as the 'wall' had reformed, he turned towards Ludvik and grinned, "The most annoying part is over, we're officially here."
Ludvik cocked his head to the side, Roman casually explained with a yawn, "The gist of it is that each Kingdom, Atlas, Mistral, Vale, and Vacuo, each have an underground or at least hidden location called 'The Red Velvet Bar.' The reason Neo and I went to Mistral is partly because of this, of course, she doesn't know this exists… for obvious reasons."
Ludvik stayed silent with a hidden strained smile, neither acknowledging nor voicing disacknowledgement of the man's words.
With a cough, Roman continued, "The bar is a way for people of high society to enjoy themselves and build partnerships without being under the eye of the law, they can assign tasks here if they want for whoever to grab. Of course, the identity of the assigner can be anonymous or known, it depends on them. The corresponding info that is needed will be provided inside an envelope that is tied with the task, but you can only view those if you accept the mission."
"A lot of things here are questionable, which is all the more reason to not question it. Don't think about the tasks too much, anybody who can enter the Red Velvet Bar is of some importance, be it through wealth or strength. So the tasks are only accepted by mercenaries, and they're usually of the highest of caliber, Neo could also be said among their level."
Ludvik nodded in understanding, if the Red Velvet Bar was as prestigious as he had imagined it, then the mercenaries who knew about it were few and far between. Only those of a certain level would be considered, it followed logic.
Seeing this, Roman mulled over his thoughts before intentionally saying,"Each Red Velvet Bar has different 'codes' and ways to access them, the one in Vale or some other kingdom won't necessarily hold the location of the bar within another bar. So don't attempt to find it through that way, nor through criminal circles, you can trust them as much as you can trust Neo with a stick of dynamite."
Ludvik's expression turned extremely serious, with the final words of the sentence he understood.
Relieved, Roman took a step before pausing and turning towards the teen once more, "Ah, right, any questions?"
Ludvik opened his mouth only to close it back up again, in truth, it seemed as if Roman had covered up everything. But there was still one thing that was bugging him.
Roman forced him to wear different clothes under the reasoning of them being too ugly, but he mostly knew from the eavesdropping of the store owner and thief that it was due to being recognized. Although there was a chance that no one saw Ludvik when he left with his clothes, it was better safe than sorry.
But something bugged him, something he couldn't help but ask,"Why did you have me change my clothes, but not yours? And what about my hair, won't they know who I am if they ever meet me again?"
Roman smiled, "Your clothes were too ugly, besides, the only gang that I didn't want to know that I was here already knows. So then what's the point of getting a better disguise, to borrow some time? Tsk, the most unfamiliar figure, which would be me in that case, would be the first target The Spider sets their eyes on."
"As for your hair, that doesn't matter all that much in the Red Velvet Bar, none of them are allowed to target you as it's essentially a safe zone for those who 'serve' the law or are criminals. They essentially meet in the middle, the grayness of dark and light colliding per se. And for those that saw you, it's not something to worry about, if you're really concerned then you can just dye your hair."
Ludvik made a mouth movement to counter the ginger's words but he found himself nodding at the explanation with a sigh, the man's words held truth and were logical. If the thief the organization was after suddenly vanished, they would set their eyes on the figure with a secret identity.
Seeing Ludvik ask no more questions, Roman smiled as he began stepping down the staircase, "Good, now that you have a decent understanding of the bar, I don't need to tell you how dangerous it is. Try to not separate yourself with me, I have enough 'sway' per se so as to give you some protection."
Without a reply nor the will to talk further, the two males walked down the bricked staircase, their light and heavy steps echoing within the space. Ludvik gulped nervously, his heart sped up just a bit with each step, with the detail that he had been given of the location, he could only imagine the amount of powerful people.
And although he had many more questions, he suppressed them in favor of continuing, the questions would still remain and last until the training and matter was finished: who knows how many more hours they had until the sun rose from the east.
Thankfully enough, it didn't take long before they stopped at a thick velvet curtain, Ludvik subconsciously straightened his back. Roman's lips twitched at the sight before lazily dragging the curtain to the side to allow their passage.
Upon his actions, every pair of eyes gathered on them as if they were being checked out, it was only until a few moments passed did the gazes leave. The white haired boy unknowingly exhaled a breath he didn't know he had.
He unknowingly tucked his wild white locks as he shuffled just a bit closer to Roman, the aforementioned male took a deep breath as if welcoming the scent of his home. His eyes gleamed as he briefly scoured his surroundings before landing at the corner of the room.
His eyes shone with relief, he immediately walked to what seemed like the source of alcohol. Voluptuous barmaids could be seen picking up silver trays, a variety of drinks on the flat surface, before moving onto the men that lounged about. One of them even winked at Ludvik.
Blushing and unsure of what to do, the boy hastened his steps and caught up with Roman who had sat on a magenta colored and cushioned stool.
It was only until then did he fully try to understand where he was at, hued with a velvet color, the room gave a seductive and almost loving sensation that permeated through its entirety. He noticed a certain theme with the furniture, be it the couches, the cushioning, or even some of the drinks, they were all 'dyed' in the color.
The 'room' he was in seemed to have been connected with a variety of other rooms, he could even see two separate staircases to the left and right which granted one to go to the upper level of the Red Velvet Bar.
The faint sound of music extended and expanded, neither causing too much noise or too little, as for what genre of music it was Ludvik didn't have enough time to tell as Roman tapped the marble of the counter, "Pass me a few shots of Velvet Sunrise. Oh, and an extra strong apple juice for the kid."
The bartender, who happened to be an amiable elderly man, nodded and prepared the following drinks.
"..."
Ludvik's eye twitched but in the end he said nothing, instead in favor of intaking the scenery, occasionally his glances stray towards the skimpily dressed women, but he couldn't help but feel a sense of shock as he observed.
Just with a single observation the boy was able to determine that some of the females were too young to be working in such a place, especially if the faint moaning sound that resounded in some of the rooms were of any indication.
A sense of disgust swelled up within him as he now truly understood what Roman meant by 'a lot of things are questionable' and as for the line 'which is all the more reason to not question it' referred to those of wealth and status, even if he wanted to do something about it, it would only bring about a catastrophe upon him.
Ludvik sighed, grabbing the drink that was slid to him by the bartender as he proceeded to take a long and cold sip through the straw, the sweet liquid flowed through his mouth, allowing the irritation and hint of anger to be soothed.
Thankfully, all he had to do to be able to drink was lift the mask off of his skin for a bit.
"The workers are here because they're willing, whether or not they want to sleep with far older men is up to them. No matter the circumstances or their beauty, the choice of accepting to be an employee is their own." Roman scoffed as the boy nodded, he didn't know if the man was mocking or calming him but it made him feel a bit better.
The two males sat in silence, allowing the entrancing bodies of women, the thick and sweet scent of alcohol, and the hushed whispers of all kinds, to be imprinted upon their minds as they took in the scene.
Especially so for Ludvik, who had never been to such a place, the most resembling place he could think of was in a video game or images on the internet.
As they continued their viewing with absolute quietness, occasionally Ludvik glanced at the older male, as if wishing for him to speak or disturb the silence in the atmosphere. But Roman opted to keep the tranquility.
Eventually, the silver eyed teen couldn't take it anymore, "What are we doing here? Are we going to wait until the bar closes?"
He had made many guesses, be it interacting with those that could be considered higher ups, or perhaps tackling on some easy mission that could grant him experience, they had been made into his thoughts. And yet, it felt as if it was neither, so he could only ask the sole person who knew.
Roman smiled, as if successful in something, before he turned his body towards Ludvik, "Tell me kid, in this world, what do you want, what is your goal, your dream, what do you want to accomplish?"
The boy was momentarily at a loss for words, the question was too sudden, especially for Roman. But he began to seriously think about it, what did he hope to accomplish in this new lease that was his second life?
In his first life, he wanted nothing but peace, he wanted to die off slowly in some remote corner of the world without a care. He didn't want any responsibility, he didn't want to live miserably, he wanted to enjoy himself with a nice book or a Tv show to the very end. It was selfish, but he didn't care, he wanted his own little paradise without the trouble.
But in this world, a world of danger and monsters called Grimm, of superpowered humans, of technology that he deemed near magic, he felt that it was almost factual that he wouldn't obtain the sense of peace he so desired.
So then, what did he want?
In the end, Ludvik shook his head softly, his eyes showing a combination of confusion and a sense of haziness as he replied, "I… I don't know."
Roman showed an odd expression, clearly not expecting no answer, he hurriedly spoke, "You don't even want wealth, women, status?" Seeing no response, Roman paused before adding, "Let me rephrase it then, if you don't know your dream, then what is your current goal?"
Ludvik's complicated expression underneath the mask softened, his stoicness remained until he responded almost determinedly so, "I want the skill to survive, I want to be a great thief and capable of fighting at least to Neo's level."
This world made it clear upon his revival, whether he wanted women, fame, wealth, status, or even moldy food, one needed strength to acquire it. If he couldn't even defend himself from Grimm, then he had no room to speak of goals or dreams.
Those were for the future, as for the present, only strength mattered.
Roman looked at Ludvik for a bit, his eyes shining for a bit before he chuckled and leaned back against the counter. Noticing the reaction, Ludvik frowned.
'Was my answer the wrong one?'
No, the reaction was more expected or pleased than annoyed. Just as his thoughts ran, Roman downed another one of the drinks down his throat, sighing with pleasure as he spoke, "Alright kid, tell me, what do you notice about that guy at the left."
Surprised by the sudden question, Ludvik didn't respond in time and was just about to glance at the direction, but before he did Roman muttered, "Don't look, it'll draw suspicion. At best, use a reason to look in the direction or get the appearance from memory."
Ludvik's left eye twitched, he was barely a teenager, why did it seem that the thief thought such a person was able to memorize every detail of a new place and its people with a single scouring glance?
Maybe he could've recalled minute details, but the screen occupied too much of his vision, to see past it he would've needed to concentrate. Which would've defeated the whole purpose of 'don't draw suspicion.'
Drinking all of the contents of his drink, he dragged his gaze towards the left and then turned towards the bartender, "Can I get a refill for apple juice?"
The elderly man smiled and nodded, and as he disappeared under the counter Ludvik mumbled to Roman, "He's blonde, blue eyed, old, maybe in his fifties or lower sixties, can't tell with the mask. He's a bit lecherous, his left hand is groping the clearly younger girl, but she enjoys it or is good at acting."
It was a natural thing for everyone in the Red Velvet Bar to don masks of varying designs, only those with unique circumstances or lack of care were without one. And of course, forcing someone to take it off was prohibited, even by the owner.
The thief shook as he tsked, "You can't just notice the big details, you've need to think about the small parts that make it up. Look at his clothes, the style of his hair, the accessories, the way he looks at a person, the women and men by his side, what do you see?"
'Nothing, I see nothing.'
Ludvik inwardly lampooned, just the casual gaze was difficult for him and could be counted as mildly impressive, for him to be able to get that much detail it would've taken more than just a few cursory glances.
'I'm too tired and blind for this.'
Ludvik inwardly sighed, his vision had already started to blur and his mind had begun to pound, he was reaching his limits. But he steeled his resolve, the faster he finished the 'training' the faster he could lay on the comfortable and oh so sweet bed.
Just as Ludvik was about to once again 'investigate' further, the bartender tapped Roman on the shoulder and proceeded to point at a clock that hung near the counter.
6:00 AM, it was time for closing.
'Had it really been that long?'
He had assumed it was late but that late, at the moment he could only hope he could finally get some sleep when he came back. Roman sighed as he spoke, "Alright, come on kid, we can come back either tomorrow or some other day.
"Remember to focus on your surroundings but don't lose track of what's before you, analyze everything but don't make it seem like you are, there's a difference."
The man stood up from his stool, the faint sound of steps grew distant and faint, they were leaving but much to the surprise of the boy it wasn't towards the entrance of where he and Roman came from, but from multiple other pathways.
It didn't take long to come to the guess of the Red Velvet Bar having many exits and entrances, nodding to himself at his most likely guess and Roman's advice. Giving a quick thanks to the bartender, the two set off as they continued to talk.
But just in that moment, a chill ran through his spine and his body grew rigid, as if a cold dagger was placed near his neck. From the soles of his feet to the top of scalp, his movements grew still as if his nerves had frozen. Unknown, as the piercing gaze moved away, Ludvik broke out in cold sweat.
"Hm? You alright kid?" Noticing the strangeness of the boy, he raised an eyebrow and received a shaky nod.
"Y-Yeah, I'm just tired, barely slept at all." Ludvik quickly made an excuse as he continued his movement. Shrugging, Roman walked alongside him.
And slowly, despite the terrifying sensation that he had briefly felt, a small smile grew upon his face, the dark screen in front of him vanishing and repairing with a relieving message.
[Process completed, Gamer System installed, "Marauder" Characteristic absorbed, impending natural growth in process, genes modified to peak performance, physique growth adjusted]
{Progress: Completed}
Welcome host, I am the Gamer System!
'Finally…'
Without any further problems, the two faded up the staircase, the lights growing increasingly fainter with each of their steps.
000 000 000
AN
Does religion exist in RWBY? I did some research on this topic a while back, and managed to find out there were, but the show never really touched up on it. So for the sake of simplicity, I'll be using "God" and "Heavens" from 'our' world rather than make some original yet complicated version of religion.
And yes, I decided to add 'character' to Roman as his past is mostly buried, so I decided to have some fun with it. Why? Because why not. I don't really have a reason besides wanting to use his potential, that's all.
As for the Gamer System, I finally implemented it like planned. But of course, things don't always go in Ludvik's way so here he is, with the dreaded loading screen. And I do plan to have it be… different from what you'd expect.
Oh, right, The Gamer System is NOT Ludvik's semblance, so don't worry about that. That would be so boring.
And if you want to chat with me and a bunch of other great authors, then feel free to enter the discord server 'owned' by Shiro and company. Be warned, stupidity, degeneracy, and porn are guaranteed
discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd
And that's all for now, have a great day everyone.