Talking things through with Yuxia took far longer than Lucian expected.
By the time he finally left her room and walked out of the Slums, it was already past two in the morning.
Unlike the pitch-black Slums, prosperous Lungmen never slept. Even this late, plenty of signs and neon lights flickered across the streets.
After hearing all those stomach-twisting problems from Yuxia, Lucian suddenly realized he was hungry.
He sighed. "I already told El I'd be late. Guess a little later won't hurt… Lungmen's problems are such a pain."
Listening to Yuxia pour her heart out had left him feeling heavy too.
But at least it was him she talked to.
The Mouse Princess took things way too seriously. And with how strained she was with her father, there was no way she would've said any of that to the Rat King.
If she bottled it up with nowhere to vent, she'd only spiral deeper into that corner she was stuck in—easy prey for some sly old fox to take advantage of.
Lucian himself had received plenty of kindness from Lungmen.
Whether it was the Slums or the city center, he had people he liked and disliked on both sides. Treating the two as opposing enemies felt way too extreme. All he could do was look for a way toward reconciliation.
He muttered to himself as he walked into a convenience store. "Each side's got their own problems. If this were Laterano, I could've solved it with one word…"
"Solved? Solved what? Out with it—why can you solve things with one word?"
Lucian answered reflexively, "Isn't it obvious? Because I'm the Ho—hm?"
He shut his mouth just in time, nearly blurting out his secret.
The voice asking him had been so natural, and carried such a forceful "answer me" vibe that Lucian almost got pulled along by instinct.
He turned around—and found himself staring at a woman taller than him by a little, and much taller if you counted the long horns on her head.
The imposing woman grinned and pressed a cold beer can against his cheek. "I walked in and saw a suspicious Angel spacing out. Thought I'd interrogate him a bit. So, what are you? 'Ho' something? Holy man?"
"…S-something like that? Yeah, back in Laterano I was basically in a priest-type role, but memorizing scripture sucks, so I ran away."
Lucian nodded furiously, heart pounding guiltily.
Then he straightened up and snapped a crisp salute at the cool, sharp-looking woman. "Long time no see, Captain Hoshiguma. Or should I call you Oni-sis?"
In the Lungmen Guard Department, there was a saying.
Because Ch'en was a Lung, and Swire was a cat… well, technically a tiger.
Both were beautiful women, and their relationship was notoriously oil-and-water. Every time they met, they argued instantly.
Watching the two of them fire Lungmen Expletives at each other in ways that totally didn't match their beauty had practically become a Guard Department trademark.
But there was a third contender in this rivalry: the terrifying oni.
Ch'en was one rival, Swire the other.
And the oni… was Hoshiguma.
With her long, unique green hair, Hoshiguma was an Oni from Higashi—known for their towering height and reliable, big-sister personality.
She was part of the Guard Department's Special Task Group, two ranks below Senior Inspector Ch'en. But because the two were close friends, she often played mediator between Ch'en and Swire.
Of course, Hoshiguma's reputation as Lungmen's strongest in raw physical strength wasn't undeserved.
She was calm, logical, and reliable—so she negotiated whenever she could.
But if negotiations failed, her fists could ignore all differences in rank. That was the real reason she was "terrifying."
And despite all that, she and Lucian were old acquaintances—she was actually the first woman he'd ever built a good relationship with after arriving in Lungmen.
"Come in," Hoshiguma said. "Slippers are where they always are. Grab a pair."
"Yes, ma'am." Lucian gave another exaggerated salute and followed her inside.
Hoshiguma lived on the outskirts of the city, in a cheap single-room rental. It felt too barebones for a woman living alone, but the simplicity fit her perfectly.
Lucian had been here several times. He slipped into his usual pair of guest slippers and commented, "Nothing's changed since last time. Still just two pairs… don't tell me these are my personal slippers?"
"In your dreams." Hoshiguma snorted. "They're for guests. Ch'en wears that pair too. But since you two are the only ones who ever come over, you could say they're yours."
Lucian clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You're still so introverted, Oni-sis. What would you do without me and Ch'en? You'd have no friends—ow! Your horns really hurt!"
Hoshiguma dipped her head, and her solid Oni horns thunked against his forehead like a hammer—way worse than getting his cheeks squeezed by Swire or Yuxia.
Hoshiguma chuckled and set down the three crates of beer she'd been carrying on her shoulder.
By the way—Lucian had been carrying two crates, both in his arms. Hoshiguma carried three with one hand.
The gap hurt his pride as a man. He wilted a little.
Hoshiguma paid no attention to his wounded dignity. She sat down, cracked open a can, and took a long drink. "I stop by that convenience store for beer every time I finish a night shift, but I've never run into you before. What're you doing wandering around this late? It's a bit far from where you live. Is Penguin Logistics up to something illegal again?"
Lucian dodged, "We're not doing a report right now, Hoshiguma. If I said I was looking for you, would you believe me?"
"If you drink, I'll believe you."
She crushed the empty can flat with one hand, then popped open two fresh ones—one in each hand—and passed one to him.
There was no escaping. Lucian took it with a sigh. "I really think Lungmen should abandon this whole 'drink or else' culture. As modern young adults, we should choose what we drink—"
Hoshiguma shot him a sideways look mid-gulp. "So? You're not voluntarily drinking my beer?"
"I-I'm totally voluntary!"
Under her amused stare, Lucian chugged the whole can and let out a burp.
Hoshiguma didn't say a word—she just cracked open another and offered it. "Continue."
Lucian's eye twitched. "Hoshiguma… why do you force-feed me beer every time?"
Hoshiguma held up three fingers while drinking. "One, only you and Ch'en can keep up with me. Two, you're easier to get information out of when you're drunk. Three, it makes me happy."
Lucian sighed in resignation. "So getting information out of me is the main goal… fine. As long as you're happy."
A man sometimes just couldn't say no.