By the time the pair had arrived in Fu’nan, the beginning of summer came as a brilliant smile radiating from the heavens.

Joohyun was excited, she scanned the streets with great interest. While living in the northern city borders, the thought of other cities crossed her mind. It was a dream of hers to explore the rest of the kingdom once peace and unity were achieved.

Fu’nan was nothing like the North. Although it was incomparable to the prosperous city of Dongqian, the garrison town had few settlers of trade but a great number of farmers. This was because the town relied heavily on livestock production. However, the town layout was a bit… systematic. Many of the buildings and homes were mainly made out of wood and had identical patterns of construction.

“Two suite rooms please.” Seulgi presented four ingots of silver to the inn owner.

“Apologies distant warriors.” She glanced at their weapons in hand. “There’s only one suite room left, would you perhaps like to share it for a discounted price instead?”

“Another sma–”

“We’ll take it.” Joohyun took back two of the silver and flashed the old lady a smile.

“I could’ve settled for one of the rooms downstairs.” Seulgi pointed out as they unpacked in the suite room.

“Why?” Joohyun leaned her sword against the bedstead. “So you can wander off on your own and get lost in town?”

“Hyun, it’s been ages. I’m no longer a child.”

The two had bickered back and forth nonstop until from a sky of fire, came the setting of the sun. When dinner was served, Joohyun had awoken from a nap she accidentally slipped into. Seulgi was off in the wing–room, preparing to send out a message without notice.

“How do you suppose we find Happiness here in Fu’nan?” Joohyun spoke through a mouthful of rice.

“Hmm.” Seulgi moved towards the center table, seated across from the other girl. “It shouldn’t be that difficult. This is a town for soldiers, I don’t think there’ll be many brothels in the area.”

“Really?” Joohyun swallowed the mouthful of rice. “Well, that’s true. Most military strongholds have their own ion camps.”

“Let’s check out the town once the sun fully sets.”   

Shocked by their own words, the town truly only had one brothel. Happiness Brothel stood in the center of Fu’nan, but its exterior design was so uniform with the surrounding buildings, they wouldn’t have been able to locate it if it wasn’t for Joohyun almost getting into a fight.

They had stopped by a tavern, that was crowded with soldiers, for a break. Seeing how a soldier was acting rudely to the owner, Joohyun couldn’t help but interfere. This resulted in them getting kicked out of the establishment instead. 

While Joohyun was complaining about how strange the town was, she accidentally walked into a signboard that was leaned against its entrance instead of being hanged on the front of the building. How peculiar.

The sound of broken furniture from inside quickly drew them in, trespassing into the property as they played ignorant of the locked doors and closing sign.

Greeted with the interior structure of a familiar brothel they’ve become accustomed to, their unwelcome presence evoked a sense of alarm among the occupants. They were surrounded by people clad in dark green leather robes, the courtesan spies. The initials of Happiness Brothel are inscribed across the left of their chests.

At that moment, a middle–aged man, pulverized black and blue, stumbled down the stairs from the second floor. “H–help! Help me.”

He was five feet away from Seulgi when one of the spies sent a silver needle straight across his throat. His eyes rolled back into his head as he clutched his profusely bleeding neck, slowly writhing to death.

“What business do you have coming here?” A crisp voice