The group's unwillingness couldn't beat how reasonable Khan's idea sounded. Amber, Grant, and Cora poured booze on their heads and clothes before leaving the building to roll themselves on the dusty streets.
Khan was obviously the first to go through the process, and he looked pretty bad by the end of it. His clothes had countless spots, his face was full of dirt, and his hair resembled straw. A yellowish shade has also covered his whole figure.
Cora, Amber, and Grant soon ended up in Khan's state. The three were uncomfortable in that condition. They found it hard to move with all that dirt on them, but Khan inevitably laughed at that sight. He almost understood Madame now.
"We are on a mission!" Amber complained. "Be serious!"
"Sorry," Khan laughed. "It's just too funny."
Grant was slightly better off, but Cora and Amber had issues, and they showed them, especially Amber. They kept adjusting their clothes or hair, even if their attempts only worsened their appearance.
"Hey, I'll leave you here if you keep trying to look good," Khan teased as he approached Cora.
"Don't, I'm dirty," Cora complained, even if she didn't stop Khan from taking her waist.
"Look up," Khan whispered since Cora kept her gaze lowered.
Cora felt uncomfortable, but she couldn't refuse Khan. She lifted her head and fell prey to a long kiss. The gesture felt awful due to the dirt and stench, but it also helped her get used to her state.
"Shall we go now?" Khan asked after making their lips separate.
Cora limited herself to nod, and the group began to move. They couldn't go directly from the building to the event since someone might have seen them changing, so they took a detour and circled a few quarters before going on their way.
"Don't share your booze now," Khan scolded along the way. "Don't look up too much either. Don't inspect your surroundings, and don't think about our road. We can always get back on the main path, but we shouldn't stop."
Those directives were common knowledge when it came to the Slums, but Amber, Grant, and Cora found it hard to apply them. They didn't know how to express the general diffidence iconic of every citizen in the area, and they were far too polite in their gestures.
Khan could only force them to drink from time to time. He didn't want them to get drunk, but the booze helped with their stiffness and eventually created a relaxed atmosphere. The mission was still the priority, but the three began to take the walk toward their destination light-heartedly.
The four had to leave their phones and tech back in the habitation, but they didn't approach the mission empty-handed. Except for the few bottles and food cans, they also had hidden weapons or useful ointments under their clothes. As for Khan, he had to dig a hole in his underwear to bring his knife.
The sky darkened as the group continued to walk and drink. Their surroundings slowly began to feature more people as they put some distance from the barrack and their habitation. They were genuinely blending in, but that inevitably led to drawbacks.
"You are way kinder to Cora," Amber complained while taking Khan's arm.
"I knew your true feelings for me would have come out eventually," Khan mocked.
"She is too sweet for you," Amber scoffed.
"I agree with you on that," Khan laughed.
"Don't speak like this," Cora scolded while taking Khan's free arm. "You are also sweet, but be kinder with Amber."
"She likes when I tease her," Khan stated.
"I'm telling Cora that you said that," Amber threatened.
"She is right here," Khan exclaimed.
"But it worked anyway," Amber giggled. "Also, you should be grateful that I don't use different lines. I know how to hit your deepest spots since Cora tells me everything."
"Amber!" Cora called.
"This is a conspiracy," Khan gasped before fixing his gaze on Amber. "You aren't sleeping with us. Well, I would have to put aside my integrity if Cora really wants to."
"Khan!" Both Cora and Amber shouted, but Grant's laugh reached their ears and made them move their attention on him.
"Madame was right," Grant commented. "You are a womanizer."
"What exactly happened inside the brothel?" Amber asked in a curious tone. "What did you do to Ethan?"
"I'm sure he'll be fine," Khan chuckled.
"I won't say anything," Grant declared.
"I hope you aren't abusing Cora's trust," Amber announced while pulling Khan's arm.
"Hey, I'm the most loyal boyfriend in the world," Khan rebuked.
"He was pretty cool back then," Grant revealed. "Even Madame didn't dare to touch him afterward."
"Afterward?" Amber asked. "Do you mean that she touched him before? Hey, Cora, help me out here. Aren't you curious?"
Amber's question found no answer. Three pairs of eyes converged on Cora and found her blushing as she held Khan's arm tightly. There was no anger in her expression. She only wanted to stay closer to Khan.
"Were you afraid that I would cheat on you?" Khan whispered while lowering his head to leave a kiss on Cora's hair.
"I never doubted you," Cora stated in the cutest tone in the world. "You would never hurt me."
Cora and Khan fell prey to an intense stare. They seemed on the verge of making out, and their two companions understood the true meaning of "third-wheel" while they stared at them.
"Let's go for another round," Amber cleared her throat and took a long sip from her bottle to interrupt that romantic moment.
"Shouldn't you let me go now?" Khan asked.
"I wanted to," Amber revealed, "But I can make sure that you don't ditch the mission to be with Cora like this."
Grant limited himself to laugh and drink. Khan and Cora imitated him, and jokes soon resounded as the group moved toward their destination.
The four took the wrong turns multiple times and even risked forgetting about their mission as they lost themselves in the cheerful situation. However, their stench and the people that began to fill their surroundings forced them to remain alert.
Amber, Cora, and Grant could finally see the liveliness of the Slums as they disguised themselves deeper in that environment. Even Khan managed to find new aspects of that place.
The night had always been too dangerous for Khan back then, but he could see everything now. All the people around him were ill, dirty, drunk, or worse, but they also seemed beyond happy to head to the event.
Khan found it hard to compare his memories of the Slums to those scenes. He recalled his life there as a gloomy existence, full of dangers and mistrustful people, but the walk showed him a different truth.
The four in the team had poor-looking backpacks on their backs. They released clinging noises due to the few bottles and cans hitting each other, but the citizens didn't seem to care.
Usually, those people would inspect the group to see if they could steal the backpacks. However, everyone seemed too distant or happy to care about that. A few lecherous glances fell on Cora and Amber from time to time, but that was it.
That relaxed and cheerful atmosphere only intensified when rhythmic noises started to echo in the night. It didn't take long before the group found the source of those sounds, and the sight surprised them.
The Slums' houses were extremely easy to move. They were nothing more than metal tiles and other frail materials piled together, so dismantling them wasn't an issue.
The scene that unfolded in front of Khan and the others was the result of that dismantling. The citizens had removed many houses to create a vast square capable of holding almost a hundred people. Some had even brought buckets or other items to use as seats placed around a small fire.
Some of the people in the square threw different items at the fire. Most of them consisted of almost-empty bottles, but a few even had paper, wood, or similar flammable materials.
The peculiar aspects of the scene didn't end there. A few piles of bottles, pillows, food cans, and other random items stood around the fire. Those that arrived in the square made sure to add something before finding seats. The most popular spots featured poor-looking drums and almost-broken guitars, but the other areas also had some people.
The atmosphere among the group immediately grew tense. They had reached the event mentioned by Madame, so the covert mission had officially started. The faint dizziness that the booze had created wasn't enough to keep them relaxed now.
"Another round!" Khan suddenly shouted as he let go of Cora and Amber to take a long sip from a bottle in his backpack.
Khan had been loud enough to attract the attention of those in the square, but no one complained when he approached the fire to add two food cans to one of the piles. Everyone had stopped caring about him by the time he sat in an empty area.
Amber, Cora, and Grant couldn't help but feel grateful. Khan's actions had given them the time to calm down and get back in their act. They quickly approached the fire to add items to the piles before reaching Khan's spot.
The three remained a bit stiff even after they sat, but Khan took the matter into his own hands. He initiated jokes and casual conversations that forced them to relax. Their role now was to enjoy the part and wait for suspicious figures to appear.
Khan decided to go one step further after his companions relaxed. The event was simply too similar to Nitis' parties, so he felt confident in his actions. There was a lonely figure near his group, and he didn't hesitate to question him.
"Hey, old man," Khan called while pretending to be almost drunk. "When can I take one of the bottles there? This is my last one."
"I'll tell you if you let me drink," The old man laughed.
"No way," Khan responded while hugging the bottle in his hands.
"What about your friends?" The old man asked while moving his tired eyes between Amber and Cora. "I might answer if they ask nicely."
"Don't be naughty, old man," Khan scolded while wrapping his arms around Amber and Cora's necks to pull her closer to his chest. "They are both mine. You can have him if you want."
Amber and Cora didn't know what was happening, but they remained silent and let Khan do his act. As for Grant, he frowned before ignoring the conversation.
"Sadly, I'm not into that," The old man sighed. "Aren't you too greedy? You'll starve before satisfying both of them."
"There are worse ways to die," Khan proudly exclaimed, and the old man exploded into a loud laugh.
"Young men these days are so canny," The old man stated without interrupting his laugh. "You can take something from the piles only when the fire is about to burn it."
"Do I have to run for it?" Khan asked.
"That depends on your luck," The old man laughed, and the conversation ended there.
"You are really good at this," Amber whispered when Khan let her go to focus on the fire.
"I want to be an ambassador," Khan scoffed. "I would have no talent for it if I couldn't achieve this much in my past home."
"I'm still going to get back at you for using me for your act," Amber teased.
"Shut up, woman number two," Khan joked as he lay on Cora's lap to continue to drink.
"You are enjoying this too much," Amber cursed, but Grant laughed and made the whole atmosphere more cheerful.
Khan played around more than usual as the group continued to drink and managed to seize items from the piles. He seemed a proper member of the Slums, but Cora felt off whenever she looked at him. Even Amber noticed something, but she couldn't put that emotion into words.
Khan appeared beyond happy and drunk. Amber and Cora knew that most of that was an act, but some of his gestures also felt natural. He was used to those situations, and a longing expression even took control of his face whenever he lost himself in the flickering of the fire.
Amber and Cora couldn't possibly understand how much that situation meant for Khan, and he didn't explain anything. That wasn't the right moment to lose himself in his memories of Nitis, so he enjoyed himself as the Niqols taught him.
The event grew messier as everyone became drunker. Khan even found himself among unknown groups of people, chanting unfamiliar songs and dancing without keeping track of his movements. He was so perfect that Grant and the others wondered whether he had forgotten about the mission.
Their worries weren't entirely unfounded. Khan wasn't holding back in the celebration, and his companions were only one step behind him. They had to behave like ordinary citizens, which meant getting drunk, dancing, and trying their best to have fun.
"Khan, everyone can still see us," Cora whispered when Khan led her to one of the streets connected to the square.
"Would it be fine if they couldn't?" Khan teased as he led her behind a corner before pushing her on the wall.
"You are drunk," Cora giggled before accepting the kiss that fell on her lips.
"You aren't sober either," Khan joked as he moved to Cora's neck.
"Kha-!" Cora suppressed a moan as she wrapped her arms around Khan's neck. "We should go back to the others."
"Amber and Grant are finally having fun," Khan stated. "Let's do the same."
Cora couldn't stop Khan, and part of her didn't want to. She let him lift her from her butt as they continued to make out in that slightly isolated spot.
Khan's hands became useless at some point. Cora wrapped her legs around his waist, and he pressed her on the wall with his body, so he didn't need anything else to keep her lifted.
"Not here," Cora complained when Khan's hands slipped under her ragged pullover and explored her bare skin.
"Why?" Khan whispered without stopping.
Cora voiced another moan as Khan's reached her chest, but she suddenly pulled his hair and forced him to retract his head. She even muttered a firm "no" in front of his disappointed expression.
'Liiza would have never stopped me,' Khan sighed in his mind before forcing himself to calm down. 'What am I even doing? I shouldn't compare them.'
In the middle of his confusion, Cora pulled his head to kiss his cheek and whisper at his ear. "Hold back for now. I'll make it up for you once we return to our room."
The sweetness and faint shyness in Cora's tone blew away the confusion that had filled Khan's mind. He sobered up in an instant, and he felt so stupid for his previous thoughts.
"I'm way too lucky," Khan commented while placing his head on Cora's shoulder.
Cora softly giggled and began to caress his dirty hair. She also felt blessed, but an unfamiliar male voice suddenly resounded at her right. "Did you stop already? What a pity."
Khan instinctively grabbed Cora and threw a kick toward the source of the voice. Still, his attack didn't hit anything. His senses also failed to find significant movements in the mana around him.
****
Author's notes: Shoutout to DaGrumb for the Magic Castle!
