As soon as they stepped off the RV, Axelle naturally took charge, ushering everyone toward the town as if she had done this a thousand times before.
The town exuded an exotic, rustic atmosphere. Beneath their feet were uneven cobblestone paths, and many of the buildings on either side were constructed from massive blocks of stone.
Green vines climbed the walls, and the unique shapes of the rooftops made it feel as though they had stepped directly into a medieval fantasy world.
Along the way, most of the town's residents were dressed in coarse cloth garments, though a few fashionably dressed tourists could be seen wandering about.
Beth looked around, constantly snapping photos with her phone. "It's so beautiful here. It's like a medieval castle out of a fairy tale…"
"Yeah, I feel like even the air smells of romance."
Lorna took a deep breath, her voice trembling with excitement.
This buck-toothed girl, who had spent the entire trip silently driving the RV and barely uttering a word, seemed like a different person the moment she set foot in this town.
She walked with her head turning left and right, her eyes filled with the anticipation of some unknown romantic encounter.
"Lorna? Looking at how excited you are, are you going to pull out your little notebook and write an eight-hundred-word travel journal?"
Whitney teased her classmate while shamelessly pressing her body against Sephirot.
She thoroughly enjoyed the thrill of flaunting her charms in such an exotic locale.
Even if her provocative behavior couldn't break through the man's cold exterior, she could still use it to attract the attention of other men.
On the other side, the Female Model Axelle was not to be outdone; she hooked her arm through Sephirot's other side, leaning half her body weight against him.
Sandwiched between two sexy bombshells, Sephirot examined the surrounding architecture with great interest.
He noticed that since they had gotten off the vehicle, a group of burly men had been trailing them from a distance.
Patty walked alone at the very back of the group. Watching Sephirot ahead with a girl on each arm, she had already cursed him a thousand times in her mind.
As the group passed through an archway that resembled a castle gate, a group of children suddenly swarmed out from all directions, blocking their path.
These children didn't look like locals; they had high cheekbones and pale blue eyes, possessing a shrewdness and wildness that didn't match their age.
Wearing various knitted hats, they stretched out their small hands and shouted in broken English, "Dollar! Dollar!"
Seeing the group of begging children, Axelle wasn't surprised at all. "Does anyone have a dollar?" she asked as if it were routine.
Beth reached for her purse. "I'll cover it."
"No, no, let me!"
Lorna suddenly interrupted Beth loudly. She hurriedly rummaged through her shoulder bag, eager to prove that she too could handle these social situations.
After searching for a moment, she didn't pull out any cash. Instead, as if possessed, she pulled out a small box. "I have mints. How about a refreshing mint? They're very delicious." As she spoke, Lorna pinched a candy out of the box and handed it to the boy in the lead.
The little boy glanced doubtfully at the candy in her hand, then spat a thick glob of phlegm directly onto Lorna's face.
"Fuck!"
Lorna cursed instinctively, freezing in place.
"Get lost!"
Axelle's expression shifted slightly as she hurried forward to drive the group of children away.
Sephirot stood at the back, silently watching the scene and nodding slightly.
So, it really was a Hostel situation.
The exotic charm and the hot springs queue were nothing more than tricks used by a massive international underground organization to deceive people.
Once victims checked into their recommended hotels, their personal information and physical characteristics would be immediately uploaded to the dark web, where they would be auctioned anonymously to wealthy elites across the globe.
The highest bidder would gain full disposal rights over the prey, allowing them to do whatever they pleased to the victim inside a torture chamber.
And these children were also a link in the industry chain; they weren't just responsible for scouting, they would occasionally rob tourists as well.
Now that he understood the plot, things became simple.
In order to satisfy their twisted psychological needs, these wealthy bastards would surely have to come to the site for the experience, right?
And as an innocent, naive tourist, he would be terribly frightened by these perverts.
It would be perfectly reasonable to collect some emotional distress compensation as a matter of self-defense, wouldn't it?
After chasing away the delinquent children, Lorna stood to the side, awkwardly wiping her face.
The group continued forward, finally arriving in front of a hotel called the Eden Spa.
The interior decor of the hotel was worlds apart from the somewhat dilapidated town outside; soft carpets lined the lobby, and the air was filled with the scent of incense.
On the lobby sofas sat several scantily clad women, flashes of snowy-white skin peeking through their silk robes.
Seeing Sephirot walk through the door, these women were like sharks scenting blood, shamelessly winking at him and slowly licking their bright red lips.
A man with curly hair and round, gold-rimmed glasses stood behind the front desk.
He caught sight of the Female Model, Axelle, and gave her a meaningful smile before looking at the group. "Hi, what can I do for you all?"
Before Beth or the others could speak, Axelle chimed in familiarly. "Our friends need to check in. Please arrange the best rooms for them."
Watching the two of them play off each other, Sephirot could only sigh at how easy college students were to fool.
"No problem."
The man in glasses looked up, his gaze sweeping over Sephirot and the girls. "However, according to hotel policy, I'll need you to present your driver's licenses for registration. I'll have a bellhop return them to your rooms later."
Sephirot handed over their two fake IDs. He glanced back at Patty following behind him and suddenly spoke up. "Sir, one room for the two of us will be enough."
Before the words had even fully landed, the others around them let out a chorus of whistles and hoots.
Whitney's eyes darted back and forth between Sephirot and Patty, while Beth offered a kind, knowing smile.
The man behind the desk returned with a key, his smile turning suggestive. "Of course, sir. I wish you both a pleasant evening."
Patty's cheeks were instantly stained a deep crimson, but with so many people watching, she could only grit her teeth and endure it without lashing out.
After the group paid, Sephirot took the key with its hanging tag and led Patty to their room on the third floor.
The room was decorated in a somewhat vintage style, with a large bed covered in dark red sheets sitting in the center.
The moment they entered, any awkwardness Patty felt about a man and woman sharing a room vanished.
She tossed her backpack straight onto the floor and pointed at the soft, large bed to declare her sovereignty. "Listen up, this bed is mine. You sleep on the sofa!"
With that, she let out a blissful sigh and, without even bothering to take off her shoes, prepared to dive onto the bed for a nap.
But before she could touch the mattress, Sephirot grabbed her by the back of her collar. "I think you should go to the bathroom and take a shower first. You're filthy."
He checked the room to ensure there were no traps or cameras.
Listening to the sound of running water from the bathroom, Sephirot took off his coat, stretched his body, and consciously returned to his old home, the sofa.
It was, after all, a hotel designed for the pleasure of the rich; this sofa was far softer than the one back at the Agency, which actually made him feel a bit out of place.
Sephirot rolled over.
Calculating the time, the information regarding himself and these college girls should have already been posted on the dark web for auction, right?
At that thought, Sephirot felt a faint sense of anticipation. Just how popular would a specimen like himself be in the eyes of these thrill-seeking, perverted billionaires?
Perhaps he might even fetch a record-breaking price.
(Translated by yourtl.app)
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TL NOTES — CROSSOVER GUIDE
Some references in this chapter come from source universes that may be unfamiliar to some readers. The notes below provide the context needed to understand them without leaving the page.
GROUPS / FACTIONS
Elite Hunting — The criminal syndicate behind the torture-tourism operation in both Hostel films. A globally connected underground organization that recruits scouts (including local children used for pickpocketing and intelligence-gathering), bribes authorities, and operates private torture facilities for paying clients. Membership is marked by a specific brand or tattoo. The organization has influence at high levels of government across multiple countries, making it effectively untouchable by conventional law enforcement.