My name is Logabo.
I’m the man who runs the North Side of Village Five from the shadows.
Because Village Five was essentially a small mountain converted into a settlement, the north side suffered from poor sunlight and a general lack of popularity.
"In that case, we should simply gather the shops that don't care about the sun," the Acting Village Head had decreed.
On her orders, the nightlife district was concentrated on the North Side. It consisted mainly of brothels and casinos. Once those were established, restaurants, taverns, and inns quickly followed suit. The area became bustling in the blink of an eye. Among men, the phrase "going to the North Side" became synonymous with going out to play with women.
My shop is one of the establishments that make up the district. I run a tavern that doubles as a brothel. I used to own a similar place in a city further to the west, but my shop was burned to the ground during the war with the Human Race. Afterward, I traveled from place to place with the women who had nowhere else to go. Those were grueling days.
I am truly glad I decided to come here after hearing the rumors about Village Five. I never thought I’d be able to own a shop again.
I can't hold my head up around the Acting Village Head. I mean that out of gratitude, sure, but mostly in a literal, physical sense. That woman is terrifying. I’ve met plenty of influential figures—village headmen, mayors, lords, and even the hardened criminals who run the underworld—but she makes them all look like children. She is the type of person you must never make eye contact with. My instincts constantly whisper that the best course of action is to simply bow my head and wait for orders.
Whether it was because of that attitude or something else, I was chosen as one of the members responsible for managing the North Side. There are ten of us in total.
We call ourselves the North Side Committee.
It is an organization dedicated to autonomously governing the North Side of Village Five, setting aside the individual profits of our own shops for the sake of the district. The Acting Village Head didn't give us complicated instructions.
"Govern yourselves so as not to cause trouble for the village."
That was it.
When you deal with alcohol and women, trouble is a natural byproduct. Drunken brawls, fights over girls or customers, and minor financial disputes are almost charming in their simplicity. The real problems are overcharging, fraud, the sale of suspicious drugs, and the occasional trade of illegal goods. To keep these issues from escalating, we ensure every shop practices transparent accounting. We issue warnings to malicious establishments, and if those warnings are ignored, we have procedures in place to contact the Security Team.
Several shops have already been crushed that way. They were fools; you can make a decent living in Village Five as long as you operate honestly.
Eventually, a proposal was made within the committee to appoint a representative. Until then, we had operated on a system of collective agreement. However, we were all rivals who owned our own shops, and our interests often clashed, bringing discussions to a standstill. Furthermore, it was difficult to get all ten of us in one room at the same time.
The idea was to concentrate authority in a single representative, while the remaining nine members would act as overseers. I thought it was a sound plan. To be honest, the committee's work is exhausting. Managing my own shop was one thing, but having to keep an eye on the entire North Side was a massive headache. If I could just be an overseer, it would be a godsend.
We checked with the Acting Village Head, and she told us we were free to manage our internal structure however we saw fit. With that hurdle cleared, we all agreed to the representative system. Everyone was eager to avoid the extra work.
We decided to choose the representative by drawing lots. We checked the lots over and over to ensure there was no foul play.
So, why me?
I could only bury my face in my hands. The member sitting next to me gave me a sympathetic pat on the shoulder. When I looked at him, hoping he might offer to take my place, he immediately looked away and retreated.
For now, I was appointed for a one-year trial term. Fine. If this was how it was going to be, I would make sure the year passed without a single incident.
Currently, the North Side Committee employs about fifty people to act as our "hands and feet" for resolving trouble and gathering information. However, these fifty people were all recommended by the committee members—and most of them are children or women who had retired after marriage. They aren't exactly suited for breaking up fights or infiltrating the seedier parts of the nightlife district. They try their best, but they lack the necessary physical presence.
Why weren't any men applying? Well, it wasn't like we were openly recruiting, but still. It reached the point where I had to go on patrols myself during my spare time.
With a heavy sigh, I decided I would have to scout someone personally.
As luck would have it, I spotted a man who looked just right. He appeared to be in his twenties. While most of the shops were closed during the day, he was wandering around the area. I figured he must be new. It wasn't unusual for travelers or new residents to visit the North Side once they heard the rumors.
That meant his face wasn't known around here yet. I wanted to scout a man like him and put him to work as my subordinate. The process was simple: I would invite him to my shop and make a pitch. I wouldn't use threats; I'd just talk about the pay and benefits.
Of course, I made sure to seat my shop’s number one and number two hostesses on either side of him. I wasn't going to let him get away.
The man I scouted turned out to be the Village Head.
He looked like nothing more than the second son of an ordinary farming family, but he was the top authority of Village Five. Even the terrifying Acting Village Head bowed her head as low as she possibly could to him.
I thought my life was over.
Instead, the Village Head gave me words of praise.
"Please continue to work hard for the safety of Village Five," he said.
He was incredibly magnanimous. I couldn't thank him enough.
However, I couldn't help but wonder. Why was the Village Head in a place like that all by himself? I offered to bring women to him if he had any specific requests. I even mentioned the two girls who had been sitting with him earlier.
He turned me down.
I looked at him closely. He was smiling, but his eyes held a firm, unmistakable sense of rejection. I realized then that it was impossible. I gave up immediately. Unchecked ambition is a dangerous thing, and receiving those words of praise from him was more than enough for me.
I tried to leave the Acting Village Head's Mansion, but I didn't get far. I was immediately surrounded by several women.
This didn't feel like a seductive encounter. Not at all. I could feel the cold, sharp edge of bloodlust directed right at me.
"So, you're the one who lured the Village Head into your establishment?" one asked.
"Hohoh. And tell us, what kind of girls did the Village Head show an interest in?" another added.
"We need you to tell us everything. In detail."
My name is Logabo. I run the North Side of Village Five from the shadows.
I really hope this one-year term ends quickly. Or, if any of the other committee members want to demand my resignation, I’m waiting. Please, don't be shy.