Chimera of Batius - Chapter 0
Sexslust [Plant]
Scientific name: Transisoad sexodissus
Family: Iridaceae (Iris)
It is said that this flower blooms once every hundred years. It is characterized by having no leaves, and its petals are red.
It is believed to possess seeds capable of crossbreeding with any other plant, but no one has actually seen this flower.
Currently, it is considered a fictional plant from legends.
The only record of the Sexslust was found in a rural village in the southern region of Meldine.
***
A string instrument played a soft melody. In the dimly lit tent, a voice spoke with fervor.
“Cheil, they’ll offer you 10 million milos for a few hip movements! Ten million milos! That’s enough money to buy a small city!”
Cheil, dressed in a red dancer’s dress, fixed his gaze on the mirror.
“Eden, step back a bit; you’re splashing saliva.”
On the vanity where the mirror was placed, there was a wide variety of accessories and cosmetics. From outside the tent, a faint murmur filtered in. Eden pounded his chest impatiently.
“Right now, saliva isn’t the important thing! With this money, we could stop being a traveling company! Aren’t you tired of this life?!”
Cheil lifted a small round container from the vanity. Inside was a piece of red lipstick, carefully stored. He rubbed the lipstick with his little finger and smiled.
“Why do you think I’m bored? I don’t dislike this life.”
“Cheil! Please, my friend!”
Cheil glanced at Eden sideways with his bright yellow eyes. With his red lips curved sensually, he looked back into the mirror. He parted his lips, placed his little finger on them, and rubbed, leaving a red lipstick mark.
“What kind of fool would pay that much money for a few nights? It’s a scam, believe me.”
“I’m not being scammed!”
“If you like it so much, do it yourself.”
Eden ran a hand over his face, letting out a long sigh.
“If I could, I would. I’d do it all myself and keep the money! But unfortunately, I don’t have the ability to impregnate an alpha.”
Then, Cheil’s hand stopped.
“Impregnate an alpha?”
Eden’s eyes lit up as he approached Cheil.
“For this, we need your special ability. That… the ability of a Kim… the ability of the Sexslust!”
Eden whispered the forbidden word cautiously. “Kim”, or “chimera”, was a forbidden word in the empire.
The story of the Kim began with a lunatic.
About ten years ago, in the south of the Meldine region, there was a madman named Batius who experimented day and night without rest. No one knew exactly what his hidden research entailed.
The revelation of Batius’s experiment to the world came when his laboratory caught fire. The test subjects that escaped were hybrids of humans and animals. Batius had been conducting experiments to combine humans with beasts. For that inhumane act, Batius was sentenced to be burned at the stake. From that day, the mass hunt of Chimeras began in the empire. The problem was that not only the true Chimeras were hunted, but those with suspicious characteristics or strange behaviors were labeled as Chimeras and condemned to the stake.
It was a word that attracted death: Chimera.
From that day, people began calling Chimeras “Kim”; even pronouncing that word was considered dangerous. Eden was mentioning that word to Cheil now.
Eden clasped his hands with a sad expression.
“Since I received Batius’s request, ten long years have passed. I’ve resisted countless temptations and never betrayed you. After all, I was the one who rescued and raised you, so this time you can help me, right?”
When Cheil pursed his lips and opened his eyes cautiously, shadows formed under his long, lithe lashes. The glow of the bright yellow irises between the shadows was not human. The corners of Cheil’s lips lifted.
“Are you threatening me?”
“It’s not a threat; I’m just asking for your cooperation. I’m begging you. Please, Cheil. Please!”
Cheil lifted the bracelet placed on the vanity with an indifferent gesture. Each time a ring slid onto his wrist, a metallic clash resonated.
“Fine, tell me about it first.”
“If I tell you, will you join?”
“Tell me.”
“Haa… You drive me crazy. Among all extremes, or rather, in the entire empire, only you would be so calm at the word ‘ten million milos’.”
Eden sighed and scratched his thick beard. Then he rolled up the sleeve of his thin shirt and swallowed.
“A few days ago, a noble visited me. I thought he was some important person who wanted to join the company, so I received him as always.”
Eden lowered his voice and leaned closer.
“Apparently, he must have heard some rumor.”
“What kind of rumor?”
“That we have a Sexslust.”
“Eden.”
“Wait, wait! Don’t interrupt me. Let me finish!”
Eden waved his hands in front of Cheil.
“I didn’t know anything specific. Like the other clients, he was simply carried away by the music we played. But his proposal was real! He asked if we really had a Sexslust and if we could make an alpha pregnant. He said he’d give us ten million milos if we did it! And he even said he’d give us a hundred thousand milos in advance!”
Cheil tilted his head with an expression of disbelief. His long black hair slid over his shoulders. A low drum sound, charged with quiet air, resonated from beyond the tent. Cheil ran a hand through his hair and tucked it behind his ear. Eden, eyes wide, approached Cheil as if he’d thought of something.
“Wait! Yes, that’s right, he’s a beauty! Didn’t you say you wanted to embrace all the beauties of the world before you died?”
Then Cheil’s gaze turned to Eden.
“The wife of the former Grand Duke of Heinsley was famous for being the most beautiful woman not only in the empire but also in the kingdom of Operta! They say he looks a lot like her!”
His eyes sparkled with hope. Eden clung to Cheil more desperately.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!”
“Mmm…”
Cheil murmured at Eden’s words.
“Cheil, my friend. Let’s join forces this time and make our dreams come true!”
Wow!
Beyond the tent, loud shouts and applause could be heard. It was the signal that an act had ended. Cheil let go of Eden’s arm. The applause quieted, and a beautiful voice began to sing.
“Don’t get drunk on the beautiful melody that fills the night.”
“Don’t let yourself be seduced by the fascinating melody. He’s just a trembling flower that will make you waver.”
Cheil took the face veil that was on the vanity and put it on.
“Are you really not going to do it?”
“Don’t be fooled by the words that whisper love. He’s just a naughty flower.”
Among the ornaments covering his face, Cheil’s bright yellow eyes shone intensely.
“The next performance is the most famous of our company!”
The presenter’s loud voice was heard.
Under the veil, red lips curved softly. Cheil opened the tent’s entrance, waving his long sleeves.
“It’s an enchanting flower that will steal your heart.”
“I don’t need money… just the prospect of picking this flower is a fascinating story.”
A murmuring voice blended with the song.
“The name of the one who will steal your soul is…”