Chapter 369 Part 1
Under the crimson-colored clouds from the remaining sunlight of the day, I was walking on the cobblestone-paved street of the royal capital while looking at the sky and thinking to myself.
(I didn’t realize it was already this late. Well, it’s no wonder.)
Today, I left the old house with Imosuke in the early afternoon and moved to a new house in the outskirts. After that, I went back to the royal capital by myself and handed over my old house to the real estate manager of the merchant guild.
After that, I went shopping for groceries and a coffee bean roaster, so on the contrary, I would be surprised if it hadn’t already gotten dark.
(I have to eat first before going to the brothel.)
With a well-stuffed shopping bag in hand, I crossed the central square of the royal capital heading west to the main street of the red-light district. The street is already as bright as daylight from the streetlights and store lights, and I sit down at a random food stall.
「I’ll have this one and some hot straight tea, please.」
I ordered 『fried liver and leek』 from the young man who brought me water. Although the seasoning was slightly different from that of the liver leek stir fry in my previous life, it tastes excellent.
「Well well, if it isn’t Dr. Slime. Thank you for the other day.」
As I was gulping down the food brought to me, I was approached by a burly, well-dressed gentleman with thick chest hair.
He must have bought it at another stall. On a tray in his hand were sandwiches, scones, cheese, and other snacks.
「Not at all, I was thankful for your help too.」
He is what I call the 『chest-haired gentleman』 and what he meant by the other day I believe he was referring to our joint battle to defeat the Pantyless Troupe.
When I invited him to sit with me, he smiled and sat down across the table from me.
「Is that so? Well, I guess that’s reasonable.」
When I told him what happened to the Pantyless Troupe in the end, the chest-haired gentleman responded while enjoying the aroma of tea.
A skilled diplomat from the Eastern Country and the Prime Minister of the kingdom, who is reputed to be a clever man. The result of the negotiations between the two men was that they agreed on a moderate amount of compensation and other conditions.
(Still, was it because of his upbringing? Just the motion of him putting the tea cup back on the saucer feels so classy.)
That’s what I think when I see the gesture of the old man on the opposite side of me.
By the way, before going to brothels, there are many people who lightly fill their stomachs like this chest-haired gentleman. This is probably because they play in the brothel in the evening and so would inevitably have a late dinner.
(It’s the so-called afternoon tea.)
In my previous world, the aristocrats and the wealthy took it before going to see a play. The difference from this world is that the destination is a brothel, not a theater.
By the way, if I were to describe my meal in the same way, it would be 『High Tea』.
(Something like afternoon tea is just not suited for a guy like me.)
『High Tea』 is another way of saying 『Meat Tea』. During the Industrial Revolution, it was the final meal of the day for workers who came home hungry after a day’s work.
All that was left was sleep. It will be a waste to turn on the light at this hour, so they just quickly go to bed.
The fact that there’s 『Tea』 in its name even though it’s considered a meal is probably a remnant of the fact that tea has come to be served at the tables of the common people.
(After all, I’m just a blue-collar worker.)
I was a foreman for a construction company in my previous life. I wore plain clothes to work and rarely put on a white shirt.
For me, high tea that originated from the common people fits me more.
(Besides, playing in brothels is something akin to hardcore sport and exercise.)
Many afternoon tea menus are heavily weighted toward carbohydrates. What I need is protein for my muscles and seeds.
「You are going to a brothel after this aren’t you? What do you think we go together?」
When we finished eating and both of our cups were empty, the chest-haired gentleman invites me to go join him.
『Two men and women enter the playroom, swapping partners midway and sharing their impressions afterward.』
The pervy macho, Corneal, who was also the number three in the knight order. In short, he wants to do the same thing I sometimes do with my friend.
「Sure, I’d be glad to.」
When asked where he learned about it, he said that he heard about it from Corneal during a break after we annihilated the Pantyless Troupe. In addition, he said that the four-on-four with the Pantyless Troupe was so much fun that he wanted to try it again.
I was happy that he showed interest.
(It seems we’ve got a prime candidate for a new member of the Adult Gourmet Club.)
The 『Adult Gourmet Club』 is a club that I and Corneal started to review brothels. Although a fair amount of time has passed since we started, the number of members has not increased from just the two of us.
One of the reasons for this is that we hold fewer club activities because Corneal, who has become a high-ranking official of the knight order, is very busy. But the most important reason is that we have to carefully select our members.
In this respect, the chest-haired gentleman has sufficient character and ability.
(Let’s discuss it with Corneal-san next time.)
I doubt he rejected the idea. But it’s not something I can decide on my own, so I’ll wait until I have his approval before I invited the chest-haired gentleman.
(Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.)
The chest-haired gentleman who has a lot of experience in the red-light district and has many connections. We could have a wider range of fun if he would join us.
My stomach filled with anticipation, as we walked down the main street of the red-light district together.
***
In an area where high-class and middle-class brothels are mixed together, located one block away from the main street. Two old men are wandering around this area.
(Now, which store should we go to?)
We had no reservations, nor did we have a particular store we wanted to go to. So we decided to go to a store we had never been to before.
(There were times when I would end up at the edge of the red-light district without being able to decide which store to go to. It would be nice if there’s something that can attract our attention here.)
While thinking about such a thing, I passed by a middle-class brothel with an A-frame signboard by the entrance which caught my eye.
『Eastern Countries Fair is now underway.』
The background of the large letters is a figure of a dancer with a lot of exposure and accessories that looks like something out of the Arabian Nights. Looking at the background, it reminded me of the story “One Thousand and One Nights”, except that she is not wearing a 『face veil』, a cloth that conceals the lower half of her face.
「So there’s this kind of costume, huh? It’s my first time seeing it.」
While looking at the sign, I give my impressions to the chest-haired gentleman.
Incidentally, the Easternmost countries are further east of the 『Eastern Country』 that’s located to the east of the Kingdom. It is the name given to a group of small countries that can be called city-states.
However, they are not a unified nation. On the contrary, it is a warring area where humanoid giants called Knights, always clash swords with each other.
(I wonder if they’re at war.)
In this world, only Knights are fighting in the war and civilians shouldn’t be involved in it. However, it is a land where the ever-present battlefield is not just a matter of mindset, but a reality.
(I can’t imagine how hard it would be to live there. Not to mention the price of daily necessities would go up.)
The only people who would be attracted to such a place would be knight pilots seeking to gain military fame, mercenary knights looking to make a fortune, or risk-taking merchants seeking high returns.
「Then, why don’t we try this store today?」
I agreed to the chest-haired gentleman’s suggestion. I immediately push open the door and step into the store.
「Ohh, this is nice~」
Comment (0)