Chapter 390 Part 1
One morning, I was making potions delivery to the Tough-looking Chief at the purchasing counter on the first floor of the merchant guild headquarters in the royal capital.
「All of the potions are of great quality as always, thank you!」
The Tough-looking Chief smiles as he hands me my guild card after processing my deposit.
He is the head of the administration of the merchant guild and might be the man who will become the head of the guild in the future. However, it’s unfortunate to say that his appearance is a bit too menacing.
『Mercenaries and Underground Business.』
If I had to put it into words, his appearance would suit those kind of jobs more. However, according to what the other staff members say about him, his work as a supervisor is the exact opposite.
Although he scolds his subordinates, he always does it one-on-one, in a separate room, out of concern for his subordinates’ reputations. Moreover, as long as the cause of their blunder is not intentional or negligent, he’s willing to help clean up the mess.
(Even though he himself must’ve been so busy with his own job.)
That’s what I think, but the person himself says, 『That’s my selling point after all』. It seems that he was recognized and climbed his way up the ranks for his ability to clean up after others, or the so-called “losing battle”.
In addition, despite being such an accomplished person, he is also a hobbyist who can demonstrate his own sharp and unique dance moves at an idol concert venue.
(He’s a living example that people are not what they seem.)
So I thought from the bottom of my heart as I put the guild card he handed me in my pocket.
(Now then, now that we‘re done here, what should I do to kill time from now until lunchtime?)
Playing in brothels is my life’s work. I usually line up in front of the store before it opens at noon and enter after being greeted by the concierge and the staff, including the girls, who are lined up just like those at a high-class department store.
However, it’s still mid-morning now, and I’d like to wait a little longer for a quick lunch.
「Oh, right, the guild master said that he has something to tell you, so could you please go upstairs to his office?」
As I pulled out my chair to stand up while thinking about this, the Tough-looking Chief informed me.
Since it’s not an order, I guess it’s not about my job as 『the pilot of the merchant guild’s Knight』. I can pass the time by having a cup of tea with Goblin Jii-chan, so I gladly said yes and head for the staircase.
「Oh, you’re here.」
I walked up the creaking stairs to the top floor, or more specifically, the third floor. After knocking on the door, I entered the guild master’s office, where I found a small old man buried in a large leather chair.
「Actually, we’d like you to act as bait in our undercover operation.」
Sitting face-to-face in the same lounge set, the guild master cut to the chase as the usual overly sexy female staff brought us a cup of tea.
The small, goblin-like old man began to explain to me, who was confused because I couldn’t understand what he meant at all.
『Recently, there have been a number of crimes targeting travelers at compensated dating cafes. The merchant guild has decided to make a move as the one who manages the red-light district, and that’s why we want you to be the bait so we can catch the culprits.』
This is the summary of what happened, apparently.
I was chosen because of the recommendation of 『the Aunty who makes drinks at the counter』, the manager of Bell Talk, which is the oldest compensated dating cafe in the royal capital.
「But why me? I think I’ll be discovered right away since my face is quite well-known.」
I followed the Aunty’s advice, which is 『Go to brothels if you have money because they have better security and quality』, so I’ve never looked for a partner in a compensated dating cafe.
『Don’t play with someone from this store, it’s dangerous.』
However, I enjoy conversing with the lady who has such a casual attitude that I visit her from time to time and sit at the counter.
Naturally, the women who mainly hunt in Bell Talk coldly look at me with a gaze that says 『What is this guy even doing here?』
「You haven’t gone to the cafe lately, have you Tauro-kun? Actually, the culprit is a newcomer.」
“Don’t worry about it” Goblin Jii-chan said so when I expressed my concerns. It’s true that I was busy with 『The town that only has stand-up service』, 『The Middle-class brothel Dashi festival』, and 『The Mining Village that doesn’t use contraceptives when having sex』, so I couldn’t visit the cafe.
I nodded after I recalled what I’d been doing for the past few days and he explained why it had to be me specifically.
「You are the perfect candidate, Tauro-kun, considering you just look like another regular traveler and your combat ability.」
I guess what he meant by I’m traveler-like is I have the air of a stranger. I thought I had settled in well, but it seems that I still look different from a genuine citizen of the Kingdom.
On the other hand, when it comes to combat ability, I’m only good at long-ranged attack, and that’s only when I’m piloting a Knight, so I guess it means my combat ability on the bed. When I asked him if I got it right, the old goblin silently nodded while moistening his throat with tea.
『After hitting it off with the two women, they leave the store and go into a resting room with the victim, and play until their victim is exhausted. When the victim wakes up in the middle of the night, the two women have already disappeared, along with the contents of the safe in the room.』
By the way, this is the crime they are charged with, and the safe in the room is what they call a deposit box here.
It’s locked with magic so that no one can open it except the person who locked it. However, the only way to confirm the identity and open the safe was simply 『for that person to touch the safe』.
『They must have carried me when I was asleep and made me touch the safe.』
Apparently, this is what the victim thinks, but the merchant guild seems to have a different opinion.
「The resting rooms itself might’ve been involved in the crime.」
There are several of them and they always show up in pairs, they appear in various aid-seeking cafes in this city, with Bell Talk being the most popular. There are also numerous different resting rooms where they play.
However, it seems that the actual owner of these resting rooms is the same person, although they did a pretty good job of hiding it.
『In order to obtain information about how the owner is involved, we need to arrest the thief on the spot and interrogate him. Then, after making the necessary preparations, the merchant guild employees along with the guards will raid the owner’s place and capture him and all the women involved in one swoop.』
Thus they planned this undercover operation.
(The key to having fun and enjoyable play is safety.)
There are certainly places where people still gather, despite the high incidence of rip-offs and assaults. But I think that’s just because it’s the only place that has a strong market which no other stores can rival.
(I remember a place like that in my previous life when I was traveling.)
It’s a place in the 『Ginza』 region, but as soon as a rival appeared on the opposite side of the station, it changed from a 『narrow but lively alley』 to a 『lonely alley if you walk through it』.
(That’s why we can’t just let it as is.)
As the royal capital’s red-light district’s lover, there’s no reason for me to refuse a plan to stop that from happening
「Of course, I will gladly cooperate.」
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