With his short, slightly curly black hair swaying in the wind, Sian, a 25-year-old man, walked quietly through the dense forest. Frustration weighed heavily on his mind as he recalled the earlier encounter with some troublesome individuals.
"These guys just had to make my bad day worse," he muttered, feeling the need to find some relief and rest.
Removing a crumpled map from a small bag around his waist, Sian began searching for the nearest town.
"Let's see... Solaris is the closest city. It's small, never heard of it, but it must have a brothel to ease my stress."
The map provided only a vague outline of the city, lacking specific building locations. Regardless, Sian decided to head to Solaris and explore its possibilities. As he ventured on, the dense forest gave way to the warm embrace of the setting sun.
In the distance, he spotted shepherds guiding their sheep. The shepherds seemed to be leading the flock back to their pen as the daylight dwindled.
Following a nearby road, Sian soon encountered a vast expanse of crops stretching on either side. Standing atop a hill, he gazed at the sheer size of the planted area, far surpassing the area of the humble dwellings in the distance.
Drawing closer to the town, Sian approached a farmer with fiery red hair, almost black, struggling under the weight of a big bag of corn in his shoulder. Placing a hand on the other shoulder of the farmer, he called, "Hey!"
The middle-aged farmer, his face adorned with freckles, turned with a start.
"Do-Do you ne-need an-anything?" he stuttered, taken aback by Sian's presence.
"Does this town have a brothel?" Sian asked.
The farmer, seeming a bit intimidated, quickly replied, "I-It has!"
"Where is it?" Sian inquired.
"Tha-That depends," the man said before continuing, "The-There are three brothels here."
Surprised by the number of options, Sian thoughtfully scratched his chin. "Oh, more choices than I expected. Which one is the best?"
"St-Stay that way," the farmer pointed in a certain direction. "Bu-But I-I recommend going to wh-what's a little further there."
Sian found the farmer's recommendation intriguing and decided to follow it, intrigued about the kind of establishment that lay ahead.
"Why do you say the best is what's on that way, but tell me to go to another one?" Sian inquired.
"I-I think i-it might fit better with what you're lo-looking for," the farmer quickly replied.
After learning the location of the brothel, Sian decided to follow the farmer's recommendation.
In this small town, having three brothels might not typically be a profitable venture for the owners, but the situation here was different. The presence of a fortress close to the border likely created a high demand for such services.
As Sian approached what could be considered the town's entrance, he couldn't help but notice the absence of guards. However, the lack of a surrounding wall made their presence unnecessary.
Considering the proximity of the fortress, it made sense that the town didn't require a protective barrier. Moreover, the abundance of livestock and bountiful crops indicated that the town likely served primarily as a supply point for the fortress and its occupants.
Following the middle-aged man's instructions, Sian quickly found himself standing in front of the brothel. The place didn't boast extravagance, but it also didn't appear run-down.
Stepping inside, a warm smile greeted him as a beautiful middle-aged woman approached. "Welcome, dear customer. Unfortunately, we don't have any available ladies at the moment, but if you don't mind waiting, we'll have someone ready for you soon."
"In that case, I'll try my luck elsewhere," Sian replied, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders.
"Wait a moment," the woman said, looking at him curiously.. "May I know your name, sir?"
"Sian," he replied.
As if a memory had suddenly struck her, the woman's eyes lit up. "Wait right here. There might be someone available after all."
Leaving Sian standing, the woman hurriedly disappeared, but within moments, an elderly man stepped forward to take her place.
"Welcome, young mister. My name is Badonis," the old man said, his voice filled with flattery. "Please come with me to the waiting room. I might have someone you'll fancy."
Guided by Badonis, Sian settled into a reasonably comfortable armchair, where a maid promptly served him a refreshing cup of tea.
"Take a moment. She'll be here shortly," Badonis assured, ready to take his leave.
"One moment," Sian interjected, tossing a gold coin onto the table. "That's for your troubles."
"You're too kind, young mister," Badonis replied, clearly surprised by the gold coin.
"If you say she's someone I'm going to like, then it's worth the price," Sian said.
After the old man and the maid exited, Sian was left alone in the waiting room. Finding himself slightly bored, he decided to reach into his magic bag and retrieve a thick book to pass the time.
As he immersed himself in the captivating read, he sensed a presence approaching. Swiftly stowing the book away, he turned to face an attractive woman clad in sexy lingerie.
Appearing to be in her mid-thirties and with distinctive ears characteristic of the Dogkin race, the woman's appearance immediately caught Sian's attention. She bore a striking resemblance to someone from his past.
Although he usually preferred women about his age, he thought he could settle for her.
Bowing politely, the woman started to introduce herself, "Sorry for the delay, I'm O-"
"Are you the one who's going to serve me?" Sian interrupted before she could finish speaking.
"Yes, I am-"
"Great, let's go to the bedroom," Sian said, cutting her off.
As they left the waiting room area, the maid from before approached and guided them, informing them that Badonis had offered his room for their use.
"Please follow me, the room is this way," the maid said.
As they walked down the corridor, the woman glanced at Sian and asked, "Is this your first time here?"
"Yeah," Sian admitted. "I'm just passing through."
The woman nodded understandingly.
They reached the door to the room, and the maid opened it for them. Sian stepped inside, and the woman followed suit. The room was modestly furnished, with a large, comfortable bed dominating the space.
"Here we are," the maid said. "I hope you enjoy your time here." Stepping back, she closed the door behind them.