"I gotta say, you're really impressive, young mister. Chanting a spell that fast at your age, this old man is impressed!" Badonis praised with a sycophant smile.
"It was nothing. With a little practice every day, anyone can do it," Sian replied, taking the contract from him.
"You're too modest. Even though I've been training all my life, I haven't made as much progress in shortening the chanting. You're just too talented," Badonis continued praising.
"Well, I guess I should thank the goddess Zenobia for making me so talented and handsome," Sian said with a forced smile.
"Oh! She's a good goddess to worship. I'm also a faithful devotee, but not many openly declare their faith in her," Badonis replied, surprised.
"It's a bit hard for some people to admit, considering that she is the goddess of-" Sian trailed off as a knock sounded on the door.
"Come in," Badonis invited.
The maid entered with some clothes for Ophilia. "Just in time, take Ophilia to change clothes," Badonis ordered.
"Yes, master," the maid promptly responded, leading Ophilia out of the office.
"What do you think about going to the visiting room and having tea while we talk?" Badonis suggested.
"It's a great idea, and I also need to know where the inn is."
***
After chatting with Badonis for a while, the maid finally returned with Ophilia.
"Wow!" Sian exclaimed, surprised by Ophilia's new look.
She wore a long moss green skirt, a white blouse with short sleeves under a black corset with red stripes. The outfit emphasized her curves, especially her breasts, which seemed about to burst from the corset. She had some makeup and her hair had been braided, falling over her left shoulder.
"You look very beautiful," Sian complimented after admiring her for a moment.
"Thank you, master," Ophilia replied, curtsying slightly.
"You don't have to be so rigid. Just act normally," Sian said with a smile.
"As you wish, mister," Ophilia responded promptly.
"No need to be that formal. Call me as you did yesterday."
"I'm not sure that's appropriate for my position."
"If I don't mind, then nobody else should. Plus, it's more pleasant when you speak normally."
"As you want," Ophilia smiled.
"Great!" Sian turned to Badonis, extending his hand. "Thanks for the lovely gift, but I must go now. If you need any help, just look for me at the inn. I'll be in town for a while."
"Of course, of course. If you need anything, just come here, and I'll help in any way I can. I hope you have a great stay," Badonis said with a smile as he grabbed Sian's hand.
***
After leaving the brothel, as they strolled down the sandy street, Sian chatted with Ophilia, who held a small cloth bag.
"Let's find the inn. Badonis said it's on the north side of the town."
"What are your plans after making the reservation?"
"I'm not sure. I was just passing through. Well, maybe I'll retire?"
Hearing this, Ophilia looked puzzled. "It's odd to hear someone so young talk about retiring."
"Well," Sian pondered before replying, "It's not exactly retirement. Maybe a pause in my lifestyle? I've heard many times that I should change my philosophy of life and the way I live. I think I should give it a try."
"Since you have a trained body, does that mean you're a monster hunter or a mercenary, right?"
"A bit of both," Sian replied. "Since this is the border, I think it could be a good place to start a business."
"What kind of business are you thinking of opening?"
"I'm not sure yet."
"You'll need a good amount of money for that," she said, giving him an awkward smile. "But with the way you spend, I doubt that'll be a problem."
Taken by surprise, Sian promptly replied, "I'm not as spendthrift as I look."
"Really?" she asked skeptically.
"But of course."
"Then why choose the cheapest brothel in town and pay a lot more for the cheapest girl? With your money, you could've been a VIP at any other brothe-."
Ophilia suddenly stopped and bowed, apologizing. "Sorry, I went too far. Please punish me as you wish!"
"No need for that. I asked you to talk like that," Sian said with a wide smile.
The way she acted, like a wife worried about her husband's spending, made Sian strangely happy.
"But..." Ophilia seemed hesitant to continue, but when she saw his smile, she smiled back. "Alright, I'll carry on as before."
"That's better. That smile suits you perfectly."
"Thank you, but wouldn't younger and more beautiful women be better for you? Aren't they what men prefer? Plus, the other two brothels have better accommodations."
Though he didn't understand why she was asking, he answered honestly, "Well, I'm not going to the brothel looking for a wife. I just arrived at Solaris yesterday, and my only goal is to release stress. So I don't really care about the accommodations. Besides, all brothels, no matter how cheap, have some amazing women like you."
"But when you came, I was the only one available, and I wasn't even a prostitute anymore. They had already put me in the kitchen because I'm too old," she said with a hint of discomfort.
"I don't think you should think too much about it. Besides, you're a great woman."
As she seemed sensitive about her age, Sian decided not to mention that he prefers women around his age.
"Even though I know it was just a flirt, it still makes me happy. Thank you."
"It's not just flirting. You're truly amazing."
"In bed?" she teased with a mischievous smile. "I noticed the pleasure on your face."
"Alright, let's get back to the important topic."
"Do you really have no idea what kind of business you want to open?"
"Nah, nothing, but I accept recommendations," Sian replied.
"Hmmm…" Ophilia paused for a moment, deep in thought, before continuing, "I heard Mr. Badonis say that Lady Charlotte, the daughter of the marquis of these lands, made many changes. She focused on the laws, agriculture, and the structure of society. The cities in the marquisate shifted from self-sufficiency to trading. Solaris it's been attracting a lot of people lately, especially mercenaries and monster hunters. Thanks to her good management, many traders pass through here frequently."
"It's quite unusual to see a woman in power," Sian pondered.
"I've never heard of a woman with so much decision-making authority either, especially someone so young. But she's improved the lives and financial conditions of ordinary people, attracting many trading caravans. So I think opening an inn or a store could be a good option."
"Let's go with the inn then," Sian suggested excitedly. "It's a great opportunity to invest. We could even open a restaurant alongside the inn, serving drinks and various dishes."
"But don't all inns have a hall for eating and drinking?" Ophilia asked, looking confused.
"Yes, but usually, those halls are private for the inn's customers. A separate restaurant would be open to the general public. But first, we need to do something called market research to see if we can attract enough customers and not go bankrupt right after opening."
"You seem to know a lot about opening a business," Ophilia remarked.
"Yep, thanks to my 'Sacred Treasure That Can Change The Life Of Anyone Who Has It In Hands.' I got this thick book at a bargain," Sian said, showing her a thick book with a brown leather cover.
Observing this, Ophilia remained silent, seemingly unable to believe what she just heard.