Alex sighed as he walked down a relatively clean street surrounded by pipe smoke, cheap perfume, and sweaty men. He sidestepped a suspicious wet mark on the road and continued his journey to the largest and most well-decorated building in the Red Light District, the whorehouse.
The streets were stuffed to the brim, and many workers, be them guards, farmers, and even some merchants, walked up and down the road to spend their hard-earned money on women.
During night-time, this whole area would buzz alight with many customers and sellers of outlawed merchandise, such as drugs, aphrodisiacs, and in bigger cities, even some slaves.
Alex minded his own business, like most other people here. Even though he wasn't here for release like most of them, he would need to pay to get the information he wanted.
However, there would always be some bad apples in the basket.
"Excus... GAH!!"
With lightning speed, Alex grabbed the wrist of a tief and swiftly broke it to pieces. Alex didn't expect that to happen, either. He just intended to teach the guy a lesson, but he wasn't apologetic about it.
Alex let go of the man's wrist, who retreated into the shadows without trying anything funny.
The scene didn't even attract any attention, as it was common for such a thing to happen. If the tief succeeded, no one would notice anything, but if the tief failed... some would notice but not care.
Alex finally reached the brothel and stepped inside, not even looking at the two guards standing outside. Similarly, they didn't cause any problems for Alex, but they did pay attention to him, mainly due to his size.
A head and a half over the average man, and with his muscular physique, Alex would be a challenging opponent if a fight ever broke out.
"Oh? Is that a new face, I see?" Just as Alex walked into the building, a lady dressed in a violet open dress exclaimed as she laid her eyes on Alex.
Alex's eyes homed on the approaching lady and nodded slightly. "It's my first time here."
"Oh? A first-timer?" The unnamed lady smiled coquettishly, making the young man almost roll his eyes. He wasn't a virgin but said nothing to change the woman's assumption.
"So, what will it be, young man? Looking for a particular girl, or are you the surprise-me type of guy? We have all the pretty ladies in the city. You just have to say the word, and we will arrange something for you."
The young Recen prepared a response but was interrupted as another worker stepped into the main lobby.
"Oh? Are you here to give us a try?" She asked, placing her elongated smoking pipe on an indented stone on a table.
"You know this young man, Vie?" The violet-dressed lady asked, looking at Alex and her worker.
"Yes, I met him at Hedda's inn." She smiled, undressing Alex with her eyes.
Not that it mattered. This lady has already seen Alex naked, so her actions didn't bother the Recen much.
Night ladies like her can and usually make more money by doing what Vie was doing. Helping sweaty men wash themselves and their fat rolls. It was an easy and convenient way to earn some extra cash without having to sell their bodies.
If you think further, it could be said they advertise themselves in this way. Not all men visit brothels, but many choose to wash in such bathhouses.
"What do you say, then? Want to give my girls a try? I will even give you a newcomer's discount if you pay beforehand." The owner said and puffed a smoke ring that smelled slightly of vanilla.
"Maybe I will take you on that offer. But I am more interested in information."
The owner smiled while Vie giggled beside her employer. "It's obvious you are a newcomer, alright. Let's do this in that case. You hire 3 of my girls, and we'll share what we know."
Alex expected to pay for information but didn't expect to hire 3 women to get to said information.
"What about the price?" Alex asked, wondering if finding out about the Moonmares was that important. While he had no problems sleeping around, when it came to sleeping with night ladies, well... It was another matter altogether.
Even so, he won't reject them if the offer is good enough.
The owner seemed to ponder for a while, swinging her hips from side to side like a cat. "What about 5 silver coins, and you get Vie her plus two of my best girls."
Alex almost choked on thin air. '5 silver? The fuck? Are their pussies made out of gold?'
It must be noted that 5 silver equals 500 copper coins or the monthly paycheck of a family of five. Such a family would be able to eat well and still have money for minor appliances.
Before he could respond, however, the owner went on with her explanation. "It is a lot, I know, but you'll have access to the best information network in Vizin."
"I'm just looking for information on the Moonmares." Alex said curtly, preparing to leave the brother and go to sleep. This whole information-gathering stuff was too tedious to bother.
"Well, that's some expensive information you're looking for. So? What will it be?"
Alex sighed and thought about something and decided to ask first.
"I'll accept if you've got a way for me to earn some money. Besides, I think you might have a job for a Recen."
Alex pulled the collar of his shirt, showing the faint markings of a Recen.
The owner raised an eyebrow and nodded. "You might have to wait for some time. I have hired someone else to do the job, but they have not checked in as of late, so I'm assuming they hit the bucket."
"What do you have in mind?"
Alex asked as he pulled out 5 pieces of silver, knowing damn well he must earn some money as soon as possible, or else he might have to sleep on the streets.
"We've got a band of bastards outside the city that kidnap my girls. Take them out, and I'll pay you handsomely."
Alex nodded and handed the money.
"Vie, dear, lead this young Recen upstairs, and don't forget to take a bottle of wine with you."