"I need eyes on the Duke at all times," Acrisios said, his voice cold and unnerving.
"What should we do about the news he brought?" Theodos asked as his feet struggled to match his king's pace.
"Send spies. Our best."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Is that all for today, Theodos?" Acrisios asked, rounding a corner to his personal study, which was remade into a relaxing area for the leader of the kingdom.
"That should be all, sire, but..." He paused, unsure whether to continue.
Waving his hand, the king nudged the councilor. "Go on."
"It's about the Remembrance, Sire. It's a rather small matter, but the leader of the Maorun clan wants to study the spell herself. Either that or to see the banishment in person."
"I refuse." The king turned down the idea immediately. "I won't allow them to lift the seals even for a moment."
Theodos went silent, but he wore a heavy expression. "Sire, Lady Seraphia told us we can use the Remembrance without necessarily lifting the seals."
"If that's the case, then go ahead. But tell them to also recast the spell or add new ones. I do not believe the seals will last much longer."
The councilor thanked the king, bowing deeply. Acrisios resumed his siesta, motioning for Theodos to leave the room.
***
"Ugh!" Alex removed his numb hand from under his head and forced his hand to close, hopefully regaining some blood flow into his limb.
Looking around the room, he remembered his deal with Violet, causing him to groan again.
Sure, he got his money and a room to sleep in. And Violet was kind enough to let one of her girls play with him, to better pass the time. Unfortunately, the girl wasn't one that he knew, but he didn't really mind.
Dressing up in silence, Alex went to search for Violet after freshening up.
"You're finally here." Violet was as noisy as always, immediately grating Alex's ears.
What was different about her was the dress.
Violet stood tall and elegant, clad in a long bleu marine trench coat that gracefully swayed with each step she took. The coat, tailored to perfection, accentuated her slender figure while providing an air of sophistication. It was somehow buttoned, but Alex couldn't see any buttons anywhere, making him wonder.
Her hair cascaded in loose waves down her shoulders, adding to the sense of grace that surrounded her. There was an effortless charm to the way her hair framed her face, emphasizing her high cheekbones and soft features. Despite being let loose, her hair looked meticulously groomed, highlighting her attention to detail. This was further accentuated by her choice of wearing soft, heeled boots, which went strangely well with her overall dress style.
In keeping with her minimalist style, Violet wore only minimal jewelry. A delicate necklace adorned her neck, accentuating her collarbone, and a simple bracelet adorned her wrist. The jewelry's understated elegance perfectly complemented her outfit without overpowering her overall look.
Unlike the revealing and over-sexual dress Violet likes to wear, she has dressed a lot more conservatively. Mostly because they will go into the public, and it would cause more trouble than it's worth.
Nevertheless, it was nice to see the Lady dressed differently.
"What's your plan?" Alex asked, wanting to see if Violet planned on deviating from his advice in any way.
"Nothing much. I plan on going along with your plan and discussing this matter."
Alex nodded, feeling relieved. He didn't want to take part in some loony plan this woman conjured up. "What would you do if the guards won't help you?"
"What do you mean, won't help? I plan on persuading them."
"And how would you do that? More money?" Alex asked, walking to the brothel's entrance and opening the doors for Violet.
His eyes went back to Violet, tracing her hands as she raised them to chest level.
The poor Recen's eyebrows shot into the sky as Violet swiftly pulled her coat open, revealing a dress more unholy than anything Alex had ever seen.
It was more string than cloth, letting everything free to gaze upon.
Alex stared - blankly - taking back what he had said about Violet dressing more conservatively.
He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the view, but he wasn't sure it would necessarily bring Violet the outcome she hoped for.
"Let's just go." Alex offered, trying his hardest to calm himself down.
"Okay, okay."
While walking, Alex decided to ask. "What makes you go to such lengths?"
"Hmm?" Violet hummed, pondering the question. "I started the brothel by saving girls that were enslaved. I would buy them from merchants and offer them a home without asking for anything in return.
"And since some of the girls were more or less used for pleasure before, they decided to make money to provide for the others. And the cycle continued."
Pausing for a few moments, Violet continued. "I don't want to be the one that stops offering those girls a place to call home."
Alex merely looked over, not really understanding what she was talking about, but did not ask for clarifications either.
The walk to the guard's office was silent, neither wanting to speak out nor having a reason to.
"We're here," Violet said, looking at a large brick building.
The office didn't look like one; that was clear to see. Large, elaborate walls and fences, grand gardens, and walking areas surrounded every side of the office, looking more like the manor of a rich merchant than a public administrative building.
Guards sat everywhere with bottles of liquor in their hands, drinking like there was no tomorrow. Not even a single one of them looked in Alex's direction.
"Maybe it's not the best idea to rely on these guards to protect your business," Alex mumbled, looking at several passed-out Moonmares.
"You think?" Violet retorted with an "I told you so" look on her face.
Alex sighed.
"You want to give it a shot still?" He asked, seeing as Violet was walking towards the building. He frowned as he looked over the guards. Some of them were truly powerful. Way more than the bandit leader.
"Yea." The brothel owner answered promptly.
Alex lowered his voice. "Might not want to flash these guys. If something's going wrong, I don't think I can win."