Standing in front of the isolated structure that crowned the slope, the melodic strains of instruments and dulcet vocals from within serenaded Avery's ears like a gentle breeze. It was an enchanting welcome to all, yet Avery, still caught off guard, furrowed his brows.
"A brothel? So all this time, I've been journeying to a brothel without even knowing it?" Avery remarked.
"What's the problem, pug? Never been to a brothel before, or perhaps you have, but had a nasty experience?" Centshuu teased, but suddenly, his expression abruptly changed to one of alarm.
"What's wrong?" Avery inquired, puzzled by Centshuu's sudden reaction.
"I just realized a serious blunder on my part, and I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. In my defense, I guess I was kind of distracted by other concerns, but it's a good thing I caught on before we went in. Pug, how old are you?" Centshuu asked, his concern for Avery's innocence evident.
Avery pondered for a moment before recalling the necessary memory to answer.
He said "I'm twenty-one. Are you asking because of the brothel? Well, don't worry 'cause I'm old enough if it wasn't obvious already." After hearing his answer, Centshuu and the others exchanged incredulous glances.
Doubt clouded their expressions.
"What's the problem? Why are you all looking at each other like that?" Avery asked, annoyed.
Centshuu returned his gaze to Avery and asked "Pug, are you sure you're that old? Twenty-one. I mean, are you sure that's your real age or are you just saying that?"
"Yes, I am. Why? I know that I had forgotten for a moment, thanks to my jacked-up memory, but I know I'm not mistaken about my age. Same way, I wasn't about my name." Avery said, then frowned and crossed his arms.
"Wait a minute. Why does it sound like you guys don't believe me?" He asked with a rather aggressive tone.
He didn't like being thought of as a liar. He might not remember much from his past before finding himself floating in the clouds, but one thing he was sure of was that he wasn't someone who lied.
He would rather hide details for self-preservation and future confirmation than to straight-up lie, which is something he had done with Centshuu and the others.
If he was a liar, then even without his memories, he would have just lied to them with ease and without guilt in his heart, but he never did that, even if telling the truth might have made them think he was crazy.
The fact that he told them about the mystical beast, Ferallith, was proof of this. At the time, he didn't know if they would believe that a creature that looked like the mixture of a lion, bear, and snake was real or not.
Luckily for him, they did and knew about it. However, what if they didn't believe him? They would have concluded that he was crazy and abandoned him in the deep depths of the forest.
That was a risk he took to tell the truth and that was a massive risk, so why would he lie about something as unimportant as his age?
"Well, that's because you don't look like you are. I'll be honest, Pug, the reason we've been calling you "Pug" all this time is because we thought you were still a snotty-nosed teenager. To be specific, I thought you were sixteen, maybe seventeen years old because of how you look." Centshuu said, then stepped closer and placed his hands on Avery's shoulders.
"I mean, even your body looks like you have just barely finished going through puberty, but I guess I was wrong. Maybe, people from wherever you're from don't age that fast and I don't know whether to be sad or jealous of such a, Umm, gift" Centshuu said, then retracted his hands from Avery's shoulders and stepped back to where he used to stand.
With a confused grimace, Avery thought ('What in the world is he talking about? Me? Seventeen years old? How? I don't think I look that young. Wait, is this one of the culture shock things I was wondering about? Since I'm not from this world, does it mean that how fast I've grown is a bit slow for these guys?')
Avery kept pondering, not being able to understand why they said he wasn't the age they expected, and he wouldn't be able to find the reason for that now. Not until later, when…
While gathered together, Centshuu and the guys— minus Shieve— were debating whether they believed Avery and the age he had given them or not.
They wondered if he had lied in order to be allowed inside the brothel with them as there's an age limit of eighteen years— not that there was anyone from the establishment who was going to enforce that rule.
During the debate, both Centshuu and Mosey, who had talked to Avery the most and had experienced how mature he was mentally, were in his defense. Their words were on the lines of Avery having no reason to lie because they had to take him into the establishment one way or the other and there was no choice not to.
They couldn't just leave him out there and go into the brothel as there was nowhere else for him to stay the night for miles.
Another one of their defenses was that it's not uncommon for an adult to look way younger than their age, and it didn't seem like he had lied to them so far, so why should he start now?
After hearing all that, Ripply's and Kove's concerns subsided, whereas, Shieve, who didn't take part in any of their discussions, remained indifferent. He wanted to talk about Avery as little as possible and if it wasn't about them kicking him out of the group, then he didn't want to talk about the young man at all.
All he wanted right now was to go into the brothel and ease his worries, both with drinks and other interesting means that the establishment provided. Unfortunately, he didn't think they had enough money for his second means of stress relief, so he just decided to make do with his alcohol.
While they discussed, Avery, who didn't want to hear them debating whether he was a liar or not, had turned to the face of the brothel. He continued his observation of the place and at the entrance to the massive wooden structure, adorned with colorful lanterns, was a sign that read "The Velvet Serpent"
Even though he wasn't an architect or a building construction expert, from sight alone, Avery could tell that this was a masterwork of opulence and allure with a lot of work and care put into every detail and design.
The building was constructed from rich, dark timber that had been polished to a high shine. The wood glimmered with an almost reddish hue under the soft glow of lanterns that lined the front of the establishment.
These lanterns, adorned with intricate patterns, cast an enchanting play of light and shadow on the cobblestone street, which, at Avery's feet, connected with the rocky ground of the slope they had just climbed, creating an inviting path for those who ventured near.
Above the imposing entrance, a grand archway of carved mahogany beckoned guests to enter a realm of sensual pleasures.
The archway was embellished with sinuous serpents that seemed to writhe and dance, a testament to the establishment's namesake.
Their eyes glinted with precious gems, catching the light like forbidden treasures hidden within.
Upon the threshold, two colossal bronze doors, etched with tantalizing figures, invited patrons to cross the boundary from the mundane, represented by the rocky ground of the slope, into the extraordinary, represented by the remarkable cobblestone tile.
At the building's summit, the roofline featured intricately designed eaves adorned with exotic silks that billowed gently in the evening breeze.
These silks were a testament to the world of luxury that awaited inside, and their vibrant colors hinted at the rich experiences within.
Without saying anything, Avery's demeanor had already given him away, especially to Centshuu and the rest who watched him with smiles on their faces— again, minus Shieve.
"Looks like you want to go in right this minute. Don't worry, we will, but do well to close your mouth before you start drooling" Centshuu said, snapping Avery from his daze.
Avery looked at him and sneered.
"I wasn't drooling nor was my mouth open. I was just observing the place which is what we came for, right? Your words, if I remember them correctly, which I do, were that the warm ambiance and sheltering walls would protect me from the cold, so there are the walls, and that's the entrance. Whenever you're ready", Avery said, gesturing at the enticing entrance of the brothel right in front of them.
Centshuu, who had started developing a liking to Avery the longer they spent together, chuckled as he took the lead. He placed his hand on Avery's head, rubbing it like an older brother to his junior.
He said "Warm ambiance and sheltering walls, huh? Sure thing, you horny pug— Oh, I guess I can't call you that anymore. Alright then, Avery the adult, come along" Centshuu dropped his hand from Avery's head and then led the march towards the entrance doors, followed behind by Ripply, Kove, and Mosey, who patted Avery on the back to walk with him like before, and then lastly Shieve.