Let's Go to the Brothel
“The brothel? You want to mess with the gangs already?”
Nearly every brothel in the city belonged to one of the major gangs or criminal syndicates. Touching them wouldn’t be easy.
“N-no, sir. There’s the Red Rose Brothel.”
“Ah, right. The Red Rose Brothel.”
Come to think of it, the prostitutes I’d seen before had come from the Red Rose Brothel. ‘They said they’d give me extra special service if I came back… ahem.’
Of course, I’d have to visit under a different identity this time. That meant no special service. ‘Not that I was planning to accept it anyway…’
Still, the place couldn’t be underestimated. The Red Rose Brothel was a high-class establishment of considerable size, and more importantly, it was the only one operating independently. In other words, it wasn’t under any gang’s control. That alone implied its own fighting force was quite formidable.
“They make quite a bit of money, don’t they?”
“They spend just as much maintaining their own forces, sir.”
“I see.”
There had to be a reason Robin recommended it, and I could already guess what it was. ‘They rake in money, yet the difficulty isn’t that high?’
Even if their private forces were strong, they weren’t on the level of the major gangs. The syndicates hesitated to touch them for fear of unnecessary losses. The moment they suffered damage, they’d become easy prey for rival gangs. ‘A classic white elephant.’
Of course, that didn’t apply to me. A satisfied smile crept across my face. The thief before me was proving to be quite competent.
“Good. Then let’s head to the brothel.”
“Right now, sir?”
“Yeah.”
The sky was already darkening, though it wasn’t exactly the ideal time to visit a brothel. Still, there was no helping it. ‘Damn curfew…!’
I might need to develop a clone spell or something. Only then could I move freely despite the restrictions.
“Let’s go, then.”
“Yes, sir!”
At the mention of the brothel, Robin’s face lit up. Men would be men, after all. ‘Well… I won’t have time to enjoy myself, but at least I can look.’
Robin and I immediately set off for the Red Rose Brothel. In the southwest of Trier, a massive red-light district had formed. With the underworld so developed, prostitution naturally thrived as well. The Red Rose Brothel sat right at the center of it all.
As a result, Robin and I were subjected to countless solicitations.
“Hey, big brother! Come here! I’ll make it worth your while!”
“No, come to me! I can do other holes too! I’m serious!”
“That bitch…! You’re really going to play dirty like that?!”
We ignored them all and kept walking. Even though we were completely covered by robes, we still drew plenty of attention—probably because the fabric itself was clearly expensive.
“Ahem. Did we overdo it with the high-end robes?”
“I-I’m sorry! I-I’ll go change into cheaper ones right away!”
“Forget it. I was just saying.”
He really couldn’t take a joke. After calming Robin down, I headed toward the heart of the district. ‘It really is flashy.’
This was different from when I’d visited the Thieves’ Guild. Now I was properly experiencing Trier’s nightlife—glittering buildings, prostitutes calling out, and pretty lanterns glowing with magic. It didn’t feel like an academy city at all. More like a genuine entertainment district.
Then I saw something unexpected. Even in the entertainment district, there were merchants. That wasn’t strange. But the item he was selling caught my eye.
“Magic Paper that everyone at the Academy knows! Try it just once! You’ll be amazed!!”
Unbelievably, he was selling the very Magic Paper I had distributed. ‘He’s selling it here?’
I hadn’t expected it to spread this far. I approached the merchant and examined the paper closely.
“Mind if I take a look?”
“Ah, of course! It’s real Magic Paper. Here, see for yourself!”
I glanced at the sheet as he suggested. ‘Huh? That’s the Study Gallery.’
It was even the Study Gallery paper, which was notoriously hard to obtain. ‘No way. It has to be fake.’
The Study Gallery paper was currently experiencing a serious shortage because everyone wanted access to it. I assumed it was counterfeit. But then…
Surprisingly, it was real. Posts were being written in real time. ‘What? It’s actually genuine?’
I couldn’t hide my shock, though the robe covered my expression. While pretending to examine it more closely, I asked the merchant, “Where did you get this?”
“Come on, don’t ask about my livelihood!”
“Hmm… You’ve got a point.”
He was right. I could have threatened him here, but that was something only amateurs did. Besides, I was busy right now. ‘There’s a better way for situations like this.’
I glanced at Robin, who was sneaking peeks at the paper beside me. He was the one in charge of distributing Magic Paper, yet he still looked fascinated. I bought one of the Study Gallery sheets.
“How much?”
“Thank you very much! Five gold each.”
“Five gold…? Tch. Just give me one.”
“Yes! Here you go!”
After purchasing the paper, I moved away from the merchant with Robin and turned to him.
“You saw that, right?”
“Huh? Ah, yes. It was really surprising.”
“Not that. I mean this. The Study Gallery paper.”
“Ah…”
“It doesn’t make sense for it to be here. Go keep an eye on the merchant secretly.”
“Yes…?”
Just moments ago, Robin and I had been heading to the brothel, so he’d been quite excited. But there was no helping it.
“Ahem. Just catch whoever’s supplying the Magic Paper. I’ll give you a bonus.”
“Ah, understood…”
Robin nodded with a sullen expression. Still, it couldn’t be helped. ‘No need for two people just to meet the owner of the brothel.’
Soon, I watched him disappear into an alley. Even looking sulky, he’d probably handle the task well. After sending Robin off, I started walking toward the brothel alone.
Prostitution was an ancient practice dating back to primitive times. Naturally, the Aachen Kingdom had its share, and the academy city of Trier was no exception. If anything, Trier saw even more of it—perhaps because of the wealthy academy students flooding the city.
Maybe that was why the Red Rose Brothel before me displayed such impressive prosperity. The building itself was extraordinary, standing out sharply from the other structures in the red-light district. ‘They must have spent quite a bit on this.’
“Welcome, dear customer!”
From the entrance, I received an enthusiastic greeting. I was currently dressed entirely like a mage, my entire body hidden beneath a robe. Yet the doorman immediately recognized my “value,” perhaps because the robe’s fabric was so luxurious. He guided me inside with a bright smile, likely mistaking me for a mage directly from the Magic Tower. ‘I heard even real Magic Tower mages frequent this place.’
Anyway, it wasn’t a bad start. Soon I was led inside the brothel—more precisely, there were two brothels. I was directed toward the larger, more luxurious one on the left, which seemed to be the main branch.
‘Whoa…!’
I couldn’t help but admire the interior. ‘They decorated everything with marble? And the craftsmanship is incredible.’
It felt like stepping into the lobby of a high-end modern hotel rather than a brothel. It didn’t feel like a brothel at all.
“Please proceed to the reception desk over there.”
“Got it.”
“Yes! Enjoy your time!”
The guide soon departed. I naturally made my way to the desk, where a beautiful woman greeted me.
“Welcome, dear customer!”
She had an incredibly pure, innocent appearance—completely mismatched with a brothel. She looked more like a real hotel receptionist. ‘They’re running this place surprisingly well.’
For a moment, I felt curious about the owner of the Red Rose Brothel. Whoever they were, they were using high-class strategies that didn’t fit the medieval era. My interest was piqued.
Of course, the elegance only lasted that long. The next words from the pure-looking beauty shattered the illusion completely.
“Will you be starting with sex? Or would you like someone to serve drinks?”
“Hmm…?”
“If that doesn’t suit you… Ah, you want something special? Perhaps a group session? That can be quite appealing as well.”
No matter how innocent her face was, her mouth certainly wasn’t. I gave a slightly disappointed look. ‘Well, of course.’
I hadn’t come here for sex in the first place. Besides, I preferred natural encounters. You could call me a “natural sex enthusiast.” Paying for it like this didn’t appeal to me much. ‘And how could I trust medieval hygiene standards?’
Still, I decided to start politely. There was no need to start a fight. My reputation had already spread quite a bit in the underworld. It would be better to resolve things with words if possible.
I looked at the woman and said, “Rather than that, I’d like to meet the owner.”
Her eyes widened at my words. Then she suddenly shouted at the top of her lungs.
“Red Swords!!”
“Huh?”
The Red Swords were the armed group belonging to this brothel. I stared at her in disbelief. All I’d said was that I wanted to see the owner. Yet she’d randomly called for security. Soon, guards appeared—exactly the Red Swords she had summoned.
“What’s going on?!”
“This man said he wants to have sex with the owner…”
“That crazy bastard!”
“How dare he mock us?!”
My jaw dropped at the woman’s words.
“Wait, when did I ever…!!”
I had only said I wanted to meet the owner. I definitely hadn’t mentioned sex. But the atmosphere was starting to turn strangely hostile.