“That really happened, you know?! Isn’t it just too much?! I mean, I helped, but I’m being treated like a dangerous person!”
“No, if I had been there, I would have freaked out! Jonah, you were actually a risky kid, huh?”
“This is too much, Ellie! I’m grateful I’m alive and that you treated my injured hand, but when you react like that, it makes me want to cry!”
As I pretended to cry, Ellie sighed and handed me a big mug of milk.
“Stop crying in someone else’s shop and drink this.”
“…Is this a service?”
“Well, since you’re a customer today, I can give you this much.”
“Hooray!”
Free stuff is always welcome. I smiled widely and downed the milk. The rich, nutty flavor filled my mouth and went down my throat.
I wonder if it’s because my body has returned to its growth phase, or if the cows in this world are a different breed from Earth, but one thing’s for sure: the dairy products here are really satisfying.
I didn’t even wipe the white milk mustache under my nose and looked around.
Adventurers clinking their glasses and greedily devouring food. This isn’t an unusual sight for a tavern in Labyrinth City.
But there was one peculiar thing. All the waiters were dressed like bunny girls.
Not waitresses. Waiters. Men serving in skin-tight bunny outfits…!
Big muscle-bound guys, small delicate boys, and a smart-looking guy with glasses, among others.
The bunny boys, looking like they were aiming for something, sneakily flirted with the customers, offering touches or winks.
So maybe that’s why, even though adventurers are typically in the majority female, every single person gathered here was a woman.
The ‘Fairy and Silver Coin’ is not just a tavern; it also caters to slightly lewd activities, so it’s only natural.
For them, this must be a paradise where all their daily fatigue melts away. …For me, though, it’s more like hell descending upon royalties.
Thus, to cleanse my eyes, I focused on the owner, Ellie, who had just given me milk.
She sported casually tied ash-gray hair, rough wolf ears and a tail, and her yellow eyes were vacantly staring at her staff as she chewed on a mana herb cigarette.
Though she wore a neatly arranged outfit reminiscent of a bartender, her own figure was anything but neat, making her look more shameless.
…Sadly, I couldn’t focus entirely on that.
My eyes were drawn to her empty right sleeve fluttering from her shoulder.
It screamed “I’m a woman with a story.”
Once a prominent adventurer, she lost one arm to a monster and retired; knowing this background only reinforced that vibe.
Well, I know all about Ellie’s true nature, but still.
I tugged at her swinging empty sleeve and spoke.
“Ellie. Ellie.”
“Yeah?”
“What are you thinking about right now?”
“Oh, I was thinking I really want to eat out all my staff. Seriously, what do you think of those outfits? I mean, Jonah, are you a genius? That kind of stuff.”
“Wow. You’re really straightforward today! At this rate, you should just close your eyes and ask? The older guys wouldn’t refuse.”
“Yeah, they probably wouldn’t. …That’s the problem.”
With a deep sigh, Ellie rubbed her shorter mana herb and continued.
“They see me like I’m some benefactor…! You know? Jason is apparently getting married soon to a nice person who doesn’t care about his past, all thanks to me. He was sobbing with gratitude. How can I demand from Jason, ‘Hehe, repay me with your body!’? I can’t do that!”
“I really don’t know if you’re kind or just downright evil.”
That’s right. In reality, Ellie wanted to run a slightly lewd establishment, and sleep with her employees whenever she felt like it.
When she was an adventurer, she was too busy honing her skills and making money to ever hold a guy’s hand.
However, rather than wanting serious relationships, she, being a beastkin, desired relationships that allowed her to fulfill her instinctual cravings as they came about.
That’s why it was fine she wanted to bring in a guy she liked out of all the male workers in Labyrinth City, but…
The problem was that Ellie didn’t really know the ins and outs of this business.
She didn’t compel her employees into any debt nor did she resort to violence or abuse because of her somewhat kind nature.
Moreover, since it wasn’t pure brothel work and the tavern was the main aspect, she didn’t force her workers into prostitution, and she only took around 30% in commission if they decided to sell themselves.
It was all possible because Ellie had a lot of money saved up from her adventurer days.
For reference, the brothel industry usually starts at a 50% cut. The truly vicious places take over 80%.
I know this well because I once seriously considered becoming a male escort myself.
Back then, I thought, “Unlike other guys, I like this kind of stuff! Isn’t that convenient?” but… it turned out to be a much scarier industry than anticipated.
If you mess up even once, you could end up living as a male escort for life, and even if you somehow cleared your past, you’d start all over again with nothing.
Realizing that the money flowed to the pimp, I never looked at the brothel industry again.
All of that said, Ellie could still be seen as an ordinary sucker of a boss. But that wasn’t where it ended, which leads us to this situation.
These people have fallen into a situation where they have to sell their bodies. They all undoubtedly have their own sad stories.
Is it just their nature, or perhaps due to being a virgin, did they initially hope to have love for their first time?
Parental abuse, vicious loan sharks, tuition fees for talented younger brothers, and so on.
Surprisingly, Ellie had managed to address each of their issues within her means.
…At this point, she can no longer be called a sucker.
To the employees of ‘Fairy and Silver Coin,’ Ellie was like a goddess, solving their troubles, opening their futures, and generously filling their pockets!
Seeing them express genuine gratitude, respect, and loyalty, Ellie couldn’t bring herself to finally say, “Come to my bed,” and thus, we find ourselves here.
A man who’s eager but can’t do anything when it truly matters, yet still remains a virgin—a coward defined.
That’s a simple summary of Ellie’s character.
By the way, the reason I know all of this is simple. Ellie was a character I created.
I didn’t add any elaborate backstory, but one thing is for sure: she’s fundamentally a good person.
In this world, where so much has turned upside down, she’s one of the few trustworthy individuals. That’s why I decided to get closer. Approaching as if I knew everything made it easy.
With a gloomy expression, Ellie looked at Jason, the muscular giant who was getting married soon.
I tugged her empty sleeve again and smirked.
“Ellie. So, are you going to marry me after all?”
“…A kid walking around with a milk mustache? Not a chance.”
“Aren’t you into pretty boy types like Kyle?”
“Kyle is a half-elf. He may look like that, but he’s actually older than me.”
I wiped the milk off my mouth and proposed again.
“Then when I grow up, will you marry me?”
“A man who might stab me in the neck while smiling? No way….”
“That’s a misunderstanding, I tell you?! I’m not that crazy! As long as Ellie doesn’t try to sell me into slavery, it won’t happen, so don’t worry!”
“Usually, a kid cannot even pull out his wrist, and if he shows a gap, he won’t even kill the head of a crime clan. Even if he somehow succeeded, he wouldn’t come back laughing and eating the next day.”
Saying this, Ellie discreetly pulled her sleeves away.
“You’re too much… I like Ellie this much!”
“Yeah, yeah. Speaking of which, let me ask: you propose to me almost every time we meet, but what exactly do you aim to gain by marrying me?”
“Of course, it’s for Ellie’s body and wealth!”
“…I mean, it’s not wrong, but it sounds like the most terrible motive ever!”
Ellie took a genuine shocked expression and stepped back.
It was the same kind of reaction from Lydia yesterday. But today, I wouldn’t back down easily. I took two steps closer, sticking my face in hers.
“Just look at this, Ellie. Pink hair? Pretty boy? You definitely don’t want to miss out on this, do you? Consider it a 5-year long-term investment!”
“Next pink-haired weirdo.”
“Yaaaaah! I’m still a virgin?! Stop assuming I’m going to be lewd just because of my hair color! And you’re not experienced either, right, Ellie?!”
“Ugh!”
“I may be young, so it’s natural for me not to have experience… but how old are you, Ellie? You’re nearly 30, right?”
“Not yet! I still have 2 years left!”
“Two years passes in the blink of an eye! Why not snag a decent, young man before you get older? Specifically, that would be me!”
“Who would want to marry a brat like you…!”
To be honest, I didn’t think of 30 as being old, especially since my past life memories were still vivid.
But in this world, the marriageable age is 24. By 30, you’ve technically missed the boat, and being a virgin at that age? That’s a serious hit to pride.
With the same mindset from my previous life, I understood all too well that feeling. Thanks to that, I know precisely where it hurts.
I’m Kim Jonah. If someone were to mock me, I could easily return the favor by digging up my own wounds.
Sure, I didn’t meet women—not because I couldn’t, but because I didn’t want to.
I was too busy working. I’m serious. There’s no other reason. …There shouldn’t be.
Anyway, as I continued bantering with Ellie while eating…
Bam!
Suddenly, the tavern door burst open, and a fierce energy filled ‘Fairy and Silver Coin.’
A heavy silence fell upon the previously lively tavern.
Since this place targets average adventurers at reasonable prices, no one could resist.
Except for one person. Ellie, who had once been a prominent adventurer.
“Which lady is causing trouble in someone else’s tavern…?”
Growling, Ellie stood up, her ears perked forward and her tail puffed up.
Though her ears and tail moved adorably, her sharp eyes and the strong aura emanating from her were anything but ordinary.
It was hard to imagine her as the playful person she had been just moments before, given how threatening she seemed.
Even with one arm missing, she gracefully leaped over the counter, standing protectively in front of me.
As always, I sensed her strong determination to suppress any unruly behavior through force.
The tension was palpable, and everyone, myself included, swallowed hard, foreseeing what was about to unfold.
“Ellie, it’s been a while.”
“…Who are you?”
A woman with a familiar face greeted Ellie with a small bow.
With fierce red hair and eyes, she was slightly shorter, but her sturdy armor made her look anything but weak.
Her expressionless face and graceful movements reminded me of a knight. I knew her name.
“Lydia? What brings you here? No matter how much I like you, I won’t overlook any nonsense in my tavern.”
“Sorry. Just a mistake.”
Saying this, Lydia slowly backed down. Ellie also seemed to relax, not wishing to fight.
Everyone thought peace would return to the tavern. That’s until Lydia looked straight at us and added one more thing.
“I was just really excited because I found the thief who stole my wallet.”
“Oh.”
Did I just get caught?
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