I strolled briskly toward the area where the brothels were supposed to be. Pleasure City, the ultimate haven of entertainment. It boasted a variety of amusements like circuses, something resembling a theme park, and, of course, the good ol' brothels.
The city streets were lined with establishments, each one flaunting promises of pleasure behind its walls. So, I went through them one by one, checking if any of them were still up for taking me in. But no luck. Every place gave me the same spiel, 'Sorry, we're not taking any more customers.' It was seriously getting on my nerves. I'm throwing heaps of money, and they still reject me. Ungrateful bastards. Ugh, now I'm speaking Titania's language.
In the midst of my disheartening journey, an intoxicating scent seized my senses. It beckoned from a particular building, illuminated by a neon sign that proudly proclaimed 'Midnight Passion.' A brothel, no doubt.
I swaggered into the building and stepped up to the receptionist. Initially, she shot me a puzzled look, but that confusion quickly morphed into a polished, professional smile.
A metallic chime echoed, indicating that I'd caught her attention, but I couldn't be bothered with conquering this one. She seemed like a waste of my time.
"Sorry, sir, but we're not taking customers right now. Come back at midnight," she said, lips adorned with thick red lipstick, a smile playing on her face.
I casually dropped a small sack of gold coins on the counter. "Please, let me spend the rest of the night here with your best woman. If this money falls short, don't hesitate to ask for more. But keep in mind, if the woman you provide me with isn't worth the money I'm handing over, be ready to lose a finger or two. Got it?"
Initially, she just stared at the money in shock. When I mentioned asking for more if necessary, she began to open her mouth, likely to ask for more. However, the moment my tone turned threatening, she backed away, fear etched across her face.
She gulped, stammering, "T-This is enough!" She opened the door behind her, walking backward through it, her eyes never leaving me, before closing it shut.
I waited, my eyes scanning the entire establishment. Suddenly, my gaze dropped to the floor beneath me. There it was—the source of that intoxicating scent. I couldn't explain why it drew me in, like I was a firefly irresistibly drawn to a lamp's glow.
After a brief wait, the woman finally emerged, accompanied by a lineup of prostitutes. Clad in scanty, almost transparent clothing, their nipples teased through the thin fabric. But where was the owner of that captivating scent? Not among these women.
"Mind if I take a closer look inside there?" I asked, gesturing toward the room they had just exited.
The receptionist appeared shocked. "Eh? Uhm."
Without waiting for her response, I dropped another sack of gold coins on the counter.
"I..." she stammered, reaching for the sack, but her other hand halted it. "I can't. I'm sorry. It's not allowed to go in there."
"Why not?" I questioned, placing another sack beside the first.
Her eyes glistened at the sight of two filled sacks of gold coins. The prostitutes eyed the riches with interest, but despite their intrigue, none dared to take them.
Seeing their silence, I shrugged and dropped another sack on the counter.
The receptionist finally spoke up, "I'm sorry, but I really can't," she insisted.
I added another sack, and then another.
"I really can't."
"We really can't," echoed the prostitutes in unison with the receptionist.
Letting out a sigh, I realized my gold coin reserves were tapped out. They were stubborn about letting me through. While I could have barged in, I opted for a more civilized approach. I reached into my pocket to pull out my phone, intending to call Gabrielle and Amon for more money. The moment the women caught sight of my phone, their expressions shifted to a mix of shock and interest.
I grinned at their reaction. "Know what this is?" I waved the device at them, their eyes following its motion.
"T-That's... That's the Leonamon's Smartphone, right? The device that costs 99 gold coins."
"That's right."
So, it was priced at 99 gold coins? This was news to me, but it seemed Amon had a shrewd business mindset. She was employing what was known in my world as 'charm prices.' It's a strategy to make items appear cheaper than they really are. Since 100 might seem a bit steep, especially as a triple-digit figure, setting it at 99 gives the impression of affordability. Smart move. I was glad to have her by my side.
"You know, I'm friends with the owner of the business myself. If you let me through, I can call her and get each of you one."
Gulps echoed around the room. The allure of owning a smartphone clearly intrigued them. They exchanged glances, then reluctantly opened a path for me. I smirked and entered the room, finding it to be a typical space with red couches scattered about. Seemed like a spot for the prostitutes to unwind and chat when they weren't with clients. The scent I'd been chasing grew stronger in here. It emanated from the double doors ahead, leading seemingly to a lower level—possibly a basement. I walked towards them.
"Hey, you're not allowed there," someone declared. The voice was distinct from the receptionist's. Glancing back, I spotted another woman, not dressed in the typical prostitute attire. Her regal outfit hinted that she might be the owner of the brothel. "That's as far as you can go."
"Why? What's in there that you won't let me see?" I countered.
"There's no reason for you to know," she retorted.
"I'm willing to pay."
"Even your money can't afford what's behind those doors."
"Are you challenging me?"
She seemed skeptical of my wealth. I looked the part of a noble's child, and she likely assumed I was leveraging my parents' influence. Little did she know, I had amassed my own riches. During my childhood training, I took down bandits and robbers and even relieved corrupt nobles of their ill-gotten gains.
"If you can cough up a thousand gold coins, then you're welcome to venture beyond. And don't forget, that's just the fee for access. You still have to gift these ladies with that device."
"Absolutely," I replied. "I'm a man of my word. Also, if I find something there that piques my interest, can I acquire it?"
"Sorry, lad. Not allowed."
"I'll pay you for it as well."
The woman eyed me skeptically. It seemed she thought I was bluffing. Well, I wasn't. I wasn't the kind of guy to back down when something intrigued me. I'd throw as much money as needed to get what I wanted.
Gazing into my determined eyes, she sighed and relented, "Another thousand. You can go in and grab what you want. But remember, you're only allowed to take one. Got it?"
"Okay," I agreed. I then opened my phone and asked Gabrielle to send me money at this location. When I sent the request, she replied with "Y?"—probably a shortcut for "why?". I simply responded with a message telling her to bring it here. Again, she asked with a "Y?". Ignoring the questioning, I told her to just bring it here. After a couple more exchanges, she replied with a "Fibe." I had no idea what that meant, but then she corrected herself with a follow-up message that simply said "Fine."
Moving on, I messaged Amon, requesting eight smartphones. There were six prostitutes and the receptionist, and even though the woman in front of me didn't ask for one, I thought it wouldn't hurt to give her one. Amon responded promptly with a simple "Understood," displaying her loyalty and obedience. I made a mental note to reward her with a good fuck the next time we met. As for Gabrielle, for not being as obedient, I planned to treat her to her favorite—an asshole fuck. Not until I have her parading around the campus naked, with me walking her on a leash, of course. That's a fitting punishment for a disobedient pet.
While I was busy texting them, the chimes kept ringing in my head. It seemed flaunting my wealth was piquing the interest of the prostitutes around me. However, I had no interest in any of them, so I didn't bother checking their requirements. Although, the woman right in front of me seemed different, so I took a look at her conquest requirements.
--
You've captured the interest of Martha Amarathea. You can now proceed to dominate her.
Name: Martha Amarathea
Race: Human
Requirements to dominate Martha:
1. Pay Martha's debt
2. Unlock
3. Unlock
4. Unlock
....
--
I had no clue about her skill, but since I considered that skills alone wouldn't be my sole basis for conquering a woman, I decided to add her to my 'I'll dominate her, not just for the skill' list. She became my first entry, as I had spontaneously come up with the list just now. Conquering her seemed like a good move. Even without a flashy skill, I believed she would still be valuable. I needed a woman with personal skills, akin to how Amon excelled in business. Martha appeared adept at managing things, judging by the obedient behavior of the prostitutes.
As I stared at her, I grinned and suggested, "I'll wait for my money, so for now, how about we talk, uhm... miss?"
"Martha," she replied. "If you want to talk, let's go to my office."