{Chapter 62} Ended Up Visiting a Brothel After All
Huh? What big boss? Since when did I become a big boss?
That was Anna's first reaction.
Then, belatedly, she realized that the sentence "After all, you're now a big boss on our redlight area who can't be easily messed with" was preceded by another sentence, "Since the higher-ups have given their orders."
‘...Did Lou give the order?’
Anna's expression grew even more peculiar.
Was Louise implying that she could now freely spend money on the redlight area?
...Wait, if she misunderstood this, and the brothel workers reported it back, even though Louise said she accepted her being flirtatious, what if she found out Anna had been cozying up with the brothel girls... Would she end up getting stabbed?
At that thought, Anna shuddered and forced an awkward smile, "If that's the case... then stop crowding around me. Let's just mind our own business... okay?"
"Hey, don't be like that, Knight Anna. Come sit in our shop for a bit?"
"Don't worry, it's just some tea or something. We won't do anything out of line. We wouldn't dare."
One of the brothel workers called out, and the others around her burst into laughter.
"Come sit in our shop!"
"Well... since you put it that way..."
Anna kept repeating to herself that she wouldn't be tempted and simply followed the most familiar brothel worker into her shop...
...
But then Anna hesitated, right before stepping into the shop.
The pink magical lighting, the scantily clad girls standing at the entrance, and the flashing sign that read "Pink♥Temptation~" made Anna swallow hard, her mouth dry.
"Knight Anna, why are you just standing there?"
The brothel worker gently tugged her arm, and Anna stumbled forward, stepping through the door.
"Don't worry, we won't eat you alive~"
Once inside, the other workers, who were accompanying various female customers, cast suggestive glances her way.
Especially since Anna had met most of these workers before.
"Alright, sisters, no need to stare at our Knight Anna like that. She's just here for some tea and a massage, okay?"
With that, she led Anna to a soft, comfortable sofa seat.
Then, with a snap of her fingers, two unfamiliar brothel workers appeared by Anna's side.
"Knight Anna already knows most of our staff, so she might feel a bit shy, right?"
The worker deliberately blew a soft breath near Anna's ear, who had just removed her helmet, and winked at her,
"With these two new sisters here, maybe you'll feel more at ease, Knight Anna?"
"Uh... you'd better really just be letting me sit here."
Anna felt like her entire body was on fire, not just her face.
The two newcomers, however, were very skilled.
They helped Anna remove her armor and began giving her a very proper massage.
"Here, Knight Anna, enjoy."
A steaming cup of black tea was placed in front of Anna at just the right moment.
Setting aside the fact that this was a brothel, the service was actually quite decent...?
However, as Anna enjoyed the massage, she couldn't help but feel uneasy about the cup of tea on the table.
In a previous simulation, was it the one where everything ended in bloodshed?
Louise had tried to do something shady by offering her a cup of black tea.
Now, seeing the tea in the brothel, Anna couldn't help but think of that simulation.
Well, it should be fine...
She picked up the tea and brought it to her lips.
The aroma was strangely enticing, which only made her more hesitant.
"Don't worry, we just added some harmless spices to make the tea more fitting for the atmosphere here."
"I hope so."
She took a cautious sip and then gently set the cup down.
"Mmm..."
The massage was truly excellent.
After the initial soreness, Anna began to feel a deep sense of relaxation.
Noticing that the two masseuses seemed to be a human and a beastkin, Anna couldn't help but glance a few more times at the beastkin's brown rabbit ears.
Beastkin were quite rare in this town, after all.
Most beastkin lived in the nomadic tribes of the northern part of the Gaia continent.
It was uncommon for them to come to the Kingdom or the Empire to seek opportunities...
Thinking about this being a brothel, Anna suddenly wondered if this one might have been brought here through the slave trade.
But the Kingdom's regulations on the pleasure industry were strict, so it was unlikely that slave trading was happening here...
Wait, why am I overthinking this?
It must be the massage, it's so relaxing that I'm starting to let my mind wander...
"Uh... that's enough."
Feeling the beastkin's hands nearing her chest armor, Anna softly reminded her.
"Of course, Knight Anna."
The beastkin didn't seem bothered. She just gave Anna a flirtatious glance and continued massaging her shoulders.
"Knight Anna's shoulders are so tense. You must be under a lot of stress, huh?"
"Definitely. Wearing such heavy armor all the time, and with such a big... area, it's no wonder everyone's envious."
"The armor isn't that heavy... the weight is distributed across the body," Anna mumbled in defense, but she felt it wasn't the right thing to say at the moment and stopped herself.
After a short while of this simple service, the two workers stepped aside, and Anna finished the last sip of her tea.
"Alright, sitting is just sitting."
Anna stood up coldly, and the two workers carefully helped her put her armor back on.
"I'll be going now."
As Anna strode out of the shop, the familiar brothel worker chuckled softly.
"Senior, Knight Anna doesn't seem very approachable, does she?" The beastkin looked a bit unsure. "She didn't react at all..."
"No reaction? That's because you haven't seen enough. Knight Anna? She just couldn't take it anymore and found an excuse to run away."
"Achoo!" Anna sneezed as soon as she stepped out of the shop, then shivered.
"Am I catching a cold...? Whatever, I need to get out of here."
She couldn't stay any longer. The brothel workers were staring again. She needed to leave the redlight area and calm down…