Volume 3 Chapter 145 Merchant City Ramsey II
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
The merchant city of Ramsey had a shape like a rectangle placed on the point of a triangle.
The triangular part was the old and new town area, while the rectangular section held the lord’s residence—the castle and its garden. The castle stood on a small hill, built so that if enemies ever broke through the city walls and invaded the town, the defenders could retreat there for a final stand.
Earlier, Kian and Owl had eaten sausage near the irrigation canal running vertically along the right side of the triangular town. If the whole town area was ten, the canal split it roughly into four on the right and six on the left.
The right side was the more complex new town, while the left, where the market and Adventurer Guild stood, was the old town.
Until the middle of the previous Earl’s reign, only the old town existed. But as demand for timber and grain grew in places like Izerland, East End, and Châtillon, the town prospered and expanded. This led to the creation of the new, intricate town—for growth and defense against the Hairkin Races.
”This is the first castle wall. Before the current Earl built the outer wall, this was the outermost defense.”
Walking along the large irrigation canal, Linca pointed to a tall white wall on the right. The outer wall was made of many stacked white stones, with protrusions about three meters high. Some held magical stone lamps like those in Izerland’s dungeons, while others bloomed with seasonal flowers.
Above these protrusions were several arches—likely decorative—and a timber walkway ran along the top.
Roofs in the new town were all red, but here, aged wood blackened by soot stood out instead.
”Is the bathhouse over there?”
”Yes, northwest of town. The irrigation canal road is quiet before sunset, but soon you’ll hear songs from working women and cabaret solicitors. Listen—the cheerful sound of a flute.”
Before Linca spoke, Kian’s sharp hearing caught the lively flute notes. Since such sounds weren’t heard in the old town, entertainment like cabarets and bathhouses seemed limited to the northwest section.
In Châtillon, brothels were scattered around town, but here, thanks to urban planning, security was good in peacetime. However, now Ramsey was the most dangerous town in Izerland—filled with outsiders chasing money and glory, enemy spies, and ‘vampires’ attacking townsfolk. Anywhere these three appeared, the streets emptied at night.
They turned right through a large arch in the first castle wall.
Beyond the arch was a pleasure district. Bonfires flickered, clowns played flutes, and women in thick nightgowns lurked in shadows, pulling men inside. In the deserts of Azrael, spiders dig nests like these women, and the men caught were like mice or lizards near the nest.
Linca gently grabbed Kian’s arm.
”This way.”
”The woman trying to pull me in is a celestial maiden. I don’t think I’ll escape.”
”Oh, come on.”
”You invited me to bathe together. We’re going to undress and enter a private room. It won’t just be washing.”
”I planned that.”
”Then I’ll give up. I won’t last.”
”No way, Sir Kian. Your eyes are scary…”
”If I stayed calm, I’d question your mind. Is that the shop you wanted?”
”Yes.”
At the wide town’s end was a square sloping toward the castle. The bathhouse was built underground at the slope’s base. The scent of natural hot spring water filled the air.
In the square, women solicited customers. Unlike the earlier shadowy women, they had no strong smell of disease or overpowering perfume. Their outfits were revealing, showing their necklines and legs. Thanks to the hot springs, the warm air and these outfits gave the impression of a safe, clean place.
Kian wasn’t interested in them. He had Linca, a top-tier woman, so he wanted to enjoy her company alone.
”Ah, I ended up bringing what I bought at the market.”
Linca looked at Kian’s opposite arm, where he carried a large furoshiki bundle with items Sage and Sarah requested.
”No problem,” Kian said, letting the three Night Wraiths inside his ‘Nightshade’ coat absorb the bundle.
Though it made later retrieval hard, they arrived at the bathhouse before the hideout, so it was necessary.
”Why not do that earlier?”
”I let the Wraiths carry spare swords. If they absorb too many items, they can’t find swords fast. They’re not smart.”
”We should’ve stopped by my hideout first.”
”I were so distracted by the bath, I forgot. It’s fine. Let’s go in.”
”Yes!”
Linca smiled brightly, humming, “Bath, bath, hot spring.” At the bathhouse entrance, several tough men stood guard. When asked, Kian and Linca said they were travelers from the south and paid five Silver Coins to pass quickly.
They descended stairs to a luxurious wooden entrance. Beyond the red-carpeted hall stood a woman—likely the owner—who stopped them.
After a brief talk, they paid one Gold Coin for a private room.
Since an intermediate Adventurer earned four or five Silver Coins daily, this was a costly treat. But with the money Rean had given Kian—ten Gold Coins just for flying Wing Cain—it was no problem.
Honestly, Rean’s errands paid better than Maribel’s quests. Even Friedrich’s exploration missions, which paid 80 Gold Coins but deducted 3 for each death, were less profitable. Fighting to the death with Shura and Linca for 80 coins… Rean’s sense of money was definitely skewed.
”Wow, they sell all kinds of things.”
Kian examined shelves by the entrance with Linca. Items ranged from mannequins to aphrodisiacs made from succubus fluids, and even slime gels for cleansing.
Kian crouched to look at a dog collar and tail plug set, likely used with the slime gel.
”Sir Kian?”
”Hmm?”
”Are you interested in that?”
Linca, her large braided hair framing her flushed face, asked shyly.
It wasn’t Kian, but Sarah who was interested. He was thinking of buying it as a souvenir.
”Looking for something?”
The shopkeeper approached, rubbing his hands.
Kian pointed at the dog gear set.
”Please sell me this.”
”Thank you. I’ll wrap it up.”
”Sir Kian!”
”What?”
”It’s filthy! Tools to dress like a beast!”
”There’s no such thing as clean or dirty in these matters. If you don’t like it, I won’t use it on you.”
”You idiot, Sir Kian… Please don’t use it on anyone but me…”
Linca’s quiet voice was almost lost as she kicked Kian’s leg and turned away, embarrassed.
”It’s nothing!”
”Don’t be so worked up. I don’t get why you’re upset, but tell me what you want. I’ll buy it for you.”
”You’ve spent a lot tonight, are you sure?”
Linca whispered, careful not to let the shopkeeper hear. Her gentle, sweet scent was different from the businesswomen’s strong perfume.
”No problem. It’s pocket change. I still have more than half left. Come on, just say what you want.”
”No, I’ll buy it myself.”
Linca declined and picked up two mysterious powders—one blue, one red—from an old bottle on a shelf corner.
”What’s that?”
”It’s scale powder from a dream demon called Alp. Red is male, blue is female.”
”I’ve never seen these.”
”They’re from cold regions like Nordende.”
”What’s it for?”
”A sensory sharing potion. I’ll combine it with other ingredients.”
”Sensory sharing?”
Kian tilted his head.
Linca switched to Azrael language.
”It’s a potion female warrior monks use during training. It links sensations temporarily by engraving the potion on a magic stone phallus and my lower abdomen. While the stone’s magic lasts, one can feel my service’s effect.”
”Wow… That’s new. I didn’t know.”
”It was developed after you left Azrael, Sir Kian. It wasn’t around in my or Sarah’s generation.”
”Was it used in Sarah’s sister—Natra’s generation?”
Linca looked up thoughtfully.
”If I remember, Natra graduated early, so maybe just before it came out.”
”That’s recent.”
”Magic stones have become common since Sir Jibril started deploying monster soldiers.”
”I get the idea, but are rights okay?”
”More than why you’re making it, the fact you do shows you’re definitely Sir Jibril’s younger brother.”
Kian’s face soured.
”That’s not a compliment.”
”I didn’t mean it as one. But it’s fine for personal use. No insiders watching here at the northern edge.”
”That makes sense.”
Kian glanced at Linca, focused on the dream demon powders, then paid the bill.
The female proprietor, informed by her Servant, told them, “A private room is ready.”
Kian nodded and led Linca from the entrance to the bathhouse’s back area.
* * *
Notes:
• Linca – Jibril’s favorite girl. High-ranking warrior monk woman from Shin, with strong abilities like ignoring attacks and poisons.
• Mag – The wolfwoman under Yelmar—the one who was caught by Kian’s group earlier.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
Thanks for reading.
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