Chapter 218 The Pleasure District
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Viscount Nixfen—that’s the man said to be making fakes of my shop’s adult magic tools. He’s started selling adult goods in the Royal Capital that look just like the Higo-zuiki¹.
I heard he’s becoming quite a star(?) by selling those items in the Hanamachi². Driven by righteous anger (it’s definitely not a personal grudge), I decided to head to the district right away. That was fine, but…
”Aerith, you know you don’t really have to come along, right…?”
”What are you saying? A ‘pair’ means two people as one. My husband’s trouble is my trouble!” Aerith replied.
”It’s not exactly what I’d call a crisis, though…” I muttered.
Aerith of the Garou Merchant Guild³ had taken my arm and followed me, her tail wagging swish-swish. Walking like this made me think of our very first date. If I remember right, wasn’t that almost exactly one year ago around this time?
Now that I think about it, I’ve spent this whole year asking her to just look after the pregnant Lily. On top of that, I was planning to wait a few more years to have our own kids—I’m surprised she hasn’t gotten fed up with me…
”…Is something wrong?” Aerith asked.
”No, just… thanks for everything.”
”Fufu, please don’t worry about it.”
Of course, since the other members were away for the war, I made sure to spend a good amount of time with her. No matter how busy we get, ‘mating season’ always comes around, after all.
Thinking about it that way, I can see why beastman couples stay so close. Because of that ‘Tremble-Ddo-Buddy’ thing, I only saw the bad parts of the ‘mating season,’ but I guess it’s a necessary part of their nature.
Still, I feel bad about it. I honestly think I should let her father punch me one or two more times…
”Besides, I’m looking forward to knowing what you were like before we met, Danna-sama. You were thinking about selling goods to the Hanamachi back then, weren’t you?” Aerith asked.
”Ah, yeah. Since they’re those kinds of products, I thought it was best to sell to people who wouldn’t be bothered by them. In the end, though, everything except ‘The First Lesson of Breaking’⁴ failed to catch on.”
Well, I just couldn’t think of any other way to sell them. It’s not like I could just walk up to women on the street and ask, “Want to buy an aphrodisiac?” I’d be caught by the guards in a second.
Right, so Viscount Nixfen came to the same conclusion. Since he couldn’t get into the sales paths I’d already made, he thought of selling to the women in the Hanamachi. Our way of thinking is really similar. If that’s the case, I can imagine how he fit into the district…
”…You really had a hard time, didn’t you?” Aerith said quietly.
”Well, in its own way. But personally, there were people who bought them, and word of mouth slowly spread until people started coming to me. Before I knew it, I didn’t even have to go out and sell anymore.”
While we were talking, we reached the entrance to the Hanamachi. That said, it’s not like there’s a special gate or sign standing there.
The Hanamachi of the Royal Capital Canarias⁵ is located one block behind the bar district. In terms of location, it’s about as far from the main road as the back-alley where we live, but it’s in the north area, closer to the Royal Palace.
Since it’s still daytime, there aren’t many people around, but as soon as you step inside, you can tell it’s a place for that kind of thing. Even in a different world, those things don’t seem to change.
How should I say it… the smell is different. Not a real smell, but the feeling. Just like the bar district one block over, there are buildings meant for customers, but their look is a bit dark.
The women walking fast are probably going to work. They aren’t dressed too wildly, but they can’t hide a bit of flash and charm.
On the other hand, the men try to act calm, but they can’t hide their nervous steps. Those who aren’t used to being here let their eyes move all over the place.
And even the men who think they’re different from those kids—the ones who think they’re pros—still have a bit of a stiff feeling about them.
”Whoops, Aerith, stay close, okay?” I said.
”Ah…♡ Y-Yes…♡”
I grabbed Aerith by the waist and pulled her close as a man passed us, giving her a rude look. It’s a normal reaction when you bring a woman here, but it’s not a good feeling. Not that anything would happen—and if it did, Aerith is stronger than me anyway.
Aerith, for her part, seemed happy with my possessive act. she leaned against me, looking up at my face every now and then. When I squeezed her waist to answer, her tail went swish-swish, brushing the back of my hand and tickling me.
Of course, the looks from the men passing us got even meaner… well, I’ll just take it as part of the trip.
”You’re walking without any doubt; do you have a place in mind?” Aerith asked.
”Yeah, well, I know a few people. Ah, ‘knowing’ doesn’t mean it in that way, okay?”
”Hehe, I know. You don’t have time for that, Danna-sama. Even if you did, I wouldn’t mind; actually, I’d want to hear all about it.”
”I don’t have anyone, so please, give me a break…” I replied.
Taking Aerith, who said scary things while laughing nicely, we went further into the Hanamachi. Some people say the area near the entrance isn’t really the Hanamachi; the start and the deep parts are actually quite different.
The entrance area has places where the back doors of bars are used as shops, and many aren’t full-time shops.
They might give a woman to a customer who’s feeling good after drinking, or they might take in a scared beginner or someone who walked in by mistake. It’s well thought out.
On the other hand, in the inner Hanamachi, there are only pros—both the customers and the shops—who are there for that one reason. They’re expensive, and the shops are very picky. In this world where no one says ‘the customer is god,’ that’s true of normal shops too, but especially so here.
And those who know the most about the Hanamachi are usually those high-class shops. But, I’m not going to be dumb enough to ask at the front door.
”Um… are we going even further back?” Aerith asked.
”Yeah. It’s fine, so don’t worry.”
Just in case I ran into Viscount Nixfen, I kept an eye on the side paths while going deeper. We went further into the inner Hanamachi, a place where you’d definitely get lost if you didn’t know the way.
The shops slowly decreased, replaced by where the women live, or shops meant for them. Not many people know there are shops for daily needs or even cafes in such places.
People who come this far are either lost or have a clear goal like us. And the place we reached was a part of every Hanamachi: a building with a doctor who looks after the women.
I don’t call it a hospital because the building looks like a broken-down shack, but also because hospitals don’t exist here. There are only drug shops like my master, old lady Miranda, or places run by the church.
”Is it here…?”
”Yeah, she should be free around now…” I said, after a pause.
As I said that, I knocked on the door. But, the owner of this shack is really slow to answer. Since her customers are all familiar women, no one ever knocks.
Actually, the door isn’t locked, so I could just walk in, but I’d feel bad.
Eh? Isn’t that dangerous? Don’t worry; she has magic tools for safety, and more than that, no one in this Hanamachi is crazy enough to try anything with her.
”Is no one… home?”
”No, she’ll be out soon. Look, speak of the devil…”
* * *
”You’ve got some nerve bringing a woman here, Kento,” a voice said.
Appearing before us was a woman in an exotic dress, puffing on a pipe—the same kind I always use—that I had given her. She looked more like a prostitute than a doctor.
”Long time no see, Barbara.”
”I’ve told you so many times not to call me that… Call me ‘Senior Disciple,’ Senior Disciple!” Barbara snapped.
—
Summary:
Kento and Aerith head to the Royal Capital’s pleasure district to investigate Viscount Nixfen’s counterfeit adult goods. During the walk, Kento reflects on his relationship with Aerith and his early days as a struggling merchant. They navigate the different layers of the district, moving from the casual entrance to the professional inner depths. They eventually reach a secluded clinic to consult with Barbara, a doctor and Kento’s former fellow apprentice.
—
Character Insight:
Kento shows significant guilt regarding his neglect of Aerith’s emotional needs over the past year, acknowledging that he relied on her selflessness while Lily was pregnant. Aerith demonstrates her unwavering loyalty and ‘two-in-one’ philosophy, finding joy even in Kento’s minor displays of jealousy. The introduction of Barbara hints at Kento’s past training and provides a bridge between the respectable world and the underground society of the Hanamachi.
—
Behind the Scene:
The ‘Higo-zuiki’ is a real-world historical adult artifact from Japan, traditionally made from the dried stem of a specific taro plant, known for its unique texture. This chapter explores the urban geography of an Isekai city, distinguishing between ‘front’ and ‘back’ businesses within a red-light district. Barbara represents the ‘seedy’ but essential infrastructure required to keep such a district functioning safely.
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T/L:
Notes:
• Nixfen – A viscount aristocrat who has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district. He is described as a ‘pretty boy’ or ‘gentle-looking man’ (yasao) but is a territory-holding noble likely trained in combat.
• Aerith – A wolf beast-person and Ouka’s daughter. She is intensely attracted to Kento’s creative genius and is not shy about showing her interest. Have gray fur hair and tail, wearing elegant dress.
• Lily – the sl*ve and primary experiment subject for the magic shop, ‘Harvest.’ She has striking pink hair, Blue eyes, medium breasts, which the Protagonist associates with being ‘wanton’. She has a working knowledge of magic, which she kept hidden from the slave trader.
• Kento – The owner of the magic tool shop ‘Harvest,’ which discretely sells adult goods. He’s a former overworked, ordinary salaryman from modern Japan who was suddenly transported (isekai’d) to this fantasy world. He has dark hair and an unremarkable appearance, typically wearing a plain, slightly suspicious-looking shop owner’s clothes looks like Kazuma Satou from certain series. He has a minimal amount of magic power, enough to craft his specialty items.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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