Chapter 220 The Pleasure District ③
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
”Speak of the devil and he shall appear, I suppose,” I muttered.
I had ventured into the Flower District¹ to check the sales trends of a blatant copy of our merchandise—the ‘Otasuke-bo’². While I was busy listening to my senior apprentice, Barbara, a chorus of high-pitched voices suddenly erupted from outside.
”Ah! Hey, you!”
”Please wait, Master!”
As I stood up, Barbara and Aerith-jou from the Garou Merchant Guild³ followed after me. I kept my pace without looking back. It’s not like the blood was rushing to my head or anything. Despite those shrill squeals, I have plenty of girls who raise their voices in real desire for me, after all!
Still, I had to find out why the elder sisters of the district—the courtesans who weren’t hooked by our stock, saying things like, “No, if I’m the one feeling good, it’ll ruin my trade,” or “I’ve got enough junk to handle as it is”—were now so totally obsessed with this ‘Otasuke-bo’.
This was strictly a market study. Therefore, it was by no means a personal grudge. I repeat: it was definitely not a personal grudge!
”We sold so much today, didn’t we ne?”
”Even the ordinary girls are sneaking in to buy them. I’m sure it will be a hit throughout the Royal Capital soon yo!”
”Thank you, everyone. I really hope it turns out that way…”
As I stepped out of Barbara’s house, I saw a person who seemed to be Viscount Nixfen, surrounded by prostitutes. Even among those shapely elder sisters, he stood a full head taller, making his face easy to see.
Ah, I see. So that’s how it is…
His hair was a flaxen-gold color, somewhere between blonde and brown, styled in a men’s wolf cut with a long nape. That hairstyle, combined with his sweet face, gave off an overwhelming aura of a fairytale prince. I could certainly see why the elder sisters were so charmed; he was a handsome man who lived up to the rumors.
”Are you Viscount Ray Nixfen?” I asked.
”And you are…?” the man replied.
I stepped forward to face the presumed Viscount Ray Nixfen, who was being doted on by the elder sisters. He tilted his neck in a way that looked very picturesque… However, it wasn’t the man himself who reacted so strongly to my arrival, but rather the elder sisters.
”There he is! That sexual harassment magic tool shop owner!”
”Too bad for you, your shop is finished!”
”From now on, the ‘Otasuke-bo’ is going to replace that vulgar ‘Ddo-Buddy’⁴!”
Blocking my path, the elder sisters showed clear hostility toward me. Until now, I’ve been ignored, but I don’t think I’ve ever been insulted like this. I’ve really managed to get myself hated, haven’t I…
Well, rather than hating me personally, it was more likely that this prince-like Viscount Nixfen just had a very high approval rating. To me, he was a business rival, but the same was true for him.
So, even if I’m being yelled at by beautiful elder sisters, I’m not feeling any shock at all!
”Thank you, my little kittens. It’s okay, let me talk to him,” Viscount Nixfen said.
At the Viscount’s word, the elder sisters stepped back, though they looked worried. Even so, they continued to glare from behind with faces that said, “You’ll regret it if you try anything stupid!” Calling them ‘little kittens’ was a clever phrase…
”Should I say ‘nice to meet you’? Or perhaps ‘we meet at last’? I am Viscount Ray Nixfen. I have wanted to see you, Lord Kento Harvest.”
Surprisingly, the Viscount—now confirmed as Ray—said this with a troubled face that didn’t match his words. I had expected to be hit with insults right away.
”I am Lord Kento Harvest. I guess I should say the same to you, Viscount Nixfen,” I replied.
I took his offered hand and gave it a firm shake, greeting him with a big smile. I even went so far as to reach out and ask for the handshake myself.
Viscount Nixfen hesitated for a second, but then, as if making up his mind, he took my hand and made a stiff smile.
”You’re bolder than I thought. Did you not think I would crush your hand kai?”
”Nah, if that happened, I’d just call the constables ssu,” I said.
We traded words and stares while our hands were still locked. It was Viscount Nixfen who finally gave up in our staring contest, pulling back a sweaty hand while looking distressed.
”Master…” Aerith-jou said quietly.
Aerith, who had been following me, spoke in a worried voice. Nearby, the prostitutes were angry, saying things like, “How dare he touch our Ray with those dirty hands!” I have completely become the villain here.
”Is that Aerith-jou from the Garou Merchant Guild? The rumors that you were close with Lord Harvest were true, then…”
”Viscount Nixfen-sama, please forgive me for not being able to give you a good answer the other day,” Aerith-jou replied.
”I’d be lying if I said I didn’t mind. But well, you have your own position, so it can’t be helped,” Viscount Ray said.
”I’m glad you feel that way,” Aerith-jou answered.
While listening to the calm talk between the two, despite the tension, I thought about the situation. To be honest, I was just as troubled as Viscount Nixfen.
I didn’t want my hand crushed, but I felt like that would have been easier to handle. Or if he had gotten mad and screamed, “It’s your fault our products aren’t selling!”
Actually, if this guy had been a really mean person trying to ruin our sales network, I had even brought ‘tear gas’ to make him regret it.
It was something I found by accident while making other goods—the kind of thing that makes every fluid in your face start leaking uncontrollably. I had intended to laugh while watching that handsome face turn into a mess…
”So, what business does Lord Harvest have with me? I am just selling my own goods, and I don’t think I’ve caused you any trouble,” Viscount Ray said.
”Yeah, it seems that way…” I said.
It was true. While the elder sisters in the back were saying scary things, Viscount Nixfen hadn’t done anything wrong yet.
He is free to try and sell his goods to merchant guilds, and though the ‘Otasuke-bo’ looks like the ‘Ddo-Buddy’, the way it’s made is likely very different. I can’t just get mad and say he’s copying me.
In this situation, it’s really hard to know what to do. In the long run, our shop will lose money, but using that as a reason to stop a new product is… Well, to Viscount Nixfen, we might even be the latecomers.
”Actually, there were some things I wanted to ask…” I said.
”Hmm? And what would those be?” Viscount Ray asked.
”Just what I said. First, I wanted to see if you had any bad feelings toward us. If you had a grudge and attacked the shop, I wouldn’t like it. I also didn’t want you spreading bad rumors. But it seems I don’t have to worry about that.”
”Ah, I see… Please don’t think so poorly of me. As someone who carries the name of my territory and family, I don’t do anything shameful.”
”Fair enough, my apologies. Also, I wanted to ask about your sales method. When we first started, we couldn’t sell anything in the Flower District. If there was a secret, I wanted to find it. Though, it seems it was a waste of time.”
”There’s no secret. I’m just working hard to sell them. While wooing the little kittens, of course.”
”Lastly, I wanted to talk to you as a ‘comrade’. The ‘Otasuke-bo’ and your other items are great products. Even if the goal is the same, your approach is totally different. I felt like I saw a perfect version of that. I can feel a real passion in this work. I wanted to talk about that.”
”…This is a surprise. I never expected such praise from the famous Lord Harvest. Fine, let’s talk. If I take this story back home, I’m sure the people of my land will be happy,” Viscount Ray said.
Well, I don’t mind talking, but… Looking at Viscount Nixfen, who must be panicking inside, I couldn’t help but rub my chin. It would be a waste of a trip to leave now; should I really talk with him? But the elder sisters look like they’re about to explode…
”Ah—look, don’t push yourself,” I said.
”Push myself? Why do you think that?” Viscount Ray asked.
”I mean, because you’re actually a woman, aren’t you?” I whispered.
”Wha—?! H-How did you—!” Ray stammered.
The prince mask she had been wearing finally fell off, and Viscount Nixfen’s face was suddenly full of panic. So, that was how it really was.
—
Summary:
Kento investigates a rival product in the pleasure district and meets Viscount Ray Nixfen. Despite hostility from the local women, Kento and Ray engage in a tense but civil conversation. Kento reveals his admiration for the rival product’s design. The chapter ends with Kento exposing Ray’s secret: the handsome Viscount is actually a woman.
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Character Insight:
Ray Nixfen is shown to be a noble carrying the weight of her house, using her ‘prince’ persona to successfully market products where Kento previously failed. Kento demonstrates his professional maturity by acknowledging a rival’s quality rather than acting out of petty spite. The reveal of Ray’s gender adds a layer of complexity to her ‘wooing’ tactics in the pleasure district.
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Behind the Scene:
The use of ‘Hanamachi’ (Flower District) specifically refers to districts known for geisha and entertainment, which in this fantasy context is localized as the pleasure district. The term ‘Ddo-Buddy’ refers to the adult toy Kento sells, a pun common in these types of light novels.
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T/L:
Notes:
• 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.
• 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.
• Ray – A Viscount with flaxen-gold hair in a men’s wolf cut. Possesses a sweet mask and a prince-like aura. It is revealed at the end that Ray is actually a woman. She has started manufacturing and selling adult goods similar to Kento’s products in the Royal Capital’s pleasure district.
• 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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