Real Estate

Alright, now that I've had my fun for the night, I suppose it's time I think about what to do with that prince. Luckily, I have the money from the auction so that will make this a whole lot more simple.

I don my Midas persona, mask and all, and teleport out into an alleyway in the market. Despite the market's clean and proper exterior, it has a dark and evil interior. In the alleys, you can find anything. Brothels, hitmen, thieves for hire. Just about anything.

But, right now? I'm looking for real estate. Yep, any shop that's closed down will do, but I'd rather they be on the larger side.

I walk through the alley with a confident strut, not showing the slightest bit of fear or apprehension. I could kill everyone here with ease, and I know it. I need to show it so everyone knows as well.

After a few minutes of walking, I find the perfect spot. It's both secluded and subtle. Perfect for the kind of business I plan on running! Above the entrance is a faded, but still legible sign reading "Karl's". I walk through the door and find the interior completely barren. It's clear that the building used to be a rather popular bar. Maybe before the market exploded in size. On the right side of the entrance is a long countertop with a shelf behind. I may actually incorporate that into the design. There's also a second floor that seems to have been an inn. I could probably use that as housing for the workers.

There's a cellar that I could use for less-than-legal applications as well as alcohol storage.

Alright. I've decided, I'll be getting this one.

Despite the fact that I'm strong enough to ignore the law, I'd still rather not have them breathing down my neck. So, I head off to the commerce guild to get the deed to this place. Since people already know that my Midas persona is at least an 8-circle mage, I'll just fly over there.

I earn ooo's and ahhh's from the crowd down below. Even a few frightened screams for some reason.

So, I'm planning on turning that old bar into a fancy brothel. Brothels aren't TECHNICALLY illegal, but they are looked down upon. Nobles tend to avoid them because of how dirty most of them are, so I want to create a clean and proper looking brothel to draw in the big moneybags.

The main thing that makes a lot of brothels get shut down is because most of them use slaves, which is illegal. So long as your brothel workers are doing the work by their own will, they have no issues. Also, the workers must be at least 16, the age of consent. Which, honestly, feels wrong and creepy with my modern mindset, but whatever I guess.

I arrive at the commerce guild, a giant building that is just as tall, but not as long as the auction house.

The commerce guild usually deals with merchants, but also does real estate. I walk up to one of the counters while admiring the inside. It looks similar to a modern-day upscale bank. Marble, hardwood, brass, and plants in every corner.

As I walk up, the clerk behind the counter, a young woman, gets nervous. Probably due to the mask, but the mask stays on. I speak to her in my slightly gravely, but still female voice.

"Hello, I'd like to see about purchasing a store. I do apologize for the mask, but I'd rather not reveal my face."

This seems to calm her down, as she answers with a slightly shaky voice,

"Y-yes. Uhm, may I have your name?"

"Midas. No surname."

The girls eyes light up as she hears the name,

"MIDAS? Th-the same Midas that sold a 6th-circle magic stone?"

I nod my head,

"Ah! Are you starting a magic store?! That'll be super popular!"

I shake my head and say,

"No, not yet. I may one day. I'm actually starting a brothel."

The girl's face freezes and a blush shows on her face. I smile at her and say,

"I'm quite the hedonist, actually. I've met many people along my travels who wished to work in brothels, but couldn't because of restrictive laws. Elves, dwarves, beastmen, even a few orcs."

She nods her head and says,

"Uh-uhm, alright… Wh-what building would you like to buy? I do have to inform you that brothels are not allowed on the main thoroughfare…"

I nod and say,

"I'm aware. The place I'm wanting is in the alleyway. It used to be a bar, I think the name was Karl's?"

She purses her lips slightly and says,

"Uhm, would you mind following me to a waiting room? We'll most likely have to search for the paperwork for a while. Karl's bar died a few decades ago when the main thoroughfare was added in."

I close my eyes and search the building for the deed. The spell I used is called search. A pretty straightforward name. Normally, it can only be used if you have a clear image of what you're wanting to find, but if you pump more magic into the spell, it can find damn near anything.

"It's in the cellar stored in an old wooden milk carton. It's in the back left corner, sitting on top of an empty barrel."

The clerk blinks for a second, confused as to how I know. I chuckle at her and say,

"Dear, I'm a rather powerful mage. Finding a piece of paper is easy."

I then teleport the paper into my hand and set it down on the counter.

"Here, I'll save you a trip."

She blinks some more and says,

"A-ah, yes, thank you… Ser Midas."

She holds the deed in her hand and reads the faded words.

"Alright, due to the age of the store, and the fact that it has fallen into disrepair, it'll cost 1265 gold, 56 silver, and 10 copper. You can pay all at once or through staggered payments."

I teleport a big bag full of exactly that much coinage into my hand. Gold coins are rather small, and weigh about as much as dimes back on earth. I place the bag on the counter and wait for the clerk to lean forward. I then grab the bottom of her chin and face her towards me and say,

"Just so we're clear darling, it's Lady Midas."

I then lift the bottom of my mask, revealing my mouth, and blow the clerk a kiss before leaving.

------------------------------------------

AN: ARCHMAGE VILLAINESS IS BAAAAAAAAACK!

but dont expect consistent uploads just yet