THE ENCHANTED FLOWER

"Do we have to come here?" Kaylee asked as they entered the area.

Surprisingly, it was the cleanest neighbourhood they had passed through so far, though a fair comparison could not be made without striding through the Gold and Blue districts first.

Scantily dressed women and bare-chested men beckoned every passers-by to step into the establishments behind them, promising joys and pleasures beyond their wildest dreams. Sage smiled as some of these people directed their calls at herself and the half-elf, though no one could see the smile under her disguise.

"Seems like a welcoming place," she responded. "I don't know why you're so on edge."

"It's a district of brothels and taverns," Kaylee said uneasily. "There's only one reason people visit this place and I'd rather not be associated with it."

"So you don't want others to know you came to the pleasure district?" Sage asked. "You're surprisingly cute. Are you a virgin?"

"Is everyone who doesn't like whorehouses a virgin?" the half-elf asked venomously.

"Fair point," Sage replied casually. "Unfortunately this place happens to be the home of the biggest info broker around; or at least the one with the biggest reputation."

"What information do you expect to get from this broker?" Kaylee asked, curious.

"The kind that will help me," she simply responded, not deigning to add more.

This caused Kaylee to huff in discontentment but she did not say anything in response.

The two of them passed by more half-dressed prostitutes and their establishments. Different sorts of lively tunes flowed out of said establishment to maximise the effect of drawing in customers. The sun in the west was beginning its descend below the horizon; no doubt when the day vanished these establishment would not want for customers.

She and Kaylee reached their destination a few minutes later. Unlike all the brothels in the Red District which stood next to each other while they competed, this one stood on its own. Like a sovereign it towered above all the others. Its design alone was a work of art, drawing attention to it from hundreds of metres. Unlike the other brothels this one did not have a prostitute outside trying to entice passers-by to enter; even so, she saw looks of longing and envy from those who strode past it.

"The Enchanted Flower," Kaylee spat out the name with disdain. "Probably the most famous whorehouse in all of Ysh and beyond. Of course it would be the base of a broker considering its patronage."

Sage nodded and stepped towards it, but the next moment two guards appeared and blocked the door. They were a human and an orc, both garbed in dark armour with hairstyles so similar one would think they were twins if not for the fact that their races varied. The two bouncers were much bigger than Marcus and Taruk, making them the largest people she had seen since coming to this world.

"Halt," the orc said in a rough voice. "None are allowed to enter without a patronage badge or an invitation letter."

The man's words brought a frown to her face.

Well shit! It's a high-end fucking brothel.

"We are not here for the… usual service," she replied. "Our only wish is to see Madam Sylphia. We wish to enquire about something."

"Then enquire about it somewhere else!" Sage's response all but admitted she had neither of the items that would allow her through, which killed the last of the orc guard's non-existent civility towards her. "The Madam doesn't have time to waste on the likes of you."

His rude tone made Kaylee frown. She looked like she wanted to punch him. Going through with that plan would be a bad idea though, since the arse and his partner had Grade 3 physiques. The half-elf was likely not a match for either of them.

Of course for Sage it would not be difficult to handle them, but doing so would incur unwanted trouble. The last thing she wanted was to raise a fuss in front of a place that ninety-nine percent was backed by powerful aristocrat factions. Times like these called for a more peaceful approach; or just a verbal one.

"You swine!" She roared. "How dare you treat me like this? Have you any idea who I am?" When the shocked guard tried to respond she interrupted him. "An unmannered pig such as yourself is not qualified to exchange words with me! I'll have you know Sylphia and go way back!" Here she turned to the human guard and said in a haughty tone, "So why don't you run to your boss and inform her Lady Maverick is here to see her? You may want to hurry up, my patience has already been exhausted by your brute of a partner."

The two guards looked at each other with uncertainty while she looked on with a cocky smile. Honestly, it was surprising how often this tactic worked in such situations. In her experience the person in charge usually accepted the request even if they knew it was bullshit; mainly to gaze upon the face of the one brave enough to boast such claims.

She watched as the two of them discussed in soft tones before they both shrugged and the human guard entered the building. About a minute later he returned. Just as she had expected, they were let in.

The word exquisite was the only thing that came to mind when looking around the entrance hall. Whether it was the intricate layering of different colour stones or the high quality marble floor and the lavender scented candles that hung from silver holders or the smooth dark wood furniture that faintly trickled with magic; it was all a sight to behold.

Even the employees in this place were a cut above those outside. Male workers strutted around bare-chested, displaying their chiselled bodies and smiles that were no doubt the bane of many a noble lady. The female workers' scanty dresses left just enough covering to display most of their bountiful assets but kept the essentials concealed. With faces prettier than Kaylee and Arletta, their smiles no doubt tempted many into their embrace.

She quickly looked away to avoid being tallied among that number.

Her gaze then travelled to one of two flights that led to the next floor. On these particular stairs a woman dressed in an elegant blue dressed descended slowly in a manner that was almost ethereal. He dark skinned gleamed like metal under the light of the lavender candles and her shining blue lips curled into an inviting smile as she descended.

Sage looked at her and activated her {Index}.

Race: Human (Human)

Physique: Grade 3

Mana: D (Purple)

She was a cut above the guards in base strength. From the way she turned the eyes of even the employees it was clear she was someone important in the Enchanted Flower.

When the woman reached the foot of the stairs she offered Sage a slight bow and a warm smile.

"Greetings my lady," the woman began. "I am Talia, Madam Sylphia's attendent. Please follow me and I will take you to her."

With that the woman made a one-eighty turn and headed back up the stairs. Sage uttered an acknowledging grunt and followed behind with a quiet Kaylee trailing her.

When they got to the second floor they were met with a wide pathway with half a dozen doors on each sides. From behind these doors came tunes composed of huffs and moans, which brought about a blush on the half-elf's face. She on the other hand merely took in the sounds and inhaled the jasmine odour that escaped from the candles. The candles on this floor were mounted onto holders made of gold, further enhancing the exquisiteness of the brothel. There were several paintings mounted on each side of the hallway depicting beautiful women in different stages of undress. These she could not help take a peek at.

All too soon they came to the end of the corridor and began to climb another flight. These stairs however did not lead to another floor but ended with a sturdy-looking door with a thick golden handle. Here the woman stopped and tapped the door softly three times before taking a step back and awaiting a response.

It came almost immediately.

"Enter." The voice was soft and melodious, like the pleasant sound carried by birds in the morning hours.

Then Talia opened the door and beckoned them in. When they did so she closed it without entering.

The room they entered had a few bookshelves and what appeared to be a steel safe. On the walls were portraits of a woman in different states of nudity. However, unlike the pictures on the previous floor that depicted different women, the paintings here were all of the same woman. She was an elf with golden skin and silver hair, rosy lips and aquamarine eyes; boasting a perfect figure that put all those she had seen previously to shame. Without a doubt, the person in these paintings was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. This was not a conclusion she based on the paintings alone, for such things were often exaggerated. The reason she could reach such a conclusion was because the very person was in front of her.

Different from the paintings she was fully clothed, causing Sage to unwilling release a disappointed sigh. The silver lining was that the velvet dress left space to display her bountiful cleavage as she lay spread across her dark crimson couch and smoked an ivory pipe.

"Lady Maverick I presume?" she said in her sing-song voice as she blew out a cloud of jasmine. Her eyes focused on Sage as she continued. "When Marv came here and informed me that someone I've never heard of had so boldly requested a meeting with me I couldn't help my curiosity. And so here we are. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Aren't you going to invite us to sit down?" Sage responded calmly, indicating the two empty sofas; a one-seater and two-seater. Her eyes remained on the elf woman as she said the next words measuredly. "Madam Sylphia."

"Such a privilege is for guests," Madam Sylphia replied casually. The azure orbs that stared back at Sage did not have that same nonchalance. "I have yet to decide whether you qualify as such."

To her side she heard Kaylee's soft growl, which she ignored and returned the elf woman's glare. Madam Sylphia's information was reflected to her through by the {Index}.

Race: Elf (Human)

Physique: Grade 5

Mana: B (Blue)

This woman was confident, more like arrogant, in front of her and she could see why. As an 8th Order sorcerer the number of people who could harm her even in a city like Yshta was limited. Even if Sage and Kaylee turned out to be a threat she could just activate the protective spells worked into the walls of the room and deal with them.

"Well I-" Sage opened her mouth to speak but she suddenly stopped.

Somehow, the aquamarine pools of the beautiful elf had become whirlpools, drawing her in to their centre. At the centre of these whirlpools promise emerged, offering a world beyond her wildest imagination, one where she would be free to do whatever she wanted, indulge in all pleasures known and unknown; all of this was promised to her if she allowed herself to be swept away.

These promises that would tempt the most hard-hearted man actually brought about the opposite effect for her, causing her to break free from the tug of the woman's eyes. Her head immediately cleared as she glared at the elf.

Any good thought she had about the woman was swept away in this moment as she angrily watched Madam Sylphia's expression morph from detached to astonished. Honestly, she did not know whether she was upset at the fact that the woman used Illusion Magic on her or that Sylphia thought such promises would actually entice her. The idea of a utopia was so ridiculous for her that she innately rejected anything close to it.

As the saying went; if it was too good to be true, it probably was. This phrase was the one she mostly quoted to get herself through in her previous life. Good things did not just fall from the sky; you had to fight and struggle and scheme for them. Only one time she had disregarded the phrase and that resulted in her being sent to the Abyss.

So, having learned her lesson the hard way; why in fuck's name would she do something so stupid again?