155 Working for the Elephant Trunk
"Mcgonnegal," Arad looked at Nina and then at the moose, "Let's go with Mc."
Nina smiled, "I will register him as Mcgonnegal. Call him as you want," She patted Mcgonnegal.
"I will call you Gon," She turned to leave.
"Wait." Arad called her, "Where is the blessing?"
Nina turned, "What?"
"You said Melissa might bless him."
"Yes, I said might. When and how is up to her. If she decided to bless him at all," Nina replied, looking at the moose, "Isn't that right, Gon."
The moose looked away, sweating.
Arad jumped on the moose, "I want to go check on Aella. I will be leaving if you don't need me."
"I will take care of the rest. You can go." Nina smiled. Arad picked Abel on his way out and left.
Nina stood in the middle of the training ground, staring at her feet. ^When I blocked his fist with my foot, the power seemed strange. When someone punches by extending their fist back, the force of the punch gets tilted inward a little bit. Arad's punch was going straight as if he had muscles to correct his form.^ She could feel her arms tingle.
^The weight of his steps when was about to punch, for a moment I mistaken him for a large monster. He's keeping something hidden,^
FLAP! FLAP! FLAP! A small bird landed on Nina's shoulder. She looked at the small creature. "Did I zone out?" She looked around, and the ground beneath her feet has shattered. Adventurers are standing around the training ground, worried.
"Nina!" Amber rushed toward Nina, "What is happening?"
Nina looked down, "How long have I stood here?"
"A few seconds. Did something annoy you that you kicked the ground?" Amber asked with a sweaty face.
Nina got back to her senses, "Nothing, let's head back to work," Nina replied. ^This feeling is excitement. Arad will grow strong,^
****
Arad reached his house, Abel with him. They stopped outside the fence and Abel looked around, "You have a lot of pets,"
Arad's eyes opened wide, "I thought you would be more. Worried at the least."
"Wolves would have already attacked us, and those apes on their trees are ignoring us. You have them here guarding. I can feel that." Abel replied.
The two dismounted from Mc's back and headed toward the house. Arad patted the bear guarding the door, and Abel did the same. Taking his time as this might be the only time he can pat such a creature.
"What are you doing? Come in," Arad called Abel who patted the bear with a wide smile.
Abel snapped to reality and rushed in. Aella and Lydia were waiting inside. "How is Aella?" Arad asked, and Lydia nodded. "She will be fine in a few days."
Arad nodded, "Then rest." He smiled at Aella, "I will take a quest with Jack in the meantime."
After confirming Aella's condition, he asked to take Lydia and Abel back to the city. The moose nodded its head. Carrying three people was easy for him.
After stopping at the inn.
"Lydia, send Jack to the elephant trunk when he comes back," Arad said and Lydia glared at him, "Please tell me it's a quest,"
"We have to catch a cubus. It's a quest." Abel replied, "But I won't mind you working with them,"
Lydia shook her head, "I don't have any mental resistance, I will only end up as a burden. Call me when you need healing or a tank,"
Abel nodded, "Even though a woman would be a good bait. I swear nothing will happen to you. The moment he shows we will jump at him."
Lydia glared at Abel, "If we're to convince him, I must work there for a while, no thank you." Abel looked away.
"Did anyone call me?" Jack looked down from the inn's window. He jumped down and landed in front of Arad, "How are you," the two shook hands.
"Yeah, you and Jack are heading with me to the elephant trunk." Abel replied, "You will work as hosts to catch a cubus."
"I know about that quest. Does it mean we have free tickets?"
Abel smiled, "I guess so, but you have to pay the girls fair part. I won't be taking any money in the process."
Thud! Lydia grabbed Jack by the ear, "We talked about this, didn't we?"
Lydia is a paladin before everything. She must stay a maiden. Due to that, she agreed to let Jack take a second wife for the children if he so chooses. But brothels were a different matter.
"Please excuse us for a moment," Lydia dragged Jack away.
After a quarter hour, they returned, and Jack looked exhausted, his face turning pale. "Let's get to work. No free tickets needed." Jack sighed.
***
Arad and Jack started working right away. They headed to the brothel with Abel to perform a first inspection.
Arad looked at the brothel from the outside. A large wood and stone building decorated with flowers and overgrowing veins. A faint light seeped through the closed windows he could hear talking inside.
Abel approached the large door and pulled a golden key from his pocket. CLICK! The door opened, and they walked inside.
"Lord Abel!" A bunch of girls rushed from the rooms, "Did you find anyone who could take it down?" They asked.
Abel pointed behind him at Arad and Jack. "Those two can sniff it out. A rogue and a sorcerer."
The girls looked behind Abel, their eyes blinking. "Wait! Isn't that the dragon slayer?" One of the girls gasped, and the rest jumped.
"The other one is the night ghost, Jack!" The girls ignored Abel and swarmed around Arad and Jack, confusing them.
Arad looked at Jack, "Night ghost?"
"A rogue has many jobs at night. I got that title over the years." Jack sighed as Abel came in to move the girls away. "Get away from the, they will work as hosts until we catch the cubus."
The girls moved back, "If those two said anything, make sure to comply. Especially if that was getting away from a customer."
"As you say!" The girls nodded as they spread to their rooms.
Abel turned toward Arad and Jack, "Arad, you take the counter and register the customer. Jack will be the host guiding them to the rooms. Please note that the girls here can't fight,"
"If we're working here, what will you be doing?" Jack looked at Abel, "Relaxing in the back?"
Abel shook his head, "No, I will be doing my usual work of going around in case any girls wanted to call the session off. That will also help us know of the cubus slipped through."
"Should I stop anyone with magic?" Arad asked.
"Yes. Even mages have no reason to use magic here. A cubus will use magic to transform from a guy to a girl. Don't attack but stop them till we make sure."
Arad nodded and sat on the desk. Abel took a few minutes to show him how to work. He then went to show Jack all the rooms and what to listen for. If any girl called for help. He has to charge into the room and kick the customer out. If a couple is using that room, he shouldn't interfere unless they call for him or Abel by name.
Each customer has to wash himself before leaving. And that is an obligatory procedure.
"Why do they have to wash?" Jack asked.
"Some customers will try to take hair or anything from the girls for ritual curses. Those curses can make someone fall in love, become insane, and many more bad things. This bath cost me a lot, but it burn everything belonging to the people registered." Abel explained tapping a wooden door.
"So if you registered a girl in it. When a customer takes a shower with her hair in his possession, it will burn?" Jack scratched his head.
"Yeah, the same goes for the changing room." Abel smiled, "It cost me three platinum coins to build."
"That's a lot!" Jack gasped.
Jack looked around the wooden hallways decorated with paintings and white ceramic vases. "Arad's job is easier,"
Abel smiled, "He's our first line of defense. We're relying on his eyes catching the cubus at the start. Of course, I will put him in the front."
All the girls took their positions. Abel walked toward Arad with a smile and stood beside him. "Everything is ready. I will open the brothel. Get ready for when the customers roll in,"
Arad sighed, "You're opening after a week. No one will come right away."
Abel smiled, "Is that so? I suspect more will come today,"
Abel approached the door and pushed it open, setting the open sign outside. After a minute an old man walked in.
"See? Only one," Arad registered the man and sent him to the girl he asked for.
"Remember, you have to ask the girl first." Abel looked at Arad, "I know her, and she has been taking this man for weeks. That's why I told you to accept him."
After that, a young man came in.
Arad called the girl the man looked for, and she agreed. He registered him and sent him to her with Jack.
"Like this?" Arad looked at Abel.
"Yes. Besides the quest payment. I will be paying you for the job so make sure to do well," Abel smiled. Arad and Jack weren't working for free even if it was a part of the quest.
After that, a man and a woman came in asking for a room. Arad registered and sent them to an empty room. "Okay, for those you have to inform me and Jack to keep an eye on them."
After a few minutes, five customers came, and then ten, and then twenty. Arad gasped seeing too many people rush inside, "They have been pent up. They will rush at the moment they hear we opened up."
Abel patted Arad's shoulder, "Do your best," He then went to the back to do his job.
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