As A Result of Trying To Live An Erotic Slow-Life, I Have Become The Underground Ruler of This Upside-Down Otherworld

Chapter 2: I’m going to sell my services in the capital.

“I’ve been waiting for you, Arius-san.”

“Umm?”

After a few days of traveling by carriage, I was almost attacked by a female adventurer along the way, but fortunately, I was able to knock her out with just foreplay, so it was an easy escape.

And so, I arrived safely in the capital, but who is this person in front of me wearing a black robe?

“I’m Towa. I was entrusted with managing the store that was transferred to Arius-san, ‘Ronyan.’ Eldo-sama has also told me to serve as your caretaker, it’s nice meeting you.”

Ehh…? I can already sense that my plan to become a hikkikomori is falling apart.

A caretaker is like a maid, right? I don’t really need one.

“Hello, and thank you, Towa-san. But are you sure you can be my caretaker? Don’t you have other work to do?”

“No, I’ve already completed most of the handover procedures. I understand that my ugly appearance may not be comforting to you, but I will try to minimize our interactions. Please bear with me.”

Wearing a black robe with a hood is a kind of manners in this world.

It’s a way of saying, “I’m ugly, so please don’t pay too much attention to me.”

It’s a really annoying situation, but given how this world is so particular about appearance, it’s understandable.

“I’m not particularly concerned about that, but it’s fine. Thank you for your kindness. Could you show me to Ronyan? I’d also like to learn more about your role as a caretaker.”

“Certainly. Please follow me.”

Thus, I followed Towa, who turned around in her black robe.

The capital, Aphrodite.

Putting aside the fact that its name sounded similar to that of a beauty goddess I knew, it was indeed a metropolis, as one would expect of a country’s capital.

First of all, there were a lot of people.

More than the city where the master’s store was located.

Apparently, the master usually walked around in a black robe during less busy hours, but here, people were walking on the streets even during the daytime, without any concerns.

Speaking of streets, all the roads I could see were paved with stone.

Someone once said that a city’s development is reflected in its infrastructure, and indeed, well-maintained streets are a symbol of prosperity.

In the previous city I was in, only the main streets were paved with cobblestones, while the back alleys and other paths were mostly gravel. My hometown was even worse, with all the roads made of gravel.

I was also surprised to see street vendors along the way.

In cities where security is a concern, street vendors are usually not allowed, as it’s difficult to take measures against thieves.

However, the presence of numerous street vendors here is a testament to the city’s safety.

The buildings were also made of stone, and it was impressive to see so many non-wooden structures lined up.

The metropolis of my previous life was completely different, but this was also a city.

There were no skyscrapers or high-rise buildings, but I found myself looking around like a complete tourist.

“Hey, you over there.”

“Eh? Me?”

I was probably an easy target because I was walking around like that, but a burly adventurer, an ogre woman who reminded me of my mother, approached me.

“If you’re new to the capital, I can show you around.”

“Oh, no. I’m already being shown around.”

It’s going to be a hassle. I can tell just by looking at her that she’s going to try to take me to some inn.

I glanced at Towa-san, and she seemed confused, as if she didn’t know what to do. Normally, she would have just asked for help.

“Huh? Black robe? You’d be better off with me than with her. Come with me.”

“No, actually, I came to the capital to do business. I’d rather not offer my services before even starting my business.”

If you want to invite me, come to the store. Although, whether I’ll accept or not is another matter.

“Business? What kind of business? What are you selling?”

“I sell flags.”

“What color?”

“Black, I intend.”

After saying that, there was a moment of silence.

“Hahaha! So, you’re a troubled one, huh! Even I, a beauty like me, can’t help you! I’m sorry! You can go! I hope your business goes well!! Haha!”

“Thank you. Please do come and visit.”

I bid farewell to her rude laughter.

Although I thought, “Phew, that was close,” I was also relieved.

“Um… Excuse me.”

“Oh, Towa-san. You could have helped me out, you know.”

“I-I’m sorry. But, the person you met was an S-rank adventurer, so I thought it might not have been a bad encounter.”

S-rank… I can’t help but think of my mother again, please spare me.

“By the way, about the flag color being black… Is that really true?”

“Huh? Yeah, that’s the plan.”

“Why?!? Arius-san, you’re good-looking enough… No! You have the looks to work at the national brothel! Yet, you choose to sell a black flag…!”

As a basic rule of flag houses, there is a flag color that is raised during business hours.

For example, a red flag means no elves, and a white flag means no intercourse.

The black flag, on the other hand, means that appearance is not an issue for accepting customers.

“So, is it because… your penis doesn’t get hard, or…?”

“No.”

She’s giving me a look as if to ask, “Then why?” but it’s difficult to explain.

I wish I could just say, “I’m a specialist in ugly women,” but given that I explained to the master that I don’t like how everything is decided based on appearance, I can’t say that now.

I’m sure Towa is here as a kind of supervisor.

Since there’s a possibility that information about me could reach the master, I can’t say anything carelessly.

I could just give the same explanation as the master, but then Towa-san might think, “If that’s the case, I could do it too.”

That wouldn’t be good. I came to the capital to become a hikkikomori, not to live a leisurely life with a maid.

“To be honest, I don’t really want to make this place successful. I’m aiming for a more low-key, well-known establishment. Fortunately, I have some savings, and I’m not in a hurry, so I want to take it easy.”

That’s not a lie. Especially when it comes to taking it easy.

“I see.”

“Yeah, so could you show me around Ronyan now?”

I can’t help but feel that she’s still suspicious of me.

I don’t want to build a relationship of trust, but I hope we can maintain a good distance and get along well.

Eventually, we arrived at Ronyan.

As the master said, it was a small two-story building compared to his previous store.

“Wow, it’s well-maintained.”

“Of course.”

I’m not sure what she meant by “of course,” but the first floor was like a bar.

There was a counter space that could seat a maximum of six people facing the kitchen, and two four-seater dining tables.

It was clear that it used to be a small dining place, and it had the atmosphere of the master’s early days.

“Eldo-sama said you could use this place freely. Of course, if you wish, I can restore its function as a dining place immediately.”

“Wow, that’s very generous?”

I don’t know why she went to such lengths, but I’m grateful.

In a way, it also makes it easier for me to select my customers.

The store has a facade as a dining place, but behind it, it’s a flag house.

Of course, that’s only if I can tolerate having to cook, which I don’t want to do.

“Towa-san, can you cook?”

“Of course.”

I can sense her confidence.

Was she the master’s apprentice or something? I could sense her respect for her, so maybe that’s the case.

I wish she could stand in the kitchen instead of being my caretaker, but that might be too convenient. Is there any way I can negotiate?

“Okay. So the second floor is the living area, right?”

“Yes, I’ll show you.”

I opened the door at the back of the dining space and found a staircase. Wait, what?

“There’s also a basement?”

“Yes, I’ll show you later.”

I was surprised to see a staircase leading downstairs.

Well, come to think of it, it’s probably obvious, given that it’s a flag house. It would be strange to have intercourse in the living space.

As I was thinking about these things, the second floor was much larger than I expected.

There was only a minimum of furniture, such as a bed and a bookshelf, but there was also a bath.

Having a bath in your home is rare in this world, or rather, it’s a status symbol for the wealthy.

It seems the master was already making a lot of money during her early days… Impressive.

“If there’s anything you need, please let me know.”

“Yeah, let’s go shopping together another day?”

“Eh…? Oh, u-understood.”

Huh? Was she planning to go shopping alone?

Come on, I may be a guy who wants to become a hikkikomori, but it’s a bit much to rely on others for everything.

“Alright, so the last space is the flag house, right? Could you show me the basement?”

“Yes. This way.”

I went down the stairs I had climbed and opened a locked door to enter.

“Wow.”

“This is the place you can use for your work.”

It’s so… unhealthy! It looks like a love hotel or the reception area of a sex establishment.

There are six rooms, each with a small monitor that shows what’s happening inside. I tried looking into one of them.

“What is this, a magic mirror?”

“Magic mirror? I don’t understand, but it’s a mirror that allows you to see from one side but not the other.”

That’s what a magic mirror is. I wonder if they were using it as a peephole. The master’s tastes were quite refined, it seems.

The other rooms were mostly the same, with only slight differences in color or layout.

So, it’s more like a monitor for choosing a room in a love hotel, right?

“My head is starting to hurt.”

“A-are you okay?”

I’m sure the master had similar ideas when she was running this place.

It was probably a store with a facade as a dining place, but with an erotic role behind it.

I wonder if he was keeping his favorite women here or if he was renting out the space like a hotel.

I can understand him as a fellow man, but his sexual tastes and practices seem to be far ahead of mine.

“Towa-san, have you ever been to a flag house?”

“U-um… I wasn’t able to use their service, but I know what kind of facilities they have.”

She couldn’t use it? Oh, I see, it’s because of her ugly appearance. She wasn’t accepted as a customer.

Wait, that means Towa-san should be incredibly beautiful to me by my standards, right?

“Towa-san. Now that I think about it, could you take off that black robe?”

“P-please excuse me. I’m not presentable.”

I expected this kind of reaction.

Now it’s time for negotiation.

“After seeing this place, I thought that I want to camouflage the flag house as a dining place.”

“Camouflage, you say?”

“As I mentioned earlier, I want to make this a well-known establishment that only the initiated know about. I don’t want to publicize the flag house, and I also want to keep my presence as the owner of the flag house hidden as much as possible. That’s why I need another owner for the dining place, someone other than me.”

Towa seemed to understand what I was saying.

“I’m Arius-san’s caretaker. I can’t be the owner of a dining place.”

“Yeah, that’s part of the contract… with the master, right? So I want you to enter into a contract with me too. I want you to become the owner of this dining place. As for what I can offer you, it’s either money or this body of mine. What do you think?”

I could hear Towa-san gulp.

In a way, this is a kind of proof that I can make it as a flag house owner.

Aside from building a relationship of trust, I want to establish a cooperative relationship. Given that I received this place from the master, my original plan to become a recluse is now difficult.

So, I have to come up with the best plan for becoming a hikkikomori in this situation.

To that end, Towa-san’s cooperation is essential.

I looked into her eyes, hidden behind the robe. Towa-san sighed, as if giving up, and then took off her hood.

“Even with this face, you still want to…?”

“Alright, deal! So, what do you say? Shall we get started?”

I got myself a beautiful woman!

Come to think of it, she’s a beastwoman, right? She looks like a cat with her cat ears.

“Huh? What? Eh?”

“Oh, would you like to try out one of the rooms here? Let me know if you have any preferences.”

“Eh? Ah? Not really though!? I-I’m a werecat! E-Embracing a woman like me is— fuh-nyah!?”

I’ve heard this kind of self-deprecating talk from beautiful women many times in this world.

I really don’t want to hear it from someone who’s about to become my family.