Felix took a sip of his wine and continued to enjoy his beef. His appetite was good today; even after an entire roast chicken, he was barely satisfied. The tavern's cooking was commendable—the roast chicken was golden and crispy, a delight after days of camping outdoors that had significantly lowered Felix's food standards.
The conversation among a few still drinking locals turned back to the mysterious druid rumored to live deep in the forest.
Felix knew that although druids possessed the power to command wild beasts, they seldom used it. In the Second Age, the precursor of the druid's order, druids were divided into two factions: Elemental Druids and Wild Druids.
With the advancement of civilization, Wild Druids gradually faded from the historical stage. Nowadays, they were rarely seen, perhaps a few in elven territories, but almost extinct in human realms. Druids, inherently aligned with nature, often found themselves at odds with humanity's relentless expansion. As a result, most human druids chose to live among elves.
"Where does the mayor live?" After some discussion, a tall mercenary approached a local who had been speaking animatedly and asked in a deep voice. It seemed he and his companions were somewhat interested in the task.
The local's eyes lit up. He pointed outside and said, "Walk south from here, the largest house you see will be the mayor's."
"Landlady, another beer for this brother, put it on my tab," the tall mercenary said, patting the townsman's shoulder, before heading towards the mayor's residence with a companion.
The townsman happily accepted the beer from the tavern's server.
This was a longstanding tradition in the mercenary world. If the information provided wasn't particularly valuable, the mercenary would buy the informant a drink.
After finishing his dinner, Felix slowly stood up and walked towards the counter where the landlady was.
Everyone consciously made way for him. Those brave enough to adventure alone in the wilds were not to be trifled with by the common folk. Moreover, Felix's attire exuded a dangerous aura.
Mysteriousness.
Such mysterious adventurers always represented a certain level of danger.
"I need a clean room," Felix said, tossing a gleaming gold coin in front of the landlady. The sudden appearance of the gold coin drew greedy gazes from everyone in the tavern, but as their eyes swept over the extraordinary sword at Felix's waist, they wisely lowered their heads.
Ordinary people had their own brand of wisdom. Only a few were foolish enough to overestimate themselves.
The voluptuous landlady, to Felix's surprise, quickly pocketed the gold coin and then flashed a seductive smile, "Follow me. The best room on the second floor is always vacant. I make sure it's dusted every day."
"Do you have any juice?" Felix asked, his gaze moving over the mature charm of the landlady's face.
In this era, juice was more expensive than ordinary alcohol, due to the manufacturing process and because the ingredients required were usually quite valuable.
"No, but I have some coconuts in the store. Would you like me to make you a drink?" the landlady asked, flipping her shoulder-length hair and looking at Felix.
Felix nodded and replied, "Thank you."
The room was clean, the bedding seemingly new.
"I need hot water, bring it to my room," Felix said, removing his cloak, revealing his crystal-clear, snow-white hair, causing the voluptuous landlady to pause. Then, Felix's pale yet strangely charming face caught her eye even more.
It was a handsomeness not typical of humans, one she had only seen among elves.
Her gaze then fell on Felix's hands, carved like jade, and she quickly averted her eyes, her years of adventuring reminding her of the danger such hands represented.
Felix didn't carry extra clothes. When Marilyn left, she gave Felix a low-level spatial ring, a simple piece with just one cubic meter of extra space.
That stingy silver dragon.
One cubic meter was barely enough space, hardly enough to store much. Even now, Felix couldn't help but silently criticize the stinginess of the silver dragon princess. Apparently, the greediness of dragons was well-known, and just as the stories said, they only took and never gave.
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To the left of the room was a small partition housing a large bathing tub, prepared for weary travelers. A thoughtful arrangement, certainly, but only available for a sufficient price.
Soon, the tavern's server arrived with two buckets of hot water, and the voluptuous landlady brought a glass of milky white liquid in a crystal cup.
Felix took a sip and quickly raised an eyebrow, asking the landlady, "Chilled?"
"We have a deep well in the backyard. I thought you looked tired, so I chilled it with well water," the landlady said with a flattering smile, gently flipping her hair.
"Not bad," Felix nodded in approval.
After preparing the hot water, the voluptuous landlady didn't leave. She gazed at Felix and said, "Do you need any other services? We have many beautiful girls here. They're very passionate and gentle, sure to relieve the fatigue of your journey."
"Moreover, they all come from respectable families."
In this era, the lower class didn't place much emphasis on chastity. Some impoverished families would send their daughters to taverns to work as hostesses, tolerating minor indiscretions for the sake of extra income.
If they encountered a generous patron, they wouldn't mind spending a night with them. Such encounters often brought significant earnings, enough to feed their impoverished families for a few days. Of course, this was usually consensual.
Felix's generosity and handsome appearance convinced the voluptuous landlady that the girls under her protection wouldn't mind spending a romantic night with such a fine man.
But the key question was whether this particular guest needed such services.
Chapter 8: Bad Boy
The night was cool and breezy.
Felix squinted his eyes, observing the landlady, who exuded a mature and seductive charm, seemingly amused by the situation.
The so-called special services, huh?
In a tavern, a melting pot of different folks, it wasn't unusual to find courtesans or secret prostitutes. Especially in the Delrano world, where the turbulent times made the customs far more liberal than in the Prime Material plane. Here, the concept of chastity hadn't transcended the basic need for survival.
After several days of travel, Felix had come to understand the ethos of the Delrano world.
In this harsh living environment, the poorest had developed a peculiar custom. Here, widows, whose husbands had died in battle, were somewhat more popular than unmarried maidens, whether among nobles or commoners.
For the nobles, a widow represented a substantial inheritance. It wasn't uncommon in the human nobility of the Delrano world for several knights to vie for a young and beautiful widow's hand, even coming to blows over it.
And for the common folk, a widow was considered more capable of managing a household, more gentle and considerate, and more understanding of a man's heart. If she had children, all the better.
Children meant labor force. Even if they had to be provided for a few years, it was worth it. With children, there was someone to do the chores, tend to the cattle, or deliver meals to the fields. In the lower echelons of the Delrano world, it was very common for widows with children to remarry. For them, the thin veil of virginity was far less important than the tangible needs of life.
Felix's piercing gaze made the voluptuous landlady slightly uncomfortable, as if she had done something wrong. Her years of working in risky professions had honed her control, but she felt a bit pressured under his stare.
"Do you do massages?" Felix asked suddenly, his eyes slightly narrowed, observing the landlady, who radiated the allure of a mature woman.
"Massage?" The landlady looked puzzled, obviously not understanding what Felix meant.
But soon, she blushed slightly, wondering inwardly. Could it be that this handsome young man fancied mature women like her?
Running a tavern in such a diverse place, she was accustomed to the lustful gazes of men and had heard plenty of insinuations. However, they were all easily dismissed by her.
But she had never been flirted with by a boy who seemed barely sixteen or seventeen, as she was today.
There was no annoyance, only a sweet thrill in her heart, and a confidence in her own beauty.
Unconsciously, the voluptuous landlady straightened her proud chest, an involuntary gesture that emitted a momentary allure, sparking a faint desire in Felix.
"Here," Felix said casually, taking off his clothes and handing them to the landlady. Without saying more, he pulled her towards a small partition next to the guest room.
What did he want to do? Did he think she had agreed? Did he intend to make love to her in the bathtub? Should she resist? Should she knock him out, or give in to him?
Though she thought about shaking off Felix's hand, she somehow let him lead her into the small partition.
His hand was cool but felt extremely pleasant to the touch, like holding a piece of exquisite jade, smooth and warm.
Biting her red lips, the voluptuous landlady looked at Felix, her eyes filled with struggle, a hint of panic, and a touch of desire, with a hidden longing for forbidden pleasures deep in her heart.
As a former adventurer, most men couldn't meet her standards. And as a woman, she had been lonely for a long time.
Closing her eyes, biting her bright red lips, the voluptuous beauty thought to herself, "If it's my fate, so be it. To miss such a handsome young man, I might never encounter someone like him again in this lifetime."
But contrary to her expectations, upon entering the partition, Felix didn't behave like an impatient young man eager to lay hands on her. He didn't hastily reach under her skirt, nor did he try to force her into any uncomfortable situation.
Instead, Felix simply undressed and cheerfully jumped into the bathtub, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Turning around and noticing the landlady still motionless, Felix's lips curled into a mischievous smile. He tossed a towel from the edge of the bathtub to her and said, "Come. Help me scrub my back."
"Scrub your back?" The landlady seemed to awaken from her thoughts, finally understanding what he meant.
With a hint of resentment and a mix of relief and disappointment, the voluptuous woman slowly approached Felix from behind. Taking the towel in her hands, she pressed it against his back, scrubbing hard as if trying to exfoliate a layer of skin to vent her frustration.
"Ah," Felix suddenly exclaimed, startling the woman behind him, who feared she had scrubbed too hard and hurt him. But to her surprise, after his exclamation, Felix sighed, "That feels good."
The landlady, biting her red lips, felt a mix of irritation and the urge to bite him hard for his teasing words.