Chapter 49 – Grades
It felt like this system was inspired by the ranking system, probably to make it easily understandable for everyone. That was a good idea.
"Doesn't that mean 30 minutes with a grade 5 employee would cost 320 silvers? Isn't it too much?"
She shook her head as if expecting that exact question.
"It's definitely out of reach for the common folks. But, in reality, our few grade 5 workers are the ones that are the most in-demand. They're usually booked seasons in advance. We don't grade people randomly, you know. The rich patrons who manage to book them all say they had an unforgettable experience. And this city is full of such rich patrons."
As a novice in the domain, I couldn't even imagine what could be happening during those sessions. No matter, it was far from what I could afford anyway. And I didn't come here for that. Oga continued her explanation.
"On the other hand, we have employees like Linon, who will stay at grade 0 for some time before getting a chance to grade up. In between these two extremes, you'll find workers like me. I'm grade 3, mostly because this is the most someone in a managing position can get. I was grade 4 before doing this."
"Isn't that a loss for you?"
"I earn less but I enjoy that part of the work just as much. I like taking care of others. You should understand. Isn't Linon a total sweetheart?"
This made me smile since this was the truth.
"I see what you mean. I couldn't agree more."
"It's great we're on the same track. Now, let me finish my explanations. Normal patrons are free to roam the premises here so long as they don't disturb other people. Once they find someone they want to spend time with, they can start negotiating with them. Our customers are free to buy our workers for any duration but we have a policy of no refunds if a man is involved and cannot last the whole session. That goes for both sides. If a patron is a man or buys four hours of a man's time, and any of these men can't get hard after one hour, the patron will still have to pay for the remaining 3 hours."
"What about for women?"
"It's different for women. They're free to refuse if they think they won't be able to last the whole duration. If they agree to something and can't provide their services to the end, they'll need to refund some of the initial payment. It's something that doesn't happen often with our high-grade employees since they know themselves well but it happens from time to time for newer workers. It's a good lesson for them. From your point of view, if you're very confident in your stamina, you shouldn't worry either. Trust me, we have women here who can outlast anyone."
She gave a half-lewd and half-proud smile, making for a strangely mixed combination.
"But they're probably very expensive, right?"
"Of course. Our rates are generally higher than other brothels. That's because we have the best people here. We do take in the unfortunate soul from time to time but most of our workers are here because they want it. There's nothing like having sex with someone who likes it, right?"
Her grin was now more perverted than proud.
"Right. I think I get it. Is there anything else I should know?"
"Just one thing. We have many rooms with different activities, like watching workers dance, drinking and chatting with them, and so on. If you stand still at the entrance like today, someone like me will come to you, but you can also directly walk around the first floor if you want. No one will bother you in that case. When you need something, just go to one of our employees directly."
"Makes sense. Thanks for the explanation."
"You're welcome. Now, do you know how long you want to spend with Linon? Since she can't have sex yet, it'll be 5 silvers per 30 minutes."
I thought for a moment before answering.
"Then, one hour, please."
I took 10 silvers out of my storage and gave them to her.
"Good. I'll show you to your room."
Just like the last time, we went to the first floor and she assigned me to an unoccupied room. It was almost completely similar to the one I used the previous time and even the furniture and items inside were the same. I sat on the bed while waiting for my partner to arrive. A couple of minutes later, I heard hurried steps from outside coming my way. They suddenly stopped in front of my door. For a long while, the sounds stopped. Eventually, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!"
Linon entered the room, wearing a similar negligee to the previous time, a small smile on her lips.
"Greetings, sir."
She looked more confident than before and even her way of talking was different.
"Hi, Linon. Long time no see. I'm glad to see you again."
Her grin broadened visibly.
"Yes, I'm happy to see you too, sir."
"Haha, were you told to be that polite with customers? Don't worry about it, just be yourself."
"B-but…"
"It's fine, it's fine. Isn't it quite stifling? Plus, we know each other already."
She hesitated for a second before nodding. Her smile changed to one of relief as she approached me in a good mood.
"Okay. To tell you the truth, I'm still not used to it yet, hehe."
"I also need to stay polite when handling clients even if I want to slap them. I wouldn't want to impose that on you too."
She gave me another smile and asked curiously.
"You said you were a merchant, right?"
"Yep. I only really started selling at the night market yesterday. That's why I couldn't get the money to come earlier. Sorry about that."
She shook her head hard.
"No, no. I… I'm very happy that you kept your promise."
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