Chapter 300: The Frozen City
Alexander glanced sideways at the four Embran women who were still lying unconscious on the hall’s floor.
"What are you going to do with the women?" Alexander asked, turning to look at the rest of the group.
"They’re frequent clients and they’re trustworthy," one of the men answered, waving his hand dismissively. "You can just leave them lying there. As soon as they wake up, they’ll leave on their own."
Alexander just shook his head, brushing the matter aside.
"Let’s take a walk outside," Alexander said, adjusting his coat. "I want to see what this place is like."
Everyone at the table stopped and looked at him in silence. Old 5 let out a short laugh and stood up.
"Come on, I’ll take you," Old 5 said with a wide smile.
Alexander didn’t fully understand the others’ reaction, but he walked alongside him toward the exit. Crossing the building’s threshold and stepping out onto the snowy street, Old 5 adjusted his jacket and broke the silence.
"Don’t take it personally, kid," Old 5 said. "This place isn’t like Earth. If we all go out together, we’ll draw way too much attention. Let’s just say it’s not safe out there for a piece of meat like you."
Alexander began observing his surroundings. The settlement was bustling with activity, but the vast majority of the population were Embran women. Every now and then they passed a local man, but they were scarce.
"So these women are hungry for dick, right?" Alexander asked, taking in the scene.
"Way too hungry," Old 5 answered, spitting to the side onto the snow. "It’s just like back on Earth, except here the kidnappers kidnap men, not women. If they saw all five of us walking together, they’d try to trap us. In fact, they’ve already tried it before... Heh, I fucked one of those bitches three days straight before tearing her head off. By the end, she was begging for mercy like the bitch she was."
Alexander and Old 5 continued through the main streets of the settlement. As they walked, the urban landscape revealed itself before them with a striking, ancient aesthetic. The roads were paved with large blocks of polished stone, flanked by carved wooden structures and fortresses reminiscent of castles from medieval England, complete with high towers and banners fluttering in the gelid wind.
"Not bad, huh?" Old 5 commented. "Looks like a period movie, except here everything smells like fresh snow and desperate women."
Old 5 guided him through the commercial district, showing him a few shops selling weaponry, fine fabrics, and local elixirs. As Samantha had explained and as Alexander had witnessed back at the tavern, every single transaction was conducted using energy crystals. There were no gold or silver coins; the small, clear stones were the only accepted form of payment.
After covering a couple of cobbled avenues, they halted in front of a rustic wooden structure, adorned with coats of arms and the stuffed head of a wild beast mounted above the entrance.
"We’re here," Old 5 said, gesturing toward the place. "This is the busiest spot in town. They call it the Adventurers’ Guild."
"An inn?" Alexander asked, observing the constant flow of people moving in and out.
"It’s an inn and a tavern, but they only allow registered adventurers to enter... or men," Old 5 answered with a mischievous grin. "Imagine it’s like an exclusive club back in our world, but in reverse. In fact, in this realm you can walk into wherever the hell you want: all you have to do is pull your dick out, wave it around in front of the guards at the door, and they’ll invite you right inside with a free drink on the house. It’s just like those ’Ladies’ Nights’ back home where women don’t pay cover."
Both men stepped through the reinforced wooden entrance and into the guild’s great hall. The bustle of the main room seemed to freeze for a second as the crowd noticed Old 5’s presence. The reaction was immediate: women began cheering and greeting him like an absolute celebrity.
As they made their way toward a table in the back, the spectacle turned wild. Along their path, several women lifted their blouses without the slightest shame, exposing lavish, firm breasts. Others turned around right in front of them, bending over to part their butt cheeks with their hands, while a bolder group spread their legs directly on the benches, using two fingers to widen their wet cunts while making explicit mouth gestures at them.
Alexander watched the entire display with raised eyebrows, surprised by the total lack of restraint in the place.
"I see you’re pretty famous around here," Alexander said, looking over at his companion.
Old 5 let out a smug laugh and adjusted his jacket.
"Have you ever read stories from back on old Earth about famous courtesans everyone in town knew?" Old 5 asked. "Well, we’re basically like the whores of this place, but top-tier, high-class whores. Noblewomen and elite warriors come to our establishment offering fortunes. You could say our joint is the most exclusive in the region."
He paused and gestured toward a couple of fox girls winking at them from a distance.
"The only problem is the demand is so insane that we end up dead tired every single night," Old 5 continued. "At least ten women go through each of our hands daily. Which reminds me, when we get back I need to show you the vault we’ve built up, so you can see we haven’t been slacking off all this time."
Alexander observed his companion closely, nodding his head in respect for the effort the group had put in to establish the outpost.
"I appreciate your trust," Alexander said, looking over at Old 5. "I know keeping this place going hasn’t been easy."
Old 5 brushed it off with a wave of his hand, grinning.
"You’re the captain, kid. We trust you and your calls for whatever comes next," Old 5 answered, patting his back. "But enough shop talk. Come on, let’s get a drink! They serve the best meat you’ve ever tasted in your life here. Fresh as it gets—the hunters bring it straight out of the forest every day. My treat."
Alexander let out a short laugh and pulled one of the pouches of crystals from his belt, slapping it onto the table.
"Not a chance," Alexander said . "I’m your captain, so I’m paying."