Chapter 69: Arc 5: Chapter 2

Naturally, they got closer to one another in the process, and that allowed Bianca to notice another rather prominent detail – prominent to her, at least – which was the rather strong scent lingering around her.

And the moment it hit her, she recognised exactly what it was.

Since getting the Demon’s Commanding Rod, she had plenty of opportunities to encounter this distinct musk, even more so than back on Orbis.

‘Though, it seems more similar to my own than, well, the typical variant… I have been hearing about dragons quite a bit lately, so is there someone with dragon blood around here?’ Bianca wondered, trying not to make her discovery too obvious to the dancer. After all, her sense of smell was quite a bit stronger than usual – and overly sensitive to lewd things – so she was likely the only one that could pick up on it without any effort.

Furthermore, Yu Juan was using a floral perfume of some sort, so quite clearly, she wasn’t attempting to advertise that she had been covered in cum recently.

“So, since you’ve received my name, could you perhaps do me the favour of revealing yours? It would make things quite a bit easier for me,” the dancer chuckled, “Unless you’d prefer to be given nicknames, of course, though I wouldn’t be very creative…”

“No need. My name is Bianca, and, uh, that’s Xue Yaling and Song Ming,” she hastened to reply, trying to distract her thoughts from lewd things, “The kitsune’s not new, but it’s been a while…”

“Hm… Kitsune? I recall hearing of a notable one, but, alas… I hardly recall the description. Nonetheless, just stick with me and everything should be fine. I may not be able to see in the literal sense, but my spiritual perception is sharp enough for the blindfold not to pose an issue,” the dancer assured them, then gestured towards the other end of the street, “Come on, follow me. This place isn’t small, so even with movement skills it could take all day to show you round.”

Bianca saw no reason to delay, so she gestured for the dancer to lead on, and when she remembered to check with the others, they seemed to be following along without complaint.

‘Well, Xue Yaling did always want me to take charge as the Demon Queen or whatever else, so she better not have a problem with this,’ she thought, looking around as they headed out of the smaller street onto a larger one, with people wandering about and going about their business without really caring for anyone around them.

This was what Bianca was used to. Of course, central Vardium was significantly busier, with countless cars driving around in addition to massive crowds of people on the pavement either side of the road, and the air was flooded with exhaust fumes and what not – which she didn’t enjoy much, admittedly – but the resemblance was still obvious and very, very soothing. She was glad to be in more familiar territory where she understood how to behave and fit in, and so this walk proved to be the calmest in… well, since she had arrived in the Planar Continents.

Obviously, her calmer attitude had already been picked up on by Xue Yaling, and now the dancer appeared to spot it as well, making a similar assumption despite knowing nothing about her.

“Have you been to other large cities or sects, Bianca?” Yu Juan asked, not even trying to turn around, “The way you’re walking, it feels like you’ve been here a thousand times already.”

“W-Well… does it really matter?”

“Hm, I suppose not. Your companions seem less comfortable, though,” she said, “Should I slow down and give them an opportunity to get used to the feeling of the Abode?”

“No need, we’d rather see the place and find a place to rest before the night. We’ve been travelling for quite some time, and a place to sleep would be lovely,” Xue Yaling refused the offer, “If you wouldn’t mind focusing on the tour, that would be best.”

“Ah, very well. Then, to begin with, let me show you to a place with some excellent food. After that, we can visit a local blacksmith who I… whose skill I can vouch for without a moment of hesitation. A-Also, I can show you to a place you can sleep well, and for a small price. All in all, that should be enough for you to get a basic grasp of the Dancer’s Abode, and from there, if you wish to visit any of our entertainment, then I could… either receive you or introduce you to those that better suit your tastes.”

“You’re one of the, uh, dancers?”

“Mhm, I am, and I happen to specialise in servicing ladies… if that’s what appeals to you, then-”

“I, uh, wouldn’t say no, but… later, please. Not the, uh, best time…” Bianca chuckled awkwardly, clearly feeling the kitsune’s gaze on her back and the attention of numerous others on the street, ‘This reminds me of trying some alcohol and then trying to talk my former girlfriend into a sixty-nine in public… Lia, that was her name… I can’t believe it’s slipping away already.’

“Ah, I understand. A bit too much to push onto people that aren’t used to how things are here,” Yu Juan bowed ever so slightly while supressing an awkward smile, “I’ll check in with you again after you’ve had the chance to get used to the place. My apologies.”

She was sure she heard Xue Yaling sigh – to no surprise at all at this point – but she much preferred the silence that ensued, since it left her with more room to breathe.

It gave her plenty of time to look around, to get a feel for the kind of place that this was, and it seemed to her that she could live here quite a while. She saw homes and shops close together, with all kinds of vibrant signboards and displays on the first floor to entice customers inside the latter. Some of the places resembled restaurants, though they didn’t look especially busy at this moment. Perhaps it was due to the time of day, or maybe these places weren’t popular amongst the local populace, but it was still nice to see that so much of what she was used to existed here.

Had she showed up here rather than in Xi Village, and perhaps with the opportunity to get hired at some place she could understand, then she might’ve been able to get through the past few months without any stress or hardship at all – or nothing equalling the utter madness that was the reality she had endured.

And yet… she likely wouldn’t have met Song Ming and had the chance to get close to her. For all the troubles the kitsune had caused, she wouldn’t have gotten to interact with her, either. Perhaps she never would’ve seen the potential that cultivation has, even if she would’ve preferred any other set of skills and techniques… although she couldn’t complain about the cock it gave her. It certainly offered a lot of joy so far, even if being able to get rid of it at will would’ve been nice.

As is, since she had conjured it up however long ago, she’d been having to walk around with a bulge in her pants. Luckily, it wasn’t too obvious while she was soft, and yet it was at risk of being extremely obvious the moment she got a hard-on for whatever reason… like thanks to a certain lovely dancer, her pet and girlfriend, or the teasing of that frustrating kitsune.

 

“And… here we are. I’m uncertain of the type of cuisine you prefer, but this place should serve a sufficient variety to satisfy your needs,” Yu Juan presented them with a structure that had only two floors, but was clearly among the fancier and more valuable venues in the city.

It was very close to an Antanian restaurant, though the windows were made of paper with things written in ink upon them. All of the writing gave off a certain sense of grandeur somehow, presumably from the original text and not the translated result – one more mystery that Bianca had yet to fully decipher, likely due to a lack of trying – and the place itself was named the Bountiful Oasis, a more tasteful name than some of the ones she saw.

Perhaps it was akin to the various scientific papers back on Orbis, where the most significant were named things like Science, Nature and what not, whereas the least viewed and most specific would have longer names than most North Antanian comics.

“Well, we can check it out… are you…”

“If it’s no issue, I would eat with you. They give discounts on using larger tables, and I happen to be rather hungry myself,” Yu Juan admitted, “I-I’ll pay for anything I order, so you needn’t worry.”

“… In that case, sure. Besides, I’d probably need recommendations, since I’m not sure what I’d like either,” Bianca shrugged, “You said this place was cheap, right?”

“Mhm, it is. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to afford anything, as this place isn’t geared towards the… exorbitantly wealthy, let’s put it that way,” the dancer said, likely omitting the fact that none of them seemed to be anywhere close to wealthy, “I’ll bring you three in, and I might even get an extra discount from the boss.”

They followed after her, stepping into the restaurant and immediately feeling as if they entered some other world – at least, Bianca certainly felt that way. From the warm sunlight to a cool, relaxing space with soft lights that provided just enough visibility to calmly navigate the interior. They entered into a small room that led to a narrow corridor to the left, with a single desk in front of them at which a lovely woman stood, dressed in something that resembled a mixture between a modern waiter’s suit and this world’s traditional robes and dresses.

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Whether there was a proper name for it or not, Bianca got a few moments to collect herself before the woman, who had spotted them before they even entered, finally greeted them with a bow.

“Greetings, dear guests. Would you like to be led to a table? We’ve currently got a few spots without reservations,” she said, glancing over to Yu Juan, “Ah, and I see you’re with a repeat customer. I will have to reach out to the owner, but you should be able to enjoy a five percent discount from that alone… table for four, right?”

Bianca’s nod prompted her to pull out a small piece of paper and, with a small and narrow pencil, make a quick note.

“That’ll be 15%. If you choose to order one of your chef’s signature courses, then that can go up to 25%. Here at the Bountiful Oasis, we’re committed to providing the cheapest and most relaxing experience possible, so that you don’t need to concern yourself with the price of our wonderful offerings,” she read out a line that must’ve been practised enough times to carve out a firm spot within her mind, then gestured towards that narrow corridor into the darkness, “Please proceed inside and feel free to occupy any room with four seats and an open curtain.”

“Um, alright, thank you,” Bianca replied, and quickly followed her instructions.

In her mind, however, she was a little amazed by the sheer amount of explanation and blatant advertising that would’ve been expected in Antania – and likely most of Orbis, if she was to be fair – but seeing it here was… almost funny. It was akin to a place that was implementing some new tech or system, and had to provide to customers both new and old a lengthy explanation while they adjusted to it.

Perhaps this sort of restaurant wasn’t very common around here, so such explanations were indeed necessary. And discounts… were those normal in this world? Was it common to see everything at a half-price sale all-year round, to the point that the sales were merely psychological devices to make people feel as if they were spending less?

‘That stuff does work on me, but… it felt comfy, in a way. That, and ads. Lots and lots of ads on everything…’

The Planar Continents didn’t seem to have mastered the art of advertising quite yet, as even when they found an open room with seating for four, they hadn’t come across a single ad. Still, that was probably for the best, since it let her focus on the rather impressive ambiance created by the room.

Like the entrance, it was left mostly dark, with most of the light coming from small indentations on the walls which illuminated the seats and the outer portions of the central table. The middle, rather than being flat and ordinary, instead seemed to contain a section on which food could be grilled, and a pot placed inside an indentation in which some mixture remained at a slow boil. Warm orange light from the grill bathed the rest of the table, revealing just enough to make it comfortable to eat at it.

All in all, the ambiance was certainly unusual, and given that she was with two people that had been in this city before – and one that personally advertised this place to them – Bianca decided to ask about it as she got herself a seat on the right side of the table.

“So, this place… not quite the typical deal, is it?”

“No, it isn’t. Mind if I sit next to you?” the dancer asked, taking a seat beside her the moment she received an uncertain nod, “Considering that this city has a large number of dancers… of people that would offer their bodies to others, for money or pleasure of their own, there’s a certain level of openness in our day to day lives. Nevertheless, we aren’t on par with the north, where everyone is happy to, uh, engage with anyone else out in the open, so there are certain compromises. This place is one of them.”

“Uh…” Bianca looked at Song Ming and Xue Yaling, the former of whom was managing to blush less than usual, then back to the dancer, “I’m sure you can be a bit more open, we’re not exactly… unfamiliar with the topic.”

“Ah, excuse me, it can be hard to correctly adjust my speech. Well, this place is one of many that offers the opportunity for people to satisfy one another’s desires, whether with a dancer or just with one another. With the curtains shut, unless one moans a bit too loudly, nobody would even have a clue. It also serves as a brilliant opportunity to eat regardless, a calm retreat from the busy life we lead outside.”

“You sound like you work here, to be honest.”

“Hah, I’ll interpret that in a kind way. I merely appreciate the place, and it helps me avoid being noticed when I do my thing and stop paying attention to my spiritual perception,” Yu Juan admitted, “Besides, the ability to prepare certain meals to one’s own preference using the facilities provided is also very convenient. Most general venues here don’t provide such luxury.”

“No, really, you are overdoing it a little. I’m starting to doubt your intentions at this point…” Bianca coughed, “Let’s focus on the food for now. What sort of thing would you recommend to a newcomer?”

“Depends on your tastes, but for a nice and varied meal…” Yu Juan bit her lip as she examined the menu, “Ah, and the ink is made of a material with a slight amount of planar energy, so I’m able to make it out if I focus. Anyway, out of the things currently on offer…”

She took some time to examine the menu, a copy of which lay in front of each seat, so Bianca took the opportunity to look around the room, since she needed quite a few glances in order to make out anything in the darkness. The seats, for instance, were two benches on either side of the table, with a separate cushion per seat. They weren’t exceptionally soft, but certainly proved a more comfortable seat than some random wooden stumps – the go-to seat out in the wilds.

Indeed, they also had a menu for every seat, though it was hard to tell initially as they were flat sheets laid atop a dark table, with their material matching in colour – or seeming to in the dark – and the menus being made of such thin paper – or whatever it was – that they blended in together.

Besides the menus and the central grill, though, they hadn’t received anything just yet.

“Well, I’d say the current chef’s special is in fact perfect. It’s a set of four distinct courses with relatively simple yet tasteful dishes, and it should provide you with a good taste of what this place has to offer. If you end up staying here a while, you can then choose dishes more in line with your favourite courses, and… I know, I’m probably sounding like I’m trying to make you spend more money again…”

“Yeah…”

“Mhm,” Song Ming nodded.

“Indeed,” Xue Yaling muttered.

“… My apologies,” Yu Juan bowed, “I will do my best to avoid such things… Ahem, an employee should come over soon enough and take the order.”

Indeed, only moments after she said this, Bianca heard footsteps from down the corridor, with a young-looking man emerging not long after, with a small board in his hand. He stopped once he arrived at their entryway, and gave them a shallow bow.

“Have you decided what you wish to order?”

“Yes, I’ve decided to…”

Xue Yaling immediately provided her order, giving a quick wink to Bianca, and then Song Ming followed, as she had spotted something in the menu a little while earlier.

When it came to Bianca, she decided to accept the suggestion and ordered the rather extensive special, though she did note that the price seemed to be roughly on par with the rest of the food, so the kitsune wouldn’t have any reasons to be upset. She barely had the chance to examine the rest of it before the waiter took away the menu’s, rather impolitely if she was to be frank.

Still, it was a guy, so it was hard to have high expectations.

‘I mean, not that all guys are… eh, whatever, not like they’ll be able to read my mind. I’ll focus on the food and hopefully that’ll go well, without any interruptions.’

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