Henderson Scale 0.1
A slight detour that doesn’t affect the story.
Subtitle: A Youthful Tale of the Imperial Capital
In my previous life too, I occasionally regretted making stupid purchases.
Making large purchases just before payday, or buying things that were clearly not worth the price… Anyway, regardless of whether I had anything physical left, the dwindling bank balance or the thinner wallet weighed heavily on me.
Similarly, I ended up using my skill points on some utterly stupid purchases…
Boasting about things that no one should be proud of and have no practical use for.
Ah, that’s right, laugh if you must, I succumbed to my youth and made those mistakes.
“What’s wrong, Erich? You seem to be sighing a lot.”
“I have something I need to reflect on.”
This is our usual bathhouse. I came here with Mika to wash away the sweat of labor. Since Mika is currently in a male form, maybe they can relate to this annoying problem that seems to follow me forever.
No, I shouldn’t be consulting them. I ended up showing off about size and stamina, and for no particular reason, I even chose to specialize in techniques labeled “mastery.” It’s the pinnacle of wasteful spending; I might as well be dead. And when I looked at the list of acquired traits, most of them were completely useless, giving me a headache…
I admit there was a system for extracting information through certain kinds of negotiations. But what am I doing without any partner around!?
I clutch my head in regret over my senseless foolishness, but Mika worries about me for a while before finally understanding that it’s really nothing serious.
“Well then… I have one trivial thing I’d like to ask you too.”
“Hmm…? What is it, between friends there’s no need to hesitate.”
After swallowing my sigh, I turned to my friend, who then hesitated several times before finally opening his mouth after taking a deep breath.
“Have you heard of the pleasure district?”
“Ugh!?”
I ended up accidentally spraying the citrus water I bought from the water seller. Of all things, why such a timely topic!?
“So blowing water means you’ve been there…?”
“No! Definitely not!”
Let me state for the record, it absolutely hasn’t happened. And where would I even get the money for that?
Anyway, the pleasure district, or red-light district, is where brothels operate openly. There are establishments where women sell their services and others for men.
Sexual health is an indicator of national health; if this area is in disorder, it’s difficult to tighten security elsewhere. It can become a breeding ground for human trafficking and harbor other illegal trades that don’t benefit the state.
We inevitably seek pleasure. The human brain is structured this way—”such a structure.” Drinking, eating, sleeping, even defecation, are all necessary for life and the brain rewards us with pleasure. If these actions were painful, all living beings would naturally deny life from birth.
Similarly, the biological imperative of reproduction comes with pleasure. Only those who have little need to reproduce—the outlaws among my clients, for example—deem it unnecessary.
There’s no reason to ignore the natural urges inherent in all living beings. Therefore, the state allows controlled vices in order to maintain public decency. Even in Earth’s Christian era, when sexuality was controversial, state-run brothels existed. Why should the Threefold Empire be any different?
To maintain public order and support a certain level of living, the Threefold Empire has an official, state-sanctioned, brothel system. It’s not entirely run by the state; instead, the state establishes laws, grants licenses to private operators, oversees operations, and collects taxes in a semi-public, semi-private model.
Licensed operators set up their shops, hire sex workers—some are indentured laborers or criminals doing hard time—and brothels are grouped into specific zones.
This is the pleasure district: an area decked out with glamour where people naturally indulge their desires and pour in copious amounts of money—a town of instincts.
Granted, there are some darker corners, but by all accounts, it’s quite a well-managed area. Unlike in medieval Christian circles where sex workers were forced to wear distinctive clothing even outside work or were stripped of citizenship and left defenseless, sex workers in the Threefold Empire are treated as any other profession—at least officially.
There are clear laws about how employees should be treated, and some people are naturally less resistant—or even welcoming—to “this kind of activity.”
With necessary pretexts in place, it operates efficiently, very much an emblem of the Threefold Empire.
“Are you interested?”
At my inquiry, my friend nods slightly, his face turning red.
Ah, I guess it’s natural for both of us at our ages. Since the androgynes—a race whose gender switches frequently—experience this too, so do they.
“Well, you know, listening to the younger students, I’ve heard a lot about these sorts of things. You see, when we’re androgynous… we don’t experience anything, right? But once we switch to male, it’s strangely… umm…”
For some reason, seeing him fidget awkwardly while explaining such things evokes a peculiar mood; I really shouldn’t be affected this way.
“When we’re female, it’s nothing at all. But for some reason, when we’re male, it’s… different”.
“Calm down, Mika. I get it. That’s a perfectly normal reaction, calm down.”
The male libido tends to rise early in youth, while the female libido increases after the body matures. It’s just the way human bodies are structured, and Mika, being an androgynous human, experiences similar phenomena when their gender switches.
You might remember the “blue period” when interest and passion for certain things flare up like measles. That’s what’s happening to Mika now.
In their case, since they have a stable androgynous phase and a female phase, their body’s heat during the male phase is especially troubling. Hence, even hearing snippets of conversation from others evokes great curiosity.
As someone who has reached adulthood and gained experience in settling down, I should seriously take this up. Both as a mature adult and a peer of a similar age.
Truly, this is troublesome…
“Alright, Mika, do you at least know what kind of place the pleasure district is?”
“Erich, even you should know that’s a bit rude… I know what men and women do together as part of general education. Besides, growing up in the countryside, I’m familiar with this topic. And considering I’m from a relatively rare race in the Threefold Empire, my parents probably taught me from the start.”
“…Yeah, that’s true. Especially in rural areas, they’re more open about sex topics, so you must know. And with a rare race like yours, parents would educate early.”
“Since I don’t have close female acquaintances… is the pleasure district a place for ‘that kind of thing’?”
“Yeah, more or less. Though some stores are just places to enjoy drinks.”
“So, I can’t even join their conversations… I just thought you might know something…”
Honestly, seeing the troubling sight of him fidgeting with just a towel, it makes you wonder—why even visit the pleasure district when opportunities abound? He probably hasn’t noticed how he’s been eyed lately whenever his gender shifts: by not just teens but sometimes even adults or perverts.
Putting aside my friend’s charm, I’d love to help him, but my wallet isn’t particularly fat, and I don’t have the leisure to indulge either. I’ve known about their existence, but never stepped foot.
Living in an urban area of the Threefold Empire for a few years, you naturally grasp that losing one’s virginity at the pleasure district isn’t all that shameful. Conversations with students often include charming stories of someone’s first visit to a brothel.
Living modestly, these students earn small allowances by doing odd jobs, harboring romantic notions toward the opposite sex as they venture into the pleasure district. It’s all relatable; regardless of race, a male is still a male.
Now, what’s the going rate at the pleasure district? Though I haven’t been paying attention, rumor has it that for the cheaper stores—where the appearances of the women are appropriately basic—several silver coins should suffice.
“How much of a budget can you prepare, approximately?”
“Mm… around three… no, five libra, I think…”
After wrestling with various conflicts, Mika comes up with a decent figure for a struggling student, having calculated living expenses with a mage’s quick thinking.
Knowing the standard rates isn’t clear, but with that, we might be able to afford one of the higher-level popular establishments.
Still…
“That’s fine. But you don’t need to rush, my friend.”
We should start with reconnaissance first……
A simultaneous exclamation of foolish wonder escaped both of us.
This is the pleasure district. Located near the eastern city wall of the Imperial Capital, the area is somewhat remote by geography.
However, despite being distant from the center, the city of desire is gloriously decorated as if to mock its isolation from imperial grandeur.
The streets are impeccably clean, as is expected of an imperial city, though the numerous shops all painted in eye-catching colors of crimson and green celebrate a certain emptiness of bustling entertainment with their vulgarity.
Through the wide latticed windows, various species of women can be seen lounging gracefully while waiting for customers.
This scene resembled a mix between the “decorated windows” from a German trip and the red-light districts from Japanese period dramas.
“That’s amazing, isn’t it Erich?”
“Yeah, it is, Mika.”
Involuntarily holding hands, we were completely immersed in the atmosphere, feeling too uneasy to be alone.
Surely, a more mature body from my former self could appreciate buildings while strolling leisurely through such scenery.
We tiptoed down the road, being giggled at by the women waiting behind the windows and occasionally smiled upon by passing men—even sometimes women—as if this was a common sight. A young person’s first visit out of curiosity must indeed be a familiar sight here.
“Oh my, what lovely customers.”
“Shall we play with you boys?”
Despite the teasing invitations from beautiful older sisters, we moved further in, mindful that it was a reconnaissance mission. This age does seem remarkably open.
I later learned that the pleasure district establishments come in two types.
One consists of the flamboyant shops where women are displayed in the see-through showcases, reminiscent of the brothel structure I’d expected.
Customers pay a fee per hour, enter the store, make a selection, and enjoy drinking or conversing while engaged in mock courtship. If things progress, they engage in physical relations.
The other type is less flashy but is purely oriented toward physical activities. I’ve heard whispers that some of these can provide companionship for just a few silver coins.
Some do, however, have lounge areas where one can sit and drink in a more serene setting, making it difficult to judge by appearances alone.
Having circled around the pleasure district, we aimlessly returned to a nearby plaza and slumped onto an empty bench.
“Wow… this place is incredible.”
My mutterings drew a nod from Mika beside me, who seemed equally overwhelmed, drained of energy to even respond. The heavy perfumes and the unique scent of women likely intoxicated him. Even visiting the women’s section just down the street felt too challenging at the moment.
“One thing became clear today.”
When Mika’s voice, full of exhaustion yet tinged with excitement, reached me, his face was flushed, yet shadowed by a curious weariness.
“I’m not ready yet.”
“Same here… I’m not ready either.”
Even nearing my forties to early fifties in total lifespan, being as shaken as a virgin middle school boy exploring the adult section—though this body isn’t used yet—felt beyond my control.
Ah, that’s why my usually chatter-prone earrings were silent.
Suffering from a slight headache and closing my eyes, I could almost see and hear my childhood friend’s maniacal laughter.
Yeah, for now, I think I’ll pass on these kinds of adventures.
Today, I feel like I’ve matured again with my friend…
[Tip] The pleasure district is a zoned area of facilities legalizing fulfillment of desire, supervised by the lords and deeply engaged with the temple of the God of Fertility.
Sex is inseparable from human life, and fruitlessly denying it only leads to tragedy…
[Tip] While there is the notion that the pleasure district should be used after reaching adulthood…
[Author’s Note]
This update was fabricated during a dull weekday just to make a report.
You know, I’ve been pondering this for a while. Mika is a male friend too.
There’s no way a friend at this age won’t engage in lewd talks eventually!
It has been about a month since the book release. Due to the impact of the coronavirus, the sales of physical books have dropped significantly compared to normal times, so my book is in an… interesting state, but we’ve managed to release the second volume.
This is all I wanted to report with this update.
Amazon continues to face stock issues, prioritizing essential goods, but there’s availability on other platforms like Rakuten or Yodobashi, and various anime shops.
Honestly speaking, the initial print run of the second volume… [censored for reasons of public decency]
