As the linchpin of Loen Kingdom's colonial rule in the central Sonia Sea, Bayam was one of the largest cities in the region. Besides the spice trade, the brothel industry was another major pillar of the Rorsted Archipelago.
The most famous brothel in Bayam was none other than the Red Theater. Beyond that, brothels, big and small, overt and hidden, blossomed everywhere, forming a unique landscape in Bayam.
Walking down Sea Defense Street, searching for a suitable inn, Lex saw women in revealing clothes and bold personalities beckoning him from some alleys. Some even tried to pull him into the alleys. Although they ultimately failed, Lex had certainly witnessed the local characteristics of Bayam.
The women here were more direct and more explicit than in Backlund!
After walking for a while, guided by a warm local citizen, Lex arrived at Acid Lemon Street in the Dock Area and saw the inn before him.
"Azure Wind, sounds pretty good." Lex withdrew his gaze from the inn's sign, walked through the door, and said to the boss behind the counter, "One room."
He spoke in Loenese.
After all, this was a Loen colony, and Loenese was widely spoken here.
The slightly thin boss looked up, forced a bright smile onto his face, and said in broken Loenese with a local accent, "Alright, alright. Do you need a room with a Sea view, or a quieter one?"
"One with a Sea view."
"No problem, no problem."
The boss called over a waiter, told him to watch the counter, grabbed a key himself, and said, "Sir, how many days do you need to stay? It's 1 soli and 5 pence per night."
"Just one night for now. If I need more, I'll let you know."
Lex pulled out a handful of change, counted out 1 soli and 5 pence, and placed it on the counter.
"This way, please." The boss led him up to the second floor.
He's a bit too enthusiastic, and he didn't even ask for my ID to register. Is it really this casual?
Lex's expression remained unchanged as he followed the boss to a room on the second floor facing the Sea. The room was clean and tidy, without any dampness. As soon as the window was opened, a fresh Sea breeze blew in. Lex nodded in satisfaction and said, "This place is very good."
"It's my pleasure." The boss's face was plastered with a fawning smile, yet it also clearly showed a hint of fear.
After putting down his luggage and resting for a while, Lex went downstairs, ready to solve the problem of dinner.
The inn's restaurant was quite spacious, with a partition separating it from the front counter. Lex walked in and casually found a seat.
A waiter approached, and Lex ordered a local specialty grilled meat, a fragrant mushroom soup, and potato bread as a main course. He also asked for a glass of beer.
While waiting for his food, he casually scanned the restaurant. There weren't many diners, just a few scattered groups. Some sat alone, others in twos or threes.
At a table next to Lex, two gentlemen were seated. They wore men's shirts paired with dark, thick jackets, and their dented fedoras rested by their table. Besides that, in many places on their bodies, Lex noticed revolvers and daggers.
These weapons were carefully hidden so as not to be seen, unlike Lex, who had simply placed his Devil May Cry by his feet. Although he had wrapped the Devil May Cry's pristine white scabbard with some gray strips of cloth to make it less conspicuous, its peculiar shape still drew several glances from the people in the restaurant who appeared to be Adventurers.
"Do you know?"
"A ship called the 'Owl' had an accident."
An Adventurer with a full stubble on his chin lowered his voice and said, "It floated on the Sea for several days without moving. Someone found it strange and notified the navy."
"And guess what happened?"
"Everyone on that ship died. I heard the people in the cabins killed each other, and in the end, not a single person survived. What's strange is that the navy found a corpse in the cabin without any identification."
"Fishermen from Damir Port said they had once seen a body floating on the Sea, but when the navy asked them to identify the body, it had disappeared."
At this point, Lex's food was served, and his attention returned to the table. The local specialty grilled meats were cut into small pieces, skewered on wooden sticks, and coated with a reddish-brown sauce.
Lex nodded in satisfaction, and after the other dishes were also served, he focused on devouring his food.
By the time he finished, the two Adventurers next to him had already left.
After dinner, Lex paid the bill and returned to the counter on the first floor.
The boss saw him, bowed and scraped, and said, "Sir, did you enjoy your dinner?"
"It was alright."
"Do you know how to get to Fragrant Leaf Tavern?"
At night, it was normal for men to go to either a bar or a brothel.
The boss didn't doubt Lex's motives in the slightest, explained the route in detail, and then said, "You can hail a carriage outside; it can take you anywhere."
"Later tonight, you might want to visit the Red Theater; it's very interesting there."
The corner of Lex's mouth twitched slightly. He knew the boss had misunderstood, thinking he was going out for pleasure.
In fact, he wasn't going to Fragrant Leaf Tavern for entertainment.
Of course, he didn't bother to explain. Putting on his hat, tying his 'Devil May Cry' to his belt, and covering it with his cloak, Lex left the inn.
Following the boss's suggestion, Lex hailed a carriage outside and arrived at Fragrant Leaf Tavern, which was bustling with people and filled with a mix of smells.
While on the ship, Lex had already made a plan.
He wanted the Golden Dream to proactively contact him, which would save a lot of time and prevent him from missing the Blood Admiral's hunt for the Iceberg Admiral.
To get the Golden Dream to contact him, Lex had to release some information, information that would pique the Iceberg Admiral's interest.
And places like bars were where news spread faster. Moreover, Fragrant Leaf Tavern had Beyonder gatherings, and there were more or less Extraordinaries here. If the news spread from here, he might be able to meet the Iceberg Admiral tomorrow.
To make the news spread quickly enough, Lex also had to do something.
As soon as he entered the bar, he pushed away a drunken patron who stumbled into him. That drunk bumped into someone else, and under the influence of alcohol, the other person jumped up and punched the drunk.
The drunk first kicked the person away, then grabbed a nearby bottle, cursed something unintelligibly, and violently threw it at Lex.
Lex tilted his head, and the bottle smashed against a pillar, shattering and falling onto an Adventurer's head.
This strong Adventurer let out a curse, rushed forward to hit the drunk, and the surrounding patrons, not afraid of trouble, whistled, added fuel to the fire, and even started betting.
The bar instantly became chaotic.
Just then.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out in the bar, making everyone duck their heads, then look towards the person who fired.
It was Lex who fired the shot, instantly becoming the center of attention in the entire bar. He shouted recklessly, "Stop fighting, don't waste time on brawls. I'll buy you all a drink."
"No, I'll buy everyone here a drink!"
After a moment of silence in the bar, everyone cheered.
Lex put away his revolver with satisfaction. The first step of the plan was complete!