By the time he reached the carriage rental company, Lex had transformed into a kind, middle-aged gentleman. He looked at the sign that read 'Rex Carriage Rental Service Company', smiled slightly, and pushed the door open.
The bell on the door immediately rang, and a young man in a white shirt and black waistcoat walked out from the company's reception desk.
"Good afternoon, sir, what service do you require?"
Lex said in a hoarse, low voice, "I need to rent a carriage, one for long-distance travel. I'll need it on Thursday."
The young man's face held a polite smile, professionally revealing eight teeth: "Please come over here and take a look. We only have two carriages available for long-distance travel; you can choose the one you prefer."
He led Lex to the reception area, had someone bring him a cup of black tea, and then took out a photo album, flipping to a specific page.
On this page were two black and white photos, showing two different models of carriages.
The upper one only required one horse to pull it; the carriage compartment was smaller, appearing to seat only one or two people. Above the compartment was a luggage rack where suitcases could be placed and secured with ropes, but this would be very inconvenient in the rain.
The lower carriage had a larger compartment, capable of seating four to five people, and required two horses to pull it. However, there was no luggage rack on the roof of the compartment. According to the young employee in front of him, this carriage had a secret compartment at the bottom that could be opened to store a large amount of luggage.
Lex cautiously asked, "How big is that secret compartment?"
The young employee said half-jokingly, "Even if you lie down in it completely, there's more than enough room."
Lex nodded: "Then I'll choose this one. How much does it cost?"
"The rent is 1 pound per day. After all, this is a four-wheeled sedan carriage; if you were to buy it, it would cost around 300 pounds." Seemingly worried that the quote was too high, the young employee offered a detailed explanation.
"Additionally, we only provide a few towns as dispatch stations. When you return the carriage, you need to go to one of these towns, find our branch company or another cooperating carriage rental company, and complete the relevant procedures."
"If you really can't find one, you'll need to tell us the location, and we will send someone to retrieve it, but an additional dispatch fee will be charged, the amount depending on the location."
Lex did not interrupt and nodded gently: "Very reasonable."
Seeing that the old gentleman in front of him had no objections, the young man felt encouraged and smiled, saying, "As for the deposit, it's 150 pounds. When you return the carriage, we will inspect the condition of the carriage and horses. If there is any damage, it will be deducted from the deposit. Otherwise, it will be fully refunded."
"If you need the carriage on Thursday, I suggest you pay 15 pounds as a down payment to prevent it from being rented by another customer."
Lex easily pulled out a wallet from his pocket, counted out 15 pounds, and placed it on the table: "Then please process the relevant procedures for me."
"Alright, sir."
The young man took the money and then said, "Please give me your identification."
Lex smiled slightly, pulled a 10 pound 'large bill' from his wallet, and placed it on the table: "Perhaps this can make you forget that last question."
The young man's breathing involuntarily hitched. His weekly salary was only a little over 1 pound; this banknote was equivalent to nearly ten weeks of his income!
After a struggle, the young man quickly pocketed the pound and lowered his voice: "I can help you with this problem, but the deposit will have to be 180, no, 200 pounds!"
"No problem."
Receiving Lex's response, the young man returned to the reception desk. A moment later, he brought him a receipt: "On Thursday, with this receipt and after paying the sufficient deposit, you can rent that four-wheeled sedan carriage from us."
"Alright." Lex stood up and smiled faintly, "I'll have my nephew come to pick up the carriage. You only recognize the receipt, right?"
"Yes, we only recognize the receipt."
"Very good, then, goodbye."
"Have a pleasant afternoon."
After being escorted out of the rental company by the young employee, Lex did not rush to find lodging. He used the opportunity of passing through an alley to transform back into an ordinary office worker.
After wandering around until evening, buying some necessities, and having dinner, he, under the identity of 'Green George', arrived at 19 Hope Road in Cherwood district.
This area was quite close to the Tussock River; through the gaps between houses, one could see the slightly murky but exceptionally wide expanse of water.
Getting out of a rented carriage, Lex saw a man with slicked-back hair and a goatee in the car window. Mr. 'Green George' adjusted his clothes and then walked towards a three-story, grey-blue building in front of him.
He remembered that when the Arbiter brought him to tour Cherwood district not long ago, they had seen this building from a distance.
According to Cromwell's introduction, this was the 'Golden Rose', the best legal brothel in Cherwood district and Backlund Bridge Area, opening at 3 PM daily and operating until 2 AM.
At the time, Lex looked at the Arbiter in surprise, somewhat disbelieving that this man knew so much about brothels.
At that moment, Lex had an urge to go in and visit, but due to maintaining his persona, he ultimately dismissed the idea.
Coming here today was certainly not to make up for 'regrets', but because Osweld's intelligence mentioned that Bakerland had frequented the 'Golden Rose' several times.
Coupled with the fact that Mr. Green also had such a hobby, Lex was now here. Even if he didn't encounter Bakerland tonight, it could lay the groundwork for 'Green George's' appearance.
This was to prevent anyone from investigating later and discovering that he, a spice merchant, seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
Lex had decided that he would appear at the 'Golden Rose' for the next two days, making 'Mr. Green' traceable.
But as he walked towards the building, Lex felt nervous. After all, in his previous life, he was a law-abiding citizen and had never even been to a 'big health care' or foot massage parlor.
Yet now, he was actually going to a brothel. As a novice, it was inevitable to feel a bit uneasy.
At this point, he couldn't back out, so after reaching the main door, he steeled himself and pushed the door open.
Upon entering, Lex immediately smelled a mixed fragrance, and an ambiguous melody drifted from the main hall ahead. He subtly observed his surroundings, seeing 'waiters' in black coats and semi-tall top hats standing at the entrance and in various corners of the hall.
But Lex believed those were not 'waiters', but rather bouncers, specifically for dealing with drunks or troublesome customers.
In the splendid hall ahead, various sofas and chairs were arranged. There were no partitions here. However, half-human-height potted plants were placed, making the sofas and chairs less obvious; they served as natural partitions.
In one corner of the hall, Lex saw a piano, and in the middle of the hall was a dance floor, though no one was dancing at the moment.
In the hall, Lex saw ladies sitting in different places. Some had wavy blonde hair, some had long, straight black hair, some had light yellow hair, and there were also brown or red-haired women.
Their dresses were either simple or elaborate, but without exception, all were designed to highlight their different temperaments or figures.
These ladies each possessed their own beauty: mature and charming, shy and naive, youthful and captivating. Several were even exquisitely featured and noble in temperament, as if they were princesses of a nation or fashionable models.
They were either resting their chins on their hands, laughing, or quietly reading newspapers and magazines.
Looking at them, Lex genuinely sighed: "This truly is a man's paradise."