A World of Nightlife / He's the Top Host

Perhaps for him inside the tower of Avalon, it was all a dream, only this dream was too real; for others, it was genuine pleasure.

Chapter 419 The World of Nightlife

Merlin had his legitimate reasons for opening the shop, even though he dragged his former comrades into prostitution, his character was quite questionable, and as for his integrity, it had probably been shattered over a thousand years ago, and even if one wanted to pick it up, it was long gone.

Indeed, this is also known as the underworld, where all sorts of darkness are hidden behind the glitz and glamour: gangs, drugs, gambling, prostitution, operating on the fringes of the law, and maintaining the status quo through violence.

Compared to other establishments, at least the Knights of the Round Table weren't without principles. As knights, they adhered to their own set of moral standards. They might face various problems, but they would never do anything that violated loyalty and righteousness.

Hmm, probably...

Shirou noticed that Lancelot and the others seemed quite satisfied with their job of spending every day with ladies, and they all seemed to enjoy it.

As the perfect knight of the Round Table, Lancelot was always surrounded and attacked by jealous people wherever he went.

Tristan is one of the most prominent protagonists in tragic stories widely circulated throughout Europe and America.

With the rise of Britain and the growing recognition of Shakespeare's contributions to the Renaissance, British opera experienced a resurgence in the late 1980s and 1990s, thanks to the guidance of its predecessors.

Besides pioneers of the women's movement, the Irishman George Bernard Shaw rose to fame across Europe and Asia. Saint Joan of Arc, the Frenchwoman who had previously been vilified along with Shakespeare, was also exonerated in his writings. The Englishman Oscar Wilde also achieved great success, becoming a household name throughout the United States.

It has produced many genius Director and actors who, with their brilliant ideas and acting skills, have improved and perfected centuries-old drama to near perfection and achieved great success.

The Knights of the Round Table and the King Arthur legends are popular themes in European opera and drama. Of course, neither King Arthur nor Charlemagne is the only protagonist.

Compared to a lofty king, people often prefer the thrilling and tender adventures of free knights, which is why almost every famous Round Table has its own derivative stage plays.

The King Arthur legends, King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, King Arthur and the legendary wizard Merlin, Gawain and the Green Knight, Galahad, Percival, and Bors's quest for the Holy Grail, the tragedy of Tristan and Isolde, the forbidden love affair between Lancelot and Guinevere, the ethics of King Arthur and Morgan, and Mordred's rebellion.

Undoubtedly, they possess a captivating charisma that charms countless men and women. Coupled with their handsome faces, they exude an invincible aura. If it weren't for their small size, this club could easily have become the number one in Shinjuku's Kabukicho.

While their motivation also included supporting Chaldea's cause and earning funds, the Knights of the Round Table were primarily protectors of this place, comforting the ladies who came here in their own ways.

For women who come to the Knights of the Round Table Club, it's a place to relax and find temporary refuge. However, the cost of staying there is so high that ordinary people simply can't afford it.

The harsh reality doesn't change because of a person's background. It's just that power and influence can often make some problems seem like problems, nothing more. A whole host of more troublesome things await them ahead.

Even though they are wealthy and noble, they live in a country where male chauvinism is very serious, and where the gender equality index and the political status of women are both ranked in the bottom 30 in the world.

It can be said that, apart from religious countries that adhere to Islam and Hinduism, and practice absolute male supremacy and polygamy, it is one of the most unequal countries for women in the world.

In patriarchal countries, women's decades-long dedication to housework and childcare is often seen as an obligation, not a contribution. Men, on the other hand, are expected to simply work and provide a living allowance, living a life of ease and comfort.

Even among women who remain in their jobs, less than 15% are promoted to management positions. Their career ceiling is significantly lower than that of men, and even in the same positions, the gender pay gap is about 25%.

It is easy to imagine that women here face far greater pressure than in other countries.

Of course, even if a country is bad in this respect, it is still a developed country. For example, the Philippines once ranked second in Asia's economy, was fully Westernized, and even respected women's rights more than the United States, but it still could not escape decline and poverty.

Because China is a country whose official media is strongly controlled by the United States, most of the news released is negative. Just like the Western motherland portrayed on CCTV's news broadcast, the public perceives China as living in misery, backward, barbaric, and poor.

So even though it's very close to mainland China, and many Chinese business owners have settled there, not many Filipinos come to China to develop their businesses. Most of the capable ones try their best to immigrate to the United States, while those with less ability smuggle themselves to Taiwan and Hong Kong. There are also millions of Filipino domestic helpers who refuse to leave.

Finding contentment in a simple life is not such a simple thing. The more choices one has, the stronger one's desires become, and the more restless one becomes.

People actually understand that there are things more important than material enjoyment. In this world, money represents more than just wealth; it represents multiple standards: rights, dignity, marriage, family, health, and is a prerequisite for having those more important things.

But even if some people meet these prerequisites, they still can't feel happiness.

Even if someone suddenly becomes incredibly wealthy and acquires a large sum of money, they may not necessarily obtain the truly important things. How to live a more fulfilling life is something many people simply cannot figure out; they don't even know what they truly want. Only money can bring a sense of peace to their soul.

Shirou peered out through the glass door of the lounge. It was specially installed glass that, from the outside, only revealed a mirror reflecting colored lights.

Suddenly, a large hand appeared and slammed onto the mirror.

Shirou was so startled that he quickly took two steps back.

Then the door opened, and a tall, handsome man walked in. He had a slightly roguish charm that women would find appealing. His features were strong, with thick eyebrows and big eyes, giving him a domineering and wildly handsome look.

"Oh, Shirou, you're back from making some extra money, huh? What are you peeking at? This is male host club, not a women's bathhouse." The man approached Shirou with an air of menace.

A familiar memory surfaced in Shirou's mind, and the man's identity became clear: he was the Knights of the Round Table was the best swimmer and could hold his breath underwater for three days and three nights.

If he were to don a pure black high school uniform similar to a Mao suit, and wear a black military cap, he would be the undisputed strongest gang leader, invincible. That's right! The one with the star markings on his body, who crushes all vampires.

However, relatively speaking, they are also easily ambushed and killed by priests.

"You owe me 100,000, can you pay it back now?!" the man said viciously.

"I don't owe you any money, and I won't lend you any. Just give up, Kai," Shirou said irritably.

"What? Merlin said you had amnesia, so it turns out," the man chuckled, stepped forward, put his arm around Shirou's shoulder, and said in a very familiar manner.

"Kai, I didn't see you just now. Did you go out too?" Shirou asked the man hanging on his shoulder.

"Ah, after all, I'm more suited to physical activity than talking," the man said matter-of-factly.

"Did Merlin bring all the Knights of the Round Table over here?" Shirou sighed, sounding annoyed.

Kai waved his hand, rejecting Shirou's idea, saying, "No, no, how could that be? Including that bastard Merlin, there are only seven of us. The other idiots at the Round Table aren't really suitable either; the young ones are too young, or they're all women. If Agravain's sour face were here, just that miserable look would scare the customers away. If Galahad were here, this shop wouldn't be able to stay in business."

"But those idiots are all unreliable." Kay glanced disdainfully at the crowd outside through the glass window.

"Huh? Really? I thought they did a pretty good job," Shirou said, sounding incredulous.

"No, something's about to go wrong?" Kai said with absolute certainty, casually picking his ear with his little finger.

Although the male host of the Knights of the Round Table are all above average in terms of character and appearance, with Tristan being a prime example of beauty that fits the current Asian aesthetic, each of them has a fatal flaw.

For example, Lancelot always falls in love with married women, and then the women's husbands come knocking on his door.

Sure enough, a bearded man with the air of Yakuza Boss, looking fierce and menacing, entered the club with his henchmen in black suits and sunglasses, and surrounded the sofa where he was sitting.

"Um... may I ask who you are and what brings you here?" Lancelot shielded the woman who had called him behind him and asked the menacing intruders.

"You bastard! Don't you know this man is the boss of the Dog Gold Society?! Lower your head! I'll kill you!" a henchman said viciously.

"The Dogkin Society? Ah, the dark forces in this place, I think they're called... the Yakuza? So what brings you here?" Lancelot asked with genuine curiosity, showing no sign of nervousness.

"The woman you're holding in your arms is the lady of the Inugami-kai!"

"You bastard, when are you going to stop clinging to my wife?!" The Yakuza Boss drew his katana, raised it above his head, and was about to slash at Lancelot.

"Shut up!! If you're going to be jealous, then stay with me! Are you really that happy spending every day with your idol?!" At this moment, the lady delivered a powerful punch straight to the eldest brother's chin, sending him flying, and roared angrily.

"Boss!" the underlings cried out in terror.

The Yakuza Boss, now seemingly oblivious, raised his hand to stop his men. Trembling, he rose from the ground and said with deep emotion, "Ah... even though I'm busy with work and haven't been able to be with you, I do all this so you can have a better life. You're the only one I love."

"My dear..." The lady clasped her hands together, tears welling in her eyes, deeply moved.

The purple-haired man nodded to his wife, then turned to the boss on the ground and shouted, "Boss!"

"What?" the eldest brother, whose chin was swollen like a bun, asked impatiently.

"I, Lancelot, swear on my life that my wife and I never crossed that line; it was merely a spiritual exchange."

"Is that so...?" The eldest brother turned his head in confusion and asked his wife.

"Of course, I was just lonely, so I came here for a drink. How could I possibly betray you?" the lady replied affectionately.

"Husbands and wives shouldn't quarrel. You two are bound by life and death. If you separate, you'll definitely regret it later," Lancelot said with a touch of sadness in his eyes, as if he had just remembered something.

"Yes, we understand. Goodbye then!" The old gangster and his wife embraced affectionately and waved goodbye to Lancelot.

Watching the large group of people leave the store, Shirou had been secretly watching from inside, breathed a sigh of relief.

"See?" Kai said gloatingly from the side.

"Anyway, it's really good that nothing bad happened," Shirou said helplessly.

"No, the problem has only just begun," Kai said, arms crossed, watching the spectacle unfold.

Tristan was the most popular man, and he was happy to serve the ladies. However, this behavior often caused trouble in the harem, with guests fighting each other, and even relatives and friends becoming jealous and turning against each other.

As for Gawain, it was because he spoke so incoherently. Despite appearing to be a cheerful, blond, and handsome guy, his words were always so inappropriate. It was as if, just when people were about to enjoy a delicious meal, he would suddenly appear, replace all the good food, and then, with a hearty laugh, serve up a huge bucket of Mashed Potatoes.

Fortunately, the ladies, attracted by their exceptional good looks, managed to salvage the situation through their persuasion.

As for Bedivere... he might be the one who is truly beyond redemption.

A commotion arose from his seat.

"Xiao Bei, I didn't come here to hear about your past with that Miss Wang! I don't care if she's Chinese or British! I paid to come here, that's enough! I'm going home tonight!" A wealthy businesswoman in her mid-thirties shouted angrily, then picked up her bag and started to walk out.

"Ah, he's beyond saving. Well then, it's your turn to step in. Get out, Shirou!"

"Eh?" Shirou stumbled from the push and jumped out of the lounge door, blocking the way for the angry businesswoman who was about to leave.

Chapter 420 He is the top male escort

Inside the Knights of the Round Table Club, apart from the dance floor at the very back used for performances, the rest of the space consists of seating arranged in a row of sofas facing each other, with only a narrow gap between the sofas, just wide enough for a person to pass through.

The angry businesswoman ignored Bedivere, picked up her bag, and deliberately took a small step, taking a detour to the other side of the passageway.

Just then, Shirou, who had suddenly appeared there, stopped in the aisle next to the sofa seating area. As he stopped and steadied himself, he noticed the wealthy businesswoman who had been blocking his way.

"What? Even if you, Shirou, try to stop me, I'm going back!" The wealthy businesswoman said angrily, hands on her hips, glaring at Shirou. Today was a special day for her, and also the loneliest day of her life.

As a successful businesswoman who had struggled alone for more than ten years, she looked back and found that her wallet was indeed fuller and she had confidence wherever she went. However, she discovered that there was no one around her who could share these achievements with her.

One day, with the help of her business partner, she came to this place and fell in love with it, especially with the handsome young man Bedivere, whom she affectionately called Little Bedivere. She admired his honesty and loyalty to those he respected.

But she was really irritable today. Although she didn't say it, she still hoped that someone could comfort and understand her feelings. Even a strong woman has times when she wants to be held in someone's arms and cherished!

But Xiao Bei, like a block of wood, noticed nothing and continued talking about his ideal king. She was so angry that she decided to get up and leave, but was unexpectedly stopped by the most approachable courtesan there.

The wealthy businesswoman crossed her arms and frowned as she looked at Shirou. She was a powerful woman who had fought in the bloodless yet equally ruthless business world for many years. As the company's decision-maker, she rarely changed her mind once she made up her mind, and she would not change her mind just because the other person was good-looking.

The wealthy businesswoman said bluntly, "If you have nothing to say, then I'll..."

"Don't speak! Give me a minute~!" Shirou held up a finger and pressed it against the wealthy businesswoman's lips.

Seemingly nonchalant, Shirou's mind was actually racing at that moment. At the same time, he waved his other hand behind his back.

That one minute was enough for the rest of the club to realize what was happening. Seeing Shirou's actions, they immediately understood and began to cooperate with him.

The bartender deftly pulled a dozen champagnes from under his chin at the bar.

The tall, blond Sun Knight stood up, bent down beside the woman, and whispered something in her ear.

The lady sitting next to him nodded in response with pleasure.

Other guests, seeing what activities are taking place at the club—they're there to have fun anyway, so as long as it's interesting and relaxing, they're naturally happy to participate.

"Champagne~!!" Shirou snapped his fingers, gesturing towards the bar like a conductor in an orchestra.

"Here they come!" Gawain, already in sync with the plan, had already walked over to the bar, picked up a bottle of champagne, and tossed it to Shirou without even glancing at it. He then did the same to the other Knights of the Round Table.

The champagne floated high into the air, tumbling and swirling, bubbles rising from the golden liquid.

Shirou easily caught the bottle with a light lift of his hand; he did these movements with great familiarity, clearly his body had developed muscle memory for them.

Lancelot and Bedivere understood, and steadily accepted the champagne, walking with smiles to the woman's side.

Tristan then leaped high into the air like a juggler, spread his arms, and caught the bottle with a spectacular 360-degree flip in the air, landing right next to the wealthy businesswoman, eliciting screams from the female fans.

"Ah, as expected of Shirou, entrusting it to you was definitely the right decision." At this moment, Kai also came out of the rest room, gestured for Gawain to throw him a bottle of champagne, and joined the group.

So Shirou and the five Knights of the Round Table, each carrying a glass of champagne, walked up to the woman.

"Huh? What?" Suddenly being stared at by six handsome men at the same time, with such beautiful smiles on their faces, she felt a little dazzled. It was almost like she had entered a reverse harem, and the female businesswoman felt flattered and overwhelmed.

In Shinjuku's red-light district, top-tier male host certainly possess looks and incomes comparable to A-list male idols, but they are only a select few who stand out from thousands, even tens of thousands. And now, a single Knights of the Round Table club boasts seven of them.

This is one of the reasons why, even though the knights here may be more difficult to please than male host, wealthy and powerful women still flock to this place.

"Happy birthday, Komatsu-san!" Shirou took the lead in lifting the champagne cap, and the golden liquid of the sparkling wine shot straight up, turning into six golden geysers that sprayed into the air around the woman, bringing a refreshing breeze with the aroma of wine to everyone.

"Happy birthday to you!!" the knights shouted in unison.

At that moment, the club lights went out, plunging the surroundings into darkness. Then, a moving light appeared from the exit, slowly approaching Ms. Komatsu. It turned out that a waiter had brought the cake from the kitchen, lit the candles, and carried it up on a silver trolley.

"This... this..." The wealthy businesswoman gasped, her hands covering her mouth in astonishment, unable to close them for a moment.

A small chocolate figure made with edible paint was placed in the center of the cake, resembling Ms. Komatsu.

"This... was this originally intended for me?"

"Matsu-san, thank you for everything. Happy birthday." Bedivere was pushed forward, now holding a bouquet of flowers. He didn't say much, just gave the wealthy businesswoman a sincere smile, and handed her the bouquet, offering his blessings.

"Xiao Bei..." The woman accepted the flowers with gratitude.

Words were superfluous at this point; the previous unpleasantness had long been forgotten by the woman. She simply wanted to spend her birthday alone, but she said nothing, yet the other person had taken everything into account.

As the rotating, colorful spotlight shone on the wealthy businesswoman, everyone began singing the English birthday song. Surrounded by them, Ms. Komatsu felt like the leading lady in her own life.

She felt the envious and jealous gazes from the women around her, and immersed herself in a feeling of happiness. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, took a deep breath, and blew out the candle in one breath.