Is it wrong to try to meet someone in a dungeon?

With thoughts bordering on the curse, her beauty—that of the goddess Ishtar—was twisted.

"Don't get too cocky, Freya...!"

Moonlight streamed into the room through the large window with its curtains drawn, illuminating Ishtar's profile.

What's infuriating is that the other party not only surpasses Ishtar in reputation as a goddess, but also in the power of their faction (familia). The latter, in particular, is far beyond Ishtar's reach.

With her beauty and status as the strongest faction in the city, the goddess reigns supreme at the pinnacle of Orario.

After staring at the skyscraper (Tower of Babel) for a long time, Ishtar suddenly chuckled.

It was a smile that could "bewitch" the viewer, but it was also a sinister smile that concealed dark emotions.

Soon.

I'll pull you down from there right away.

Ishtar curled her lips into an ominous smirk.

"Just you wait and see."

Finally, she uttered those words in a low voice and stood up from the sofa where she was sitting.

She picked up the pipe that was placed next to the fruit basket and walked out of the room on the top floor. The handsome young attendant who was waiting at the entrance followed her smoothly, and Ishtar walked down the palace with him.

With her dark, purplish-black braided hair swaying, and smoke billowing from her delicate lips as she held a pipe in her mouth, Ishtar walked up the long staircase to the upper part of the hall.

She stood by the railing and shouted loudly to the many members of the group below—the prostitutes:

"Listen up, serve your guests well! Indulge in love and passion tonight as usual!!"

From cute young girls to hot beauties, the group members, mostly fierce women (Amazons), shouted enthusiastically. Looking down at the alluring and seductive prostitutes, Ishtar smiled.

At the goddess's command, the prostitutes set out in unison. They would use their seductive charm to lure men, tempt them, and hunt down any male creatures they fancied. The men, oblivious to being the prey, would revel in pleasure, paying exorbitant prices—gold, intelligence, and even their love—be completely devoured by them.

The ancient capital, seemingly a symbol of decadence and debauchery, was filled with lavish banquets and parties.

"Aisha, shall we hurry up and go? All the good men are going to be snatched away."

"Okay, I'll go right away."

After an Amazonian woman answered her fellow tribesman, her long legs gleaming in the moonlight as she turned to look at something from the road.

That was a rare sight in Orario, a place brimming with exotic charm.

The brothels, modeled after island nation architecture, with their red pillars and walls, were dazzling and attracted the attention of onlookers. An Amazonian woman gazed at a luxurious building illuminated by the lights, then narrowed her eyes as if to hide her pity, turned around, and her long black hair flew in the wind.

She walked toward her companion, and in the direction she had been gazing, there were several Zhang Jianshi shops lined up side by side in the corridor.

The large, railing-covered room facing the street was filled with prostitutes who called out to passersby or smiled and waved seductively.

"..."

Among the prostitutes striking seductive poses, only one young girl sat quietly in the corner of the room.

Unlike the women around her, she knelt with her knees bent, her lips tightly closed, attracting the guests' attention with only her pitiful appearance and demeanor. The bright red outer robe, a traditional island garment commonly known as a kimono, contrasted beautifully with her slender and delicate figure.

It has long golden hair, emerald green eyes, and a tail with fur the same color as its hair.

This is a beautiful girl with long animal ears.

With a black ring around her neck, she sat deep within Zhang Jianshi's self-imposed prison.

Looking up at the crescent moon in the darkness, I murmured softly.

"Seven more days..."

Volume 7, Chapter 1: Smooth Sailing

Urban dwellers are all talking about it.

"...One month?"

"Really...?"

The adventurers looked up in silence at a piece of parchment posted on the huge notice board at the guild headquarters.

"That bastard...!!"

"Hey, Bert, let me see it now—!?"

A level 1 adventurer, ignoring his companion's urging, crushed a newspaper containing a certain report.

"Hehehe, this is the real deal~"

As for the gods, upon hearing the official upgrade news of a certain adventurer, they were overjoyed, laughing and making a ruckus.

Just as the fervor surrounding the war game had not yet subsided, news that stirred the emotions of many spread throughout the city.

—The required period is one month.

—Bell Crane, promoted to Lv. 3.

■

"—Achoo!?"

I sneezed loudly.

With a great effort, he managed to avoid dropping the wooden crate he was holding onto the ground. Then came another burst of labored breathing, "Hah—choo!?"

"What's wrong, Belle? Have you caught a cold?"

"No, there shouldn't be..."

I blinked, and the deity walking in front turned around to look at me.

The goddess Hestia, holding something in both hands just like me, smiled at me and said, "Perhaps someone is talking about you?" "How could that be?" I replied with a wry smile.

"Let's not talk about that, Bell, look!"

The fairy ran out quickly, and I chased after her, circling around from the shadows of the building to the front.

Upon inspection, the newly built headquarters occupied our entire field of vision.

"Whoa...!"

"So, how about it? We're going to be living here from today onwards!?"

In the beautiful front yard bathed in the warm morning sunlight, I put down the moving items I was carrying and couldn't help but stare intently at the mansion in front of me.

We renovated—or rather, occupied—the Apollo Familia's residence and completed this new headquarters. The gods thought the original residence's appearance was too unrefined, so they renovated it to be simple yet elegant, turning it into a completely new mansion. The three-story stone building is large and deep; calling it a mansion is no exaggeration.

The main entrance is decorated with an emblem representing the Hestia Familia, featuring flames and bells.

The fairy proudly puffed out her chest, and I stood beside her, my cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Ever since my friend (Hephaestus) forced me to live in this dilapidated basement, my day has finally come...!"

Faced with the magnificent new home they had long awaited, "Guwu!" the deity covered his eyes with his arm and cried loudly with a very masculine (or feminine?) air.

I gave a wry smile, and as I recalled the time I spent alone with the deity, I realized that the hidden room in that church was actually quite comfortable to live in.

Although there were indeed many inconveniences, I still couldn't bear to see that place destroyed... because it held my memories with the immortals and the warm times we spent together.

(But...)

Now I have more companions and more family.

I'm quite happy to have a spacious headquarters where we can all live together.

I put my hands behind my neck and couldn't help but laugh awkwardly.

"Hestia, I've done everything you asked."

"Oh, thanks, Gubernau."

As I gazed up at the grand mansion with a profound sense of awe, the renovation work was completed, and the craftsmen in their work clothes—the members of the [Gubernian Familia]—gradually returned home. Their chief god, Gubernian, greeted the goddess Hestia, who smiled and thanked him.

We commissioned the [Guberneus Familia] to build our headquarters. This faction, led by the god of forging and construction (Guberneus), is a rare breed in the city, willing to handle any construction project they receive. They have many blacksmiths and seem to enjoy enthusiastic support from some adventurers. While not as well-known as the renowned forging faction (Hephaestus), many high-level exploration factions are eager to purchase their simple yet durable weapons and armor. In fact, Lily seems to have also commissioned them to craft equipment (crossbows) specifically for the dwarves (Palum).

Counting from the day the modification request was made, today is the fourth day; counting from the adventurer's request on the 13th floor, it has been two days.

Just by looking at the magnificent exterior of this mansion, you can tell that they are very efficient and have top-notch skills, which amazes me.

Soon after, having probably finished explaining the payment and the house's facilities, the sturdy, dwarf-like god Gubernius turned and left before the goddess Hestia.

As I was leaving, my crush stared at me intently before following the rest of the group on their way home.

"It's not Guberniu, everything seems to have been taken care of."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes, he said that according to everyone's request, various rooms and facilities have been built inside and outside the mansion."

"Oh." I said as I stood next to the deity and looked up at the headquarters again.

Once the moving is finished, I'll have to take a proper look around.

■

"Whoa whoa……!?"

He knelt on both knees and hands, lying face down, peering into the bathtub filled with hot water.

On the third floor of the renovated mansion (headquarters), upon seeing the "bathtub" set up according to her requirements, she couldn't help but abandon the moving work that she was only halfway through.

This bathhouse was converted from an old Apollo sect bathroom. Perhaps to fulfill the desire to have a bathtub, it was renovated into a Far Eastern-style cypress wood bathtub, large enough for ten people to bathe in at the same time. The fragrance of brand-new cypress wood wafted through the air, and warm water gurgled into the bathtub from the hot water outlet. The rippling water vaguely reflected the excited face of a girl peeking into the cypress bathtub.

Standing on all fours, staring intently at the hot water, I abruptly looked up. From the walls to the ceiling, the floor, even the pillars and the tub were made of wood—the bathroom even had a showerhead; the incongruous feeling was rather charming.

The bathroom décor, brimming with Far Eastern charm, is so touching it makes your heart tremble.

At the same time, the rising steam in front of her made her delicate throat gurgle.

"Waaaaah...!?"

A conflict arose in Ming's heart.

They're still working on the move; Bell and the others must be busy moving things elsewhere. How could she slack off here…? She glanced at the things on the floor.

But—the warm, misty air was like magic, enticing her.

Unable to resist the desires that had been sealed away until now, she said with a shallow excuse, "Just a little while!" and returned to the dressing room. She peeked out from the doorway facing the aisle, making sure no one was passing by before closing the door.

She reached out and pulled down the belt of her clothes, and the clothes slipped off.

With a soft drip, her smooth toes rippled across the water.

Slender calves and thighs dipped into the hot water, and then the whole body was immersed in the bathtub in one go.

"Gurgle...!?"

Ming submerged his shoulders in the hot water and sighed happily.

The sensation of the hot water embracing her body made her close her eyes tightly, completely relaxing her entire body.

"I am so sorry, Takemikazuchi, everyone...!"

While apologizing to his fellow villagers and family members who enjoyed taking baths, he wore a carefree smile.

Ever since arriving in Orario with her crush (Takemikazuchi) and the others, she had been forced to live a desolate life, barely able to afford showers, let alone baths. Of course, she could endure all of this and had no intention of living a life of luxury... However, at this moment, the long-suppressed desire in her heart finally erupted.

She recalled the natural hot springs she often soaked in in the Far East.

Recalling every scene from her hometown, her skin turned a cherry blossom pink.

My favorite thing to do is take a bath, and I'm enjoying the greatest happiness in the world.

Incidentally, she took a morning bath.

"As expected of the [Gubernium Family], they are really efficient."

In the backyard of the mansion, a small stone house was built in a corner.

Welf opened the door to the cabin, stood in the doorway, and couldn't help but smile.

Built on the site of the mansion's detached house was a "workshop"—a forging workshop that could be called a blacksmith's sanctuary.

Compared to the workshops assigned to each blacksmith by the Hephaestus Familia, this place, though cramped, is well-equipped and comparable to the previous workshops. The tall stacks of firewood, wooden barrels, iron frames mounted on the walls, the basement, and the overall sturdiness of the hut—everything meets the standards.

As for the specially made large stove with its long, thin chimney, it is impeccable.

"As expected of someone from the same forging faction, they truly understand the needs of blacksmiths."

Welf stood at the doorway, surveying the workshop and nodding in satisfaction. With a childlike, energetic expression, he began moving a large number of personal belongings he had brought from his former faction (the Hephaestus Familia) into the house.

He immediately transformed the workshop into his own private castle.