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

"The cultural sphere of the Caios Desert, and the architectural styles of the Ocean Kingdom (Desala) region... it's still a mixed bag."

"Because the labyrinth city is the 'center of the world,' Lily heard that these prostitutes also come from all over the continent."

On the wide streets bustling with prostitutes in colorful attire, clusters of architectural designs unseen in the vicinity of Orario, reminiscent of the East or the desert. There are open-plan Eastern-style buildings, as well as heavy stone structures reminiscent of the cold north. Lily speaks with little interest that this is a result of differentiation—no, more accurately, a result of complexity—designed to please adventurous guests.

Brothels from all over the world unfold before your eyes, and the street scene is filled with various exotic styles.

The red-light district, unlike any other place in the city, gave Bell the illusion that he had accidentally wandered into another world.

Unfamiliar crowds, unfamiliar street scenes, unfamiliar atmosphere.

The sight of the "red-light district" for the first time was incredibly stimulating for the country boy.

"Has Welff been here before...?"

"When I was with the goddess (Hephaestus), my colleagues brought me here, but I never spent any money here."

Bell blushed and asked, but Welf looked on with a polite but dismissive expression, indicating that it was "not suitable for me." The prostitutes gathered around him, their faces alluring and charming, but he simply pushed them away impatiently.

Lily intimidated all the women who approached Bell, saying, "Fortunately, Lily hasn't fallen to that level yet."

"Waaah... What are Miss Ming and the others doing here...?"

Bell looked around at the area teeming with prostitutes, his face still flushed, and he groaned.

"Why would young girls come to a place like this...? Is it to sell themselves for money?"

"!!"

"No, those two guys aren't capable of that."

Belle had just been startled by Lily's speculation when, "Look," Welf pointed ahead.

In his line of sight, he saw Ming and Chigusa with their hands clasped together in front of their chests, like frightened birds.

Their faces were even redder than Bell's, and they huddled together, frequently glancing around. Whenever a lewd man or prostitute made a suggestive remark, their shoulders would tremble violently.

Suddenly a giant appeared, grinning as he reached out to touch her. She said, "Please, please don't do that!?" With her eyes closed, she reflexively slapped the man away, the force so strong that he passed out.

As for Chigusa, she was practically in tears. Seeing the two of them looking like lost twin fawns, Lily narrowed her eyes, while Bell was sweating profusely, her face showing an almost detached understanding.

"Indeed, Lady Ming and the others are too innocent to possibly engage in prostitution... But if that's the case, why would they come to the red-light district?"

When Lily raised her question, she told them to continue forward, and they arrived at Southeast Street.

The red-light district is mainly located in the third and fourth districts near Southeast Avenue. They crossed the avenue from the original fourth district and disappeared at the entrance of the third district on the opposite side.

"Oh no, let's go."

"Uh, um!"

To avoid losing them, Bell and the others, who were tracking them from a distance, had Welf lead the way and ran after them.

More prostitutes had gathered on the street, and the three of them struggled to push through the crowd of people soliciting customers. It took them a great deal of effort to barely make their way through the throng and into the third district.

After walking along the brighter streets than those in the fourth district for a while, they soon found Life and Thousand Grass.

The two were being pursued relentlessly by a group of handsome men—a number of male gods—who were all smiling maliciously.

"I never expected to run into a girl like me in a place like this... uh, I mean, the beautiful [Shadowless]!"

"Black hair is definitely awesome!" "Far East Girl is so cute!"

"Th-that! We...we have an important mission...!?"

The gods cornered the two against the wall, forming a semi-circle around them, and invited them to play together.

Chigusa panicked. Her orders told her to hide behind her, but it seemed inappropriate to speak forcefully to the gods. Faced with these beings beyond her control, she didn't know what to say.

As for the gods, they seemed to find their reactions amusing and teased them in a half-joking manner.

Seeing that these gods were deliberately making trouble even though they knew the people didn't want to, Welf and Lily sighed.

"Please, all you handsome guys, have some mercy and stop messing with them."

Welf walked over and said, "Hmm?" The gods turned around, and the gods looked at them with surprise.

Lily, who suddenly peeked out from behind the young man, also looked up at the male gods and said:

"Is it alright for you guys to just loaf around here? The nights are very short, you know?"

"Oh dear! Jessica's store's promotional period is ending soon!"

"I snuck away from my clan without their knowledge, so I'm going to have a blast today!"

"I've stolen a crucial portion of the faction's funds—!" "Ah, me too." "My little brother too." "Me too."

"Hahahahahahaha!!" The unknown male gods laughed loudly as they left.

As hedonists, the gods frequently roam the red-light district. Some factions' members would even cry in anger, using every means to restrain the out-of-control gods.

Welf and the others watched with indescribable expressions as the male gods, like a typhoon passing through, left.

"What are you all doing here...?"

Having escaped the clutches of the gods and demons, he and Qiancao were in a panic and asked in a trembling voice.

Lily and the others turned to face the two of them and sighed.

"We followed you two because you looked strange, please forgive us."

"We're already a family that's been through thick and thin together, so let's not keep any secrets."

Hearing Lily and Welf say that, he shrugged his shoulders and said, "Ugh..."

"Um, please don't blame fate... To be honest, it's all my fault..."

Chigusa stepped forward, her swaying bangs revealing one eye beneath her brow.

She spoke in a soft voice, her eyebrows drooping apologetically, "I'm sorry." She apologized to everyone.

Welf scratched his red hair. "Explain yourself," he asked the two of them, inquiring about the situation.

"...It's like this, I heard someone say that they saw someone on Fengyue Street who looks a lot like an acquaintance from our hometown... in the Far East..."

Chigusa and Mikoto looked at each other, nodded, and then Chigusa slowly began to speak.

Ming took her place, continuing the conversation despite her limited speaking skills.

"It seems that Lady Chigusa heard about this from some adventurers she's been in contact with a couple of days ago... That certain person from our hometown went missing several years ago..."

The man, who had initially felt guilty, became serious and, including apologizing, recounted the entire incident.

Hearing them say they had received news of a missing acquaintance, Lily murmured, "I see."

"So, in order to confirm whether the news was true or false, Lady Chigusa consulted with Lady Megumi, and that's why the two of you came here, right?"

"Yes, this is a matter between us from the same hometown, and there's no concrete evidence. I think we shouldn't involve Lady Lily and everyone else... Besides, in a place like this..."

As he finished speaking, Ming blushed and lowered his head, muttering softly.

This morning, Chigusa, who visited headquarters, told me about this. Just as she said, it was because she was shy that she couldn't tell Bell and the others.

"What happened to that big guy? He's from your hometown too, and an old friend, right? Didn't you bring him?"

Sakura, the leader of the friendly faction (Takemikazuchi Familia), is clearly from the Far East, as her name suggests. It's said that she, Mikoto, and Chigusa were childhood friends and grew up eating from the same pot.

When Welf mentioned him, this time it was Chigusa's turn to blush and lower her head.

"I...I don't want to bring Cherry Blossom to this brothel...I don't want him to come..."

"Um, Chigusa-sama doesn't see Sakura-sama as a childhood friend, but rather... as someone of the opposite sex."

After the blushing woman added her explanation, Chigusa blushed even more and lowered her head even further.

"Oh, I see." Welf said, understanding. He had been wondering why she hadn't gone to Sakura and the others, but instead had come all the way here to beg to join another faction. Now his question was answered.

Seeing Chigusa's slightly complicated girlish feelings, Lily nodded repeatedly in agreement.

"But can you judge based on what others say? Maybe they just look alike..."

"That person's race is very rare... and their characteristics seem to have many aspects that cannot be ignored."

Life answered Lily's question.

She shook her tied-up black hair, as if she had nowhere to vent her feelings, her gaze fixed on the ground.

"She's different from us; she comes from a noble family. I simply can't believe that someone of her stature would be living in a brothel... I really want to see it for myself..."

That's why I was so restless and came to find that person. My fate timidly revealed my motive for visiting the red-light district.

As for Welf, who heard the whole story, one of his eyebrows twitched.

Of noble birth—that is, of nobility.

Lily glanced sideways at his reaction, a man of noble blacksmithing (Crozzo), before ending the conversation.

"Lily understands everything, but you two were still too careless. This Third District is not only a red-light district, but also a sphere of influence controlled by a certain faction. Please be careful in your actions and don't try to find out anything about this place."

Even if you're just looking for someone, you might get into trouble. Reminded by Lily, both girls lowered their heads apologetically.

Looking at the remorseful expressions of Mikoto and Chigusa, Welf said, "Anyway..."

"I think we should leave here first. Standing in the same place for too long can easily lead to misunderstandings."

He suggested leaving the street corner, and Lily and the others agreed.

Welf turned around, intending to change locations—when he suddenly noticed something.

"...Hey, where's Bell?"

"what?"

After Welf asked her that question, Lily looked around and noticed it too.

There was no sign of the white-haired boy anywhere.

"Lord Bell is here too? I've only seen the two of you since earlier..."

"Yeah."

After Ming finished speaking, Chigusa nodded.

Knowing that Bell had disappeared long before he could reunite with the two, time seemed to freeze at the scene.

The sounds of revelry from the red-light district drifted around them, and the laughter of prostitutes wafted between the four frozen figures.

Welf was speechless, and Lily's face turned pale.

——No way.

■

"We got separated...?"

I stood alone in the middle of the road, muttering to myself.

As I chased after Miss Ming and her friends across the avenue, I was engulfed by a throng of prostitutes and male customers loudly proclaiming, "Special offer period now begins—!"—and I became separated from Welf and the others.

After finally breaking through the crowd behind Welf and Lily, I found myself in front of a brothel, completely disoriented. I felt like I'd been swept far away by the throng, desperate to get back to the familiar path and catch up with Welf and Lily, but... this is what I see now.

Did we take the wrong turn?

Should I have suppressed my anxiety and waited for Lily and the others to come find me on the main road?

In a corner of the maze-like, network-like streets, I looked left and right several times.

I don't know a single person here; in fact, I don't even know where I am.

Rows of stone brothels, dimly lit magic stone lamps, and the joyful screams of women—and sweet, moaning sounds—coming from all directions. My enhanced hearing, without even needing to strain to hear, automatically picks up the seductive moans emanating from the houses and street corners.

I remained standing in the middle of the road, my expression shifting rapidly.

My mind was in complete turmoil; I didn't know if it was worry and fear, or just overwhelming embarrassment.

My face kept changing color, alternating between green and red, and I was just one step away from falling into chaos.

"Little brother? Are you lost?"

"Huh!?"

Suddenly someone called my name, which made my whole body jump.

Looking back, I saw a beautiful woman with fair skin standing there—like an elven prostitute captive to lust—smiling at me sweetly.

A white dress with a high slit, revealing a full bust. The alluring atmosphere, so different from that of an elfin figure, left me speechless.

Feeling teased, I shouted, "I-I'm fine!?" and ran away on the spot.