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

I always had this feeling. Just as I was smiling wryly, she began to tell me about her background.

"As Lord Crani said, my family is a noble lineage with a long history. I have no mother, and my father is a government official... When I was young, I was always taken care of by many maids."

She said she only knew about the grand mansion she lived in and knew nothing about the outside world. Every day she learned the etiquette and manners of a nobleman... Although her pampered life was somewhat lonely, she always had a few friends and lived a life where she had enough to eat and wear.

At this point, Miss Haruhime's expression suddenly turned sorrowful.

"However, just five years ago... when I was eleven years old, I was expelled from my home."

“Eh!?”

I couldn't hide my astonishment when she suddenly said that.

Dismissed from the family...severed from parent-child relationship?

"Why...?"

"I was so sleepy... I ate the important items... the sacrificial offerings, belonging to Father's distinguished guest."

According to Miss Haruhime, when she turned eleven, a certain dwarf official began to visit her residence frequently.

Then one day, Miss Haruhime fell asleep and ate the offerings brought by the guests who stayed overnight at the mansion - the offerings to Amaterasu, the goddess who ruled the Far East.

...What the heck? I couldn't help but break out in a sweat.

"You...you really ate the offerings?"

"I have no recollection of this, but when I woke up, my lips were covered in food scraps... It must be that Chun-hime was hungry and went out to steal food every night...!!"

I was caught off guard, and after asking carefully, I learned that Miss Chunji covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

Later, her father, an official who served Amaterasu, flew into a rage and wanted to severely punish Haruhime—but the dwarf guest persuaded him, saying, "Alright, alright, you've already eaten her, let it go," and Haruhime was spared. In return, he no longer recognized Haruhime as his daughter, and she was taken back by the guest.

Miss Chunji said that she was expelled from her home in the blink of an eye, and before she could react, the little human took her away.

...I don't want to suspect people unnecessarily, but why does it seem like the whole thing went exactly as that customer wanted?

I asked and found out that ever since that little man met Miss Chunji, he seemed to have been very fond of her, even to the point of being persistent and clingy.

I couldn't help but imagine a young girl crying and a short man lecherously putting his arm around her shoulder.

Seeing Miss Haruhime still sobbing, I felt sad too.

"And then, what happened to you?"

"Waaah, yes... I know nothing, I can only let others lead me... But on that lord's return journey, waaah, we were attacked by a monster...!"

The developments, one wave after another, almost made me faint.

"When that person saw a group of demons (ogres) attacking, he abandoned the hindrance of Haruhime and ran away..."

“…Huh?”

"...When I was about to be killed, I was rescued by a group of thieves. After confirming that Haruhime was still a virgin, the thieves sold me to Orario."

“——”

I can't speak.

I couldn't fully understand the words she suddenly uttered, and I was speechless.

She said "sell"...and she's selling to Orario...!?

"You said you were sold to Orario, what do you mean...!?"

"In other words... this concubine, who had no relatives or friends, was bought by the red-light district of Orario."

My voice was trembling by the end. Under the moonlight, Miss Haruhime explained everything to me in detail.

After Miss Haruhime said she was protected by thieves, the young girl immediately fell into the hands of a trader connected to the thieves. The trader thought she was "valuable" and instead of taking her, sold her to Orario.

"For Orario, a labyrinth city teeming with adventurers, the City of Wind and Moon is a very important place."

According to her, Orario, a place that gathers many strong adventurers... has a secret: the prostitution industry is quite thriving.

Rude adventurers... Men's desires must be vented, otherwise it may indirectly lead to an increase in crime, and Fengyue Street is the object for those reckless men to vent their animal desires.

For the sake of public safety and to prevent adventurers from venting their frustrations (pressure) on the city, the management guild has essentially tacitly approved of the behavior in the Red Moon Street.

Hearing these explanations, I realized that the guild was actually turning a blind eye to the brothel and taking a tacit attitude towards human trafficking. This greatly shocked me, and I looked at Miss Haruhime in front of me again.

My gaze shifted from her delicate face to her golden tail and ears.

Among the many types of orcs, fox people are arguably the only magical race.

The magic they use is generally different in nature from that of the elves, who represent the magical race. This special magic is sometimes considered a rare form of magic, which is why they are sometimes not called mages in the Far East, but rather "sorcerers" or "magic users," etc.

In other words, because of her rare race and beautiful appearance, Miss Haruhime was bought at a high price by the wealthy and powerful merchants of Orario, the "center of the world," to be made a prostitute.

On the surface, she acted voluntarily, but in reality, she was treated as a "commodity" and forced through the gates of the city wall to arrive at this labyrinthine metropolis.

(how come……)

It seems that Haruhime was almost taken to a brothel run by merchants, but during that time she was spotted by the goddess Ishtar and bought by her, thus becoming a member of the Familia...

I didn't have time to understand; I was just constantly confused.

In other words, none of this had anything to do with Haruhime's wishes; she was forcibly brought to Orario, and then...?

Miss Aisha's shrewish (Amazonian) women left such a strong impression on me that I misunderstood them; perhaps there are many others in this red-light district who share the same fate as Miss Haruhime?

The truth I didn't want to know struck me hard.

It also made me fully realize...

I am too naive in every way.

Unknowingly, I came across Miss Haruhime's tragic past, which left me completely stunned.

"Ah...no, however! Having grown up in an island nation, I've always been very interested in the mainland. I've long thought that if I have the opportunity, I hope to come and see it."

Seeing my distraught state, Miss Chunji quickly tried to smooth things over.

Her forced smile and cheerful demeanor now only pains me. "Even under these circumstances, Miss Aisha and all the courtesans have been very kind to me," she said, trying to sound strong.

I could only remain silent.

It's impossible to say anything comforting or irresponsible.

Now, terrified of the pursuers from the Ishtar Familia, he would never utter a dream like, "Let's escape from here."

Whether she noticed my silence or not, Miss Haruhime remained composed and continued:

"Besides... there are many stories about Orario in the Far East, and I have always longed to visit this place."

Hearing her say that with her eyes narrowed, I reacted unconsciously.

"You mean Dungeon Oratoria?"

"Yes!"

"The Sacred Tale of the Labyrinth" was a book my grandfather gave me in our hometown, and it is my favorite classic.

It is said that the many heroic tales woven in the Tulli, although few original works record detailed information about the characters and other details, have spread to every corner of the world.

Upon hearing the book title I mentioned, Miss Haruhime nodded happily.

"I also really like 'Labyrinth Oratorio'... but the story of a foreign knight seeking the Holy Grail and exploring a labyrinth also left a deep impression on me."

"You mean 'The Adventures of Galadriel'? The story of how he sets out to find the Holy Grail to cure a princess suffering from an incurable disease?"

"You know that story, the story of the mage who went to the labyrinth to help the fairy sealed in the magic lamp—"

"Uh—...Aladdin the Wizard?"

"Wow!"

Miss Haruhime cried out excitedly for the first time.

Her emerald eyes sparkled when I named all the heroes' tales.

"Does Miss Haruhime also like fairy tales...?"

"I love it! Because when I lived in this mansion, I could only learn about the outside world from books...!"

Having a common topic... or rather, a somewhat childlike interest, seemed to make Miss Haruhime extremely happy, and her fox ears suddenly stood up!

Once she started talking, she couldn't stop, and I listened and chimed in.

"The Lost Dillard," "The Song of Enoch," "The Legend of St. George"... the list goes on and on. I thought to myself that she knew a lot of less popular stories, but I didn't realize that I was actually just as knowledgeable myself.

Perhaps few of the prostitutes know these stories, and no one has talked to her about them to this day.

Perhaps it's because they're not young anymore; few people can talk about fairy tales or heroic stories so easily.

The question from Fengyue Street just now left me unsure how to treat Miss Chunji. Since this topic could alleviate her loneliness, I also brought up some heroic tales and laughed with her.

We immerse ourselves in beautiful stories, as if unwilling to face reality.

"And I also love the love songs that the knight sang for the queen even though he knew their love was doomed!"

"If it's a story about Lancelot, I prefer his heroic deeds in jousting on horseback..."

"Does Lord Craney know the story of Snow White?"

"Uh, well, I'm not very familiar with stories outside of Heroic Tales..."

Miss Chunji leaned out and asked me a question, which caught me a little off guard.

I thought to myself, sweating profusely, that compared to me, who only knew heroic tales, Miss Haruhime seemed to have a much deeper understanding of fairy tales.

She spoke in a way that became increasingly intimate, her thick tail wagging back and forth.

"So, which story does Miss Haruhime like the most?"

"Deciding on the first place is a bit difficult, but... there's a story about a samurai who, despite his small size, saved a girl from a demon attack... This story, passed down from ancient times in the Far East, still lingers in my memory."

It seems she really likes heroic tales of rescue... stories of young girls being saved by heroes.

She used to be a sheltered young lady, so it's understandable that she would like this kind of story. I couldn't help but smile.

Like an irreplaceable treasure, Miss Haruhime, who told fairy tales... closed her eyes in the end.

"How wonderful it would be if, like in the world of books, heroes could hold my hand and lead me to the world I long for... That's what I used to think."

The way she smiled with her eyes closed made me fall silent.

She was referring to her childhood, during which she was never allowed to leave the mansion.

Or the present day?

"...It's nothing, just vulgar daydreaming. I am not worthy to be taken away by a hero."

"N-nothing like that happened!?"

Hearing Miss Chunji's all-knowing whisper, I knelt on one knee and couldn't help but shout:

"A hero wouldn't abandon someone like Chunji! How could she not be worthy?!"

Perhaps someone like me cannot deny her reality.

But the heroes I admire, the ones my grandfather told me about, would never betray you.

Those brave souls, seeing Miss Haruhime now, will surely save you.

Hearing my strong assertion, Miss Haruhime opened her eyes wide... then narrowed them and smiled.

"The heroes in the story must be as gentle as Lord Crane... However, I am neither a lovable princess nor a poor saint offered to a monster."

She smiled and spoke.

"I am a prostitute."

"!!"

Seeing my astonishment, she told me in a steady voice, but with a tone that kept me at arm's length:

"Although I am still immature, I have already given myself to several men and slept in the same bed with them."

“——”

Then, a feeling beyond shock hit my head.

When I heard her utter the word "prostitute," which I had unconsciously... no, deliberately avoided, I lost my voice.

"I have never insisted on protecting my chastity; I only sell myself for money."

Unfortunately, I came to understand the meaning of the word "prostitution".