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

It turned out that what Miss Chunji said was true.

In order to maintain urban order, the guild turns a blind eye to the rules of the red-light district.

Even Miss Eina looked sad because of me, and reality slowly crushed me.

■

The afternoon sun shines on the city.

While many adventurers ventured underground to explore the labyrinth, on the surface, city dwellers seemed to fill their void, busy with work, shopping, or vacations.

Among them, the gods went out for amusement. Some flirted with beautiful elves, some drank from house to house in broad daylight, and some played with children. Their figures could be seen in every corner of the city.

On West Street, where an adventurer was doing volunteer work and the area was busier than usual, a celestial being secretly visited a tavern.

"Little Anya, please go and fetch Mia right away!"

"Meow~ Is it Hermes the cat again?"

Hermes walked into the "Abundant Mistress" shop and told the clerk in a low voice what he wanted to do.

After the cat-woman girl, who looked rather unhappy, disappeared behind the shop, the dwarf female shopkeeper, who also looked impatient, came up to him.

"Please, Mia! Could you please pass on a message to Miss Freya for me?!"

"Here we go again? Didn't I tell you last time to go by yourself? I refused."

"This is truly a matter of life and death for me!?"

Seeing that Mia refused outright, Hermes shouted desperately.

Mia impatiently pushed the handsome man, who had come alone without any entourage, from the store entrance to the food storage room behind the bar to prevent their conversation from being overheard.

"Here's what happened... Little Bell, Little Bell he...!"

"What's wrong now, kid? What tricks have you pulled this time?"

"No... I had no choice... Don't blame me...!"

"Speak quickly if you have something to say."

"Watch out or I'll kick you!" Mia glared at the wailing heartthrob and forced out a sound:

"That's right, Bell is being targeted by Ishtar... He's facing a crisis in every sense of the word!!"

When Hermes recounted what happened between him and Ishtar last night, Mia was stunned.

He said he was subjected to forced interrogation and had no choice but to reveal what the goddess Freya was most concerned about at the moment.

"Please, Mia! Pass on a message for me! If I were to tell Freya this directly..."

Hermes was terrified that if he said this to the goddess's face, she would laugh heartily and say "death penalty," which made him tremble with fear.

Just as the male god was fearing retaliation, the pale gray hair floated over like a ghost.

"What do you mean, Hermes, that Mr. Bell is in danger?"

"Whoa!?" The sound from behind made Hermes's shoulder jump.

Looking back, I saw Seele standing there with a big smile on her face.

"Mr. Bell smells of perfume today, could that also be Hermes's doing? Please answer me quickly."

"Xi'er, little sister! A city girl shouldn't scare people like that!?"

With a smile on her face, Seele pressed forward step by step, applying pressure until Hermes screamed in agony.

Hearing the noise, other employees gradually gathered in the food storage room to see what was going on.

"Ah—!" Mia sighed as she watched the handsome young man being interrogated.

■

The setting sun painted the western sky on the other side of the city wall a deep maroon color.

After saying goodbye to Miss Eina, I continued my volunteer work and then met up with the gods at the entrance of a shop.

Lily, Welf, Miss Fate, and finally, the fairy who was off work at the potato ball shop joined us, and we all went into this shop—a run-down bookstore.

"Hi, grandpa! We're here to help as promised!"

"Oh, Hestia, you really came."

It seems the deity had originally planned to help out at this bookstore today.

She instructed us in the morning to arrange a time for everyone to meet at the store entrance.

"I was really surprised that you suddenly became famous. It turns out you're not just all talk."

"Hmph, thank goodness. It's too late to regret rejecting my offer now, isn't it?"

"Ha, ha, ha, it seems I really did miss a good opportunity!"

This bookstore is the one where the gods bestowed upon me "divine grace".

Having encountered the goddess Hestia, I had her lead me to this shop, and we formed a contract as familiars.

"Bell, it's been a long time." The elderly human shopkeeper, swaying his short white beard, greeted me. I bowed in return, "Hello."

"Well then, as I explained this morning, let's help this store organize its books. Consider this part of our volunteer work. Thank you for your help."

Starting with the divine intervention, we began to organize the bookstore.

All members worked together to move bookshelves or organize the books.

(I wonder how Miss Haruhime is doing...)

I lifted a huge stack of books at once, still thinking about her.

Even though we only spent a short time together, that person's illusory smile remained in my mind, lingering there.

"Is Miss Haruhime also working as a prostitute today...?" I couldn't help but have these fantasies, and I shook my flushed face from side to side.

I sighed and walked dejectedly into the first-floor bookstore.

Welf, Lily, and Miss Ming were packing books into wooden crates or putting them back on the shelves in the archives. The fairy wasn't there; she seemed to be in another room doing other work with the old man.

"...Um, Miss Ming."

"What's wrong, Lord Bell?"

I put down the stack of books I was holding and called out to Miss Ming from behind.

She turned her head towards the bookshelf... and I asked the question that had been on my mind since this morning.

"Do you know a fox spirit named Miss Haruhime?"

"Where—where did you learn that name!?"

Upon hearing my question, Miss Ming was first taken aback, then leaned forward, reacting quite strongly.

Lily and Welf also turned to look at us. I made sure they knew each other, so I told them what had happened last night, and that Miss Haruhime was in the Circus, and how she came to Orario.

After listening to me along with Lily and the others, Miss Ming's once handsome face contorted as if cracked, and she stood there frozen in place... then she clutched her clothes tightly in one hand and lowered her head.

"If possible... please tell me about your relationship with Haruhime, Miss Mikoto, okay?"

I sincerely request to know more about Miss Haruhime.

Miss Ming remained silent and motionless for a moment before slowly nodding.

"...As I have mentioned before, I, Chigusa-sama, and the others grew up in the shrine where Takemikazuchi and other gods reside."

After the war game ended, I quickly learned that Ms. Mikoto, Mr. Sakura, Ms. Chigusa, and the members of the Takemikazuchi Familia were all orphans. They said they were adopted by the shrine for various reasons and raised by the gods there.

"I and others came to Orario from the Far East because of financial difficulties... The shrine's livelihood was insufficient."

She said there were more and more orphans, and her income was meager. One day, her life of poverty and hardship finally reached its limit.

Miss Mikoto and the others consulted with the kind celestial deity who supported their family and made a decision. Miss Mikoto, who was the eldest in the shrine and also capable of fighting, and the others, guided by the god of war (Takemikazuchi), would sail across the sea to Orario.

This is to earn money in the labyrinthine city where gold and silver treasures lie dormant, and to send living expenses to the shrine that raised me.

When I heard them talk about it before, I thought... their mission is so noble. As someone who came to Orario hoping to have an encounter with the opposite sex, I wish I could dig a hole and hide.

As my shame reignited, I realized she seemed to be getting to the point, so I listened attentively.

Lily and Welf stopped what they were doing and listened attentively to what Miss Fate had to say.

"I met Lady Haruhime long before I came to Orario... It was about ten years ago from now."

Miss Ming's gaze lingered on the floor as she recounted her encounter with Miss Haruhime.

"Our shrine and the others' shrines are on the mountain, while Haruhime's mansion is at the foot of the mountain. That lady comes from a noble family and cannot leave her mansion, growing up in an environment different from ours... But Takemikazuchi felt pity for her because of this."

—Go and bring that girl out.

The God of War (Takemikazuchi) seemed to say this to them with a very malicious expression, coupled with a childlike smile.

Miss Ming said that she, Sakura Rabbit, and Miss Chigusa, who had been learning martial arts under the tutelage of the God of War since childhood, sneaked into the mansion like mountain monkeys, evaded the guards, and took Miss Haruhime to play in the back mountain.

"So, Miss Haruhime and Miss Mikoto, you were childhood friends...?"

"That's exactly right, but we were accidentally exposed once, and from then on, our battles with the patrols became incredibly intense..."

Of course, such things couldn't be kept secret. It's said that the naughty children who took their daughters out of the mansion without permission made Haruhime's father furious... Every time, Takemikazuchi would kowtow and apologize, begging for forgiveness.

"This god's head is really light," Lily muttered to herself, probably sharing a similar thought with me and Welf, who were both sweating profusely.

"We visited Lady Haruhime several times, running through the mountains and fields, walking along the ridges of the fields, and playing by the river... but suddenly it all came to an end."

"...Could it be...?"

"Yes, because life at the shrine became difficult, everyone went out to work to earn their daily living expenses and no longer had time to go to the mansion... It was only after a long time that we went there that we learned that Lady Haruhime had been severed from her father."

The girl was kicked out of her home. Miss Ming and the others searched everywhere for her, but ultimately failed to find out a single clue...

This matter is probably related to the commotion involving the dwarf officials that Miss Haruhime mentioned.

Miss Haruhime was later sold and crossed the sea to the mainland, where she entered Orario.

She arrived in the labyrinth city earlier than Miss Fate and the others.

"Compared to Sakura-sama and the others, I spent very little time with that lady... However, Haruhime-sama and I were indeed once friends and confidantes."

Miss Ming kept her head down throughout as she finished recounting the whole story.

Her words revealed her feelings and remorse for Miss Chunji... which made me, standing before her, also feel sad and heartbroken.

After hearing what had happened, silence descended upon us.

"...Lily thinks you two understand, but..."

Lily broke the silence that enveloped the spacious library.

Welf leaned against the bookshelf with his arms crossed, and Lily beside him said something introductory, then continued:

"Please, neither of you, do anything to save that fox-woman."

"!!"

Miss Ming and I looked up abruptly, and only Lily remained calm, saying to us indifferently:

"Of course, the war game has just ended, do you want to start another conflict?"

Then, she gave us some sound advice without holding back:

"Having experienced the War Game, the Hestia Familia has no secrets left. Lord Bell, your magic, attacks, equipment, and items—all your moves are crystal clear to the audience."

Lily told them that everyone had gone to great lengths to achieve victory in that war, but there was a price to pay.

Becoming a celebrity not only brings fame, but also exposes personal information to the world, making it a subject of inquiries. Since our power has risen, many other factions (clans) have been analyzing our intelligence.

Feeling somewhat smug from the praise I received on the street, I felt as if I had been doused with a bucket of cold water.

"Moreover, the Ishtar Familia and the Apollo Familia are opponents on different levels. It would be a grave mistake to abduct members and make them your enemies."

"...!"

"Even if we get help from someone now, we would be defeated in an instant."

Lily, like Miss Eina, spoke very accurately about the difference in combat power.

It was so accurate that neither I, with my mouth agape, nor Miss Fate could refute it.

"Most importantly, doing this will place a huge burden on the main god (the goddess Hestia). That lady is carefree and may not realize it yet, but she has already entered the urban power circle and should be rejected by many gods."

Therefore, this matter should not be discussed with deities, and her family should not place any further burden on her.