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

"No."

That was the end of the conversation.

Aisha's suggestion was ignored, and the group began to discuss how to catch rabbits.

Aisha sighed as if humming through her nose, gazing out the window at the vast night sky above the red-light district.

And the gradually filling moon's shadow.

■

As night deepens.

In the center of Orario, on the top floor of the white-walled giant tower, resounding footsteps echoed.

The sound of her footsteps in the corridor was somewhat grating, and the high-slit black dress swayed with each step. Beautiful, fair skin emerged from the dimly lit passageway. She had her attendant, who was waiting at the room's door, open the wooden door and stepped inside.

"Otto, wine."

In the moonlit room on the top floor of the skyscraper (Tower of Babel), Freya, the "Goddess of Beauty," simply said this before sitting down on a chair set up in the room.

The luxurious chair back supported her soft, shapely buttocks, slender waist, and back with her long, flowing silver hair.

The boar-man follower, with a physique as imposing as a giant rock, silently obeys its master's commands.

"What happened?"

It placed the glass on an elegant table shaped like a fruit tree, and only after the host had taken a sip of wine did it ask a question.

Freya's serene beauty was unusually masked by a hint of displeasure as she glanced at Ota, who was waiting beside her.

"Didn't Mia say anything to you?"

"no."

The brief answer did not dampen Freya's spirits, and she took another sip of wine.

Letting her long silver hair slip down her shoulders, she told her personal attendant the whole story.

She revealed the information provided by the god (Hermes)—information that Ishtar, also a "goddess of beauty," had known.

"I think we really shouldn't let that male god act so willfully and recklessly, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, let's punish him next time we see him."

The two were having a conversation that, if the person in question (Hermes) heard it, would definitely make him foam at the mouth and faint.

At the same time, Freya twirled her silver hair with her fingers.

"I just didn't want Ishtar asking all sorts of questions, so I've been keeping a low profile lately... It's so annoying."

I heard her unusual, sullen whisper.

Ota frowned and remained silent.

Freya didn't notice the tense expression on her attendant's face, an expression that would make even a Minotaur flee in terror, and sighed.

"Ishtar found out about the child; I just hope she doesn't do anything foolish."

"...You mean she'll attack Bell Craney as a way to vent her anger?"

"That might actually be considered cute."

Ota was worried that the other party would attack the boy, while Freya, standing to the side, stared into the air, almost with her eyes wide open.

Freya understood perfectly well the conflict between herself and Ishtar—or rather, the one-sided jealousy of the other—and was almost certain of what the goddess of beauty would do.

She sighed softly again at the correct answer she had guessed.

"Should we arrest Bell Craney first?"

"...Wait a little longer."

Freya hesitated for a moment before stubbornly refusing the attendant's suggestion.

"I have overstepped my bounds," Ota apologized, without blaming her, and turned her gaze to the window.

Gazing at the night sky as seen from the highest point in Orario, after a long while...

Freya glanced sideways and looked at Ota's face.

"Keep a close eye on Ishtar and the others, and also tell the other children... I'll be moving to headquarters temporarily as well."

"As commanded."

Listening to Ota's solicitous reply over her shoulder, Freya finished the rest of the wine.

Volume 7, Chapter 4: Yoshiwara X Bubble

"I'm full..."

On a morning when the sun peeks over the city wall, in the headquarters cafeteria.

Miss Ming ended her breakfast in a listless voice.

The meager breakfast consisted of only a piece of bread; there was no soup or vegetables, and the fried potato balls were left on the large plate, as if they were meant to be offered to others.

Seeing Miss Ming's expression of not being able to eat, and her starting to clear her own dishes, the gods, Lily, Welf, and I, who were gathered around the table, all peeked at her with worried expressions.

"Hey, what happened to Ming?"

"She seemed to have come home very late last night..."

The fairy leaned close to Lily and asked her what she had seen and heard. While the two were talking, Miss Ming, who had left her seat, had already washed the dishes and walked out of the restaurant.

I exchanged a glance with Welf, nodded to each other, and then, without any regard for etiquette, stuffed my breakfast into my mouth and stood up.

I handed the dishes to Welf to clean up and went to chase after Miss Life.

"Miss Ming!"

"Lord Bell..."

I caught up with the unsteady figure trying to walk out the door.

His bluish-purple eyes, which had forgotten their usual stern gaze, turned back to look at me.

"Last night, you really did..."

Miss Ming nodded weakly in response to my question.

Just as I expected, she seemed to have gone to see Chunji last night. Seeing how dejected she looked, I guessed... I hesitated for a moment, then finally made up my mind and suggested, "Let's talk for a bit."

Miss Ming agreed, and it wasn't appropriate to talk while standing, so we walked from the main gate to a corner of the front yard, to a place where the mansion kept wooden boxes and barrels, and sat down.

"I went to visit Lady Haruhime... but was refused entry."

Miss Ming recounted the events of the previous night, bit by bit.

She said that after I told her about Miss Haruhime at the bookstore, she became very restless.

So she dressed in men's clothing to avoid revealing her true identity and went to the pleasure quarters.

She said she didn't know me...

Miss Ming looked dejected and lowered her head.

Judging from the tone of Haruhime's voice when she spoke in the boudoir, she probably didn't know that Mikoto and the others were in the city (Orario). Although I can't fathom her feelings about rejecting Mikoto, I think it's likely that the sudden reunion startled her.

Or... is it that he doesn't want Miss Ming to see him reduced to a prostitute?

Although it's just speculation, I can't help but think this way when I recall her various expressions.

"...Um, Miss Mikoto. What kind of person was Haruhime when she was in the Far East?"

I don't know why I wanted to know so much about her, I just asked.

I had no way to cheer Miss Ming up, so I could only ask this.

"...She was dignified and elegant, but a bit detached from worldly affairs. The smallest things would surprise her greatly, as if she found them very strange...and she always seemed so happy."

Miss Ming gazed at the grass on the ground and explained it to me bit by bit.

It's like reminiscing about the past.

"She's always so cautious, unlike Lady Chigusa. She seems to be constantly worried that she shouldn't be here... So when that lady smiles, I'm really happy."

I also imagine Miss Haruhime as a child... the innocent smile of the fox-girl.

"Most importantly, that lady is very kind. Before we even met, Lady Haruhime had heard about the shrine behind our mansion... and asked my father to share some food with us."

“Eh…”

"'I can't eat this much, please share it with the gods and children'... It is said that this was the first time that person made such a willful request to my father."

For Miss Haruhime, who lived a monotonous and comfortable life in the mansion, the rumors about Miss Megumi and the others seemed to have a strong impact on her. There was actually a group of children and immortals dressed in shabby clothes, barely making ends meet by gathering wild vegetables in the deep mountains and grasses.

Miss Chunji had already been exposed to a worldview full of warmth, such as fairy tales, and at a young age she understood compassion. It is said that she asked her father for help several times for a group of people she had never even met.

"We were overjoyed to receive the food from the Shuji Shrine, and then we became curious about the adults who distributed the food to us. When we heard that the food was sent from a mansion at the foot of the mountain, Sakura-sama and I secretly went down the mountain and climbed over the wall to peek inside the mansion..."

Then, they saw Miss Haruhime.

I saw a fox-girl unrolling a scroll along the veranda of a mansion, but she seemed lonely as she looked up at the sky.

"It's embarrassing to admit, but I couldn't help but feel a sense of righteous indignation and vowed to help the gentleman who helped us get rid of his loneliness."

Miss Ming blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a faint pink, and a smile appeared on her lips.

By then, Miss Mikoto and the others already knew that it was the little girl's plea that led to the delivery of the food to the shrine, so they consulted with the gods. Takemikazuchi, who had taken pity on Miss Haruhime, gave them a push.

"I received the 'favor' at that time in order to repay Lady Haruhime's kindness."

Miss Mei said that it was at that time that she received "divine grace" from Takemikazuchi.

It was originally agreed that she would be forbidden from receiving [ability points] before she learned how to make good use of her physical abilities, but at her request, Takemikazuchi finally granted her permission.

She... actually carved "God's Grace" on her body for Miss Haruhime?

"Later, just as I said yesterday, I and Lady Sakura were sent out of the shrine, and together we infiltrated the mansion and brought Lady Haruhime out."

Miss Mei said that they had received martial arts instruction from the God of War (Takemikazuchi) and had also gained [ability points], so they easily evaded the eyes of adults and took Miss Haruhime out every night.

Miss Ming said with a wry smile, "Looking back now, it was like repaying kindness with enmity to Miss Chunji's father."

"At first, Lady Haruhime was startled. Several unfamiliar, poor children suddenly appeared and asked her to go outside and play..."

The panicked little girl was forcibly taken out of the mansion, and then she learned about joy and excitement.

Two times, three times, children of similar age came to visit again and again, and before long, Miss Haruhime began to look forward to their arrival.

"Later, our plan to sneak out of the house was eventually exposed, but we still didn't learn our lesson and went to the mansion again... As a result, Miss Haruhime told us."

Inside the chaotic mansion.

To get the little girl out, the children staged a fight with the adult sentries.

Under the vast moonlit night, the black-haired girl held her own hand and ran across the fields.

The little girl, panting and with flushed cheeks, smiled at those who had brought her to the outside world.

—You guys are like heroes in a story.

The black-haired girl, who was running and turning her head back, also broke into a wide smile.

"I was so happy and proud at that time, feeling that I had repaid her kindness... and made her smile."

Miss Ming said that later, they went to many places with Miss Chunji.

Although her father no longer grants his daughter's pleas and provides assistance to the poor young ladies who took her out of the mansion, they still often find opportunities to sneak out.

Miss Mikoto said that the relationship between Mr. Sakura, Miss Chigusa, her other children, and Miss Haruhime, who laughed together, continued until that day.

Miss Ming, who was smiling as she reminisced about the past, seemed to wake up from a beautiful dream, and her gaze quietly fell on the ground.

Soon after, Miss Chunji was sold to a foreign land and became a prostitute.

Miss Fate and her companions, in order to protect the place where they were born and raised, became adventurers.

Two years ago, after crossing the sea to Orario, Jikiri, who had been unable to grow in strength until now, experienced an overwhelming number of battles and gained experience points in the dungeon, and suddenly grew significantly and began to stand out.

Then, first Mr. Sakura, and then Ms. Life, achieved the [upgrade].

Now she has become a rising star, her fame so great that it has caused a sensation in the adventurer community.

Separated from their respective places, Miss Haruhime and Miss Mikoto are able to meet again in this city.

The unexpected reunion, and the change in their positions from before, caused Miss Ming's voice to tremble.