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

"If that lady is suffering, I would very much like to help her... no, I hope we can return to the kind of relationship we had back then."

Miss Ming could no longer hold back and poured out the desires that had been accumulating in her heart.

She reached out to her shoulder and touched the words "God's Grace" engraved on her back.

"I'm being willful... I just want to see Lady Haruhime smile one more time."

Miss Ming vigorously wiped away her tearful eyes and said this.

Seeing the girl's tears, I was speechless once again.

After recounting the whole story, some time passed, and Miss Ming calmed down.

She apologized to me for her embarrassment, saying she was going to the guild now, which was her original plan. She said she knew it would be futile, but she still wanted to see if there was a solution.

I also asked her to let me go with her, even though it wouldn't really do me any good, but I just wanted to do something.

She agreed, and I walked out of the headquarters' main entrance with her.

"..."

"..."

We walked along the road next to the headquarters without saying a word.

We are all troubled by Miss Haruhime's situation, and therefore deeply saddened by the current circumstances. We know that offering words of comfort would only be like licking our wounds, so we have no choice but to fall silent.

We walked along listlessly, looking utterly dejected, as if others might complain.

"Hello, everyone, Brother Bell and Sister Little Life."

"...Hermes?"

Just as we were about to leave the road leading to headquarters.

Hermes, who had been stealthily hiding in the shadows, appeared before us, shaking the hat he wore on his head.

How should I put it? I always felt like he was spying on someone, waiting for them to walk out of our headquarters...

"Ah—Little Bell, have you guys encountered any danger lately? To be specific, like being attacked by a large group of Amazons or something..."

"W-Why are you suddenly asking this...?"

Miss Fate was quite confused by Hermes's abrupt question. "It's true, I was almost killed by Miss Aisha and the others the day before yesterday..."

My idol is alone today, and he seems a little restless and a bit guilty.

Hermes seemed hesitant to look us in the eye, noticing our expressions as he fiddled with his wide-brimmed hat adorned with feathers.

"You guys seem really listless... What's wrong?"

When he asked me that, Miss Ming and I exchanged a glance and then lowered our heads.

Seeing how clearly we understood, Hermes abandoned his previous attitude and smiled.

"If you don't mind, you can talk to me about it?"

“Eh…”

"I swear by the name of the gods that I will never tell anyone what you are telling me now."

To our surprise, Hermes took off his hat and held it to his chest.

"I am, after all, a god; perhaps I can be of some help to you."

His tone was like guiding lost souls from the lower realms, but his eyes held a childlike quality.

Miss Ming and I looked at each other again... and then nodded to each other with serious expressions.

We are focused solely on improving Miss Haruhime's current situation and have decided to consult with Hermes about this matter.

■

There is a place that is perfect for private conversations.

Hermes said this and led us a short distance from the headquarters located in the southwest of the city to a shop near "Amor Square," where I had previously arranged to meet the goddess Hestia.

The trendy café "Vissen," nestled in a complex and narrow alley, felt like a little-known shop known only to regulars. Apart from us, the bright and clean café was filled with young men and women.

Led by the bespectacled elf shopkeeper, we sat down at a table deep inside the shop.

"I see... Your friend became a prostitute, right?"

After hearing the gist of the matter, Hermes first moistened his throat with the black tea that had been served.

Miss Ming, sitting next to me, resisted the urge to lower her head and waited for the deity sitting in front to speak.

"Little Bell, just like what Lily told you, no matter what, I don't recommend that you force that friend out of the brothel... and make enemies of Ishtar and the others."

If a conflict breaks out, the Hestia Familia will definitely be destroyed this time. Hearing Hermes say this, we nodded heavily. We all knew that if things turned out this way, it would affect the gods and Lily.

Miss Ming has only recently converted to a different sect... and cannot leave her [family].

If she could, she, being a woman of loyalty, might immediately leave the [Family] and act recklessly on her own.

I couldn't help but glance at Miss Ming's serious profile sitting next to me, and thought to myself.

"Basically, outsiders cannot interfere in the affairs of a clan. Because if someone you know intervenes, it will not benefit either side."

When Hermes said this so definitively, our faces turned grim.

Is there really no way out? This feeling of powerlessness makes our bodies feel heavy.

"—However, if the other party is a prostitute, that's a different story."

However, Hermes' tone suddenly brightened as he spoke.

"Huh?" Miss Ming and I said in unison, as he gave us a smile that dispelled his pessimism.

"While it also depends on your friend's position within the faction... that is, their status, if they are a low-ranking member, especially a prostitute who is not a combatant, they can be 'redeemed'."

Hermes explained to us the "redemption"—a unique rule of the redemption district.

In short, it was a system that used large sums of money to buy the freedom of prostitutes.

As long as the debtor pays the debt or a ransom is paid, the payer can buy the prostitute's freedom. It is said that in Orario, successful high-ranking adventurers often buy their favorite prostitutes as their life partners or concubines.

This system, which treats prostitutes as commodities, disgusts me to some extent... but only now, I have to say, has a glimmer of hope.

"...In a regular brothel, they might be able to 'buy' a member, as you said, but...would that major faction (the Ishtar Familia) let its members go so easily?"

Compared to me, whose heart raced at the sight of a glimmer of light, Miss Ming seemed to suppress her emotions, cautiously and calmly presenting her opinion.

Despite hearing Miss Fate's concerns, Hermes smiled and said it was no problem.

"Don't worry, Ishtar, the 'Goddess of Beauty,' is, after all, the goddess of love. If a man wants to redeem a prostitute, as long as the woman is willing to go with him, the goddess will grant his request."

Their gazes suddenly turned to me, which startled me.

"Next, we'll see if the girl you want to redeem is a non-combatant... a low-ranking member of your faction."

If she happens to be a formidable combatant or cadre, Goddess Ishtar certainly wouldn't release her.

Hermes revealed this meaning, glancing at me sideways to confirm, and I suddenly stood up.

"No, no problem!? Miss Haruhime must be a junior member, there's no doubt about it!"

I leaned out and yelled like an idiot.

The Miss Haruhime I met at the pleasure house two days ago doesn't look like someone who can fight at all!

Although it is unknown whether she received the favor, judging from the girls' attitude and response, she must be a subordinate!

The male and female guests were startled by my loud shouting, and Hermes smiled and nodded.

"Well, there might be a good chance."

Upon hearing Hermes' words, Miss Fate finally showed a look of gratitude and joy.

This time, it was her turn to lean her upper body out across the table.

"How much does it cost to redeem yourself?!"

"It depends on the prostitute's status, but... I heard the going rate is around two or three million?"

The sheer amount of money—a million units—made both Miss Ming and I gasp. However…

(This is definitely not an amount that cannot be earned.)

We looked at each other, unable to hide our joy, and nodded to each other.

We have now broken into the "middle level" of the dungeon, and the [Family] business is going smoothly. Although it will take time, we will definitely be able to raise the money.

It felt like I had finally seen hope.

My heart was pounding, and my cheeks were flushed.

She hoped someone could take her out. In that pleasure quarter, Miss Haruhime uttered these words as if recounting a beautiful dream.

I can save that person!

"If it's convenient, could you tell me about that girl? I'll also try to find out from Ishtar; maybe I can help you out again."

Miss Ming and I finally managed to sit back down, but we still couldn't suppress our excitement. Hermes looked at us with a smile and said this.

"Haruhime! Sanjono, Lady Haruhime! She's about my age, and she's a fox spirit!"

Upon hearing Hermes' suggestion, Miss Ming excitedly revealed Miss Haruhime's name and race.

"...Fox people."

Upon hearing this, Hermes opened his eyes wide and whispered.

That didn't seem like acting; it was just a genuine expression of astonishment.

The handsome man shut his mouth and stared at us intently.

"Hermes...?"

Seeing that he seemed completely different, I asked him a question.

Hermes said quietly:

"Although this goes against my principles..."

He said that first, and then began to tell a story.

"Little Bell, the day I met you in the red-light district, I accepted a delivery order and was about to deliver a package to Ishtar."

"A package...?"

"As a deliveryman, it's a big no-no to leak information about the client and the package. It would be unethical for me to do this, but... I really like you guys, so I'll tell you anyway."

When Hermes suddenly said this, we were all puzzled. He told us:

"The package I delivered contained an item called the 'Killing Stone'."

...Killing, stone?

I've never heard of this prop before, so I tilted my head.

Miss Ming seems to be the same.

"That's all I can say. I'm leaving now, little brother Bell and little sister."

Hermes rose from his chair.

He put his feathered hat back on, revealing orange-yellow eyes through the shadow of the brim.

After paying the bill, Hermes left the store alone, and Miss Fate and I watched his retreating figure, completely bewildered.

What happened to Hermes?

"I don't understand either, he just suddenly became a different person..."

After leaving the coffee shop, Miss Ming and I decided to go back to headquarters first instead of going to the guild as originally planned, because we wanted to talk to Lily and the others about raising the ransom as soon as possible.

I walked side by side with Miss Fate, recalling the final expression on Hermes' face.

What exactly did Hermes want to tell us...? I decided to memorize the word "Kessho-seki" that he mentioned.

The two looked suspicious as they walked back the way they came.

"...?"

"That is……"

As we walked out of the wide street, we began to see the three-story mansion.