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

"Tsk... This kid is so useless. Oh well, go get some aphrodisiacs."

Miss Florini rose disappointedly and loosened my blouse.

I was only temporarily freed. She stood up and gave me a smile.

"Just wait, I'll turn you into a rabbit in heat right away and pamper you properly."

Miss Florini turned her back to me, whose teeth were still chattering, and disappeared into the depths of the room with a loud laugh. The sound of the iron bars opening and closing could be heard; she seemed to have temporarily left the cell.

"...We need to get out of here as fast as we can!?"

Thrown down, I shook the chains on my head again with all my might. Ignoring the abrasions and bleeding from my wrists, I desperately tried to break free.

I've only slightly postponed my death; there won't be another chance!?

Then, as I violently shook my whole body like a mad rabbit—I heard a "chirp..." sound.

"Eek! So fast!?"

The sound of the iron grille opening rang out again.

Her return was so quick that my tears burst forth. Just then, a figure entered the room from the dim light.

Everything was over, I was plunged into despair, and all I could see in my vision were... fox ears and a golden tail.

My eyes, brimming with tears, opened as wide as they could, and there she was, dressed in a brightly colored kimono, standing before me.

"Are you alright, Lord Crannie?"

The panting fox-girl arrived in front of me.

"Haru...Miss Haruhime～ ...

"Shh, shh—! Keep your voice down, Lord Crannie!"

Seeing me cheering loudly while gushing tears, Miss Haruhime was startled and put her finger to her lips.

I can no longer hear her panicked voice.

It's a goddess! The goddess is right in front of me!?

The goddess of the Far East has descended!

Bathed in the light of salvation from the depths of despair, my thoughts wandered freely. Miss Haruhime ignored me, merely checking the chains binding her wrists before looking around. Then she spotted the bunch of keys Miss Frini had tossed onto the wooden table and hurried to retrieve them.

When she returned, she struggled for a long time with the layers of locked chains, inserting the keys one by one.

"It's open!"

Finally, the fine metal chains were completely unlocked.

My freed hands fell to the ground from above my head, and as I regained my freedom, tears welled up in my eyes.

Then, I lunged at the girl in front of me.

"Wa ...

"ah!?"

I hugged Miss Haruhime.

She couldn't catch me as I flew into her arms and fell backward.

Freed from overwhelming fear, I am now utterly devoid of composure. I overpower Miss Haruhime, nestled against her chest, and completely regressed into a child.

That's terrifying, absolutely terrifying. I've never encountered anything this scary in my life.

I held her in my arms; her chest was so warm, which made my face wrinkle up from crying so pitifully.

"Miss Haruhime～～～～……!"

When she saw me lift my head from my chest, tears streaming down my face, Miss Haruhime blushed.

My face was right next to Miss Haruhime. She gently, tightly, pulled my face into her arms, "Good boy, good boy," stroking my hair like she was coaxing a child. She quietly moved her body, her thick tail wrapping around my waist.

Like a fox whose protective instincts have been aroused, she hugged me, this poor rabbit, into her arms.

"Alright, alright, Lord Craney, let's get out of here quickly."

"Waaaah~!"

Miss Chunji asked me to stand up, and then, blushing, took my hand.

With my left hand being held by Miss Haruhime and my right hand vigorously rubbing the corner of my eye, I must have looked like a lost child being led by the hand of my neighbor's older sister.

I left the torture chamber—or rather, the cell—in an unbelievably shameful state, and proceeded down the dark stone passageway.

"I'm so sorry, Miss Haruhime..."

"No, no...please don't worry about it."

We walked for a while in the underground passage where a few magic stone lamps were lit.

After finally calming down from my outburst of emotions, I apologized to Miss Haruhime with tears in my eyes.

I asked her, whose cheeks were still flushed, to let go of my hand.

"But... how did you find out about this place?"

While I was incredibly grateful to her for saving me, I also had some questions.

Miss Frini must have said that this is a secret room and passageway that no one knows about.

I looked at Miss Haruhime with my red and swollen eyes—though they were already red to begin with.

"Actually, I once saw Miss Frini using this passage in the palace."

As we walked, Miss Haruhime told me that she had personally witnessed Miss Frini entering and exiting the secret passage at headquarters.

"She said if I told anyone, she would make me suffer, so I've never told anyone..."

"Eh... In that case, wouldn't Miss Haruhime be..."

If she was threatened and didn't tell anyone, then besides Miss Frini, the only person who knew about this passage was Miss Haruhime. Miss Frini would immediately suspect that Miss Haruhime saved her.

I was worried she would be punished, but she just smiled at me.

"I am no longer in danger."

I've seen her give that beautiful, ethereal smile before, which left me speechless.

Panicked, I could only continue forward in the dimly lit passage at Miss Haruhime's urging.

"...Huh?"

Frini, who was holding the aphrodisiac in one hand, trembled all over when she saw the scene before her.

The lock on the fine metal chain was unlocked, and the white rabbit vanished into thin air.

The empty cell transformed her frog-like features into a furious and exasperated expression.

"Who knows about this room...!?"

After the veins on her forehead bulged, she immediately noticed a long golden hair on the ground.

"—Haruhime ee ...

A furious roar echoed through the underground passage.

■

The building was built near South Street, almost in the heart of the bustling area.

The majestic mansion, resembling a temple, even in the heart of a bustling district, still boasts expansive grounds including courtyards and is surrounded by high walls, a testament to immense wealth, power, and glory.

This mansion stands in the Fifth District, nestled between the South Avenue and the Southeast Avenue, and is located opposite the "Twilight Mansion," the headquarters of the Loki Familia, situated in the northern part of the city. It is called "Fólkvangr" (Battlefield Field).

This is the headquarters of Freya Familia, one of the two giants of the city.

"Goddess Freya, the Ishtar Familia has made a move."

Deep within this building, also known as the "Silver Mansion" due to its shape resembling the bright moon in the sky, Freya sat in the center of a spacious hall, with a young (human) familiar kneeling before her.

The goddess sat in an elegant chair, her gaze shifting from the round table laden with wine and food.

"What are the details?"

"Around the headquarters of the red-light district, the prostitutes seemed unusually busy, running around everywhere."

"The monitors... are they Allen and the others?"

"Yes, Lord Otto directed surveillance from Daedalus Road, while Lord Allen and Lord Gel infiltrated the Pleasure Street."

"I see. You may leave now. ... Thank you, Herren."

Freya comforted the human member who had come to report in place of the attendant (Ota) who had temporarily left headquarters. She ran her hand through the member's long hair and lovingly stroked her cheek.

The girl froze for a moment, then trembled with overwhelming emotion, her back shaking as she said, "You flatter me," bowing her head in gratitude. She lowered her head to hide her flushed face and hurried away.

Freya gazed at the girl's back for a while, then looked up at the sky above her head.

A window positioned high on the wall represents the western direction.

"..."

While Freya was listening to the group members' report, the man looked down from the brothel.

It was still daytime outside the window, yet prostitutes were already strolling around in twos and threes. Seeing them seemingly busy with something, or perhaps searching for something, the man narrowed his eyes and swayed the thin tail that extended from his waist.

A short cat-man youth with black and gray fur, standing approximately 160cm tall.

I raised my gaze and stared intently at the enormous palace built in the distance.

"Allen!"

A beautiful prostitute scurried into his room, sneezing loudly.

The cat-man youth, called Allen, slowly turned his head from the window.

"It seems that the rookie has indeed been taken to the palace (headquarters). However, he is now missing, and everyone is looking for him."

The prostitute was a human woman, about the same height as the cat-man, but with an unusually full figure.

She is also a non-combatant member of the Ishtar Familia.

She handed over the information that only combatants and faction leaders knew to the man before her.

"To think I'd been caught by a mere whore... you stinking rabbit."

The cat-man Allen has regular features, but speaks extremely rudely.

He twisted his dark eyes and clicked his tongue.

"Ellen, I've worked so hard, can I become your woman now?"

The prostitute, her cheeks flushed and her eyes moist, approached him.

She did a lot for this cat-man youth.

Although they had never slept together, she was completely obedient to the young man, doing whatever he asked for. This time, she betrayed her own people again for the man she loved, risking her life to obtain intelligence.

She tried to snuggle against Allen's chest, but he only glanced at the prostitute before forcefully pushing her away.

"Don't touch me, you slut. You'll tarnish the favor of the goddess of beauty."

She was speechless; Allen cruelly rejected her.

"How could I possibly be attracted to you prostitutes, a bunch of lustful harlots?"

He looked at the prostitute, whose dress was wide open, with a contemptuous gaze that seemed disgusted by her filth.

In the labyrinthine city, attracting the attention of powerful high-ranking adventurers or becoming their woman is a status and position for prostitutes. Prostitutes who gain the favor of adventurers can live a life of extravagant pleasure and can also forge relationships with [familias], thereby increasing their power.

In order to gain powerful backing and climb the social ladder, prostitutes also risked their lives.

Everyone dreams of becoming the queen of the night world.

"A parasite who sleeps with anyone." Allen insulted the woman, one of those prostitutes, with a chilling tone.

"That's so mean... I'm truly sincere towards you..."

The prostitute knew she had been used, and a tear slid down her cheek.

Allen walked past her without even glancing at her trembling shoulders.

Just as the cat-man youth was about to leave the room, the prostitute suddenly raised the corner of her eye.

"You bastard!!"