Dungeon ni Deai o Motomeru no wa Machigatte Iru Darou ka - Volume 7 - Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5 

KILLING STONE 

Drip, drip. 

I slowly blink open my eyes. 

“…Ugh.” 

The sound of dripping water reaches my ears as my surroundings come into focus. 

Pain. Pain from every corner of my body. Mustering strength in my neck, I lift my head for a better view. 

The first thing I make out is a small magic-stone lamp. 

But it’s very dim in here. 

And I think…the walls are made of stone. Not just the walls, the floor and ceiling, too. It’s a decently wide room, but the air is chilly, humid. 

My eyes begin to adjust and my brain starts to wake up then. 

“…?!” 

My last memories flash before my eyes. 

In the Dungeon, an attack by hooded adventurers, a strangely strong Aisha, and— 

A grotesque smile on a massive woman’s face. My whole body shudders and I clench my eyes shut. 

That’s right, I was…! 

“Captured…!” 

Fully awake, my body springs to life. Rattle, rattle. But something holds me back. I whip around my head for a closer look. 

My butt is on the cold stone floor and I’m sitting up against a wall. My arms…are tied above my head by silver chains. Surprise overtakes me, my eyes going wide. I try to break free, relying on my Strength to break the shackles—but it’s no use. Not even a crack! 

I pull a few more times, the heavy metallic chains rattling above my ears. But this is a waste of energy. There’s no choice but to give up for now. 

Taking quick, short breaths, I try to relax my shoulders. 

“What the hell is going on…?” 

My weak voice comes tumbling out. The attack came out of nowhere, and now this. Nothing makes any sense. 

But I do know that Aisha was leading the attack, which means that it was Ishtar Familia. I don’t know what they were trying to achieve, but…they captured me and brought me here…So this would be their home? 

Lilly, Welf, Mikoto…Is everyone okay? 

I’m in surprisingly good shape… 

I take my eyes off my suspended hands and have another look at myself. My knives and armor are gone. My black undershirt is a complete mess, but the skin underneath looks healthy. Arms and legs, too, barely even a scratch. 

Ah, that’s why. Splashes of residue on my shirt prove that they practically showered me with potions at some point. The cold is sharp on my exposed skin. 

Actually, my whole body feels pretty cold. I take a deep breath, collect my thoughts, and scan the room one more time. 

The stone room feels old, like it was built a long time ago. No windows at all, and I’m pretty sure that’s mold in the air. 

The magic-stone lamp is built into the wall…and just below it are whips, chains, candles, a variety of handcuffs and restraints, and a spiked club…Other things, too, but actually thinking about them scares me half to death. There are even more of them on a table and in a pile in the corner. 

And directly in front of me, barely recognizable in the dim light on the other side of the room—is a black iron grate. 

“It’s as though this were…” 

An interrogation room. 

I gulp down the air in my throat. 

No one else is here, at least I don’t think so…A wave of fear rushes through my body all the way to the tips of my toes. 

I pull even harder at the chains, my heart anxiously pounding in my chest. I look left and right; the sound of footsteps reaches me. 

“…!” 

I hold my breath. 

More droplets of water fall from the ceiling as the footsteps get louder, coming toward me. My heart slams against the inside of my ribs as my eyes lock onto the iron grate, dreading what I might see. 

A large shadow appears on the other side. It shifts slightly from side to side, then, creak. The grate opens and the figure steps inside. 

Every nerve in my body is pulsing, screaming at me to run. The figure’s details come into view— 

“?Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-geh! Look who’s awake!” 

I nearly pass out again. 

“Find that damn toad!” 

Ishtar Familia’s home, Belit Babili, was in a state of chaos. 

Aisha had led a group of Berbera into the Dungeon to attack Bell’s battle party under the orders of her goddess. 

They returned to the surface and arrived back in their territory without a hitch. That was when the massive woman in front of them, Phryne, chose to make her move. Knocking all the other Berbera unconscious within a matter of seconds, she took Bell out of the cargo box and vanished. She had ignored a direct order. 

The equivalent of apocalyptic pandemonium erupted the moment her actions were discovered. Aisha screamed orders to her allies, getting the entire familia, including animal people, elves, and noncombatants, to join the search. Adventurers and prostitutes alike raced up and down the halls of their brothel fortress. 

“That tub of lard…!” 

“She’s going to ‘feast’ even though Lady Ishtar told her not to!” 

Amazons shouted to one another as their search party increased in number by the second. 

“That’s just like you, Phryne…” 

The frantic footsteps of her followers echoing from below, Ishtar sat on a sofa with an extremely displeased look on her face. 

She was currently in an open room toward the top of her towering palace. Accented with a thick red rug, the entire space was designed to look like a throne room fit for royalty. The goddess sat with her legs up on the sofa, sprawled out like a queen. 

She was surrounded by a ring of shirtless servants—all handsome men and stylish older boys. Each one of them was slowly waving a fan back and forth. 

“But…no man would ever be attracted to a woman like that, right?” 

An animal person who had only recently come into Ishtar’s service quietly voiced his opinion as he waved his fan back and forth. A dark-skinned human, Ishtar’s preferred servant, Tammuz, was quick to respond. 

“Do you not know?” 

“Know what?” 

“Phryne forces an enormous amount of aphrodisiac down the throat of any man she catches. That woman doesn’t give a damn how much her victim cries. She’ll take what she wants.” 

Tammuz finished by saying that she indulges until there is nothing left, only the empty shell of a man. The color drained from the young servant’s face. 

A cold chill ran through the other servants, causing them to shiver while wearing sour expressions. 

“It still might let me take revenge on Freya somewhat…but it doesn’t sit well with me.” 

Ishtar took a grape out of a bowl in a servant’s outstretched hand and ground the juicy fruit between her teeth. 

Licking her plump lips with her dark-pink tongue, Ishtar turned her gaze to her most trusted attendant. 

“Tammuz, join the search.” 

“At once.” 

The handsome human made a curt bow before leaving the room. 

The actions of one woman had unleashed utter confusion and disarray within their palace and the surrounding areas. 

“…” 

One girl stood alone amid the swirling madness. 

Determination swelled within Haruhime’s eyes. 

One look down the corridor and she turned her attention to an iron grate just beside her. She could see an unconscious human girl lying on the floor just beyond the iron bars. 

The guards had been called to search for Bell, leaving the prisoner unattended. Haruhime looked over her shoulder one more time to make sure she was alone. Then she tossed a bunch of keys into the chamber through the space between the bars. 

“You have my deepest apologies.” 

She whispered under her breath into the chamber, but she was needed elsewhere. 

Fox ears fully extended, she wasted no time in leaving the corridor. 

Blood drains from my face as two bulging eyes loom over me. 

“Welcome to my little love chamber.” 

A voice so gruff it shakes me to my very core. Two short and stubby muscular arms are sticking out of red and black hunting gear. At least ten keys are dangling from a ring hanging from meaty fingers. 

“And it’s all because Daedalus Street is so close. There’s a secret tunnel from home that leads out here.” 

It still bears the name of the insane architect who designed it. Thanks to him, she can do whatever she wants in here. 

Phryne takes a step closer, deep voice echoing around the room. 

“This is where I bring all my favorite men. Bit annoying having to drag them all the way out here, but even Lady Ishtar doesn’t know about this place.” 

My mouth goes dry at the knowledge that she’s the only one who knows about this room. Despair sets in; no one is going to save me. 

I don’t even have to ask what she’s planning to do now. 

I’m well aware—the “hunt” through the Pleasure Quarter was only four days ago! 

Not good, not good, NOT GOOD! 

I shuffle my feet backward in a desperate attempt to gain some distance, but my back hits the wall immediately. I’m stuck! 

“Who would settle for sloppy seconds? You have to have the first bite, the first smell, to truly enjoy the feast! Ain’t that right?” 

Her eyes narrow as her lips stretch from ear to ear in a menacing smile. “Ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-ge-geh!” Another round of croaking laughter. 

Another step closer at her shadow falls over me—I can’t control the panic anymore. 

“HYYE—HYYYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” 

Even the clatter of the shackles can’t mask my pitiful scream! I thrash around, desperate for any kind of window to escape. 

Pulling against the restraints in every direction, I try again and again. But the chains just won’t break. 

“Give up already. Those are forged mythril. Even top-class adventurers can’t snap ’em.” 

Mythril is also very magically conductive. If I tried blasting it with Firebolt, the explosive reaction would tear my hands off at the wrist and send them flying. She gloats and tells me as much. 

Phryne brings the ring of keys up to her face and jangles them in front of me. One of those pieces of metal can set me free. I watch in horror as she tosses the entire thing halfway across the room, landing with a metallic clink on the table. She grins at me and—leans in close to my face. 

“Ahhh, deliciousss.” 

“?” 

A long tongue emerges from her mouth and licks the side of my face. 

My entire body goes numb. I’m pretty sure I could die right here and now. 

It’s exactly the same effect as getting licked by a frog shooter in the Dungeon. Every hair on my body stands on end, consciousness drifting toward next week. My head flops backward, my eyes rolling back as I lose sight of the ceiling. 

The top-class adventurer turned me into nothing but a shell with a single lick. My sight comes back into focus for a moment, but I wish it hadn’t for the simple reason that I see her wetting her lips with that tongue. 

“To the bed or to get out the toys…” 

“S-stop, please, I’m begging you, please stop—!” 

“Ge-ge-ge-ge-geh! Looks like you need to learn who’s boss first.” 

Her right hand reaches forward and grabs hold of my face, just over my mouth. Then her left hand takes hold of what’s left of my shirt and starts to tug. 

My teeth are chattering. Tears are leaking out of my eyes. I can’t stop shaking. 

I heave back and forth in a desperate attempt to break free of her grip, but it’s no use. The trembling becomes too intense and my ability to struggle disappears. 

Phryne leans in closer, clearly enjoying every second of my agony. Then— 

“…Haa?” 

She looks at my legs. 

More specifically, my…groin that seems to have shriveled up from fear. 

“Tsk…That’s the problem with brats. Can’t be helped. Got a supply of love juice around here somewhere…” 

She drops my shirt and stands up. Maybe she’s lost interest? Stepping away, she looks down at me and says: 

“Wait right there. I’ll serve you like a bunny stew. Yeah, I’m gonna take real good care of youuu.” 

She starts laughing at what she no doubt considers to be a cute expression of terror on my face and disappears back into the darkness. I hear the iron grate slide shut and try again to break free. 

“…I-I-I-I-I have to get out of here!” 

The crackling of chains once again echoes throughout the room. My wrists are screaming in pain, pinched between the chains, but I don’t care. Getting out of these things is a matter of life and death. 

I’m on borrowed time as it is! 

Then, with my whole body quivering like a trapped rabbit—creak. 

“S-so soon?!” 

The iron grate opens again. 

Tears pouring down my face, I catch a glimpse of the human figure approaching through the darkness. 

It’s all over. The darkness of despair overtakes me. And the last things I see are two fox ears…and a golden bushy tail? 

Light fills my vision once again, my eyes flying open. The thin figure is clearly wearing a kimono. 

“Are you hurt, Master Cranell?” 

She sounds out of breath but rushes to my side. 

“MI-MISS HARUHIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!” 

“Shh, shhh, shhh. Be still, Master Cranell.” 

Tears of joy erupt from my eyes as my voice roars from deep within my throat. Startled, Haruhime places two fingers over my lips. 

But I can’t hear a word she says. 

It’s a goddess! A goddess has arrived! 

A goddess from the Far East is here right now! 

I’ve been saved from the brink of despair. Haruhime quickly inspects the shackles binding my wrists before looking around the room. She spots the ring of keys that Phryne left on the table and grabs them without a second thought. 

She’s back at my side in an instant, trying key after key in the lock just above my hands. 

“You are free.” 

CLICK. The mythril shackles release their grip. 

Blood comes rushing back into my limbs as they fall to the floor. A new wave of tears flows out of my eyes, but this time they’re tears of joy at my newfound freedom. 

I jump toward the girl in front of me. 

“UWAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” 

“EEKK!” 

I wrapped my arms around her. 

She can’t keep her balance as I bury my head in her chest, and she falls backward. 

There isn’t a calm nerve in me. Every muscle, every fiber, every cell is rejoicing after being released from the most unyielding fear I’ve ever experienced. I clutch her close as I can, my face diving into her chest like a traumatized kid reunited with his mother. 

I was scared, so scared. 

She’s so warm and soft, I can’t help but nuzzle my face into her over and over again. 

“Miss Haruuuuuhimeeee…!” 

I finally raise my head. Seeing my face with tears running freely, her own cheeks redden. 

Then she sits up, pulling my head back into her chest and embracing me with both arms. “It’s okay now,” she says softly as she runs her fingers through my hair. Shifting her balance, she brings up her tail and wraps it around my waist. 

A rabbit seeking refuge finds comfort from a lone fox. 

“W-well, Master Cranell. We should leave at once.” 

“Uhnnhg!” 

She blushes again and pushes my shoulders up and away. Climbing to her feet, she grabs hold of my hand. 

I wipe away the tears with my right hand, and she pulls me to my feet as if she was a friendly neighborhood girl consoling a lost child. 

I must look absolutely pitiful right now. Luckily, it’s dark in the interrogation room. We pass through the iron grate and into the even dimmer hallway. 

“S-s-sorry, Miss Haruhime…” 

“I-it’s nothing…Please pay it no mind.” 

She leads me past more magic-stone lamps. 

I’ve finally calmed down enough from the explosion of euphoria to realize what I’d done and apologize to her. 

Only then do I notice she’s still holding my hand. Her cheeks blush pink and she lets go. 

“But…how did you know where I was?” 

I’m extremely grateful, grateful beyond words, for what she’s done for me. But considering what Phryne told me, it’s a little strange. 

If her goddess didn’t know the location of the room, how did Haruhime find me in time? 

I turn my red eyes—they’re red to begin with, but not like this—onto Haruhime. 

“The truth is, I have witnessed Lady Phryne use this passage in the past.” 

We keep walking as she tells me about the time she saw the Amazon sneaking away. 

“I was found out and threatened. That is why I’ve never said a word to anyone before…” 

“So…that would mean that…” 

If she hadn’t told anyone about this passage, then Phryne knew that only Haruhime knows about it. Haruhime’s put herself in a very dangerous position to help me. 

She reads the look of concern on my face but only smiles. 

“There is no need…to worry about me.” 

It’s the same smile as before, empty and distant. There’s nothing I can say. 

Lost in my own thoughts, I follow Haruhime out of the passage. 

“……Huh?” 

Muscles in Phryne’s body twitched as she surveyed the scene with a jug of aphrodisiac in her hand. 

An open lock was sitting on top of the pile of mythril chains on the floor. The white rabbit was nowhere to be seen. 

Phryne’s face warped into a mask of rage as she looked at what remained of her prize. 

“The only other one who knowsss…” 

The pupils of her eyes shrank as they locked in on one long strand of golden hair. 

“—HARUHIMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!” 

A thunderous roar erupted, her rage rocking the entire chamber. 

At the end of South Main Street, there was a building that stood out from all others in the Shopping District. 

It was a solemn palace that had the air of an old temple, surrounded by a spacious lawn and high walls on all sides. Controlling this amount of space in the Shopping District spoke volumes about the wealth and power of its owner. 

It stood proudly in Orario’s fifth district, sandwiched between South Main and Southeast Main. This commanding structure was the polar opposite of Loki Familia’s home, Twilight Manor, in the north. Its name: Folkvangr. 

However, everyone knew it as the home of the most powerful familia in Orario: 

Freya Familia. 

“Lady Freya. Ishtar Familia is behaving strangely.” 

The highest level of the palace was coated in silver and designed to resemble the moon. Freya sat at the very back of an open chamber, her overwhelming presence filling the room as her eyes found the speaker. One of her followers, a young human girl, made her way across the room with haste before kneeling in front of her goddess. 

“Details?” 

“A large number of prostitutes are running around their home, as well as the Pleasure Quarter.” 

“Tell me…are Allen and his team watching them?” 

“Yes, My Lady. Ottar has taken up position on Daedalus Street. Allen and Grale have infiltrated the Pleasure Quarter.” 

“I see. You may leave…Thank you, Helen.” 

The human had come to deliver the message in place of Freya’s favorite, Ottar. She thanked the girl and lovingly ran her fingers through the human’s long hair. 

The girl trembled, overwhelmed by a compliment she’d never expected to receive. Coming back to her senses, she thrust her head close to the floor, claiming she wasn’t worthy of such praise. Hiding her blushing face behind her hair, she left the room as quickly as she had arrived. 

Freya watched her go for a moment before looking skyward. 

The window far above her head showed the western skyline. 

“…” 

He was looking out the window on the top floor of the brothel at the same moment that Freya received the message. 

It was still early afternoon and yet he could see groups of prostitutes walking up and down the streets in groups of two or three. A long, thin tail lazily swished back and forth as he watched them through narrow eyes. Each of the prostitutes looked nervous, their heads on swivels as if desperately searching for something. 

He was a catman, standing only about 160 celch tall and covered in sleek black and gray fur. 

Looking away from the streets, his gaze fell on a palace in the distance. 

“Allen!” 

Hurried footsteps echoed through the hallway before a beautiful prostitute arrived at his door. 

The catman, Allen Fromel, slowly turned away from the window to face her. 

“The Little Rookie was taken to our home after all. But now he’s missing and everyone’s out looking for him.” 

She was a very attractive human woman who shared his stature that was mismatched with her ample figure. 

She was also a noncombatant belonging to Ishtar Familia. 

She gave the man information that only the familia’s adventurers and commanders knew. 

“Captured by a bunch of prostitutes…Worthless rabbit.” 

Cat people were generally known for their gentle appearance and friendliness. However, Allen’s rough words and tone betrayed that reputation. 

He clicked his tongue, black eyes flashing in disgust. 

“Allen, I’ve done everything you’ve asked. This was enough to become your woman, right?” 

Her cheeks blushed bright pink, eyes moist as she stepped closer to the man. 

She came within arm’s reach of the catman. 

While she didn’t try to reach out, she had put herself in great danger to fulfill his wishes. She’d betrayed her own familia for the man she loved. 

Opening her shoulders to him, the longing in her eyes was palpable. However, Allen took one glance at her before pushing her away. 

“Don’t touch me, slut. You’ll dirty my goddess’s favor.” 

She stumbled backward. Allen’s harsh rejection put her in a state of shock. 

“As if I’d take a liking to one of you. You’re a common whore, consumed by lust.” 

He looked at the woman’s exposed cleavage with the same disdain as rotting flesh before making eye contact. 

Becoming the preferred companion of an upper-class adventurer, or becoming his woman, was the goal of every prostitute in Orario. A connection with the right person or familia would give her more power within their world. 

All of them were desperate for an influential patron to back them. 

They all held dreams of becoming a queen of the night. 

Allen knew she was one of them and coldly spat out his next words, saying that a parasite that would give herself to any man for the right price was unworthy of his affection. 

“Monster…I-I loved you.” 

A different type of tears leaked out of her eyes the moment she realized she had been used. 

Allen took his eyes off her and stepped past her quivering shoulders. 

He was almost out the door when the prostitute spun around with fury in her eyes. 

“You ungrateful bastard!” 

Her voice shrieked as her hands fumbled around in search of anything not attached to the floor. 

She hurled pillows, random objects, and insults at him—Allen dodged them all without so much as a peek over his shoulder. Then he reached to his waist, withdrew a dagger, spun, and pressed the blade to her throat in less than a second. 

“—Ah.” 

“Shut it.” 

Her rage was frozen by terror, lungs refusing to breathe. 

The blade hovered just above her skin. Luckily, she fell backward onto the floor. Allen flipped the weapon in his grip before returning it to its sheath. He turned his back once again and walked toward the door. 

The girl sat on the floor, her head in her trembling hands. “So…cruel…” she said weakly. Allen didn’t respond as he took a small pouch of coins off his belt and tossed it in her general direction. 

Leaving behind the crumpled mess of a woman, Allen left a room to which he would never return. 

“…” 

The catman exited the brothel without a sound, heading for the rooftop. 

Once there, he spotted several other shadows standing over the red-light district and other brothels. 

They belonged to an elf, a dark elf, and four prums who looked similar enough to be quadruplets. 

Then Allen turned his attention back to the streets of the Pleasure Quarter, his team watching their every move. 

She awakened to the sound of hundreds of hurried footsteps. 

“Uhh…” 

Mikoto groaned softly as her eyes slowly blinked open. 

“Where am I…?” 

She suddenly realized her arms and legs were bound when she tried to get off the floor. Her eyes quickly glanced up to her hands and down to her feet. Both sets of limbs were restrained by silver shackles. 

“It cannot be…In the Dungeon, I was captured?” 

Attacked by mysterious adventurers, practically forced by Lilly and Welf to pursue Bell, nailed by a tall Amazon’s counterattack—memories flooded her mind as twinges of pain flashed throughout her body. Mikoto started connecting the dots. 

“Sir Bell…?!” 

The identity of her attackers was still a mystery, but she was fairly certain that Bell had been their target. The fact that they had used such a violent method to capture him filled her with dread and foreboding. 

She might be trapped, defenseless in a dark room, but…The speed and unusual rhythm of the footsteps outside the door let her know something was amiss. There was panic in the air. Mikoto’s eyebrows sank as she focused on the sounds. 

“The rabbit and Phryne…Can’t find…Lady Ishtar’s order…” 

Ears empowered by her Status, Mikoto managed to pick up valuable pieces of information. 

First off, the attackers belonged to Ishtar Familia, which meant that this was most likely their home. Second, that there was a high probability that Bell had been captured like her but had somehow escaped. However, she couldn’t confirm any of that just yet. 

Mikoto knew it was too early to relax, but the knowledge that Bell was still alive made her breathe a sigh of relief. 

The new information helped her regain a small sense of calm. 

“Be that as it may…something must be done about these shackles.” 

Mikoto’s gaze locked onto the chains that bound her. A quick pull was enough to let her know she couldn’t break free on strength alone. So she lifted her head and scanned the room for any kind of tool that could assist her. It wasn’t long before— 

“…Keys?” 

She spotted a ring full of keys lying on the ground just in front of the tightly shut iron door. 

Shocked by this stroke of luck, Mikoto slithered her body toward them. Under the faint light of the door’s barred window, she grabbed hold of them and maneuvered the top key into the lock just under her left wrist and, with great difficulty, thrust it inside. Click. 

The shackles instantly popped open and her arms and legs were free. Mikoto sat up and stared down at the open lock on the floor. 

“…Lady Haruhime?” 

Mikoto immediately thought of the renart who belonged to Ishtar Familia. There was no proof, but there wasn’t a shadow of doubt in her mind. 

It was the kind girl who gave her a means to escape. 

“I am in your debt…Lady Haruhime.” 

Feeling a smile growing on her cheeks, the now free Mikoto climbed to her feet. 

She needed a plan. 

Reuniting with Sir Bell takes priority, then our escape…Other objectives: acquiring weapons would be useful. 

She was completely unarmed. Her once proud violet battle clothes were nothing more than tatters around her body. 

While finding weapons was high on her list, her appearance bordered on the obscene. Wearing the equivalent of bloody rags that revealed so much of her bruised yet silky white skin, Mikoto was one step away from resembling those debauched ladies. 

Covering her body as well as she could with her thin arms, Mikoto started scanning the room once again. 

There was a dark magic-stone lamp above her head. From what she could see, Mikoto figured out that she had been locked in some kind of large storage room. Of course there weren’t any weapons in here, but there were closets full of clothing used by the prostitutes and drawer upon drawer of their accessories and goods. “My apologies,” she whispered to the closets before throwing open each of them and searching from end to end until she found what she sought. 

It went without saying that the first articles of clothing she found were very suitable—for the Pleasure Quarter. However, it didn’t take her long to stumble across outfits worn in the red-light district. 

Mikoto ran her fingers down the sleeve of a kimono from her hometown and pulled it out without any hesitation. Considering her only other options were Amazonian garb that amounted to little more than lingerie, it was an easy choice. 

Blushing in the darkness, she quickly removed the remains of her battle-cloth armor and donned a short-sleeve, thigh-length robe over the long strand of cloth she had wrapped around her chest. She finished the ensemble with a matching skirt. 

“This is to be expected…” 

The fabric of the shin-length skirt and the top of the kimono rustled every time she moved. It felt cheap and itchy against her skin. 

Deciding it was much better than the alternative, she ignored the strange tugging of her new clothes and set out in earnest. 

There was only one way in or out of the large chamber, the iron door. Mikoto cautiously approached it and peered out the window. 

She saw groups of two or three people rushing past the door, but no one was stationed outside. Then she found the lock on the inside of the metallic barrier and used the same set of keys to release it. She didn’t linger. A quick check up and down the hall, and she left the storage room without a sound. 

Her nose picked up a faint trace of musk in the air as she disappeared down the palace’s hallway before anyone else arrived. 

Mikoto started her search of the expansive structure. 

“Hey, find ’em?” 

“!” 

The moment that she heard a voice or felt anyone’s presence, Mikoto dove around the closest corner or hid in the shadows out of sight. 

Able to conceal her breathing and slow her heart rate to a crawl, she watched noncombatant prostitutes and even the fearsome Berbera walk right past her many times without noticing a thing. 

I am not much of a ninja, however… 

Takemikazuchi had trained her in many styles of combat even before leaving their homeland. Ninjutsu was one of them. 

She had mixed feelings about these techniques of espionage being useful as she dropped down from the ceiling and landed silently on the floor after another group passed beneath her. 

Stealth, walking on tiptoe, silent motion. Deftly avoiding the attention of sprinting Amazons and her current attire were very fitting of the name ninja. 

“…Now is as good a time as any.” 

Mikoto found stairs going up and down—and activated her Skill. 

—Yatano White Crow. 

At this time, Mikoto had two Skills at her disposal. 

The first, Yatano Black Crow—a Skill that allowed her to sense the presence of a monster she had already received excelia from in the past. While it wasn’t perfect, this Skill protected her from most monster ambushes and sneak attacks. 

The second, Yatano White Crow. 

The complete opposite of the former, Yatano White Crow gave Mikoto the ability to sense her allies. 

…Sir Bell doesn’t appear to be on this floor. 

This Skill detects only those with the same ichor as her own—others who have received a Status from the same god. 

Meaning she could easily find members of her own familia. 

Even if she were lost in the deepest tunnels of the Dungeon, Yatano White Crow could guide her back to the rest of her party by giving her a mental picture of their location. 

She’d used this Skill to follow Bell during the ambush. 

Even at full strength, thirty meders might be my limit right now… 

The range of Mikoto’s two Skills varied, based on her Status and condition. 

Also, activating them drained her Mind. Therefore, she chose a direction after using Yatano White Crow for a few seconds and then traveled to the edge of its range before activating it again. This strategy helped her to avoid constant strain on her magical energy. 

“…?” 

Avoiding the eyes of passing prostitutes, Mikoto made her way down to the lower levels of the building. 

That was when she felt it: a presence just within range. 

“Sir Bell? No, but what is this strange sensation…?” 

It was the presence of an ally she’d never felt before. 

Putting aside her confusion, she set off to find it. 

Mikoto traversed several hallways and descended even more sets of stairs until she found a room tucked away in the corner of a dark floor. 

“A vault…?” 

Circumstances were in her favor: no guards, and she already had a fully loaded ring of keys. Making sure she was alone, Mikoto found the correct key, opened the door, and slipped inside. Her eyes were greeted by weapons of every size and shape, potent items, and piles of jewels. Vast shelves lined the walls in each direction. A large bag in the back corner of the room glinted with the sheen of thousands of valis in the dim light. 

Her surprise was apparent as she made her way deeper into the vault…and located the strange “presence” on a table next to a set of golden scales. 

“This is…Sir Bell’s.” 

Mikoto reached out and grabbed the black sheath of the Hestia Knife. 

Only when her palm touched its handle did hieroglyphs respond to her Falna by glowing purple all the way down the weapon. 

“Lady Hestia’s knife…So that’s why.” 

The value and origin of this weapon had caused quite a stir on their recruiting day. That had been her first clue. 

This weapon, specially made for Bell, shared the same Blessing and ichor as her own and was responding to her touch with a violet glow. 

It was alive and indeed one of her allies. Mikoto smiled as she basked in its light. 

“I should collect Sir Bell’s other weapons as well…” 

It didn’t take her long to spot both Ushiwakamaru and Ushiwakamaru-Nishiki lying on the same table. 

Mikoto reasoned that after they were captured and stripped of their equipment, their attackers planned to sell anything valuable—particularly the knife branded with the Hephaistos logo—and put them here for safekeeping. 

Collecting all three knives as well as Bell’s belt, item pouch, and leg holster still filled with potions, Mikoto strapped everything to her body. 

Then she took another look around the vault. Excuse after excuse for what she was about to do escaped her lips as she approached one of the shelving units filled with items. 

She drank two potions: one to heal her remaining physical injuries and the other to restore her Mind. Lastly, she filled the empty spaces in the leg holsters with as many high potions as she could. 

Mikoto found a vast array of flash grenades and smoke bombs a little farther down the same shelf. Wanting to be as prepared as possible, she filled Bell’s item pouch right to the top. 

“Haa…These are the actions of nothing less than a coarse burglar…” 

While feeling genuinely sorry, she didn’t stay her hand. 

Mikoto had come to fully understand how difficult it would be to escape from Ishtar Familia’s home. No matter how well-equipped she was, a fierce battle could be waiting for her at every turn. 

Her tear-filled deep-purple eyes passed over so many things that she immediately thought of Lilly, who would gladly load them into a backpack without a second thought. 

“No reason…to stay long.” 

Another round of hurried footsteps echoed from the other side of the vault’s iron door. 

While there weren’t any windows, Mikoto caught a glimpse of air ducts just above her head. Using the shelf as a handhold, Mikoto jumped right for it. WHAM! Both her feet slammed into the small iron grate and broke it in two. 

Another quick jump and twist, and the human disappeared into the vent without a trace. 

“The girl escaped?!” 

Aisha, who already had her hands full tracking down the whereabouts of Bell and Phryne, turned to face an extremely nervous messenger. 

“How could that happen? The hell were you doing?” 

“Y-y-you see, I left to search for Phryne and, well…I was careless, sorry.” 

The young, long-haired Amazon who’d been in charge of keeping an eye on the storage room let her head droop in shame. 

Aisha sighed as all the other Berbera raced around them. 

“Hold it, Rena. The girl was bound by mythril, was she not? The Eternal Shadow is only Level Two. Would be impossible for her to break free.” 

“Th-that’s what I thought! She couldn’t go anywhere!” 

The young Amazon’s anger and frustration flared up for a moment but then dissipated as she continued. 

“But they’re completely intact…And also, the keys were missing from the hook, the one that released the shackles.” 

Aisha considered for a moment that the escaped “rabbit” might have set the girl free…But then the look on the renart’s face after they’d captured Bell and Mikoto in the Dungeon earlier that day flashed through the back of her mind. 

“…Haruhime—where is she?” 

The young Amazon was caught off guard for a moment and stopped to think. Her head tilted to the side briefly before she said: 

“She said something about purifying herself for the ritual, but…she wasn’t in her room last I checked.” 

Aisha frowned, realizing what just happened. 

“Um, Miss Haruhime?” 

Our footsteps echo through the dark passageway. 

I’m pretty sure it’s been at least twenty minutes since we escaped from Phryne’s room. 

Haruhime and I have been traveling through these secret underground tunnels since then. 

I think we’re headed in the opposite direction of Ishtar Familia’s home…but we’ve doubled back a few times and gone through so many intersections that honestly I have no idea which direction we’re going. Although, I can tell that these paths are connected to many different places in the Pleasure Quarter. 

It seems like Haruhime, who isn’t allowed to leave the brothel area, really does come down here from time to time—in the early morning hours when the Night District is asleep—through a passageway that connects with the red-light district. She told me we were going to the most secluded exit, but that feels like forever ago. 

Daedalus Street’s architect…It’s said that his insanity went into the design of the district that bears his name. Who would’ve guessed he included secret passages to the Pleasure Quarter? 

The thought that one man could design and build something as complex and expansive as these tunnels makes me shudder. 

“What troubles you, Master Cranell?” 

The slowly swishing golden tail I’ve been following comes to a stop as Haruhime looks over her shoulder at me. 

“Is this…really okay? Letting me get away.” 

Looking back on Aisha’s methods and tone in the Dungeon, I have every reason to believe that it was Lady Ishtar who ordered them to capture me. 

The will of the god is the will of the follower. Going against that to rescue me will put Haruhime in a very tough spot. 

She told me about Mikoto as well—we can’t do anything with a top-class adventurer like Phryne lurking down here, though—but I can’t help but be more concerned for the person in front of me. 

“Please pay it no mind, Master Cranell.” 

Haruhime smiles back at me, completely ignoring my unease. 

She stops walking and turns to face me. Her silky golden hair flows like water around a river bend as her green eyes meet mine. 

“It is my final desire. There is no doubt that Lady Aisha and the others will turn a blind eye.” 

Her tone sounds like a mother trying to comfort a child, her smile soft and gentle. And yet, something seems off. 

Could it be my imagination? 

Then there was her choice of words: final desire…What did she mean by that? 

I have no idea what this strange tingling is in the back of my mind, but I shove it aside and try to liven up the mood. 

“Oh yeah, Miss Haruhime! Actually, we’re going to give you a redemption!” 

I tell her all about what we decided as a familia. 

A smile grows on my lips as I excitedly say that she won’t have to be a prostitute anymore. If this topic doesn’t change the atmosphere down here, I don’t know what will. 

“Eh…?” 

Haruhime’s green eyes widen. 

She looks confused, so I explain again. 

“Miss Mikoto already convinced our goddess to help you! It might take us a little while to get enough money, but…” 

I wanted to make her happy. 

Not some fleeting happiness, but beaming joy that would come from the bottom of her heart. 

“Our goddess and everyone in my familia wants to help you, Miss Haruhime!” 

I didn’t want to see that aloof smile. 

I was hoping for the childish one, that blissful expression she wore when we talked about heroes and their adventures. 

“Miss Mikoto…and I want to help you!” 

I want to see that smile again, just like Mikoto. 

I want only to laugh with her, joining hands and forgetting our problems for a few jubilant moments. 

“It cannot be so…” 

But Haruhime… 

…quietly sheds a tear. 

“…Miss Haruhime?” 

Shiny streams of tears roll down both cheeks, her green eyes wide open. 

My words leave me as I see her standing there, looking at me as if lost in time. 

“Aah…” 

Haruhime presses both her hands against her chest and releases a sigh completely devoid of emotion. 

Slowly closing her eyes, a fresh tear rolling down her cheek, she says: 

“I…Haruhime, am truly grateful.” 

Her delicate lips arc upward. 

“To receive such words from you…From Miss Mikoto.” 

Her upper body quivers as she takes a deep breath. She might have fallen to pieces if both her hands weren’t clutching her chest. 

“…I have no regrets.” 

The green orbs of her eyes come into view, glistening in the dim light as she smiles at me once again. 

“……” 

Tears of joy? 

Really? 

If I didn’t know better…I’d think she was saying a final farewell. 

“Thank you, Master Cranell. Let us be on our way.” 

With that, she turns her back to me and faces forward. 

I can’t say anything to her back, only try to keep up. 

Try to follow that golden tail as it slowly disappears deeper into the darkness, desperately try. 

This doesn’t feel right. 

I can sense it in my chest. 

In a different building. 

An imposing stone structure that stood wider than it was tall was decorated to stand out from the other buildings in the area. 

Inside the main hallway, tap, tap. A white scarf swished back and forth as a woman stomped her way through the main hall. 

“Lulune, where’s Lord Hermes?” 

“In the back.” 

The woman looked through her silver-framed glasses at a chienthrope girl sprawled out on a sofa. The young lady simply jerked her thumb down the hall in response. The slap of her golden-winged sandals on the stone floor echoing through the hallway once again, the woman took off a little bit faster. 

As soon as she arrived in front of the room, the woman, Asfi Al Andromeda, rapped on the wooden door with all her burning rage before throwing it open. 

“Lord Hermes!” 

Every celch of the walls inside the room was covered with maps. 

Some showed every road that snaked across the known world, others were treasure maps and ciphers, and even oceanic diagrams, all of them completely hiding the stone walls. Most of the maps were hand-drawn on paper and had little red Xs and arrows detailing future travel plans. 

He was in the room, completely surrounded by the intimidating atlas of the world. The person in question was in the middle of a game of chess against himself. The board was on his desk, decorated with gadgets and doodads collected from around the globe. Hours’ worth of sand poured from the top half of a large hourglass to the bottom at his side. 

Completely caught off guard by the rather violent entrance of his follower, Hermes practically fell out of his chair in surprise. 

“You went to the Pleasure Quarter by yourself a few days ago, yes? Without—an—escort.” 

“H-h-how did you know?! Hold on, Asfi, I didn’t do anything with them, I swear…!” 

Hermes immediately threw up his hands and claimed innocence, but Asfi’s interrogation had begun. 

WHAM! The woman slammed both her hands onto his desk and leaned right up into his face, her eyes burning with fury. 

“So you took the hard-earned money we obtained by putting our lives on the line to play with women?! What an upstanding quality of character you have, Lord Hermes, what kind of deity are you I forgot that you’re this kind of god, if only you were just a little bit more aware of your position as our god, how much pain and suffering would it spare us—what’s more, it’s already morning, how sloppy can you be?!” 

In general, gods and goddesses had full control over the happenings of their familias, including who got the final say. Hermes, however, shrank in fear from the pulsing red face of his angry follower. 

“C-calm down now, Asfi! I went there, but it was to finish a delivery…!” 

“Delivery?” 

Hermes finally found an opening to explain himself to the woman who was haranguing him like an angry wife giving a cheating husband a piece of her mind. 

Asfi fell silent and locked eyes with her god. Her glare exuded extreme pressure, but she allowed him a chance to explain himself. Hermes cleared his throat. 

“The truth is—” 

“Is it true Mikoto’s been captured?!” 

The living room door flew open with a bang as the god Takemikazuchi and his familia rushed inside. 

The expressions of Ouka, Chigusa, and the remaining three members darkened the moment they saw a heavily damaged greatsword and what was left of an oversize backpack sitting in the corner and their battered and bloody owners, Lilly and Welf, sitting on the sofa. Every single one of them feared the worst. 

“Yes, it’s true. She was taken, along with Bell, in the Dungeon…I’m sorry, Také.” 

Hestia finished wrapping Welf’s arm in a bandage before looking up and answering the deity’s question. 

The rest of Takemikazuchi Familia filed into the center of the room and took a seat. 

“Do you know the identity of their attackers?” 

“They wore long robes that hid their faces, but…Lilly could tell. Every one of them was an Amazon.” 

“Damn strong ones, too. Couldn’t do jack shit against ’em. With strength and speed like that, it had to be Berbera.” 

“Ishtar Familia…” 

Lilly was the first to respond to Ouka’s question, her voice weak. Welf’s answer followed, his words laced with frustration. Lastly, it was Chigusa who quietly voiced the conclusion everyone else was reaching. 

A quiet chill filled the room at the mention of that familia. 

“But why would Ishtar go after Mikoto and Bell? Any ideas, Hestia?” 

“Hmm, there was a rather eventful night in the Pleasure Quarter a few days ago…but nothing that would lead to this.” 

Takemikazuchi turned to Hestia, hoping for any kind of lead. However, the goddess only growled and crossed her arms. 

His next question was whether or not she had informed the Guild. She shook her head and said there was no proof. The Guild wouldn’t take action right away unless there was undeniable evidence of their actions. She had gone to the Guild after Bell had been chased through the Pleasure Quarter, but that had gotten her nowhere—apparently men getting chased by Amazons through the Pleasure Quarter was such a common occurrence that Guild employees shared those stories over lunch. 

When it came to Ishtar Familia, the Guild had little to no power whatsoever. Even if they could levy a penalty against them with proper evidence, it would only slow them down. 

This was the reason that the Goddess of Beauty could take such military action in the first place. 

“Um, if I may…Could Lady Ishtar’s interest in Mr. Cranell be like what happened with Apollo Familia…?” 

“It’s not out of the question…But Ishtar?” 

“Bell really isn’t her type…” 

Chigusa blushed as she worked up the courage to speak. She couldn’t help but remember the events that led to the War Game after listening to what happened with the Amazons. This time Takemikazuchi crossed his arms and Hestia tilted her head to the side as they answered. 

Both deities knew something didn’t add up, but they couldn’t figure out what. The two of them glanced at each other. 

“…Could this be related to the situation with Haruhime?” 

A new voice, Ouka, broke the silence. 

Mikoto had already informed Takemikazuchi Familia that their childhood friend was working as a prostitute and had brought them up to speed on the plan to free her with a redemption. 

A hint of despair filled Chigusa’s eyes as her head drooped. The other three Takemikazuchi Familia members donned similar expressions. 

Takemikazuchi sat up straight and closed his eyes. 

“Everyone’s been saying she was just a low-ranking member, so it makes no sense that Ishtar would take action for that renart…” 

Hestia mumbled as she brought her hand to her chin. Then suddenly, she remembered something important and turned back to her divine friend. 

A piece of information she’d heard directly from Bell. 

“Ishtar has something called a Killing Stone…” 

“I-I understood going in, but this is tight…” 

Mikoto made her way through the stone air ducts of Ishtar Familia’s home. 

This same duct was how she escaped to the vault after sensing the approach of possible enemies—while she was safe from their sight above the ceiling, this air vent had about as much breathing space as a coffin. 

Bending her shoulders and hips in an alternating rhythm, the girl crawled her way forward through the network of dusty, cobweb-riddled air ducts. 

“…?” 

She was about to activate her Skill once again when suddenly voices coming from below caught her attention. 

“Sounds like Haruhime’s gone.” 

“The Killing Stone Ritual is tonight, yeah…You don’t think?!” 

“She’s plannin’ to use the Little Rookie to escape?” 

Mikoto twisted her body to place her ear as close as possible to the nearest iron grate. Crawling forward, she got close enough to it to see the hallway below. 

Only catching a glimpse of the two Amazons as they walked by, she let her eyebrows sink as she replayed their conversation in her mind. 

Killing Stone…? 

This is bad. I need to find Haruhime, too, Mikoto thought as another set of Amazons came into view below her. Even more questions flooded her mind. 

Just what was the Killing Stone Ritual, and what did it have to do with Haruhime? Wasn’t she just a prostitute—in other words, a low-ranking noncombatant? 

A gray shroud of dread began filling her heart as Mikoto continued crawling through the air duct. 

According to the new voices beneath her, the Amazons had expanded their search to outside the familia’s home. That meant the number of patrols inside would decrease. This was her opportunity to escape the compound. Her decision was made even easier when the air duct suddenly became even narrower than before. Mikoto backtracked to the nearest iron grate, removed it from its frame, and silently dropped into the room below. 

“What is this place…?” 

She was surrounded by a maze of shelves. 

She quickly deduced from the amount of books and paperwork in the area that this was some kind of library or archive. 

The scent of old wood and papyrus filled the dimly lit room. 

Mikoto started working her way through the maze as quietly as possible, knowing that an exit had to be nearby. However, that’s not what she saw first. 

A desk littered with scrolls and paperwork blocked her path after she rounded a corner. What’s more, there was no dust. Someone had been here very recently. 

Mikoto leaned down to take a look at the sheets on top of the pile in the middle of the desk. 

“…Killing Stone Ritual information.” 

She had to strain her eyes in the dim light to make out the characters at the top of the sheet. She almost gasped the moment they came into view. 

She took a quick look around each corner before grabbing a lantern-style magic-stone lamp off a nearby shelf and turning it on. Placing it on top of the desk, she ran her finger over the many lines of Koine text before stumbling across a very important memo. 

“‘Once the Killing Stone has been delivered by Hermes Familia, the Berbera shall—’” 

“—A Killing Stone?!” 

Takemikazuchi grabbed both of Hestia’s shoulders. 

Hestia was so stunned by her good friend’s sudden outburst and the desperate look in his eyes that she couldn’t step back. 

“Are you sure?! Are you absolutely sure—Ishtar has one in her possession?!” 

“L-Lord Takemikazuchi!” 

“Please calm down!” 

Ouka was the first to step in front of the panicked deity. Lilly and Welf were close behind, stepping in front of Hestia as if to protect her. 

“M-my…my apologies, Hestia.” 

“It’s…it’s okay. So what is it, Také? What’s a Killing Stone?” 

Free of his grasp, Hestia quickly changed her expression from bewilderment to urgency. 

Takemikazuchi let Ouka push him back one more step before looking to the floor and gritting his teeth. 

“The Killing Stone is an item that only renarts can use.” 

“Sesshouseki, also known as a Killing Stone…A forbidden magic item that is created by the synthesis of a tamamo stone and a toba stone.” 

There was an ominous air to Asfi’s voice. Being an item maker, she knew exactly what it could do. 

She continued to glare at Hermes as more and more details of his delivery came to light. 

“You brought something like that directly into Lady Ishtar’s hands—is that what you’re saying?” 

“I didn’t know the cargo until I saw it for myself.” 

Hermes’s shoulders sank into the back of his chair. The aura emanating from the woman on the other side of his desk was downright terrifying. 

However, Asfi wasn’t satisfied with her god’s response and changed her tone from a blunt hammer into a sharp blade. 

“And just where was it made, huh? How did they get the materi—” 

Hermes didn’t let his follower finish her question and jumped in halfway. 

“Oh, you know. From the ashes of a renart.” 

“Making an item from the corpse of a child…Seriously?!” 

Hestia shuddered as she heard an explanation of the tamamo stone. 

Takemikazuchi nodded, his expression so heavy that wrinkles appeared around his mouth and eyes. 

“Its original purpose was to boost a renart’s magical power…An item to increase the effectiveness of their sorcery…” 

The outlawed orb was created by desecrating graves of the deceased. 

Ouka, Chigusa, and the others didn’t know how to react and fell silent. Only Lilly was able to keep a cool head. She looked over at Takemikazuchi from her spot on the sofa. 

“The other item, a toba stone…Would that be lunatic light?” 

Takemikazuchi grunted an affirmation and nodded. 

“Lunatic light?” echoed Hestia. It was Welf who answered her. 

“It’s an ore that gains magical attributes and glows different colors under the light of the moon. I know quite a few smiths who use it in their armor and weapons.” 

The young man went on to explain that the material had been made famous by a bard long ago who sang of his love for the glowing stone. 

Takemikazuchi listened to Welf’s story before adding another piece of information. 

“The attributes of items and weapons that contain it change depending on the level of moonlight. Since there’s no moonlight in the Dungeon, lunatic light is almost never used in Orario…” 

* * * 

“And toba stones are most effective under a full moon. Should one be synthesized with a tamamo stone at full power, you get a Killing Stone.” 

The sand in the hourglass on Hermes’s desk continued to slowly pour into the lower half. Hermes spoke as he moved different pieces on his chessboard. 

Her glare as sharp as ever, Asfi opened her mouth to speak. 

“The user…The renart’s magical power—no, soul—becomes sealed in the stone.” 

“Exactly. And if everything is set up just right when they use it, the renart’s unusual magic…their sorcery can be passed on to another. It’s basically a magic sword that doesn’t break.” 

Hermes moved another chess piece into place on the board and weakly smiled. 

“But the price is steep: The sacrificed renart becomes a soulless shell.” 

Alive, but not among the living. 

That’s why the use of Killing Stones was forbidden. 

A dark-magic item created by the ancestors of humanity, one that allowed another race to use renart sorcery. 

“The surprising thing is that Killing Stones were created by renarts.” 

Hermes smiled again and leaned back in his chair. Asfi chose not to respond and looked at the positions of every piece on the chessboard. 

A white army and a black army. 

The black queen led a group of pawns in surrounding two unique pieces carved into the shape of a rabbit and a fox. 

At the same time, the white queen was leading a charge into the heart of the enemy ranks, as if proudly brandishing her own power and influence. 

“Children who become obsessed with power are quite scary indeed.” 

“What happens to the one losing their soul?!” 

Chigusa’s voice shrieked, coming out much louder than usual. 

The eyes of every other Takemikazuchi Familia member went wide with surprise. They didn’t know she was capable of producing that much noise. The human girl was on the verge of tears as she implored her god for an answer. 

“If the Killing Stone is returned to the user, the renart will awaken. He or she should be able to live on as normal, assuming their physical body wasn’t damaged during their soul’s absence.” 

Every person in the room was about to breathe a sigh of relief when they noticed the dark scowl still plastered on Takemikazuchi’s face. All eyes were on him as he continued. 

“However, Killing Stones shatter.” 

He went on to explain that a solid stone couldn’t release all its energy. 

“Each shard of a morality stone is able to unleash the same amount of sorcery as the original. What’s worse, trigger spells are not necessary.” 

An army of 10,000, each equipped with renart magic. 

Every single one of them capable of sorcery. 

While one on their own wouldn’t be much of a threat, an army of sorcerers would be an unstoppable force. 

—Just like Crozzo’s Magic Swords. 

Welf wasn’t sure who uttered those words. He ground his teeth together and clenched his fists so hard the bones started to creak. 

“…What happens to the soulless child if a shard is lost or broken?” 

Hestia couldn’t even look up as she spoke. 

Takemikazuchi was the only one in the room who knew the answer to that question. He, too, lacked the courage to face anyone else, and his gaze wandered from place to place as he put it into words. 

“At the very least, they would never be normal again. Even if every other piece was collected and returned, the child would become similar to a human baby…or suffer from mental disabilities.” 

Chigusa’s knees gave out. Ouka managed to catch her moments before she hit the floor. 

“So then, Lady Haruhime will…” 

Tears emerged from eyes hidden behind her bangs. 

That was Ishtar’s plan. She had everything she needed: a Killing Stone and the renart, Haruhime. 

There was no doubt she was planning to seal Haruhime’s soul inside it. 

“…Killing Stones contain lunatic light, meaning that the ceremony or ritual to transfer her soul will happen on the night of the full moon…” 

“The next full moon…” 

Takemikazuchi came to the grimmest realization as he listened to Lilly and Welf’s hushed exchange of words. He looked up at the ceiling in hopeless despair. 

“Tonight.” 

“—How ludicrous!” 

Mikoto roared as she finished reading the last document. 

Briefly forgetting that she was in the bowels of an enemy fortress, she gripped the paper roughly between her fingers, her hands shaking. 

Haruhime’s soul was going to be sealed within the Killing Stone—and split into thousands of pieces. 

Mikoto lost her sense of calm. Her friend was about to be as good as dead. 

How could this be allowed to happen? What was Ishtar trying to do, start a war? What would happen to Haruhime? 

A firestorm of new questions engulfed her mind. 

At the same time, her body took on a life of its own, and Mikoto left the archive with little more than a swish of black fabric. 

“Sir Bell…Lady Haruhime!” 

Creak, creak. I push against a light stone panel. It opens upward, letting orange light into the tunnel. 

I don’t know how long we spent in there, but I can’t express how good it feels to have a breath of fresh air after emerging from that underground maze. 

“Finally…” 

That word falls off my tongue as I step out into the light. The sky has taken on the reddish hue of early evening. I turn around and take Haruhime’s hand, lifting her outside. 

A hint of surprise flickers across her face before she thanks me and flashes another small grin. 

“It’s already this late…” 

The stone panel blends in perfectly with the street’s pavement. It’s rather impressive, actually. I take another deep breath and look up at the sky above the Pleasure Quarter. Each building stands in stark contrast with the sunlight, pillars of shadow reaching up to the sky. It’s been quite a day. First it was Dungeon crawling, then getting attacked, getting captured, getting rescued…No wonder I lost track of time. 

I take another look around and see that this white backstreet is lined with run-down and abandoned brothels. I doubt there’s anyone inside any of these buildings. Haruhime was right—no one will know we’re back here. 

“Thank you so much, Miss Haruhime. Rescuing me, guiding me out here…” 

She turns her head to face me. Once again she looks like a painting, the only splash of color in front of a backdrop of buildings in disrepair. Then she smiles. 

“I have done only as I desired. Please do not concern yourself. More importantly, please leave this place with haste.” 

“But…” 

“You have my word, Master Cranell, I will make sure Miss Mikoto escapes with her life.” 

Mikoto? Oh, I guess she thinks I’m hesitating because I’m worried about her. 

I am, of course, but…there’s something else that’s bothering me. 

The way Haruhime has been keeping a strong front; it just doesn’t add up. 

And then there’s her choice of words when we were underground. 

It feels like there’s something lurking in a thick, mysterious fog, something dangerous. But I just can’t put my finger on it. 

“Miss Haruhime, are you really sure? If you go back, you’ll…” 

So much is on my mind that I have to fight to string words together. It sounds like an excuse, but I’m afraid for her. Haruhime’s gone against the will of her own familia to protect Mikoto and me. I can’t just leave her. 

“…Master Cranell. Take a look at this.” 

I stay planted on the spot as she gestures to the black collar around her thin neck. 

“This is a magic item that tracks my location…I am constantly connected to an invisible chain.” 

“Huh…?” 

“Lady Ishtar and the Berbera are constantly informed of my whereabouts. Should I take one step out of the Pleasure Quarter, it will emit a loud ring and burn my skin while restraining my movements. Pursuers will catch up with me in very little time.” 

My jaw drops. 

Then she explains that any attempt to destroy it would cause the alarm to sound. All the while, she runs her fingertips down its shiny black surface. 

“Should the alarm trigger, Berbera will descend on this place. 

“So please hurry,” she pleads again. “This is as far as I can go.” 

She smiles weakly and falls silent. 

“No, it shouldn’t be like this…” 

This isn’t right. 

I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life. 

Why would Ishtar Familia go to such extreme measures to keep a low-level noncombatant in line? 

Why would a magic item be necessary to restrain her? 

The only answer I can think of is that Haruhime has some important role to play for the familia. 

In that case, were we naive to think we could free her with a redemption…? I can practically hear the wheels turning in my head. 

That’s when the images start flashing. 

Haruhime calling herself a soiled prostitute, while talking with distant eyes about glorious old days. 

Sitting in the back of little more than a prison cell, watching the outside world with envy through a barred window. 

A distant smile, as if she’d given up. 

Maybe her status as a prostitute isn’t the cause of her pain? 

I can’t help but feel I’m missing something very important. I’m not going anywhere until I figure this out. 

“…Master Cranell, please run.” 

She takes a step closer to me, her voice more urgent than before. When suddenly— 

“Sir Bell!” 

A new voice echoes from above. 

“Miss Mikoto?” 

I turn around and catch a glimpse of her jumping out of one of the shadows. In the blink of an eye she lands in front of me with a soft thud. 

Oh yeah, she has that Skill. She must’ve found a way to escape the palace on her own and followed me out here. Her black ponytail rides the breeze behind her as she stands and turns to stare at us. Haruhime looks just as surprised as I am. 

Both of us are thrown off for a moment by her strange clothes, but it doesn’t take Haruhime long to realize that her childhood friend has found her once again. 

“Miss Mikoto…” 

“Lady Haruhime, I have a question to ask.” 

“…What is it?” 

Mikoto cuts short the joy of their reunion. 

There’s a hint of desperation in her face. She pauses for a moment to gather her thoughts before whispering two words. 

“…Killing Stone.” 

“!!” 

Haruhime’s act of strength crumbles in front of me. 

Shoulders start shaking, eyes grow wide, head droops low. 

Mikoto watches the transformation, looking like she could cry at any moment. 

What is going on? Before I have a chance to ask, Mikoto’s next words make my blood run cold. 

“Tell me it’s all a lie! That tonight…you are not becoming a sacrifice!” 

Sacri—fice…? 

Doing my best to get over the shock, I look at Haruhime. She’s still staring at her feet, making no attempt to deny anything. 

“Lady Haruhime!” yells Mikoto as she rushes to her side. 

“—So that’s how it is.” 

But another voice stops her in her tracks. 

“?!” 

A shadow streaks toward Haruhime and Mikoto like an arrow, black hair trailing in its wake. 

It wraps itself around Haruhime, leaving Mikoto in stunned silence. 

“Sheesh, how long you known each other?” 

It’s Aisha. She’s holding an immense wooden blade in her left hand. 

Using her right hand, Aisha presses Haruhime’s face to her chest, holding her close while grumbling. 

“Aisha?!” 

She stands at least a full head taller than the renart and has completely sealed her movement. 

At least it seems like Aisha could be preventing Haruhime’s escape or is shielding her from us; I’m not sure which. 

“So it seems like you’ve figured it all out. Our plan, that is.” 

“…Well, then?” 

There are about ten steps between us. Four figures in the backstreet, Mikoto and I square off against Aisha and Haruhime. 

Mikoto takes an aggressive stance, readying her body, while Aisha turns her gaze this way. I can’t help but scream at the top of my lungs. 

“What is the meaning of this?! Sacrificing Miss Haruhime…Why?!” 

“…Everything is being done according to Lady Ishtar’s wishes. We’ll be using this Haruhime over here to wipe out Freya Familia.” 

There were so many things I wanted to say, and that was the best I could do. Aisha smirks at me and starts telling me their grand scheme. 

“Miss Aisha, stop!” squeals Haruhime from between Aisha’s breasts and struggles with all her might. However, the Amazon just tightens her grip until Haruhime stops struggling and continues. 

—First, they seal Haruhime’s soul into a magic item called a Killing Stone. 

—Then they break the stone into pieces large enough for the carrier to use renart magic, called sorcery. 

—Lastly, they use that power to take down their goddess’s rival and sworn enemy, Freya Familia. 

This is too much to take in at once. The scale is just too great. 

Topple Freya Familia? The most powerful familia in Orario? With Haruhime’s “power”? 

My confusion clears as she explains the Killing Stone’s purpose, as well as the fate of the sacrifice. I’d been so desperate to understand, panicking from lack of information, that when I finally understand, it hits me like a stone wall. 

Part of me is still wondering if some outlandish magic item would really make their plan possible. 

But the other part of me is reliving the night I spent with Haruhime, talking about one particular story. 

It was about the genie trapped in a lamp. It was the same as her power, trapped until her master’s wishes come true. 

History repeats itself, there’s always a connection to the past—I come to a rather cold conclusion. 

“B-but Haruhime’s power? She’s just…?” 

“Some low-ranking prostitute, is what you’re gonna say? Hah! Have you already forgotten the whipping you took in the Dungeon? That was her ‘power’ that wiped the floor with you. That’s sorcery.” 

There’s nothing I can say back. I clear my throat as the memories of that battle come flooding back to me. Mikoto, too, by the sound of it. A tear runs down Haruhime’s cheek, her expression somewhere between remorse and torment. 

How could I forget those countless little sparkles surrounding Aisha as she landed blow after blow during that fight? 

Her power was overwhelming. She made quick work of Mikoto and me with strength and speed equivalent to someone in the upper ranks of Level 4. 

That enchantment-like light came from Haruhime’s ability, the reason she would be sacrificed for the benefit of Ishtar Familia to become the power that ends Freya Familia. Everything falls into place. 

She has the ability to increase the power of those around her. Combine that with a top-class adventurer like Phryne and every other combatant— 

They just might succeed. 

Dethroning Freya Familia—knocking them off the top. 

“Lady Aisha, I implore you! Let Master Cranell and Miss Mikoto go free!” 

Haruhime’s scream brings me out of my train of thought. 

Aisha doesn’t even look down at the girl pleading with all her might. 

“Can’t do it. I can’t allow someone who knows this much to walk away…Lady Ishtar wouldn’t let them live.” 

Aisha makes her declaration while pointing her wooden blade in our direction. 

Her eyes are cold as ice, piercing right through me. That’s when my anger explodes. 

“How can you stand by and watch this happen to someone in your own familia—YOUR OWN FAMILY?!” 

“…” 

“What is she, some kind of tool you throw away when you’re done?” 

My outburst has no effect on her. Aisha’s face is solid as a mask. 

“Lady Ishtar has promised to return the contents of the Killing Stone to Haruhime once the score has been settled with Freya Familia.” 

“You know she can’t keep an empty promise like that!” 

Mikoto roars at Aisha’s words. 

They’re planning an all-out war against Freya Familia. There’s no way to guarantee that every last shard of that stone will survive it, let alone be returned. Haruhime would never be normal again. 

Our eyes burning with fury, the two of us refute Aisha’s claims. 

“What about you? Are you okay with this?” 

My voice shakes with rage. 

“…You two don’t know.” 

Aisha sounds weary. Haruhime looks up at her in surprise. 

“Nothin’ causes more trouble and pain than the jealousy of a goddess.” 

“Eh…?” 

“That jealousy is strong enough to change our world. Strong enough to mess with the fates of every human, start wars, and worse. Our goddess is consumed by it.” 

Black flames of hell burn behind that goddess’s glamour, according to Aisha. 

She continues in a rough voice, getting to the core of her claim. 

“Talking anymore is pointless. We cannot disobey Lady Ishtar.” 

Her words ring with the resolve of a zealot—although she makes no attempt to hide her frustration—as Aisha and I lock eyes. 

“I’ll tell you about a dumb li’l prostitute. She hated a renart so much she could puke every time she saw the pitiful look on her face. No matter how good she treated her, the renart would just look back with a pathetic smile, like she’d thrown in the towel long ago.” 

“…!” 

“That dumb prostitute, so full of hate, did something stupid in the past. She destroyed a certain stone, smashed it to pieces on arrival.” 

Haruhime’s eyes shoot open in shock. She pulls her face back away from Aisha’s chest. I don’t think she’s heard this before. 

Mikoto and I are just as stunned. 

But Aisha’s not done talking. Her anger at that “dumb li’l prostitute” is rooted really deep. Every word she speaks, every breath she takes, is overflowing with anger that has nowhere to go. 

“That prostitute’s actions didn’t stay under wraps for long. After she was beaten to within an inch of death by a frickin’ toad, her head was…Charmed to the point of insanity by her goddess.” 

There is something else behind the anger; I can see it in her eyes. It’s fear. 

“She was utterly ravaged, to the point that the idea of going against the goddess’s will made her hands shake. Breaking a stone made her collapse on the spot…That prostitute can’t even think about going against Lady Ishtar anymore.” 

The wooden sword in her left hand is shaking. Her right arm tightens around Haruhime, almost like a reflex. 

Mikoto and I just stand there, neither of us saying a word. 

A new image comes into my mind. 

A helpless Aisha, bruised and bloody at the mercy of an erotic goddess with the vigor of a necrophiliac. 

Her face trapped between the goddess’s hands, eyes wet with tears, as the deity sits above her, whispering words of tormented love into her ear before running her fingers down Aisha’s beaten and battered skin, ignoring the screams of pain. 

I’ve had only one brief encounter with that Goddess of Beauty, but I already have an idea of her devilish side. 

It was strong enough to conquer the resolute spirit of the Amazon in front of me. It makes my palms drip with sweat just thinking about it. 

I take a glance at Mikoto. She’s forgetting to breathe. 

“All the Berbera became united after said incident. Some wanted to brawl it out from the start, others are afraid of Lady Ishtar’s wrath. But all of us know, nothing can stop this fight.” 

She said it was a thorough purge. 

After that, even the Berbera who originally opposed the war with Freya Familia fell in line with the plan to use Haruhime. All the voices opposing the war vanished. 

All according to Lady Ishtar’s desire. 

“The two of you don’t understand how terrifying our goddess can be.” 

With that, Aisha falls silent. 

Now it’s Haruhime who’s shaking. Aisha adjusts her grip before tilting her head and saying: 

“…And I gotta say, why haven’t either of you come at me yet? Why only words?” 

She lifts one of her eyebrows as her eyelids fall. 

“You know what’s going to happen to this one here. Why not try to take her back? What are you waitin’ for?” 

““?!”” 

My shoulders jump. Mikoto has the same reaction. 

Both of us remembered Hermes’s warning all too well. 

Doing anything to upset Lady Ishtar or her followers to the point of a skirmish would result in the absolute destruction of Hestia Familia. 

The goddess and our friends would be drawn into a hopeless battle if we try to make a move. 

If we took Haruhime now, the Berbera would surely follow. 

One of the elite groups within Orario, with a vendetta against Hestia Familia. 

“Well, that’s…” 

The words won’t come out. My throat is dry, breath raspy. 

Mikoto and I are frozen in place. My eyes quiver as I look at Haruhime. 

Her eyes are hidden behind her bangs, fox ears clamped tightly against her head. She’s not looking, she’s not listening, only doing her best to hide inside Aisha’s embrace. Seeing her like that makes something snap inside my heart. 

“—Prostitutes are meant to be destroyed.” 

Why that, why now? 

Why would I remember those words at a time like this? 

“…Hopeless after all. I can’t give you this girl, Bell Cranell.” 

Aisha calls out my name, her fierce glare locked on my motionless body. 

“And if you’re lookin’ for sympathy, forget it. Makes me wanna go hurl.” 

“N-no, that’s not…!” 

“So then, you sayin’ you can save her? Doesn’t look like it to me. Can’t leave this in your hands, now can I?” 

She cuts me off before I can say anything else. Her very presence is towering, overwhelming me at every turn. 

There’s no mercy in her eyes. At the same time, her voice sounds like she’s issuing a challenge. 

“I ain’t saying you’re weak. You lack resolve, spirit.” 

“…!” 

“You don’t have the resolve to risk everythin’ to save Haruhime.” 

That piercing stare sees right through me, her words ensnaring my heart like ice-cold claws. 

“You don’t have the face of a man.” 

The verbal stake was set. Then she brings down the hammer. 

“No arrogance, no swagger, you don’t show any desire to dominate, to take what you want. 

“All I see is a punk-ass brat with his head in the clouds. 

“You can’t give everythin’ you have for this girl.” 

There’s a clear tone of disappointment in Aisha’s voice as her rant finally comes to a close. 

Those words cut deep. I want to respond, to say anything to defend myself, but nothing comes. It’s the same for Mikoto as well. 

Aisha’s disappointment is now written all over her face. She looks back and forth at us, as if expecting a challenge that never comes. 

Haruhime looks like a scared child, just wishing that the whole thing would come to an end…She has her arms wrapped around her body, biding her time. 

Four figures standing in a wide backstreet, bathed in orange sunlight. 

“—Found them—this way!” 

The voices of other Amazons cut through the stillness. 

Mikoto and Haruhime immediately look in the direction of the newcomers. They’re still a ways off but should be here in moments. 

Aisha doesn’t move; her eyes are still on me, on my pathetic face. What’s worse, I still can’t move. 

“—Miss Mikoto, make your escape!” 

Haruhime, however, can. 

Twisting out of Aisha’s grasp, she jumps on top of the Amazon’s left arm and wraps her whole body around it, lowering her blade. 

Haruhime’s sudden scream brings Mikoto out of her trance and surprises Aisha at the same time. Mikoto jumps to my side and takes hold of my arm. 

“Sir Bell!” 

She practically drags me backward, my legs taking a few moments to remember how to walk. 

The long shadows of the Berbera are reaching toward us. Aisha is just standing there, Haruhime hanging on with all her might. I leave them behind. 

I…run away. 

“…” 

“Follow them!” “Don’t let ’em get away!” Haruhime and Aisha watched and listened to the shouts of many Amazons clamoring as they ran past. 

Aisha watched her allies fan out in pursuit of the two humans and let her body relax. 

“…Cut it out, will you, idiot.” 

Swish. The palm of Aisha’s right hand collided with Haruhime’s head, easily breaking her grip and knocking her to the ground. “Awh,” came a weak cry from the renart as she realized how futile her actions had been. 

At Level 1, Haruhime had had no hope of restraining Aisha from the start. She brought her hand to her head, taking shallow breaths just above the stone pavement. Aisha looked away from her and in the direction the two humans had disappeared. 

Red light from the setting sun illuminating half her face, she frowned. 

“They have to be around here—find ’em!” 

The voices of many women are swirling around us. 

Noncombatant prostitutes are taking orders directly from the Berbera. There are so many echoes of footsteps, I can’t tell anymore which ones are real. 

“Haaa…haa…!” 

We evaded pursuit and arrived at a dark side path. 

No sunlight reaches in here. Soon, the footsteps fade away and the only echoes come from Mikoto and me trying to breathe. 

Mikoto finally releases the painful grip on my arm and turns to face me. 

“I…We…” 

Unable to answer the words Mikoto squeezed out of her throat, I stumble to the side and put both hands on the nearest wall. 

At the ash-colored stone wall, my head bends low, strained breath reaching down to my feet. 

I stare at the black ground with my eyes wide open. The muscles in my face contort as my emotions finally catch up with me. 

—She was right, right about everything! 

Everything that Aisha said was true. 

I couldn’t put everything on the line for Haruhime. 

I weighed the goddess and my friends—against her! 

Not once did I say I was going to save her!! 

“GAH…!” 

I clamp my mouth shut, but still my frustration vents out from between my teeth. 

The risk of being targeted by Ishtar Familia is too great. I was too scared to make a decision. 

I couldn’t reach out to help that girl with her head drooping low, couldn’t even say I would. 

I…I couldn’t make up my mind. 

Everything around me goes fuzzy. I’d close my eyes, but the back of my eyelids are hot, almost burning. 

My pitiful, wretched self, too pathetic to save a trembling girl, to save Haruhime. 

Worst of all, I couldn’t make a decision and ran away from her. 

Anguish, regret, remorse. There’s a storm in my head that’s threatening to rip everything apart. 

“Sir Bell…” 

Mikoto says my name through hushed, tearful breaths. 

She’s suffering, too. 

Trapped between her friendship with Haruhime and her bonds with our goddess, our family. 

Her fists are clenched so tight that her bones might break through the skin. She couldn’t make a decision, either. 

Tears of helplessness run down her cheeks. 

“I…!” 

What should I do? What can I do? 

Should I run away, forget about Haruhime and save myself? 

Keep the goddess and everyone else safe from harm and turn my back on her? 

Or, should I follow through on this selfishness? 

Listen to the voice screaming in my heart, rather than try to ignore it? 

Constant wondering, impossible choices, thoughts that won’t fade. Time continues to flow forward, but I’m stuck in this enigma, a labyrinth with no exit in sight. 

The sky far above my head has gone dark, the light of the full moon coming into the city. 

Someone… 

Anyone, tell me what to do. 

Person, fairy, or deity, I don’t care which. 

What should I do? What can I do? 

I…I don’t know. 

—Now, if he were here… 

If Gramps were here. 

If the man who raised me were here, what would he say? 

If he saw me standing still when I knew that girl was in trouble, what would he say to me? 

I take a step away from the wall and try to visualize how that conversation would go. 

There’s, um, someone I want to help. 

But I have a family I don’t want to lose. 

What do you think I should do? 

What do you think I can do? 

Do you think it would be okay…if I screamed everything in my heart up at the sky? 

I do my best to find every memory lurking in the back corners of my mind. Time we spent together, my childhood, his lessons. Then I ask. 

And… 

The vision of him my brain puts together… 

The memory of my grandfather—smirks. 

“—Go.” 

Said the vision without an aggravating smile. 

“!!” 

A new flame burns in my eyes. 

My right fist clenches as much as it can. 

“Can’t save one little lady? You call yourself a man?” 

He’d say that. 

If he were here, he’d say that for sure. 

Knowing Gramps, he’d give me the first push. 

—And he’s right. 

Decide. 

Decide! 

Just decide already! 

Being made fun of, being laughed at, pointed at, that’s not shameful. 

The most shameful thing is to be at a crossroads but not be able to make up your mind! 

I— 

—I’m going. 

I’m going to save her. 

I’m going to save that girl, the one who can’t smile from the heart. 

“…Sorry, Miss Mikoto.” 

My voice shakes. She looks up at me with wide eyes, shoulders quivering like she’s afraid of what I’m about to say. 

I slowly turn toward her and stand up straight. Tears drip off my chin as I hold my head high for the first time in far too long. 

“I…I want to save her.” 

Mikoto blinks a few times, my words sinking in. 

I’m going to save Haruhime, putting the familia in danger. I ask for her forgiveness. 

I somehow manage to keep from crying and close my mouth. Mikoto steps up to me. 

“B-but what do you do after rescuing Miss Haruhime? Ishtar Familia would pursue you until—” 

“I’ll leave Orario.” 

I jump in before she can finish her question. Now it’s my turn to be afraid of her next words. I struggle to keep my face steady. Mikoto’s stunned. 

I’ll apologize to the goddess until I have one foot in the grave. 

I’ll apologize as soon as I have no choice but to leave the city. 

This is like what happened with Apollo Familia. 

Except this time I’ll be leaving Orario to save the life of one girl. 

“I’ll run away from Orario…But I promise I’ll come back.” 

“Eh?” 

“Stronger—strong enough to protect her, stronger than I am now!” 

Then I’ll come back. I’ll come back to Orario. 

No matter how long it takes, no matter how long the detour I have to follow, I will return to my idol. 

Once I’m strong enough to protect Haruhime, nothing will stop me from coming back inside the city walls. 

Be realistic for a second! I yell at myself as Mikoto gulps down the air in her throat. 

Who was it I thought of the first time I saw Haruhime’s beautiful golden hair? 

Who was it who appeared in my heart? 

If I abandoned Haruhime now…Whenever I see my idol from this day forward… 

I would remember Haruhime and wouldn’t be able to look her in the eyes again. 

I want to stand in front of her, chest out, and proudly proclaim that I’ve become a man worthy of her attention. That will never happen if I turn my back on Haruhime. 

I will never, ever give up on Haruhime, on my friends, or on her. I will struggle against any odds as long as it takes. So— 

I meet Mikoto’s gaze, my eyes unwavering. 

The stunned look on her face crumbles away, eyes glistening with fresh tears as a wide smile appears on her lips. 

“Becoming a member of your familia…has never made me so happy as right now.” 

She takes another step forward and grabs my right hand. A fresh wave of tears flows down her cheeks as she smiles from ear to ear. 

“That you are my leader, to have met you in the first place…I am so grateful.” 

She pulls my hand into her chest, voice becoming smaller with every word. 

Her lips form the words thank you over and over. Her tears sparkle as they fall into the palm of my hand. 

“…I shall gladly join you, be at your side in dogeza at the feet of Lady Hestia, Lady Lilly, and Sir Welf. Let us be scolded together!” 

Mikoto releases my hand and wipes her face on her sleeve. When she finally looks up, I’ve never seen a more joyous smile in my life. 

That broke the dam. This girl not only listened to my selfish decision, she agreed to help me, to join me. And with that smile. My eyes glisten as new tears threaten to spill out. 

We exchange disheveled smiles. Taking a moment to compose ourselves, both of us nod, knowing exactly what we have to do. 

We don’t have to look cool. 

Being caked in dirt and blood doesn’t matter at all. 

I don’t care if it all ends here. 

It’s time to become her hero. 

I’ll be the one who reaches out to save her, prostitute or not, to become the hero she had always dreamed of. 

“…!” 

Determination in our eyes, Mikoto and I look back the way we came. 

Looking up from the back of the dark side path, we can see the golden exterior of a palace shining in the moonlight. 

“After all that, you sayin’ you let the bunny get awayyy?!” 

The renart hidden behind her back, shoulders trembling, as Phryne’s booming voice filled the air… 

Aisha remained surprisingly calm as she protected Haruhime. A large group of Berbera had assembled in a wide chamber within the palace. 

“This mess was your fault, going against Lady Ishtar’s orders. Don’t go blaming me.” 

“Don’t give me any of that craaap! If that varmint behind you hadn’t released my prey, everything woulda been fiiine!” 

The Amazon’s bloodshot, bulging frog-like eyes were locked onto Haruhime. 

The veins in Phryne’s head started throbbing. That’s when her red gaze turned to Aisha. 

“The Killing Stone, they know we have iiit. The Little Rookie can’t be allowed to liiiive! If he goes free…how you gonna own up to it, Aishaaa?” 

Groups of Amazons were on the move throughout Belit Babili. Half of them were in hot pursuit of the two humans who’d learned of the Killing Stone. The others were busy making preparations for the Killing Stone Ritual. There wasn’t an idle pair of feet to be seen. 

Noise from the bustling activity below reached the chamber despite being close to the top of the highest tower in the compound. Aisha gave Phryne a quick glance, shrugged, and said: 

“That boy, he’ll come.” 

“Huuuh? You say that because…?” 

Completely unfazed by Phryne’s death stare, Aisha casually looked out the window. 

“He didn’t have the look of a man, but those eyes…” 

She could see the red-light district, its lanterns lighting up one by one. 

“Those of an adventurer who doesn’t know when to give up.” 

Haruhime listened to Aisha’s harsh whisper and looked up at the side of her face. The renart’s expression shifted to show the range of emotions that was surging within her. 

She too looked outside, down at the Pleasure Quarter—down at the place where that boy and girl probably were right now. 

At the same moment, the boy and girl were looking at the palace from a distance. 

Emerging from a dilapidated back alley, just the two of them stood below a goddess’s shining fortress. 

The darkness spread in the sky above them. 

A golden moon gradually grew clearer, brighter, and fuller with the coming night. 

For the sake of saving one prostitute, the boy and girl prepared to assault the palace.