CHAPTER 39
The Gladion Empire is one of the largest nations in the world.
As such, its capital also boasts an immense size.
However, as the capital grew, the growth of its underworld was inevitable.
The underworld of the capital Valterion, also known as the clandestine world.
Nox.
The way to get there was surprisingly simple.
As long as you weren't a member of the Imperial Knight Order or the Regular Army, you could enter by paying a small fee.
However, any crimes that occurred within Nox were solely your own responsibility.
This was because the Regular Army did not intervene in crimes committed inside Nox.
The Regular Army and Nox had a separate agreement.
Where there is light, shadows are bound to form.
No matter how hard you try to erase a shadow, it will eventually reappear.
The Regular Army judged that it was better to know the master of the shadow and control it.
The master of Nox readily accepted the Regular Army's proposal.
They would even catch criminals sought by the Regular Army if they hid in Nox and caused trouble.
They solved problems the Regular Army couldn't handle on its own.
In exchange for cooperating with the Regular Army, the master of Nox built a kingdom of their own.
Within Nox, the master was the law and justice.
But Nox wasn't unconditionally dangerous.
The risk was low if you entered as an employee.
Especially if you had the guarantee of a manager who controlled a section of Nox.
“A pass for Monghwagol. You may enter.”
In front of the underground entrance to Nox.
A man who had been nonchalantly sorting his luggage saw the rose-shaped pass Horizon showed him and pushed aside a wooden box.
A single door was unexpectedly sitting there.
We proceeded through it immediately.
“To think you had a pass for Monghwagol. Horizon, you must know someone important there.”
“Ah, y-yes, that’s right.”
At my words, Horizon gave an awkward laugh.
“Harua, is Monghwagol by any chance…”
“That’s right, it’s the pleasure district.”
Aranseol said, seemingly unfamiliar with Monghwagol.
Monghwagol, the pleasure district of Nox.
That place, filled with the scent of women, was a dream destination for countless male pioneers.
Pioneers lived lives like mayflies.
Such a perilous life naturally led to the accumulation of stress and lust.
They needed a place to release their desires, and Monghwagol fulfilled this wish.
In a way, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the majority of a pioneer’s money flowed into Monghwagol.
Where there are flowers, bees are sure to gather.
“You know a lot about it.”
Aranseol smiled faintly.
“Mating is an interesting topic of conversation.”
It might be gross, but isn't it fascinating to see beasts mate?
No, wait, that's the worst.
When savage this-worlders mate, more savage this-worlders are born.
Could there be a more vicious cycle than this?
“Babiyen, don’t say things like that in front of her.”
Aranseol covered the ears of Babiyen, who was trailing behind her.
She seemed to have forgotten that Babiyen was already a grown woman.
“Aranseol, Babiyen is older than you.”
“Not right now, she isn’t.”
“Ugh, uuuu.”
Babiyen glanced at Aranseol’s chest with a clueless expression.
It seemed she was getting hungry.
“Ah, this is the entrance.”
Just then, Horizon took a step ahead down the underground staircase.
Soon, an underground city unfolded before us.
A scene of countless houses built into underground caves, packed tightly together.
Some house-like structures were even hanging from the ceiling.
I had only heard stories about it from Bulldog-ajusshi; this was the first time I’d seen it myself.
Horizon, as if she had been here often, moved forward with surprising confidence.
Come to think of it, her personality didn't seem to fit a place like this, but I guess you can't judge a person by their appearance.

“Horizon, you know the way well.”
Aranseol asked the question before I could.
She hadn’t let her guard down since we entered Nox.
She was likely preparing for the worst, as she had heard it was a lawless zone.
“Ah, w-well, I’m, actually from Nox.”
“You’re from Nox?”
Aranseol’s eyes widened.
It was only natural, as anyone could see that Horizon didn’t fit in with Nox.
“Y-yes. I was a mutant among the Shadow Tribe, so I was abandoned as a child.”
“A mutant?”
“W-when I enter the shadows, a white mask appears, unlike other members of the Shadow Tribe.”
Horizon touched the back of her neck as if apologizing for not telling us sooner.
“……And that’s a reason to be abandoned?”

But Aranseol was stunned for a different reason.
It was the same for me.
Just because her mask was different, what reason was there to abandon her?
“Ah, w-well, mutants like me use a different kind of shadow than the existing Shadow Tribe. It seems my mother and father abandoned me in Nox to save me from being killed right after I was born.”
She was speaking calmly, but it clearly wasn’t an easy story to tell.
“A-after that, I was taken in by Monghwagol, but they said I wasn’t suited for the work and… kicked me out, I guess. Yes, something like that.”
Indeed, with a personality like that, it would be difficult to work in a pleasure district.
Especially with Horizon’s disposition, she could easily become a target for ill-intentioned people.
It seemed the person who took her in had a better eye for people than I thought.
“You’ve lived a hard life. I’m sorry for pressing you.”
“Ah, it’s okay!”
At Aranseol’s apology, Horizon waved her hands with a bright smile, telling her not to worry about it.
Seeing her like this, I understood how Horizon managed to work properly among the pioneers.
The sexually harassing nickname “Unlucky Milk Cow” was probably mild compared to what she heard in Nox. To her eyes, the pioneers might have even seemed peaceful.
Even in the 2nd World, Horizon always remained calm, though she stuttered.
This too must be a testament to the life she had lived.
“Life isn’t easy for anyone, is it?”
I said quietly to Aranseol. She looked at Horizon for a moment, then lowered her head.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“Mamma.”
“Though it seems like just surviving is hard enough for us right now.”
Aranseol let out a sigh.
The 19-year-old Baby Babiyen was still hungry.

Following Horizon’s lead, the atmosphere of the street began to change.
The path leading from the entrance felt mostly like a merchant street.
A commercial street where various black market merchants sold all sorts of dangerous or useless items I had never seen before. After passing through it and heading up a side path, red lanterns began to appear everywhere.
Red lanterns were used in pleasure districts all over the world.
The color red, blooming in the dark atmosphere, held a strange sensuality.
As I wrinkled my nose, I could smell the powdery scent of women from all around.
It was the fragrance of women who had applied heavy makeup to seduce customers.
One by one, scantily clad women began to make passes at the men walking by.
The pleasure district, Monghwagol.
We had finally arrived.
Aranseol silently covered her nose with her sleeve.
As expected, she seemed to have no connection to places like this.
“Hey there, white-haired sir with three women. You have intense tastes.”
Just then, a woman called out to me.
She blew a kiss with her hand and added a wink.
Her makeup was thick, and her clothes were so revealing it was hard to know where to look.
“If you want, I can join in too………… Huh? Horizon?”
Just then, she recognized Horizon leading the way and tilted her head. As expected of someone who grew up in Monghwagol, there were people who knew Horizon.
“Ah, hello.”
As Horizon gave an awkward greeting, the woman’s eyes widened.
Then she hurriedly nudged the woman next to her.
“J-Jenny, Horizon brought a man with her.”
“What?”
The woman who had been holding a tobacco pipe next to her looked up in surprise.
Then she looked my way, and her eyes also widened.
“……Wow, the Madame is going to flip if she finds out.”
“This is gonna be fun! I have to spread the rumor, quick!”
The woman who had first hit on me dashed off.
The way she ran, even in high heels, was extraordinary.
“Ah, uwaah.”
Horizon’s face turned pale, as if disaster had struck.
Ignoring all that, I approached the woman who was putting away her tobacco pipe.
“A pleasure to meet you. My name is Harua.”
“Oh my, a polite gentleman.”
I had spent a good amount of time with the noble Rapiel.
Displaying this level of courtesy wasn’t difficult.
At my polite greeting, the woman named Jenny gave a satisfied, seductive eye-smile.
Most people in the pleasure district lacked manners, so I must have seemed peculiar.
“I am Harua, a Holy Mage who came here on Horizon’s introduction to treat the patients of Monghwagol.”
“Aha, so that’s what this was about?”
Jenny looked at Horizon as if she finally understood.
She had a look of disappointment, as if her excitement had been for nothing.
“Yes, the other two are here as my bodyguards, so please don’t misunderstand.”
“Horizon and that girl, really…”

Jenny glanced at Horizon for a moment before casually wrapping an arm around my shoulder.
Her touch was anything but ordinary.
“Well then, separate from that, does this mean the Holy Mage-ssi is single?”
The greatest dream of the women of Monghwagol is to be bought by a wealthy man and get married.
That is why they adorn themselves more than anyone and strive to become the best in the pleasure district.
Monghwagol actively used this to its advantage.
Appearance, intellect, singing, and dancing.
Through these, they assigned different ranks to the women.
Among them, a woman who possessed all these qualities was deliberately made to protect her chastity and sold to the man who offered the highest price.
Men would pour money into spending a single night with higher-ranked women.
Conversely, the women would increase their own value to survive in Monghwagol.
It was better to be sold to a rich man than to be used and sold by a poor one.
The Jenny before me didn't seem to be of a particularly high rank.
Of course, even if her rank was high, it was none of my business.
In my eyes, they were all just savage this-worlders.
“I apologize, but I’m completely broke.”
I politely removed her hand from my shoulder.
“Oh my, what a shame.”
Jenny didn’t press further.
There was no reason to cling to a man who refused.
As I moved away from her, Aranseol approached with Babiyen in tow.
“How does it feel to be hit on?”
“It’s whatever.”
“I get asked at least once a day.”
Aranseol suddenly puffed up with pride.
What, is getting hit on something to brag about?
But it was surprising that it was only one person.
With Aranseol's looks, you'd think everyone on the street, regardless of age or gender, would stare.
Ah, right, there’s the saying about a flower on a high cliff.
Once you surpass a certain level, you become hard to approach.
If anything, it was amazing that even one person a day had the courage to try.
“But I’ve ignored them all so far. I even ignored a noble.”
There was even a noble?
Looks are everything, I guess.
“So you ignore them too, Harua. Got it?”
Aranseol poked my arm.
Thanks for the advice not to waste my money in some stupid place.
“Ah, we’re here.”
Just then, Horizon stopped in front of the largest building in Monghwagol.
Come to think of it, they definitely said "Madame" earlier.
Don't tell me.
“Horizon!”
A sharp voice echoed from inside the building.
Soon after, a woman with a slender but curvaceous figure walked out.
Wrinkles had formed around her mouth, but she was still a beautiful woman.
However, judging by the look in her eyes, her age was clearly far removed from her appearance.
Escorts and other women followed behind her.
The moment I saw this, I knew instinctively.
This person is the master of Monghwagol.
Madame Karuang.

Horizon had clearly been raised by Karuang.
“Ah, Madame,”
As Horizon smiled brightly, the Madame’s eyes flashed as she raised her palm.
And then, she smacked Horizon squarely on the back.
“Kyaak!”
“I send you out into the world, and you come crawling back! And this time, with a man in tow!”
One thing was for sure.
Horizon’s back wasn’t going to survive the day.