Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 143

139. What Moves the World

 

– Father, did you see the article in today’s newspaper? Are they really slaves who stole a carriage from Windsor Castle?

 

– Be quiet.

 

– If it’s them, we must report it immediately. If not, the entire cathedral….

 

– The slave system was abolished decades ago. Trying to reverse that is an extremely outdated idea.

 

– Who would listen to such words? Since the end of the war, Britain has been increasingly dehumanizing.

 

The voices of a middle-aged man and a woman could be heard from outside the door.

 

‘It’s English.’

 

While there were some words that were difficult to understand, he clearly grasped the part about ‘the slave who stole a carriage from Windsor Castle.’ It was evident that they were talking about him and Junhyo.

 

…Junghyo. 

 

As soon as Han Woohyun thought of that name, he seemed to come to his senses. 

 

Where is Junghyo? He recalled the face of Junghyo he last saw. 

 

‘Come to your senses, Han Woohyun. Come to…’

 

His face was completely white, and his hands were shaking. At the last moment, when he lost consciousness, she was cradling his face. 

 

…Damn it. 

 

As the trembling breaths came to mind, he became angry with himself. 

 

He makes Junghyo afraid.

 

Even though Junghyo had already said that she was afraid to get close to him because he was an S-class hunter.

 

But there was no time to dwell on a sense of shame. A woman suddenly opened the door and came in, looking surprised when she saw him waking up.

 

“Junghyo…?”

 

With a bewildered expression, Han Woohyun glanced at her.

 

By styling her hair so beautifully and putting on a doll-like bonnet over her dress, she looked like a wealthy woman from 19th-century England.

 

Junghyo blushed as if she had finally realized what she was wearing and took off her bonnet and gloves and put them down. 

 

“You’re awake.”

 

When did she even prepare and wear such a costume? Confused, Han Woohyun looked at Junghyo, who quickly explained the situation.

 

“Even if the accuracy was low, the attacks of S-class monsters should not be underestimated… I made a mistake in my plan.” 

 

Junghyo sat by the bed where Han Woohyun was lying and touched his shoulder with a worried look. The wound on his shoulder was almost gone. 

 

“…It disappeared…?” 

 

Lying in the room, Han Woohyun spoke while sensing the flow of mana.

 

“Did you use a skill?” 

 

“I used skills, but the reason you’re better is… thanks to the holy water from the priest.” 

 

Junghyo pointed to the water contained in a cross-shaped glass bottle placed on the nightstand. 

 

Blessed Holy Water (S)

 

—Neutralizes the poison on the sword of the Corrupted Knight (S).

 

—Increases stamina by 150%. 

 

“Is there something like this in the dungeon?” 

 

Han Woohyun became somewhat embarrassed. 

 

“Mhm. I thought it would be faster and more effective than going outside the dungeon and getting treatment, so I let you get treatment here.” 

 

He was confused because he had never heard of a dungeon with such a perfect worldview, but for some reason, seeing Junghyo, who seemed oddly familiar with this situation, added to his confusion.

 

“…I’ve been in a dungeon like this before. A dungeon made up of the world itself brought in by beings from another world.”

 

As expected, that was also the case.

 

Han Woohyun pulled back the blanket and sat down on the bed. 

 

Then, for some reason, Junghyo’s red face came into view.

 

“….?”

 

It was only then that Han Woohyun realized that he had taken off his shirt and picked up the shirt across from him.

 

But… he’s even changed his pants?

 

As if sensing the puzzlement in his gaze, Junghyo hurriedly made an excuse.

 

“T, the priest helped me change your clothes. I bought the clothes myself. And you know that pearl necklace I stole from the queen? It’s worth a lot in this world.”

 

Han Woohyun quickly buttoned up a few buttons on his shirt and moved his shoulders.

 

He didn’t feel any pain. The holy water seemed to be effective.

 

At this level, it’s as if he has returned to his original strength.

 

Isn’t there not much time left?

 

If so, they should quickly go and find Hunter Lee Semyung. 

 

“How much time is left until the Hunter Federation enters? How long have I been lying down?” 

 

“Uh… so… one month?”

 

“….?” 

 

Junghyo said it with a thoughtful face. 

 

“Yeah. That’s right, one month. When I first came here, they said there would be a cathedral event in a month, but that was yesterday.” 

 

“…!”

 

That was when Han Woohyun’s brow furrowed. 

 

Someone suddenly opened the door, accompanied by the sound of people walking down the stairs.

 

“You’re awake! You really woke up!”

 

Why are you here? 

 

Han Woohyun looked at Lim Sehwan, dressed in a top hat and a gentleman’s suit, with such a face. At the same time, Hwang Misoon, who was wearing work clothes and goggles behind Lim Sehwan’s back, poked her head in. 

 

“Thank goodness! I was worried that Jeonghyo might be trapped here with you forever! She is just sticking closely by your side and not moving at all, you know!” 

 

“Aunt!” 

 

Junghyo screamed, but Hwang Misoon just quickly came over and checked Han Woohyun’s shoulder. 

 

“It’s healed. If needed, I was thinking about cutting off the shoulders and trying to attach a prosthetic arm.” 

 

So it was like that. 

 

The first time Junghyo clearly sensed that time was slow here was fifteen days after she happened to meet a priest who runs a relief center for the poor. 

 

To be exact, since she met Hwang Misoon and Lim Sehwan who came here. 

 

* * *

 

“So, time inside the dungeon is slower than outside the dungeon.”

 

Han Woohyun said it with a look of trying to understand what I was saying. 

 

I held onto Han Woohyun’s arms and carefully walked to avoid the hem of the dress getting dirty with horse dung, nodding my head.

 

“Here, it feels like a month, but outside, it’s only been an hour? That’s what it seems like. Aunt used a teleportation device to find me and mentioned that the time it took for her to enter the dungeon was just an hour.”

 

“Teleportation to England in an hour?”

 

Han Woohyun turned back and looked at Aunt. Aunt quietly avoided his gaze.

 

I was also taken aback. 

 

When she found out from Lim Sehwan that I’m looking for Dad, he immediately came into the dungeon and thought about joining forces with me.

 

By even forging their identity.  

 

Right now, I, Lim Sehwan, Aunt, and Han Woohyun are all carrying necklaces. It’s an item that changes faces. 

 

Using that, Lim Sehwan and Aunt pretended to be federation officials and said they entered the dungeon. 

 

In the dungeon, thanks to Lim Sehwan’s location tracker and camera that I had, he quickly found me. 

 

Anyway, they are courageous people in many ways. 

 

“So you guys pretended to come here to find Lee Semyung! Damn b*stards! Lying to me?! A close friend of Lee Semyung?!”

 

“It’s not that I lied; it’s that I didn’t tell…”

 

I spoke carefully, but it didn’t work. 

 

“That’s it!”

 

Aunt, since about two weeks ago by this time, has been continuously getting angry since she heard to some extent the whole story of coming to find Dad.

 

Above all…

 

“How could I find out later than Moon Heeyoung! News about Lee Semyung! How can I be later than that damn punk!” 

 

The fact that she found out later than Aunt Heeyoung.

 

I was very worried about Uncle Junsoo’s reaction when I saw Aunt, one of the more blunt of baby Junghyo fan members, doing something like that. 

 

Isn’t he going on a hunger strike..? 

 

– Sir, would you like to buy a newspaper?

 

At that time, a barefoot boy approached Han Woohyun and held out a newspaper.

 

Han Woohyun flinched and looked at me.

 

“Here.” 

 

I had no choice but to give the coin to Han Woohyun. Since I am doing all the money management, he looks at me. 

 

Han Woohyun took the newspaper from the boy and read it.

 

“It’s completely 19th century England.”

 

“To be exact, Britain was unable to abandon its expansionist policies even after losing the Boer War, and problems such as the aftermath of the war and social injustice continued to worsen.” 

 

Lim Sehwan spoke from behind. 

 

It was like that. From what I have learned over the past month, Britain has been making choices in this world that are slightly out of step with the flow of history. 

 

They tried to revive slavery, which had already been abolished, and replace the post-war recovery with the slave trade. The social welfare system gradually declined, and movements such as the Chartist and suffrage movements were strongly suppressed, causing diverse voices to disappear from society. 

 

“Was this the world Queen Victoria dreamed of?”

 

Lim Sehwan asked while looking at the gloomy sky of London. 

 

“There’s no way that’s true. This is a world that the ‘corrupt human king’ is dreaming of.”

 

It is also a dream dreamed of by all of humanity, buried in the growth myth created by imperialism and the Industrial Revolution. 

 

When I answered, everyone was lost in thought for a moment. 

 

In fact, Queen Victoria, who led the era of imperialism, was indeed a queen. However, within the palace, despite facing fierce opposition, she also employed an Indian servant and, in essence, was a person.

 

At least, it wasn’t a person who used expressions like ‘monkey’ similar to the ‘boss monster’ I encountered. 

 

This is proof that the king here is not the ‘real’ Queen Victoria. 

 

Before long, Han Woohyun interrupted the sentimental atmosphere and spoke. 

 

“First of all, it’s nice to have a lot of time. So, have you found any clues as to where Hunter Lee Semyung is for a month?” 

 

Yeah. Our goal is only one. 

 

The goal was to save my Dad before the Federation intervened.

 

“I found it.” 

 

I handed Han Woohyun a newspaper I had purchased fifteen days ago. I folded the article in that cheap newspaper so that he could see it clearly. 

 

Han Woohyun frowned after reading the newspaper.

 

“This…” 

 

It was a photo of the Queen hunting in the gardens of Windsor Castle.

 

The title of the article was ‘The King of the Empire Expresses Her Strong Will for Postwar Reconstruction’. 

 

The photo in the center of an insignificant propaganda article showed a face that I couldn’t help but recognize. 

 

A man stands next to the Queen holding a spare shotgun. 

A man wearing a cravat around his neck, a wig, and tightly fitted court trousers. 

 

It was Lee Semyung. 

 

“This b*stard Lee Semyung. How did he get into a place like this…”

 

I heard a bitter voice from the back of Aunt. 

 

But I wasn’t bitter.

 

The moment I saw this picture, it felt like a nostalgic time of playing tag, and it was a satisfying feeling as if I were receiving the rewards for those past moments.

 

I now had a clear hope that Dad was really alive and that I would soon find him. 

 

“Dad was at Windsor Castle.”

 

“Good. Let’s go there.” 

 

It seemed like Han Woohyun was planning to hijack a carriage from the London entertainment district and head to Windsor Castle at any moment.

 

But I shook my head. 

 

“Our raid team can’t clear the area with the boss mob.”

 

“You have me.”

 

Han Woohyun proudly smiled and held my hand. 

 

In his attire resembling that of a British gentleman, there was an indescribable air of strong presence emanating from him.

 

Is it because I saw Han Woohyun come out during the battle?

 

But it wasn’t just about confidence.

 

“I… almost lost you.”

 

I remembered the back of Han Woohyun, who fell like a piece of paper from the carriage, and squeezed Han Woohyun’s sleeve tightly. He looked at it and wrinkled his face.

 

“That’s…” 

 

“It shouldn’t happen again. Right?”

 

He bit his lip at my words. He hesitated for a moment and then nodded his head.

 

“But then…Is there any way?” 

 

“I will infiltrate Windsor Castle in a way that conforms to the rules of this world.”

 

I told him my plan. Because Han Woohyun absolutely couldn’t do anything while he was lying down.

 

The moment we turned the corner, a man standing in front of the coffee house approached us with a bright smile. 

 

– Madam, you’ve come with the engineer. Did you bring the item we saw at the cathedral last time?

 

This man’s name is Smith Boring.

 

He was a businessman who fell in love with the mysterious items made by Aunt Misoon at the church yesterday. 

 

The owner of a military factory decided to supply a large number of guns for use by the royal family a few months later.

 

The method I found was this. In the era of the Industrial Revolution, engineers are needed everywhere, and we have two excellent engineers.

 

Of course, we would need items to contribute to the palace treasury as well. 

 

I smiled softly and greeted him.

 

– Nice to meet you. Mr. Smith.

 

In 19th-century England, what moved the world was money rather than violence.

​