Welcome to Dungeon Hotel Chapter 144

140. Operation Orient Express

 

I, Han Woohyun, along with Aunt, Mrs. Smith, and Lim Sehwan, each drank a glass of the beverage served by Mr. Smith and sat comfortably in soft chairs.

 

Smith looked back and forth between me and Han Woohyun and asked with an ambiguous expression. 

 

– So he is… 

 

Since the language Smith used was English, Han Woohyun could understand it. 

 

He said, holding my hand on the table. 

 

– I’m her husband. 

 

– …He’s my friend. 

 

Smith looked at me with a puzzled look.

 

– My husband passed away yesterday. 

 

For reference, Smith knew me as a widow who had lost her husband and was a devout church member living at a church and who knew a lot of engineers through her father’s father, who ran a factory in the countryside. 

 

He believes I have inherited a considerable amount of money.

 

I said, smiling awkwardly.

 

– He’s going to be my husband. Not…yet, though. 

 

I squeezed Han Woohyun’s hand tightly. 

 

Han Woohyun’s gaze was shaking.

 

What is it? Wasn’t he talented at acting?

 

– Right? 

 

I asked with a trembling voice, and Han Woohyun lightly brushed my side hair, smiling.

 

– Of course. 

 

– Congratulations so much, Mrs. Christie.

 

– Christie…? 

 

Han Woohyun looked at me as if he had suddenly realized something. 

 

‘I can’t help it.’

 

I don’t know much about English-style names, but fortunately, Agatha Christie made her debut as a writer after the death of Queen Victoria, so I thought it was the most suitable name.

 

For your information, the name of Aunt Misun sitting there is Alan Turing. 

 

Lim Sehwan’s name is Wilbur Wright. 

 

Aren’t those more terrible names over there? Wilbur Wright is even American. 

 

Anyway, the fact that I could engage in identity laundering like this was thanks to the priest.

 

– This world is terribly going wrong. Very much so. I won’t ask why you and that man, even with different skin tones from us, stole a carriage from Windsor Castle. There must be a reason. We also have our reasons.

 

The priest used to say that with a very mysterious look in his eyes.

 

The poor relief center run by the priest’s church was connecting several factories with the poor.

 

Such workers sometimes learned to read from a priest after getting off work at the factory late at night.

 

– Voting is the only way to change the world. In a world where even people without money and women can vote, who wouldn’t vote for peace?

 

When I passed the boarded-up classroom on a dark night, a secret voice would come out.

 

…Well. Although it had nothing to do with me, I decided to steal a few textbooks and keep them. 

 

Our faces were soon our weaknesses. Some nuns and the priestess knew our faces. In that case, it wouldn’t be a bad idea for us to have at least one of their weaknesses. 

 

While I was thinking that, Mr. Smith asked Han Woohyun’s name.

 

– This gentleman is… 

 

– My name is Max. Max Mallowan.

 

– That’s a good name. I’ll remember. Mr. Mallowan.

 

Max Mallowan?

 

I guess he had an English name. 

 

Well. Han Woohyun is a ranker who often works overseas, so he might have an appropriate English nickname.

 

With that in mind, I held out the wooden box presented by ‘Alan Turing’ to Mr. Smith. 

 

– Go check it out. You’ll never get a gun like this in this country.

 

Smith opened the box and checked the ‘gun’ inside. 

 

It’s a gun that cannot be obtained anywhere in this world, not just domestically. Specifically, it’s difficult to find such a gun even in South Korea or the United Kingdom.

 

Gun (C)

 

—Even when shooting while shaking, the accuracy rate is over 80%.

 

—With the Holy Power buff, attack power increases by 300% against demons.

 

It is a crafted item made using iron and holy water obtained from factory workers. 

 

Yesterday, Smith shot this gun in person at the cathedral and was impressed.

 

– As I mentioned last time, we must deliver the quantity to Windsor Castle before the opening day of parliament. The engineer we had previously contracted with unilaterally canceled the contract, causing significant damage to our credibility. 

 

Mr. Smith seemed more curious about whether the date and quantity could be matched rather than the gun’s performance.

 

The answer to that was given by Aunty Misoon.

 

– If you set up a factory and properly manage the workers, meeting the quantity within six months is a piece of cake. Of course, it would be even better if you could bring samples in advance and have a conversation with the general at Windsor Castle.

 

Aunt Misoon said grumpily as she placed her walker-clad feet on the table in a posh coffee house that was obviously home to the British bourgeoisie.

 

But her eyes seemed a bit tense.

 

Smith said, examining Aunt’s guns as if fascinated by the items she had made.

 

– Of course. Then, I will set a date and contact you.

 

That’s how the meeting with Smith ended.

 

I asked Han Woohyun as I watched him leave.

 

“Is Max Mallowan your English name?”

 

“No.” 

 

“….?”

 

“It’s the name of Agatha Christie’s husband.” 

 

I looked at him, startled.

 

If Mrs. Christie’s husband…

 

“They get divorced after he cheats on her.” 

 

“That’s someone else; Max Mallorone is her second husband. The last love… is more important than the first love.” 

 

He looked at me carefully, as if checking if what he was saying was correct.

 

What is it? 

 

This feeling of discomfort.

 

* * * 

 

Of course, after showing Aunt Misoon’s gun at the palace, Smith immediately contacted us.

 

He asked us to attend the Windsor Castle Hunting Convention next month with samples in hand. 

 

‘Alan Turing’, ‘Wilbur Wright’, ‘Agatha Christie’, and ‘Max Mallowan’ were all participating in the royal hunting competition.

 

For two months, we diligently prepared to participate in a hunting competition and rescue Dad.

 

“There is no such thing as Operation Orient Express.”

 

During those two months, Aunt frequently made fun of my name.

 

“…It’s a relief. The opportunity came so quickly.”

 

I ignored it.

 

“That’s right. Considering the filthy shower facilities and lack of public hygiene awareness here, it’s really fortunate that we didn’t get typhoid!” 

 

Lim Sehwan suffered all the time because of dirty shower facilities. 

 

In fact, I really wanted to take a shower at the hotel, but I couldn’t do it because there was a high possibility that time would have passed in this world if I returned from a short trip.

 

Anyway, we were gathered in the office of the factory we acquired through Smith 

 

The labor needed for the factory was mostly filled by people from the church’s relief center.

 

A stone slab was placed in the corner of the warehouse at the back so that priests and workers could study.

 

While the movement for suffrage in this fake world may not concern me—.

 

Having lived through the era of barbarism and now in the modern age, there is still a slight emotional debt in me.

 

The priest was very grateful.

 

– Thank you, madam. How should I be thankful…

 

– Not at all.

 

The priest was still holding onto my weaknesses.

 

Nevertheless, it was difficult to endure in this world as a stranger, but fortunately, within two months, there was an opportunity to rescue Dad at the royal hunting competition.

 

Moreover, thanks to Smith, who generously provided abundant iron and various materials to the factory, Aunt was in the process of creating various items.

 

“This carriage has a special device. If you use it, it won’t be hard to get Lee Semyung out. As long as it’s not noticed by EX-Class monsters.” 

 

Starting from an S-class carriage, to various weapons.

 

“I feel reassured.”

 

“But it’s like we’re walking into the mouth of an EX-Class monster.” 

 

“If it becomes a dangerous situation, everyone must gather in front of this carriage without exception. We will use the carriage to exit the area. Once we’re out of the area, it seems like it won’t attract too much attention. And…”

 

I said, taking out the master key I was carrying in my pocket.

 

“As I always say, the last bastion is still alive. If it really becomes dangerous, we’ll immediately return to the hotel.”

 

Everyone hesitated but nodded.

 

The woman sitting on the sofa behind, with dark circles extending down to her knees due to staying up all night for a week, spoke with a tired face.

 

“But that won’t happen. The items I’ve made are invincible, and in this raid, we have S-Class Han Woohyun, and besides… the slave we’re rescuing is an S-Class hunter. Once we separate him from the EX-Class monster, we can immediately bring him out.” 

 

That’s right. 

 

Unlike the Hunter Federation, we can immediately bring the slave to the hotel before the excited queen kills him. 

 

I smiled at Aunt with a slightly eased, tense heart.

 

“That’s right. I’m sure we can go back together.”

 

* * *

 

As I was coming down from the accommodations, I saw Han Woohyun wearing a three-piece suit. 

 

He was about 190 cm tall and had a slim body that made him look like the main character from a noir movie, and he had something in his mouth. 

 

Is it a cigarette? 

 

Thinking that way, I approached and quickly realized. It’s chocolate…

 

He really likes sweets.

 

He turned around and froze when he saw me.

 

“….?”

 

Is there… something strange about my clothes?

 

Following the priest’s advice, I tried wearing clothes suitable for a hunting competition. 

 

I was wearing a plunging dress, my hair styled up high, and even adorned with a splendid pearl hairpin.

 

The royal hunting competition is an event where men usually wear hunting attire, but for women, it’s an occasion to dress up elegantly. 

 

Han Woohyun couldn’t take his eyes off my face.

 

“Pretty.” 

 

Ah, because it’s pretty.

 

I said, avoiding eye contact.

 

“Everyone looks pretty if they dress up like this.”

 

The moment I said that, Han Woohyun’s face suddenly came to the back of my neck. 

 

“….!” 

 

The moment Han Woohyun’s breath touched my downy hair, goosebumps appeared all over my body. 

 

“You sprayed perfume, too.”

 

His brown eyes shone. 

 

I clenched my fists without realizing it.

 

Let’s calm down. Calm…

 

“You… go out and talk to me.”

 

“About what?”

 

“I don’t know. Just talk….”

 

At that time, a carriage stopped in front of us. 

 

Even though there was no coachman, a mechanical device connected to the horse’s reins was appropriately tightened, causing the carriage to move.

 

It was an automatic carriage made by Aunt. 

 

Aunt, who pushed the door open with her foot, was smoking a pipe that we had no idea where she got it and gestured to us.

 

“Get in!”

 

Han Woohyun jumped onto the carriage with his long legs and held out his hand to me.

 

I held his hand, and my body was pulled onto the carriage.