Volume 1, Chapter 20: Lord of Underground Labyrinth⑥
The group, who was chasing after Lambert and Co, was none other than the party from the Dragon’s Enchanted Metal guild. They had searched the entire 2nd floor to find and kill Lambert’s group. However, they failed to find them. So, some of them went back to the 1st floor, leaving someone to watch the stairs to the 2nd floor while the others dove back further towards the 3rd floor.
The reason they were looking for their target on the 2nd floor was because Grim Cat could only be found there. So, the Dragon’s Enchanted Metal guild master, Titan, expected to find Lambert and Co to hunt there.
So, to find them faster, the original 15 members of Dragon’s Enchanted Metal, who came to this underground labyrinth, split into three 5-man parties with Cradle and Titan in the same one.
「You there, have you seen a guy who wore a stupidly conspicuous full plate armor? We couldn’t find them in the 2nd floor, so they should be in this 3rd floor.」
Cradle’s party asked that question as soon as they met the other guild’s party in a high-handed manner as if the other was dirt below them.
「N-Never sees someone like that! Rather, one of our members received a deep wound… Does someone, anyone here can use white magic?! Please help!!」
The other party that Cradle’s group encountered was a three-man party from Blue Wings guild. It was composed of the veteran swordsman, Casval; his apprentice, Hans; and a sorceress Lilith. The three of them happened to meet Cradle and his party when they were carrying Lilith, who was already unconscious from the demon’s poison, out of the labyrinth.
「Ah, well… Though it pained us, but according to the law, we’re not allowed to lend a hand to other guilds when we’re in the middle of a job. Right, Titan-sama?」
「Uhm, my apologies for the inconvenience.」
Cradle and Titan replied to the pleading man with an evil grin on their face. And when he heard their words, the guy went pale.
「E-Even if someone life in danger?!」
「… Stop it. These guys were simply that kind of folks. Please don’t block the passage if you guys aren’t willing to help us.」
The leader of the party, Casval, stopped his pupil from flaring up at Cradle and his party.
「How crue~l… Wait a bit, let me help you.」
At this time, a cane-wielding woman suddenly appeared from behind Cradle. She’s also a member of Dragon’s Enchanted Metal guild, and her name is Ange. And she’s also a user of both white and black magic.
「There is an easier way to cure someone from poison.」
「P-Please, save her! We won’t make it in time if we’ve to bring her back to our guild!」
「O, fire, burn it to ashes!」
While chanting, Ange pointed her cane towards the unconscious Lilith. When the last syllable came out, red light instantly gathered in front of Lilith’s body, creating a fire that engulfed her body in the next moment. Hans, who was lending his shoulder to Lilith at the time, also ended up catching fire too.
「W-What the! Q-Quickly extinguish that fire with water! F-F$$$$$$$CK!」
「AHAHAHAHA! That should make things easier for you, right? RiGhT?」
Ange was laughing maniacally as she questioned the panicking duo, looking satisfied with their reaction.
「W-WHY THE HELL ARE YOU DOING THIS………?!」
「For amusement of course. Do you really think we’re gonna let you leave this labyrinth? Naive.」
It was not only Ange, but Cradle, Titan, and all the others in their party who were also laughing hysterically at those two.
「HAAH!? Y-YOU BASTARD! DO YOU REALIZE WHAT YOU’RE SPEAKING ABOUT JUST NOW?! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT OUR BLUE WINGS WILL JUST LET THIS MATTER BE…?!」
「Scawryy! Then, shall I leave your mouth intact so you can make your report to your guild?」
Hans looked at Cradle, astonished, when he heard his words.
「CEH!」
Unlike Hans, Casval didn’t waste his words as he immediately drew his sword and slashed at Cradle. However, Cradle stepped back, neatly dodging it while drawing his sword at the same time. He made a circular motion with his sword in front of Casval’s eyes, restraining him from advancing even further.
And, Casval was forced to retreat. Unfortunately for him, Cradle was aiming for that exact moment he retreated and stabbed his sword toward Casval, who was pulling his sword back. It smoothly pierced through Casval’s chest, looking as if it was sucked into it.
「GAH…」
Casval was killed on the spot without even a chance to retaliate. Pulling his sword from Casval’s chest, Cradle licked its bloodied blade.
「UWAAAAAAA.」
「W-W-W… Why are you guys doing this……?」
Hans, the only one left alive of the three at the moment, crumbled to his knees. He knew he had no way out of this situation.
Both Lilith and Casval were dead. Lilith, the girl I held unrequited love for and also his junior, fainted from the poison and was unable to defend herself when she was attacked. And Casval, his senior in the guild, was dead almost with no resistance.
Both of them were his good friends. And the reason why they dove into the 3rd floor today was to show the power of the senior to his junior rather than doing it during a commission. They were even careful enough not to dive too deeply into the 3rd floor and retreated as soon as they saw an ogre.
So, he had never thought that they would meet this kind of end. Not even in his wildest dream.
For adventurers, suddenly dying inside the labyrinth was something that they were aware of and accepted as their constant companion. Hans was painfully aware of that fact. But, he had never expected that today he’d experienced such sudden death.
「Why you ask, huh…? Such a foolish question. Are you trying to get us to pity you? Everything is your fault for pointing your sword toward us, okay?」
「… HAH?」
「Ooh, scawry~, don’t make such a scary face, I’m just joking… Well, I shall be magnanimous today. You ask for our reason to attack you guys, right? Well, dying inside a labyrinth is just an everyday occurrence for adventurers. No one’s gonna blame you for that. That’s why, don’t you think it’s a little boring if we just kill you guys when we met?」
「Y-YOU BASTA~~~RD!!!!!」
「Whoopsie!」
Titan suddenly moved his hand and punched Hans’ jaw with his enchanted metal glove. The sound of Hans’ skull being crushed resounded in the area, quickly followed with the popping sound of his eyeballs leaving its sockets. Hans’ body crumbled down on spot, blood flowing out of the orifices of his face.
「Guild Master-sama, that was my prey…」
「Quit the useless chit chat and get going.」
「I mean, I was annoyed when I heard those weaklings didn’t see our target either. Ah, is it really okay to leave their corpse as it is?」
「Leave it, their corpses were going to be eaten by the goblins after all.」
After they ransacked their three poor victims’ luggage, Cradle and his party continued onward without any regard to their corpses. The moment they had walked some distance away from that place, a group of goblins suddenly appeared and started to feast on those poor adventurers’ corpses.
「Those guys might be awakened due to the riot moments ago and love us so much coz we gave them free corpses.」
Titan said, laughing. He was joined by his guild members.
「Now, I wonder which route those guys took? I mean we still can’t find them even after we’ve dived down to this floor…」
「Maybe they dove even deeper? Kukuku, it’s been a long time since I’ve gotten this excited. Finally, my 《Dragon’s Enchanted Metal Claw》 might meet its match.」
「That’s a relief for me………」
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