Chapter 25

"Why did the 'Mithril Dragon' target us..."

Fiona glared at Titan, who had lost both arms and was drenched in blood, standing in a daze. Titan, either unconscious or in a state of shock, did not respond.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence that our plans overlapped. Perhaps they also wanted to settle old scores. ...If you knew more about Lamber, you wouldn't have come here."

Lloyd speculated. Lamber mostly agreed with Lloyd's thoughts, but there were still some things that didn't add up. It seemed a bit excessive for the 'Mithril Dragon' to target a small guild. It was possible, as Titan had said, that they became interested after hearing about Lamber...

"Is there any other connection between you and the 'Mithril Dragon' besides Cradle?"

"N-no, nothing comes to mind..."

"Alright, then that's fine."

Lamber replied, but he thought he would need to question the guild master, Germain, when they returned to the city.

(Reflecting on Germain's behavior, he seemed unusually anxious about moving from this city. It was unexpected that the 'Mithril Dragon' would take such direct action, but he must have sensed the danger.)

There were many points of concern when looking back at Germain's actions. Regardless of the circumstances, if they were involved to this extent, it was only right to get the whole story out of him.

Lamber and his companions were having this conversation while a man was calmly observing them. It was Cradle. Despite being battered by Lamber's body slam, especially with his shoulders and weapon shattered, he was the least injured among the 'Mithril Dragon' members present. Titan had lost both arms and was in a daze, and the other three were clearly dead, their bodies severed.

However, Cradle was still alive, both mentally and physically. He was known for his tenacity and persistence, even if he disliked the label.

(I can make it... If I find an opening and run, I can escape... No, maybe I should pick up a weapon from one of the fallen and take that woman hostage? No, I can't panic... I need to escape safely and then kill them all later. I can poison the armored man.)

Cradle, half-buried in shallow water, was holding his breath and movement, vigilantly watching Lamber. He couldn't afford to let his guard down against Lamber, who had effortlessly and unscathed defeated the four 'Mithril Dragon' adventurers.

(If I let Fiona, Lloyd, and Lily escape, I'll cut off the head of the one sleeping over there too.)

Lamber, being an undead, had a keen sense of detecting living beings. He had easily seen through Cradle's act of feigning death. Lamber also knew that Cradle, with his malicious nature, would cause trouble if left alive. He wasn't about to let someone who had come to kill him go without a fight.

"...What is this smell? It's like overripe fruit..."

Fiona suddenly wrinkled her nose. Lloyd also furrowed his brow, exchanging glances with Lily.

The three of them were smelling the same odor, a sickly sweet stench of rotting fruit. Unfortunately, Lamber, being an undead, had no sense of smell or taste.

However, in place of that, the mana in Lamber's eyes detected and visualized the eerie flow of mana spreading throughout the room. Lamber could see the room filling with a pinkish-purple mana, which was leaking from the back wall.

"Get out of here, quickly."

"…Lamber?"

Fiona and the others were confused. If they returned, they might encounter the 'Mithril Dragon' members again. It would be safer to stay with Lamber, even if terrifying monsters appeared.

Seeing their hesitation, Lamber, emitting a miasma, shouted:

"Get out of here, now!"

Fiona's body trembled. Lily gripped her hand, and together with Lloyd, they ran towards the exit of the large room.

(Now! There's an opening!)

Cradle jumped up, grabbed the sword of a 'Mithril Dragon' adventurer who had been cut in half, and tried to run to the exit, avoiding Lamber. But just as he was about to, a large hole appeared in the wall behind him.

"…Huh?"

A giant, patchwork teddy bear, about three hain (approximately three meters) tall, emerged from the hole. The patches were in garish colors like bright pink and dark blue. Despite its soft appearance, the teddy bear had the strength to break through the wall. It widened the hole and entered the large room.

"Wh-what...!"

The teddy bear, accompanied by a sickly sweet stench and a strong presence, appeared in the large room. The three who were trying to escape stopped in their tracks, stunned.

The teddy bear swung a large wooden club at Cradle. Despite the quick movement, Cradle, being a top-tier adventurer, managed to dodge at the last second. The club's impact shook the entire room and knocked Cradle off his feet.

"Ah!"

Cradle fell to the ground but quickly jumped up, realizing it was dangerous to stay in one place. The wooden club struck the ground behind him.

"Shit!"

Cradle, while getting up, stabbed the teddy bear's leg with his sword. The sword stopped after penetrating the surface, and an unknown liquid flowed from the teddy bear's leg, but it showed no change in behavior. It slowly raised the wooden club again.

"Wait! I am...!"

The teddy bear, as if saying it was bored with Cradle, unleashed a rapid five strikes with the wooden club. The large room shook violently, and water splashed up in quick succession. In an instant, Cradle was reduced to a mangled mass of flesh, unrecognizable.

"What the hell is that monstrous creature... I don't get it..."

Lloyd managed to say, barely squeezing out the words.

"Just an illusion spell... It seems to have a different true form."

Lily, being a mage, had noticed that the teddy bear was an illusion.

"Right. It's easy to dispel the illusion... but when you do, you'll see the true horror. I'm going to defeat it and go through the collapsed wall. I can't guarantee your safety."

"…Understood."

Fiona, finally regaining her composure, nodded at Lamber and signaled to Lloyd and Lily. She then turned to Lamber.

"Please don't die."

Lamber didn't respond, facing the teddy bear. He listened to the fading footsteps of Fiona and the others, momentarily lost in thought.

(Please don't die... The prince often said that too.)

'You must return alive, Lamber.'

Aurélia's worried face flashed in his mind.

(That was the case before the final war too.)

"ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO