Chapter 33

Lambert and his party advanced through the collapsing passage, heading towards the exit of the Ainzas underground labyrinth.

Fiona, Lloyd, and Lily walked nervously, but Lambert, accustomed to battlefields, strode confidently, using his large sword to deflect falling debris and protect the three of them.

"Don’t let your guard down and space out."

Lambert, who had just shouldered a massive piece of debris, addressed Lily, who had collapsed in fear.

“...”

However, Lily wasn’t spacing out.

It was unreasonable to expect her to remain calm and composed in the face of rapidly falling debris, but Lambert’s standards were somewhat skewed.

The first underground level they were traversing, compared to the lower levels, was still relatively stable, and with Lambert’s support, they managed to escape safely.

“Finally, we can see the light outside...”

Fiona, climbing the stairs leading to the surface, spoke with a tone of exhaustion.

What was supposed to be a simple request to hunt low-level monsters had turned into a series of events where they were pursued by Ainzas’ largest guild, dragged through the uncharted lowest level by Lambert, and ended up running through the collapsing labyrinth. It was no wonder they were both physically and mentally drained.

Lambert, who had single-handedly destroyed the ‘Gold Dragon’ and cut down numerous vicious monsters, including the two-century-old resident Dormilion, walked with a confident stride, cutting through the air with his shoulders.

This was not just because his undead body could keep moving until his mana was depleted.

The sound of the collapse had attracted a small crowd around the labyrinth’s entrance.

While Fiona and the others hesitated, Lambert ascended the stairs, exposing himself to the crowd, and started walking towards the location of the guild ‘Twilight of the Spirits.’

The crowd, momentarily stunned by his imposing figure, remained motionless until a man, as if remembering something, shook his head and ran up to Lambert.

“Hey, what happened in there...”

“Sorry, but I need to hurry.”

Lambert slightly turned his head to glance at the man from under his armor but did not stop walking.

The man, intimidated by Lambert’s demeanor, stood there, dumbfounded.

“Hey, Lambert! ”

“What is it?”

Lambert responded to Lloyd’s call but did not turn around.

Lloyd, having no choice, ran up to Lambert’s side and spoke again.

“W-Well, at least some explanation... We don’t even know what’s going on... And, you know, you’re too calm about it all...”

“I am following orders. If unexpected events occur, the priority is to handle them and report back to my master. I am a hired hand, after all. Aren’t you the same?”

“W-Well, but...”

Lloyd’s thoughts were still in disarray.

He fell silent, unable to respond to Lambert’s answer.

“Can we wait a bit longer until we calm down? There are people here who are worried about the safety of their acquaintances...”

Fiona’s voice made Lambert stop and turn around.

Fiona, fearing she had displeased Lambert, shuddered.

It was understandable that she would think he was angry, given that he had not stopped for anyone else who had called out to him.

Fiona had no idea why the underground labyrinth had collapsed or why they had been targeted by the ‘Gold Dragon.’

However, she understood that Lambert had saved her life again.

She wondered if she had overstepped by speaking up.

Lambert, however, was thinking of something else entirely.

‘Lambert, you seem a bit tired. I appreciate your diligence... but can you stay here a bit longer today?’

This was from Aurelia, Fiona’s doppelgänger and his former master.

It was during the time when Aurelia’s judgment had backfired, leading to a brutal betrayal by a country with which they had a ceasefire agreement, resulting in numerous casualties.

While Aurelia’s foresight was at fault, the enemy’s cunning was a more significant factor in the Eight Nations Unification War. Still, the number of victims made it impossible for her not to be troubled.

When Fiona spoke, Aurelia’s face from that time flashed through Lambert’s mind.

“W-Well...”

“...You’re right. However, I need to confirm something with Germain. Let’s split up here for now.”

“Huh? Y-Yes!”

“...Hey, your reaction is completely different from before, isn’t it?”

Lloyd muttered, slightly disgruntled.

Lambert slightly turned his head away, pretending not to hear.

“Why are you the only ones who made it out safely...!”

An official who managed the entry of adventurers into the Ainzas underground labyrinth glared at Lambert.

When Lambert returned the glare, the official gasped and covered his mouth, flinching.

(He seemed off from the start... He must have been following orders from Count Obock.)

Lambert concluded this from the official’s confused reaction.

Count Obock was the target Lambert had been pursuing since the village’s thief incident.

If the count was making a move, it was actually convenient for Lambert.

Lambert lightly cast a miasma, causing the official to fall to the ground, hands on the floor.

“H-H-H...!”

The official, suddenly feeling a strong killing intent, could only think that he had been intimidated by Lambert.

“Tell the count that we will meet soon.”

“W-What...!”

Ignoring the stunned official, Lambert left Fiona and the others behind and ran towards the guild ‘Twilight of the Spirits.’