Just as Laios had expected—after opposing Marcille, he was locked away by her. Now, he was confined together with the still-unconscious Senshi and Chilchuck.
"Marcille! Marcille!"
After being locked in, Laios tested whether he could force open the door.
Ever since becoming a Hunter, perhaps due to the well-balanced nutrition of the Felyne meals, Laios had been feeling stronger and sturdier.
But even so—this finely crafted wooden door wouldn't budge. Laios even broke off the handle, yet still couldn't get it open.
"Was this door made using the dungeon?"
After inspecting the door, Laios was convinced it wasn't a matter of craftsmanship—it was something blocking it from the other side.
With that in mind, he got down on the floor and peered through the gap beneath the door… and saw a massive shape wedged against it. Its green scales looked awfully familiar—
That vivid emerald green, and a faint acidic odor wafting in—
"A Green Dragon!"
Laios realized what was on the other side. An adult Green Dragon was sitting with its rear planted right against the door… No wonder it wouldn't budge.
"Did Marcille summon it to protect Senshi and Chilchuck?" Laios speculated… and then realized he had no idea what to do.
When it came to interpersonal matters, Laios now understood—he really wasn't cut out for it.
But that's okay!
Back when he and Kairo Retsu went to cradle a dragon egg together, Retsu had given him a bit of advice: in times like this, rely on others!
That's what Retsu always did—when in doubt, he'd go ask the Felyne Granny…
"Senshi! Chilchuck! I need your help!"
Laios spun around to face the unconscious Senshi and Chilchuck, and started rummaging through his Hunter's pouch.
He didn't know exactly what had knocked them out—but it was probably some kind of illusion or toxin.
Or maybe just sleep magic… There were monsters in the dungeon that emitted soporific substances.
"Nullberry and Herbal Medicine!"
Laios fed both items to Senshi and Chilchuck—hoping to neutralize any abnormal statuses or poison.
But neither the Nullberry nor the Herbal Medicine had any effect.
That meant the cause was likely something with hypnotic properties.
"Then we'll need an Energy Drink…"
After giving each of them an Energy Drink, the two finally began to stir.
When Chilchuck awoke, the first thing he saw was Laios's face looming uncomfortably close: "Ohhhh! Chilchuck, you're awake! So it really was some kind of hypnosis!"
"Laios?!"
Chilchuck bolted upright and looked around frantically. "Wait, where are we?! Where are the elves?! Where are the monsters?!"
"This place was created by Marcille after she became the dungeon master. I think it's modeled after her childhood home…"
After saying that, Laios added, "How did you two get knocked out, anyway?"
"It was after the Winged Lion emerged and monsters started attacking the elves. We got caught in the crossfire," Chilchuck said, scratching his head. "Some kind of mist sprayed by the monsters knocked us out… How long has it been? What's going on now?!"
"I'd like to know that too," Senshi said with a frown. "Why are only the three of us here? Where's Izutsumi?"
"That's… a bit of a long story."
Over the next few minutes, Laios explained everything he knew: Marcille had become the dungeon master, the elves were trying to seal the dungeon, and he recounted his earlier conversation with Marcille in detail.
"Oi!"
Chilchuck, now caught up, shouted angrily at Laios. "What were you even thinking?!"
After everything they'd been through, Chilchuck couldn't take it anymore: "At a time like this, why did you go and say the opposite of what Marcille wanted to hear?! Wouldn't it have been smarter to just talk her down first?!"
"And you! These people you've been meeting—what are they even after?!" Chilchuck jabbed a finger at Laios's chest plate. "Do you even know what they want?! Or are you just giving up on saving Falin?!"
"That's not it!" Laios answered seriously—and then noticed Senshi's expression.
Senshi was watching him carefully, and it made Laios recall that moment they'd all shared after eating Roc meat—when everyone had talked about themselves.
"Actually, that day when we encountered the Shapeshifting Mushroom…"
Laios decided to finally be honest with his teammates. "I somehow ended up in a strange place."
"Like the Golden Country?" Senshi asked, stroking his beard.
"That place is nice too, but this one was even weirder. It was… another world. The world of the Hunters."
"We…"
Today, Laios had talked more than he ever had before.
About the Hunters, about their mission, and the Winged Lion's plans—he laid it all out at once.
"You should've told Marcille all this earlier!" Chilchuck cried, now wanting to smack Laios in the knee. "Maybe if you'd explained it to her then, she would've come around!"
But Senshi shook his head. "I believe… had Laios revealed that earlier, the Winged Lion would have learned of it as well."
Senshi spoke from experience. The dungeon itself responded to people's desires, producing gold and other temptations to lure them deeper…
Wanting to hunt the dungeon—that desire was already a dangerous one.
"So!! So!!"
Chilchuck raised his voice again, drawing Laios's attention.
He pointed and asked directly, "These Hunter companions of yours—are they coming here to eliminate Marcille, now that she's become the dungeon master?!"
"Let me be clear!" Chilchuck jumped up and jabbed Laios's armor again. "I don't trust those strangers to just help out of the goodness of their hearts! What if they just kill Marcille and take her place?!"
"They won't!"
Laios suddenly clenched his fist.
"Because now… I'm a Hunter too!"
"I'll replace Marcille as the dungeon master—and continue our plan!" Laios declared. "But first, I need to find a way out of here…"
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