My Husband Is Definitely a Paladin — Chapter 31

A TOTAL OF 100 CORPSES.

THE NUMBER MATCHED THE EXACT SIZE OF PRINCESS CECILIA'S ADVANCE PARTY.

WE EXAMINED THE REMAINS THOROUGHLY, BUT WE COULD NOT SPECIFY WHAT KIND OF MONSTER ATTACKED THEM.

THE CORPSES ONLY HAVE BIZARRE STAB WOUNDS,

AND THEY ARE NOT BLADE WOUNDS TO SUSPECT INFIGHTING.

SIR MICHAEL.

ONE THING IS CERTAIN.

IN THE DISTORTION DUNGEON FROM MY PAST LIFE THAT I KNOW OF-

WE ALL NEED TO GET OUT OF THE DUNGEON RIGHT NOW.

IMMEDIATELY!!!

AN UNIDENTIFIED MONSTER CAPABLE OF WIPING OUT A HUNDRED OF THE PRINCESS'S ELITES NEVER APPEARED!!

EVERYONE, PACK YOUR BAGS AND LET'S GO BACK THE WAY WE CAME.

HURRY,

EVERYONE HURRY!!!

ONCE WE PASS THROUGH THIS PASSAGE...!!

L-LADY IRENNE.

THERE WERE DEFINITELY THREE PATHS WHEN WE CAME...

WHY ARE THERE ONLY TWO NOW...?!

...WE ARE TOO LATE.

THE DUNGEON HAS TRANSFORMED.

PARDON?! SIR MICHAEL, WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU MEAN BY THAT?!!

THERE IS NO POINT IN LOOKING AT THE MAP ANYMORE...

I NEVER THOUGHT THE INTERIOR COULD CHANGE. IS THIS WHAT AN UNSTABLE DUNGEON IS LIKE...?!

THEN, WHERE SHOULD WE GO NOW?!

LEFT? RIGHT?

WHAT DO WE DO IF THE WAY BACK IS GONE?!!

IF WE TAKE THE WRONG PATH AND END UP LIKE THOSE CORPSES FROM EARLIER...!!!

DO NOT BLAME YOURSELF, IRENNE.

IT IS ENTIRELY MY RESPONSIBILITY.

...THIS IS THE DUNGEON I SUGGESTED WE ENTER, SO IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY.

SIR MICHAEL, EVEN IN A MOMENT LIKE THIS, YOU...

LET'S NOT PANIC AND SOMEHOW THINK OF A WAY OUT.

WE PREPARED AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR A TIME LIKE THIS.

EVERYONE, STAY CALM!

HAVING OUR JUDGMENT CLOUDED BY ANXIETY AND FEAR IS THE GREATEST DANGER!

LET US ALL REGAIN OUR COMPOSURE,

AND FIND A WAY FOR ALL OF US TO RETURN ALIVE!

IF WE RATION OUR FOOD, WE SHOULD HAVE ENOUGH FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS.

SINCE ALMOST NO ONE IS INJURED, OUR MEDICAL SUPPLIES ARE ALSO

EXACTLY AS THEY WERE WHEN WE DEPARTED.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF SUPPLIES!

AH, COME TO THINK OF IT, THE FLOWER OF HEALING WE ACQUIRED EARLIER IS IN MY BAG, SO IF WE ADD THAT...

HM?

Huh? WHY IS THE UNAPPRAISABLE DAGGER IN MY BAG?

I DO NOT REMEMBER PACKING IT...?

IRENNE.

AH, YES! SIR MICHAEL.

WHAT IS THE MATTER?

I WILL GO AND CHECK THE RIGHT FORK IN THE ROAD.

PARDON?!

NO, IT IS DANGEROUS!!

IT IS THE FASTEST AND SAFEST OPTION FOR NOW.

WE CANNOT ALL ENTER A NARROW PATH WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT AWAITS US.

B-BUT TO GO ALONE,

EVEN SO...!

PLEASE BELIEVE IN ME, IRENNE.

NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, I WILL ABSOLUTELY

MAKE SURE YOU RETURN SAFELY.

SIR MICHAEL, STILL, WE SHOULD ESCORT...

NO.

EVERYONE, PLEASE PROTECT EACH OTHER FIRMLY UNTIL I RETURN.

IF EVEN ONE PERSON WERE TO BE INJURED OR DIE...

EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE WOULD BECOME MEANINGLESS.

LADY IRENNE HAS BEEN PRAYING FOR HOURS.

EVEN THOUGH SIR MICHAEL REPEATEDLY ASKED HER NOT TO WORRY BEFORE HE LEFT...

I KNOW.

SHE EVEN YIELDED HER SHARE OF THE FOOD, CLAIMING SHE IS NOT HUNGRY...

I AM SO WORRIED ABOUT IRENNE...

EVERYONE, RAISE YOUR SWORDS!!!!

THERE IS A PRESENCE!!!

WH-WHERE IS IT?!

THE OPPOSITE SIDE, AT THE ENTRANCE OF THE PATH WHERE WE FOUND THE CORPSES!!

A-A MONSTER...?!

NO! TH-THAT IS...

IT'S A PERSON!!!

WIL...HELMINA?

PRINCESS CECILIA...?!

...F

S-SUDDENLY BARGING IN LIKE THIS, WHAT IS...

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED?!

AND WHERE DID THE REST OF THE PEOPLE GO?!

WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU GUYS?!

WHY DO YOU STILL HAVE FOOD LEFT?!!!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, WHY DO WE HAVE FOOD LEFT...?

IT HASN'T EVEN BEEN TWO DAYS SINCE WE ENTERED, SO ISN'T IT OBVIOUS...?

TWO DAYS...?!

TO ESCAPE FROM "THAT THING,"

WE HAVE BEEN TRAPPED IN HERE FOR A MONTH!!!

WHAT DO YOU MEAN, "THAT THING"?

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE MONSTER THAT ANNIHILATED THE ADVANCE PARTY?!

YES, "THAT THING"...

WITH A HORRIFIC APPEARANCE WE HAD NEVER SEEN OR HEARD OF, CLINGING TO THE CEILING...

THE MONSTER THAT KEPT STARING AND CHASING US!!!!

OVER AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER, AND OVER.

U-UM, BY ANY CHANCE...

ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THAT?