"Hey!"
Kazuma shouted from the side, clearly exasperated. "What's with that tone?! Sounds like you're trying to NTR him! And this is what you call 'heartfelt dialogue'!? That was the most cliché threat I've ever heard!!!"
"You've got no right to talk down to me!" Kairo Retsu retorted righteously. "And be honest with yourself! Don't tell me you've never said anything like that before!"
Hands on his hips, Kairo pointed squarely at Kazuma. "If I recall correctly! Back in the Infinite Castle, didn't you threaten those girls from the Cult of Bliss!? Shinobu Kocho and Tamayo told me all about it after they took over looking after them!"
"Urusai!!! I had to find a way to motivate them somehow back then!"
"Ohh? Is that why so many of those girls cried to me, calling you the scum of the earth?"
"You bastard! And where do you get off, you blood-letting maniac yelling at girls?!"
"Kazuma! I'm the Guildmaster here!"
"Kairo Retsu! You'll regret this!"
The two broke into a brawl—Kazuma, still very much a teenage boy, was quickly pinned to the ground by the fully-developed Kairo.
"OW OW OW OW OW! STOP STOP STOP!!"
Kazuma slapped the floor in surrender.
Their scuffle left the local members of the Dungeon Delicacy crew absolutely stunned.
This was the group that took down the Mad Sorcerer in just a few minutes?
Thistle could only glare at Kairo Retsu, his face twisted in humiliation.
So… it really was these lunatics who defeated him?
With Kazuma subdued, Kairo stood back up and once again faced Thistle.
"Alright, let's rewind the conversation a bit—Thistle."
"Don't think you can get rid of us with just magic. You're not much up close, and as for magic…"
Kairo grinned. "Marcille may not be your equal yet, but she doesn't need to be. As long as your casting is even slightly off—we've got more than enough time to take you down. And when that happens, everything you want to protect? Gone."
He chuckled with a breezy tone. "Don't worry—we're still willing to talk things out."
"Now then…"
Kairo untied the cloth gag from Thistle's mouth and pulled out the wad of fabric that had been pressed against his tongue, causing Thistle to cough violently.
Now that he could finally speak, Marcille and the others tightened their grip on their weapons—terrified that the Mad Sorcerer might unleash some horrible spell.
Thistle had, in fact, briefly considered casting a spell to wipe these pests out. While it was true the dungeon master could access infinite mana… he couldn't eliminate them without exposing himself to unacceptable risk.
Ultimately, Thistle chanted the proper incantation—recalling all the dragons he had summoned and restoring the house's space to its original size.
"Ah."
Marcille glanced around. "It's back to normal."
Ten people crammed into the room, including Thistle—it felt a little tight.
Thistle glared daggers at Kairo Retsu. "You bastard! Tell me where Delgal is!"
"I—"
Before Thistle could finish, those watching saw Kairo lift his hand and shove a capsule into Thistle's mouth, immediately following with a splash of water that forced him to swallow it.
"What did you make me eat?!"
Thistle couldn't react in time. The capsule had already melted and slid into his stomach. He opened his mouth in rage—but then, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
"!"
As everyone else looked on in alarm, Kairo calmly explained, "Relax, just a tranquilizer ball. I only woke him up to have him put the house back to normal. As for the dungeon master stuff—can't we just ask the Winged Lion?"
"Oh right! The Winged Lion!"
Marcille finally remembered. "Where's the book that sealed him!?"
"I've got it." Laois patted his armor. "After we caught Thistle, I stored it away."
"Looks like you've handled things with Thistle."
A fluffy lion's head, boneless and squirmy, slipped out from Laois's armor—along with the book.
"Sorry. I said I'd keep Thistle busy, but he captured me pretty quickly."
"But the fact you were able to defeat him in such good shape really makes me happy," the Winged Lion said in a pleased tone. "Still, you all need to be careful. With Thistle no longer in control and those elves wreaking havoc outside… who knows what could go wrong…"
"If worse comes to worst, one of you will have to become the next dungeon master."
The way the Winged Lion said it made it sound like the title was as easy to pass around as a jacket.
"If someone takes over as dungeon master, the dungeon will stabilize—and the elves won't be able to interfere."
"Let's let everyone rest first." Laois stepped in. "We've all come a long way, mentally and physically… Let's give them time to relax."
"Can we keep Thistle in his own room?" Laois asked Senshi. "If one of us is going to become the dungeon master, we can't let Thistle wake up just yet."
"And… I'm sure everyone's hungry."
Laois looked around. "Let's eat, drink, and get some proper rest—so we'll be ready for tomorrow."
"But the people from Canary are arriving soon. Shouldn't we stabilize the dungeon first?" the Winged Lion asked again—only to be rudely shut by Laois closing the book and placing it squarely on the table, clearly no longer planning to entertain the lion's thoughts.
Even if the final moments of their victory over the Mad Sorcerer had been a bit of a chaotic mess—it was enough to give everyone some peace of mind.
"I've got a fresh bottle of Rathalos Whiskey—anyone want a taste?" Kairo offered.
"What's that? Sounds tasty." Chilchuck was immediately intrigued.
"It's aged in barrels smoked with Rathalos fire breath," Kairo said proudly, giving a thumbs-up. "Back home, it's a rare delicacy."
"Eat and drink well tonight! Tomorrow, we'll be working to make Laois the new dungeon master!"
With Kairo and Laois saying as much, the group began to make preparations to rest properly for the night.
As for Thistle… he was placed back into his own room.
Whether intentionally or not, he was now part of Kairo and the others' plan—as bait.
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