Kabru quickly began coordinating with the elves and adventurers.
Though the beastkin still harbored resentment toward the elves, after what had just happened with the White Dragon—and with no guarantee that the creature wouldn't return—they too sent a representative to join the discussions.
Through this, Kabru smoothly grasped the current situation.
"As I thought… those Hunters are incredibly dangerous…"
Kabru could feel, deep in his bones, that the Hunters' actions were like forcing the world to walk a tightrope over a bottomless pit. But even so, he had no countermeasure.
At the same time, Kabru became more certain: those Hunters were definitely from another world.
After all, he had never seen monsters like that before—especially ones that fought using such bizarre sword techniques…
"That monster was definitely fighting in the style of a Long Sword user…" Kikurou said seriously to the others. "Even though it looked a lot like the flayed demons from our homeland, I can assure you—there's never been a monster like that back home!"
Maizuru, who had been tending to Kikurou, nodded in agreement, backing up his statement.
Just then, the elves assigned to reconnaissance snapped out of their Familiar control states—and began to report in alarm.
"There are monsters like that everywhere! Completely unknown creatures—and they're fighting each other!"
The elf responsible for monitoring the dungeon's current condition couldn't even describe just how terrifying the scenes she had just witnessed were.
The dungeon was now crawling with monsters she had never seen before. She'd even witnessed two unfamiliar beasts feasting on a dead Green Dragon—then fighting each other over the carcass.
"The elf you're carrying… that's the Mad Sorcerer, isn't it?" Patadril asked, turning to Kabru. "Why is he with you? He looks unconscious."
"Hand him over to us. We'll take responsibility for dealing with him," another elf added.
But Kabru took a deep breath and stretched out a hand to block the elf who was reaching for Thistle. "No. He's not your spoils of war."
Kabru's sudden move made the elves instinctively tense up. They assumed he, too, had fallen under the influence of the dungeon's power—like so many others.
"Even now… you're still hiding the truth about the dungeon, aren't you?" Kabru said, grabbing the elf's wrist. "Is it because you think short-lived races are too weak to handle the crisis happening on this island?"
"What about now, then? What solution do you, the long-lived elves, have for what's happening here?" Kabru challenged, gripping the elf's wrist tightly.
"You people have no idea how dangerous this situation really is," one of the elves said. "The rules of the dungeon can change at any moment! The dungeon master is bound to go mad eventually. And if Thistle—the previous dungeon master—wakes up, he'll definitely try to reclaim his throne. We have to extract him from the dungeon immediately!"
Listening to them, Kabru felt himself growing more and more frustrated.
The same excuses—again.
Understandable, but infuriating.
They always took that "it's for your own good, short-livers" stance. Talking down to them. Insisting they couldn't possibly understand. Blocking them from even trying to understand… No matter what short-lived races said, the elves would just dismiss it as ignorant prattle.
And then…
Kabru realized something.
The elves had hit an impasse.
Those Hunters.
Faced with the elves' refusal to communicate as equals, the Hunters had simply abandoned the idea of dialogue. If the elves wanted to seal the dungeon, the first thing they'd have to do was eliminate all the Hunters inside.
But they couldn't do it.
All the knowledge, all the experience the long-lived races had—and all the polite, condescending speeches they used to pacify the short-lived—meant nothing against the Hunters' brute-force methods.
When the elves tried to control the river's flow, the Hunters just… dammed the entire river, flooding everyone in it and forcing them all to struggle.
"The Mad Sorcerer… is a prize taken down by Laios," Kabru said. "How he's handled should be Laios's decision. According to the final words of this country's king, it was Laios who defeated the Mad Sorcerer—so he has jurisdiction here!"
"You've lost your mind!!" Patadril shouted, eyes wide. "This is the dungeon! A new dungeon master has already risen! It's that elf following Laios!!"
"No—you don't understand what's going on!" Kabru had already learned that Misurun had begun moving alongside the Hunters.
Knowing that Misurun had lost all emotion except his desire for revenge against the demon, Kabru could easily guess what he was thinking now.
By siding with the Hunters, Misurun hoped to finally end the world's demon threat once and for all.
And this latest upheaval… confirmed Kabru's suspicions.
"The current dungeon master… isn't Marusil anymore."
Kabru glared at the elves. "The dungeon master has already changed hands! This new upheaval is proof!!"
"If… you still insist that short-lived races aren't qualified to understand what's happening here—and continue refusing to speak to us…"
Kabru raised his voice.
"Even your captain has chosen not to act with you anymore! Can't you see that?! If you still won't talk, still refuse to cooperate with us… things are going to get even worse!!!"
Kabru was doing everything in his power to corner the elves—to leave them no option but to collaborate with the short-lived races.
"You…"
Flamella, her dark skin taut with irritation, glared at Kabru. "Stubborn fool…"
"I… don't want to argue with you anymore."
Suddenly, Kabru pulled the sedated Thistle off his back and held him out front, placing a hand on his abdomen.
"Laios entrusted Thistle to me—and gave me a way to wake him up."
"I know you could kill Thistle. But as the Mad Sorcerer… he's dangerous, isn't he?"
Kabru faced the elves with a fabricated bluff. "Don't even think about using magic or illusions on me. I know what you're capable of. If I detect even the slightest disturbance, I'll wake him right now."
Kabru's words made Sisshwiss, who had been preparing a covert illusion spell, freeze mid-gesture.
Taking a deep breath, Kabru pushed all his chips onto the Hunters' side of the table.
"Now…"
He locked eyes with the elves.
"You must speak with us. You must cooperate with us."
"Right now… you're the ones with no choice left."
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