Declared Dead, Exiled, and Betrayed— Now I Walk Away, but I'll Save One Who Cared - Chapter 25

“Alright, since this is the boss room, let’s all get serious.”

No one in this city had ever reported defeating the lower-floor boss before.

In the first place, there were too many conflicting reports on what happened to dungeons after their bosses were defeated.

Some said the dungeon disappeared entirely, others claimed the dungeon remained but no longer triggered Stampedes, and some even reported that nothing changed, with a new boss spawning after a month.

This city had always feared the dungeon disappearing, so they had discouraged anyone from defeating the lower-floor boss.

The only reason we were suddenly going after it now… was because I had fallen into the deeper floors.

After we defeated the Stampede’s boss and received our reward from the royal family, new information came to light.

Apparently, in dungeons where the deeper floors had been discovered, defeating the lower-floor boss didn’t cause the dungeon to disappear.

In that case, taking out the lower-floor boss could actually help prevent future Stampedes.

And it’s definitely not because I got pressured into it by the girls, okay!?

That being said, since everyone had avoided it until now, no one actually knew how strong the lower-floor boss was.

So, as soon as I stepped into the boss room, I reminded everyone to stay on guard.

“Yes!”

“Of course, Lord Lax.”

“I’ve been serious this whole time?”

“Right? I’m always serious. Were you not serious, Lax?”

Why the hell was I the one getting called out here?

Should I just kick Claire out of the party? Huh!?

“That’s a Griffin. Nothing irregular about it, but it has wind and earth resistance. Plus, it’s a flying opponent, so it’s going to be a tough fight.”

I was about to say something, but Michelle was already analyzing the monster while glaring at it.

First things first—we had to take this thing down.

Just as Michelle said, the Griffin was a tricky enemy with both wind and earth attributes.

So, what should I do?

Honestly?

I could take it down by myself, no problem.

It looked way weaker than a dragon. Did I just misjudge things?

Or maybe the dragons in the lower floors were still young and not at full strength yet?

Should I just end this quickly?

Then again, they probably came all this way hoping to fight, right?

It’s only fair to let them gain some skills, titles, and experience points.

Alright, we’ll do this as a party battle.

“Overload!”

“Magic Boost!”

“Physical Boost!”

“Flame!”

…Huh?

As soon as the Griffin took flight, Michelle, Shifa, and Meria immediately activated support magic.

Shifa had learned spells beyond just healing, huh?

She had been working hard. Good for her.

And Claire… just threw fire at it.

Surprisingly, she actually got it right.

That’s right.

Since we came all this way, let’s all fight together!

…Or at least, that’s what I thought—

Claire’s fire shot toward the Griffin, but it was blocked by a wall of wind.

“Alright!” (in unison)

…Huh?

Why the hell was everyone suddenly backing away!?

“Lord Lax, we’ll leave it to you!” (in unison)

“HEY!!!”

Give me back the resolve I had just a second ago!

I thought we were fighting together, not just having me carry the whole damn fight!

At least Michelle staying back to protect the others made sense, but three princesses just sitting on the sidelines? What the hell!?

“I’m sorry, Lord Lax. All I can do is provide support…”

No, Shifa, you’re fine.

You don’t need to look so apologetic.

You shouldn’t even be here in the first place—just stay back where it’s safe.

“I’m not suited for flying enemies. If this were a normal battle with you, Lax, I’d be doing my best as a shield, but… that’s not really necessary right now, is it?”

Well, I couldn’t argue with Michelle either.

Our usual strategy involved her holding off the enemy while Claire and I attacked.

But blocking a flying Griffin’s charge wasn’t exactly an option.

But Claire and Meria…

You two actually pushed Shifa and Michelle forward while backing away yourselves?

You better remember this.

You didn’t do a damn thing!

Should I just throw Claire in front as a shield and teach her a lesson…?

No, she’d probably enjoy it.

And the moment we got back, she’d spread rumors about me in every bar she could find.

Damn it…

In the end, I’m settling for “Well, whatever.”

I gathered my magic, shaping multiple spells at once.

Ice spears, a cage of lightning, fireballs…

The Griffin seemed to sense the danger and tensed up, but it didn’t matter.

First—

“Windstorm!”

—GRUOOOHH!!

A tornado formed, trapping the Griffin. It had wind resistance, so this wouldn’t deal much damage, but that wasn’t the point.

It was just to stop its movements.

“Thunder Cage!”

—GRRRRRR…

The moment the Griffin stalled, I activated the lightning spell, completely locking it in place.

“Freezing Spear!”

—GYAAAAAAGH!!

With the Griffin immobilized mid-air, I launched ice spears, impaling its body.

“Eternal Flare!”

—GYYAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH…!!!

A final blast of searing flames incinerated the beast completely.

SPLAT.

The remains of what used to be a Griffin fell to the ground.

Claire rushed over to them.

“Hot! Ow—oh! I found it! Lord Lax, the Wind Mana Stone!”

She held up a fairly large mana stone, grinning in excitement.

“Nice. We could sell it, or keep it for ourselves.”

Michelle also peered over, intrigued.

“Amazing… Dungeons really are different from the outside world.”

Meria was in awe.

Of course, she was.

Dungeons had a much higher drop rate than the outside world.

And encountering a Griffin outside? That would be an instant territory-wide catastrophe.

“Thank you for your hard work, Lord Lax. Does this mean the dungeon is cleared now?”

“Thanks, Shifa. I think so, but…”

<< You who have overcome the trial—your battle was splendid. >>

A voice echoed.

…What the hell?