Although still under the threat of death, since this meal wasn't their "last supper," the three of them no longer felt burdened and began to enjoy this rare delicacy.
Watching the three opposite, enjoying their meal so much, the big man whose mouth was full of mushroom soup flavor felt all kinds of unpleasant. Having been rejected just now, he didn't feel like asking again, as it was understandable given his previous attitude.
"Hey! Mister!"
Feeling downcast and about to retreat to his corner again, the big man from the opposite cell was suddenly hailed by Alonso.
"Huh? What's up?"
Turning his head, the big man saw the golden glow from the opposite cell light up again, and Alonso was looking at him through the bars, so he said irritably, "You're not eyeing my mushroom soup again, are you? It's finished."
Alonso: "..."
"Actually, sir, we just want to ask you a few questions."
Braus also approached, smiling. Although he had just eaten the meat, his appearance had already improved significantly.
"Hmph."
The big man lost interest upon hearing they wanted to ask him questions and turned to walk towards the corner of the cell.
"We're a bit full from the meat, too much for us to eat~"
Alonso deliberately elongated his tone. The big man, who had been walking towards the corner, suddenly stopped in his tracks as if Alonso's voice had tied his legs, making it impossible for him to move forward.
After standing still for a few seconds, the big man didn't turn around but simply said blandly, "Go ahead and ask your questions."
"We just want to know the identities of your other companions and how you ended up here," Braus said.
"As expected, it's this question... You guys keep the meat for yourselves. But these two questions, I'm afraid I can't answer them."
With that, a tinge of desolation appeared on the big man's face.
"Mister, if I'm guessing right, you must be a paladin, right?"
Hiding behind Alonso and Braus, Karla suddenly asked, sounding a bit timid.
"Huh?!"
The big man suddenly turned around, somewhat surprised, and asked, "I haven't used the Light for a long time. How did you find out?!"
Alonso and Braus also looked at Karla with some astonishment because judging by the big man's reaction, she seemed to have guessed right.
"I grew up in Northshire Abbey, so my sensitivity to the Light is a bit sharper than other priests. Since entering this prison, I've sensed a faint aura of the Light emanating from you and the other uncles, but your attitude towards us was so cold before, so I didn't dare to say anything..."
Karla's voice grew softer and softer, and she even lowered her head towards the end.
Seeing this, Alonso suddenly remembered when Braus introduced her earlier, mentioning that she was shy. But just saying a few words made her lower her head like this; perhaps she was being excessively shy.
However, the next moment, Alonso suddenly noticed something Karla just said— that the others also emitted the aura of the Light!
He had encountered paladins during his adventures, but they were mostly solitary, and it was rare to see them in groups. However, according to what Karla just said, all the dozen or so individuals in the prison should be paladins, then they should...
"The Silver Hand?!"
Braus was the first to voice his thoughts. If they encountered a dozen warriors or a dozen assassins, it would be difficult to determine where they came from, but if it were a dozen paladins, Braus could only think of the Silver Hand!
"You've guessed it all..."
The big man looked depressed. Their team was supposed to execute a special mission, so their identities should have been kept confidential, but with a group of paladins acting together, their identities couldn't be hidden at all!
"Now that you've guessed our identities, there's nothing left to hide. We're actually affiliated with the Silver Hand, a small team sent out on a mission. As for how we ended up here... well, as knights of the Silver Hand, being imprisoned in a gnoll's prison is embarrassing enough, so I don't care about losing a little more face. We were searching for our mission target in a gnoll mine, but not only did we fail to find it, we also got lost in the complex tunnels..."
Alonso, Braus, and Karla: "..."
"With candles above our heads, stooped over, after spending a long time living underground, I really feel more and more like a gnoll myself...
Now I regret it a bit. Before coming to the underworld, why didn't I ask the priests or paladins in the guild about spells that emit light? Ah! Damn candle wax dripped on my face again!" —— "Marin's Diary of Underground Dungeon Exploration"