Hilda cuts through the vapor clouds as she slashes specters. Sweating, both from the ambient heat and from the effort it caused her to appear in seconds for help. The first thing she catches between the white curtain is Lynel, gawking at the scene. Hilda follows the third captain's gaze expecting to find a massacre, perhaps a giant monster that is the vapor's source, but instead...
Hot springs occupy the majority of the area, born from subway sources. Immersed in the gentle waters are 12 naked men, just the total number of members of the three squads positioned to guard the castle. On a stone bench near the waters lie their armor, clothing, and weapons.
Find them ignoring their duties is already cause for surprise and reprimand, but what provoked Hilda to suffer a twitch in the eye and gnash her teeth in fury was the company. Beside each man, whether clinging to an arm, or hugging him from behind, are women with athletic bodies, steep foreheads, and eyes that sparkle with a childlike curiosity bordering on the stupid. In comparison, the soldiers pale and stare at Hilda as if they see Death personified.
"You don't get out the water in the next ten seconds, I will castrate one by one!"
The twelve guards, soaked and naked, shivering despite the heat, line up on one side of the shore, their hand straight near their foreheads. In the background, Lynel tries to communicate with the women in the waters and extends a hand to help them out.
"L-Ladies, I'm sorry, but this castle is no place for women like, eh..." says the captain, stuttering, trying not to look at any compromising point. Lynel used to believe that at this late stage of life, being a seasoned man, dealing with naked women would not be something that would make him nervous as a rookie in his first tournament. But it is true that despite their primitive features such as matted hair and bushy eyebrows, the strangers are quite beautiful and voluptuous. The situation gets complicated when all of them, giggling and muttering, grab Lynel by the arm and pull him with a force that surprises the captain. "Wait, no...! My late wife would never allow...!"
The captain falls into the water. Hilda watches the splash from the corner of her eye, but decides that Lynel will have to deal with the fight on his own. The woman's priority is to punish the fickle soldiers in front. Hilda's eye goes to the ceiling, searching for an unseen presence to which she can say a few fierce words.
"This is your way of trying to weaken us, dungeon, with such a dastardly trick! Spreading corruption and weakness of the flesh! You really are diabolical!"
One soldier, seeing an opportunity to get away without being punished, steps forward and begins to speak quickly.
"Exactly, captain. The filthy core tried to corrupt our minds and spirits. But thanks to you-!"
Hilda's fist slams into the man's face, silencing his words.
The guard, with a broken nose, blank eyes, and a missing tooth, falls backwards into the waters. Lynel and the cavewomen around him watch the unconscious man float, mute with shock.
Hilda squeezes her nose and sighs. Quickly realize that she is being naive. She likes to blame the Dungeon Core for all the ills of the kingdom, but weakness in the human heart is something that has existed since before Arrax was born.
"Now..." Hilda looks at the 11 remaining guards. The men startle. "Trot around the castle 100 times. One lap less, or one lap more, and I'll make everyone repeat from the beginning"
Given the order, the men nod and prepare to gather their clothes and armor, but Hilda stops them by raising her voice.
"When did I give permission to dress? Get out, now!"
The terrified soldiers run off towards the exit of the thermal area. Dowmy comes in the opposite direction, carrying a stone bowl with more orange ovals: Mangos. The imp sees the soldiers running away, and understands what terrified them so much when her gaze collides with Hilda's.
"You...!" The woman extends an arm and points to the girl.
"Me?" Dowmy puts a hand to her chest and looks sideways.
"Imp, you and the crystal have a lot of explaining to do"
Dowmy gulps.
Jimbo watches everything with an annoyed face. He hates when people interfere in his business.