Knights of Tezoth

In times past, Stefania would have been overjoyed to see a familiar face. But due to the distress she had suffered, she forced a smile with the greatest of difficulty:

— Hello, Dalias. Well, how should I put it... There's not much to boast about. Half the squad is dead. Those who remain are at risk of starving to death any moment. How are things on your end?

The girl chose to conceal how the other expedition members had died and what they had been through. It would hardly help the current situation. And the last thing she wanted was to turn the already crazed Eugene against her and explode like an overripe watermelon.

Before Dalias could answer Stefania, a massive sword dropped onto him from above and crushed him to death.

- Ha! Ha! Ha! Whoever comes to us in boots shall die by the boot!
Unfortunately, this was said in the Ikazkan language, so the surface folk could only understand the laughter. The sword made several lightning-fast swings, uncharacteristic of its massive build, which left nothing of the rest of the Unwavering Courage squad but hacked remains. Following that, without explaining anything or even introducing itself, it vanished as suddenly as it had appeared, disappearing into the dungeon which it apparently knew like the back of its own hand.