After using the Seed of Restraint, Rei pulled a Paired Orb from his Misty Ring.
Despite having magic cast on them, Yohanna and her group tilted their heads in confusion at the complete lack of any change. Before them, Rei poured magical power into the Paired Orb.
Immediately, Grimm's figure—specifically, a skeleton—was projected onto its surface.
"Hmm, it's Rei, is it? That was quite fast."
"Was it? Most of the other adventurers have already entered the Dungeon, though."
Even as he said that, Rei understood that considering Grimm's sense of time, it wasn't particularly strange.
While talking with Grimm, Rei noticed it had grown strangely quiet behind him. He turned his gaze and found Yohanna and her group frozen in place.
(What is it?)
Rei questioned Yohanna and her group's state, but judging there was no need to worry about that right now, he turned back to Grimm's image on the Paired Orb and spoke.
"For now, we'd like to head to the lowest floor. Could you prepare for Teleportation?"
"Understood. I shall come immediately."
"…Come?"
The moment Rei muttered that in response, a powerful presence abruptly manifested behind him.
"—!?"
Rei held his breath and spun around. What he saw was Grimm—a skeleton wearing robes, holding a staff, and crowned—a figure that should be called a Lich, no, a Lich Lord.
"Foh, foh, foh. Setting aside the Paired Orbs, how long has it been since I last appeared directly before humans?"
Grimm laughed happily, but the impact his presence had on the surroundings was enormous.
The only ones who appeared calm were Rei and Elena, who had met Grimm before.
Ara was in a similar category, but in her case, the gap in power—no, in presence—between herself and Grimm had left her unable to move, let alone speak.
As one would expect of an A-Rank adventurer, Elk reached for the Axe of the Thunder God on his back, and Min pointed her staff.
Marina nocked an arrow to her bow, ready to fire at any moment.
However… even those who had taken combat stances against Grimm understood that in actual combat, they would have almost no chance of winning.
Still… even so, as if spurring themselves on with the thought that they couldn't afford to die here, they steeled their resolve and—
"That's enough."
Rei's voice echoed through the surroundings, and the hair-trigger atmosphere—at least from Elk and the others' perspective—vanished.
"Have you all forgotten? Grimm came here to help us. So why are you taking a hostile stance?"
As if Rei's words finally reminded them of their current situation, the weapons they had raised against Grimm were lowered.
Still, the fear and suspicion that flickered in their eyes when looking at Grimm was only natural, considering his extraordinary nature.
Rei interacted with him casually, but Undead were fundamentally incompatible with humans to begin with.
Especially a powerful Undead like Grimm—it wouldn't be strange for his presence alone to steal the consciousness of someone with a weak heart.
The one before their eyes was someone who would restore Vihera and Rhodos's consciousness.
Even understanding that, they couldn't help but instinctively brace themselves.
Even in such a situation, Elk and the others managed to nod at Rei's words and release their weapons.
Yohanna and her group, having heard Rei's words as well, somehow managed to break free from their frozen state.
Whether it was Elk, Min, or Yohanna and her companions—they had only heard stories, but seeing Grimm directly with their own eyes forced them to stop in their tracks at the sight of a being far beyond their imagination.
But still… if Rei said so, then.
With that thought alone, they somehow held themselves in check and stopped taking a hostile stance.
Without their trust in Rei, there might have been those among them who, out of fear, would have attacked Grimm.
If that had happened, what would have become of them?
Since Grimm was fond of Rei, perhaps those who attacked wouldn't have been killed.
But conversely, they could have been killed—and even played with after death.
Thinking of it that way, there was no way they could casually interact with Grimm the way Rei did.
(Thinking about it like that… is the reason Captain Rei can interact so casually with that Grimm monster… because he's always with Set-chan, I wonder?)
Perhaps because she was shaken, Yohanna muttered inwardly without even noticing she had called Rei "Captain."
Before the watching eyes of Yohanna and her group, Rei and Grimm conversed amicably like old acquaintances.
In truth, Rei was a special existence to Grimm in many ways.
Grimm, who had been called a genius by those around him, had admired and devoted himself to training, yet could never reach—the Zephyle Clan, a gathering of geniuses even among geniuses.
And Rei was the one Zephyle, who led the Zephyle Clan, had chosen as his successor.
Grimm, who could barely feel the fluctuations of emotion anymore, still found his emotions swaying when it came to Rei.
And what lay within those emotional fluctuations was not the negative emotions other Undead held toward the living, but positive ones.
Grimm himself might not want to admit it, but it was perhaps similar to the gaze of a grandfather looking at his grandchild.
Otherwise, there was no way Grimm would lend his power to a human so readily.
"Hmm, so you are… I see."
As Grimm muttered, turning his gaze toward those other than Rei, Elena, and Marina—whom he had previously met through the Paired Orb—Elk and the others once again visibly tensed.
He was there. He was emitting an overwhelming presence by that alone, but the instant his gaze—since he had no eyeballs, technically his skull—was directed at them, a chill ran down their spines.
It was as if ice had been inserted directly into their spinal columns—a sensation that could only be called fatal.
Elk didn't consider himself particularly intelligent.
Especially compared to his wife Min, the difference in their intellectual capacity was like that of an adult and a child.
But… because of that, when it came to instinctive intuition, he was far superior to Min.
In fact, throughout their activities as the party Axe of the Thunder God, there had been many cases where Min deemed something safe, but Elk's intuition judged it dangerous… and as a result, they escaped crisis.
That very intuition of Elk's was telling him that he must never make an enemy of the Grimm before him.
That no matter what means were used, victory was impossible.
"Calm down."
What pulled Elk's consciousness back from the brink of confusion was Rei's voice.
The voice, which reached his ears with an almost mysterious clarity, restored calm to Elk's heart.
"Phew…"
As he exhaled deeply, his attitude toward Grimm transformed as well.
Right—this Grimm was not his enemy.
If anything, he was someone who should be called a benefactor, the one who would restore Rhodos's consciousness.
Tearing his gaze from Grimm, Elk looked toward Set, who carried Rhodos on his back.
On Set's head, Ielo was desperately trying to hide from the presence Grimm emitted, and seeing Ielo's figure further settled Elk's turmoil.
And… what mattered most of all, was undoubtedly Rhodos, placed on Set's back.
He had been acting all this time to save the unconscious Rhodos.
That effort might be rewarded today.
If so, there was absolutely no way he could allow himself to make a disgraceful display.
"…Forgive me. I'll be in your care today."
Elk bowed his head to Grimm.
As if following Elk's lead, Min also bowed her head.
Grimm, who had been watching the two, showed a hint of surprise at seeing Elk and Min bow to him.
"Are you two the parents of the other one who wishes to restore their consciousness?"
"That's right. The one on Set's back is my son. Please, I beg you—somehow restore his consciousness."
"I do not mind. If you have the Silver Lion's heart, that should likely be possible. However… it goes without saying that priority goes to the woman who is Rei's acquaintance."
Grimm stated this as if pressing the point, but Elk eventually returned a nod.
"I've heard about that from Rei, so I understand. In that case, we can only do our best. However… if the Silver Lion isn't enough to restore Rhodos's consciousness this time, I'd like your cooperation if we can obtain another S-Rank monster's heart."
At Elk's words, Grimm pondered briefly with his skeletal face, then returned a nod.
"Very well. This time it is at Rei's request, but if you are able to obtain an S-Rank monster's heart in the future, I promise to lend my aid as I am doing now."
"Really!? Thank you, that helps!"
Even if this time didn't work out, a thread of hope had been connected.
With such thoughts, Elk shouted joyfully.
Yohanna and her group watched Elk's beaming face with blank amazement.
They understood that Grimm was an acquaintance of Rei's, and not a being that would attack them.
But even so, before a powerful existence like Grimm—one that could be thought of as the very embodiment of their own death just by looking at him—Yohanna and her group couldn't accept things as simply as Elk.
If Grimm capriciously decided to harm them, their lives could be extinguished in an instant.
Thinking that… Yohanna suddenly realized something.
(In terms of overwhelming power, is this Grimm Undead really any different from Rei-san?)
With Yohanna's level of skill, she couldn't tell which was stronger between Rei and Grimm.
However, even so, there was one thing she did understand.
Namely, that if either Rei or Grimm got serious, her life would vanish in an instant.
In other words—since she wasn't afraid of Rei, there was no need to be afraid of Grimm either.
There was a great difference between Rei and Grimm—a living person and an Undead monster—but Yohanna, in her current state, had no composure to consider such things.
No, rather, it was more accurate to say she was trying not to think about it.
At any rate, Yohanna must have reached a certain level of understanding within herself. After taking a small breath, she opened her mouth.
"Excuse me! Grimm-san! …Please take care of Vihera-sama!"
Yohanna bowed deeply.
Grimm shifted his gaze from Elk to Yohanna, emitting an air of interest toward her as well.
What kind of existence he was—Grimm naturally understood that.
And he also understood the presence he unconsciously exuded.
To receive that, and still express words of gratitude toward him—
Of course, a strong one among humans like Elk could manage to speak with him.
Indeed, he had just done so moments ago.
But… the Yohanna now at the receiving end of Grimm's gaze could by no means be called a strong one.
No, if one looked within the category of humans, she might be classified among the strong, but from Grimm's perspective, she only possessed a level of strength that could hardly be called that.
For such a person to bow her head to him without fear—it would have been unreasonable not to be interested.
"It is also at Rei's request, so as long as the materials are available, I shall do my part properly. However, that is strictly conditional on having the Silver Lion's heart. Without that, I will not be lending my power."
"Yes! I'm sure Rei-san and the others will manage something! …Even though I can't participate in the battle."
Yohanna and her group's job was strictly to look after Vihera and Rhodos while Rei and his party fought the Silver Lion.
Given that, she couldn't imagine there was anything they could do in the current situation.
Rhodos aside, she felt frustration at being unable to do anything for Vihera, whom she admired.
"Fear not, young one. You are still young. From my perspective, you are no more than newborns. Given that, you still have everything ahead of you."
Comforted by an Undead, Yohanna wore a subtle expression.
Yohanna's companions wore similarly subtle expressions.
Rei, who had been watching their reactions, eventually opened his mouth.
"Grimm, it's about time to head to the lowest floor… please."
"Very well. Then… let us go."
The moment he muttered those words, without any sense of discomfort… before they knew it, Rei and his party found themselves on the lowest floor of the Dungeon.