The silver-mixed monsters were a hassle, but they didn't strike me as particularly formidable foes. Once we restrained them with Spira’s Ice Vines and focused our fire, the creatures were too busy trying to keep themselves together to mount much of an offense. It took a while to finish them off, but that was the extent of the trouble. Of course, that might just have been because the base monsters weren't all that strong to begin with.
When the dust settled, our only losses were two Haniwa Golems. Since I could just restore them with magic, our actual damage was effectively zero.
"That was a little revolting," Halfa said with a grimace.
We had won a decisive victory, but I understood exactly how she felt. Even if the others didn't say it out loud, I was sure we were all thinking the same thing.
The way they had continued to fight even as their bodies warped into abominations was enough to give anyone the creeps. But more than that, their final moments were truly eerie.
Under normal circumstances, monsters killed outside a dungeon leave a carcass behind. These silver-mixed things were a different story entirely. Once the damage became too great, it seemed they could no longer maintain their physical forms. As the injuries piled up, they suddenly liquefied into a viscous silver sludge. Then, turning black as they shriveled, they eventually crumbled into dust and vanished.
They left not so much as a scrap of flesh behind, completely eroded by the silver abomination before disappearing. Even though they were monsters, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of pity for them.
"Have the abominations truly perished?" Lowell asked, his eyes never leaving the spot where the corpses had vanished.
He hadn't lowered his guard yet. Indeed, the nature of these soldiers from the Outer World was far too alien compared to the monsters of our world. Letting our guard down just because their physical vessels had been destroyed might have been premature.
At the question, Garna closed his eyes, searching for any lingering traces of the invaders. After a moment, he gave a small, firm nod.
...It appears they have vanished. I no longer sense their presence. It seems that once the vessel is destroyed, they lose the means to interfere with this world.
"I see."
Hearing Garna's response, Lowell finally relaxed his stance. It seemed the battle was finally over.
"It’s good to know that destroying the vessel is enough to take them down," I noted.
"True," Lowell agreed. "It would be a nightmare if they could stay active while remaining invisible."
As I was talking with Lowell, Beere-san approached us. His expression was heavy. I thought he might just be shaken from the fight we'd just had, but it seemed there was more to it.
"Good work, everyone. Do you have a moment?"
"What is it?" I asked.
"Well, those guys were saying something a bit concerning. I figured it’d be best to share it with the rest of you."
By "those guys," he meant the former bandits. They had been absolutely terrified when they saw the silver-mixed monsters. I didn't think that was a strange reaction given the circumstances, but clearly, there was a specific reason for it.
Intrigued, the rest of the party gathered around—Garna included. Once everyone was ready, Beere-san began to explain.
"It seems those men were convinced that the monsters we just fought were assassins sent specifically to kill them."
I see. So that was why they were so paralyzed with fear. But why would they think silver-mixed monsters were assassins?
Spira seemed to have the same doubt. She tilted her head and asked, "Wait, why? Did they already know about the silver monsters?"
"No, it doesn't sound like it's quite that simple."
That only made it stranger. To assume an unknown creature was a hitman sent for you suggested a massive case of paranoia. I hate to be blunt, but I didn't think those bandits were the type to have such delicate, overactive imaginations.
However, the story wasn't over yet. Seeing my silent urge for him to continue, Beere-san nodded.
"The source of their fear is an organization called Eld Caldia."
"Eld Caldia?"
It was a name I’d never heard before. I glanced at the others, but they all shook their heads. None of them knew it either.
"I’m not surprised. Originally, they were just a small-time cult operating out of Albiroda. They’re a dangerous lot—their core belief is that the current world is 'wrong' and must be completely destroyed to be rebuilt."
Destroying the world is about as dangerous as ideologies get. No sane nation would ever tolerate them. Rather than saying they "operated" in Albiroda, it was probably more accurate to say that was the only place they could hide.
"And how does this Eld Caldia connect to the monsters?" I asked.
"You remember the rumors about the Bandelt Group expanding its influence in Albiroda with the help of an outside organization? Well, it turns out that 'outside organization' was Eld Caldia."
"Go on."
"Since they're in a partnership, there's naturally been some overlap. The bandits claim they've seen the cult's executives a few times. Apparently... parts of their bodies had already begun to turn silver."
...Now that was an ominous development.
It was probably too early to say for certain that they were connected to the silver-mixed monsters, but I couldn't shake the bad feeling settling in my gut. Even Shiroru looked completely fed up with the news.
"I doubt they actually sent those monsters as assassins for low-level grunts like these guys," Beere-san added, concluding his thought. "The cult probably isn't keeping tabs on every common foot soldier, and these guys aren't important enough to warrant a hit squad. Still, we can't rule out a connection. Just keep the name in the back of your heads."
Silver-mixed monsters and a cult called Eld Caldia. I couldn't help but wonder if they were connected to that new dungeon that had appeared in Albiroda.