Our Family Has Fallen

"AWOOO~"

Before she could speak, Wang Cai threw back its head and howled, then turned and rushed into the darkness.

"Over here!" Paracelsus reacted and called out to the two of them.

What if the Lord had encountered trouble while covering for her?

Just then, Lance's voice came through.

"Got held up by some annoying bugs."

Lance, carrying the Giant Slayer, emerged from the darkness. His clothes and the blade were both coated with the white, viscous substance spat out by the spiders. It was no wonder he hadn't been able to return immediately…

He was dragging the corpse of a spider, a crossbow arrow still lodged in its carapace.

"These creatures should have swarmed us already, but they were too afraid of the fire to approach," Lance explained casually, then looked over the group. "Are you all right?"

"Ain't no biggie! These things here are even bigger than the hogs from my neck of the woods!" Boudica remarked, eyeing the carcasses on the ground.

William couldn't help but agree, though a question also formed in his mind.

"How could there be such enormous spiders in the world?"

"Nothing in Hamlet should surprise you; this place is filled with magical power," Lance quipped self-mockingly. He then raised his hand to gently stroke Wang Cai's injuries, healing them.

Meanwhile, Paracelsus had already taken out her tools and begun to dissect and study the more intact carcasses.

It was unclear whether her emotions had calmed, or if she was trying to conceal her indescribable feelings.

With help from the other two, Lance began to clean the spiderwebs off himself. Paracelsus hadn't seen it at the time, but he clearly saw all four spiders target him. If his sword hadn't blocked most of the first volley, he would have been completely covered and in a much more wretched state.

The white, viscous substance was like water at first, but it grew thicker and tougher upon contact with air. This property seemed somewhat familiar…

Wasn't this just glue?

Could he catch a bunch of these spiders and, like milking cows, set up a glue factory?

It was a promising idea. This world didn't have glue yet, though tree resin was used as a waterproof adhesive, essential for building large ships.

The green substance was naturally some type of venom. Its specific effects and potential uses were unknown.

"Boss, can we eat this thing?"

Boudica picked up a severed leg. Looking curiously at the jelly-like flesh at the cut, she asked.

"I'd advise against it, at least until it's verified to be safe. Who knows if it's poisonous?"

Lance looked exasperated. Considering its appearance and that it grew in the Hamlet wilderness, who knew if it was corrupted? Eating it without fear of consequences would be risky, wouldn't it?

"But the wolf pup ate some, didn't it?" Boudica glanced aside, a hint of regret in her eyes; she also wanted to taste it.

Hearing her, Lance swiftly turned to look at Wang Cai and saw it biting into the carapace and licking the creamy muscle inside.

"Wang Cai!" Lance thrust the Giant Slayer into the ground and strode toward it.

Wang Cai shuddered and stood up, backing away slightly as Lance approached. It wanted to run but didn't dare, its eyes darting about, unable to meet Lance's gaze directly.

"Can you just eat anything you find? What if you get poisoned, you silly dog?" Lance reached out, grabbed Wang Cai by the scruff of its neck, lifted it, and slapped its face. "Can't you learn from Fergus? Did I say you could eat that?"

"WOO WOO~" Wang Cai closed its eyes, submitting to the slaps on its face and let out a whimper of surrender.

"Don't play dumb. If I catch you eating randomly again, you'll be in big trouble!"

Fergus had undergone food refusal training and wouldn't eat anything without William's command. Wang Cai, however, was undisciplined and did as it pleased. If it wasn't taught a lesson, there would surely be problems later.

Watching this rough and straightforward display, William felt somewhat sheepish. Dog training required finesse; brute force would only make a dog rebellious.

But its effectiveness was undeniable. The only explanation was the Lord's formidable presence, so commanding that even animals were cowed. Anyone else who dared to act like that would have surely been bitten.

"Something's not right. These spiders aren't infected; there's no trace of fungus on them," Paracelsus announced, putting down her scalpel. A completely dissected Giant Spider carcass lay before her.

Her statement refocused the group's attention.

The emergence of a serious matter made Lance pause his disciplining of Wang Cai. He set the wolf down, moved closer to examine the spiders, and frowned.

"There are indeed no signs of infection."

That's right. Not finding a fungal infection was actually a bad thing because it meant their investigation was heading in the wrong direction, further from the truth…

"These spiders don't have any injuries, so isn't it normal that they aren't infected?" William asked, somewhat confused. "From a transmission standpoint alone, it seems unlikely these spiders would be infected, right?"

"The issue is, if these spiders weren't infected, why did they all attack us together?" Lance explained. This made William fall silent and begin to ponder.

But Boudica wasn't one for deep thought. Hearing this, her brain seemed to overload and shut down. She shook her dizzy head and spoke to Lance.