When the armored mercenaries appeared, Rhode immediately shifted his body in front of Anne. The mercenaries didn't seem to realize the situation after rushing in with their heads low. And once they spotted Rhode and Anne, they drew their weapons with caution. Thus, both sides went into a deadlock.
Rhode reacted calmly. He knew where these people came from. The Black Pine Ruins had six mazes, and there were naturally six tunnels. Judging from the direction where the mercenaries came from, they must have entered from the 'front' door, whereas Rhode entered from the 'back' door.
These mercenaries stared blankly at the duo, totally unaware of what happened. They originally thought that they were the only adventurers within the ruins, but now it looked like things didn't develop as they imagined. Instead, the situation appeared to be heading in a direction they didn't fancy.
"What? What happened?"