Disappeared

Lex was not at all surprised that Mario was unhurt. After all, he was much too strong for monsters of this level to overwhelm him. But when he reached his rooftop and saw the size of his party, he was extremely surprised.

It was much too small. Only around 10 people were following him. All of whom were excellent fighters on their own as well. Clearly they would have survived even without Mario as long as the rest were together. But their small numbers and, most of all, slow and steady speed told Lex something was going on

That's when Lex noticed that Mario's son, Elio, was not with the group. He did not jump to conclusions, but he kept the thought in mind.

Despite how near they were, the group did not get impatient at all, and continued on their pace. It took nearly an hour before they finally reached the tavern.