Chapter 901 Chapter 900: Chaperone Belian
"I have to admit, seeing all of these Demons in entirely enchanted, above average armor and weapons at the age their at is quite the sight. Usually they need to prove themselves and save up for a couple of years before our blacksmiths and enchanters even think about giving them custom gear. Still... I do hope you lot know how to make use of all of this. Otherwise, it'd be a shame for you to have it."
Belian looked around at our group before looking back at his, taking in the slight difference between the two that came entirely from the new gear that was being utilized by our own group; the leather armor beneath the leather trench coats of the Beliali or beneath the cloaks of the Cimeriesa's, as well as the darker metal weapons that were sheathed on their belts.
Everyone had an aura of passive mana circling around them thanks to their gear, which only made it more noticeable, especially to those with a higher sensitivity to the mana.
The group that Belian brought with him - two dozen strong - were slightly older than the Demons we had been traveling with so far, their experience showing in the way they carried themselves and their eyes, which were calm and unsurprised at everything they were seeing.
The Demon Clans that had a 'low population' were likely in the hundreds each at the moment, while the Asmodia Family was numbering at... three Demoness', which was still better than the two it had been for a few years, and even more impressive than the single Demoness it had been for many, many years.
"Well, like I said, I'll just be tagging along with you all keeping watch. No help from me unless you really need it, or I deem it necessary. My two squads will be clearing out the grottos methodically and ensuring that there isn't anything left behind, whilst we head down into the depths and harvest all the goodies. Sound correct?"
Rubbing his hands together, the Head of the Beliali Clan looked around at everyone, getting nods in return before he gestured at Jahi, Satanya and Ammit, saying "Well, lead the way. We'll break off from one another at this camp you mentioned, which is where we'll meet tonight when we're done."
"I was just about to when you so rudely interrupted me and took over my role..."
Satanya was glaring at the Demon now, causing him to just freeze for a moment before smiling wryly as he waved his hand forwards and pinched his lips, signaling for her to get going and lead the way.
The older Demons behind were smirking as they saw Satanya continue to glare at the Head of the Clan for a few seconds more, only to then spin on her heel and begin marching down into the Dungeon, making it clear she wanted to do things on her rules and not his... which only made Belian and the older Demons more amused as they waited for us to enter before following behind us.
"So moody all the time, isn't she?"
The soft, almost inaudible words that Belian spoke to one of the Demons beside him entered my ears, but thankfully my hearing was just good enough to pick it up and hers wasn't, something that the man noticed when I glanced back at him, causing him to wink at me and place a finger on his lips.
Shaking my head, I focused on the path we were taking and ignored both the stomps from Satanya and the quiet chuckling from the Demons behind me as we made our way into the Dungeon, where the natural beauty gradually eased both side's into a neutral state.
Even seeing it once again after living with it for so long was enough to make me pause for a moment to bask in its beauty; the lush greenery, the warm glow from some of the flora that contrasted with the harsher, brighter light that came from the crystals, the clear rivers that carved through the rock...
Everything was stunning to see, and I don't think I would ever get tired of seeing it - it was just that kind of natural beauty that was refreshing to look upon no matter how often or how long you gazed upon its splendor.
It was even better thanks to the serenity that took in this first grotto thanks to the lack of monsters roaming around now, with our temporary base still standing on the lakeside waiting for our inevitable return.
When we went in, Satanya brought everyone over to the giant table that housed the ever growing and changing model of the Dungeon, using it to show the other party which connected grottos they should go to first and which to be more worried about.
"This was where we found the Rune of Decay, and this is where we found a Rune of Blood..? It's not an actual grotto, just a small cave connected to one; there's a tunnel that burrows into the wall... around here I believe, and it took us to some kind of workshop for the Terracotta Golems that the humans used."
"Oh? You found one of them? Interesting... I have to admit I am surprised that one is still standing. Most were found and destroyed during the war, and after as a sign of solidarity. So for one to remain is fascinating..."
"Yes, and we found many Golems waiting for repairs down there, but they were all inactive, so we just left them. But yes, those were the locations, so this grotto here, the one with the Decay, is where we should start, right? We need to head deeper, yes, but should we also not try to hunt down one of the two Fiends as quickly as possible to decrease the odds of running into both at the same time?"
Satanya glanced at Belian for confirmation, but the older Demon just smiled and raised his hands, shaking his head as he remained silent, making it clear that this was going to be left to us to decide.
Jahi pursed her lips as she looked over the others, her amethyst eyes narrowing for a moment before she sighed and said "I think we should, right? Not knowing their strength levels is worrying, and whilst we might be confident and comfortable dealing with one at a time, dealing with two at the same time is unknown territory, so we should attempt to ensure it's only one at a time. Besides, we don't know if that Nua Fiend traveled deeper the way we want to go, or if it went to another grotto, so who knows what we'll find either way, right?"
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