Chapter 908 907: Kat the 'Commander'?
"Now, just like I taught you, go ahead and give the first orders Kat. Tell Jahi, Intri and Liak here where they need to go, before assigning them 'helpers' to clear out the grotto."
I gave Belian an odd look as I asked "By teaching do you mean giving a singular piece of advice? I guess that could be called 'teaching', but... that's kinda sad for a teacher, no?"
"Just give the orders already, Kat... If you want me to be a proper teacher, I will go ahead and have multiple critiques ready for you upon your completion of this task; hell, I will even go so far as to give you a written copy that you can frame and hang in your home if you so please. But firstly... give the orders out."
His strained, yet patient voice made us all smirk at the older man as he stood tall in the center of the group, trying his hardest to not talk back too much and maintain a dignified air around himself - something that we all knew he was 'letting slip' simply because it was amusing, the master of disguise in front of us more than capable of acting out any part he wanted if he chose to do so.
"Fine, fine... Jahi, take the middle and draw the most attention; flashy magic, loud, all that - these are monsters that are drawn to noise, after all. Intri head left, Liak head right. Hook in from the sides and work your way towards Jahi. All three of you, prioritize the larger, stronger monsters. Everyone else, pick a spot in between them and clean up after them. We want to get this cleared out soon so we can go back and grill up some of those steaks right?"
If the assembled Demons could have turned to look at me any quicker than they did, I think they would have broken their necks from the whiplash as they began to give me 110% of their attention, with Jahi, Intri and Liak - our three 'spear tips' thanks to their larger size and more aggressive natures - being the ones to lean closer and ensure I knew they were paying attention and willing to do whatever I said.
Of course, most of them were playing into the bit of all Demons' being gluttons, but considering how we had already fought through one actual grotto and a smaller chamber that was a midpoint between that one and this one, we had racked up quite the hunger, and in that chamber we had found a large bovine monster with juicy meat and a good marbling on it, which... was likely why they were so willing to show off their gluttonous sides.
"And I think that there are some herbs back in the previous grotto... sweet ones, that should do well replacing sugar, perhaps? We did have some flour with us too, so who knows~? Maybe... just maybe, if we get this place cleared out quick enough, we might just be able to have some time to make something sweet?"
Belian just frowned as he stared at me, before taking a look at the surrounding Demons who were all nodding and grinning at one another, their teeth almost bared with how hungry they seemed to be, which only made the man more confused, though he remained silent and let me do as I pleased; what better way to learn than to do everything yourself and study the results, right?
"Jahi, Intri, Liak; make sure to press forwards and ignore the fodder enemies. Mana Cloaks, shields, and spells from the mages to aid you. Everyone else, stay within reach of one another and overlap your attacks. Simple strategy to follow. Understood?"
Everyone nodded, and I gestured forwards and said "Ammit, Leone, Priscia; give everyone some basic restoration Mana Cloaks please. You three, c'mere."
Draping the three larger Demons in Water Mana Cloaks, shrouding their legs in Wind Mana, and then covering their arms in a frigid gale, I sent the three off to their respective sides with some good buffs and watched as the others got into place behind them, creeping up behind the dozing herd of monsters that occupied the middle of the grotto.
This grotto was a dim one, the lack of glowing flora and the soft, yet dim glow from the crystals far above our heads did little to illuminate the area around us, leaving this grotto feeling like a normal cavern instead of one of the 'magical terraglobes' that we were more accustomed to seeing, though... the glow coming from the water as well as the fact that most of the monsters here were radiating a very trace amount of green or blue light was also 'magical' in its own right, just not in the same serene elegance as the prior grottos.
"Why... What the hells happened here before I arrived? Why are they so riled up for some meat and some sweets?"
Watching the melee fighters creep closer before leaping onto the sleeping monsters whilst the mages remained a dozen feet back and began to launch spells in support, I nodded before glancing at Belian and chuckling, while Satanya wore a small smile as she glanced at Belian as well.
"One of the first days here, we found ourselves some powerful nectar, and Leone wanted me to make some 'honey cakes' with it. We also came across a lot of really tasty monsters, and I know how to cook - nothing against a nice charred piece of meat, but uh... that gets bland after the first day. In other words... unsurprisingly, good food does wonders when stuck in a Dungeon, and so do sweets."
Belian blinked at that, the older man watching alongside Satanya and I as we overlooked the massacre that was commencing, the three larger Demons pressing their surprise advantage to penetrate deep into the herd and get into battle with the larger, stronger monsters, all while the others began to clean up what was left.
A simple strategy for a simple battle, but one that worked rather well against these rather unsuspecting enemies.
"Ah... this new generation... so soft and coddled..."
Which made it all the easier to just chuckle as I heard Belian grumbling to himself, taking this time to appreciate an easier battle as I joked "You mean so well learnt and resourceful to be able to cook a good meal in a Dungeon? My apologies that my elders weren't aware that cooking pots and herbs could be so readily available and easy to carry."
"That's what I said. Soft and coddled."
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