<~> Chapter 74The tension in the group only increased as the sun pletely set. We weren't far off from the dungeon but because of the visibility and the strained situation, everyone seemed a lot more standoffish. Even Tarklin had reprioritized keeping watonsters at our side. The church adherents seemed as worried about us as they did about the monsters, like it was us that was going to stab them in the back.

  So like that roup more or less split into three. Half of the Tamin church people had started walking ahead of us and half of them were a short distance behind us. No orusted each other and it was this behavior that really put that on dispy. The feeling was also clearly mutual.

  Bel's mother had moved to the froup and was finally done b holes into the back of our head with her eyes. I wasn't sure exactly why she had been staring at us but it had made me pretty unfortable. I wasn't sure if she was aware of some kind of e between Bel and herself, or if it was just because they suspected us to be lying about the dungeon in the first pce. Truthfully this whole situation was quite sketchy. Why would the church exert so much pressure on the guild master in the first pless they had some ulterior motive. It was just lucky we had such high level adventurers as uards because I really didn't trust these people.

  We were finally approag the pce we had mapped out the other day. There was a stake in the ground with the guild logo, likely some sort of marker for where we were headed. The church adherents that had been walking ahead waited for us to catch up before they started leading us through the forest. This was a much more direct path through the forest than we had inally taken but I already reized some of the ndmarks I had inally noted down on my map as we passed them.

  Fifteen or so mier we had e up to a huge camp with maybe a hundred or more people he now i entrao the dungeon. It was rather remarkable just how much this pce had ged in such a short amount of time. A lot of the trees in the immediate area around the dungeon has been cleared and there were lots e tents and tables set up all around it. It looked like a pletely different p the short time that we'd been gone.

  Our two guards visibly rexed once roached the camp. While it was uhat the church adherents would have attacked us before we got here, it was even less likely they would attack us in such a rge camp of other adventurers. Tarklin waved and joked with some of the passing adventurers but a g his belt showed that despite being more rexed, his hand hadn't left the dagger that was strapped there. Nora didn't look too much different, her eyes sed everyohat walked by and sometimes even looked past them as if she were looking at something else instead.

  A huge human man dressed in armor fashioned from leathers and giant i carapaces began walking up to us, he was like seven and a half feet tall. Despite how intimidating he looked, he was quite handsome in a rugged kind of way and had deep ugh lihat made him look cheerful. Most of the Tamin church adherents tensed but Tarklin's ha his dagger for the first time sihe sun had set and he happily greeted the giant man.

  "Yefen! It's great to see you again my friend!"

  "Tarklin! What are you doing here? You were never one for dungeon work." The giant man's eyes swept over the group of Tamin church adherents before settling on Nora. "Nora too! It's o see you again. Are you doing well?"

  She nodded. "As well as I be. Trying to get bato the swing of things."

  "Ah, that's good to hear. Things haven't been quite the same around here without you. And... right, well. You know."

  She nodded and looked at the ground quietly.

  Yefen cleared his throat. "Anyway, looking by uests this is more of a business visit. Lets go to my tent."

  The rge man led us through the clearing and into the rgest tent in the camp. The tent was some kind of big army tent with a sizable square table in the ter. This one just held stacks of dots of different kinds but it seemed like it would be right at home hosting a rge map of unit positions and the like in war time. The twelve of us and the giant man sat down around the table, the division in roups was clear. Not that a party full of Beastfolk and demi-humans would ever really work with Tamin church adherents normally.

  "So I take it the Tamin church members are here to ihe dungeon?" Yefen asked.

  One of the male padins that had taken off his helmet nodded. "Yes, we'll send in a team of four to scout out the dungeon and see what kinds of monsters we find in it. It shouldn't be too hard to firm the presence of demons, if there are any."

  Yefen nodded diplomatically. "Of course, when dealing with the destru of a dungeon it is important to see it first hand. We have a few demon corpses set aside if you would like to look at them before entering the dungeon."

  "Why would y back the corpses of demons? Wouldn't that be dangerous?" Bel asked. I was a little surprised she spoke up.

  "I agree that it is dangerous but it's important to show some of the people in the dueams what we're dealing with. While we have been ed about demon spawning dungeons in the area this is the first time we've been able to directly firm it and it's important to train any of our new recruits that don't have any experieh them. It's unfortuhat this dungeon awning demons, if it wasn't for that it would be a very useful find."

  I quirked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

  Yefen smiled. "Dungeons that have time acceleration in them are really useful for preserviain things. If the factor was truly two to one initially, it would have been good for st certain perishable goods. And the nature of the dungeon as a kind of stronghold could have made the dungeon useful as a military instaltion. While it's not as useful for that reason as it could have been, it might still be usable for that purpose depending on how the dungeon degees over time as the magic is pletely released from it."

  The padin spoke up again. "Does that meaime factor has waned sihe core's destru?"

  "Yes, the time factor has reduced from two days for oo a day and a half for o the rate it's going we expect it to be one for one again in a week or two."

  "I see. Then as we discussed with yuild master we'll be sending in a team right away." The padin sigo Bel's mother and she handed over a wax-sealed letter with the guild's insignia pressed on it.

  Yefen broke the seal and quickly sed over the letter before setting it aside. "Looks good. I know that you wish to keep an eye on these four but if it's not any bother do you mind if I show them around? I'm fident you'll be satisfied with what you find in the dungeon and I'd like to start introdug these four to some of the people around here sihey're going to be joining the dueam iure."

  The padiated for a moment but quickly relented. "I suppose that would be alright. Priestess Corrine and I will be the oaying behind so I'll tio coordih you once our scouting party returns."

  Bel's mother, Corrine apparently, suddenly looked angry. "Yoing to roll over and put your trust in this half-breed Sorak!?"

  "ENOUGH." The padin gave her a withering gre. "Sir Yefen is a well respected liaison for the adventurer's guild who I have personally worked with a number of times before. Do not insult him in my presence." He turo Yefen. "I apologize for my priestess' poor de. I have no objes to you showing your new recruits around but please do not let them leave this camp until my scouting team has returned."

  "Of course" Yefen nodded.

  "Then we'll take our leave." All six of the church adherents stood up and walked out of the tent. No one spoke again until they had all left and walked away from the tent.

  Yefen suddenly slumped in his chair. "Oh god that was stressful, I hate w with those damned priests."

  Tarklin suddenly leaned forward with a huge grin. "Sir Yefen?"

  Yefen ughed. "I was as surprised as you were! Sure I've worked with the guy a few times before but I didn't thihought so highly of a demi-human like me. My jaw almost dropped in the middle of that exge."

  Torien tilted her head. "You're a demi? I thought you were just a big human."

  Yefen ughed merrily again. "You're not the first to say that and definitely not the st. Seemingly the only people who ever tell are those damned bigots. My father was a bear beastkin that ran off when my mother started to swell up. Other than being huge the only way anyone ever knows is if they see my stubby tail when my armor is off. I think the only reason Melna makes me deal with them every time they insist oing in our way is just to give me shit." I was surprised to hear him address the guild master so casually but this guy does seem important.

  The giant demi-bear sat up straight and cracked his neck. "Alright, back to business. As you've heard by now my name is Yefen and I'm the leader of the guild's dungeon seard exploration branch. We both know those Tamin church guys are going to find demons in there so there's nothing to worry about. Even if they pick a fight, Nora and Tarklin will run circles around them. Hell, if I'm around I'll knock them on their ass myself. Sihat's the case it's better if you get to know some of the other people you'll be w with now. Melna told me you'll probably be headed to the capital to get cartography training before you properly join my branch but you'll be back soon enough and it's better to start a w retionship sooner rather than ter. Before we head out a everyone is there anything else you want to know about? If you guys have more questions about the dungeons I'd be happy to talk about them."

  A sudden thought struck me, "Actually yes. You said earlier that you already had suspected there was a demon spawning dungeon in the area. How e?"

  He lightly frowned. "There have been sightings of demons in the area and all kinds of rumors. We weren't sure there were demon spawning dungeons in the area but the ces were pretty high with the number of reports of sightings we've gotten. The worst part is that all of the different kinds of demons we've firmed in this dungeon don't maty of the sightings we've received. It's likely there are even more demon spawning dungeons around. On top of that there have been lots of rumoing around of actual demon summoners flog to this area as well. As much as the guild master and I dislike them, that's probably why the church is so involved right now. These church members are the grunts colleg information for the actual demon hunters."

  Man leaned forward ied. "Supposing the rumor is true, what would cause so many demon summoo all e to this area? From what I know most of them avoid each other because of this exact situation with the church. Even if the Tamin church doesn't find all of them, some of the demon summoners are bound to get caught if they gather."

  Yefen nodded with a grave look on his face. "That's the most w thing. We know for sure there are more dungeons in the area and now that we've firmed this duhe likelihood of more demon spawning dungeons is also rather high. Especially sidering that none of the ones we've found in this dungeon match the descriptions of the demons we've gottes about in the area. Whatever is pelling all of the demon summoo gregate in this area 't be good.

  Saine

  Hello! The girls are bato the thick of things now. I hope you ehe chapter, see you ime!

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