Chapter 2608 The Nea Clan <TOC> Chapter 2610 Secrets Kept
Translator: SumTLMan
“Glory of the old days? What do you mean?” The curled-horn half-demon frowned: “Could it be that the Nea Clan has also fallen?”
“What do you mean by ‘fallen’?” Angel asked softly.
The curled-horn half-demon replied: “To bow and submit to those vile beings in the Abyss, that is falling, an act absolutely intolerable to our noble bloodlines.”
“Our noble bloodlines? It seems this curled-horn half-demon’s lineage is also one of the so-called noble bloodlines. Could he be from that Nea lineage the lord mentioned?” Kael’s curious voice came through the mental connection.
“Probably not. From the way he spoke earlier, it doesn’t seem like he considers the Nea Clan as his own,” Daus replied through the mental connection.
Angel didn’t respond in the mental connection but agreed with Daus’ assessment. Given the other’s concern for the glory of his lineage, if his own family was mentioned, he would definitely have reacted. However, when Angel mentioned the Nea Clan, the other party showed no emotional fluctuation, indicating he was not from the Nea Clan.
However, from his tone, Angel could sense his respect for the Nea Clan. It seems that the savior lineage from ten thousand years ago had influenced many other bloodlines.
Angel asked: “The vile beings in the Abyss, are you referring to the Demon Gods and the Elders?”
The curled-horn half-demon narrowed his eyes: “I didn’t expect you to know about the Elders. You indeed know more than I imagined… Yes, the vile beings I refer to include the Demon Gods and the Elders you mentioned.”
While conversing, Angel was also deconstructing each of his words. The information derived from this sentence was quite interesting.
The most vile beings in the Abyss were undoubtedly the Demon Gods and the Elders, but the curled-horn half-demon left room in his words. He said it “includes” these two but didn’t say “it’s them.”
This implies that there are other vile beings in the Abyss that the curled-horn half-demon detests and even fears.
Angel shared the information he deduced through the mental connection. He intended to ask the Black Count whether there were other terrifying beings in the Abyss, but even the Black Count did not know.
“The Abyss is vast, and humans have not ventured very deep, at least not in the Southern Region. Other Wizarding Worlds might have explored more, as they have the support of the Source World,” the Black Count said: “Within our limited knowledge, the Elders are the highest realm we know. As for whether there are other more secretive beings beyond the Elders, that I do not know.”
“Angel, are you over-interpreting? Maybe when he says ‘including these two,’ it’s just a figure of speech. After all, besides these two, there are other beings in the Abyss, like demons,” Daus said.
Angel replied: “No, demons cannot be compared with Demon Gods and the Elders at all.”
It’s like when two armies are at war, and the strategist analyzes the situation, he would mention only the enemy’s valiant generals, not the soldiers under them.
Angel did not explain further in the mental connection because the curled-horn half-demon spoke up.
“You haven’t answered my question yet. Has the Nea Clan fallen?” The curled-horn half-demon’s expression was solemn; he obviously cared deeply about the answer.
Angel said: “According to your standards of ‘falling,’ they should not have fallen.”
“What do you mean?”
Angel asked: “Do you know the surname ‘Stian’?”
The curled-horn half-demon nodded: “Yes, it’s a major surname of the Nea Clan.”
“Good that you know,” Angel paused: “I don’t know whether the entire Nea Clan has fallen, but I know that the ‘Stian’ surname has been changed to ‘Stiantrofeyr.'”
The curled-horn half-demon and everyone present looked at Angel with puzzled eyes. What did he mean by that?
“Stian is a surname carried by heroes; why would they change it?” the curled-horn half-demon questioned, perplexed.
Angel spoke in a soft voice: “Because the descendants of Stian have already sworn fealty to a demon. As far as I know, that demon is a Goatman. It bestowed upon Stian a new surname, which is the latter half, ‘Trofeyr.'”
At the moment Angel finished speaking, an intense malice, so palpable it was visible to the naked eye, emanated from the curled-horn half-demon.
Unlike the previous malice that was specifically aimed at Angel, this time the malevolence was purely because… the curled-horn half-demon was enraged.
The half-demon, who had always maintained an even keel, even when mentioning his former superior, Franklin, he remained calm, was truly incensed at this moment.
His emotions surged like turbulent waves, accompanied by malice that spread in all directions.
At this moment, even if Angel held his tongue, the others could feel the fury radiating from the demon.
“Goatman? A mere Goatman? And he dares to make the heroic surname of the Savior’s lineage change? How outrageous! How detestable!!”
Amidst the malevolent aura, the enraged howl of the curled-horn half-demon echoed like thunder.
Angel instructed Eremy to protect the two apprentices, shielding them from the influence of the malevolence. Then he calmly spoke: “According to your standards, this shouldn’t be considered falling, should it?”
“What do you know? This is even more abhorrent than corruption!!”
Compared to swearing allegiance to a Demon God or an Elder, pledging loyalty to a mere demon is indeed all the more laughable.
Of course, Angel understood this logic; the reason he still voiced it was undoubtedly… intentional.
As for why? No particular reason. Just a mischievous whim, wanting to see this self-righteous half-demon fly into a rage.
However, the curled-horn half-demon, with millennia of mental fortitude, though his fury was great, had not lost his composure.
He suppressed his emotions and said to Angel: “Are you certain that what you say is true?”
“I have no reason to lie,” Angel replied: “Moreover, the one who told me is also a half-demon much like yourself. I wonder, have you heard of the Immortal Brigade?”
“The Immortal Brigade? That Immortal Brigade?” The voice of the Black Count sounded first through the mental connection.
“If you are referring to those predecessors commemorated by the natives and half-demons in Immortal Street, then yes, it is that Immortal Brigade,” Angel responded through the mental connection.
“If you have the opportunity, you might consider bringing back the remains of the Immortal Brigade to Immortal Street,” the Black Count suggested after a moment of contemplation.
“Some have thought of that, but unfortunately, they are unwilling to leave.”
They have remained in their resting place all along, both to repay Balalaika and because they do not wish to depart from the longest night of times long past.
“Never heard of them,” the curled-horn half-demon shook his head: “However, if the Immortal Brigade you speak of is composed of half-demons who do not align with demons, then they likely originated from the Immortal Army. It was a valiant force assembled by the strongest individuals sent by various clans during the wars of old.”
Angel said: “That should be it. The Immortal Brigade is indeed entirely composed of half-demons. What I told you earlier was learned from one of the Tomb Knights of the Immortal Brigade.”
After hearing this, the curled-horn half-demon fell silent for a long time.
Perhaps he was digesting Angel’s words, or perhaps lamenting the fickleness of fate.
After a while, the pride that had adorned the curled-horn half-demon’s face dissipated significantly; his once elegant and handsome visage seemed to have grown somewhat haggard.
“Apart from the Nea Clan, what about the others? Who else has fallen?”
Angel said: “I’ve only been to the Abyss once, so I don’t know much. Besides the Nea Clan, I’ve only heard of the Nodin Clan and the Dantalian Clan. However, I can ask my teammates; some of them frequently delve deep into the Abyss.”
The “teammate” Angel referred to was none other than the Black Count.
Compared to Angel, the Black Count actually knew much more. However, he had remained silent all along.
Angel had already begun whispering to the Black Count through their mental connection, even contemplating whether to use this as leverage to ask the curled-horn half-demon some questions.
Unexpectedly, before Angel could speak, the curled-horn half-demon spoke first: “No need. I know about the Nodin Clan and the Dantalian Clan. Just tell me about these two clans.”
The curled-horn half-demon spoke calmly, but Angel could sense the turbulent emotions he was suppressing deep within his soul.
“He’s not probing further? Could it be that he saw through our plan and knows we intended to use this to pressure him?” Daus wondered in the mental connection.
The Black Count said nothing but looked toward Angel.
Angel silently replied in the mental connection: “Perhaps not; maybe we’ve hit the jackpot.”
“What do you mean?” Daus asked, puzzled.
“This curled-horn half-demon is either from the Nodin Clan or the Dantalian Clan,” the Black Count answered Daus’ question on Angel’s behalf.
Regardless of how lively the mental connection was at that moment, on the surface, Angel remained as calm as ever: “Which clan would you like to hear about first?” he asked.
The curled-horn half-demon gazed into Angel’s unruffled eyes, seemingly realizing something: “Your probing is too obvious; you did it on purpose, didn’t you?”
Angel smiled without saying a word.
“Since you’ve noticed, let’s be frank.” The curled-horn half-demon sighed deeply: “I know what you want to ask. Before you leave, I can answer a few questions within limits.”
“I haven’t been answering your questions not because I don’t want to, but because, under the terms of the contract, as guardians of the Hanging Prison Stairs, we cannot reveal too much information. Therefore, the scope of what I can answer is very limited and may not include what you wish to know.”
Although the curled-horn half-demon didn’t state it explicitly, his words already confirmed that he was from either the Nodin Clan or the Dantalian Clan.
“Won’t you conveniently forgive my earlier rudeness?” Angel raised an eyebrow and casually remarked.
The curled-horn half-demon replied: “That depends on whether what you say is worthy of my forgiveness.”
Angel chuckled, saying no more, and asked again: “Same question: which clan do you want to hear about first?”
“Tell me about both,” he said.
“Then I’ll start with the Nodin Clan,” Angel began: “As far as I know, unless something unexpected has happened, the Nodin Clan hasn’t fallen. I know a junior member of the Nodin Clan named Prapa, who is a hybrid between the Nodin Clan and a phantom imp.”
“A phantom imp? They make excellent companions,” the curled-horn half-demon remarked. For once, he didn’t display any disgust when mentioning phantom imps.
In the eyes of the Abyssal natives, phantom imps are not evil demons. The reason is simple: phantom imps are very weak, often subjected to ridicule by other demons, so they live in isolation.
Jon once said: “One takes on the color of one’s company.” This saying fits the phantom imps perfectly. After isolating themselves, they no longer associate with other demons and gradually become more peaceful, even interacting with the native inhabitants.
With such interactions, sparks naturally fly.
Even when phantom imps take natives as their companions, they have never been known to abandon them. In contrast to Centaurs, who sow their wild oats throughout the Abyss yet enjoy an undeserved good reputation in the Wizarding World despite being charlatans, the phantom imps embody genuine loyalty.
For this very reason, humans who encounter phantom imps typically refrain from slaughtering them. At most, they might give them a scare to elicit some tears or produce some Phantasmagoria Water, as both are excellent extraordinary ingredients.
Of course, there are always those who seek quick gains. After all, phantom imps are demons, valuable yet weak. It’s common for groups to band together to hunt them. Such deeds are mostly carried out by cash-strapped apprentices or unreliable wandering wizards; formal wizards generally wouldn’t stoop to such actions.
Unfortunately for Prapa, luck was not on his side; his parents were killed by humans. Thus, Prapa harbors a profound animosity toward humans.
However, disliking humans doesn’t necessarily mean he gravitates toward demons.
At least from what Prapa conveyed, Angel understood that the Nodin Clan harbors deep resentment toward demons, except for the phantom imps.
Therefore, by the curled-horn half-demon’s definition, the Nodin Clan cannot be considered fallen.
“The basic information comes from Prapa; the Nodin Clan shouldn’t have fallen,” Angel concluded, then turned to the Black Count: “My understanding of the Nodin Clan is limited. Perhaps my teammate could add something?”
After Angel finished speaking, the Black Count quietly added through their mental connection: “The Nodin Clan, I don’t know much more than you. They neither cooperate with humans nor with demons; they’re considered a neutral faction…”
Angel was at a loss. He had already spoken up; could he retract his words now?
As Angel contemplated whether to concoct some lies to cope, the curled-horn half-demon shook his head: “No need. The Nodin Clan you speak of is just as before. They are similar to the phantom imps; they dislike large congregations and instead split into many branches, settling across the surface layer in various places.”
“Such behavior, in our eyes, is akin to courting death. Many major clans even speculated that the Nodin Clan wouldn’t last a century. Unexpectedly, ten thousand years later, the Nodin Clan still maintains their old ways and hasn’t died out.”
“Knowing this is sufficient.”
After the curled-horn half-demon finished speaking, his expression gradually grew solemn: “Now, let’s discuss the Dantalian Clan.”
It was evident that the curled-horn half-demon was no longer concealing anything. From his appraisal of the Nodin Clan, it was clear he wasn’t one of them.
The answer was now apparent: during his lifetime, apart from his demon bloodline, his other half came from the Dantalian Clan.
Angel felt a bit troubled; the Dantalian Clan had encountered some issues, and he wasn’t sure whether to bring it up.
Moreover, he knew little about the Dantalian Clan.
He could still fabricate some stories based on Prapa’s daily behavior to muddle through about the Nodin Clan, but he truly had scant knowledge of the Dantalian Clan.
Not wanting to lose face, Angel hurriedly sought the Black Count’s help through the mental connection: “My lord, do you know anything about the Dantalian Clan? I don’t know much, so I have to trouble you.”
As Angel anxiously awaited, after a few seconds, the Black Count silently replied:
“…I’ve never heard of the Dantalian Clan.”