It did not take long for everyone to read the page in its entirety.
"Phew," Edwin let out a drawn-out whistle, in awe at the content. "Now this is what I'm talking about."
"I gotta give you credit, Checking the Compendium was the best idea you've ever had." Shasa added, giving Gary a thumbs up.
The Compendium lived up to its reputation. Despite it being created-- presumably --by demons, it did not shirk from listing as much info as possible.
This included the strengths and weaknesses of each demonic breed: the all-powerful Chaos Lords, elusive Fire Wraiths, vicious Hell Hounds, and life-sucking Succubi, all of these and more were recorded.
Demons were not known for being emotional creatures, but finding out a demonic treasure had given away all of their secrets...
Well, it was enough to shed some sulfuric tears over.
It also shed light on the hierarchal demon society.
The races each had a different place in society, and none were equal. Functioning like the most strict form of a feudal society, the order of their superiors was regarded as law.
It was a form of obedience branded into their souls; As nasty as these beasts may be to other species, rebellion remained a foreign concept to them, forcing the lower classes to be nothing more than tireless slaves.
And the method of this enslavement was "Aura."
There was a plentitude of different species that were categorized as demons, with each having different strengths, appearances, and mentalities.
but the one thing all of them had in common was their ability to recognize and read Aura. From what was stated, this sixth sense was as sharp as it was crucial, acting as the backbone of their hierarchy.
They were extremely sensitive to it. Sensitive to the point that even items owned by a high-ranked demon could have a suppressive effect on those of the lower stratus of society.
That last tidbit was briefly mentioned in a single sentence, but it did not go unnoticed.
"[Items have a suppressive effect]," Edwin read out loud, before flashing a wide grin. "I think we can work with that."
"Think the Compendium would work?" To Alfred, it seemed the best option. Especially if it was the Demon King's possession.
"Only if you're carrying the damn thing. I doubt they can sense it in a storage bag." Shasa had grumbled, eyeing the hefty book with a hint of reluctance. She was an excellent sorcerer, but skill in magic did not equate to physical strength.
While the Compendium would definitely work, running around with it did not sound appealing.
"And?" Edwin questioned, a hint of steel creeping into his voice. "Are you really gonna let a bit of weight make you give up? I say we haul ass, book in tow, and take turns carrying it until we reach the border."
A murmur of agreement rang out from the others, ignoring Shasa's reddened face. None of them were going to let a minor inconvenience hold them back from leaving here alive.
But Gary had a different idea. Before him and his team got into that... scuffle, he did not have the chance to search the entire palace of its wealth. With the mention of items, his attention was diverted towards the long dark hall, and what secret treasures lay beyond.
Mulling over whether or not to he should suggest it, he finally decided to bite the bullet.
"Or, we could-- I'm just throwing this out there --we could just, I don't know, rob the palace of every single valuable? We still have a lot of ground to cover, I'm sure there is something here that could work." He suggested hopefully, keeping a respectful tone throughout. He was understanding of his current position, and was more than willing to defer to Brandus on the issue.
Brandus shot him a weird look after his proposal, but did not immediately deny it. Normally, he would have shot down such a suggestion, and Gary being the one pushing for it made his urge to refuse even greater. The dark stone walls and eerie murals that decorated their surface gave him no pleasure, and the pervasive gloom that enshrouded them held no goodwill for humankind.
But as true as that may be, the idea had its charm. The Compendium was a safe option, but it would inevitably slow down their speed of return.
After six months of being away from home, hastening their way back held a powerful sway, like a devil tempting mortals with promises of grandeur.
With a sigh, he chose to put his own feelings to the side, before giving the choice to his team. "What do you think?"
"I say we keep going." Shasa unsurprisingly voted for Gary. Just the thought of sprinting while lugging the oversized book over her shoulder was enough to make her tired.
"I agree," Alfred nodded. "As great as the Compendium may be, I still want to do some real exploring." His vote surprised the other members, with Edwin giving an incredulous look at his friend.
"Dude, are you serious?" Edwin was already exasperated that they were even discussing this idea, and he tightly clasped his golden locks from the frustration that his friend had brought on. He had made his grievances clear, and he thought that Alfred understood him the most on that subject.
Alfred stared sympathetically at his friend, but his choice remained unchanged. "I'm sorry Ed, but... I can't just leave. I'm one of the first individuals to have ever made it to the such a ruin. To turn back after only reaching the first room, as an adventurer? my pride won't allow it!"
With a firm look, Alfred thumped his chest at the end of his declaration. The pride Alfred held in his profession was unmistakable, yet not everyone was convinced.
Despite hearing Alfred's argument, Edwin's mind remained unchanged. "That isn't pride, Alf; It's greed." He harumphed, plopping down onto the floor with his arms crossed, head turned away.
Seeing Edwin bitterly ignoring him, Alfred smiled with resignation. He knew the others complaints had merit, but he had his own opinion as well, and he was not afraid to voice it. Such a scene had happened before, but he would come around. He always did.
Brandus also cast an understanding look towards Edwin-- although it did go unnoticed --and waved his hand towards Gabriel, signaling him to speak.
"I have no desire to explore further in. I agree with Edwin. This can already be called a successful trip, anything else would be out of pointless greed." He argued, quietly adding: "Every second I spend in this ruin, the more uncomfortable I feel."
With his impressive achievements in holy magic, Gabriel had a greater sensitivity when it came to the aura of dark creatures and their energy. After years of adventuring, he had grown used to the unease that some unholy locations had given him, but none were like this.
Facing towards the depths of this palace, his being quivered with the creeping unease, like he was staring into the widening maw of a great being, one densely shrouded with a foreboding air of death and destruction. His instincts did little to allay his fear, warning him that the feeling would only grow stronger with every step he took forward.
While Gabriel held himself within his quivering arms, attempting to calm himself, the rest did not put much thought into his warning. This was not the first time the overly sensitive healer had shown such an appearance, although it did scare the shit out of them on their first adventure.
Undead crypts and the hidden lairs of dark cultists had a similar effect on Gabriel, but more often than not, such places posed little challenge to the 'Gold Guards.'
His exaggerated actions were merely proof that some dark energy lingered close by, not a foreboding prophecy of doom.
In other words, he was a hopeless drama queen.
"That's three to two, right? I'm ready to look around."
"You would like that, wouldn't you Shasa?"
"Did I say anything wrong?" Shasa shot back, feeling unjustly attacked for speaking the obvious.
"You forgot about someone, he still hasn't voted yet." finger pointed towards Brandus, Edwin heatedly argued as his patience wore thin.
A lull came over the members, pausing the tense discussion as they turned to Brandus, awaiting his decision.
Becoming the center of attention, Brandus sighed helplessly, realizing that putting it to a vote had changed nothing.
He would still be the one to decide their course.
It wasn't a matter of choosing to adventure further or tie the vote; he was aware of that. Right now, his voice held the most sway, and the rest would dutifully follow, no matter what their previous opinion may be.
Shaking his head with a dull resignation, he pondered deeply over the benefits. It only took him a second to conclude that any other valuable they found would just be adding copper to a dragon's hoard: they had achieved enough.
However, his views also aligned with Alfred.
As terrible a place this may be, it was one of the few remaining monuments of a bygone era. One of heroes and villains. One that had been enshrined forever in the halls of history.
It was what all adventurers dreamed of exploring, but few ever received such a chance. What would that make him then, if he denied this opportunity?
Steeling himself, Brandus opened his mouth, giving his final say: "We are adventurers for a reason; Let us act like it."
Hearing his decision, a couple groans could be heard from Edwin and Gabriel, but they did not let out any other form of discontent. The rest-- however --had a countenance that oozed of satisfaction.
"Welp," Gary popped up, walking towards the depths of the hall with a whistle. "This looks like a job for me. Don't worry guys, I'll have this place cleaned out in no time!" But the sound of someone clearing their throat sent him faltering forward, dispelling his confident pace.
"Hold up for a second," Gary despairingly turned back, greeted by the sharp glare of a very unhappy Brandus. "I think we need to have a discussion first. Alone."
It was time to pay the piper.