D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad Chapter 2195 The Steel Hard Facts Part 1

Kat ---

Their destination was the quarantine zone. Appoline, in the end, couldn't resist the lure of more unique ingredients, compelling Hedera to remain behind and guard the remaining two. It had been an interesting discussion. The elf appeared surprised that Kat was amenable to her skipping the mission into the poison, but Kat had no clue why. It seemed like a sensible method to ensure everyone's safety, and Kat trusted Hedera implicitly to achieve that. Additionally, some guards had delivered another barrel of orbs, which was a pleasant, albeit currently irrelevant, development. Thus, it was only Kat, Appoline, and Steel for the time being, with the persistent concern of demon poison lingering.

"Now that we're en route, I can utilize this time to brief you on the team accompanying you," Steel commenced. "We've limited the group to ten individuals, but you don't really need the specifics for most of them. Four are essentially standard guards. I'll have their profiles displayed for you to verify they aren't under any illusions; otherwise, their primary role is to ensure constant vigilance among everyone."

"The first crucial individuals I'll introduce are that pair of twins. They are dwarven twins, both exceptionally skilled in warding an area. Their names are Rockslide and Landslide, though they're usually referred to as 'Rocky' or 'Lan.' In this instance, Lan is the one who will be joining your expedition. They are identical twins, but if you ever need to distinguish them? Rocky is missing the nail on his right thumb. It was torn off and healed imperfectly, resulting in no nail regrowth, though without any scarring."

"I could fix that," Appoline interjected.

Steel nodded as he handed the first photograph to Kat. "I'm sure you could; apparently, it's not a difficult remedy. However, from what I understand, Rocky never exhibited much interest in it. It's a minor injury that hardly impacts his daily life. The twins also, it seems, appreciate the slight difference, or perhaps enjoy the ability to conceal it when playing tricks. They even devised a method to give Rocky a prosthetic, yet realistic-looking nail, making them indistinguishable for periods."

"Is that a concern for you?" Kat inquired as she examined the picture. The dwarf depicted, as it was only one individual in the photo, sported rather... unconventional attire. They wore leather armor overlaid with a white coat, steel boots, but no gloves. Glasses perched precariously on their face, almost slipping off. Rocky, or perhaps Lan, whichever twin this was meant to be, possessed an ENORMOUS nose.

Truly, a nose of cartoonish proportions, nearly the size of Kat's entire hand. Honestly, if not for his considerable width in all aspects, including his head, Kat doubted he could see! It was as if a boulder had been affixed to his face instead of a nose. Certainly, it was a striking feature, as the remainder of his face was typical for a dwarf. Thick hair and beard in that common brown coloration found on many of them. Bushy eyebrows that appeared slender due to the overwhelming presence of the giant nose.

Kat set the picture down, deciding against dwelling on that particular detail. Returning her focus to the potential twin-swapping, "Not at all," Steel responded. "As I mentioned earlier, we had initially considered Rocky as the preferred twin for this assignment. He possesses more experience with the type of wards we intend to establish underground, but apparently, his claustrophobia proved too significant an obstacle."

Kat frowned. "I had assumed the twins were human or perhaps elven... I didn't realize he was a dwarf. How... I mean, I don't know if this is insensitive, but how did he develop claustrophobia? Is that even possible for dwarves?"

Steel shrugged. "Yes, it is possible, though you're correct that it's far more difficult for them to develop it naturally. To my knowledge, no dwarf has ever 'just had' claustrophobia. However... in Rocky's specific case, he narrowly escaped death in a cave-in during his youth. It wasn't solely the cave-in, though; he was trapped in a confined space amidst other debris, with no room to maneuver, his limbs pinned beneath rocks, his clothing slightly compressed. Many considered it a miracle he survived...

"And ever since then, he's been unable to tolerate enclosed spaces, or more accurately, anything that constricts him excessively. That picture I showed you actually IS of Lan, by the way. Rocky tends to prefer much looser clothing. It was the suits that were the issue, not the underground bunker itself. Though, the tunnels where you encountered the shapeshifter might have presented a problem. Regardless, he has a valid reason, and we will respect it. I hadn't anticipated the suit being enough to trigger issues, but..." Steel shrugged. "From a background check perspective, the twins are largely interchangeable. The only reason we were considering one of them was that Lan is currently halfway through a different project, so we weren't going to reassign him, but..."

Steel gave another shrug. Kat nodded. "Alright, so who else?"

"The next individuals on our roster are the chief of security, Maryland, and her deputy, Vanilla," Steel announced, presenting two more photographs. Kat nearly lost her footing upon seeing their faces. Indeed, 'Maryland' and 'Vanilla'.

"Ah... yes... Maryland and Vanilla..." Kat responded, a hint of hesitation in her voice.

"Precisely. Vanilla is a devoted champion of justice, always ready to plunge into the thick of conflict to shield her allies," Steel remarked, a comment that almost made Kat erupt in laughter. "Although... while her heart is pure, her intellect is somewhat less developed. That’s why she generally sticks close to Maryland, taking her cues from her."

"I suppose they aren’t acquainted with..." Kat hesitated. She had intended to invent a fake name beginning with 'M' for Mauve or Midnight, only to recall there were no Fae within the city, making their association unlikely. "... a Burnice, perhaps?"

"Not to my knowledge, but I didn't personally conduct the background investigations. If they were friends, I would only have noted the name Burnice if they presented a security concern," Steel confessed.

"Right, let’s just... proceed to the next one, then," Kat sighed.

Steel lifted an eyebrow. "Are you certain you have no further inquiries?"

"Believe me, I don’t," Kat grumbled.

"Curious..." Steel murmured, his gaze lingering on them somewhat conspicuously for a few more moments. Kat surmised it was because she had displayed knowledge of someone she, technically, shouldn't recognize. At this juncture? Kat found she couldn't muster the energy to care. Steel was welcome to his thoughts. "Very well, next up is another of our wardens, this time a human woman..."

Steel passed the document over, but Kat waited for additional details before examining it. "That’s Brook; she’s among our most seasoned enchanters. She possesses experience with matters... akin to the core you discovered." Kat registered that this wasn't untruthful... but Steel's subtle pause suggested that 'akin' was an understatement. "She has been with us for years, and her loyalty is unquestionable... however, she is also easily sidetracked and has a tendency to initiate secondary projects before completing primary ones. It falls outside your purview to keep her focused, and I’m uncertain if your grasp of enchanting is sufficient to identify potential problems... but please lend support to others if they do notice an issue."

"Of course," Kat agreed readily, now observing the woman. She was on the shorter side, with frizzy, graying hair and spectacles of her own. It seemed glasses were a common accessory among the enchanters... perhaps they were enchanted? In many respects, she bore a resemblance to what Kat imagined an older Lily might have looked like before her transformations.