Perhaps digesting Angel’s words, or perhaps lamenting the unpredictable nature of fate.
After a while, the proud look on the curved-horn half-blood demon’s face faded significantly. The originally elegant and handsome countenance seemed to have lost some of its charm.
"Besides the Neya Tribe, who else has fallen?"
Angel: "I’ve only been to the Abyss once, so I know very little. Besides the Neya Tribe, I’ve heard of the Notting Tribe and the Dante Clan. However, I can ask my teammates, as some of them often delve deep into the Abyss."
The ’teammate’ Angel referred to was, without doubt, the Black Earl.
In comparison, the Black Earl actually knew more. He just hadn’t spoken up.
Angel had already started muttering to the Black Earl within the Mind Ribbon, even contemplating whether to use this as leverage to ask the curved-horn half-blood demon some questions.
Unexpectedly, before Angel could speak, the curved-horn half-blood demon started first: "No need, I’m familiar with the Notting Tribe and the Dante Clan. Just talk about these two tribes."
Though the curved-horn half-blood demon spoke calmly, Angel could sense the turbulent emotions hidden deep within his soul body.
"Did he figure out our plan and realize we’re trying to use this to leverage him?" Dox wondered in the Mind Ribbon.
The Black Earl didn’t say anything but looked at Angel.
Angel silently replied in the Mind Ribbon: "Perhaps it’s not that, maybe he got lucky."
"What do you mean?" Dox asked, confused.
"This curved-horn half-blood demon is either from the Notting Tribe or the Dante Clan." The Black Earl answered Dox’s question instead of Angel.
No matter how lively it was within the Mind Ribbon, outwardly Angel remained calm like the other: "Which tribe would you like to know about first?"
The curved-horn half-blood demon looked at Angel with unwavering eyes, seemingly realizing something: "Your probing is too obvious; you did it on purpose, didn’t you?"
Angel chuckled silently.
"Since you’ve figured it out, let’s be direct." The curved-horn half-blood demon sighed deeply: "I know what you want to ask. I can answer a few questions before you leave."
"I don’t refuse to answer out of unwillingness but due to the contract, as guards of the Hanging Jail Stairway, we cannot reveal too much information. Therefore, the scope of what I can answer is very limited and might not include what you want to know."
Although the curved-horn half-blood demon’s words didn’t explicitly state it, they admitted to being from either the Notting Tribe or Dante Clan.
"Won’t you forgive my previous offense offhandedly?" Angel raised an eyebrow, casually mentioning.
The curved-horn half-blood demon: "That depends on whether your words qualify for my forgiveness."
Angel smiled, no longer saying more, returning to the previous question: "Back to the question, which tribe would you like to know first?"
"Both."
Angel: "Then I’ll start with the Notting Tribe. The Notting Tribe hasn’t fallen, if no incident has occurred. Because I know a descendant of the Notting Tribe named Pulapa, who is a mixed-blood of the Notting Tribe and the Ghostly Floating Little Demon."
"The Ghostly Floating Little Demon? That’s an excellent companion." When mentioning the Ghostly Floating Little Demon, the curved-horn half-blood demon uncharacteristically didn’t express disdain.
In the minds of Abyssal Natives, the Ghostly Floating Little Demon is not an evil demon. The reasoning is simple; the Ghostly Floating Little Demon’s strength is weak, often mocked by other demons, and thus lives a solitary existence.
Jon once said, "Near vermilion turns red, near ink turns black," which applies perfectly to the Ghostly Floating Little Demon. By living solitary, they avoid contact with other demons and become increasingly peaceful, even interacting with the natives.
With interaction comes sparks.
Even if the Ghostly Floating Little Demons form companionships with the natives, they’ve never abandoned them. Compared to centaurs, who spread their seeds all over the Abyss but are seen favorably by the Wizards’ Realm, Ghostly Floating Little Demons are truly loyal.
Because of this, humans don’t typically kill Ghostly Floating Little Demons upon encounter. At most, they scare them, make them shed tears, or manufacture Ghostly Floating Water, as both are valuable Transcendent ingredients.
Of course, there are humans who seek quick benefits. Ghostly Floating Little Demons, after all, are demons, valuable and weak in strength, often hunted by groups. These are mostly impoverished apprentices and aimless Wandering Wizards. Official Wizards generally don’t do such things.
Pulapa, however, wasn’t so lucky; his parents were killed by humans. Hence, Pulapa abhors humans.
But hating humans doesn’t mean he sides with demons.
At least from Pulapa, Angel knows that the Notting Tribe despises demons, except for the Ghostly Floating Little Demons.
Therefore, from the curved-horn half-blood demon’s definition, the Notting Tribe isn’t considered fallen.
"The basic knowledge came from Pulapa; the Notting Tribe should remain unfallen," Angel finished and looked at the Black Earl: "My understanding of the Notting Tribe is limited; should I let my teammate add some information?"
After Angel spoke, the Black Earl silently added in the Mind Ribbon: "Regarding the Notting Tribe, I don’t know more than you. They don’t collaborate with humans or demons, considered a neutral force..."
Angel: "..." He had already spoken, was it possible to retract now?
Angel was contemplating whether to make up some lies when the curved-horn half-blood demon shook his head: "No need, what you mentioned about the Notting Tribe is just as before. They, like the Ghostly Floating Little Demons, prefer not to settle in large groups, forming many branches and settling in various surface areas."
"Such behavior is seen as suicidal to us; many large clans even speculate the Notting Tribe won’t survive another hundred years. But unexpectedly, ten thousand years later, they still maintain past habits and haven’t perished."
"Knowing this is enough."
With that, the curved-horn half-blood demon’s expression slowly became solemn: "Now, let’s discuss the Dante Clan."
The curved-horn half-blood demon clearly wasn’t hiding anymore; from his evaluation of the Notting Tribe, it was evident that he wasn’t part of it.
The answer was clear; in life, apart from demon bloodline, his other bloodline came from the Dante Clan.
Now, Angel felt troubled, for the Dante Clan had some issues, and he didn’t know whether to mention them.
Besides this, his understanding of the Dante Clan was limited.
While he could fabricate some stories based on Pulapa’s daily actions for the Notting Tribe, he really didn’t know much about the Dante Clan.
To avoid losing face, Angel hurriedly sought help from the Black Earl in the Mind Ribbon: "My lord, do you know anything about the Dante Clan? What I know isn’t appropriate to discuss, so now I can only rely on you."
As Angel anxiously awaited, a few seconds later, the Black Earl quietly spoke:
"... I’ve never heard of the Dante Clan."