When they returned to the dormitory that evening, before Batman could say anything, Hexagon started chattering away, his tone carrying an unprecedented excitement.
"Did you see that? That big guy got whipped! If you ask me, that must have hurt like hell. He was definitely sent to the eastern mine to haul lava rocks. That's no easy job—you work yourself to death and have to deal with the most brutal overseers. Anyone who doesn't work properly gets sent there!"
Hexagon kept panting heavily, and even his voice had grown rougher. He said, "I can't believe it. When I said those things, my feet were shaking nonstop. I didn't even dare look the overseer in the eyes. My god, how do you humans come up with such devious schemes?!"
"It happened exactly as you predicted. Those small demons definitely spoke up for me, because they'd had enough of that stupid big guy too. And Ofei hated him even more, because when he was smashing ore before, he killed two of Ofei's children. Ofei had more than twenty children, but those two were the strongest and most beloved..."
Hexagon muttered on about their past, how Ofei reproduced, how those two children grew up, and how they were crushed to death. What sounded like ordinary family gossip was all recorded by Batman as intelligence.
"You seem very happy," Batman said.
"I... I am, a little... But I don't know why. All afternoon, I felt incredibly excited. I even worked harder than usual. I'm just so happy. I finally don't have to put up with that idiot anymore!"
Then Hexagon became somewhat vicious again. "Those damned Magma Demons should all crawl back into the lava! They're always throwing their weight around and bullying us. If this hadn't caused such a huge commotion, and if