Gregory returned to the table and continued studying the dark red crystal, seemingly treating the commotion outside as beneath notice. In truth, the commotion really was nothing worth mentioning: Molten Demons were nothing rare in this area. Anyone passing through a place where magma flowed could suddenly encounter one of these low-intelligence Elemental creatures, and the area beneath Scarred Canyon was where exposed underground magma streams converged, so Molten Demons could naturally emerge at any time. However, those creatures had no ability to climb the steep outer walls of Scarred Canyon. Their only threat to the soldiers came from their violent activity and the rock vapor released when they melted the cliffs. These poisonous gases would pour out of Scarred Canyon, and even trained soldiers proficient in various forms of magic could fall victim to them if they were the slightest bit careless.
But the mages were responsible for suppressing that small amount of poisonous gas, so it was enough to leave the matter to them.
The door opened, and an old man wearing a purple silk robe and carrying a staff walked in. He was one of the senior commanders of the human mage forces.
"Master Rufan." Gregory rose to greet him. "A large number of Molten Demons are active beneath Scarred Canyon. The poisonous vapor may break through the sealing barrier set up by the mages. I hope you can personally go and suppress them later."
"A trivial matter." The old man known as Master Rufan nodded. He was also one of the veterans of the allied forces and had a close friendship with Gregory despite their age difference, so there was no need for excessive formality. Seeing the dark red crystal on Gregory's table, he could not help asking, "Still studying this? Any progress?"
"None at all.