Chapter 1426: The Two Frenemies [Part 2] "Zaphiel already got his hands on three of the seven divine keys," Mammon declared after picking up the ten gold coins Forneus had thrown on the table. "He focused on the keys near the center of the continent. Now, he’s about to expand outward." Forneus sneered internally, knowing that Zion and Stella had two keys in their possession. Only two more keys were out for grabs, and once Zaphiel got them, he’d definitely search for the other two supposedly far out to sea. Unfortunately for him, Thirteen had already secured the Key of Pride and Key of Lust. Even if Zaphiel collected the last two keys, he wouldn’t be able to open Pandora’s Treasury. "They got the keys of Envy, Gluttony, and Wrath," Mammon added. "Zaphiel has negotiated with the other Celestials... and Fiends. "The majority of them told him that they would not get in his way. Of course, there were others who had decided to actively join his endeavors. As for the ones who oppose him..." Mammon smirked at Dantanian, and Forneus before saying the rest. "He plans to force those who oppose him into submission." Dantanian’s face hardened. He didn’t have the strength nor power to win against Zaphiel in a head-on confrontation. Even Zaphiel’s Celestial Army might be difficult for him to handle. Of course, once he unleashed his full powers, he would be able to wipe them out. But Zaphiel wouldn’t just stand by and wait for that. In order to succeed, he needed the help of another Fiend... or perhaps another Celestial. Forneus surprisingly didn’t react. In fact, the Immortal Fiend swirled the wine in his glass like a true aficionado before taking a sip. Since he had insider information, he wasn’t the least bit worried about Zaphiel, his army, nor his allies. Mammon frowned. Forneus didn’t show him the reaction that he was hoping to see. "What’s wrong, Stupid Lizard?" Mammon asked, trying to fan the flames. "Got cold feet? Are you chickening out." "I’m not Dantanian whom you can provoke into spilling their secrets, Mammon," Forneus replied with a faint smile on his draconic face. "You should know better than that." "Does this mean you don’t plan to oppose Zaphiel?" Mammon arched an eyebrow. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖 "Oh, I will,’ Forneus replied. "I’ll mess him up so bad, he’ll cough blood." "I wonder where your confidence is coming from. It must be nice being immortal and all." "You of all Fiends should know whether immortality is a blessing or curse." At Forneus’ reply, Mammon couldn’t come up with a comeback. People might think that immortality was a good thing, but to those who actually possessed it, their lives weren’t always filled with rainbows and butterflies. The three exchanged banters, but they no longer talked about Zaphiel and his army. It was more about catching up with each other and the things they had done since they last saw each other. Since Forneus couldn’t possibly share a story, all the talking was done by Dantanian and Mamon. Mammon bragged about expanding his influence and connecting with civilizations outside the center of the continent. Dantanian bragged about meeting heroes and interesting individuals whom he had accompanied during his adventures. The atmosphere became lively a bit, and for a moment, they forgot about-face Zaphiel’s army actively trying to gather all the Divine Keys. Several hours later, Mammon asked if the two wished to rest in the quarters that he had prepared for them. Both Forneus and Dantanian politely rejected his invitation since there was one more thing that they wanted to do. "Well, if you two plan to stay in my city for a while, I ask you to not damage any properties and to not harass any merchants," Mammon warned. "If you need something while I’m not around, feel free to talk to my Head Butler. He will handle everything for you guys." The Head Butler, who was at the corner of the room, bowed his head politely toward the guests of his Master. Dantanian was not really a troublemaker, and Mammon was mainly worried about Forneus. The thought of him rampaging across his city just because someone tried to sell him an overpriced product was enough to give the Fiend of Greed anxiety issues. "Don’t worry. I won’t do anything reckless," Forneus replied. "I won’t trouble you just this once." "Thank you," Mammon replied. "I’m glad you’re becoming smarter, you Stupid Lizard." "Don’t push it, you Greedy Pig." Forneus snorted before walking out of the dining room. Dantanian waved goodbye to Mammon before following behind Forneus. When the two had left the residence, Mammon talked to his Head Butler, Geoffrey, and asked him to accommodate Dantanian and Forneus the best he could. "Also, I don’t believe Forneus came here just to mess with me," Mammon said. "Try to find out why they are in the city, but be subtle about it, okay? If you risk angering Forneus, don’t do it at all." "Yes, Master," Geoffrey replied respectfully. Mammon sighed before turning into a gold coin and flying out of the window of the dining room. He still had Fiends to meet, and one of them was Wormwood, who had used a secret means of communication to call the Fiend of Greed to its side. Wormwood, also known as the Plague Bearer, stayed away from other races. Just like Apollyon, the Fallen Angel of Death, he put himself in isolation to avoid accidentally causing a mass massacre of mortals. Mammon was very curious why this incredibly dangerous yet kind Fiend had come out of its self-exile. Was it because the Celestials had started to become more active? ’Good,’ Forneus thought. ’He finally left.’ The Immortal Fiend had memorized the presence of each Fiend and Celestial. He could instinctively tell whether one of them was near his vicinity even if they were to use abilities to hide their presence. His meeting with Thirteen and Dantanian was a very important one because they would talk about sensitive matters. The last thing he wanted was for the Fiend of Greed, Mammon, to overhear their conversation, which might lead to consequences that even the Immortal Fiend couldn’t predict. -------- A/N: Sorry about yesterday. I wasn’t able to post Chapters because I felt exhausted and my blood pressure was making me anxious. That’s why I decided to not push it and rest instead.