It was just an ordinary and humble little pub.
The fishermen bawled, shoving the wooden door open and making their way into the pub. They waved their arms, approached the counter with a series of vulgar laughter, and reached their hands out to smack the plump buttocks of the average-looking waitresses donned in low-cut maid dresses. They lifted the mugs, draining the alcohol in one gulp and conversed loudly with other customers in the pub, sharing stories of how one incidentally witnessed a young farmer lady stepping out of the bath to the recent harvests from the ocean. All sorts of rumors and strange stories filled the pub, as well as the smell of sweat, alcohol, and food. It was crowded for everyone except for a particular customer seated in the corner.
He looked to be in his thirties, clad in a straight, neat, red shirt that didn’t match this pub in the countryside. The ring inlaid with a huge, bright, precious gem on his slender, pianist-like finger was enough to blind one in the eye. Along with a neatly-trimmed goatee, his dark, soft long hair was combed back nicely. His suave, confident face mesmerized one so much that one would even be willing to devote oneself to him at all costs. The man sat quietly in the corner, raising the silver cup and savoring the fine wine leisurely. There were a dozen pitch-black cards laid out before him on the table like the set up of a fortune teller. He smiled, gazing at the cards in silence. But what surprised one was that no one seemed to realize his existence; not even the farmer standing 5 meters away from him, bragging about how he had a relationship with the widow next door and.
Until the arrival of someone else.
The man pushed the door open quietly, but no one seemed to notice his presence, not even the smiley waitresses who gazed blankly at him and flitted across their eyes like a shadowy ghost. No one paid attention to his presence or gave way. However, that shadowy figure effortlessly slipped through the gaps of the crowd and not even the spilled alcohol from the waving mugs in midair was able to splash onto him. He arrived before the man seated at the corner, extending his arm to drag the chair out for a seat. He turned to the waitress and snapped his fingers and shortly after, a waitress went up to him with a blank stare.
“One roasted chicken, a piece of white bread, a plate of fruit salad, a pot of wild berry wine, and two lamb steaks. I want the steaks fresh with more sauce. Also, give me one grilled fish and remember to remove the bones. Put more spices into the roasted chicken and don’t overcook it.”
Rhode ordered, flicking his fingers and a gold coin flew out of his hand and landed into the deep cleavage of the waitress in the low-cut dress. The waitress stared at him shyly before turning around and leaving. Rhode rubbed his hands, gazed at the man playing a fortune-telling game by himself, and nodded at him.
“Apologies for being late.”
“No, it’s fine, Your Majesty Rhode. I was the one who came early and now…” The man replied, retrieving a golden pocket watch and opening it with a kacha. “… it is just the right time. You don’t need to apologize.”
“Alright then, I shall take back my apology.”
Rhode nodded in response before leaning back on the chair leisurely. Unlike the man seated opposite him and clad in neat, straight attire, even though Rhode also wore a black attire, he seemed much more loose and relaxed: his collar button wasn’t fastened securely and the coat draped over his shoulders unceremoniously. But even so, Rhode was completely dressed like a successful person in modern society. It was as though how one found it unimaginable that one who wore gold-rimmed glasses, branded apparel, and owned a luxury car would have a meal in a filthy food court. But surprisingly, although both of them had a seemingly huge presence in this small pub, the surrounding fishermen and farmers didn’t seem to notice them at all. They didn’t even take a single glance at them.
And apparently, Rhode didn’t come here to experience the life of a basic, ordinary civilian either.
“Nice to meet you, Your Majesty Asmodeus.”
Gazing at the man before him with a smile, Rhode nodded and narrowed his eyes. This man was the ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell, the king of hell who ruled all demons, Asmodeus. Or more specifically, his incarnation. As the most cautious and insidious demon king, Asmodeus never showed up before anyone personally, not even before the Creator Dragons. Moreover, this place wasn’t his comfy, little home, but the main plane of existence. Judging from the amount of energy this demon king was willing to expend by sending his incarnation here, it went to show how important this meeting was.
“I suppose you’ve already heard from Celestina about the purpose of our meeting. It’s simple; I need your help to ensure that I won’t be attacked or affected by any factors while I set up the node in the Ninth Floor of Hell. I’m sure you’re aware of this part of the plan, right?”
“Of course, Your Majesty Rhode.”
Laying down the wine cup, Asmodeus revealed a gracious and warm smile like the spring breeze.
“I have to admit that you’ve got guts. Over the years, no one has ever come up with this idea, and the same goes for the worthless trash under my command. Even though cautiousness is a must, being overcautious will never achieve big things. And the same goes for my enemies. It won’t be enough to work for the sake of an ambitious goal. Without practical action, it will be meaningless, isn’t it?”
“Alright then, let’s get to the details.”
Rhode neglected Asmodeus’s words. The reason was simple. He knew how powerful this ruler of the Ninth Floor of Hell was. If Rhode were taken to the ditch by him, he would have no hope of climbing back up. That was why Rhode didn’t respond and continued the discussion in his pace instead. For the sake of this meeting, Rhode racked his brains and specifically indicated to have this meeting on the main plane instead of holding it in the Ninth Floor of Hell. He knew that anyone who negotiated with demons and devils in hell would die a terrible death. This was due to the reason that in the Ninth Floor of Hell, the power of the word ‘contract’ was omnipresent. If one were to agree to terms without thinking through, one’s soul would be seized by the Ninth Floor of Hell. In the past, there was once a mage who attempted to seal a deal with a Succubus in hell. He was confident and upon relying on his wisdom, the Succubus was too easy to convince. However, this unfortunate mage totally neglected the mighty power of the contract in hell. As soon as he stupidly agreed to help the Succubus, she smiled and raised a condition.
“Kill all the demons on this plane of existence within 10 minutes.”
Of course, the pitiful mage couldn’t accomplish it. As a result, he was deemed as the living specimen of Baator Hell for violating a contract. As for whether the mage became the Succubus’s vessel to cultivate soul larva or was reborn in hell to live his new life, no one knew.
In view of this, Rhode would never talk business with Asmodeus in hell. Even though the laws of Baator Hell couldn’t restrain him as a Creator Dragon, who knew what kind of traps were hidden in there? After all, it was what the demons were most adept at, wasn’t it?
“It’s simple, Your Majesty Rhode. My demon armies have to deal with the aggressive devils and Chaos, so we don’t have extra forces to protect your so-called node. Besides, if I recall correctly, Chaos will also be capable of learning your plan and when you set up the node, Chaos will likely launch attacks on us. As of now, we lost Casselly, while the Gray Ruins are also occupied by the enemies. This is a huge challenge for us.”
Asmodeus spoke, spreading his arms apart and smiling at Rhode like ‘a landlord who didn’t have surplus food to give at this time of the year’. But to hell with it if Rhode were to believe him. Even so, Rhode had to use this chance to reach the basis of an agreement with Asmodeus. Even if it was only the basis, it was enough for him. Demons were pretty good in terms of credibility, with the prerequisite of not being cheated by them, that was.
“So what do you want us to do for you?”
Rhode said and at the same time, the waitress brought over a tray filled with food and laid them all over the table. Rhode reached out for the roasted chicken drumstick and ripped it from its body. Under the slightly charred skin, the somewhat, overly-strong scent of spices assailed his nostrils. But he didn’t mind that at all. He took the steaming white bread and dipped it into the unappealing sauce.
“It’s simple, Your Majesty Rhode. The Gray Ruins and Casselly are very important places to us. We don’t have enough forces to occupy several front lines at once. Therefore, we need your help to secure one of the battlefronts until….”
“Sure. I suppose we don’t have much time to waste, Your Majesty Asmodeus.”
The corners of Rhode’s mouth perked up into an elegant smile. Then, he clapped the bread crumbs off his hands and reached for the wine that had a rather fine color.
“Alright then, Your Majesty Rhode. Please state your conditions…”
