Your Majesty's money, why don't you engrave my name on it?

The bard composed himself for a moment, then nodded: "No problem, but I can't guarantee it..."

“That’s enough,” Leslaufer turned to look at the others. “Vondal, Bella, no matter what happens, I want you to prioritize protecting Anne, understand?”

“Don’t worry,” Bella nodded solemnly as she saw the mercenary retrieve the gift from Adas. “I will definitely die first.”

“It’s not that serious…” Raslaufer seemed to smile slightly, and the next moment, with a deep battle roar, he shot out like an arrow.

"Daisy, do it!"

"Mind Spear!"

Chapter 332 The Master of the Cult

The bard's fingers swiftly brushed across the strings of the matt, and a shimmering, illusory spear instantly materialized between her brows. Almost simultaneously, it shot towards the cult leader at incredible speed.

The latter hurriedly cast a spell to defend himself, but as a result, the Gate of Purgatory, which radiated across almost half of the space, suddenly closed due to his distraction. However, even so, he still couldn't completely negate the damage from Daisy's Mind Spear, and his entire mental world immediately trembled.

"High Priest!" "Stop them quickly! Buy the master some time!"

The other cultists had never seen their leader suffer a defeat in the realm of magic before. They were immediately flustered, but fortunately, their leader's strength was the source of their confidence. After a brief moment of panic, they realized that Leslaufer was charging towards them, so they immediately restored their formation, and dozens of evil rays shot towards Leslaufer simultaneously.

With such power, even a bear owl would probably be riddled with holes. However, the pendant around Raslaufer's neck emitted a soft, warm, watery light, from which a thin mist emanated and quickly solidified into a force field as thin as a cicada's wing.

So fragile, so...inviolable.

None of those powerful rays managed to hit Leslaufer, as if some unseen deity was protecting him—and indeed, there are gods in this world!

"A protective spell! It's a protective spell!" "Whose follower is he?!" "Never mind that, he's charging at us!"

The man who had almost reached them in a dozen seconds looked like a warrior, but how could the God of War possibly grant any protection to warriors who believed in Him? What kind of war would that be! But now, this was indeed happening. The cultists hurriedly raised their weapons and, abandoning their long-range suppression, began to surround and kill Leslaufer.

Most of these cultists possessed only ordinary weapons, but Leslaufer noticed a few exceptions. Some of their weapons glowed with a distinct magical aura, while others were simply made of magic. The cultists wielded these weapons with effortless skill, as if they were an extension of themselves.

But that's all there is to it.

Previously suppressed and forced to a distance, Raslaufer had indeed found it difficult to retaliate, but now that the two sides were engaged in close combat, Dopler was like a tiger among sheep. He immediately broke through the protective spell's force field, but at this moment, no one could threaten him anymore.

"Now it's my turn!" Raslaufer roared, announcing his arrival. His right hand gripped the unsharpened middle section of the greatsword's two-handed branches, swinging it like a one-handed sword to sever the neck of a cultist; in his left hand, the Hellfire Blade cleaved down with the force of the blow, knocking the cultist to the ground before he could even make a move.

A cultist wielding a long-handled machete cunningly hid behind Reslauver's blind spot and swung the blade down with tremendous force. Although Reslauver blocked with his left hand, the blade still struck the back of his head with a loud thud against his helmet.

Even he had to stagger forward two steps before he could stop. But before the remaining cultists could swarm forward, Raslaufer suddenly turned around and shouted at the attacker, whose hair and beard stood on end. Suddenly, green flames burst into flames on the attacker's body!

"No, no—ahhh!!" The flames were extraordinary. The cultist could clearly feel that his own power, his own life, and even his soul were on the verge of burning. He desperately rolled around, begged for help, and pleaded for mercy, but no one dared to step forward to help him. When Raslaufer raised his sword and blade, like scissors, and "cut" off the head of the fifteenth cultist, the attacker had already fallen to the ground, turning into a pool of black, unrecognizable charcoal.

"This is……"

The flames were so hot and the magic so pure that even Leslaufer's companions felt immense pressure: "When...when did he acquire this power?"

“Of course it’s not Old Lei’s,” Daisy said, rolling her eyes and shrugging. “Look at the sword in his hand, that must be the power of that sword.”

The dwarf raised an eyebrow: "I've never seen anything like it before..."

“Of course! Isn’t that made of hellfire iron? It’s not normal for us mortals not to have seen the craftsmanship of Purgatory.” Daisy quickly interrupted the dwarf’s thoughts.

Feng Dahl looked at Daisy with some surprise, but finally nodded: "...That makes sense. I am indeed still quite far from the highest level of forging."

When faced with the unknown in their area of ​​expertise, the dwarves wisely chose humility.

Having decided to stop dwelling on the matter, he raised his shield and axe: "Looks like Old Lei has taken care of them pretty well. Let's go! We should at least share some of the work!"

"This...this can't be!" When the leader came to his senses, almost all the other cultists around him had been killed or injured in order to protect him. However, he seemed to ignore all of this. All he noticed was Raslaufer and the charred mass on the ground that had once been humanoid.

"How could you possibly possess such power?! You shameless thief! You stole what is not yours!"

"Steal?" Raslaw flicked the blood off his knife. "Sorry, I prefer to rob."

"Nonsense! Who could steal anything from her!" The leader's face flushed red, seemingly enraged beyond measure. "I'll show you the power befitting her, you shameless mortal!"

"O fiery realm in the darkness, my master! A thief has coveted your supreme authority. I offer myself and everything here in exchange for a single glance from you. Your devout servants will surely continue to fulfill their duties in another world!"

With a loud "bang," despite Raslaufer's efforts to finish him off, the cult leader's head and even his entire upper body exploded. Every drop of blood turned into scorching lava, outlining a complex pattern on the ground that was almost impossible to decipher.

"Tsk, what a brainless idiot," Zheng Ling muttered disdainfully in the purgatory, glancing at the hostess backstage. "This power belongs to his master. Even if he could attract his master's attention, it's impossible..."

The demon's pupils suddenly contracted, for she realized that her mistress, who was usually so engrossed in matters of the material world, hadn't reacted at all. But if that cult leader had truly succeeded…

In Phrygsos, the fourth level of the Nine Hells, things are quite different from the other places. While many elsewhere vie for power, only one Grand Duke is truly legitimate. The class system of the Nine Hells prevents two individuals from simultaneously ruling as rulers of the same level.

But in Phrygsos, besides Grand Duchess Philna, there was also her collaborator and rival who shared the rule of this lava land with her—Grand Duchess Belial!

Chapter 333 A Trip to Hell

A pungent, sulfurous odor permeated the entire underground space. Taking a single breath felt as if one's lungs were being ripped out of their nasal cavity. From Angelita to Mary, even Daisy had to cover their mouths and noses, hoping the unpleasant smell would dissipate as soon as possible.

Only Leslaufer seemed completely unaffected—or even more so, the smell seemed to him more like some unfamiliar homeland.

Perhaps it was that part of the devil's power at work. Leslaufer thought to himself, and he couldn't think of any other reason besides that.

This might be considered lucky, or it might be considered unlucky. As the remains of the cult leader still stood before them, their broken surfaces writhing eerily as if boiling, a pair of eyes that could not possibly belong to the original creature immediately locked onto the mercenary's presence as a completely new body was reconstructed.

The cult leader was once a human, but now "his" new body had red skin and a pair of small horns on his head. His figure had become tall and strong, which might frighten many people, but in Raslaufer's eyes, those well-developed muscles had a somewhat superficial and unrealistic element to them.

Some nobles who were obsessed with physical fitness would specifically train certain muscles to make themselves look more muscular, but unfortunately, this would be exposed when it came to actual combat. After all, some parts of their bodies that truly needed training were considered "unattractive" by them.

And the creature in front of them, which had become like a Typhoon, had this appearance.

“A familiar scent,” Tieflin said slowly after scrutinizing Leslaufer for a moment, his voice calm and composed, “Philna… what are you up to now?”

He spoke a language of purgatory that did not belong to this world, which only Raslaw and Daisy could understand.

Leslaufer cautiously tried to take a step back, but his head spun for a moment, and when he came to his senses, he found that he had actually moved forward a little.

“Who are you!” Angelita frowned. This person gave her a completely different feeling from the previous cult leader. Instead, he was closer to the green dragon in the Colin Otto Mountains—no matter what this person was talking about, Uncle Leslaufer was in trouble.

“Humans recognized by the elves, dwarves who collect rare materials… let her worry about those things,” Natiflin glanced at Angrita, then quickly looked away with a lack of interest and continued to stare at Dobul. “Come with me, I need to make sure I’m not up to any more tricks.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Raslaufer narrowed his eyes, and as he thought of putting down his weapon, his body did the opposite: he held his sword horizontally, looking at his opponent with extreme vigilance. “Also, answer that question: who exactly are you?”

"You're not qualified to make me introduce myself."

As Natiflin suddenly raised his hand, a giant hand made entirely of magma completely enveloped Raslaufer and disappeared in an instant. Such sudden hostility shocked everyone, but an even stronger emotion came from Raslaufer's reaction—he didn't react at all!

Who exactly is this Tiflin—or rather, what kind of evil spirit is he?!

"Where did you take Old Lei?" Daisy felt her throat tighten. Zheng Ling had severed her mental link the moment he appeared, which gave her a dangerous feeling.

"Hmm?" A patch of lava also began to boil beneath Tiflin's feet, and just as it was about to engulf him, he followed the sound and saw the bard. "A handle, interesting."

"You want to know where he went, right? Then come along with me."

Without any chance of resistance, a stream of magma split off beneath their feet, swiftly engulfing Daisy as well. By the time the others came to their senses, the bard and the Tifflin had vanished from the material plane, leaving only Daisy's hysterical screams echoing endlessly.

"It's so hot! I was just asking, ahhhhhh!"

"Bacchus, where were they taken?!" Mary looked blankly at the spot where the two had disappeared. "Who exactly is that Tyflin?"

“Ordinary Tieflins couldn’t do this. If I had to say someone could… perhaps it would be the King of Tieflins,” Bella murmured. “But what exactly does he want to do?”

“If Tieflin must have a king, then it must be the devil,” von Dahl said, tugging at his beard in annoyance. “How could these cultists actually summon a devil?! What are we going to do now!”

“Wait,” Angelita said, bowing her head in silence. After a long while, she slowly raised her face. “They will come back.”

"Annie, please don't..."

“Just trust me,” Angelita shook her head. “Uncle Raslaufer will definitely be fine, I’m absolutely certain of that.”

Raslaufer was indeed alright, or at least not dead. When he was released from the scorching lava and breathed the air of freedom again, the air was filled with that same suffocating smell.

The difference is that this time, these smells are not "emanating" from here; they originate from here.

The mercenary looked around and found that it seemed to be a huge office. There was only a small stool under him, and opposite the gilded desk sat a handsome and strong devil. He wore a pair of glasses that he pretended to be a scholar, and his eyes were looking at him with a little curiosity through the non-prescription lenses.

This devil looks very similar to the one from before, but there are obvious differences—like the real thing compared to a fake.

“You—” “Shh.”

The devil held up one finger: "Wait a moment, there's one more guest."

As soon as she finished speaking, the bard descended upon the scene with her piercing scream. The devil snapped his fingers, and another small stool appeared beneath Daisy: "Very well, now we can begin."

"Start? Start what?" Daisy turned her neck in bewilderment, looking extremely confused, but when she saw Raslaw, she seemed to calm down. "Ah, Raslaw, you're here too? That puts my mind at ease."

"Trust." The devil uttered a single word, offering no further comment, but merely flicked his index finger, forcibly turning Daisy's face back.

"On behalf of my domain, Flame Hell, I once again welcome you two, mortals from Hermesfield and the Lost World."

"This is my capital, Molten Fortress, a place beyond Philna's reach. I will be conducting an investigation of you here—don't worry, if everything goes smoothly, you will still have a chance to return."

Chapter 334 Review

“You have no right to censor us,” Leslaufer scoffed coldly. “I don’t care who you are, you have no right to do so. I never pledge allegiance to anyone.”

No, I do.

The devil snapped his fingers, and a massive stack of legal codes, thicker than his own body, appeared on the desk before him. Yet, amidst this terrifying thickness, he managed to find a document of almost the same thickness, and from that, he precisely located a clause:

"According to Article 1409 of the Nine Hells Calendar 867 (D) Obligations and Powers Act, 'Any individual who, due to subjective or objective reasons, accepts, possesses, or absorbs the power of the devil may be considered a member of the devil under limited conditions. When the conditions are met, they shall have the responsibility to fulfill the following legal obligations and shall be subject to the supervision of the Hell Court and relevant departments—'"

He read a long, long passage, but it was like talking to a brick wall for Leslaufer and Daisy; only the last sentence was in a language they could understand.

“In conclusion, as the highest-ranking person in charge here, I have the right to conduct an investigation on you,” the devil, or rather the great devil, pointed to himself. “You should be glad that this is a private, non-public investigation. If it were to go to the court of hell, you can imagine what would happen to you.”

"For example?" Daisy asked blankly, without any other meaning; she simply wanted to know.

"For example, I will own your souls, and you will have to serve me for centuries to repay your debts... But this is only the price you have to pay for refusing to fulfill your obligations. If you were to be investigated, no matter how unfavorable the outcome, you would not end up like this."

"What do you think? Are you going to humbly accept the review, or do you intend to go straight through the procedures?"

Raslaw and Daisy exchanged a glance. This was the other's territory, and besides, this person was a devil; brute force would never yield any results. But the problem was, even if they followed the proper procedures, what could they do? They could only submit to the other's control.

“I need to know, what exactly are you going to investigate about us?” Daisy gritted her teeth. Although her knowledge was very limited, Leslaufer knew even less. Perhaps only she could save the two of them. “You only read about the obligations we have to fulfill. What about yours? Does your power allow you to investigate whomever you want?”

“My power at least allows me to investigate the two of you,” the devil replied coldly. “You killed my followers in the material world knowing each other’s identities, and for that alone you can be considered traitors.”

"I protest!" the poet immediately shouted. "I may have a devil by my side, but I am not one of your people! I have not pledged allegiance, so how can I be a traitor?"

"Furthermore, how could we have known beforehand whether those people were your men or followers of Grand Duchess Philna? The devil beside me only allowed us to kill them after I was certain they were Grand Duchess Philna's followers, because they had acted improperly. If you don't believe me, you can call her here and ask her!"

"This is just an investigation, not the final step yet," the devil said calmly, looking at her with an undeniable air of authority despite his seemingly ordinary words. "Or have you already confessed to your crimes and are eagerly awaiting trial?"

“We…” Daisy paused, then continued, “Wait, if I remember correctly, although you didn’t introduce yourself, you are the co-ruler of Grand Duke Belial and Grand Duke Philna, right?”

"To be precise, Philna is my co-ruler."

Daisy's eyes brightened slightly: "But I have never heard of your cult in the material world. On the contrary, Philna's cult is more well-known. Moreover, it is widely rumored that you are focused on the affairs of the Nine Hells themselves, and have entrusted everything outside, even your own soul indicators, to Grand Duchess Philna."

"Then may I ask, where did your followers come from?"

“I don’t need to explain to you.” Belial took off his glasses, which seemed to be covered in dust from the material plane.

“Of course,” Daisy said confidently, seeing the other’s attitude. “You don’t need to explain to me, but why don’t you explain it to Grand Duchess Philna? I think she would definitely be interested in it!”

“I’ve heard that the more someone doesn’t want to do something, the more they’ll emphasize it. And you’ve been insisting on taking us to court from the very beginning—what if we actually agree? What if I ask Grand Duchess Fernah to explain all this, no, or even just to know all this? How will Your Excellency respond then?”

“Ha, you can’t afford the cost of getting involved, little girl,” the great devil chuckled. “I’ve been fighting with her for so many years, and there’s still no result. Even if you do it, it will only be a failed and premature attempt for me. But what will you have to pay for it?”

“If you dare to do that, even Philna can’t save you—everything in the Nine Hells must follow the rules, even the Grand Duke is no exception.”

“What if I ask to impeach you for dereliction of duty?” Daisy stared directly at him. “Although I didn’t quite understand the long string you just read, at least the first sentence was: I am not an individual who possesses demonic power, and so far, I have not exercised any purgatory power!”

This time, it was Belial's turn to raise an eyebrow: "Then the devil beside you is truly lazy... Would you dare let me investigate?"

A demon that has ensnared a mortal, even if it's playing hard to get or has no malicious intent, will inevitably leave a mark on its victim. And with just one such mark, Daisy is completely trapped.

However, no matter how Belial investigated, Daisy was indeed spotless inside and out, without any other markings—did that devil have to travel from Hell to the material world, casting a wide net to find this mortal every time he contacted her? That's impossible!

His gaze quickly fell on the matte in Daisy's arms and the rapier at her waist. The rapier was fine, but the matte…

No wonder the devil chose a harp as its anchor point, and this harp was not tainted by the other magic of purgatory!

If either of the two conditions were met, Belial could have disposed of this confident poet at will, but now he found himself in a predicament.

Who on earth targeted this mortal? It's a disgrace to the devils! A scoundrel! If she had been even slightly more careful and infused this magical instrument with even a trace of her own power, he could have easily convicted her by now!

However… Belial quickly thought of another place:

"Even so, at least you all know Purgatory, right?"

Chapter 335 The Unexpected Mediator