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

“Very good, you can tell your mistress that she will soon be able to take care of that guy completely.” This was entirely an internal struggle on their end, and Leslaufer had no doubts. “However, it will take a few more days before we take action, as I have other matters to attend to.”

“Ah, I understand,” Zheng Ling had been paying attention to this, so she naturally understood what Leslaufer meant. “You can take action after you’ve settled them in; neither of those targets will run away anyway.”

"And as for you!" Although Zhengling couldn't leave Purgatory to come here, Barbasabalun could still feel the reproachful gaze. "It seems that spending time with the Night Witch has made you lose your most basic abilities. Perhaps you should start training again as a lesser demon until you can once again be competent in your current role?"

"Please, don't do this!" The little devil panicked immediately. The strings beneath his feet were now as hot as the lava of Phrygsos in the fiery hell. "I just got back! My wings! My tail isn't even fully back in place yet! Please, plead with the Grand Duke for me, I beg you!"

“The laws of Purgatory are even stricter than those of the mortal realm,” Zheng Ling’s voice was so cold that it seemed as if it were not the same person Daisy knew. “Unfortunately, I have neither the authority to make decisions nor the right to plead for you—as you said before, I haven’t even redeemed myself yet.”

"That was a joke! Uh, a playful jest, a joke! Hahaha?" The little devil's comical performance made him seem like the character on stage. "Come on, who doesn't know you're a favorite of Grand Duchess Philna? If it weren't for you, the Grand Duchess would definitely shut down all the theaters in Abrimok!"

Barbasabalon showered Matchen with compliments, but the latter offered no response. Instead, a ring of fire quietly opened beneath the little devil's feet, and claws made entirely of lava and fire reached out, grabbing its ankles and attempting to drag it down into purgatory.

"I need a messenger."

Just when the little devil was about to despair, Leslaufer suddenly spoke, his voice as beautiful as heavenly music.

“It just tricked you, and it’s much more convenient for me to communicate on its behalf than for a little devil.” The dragging momentum paused slightly, and the clear, melodious piano music rang out again.

“I can’t be tied to Daisy, and she won’t abandon her piano,” Leslaufer insisted. “As for deception, you devils are all the same, aren’t you?”

"Oh God, Lord Raslaufer, you must be an angel, come to redeem my fallen soul!" Barbasabalon cried out, struggling to break free from the weakening restraints beneath its feet, and rushed straight into Raslaufer's arms. "Master! You are the only master Barbasabalon will ever serve!"

"Don't give me that," Leslaufer took a step back. "If you're of no use, I can send you back anytime, understand?"

"Understood! A thousand times understood, ten thousand times understood!" The little devil, relieved to have survived the ordeal, leaped and landed on Dubul's shoulder. "You just wanted to—ah, you can't say, you can't say! Barbasabalun remembers!"

Once bitten, twice shy. The little devil who was doomed just now for letting something slip has finally learned to keep his mouth shut this time.

"In that case, I can only wish you a pleasant time together." Zheng Ling's actions proved that she and her mistress tacitly approved of the matter. In fact, even without this incident, Barbasabalon was originally intended to be placed next to Reslaufer. The main job of these little creatures in Purgatory is to run errands for their masters or act as spies. Mortals occasionally summon them to use as magical pets.

However, although the outcome may seem the same, this time, Barbasabalone's usefulness will inevitably change with the shift in his stance.

Matthen fell silent again, while the little devil, after carefully clearing away the infernal aura present, quietly vanished. It left Raslauver a purgatory code containing its true name; whenever Raslauver recited this code, which held the little devil's life in its hands, his newly acquired infernal servant would humbly come to his side as quickly as possible.

“Congratulations, old Lei, now you look like a spellcaster!” the bard teased. “Ritual magic, magical creatures! You’d better wear the pendant too, then you’ll be a real divine spellcaster.”

"To be a priest of Adas, yet command a little devil?" Raslaufer shook his head, turned around and walked to his makeshift bed, then lay down fully clothed. "Forget it. I'm just a mercenary. This identity makes it easier for me to use these things."

Chapter 387 Gold Coins Delivered to Your Door

Over the next few days, Raslaufer led Angelita and the others on a tour of the surrounding towns and territories, finally managing to gather all the furniture and supplies needed. The once bare house finally looked somewhat presentable.

"Do you know what I like most about this place? It's that Old Lei's house has a small yard in front of and behind the door!" Daisy stood at the gate of the yard with satisfaction as she watched the last walnut wood bed and its matching down cushions being carried into the house by the hired hands. She looked at the yard, which was still desolate compared to the house.

“We should plant some things here, like melons, fruits, pears, and peaches, and raise some chickens, ducks, geese, and dogs. Tsk tsk tsk, that would be amazing!” Daisy felt that something in her blood was beginning to awaken, even though she had hardly ever been exposed to these things before, she just knew it.

"Don't be silly, who will take care of them?" Angelita thought Daisy was talking nonsense again. "You? You have this skill?"

"Don't underestimate me, you know what a passive skill is? It's something you were born with!" Daisy retorted, sticking her neck out. "Although I don't know how to do it yet, I'm thinking—"

“I advise you not to even think about it,” Mary laughed. “You’re a bard, and even if you really were, what kind of ‘bard’ would you be in a place like this?”

“If you insist on this plan, you could consider hiring a neighbor to help with the maintenance,” Leslaufer said, coming out of the house. “But why do that? It’s not a big deal even now; by spring, weeds and such will definitely grow back—”

“Weeds don’t count,” Daisy clapped her hands. “You’re not the only one living here now, Old Ray. Think about it, was it like this when Skadi was here?

"Of course not... How did you know?"

"There's no need to even guess. There's nothing to do in Zebrech. If you want to pass the time while you're looking after the house, all you can do is tend to the flowers, plants, chickens, and ducks, right?"

This surprised not only Leslaufer, but also Angreta and Mary. In their world, there were far more things that could be done, perhaps even more than these, but Daisy had made this conclusion quite naturally.

“Since you and Skadi are so in sync, you can take care of it,” Raslaufer waved his hand, not wanting to get involved. “But it would be better to wait until spring. In this cold weather, people can barely feed themselves, let alone take care of livestock.”

"Anyway, this place should be safe. I'm going to the Mayer Territory on business. If anything goes wrong, go to Outer Dole to find Skadi. If she can't solve it either, then go to the Rebellion Territory to find Bella." Leslaufer left them a map of the area. Apart from Daisy, who is still a bit confused and can't quite figure out the directions, the other two are fine.

"Is Black Claw coming with you?" Angelita nodded and asked, not particularly hiding what Leslaufer was going to do from others.

“It will stay here to protect you. I’m going into town; it’s too conspicuous to bring this big guy along.” Leslaufer glanced at the Deinonychus that was dozing in the haystack. Since following Leslaufer, this guy has been eating meat to his heart’s content at every meal. However, perhaps due to its special species, it didn’t look very fat; instead, its size had increased slightly.

Noticing that the people were mentioning its name in their conversation, Black Paws opened one eye. After seeing Leslaufer make a few more gestures to it, it knew it could continue sleeping and nestled deeper into the haystack before closing its eyes again.

Unlike humans, who often rely on their reputation or status to intimidate others, or like Raslaufer, who is a ruthless killer, just by standing there, even complete strangers will subconsciously feel fear and tension.

But Black Claw doesn't need to go through all that trouble. Just one look at such a monster is enough to tell that it's not to be trifled with, and ordinary villains naturally wouldn't dare to go forward and invite trouble. Besides, even if Black Claw can't intimidate them, the others in the family each possess unique skills, and ordinary methods would definitely not be enough to subdue them.

Besides, the reason Raslaw dared to leave with peace of mind was that he was certain the trip wouldn't be long. He wasn't a professional assassin or killer, so for him, eliminating His Majesty the King would only require three steps:

Arrive, take action, leave—that's all.

Two or three days later, a tall man appeared in the streets of Meyerburg. It was snowing lightly at the time. He wore a thick woolen hat with a long shawl, a fitted deerskin coat and stiff leather leggings that made him look warm enough, not to mention the gloves decorated with wolf fur and the tall leather boots with iron-studded anti-slip soles and wool lining.

Such attire is neither aristocratic nor commoner-like, but similar outfits are neither conspicuous nor strange in Eastern Inassassins. Mercenaries often like to use such attire to distinguish themselves from commoners, but most mercenaries don't have the money to afford a set like Leslaufer's, so they can only settle for second best.

“It’s snowing… He deserves to die tonight.” Raslaw carried the greatsword wrapped in fur, the buckle of the sword at his waist tapping against the brass belt as he moved. After walking two more blocks, he stopped and looked up at the stone castle surrounded by a two-and-a-half-meter-high iron fence not far ahead.

The night was dark and the wind was high; even a whole squad of personal guards wouldn't be enough to save King Erich Wenzel's life. Not to mention, Raslaufer had no intention of disturbing so many people.

Doble nodded, then steadily began to walk towards the gate of the outer courtyard of the castle.

"Halt! State your name! Were you informed beforehand?" As expected, when Raslaufer was still a hundred paces from the door, the guards spotted him and reacted, wielding two halberds that swiftly fell, their sharp blades pointing directly at Raslaufer.

“I have come to pay my respects to His Majesty. I just returned and did not make an appointment,” Raslaufer said calmly. In front of the two men, he tucked his greatsword under his arm and took out a nameplate from his coat pocket. “I have finally saved up enough money. I hope His Majesty will be gracious and grant me a suitable position.”

"Dubul, here to offer sacrifices?" The guards before the king were quite knowledgeable and quickly recognized the nameplate in Raslaufer's hand as the credentials of one of the most famous mercenary organizations in Eastern Inassassins. "Then you've come at an inopportune time. His Majesty has other business to attend to this afternoon and will not receive guests."

Offering is a euphemism for mercenaries retiring in exchange for noble titles. It is called that because, in addition to offering themselves to wealthy nobles with empty coffers in exchange for nominal and actual protection, some churches would also accept such requests—after all, no one would complain about having too much money.

But today, Raslaufer has probably encountered an exception—if the other party happens to be meeting with other nobles, it would be perfectly reasonable to use such a mercenary who has not yet achieved a leap in status.

“Can I go inside and wait?” Raslaufer handed over about ten Imperial gold coins. He didn’t want to wait all day for something like this. “Excuse me, it’s so cold outside, and it’s snowing.”

"This..." The two guards exchanged a glance, somewhat embarrassed. They wouldn't have done this for ordinary mercenaries, but the other party was a Doppler, and if they really angered him—that big thing at his waist was no joke.

Just then, a young man emerged from the castle, dressed in such magnificent attire that his noble status was immediately apparent. Seeing the guards at the gate stopping him, he strode forward and, after scrutinizing Raslaufer, understood what had happened: "Let him in."

"Your Highness?"

“My father is negotiating with someone. He has the necessary bargaining chips. If this delays important matters, can you afford to take responsibility?” The young man was clearly referring to the gold coins that were about to be “offered.” “I’ll take charge. Let him in.”

Chapter 388 This is what you call assassination

“Let me introduce myself, Henning Wenzel,” Reislaufer said, thanks to the young man’s guarantee. He passed the guards at the gate without any trouble, and after he thanked him, the young man happily extended his hand and introduced himself, “I am my father’s second son.”

"However, my elder brother died of a serious illness many years ago, and now I am the first heir to the kingdom. If you are willing to stay, we should have many more opportunities to meet in the future."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Leslaufer returned the greeting perfunctorily, though he appeared polite but was actually distracted. "Your Highness looks very young."

“It’s not just what it looks like,” Henning laughed. “In fact, there’s a difference of almost thirty years between me and my older brother. If his mother hadn’t passed away early, I would definitely be an illegitimate child.”

“But it’s strange, my father didn’t seem to care about expanding the family. Perhaps he thought a lion was better than a bunch of house cats,” the young prince said with regret. “It’s just a pity that the lion of Wenzel never outlived the previous lion king.”

"If nothing unexpected happens, not only him, but you won't survive either," Reslaufer thought to himself, but he didn't show it on the surface. He simply echoed Reslaufer's words and followed Henning into the castle without any hindrance, even reaching the king's reception room.

“This is it, come in,” Henning gestured for them to go in, but he didn’t intend to go any further. “My father has never really liked me, so it’s best if I don’t get close. But you are different; you carry something he desperately needs.”

"Then thank you for leading the way, Your Highness." Leslaufer nodded to the young man who was unaware of what was about to happen. After watching him turn and disappear into the shadows of the stairs, he took a deep breath, raised his hand and knocked on the door in front of him. Without waiting for a response from the person inside, he pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the reception room, a long table was placed in the center. At the other end, facing the door, beneath two longswords and a shield hanging on the wall, an elderly man wearing a crown was conversing with two nobles on his left and right. On the table in front of them was a map of the kingdom and the surrounding area. Reislaufer immediately noticed that small flags with spiked poles had been planted near the Outer Dolores territory.

“Your Majesty, Outer Dole is now occupied by the witches of Ampiri. Although they have not yet shown any signs of rebellion, I fear that if this continues, Your Majesty’s authority will no longer be able to cover the area. Although I am not talented and am only the Earl of Inner Dole, I am willing to serve Your Majesty and lead by example.”

"As long as you nod, I will return immediately. If we can reunite the inner and outer kingdoms of Doule, the kingdom's prestige will surely be greatly enhanced..."

Leslaufer did not recognize the nobleman who was speaking, but he could glean some clues from his words. However, before he could finish speaking, the old king, who was white-haired but vigorous, had already stood up, his hands supporting him on the edge of the table, and looked intently at the uninvited guest at the door.

"Who are you?" Erich Wenzel sized up the mercenary before him, mentally assessing his possible motives. "Whatever your business, wait outside. My servant will escort you to the resting room."

Not to mention that the layers of guards outside should have stopped this man, even if someone had introduced him, he should have waited in a room downstairs first. How could he swagger in here like this? Erich became extremely vigilant. Although he stood still, he slowly pushed the chair behind him away.

"It's you, Leslaufer!" Just as His Majesty was filled with doubt, the nobleman who had just spoken up suddenly jumped up like a cat that had bitten a porcupine, pointing at the mercenary and shouting, "I can't mistake him, Your Majesty! This Duple is a very dangerous man! Not long ago, he was the one who, under the influence of the witch of Waidole, killed those two young men who should have inherited the title!"

"Order this man to be arrested immediately. He must have come at the behest of that witch!"

Count Nedoule's thoughts could be heard even by the elves in the east of the empire: when the two brothers were alive, he could wage war in the name of avenging Count Nedoule; now that those two unfortunate men were dead, he could avenge them once again.

As for Raslaufer, who is right in front of him, joking, even if this Dople is strong, he is still a person. He is in the king's castle. Does that mean Raslaufer can kill him?

"You're Reislaufer?" Erich's eyes remained fixed on the mercenary. Just now, he had released a peculiar aura from the air—an aura Erich desperately wanted to avoid—making him even more wary. "Are you here representing the lord of Outer Dole Territory?"

“Although it was quite unexpected to encounter a schemer plotting to seize the territory here, unfortunately, it wasn’t.” As Erich sized up Reslauver, the latter was also sizing him up. Although King Erich had been the ruler of this land long before Reslauver was born, Reslauver had actually seen him very little, and had seen very few portraits or sculptures of him.

Even for a mercenary like him who doesn't command a battle group or a squad, the king of a small country like Eastern Inasas is too high and too far away.

“Today I am here on my own behalf. I have just returned to my homeland and wish to contribute a sum of money to my country as a token of my respect,” said Raslaufer. He took a few steps forward, walked around the long table, and stopped in the middle. He took out a bag of gold coins and placed it on the table. With a slight tug, the clear, melodious sound of the coins flowed smoothly to the king.

Erich had to admit that he viewed the bag of gold coins with great malice, yet Doppler hadn't tampered with it in any way, not even with the slightest bit of force. Before he could even solemnly reach out to take it, the bag had already stopped on its own, and there was nothing unusual about it.

There was no trace of arcane or divine magic... The old king looked away from the gold coins with some confusion. Could this person really have just come to make an offering?

But if that's all, why did he have to barge in at this time? Even if he's impatient, it shouldn't be this rushed, rude, and disrespectful...

wrong!

In an instant, the alarm bells in Erich's heart were almost shattered. This septuagenarian reacted with the speed and agility of a 20-year-old. With a flick of his wrists, he lifted the five- or six-meter-long table!

"Guards!" His white beard bristled like needles, but his roar was drowned out by the even louder noise.

The overturned long table caused the two nobles on either side to fall backward, but it did nothing to stop Raslaufer. The greatsword, which could only be wielded by an ordinary person with two hands, tore through the wooden planks almost instantly and slashed horizontally toward King Erich's face with undiminished momentum!

That's what you call assassination!

Chapter 389 The Twenty-Two-Year-Old King

"Hmph, you think you can hurt me here? Dream on!"

Just as Raslaufer was about to kill his target with a single blow, Erich suddenly sneered and quickly chanted a spell in a low voice. In an instant, the air around his body seemed to turn into swamp, and even with Raslaufer's strength, he could not completely break through it, and the momentum of the blade immediately diminished.

This gave the king some breathing room. As the next few words, consisting of only a few syllables, were coldly uttered from his mouth, a sharp, invisible blade immediately replaced the previous sticky defense, sweeping out from the center of him!

"Clang!" Raslaufer's eyes flashed. He had dealt with all sorts of spellcasters lately, and he almost immediately sheathed his sword to parry. However, the two nobles on either side of the king, who were still clueless, were not so lucky.

Count Nedou felt a blur before his eyes, and a chill immediately ran through him. The next moment, he watched as a gaping wound was torn open across the chest of the nobleman opposite him, and blood gushed out like a waterfall.

What was even more terrifying was that he saw the other person also show a horrified expression when they looked at him!

They all instinctively raised their hands to touch the wounds they saw, stared blankly at the blood on their hands, and collapsed to the ground.

"Your Majesty, why..."

“This is your ‘sacrifice’,” Erich said, his face unwavering, his gaze still fixed intently on the unharmed Reslaufer before him. “Who sent you to assassinate me?”

Leslaufer didn't answer, but instead lunged forward again. Erich casually took down the shield and longsword from the wall behind him to defend himself. Unlike the decorative items in the rooms of the nobles in the south, these were all real weapons in East Inassus.

Perhaps it was also a gift from the devil, but Erich's physical condition seemed to be completely at its peak. Even under the storm-like offensive of Raslaufer, it did not diminish in the slightest. Although it was still not as good as Raslaufer, if he could maintain his defensive position and continue to wear down Raslaufer, the outcome would really be uncertain.

Unfortunately, despite his superior physical strength, Erich was no match for Duple in terms of combat experience and skill. After exchanging a dozen or so blows, Raslaufer seized an opportunity, slipping to the king's side as his opponent attempted to cast another spell. Sensing danger, the old king immediately changed his tactics, but Raslaufer's sword had already turned back.

“However—” The king, who thought he had seen through Raslaufer, immediately followed, but before he could finish speaking, Raslaufer’s weapon changed direction again. The greatsword he was wielding with both hands showed a flexibility far superior to that of a one-handed weapon. Although Erich had tried his best to swing his shield in the rush, how could such a thin defense withstand a long-planned attack?

Inside the reception room, a loud bang was heard, and Erich's shield was reduced to half in his hand, while he himself was slammed hard against the wall, his bones creaking under the strain.

“You… are indeed very strong,” Leslaufer did not sheath his sword, but his follow-up attack was once again dodged by Erich, who should have been seriously injured. “But I can always maintain the strongest and healthiest state I was at twenty-two years old. You can’t hurt me at all!”

Because of the injury, it means that you are no longer the "best"!

“Just kill him with one sword,” Leslaufer replied coldly. “At least you can leave without pain.”

If it were any other assassin, Erich would have loudly mocked their arrogance and stupidity, but this one—he might really be killed with a single sword strike!

"Damn it, where are my guards?" After another fierce clash with Raslaufer, the king, now without his shield, stared at his cracked and then healed hand, a sense of panic rising within him. "I know, it must be him! You hired that little bastard, didn't you?"

"He thinks this way he can ascend the throne, without having to follow in his elder brother's footsteps. He really dares to dream!" The king, believing he had figured everything out, roared and hurled his sword at Raslaufer. "And you, you really dared to take this deal!"

"Do you really think that I'm able to maintain this appearance at seventy years old because of my hard work in exercising? Well, I'll show you what true despair is!"

Taking advantage of the moment when Raslaufer was deflecting the sword, the king quickly assumed several postures and chanted incantations. As he chanted, the blood flowing from the corpses of the two nobles on the ground suddenly came to life, forming a complex magic circle pattern under Erich's feet.

The next moment, the blood boiled and burned, and a strong smell of sulfur filled the reception room. Reslaufer was no stranger to this—the other party's communication had opened a door to purgatory!

"I, King Erich Wenzel, in accordance with Article 39, Paragraph 1 of the Contract, demand the fulfillment of my promise!"

Erich's eyes were bloodshot, yet he looked at Raslaufer with no small amount of smugness: "Tremble, soldier! You are but a mortal, while I, though I paid the price of my magical talent and skill, gained power from a higher level decades ago!"

In the past, he could only perform a few magic tricks. But it was all worth it. Otherwise, he would probably have turned into a pile of bones in a tomb long ago! Even if he could live to this day, he would probably just be a skeleton that needs to be taken care of even his daily life. How could he compare to his current vigor and vitality?

Most importantly, with the pact with the demon of purgatory, he can possess power that is no less than, or even several times greater than, that of his past self!

Dubler in front of him seemed to be terrified, showing no intention of taking the opportunity to kill him. He just stared blankly as Dubler drew the summoning circle. Erich could even feel the power of the demon that had emerged from purgatory.

Accompanied by the endless wails and roars of the souls in the Nine Hells, a colossal demon emerged from the magic circle that had been unfurled on the ground. He appeared to be a skinned hybrid of a human and a giant arthropod, with pale skin tightly bound to a horrifying skeleton. A long-handled hooked scythe was gripped by a pair of sharp claws, and only after most of his body had emerged from the air of the material world did a thick scorpion tail coil around his winged back.