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

“The mage who created this thing must have been a drunkard,” Zheng Ling explained to the poet, who was marveling at its “magical effects,” through Daisy’s telepathic link.

However, the Rat King himself did not drink the glass of wine, but handed it to Raslaufer: "Please, sir, I think it's best if you confirm her reaction yourself."

Raslaufer didn't drink often, but that didn't mean he couldn't hold his liquor; even such a strong drink wouldn't deter him. However, after taking the glass, he did hesitate for a moment before downing the drink in one gulp.

Soon, a reaction similar to the mind-linking with the demons surfaced in his mind, but it was only for a moment and was one-way.

"I understand. Number Six, bring him here."

At least in terms of voice, it is indeed her.

Chapter 423 Silver Shaded

“Uncle Raslaufer, so that’s why you were so insistent on capturing that boy.” As David led the group through the last section of the underground passage, Angelita looked at Raslaufer with considerable curiosity. “But how can you be so sure…”

“I can’t,” Doble shrugged. “In fact, I didn’t have any premeditation. I just bumped into that little guy and suddenly thought of this acquaintance.”

“If there’s anything she doesn’t know, then it certainly didn’t happen in Ironforge. Since I don’t know anything about that demonologist and your teacher doesn’t know either, we’ll just have to ask someone else.”

David, who was ahead, did not turn around, but he was clearly pleased with Raslaufer's assessment: "Of course, in ten years, she has built the most prosperous and comprehensive intelligence system in the city. I have heard that there is an underground deity named Rose who completely controls her divine kingdom on the spider web, and I dare say that she is Rose in Ironforge."

"And you probably know, right? That thing of hers, it might actually be..."

“She doesn’t like people bringing this up,” Leslaufer said calmly, without echoing the other person’s sentiment.

David was speechless for a moment before muttering, "They even know this... then they must be an acquaintance..."

They find it hard to trust others in their line of work. Even now, the Rat King is still testing them. If Raslaw makes the slightest mistake, it will immediately provoke the fury and retaliation of the entire rat pack.

However, in Reslaufer's view, all of this was completely unnecessary.

"And who is this one?" Angelita's tone couldn't help but carry a hint of sourness. "You even remember what she dislikes?"

“If she held a spiked shield to your throat in the middle of the night, you’d remember it vividly,” the mercenary chuckled, gesturing with his hands. “In fact, it wasn’t just a shield; the spike was embedded in the flesh, avoiding the trachea, blood vessels, esophagus, and other tubes, but the feeling was still unbearable, like… death approaching.”

It's very difficult to hear such a description from Reslaufer.

"Of course, I was young back then, and I was a bit of a chatterbox, so I guess I deserved the treatment I received."

As they chatted idly, the tunnel came to an end. David stopped and lowered an iron ladder over his head to make way for the tunnel ahead.

"This is 'Number Six' up there. You can go up on your own. This is the most I can take you here."

“Thank you for your hard work,” Leslaufer said, placing his hand on the ladder. “I did see those two kids, and I’ll mention it to her. You should know how to handle it.”

David nodded to indicate that he understood, and quickly turned and disappeared into the darkness of the secret passage—he would come back if needed to bring the person back the way he came.

At the top of the iron ladder, two wooden planks that should have been the cellar door were not bolted. Raslaw easily pushed them open, allowing his companions to breathe fresh air again. To their left, the door to a study was ajar, and two burly men stood with their hands behind their backs, their eyes coldly glaring at the group of people who had just emerged.

"They even hired two private bodyguards," Leslaufer chuckled, amused by the expressions of the two big men, and patted one of them on the shoulder. "Looks like they've really struck it rich, huh?"

In the blink of an eye, the moment Raslaufer raised his hand, two burly men, wearing only thick leather vests in the winter, suddenly moved. Their bare, muscular arms were like four iron clamps, ignoring everyone else and aiming directly for Raslaufer's joints. If they really caught him, Dople would probably be escorted inside like a prisoner.

But Raslaufer naturally wouldn't let that happen. He suddenly tilted his left shoulder, relieving most of the force on one of his arms, and wrapped his arms around it with both hands. With two muffled thuds, the shoulders of the two guards on the sides closest to Raslaufer collapsed, and their entire arms became limp and powerless.

"Not bad, very sturdy!" Raslaw laughed loudly. As the two men tried to grab him again with their remaining arms, he suddenly swung his arms and pushed the arms of the two strong men behind their backs. His iron-studded boots kicked their knees quickly, causing the two men to kneel down towards the study!

Even before that arm from Purgatory, these two were just empty shells in Leslaufer's hands, let alone now.

"Kalista, you need to change your doormen!" Dobler shouted towards the door. Upon hearing this, the two burly men began to struggle violently under Raslaufer's grasp, but compared to Dobler, they were no different from those rats and had no chance to resist at all.

Kalista, is that the name of that person, that cat, that "Silver Shaded"? Angrieta and the other two prickled up their ears, eager to hear a response.

Although Ironforge is not as exquisite as Magpares or Tilted City, as a huge city, the fact that such a massive swarm of rats could be built underground is something they are very eager to see.

However, although they hadn't seen the person yet, the voice truly disappointed them. If Angreta and Daisy's voices might have been blessed by angels, this person's voice was like the bones of demons scraping against each other on a battlefield of bloody battle between the Nine Hells and the Abyss—hoarse and shrill, and these words were far from sufficient to describe it.

“Let those two go, Raslaufer,” said the voice that was still barely recognizable as female. “I found them according to your standards. Although they fall asleep every night listening to your stories, they can only resemble you in appearance.”

"Hiring two real 'deaths' to guard my gate is far too expensive—come in, let me see you, and let me see how the 'deaths' of Eastern Inassia are still alive."

Reslaufer released the two guards and led his companions through the door. When the pair of blood-red, monochrome eyes, devoid of irises or pupils, looked at the four of them, the cat behind the swarm of rats also revealed her true form.

She looked about the same age as Raslaufer, around thirty years old. She sat languidly in a large armchair behind her desk, wearing a gray-white tight-fitting top and her legs, wrapped in leather pants, casually draped over the edge of the table, unabashedly displaying every healthy and powerful curve of her body. But if that were all, she would just be an "unusual" thief leader.

What truly caught Angelita and the others off guard was that beside her, a white snake-like tail, its end swollen into an inverted triangle, was swaying as it and its owner observed the group. On her sickly pale head and neck, beneath her equally silvery-white short hair, two horns, like antelope horns, spiraled upwards from either side of her forehead toward the sky, displaying a crystalline, obsidian-like texture!

Chapter 424 Natives, or Natives?

Campion! Or Tifflin?

Or perhaps... she doesn't even have mortal blood at all?

Angelita instinctively placed her hand on the hilt of her sword. Along the way, neither demons nor devils seemed to leave a good impression on her.

Mary quickly adopted a similar defensive posture as Angelita.

In contrast, the bard quietly took a step back, for there really was a demon living in her lyre.

Leslaufer, however, placed his hand on Angelita's right hand, signaling her not to get agitated.

“Kalistella,” Dople cleared his throat, “these are all friends and companions I’ve made recently, no need to be nervous.”

"Should I be less nervous, or should she relax a bit?" The woman behind the table shifted her legs and chuckled. "Alright, alright, it seems we can't sit down and talk unless she introduces herself."

"As Raslaufer said, I am Caristella. I was a mercenary in my early years, mainly as a scout or sentry, so I know him."

"As for what you fear, my race? I don't know what I am, but I'm certain that I'm not a real demon or devil, nor am I a shapeshifting creature."

“A shapeshifter turning into a Typhoon to make a living in a human city, it must be insane,” Angrita took a deep breath. She didn’t smell the sulfur, and slowly removed her hand from the hilt of her sword. “Excuse me, madam, I think I overreacted. I am Anne from the Empire, nice to meet you.”

Daisy and Mary also introduced themselves. Leslaufer didn't seem too wary of them; the cat behind the rats seemed trustworthy.

The woman with horns and a tail listened with a smile, making no other comment, which created an awkward silence in the study for a moment.

“Um…” The poet’s eyes darted around, and he cautiously raised his hand. “Can I ask you a question? We’re from the Empire, but we haven’t seen many Tiflin along the way—in fact, the only one we’ve met was a follower of the devil. But logically, you should be one of the major races, like humans, elves, dwarves, and so on, right?”

Leslaufer's lips twitched, but she didn't stop him—what Caristella loathed were discriminatory remarks; ignorance wasn't a sin.

"It seems you're more of a bard who enjoys singing about love and romance than epic legends, isn't that right?" Tifflin looked at Daisy. "Otherwise, you should know the reason, since you Imperials all love to sing about the great achievements of Emperor Richard the Great, just like some Inathas people would love to kiss your boots."

"Eastern Inasas is not the same land it used to be, you know that, right?"

"It was the Emperor who did it, or rather, that sorcerer under his command. I'm not bragging, but I might know more about this than you do..." Daisy suddenly paused, then her expression turned strange. "Wait, you're not going to say that Eastern Inathas was originally a gathering place for the Tyflins, are you?"

"But then we saw Emperor Richard turn his horse back to his camp, and Chargigi rushed out, unleashing an eight-ringed monster-dominating attack on Tiftlin. Tiftlin only cried out 'Oh no!' before being captured, his head chopped off and hung on the fireplace..." Daisy immediately began her impromptu performance. Although she was mocking Tiftlin, it only made the person opposite her feel so ridiculous.

"Old Ray, I love this chick!" Kalista clapped her hands and laughed, practically doubled over. "If you're planning to work for me from now on, I'll buy a tavern and have a show just for you every day!"

"But before that, you should brush up on the history here, lest your fellow bards ruin things for you—although the story of being beheaded and hung in the fireplace is true, it wasn't Richard the Great who did it. On the contrary, bards often use Tifflin's fate to excuse his conquest of Eastern Inassus."

"Because the Tiflins of this land were slaughtered by the very 'natives' who once inhabited this place!"

Sometimes, the "fate" and "retribution" preached by certain sects may really exist. Groups that once slaughtered others cannot escape the fate of being slaughtered, and those who continue to slaughter have no place to stand in this land. Instead, they have become royalty in a distant empire.

“We have lived here since the elves and dwarves were standing in the center of the stage. But then the elves left, and we, who also have pointed ears, but with horns and tails, were to be settled,” Kalistella said absurdly. She would not tell any of the rats this, but today she was determined to tell this young poet.

"In that era, one inquisitor after another and so-called 'demon scholars' emerged, proclaiming that the Tifflins were born with sins and were spies of the demons infiltrating the material world. They incited ordinary people, nobles, and major churches. Even those Tifflin priests who had long since converted were dragged out and executed. The heads of the Tifflins were treated as collectibles to be flaunted, and their owners claimed that they had defeated the demons."

“However, in reality, demons cannot be killed in the material world; they turn into ashes, pus, or a cloud of sulfurous smoke.” Leslaufer shrugged; he had seen similar scenes more than once.

“Some people know, some don’t, and some know but pretend not to,” Tiflin sneered. “Fortunately, they got their comeuppance in the end. I bet some of the dwarves in the East still remember how Chargigi killed those fools.”

"Unfortunately, we are not true demons. Although we live a little longer than humans, it is still limited. People my age can only find these legends in old books."

Kalista's smile slowly faded: "And it's kind of sad, even if I knew all this, it would be hard for me to hate or love anyone, because everything is so distant. If I hadn't been walking the streets of Ironforge today, being pointed at and talked about like this, I probably wouldn't have believed that any of this had actually happened. I would have just thought it was a 'story,' perhaps because this world was originally a remote corner for Tieflins, to the point that almost no other Tieflins would have moved here except for my ancestors."

“Alright, now that I’ve satisfied your curiosity, it’s my turn—Leslaufer, tell me, what’s the meaning of you coming here to find me with these guys instead of going to earn your gold coins?”

“When you came to Ironforge before, you always just went to meet up with those idiots you mentioned.”

Chapter 425 The Demonologist's Fanaticism

“You’ve long since left my line of work. Even if I came looking for you, what would we have to talk about?” Faced with the question, Dople spread his hands. “Besides, finding you is a real hassle. Even the ‘human stick’ doesn’t know your whereabouts.”

"In fact, I only found out just now that you actually have six dens? You're being far too cautious."

“In fact, it’s much more than that,” Kalista snorted, barely accepting the explanation. “That’s why I’m surprised you still managed to find me, and not through your usual channels—you should know that I know everything about Ironforge. If you told the scoundrel you were coming to find me, I would naturally arrange a meeting with you.”

Angelita glanced at Raslaufer with some surprise. She knew Raslaufer held considerable influence within his circle, as evidenced by his interactions with the Beast and the Lion Dahl. But, was it really that much?

This Tiefling has hidden himself so well, it's definitely not to come out and see Raslaufer at the right time—although Tieflings are mostly discriminated against here and elsewhere, a "normal" life is still guaranteed, and there's no need to worry about being burned at the stake at any time.

“My lady, you must understand, there are wrong names, but no wrong nicknames,” Kalistella glanced at Angrita, easily noticing her curiosity, “especially not long ago, when the Lone Beast was scrambling to tell everyone he could reach about Raslaufer’s return.”

“You look like the one he’s protecting, right? Relax, I wouldn’t dare lay a finger on you. Although living as a Tyflin isn’t easy, I still want to live for now.”

Tiflin's monochrome eyes turned back to Leslaufer: "That's why I'm curious, what exactly do you want from me? There are probably not many people in this land who would dare to oppose you. Even if there were, you should find other Dobles to help you, instead of coming here to me."

“Leaving aside the actual battlefield, an ordinary Doppler would probably be no match for you,” Raslaufer chuckled. He walked to the other’s desk and poured himself a glass of wine—not from that magic bottle. “But what I need more is your current strength—my visit to Ironforge this time is not only related to Anne, but also to my own personal matters.”

"What, are you two getting married?"

"What—Pfft—" Dople spat out a mouthful of wine. "What nonsense are you spouting?! Heinrich Spegor, do you even know anything about this man? I'm looking for him!"

“Who told you not to say so sooner?” Tiflin revealed a sly smile, but her expression changed faster than turning the pages of a book. “I know almost everyone in this city, but why are you looking for him?”

"Let me remind you: think about the story I just told you about this poet friend."

There are generally two types of people who study demons: those who dare to confront real demons and those who can only cause trouble for other mortals.

“And there is a third type,” Callistra’s earlier cheerful expression vanished, replaced by a coldness, “a complete fanatic, Heinrich, that’s what he is.”

Demons must not be allowed to live, but teflins cannot be spared either. Even witches, wizards, fairies, undead, druids, and shamans are all "demons" who should be burned to death by the holy fire. Only in this way can the world be "peaceful".

"This guy came to Ironforge about eight years ago. He quickly helped the then lord get rid of a demon, which made him famous and he became a nobleman. Then, he became an inquisitor of the Church of Serak here and a guest of honor at the seminary. And after that, ha."

“I’ve had a lot of dealings with him. The rat population was almost destroyed by him several times. I’m even on his naming list myself—do you think I don’t know anything about him?”

Tiflin grumbled angrily, "These kinds of people are the most damn hard to deal with! You can just kill the imposters and that's it; any scholar with integrity wouldn't bother Tiflin. But this guy—a beast, he's a complete beast!"

Keeping him alive is a real menace, but if we kill him and evil forces reappear in Ironforge, who will save us? Anyone would be driven mad by an enemy that can't be killed.

"So, he really does have some skills?" Leslaufer didn't care what his old friend thought. He wasn't in charge of giving advice, but if Callistela was determined to get rid of Heinrich, he could do it for her.

“He certainly has real skills. Serak’s followers hired him and admired him. He couldn’t have fooled those old scholars and bookworms without some real ability,” Tifflin agreed with this, but she quickly realized something was wrong. “Wait, why are you concerned about this? Besides money, is there anything else about the employer and the target that you need to pay attention to?”

“If I were employed, I wouldn’t care, but the problem is, I’m here to see him. I’ve run into a problem, nothing serious, but someone introduced me, so I came to check on him,” Leslaufer sighed slightly, somewhat helpless about the situation. “You see, how am I supposed to know what’s going on with this guy? I had no choice but to come to you to find out.”

“That old mage who was with you earlier, right?” Kalista’s knowledge of everyone’s whereabouts was so thorough that it was almost as if she had spies planted in every corner of the city, and each of them carried a magic water bottle. “What problem have you encountered that you need to see him for? Don’t blame me for not warning you, if you’ve been scratched or cursed by some evil spirit, he might be able to heal you, but if you’ve been forced to sign a contract or something…”

"His dictionary defines 'mercy' as ensuring that your soul is completely destroyed, leaving no trace, so that it cannot be taken back by evil spirits."

Inside the room, the expressions of the few people who had close ties with the devil suddenly became quite interesting.

Thank goodness we found this place! If they had been foolish enough to run into Heinrich's clutches, there would have been absolutely no chance of a peaceful resolution!

“I advise you not to go,” Zheng Ling’s voice quickly echoed in the minds of Leslaufer and Daisy. “Daisy can leave the violin at your place, but Mr. Leslaufer, your arm may become a reason for him to attack you—even if it is your trophy.”

"Moreover, you are currently burdened with a small 'debt' from the mistress. The existence of the Grand Duke's power is not to be ignored in their eyes, while the spirits around you have become insignificant in comparison."

As for whether he could win the fight, no one had any doubts, but the problem was that even if he beat Heinrich...

and then?

Chapter 426 Before and After Time

Killing people is what Raslaw is good at, but subduing them is not. Moreover, whether a fanatical believer who is passionate about the cause of justice can actually be subdued is a matter that needs further study.

“It seems this isn’t as easy as you make it out to be,” Kalistella said, misunderstanding the silence around her. She pulled out a drawer and took out two thin brochures and a large book about three fingers wide. “Take a look at these. As the saying goes, facts are the best orators. These are his works from the last few years. This book was even his textbook when he was teaching at Serac Church School.”

Leslaufer glanced at the cover of the book, titled "Holy and Just: The Eternal Theory of the Demonic War," and set it aside—a work of this caliber would be fine as a blunt weapon, but too difficult to read.

The two manuals are easier to understand.

Angelita and Mary took the book, while Daisy sidled up to Leslaufer and they browsed through its contents. One of the books, titled "Holy Flame," described how to keep on hand items to harm various evil spirits or methods to execute demons and their followers. Another, "The Devil Is Among Us," discussed how to identify who might be associated with evil.

Both manuals have clear pagination; the first part is for ordinary people, the middle part contains prayers from major orthodox churches, and the last part describes the special methods that magicians and priests should use.

It's worth mentioning that Kalista wasn't lying. Although wizards, shamans, and even druids are common spellcasters, they are usually ranked behind demons and devils in the text, and even warlocks are listed as objects to be wary of.

As for the methods and techniques involved, probably no one is more qualified to comment than Zheng Ling, the demon himself.

“Many of these are real and effective methods, and sometimes we even do them ourselves,” Zheng Ling said. “The rest are pure nonsense. What do you mean by ‘spitting everywhere might be a way to communicate with demons’? Although those maggots in the abyss deserve to be treated like that, even the most disgusting Sloth Demon probably wouldn’t communicate with its followers in this way…”

“It’s a contribution to city development, I guess,” Daisy muttered under her breath, “but I don’t think spitting in public or relieving oneself in the street warrants being hanged…”

That's a bit too extreme.

"Don't those churches do anything about it? They even let this propaganda go unchecked?"