Chapter 171: Hasty Departure

"And I am an expert at dealing with those ugly things. You can have complete faith in my power."

Ron’s mouth fell open. This damned devil hadn’t stopped her blasted Charm for a single moment! She was constantly trying to corrupt his mind!

’How could he possibly agree to her proposal under these circumstances?’

"I don’t trust you," Ron said, gritting his teeth. "Although demons rampaging through the Delusional Land is unacceptable to me, I also don’t want a devil standing at my back. That’s far too dangerous."

"Alas, you mortals are always so indecisive, worrying about every little thing," the devil said, waving her hand dismissively as if she had expected Ron’s reaction all along. "In that case, I can only wish you good luck."

"Count yourself lucky, mortal. You’ve managed to survive my presence because of the gazes of two beings. One is my ’dear’ father, who forbids me from obtaining souls through any means other than delving deep into contracts. That’s the only reason I’m here negotiating with you."

"Then, what’s the other being?" Seeing a whirlwind of sulfur and flame begin to stir at the devil’s feet as her form grew hazy and indistinct, Ron hurriedly asked.

"Trying to pry secrets from a devil’s lips?" Ron heard her give a rapturous chuckle. "Why don’t you go ask that gold dragon who’s been playing house with you? He knows all about it."

"Oh, that’s right. He’s too afraid of death... or rather, too afraid of being corrupted, perhaps? He wouldn’t dare speak that being’s name, hehe."

With a soft POP, a pillar of flame taller than a man erupted in the room, engulfing the devil. By the time Ron walked over to where the fire had died down, not a single trace of her remained.

"She’s gone..." Ron lifted the bedding and shook it vigorously, checking to see if she had left any clues. Unfortunately, a devil wasn’t a gold dragon. Other than nearly choking to death on the thick scent of perfume, he found nothing.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

A knock sounded at the door. Ron went to open it, revealing Victoria’s stern and elegant face.

"Did Yelena’s Sect Leader come looking for you?" Victoria asked, getting straight to the point as she entered the room. "My Holy Emblem and Divine Statue have been vibrating nonstop since a moment ago. They just stopped."

"Yes," Ron sighed, pointing at the sulfur powder on the floor. "She even left some trash behind. See?"

"It seems it really was a devil," Victoria said, unhappily fanning the air in front of her nose. "A vain one at that. The smell is far too strong."

"I can’t even use these bedclothes anymore," Ron agreed with a nod. "Not unless I plan on waking up every few hours to cast a protection spell on myself."

It wasn’t just a simple matter of a strong scent; the devil had enchanted the entire bed!

"I can tell," Victoria said, avoiding the bed with a look of disgust. "Silvia once thought about doing something like... Never mind."

Ron: ?

"So, what did she talk to you about? Are you free to tell me?" Victoria skillfully steered the conversation back on topic. "If there’s anything you can’t say, I won’t press you, but you see, I am a Priest, and this matter could very well—"

"Don’t be such a stranger," Ron said, cutting Victoria off with a smile. "There’s nothing to hide. You can sit—actually, let’s just talk while standing."

"Babu Demons, Ocas, Glazter..." After listening to Ron’s retelling, Victoria’s brow furrowed. "If I’m not mistaken, isn’t that devil a Duke from the Nine Floors of Hell?!"

"That’s what I figured. After all, she can challenge Demon Lords, so her rank can’t be low," Ron said, scratching his scalp in frustration. "Are we in big trouble? It doesn’t feel good at all to be targeted by someone like her."

"Perhaps you should be glad it was her," Victoria said, giving Ron a worried glance. "If I’m not mistaken, her title must be Gracia, the Desire Demon Queen, current ruler of Marbogi, the sixth floor of Hell."

"She’s even the ’designated’ daughter of Asmodis, the Lord of the Nine Hells."

"Her background is that impressive?!" Ron’s jaw dropped. "I don’t get it. What is there here to covet? Enough to attract the attention of such a major figure?"

"You’re overthinking it if you believe she’s going to be fixated on the Delusional Land. They’re all incredibly busy," Victoria said. "And do you remember? She was summoned by that Shadow Spirit, so it’s highly likely she only pays attention to this place occasionally."

Victoria was, after all, a professional member of the clergy. Compared to Ron, who was getting creeped out, she was clearly much calmer.

"Devils love to ’use a long line to catch a big fish’ and wait for ’the willing to take the bait.’ Gracia, who is a master of legal statutes and contracts, is even more so. If she’s interested in you, she absolutely will not let you go so easily," Priest Heim "comforted" him. "So you don’t need to worry about her having her eye on you—it’s a certainty. You can’t escape it no matter how you try."

"Besides, didn’t she also say that we might be dealing with the Abyss in the future? She definitely won’t pass up that opportunity to continue tempting you."

"So, you’re saying I could ask her for help at a critical moment?"

"I. Would. Advise. Against. It. You have absolutely no chance of outwitting her in her own domain. In other words, what you call ’asking for her help’ is the same as saying ’I want to sell my soul’," Victoria said with a pout. "But ultimately, the decision is yours. If you insist on doing it, there’s nothing I can do."

"All I could do then is probably offer my resignation, and then draw my sword against you."

"Of course it would be best to avoid her," Ron said, rolling his eyes. "You think I want to deal with her? She’s the one who came looking for me! I have to make some preparations, don’t I?"

Victoria thought for a moment. "Actually, you don’t have to be so worried. At least we have a precedent."

"Didn’t Baron Green Swamp refuse all invitations and go it alone, and still managed Green Swamp Town for a hundred-odd years? In the ruins from Saran Laine’s era, haven’t we found no trace of anything related to devils?"

An image of Saran Laine’s tomb flashed through Ron’s mind, followed by the ruins of Green Swamp Town next to the Black Dragon’s Nest, and then the cave behind the waterfall. "I... wouldn’t be so sure about that."

"Victoria! What time is it? Go check if Aive and the others are awake. We have to visit a few places. I can’t rest easy!"

"Oh, right, we have to bring Shadow Spirit Yelena with us. She’s the expert in this area! Just tell her I’m giving her permission to go to Green Swamp Town and see that good-for-nothing cousin of hers’ ’masterpiece’!"