Outside of Luxuria, a man and a woman were next in line to enter into the city and were currently undergoing an inspection from the guards.
“Don’t believe I’ve seen you before, so this must be your first time visiting. Gotta admit, you’ve chosen a hell of a time for it.”
“Yes, well. I tend to have a lot of free time on my hands these days.” Darius said casually.
The pair of guards nodded before they glanced at the woman behind the dwarf who seemed to be somewhat standoffish.
Wearing a thick black cloak that covered her hair and most of her body, the only thing that was an indicator of Erica’s identity was her bright purple eyes that burned with regality.
“And who’s this you’ve brought along with you?”
“Just a friend. We both wanted to see the city for the first time.”
“I see…”
The soldier seemed to be paying extra close attention to Erica, as it was clear that she hadn’t ingested the blood of Abaddon and thus confirmed herself to be a non threat.
But it wasn’t like she had actually done anything suspicious so he had no justifiable reason not to let her in.
Besides, it was highly likely that the Wraith Moons would observe her carefully as well, and ensure that she was behaving herself properly.
And if she wasn’t… her head would probably be separated from her body before she knew what happened.
“I must admit, you’ve both picked a terrible time to visit. City’s a bit dead with most of the soldiers focused on preparing for the war and families grieving the lost. Nevertheless, I hope you enjoy yourselves.”
“Thank you, lad. We’ll keep that in mind.” Darius said respectfully.
“Do you have any questions before we let you through?”
“Where’s the best brothe- Ack!”
Erica elbowed Darius hard in the shoulder before he could ask about any depraved activities and started to pull him by his beard.
The two men chuckled as they allowed the pair to pass beyond the metal gates, and Erica and Darius got their first look at Abaddon’s prized city.
“I thought those guards said this place wasn’t lively…?”
“This seems to be a slow day for them, lass…”
The two rulers were staring at a street that was bustling with people of all kinds of ages and sizes.
Even though they were said to be grieving, the people here looked to be extremely joyful, as if there was no war looming over their heads or any dead to mourn.
But upon closer inspection, Erica could see a few people who did seem to be a bit more downtrodden than others.
However those individuals seemed to be receiving the most attention on the streets, as they were being surrounded by other citizens and showered with care.
It was honestly a rather touching introduction to the city that was supposed to be filled with sin.
“Alright lass, where should we go first? I’m curious about this cities companionship establishments, and I’ve also heard that they sell these things called doujins that-“
“Darius. We are not here to sightsee.” Erica scolded.
“Why the fuck not?”
“Because we’re here to find out why he’s so adamant on having our lands for himself, not buy whores or read smut!”
“We can multitask!”
“Gah!!”
Erica was so frustrated that she was on the verge of tearing her feathers out.
It was exhausting to think that one of her only friends was only capable of thinking with either his dick or his liver.
“Can you not stay focused for one moment? Act your age for crying out loud!”
“Easier said than done…”
As they walked through the crowded streets, Darius was having a hard time finding something else to focus on.
This city was filled with so many beautiful women that it nearly gave him a nosebleed, and his desire to move here skyrocketed.
He felt like a boy going through puberty all over again.
But eventually, he found something else to focus on.
The architecture.
The modern and exquisitely designed buildings, the sleek paved roads and the shockingly well made clothes that everyone wore.
It was all so fascinating to him that it reignited his passion as a craftsman, and he became determined to talk shop with the genius behind these ideas.
“Come again, Mr. Belphy!”
“Mhm. Sure, Tiara.”
Suddenly, Darius and Erica paused in the middle of the street when they heard an oddly familiar voice among the crowd.
Nearby, they found a tall man with pale skin and long dark hair traveling down his back.
He wore a set of dark brown robes and had eyes that were a bright iridescent green.
Atop his head sat a large pair of wicked and curved antlers, and it would have been easy to mistake them for weapons if one wasn’t paying attention.
The man suddenly turned around and revealed his two arms that were filled with food that the two rulers had never even seen before.
But judging by the smell.. It was incredible. 𝐯𝐿xt.𝒸𝞸
“Hm?”
Suddenly, the man locked eyes with the two travelers within the crowd and approached them casually, as if they were old friends.
“Wasn’t exactly expecting to see the two of you here… You’re a little small for an invasion force.”
Erica blinked her eyes as she finally recalled where exactly she’d heard that voice from before.
But evidently, Darius already seemed to have realized it.
“Belphegor? That’s you, isn’t it?”
“Mhm. Would you like a prize for figuring it out?”
Darius chose to ignore the former demon lord of sloth’s blatant sarcasm as Erica questioned him about his whereabouts.
“What are you doing here? I’d thought you dead after Abaddon unified the demon race.”
“As did I.”
Belphegor shook his head as he looked down at the precious food in his arms that was already starting to lose heat.
“I surrendered to Abaddon immediately, as did my sister. So we are the only ones among the sins who are still breathing. As for what I am doing here, I live over there.”
He used his horns to point to a very large building with over fifty floors that was located down the road.
“What? He built you your own castle??” Erica asked in shock.
“That’s not a castle, it’s a hotel. Think of it as a very lavish inn. I have a permanent residence on the top floor, right beside the room reserved for Abaddon and his family.”
“Fascinating!” Darius carefully analyzed all of the food on the plates within Belphegor’s arms and looked like he wanted a nibble.
“What do you have there, lad?”
“Birria tacos, caesar salad, red velvet cake, ice cream, açaí bowl, chicken wings, hamburg-“
“Why the hell do you have so much food!?” Erica cried.
Belphegor frowned as if the phoenix queen had just insulted his favorite pastime.
“I spend the bulk of my time sleeping, but once a month I come down to enjoy the strange cuisine Abaddon has introduced to these people. This new life of mine fills me with such joy that-“
“Can I try some?” Darius asked.
“Absolutely fucking not.”
Darius rolled his eyes and reached for a chicken wing anyway, only for Belphegor to expertly duck out of the way while clutching his meal.
“Do the two of you serve some purpose for being here other than pilfering my food?” He asked in irritation.
Erica realized this might spare them the trouble of having to look for Abaddon and she immediately asked Belphegor if he knew the reason behind the war.
However, his answer was as disappointing as expected.
“How the hell do you expect me to know something like that if I just told you I spend all of my time sleeping?”
The phoenix queen rolled her eyes as she resumed looking around the city. “So you’re useless too then? Wonderful.”
Belphegor muttered something unkind under his breath before realizing that he was wasting time by talking to the two of them when he should have been eating.
“I am unsure of why I’ve even bothered to waste time on the two of you. My food has already begun to lose it’s optimal temperature.”
“Wait a second.”
Belphegor turned around to look at Erica one final time with a look of clear annoyance. “What do you want now, bird?”
“Where is Abaddon’s home?”
“And what’s the name of the best brothel in this city?!” Darius added.
Belphegor gestured to a road on the opposite side of the street that was sparsely populated.
There were no signs or anything but… it was almost like the citizens were avoiding that place out of respect.
“Travel up that road, it is the only home you’ll find up there. Give him my regards and try not to make this city any nosier than it already is. “
“What about the brothels!?” Darius cried.
“A place called ‘Dew Flower’ in the red-light district. But if you make those girls uncomfortable with your requests then they are allowed to kill you on the spot.”
Since it was clear Belphegor had nothing else to say, Erica and Darius continued on with their journey.
As the former demon lord of sloth finally teleported back to his hotel room, he realized he’d neglected to give the pair of rulers some very important information.
“Oh well, they should be fine, it’s not like they’re incompetent nobodies after all.”
–
Erica and Darius were now staring at the golden gates that separated Abaddon’s home from the rest of the world.
Beyond the fence, they could see a beautiful front yard filled with neatly cut grass and abundant flowers, paired with the nicest two story manor they had ever seen.
“I had thought that he would reside in a grand and sinister castle but this is completely beyond the scope of my expectations.”Erica said.
“Why the need for assumptions, lass? You already know that he isn’t someone we can ever fully understand.”
The phoenix queen nodded before walking right up to the front gate and holding her hand up to open it.
As soon as she placed her palm on the shiny golden gate, a feeling of danger shot up her spine.
Whirling around, she reacted quick enough to catch the golden sword that was aimed at her neck.
Her assailant was a man in dark clothes and wearing a half mask with the muzzle of a monstrous beast.
His red eyes and black skin alluded to the fact that he had taken Abadon’s blood as well, further enhancing his abilities as a result.
‘I didn’t feel a thing until the last moment… Who is this?’
Whoosh!
Suddenly, eight more figures in black appeared from the shadows on the ground, and they surrounded the two rulers in an instant.
Darius chuckled as he pulled a flask out of his back pocket and leisurely took a sip.
“Wasn’t really expecting a warm welcome but… this feels like a bit much.”