Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World - Chapter 722

Capítulo 722: A Wise Old Man Offers advice!

The beautiful city of Hansberg stood before the party. Asmodeus sat on the edge of a wagon they’d haggled a ride with, watching the horizon as the towers and spires grew. “Pretty.” What surprised him was that it resembled the Eastern European countries and Middle Eastern buildings he saw in his past life.

The rounded and curved architecture carried a beautiful sight, along with the vibrant and beautiful colours of each tower, building and wall.

“It looks magical.” Nerim sat beside him, with Vivi sleeping on her thighs. She looked up at Asmodeus, who watched the city and smiled.

Although it wasn’t her first time here, she enjoyed his reaction.

On the other side of the vast city, where all the small fields and farms combined, a vast golden sea of sand spread as far as the eye could see. It was the last Western city before entering the territory of the Desert Folk.

“Are you happy to be close to home, Zahir?” Thorim asked while eating some dried fruits.

“Mm!” Zahir only nodded, but his lips curled into a pleasant smile.

The party enjoyed a peaceful few days after they completed the dungeon with Vivi, although there was a plan to stay at the village. The merchant driving the cart was at the entrance seeking mercenaries or adventurers to help protect his cargo.

Thus, they earned a few coins along the way.

Zamir, the balding merchant, was from the Desert Folk like Zahir; he lived in a village close to the city of Hansberg. When growing up, he lacked the talent of a warrior and thus, despite his people’s doubts and prejudice towards the Western Empire. He created a small merchant company and found himself a local wife.

His story reminded Asmodeus of Brando; therefore, he couldn’t help but accept their offer.

“What do you think, boss?” Zamir spoke mostly to Asmodeus and Logan. Sometimes during dinner, he and Zahir would chat in their native language, which made the dwarf and mermaid curious, but Asmodeus understood that they only spoke about what to serve for dinner and when prayer time was.

“It’s truly a beautiful place, especially your golden sea.”

“Hahah!” Zamir and the Dessert Folk worshipped an ancient deity linked to the sand, and there was a story passed down that the golden colour was born from their god’s sacrifice and reward to their ancestors. “To think in ancient times, this desert was said to be black, like charcoal!” He then performed a religious gesture with his hands and bowed to the golden sun above the sea.

‘Well, I can’t deny its beauty, but all the sand getting in my shoes is annoying.’

The further they came from Francel, the less dirt and forestry appeared, and once they came within a day’s journey of Hansberg, the dirt became a light, golden sand. If not for Zamir and Zahir both making fun of them, before teaching them how to wrap and fold their boots properly with their ancestral knots, Asmodeus might have given up.

[Are you having fun?]

Serena’s pleasant voice sounded in his ears as he leaned back against the old wooden carriage, the camels dragging it along the path.

‘Well, it’s quite interesting.’

After their little fight, it took two days to appease her and Lumina fully, and during that time, he suffered several little losses thanks to their newly improved skills.

Now, he just wanted to attend the auction, find information about other prisoners and save Brando. What worried him as they pulled into the city were the banners and emblems that even Asmodeus recognised…

‘What the hell are the Imperial army doing this far outside of their territory?’

[Eh?]

“Whoa, girls!”

Zamir also seemed a little wary of the sudden appearance of several fully armoured knights. Though they didn’t wear metal armour in this sweltering heat, they wore specialised leather with the imperial emblem stitched on each piece, like some religious cult.

“Boss, you should be careful.”

“Hm, what do you mean, Sir Zamir?”

Asmodeus wasn’t sure, but when he looked at the gate with a frown, he noticed the knights and soldiers arguing with the city guard. It seemed this might take a while, until the leading knight took something from his chest, a small token of some sort.

Then he gripped his sword with a confident grin.

“Those imperial bastards, they deceive us about land, call it supportive governing and that they’re training future leaders from the Desert Tribes! Peh, bullshit! Now our lands are in danger, with constant raids from bandits and monsters. These knights only want to see the east fall and take their gold, treasures and wealth!”

The politics of the mainland weren’t something Asmodeus or his party paid attention to, but thanks to a few complaints over the past few nights. He kind of understood, as it resembled his previous life.

Every country wants the best, be it wealth or specialities.

The Imperial Empire lacked any specialities of its own. As a kingdom that started as a small nation, they used their religion and converted the most basic tribes in the south thousands of years before even Gregor existed.

‘Now they want more, each year their borders grow, desperate to fuel their war machine and the successive famine of the southern vineyards and farms.’

“Do you think they’ll cause trouble?” Asmodeus glanced at Nerim, worried they might take interest in her. That was something he couldn’t accept, because she was his woman. Over the past two or three nights, they’d confirmed almost everything that needed to be.

All that remained was to seal the deal, much like Gretel the maid back home.

“No, no at all. But I would be on guard just in case.” Zamir glanced at Logan, Thorim and then Zahir with a grimace. “Your party is unconventional, and you and the lady stand out too much; such beautiful people always suffer in the end.”

The earnest merchant snapped the reins of his camel, and they moved ever so slowly towards the entrance gate.

Normal people took the smaller northern gate, but this western gate was for merchants and armies because of its colossal size. The width was enough to fit four carriages at once, while the beautiful archway spanned above them. Everyone remained silent as they reached the guards, who seemed troubled by the soldiers slowly entering the side door.

“Why does the Empire send people here? It’s always for nought; they are just going to perish in the desert, never to be found again.” The left guard was old, with grey hair and dark skin; his right eye looked creamy and pale.

Beside him, a younger, middle-aged male with similar features tried to shush him. “Father, don’t speak here. Wait till we’re home at least.” He glanced around, only noticing Zamir and Asmodeus a moment too late.”Ah, this…”

“Tsk, don’t lose focus.” His father scolded the younger male. “State your business. Merchants are to prepare the tax fee and their documents. Adventurers and mercenaries pay a 20 copper tax to enter and must have valid identification!”

Despite his blinded eye, the old man carried a resolute and earnest aura.

“H-Here, old Luca!” The merchant grinned, handing over his documents and the Tax for his items and trip.

‘To think that the government here has both a modern tax system with reimbursements to those who help the city and a solid census.’

As a modern person, Asmodeus spread the same things through his Empire, but this was a small city on the border of the end of the world. To find such intelligent practices that not even the Empire seemed bothered about, increased Hansberg’s rating in his heart.

“Okay, four adventurers and a child?” The old man tilted his head while his son stepped into the back of the carriage and noted the cargo and people riding. When the father and son noticed her skin, they both glanced at Nerim, who held her and then at Asmodeus, who also had a horn in the centre of his forehead. “Ahem, yours?” The old man asked, with a slight awkward cough.

“Yes, this girl is ours.” Asmodeus chose this cover after deciding with Serena and Gretel to adopt her. Gretel would adopt Vivi, then Asmodeus would marry Gretel, making them a true family, although Nerim complained. But this was the best method.

In return for this, Vivi asked if Asmodeus could give all her old friends’ families, to which he showed her that he’d already done so. All her friends now lived on the highest level of Lumeria City, and their parents were demon warriors and demon knights.

It helped Asmodeus, too, because conceiving for the Demon Knights and warriors was much lower than for humans. But with this to open the door with a foot, it gave the couples time to plan, carefully prepare themselves and learn how to be parents first.

“Good, then the total Tax is 100 copper, and because of the child, the Tax only costs half. For a total of 80.”

Asmodeus didn’t make the merchant pay and took out a small silver coin; the slightly bent metal was heavy but worth 100 copper. “Elder, please use the change to get yourselves a cold drink on us. It’s our treat for such hardworking gentlemen.”

The old man and his son paused for a moment.

This part of the Empire was filled with stingy criminals, and so they suddenly worried for the handsome mother and father.

When they glanced at each other, the two could only smile wryly.

“Thank you, handsome sir! We hope you enjoy your stay at Hansberg.” With slow movements, he beckoned the camels and guided their cart inside. That’s when he leaned close to Asmodeus and whispered something.

“Be wary of the Red Scorpian gang; they deal with the kidnapping of children, beautiful men and women. Their main method is poison or aphrodisiac.”

The old man then tucked a small coin into his chest, with the emblem of a red scorpion with two curved blades beneath.

‘I see.’

“Thank you very much, good sir!”

Asmodeus gave a polite greeting to the two guards. Happy that his little act had gained this information, he turned to Nerim and Vivi and wondered how best to protect them.

But more than anything, as they passed under the dark, shady gateway.

Suddenly, their eyes shone with brilliant colours, silk cloths dancing in the air and the sweet scent of the sea and sand and to the north a vast ocean, to the east a massive golden sea.

Hansberg was truly captivating.