From Hogwarts to Strixhaven.

Chapter 563 The Pillow Man's Lustful Dreams

Ivy's guess was quite correct; what the hope of being physically trapped in Raphael Prison desperately needed was a promise to save her.

In fact, for any poor soul trapped in the devil's lair, making such a request to a stranger is extremely unwise. After all, who can be sure that the seemingly ordinary person before them isn't just a devil in disguise, acting on a whim?

Even if the one who breaks into the devil's house is indeed a hero from the prime material plane, it doesn't necessarily mean he can save a completely insane soul.

But all of this was just a piece of cake for Ivy. He wasn't just there to take the Hammer of Orpheus that Raphael had hidden in the archives; he was going to take everything Raphael owned.

Raphael stayed in the brothel at Baldur's Gate, too afraid to go home. The Mansion of Hope might seem dangerous to other adventurers, but to an astral archmage like Ivy, it was almost as defenseless as a naked maiden.

Ivy not only wanted to plunder Raphael's treasure trove and his private collection, but also to take away all the debts he had accumulated over the years.

Thinking of this, Ivy turned her head to look at the four obelisks standing in the lobby lounge. The obsidian body was outlined with large runes in gold and purgatory script. Ivy could easily feel the wails and pain coming from inside without even getting close to look.

Each obelisk imprisons thousands of pitiful souls, the consequence of their deal with the devil, becoming a expendable sacrificial offering for a campion's ascension to the devil.

Yes, the obelisk was not only Raphael’s way of showing off to all the devils who came to visit the House of Hope, but also an essential item for him to perform the Black Mass.

Just as Asdalon had aspired to achieve Kazardor's goal—to become an Ascended Vampire Lord through the Black Mass and possess power surpassing his father's—Raphael also attempted to perform the Black Mass to become a true Ascended Demon.

However, Raphael clearly knew that the Black Mass alone could not allow him to surpass his father, so he also needed the Crown of Calathes as a supplement.

With thousands of souls laid out in the hallway of the House of Hope, how could Ivy not try to get her hands on them?
“We’re here to cause trouble for Raphael.” Ivy smiled silently, her pleading hope trembling violently, the hellish chains binding her body rattling along with her. “If saving you can make Raphael laugh at me like a clown, then of course I’ll do it.”

“However, we need to pack a few more things before Raphael returns, and we don’t want to attract the attention of the demon guards in the house. Do you have any recommended solutions?” Ivy asked again.

"Disguise! Disguise yourself as Raphael's debtor!" Hope shone in Hope's eyes as she reached out to cast a spell on Ivy, but with her celestial body completely bound, even returning to her own body was a distant dream.

The hopeless attempt was explained neurotically: "This mental hospital is full of lunatics, but even lunatics have manners! They'll be friendly to their own people... so all you have to do is blend in... look the same, smell the same, and preferably even taste the same!"

Before the debtor's soul pays off its debts, it will be completely dominated by the creditor, from body to soul, from emotions to instincts.

The devil will do everything in his power to prevent debtors from filling the debt gap, so for the devil's debtors, their service to the devil's creditors will be endless.

In this eternal enslavement, the devil creditor can transform the debtor's soul into various devil forms of no higher rank than himself, serving as a defensive force. This is because almost all the devils in Hell are transformed from souls that fell into the River Styx. If they can be promoted, these souls will start as lesser demons, growing stronger through the favor of their superiors, and may even become a high-ranking devil in one of the nine levels of Hell. In fact, the former high-ranking devil of Avernus, Byr, rose through the ranks from lesser demon to higher ranks.

Transforming debtors into their own kind is not a common occurrence for demons. Mortals who easily incur debts to demons are almost always ignorant fools. Therefore, debtors deemed unable to repay are typically sent to the third level, Mammon, where they are forged in a furnace and mixed with hellish iron, becoming a common equivalent in the nine hells—a soul coin.

"To Raphael, his debtors are not only servants, but also objects of his amusement and ridicule, and low-ranking demons used as a defensive force." He offered this advice earnestly, even expectantly, "The best way to navigate the castle, filled with Raphael's spies, is to disguise yourself. It's just wearing some tattered clothes; it's not unbearable!"

Ivy shook her head noncommittally: "Velilis Rysept. Do you know that name? Isn't he the High Inquisitor of Zariel? And he'll be here soon to conduct an investigation?"

“Ah! I completely forgot!” Hope trembled with excitement, then lowered her voice and repeated the name, “Velilis Rysept! He was indeed granted the authority by Avernus to examine Raphael’s collection. His true form is enormous; a mere glance at him would send shivers down the spine of any mortal. However, he changes into many different disguises when he visits. If you can play this role well, Raphael’s archives will be virtually unguarded against you!”

"Does he like devils in different disguises?" Ivy tilted her head and thought for a moment. Perhaps law enforcement officers in every world have the traditional skill of infiltrating and investigating? Whether they are police officers collecting taxes for free countries or devils vetting logistics contractors for the Devil Grand Duke.

Ivy snapped her fingers, and a magical wind of silver mist swirled around everyone. In the blink of an eye, everyone's appearance changed dramatically.

"Have you turned us all into demons?" Yingxin asked, looking at the evil spirit in front of her with goat hooves, a pair of demon wings, and a pair of cute little horns on its head.

“It’s just a proper disguise.” Ivy reached out and brushed away the heart-shaped tail wrapped around her arm, explaining calmly, “A little bit of shapeshifting. All the disguises have a physical form, so there’s no need to worry about anyone seeing through them.”

The succubus, who was trying to squeeze through by wiggling her hips, had only taken one step when she was blocked by a thick, pillar-like leg. She looked up in confusion and recognized the tall devil in front of her as her teammate, Karak.

"Why have I become so—huge?" Karak flicked her spear-like tail, making a teeth-grinding popping sound in the air.

“Because you are Verilius Rysept, the High Inquisitor of Zariel,” Ivy explained easily. “You are the only one who has actually met him, so it is most appropriate for you to impersonate him. You can even play yourself, as Verilius Rysept disguised as Karak.”

"Seeing everyone with a pair of devil horns on their foreheads, just like me, does offer some comfort," Will said with a smile, having already been tainted by hellish power under the punishment of the Mizora Contract. "But why didn't you disguise yourself, Ivy?"

“Because I have other things to do.” Ivy waved away the celestial being of hope in front of her and stood up from Raphael’s luxurious sofa. “You guys go scout ahead and figure out the structure of this castle. I want to give Raphael a surprise. Don’t worry, I promise I’ll meet up with you soon.”

"Avernus is never a suitable place for a vacation!" Karak, who was almost twice the size of a demon, brandished his trident and kicked open the door. "Let's get this over with quickly and go back to rest!"

The heavy, ornate cast-iron door flew sideways, crashing heavily into the semi-open banquet hall at the back of the corridor, tearing a bronze statue of Cambion off its pedestal. The adventurers who had disembarked from the shell ship were very familiar with this room; Raphael had used magic to bring them all here when he first negotiated with them.

The warm, giant fireplace, and the life-size portrait of Raphael above it—everything felt familiar.

However, two metal doors damaged most of the furnishings in the banquet hall.

"Damn it!" Karak cursed. "I forgot to control my power again."

“You’re practically a humanoid dragon now, Karak.” Gale surveyed the walls and pillars that had been scraped away, then looked into the banquet hall. Amidst the shattered remains of the dining table were equally chaotic cups and plates, only the feast that had once been used to entertain adventurers had completely rotted, and two skeletons lay among them. “Although I had long suspected that the devil wouldn’t be so kind as to prepare any delicacies, it’s really an eyesore to leave it in such a state of decay.”

Many debtors who heard the commotion peeked out from the corridor to see what was happening, but after seeing the skin that was indistinguishable from that of a demon and the enormous size that inspired fear, they all silently retreated.

"Sigh." With a sigh, a skeleton draped in a scarlet cloak appeared before the fireplace, silently picked up a broom and began to work.

Clearly, cleaning the banquet hall floor for Raphael was his job. As for the rotting food on the table and the two unfortunate men dead in their chairs, those were completely outside his concern.

"Hey!" Karak said to the skeleton, "Where's the archives?"

The skeleton raised its empty eye sockets, a clasp securing its cloak hood dangling from its chin as it opened and closed its teeth: "I can't help you. This isn't my home, but I can never leave."

After saying that, the skeleton lowered its head again and slowly began to move the broom.

"How did you end up owing Raphael such a huge debt?" Xie Nian asked curiously.

Whatever the reason the skeleton was imprisoned here, he had learned his lesson. He seemed to have absolutely no desire to continue conversing with the demons.

"He was a pathetic stonemason. He spent his life building tombs, temples, and towers for his master. But in the end, he sold his soul to the devil, just to destroy his master's army." Another rumbling voice came from the other end of the banquet hall, from a blood-armored demon wielding a siege crossbow. "Because of his foolishness, Raphael bound two souls, a lowly mortal and a valiant warrior!"

That was the Blood Armor Demon that adventurers were quite familiar with. Karak recognized him at a glance as Yog, the Blood Armor Demon who had been passively contracted with Ivy inside the Temple of Shar Iron Hand.

"It's you!" Realizing he had misspoke, Karak quickly shut his mouth, but the Blood Armor Demon was already eyeing the suddenly appearing demons with suspicion.

After sniffing a few times, the Blood-Armored Demon Yug recognized Karak, who was taller than him, and asked in a low voice, "...It's you! The smell of the Hell Engine on you has faded...Where is he? Has he come?"

As witnesses to the pact between the Blood Armor Demon and Ivy, the adventurers naturally knew that the Blood Armor Demon in front of them was practically an ally, so they all pointed behind them.

"Wait!" Karak stepped forward, blocking their path. "First, tell us where Raphael's archives are?"

After Yog impatiently pointed out the directions and hurriedly left, the adventurers immediately set off, circling the circular corridor inside Raphael's castle.

The square archive room was also built in an extremely luxurious manner, with numerous bookshelves surrounding several magical display stands, highlighting the archive room owner's collecting taste as much as possible.

Several skeletons, also wrapped in tattered robes, were responsible for cleaning the room, while a Tiflin with a small mustache and curly hair stood smugly among them, occasionally giving orders.

Upon seeing the series of demons who pushed open the door, the archivist jogged up to them, a shrewd and obsequious smile on his lips: "If I'm not mistaken, it must be the esteemed judge of the Hell Court! I'm so sorry! Your majesty makes me want to kneel before you and kiss the calluses on your feet, but my spine is already broken in thousands of places."

“You know what to do.” Karak raised her nose arrogantly. “Perhaps I should confiscate some of Raphael’s collection because of your negligence.”

“You certainly have the right to inspect every item in the archives, but to requisition them, you must produce a Hellish requisition order, and you must correctly fill out all 152 clauses.” The archivist’s smile remained unchanged, even though he genuinely believed that the people standing before him were a group of great demons who could easily take his life.

"Where is Raphael?" Knowing Karak's wicked intentions, she immediately asked the question knowingly, "Why didn't he come to greet you in person? Even your doors are locked!"

“My master has some business to attend to, the kind where every second counts. So I suggest you wait for Raphael to return…” The archivist bowed even lower, “As for the door… Lord Yug…”

"He's gone to check the door. To make sure I'm notified as soon as Raphael gets back," Karak roared, feigning anger. "Are you expecting us to just sit here waiting until Raphael returns?"

“Of course not!” The archivist handed over an invitation. “You are welcome to rest in the inner room for a while. Raphael will handle the most private matters and enjoy the most private pleasures there.”

Seeing Karak accept the invitation, the archivist revealed another lewd smile: "Raphael's personal dream demon must be eager to explore every part of your new form, and I'm sure you'd be happy to share."

(End of this chapter)