Baator Hell Promotion

"Foul-smelling old dog, sir," she scolded. "Get up and scold me, and exercise your husband's authority."

She scratched and clawed like a mad cat, scolding Lord Bansay from his masculinity to his bald forehead, and made various promises to the unresponsive old man, including selling his daughter across the ocean after his death and using the Sassen family's property to support twenty male slaves.

A light cough interrupted her. Dinah, her face flushed, straightened her back and quickly climbed down from the bed. Charlotte walked out from the corner door on the side with his unchanging smile on his face.

Charlotte ignored the embarrassed lady and turned to close the door to the servants' quarters. He then scanned the room again, not stopping to glance at Harp's hiding place. After confirming that there was no fourth creature in the room, he walked to the bed and drew back the curtains.

The dazzling morning light illuminated the entire room, and Dina couldn't help but squint her eyes. Charlotte quickly walked to her side and offered her a hand to help her up.

His hands were like a winter stove, hard and warm, Dinah thought. He was exquisitely dressed, richly clothed, and tall, like a prince from a neighboring kingdom. Not to mention the dying body on the bed, even Edim seemed like a naive young boy in front of him.

"Beautiful lady, please don't hurt your delicate fingers." Charlotte held her hand and kissed it, and with the other hand she straightened her slipping dressing gown.

"The old fellow on the bed is neither kind nor generous. You should teach him a lesson." The Harvester winked at her, a playful smile hidden under his delicate beard, making Dinah's heart skip a beat. "But I still hope you will treat him well in his final days. After all, we still need to exchange his blood for our future viscount, so he can make the best use of it."

"Speaking of which, I noticed that you didn't bring our future Viscount Sassen with you. Is little Levi okay?" The Harvester put his arms around her.

"He's fine, just a little cough." Dina held his hands and pressed them against her chest, as if she had lost all her strength and turned into a mother in need of comfort. "Will it affect the blood transfusion ceremony?"

"No, of course not." Charlotte looked at her lovingly, and that expression made the chipmunk feel a chill. "Little Levi, just remember to drink the medicine I send you every day. These problems will disappear after the blood transfusion ceremony is over."

"I'm more worried about another thing. There's still a small obstacle between little Levi and the title. Do you have any good news for me?"

"I tried it at breakfast, but he avoided me." Dinah's voice gradually became quieter, and her eyes wandered, not daring to look at him again.

Charlotte loosened her grip slightly and sighed with disappointment in her tone, "I thought you would care more about Levi and our future. I don't believe any man can remain unmoved in the face of you."

"I care, I care, I will work harder, please believe me." She held Charlotte's hand tightly, her eyes shining like two will-o'-the-wisp fires.

Chapter 7: Attack

When Edim returned to Steep Rock after his inspection, the sky was already filled with stars. The physical activity temporarily freed him from his chaotic thoughts. But as he walked into the castle corridor, his body aching, his worries still clung to him like sweat-soaked clothes.

The young knight stopped before the holy emblem of the Perfect Man. On the copper-plated wooden plate was an embossed image of a man with his limbs spread out, symbolizing the Perfect Man's unconditional love for humanity. His face, without any sadness or joy, looked down at the believers below.

"Father of Mankind, Golden Guardian, please guide me." He gazed into the deep pupils of the Perfect Man. "What should I do? Should I ask your agent for help?"

The figure stared at him with a stern expression, offering no response. Edimu chuckled. Of course, the Perfect Man taught that humans should be self-reliant, and seeking help from outsiders was not something he approved of.

"Father, is this also the reason why you choose to face all this alone?"

Harp watched the young knight's heavy steps fade away. A moment later, Lady Dinah followed suit. The little devil didn't hesitate, sprinting down another passage away from them. He could smell the stirrings of activity in the air.

Like any self-righteous spellcaster, Claire's room was tucked away from everyone she considered ordinary and uninteresting—meaning, everyone except herself. It wasn't really a room, but more like a tower connected by a stone bridge, perched isolated on the rocks outside the castle. The single stone bridge didn't even have a handrail. Harp assumed the tower had once been used to house prisoners under house arrest.

The little devil complained about the evening breeze that almost blew him away as he arrived at Claire's door, only to discover an embarrassing thing - he couldn't transform and couldn't reach the door knocker.

A series of tinkling sounds made Claire look up from the pile of spell materials on the ground, and she saw a silver-gray chipmunk squatting on the windowsill.

"Why are you here at this hour, little devil?" Claire asked curiously as she opened the window and let Hap in. She knew the little devil had been avoiding her, and her spell had intimidated it enough that it wouldn't come over unless it was necessary.

"Oh, my dear Ms. Claire," the chipmunk said, shaking his fur and squatting down to comb his hair. The smell in the air made him feel uncomfortable. Claire had undoubtedly been preparing the materials needed for the summoning, and most of them were filled with enough magic to harm the inhabitants of Hell. "I saw Ms. Dinah bring dinner to your brother. I was worried she might do something bad, so I hurried to tell you."

The little devil gave a brief account of what he had seen at breakfast. After all, no one could expect a little devil to repeat every detail.

"So, I suggest you go and help your poor brother. Otherwise, Lady Dinah might not just give him dinner."

Claire paced, chin in hand, thinking. She roughly understood Dinah's intentions. Even though her father had transformed her from a lowly maid into a noble viscountess, she couldn't shake her inner inferiority complex, desperate to grasp at anything that would secure her position. If Edim inherited the title, her position as a non-blood stepmother would be awkward, and she naturally hoped her child would be a viscount.

Thinking about this, Claire opened the cupboard and took out a carved walnut box. She took out a black wooden stick over a foot long from it and put it on her belt. After noticing Harp's gaze, she briefly explained, "It's the wand my father gave me."

After saying that, she picked up the little devil, stuffed it roughly into the bag around her waist, and hurried out.

Unlike his sister, Edim lived in the lower part of the castle, near the kitchens and stables, for ease of training and travel. The cooks and servants treated him with respect, and the guards and servants who came to add to the meal were unabashed. The little devil had heard many foul-mouthed stories behind the warm kitchen fireplace and in the shadows of the corners.

But the area around the kitchen was quite quiet tonight. The guard who had secretly had a drink, the cook who was preparing food for the next day, and the maid who had secretly come for a date had all disappeared.

"Someone has moved everyone from the kitchen," Hap reminded him. "It seems that Madam Dinah has made full preparations."

A corridor past the kitchen led to Edim's room. Hap poked his head out to take a look, signaling Claire to observe carefully. Under the flickering light of the brazier, a line of orange light leaked from Edim's door, which was guarded by four tall maids.

"Hiss~" Hap sucked his teeth. "They're not difficult to deal with, but it's troublesome if they start yelling. Do you have any ideas for quietly taking down four humans?"

Claire glared at it, pulled out the wand, measured the distance, and muttered softly. The marigolds carved on the wand bloomed along the shaft until the bud at the top opened, revealing the yellow cat's eye in the center.

"Hypnos," the sorcerer chanted, waving his hand at the maids. Harp only had time to smell the faint scent of roses before he saw the four maids collapse to the ground.

"Well done, Miss Claire," the little devil praised, skipping over the bodies on the ground. He even heard a faint snoring sound when he passed one of them. They were sleeping so soundly that they didn't even feel Claire stepping on their faces.

"Stop the flattery, little devil," Claire snorted, but the slightly upturned tone of her voice betrayed her smugness. The sorcerer lifted her skirt and quickly caught up with Harp. The man and the rat crouched beside the oak door, which was not closed tightly, and peered inside.

Harp, taking advantage of his size, squeezed his head through the door frame. He saw a mess of spilled bread, roast meat, and soup. Then there was a clean, woman's foot and a white petticoat. Lady Dinah lay unconscious on the floor in a rather unsightly position, unsure whether she was unconscious or dead.

"Aha, I didn't disturb anything, did I?" Claire pushed the door open and saw this scene, giggling.

"Shut up, Claire." Edim looked like he'd been through a fight. His torn linen sweater hung on his shoulders in tatters, revealing his muscular chest. Several long, thin bloodstains on his flat abdomen showed that he had put a lot of effort into protecting his belt.

"What's going on? Why is Madam Dinah running here like a madman..." He was stuck, racking his brains to find the right words.

"Want to take your virginity?" Hap helped him finish the sentence. Edim turned around and glared at the little devil, his fists and arms bulging with veins, looking like he wanted to strangle the chipmunk. Claire next to him burst out laughing.

"What exactly happened?" Claire poked Dinah, who lay unconscious on the ground, leaving dark footprints on her smooth skin. "You didn't beat her to death, did you? We can't get rid of her just yet. If Mrs. Sassen suddenly disappeared, the servants would definitely talk about it."

"Everything started out fine. I'd just taken off my armor when she knocked on the door, saying she'd brought me some dinner." Edimu grabbed the cloak from the table and tossed it over Dinah's face and chest. "As soon as I took the tray and set it on the table, I turned around and saw she'd taken off her cloak, and what she was wearing underneath was quite... inappropriate."

"It's more than that." As if afraid of disbelief, he reached out and lifted Dinah's skirt. Her calves were smooth and delicate, like polished marble. From the knees up, extending into her underwear, a crisscross of scars marred her snow-white beauty. "She accused her father of abusing her and Levi, then threw herself on me and burst into tears. I had to knock her out. She might have to sleep until tomorrow night. What on earth did she want?"

"Explain, little devil," Claire yawned, not even bothering to look at Dinah's scar before sitting down on a chair nearby. Since Edim hadn't fallen into the trap, she didn't bother to care.

"Oh, it's as clear as the sesame seeds on this round loaf of bread." Harp stood on his two legs, jumping on the scattered bread on the ground. "A husband who would torture her even if he were alive, a child who is not yet an adult, and a secret that could make her ride the wooden donkey. Think about it, if Levi is the only male left in the Sassen family, what can she gain? A title, wealth, a decent life, and lasting peace of mind, and all she needs is to stand before you naked."

"If she could drag you down with her, her position and safety would be guaranteed. I'm sure she's wanted to ride a silent, strong stallion like you long ago, rather than an old horse with sharp ribs that pant at the slightest movement. Even if you refuse, all she needs to do is scream, and the maids, who are already sound asleep outside, will rush in and start shouting. Everyone will think you're the villain who took advantage of your father's illness to bully your poor, helpless young stepmother."

"It seems neither of these things happened," Edimu said coldly, pinching the chipmunk. "How on earth did she come up with such a foolish plan with so many loopholes? Even if I were exiled and Claire married, the surrounding nobles would be very willing to take over a wealthy widow. Couldn't she even think of that? What role did you and the Harvester play in this?"

Hearing this, Claire straightened up with a lack of interest and looked at the little devil suspiciously.

"Parasitism is Madam Dinah's way of life." The little devil struggled hard for a few times, then gave up. "She can rely on your father for a living, and naturally she can rely on other nobles for a living. When Levi comes of age, she will also rely on him for a living. As for honor and family, what does that have to do with her? Anyway, marrying someone else will only divide up part of the Sassen family's property, and the rest will be enough for her to live a decent life."

"Charlotte never shared his plans for Lady Dinah with me. We're not close enough to confide in each other." Hap didn't directly answer the last question. "However, I imagine if he knew Lady Dinah's plan, he would definitely be happy to see it come to fruition. Whether you or she is kicked out, it won't affect his plans. Levi, who has lost his family, will be easier for him to control. As for me, perhaps dear Claire can speak a fair word for me. I took timely measures to protect your chastity."

Edim loosened his grip, and the chipmunk fell to the ground with a thud.

Humorless bastard, Hap cursed.

Edim turned his head and stared at Hap with a piercing gaze. "Little devil, I've been thinking about this for the past two days. There may be some truth in what you said, but I don't believe you're completely honest unless you let us confront our father face to face."

Just as Hap opened his mouth to protest, he felt a chill on his neck. Claire pressed the awl against the back of his head.

"Little devil, I don't want to hear rejection."

Hap cursed again.

Chapter 8: Sassen's Treasure

Autumn in the Principality of Sassen is always beautiful. The blue sky is cloudless, and the sun, which has been raging for a long time, has also restrained its edge, turning from an aggressive warrior into a loving mother.

The window in Claire's room was only slightly open, but sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating the white linen and the assorted spellcasting materials on the floor. The spellcaster, exhausted, slumped over the table, letting out a small whine, which only served to accentuate the silence within the bedroom.

But Hap had no time to appreciate this peaceful and harmonious scene. The chipmunk-like devil was hung upside down on the desk with a silver chain around his waist. He could only look at the spot of light cast on the floor, swaying slowly in the warm autumn breeze. He endured the congestion in his brain and silently cursed the two treacherous brothers and sisters.

Obviously, Claire found a loophole in the alliance agreement. She did not harm the little devil, but that does not mean she has no way to restrict the little devil.

The door slammed open, startling Claire from her nap. Edim walked in, sweating, bringing a sizzling heat to the cool room. He pulled a dark stone from the pouch at his waist and handed it to Claire. He then scooped up the little devil hanging from the edge of the table and brought it over to the stone.

Harp gritted his teeth and sniffed obediently. A closer look revealed it wasn't a stone at all, but some kind of dark brown resin. He carefully bit off a little, his mouth filled with the aroma and acridity of freshly sawed wood, which quickly turned into a burning pain. The little devil spat out the contents of his mouth with a loud "puff," and his saliva sizzled onto the wooden desk.

"Tsk, the devil's saliva!" Claire looked at the burnt black spot on the desk with disgust. "Is it poisonous?"

"Luguli, you've seen the wound on my tender tongue, so why are you so scared?" the little devil muttered. He took a deep breath, feeling the evil power of hell quickly repairing his injured tongue. "It is indeed frankincense blessed by the good gods, but of course it is poisonous to us devils."

Hap saw Claire walk to the center of the room, twisting the frankincense, and spoke with a final effort:

"Can't you just confront Dinah? Barging in before the ceremony is simply courting death. Charlotte will kill you all! You've got Dinah under house arrest anyway. She's just an ordinary person. She'll tell you anything if you threaten her."

"Little devil, everyone knows that the devil has no credibility, and your suggestions cannot be as harmless as you appear, so forget it. We only believe in verified facts." Yidimu walked to the corner, picked up a can of clean water warmed in the sun, and carefully washed his hands and face.

"Now, little devil, either you help us exorcise the murderer who impaled you on the holy emblem, or our treaty is void and I send you back to Hell." Claire knelt beside the runecloth, placing frankincense on a silver plate, her hands lowered as she looked at Hap. To prevent contamination of his freshly purified hands, Edimu walked to the fireplace and picked up the chipmunk with tongs. Hap had no doubt that if he answered no, his spine would snap in two in the next second.

"Don't put me too close, it will interfere with the spell," it muttered. The two siblings smiled at each other. Edim dragged the desk over with one hand and let the little devil stand on it to watch.

"Magic casting consists of two parts: first, creation, then inspiration." The little devil took a deep breath and resigned himself to the basics of magic—primarily for Edim, who had no magical foundation. "The prerequisite for casting magic is 'qualification'. Originally, no one here could cast such powerful magic, but this Summoning Rune Cloth solves the qualification problem. All we need to do is cast it."

"The casting part is simple, consisting of just one word: 'Abelardo'. Once it is prepared, any descendant recognized by the Sassen family who calls out this word will summon powerful helpers."

"The most crucial part is the creation," Hap said, glancing at the materials on the ground. "Now that you two have purified your bodies with water, you can light the frankincense."

Using tongs, Edim lifted a still-smoldering log from the fireplace and, with a gentle touch, ignited the frankincense in the silver dish. A single, straight column of pure white smoke rose to a man's height before dispersing, enveloping the two siblings kneeling on the runecloth. The scent of the frankincense reminded him of honey, fresh wood, and a sunny breeze. Harp quickly covered his mouth and nose with a rag.

"Put the holy water on your forehead and face the sun." Claire held up a crystal bottle that was almost the size of a fingertip. When the sun shone on it, it reflected golden flowers all over the room. Hap raised the rag a little higher to cover his eyes.

"Sprinkle the well-mixed potion onto the cloth. Remember to spread it evenly." Edim held up a silver jar. Inside was a potion made from mica, a handful of burnt fetal hair, tears shed by a child's heartfelt laughter, silver flakes, a handful of wheat flour shared by a beggar, and the ink left over from the suicide note of an exonerated criminal. As it was sprinkled onto the runecloth, every texture glowed faintly, and the air was filled with the faint chime of bells and birdsong.

"Finally, everyone take a sip of holy water and say your request to the circle in the middle." Claire turned around. The holy water in the bottle had turned into a clear golden color, emitting light even in the dark, like a ball of liquid sunlight.

She squinted at the holy water, and Hap knew she was hesitant, as all spellcasters do, trying to avoid drinking anything unknown.

Edim also noticed it. He took the bottle first, took a sip, and then shuddered.

"How is it?" Claire asked with concern. She still had feelings for her brother.

"Very good." Yidimu thought for a moment, spitting out two words, and racking his brains for how to describe it.

"It will pass through your esophagus like a cool breeze, then warm your entire body, as if you were in the midday sun on a winter's day," Hap recited dryly. "That's the effect of the liquid light. It purifies your flesh. But it lasts only a short time, and it's difficult to store, so I suggest you make a wish as soon as possible. Remember, it should be a kind wish."

Claire didn't hesitate any longer, pouring the remaining liquid light into her mouth. Because she was a frail spellcaster, the liquid light's effect was more pronounced. Only Edimu's pupils had turned golden, while light shone through every orifice of her body, like a suit of armor with candles lit inside.

"I wish to banish the demon from my home," she leaned over and whispered to the center rune with her lips pressed against it.

"I hope no one will be harmed by the devil," Edim said devoutly, lying on the rune cloth.

As soon as he finished speaking, all the runes burst into bright golden light, even the afternoon sun was eclipsed by it. Hap simply shrank under the rag and screamed at the top of his lungs.

"Now, Miss Clare, join your brother in prayer. I hope you are telling the truth, for I cannot confirm whether you are still a virgin."

Claire ignored its taunts, knelt again, and began to chant. Edim's work was done, but he remained with his sister, also praying silently.

As time passed, as if echoing the westward-moving sun, the rune's radiance gradually faded from its blazing intensity. When the last ray of afterglow vanished, the rune dimmed completely, and the room sank into a bluish-purple shadow.

A rumbling bell rang out in the void, but it was so distant that it seemed to come from heaven, awakening the praying brother and sister. The effect of the liquid light disappeared, but no one would doubt that the spell had failed.

The rune cloth still lay quietly on the ground, and various intertwined gold and silver threads extended from the original central ring, re-forming a door decorated with family crests and ivy. A tremendous power pulsated behind the door like a heartbeat.

"We're going to find Father tonight."

Chapter 9 Ritual

Autumn nights always come especially quickly. When Hap accompanied the Sassen brothers and sisters out of the room, the sky was still tinged with pink and purple twilight. By the time they reached the door of Bensay Sassen's bedroom, it was already as dark as ink outside the window.

"May the black moon that walks in the night sky, the invisible girl, watch over me." Hap heard Claire praying quietly, but the object was not the perfect person who was the patron saint of the Sassen family, but the Black Moon Girl, the guardian of black magic and shadow creatures.

Edimu glanced at the holy emblem hanging in the hallway and turned to face the door. Silence weighed on Harp's eardrums, but something heavier than the silence shone through the door, pressing down on his heart. The evil seeping from behind the door seemed to be tangible, forcing the two siblings to a halt.

"Are you sure he's not here?" Claire asked in a low voice. Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead and her fingers curled unconsciously, wanting to touch the wand box at her waist.

"Definitely not here. The ritual requires the donor to drink the potion within an hour of sunset. Charlotte doesn't care about Dinah or you, but he should be aware of most things going on in this castle. If Lady Dinah doesn't show up for a few days, he'll definitely go and watch Levi drink the potion himself to make sure everything goes well." Hap hid behind Edim's breastplate, with only his head showing. "The power within is growing too fast. Dinah's disappearance must have accelerated Charlotte's progress."

Edim said nothing, but drew his weapon, assumed a stance to meet the enemy, and cautiously pushed open the door.

Behind the door, it was pitch black and silent, and all the curtains in the room were drawn. However, the little devil's vision was not affected by the darkness. He quickly glanced around and found no living creatures standing in the room. The air was filled with the smell of decay of the dying and a faint smell of sulfur. Charlotte must have been gone for a while.

"No one's here, come in quickly." Hap whispered to Claire. Claire tightened the rune cloth wrapped around her body like a cloak and walked quickly into the room.

The sorcerer, "Worda," chanted an incantation and blew a breath into his clenched fist. Four burning flames flew into the air, and then he found the candle in the room. When the two humans adjusted to the sudden light, they saw the horrific scene in the bedroom that was no longer familiar to them.

The most striking feature of the room was a massive four-curtain bed. Viscount Bansay Sassen's shrunken form lay tucked away in the dark sheets and blankets, revealing only his shaved, wrinkled head. Opposite the bed stood a three-legged black iron stand, with snake-like chains dangling from the top tray. Harp stared at it for a moment, feeling the chains twitch slightly. Even more terrifying than this sinister device were the snake-like green patterns etched all over Viscount Bansay's blanket, extending from the foot of the bed to the base of the stand.

"Father!" Seeing Viscount Bansay, Edim strode over and immediately threw the little devil out. Hap quickly climbed out of bed and watched as Edim tried to wake his father. However, the old man didn't respond, his skin cold and clammy, like someone who had been dead for a long time.

"What's going on?" He turned sharply towards the little devil, anger flashing in his amber eyes. Harp jumped back nimbly, avoiding his fierce grab.

"Don't worry." Although he hated Charlotte, the little devil had to admit that the ritual created by the Harvest Demon was extremely powerful. The leaked evil magic alone was enough to make him more easily dodge attacks. "Essentially, he should have died a long time ago, so it's normal that he can't wake up now. In fact, if the ritual doesn't go on, he probably won't see the sun next week."

"Is this the ritual platform?" Claire paid no attention to the dying creature on the bed; her attention was completely absorbed by the black iron brackets and runes. For warlocks, or any other spellcasters, rituals from Hell were extremely rare. They often required a huge price to acquire even a fraction of knowledge from the stingy devils, and opportunities for such close study were rare.

"Yes," Hap replied simply, then turned to Edimu. "His current state is one of suspended animation. The blood connection can awaken him. This is why I stopped you from coming. Awakening is not 100% successful, and taking the risk is pointless. But I guess you wouldn't accept my advice even if I told you in advance."

A sudden gust of cold wind interrupted the little devil. The wind blowing from behind had a familiar feeling, even too familiar - the breath of hell. It turned around quickly. Three candles on the base of the holder had already lit emerald flames, and next to them was Claire, who was at a loss.

"Brainless warlock, what have you done!?" Harp screamed, panic and anger filling his brain with blood. If it weren't for the sealing chains on his feet, he would have been so angry that he would have turned back to his original form. Now the little devil could only spin in circles in anger like a real chipmunk.

"I just touched it..." Claire was a little panicked when she saw Hap's behavior.