Baator Hell Promotion

The Shuangying Bakery store is not easy to find. Although it is located in the Shuoxing District, it maintains a very low-key style.

Its black, two-story building was inconspicuous among the luxurious and beautiful mansions in the Twinkling Star District. If it weren't for the recognizable portrait of a woman with her bra ripped open, revealing a piece of white bread with two red cherries on top, Hopper felt he would have missed it.

"Ann told me that Lane Bolt has a shop in the old lighthouse district," Hopper whistled at the woman on the sign. "It's probably a few hundred meters up from here."

"Have you been to Shuangying Bakery before?" The judge took out a scarf to cover his face, lowered his sleeves, and unbuttoned the top button of his shirt.

Hopper looked at his actions and shook her head. Before she could ask anything, someone came out of the store to greet her.

The person who came was short and fat, wearing a vulgar pink dress, and looked like a rolling rose dough in the night.

"Honey, what are you?" Between Jane, whose clothes were stained with flour, and the inquisitor who faintly smelled of blood, the woman chose the one who looked richer and asked a strange question.

"Mee~" The judge made a lifelike sheep sound and dug the ground with his right leg.

Hopper hid her shock very well. She rolled her eyes, hunched her shoulders, puffed out her cheeks and said, "Squeak~"

"Very good, Mr. Black Goat and Miss Mouse who stole flour. It seems that our prairie will have new members."

The wariness in the woman's eyes disappeared. She clapped her hands happily, took the two gold coins handed to her by Igor, and then handed Hopper a featureless white mask.

"Put it on, dear." She lifted her skirt and saluted the two of them, and thoughtfully reminded them, "Sometimes, we can only truly be ourselves behind the mask."

The woman led the way, puffing out her chest proudly. "Welcome to our shop. Our shop is famous among the nobles for its pristine, natural environment. We encourage our customers to unleash their true nature and enjoy the unpretentious beauty and social joy of nature."

"Of course, if you feel the need to be alone, we also have a cave that is private enough." She winked at the two of them and opened the door.

Hopper had seen many more fantastic and magnificent scenery than the double cherry bread, but she couldn't help but sigh.

What she had thought was a two-story building actually had four. The roof of the building had been opened all the way down to the second basement level. In the center of the roof hung a solar crystal larger than a human head. Soft light filtered through the verdant trees growing from the ground and their branches, forming a soft, green platform, illuminating the entire space. A waterfall poured down from a skylight in the roof, its rumbling sound drowning out the vibrant shouts in the vast space. It plunged into an artificial fountain underground, where several living mermaids sat, singing beside the shimmering water.

"I never imagined it would be like this." Hopper followed the Inquisitor onto the swaying suspension bridge—the only way to pass between the trees. "Have you been here before?"

Igor stepped aside a couple covered in tree sap, imitating monkeys, and said without turning back, "From what I understand, Twin Cherry Bread serves distinguished guests who, uh, need to unleash their inner selves. Originally, it was only open to a few members, but Lord Parma's death made it famous. It took me quite a while to sneak in last time."

Hopper glanced down and saw several white bodies running among the green leaves and grass, playing a game of chase with each other, and his face fell.

"I thought you were used to this kind of thing," the Inquisitor observed her expression. "It's just animal costumes. Baator should have more exaggerated services than this."

"In Baator, lust, like strong liquor, is considered the root of chaos," the succubus replied. "Usually, only high-ranking devils have the right to enjoy it, and we usually treat it as a rare reward, rather than exhausting our prey to death in bed like vulgar succubi. Unleashing one's nature like an animal is a blasphemy against order."

"A succubus drains people dry, while a lust demon keeps them hanging." Igor nodded seriously. "I'll remember the difference."

Hopper looked away. "You know what I'd do in this situation?"

"Appreciate further details"

"I want to jump into their midst, swinging my sword in circles." The demon stared at his hands, feeling the blood rushing through his body with excitement, numbing his fingertips. "Listen to them scream, feel the warm blood splashing on my body."

She couldn't help licking the corner of her lips, as if she felt the blood slowly flowing down her face.

"Or, I can fly in the air and let them choose which exit to escape from, and then gamble whether I will choose to shoot every living thing at that exit."

"Or maybe I could just hang up those stupid fish down there and scrape their scales off one by one."

The Inquisitor took a cautious step back, unsure if the succubus would actually do that. But her words reminded him that even though he looked harmless, Hopper was still a vicious demon at heart.

More importantly, the Inquisitor had already heard that the devil before him was saying these words to warn him. As for the reason, needless to say, it must be because he had revealed her identity to Lady Furnace Hearth.

"I see." After figuring this out, Igor apologized decisively, "I shouldn't have revealed your identity to Ms. Hearthheart, Ms. Hopper. It won't happen again."

"What are you talking about, Mr. Igor?" The demon smiled, not showing any anger. "Of course I trust you. I just hope you can respect a lady's privacy."

Igor nodded, knowing the story was over. He led Hopper down the platform. As they descended, the dense branches and leaves began to thin out, and the roar of the waterfall became more and more obvious, making it difficult to hear the conversation.

Hopper didn't really care about the Inquisitor's harmless leak, but using it to manipulate him would make the succubus feel happy.

"Are you sure Lan Bolt has been here?" In order to avoid being affected by the waterfall, Hopper rarely used his telepathic communication ability.

Obviously, Igor was startled by the sudden female voice in his mind. He turned around and looked at Hopper in confusion. After getting a positive answer, he raised his voice a little.

"I'm not sure, but I can find an informant. I can't use force here, so if I want her to tell the truth, I need your help."

As they were talking, they had already reached the bottom floor and stepped onto the soft grass. Igor looked around and soon found his target. He put his hand to his mouth and let out a long bleating sound.

He was answered by a hoarse cat meow. A green shadow rose and fell several times on a nearby tree before jumping in front of the Inquisitor.

Hopper's first impression of her was that of a female leopard leaping from a tree. The woman before her was thin and leathery, with only a leopard skin draped across her back for decoration. The rest of her skin was a healthy tan, reminiscent of sun and sea.

"Look, look, my little lamb has come back to see me." The woman's voice was hoarse and lazy. She stared at Igor without any hesitation and licked her lips.

"Zanya, I have something to ask you. Find a cave," the Inquisitor ordered bluntly, as if he hadn't heard her flirting.

Zanya's eyes widened, her green eyes moving from Igor to Hopper, and she turned away silently.

"Here," she pointed to a tree hole with a curtain hanging on it, "Come here, little lamb. I know you always value privacy."

The Devil gave the Inquisitor a malicious grin and teased him through telepathy, "Little lamb, huh?"

Igor calmly lifted the curtain and walked in. Inside was a staircase leading down to a basement covered with soft carpets and mats.

Before the judge could sit down, Zanya nestled into his arms like a real cat. Her personality was as changeable as a cat's. Just now she seemed very opinionated outside, but now she was gentle and affectionate.

"What do you need to ask? I will tell you everything I know~ meow"

"Have you seen Lann Bolt?" The Inquisitor reached out and pinched Zanya's hand, which was groping around, and asked the question in a simple and rough manner.

The woman giggled and broke free from him, lying on his shoulder like she had no bones. "Hey, you know the rules of Shuangying Bread. We are all beasts in the forest, and beasts don't have names~"

Her smile froze as she reached into her windbreaker and touched the cold crossbow. The woman's pupils dilated with fear. She pulled her hand away as inconspicuously as possible, then knelt down to the side, her whole body trembling.

"That's what I'm worried about," the Inquisitor sighed and said to Hopper, "You understand what I mean?"

Fear can cause memory distortion and even fabrication.

Hopper nodded and reached out to shake Zanya's hand "Don't be nervous, ma'am. We are friends of Mr. Bolt, he is a dwarf with ginger hair."

Even through the mask, Hopper could sense the trembling woman calming down, her tense face relaxing. The succubus's magic could make even the most vulnerable of spirits treat them as their closest friends and family. As long as he didn't pose any obvious threat to her, this near-hypnotic atmosphere wouldn't be broken. Unseen by Zanya, the Inquisitor secretly gave Hopper a thumbs-up.

Zanya racked his brains for a long time before asking tentatively, "Are you talking about Mr. Weasel? He always comes alone, always with his female companion. I've never done business with him."

"Oh, that sounds strange." Hopper stuffed a warm gold coin into the woman's hand. "He's already here at Shuangying Bread, why would he bring a female companion? Have you seen his female companion?"

The brown-skinned woman was more relaxed by the magic, and she imitated a cat, leaning over to look up at Hopper and making lazy noises.

"Who knows~ But the person he brought with him is not a decent person. I have seen many guests bring that woman in the cloak~"

"Is that so? That piques my curiosity. I also want to meet that mysterious lady." Hopper knew that this reason was a bit strange, but it didn't matter. Magic would make Zanya think in a good way.

Zanya rested her head on Hopper's lap, but because the dwarf was too small, the coquettish posture looked like she fell on Hopper.

"Isn't it enough that you have me~" Her cheeks were as red as if she was drunk, and she looked at Hopper with a dazed look in her eyes.

Whether she meant it or not, at least she acted quite professionally. Zanya giggled like a little girl who had done something wrong.

"Anyway, you won't be able to see her today. I heard Mr. Weasel tell the waiter a few days ago that he was going to see the premiere of "Hymn of the Holy Sword" today~"

Author's words: The kidneys of cattle and horses,

The liver of a night owl,

Just mix them together and consider it a double update!

——"Les Miserables"

Chapter 160 A quarrel

Even if they set out immediately, it would be too late by the time Hopper and the Inquisitor arrived at the white exterior of the Sail Theatre.

The Yangfan Theatre is a two-story, all-wooden building nestled on the innermost slope of the surf zone. True to its name, its pristine white exterior gleams in the darkness, resembling a ship about to set sail.

Since all the audience had already checked in, the judge had to bang on the door hard before he got a response.

"What did you say? You still want to buy a ticket to get in?" The door opened a crack, and a green bald head stuck out. After listening to their request, the orc looked at them impatiently and said, "The first act is over. Come early tomorrow."

The gatekeeper was about to close the door, but Hopper quickly grabbed the door. The orc's eyebrowless eyes widened, unable to believe the dwarf had such divine power.

"We really have an emergency. Please, my sister's water broke, and I have to call my brother-in-law back." The little dwarf made up a story in a crying voice.

Before the orc could say no, Igor stuffed two silver coins under his nose and said simply, "Please."

The orc's expression softened. He sighed, and without accepting Igor's silver coin, he simply opened the door and let them in.

"You really shouldn't have come here, little dwarf." The orc hastily wrote the seat number on a piece of parchment and handed it to Igor, then dropped the money into the cash box. "Today's drama is not a good thing for you, for me, or for all non-humans."

Without waiting for Hopper to ask any more questions, the gatekeeper opened the door of the passage and signaled them to pass through.

After walking a distance, Hopper still looked back at the gatekeeper, feeling as if he had seen him somewhere.

"What did the gatekeeper's last words mean?" Igor asked.

Hopper shook his head. The release of "Hymn of the Sword" was certainly not a good thing for all humanoid races. It was written by Judith, and funded by the Church of the Perfect Man. It was predictably filled with slander and defamation against non-human races.

But Hopper always felt that the orc wanted to say more than that. His tone was slow and heavy. Was this drama really that bad?

The corridor was not long, and before she could form any idea, she could already hear music and voices coming from the theater.

A waiter standing at the end of the aisle turned around when he heard the footsteps. He obviously didn't expect that an audience member would be late for the premiere of the play.

"That idiot Kahler," she took the tickets and looked at them, frowning, "Miss, the seat he gave you is too far away, and you'll have to squeeze in with a bunch of penniless sailors."

Igor was about to explain when Hopper grabbed the hem of his clothes (because he couldn't reach his shoulders) and waited patiently for the waiter to finish.

"Let me change your seat. There are people of your tribe there, and there won't be too many people in the audience. You'll be more comfortable there." She bit the quill and looked at Hopper with sparkling eyes.

The dwarf nodded in understanding. After receiving the silver coin from Igor, the waiter smiled and crossed out the original number on the parchment and handed it back to Hopper.

"If you like, you can go through the actors' passage," the waiter kindly opened the small door in the wall for them, "so you can walk under the auditorium without having to go through the crowd."

The so-called actor's tunnel was essentially the empty space beneath the theater's terraced seating. Hopper could see various calves and shoes through the gaps in the wooden planks and hear the actors on stage shouting, "Blessings from the Perfect One!" However, the tunnel was clearly too low for Igor, who had to hunch his back as he moved forward.

After the initial passage, the light and sound from overhead diminished. Even with the oil lamp in hand, the passage was still very dim. Worse still, it was filled with dust and cobwebs, choking the Inquisitor so much that he had to pull up his mask and almost didn't notice Hopper reaching out to stop him.

"What's going on?" He noticed Hopper lying on the ground with his hands and knees, and immediately became alert, following him quietly.

Hopper placed her hand on the door to the passage and, almost motionless, opened it a crack. There seemed to be another corridor outside, and she could see painted props piled haphazardly. She must have reached the stage.

Then, the familiar voice reached her ears again.

"Do you have to bring bad luck on the day my hard work is released?" A sharp female voice accused someone, and Hopper recognized it immediately - it was Judith.

"Ms. Green Harbor." Another voice was also very familiar—Edim. His tone was calm, but Hopper could hear that he was suppressing his anger. "If you hadn't been running away, I wouldn't have chosen to come to you today."

"Is there something urgent?" Judith said. "If you're not busy, we can make another appointment. I have a speech at the premiere tonight, so I'm afraid I won't have much time to chat with you."

There was a brief silence.

"You've already missed two workhouse activities." The knight's voice turned cold. Hopper could imagine him scolding with a stern face. "You should know that this will do no good to your soul."

"Why didn't I attend?" The atmosphere outside was tense. Judith retorted bluntly, "I attended the opening ceremony of the welfare home in the Sparkling Star District last week."

Edim's voice became low, mixed with deep disappointment: "Atonement is not a formality, Judith. You need to devote yourself to good deeds, fight for the welfare of others, tie up your skirt and personally save those in need of help."

"I don't..." Judith was interrupted by the knight before she could finish her words.

"I don't need you to be grateful for my help. But your soul is your own business. Time is running out. Please always remember that there is a devil chasing you."

The knight's earnest advice seemed to hurt Judith, and her tone suddenly rose.

"'Help'? Isn't that just the culmination of your Paladin syndrome? I saw it clearly when you chose to jump in the Eagle's Nest. You had long been deceived by that devil, your mind filled with so-called noble sacrifice and devotion. 'Look how great I am, saving a fallen noblewoman' - do you really think I need your charity of 'salvation'? Ms. Rachel, you know! Lord Eichmann's personal maid, she warned me long ago that you are nothing but a hypocrite using this as a pretext for fame. As for my problems, you don't need to worry about them. Ms. Rachel governs me, and Archbishop Eichmann has promised to personally preside over the atonement ceremony for me!"

Hopper decided to add fuel to the fire. She opened the door and strode out, and the confused Inquisitor quickly followed.

"I told you not to trust that waiter." She turned around and complained loudly, her skirt flapping. "Look at me, I'm covered in spider webs now!"

The Inquisitor used great self-control to stop herself from laughing. She reached out and grabbed the dwarf's shoulder, twisting her to the other side, and said, "Good girl, don't be angry. Please behave like a lady."

Hopper turned around with feigned reluctance, just in time to see the two men whose conversation had been interrupted looking over here.

"Who are you? This is backstage, how did you get in?" Judith was wearing a snow-white dress, a pink rose crown, and her hair was curled slightly with tongs. Her face was flushed with excitement and surprise, and it looked completely out of place with her clothes.

"Excuse me, ma'am. Sorry to bother you," Hopper replied in a dwarf's high-pitched voice. "We're too late. The waiter said we can go this way to our table."

After saying that, she raised her head, tears welled up in her big eyes, and she pretended to have just recognized Judith and tried to hide behind the judge.

"I'm...I'm sorry, Ms. Judith. I just recognized you. Please don't be angry."

The anger faded from Judith's face and she raised her chin, obviously satisfied with the dwarf's reaction.

"Inferior, you've both come to the wrong place and done the wrong thing. I'm furious with you, not because of your recklessness, but because of your contempt. Your lateness in the face of such elegant art and such exquisite lyrics is simply a blasphemy to me."

"That's enough, Judith Green Harbor," the silent Edim said. "Don't embarrass someone who has nothing to do with you."

Hopper looked from behind the Inquisitor's calf and saw that the knight's hair had grown a lot, but his bald eyebrows still made him look a little weird.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Judith flung her sleeves and walked straight to another door. "And don't follow me."