Baator Hell Promotion

"I'll find you two nettle leaves to use as a cover."

Chapter 219 Visitors from Afar

It was not known whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, but they had not walked far along the path when they found a cart overturned on the side of the road. The camel and the driver had long been dragged away by unknown beasts, leaving only wooden barrels rolling all over the ground.

"The footprints look like they belong to a wolf," Lightning said as he knelt on the ground, touching the almost disappearing traces. "But they are much larger than those of an average wolf. They are probably a warg."

"Damn, the human body is really useless. I can't smell the remaining smell."

"Honestly, I don't really care what had the feast." Hopper struggled to pry open a heavy wooden barrel and pulled out a trapped bag from under the truck bed.

The demon opened the bundle and showed him a few pieces of bread and a relatively complete set of clothes.

"At least you won't have to wear nettles into town."

The clothes did not fit him well. The unfortunate driver must have been quite thin, and when the burly Lightning put on his clothes, his ankles and wrists were exposed.

"It's okay, but she looks a bit like a beggar," Hopper commented. "But it doesn't matter. The beautiful female knight, her loyal guard, and a servant who does manual labor are a perfect match."

Lightning tried very hard to object, but the loud sound of his clothes tearing under his ribs made him calm down immediately.

Hopper hadn't expected the journey to the castle to be so long, or rather, she hadn't felt so weak in a long time. Back in Emerald Harbor, although she had also used a human appearance, at least she could take a car when she went out.

Just as Zis, after hesitating for several times, finally made up his mind to offer to help the hostess, they rounded the last oak tree and saw the barren farmland and the town wall.

The settlement beneath the castle didn't quite resemble a small town; in terms of scale, it was closer to a proper city. Perhaps due to the plane's influence, Hopper always felt that the town's appearance revealed a sense of corruption and melancholy.

"I don't know if there's sunlight here, but the light is getting dimmer. It's not even night yet, so why are there no people in the fields?" Hopper whispered to his companions.

Lightning shook his head. He was even less adapted to the human body than Hopper. All his energy was spent on preventing himself from falling, and he had no time to pay attention to his surroundings.

When they walked along the increasingly flat road to the town wall, they only saw a closed gate and a wooden sign hanging high up in the evening breeze that read "Welcome to Jinfa Town".

"Oh my God, who are you?" A round head popped up from the high sentry tower. It was a boy a few years younger than Bizis. His eyes were wide open, and he was very surprised. "Why did you show up at this time?"

"Sheriff, sheriff!" the boy shouted at the top of his voice. "There are travelers coming!"

Everyone looked at each other in confusion. Ziz tried to call the door, but the boy had withdrawn his head and no matter how loud he called, he turned a deaf ear and made no response.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long. Soon, the sound of horse hooves was heard behind the door. Then the door opened and a fully armed knight rode out alone.

"I'm the local sheriff Richard. Who are you?" Sheriff Richard pushed up his visor, revealing a pair of vigilant black eyes.

Before Hopper could answer, a long wolf howl broke the silence, coming from the forest they had come from.

It wasn't until the creepy howls stopped for a long time that Hopper shuddered and reacted, and at the same time felt something was wrong.

To ordinary humans, wolves might be a terrifying threat, but in the eyes of the devil, they were at most sacrificial victims and servants with some abilities, and that was not the right reaction for him.

But now is not the time to think carefully, the sheriff is still waiting for his reply.

"I am a knight-errant from the Sassen family, named Hopper," the demon lied without blinking, "and they are my squires and servants."

The sheriff's dark eyes shifted from Hopper's armor with the emblem scraped off to Ziz who was carrying a spear and shield, and finally glanced at the naked Lightning. Without saying anything, he just took off his iron gloves and extended his hand to Hopper.

"I suppose you wouldn't refuse a friendly handshake?"

Hopper thought he was going to give her a show of force, but the sheriff only gave a light handshake, as if he didn't want to touch her skin. He even shook hands with two other people in the same way.

"No offense, I'm sure you'll understand my approach." After shaking hands, Sheriff Richard took out a handkerchief and wiped his hands carefully. "The situation has been dire lately, and we must remain vigilant."

Hopper frowned slightly, sensing something was amiss. Even if they weren't welcome, the sheriff wouldn't have to wipe his hands in disgust in front of him. He could have simply banned them from entering the city. There was no need for such a fuss.

Unless his behavior is reasonably necessary.

"We come from far away and have been exhausted from the journey. We haven't had time to learn about the news nearby." Hopper asked sincerely.

The sheriff climbed onto his horse and settled himself into a comfortable position before speaking, "I understand, I understand. Ms. Natalie's coming-of-age ceremony is truly an event worth traveling so far to attend."

The outsider wisely remained silent, expressing his agreement with his silence, and let the sheriff continue speaking.

"But you've come at a really bad time," the knight said seriously. "In recent months, there have been several cases of the Red Death in Golden Hair Town. Patients often develop a sudden high fever and vomit blood and die within a few days. Everyone is in a panic."

This clues Hopper in on his recent faux pas – he was testing himself for the infection.

"In fact, Prince Pep has already ordered the town to be closed. Starting from today at dusk, no outsiders are allowed to enter. He doesn't want any accidents to disrupt Ms. Natalie's celebration, especially since she is not in good health."

"No, she's not infected. She just has a long-standing illness," the sheriff added hastily, fearing Hopper and the others would misunderstand. "You're lucky you arrived before dark. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to open the door for you."

"Can I take your words as permission to enter the city?"

Richard on horseback nodded arrogantly, turned his horse's head and signaled them to follow.

"Sheriff, I have a question," Lightning, who had been silent, suddenly spoke up. "If the town is closed, how will the farmers here farm?"

The sheriff turned his head toward Hopper with disapproval and said accusingly, "Miss Sassen, perhaps you should get a more obedient servant."

"Forgive me, Sheriff, I'll give him a couple of lashes later."

Richard nodded and replied, "The lockdown won't last long, only about ten days. It's not like anyone's family is without food for ten days, and those lazy bones won't be able to work, they won't know how happy they are."

As they spoke, they had already passed through the gate and entered the town. Perhaps unwilling to waste time arguing with a minor nobleman from afar, Sheriff Richard pointed his whip at the distance and said:

"Go to the end of this road and turn left. You'll see the White Teeth Inn by the well. There should be a vacant room there for you."

Author's words: The original form of the Red Death here is Ebola

Chapter 220 Story

It was already completely dark, and she didn't know if it was Hopper's psychological influence, but she felt that the wind on the street was even colder.

At this moment, the warm lights and wafting fragrance of the "White Teeth" Hotel, against the backdrop of the darkness and cold wind, were like a coquettish dancer seducing them.

"Welcome, welcome!" The hotel owner immediately greeted the three outsiders. He was a young man with neatly combed black hair, wearing a clean shirt and a washed-out apron, which made people feel fresh at first sight.

"Three travelers from afar?" His gaze lingered for a moment on Hopper's gleaming, exquisite armor and Ziz's fine steel spear, automatically ignoring the disheveled Lightning. "Please take a seat. We have sizzling beef sausages thicker than this warrior's spear. Fried duck eggs sprinkled with red peppers are perfect for warding off the chill of the night. And today we have our special: freshly baked fig and date pie, sprinkled with powdered sugar! And a round of rye beer?"

He looked at the leading Hopper with bright eyes, and the food he described did make Hopper's stomach and tongue react quickly.

"Then do as you say."

After they sat down, a flushed waitress brought them a round of beer, then stood by the table, her eyes rolling from one face to another.

Hopper looked at the bewildered Ziz and the disinterested Lightning and sighed. One of them had probably never left the military camp, and the other had never carried money. Expecting them to understand the rules of human society was wishful thinking.

Resignedly, she pulled a gold coin from her drawstring pouch and handed it to the waitress. Luckily, the space bag hadn't expired yet. The waitress carefully examined the coin against the light to see its quality, then spoke sheepishly:

"I'm sorry, ma'am. Your gold coin is a bit larger than we're used to. It might take me a while to give you the change."

The change was then brought up along with the food. Hopper nodded, motioning for Ziz to put the silver coins away. Although she was no longer a demon, she still didn't want to touch silver out of habit.

She picked up a piece of the sweet and steaming pie with a fork and stuffed it into her mouth. The boss was right. The soft fruity filling paired with the hot and crispy pie made her close her eyes comfortably, and the fatigue and coldness she had felt along the way were relieved.

After seeing her start eating, Lightning and Zis started eating and soon immersed themselves in the feeling of the human body on the food.

"Ah, beautiful lady," a bearded man at the next table raised his glass to Hopper, "Are you here to attend Ms. Natalie's coming-of-age ceremony as well? We're from out of town too."

"I heard it's a grand event," Hopper replied indifferently. The delicious food made her feel warm all over. She just wanted to find a warm bed to lie down and didn't want to think too much.

"That's definitely worth a look." The boss placed a large portion of steak on the bearded man's table and a small bowl of peeled melon in front of Hopper.

"A little treat from the chef for Miss Beautiful," he said with a playful wink. "I hope you enjoy the occasion."

"Ignore him, dear lady," the waitress said, pushing the boss aside and serving a grilled fish half a man's length to the bearded man's table. She was about the same age as the boss, and they probably had a good relationship. "Our little Ronnie is obsessed with that blonde princess. He changed the tavern sign to "White Teeth" because she smiled at him. If his father were still alive, he'd probably be paralyzed."

"So what? Prince Piper changed the name of the entire town to Blonde Town for Miss Natalie," Ronnie retorted unconvincedly, "I'm just imitating him."

"He is Miss Natalie's father, that's why he loves her so much. But you are not her brother."

This made Ronnie's face turn red, and the drinkers all burst into friendly laughter.

"Ma'am, you come from far away. Please tell us about your journey." The bearded man laughed and changed the subject, which helped Ronnie out of the predicament.

Hopper rolled his eyes and stepped on Ziz's foot under the table. Instead of letting him refuse, he smiled and said, "Of course, but we just arrived in the beautiful town of Blonde. You can't listen to my story for free. You have to exchange it for stories."

The bearded man laughed heartily and leaned back in his chair. Apparently, a beautiful lady has the right to be a little willful wherever she goes.

Hopper concluded his story with these words: "Finally, Miss Judy, clutching her wounds amidst the radiance, was led by a black-winged angel into a world of endless splendor and eternity." She felt no compunction about repurposing Judith's choreography, "Hymn of the Sword," for recycling.

"Ah, what a touching story" Ronnie wiped his eyes with his apron, and the waitress next to him yawned.

"Now it's your turn~"

The bearded man took a swig of beer, wiped his mouth, thought for a moment, and said, "My journey has been dull and tedious, so I'll tell you a local story."

"Legend has it that before Jinfa Town was even called Jinfa Town, there lived three beautiful, kind, and fair fairies in the great forest outside the town. They were willing to provide all sorts of things to the villagers, but each item required barter."

"Wait a minute," the waitress interrupted him, "the story my mother told me was about three kind old ladies."

Ronnie glared at her and motioned for the bearded man to continue.

"A beggar, desperate, walked into a fairy ring and begged the fairies for a loaf of bread. The eldest fairy said, 'Poor fellow, what can you give me in exchange?' The beggar had no money, and hunger and thirst burned his heart like fire. Without hesitation, he said, 'Anything is fine, great fairy, even everything I have.' The fairies laughed and gave the beggar more bread than he could ever eat. They also took him to their house and let him live happily with them. 'That's just like you giving us everything,' the fairies said."

"A merchant, having heard of the wonders of fairies, attempted to enter their circle. He had been lonely for too long. A second fairy, with tender affection, said, 'Dear merchant, what are you willing to give us in exchange? We offer you everything.' The merchant's eyes widened as he saw the beautiful fairy. Without hesitation, he said, 'Beautiful fairy, I would give you all my money if I could marry you.' The merchant's impulsiveness angered the fairy, but she had no choice but to honor the agreement. So, she married him. Five years later, he died of illness, leaving all his wealth to the fairy."

"Finally, a worried queen walked into the fairy ring with suspicion and asked the fairies to give her a child."

"'I cannot give you the throne,' said the proud and stingy queen, 'nor can I open my treasure house to you; that belongs to my husband. All I have are my duties and obligations; can you take those?' The fairies were enraged by the queen's attitude, but they still agreed to her request. Soon the queen became pregnant and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. However, she died on the day of childbirth, and the fairies used death to take away her duties and obligations."

"This is the story of the three fairies."

Author's Note: The website seems to be a bit out of order, so it's not running regularly.

Chapter 221: Death is Imminent

"What a thought-provoking story," Hopper applauded enthusiastically. "I've never heard of a fairy tale like it."

"This isn't some fairy tale," Ronnie said seriously. "These three fairies really exist."

This answer was beyond the expectations of Hopper and the other two. They originally thought that there were no other alien races in this world.

"Aha, you mean, these beautiful fairies that grant wishes are real?" Lightning caught Hopper's eye and sneered, "Have you ever seen one? I thought people in Blonde Town weren't superstitious."

The young tavern owner seemed enraged, his cheeks puffed up. Several townspeople at the surrounding tables also had sullen expressions.

"This may be your first time in Jinfa Town, sir," the waitress sensed the awkwardness in the atmosphere and immediately interjected to smooth things over. "But for us, these fairies are not only real, but quite a few people have even seen them."

"Please forgive my servant's rudeness. He is really uneducated." Hopper slandered Lightning without changing his expression. "I have also seen some wizards who can create wonderful light and shadow effects during my travels. No offense, I have never seen such magical fairies as you describe anywhere else."

After the waitress's interruption, the boss Ronnie's anger subsided considerably. He put on a familiar smile and said, "You may not have heard of them, but many older people in Golden Hair Town have seen these three fairies. They are Miss Natalie's godmothers. When Miss Natalie was born, they emerged from the forest, each bringing her gifts and blessings."

"Oh, is that so?" Hopper nodded, then pretended to suddenly remember something and asked, "By the way, what did the three fairy godmothers ask for in exchange?"

"Haha," Ronnie laughed out loud. "You took that story seriously. After all, stories are meant to educate children, and there will be deviations from reality. I believe Prince Piper must have given the three fairies generous rewards, but he certainly didn't give them the exaggerated things in the story. You will find out soon, they will also attend Miss Natalie's coming-of-age ceremony."

"Ah, that's just how I am. I tend to take legends seriously." Hopper pretended to knock his head and stuck out his tongue, causing the men around him to laugh.

Lightning and Zis both looked at her in shock, as if they couldn't believe that the ferocious demon could be so humble.

Hopper didn't bother to pay attention to them. Just when he was about to strike while the iron was hot to find out more information, the door of the hotel was pushed open, and everyone turned to see who the visitor was.

The man closing the door was wearing a short cloak and oversized boots, and his round head was very eye-catching. When he turned around and exposed his face to the candlelight, Hopper recognized him as the guard on the city wall today.

"Lancelot! Why are you here so late?" Ronnie and the waitress quickly got up from their seats and gave him the seat near the fire.

Guard Lancelot mumbled a thank you, sat down by the stove, stretched out his legs, and groaned in comfort.

"Here, drink this quickly. I added a tablespoon of butter and cinnamon powder to drive away the coldness in your body." The waitress swiftly brought out a large glass of ale from the kitchen and stuffed it into the guard's hand.

"Thank you, Christine," the guard gratefully accepted, taking a long swig. "I really needed this. This journey has chilled me to the bone."

Lancelot's mouth was covered with fine down, and he looked about 16 years old, yet his tone was full of age. Hopper felt that he was a child deliberately imitating adults.

"What happened?" Ronnie sat down again and urged the guard to speak quickly.

"I told you not to be afraid. Three more people died. I just went to check on the bodies."

"What?" Ronnie was shocked, and the other locals in the tavern also became nervous. "Who is it? Where is it? It can't be..."

"It's not the 'Red Death', don't worry," Lancelot quickly explained, seemingly not realizing his pretentious words had caused misunderstanding. Hearing this, the tavern's patrons breathed a sigh of relief.

"The dead were the three washerwomen from the other side of the forest. When the hunter found them, they were all curled up in their beds, frozen to death."

"Oh, it's them," Christine said sadly. "They've lived in the forest for years. Although they look scary and don't often come to town, they've never hurt anyone. I'm quite sad to hear this news. When I was a child, they washed clothes by the river in the forest."

"Yeah," Ronnie said with emotion, "I saw them washing clothes when I was a kid. Are they buried now?"

"Thank the gods, this is not my business." Lancelot took another swig, the foam clinging to his upper lip like a sudden white beard. "Master Corbylio's apprentice and the monastery's bachelor have taken over the task of arranging the remains. Otherwise, I would have to move them back."

Ronnie nodded, and it seemed that he was relieved after confirming that it was not the Red Death.

"That's good. Everyone is in a state of panic right now because of the series of deaths. Fortunately, Master Oha can now smoothly take over these tasks."