Lord: Starting from a Goblin Nest

”This... Technically, this isn’t something I should be telling an outsider, especially a mortal,” the Desire Demon hesitated, then grit its teeth. ”But since this matter concerns you, I suppose you don’t really count as an outsider.”

”Recently, during our engagements with the Abyss, we’ve discovered Abyssal Silver Weapons in circulation.” The Desire Demon glanced at the crudely made ”spears” on the ground. ”Not these, but expertly forged weapons from a Demon Artisan.”

”Although they haven’t appeared on a large scale yet, when Abyssal Silver Weapons end up in the hands of high-ranking demons, they still cause us significant harm. To prevent these unplanned losses from escalating, Duke Zarell, commander of the Blood War, ordered a full investigation. And I happen to be one of the investigators sent into the Abyss.”

The Desire Demon carefully picked up the wooden shaft of a ”spear” from the ground, holding up the piece of Abyssal Silver Ore tied to its tip. ”This job should have been laughably easy. Most demons are greedy, brainless fools. I disguised myself as a succubus, effortlessly gained the trust of the merchant selling the Abyssal Silver Weapons, and even wheedled the location of the Demon Artisan who forges them out of him. But just as I was preparing to pay a price to acquire all of the Abyssal Silver Weapons, the unexpected occurred.”

A terror etched into its very bones surfaced in the Desire Demon’s red-and-black eyes. ”I don’t know which Demon Lord’s avatar was passing by, but he only had to look at me once to strip away all my disguises. He even stole most of my power! Damn it, my informant never told me a Demon Lord’s avatar would be out for a casual stroll at that particular time!”

”The artisan, of course, refused to deal with me any further and even called the guards to arrest me. In my haste, I spotted a weak point in the spatial fabric in a corner of his shop. I didn’t have time to think—I just rammed my way through it, and then...”

”There’s a group of Babu Demons here who work for that artisan. They’ve been stealing ore from my mine and giving it to their employer.” Ron could guess what happened next. ”But you’re a Desire Demon, for crying out loud. Even if they had Abyssal Silver Ore, how could you end up in such a pathetic state?”

”Pathetic?” The Desire Demon’s laugh was strained. ”My dear, the rift I came through wasn’t a one-way street. I had at least six guards right behind me trying to capture me! If I hadn’t paid a steep price to seal that fissure, your fate would have been far worse than mine!”

”Do you have any idea how hard it is to maintain even a semblance of order in the Abyss? Every single one of those guards is an elite among high-ranking demons. Any one of them could take on ten of me!”

”You’re full of it, aren’t you? Just trying to make yourself sound important?” Sera pursed her lips. ”If the Abyss is really that powerful, how have you devils managed to fight them to a stalemate all this time?”

”Because they are inherently chaotic, of course,” the Desire Demon shot the barbarian a disdainful look. ”They are constantly fighting among themselves and tearing each other down, and their methods are almost always violent, not cunning. They actually managed to conquer Avernus once, but because of that innate flaw, they’ve since been almost completely driven out.”

”So, I suppose I should be thanking you,” Ron said, walking over to the spot where he remembered the Abyssal Energy leaking through. A new, somewhat messy seal confirmed that it had only recently been closed. ”Tell me, is there any chance the demons could break through from the other side?”

”Impossible. This was never a stable passage to begin with,” the Desire Demon stated firmly. ”Before you, some mortal must have colluded with a demon and performed a ritual on this side, which is what caused the rift in the first place. As long as you keep any Demon Believers away from it, the seal won’t break on its own for at least three months.”

A cunning glint flashed in the Desire Demon’s eyes. ”Of course, you could also entrust this matter to me. I promise no other demon will come through here for as long as you live.”

”For an additional price, of course.”

She was telling the truth. The seal really wouldn’t break within three months. In fact, without external interference, it wouldn’t be a problem for decades—a devil would never be careless in matters concerning demons. She was just trying to seize the opportunity to make a quick profit.

”Then let’s revisit this issue in three months,” Ron replied, not taking the bait. ”However, I have a counter-proposal. You wanted to buy out the Demon Artisan’s stock of Abyssal Silver Weapons, right? How about we cut off their supply of raw materials at the source instead?”

”I have never made a deal with a demon in my life. And I would be thrilled if I could find a good buyer for the ore in my domain.”

”And as for you, if the number of new Abyssal Silver Weapons is reduced, that would all be to your credit. I hear that both devils and demons have their own unique systems for advancement. With an accomplishment like this under your belt, your promotion...”

”Ascension... to a Pleasure Devil...” The Desire Demon was clearly tempted. Advancement didn’t just mean a higher status; it meant being able to leave the tediousness of the Hells and undertake long-term missions on the material plane. It would be lying if she said such a prospect wasn’t enticing.

’But would a mortal really be so kind-hearted?’

”Don’t try that routine on me,” the Desire Demon scoffed. ”That’s a line I’ve been using for centuries! Are you trying to use our own Magic against me?”

”Whether it’s Magic or a fact is something you know best,” Ron said, unhurried. ”If you don’t accept this deal... well, getting discovered while infiltrating the Abyss is going to be a hard thing to explain to your superiors, isn’t it?”

”Not to mention that you fled to another plane. What you were up to during that time would also warrant an investigation... For instance, visiting one of the very places where Abyssal Silver Ore is produced, only to turn a blind eye?”

”You’re threatening a devil, mortal. Do you have any idea what the consequences will be?”

”The consequences will be me cooperating directly with your superior, while you get tossed onto the battlefield as cannon fodder,” Ron said calmly, looking at the Desire Demon who was all bluster and no bite. ”Remember? The Duke.”

An old trick, but an effective one.

Thinking of the mountains of corpses and rivers of blood she had seen when she left the Hells and passed through Avernus, the fiery red of the Desire Demon’s form seemed to pale slightly. She mulled it over for a long moment before finally agreeing to consider Ron’s proposal. ”Fine. What’s your price?”

Ron shot Aive a helpless look. The Half-Elf understood at once and stepped forward. ”We can process the ore into ingots first, same specifications as precious metals—two kilograms an ingot, which is about five pounds. As for the price... let’s say one thousand five hundred Gold Coins per ingot. How does that sound?”

CLANG.

The Desire Demon slammed the ”spear” in her hand onto the ground. She dug a finger into her ear as if to clean it out, staring in disbelief at the Half-Elf and her exorbitant price.

”Say that again. How much?!”