As evening approached, the orange-red sunset illuminated the unnamed city. Inside the tavern, Lu Minghao was watching Sophie with a smile as she heartily challenged other adventurers to drinking contests. Beside him, Sally was lowering her head, continuously stuffing food into her mouth. Her chubby cheeks moved up and down as she chewed, occasionally offering a particularly delicious morsel to Lu Minghao's lips.
Since successfully joining the Crimson Rose at noon, Lu Minghao and Sally had been acting like ordinary adventurers, getting to know their teammates. With Sophie's careful guidance, they had successfully integrated into the team.
Although they weren't yet teammates who could entrust their lives to each other, they had at least gained some understanding of one another and become members of the team.
"How interesting, to have such a rugged exterior but such a delicate heart."
The next moment, Lu Minghao opened his mouth and ate the roasted meat that Sally offered. He watched Sophie, who had already defeated three burly men in drinking contests without showing any signs of intoxication. Despite her current rough and wild appearance, she was actually incredibly perceptive and had subtly guided Lu Minghao and Sally into the team.
Moreover, Lu Minghao was certain that Sophie had been secretly observing him and Sally throughout the process, even analyzing parts of their personalities. However, all of this was just what Lu Minghao and Sally had intentionally revealed.
"That's just how Captain is. But Minghao, little brother, and Sally, why would you think of participating in this mission at such a young age?"
At that moment, Bella, the team's assassin, approached Lu Minghao. She casually handed him a glass of juice and then looked at Lu Minghao and Sally with a seemingly nonchalant expression. Considering Sally and Lu Minghao's appearances and their strength,
it could be said that they had unlimited potential. In the future, they might even become powerful High-level Mages. Yet, they had come to participate in this almost certainly fatal subjugation mission.
It should be known that, currently, throughout the Western Nations, whether it be adventurers, nobles, or even commoners, almost everyone already knew how powerful the monsters that emerged from the Edoras Kingdom were. In a short period of time, four major kingdoms had been completely destroyed. And recently, after those monsters mysteriously disappeared for three days,
now, even more monsters had appeared and were launching a frantic attack in four directions. There was even accurate information that each monster army in each direction had a Demon Lord-level powerful being.
Recently, although many adventurers had come to the Adventurers Guild to accept subjugation missions, in reality, more adventurers, nobles, and even commoners had already begun to leave, wanting to escape the Western Nations.
Those adventurers who stayed either wanted the mission's high rewards or wanted to protect their homes. As for those kingdoms and nobles who stayed to participate in this battle, it was only because all their wealth and status were here. They couldn't leave, nor was it possible for them to leave.
However, they must have already prepared a backup plan, secretly sending a portion of their wealth and family members out of the Western Nations. But even in this situation, Sally and Lu Minghao, who looked anything but simple, had participated in this near-certain death mission.
"Bella, are you trying to ask why Sally and I didn't run away?"
Lu Minghao raised his head, looked at Bella, and smiled lightly as he spoke. Then, he turned his head to look at the lively and bustling tavern. Many adventurers were gathered here, reveling. There were even quite a few adventurers who had just met for the first time and returned to their rooms if they found each other pleasing to the eye.
"Yes, that's right. After all, with your and Sally's strength, Minghao, little brother, and being so young, you could live well in any kingdom."
"Because I deeply love this land. Although this isn't where I was born, it's where I grew up. Everything I have is here, including what I care about. If I leave, who will protect all of this? Besides, aren't you the same, Bella?"
A few seconds later, Lu Minghao turned his head, a gentle yet firm smile on his face as he looked at Bella. What Lu Minghao said was indeed true. It was thanks to the help of so many good neighbors in the Western Nations that Lu Minghao was able to grow and awaken as a Demon Lord.
His familiars, the Gluttony Kingdom, and the disposable tools plus backup food, the Gluttony Monsters, were all here. How could Lu Minghao leave? This would be his kingdom, and he truly loved this land deeply. After all, almost all the nourishment and souls he needed to grow were given by this land.
In short, in one sentence, Lu Minghao didn't lie, nor did he bother to lie. At most, his way of speaking was just a little bit euphemistic.
"Minghao, well said!"
Before Bella could speak, a large hand heavily patted Lu Minghao's shoulder. Immediately afterward, Lu Minghao was embraced. Sophie's rugged, square face appeared in front of Lu Minghao, looking at him with approval.
On the opposite side, the gazes of the other three members of the Rose team toward Lu Minghao also held more approval. They were indeed adventurers born in the Western Nations, and that was precisely why they wanted to stay and protect their homes.
However, the three of them didn't notice that Sally, who was on the side, was now looking at Lu Minghao with admiration, nodding her little head repeatedly as if she had learned something again.
"This time, we will definitely be able to completely exterminate those monsters! You should know that this time, the entire Western Nations has gathered all of their strength. Moreover, I heard that there are also Hero teams from other top-tier kingdoms coming to help!"
As she spoke, Sophie patted Lu Minghao forcefully again, her face full of confident smiles. As the captain of an adventurer team that could already be considered an elite squad, Sophie had quite a few inside scoops.
"Hero teams from other top-tier kingdoms, huh? That's really reassuring!"
Lu Minghao looked at Sophie, who was already a little drunk, and a faint smile appeared on his lips. His dark pupils became even deeper, like a bottomless abyss. The next moment, they returned to normal again.
"Captain, you're a little drunk!"
At this moment, Elena, who was shrouded in a black robe, stood up. Her silver bell-like voice rang out, and then she pulled Sophie away from Lu Minghao. After nodding to Lu Minghao, she helped Sophie leave.
It should be known that only a small number of people knew about the things that Sophie had just said. Their team was able to know because Sophie and Elena's identities were relatively special. In order to cause the greatest damage to those behind the monsters, the information about that Hero team could now be considered classified. That was why Elena took Sophie away.
It was to prevent her from saying anything more while drunk.
"It seems that Captain has drunk too much tonight, but it's almost time to rest anyway."
Bella looked at the two who left, deliberately laughed a few times to ease the atmosphere, and then returned to her room. Seeing this, Lu Minghao and Sally also showed an understanding look, picked up the key that Sophie had given him earlier, and walked toward their room.
Before long, all the members of the Crimson Rose team had returned to their respective rooms, while the adventurers in the tavern were still reveling. After all, in three days, they would leave this place and officially begin the subjugation mission.
On the second floor of the tavern, as soon as Sally entered the room, she couldn't wait to pounce on the bed. A pair of small, cute black demon horns appeared on her originally smooth forehead. At the same time, the shadows in the room began to twist and lengthen, sealing the entire room.
"Minghao, should we secretly go and kill that Hero team later?"
On the bed, Sally sat up and looked at Lu Minghao with excitement and anticipation. Sally was now very much looking forward to the Heroes. After all, she had almost been killed by a Hero before. Now that her strength had greatly increased, she definitely wanted to try her hand against a Hero.
Moreover, Sally was also full of anticipation for the powerful and unique skills that only Heroes possessed.
Pa!
"What are you talking about? We are now just ordinary adventurers. Besides, even if we want to find trouble with those Heroes, we have to investigate their skills and strength first. It's best if we can get their descriptions and launch a wave of poisoning and sneak attacks."
Looking at Sally, who was full of excitement, Lu Minghao raised his hand and gently tapped her on the head, looking at her with a serious and earnest expression. Lu Minghao had never underestimated the strength of the Heroes.
Although he was now a Calamity-class Demon Lord, the lesson of the Calamity-class Storm Dragon Veldora, who was defeated and sealed by a [Summoner], was still fresh in his mind. If it weren't for Rimuru's appearance, he would have died in a hundred years. It should be known that among the Heroes, there were Awakeners whose strength rivaled True Demons, and Transcendents whose strength even surpassed ordinary True Demon Lords.
Therefore, he couldn't be careless. He still had to play it safe.
Otherwise, why would Lu Minghao bring Sally to disguise themselves as ordinary adventurers? Wasn't it because Lu Minghao clearly knew that if he wanted to destroy the entire Western Nations and establish his own Gluttony Kingdom, it would definitely attract the attention of other powerful beings in the world?
"Mm-hmm, Sally understands."
Opposite him, Sally nodded her little head obediently, looking as if she had learned something again.
"Also, Sally, have you noticed that our team isn't as simple as it seems on the surface?"
The next moment, Lu Minghao turned his head and looked at the room next door. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he was so close, Lu Minghao could clearly sense that his captain's room was shrouded in layers of magic barriers. Through the magic barriers, Lu Minghao sensed a scorching heat, a magic power filled with despair and anger.
This magic power felt completely different to Lu Minghao compared to ordinary human magic power. Coupled with his two ultimate skills [Lord of Evil] and [Lord of Original Sin], which allowed him to control and sense negative emotions, Lu Minghao's gaze toward Sophie's room became even deeper.
"What a strange magic power aura, completely composed of anger and despair. Everything else seems empty. However, the owner of this magic power aura seems to be injured, and very seriously."
On the side, Sally also nodded her little head and said. As a Demon Lord Seed, she could also clearly sense the magic power aura inside through the magic barriers. The owner of that magic power aura possessed at least the strength of a High-level Demon, but was very weak.
