Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World

Chapter 860: Envoys on the Black Sea

Asmodeus stood silently watching as the distant fleet approached, his teeth sinking deeply into the inner flesh of his lips, trying to soothe his anger.

’These damn Imperial dogs!’

"It’s the Empire! The Empire’s Imperial Fleet is approaching!"

For a moment, the wind itself seemed to stop.

Asmodeus turned toward the eastern horizon as the shouts spread from ship to ship. Sailors abandoned their rhythm. The once calm Golden Hare mercenaries rushed across wet decks, avoiding accidents as they shot signal flares in frantic colours while horns screamed through the fleet.

’Of course it couldn’t be simple...’

His fingers tightened around the rail until the reinforced wood cracked beneath his grip.

The Human Empire had chosen the worst possible time to appear, not during their preparation or mid-battle, but right on the border before the fleet even had a chance to set sail and gather their morale.

To many of the humans, the Imperial fleet remained a symbol of terror.

"Stop panicking! Adjust the sails, prepare for battle!"

Unlike many of the others, Brando faced the sudden changes without issues. He rushed to the tip of his ship’s bow and held a spyglass to his right eye.

"There are quite a lot of warships... fuck!"

There was a pooled anger that rose within his chest, a cold, hungry beast that whispered for him to strike, to slaughter the humans opposing him.

Velvet’s hand tightened around his, "Darling, don’t be hasty."

"I know."

He released the broken rail and stepped back.

The fancy coat he wore flickered in the sharp sea breeze as a dark, blood-red aura undulated around his body like countless tendrils.

His coat dissolved into black mist, replaced by fitted combat attire reinforced with demonic scales, layered leather and light metal plates that hugged his shoulders, chest and arms. A long black and red mantle fluttered behind him with edges coated in bloody flames.

The crest of Lumeria’s imperial throne stitched on the back in a vivid display.

Nerim and Levia didn’t hesitate as they grabbed their weapons and wrapped themselves in their combat armour. Although they seemed disgruntled that the calm ended, demons loved to fight, and that sentiment soon faded.

Brando stood near the front of his ship, bald head gleaming beneath the dull light, cane in one hand and a spyglass in the other. Even from this distance, Asmodeus could see the tension in his shoulders.

The man looked ready to bite a warship in half.

Asmodeus spread his wings and launched from the flagship.

He crossed the churning water like a black comet, landing beside Brando hard enough to make the deck groan.

Brando lowered the spyglass.

"Your Majesty, these Imperial bastards sure pick the perfect time to show up! They’re like mangy rats who snuck onto a ship!"

Asmodeus shook his head with a smile. "Give me a report, stop playing around."

The bald merchant turned navy commander grumbled, the heavy crossbow on his back shifting with his movement as he handed Asmodeus the lens.

"Take a look, it’s quite simple."

Asmodeus raised the spyglass.

The distant shape on the horizon sharpened into rows of white sails, gold-trimmed hulls and steel-plated warships cutting through the ugly waters in disciplined formation. Their lead vessels carried the sunburst banner of the Holy Mainland Empire, bright enough to look arrogant even beneath the dull sky.

There were too many of them for a scouting party.

However, there were too few for an invasion.

’Are they an envoy fleet just showing their power and might?’

He couldn’t be sure, but that would make things trickier if they were an envoy... If they came with cannons raised, he could crush them. If they came with diplomats aboard, then every movement chained him in place, risking a war with the Holy Empire.

"Thirty-seven visible ships," Asmodeus said.

"Thirty-nine," Brando corrected. "Two are hiding behind the left carrier, using the waves to mask their hulls. Although I want to call them amateurs.... the bastards seem to be quite skilled, Your Majesty."

Asmodeus shook visibly at the way Brando spoke.

"Cut the serious talk... just call me like you usually do."

Asmodeus adjusted the lens.

The central vessel stood larger than the rest, its bow carved into the shape of a winged saint holding a sword. White banners fell from its masts, each one embroidered with gold scripture. Figures stood upon the forward deck.

A handsome man in immaculate white and gold attire watched Lumeria’s fleet without a trace of fear. Golden-blond hair, calm ocean-blue eyes, posture polished to the point of insult.

Beside him stood a woman in engraved battle armour beneath a white mantle.

Though beautiful, she carried a sharp and unwelcoming aura.

"Those two aren’t sailors... they also seem to match the description my wife gave..."

His mind trailed back to the two "Envoys" who had offended Serena, but she allowed them to live, to avoid troubling him.

Asmodeus lowered the spyglass.

The Imperial fleet continued to approach, but their cannons remained silent. There was no shift into attacking formations, spell circles and runes activated... the bastards didn’t even change their speed.

’What the hell are they doing?’

A dark temptation to burn their entire fleet with his Sanguine Devastation bloomed while watching the arrogant woman glaring at their fleet.

Brando spat over the side of the ship.

"Want me to signal a warning shot?"

"No."

"Ack! What a damn shame..."

The way he spoke brought back memories of another friend of his, Asmoeus, thinking about the dwarves he’d given shelter to in the western mountains of his territory.

’If only he wanted to join me...’

"Prepare one anyway."

Brando’s ugly grin returned as he eagerly shouted back to his men.

Asmodeus looked toward the approaching fleet as his mantle snapped behind him.

"Send a signal for them to stop. If they ignore it, then you have my permission to blow them out of the water, Brother."

"!!!!" Brando’s face beamed as he rushed off even faster.

...

Brando wasted no time in his efforts.

Signal flares shot from the command vessel, bursting red and black above the fleet. The message spread across the water through flags, horns and enchanted mirrors until every ship in Lumeria’s formation turned its weapons toward the approaching Imperial fleet.

Though he kept his promise, it was a warning, not an attack.

The Human Empire answered a moment later as their lead ships hurriedly slowed to a crawl, leaving the distance between both fleets wide enough to outrange both sides’ cannons and magic.

Asmodeus watched calmly, his mind constantly analysing their movements.

"They stopped outside the spell range."

Brando clicked his tongue. "Smart rats."

"Keep your men ready."

"You don’t even need to say it, Brother."

Asmodeus stepped onto the rail again, the wind catching his black and red mantle as bloody flames licked along the edges. He did not wait for an escort. If the Empire wanted to interrupt his hunt, they could explain themselves to his face.

His wings spread.

The deck shook as he launched into the sky.

The ocean dropped beneath him in a violent blur of dark blue water and sails.

Several Imperial soldiers shouted when his shadow crossed their ships. Ballista crews reached for their weapons, only for officers to bark them down as he landed before they could even prepare the bolts.

Asmodeus landed on the Human Empire’s flagship with enough force to split a line through the polished deck.

Every knight nearby reached for their swords.

He did not look at them.

His gaze settled on the golden-blond man standing at the centre of the bow.

The envoy did not flinch. His white-and-gold attire remained immaculate despite the sea wind, and his ocean-blue eyes measured Asmodeus with the calm dislike of a man trained to insult without raising his voice.

’Though not to Darius’s level... It’s quite impressive.’

Asmodeus chuckled before switching his gaze to the womban in the white mantle.

To his surprise, she stepped forward.

With burnt gold eyes, she glared at him with her hand resting on the hilt of her sword.

Asmodeus smiled.

"I dare you to draw it."

The woman’s gaze sharpened before her lips curled.

"Do you think I dare not?"

"Caelith," the man said softly.

The single word stopped her in her tracks, the atmosphere between him and the human instantly fizzling to the background.

’What a charming young woman... I want to beat her down, and spank her ass!’

Asmodeus glanced between them.

"So, what do Imperial dogs want, daring to sail into Lumerian Waters? Are you asking for an all-out war between our empires...?"

The envoy inclined his head with polished grace.

"Your Imperial Majesty, I am Albrecht Valerius, High Ecclesiastical Envoy of the Holy Mainland Empire. This is Knight-Templar Caelith Ignivar of the Radiant Creed."

"Well, your name was Caelith... a strange but rather delicate name."

"You!!!"

Asmodeus pushed the young woman, enjoying the way she struggled to keep herself in check, occasionally peeking at the man.

"So, that doesn’t answer why you are here."

Albrecht’s faint smile did not change.

"No, it does not."

Caelith’s fingers tightened around her sword, but she remained silent this time. Her crimson-gold eyes stayed fixed on Asmodeus, filled with molten hatred that did not need words to be understood.

Albrecht stepped forward instead.

"The Holy Mainland Empire has no interest in engaging Lumeria’s fleet today."

"How generous."

"We also have no interest in allowing Leviathan to wake beneath a sea shared by both our nations."

Asmodeus narrowed his eyes.

"So you came to help?"

"Help is a generous word." Albrecht folded his hands behind his back. "Let us say our objectives temporarily align."

Caelith scoffed.

"Why must we join hands with monsters! The doctrine says we must smite demons, not join hands with them!"

Asmodeus couldn’t help but smirk, his chest thumping at her lovely show of piety and rejection, stirring something deep within his chest.

"Easy now, little girl, if you get me going..." He wanted to crush her faith, to change the god she prayed to... into him. "You might end up on my bed before you know it."

Caelith’s reaction shocked him.

Her cheeks flushed bright pink as she pointed at him with a shaking fingertip.

"T-Try it, demon, if you so much as touch a hair on my head with that filthy confidence, and I will carve your hands from your wrists before you can as much as smell my scent!"

Woosh~

With an intense gust of wind, Asmodeus vanished.

Before her sword could leave its sheath, his voice sounded behind her ear.

"I do not need to touch you to know you smell afraid."

Her body stiffened.

The surrounding knights drew their blades in a panic, but Asmodeus only stood behind her with his hands folded behind his back, his mantle fluttering in the sea wind. Not a finger touched her.

Not even a strand of hair moved.

Caelith slowly turned her head, her flushed cheeks twisting with rage and embarrassment.

"You filthy—"

"Enough," Albrecht said.

His calm voice cut through the deck before her anger could ignite.

Asmodeus smiled at her trembling glare, leaning closer to her and whispering.

"Careful, little Templar, if you keep stirring my lust. I might pin you down and make you scream my name."

He blew her small ear before springing back to avoid her sudden slash.

"I-I will never lie beneath a filthy demon!"