"Sword and Broken Blade Inn?"
What a name.
Royan had just taken a seat in the tavern, resting his suitcase at his feet, when a waitress in a short skirt came trotting over, carrying a tray and speaking in a cheerful voice.
"Sir, may I ask what you would like to drink…"
Her words stopped midway. The handsome face before her had captured all her attention.
Sharp, defined features. A slightly upturned, high-bridged nose. Dark purple, almost black, wavy hair, and piercing black eyes. Even with the travel-worn look, his presence radiated an unmistakable intensity.
She occasionally encountered attractive customers here, but a face so striking and full of story was rare.
An Os Empire noble? His pale skin suggested he spent much time in a castle…
Before the waitress could fully process it, Royan had already scanned the menu and casually placed his order.
"A cup of honey water, and ten pieces of bread… If you have a bag, I'll need one."
The waitress blinked and quickly regained her composure.
"Right away! Sir, by the way, we also offer lodging. If you haven't found a place to stay, you might consider our inn."
Noticing his suitcase, she took the opportunity to promote their rooms.
For Royan, staying here was too risky.
He had heard of killers returning to the scene of their crime, but never of one staying right next to the police station.
At that moment, he was less than ten meters from the Adventurer's Guild, surrounded by adventurers.
Even if these people felt a twinge of sympathy for a Demon King, if they knew he was sitting right next to them, Royan was certain he'd already be on the floor.
Why he was "taking the risk" and sitting here was a story for another time.
Hours earlier, he had stepped onto a teleportation circle, crossing several time zones from the far western Demon City to the northeastern coast of the Whirlpool Sea, in the center of the Os Continent.
But things went sideways. Royan never expected the Interior Ministry's teleportation circles to be so unreliable. He had aimed for the dungeon beneath Thunder City but ended up on the surface instead.
When he came to, he was standing in a nearby alley.
The parade of Duke Campbell was passing, and when his sharp eyes met theirs, he felt his heartbeat stop for a moment.
Fortunately, a Bronze-ranked necromancer like him drew little attention.
The crowd's gaze was fixed on the knights on the street, leaving him completely unnoticed.
Otherwise, he wouldn't even need the knights he would have been lost in the sea of citizens in an instant.
This confirmed a long-held belief of his: a Bronze-ranked necromancer was completely unnoticeable.
Having met the Chosen Hero, he was confident that even if that old noble sniffed him up close, they wouldn't detect a trace of hellish aura.
Of course, he had no intention of testing that.
The adventurers in the tavern soon noticed the unusual customer.
But none suspected a visitor from hell. They assumed he was a noble of some sort, instinctively lowering their voices and whispering among themselves.
"What's his deal?"
"Who knows… probably from out of town. Maybe a guest of the Campbell family?"
"A guest of the Campbells here? Could be the mayor or the Andes family's guest…"
"What's he doing here?"
"Maybe posting a commission… Let's just watch."
Royan paid them no mind. He wasn't concerned about their whispers or prying eyes.
A straight posture hides no flaws, and he doubted any of them could detect anything unusual.
While they observed him, he studied them in return.
Daggers, battle-axes, bows, and muskets. Their equipment was ordinary, but in the dungeon, flashy gear was unnecessary.
"The surface world isn't much different from the books. These muskets are likely creations of Isaac IV, but they pose no real threat to the knights' rule."
After all, supernatural power in this world depended on the soul, and indirectly on bloodline. Objectively, this system effectively suppressed any rising power that might come with firearms.
But that was not his priority.
He was the Demon King from Hell. He had far more important things to worry about.
"This Dragon Demon King's territory is probably more complicated than the Interior Ministry imagines."
As the waitress brought him the honey water, Royan tried to sort through his thoughts.
The teleportation circle malfunction was unlikely; the magic had worked. He had indeed been teleported, just not where expected.
Only one possibility remained:
Someone had erased the dungeon's teleportation circle.
And more than that, they deliberately placed a new one in the alley, waiting for the new Demon King to arrive and lose consciousness.
The reason?
Easy to guess. His power was too weak. If the Ministry had sent a Diamond-ranked demon, they would have been flattened on arrival.
"Ugh… these amateurs. No chance of starting anything with them. Better make them contribute more firepower."
Good.
It saved him the trouble of testing their loyalty. A single strike would do.
As Royan quietly calculated, a group nearby had already noticed him.
Adventurers were a mixed bunch.
Some worked daytime commissions and earned extra at the thieves' guild at night.
Although official commissions were serious, this tavern right next to the Adventurer's Guild was neutral ground.
Several burly men exchanged glances, ultimately focusing on the lone female thief in a small leather jacket.
She understood their intent.
Glancing at her companions, she sauntered over to the man with the suitcase and sat down, whistling casually.
"Hey, buddy, where do you make your money?"
She had pulled her neckline down slightly, revealing a subtle curve of her chest.
A clever trick for men, though still not quite a succubus-level temptation.
The men at the door were likely her accomplices.
Royan set down his cup, acting flustered but calm, pretending this was his first time here while clearly used to the scene.
"Do I look like someone with money?"
She squinted, glancing at the ring on his right hand.
Gold? Hard to tell if plated or solid. The gem alone looked valuable.
A flicker of greed crossed her eyes, then she looked away, pretending disinterest.
"So you're looking for ways to make money?"
"You have one?"
"Of course."
The thief smiled and extended her right hand.
"Chris."
"Qin Shi Huang."
Royan shook her hand, intending to withdraw it, but she didn't let go, lightly rubbing her fingertip against his palm.
"Qin Shi Huang? Weird name. Are you from the Os Empire or the northern provinces? Your skin's smooth… let me guess, a magician?"
"Just Black Iron-ranked."
Royan shyly withdrew his hand.
Chris giggled at his awkwardness, patting his shoulder.
"Alright, enough teasing. Black Iron magicians aren't uncommon here. The stronger ones either work for guilds or lords and rarely adventure outside. Actually, we're short a mage. Want to join?"
Royan: "Your team?"
Chris: "Silver Crescent. You've probably heard our name if you're around here often."
Royan: "That name… is it famous?"
"Very, very famous. We're a top dungeon exploration team." She leaned in, lowering her voice, "I'll let you in on a secret don't tell anyone we recently found a hidden path in a dungeon, probably leading straight to the Demon King's treasure."
Royan's eyes widened.
"Really?"
"Of course! Would I lie?" Chris laughed, patting him on the shoulder. "So? Since you know magic, how about joining us?"
"Sure! Definitely take me! Wait, I need to pay for my order first "
Excited, Royan jumped up as if blinded by fortune.
The waitress approached, and before Royan could reach for his coin, Chris tossed the payment and tip onto her tray.
"This one's on me! Consider it a celebration for joining Silver Crescent! When you get rich, don't forget me."
She shot a sly glare at the interfering waitress.
The waitress turned pale, her legs trembling. Though she wanted to warn Royan, she bowed her head, knowing some things were beyond her control.
Following Chris, Royan picked up his suitcase and left the tavern.
Looks like these people could guide him into the dungeon.
He had worried about needing a guide now he had both a guide and temporary bodyguards.
The clamor inside the tavern continued uninterrupted.
Watching the young man leave, many adventurers smirked.
Poor guy, getting targeted by Silver Crescent.
No matter. Next life, just be more careful.