With the order in hand, the palace servants led Elizabeth's knights to the brothel, while Adam, Amarantha, and Elizabeth herself headed to a cozy estate and settled in a spacious meeting hall. Before them was served aromatic tea, so precious that its value could sustain a whole family of twenty for several years. Yet, for Adam, these expenses had become ordinary, as his income grew with each passing day, and those same 1000 Platinum Dragon Stones no longer held great value for him – like loose change for buying regular ice cream.

With elegance, Elizabeth sipped her tea and closed her eyes, savoring its flavor. However, her reaction was restrained. "I knew you would be delighted," Amarantha smiled, her eyes narrowing mischievously.

"How does she understand everything?" Adam pondered but decided to keep it to himself.

Meanwhile, Elizabeth immersed herself in her thoughts, slowly enjoying the tea, while Amarantha conversed with her about the past. Elizabeth responded sporadically as if floating between two worlds. And as the tea ceremony concluded, Elizabeth suddenly turned to Adam. historical

"Allow me to be concise. I need you, and the city of Sedyon is merely a bonus," Elizabeth declared, directing her gaze straight into Adam's eyes. "What do you want? I am prepared to provide you with all of this if you agree to become my advisor."

Adam pensively closed his eyes. "This requires serious discussions..."

The city of Sedyon was his stronghold, and his involvement was necessary for its successful development. He understood that leaving it now would jeopardize all his efforts. Adam expressed his concerns to Elizabeth.

"You see, without my involvement, the city could stagnate and eventually disappear altogether. I must ensure that everything goes according to plan and that the process remains manageable," Adam said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back in his chair.

Elizabeth nodded, her gaze flickering aside, and a figure in a cloak with a concealed face emerged from the shadows. The mask hid the person's identity.

"This is a warlock I tamed during the 'Witch Hunt,' and he possesses spells to create a portal in both directions," Elizabeth continued, maintaining her expression. "If you agree..."

At this point, she slowed her speech, creating an intriguing pause, as if leaving the decision in Adam's hands. Seeing his interest piqued, Elizabeth decided to continue, this time adding more emotion: "I promise to do everything to elevate you to the highest nobility. In return, you must provide me with your knowledge and technologies!"

At that moment, a hint of her true feelings seemed to slip through, especially when she mentioned Adam's knowledge and technologies. Elizabeth's eyes lit up, and this time Adam could detect traces of emotion, a flicker of excitement in her gaze. Since the beginning of the conversation, Amarantha hadn't uttered a word, folding her hands on her knees and closing her eyes, seemingly trying to retreat into her thoughts and avoid the discussion.

Elizabeth, of course, noticed Amarantha shifting the decision to Adam and observed him with interest, inwardly understanding that their majestic future was unfolding at this moment. Adam, in turn, unconsciously began tapping his index finger on the table, deep in contemplation of the offer, creating a small amount of tension around Elizabeth, far more palpable than what she was experiencing.

"To accept her invitation and become the Queen's advisor... This title is sometimes more important than even that of a count or a marquis. Until this moment, I felt fully vigilant, but considering her familiarity with Amarantha, my suspicions have decreased by at least half," Adam mused, looking into Elizabeth's eyes. His gaze became more intense, and his pupils dilated, turning into deep, black spots as if shrouding the entire eyeball.

As if reflecting Adam's inner struggle, his demonic traits began to emerge. Sharp horns started growing on his forehead, and demonic wings slowly unfurled, creating a gentle breeze that rustled the women's hair, like the breath of dark forces.

"Why aren't you agreeing?" Suddenly, a demonic voice resounded, blending with her words. At that moment, everything in the hall seemed to freeze, and only the demonic whisper pierced the air, audible only to Adam.

"It's complicated. I can't just agree like that." Furrowing his brows and closing his eyes, Adam involuntarily flapped his wings, creating another gust of wind.

The demonic voice, for some reason, didn't subside. Whispers and mutterings irked Adam, but some words reached deep into his heart, touching sensitive strings.

"You fool if you refuse. Avalonia is a strong country with a solid foundation. And she... Elizabeth is offering you power on a silver platter. Handing it to you!" The demonic voice exploded into anger and Adam winced, feeling a headache from the shout. Nevertheless, the demonic voice persisted, speaking with even greater pressure. "Have you forgotten? We are demons. Deceit, manipulation, sins... those are synonyms for our name. Imagine this situation..."

Having reminded Adam, the voice fell silent for a few seconds, then continued with renewed allure: "...You enter the castle, and they treat you as insignificant. Even the courtyard dogs are more respected than you... all because you lack title, authority, or connections. Are you ready to endure their insults?"

"No," Adam firmly replied to the voice, which, as if finding a rope before falling into the abyss, resumed with renewed vigor, whispering joyfully, "Exactly! Because we are proud demons. Humans are nothing more than food to us, sometimes a means of indulgence, you see? He-he-he-he!"

The demonic voice laughed loudly as if it had come up with the funniest joke, and Adam covered his ears in annoyance but couldn't muffle the laughter. Yet, after five seconds, the demonic voice stopped on its own and continued its monologue.

"Don't you envy those nobles who do nothing and live in luxury? It's so unfair." The demonic voice spoke, instilling envy in Adam towards the nobles. "Why are you any worse, my friend? If it were the Chaos Empire, perhaps you'd be a head taller than common folk, but you'd still grovel before others."

"But..." Adam hesitated but was interrupted.

"No 'buts'! You've found an excellent opportunity, and she... Elizabeth is offering you power on a silver platter. And you have that woman – your insurance, don't you?"

The demonic voice chuckled, mentioning Amarantha and its tone dripped with contempt towards her. Adam reacted sharply and rudely, "Hey, you... bastard, watch your words. You're talking about my wife."

His brows furrowed, and a demonic aura inadvertently surged, causing Amarantha to raise an eyebrow in surprise and Elizabeth to narrow her eyes. However, due to their damage levels, they shrugged it off and decided to ignore it.

"Haha, how easily you can be provoked, you whelp," the demonic voice mockingly laughed and changed the subject, sensing Adam's irritation. "Fine, don't pout. What's more important... agree. In Avalonia, there are plenty of strong women that can help elevate you. Understand?"

The demonic voice effortlessly shifted the topic, causing Adam to pause and cool down. The topic of leveling up was delicate and a headache for him, as there weren't many "С+" class practitioners or above in Sedyon.

Opening his eyes, Adam saw that his wings and horns had appeared, and, with a thought, he returned them to his body, noticing Elizabeth's expectant gaze and Amarantha's supportive smile. She had been attentively watching his actions, ready to assist if needed.

Taking Amarantha's hand, Adam locked eyes with Elizabeth, who was looking slightly higher than usual for some reason. Not paying much attention, Adam smiled and spoke, "Shall we discuss the terms?"

***

Five hours had passed. Exhausted, Adam collapsed onto the bed, recalling the intense mental battle they had waged with Elizabeth. It wasn't a physical or magical fight, but a battle of wits. Neither side wanted to relinquish their advantages, and Adam had barely managed to secure somewhat provocative terms, thanks to Amarantha's intervention.

As Amarantha had previously mentioned, Elizabeth was a manipulative and cunning woman who could easily twist words to her advantage, leaving you none the wiser. That's why Adam had been extremely cautious, carefully monitoring every word that came from her mouth.

In the end, they crafted an agreement and sealed it with their magic, binding it in the name of the God of Covenants. Though Adam wasn't entirely sure about the existence of gods, he had heard about churches and various religions. Most seemed more like cults, but he could sense a peculiar energy from every believer, unlike regular magic.

Summing up their discussion, they arrived at the following agreements:

1. Protection

1.1. The Kingdom of Avalonia commits to protecting the city by providing guards and high-level practitioners to defend against bandits, monsters, etc.

1.2. Any caravans to or from the city of Sedyon must be escorted by practitioners from Avalonia.

1.3. Any crimes committed within the territory of the city of Sedyon must be immediately investigated with direct involvement from Avalonia.

2. Trade

2.1. The Kingdom of Avalonia will purchase products and goods from the city of Sedyon at 4.2% below market price. Unauthorized resale is prohibited and will be considered aggression from Avalonia.

2.2. The city of Sedyon must provide necessary goods to Avalonia upon first request and actively participate in promoting its goods to the Kingdom of Avalonia.

2.3. The Kingdom of Avalonia shall grant the city of Sedyon a monopoly on certain goods, such as furniture, decorations and jewelry, clothing, and traditional Sedyon cuisine.

2.4. The Kingdom of Avalonia must prevent any attempts by third parties to copy the design, recipe, or appearance of goods owned by the city of Sedyon and strictly punish offenders.

3. Technology and Developments

3.1. The city of Sedyon holds various technologies, such as newspapers, building designs, furniture and decor under the "Dragon's Hoard" brand, cosmetics under the "Handsome's Kiss" brand, and clothing marked with the "Nymph's Radiance" brand. Copying or resale without permission from the owners will be considered a crime.

3.2. The city of Sedyon undertakes to actively promote these technologies in the Kingdom of Avalonia, covering half of the costs.

3.3. The city of Sedyon must provide prototypes before mass production.

3.3.1. The city of Sedyon agrees to undergo quality checks before releasing goods into mass production.

To be continued...