With every step, an unknown figure compelled the hero group to tense up and turn their gaze toward the corridor leading to the castle's main hall. The footsteps drew nearer with each passing moment until they beheld the emergence of a tall figure from the dark corridors.

The first thing the members of the hero group noticed was an elegant formal suit, followed by the visage of a handsome man with long white hair and gray eyes, sporting serpent-like pupils. Goat horns adorned his forehead, and behind him, long demonic wings unfurled.

"Ah, the fifth hero group, led by Hero Leonid... Why did they send such weaklings my way?" The demon uttered in a raspy and creaky voice, disdainfully curling the corners of his lips and tilting his chin upward as if he couldn't be bothered to look directly at those he considered mere insects.

While the provocation was laughably straightforward, Leonid reacted to it with remarkable intensity. He swiftly grasped the hilt of his two-handed sword and bellowed loudly as he lunged forward, activating the radiant blade that could inflict grievous wounds upon demons.

"Seriously?" The demon sighed and made a gesture somewhat resembling the "OK" gesture, then flicked his sword's blade.

"A-a-a-ah!"

Leonid let out a powerful cry as he suddenly lost control over his sword, its blade cracking and crumbling into dust under the pressure of his grip.

"Damn it!" Lily cursed and seized her hammer, charging forward and swinging it with all her might, preparing to deliver a blow.

Meanwhile, Vanessa wasted no time and protected Angela, who was tending to heal Leonid's minor injuries and muscle strains. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her eyes betrayed signs of exhaustion.

The demon nonchalantly glanced at the hurtling hammer and yawned. Time seemed to slow for him as he took two steps back, effortlessly dodging Lily's attack.

"What?!" Seeing her attack miss, Lily's expression darkened. Her eyes widened as she saw a fist approaching, and she tried to shield herself from the demon's counterattack by crossing her arms in an "X" shape over her chest.

However...

Boom!

"Ouch!" Lily cried out loudly as the demon's forceful strike shattered her bones and ribcage under immense pressure. Her body crashed into the wall, only coming to a halt when it embedded itself about 10 inches deep.historical

"Ugh!" Lily's eyes widened in shock, feeling intense pain coursing through her entire body, her internal organs practically turned into mush.

If it weren't for her unusual constitution, she would have died from the initial blow, as the broken ribs punctured her lungs, causing severe internal bleeding. Although her robust physique could withstand the consequences of such trauma for a while, Lily felt that she couldn't breathe.

Deep fear and panic were evident on her face, pleasuring the demon who observed their actions with a smirk, feeling contempt. His serpent-like eyes tracked every move of the hero group, and he frowned when nun Angela retrieved a token.

"A teleportation token?" The demon growled in anger, snapping his hand into a half-fist. Magically, a bone sword materialized in his grip, and he lunged forward toward Angela. However, he yelled in frustration, seeing a shimmering light envelop all the hero group members. "Damn it! Insufferable pests!"

Unable to halt his momentum, the demon crashed into the flash of light and collided with the wall, creating a hole and plummeting toward the lava below. With a deft flap of his wings, he managed to land on a castle tower and irritably glanced towards Avalonia, Varasima, the vassal kingdom closest to the Chaos Empire's border.

***

Today's morning brought Adam a pounding headache. After all, today he was supposed to appear at the royal palace and assume the official role of an advisor, as well as integrate his holdings into the territories of Avalonia.

Taking into account the schedule he had been given in advance, Adam was certain that he would die of exhaustion before completing the events. First, there was an audience with court officials and high-ranking nobles, followed by a banquet in honor of the city of Sedyon's annexation.

This was the most challenging moment, as his appearance and new title were bound to attract attention. Most likely, he would receive numerous invitations, and Adam would have to accept them to maintain connections within the aristocracy.

Patting Adam's attire, Amarantha, dressed in a courtly and beautiful Victorian-style dress, smiled affectionately at him. Her appearance had been slightly altered, as her face was recognizable among the Avalonian nobles.

"Adam, today will be the starting point of your greatness. And we, your women, will support you on this challenging path," Amarantha said with formality, looking serious.

Elyra nodded and smiled, agreeing with Amarantha's words, her gaze tenderly fixed on her husband. She wore an elegant, solid blue dress that, although not overly suitable for noble gatherings, complimented her persona perfectly. With her beauty alone, she overshadowed the simplicity of her attire.

She preferred simpler clothes and disliked, or rather had a distaste for, overly luxurious dresses. By the way, all the dresses had been sewn and designed by Ricky, who fulfilled the order within a day, using the finest materials. Almost imperceptibly sewn along the hem of her skirt was the initial "NYR," an abbreviation for "Nymph's Radiance," the collaborative clothing brand of Adam and Ricky.I think you should take a look at

The keen-eyed social lionesses would immediately notice the renowned initials of the well-known brand, recognizable throughout Avalonia, and wouldn't refrain from making witty remarks considering the prices of these dresses, as well as the prestige of the brand itself. Through some clever manipulation, Adam and Ricky managed to present this brand as elite, meant only for connoisseurs of art.

This created a strong impression, and people wearing this brand resembled those who wore "Bucci" or "Gonce & Babana."

(Author's Note: Illustrations for this chapter will be released two or three days after the publication of this chapter on my Discord server. Channel: #illustrations)

"Nervous?" Adam asked Elyra, who kept glancing at herself in the mirror, trying to smooth out any wrinkles on her dress.

Hearing Adam's question, she blushed and jumped away from the mirror, like a cat seeing a cucumber. She stole a glance at him and shyly nodded, looking so adorable that Adam couldn't resist and passionately kissed her.

"M-m.." Elyra blushed even deeper, but she didn't resist the kiss.

Five minutes later, they stopped kissing, and as their lips parted, a bridge of saliva formed, broken by Elyra's tongue moving around her lips.

"Uh-uh? So soon?" Amarantha pretended to be disappointed, then burst into laughter.

"Well, sorry for not giving you a full show," Adam rolled his eyes, responding to Amarantha, then took Elyra's hands and smiled affectionately. "Remember, Elyra... you are Adam's wife and you must hold your head high. Amarantha will be with you. If anyone tries to mock you, give them such a rebuke that they'll remember for the rest of their lives. Understood?"

Adam said this with a certain grandeur, placing his hands on her delicate, fragile shoulders, and seeing her nod, he kissed her on the forehead and took out a cosmetics box from his inventory.

"This is a new set of cosmetics from 'Handsome's Kiss.' It's sold at a high price, and there are only ten of them, including yours," Adam called Ekaterina, who was standing behind. "Take care of the girls' makeup. You know the details."

Adam turned to Ekaterina, having given his order, and seeing that she understood him, he spun on his heels and smiled at the woman, waving his hand. "Well then, I'll be preparing as well. See you in an hour."

"Goodbye," Amarantha giggled and waved, blowing an air kiss, while Elyra just smiled affectionately.

***

Adam's preparation differed somewhat from the others, as he was naturally handsome and didn't want to put on any makeup or the like. Thanks to his sheer charisma, he could wear plain rags and still look handsome. Such is the advantage of good-looking people.

Therefore, he focused all his efforts on instructing the guards to watch the city attentively, as if in times of war. Amarantha's subordinates, trained in espionage and the arts of assassins, were attached to important figures or those who posed the greatest threat to the city.

In any case, Adam didn't want to leave even a chance for the city to turn into ruins in his absence. Therefore, he strictly ordered the killing of anyone who showed even a hint of aggression or a desire to disrupt the city's peace. As if sensing the tension, the citizens became much more docile.

"The curfew must be until 6 PM. After that, no one is allowed to wander the city except for the city guards. All shops or entertainment establishments must cease operations by 6:30 pm. Is that clear?" Adam said in one breath, authoritatively looking at two hundred guards, who upon hearing Adam's final words, knelt on one knee and loudly replied, "Yes, My Lord!"

"Excellent!" Adam smiled and gave a few more minor orders before turning around and heading back to the mansion. There, Amarantha and Elyra were already waiting for him, the latter giving him a sweet smile as soon as she saw him at the door.

Surveying them and seeing how they had become even more beautiful, Adam paid them a sincere compliment, "Splendid. I have never seen a woman more beautiful than you!"

"He-he, flatterer," Amarantha giggled and took a step closer to Adam, hugging his arm and resting her head on his shoulder. "But I like your words."

Elyra giggled and also embraced Adam. Ekaterina rolled her eyes and warned Adam that it was time to leave. Exchanging glances with the women and smiling, they walked out into the corridor and reached the room where a portal to a similar room in the castle was located, specifically designated for Adam.

Passing through the portal, which looked like a mirror but with rotating particles instead of glass, Adam's head slightly spun upon exiting, while Amarantha felt nothing, and Elyra appeared as though she had motion sickness. After waiting a few minutes, they heard the sound of an opening door, and the butler appeared, unlocking the door and bowing elegantly.

"Good evening to you, Lord Adam, Madam Catherine, and Madam Elyra." The butler gracefully bowed and with a courteous smile addressed Adam. "Esteemed Lord Adam, allow this servant to congratulate you on your forthcoming appointment and wish you a prosperous service for the benefit of Avalonia. I am confident that such a promising and intelligent lord will only bring prosperity!"

To be continued...