"Werewolves?" Austin mumbled to himself as images of werewolves he knew from a particular famous movie came into mind.
"Get dressed and meet me at the main hall soon. I'll explain on the way," Eris stated curtly as she handed him a set of clothes.
"Alright," Austin replied after a moment of contemplation. While he wanted to stay with Satella during her sleep, he knew that his mood was still terrible from hearing her story.
Maybe stepping out for a bit could help alleviate the boiling anger inside him, or at least that's what he hoped.
Upon returning to his room, he decided to just wash his face since Eris appeared to be impatient.
Another reason he didn't even bother to take a shower was that despite having slept for two days straight without a bath, he didn't appear as grubby or emit the expected foul odor.
His eyes naturally turned to the still-sleeping Satella as an idea popped into his head. Without saying a word, he grinned and proceeded to put on the clothes provided by Eris.
The clothes turned out to be a sophisticated, high-end black suit—not a typical butler outfit, but more in line with what rich kids wore to luxurious parties.
As he adorned himself in such luxurious attire for the first time, it felt like he had just gained a few extra buffs.
[Ding!]
[You've equipped a Pay-To-Win Black Suit]
[Charisma +100]
[Luck +99]
...
"Let's go," Eris said cooly.
When he first arrived, he couldn't help but size her up. Back in college, he always saw Eris in boy's attire, giving off a tomboyish vibe. Then two days ago, he saw her in a dress, but that was a maid dress. Surprisingly, this time, he found her dressed in a gothic Lolita style.
Due to her petite stature and dark hair, the clothes fit her so well that they seemed tailor-made for her.
However, he noticed her fingers continually fumbling around the dress, giving away her discomfort. Everyone could tell that she was forced to wear the dress.
He soon retracted his gaze, following her as curiosity prompted him to ask, "Why do I need to greet the guests?"
"Young miss believes it's a valuable opportunity for you to interact directly with other supernatural beings. This pack of werewolves, after all, is just one among the many you'll encounter in the future. She hopes this experience will help you gain some insight and prevent you from being too agitated when faced with even more terrifying beings later on," Eris explained in one breath, glancing at him as she finished.
"Actually, she doesn't really need to. We, modern people, have indulged in a ton of entertainment, including plenty of gore stuff. Creatures like werewolves and vampires, which used to be pretty scary, don't really evoke the same fear any more." Austin smacked his lips.
In response to his remark, Eris merely curled her lips in a cold manner. "Let's see if you could hold onto those words when you meet them."
Austin shrugged and shifted the topic. "By the way, what's their purpose in coming here?"
"It's because of you," Eris suddenly declared.
"What does their arrival have to do with me?" Austin asked, bewildered.
"Your idea... about creating a smoke screen to remove one of the Church's branches was actually implemented by Young Miss just yesterday. By leveraging drug addicts, we successfully enlisted them to participate in an operation, promising them the latest potent drugs in the market as a reward for causing chaos at the Church's base." Eris told him.
Austin's jaw dropped open as Eris continued.
"But that's not all. We also paid several witches to hypnotize nearby residents into joining the riot. We invited journalists to document the entire process and had influencers live-stream the incident. With the pressure of several thousand people both online and offline, even the police couldn't ignore the matter and were forced to make a decision. Ultimately, they had no choice but to expel the Church from the city."
"And all of that was accomplished without me or the young miss personally handling it. As such, if the Church were to investigate the matter, they wouldn't be able to definitively link the incident to us demons, as there are no traces of demonic involvement anywhere. At best, they might find out that witches were part of the group causing the riot. But that's the extent of it. Your plan turned out to be brilliant, and we don't have to go into hiding!" Eris revealed a rare, innocent-like smile at him for the first time.
"Uh, thanks?" Austin found himself taken aback by her dazzling smile, unsure of how to respond.
Eris cleared her throat, and her smile quickly faded, replaced by her trademark poker face. "As a result, in the news exclusively for supernatural beings, Alves City was mentioned as one of the few cities liberated from the Church's influence. Its sole and unmistakable lord now is my young miss."
Austin quickly grasped the situation. "So, they've come here to pay tribute?"
"Kind of. Since they're new to the city, they were obliged to pay a visit to my young miss. It's an unspoken rule among supernatural beings to greet the lord of a territory they enter." Eris explained.
"They're from a different city?"
"Yes, they came from the South. According to my informants, they recently suffered a defeat against another werewolf's pack and were compelled to vacate their territory. Upon learning about Alves City being free from Church influence, they swiftly made their way here. But werewolves are naturally proud creatures to their very bones, and they're difficult to tame," Eris shakes her head.
"Are you suggesting they might cause trouble later?" Austin picked up on the implication in Eris's words.
"Hmmm," Eris hummed in agreement. "But that doesn't matter. In the end, they were nothing more than stray dogs. If they dare to behave arrogantly, I don't mind teaching them some manners and fastening leashes around their necks, a fitting reminder of their place."
As she delivered the threat with an expressionless face, he couldn't help but associate her with that of a serial killer.
...
Eris ended up guiding him through the expansive garden before entering the pavilion, which appeared spacious enough to accommodate a small gathering. Tables were already set with snacks and drinks awaiting them. Two blonde women dressed in maid clothes stood outside the pavilion, bowing immediately upon seeing Eris and Austin approach.
"Miss Eris, Sir Austin."
Eris nodded without uttering a word. Austin followed suit, offering a smile in response.
When they got inside, he saw there were four chairs in total, two on each side. Eris claimed the seat on the right side. Austin initially intended to take a seat opposite her but halted when he realized those seats were likely reserved for their guests. Swiftly, he chose a seat beside her.
"Now, we wait," Eris said before casually grabbing one cookie and savoring it slowly with half-closed eyes.
Austin soon joined in, stuffing a handful of snacks into his mouth in a single bite, looking like someone who hadn't eaten for a year.
Five minutes later, nearly half the snacks had disappeared, devoured almost by Austin alone.
Eris, true to her nature, simply gazed at him without uttering a word.
Austin explained with cheeks bulging from the food. "I slept for two days straight without eating. My stomach was practically digesting itself from emptiness."
Eris nodded in understanding and motioned to the maids. A minute later, they reappeared with a fresh tray of snacks.
"Many thanks," Austin expressed his gratitude to Eris before enthusiastically reaching for more from the buffet. For some reason, he found himself unusually hungry. Despite indulging in the snacks for the past few minutes, he had only managed to satisfy about a third of his appetite.
As the guests were finally escorted to the pavilion by the servants, this was the scene that awaited them.
There were two guests, both of them men. One appeared to be in his 30s, while the other seemed to be around 18.
The two men shared more or less similar features, giving the impression of a father and son.
Both of them couldn't help but notice Austin, who behaved rather uncivilized, devouring multiple foods in just one gulp. The younger man couldn't contain his amusement and cackled in ridicule. "Keke, is this how a demon truly behaves? He looks no different than a beggar."
"Quiet," the older man reprimanded, though his eyes unmistakably displayed disdain at Austin's unruly behavior.
"Yes, father," the younger man responded with politeness, but a subtle smile played on his lips. His gaze then shifted to the petite and quiet Eris, who sat beside Austin, and his eyes immediately lit up.
The older man reached to the edge of the table and gave a slight bow, showing his courtesy. "Greetings, my lady, sir. My name is Wilston Black," he said, gesturing towards the other man.
"I'm Taylor Black. It's my pleasure to meet such a charming young lady on this sunny day." Taylor bowed gracefully while offering his hand like a gentleman.
Without rising to return their bows or accepting Taylor's hand, Eris immediately directed them, "Please, have a seat."
Wilston's expression soured instantly, clear displeasure etched across his face. However, he chose to remain silent, and settled into a seat.
In contrast, Taylor wasn't looking embarrassed or offended by her rejection. He simply smoothly withdrew his hand and flashed her another charming smile.
Whistling to himself, he thought, 'The more resistant a woman is, the more satisfying the conquest!'