Chapter 4: A New Beginning

Mm, the scent of desire... Astaroth closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. It was a cocktail of greed for money, lust for power and violence, and an insatiable hunger for sex, familiar yet tinged with a distinctly human unfamiliarity.

Dirty, chaotic, and filled with an unidentifiable sour, rotten, nauseating stench, this was the slums, the best place to hide. Here, any excuse was normal, and nothing that happened was strange.

Lilith, trust me. I will make sure you thrive. Even in a place this vile, you will still bloom into the most beautiful flower in this world.

No matter what, you will always be my pride. Please grow strong soon, and then come shelter me.

Astaroth spoke that vow silently in his heart, stroked the tiny budding horns on her head, used magic to mask the succubus traits on both of them, and walked on.

The moment he entered the slums, Astaroth could feel many eyes roaming over them. Normal. A man carrying someone in his arms walking in here was strange, not normal.

"Hey, are you here to sell her? You got the wrong place... though if you're dumping her, you've come to the right one." A scar-faced, crew-cut man called out with malicious intent. A few shadows seemed to be lying in the dark alley behind him.

Dangerous, but maybe also an opportunity. If he could latch on, things might become much easier, though the risk could also be huge.

Astaroth cast him a wary glance and answered the approach with a lie: "We're not selling her, and we're not dumping her. Our parents are dead, and the debt collectors at home took the house and everything valuable. We had no choice but to come here." He tossed out a common lie on the spot. If it could stir the man's interest and win them a chance, that would be even better.

"Oh? And that?" He jerked his chin toward Lilith in Astaroth's arms.

"My sister." Astaroth held her tighter and put on a guarded look. "Don't even think about touching her." It was an act, and it was also a real warning.

"You're pretty tense. Looks like what you're saying might be true." The man laughed. He'd taken the bait and was interested now.

"Don't be afraid. I'm not going to eat you. Look at me, I'm actually a good guy. I never bully the weak." The man stepped forward, spread his arms, and turned once to show his sincerity, but his lewd, carefree look didn't change in the slightest. "I'm just asking. You look decent, so your family must have done all right before, right? Have you thought about what you'll do next? Scraping through trash every day, feeding yourself and your sister? Thinking of following me..."

Heh, so he was showing his hand. Perfect. But stay calm, Astaroth. Don't agree that easily. Keep him hooked, slowly. It's only your looks; you're good at that, aren't you?

"Hmph! Your tastes are pretty strange, aren't they? You're not picky?" Astaroth asked with a cold face, not refusing outright.

"What's there to be picky about? Once it's dark, they all look the same. At least you're pretty." His tone was lewd as he said it. Astaroth put on a look of disgust and rolled his eyes on purpose.

"Ah! Rolling your eyes is pretty too!" the man said back with a shameless grin.

Go! Keep moving forward now. If he follows, then that's right. Astaroth silently assessed the situation and kept walking, his pace unhurried.

"Hey, hey, hey, pretty boy, don't go..." He followed along, still chatting as he walked. "You're mad? Don't be so stingy. Listen to me and follow me. The slums aren't like outside; there are ranks and turf divisions here. If you don't find someone to back you, by tomorrow morning you'll probably just be a pile of ruined flesh. As for your sister... forget it. Whatever happens next has nothing to do with you. I'm guessing you wouldn't want to know."

"Really?" Astaroth stopped and put on a thoughtful look, studying him seriously.

"Of course! You wouldn't think I'm lying, or some gatekeeper lackey, would you?"

"Isn't that right?" he asked flatly.

"Of course not!" He was getting a little anxious now, sounding unhappy. "People who are busy running for their lives don't have time to leisurely observe their surroundings. They're busy every day, doing whatever it takes to eat and live to see the next. Am I? I have the right to choose. I'm a formidable man! Didn't you see me just flatten three morons who didn't know their place?"

"Oh, that makes sense~" Astaroth nodded and began to close the net. "Since you're so impressive, if I follow you, can you protect me and my sister? I need you to prove you have the ability so I can feel safe going with you."

"Hey, your attitude changed fast... You were testing me on purpose just now?" He narrowed his eyes and looked the two of them over.

Uh... was it that obvious?

Astaroth grew a little flustered and quickly put on the self-mocking look of someone who had already seen through the world. "Heh... we've already been torn apart by disaster. Being careful is normal, right? I'm not alone; I still have my sister to look after. Since you've taken a liking to my body, what reason do I have to be fussy? As long as you can protect me and my sister, that's nothing... Things like dignity only matter when you're still a person. Otherwise, they're just dead weight."

"..." The man showed an appreciative expression. "Good. Looks like you're a smart one. My name is Quiser, and I'm a broker. Of course, I'm also very good at pimping."

"My name is Astaroth, and this is Lilith. We need a safe place to stay. Uh, I hope that when I'm 'working,' someone can help look after Lilith. If there's no problem, then please lead the way."

"A very practical request. Come with me. I'll take you to meet Aunt Wendy; she can help look after Lilith. In return, I want to see whether you're any good to use."