The Lord Demon King is Unfathomable!

Ticky was adjusting his collar at the fortress entrance, looking with a complex expression at the cavalry troop slowly approaching from afar.

He had never imagined that he would meet General Hamoldon, the man who once terrified him, under the pretense of being a "Baron".

Just a few months ago, he was being chased across the High Seas by this guy's warships, almost ending up as fish food...

"Baron, General Hamoldon has arrived!" Lumier, disguised as a servant, softly reminded him to manage his expression.

This sly fox—

Always picks the easy jobs!

Ticky grumbled inwardly but had no time to bicker with this guy who could afford to stand and speak without back pain.

"I know."

Taking a deep breath, he suppressed his anxiety, forced a noble smile, and stepped forward.

At a glance, General Hamoldon, who had been waiting for some time, dismounted from afar, showing the etiquette he would use for meeting prominent figures on the mainland of the Imperial domain.

In other areas of the New Continent, he definitely wouldn't go out of his way for a "down-and-out bumpkin" who had ended up as a corner of the table.

Walking up with a stride, General Hamoldon smiled and extended his hand: "I have long heard of your great reputation, esteemed Baron Ticky! It is truly an honor to meet you today."

Upon hearing the phrase "long heard of your great reputation", Ticky's heart skipped a beat, but fortunately, there was no flaw on his face as he calmly smiled and extended his right hand.

"You flatter me, General... Compared to an unknown person like me, you are the giant whose fame resounds throughout the Vast Ocean!"

As Ticky shook hands with General Hamoldon, memories of catching a distant glimpse of Hamoldon in the past flashed through his mind.

Back then, he was an insignificant figure, hesitating whether to switch to being a pirate. Maybe because he had something to hide, one look from the other party had scared him out of his wits, leaving him sleepless for days.

Yet the General Hamoldon in front of him was polite and humble, nothing like the overbearing figure he once was... It was as if there were two different people.

While Ticky secretly marveled, he also felt a sense of relief.

Perhaps Lumier wasn't wrong—

These big shots are also human and privately have a different face "for their own kind".

Evidently, he considered him one of his own.

After some polite exchange, Ticky invited General Hamoldon into the fortress, while Lumier took care of the cavalry following behind General Hamoldon.

The Demon King's servants had also prepared a sumptuous meal for them, but it was served in the tents for the servants, using pottery as per Imperial customs.

"This is truly unexpected, is this...um, your residence?" General Hamoldon looked around, seeing a ring of low stone walls with only a few hastily pitched tents inside, appearing like a refugee camp from afar.

Ticky awkwardly cleared his throat and quickly explained: "I apologize, General. Originally, my estate was much more respectable, but unfortunately, last month's storm was so fierce it blew the roof into the sea, leaving only these walls to fend off the wind."

Startled by these words, General Hamoldon immediately showed a concerned expression: "I see, Baron, you have truly suffered."

His attitude was warm and sincere, genuinely expressed, completely different from the one he had shown when comforting the residents of Withered Wood Port earlier.

Embarrassed, Ticky chuckled, worried about revealing a flaw, so he remained silent, leading General Hamoldon straight to the entrance of the main tent.

"Here we are! My conditions are limited and the preparations were rushed, should there be any lack in hospitality, I hope the General can forgive me..."

"Ha ha! How could there be any lack? I'm just a simple man, not picky about food; bread and rum are enough—"

With a hearty laugh, General Hamoldon walked through the tent door opened by a servant, mentally prepared for a coarse meal.

He wasn't there for the food anyway, just needed to go through the motions.

However, when he saw the abundant feast laid across the long table, he stood frozen, nearly losing control of his drooling, which almost dripped onto his beard.

It couldn't just be described as abundant—

It was simply luxurious!

A clean white cloth covered the long table, with silver cutlery and goblets neatly arranged.

In the center of the table, a golden roast suckling pig was filled with spices, roast carrots, and stewed mushrooms.

Beside it was a steaming pot of dragon turtle tail soup, the broth made with fish bones and sun-dried tomatoes, topped with minced herbs, with a faint aroma of red wine.

Further down was an array of marinated sea fish and air-dried meats, accompanied by rye bread and coarse cheese, plus the homeland dishes from the Imperial domain—caramelized roast apples with baked onions and beans, and intensely fragrant creamy scallop bakes.

As for the drinks, it was indeed the common rum of the New Continent—though that was of little importance now.

General Hamoldon finally remembered to swallow, wiping his sleeve across his mouth before turning to Ticky.

"Unbelievable... Do you eat this regularly?!"

Ticky was a bit dumbfounded too.

The task had been his request, but he hadn't expected the Demon King's servants to so thoroughly create an Imperial feast for him.

"Uh... Of course! What I mean is, we don't usually make this much; I can't finish it all by myself." Ticky struggled a bit with his words, just managing to maintain the noble demeanor and not show any flaws.