The Red Dragon Just Wants To Do As It Pleases

This mission, simply put, was his "wish"; the Dragon Queen paid the bill. At least he didn't have to worry about the extravagant expenses this time.

If he truly had to build a Sky City from scratch—not even considering the lost technology that might be irreproducible—the development costs for a single spell like "Proktev's Mountain Moving," which the Devil Archduchess had used earlier to "move mountains," amounted to a staggering 2,230,000 Gold Coins. And that was just one arcane spell.

What thrilled him even more was that the "return clause" in this contract only included the thirty thousand or so Neisser souls. Was it because the wealthy Glaciya didn't care about this "Baator copper shell," something she could conjure effortlessly with her Devil Archduchess's Authority? Or had Tiamat directly paid for the materials? Amazingly, he didn't even have to return the blasted thing!

According to his plan, it was impossible to use the energy-guzzling Hell Engine for the entire journey.

He didn't have enough souls to burn for flight!

So, almost as soon as it entered the main plane of Toriel, it was bound to have an "accident" and crash.

If he wanted to utilize this Sky City later, he'd have to see if he could find the manufacturing method for the Mithril Energy Core at the Neisser ruins in the Anauroch Great Desert. Even if those "witless" Neisser remnants couldn't build it, as a last resort, he could try using it and the Wish Spell to make another "wish" to Tiamat.

After all, since so much had already been invested in him, Tiamat probably wouldn't mind "sinking" a bit more cost, right?

However, as soon as his Dragon father quickly reviewed the Devil's Contract, he found the catch, pointing a claw at David.

The contract stated that once the mission was completed, the exorbitantly priced "knockoff Sky City" would belong to him.

However, one phrase stood out right at the beginning:

"Upon successful completion."

Damn it! What does "upon successful completion" even mean?

In other words, if he failed this task...

The agreement didn't state that he would have to compensate for the entire project's cost. After all, even on Blue Star, where "clients from hell" were common, there had never been such an outrageous news story about a mere "surveyor" having to cover the full construction costs in case of an accident.

But the problem was... even if he didn't have to pay, the alternative was still terrifying!

Hiss...

At that moment, David thought he finally understood why his mother had ended up indebted to Tiamat, the Chromatic Dragon Queen.

This wasn't just any Devil's Contract!

It was clearly a high-stakes gamble!

If he messed this up, he'd lose everything, down to his last coin!

The image of his entire family of four toiling under Tiamat's claws to repay the debt made David once again feel the urge to just pack up and run.

Can I still back out?

David, forcing a polite yet nervous smile, looked at the daughter of the Lord of the Nine Hells seated across from him.

Her expression seemed to say, What do you think?

As if perceiving his internal conflict, she offered a rare "sincere smile" in return.

Sigh, there's no getting out of this one.

David sighed inwardly. He was already in a bind, forced to ride the tiger, as they say. Worse, he was caught between two formidable "tigresses" he couldn't afford to offend.

To break the Dragon Rage Mythal, the curse shackling the entire dragon race, Tiamat had even approached the Lord of the Nine Hells himself.

Now, the Draconic Favor had been called in, money had been spent, and even a Sky City had been conjured.

And he was thinking of backing out now?

Forget Tiamat; he figured Glaciya alone—who had clearly been roped in by her father and forced to labor tirelessly on this for who knows how long—could probably bury half his family with a single glare...

Dammit, it's just marking a target!

Complete the mission, and an entire Sky City would be his! What a windfall!

[Greed]

Perhaps this 'Draconic Favor' could even be enough to pay off his dear mother Pafila's debts.

With that thought, David closed his eyes, gritted his teeth, and pressed his claw onto the Devil's Contract.

Seeing David finally stop dithering and obediently stamp his claw print on the contract, causing it to flare with a crimson glow, Glaciya nodded in satisfaction. It seemed her hard work for the day hadn't been in vain.

At the same time, she secretly hoped her father would find a moment in his busy schedule... to glance her way, to see her masterpiece.

"Hmph, the contract is sealed," Glaciya stated indifferently.

Does... does this mean we're bound to win? David almost blurted out.

"Install the engine," Glaciya ordered, waving her hand.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH! Accompanied by gusts of wind, David and his companions looked up. They were astonished to see the sky filled with Vrocks, emitting harsh cries as they carried a Hell Engine the size of a small mountain. They carefully lowered it into the core of the imitation Sky City, which leaned against the great slope of Malbolge.

Simultaneously, more berserk demons carried ten large chests of soul coins and poured them into the Soul Engine.

As the Hell Engine was fueled, the already somber Sky City suddenly emitted a sound like the wailing of countless souls—a low, guttural roar similar to the Soul Train and the Flying Fortress, sounds David had heard up close before.

David had no time to marvel at this.

SNAP! Glaciya raised her hand and snapped her fingers.

"Your Highness Glaciya," an ancient, wizened Pit Fiend said respectfully. He had emerged from the Devil Archduchess's shadow at some unknown point.

"Dalonas, this Red Dragon admires your talent for designing Hell Engines. It is also because of him that your Hell Engine, sealed away for millennia, has seen the light of day once more. For the duration of this task, your... frenzied genius will be at his disposal."

"Oh, this is truly an exciting prospect, even for a devil," the old devil named Dalonas gave a smile that didn't reach his eyes and turned to David, saying apologetically, "But I must state upfront: I'm old now. I'm not suited for fighting anymore."

A Pit Fiend who had lived for at least a thousand years claiming he couldn't fight? If David believed that, he might as well twist off his own head and play a game of boulder rolling down the slopes of Malbolge.

But since this was a devil whose name even Glaciya remembered, David wasn't about to abuse his newfound authority. Besides, he had urgent technical matters to request Dalonas's help with. So, he quickly smiled and said, "Of course, of course! I, your junior, only wish to ask for Mister Dalonas's assistance with some technical challenges. We would never dream of dragging you into battle. Besides, this time, we're using soul projection."

Before Dalonas could reply, David shamelessly added, "Since safety isn't a concern, could I trouble you, esteemed elder, to perhaps guest-star as the lord of our 'City of Shade'?"

"After all, look at the group I'm leading. None of them possess your aura of seasoned ruthlessness, your cunning and ferocity."

Upon hearing David's words, his Dragon father and Dragon sister, being Silver Dragons, immediately radiated a pure, goodly light that was painfully conspicuous in Baator Hell. Behind them, Lizreet the Red Dragon and Morpheus likewise put on expressions that screamed, 'I'm as innocent as a newborn babe.'

"..." Dalonas, an old devil who had served in the Hells his entire existence, had never witnessed such a troupe of terrible actors.

「A few hours later」

With all preparations complete, David and his companions, following Glaciya's signal, lay down in the deep pit she had excavated. They were then buried under a cascade of falling rocks.

Their physical bodies would slumber there, on that deserted and desolate slope of Malbolge, until their consciousnesses returned from the Prime Material Plane of Toriel after completing the 'project'.

In the next moment, by the will of Glaciya, Archduchess of the Sixth, the 'City of Shade', equipped with its Hell Engine, ascended with the shriek of tormented souls. It passed through a violently torn rift in space and entered a realm suffused with shadows.

As the 'gate' sealed behind them, all the devils within the makeshift 'City of Shade' transformed, reverting to the appearances they had in life, a thousand years prior.

They awoke with implanted memories, beginning their new 'daily routine' in the Plane of Shadow. After a simulated millennium of wandering this Plane of Shadow, they would act under the will of the 'Lord of the City of Shade'. Their goal: to return to the Prime Material Plane. Destination: Toriel, the continent of Faerûn.