The Gates of Hell Bar (Seeking Investment!)

After spending nearly a week repeatedly clearing the newly released Assassin's Creed, Salomon set out once again. But first, he had to visit someone—or rather, something that was not human. There, he might be able to find the Witch Bayonetta.

To that end, Salomon had to wear the insignia of Kamar-Taj to avoid being treated as an uninvited guest.

"I've followed the Sorcerer Supreme's rules!" The burly Black man behind the bar did not look up as he wiped a wineglass, but his dissatisfaction was plain on his face. Combined with the black tattoos covering his completely bald scalp, he looked even fiercer. He set down the glass. "I haven't summoned any demons, and I haven't summoned any angels. I even killed a few. Isn't that enough? Wait, why is it a child..."

This was The Gates of Hell Bar, and the owner was the burly Black man standing behind the counter. On the surface, he looked only a tiny bit ferocious, but he had once been an angel. Now, he had fallen into a Lower Plane Being.

When the Sorcerer Supreme had mentioned this, Salomon had not been surprised. It was not unusual for Upper Plane Beings to fall into the lower planes. Normally, however, fallen angels would directly transform into succubi. Yet The Venerable One had said that this Fallen Angel was named Rodin—and that he was male.

That had surprised Salomon somewhat, because angels with fixed genders were usually high-ranking angels. In Salomon's memory, there was only one fallen high-ranking angel: Zariel, the Daughter of Destruction.

Though he did not know what Hell in this world was like, any high-ranking angel who fell would surely become an incomparably terrifying archdevil. But it seemed Salomon had been wrong. This Fallen Angel had not become a devil, but had instead transformed into a demon.

This Fallen Angel was an outstanding craftsman, but unable to find a place in either the upper or lower planes, he could only live in the mortal world. After agreeing to obey the rules laid down by The Venerable One and promising not to involve himself in any affairs of Earth, he had been permitted to reside there. Now, this Fallen Angel was Kamar-Taj's equipment supplier. Much of their commonly used gear came from his hands, including the Fodo's Boots on Salomon's feet.

Hell Gate bars often appeared in slums, running small businesses selling alcohol and food. Following the clues provided by the Sorcerer Supreme, Salomon found this bar without difficulty.

The moment he stepped inside, perhaps because the magic power on him had triggered the bar's recognition mechanism, the decor instantly changed from an inconspicuous, rundown roadside pub into another realm covered in dark purple wallpaper. All the customers who had been eating and drinking there vanished.

By accident, Salomon had stepped into the Fallen Angel's demiplane.

"What are you here for? We don't sell alcohol to minors. Milk? Or warm water?" Rodin asked with affected seriousness. He casually pinched out the ember of the cigar in his mouth and set a glass of warm milk on the counter. "I suppose you can reach the bar. Go on, what does the Sorcerer Supreme want from me?"

"The Venerable One has no business with you. I'm the one who has something to do." Salomon sat on a stool before the counter, his feet dangling in midair. It was a little uncomfortable, but bearable. He picked up the warm milk and took a sip. Hmm, sweet.

After draining the milk in one go, Salomon let out a milk-scented burp. "The Venerable One asked me to find something and told me someone could help. That person often shows up here."

"Looking for something? What you need is information." Rodin served him another glass of warm milk, then lowered his head and resumed polishing the glass. "Enzo, someone's looking for you."

"Huh?" A fat man in a light-colored trench coat, black wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses spoke from behind a sofa. "Looking for me?"

"Put out your cigar. There's a minor here." Rodin did not look up. "This Arcanist from Kamar-Taj is looking for something. God knows why the Sorcerer Supreme sent a child out on a mission."

"But the person I'm looking for is Bayonetta." Salomon refused the warm milk. He could not drink any more.

Rodin abruptly looked up and examined Salomon carefully. When his gaze fell upon Salomon's hands, realization dawned on him. "So it's you!"

"You know me? But this is our first meeting." Salomon was puzzled.

"Everyone in the world connected to magic remembers the sight of your birth, kid. You're far more famous than you think." Rodin set down a glass of iced cola instead. "Anyone who wasn't blind could see that beam of light from Heaven. Later, you were adopted by the Sorcerer Supreme. Everyone on the magical side knows that too. What's your name?"

"Salomon."

"As expected. I knew your name the moment I saw your Holy Marks." Rodin nodded. Perhaps because of Salomon's age, his tone was gentler than ever before. "But I don't think it's time for you to counterattack Heaven and seize your mother's soul. Bayonetta can't help you break into Heaven. You'll have to rely on yourself."

"I've never met my mother." Salomon spoke expressionlessly. "But if I get the chance, I'll definitely do that. Just not now. I'm not that stupid yet. I came to find Bayonetta for something else."

"What is it?" Enzo leaned over, having already put out his cigar. "When it comes to finding things, Bayonetta's no match for me. All she knows is fighting and killing."

Salomon glanced at Enzo, then at Rodin, hesitating over whether to reveal the matter of the Darkhold. But he felt that for long-lived beings, such things probably did not count as secrets. So he told them the information he had obtained.

Including the alchemical book written by the Franciscan Order priest and teacher Paul of Tarento in Italy. What he needed to know now was where Paul had written that book. Only by learning where Paul had gone throughout his life could he find the place where Paul had come into contact with knowledge from the Darkhold.

"The Sorcerer Supreme actually sent you to look for that book." Rodin said, "That book disappeared long ago. I don't think Enzo can find it. Are you sure this is your mission?"

"Maybe The Venerable One doesn't want me staying in my room all the time, afraid I'll die of boredom, so she wants me to get out and walk around." Salomon said. "Of course, it's more likely that The Venerable One wants me to gain some experience, but I still feel it's a little too early."

"Indeed." Rodin nodded. "You don't have enough experience yet. For example, you just told Enzo information he didn't know, so he got a piece of news for free."

"Don't underestimate me! I have information even you don't know!" Enzo waved his fist in displeasure. Of course, he did not dare lose his temper at Rodin. Waving his fist was merely his way of protesting.

The moment he turned around, his attitude changed. He said to Salomon, "I think we can discuss this business. Not here, though. The food here is terrible. You can come to my house. My two children, Ed and Edna, will be very happy to see you. My wife is a great cook too—much better than Rodin."

The bar's doors burst open with a bang, and a tall, graceful figure appeared in the doorway. An incomparably long pair of legs wrapped in form-fitting black fabric stepped inside, the extremely high heels striking crisp notes against the bar's floor.

"Oh my~ There's a little guest today." The woman's voice was irresistibly seductive. "Rodin, when did your bar start serving minors? Selling alcohol to minors is against the law, you know."

"Bayonetta, he's looking for you." Rodin reminded her at just the right moment.

"Hmm?"

The woman walked over and bent down slightly. Salomon smelled an entrancing fragrance surrounding him from every direction, while a marvelous curve wrapped in form-fitting black fabric appeared before his eyes. That impossibly sexy voice sounded beside his ear. His extraordinary hearing even allowed him to hear the moist sounds between her tongue and teeth, along with her warm, ticklish breath, as though that tongue were already stirring back and forth inside his ear.

"Boya~ Were you looking for me?"

Good morning.