The next few hours passed in a blaze of activity. Every priest stationed in this town was called away from their normal tasks and was dispatched to clean and contain the rot. News of the unfortunate demise of the Baron and his son spread despite the best efforts of the city’s new enforcers. Mammon knew that trying to contain such a momentous event would be a futile affair, but even he underestimated how fast news could spread via magic. Well, the demon didn’t care either way. A few discreet calls to his underground subordinates ensured that the rumors were painting Lord Amon in a good light; it didn’t matter what was leaked when Mammon controlled the flow of gossip and information.
Mammon only needed to inform the gangs under his control to keep a tighter watch on the situation to ensure that mass panic didn’t occur, not that it would have mattered. The peasants and lower-class citizens barely reacted to the fact; their lives were so disconnected from the nobility that even losing the ruler of their territory hardly affected them. What was harder to control, however, was the various influential families associated with the corrupt officials.
A massive line of serfs and dignitaries representing dozens of houses were lined up by the makeshift administration tent Mammon had erected, all of whom were espousing their complaints about the recent proceedings. The demon had, naturally, ensured that he was at the thick of the administrative side of things, and had erected his own tent to serve as his base of operations. The various aids assigned to help Mammon had tried to decorate the space with expensive rugs and fineries, but nothing could hide the rushed state with which it was set up. But Mammon made the best of the situation, even if his workstation was so beneath his exalted status. The natural way that he commanded the staff made no one question his presence at the heart of the bureaucracy.
In fact, Mammon’s expert guidance and management had made even the most ambitious upstart following his orders before long, which was precisely what the demon had wanted. He needed to make himself so indispensable in the upkeep of this barony while the place was still in turmoil that when he’s inevitably forced to cede command, the higher-ups would all but come begging for him to come back.
Well, he’d ensure that was the case with a few covert operations on the criminal side of things in any case. Mammon almost felt bad for the poor sap who would come to replace him at the helm, because they’d be in for the largest spike in crime and famine that this northern town has ever seen. Everything was going according to plan - no, this unaccounted kidnapping event had greatly accelerated things; the only concern was Wren. The boy had remained unconscious, and the priests and clerics were all unsure when he would wake. For now, Mammon had to place his trust in the doctors and physicians of this world, an uncomfortable prospect given the consequences. Mammon knew that his soul was unmistakably tied to that of the boy’s, and he wasn’t sure what would happen to him if his Contractor was missing.
“Something on your mind?” A recognizable voice whispered, breaking the demon out of his reveries.
Mammon turned to find the tall “mercenary” leaning against his chair, a mischievous smile plastered on her lips. She had ditched her worn leathers and practical clothes for a thin, tight-fitting tunic and matching pants. Her shoulder-length blonde hair had been combed and styled into a braid, and a faint scent of meadow flowers hinted at a tasteful application of perfume. Mammon supposed that she was attractive, for all intents and purposes, but it was the way that she presented herself that really caught the demon’s attention. She looked like anything but a lowly hired sword now, but that hardly surprised the demon. What did, however, was that Mammon hadn’t even noticed her approach, nor did he know how she had managed to avoid his guards to appear directly into his new office.
Not even Dust had managed to get the jump on him so thoroughly; at least with that other mysterious individual, he could detect the slight traces of magic before her approach. Worse, Mammon knew that he would have been killed if she had come with ill intent, yet instead of fear, the demon felt more intrigued by the woman. How strange, he mused, that his reactions would be so different than what they would have been had he remained in Hell, all because of a Soul. It was little wonder that Lucifer had rebelled against the Creator over such a gift.
“And you’re still distracted, even when I’m here,” Diana said with a giggle, feigning outrage, “I should feel offended, Lord Amon.”
“I apologize, Madam Diana,” Mammon answered, getting up from his seat, “These are busy times, and I fear my mind isn’t as sharp as it used to be. It is, as always, a pleasure to see you.”
“Just Diana is fine,” she replied, that easy smile never leaving her lips, “As I’ve said before, I don’t hold any kind of fancy title like your esteemed self.”
Mammon laughed despite himself. “A mercenary, I know, nothing more, nothing less, right?”
She grinned and answered with a wink.
“I wasn’t expecting you so early,” Mammon admitted, “If I’d known, I would have dressed for the occasion.”
“Please, don’t worry about those small details with me.” She scanned Mammon’s body and shook her head. “And I think you’d do well to avoid moving too much, I have a feeling you’re more injured than you let on.”
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The demon frowned as he realized the truth of those words. His wounds that he had suffered hours ago had still not fully mended; his feeble connection to Hell was the only thing keeping his form from slipping, and he had precious little energy left to mend this physical form. It felt so strange being so vulnerable, and Mammon made a note to figure out a way to remedy this problem as soon as possible.
“That is true,” Mammon nodded. “I was careless when I rescued the children.”
“Still not used to that body?” She asked absent-mindedly.
“What do you mean, Diana?” the demon answered without missing a beat.
He wasn’t going to fall for such an easy question. She’d have to do better, but at least he knew that his identity was still safe if she was asking something like that. She was probably as clueless about him as he was of her. Good, that meant that he had more room to work with.
“Your age,” Diana replied as if nothing she said earlier was suspicious, “You’re not as young as you used to be, Lord Amon, it’s only natural that you're not used to your body betraying you like that.”
Mammon supposed that she was right in that assessment, even if she didn’t know the full implications of her words. “True enough, but I take it that you’re still able to perform at your peak?”
She shrugged. “As well as could be expected, although I suppose I don’t have the same dexterity and stamina as I used to.”
That wasn’t a lie either. Hm, Mammon wondered if she could also tell if he was speaking falsehoods, but the demon supposed it was a safe enough assumption to make. It would be prudent to be as truthful as possible, but Mammon had always tried to lie through omission rather than tell straight untruths, even as a demon. Humans had been so easy to manipulate that he enjoyed challenging himself with certain self-imposed restrictions, especially as he climbed down the inferno ladder. Who’d have thought that the demon would be putting those skills on display now of all times?
“Anyway,” she continued, getting up from her spot to circle around the tent, pretending to admire the gaudy artwork and rushed decor. “I think the barony can survive without your intervention for a few hours; you’ve been cooped up in this hole for the better part of the whole day, and I’m betting that you can use some food and refreshments.”
“I suppose so,” Mammon said with a sigh, the amount of paperwork and list of crucial duties were still mountainous, but he could still afford some slack. “But the ones outside the door will not be pleased.”
Diana laughed, a genuine one without a hint of deceit or mockery this time. “Let them. Their masters are the ones who should be begging you for forgiveness, but instead of admitting their mistakes, those fools double down on their greed and pride only to make things worse for themselves. Let them wait; what can they do, complain even harder?”
The woman had listed two Sins, and ones that closely associate with Mammon as well, but was that just a coincidence, or was she subtly hinting that she knew more about the demon’s true nature than she let on? It was equal parts exhilarating and infuriating not to know the right answers to everything, but that was the nature of life, he supposed.
“Fair enough,” Mammon shrugged and started to put away his work. “I suppose now is a good a time as any to head off for dinner; let me just inform the serfs of my departure.”
Diana nodded with a wry smile. “Don’t take too long.”
* * *
It took Mammon longer than expected to disentangle himself from the various nobles and would-be politicians. With so many things to take care of, and no one else having Mammon’s management capabilities since the old government officials were all imprisoned, the various stand-ins all but begged for the demon to remain, at least for now. It took Mammon a small show of force before the townsfolk understood that they had no right to expect the demon to solve all of their issues. The CEO of Hell almost laughed seeing their floundering expressions when he told them just that, but letting the masses panic now would only speed up their dependence on him; he needed them to understand just how bad things can get without his leadership at the helm.
It took almost half an hour before he could meet back up with Diana, and as loathe as the demon was to admit it, he was looking forward to knowing the woman more. Something about the woman made him gravitate toward her, almost inadvertently so, and Mammon wanted to know why exactly that was the case. Thankfully, Diana didn’t seem to mind the wait, or at least she hid it so well that even the Archdemon couldn’t read it, but Mammon hoped that she wasn’t that good at maintaining a neutral expression.
Diana had taken the two to a relatively low-key establishment a little off the city center. It was just far away enough that the chaos of recent events hadn’t impacted the zone much, but still close enough to civilization that it felt suitably romantic, or more accurately, inviting. Unsurprisingly, not very many townsfolk were in the mood to have some outdoor dining at the moment, and aside from an elderly couple seated on the other side of the place, Mammon and Diana had the whole place to themselves.
The two ordered a few of the local delicacies at hand, along with a bottle of wine to celebrate the occasion. They had begun with some casual dialogue, mostly with Mammon summarizing the day’s events, but the conversation naturally lulled sometime later, despite the privacy offered, and Mammon and his strange date didn’t choose to engage in their usual verbal exchange then. Some unspoken truce was acknowledged, and the two simply enjoyed the rare moment of peace and quiet, eating their meal under the basking warmth of the nearby hearth fire and the calm glow of the candles.
Mammon felt himself relax next to the company of his mysterious guest. He felt his ever-busy mind ease off of the many plans and plots constantly brewing in his head, of the constant vigilance and attention that he forced upon himself due to all of the hostile forces surrounding him, and for the first time in perhaps Mammon’s entire existence, the demon had allowed himself to truly enjoy the present.
Mammon saw that Diana must have felt the same, and he couldn’t help but smile.