However, what was more important was their future. Thus, Asmodeus aimed to reach the next rank before he desired to go any further.
The knights of Vinea adapted faster than he thought, with them taking turns in groups of four because all of them could work together and fight in any role. Vinea would make them alternate between fighting as a knight or archer and mage each day.
'I am glad she took my advice.' Asmodeus thought while watching the knights training in the private yard of the inn.
He paid extra after they all began earning money to use this yard to train themselves. Alan's training reminded Asmodeus that although levels were important. A person who trained to the limit could defeat someone who just had levels on you.
"Don't step too far forward! If you lose your centre of balance, a skilled enemy will take advantage; keep your magic focused in your abdomen, ready to use at all times." Velvet's voice echoed, her beautiful figure assisting the girls while Asmodeus watched from his room.
She offered to help train the troops from the night when he met Alice and discovered she wasn't what she first seemed, which made him quite interested in her.
"Yumiko, your fighting style is aggressive, but when you are using those blades, you lose focus and balance here. Your back leg keeps drifting out of position..."
Asmodeus turned away, and he was satisfied by her words and pointing out the issues he also saw when viewing from a distance.
'Though maybe I would not see it if we were fighting, as expected. Some people have better skills than others, I cannot train well... Should I teach Velvet my mother's technique? Though her basics seem close for some reason, it's nothing like Alice or Yumiko.'
***
The group took their weekly day off, where they would train for six hours, then relax and work on studying and whatever they wanted. Asmodeus decided he would take a quest trying to reach promotion.
No matter how strong you were, the guild rules were quite fair, and he didn't mind not having some instant rise like most isekai stories and novels.
It allowed him to learn the different herbs and how to collect them, to grasp the important things when taking quests.
He took a deep breath, the warm cedarwood scent of the inn making him feel at ease. It seemed that the mistress was burning a sweet lavender and honey incense candle. The inn began to feel like a home away from home for Asmodeus. The meals were delicious and homely, and when they returned, the mistress would greet them each time.
"Are you going on a quest?" A soft voice came from behind him. He turned to see a beautiful woman, her hair slightly wet, the scarlet strands shimmering from the sun outside the window as she smiled at him with a radiant glow. "May I join you, darling?"
'How charming, to see you just after a bath...'
"If you wish, we can go together, I would love that. Oh, by the way Liana, you look beautiful."
Her eyes widened, and she blushed, the same gentle smile growing brighter.
"Thank you, it is my pleasure to get your praise~ hehe, it feels like we haven't had much time together since we left the kingdom."
"Sorry, I just love to see your expressions."
"Ah?!"
Liana felt his other arm lifting her body, and the pair were in the shadows of the guild, a side alley where nobody was present, as he hugged her body. She could no longer fake being oblivious to her feelings and her desires that were too high.
"Mn, please give me a kiss."
Asmodeus didn't refuse her. He didn't know why, but this cute princess would act so different the moment he became a little aggressive, or hidden from other's sight. She really wanted his affection but couldn't ask for it like Erika, Ciela, Sariel or Yumiko.
So, the lovely princess kissed the demon lord in broad daylight, with no one else seeing them.
He knew she loved to kiss and thus spent ten minutes giving the princess what she desired but couldn't ask for while enjoying the sweet taste of her soft red lips.
'This girl is too adorable, look how lovely she is now...'
After the kiss, Liana became like soft putty, melting in his arms. She leaned against him, no longer speaking about boring things.
Instead, she wrapped her fingers around his and entwined them with his while she pressed her body against him like a cat that wanted him to stroke her.
The pair entered the guild and found the notice board, their hands locked together and eyes on the quest's options.
"Anything is fine, as long as you are there, darling."
Her words made his heart race a little, though he didn't show it and didn't resist her advances. Asmodeus knew that Liana actually enjoyed quests that involved killing.
However, he wondered if that was the right choice for a date, before noticing there was another bandit quest and felt amused. 'These guys never give up, wings of chaos, serpent gang... how many bandit gangs have we slaughtered so far?'
Asmodeus did not count. All he did was kill all the enemies and leave.
"Then let's deal with a group of bandits that have been causing trouble, we can use them for your training. I noticed your lovely magic arms are rather skilled now. Maybe you could conjure a flaming sword or other weapons for them to hold and that would make you a deadly enemy to fight, since they can extend to a length of fifteen metres."
"If I kill more than you, will you do anything I ask?" Liana gave a cheeky smile as she leaned against Asmodeus, her beautiful purple eyes like shimmering amethyst, making him unable to refuse her request.
"Then, if I win you will do whatever I want, and cannot complain, okay?"
"Nn!"