Ball of Nothing

The location of their newly acquired shop pleased Coux. It was in a secluded part of town with good traffic of the worst kind. Qin Yun was no stranger to how things worked in the abyss. She wouldn't be the fox mistress if she was naive. Even in organised towns like this, territories and power struggles existed. Without announcing their alliance, this new shop would definitely be targeted.

Coux wasn't too surprised to have unwelcomed guests waiting for them. The estate agent appointed by the bank ran away as fast as he could the moment he handed the keys over. Amaraline cowered behind the two experienced ladies in fear when several rough looking demons approached. It wasn't very different from back on Earth. Apparently, gangs were still a thing even in Hell and the cockatrice girl wished Clowis was here. Her brother would have no problems teaching these punks a lesson or two, demon or not.

Qin Yun placed a hand on Amaraline's shoulder, sliding her serene expression into place. Coux seemed undeterred by the nuisance and smiled as if she was welcoming customers.

"Good day gentlemen. How may I help you?"

Amaraline counted eight demons with two particularly tough-looking ones. If the respect the others had for them wasn't an indication of their superiority, Amaraline could easily see the difference in their physical constitution by the bulging muscles. What were three helpless ladies going to do against a group of muscle-headed fools? Even if they managed to thwart the threat now, who was to say more wouldn't come for them?

Coux was calm. It wasn't her first time dealing with whippersnapper underlings of some shady two-bit syndicate. The big fish wouldn't bother with such trivialities in their area unless it affected their pockets. Pummelling a few empty-headed goons wouldn't leave any significant impact on their business credibility. If anything, it might buy the trust of their very first customers. Nothing sounded better than free advertising and that was exactly what Coux sorely needed at the moment.

The leader of the group of twats sneered and brandished his weapon of choice - a spiked club full of rusty nails coated in dried blood. His followers rounded them and Qin Yun pulled Amaraline closer to her. Although she had no doubts that the fortune-teller could hold her own, the fox matriarch preferred to leave the young girl out of any direct confrontation. There was nothing like a good old one-two combo to take the eight punks out, there was no need to put the child at risk. Amaraline was far too important to them.

"Lady, you're operating business in the Cool Bull territory. I suggest you offer some taxes to our boss if you don't wish for anything unpleasant to happen to your pretty little shop."

Cool Bull? Coux wanted to snort and roll her eyes at the lame sounding name. Couldn't they come up with something more original and spectacular? Then again, Cool Bull sounded just about right for this no-name gang with not a single ounce of class. The succubus wondered if their names were equally lame sounding like Diesel and Angus but brushed that thought aside. It wouldn't matter even if she knew, she wouldn't bother remembering them.

Activating her succubus bloodline magic, the trader flashed them a charming smile. "Well," she purred and Amaraline shuddered. "I believe it's only fair, isn't it? How about coming inside for some tea to discuss the terms?"

Like a cliche plot in some oversold erotica, the boys followed her into the building with hearts in their eyes. Qin Yun smirked as they entered the building. Amaraline was about to follow when Qin Yun stopped her. The cockatrice descendant was confused but didn't question it. They took a stroll in the neighbourhood scouting for groceries and information. Qin Yun introduced herself to everyone they saw and marketed their new shop artfully, impressing the fortune-teller.

"Oh my," a grocer demon smiled kindly. "That's really helpful. Here, please have some of these on the house," she grinned and pushed two bags full of fresh vegetables into Amaraline's arms.

Amaraline didn't know how Qin Yun did it. She merely trialled behind Qin Yun and let the older woman do all the talking. Through small talks, the fox demoness elicited all kinds of information. They got to know about the gangs in the area, the top powers in the city and who they wanted as their potential customers. Not only that, Qin Yun managed to build a good rapport with the business owners suspicious about a potential rival of theirs in the area. Amaraline couldn't understand half of what Qin Yun talked about but she knew the older woman merely offered them some advice while pushing for an opportunity of a partnership with them before worming her way into their good books.

"Oh it's too much… I can't possibly impose on you!" Qin Yun mocked gasp but the grocer lady insisted.

"No, I can't thank you enough. Hearing that Lord Baal is awake is one of the best news we've heard in a while. These gangs have been fighting over control in his territory and we suffered terribly."

The fox demoness accepted the freebies graciously. "Don't worry, Lord Baal has entrusted us with a mission to stabilise the situation in town. However, we are lacking information so it would be great if we had a little more help from everyone."

The grocer sighed and looked around cautiously before whispering, "I can't say much but there is one thing I could tell you about. Lately, there is some interference from an unknown power. Not even Lord Mammon knows who this is but the abyss has been in disarray because of this mysterious power who entered the scene fifty odd years ago. Gangs and low-life demons have gotten a lot more powerful and citizens under the protection of Demon Lords are suffering from the underground war going on. If you could pass the word on to Lord Baal to have someone investigate this, we would be eternally grateful."

Qin Yun frowned. "Could you tell me what you know? What exactly happened?"

The grocer lady sighed. "I had a son. He was a stupid and useless son but he was still my flesh and blood. Ten years ago he met someone who offered him a chance to become more powerful. He didn't know who the dealer was but I know he would always carry a magic stone. The more he charged that magic stone with mana, the more 'curse power' he would get. It would amplify his latent abilities both physically and magically. However, it was like a ticking bomb. The more he used its power, the shorter his lifespan became. For us demons, our mana is our lifespan. My stupid son died because he wouldn't stop depending on this borrowed power. I know for a fact many runners of the gangs use it. It's not uncommon to find shrivelled corpses all over the city. Nobody knows where the stones are coming from but there are rumours that you can get a few from the auction house if you know who to talk to."

Qin Yun shared a look with Amaraline. "Thank you for sharing this with us. We will do our best to get to the bottom of it. If you are faced with any difficulties in future, please look for us at our shop or send a message to Lord Baal's castle looking for Lady Van Doux."

The grocer lady had unshed tears in her eyes. "Please, help me avenge my useless son's death."

Amaraline didn't say anything as they parted. She had trouble understanding everything. However, Qin Yun had a look of determination in her eyes. It was as if she finally had the last piece of the missing puzzle. The fortune-teller didn't ask for details as they made their way back to the shop. They had wandered around for about half an hour, Coux should be done with whatever negotiations by now.

They reached the tiny shop in less than ten minutes and Amaraline was fairly surprised by the complete makeover. The tiny shop was no longer dusty. The interiors were decorated with a homey feel and a touch of class. The exterior was extremely eye-catching. Anyone who passed by would be able to identify their shop and Amaraline raised a brow at the shop signage.

"Belles and Begonia?"

Qin Yun blinked. It looked more like a parlour than shop. What exactly was Coux thinking about when she redecorated the shop? Inside the dingy building, there were luxurious couches and small coffee tables. The open-concept pantry area had a selection of high-classed tea leaves and pretty tea sets. Qin Yun didn't remember demons having such fanciful tastes apart from the aristocratic families.

They entered the french door and a bell chimed, alerting Coux of guests.

"Welcome to Belles and Begonia," she greeted cheerfully and blinked when she saw the two dumbfounded ladies with arms full of groceries and freebies.

"I see that the both of you have been busy," she commented as she ushered them to the staff break room.

Qin Yun sighed and massaged her shoulders while Amaraline took her time to admire the tasteful interior decorations. True to the establishment's name, there were potted Begonias everywhere. If there was one thing Qin Yun liked about the new layout, it was the plush couches. After walking around town carrying so many bags, Qin Yun needed a rest badly.

"When did you get everything delivered? I'm sure potted flowers aren't readily available in the abyss. Also, where did these couches come from? Hell doesn't have many good craftsmen or leatherworkers."

Coux grinned. "Lord Baal gave us his mark so that we could travel freely. I had these things lying around in my severely underutilised properties so I had the gentlemen do some muscle work for me. I used the money from the loans to renovate this shop a little. We have a little over an hour to make money for repayment. How did the information gathering go?"

Qin Yun became serious. "That wolf in goat's skin definitely knows a thing or two about what's going on in town. Magic stones as I recalled, were never this valuable. Amaraline's magic trait might be rare but it wouldn't be this highly valued. The low-levelled demons are causing quite the nuisance and not even the Demon Lords are able to find the supplier of those cursed magic stones. The only lead we have is the auction house, as expected."

Coux pulled out some dull stones and Amaraline blinked. There was a weird vibe coming from those stones and she was reaching to them when Coux smacked her hand away.

"Don't touch those, they are cursed. Whoever it is, they're very good at writing spells. I've sent a few of these to Lovina, we should hear from her soon. Those gentlemen were kind enough to tell me a few interesting things."

"Let's hear it," Qin Yun grinned and got up to make tea.

"I'm sure you know how these work by now. They absorb mana from weak-willed demons and enslave them to become mana fodder. Addicted to power, these demons continue borrowing the curse's power until they eventually run dry and die. It didn't work on me because I had the blood of Demon Queen Lilith running through my veins. However, something really strange happened. The curse tried to steal my mana and replicate it by using something similar to mana. I don't know what that was but it certainly wasn't magic at work."

The fox matriarch returned with tea set the tray down, pouring everyone a cup. She smiled at the familiar aroma of oolong tea. That helped to calm her nerves and Qin Yun mulled over the new information. Amaraline continued to look lost.

"I was told something similar too," she admitted. "Whoever the dealer is, they are covering their trails very well. Until we have connections with the auction house, speculating further is unproductive. You mentioned that the curse stole mana but replicated the effects of magic and amplified the abilities with something that wasn't magic. Have you sent this to Raj or Wiser?"

Coux sighed. "I sent it to Wiser seeing how it wouldn't affect him. Raj would've been affected by the curse. However, Wiser couldn't make heads or tail about it. To him, it was merely an ordinary stone and without proper lab equipment, he couldn't make any progress. It's not as if we could bring the lab over now, could we?"

Qin Yun shrugged. "That's not as important at this point, is it? I'm sure he can figure something out. Knowing him, giving up isn't an option. More importantly, we have groceries for tonight's party. How are we going to pay the loans back in an hour?"

Coux grinned. "You've spread the word, right? All we have to do now is wait. Did I tell you that I had Lovina make a batch of pancakes and Zoe bake some treats? Lemon meringue tart is on the menu today."

Qin Yun's eyes widened and Amaraline's mouth watered. Coux went to the pantry and pulled out the treats from something that looked like a box.

"What's that?" Qin Yun asked, noticing it for the first time.

Coux winked. "It's our secret weapon. Meet the cross-dimensional shared inventory box. We have a cross-dimensional voice message system too."

Amaraline blinked. "Isn't that...?"

"Yes, it is. Wiser found the error in your formula and after some tweaks with Sekkin's help, we got it working. We have something similar for spying on our targets. All we have to do is lure them over and slap it on them while they're distracted."

Qin Yun was impressed and praised Amaraline who blushed. As soon as the desserts arrived, the fox demoness moaned in appreciation at the sweet treat. Amaraline dug her fork into the tart and the three ladies ate in contentment.

From outside the glass window, the passers-by watched as three very beautiful ladies ate mouth-watering treats and chatted care-freely. It was a sight for sore eyes in a district as barbaric as theirs. Whenever Coux or Qin Yun saw someone staring at them, they would throw them a wink and beckon them inside. Amaraline noted how the majority of their newly attracted customers were male but chose not to comment. Money was money and she played her part by serving the customers tea and sweet delights with a smile.

The level of service provided by the three beautiful ladies started spreading like wildfire. Slowly but surely, more people from other districts began travelling over. Many customers paled upon seeing the ludicrous figure of their bill but sighed in relief when Coux and Qin Yun gave them the option of paying via magic stones. This unusual form of payment reached the ears of a certain bank manager. Usually, magic stones were only accepted at the bank or auction house. Nobody valued magic stones due to how common it was. It didn't take long for him to realise his mistake.

"I should have known better than to trust the seductress!" he hissed. Enraged, the goat demon threw the paperweight to the wall nearby, causing a huge commotion. The loan accepted magic stones as a form of payment. In the terms and condition of their loan contract, the bank accepted the worth of five high-grade stones and not specifically five high-grade stones. Blinded by his greed, the manager accepted the hastily drafted contract without checking. He only understood his folly when news about their shop's overwhelming success reached him.

Bitter at his loss, the manager could only force a smile when Coux returned an hour later to repay her loan at the counter below with an assortment of low-grade and middle-grade stones. The down payment of that one high-grade stone by the rare magician was returned and with that, the manager lost his only chance of a promotion through the cult.

"Coux Van Doux... Demon Lord Baal... you will pay for this, I swear upon the name of my lord," he growled, watching as Coux left the bank from his tiny office window.