Bab 61: Oh no I'm going to get stabbed
"I know Izumi-san thinks I'm some big bad monster but I am not going to force you to eat your new pet," I spoke out blandly. Rias looked a little embarrassed at my words but she collected herself rather quickly afterward.
"You did just send a message saying Mochi-chan is delicious so you can't blame me," Rias spoke out with another pout on her face. Well, I could certainly see how she could reach that thought with the words I sent.
"That's not what I meant….but I could see how you got that. Mochi is yours to do with as you please. They are your souvenir so I'm not going to mess around with them." I spoke out with a small amount of embarrassment. Like I said I did not mean for my message to lead to anything else I was just stating a fact, the dumb rabbit really is that delicious.
I was not going to put that last thought into words as that would just lead to another misunderstanding. Rias looked over at me with the fat rabbit resting in her arms. I was so used to seeing those fuckers running for their lives that seeing one docile was rather confusing.
"Good, Mochi-chan is going to live a long live and no one will be eating them." She announced as she nuzzled the soft rabbit in her arms. I know that the Ragout Rabbit was technically the weakest monster in the game but it was still a monster. So it should be behaving somewhat aggressively but it seemed content to be treated like a pet.
"Thanks for the gift Prince-san," Rias uttered quietly after she finished pampering the rabbit. Rias was not looking at me when she said that instead, she was watching the rabbit in her arms with a strange look on her face.
" Thanks for accommodating Ashley and me back then." I never really thanked her for backing off back then. I prevented her from traveling to another world for my own purposes back then. Sure I had some logical arguments but I did force the issue in the end. So the least I could do is thank her for accepting my selfish thoughts.
Rias did not look like she was prepared for me to bring this up as she shot me an embarrassed startled look.
"It's not a big deal. Only two people could have gone on that mission and you two were the only real option." Rias shot out quietly with a bland look on her face. She was downplaying what happened which I was thankful for but it was not needed. I knew how aggressive my moves turned out in the end, I did not need to be coddled.
"Again it does not matter how large the issue was. I should still thank you for giving into my selfish demands." I spoke out softly. Rias looked over at me with that subdued look on her face as she gauged the seriousness of my words.
"Well, you're welcome then," Rias spoke out with a soft smile on her face. She was not prepared for my thanks but that smile told me she appreciated it anyway.
I looked over at her as I thought over something. Should I just leave it at that? There was more to the story behind my actions back than but does she really need to know them? Ashley had even larger issues back then and while she was working through her own issues it was still a work in progress. So hearing Ashley's reason for being who she was Rias should have a better understanding of her.
Rias was a good friend to have and she was someone who could not help but care for the broken birds. If she knew about Ashley's story she would have a small amount of care for the broken girl. Even if said girl was a psychopath that was completely fine with murdering….okay so maybe she would not care quite as deeply as I thought with Ashley being who she was.
I suppose leaving Ashley's side of things out was better in the long haul. Her story was not exactly mine to tell so it would be better if Rias found out about these things on her own. The building blocks of her life were a rather personal thing after all. I may be coming from the perspective of trying to help her but it would still be a breach of trust telling Rias those things.
My own motives were completely fine on the other hand.
"Really thank you Rias-san. I was not exactly in the best place back then and going on the mission was really helpful to me. I really needed the opportunity to run from my issues for a while.' I spoke out with a grimace on my face. Remembering how I was acting back then was not a good memory. The rage that dyed almost all of my actions and the sheer hurt that ran through my being was heavy. I was lashing out at everyone because I wanted no one to be close to me. It was stupid but no one is perfect and I was certainly not even close to earning that perfection.
"That's strange to hear. You always struck me as someone who knew what they were doing." She spoke out with a small amount of concern in her voice. Like I said Rias was someone who cared for the people in front of her. It was just a part of her and it was a good trait to have in a friend. Even if that care would bite her in the ass when someone unruly took advantage of it.
I suppose I belong to the category of people taking advantage of that kindness. I was playing on her sympathy to deepen our relationship.
When she finished speaking I let out a barking laugh. I was many things but being in control was not one of them. The days I spent in a manic haze as my emotions swelled in me could tell you that. The months I spent rejecting any emotions could tell you that. The years of holding on to bitter emotions could tell you that.
She again shot me a concerned look as I continued laughing. The barking laugh that was leaving me was perhaps a worrying sight but I could not help it. The words managed to strike a point that has been dwelling in my thoughts for a long while.
"It's nice to know that I look like I know what I am doing Rias-san. But the truth is I have no idea what I am doing. When I first joined the Chat Group I was a boy obsessively in love with the only girl who showed me kindness in my fucked up life." I let out as I ran my hands through my hair. Again I was showing a certain amount of vulnerability but my words were entirely true. The concern in Rias' eyes grew brighter so I knew I was working in the right direction.
I did feel rather shitty about manipulating the kind girl before me but I wanted to be closer to her. She would make a good friend, one who would stand by you through thick and thin. I wanted someone like that in my life and if I had to say the right words at the right time to get it done than I would do that.
I was being truthful with all of my words so I was not being entirely manipulative. I was just showing off the parts of myself that I knew would strike a chord with her…..that did not sound any better.
"I thought things were going better when I got the Chat Group and they were for a time. I gained people that I could bond with and the power to fulfill many of my dreams. Then my world came crumbling around me right before the mission." Those were my thoughts and feelings at the time. So I was not lying to her about the circumstances back then.
"What happened?" Rias questioned quietly with a soft understanding look on her face. That look caused me to falter as I took in the genuine care on her face. I gritted my teeth and looked away from her for a moment.
I was the worst. I was spilling my life story to her because I knew that she would resonate with the words I spun before her. I wanted her in my life but was this really the right way to go about it?
I gritted my teeth further as I did not know if it was. Would the relationship that I built on these tactics be real in the way that matters? I wanted her by my side but by doing this could I be happy about her being there? Would these thoughts and feelings not bug me further down the line as the guilt built up?
How else was I supposed to go about this? I was not exactly swimming in the friend department so I did not know how to reach out to others properly. Narcissa, Ashley, hell even Lily were people who reached out to me, not the other way around.
I was being true about myself. These thoughts and feelings that I was sharing were what I was feeling back than. Sure I was sharing these things to bond better but was it really all that bad? I was just hastening the process of bonding by showing the right parts of myself.
I felt myself freeze as the conflicting thoughts ran through my head. Parts of me hated the way I was going about it the other parts thinking it was perfectly fine doing what I was doing.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." Rias let out quietly with the same understanding look on her face. She saw the turmoil I was going through and offered me an out. The problem was I wanted to tell her my story if only to get closer to the kind girl before me…. I wished to be a better person, so I could afford to be a bit more honest with this girl.
I would continue my story because I wanted her to know it. It was selfish and the only consolation I could offer to this kind girl was that I too would stand by her through thick and thin. It was the least I could do after worming my way into her good books with such tactics.
I let out a sigh as I reached a conclusion.
"No, I want to tell you. It just feels like I was taking advantage of your kindness Rias-san." I spoke out softly as I looked at her with an awkward smile on my face. I may be using manipulative tactics but I could at least be honest with her.
Hearing my words she shot me a confused look. She did not understand what my point was and I could not blame her for that. Who would think I was doing all of this to win her over?
"You are too kind for your own good Rias-san. You instantly went into caring for me when I told you what was happening to me. I wanted to get closer to you but going about it this way seemed pretty messed up to me." I let out quietly with a soft smile on my face. She blushed at my compliment and grew a contemplative look on her face.
"I just finished cutting ties with that girl I was obsessively in love with. I thought I could trust her with my deepest secrets but I could not… It was not really her fault in the end, she was far too kind as well. I put her between a rock and a hard place so I should not have been that broken up about what happened." I quietly admitted my thoughts. Without those bitter feelings dyeing all of my thoughts I could admit that she had very little options back then. I could still not bring myself to feel for Lily but I could understand why things turned out the way they did. I could even admit the part I played in that dance.
Again Rias had a confused look on her face. I hesitated for a moment but if I was going to tell her these things I was going to tell her everything. I wanted her to stand by my side and I could not have that if she did not really know me. My relationship with Lily taught me if you only trusted the image in your head your relationship was doomed for failure. It was better for everyone to be entirely truthful with each other. Even if that meant showing the worst parts of you.
"You know how I have been taking people's luck?" I asked quietly breaking the confused look on her face. She nodded with an expectant look on her face.
" A boy in my school has been my worst enemy for the longest time. He would humiliate me daily, he would drown me in front of the school with everyone laughing and jeering at the sight. He even managed to sick a werewolf on me almost killing me. I hated the boy with everything I had in me. He did all of those things because the girl I was telling you about was my best friend and he did not like me pining after her as he too liked her." I explained darkly. The full context here was obviously more complicated but that was the jist of my relationship with Potter. I will admit that it was Sirius who sicked Lupin on me but the events that followed had me blaming Potter for the event as well.
He knew that his friend took things way too far when Lupin almost killed me but he kept his silence. He allowed the situation to play out in which he became the big hero and no one knew what awful things his friend just did. I hated Sirius but the way Potter acted afterwards bugged me more.
Confusion bloomed on her face again and she could not really tell how those two topics were related. However, the concern that burned back on her face was a comforting sight.
"After he almost killed me I felt desperate. I wanted something to protect myself from his tyranny. So I did something incredible and a fair bit suicidal. You know how I am able to steal other's luck? I made that ability, it was something miraculous. Something my world had never seen. I could steal anyone's luck and have them suffering for it… It passively protected me from anyone with ill will and as you can imagine that boy had a lot of ill will for me." I ranted out as the memories boiled to the surface. I was showing more of the story than I had before. Even Ashley did not manage to drag all of this out of me.
Rias took in my words and she did not lose the concern on her face. There was something that flashed on her face but it did not affect the concern all that much. Maybe the sudden manic energy that was building off of me was shocking to see.
I took a breath to calm myself as I did not need to completely lose my cool here. That would be a great start to our friendship me losing control and blowing her house up because I went down memory lane.
"He started to suffer. He would trip on anything and everything. He would fall off of staircases, towers, hell he even fell into a lake. Random and often hilarious accidents would follow him wherever he went and I was elated." I spoke out quietly. Rias shot me a small grin on her face it looked like she was on my side in the conflict. That was good to know even if she did not have the full context. I could only hope that she would feel the same after knowing all the players in this game.
"The girl saw what was happening to the boy and started to get more and more concerned over his suffering," I spoke out as if I was confessing my sins to a priest. I was a part of the reason that our relationship had broken so explosively. I was better off with this result as our relationship was doomed for failure as it was but I was still not happy about how it played out.
Rias looked over at me with the concern still playing across her face. There was also a hint of understanding in her eyes. The picture might not have been complete but enough of the pieces have been presented that she could see what was coming.
Still, she held her silence as I was not done quite yet. Letting go of the distrust that has been haunting me has been therapeutic and I was going to continue speaking of those events. Again it was not the full picture but it was actually incredibly close. I was going to tell Ashley the full story later. She had my love so she should have my trust now.
"She came to me one day, asking me to stop tormenting the boy as he might die at the rate things were going. I hated that concern, she knew how much I hated him. She knew that he tormented me for years and she had the gall to bring his suffering to me. She ignored my own suffering but when it happened to the boy it was suddenly different." I spoke out bitterly as the moment ran through my mind once more. Again I took a calming breath to relax the hold that was gripping me.
"At least that was my thoughts and feelings at the time." I let out quietly afterward. When Lily brought up Potter's suffering it felt like a slap to the face but I could see what it was now. She was worried about Potter dying. As far as she was concerned Potter was a boy who did not deserve death for the things he did. That was a step too far for what was schoolyard bullying.
She was wrong. The things Potter did crossed that line a long time ago and she was just not capable of seeing that. Potter would not show the true cruelty that lay behind his roguish smile if he did that he would lose her. So he never tried anything too extreme with her eyes in view. I was also to blame as well I let my fragile pride hold back the worst events from her. I did not want her to see me as this weak little thing that could not defend himself.
I spent far too long feeling like that at home I did not want my only safe haven treating me the same. It was a foolish thought as it only led to more and more misunderstandings between us. Again trust is so important to building any relationship and I never really trusted her till it was too late.
"You feel differently now?" Rias questioned with curiosity on her face. She was letting me vent before but my idle comment must have had her curious. I gave her a soft smile in return.
"Out of the context of the moment, I could see that she was concerned about the boy dying. Like I said she was too kind for her own good." I spoke out pointedly as Lily was not the only person I called too kind. Hearing the meaning behind my words Rias' blushed a storm and refused to make eye contact again. There was another thing crossing her eyes but she moved her gaze away too quickly to get a good read on it.
"I trusted that girl with my life. So I explained that the boy would always suffer as long as he held ill will to me. I thought if she knew that things were doomed she would let it go." I spoke out softly. I still feel conflicted about that day now that I am thinking about it clearly. I needed to break away from Lily as the state I was in would have only led to worse things if I stood by her side. Yet, I did not want things to end the way they did.
I could have told Lily that things would calm down now. That Potter was not suddenly going to drop dead. That would have been the best route to take but in that moment I was upset. I felt slighted at the notion she would care for Potter so much. I needed to know how far that concern drove the girl I loved even if I did not know it at the time. So I pushed her into a corner leaving her only two options me or him. She picked him and that was the thing that broke me.
I bit my lip as I looked over at Rias. I have been leaving parts and thoughts behind to paint myself in the best light. Was that a regular thing to do or was I crossing another line unknowingly?
"She now knew my most precious secret. I had done something that would have my name written in history and I shared it with a girl that was too kind for her own good." I let out with a breath as the moment hit a peak.
"Then she chose to be kind," Rias spoke out quietly with her eyes closed before me. I could tell she knew exactly what came to in the end. She knew the turning point in my relationship with Lily. She knew why I was no longer the Red-Head Obsessed Prince.
I was painting a tragic image but it was not really all that bad in the long haul. It was emotional pain that did not weigh all that heavy. That moment may have been a defining point for me but it was built upon all the suffering I went through in my life. In Rias' eyes, my pain did not even scratch the top five and that was to be expected.
She did not know all of the things that were a part of my life she only got a glimpse of that one defining moment. The context and tragedy of my life were left in the dark before her. Even if she had the full context I don't think I could break into the top three. The lives of her peerage were really that bad.
Still, while it may not be the worst thing she had ever heard she still felt for me. The concern on her face was clear to see, the sympathy strumming in her chest was all too familiar. It was not about the amount of pain I went through but that I was in any pain at all.
It was a kindness that you would not expect from anyone who lived and breathed. Then again Rias was a character, not that it mattered her kindness was really enough for me.
"Then she chose to be kind." I quietly echoed her words back to her confirming her thoughts. She opened her eyes and looked at me with such genuine concern that I felt my heart skip a beat.
"So that happened right before the mission?" She asked with the concern dyeing her words. I nodded with a sarcastic laugh blooming from me.
"She broke me apart. I wanted nothing to do with anyone as far as I was concerned if she could betray my trust then anyone else would do the same. So I lashed out at you guys and that is why I am so sorry about my actions than." I spoke out seriously finishing off the story I wanted to tell her.
"I guess I could see why you were acting like that. What about Ashley?" She asked again with curiosity on her face again. I let out a small smile at the sight. Now that she knew my story she wanted to know Ashley's as well. She knew there was something going on with Ashley that was clear for anyone to see.
"That's not really my story to tell but I hope you can help Ashley eventually open up to you," I spoke out softly as I watched her. She took my words in and nodded solemnly with determination brewing off of her.
I knew if I asked her to help Ashely open up she would try her very best. She was too kind for her own good after all….
Rias hummed in response to me telling her that Ashley's story was her own to tell. She was clearly still curious but she restrained herself because she knew I was right. A silence fell between us as I waited for her to respond with something. I did not have to wait very long as she soon responded.
" I know you have your trust issue Prince-san but you can trust me. I can't leave a fellow otaku in such dire straights." Rias announced with a teasing smile on her face at the end. I cracked a wry smile back at her. She may have been joking for the most part but I could tell she really meant I could trust her.
" I do have trust issue…" I replied quietly as I looked over at her. She gave me an understanding look. I have healed a lot over the course of these two years but I still found trusting others hard. I still have not told Ashley most of my secrets and I really should have. I was going to do that so it was not too late for that.
"I will try to change that Rias-san and something in my gut tells me you are someone worth trusting," I spoke out with a bright smile. I would have to try to trust others if I wanted to change.
Rias was certainly someone worth trusting as far as I was concerned. Pyrrha as well even if we did not get off to the greatest start. Then there was Ashley and while she was not the most mentally sound I knew I could rely on her when things got rough. I did not know enough about Argo to deliver a definite reading as all I knew about her was she cared for her fellow humans despite her greed.
Izumi on the other hand was a weird one. I was not sure if I could rely on him if things got tough he just seemed so fragile in comparison to the others. I guess he was the most normal person out of everyone in the chat group so I should not be too harsh on him. I just had a rather poor opinion of the guy in which he shared the same poor opinion of me.
"I'm glad you feel like you can trust me Prince-san. I will prove to you that I am someone worth trusting." Rias announced with an embarrassed smile on her face. She was not expecting me to trust her so much right off the bat. She knew my story now and she knew why I was not so trusting. So her receiving my trust from the get go was a rather direct compliment.
"I have no doubt about that," I muttered out as I quietly watched her. She was someone who would stand by you as the world burned around us. Granted that state of being was for the person she loved but I was sure she would treat her friends equally well. It was just not in her nature to hurt those she held close.
She once again blushed as she took in my muttered comment. It was not like I was trying to hide that comment if I had I would have left it in my mind.
"So tell me about yourself. I want to know more about Rias Gremory." I spoke out softly as I wanted her to open up as well. She might not show the same level of openness but it would be nice to know more about her. I only knew what the anime showed me about her. She was not the main character so most of her thoughts and feelings were hidden from me. All I knew about her was some of her traits and her backstory for the most part.
She seemed startled by my sudden query. I guess I was being rather forward but I wanted to know more about the girl before me. Her thoughts, opinions, feelings, and the things that drove her.
"There is not much to tell honestly." She muttered out as she looked away from me. She did not seem like she was hiding her past from me but more like she felt her past was not worth telling. It was a ridiculous sentiment but one I would expect from her. She was used to hiding her own sorrow from others as her friends had it way worse in the end.
"I'm interested in hearing about it none the less," I spoke out with a light smile on my face. She gave me a measured look before she nodded slowly.
"Well, if you want to know more about me that's fine. I'm a devil and I am the only heir to the Gremory family." She spoke out with pride on her face. I knew that for the most part so I gave her a calm smile. I did not mean to belittle her family but her family was probably the least interesting thing about her.
She seemed confused about my lack luster reaction. I guess she was used to her family name being held in reverence. She seemed to clue in on the fact that I would have no idea how big a deal her family was.
"The house of Gremory is a noble family in the underworld. We are ranked at the highest level of Duke. In addition, my brother has been elected to the position of Lucifer." She spoke out again with the same amount of pride. I was once more not impressed. I had dealt with enough nobles braggin' about their families for a life time and while hers is certainly something worth bragging about it was not what I wanted to know.
"That's good to know Rias-san but I did not ask about the Gremory family. I wanted to know more about you." I spoke out calmly as I looked over at her. Hearing my comment she deflated before a blush started rising from her. It was a subtle thing but she was clearly slightly redder than she was before.
"Right, my mistake." She spoke out quietly. While I did not want to know about her family I got why she chose them as the first thing to talk about. I was sure all anyone wanted to know about her for the most part was her family. She was the heiress but that title was not a representation of the girl that stood before me.
"Well, I like anime I like Shoujo manga in particular and I like cooking." She spoke out quietly with a far less confident tone. She seemed unsure about what she should say about her self.
" I think the anime lover part was fairly obvious my fellow Otaku," I spoke out softly with a teasing smile on my face. Again she started to grow a bit redder but she recovered quickly.
"This is a lot harder than I thought it would be Prince-san." Rias spoke out with a pout on her face. I let out a light laugh at that as the sight was rather cute.
"It shouldn't be Rias-san. You don't have to force yourself Rias-san just tell me what you want to tell me about you. What I have learned so far has been great." I spoke out softly as I looked over at the fidgeting girl before me.
"I would have never expected someone from a noble house to enjoy cooking. Then again I never thought an otaku would come from a noble house either." I spoke out idly as I once again teased her. She gave me another pout at that.
"Cooking is a perfectly respectable hobby." She spoke out with that pout still clear on her face. My teasing smile widened further as she did not say anything about her Otaku hobbies. She clearly knew that those were far less respectable. But who cared about those things in the long haul? You should do what you want no matter what the world thinks about your actions.
"I get that Rias-san just not something I would expect. One day you have to show me how good of a chef you are. I'm warning you now I'm pretty skilled in that area myself so you should expect some criticism." Again I spoke out with a teasing smile on my face. Cooking was pretty easy for me as I had exceptional knife skills so I took up the hobby before. Granted I mainly took it up because I thought it would have impressed Lily back than.
"Well be prepared to have your socks knocked off!" She announced with a smug look on her face. I was unsure if it was a false bravado. I think I recall something in the anime about someone having horrible cooking skills but thinking they were first class. I was just unsure if that trait was one of Rias'.
"Other than those hobbies. I like hosting tea parties and making models." She spoke out with a contemplative look on her face. She was clearly trying to think about stuff that was interesting about her.
"You make models?" I questioned lightly. I did not think that would be one of her hobbies. She nodded swiftly and reached over and grabbed my arm dragging me to another part of the room.
"Behold my greatness and appreciate the final stage of Otakudom making your own merch!" She announced brightly as she showed me a glass cabinet filled with models. I gave the models a look over and some of them were really impressive even if I knew nothing about the anime they came from. On the other hand some of them were clumsily made and clearly hand crafted.
Again it was a cute sight. She kept all of her models even the ones that would be considered failures by others. It did not matter if they were ugly all that mattered was she made them to appreciate the anime she was watching. This told me she held a sentimental affection for those ugly models and that she was not afraid of her own failures. It was these small details that told me the type of person she was and I was already feeling better about getting closer to her.
"These are great Rias-san." I spoke out softly as I looked over at her with a smile gracing my face. The bravado she was displaying faded and she fidgeted slightly at my compliment.
"Thank you. It took me ages to get the arms right. You can see that Tasuki-chan arms are too short for her body." She spoke out excitedly as she pointed out one of the models that looked okay at first glance. Now that she mentioned it I could see that her arms did not exactly fit her body but she was being a bit harsh on herself it was fine for the most part.
Seeing my interest in her models she went on a rant explaining her techniques and faults with excitement clear on her face. She was not really giving me time to pipe in but that was fine. I may not want to know these things but the excitement on her face and smile was enough to interest me.
There was just something fascinating about watching someone talk about the thing they loved. I guess I got why Narcissa brought up those potion advancements to me even if she had no interest in them. If I had half of the excitement Rias had on her face I got why she wore that indulgent smile on her face. I was wearing a similar one on my face as I watched the girl before me bable.
She went on and on about the models for a rather long time. I could only recall every other sentence as I was too busy looking over at her glowing with happiness. Eventually, she caught on that she was babbling as she paused mid sentence. She then looked over at me with another embarrassed look on her face with a blush growing on her face at the sight of my indulgent smile.
"Sorry, I got a little too caught up." She spoke out quickly with the blush rising rapidly on her face. She was really embarrassed about what just happened but I just laughed lightly at her. Hearing my laughter she shot me a pout which increased my laughter slightly.
"It's not funny," She spat out with the same pout clear on her face. With that I let my laughter dye as I gave her another soft smile.
"I get it. When you get caught up in your interests you lose your self. I'm guilty of the same Rias-san so there is no need to apologize. " I spoke out softly with a bright smile on my face. She took in my words which lightened her pout but it was still on her face.
"Besides watching you explain your hobbies with such excitement was a lovely sight Rias-san. If you did not stop I would have been fine listening to you rant all day." I let out lightly with an indulgent smile on my face. Rias froze for a second with the pout falling off of her face and her gaining another embarrassed look. She was also back to getting redder.
She then looked away from me and looked around the room as if trying to find something. She stopped as if she found the thing she was looking for but all she was looking at was the ceiling.
She then looked over at me nervously.
"You said you wanted to practice using your Sacred Gear right? So let's go right now!" She announced with the embarrassment still on her face. She then reached for me to drag me away again but I motioned for her to stop. She paused her reaching with an embarrassed and confused look on her face.
"We have all the time in the world to practice Rias-san but I wanted to know more about you and we have just started," I spoke out with a smile on my face. Again she seemed to freeze for a moment before she started to get even redder.
"Oh." She muttered out as she retracted her arm. She then fidgeted by herself as she tried to decide what to talk about now.
"I'm not really sure what to say. I already told you about my hobbies." She spoke out softly with an embarrassed look on her face. Again she looked lost about what she should bring up.
"I don't mean to pry but there should be other things about you Rias-san. Your hopes, dreams, fears, or anything that falls between. You could even open up about things that are troubling you. I know you might not trust my help but I am fairly competent so I could be a big help." I spoke out lightly with a calm smile on my face. I did not want to pry but I knew there was a lot on her mind.
"You don't have to help me Prince-san. Don't get me wrong I am sure you would be helpful but you don't need to do that for me. I got it handled." She spoke out with a slightly smaller smile. I was sure she was more than capable of solving her issues but it was not about her being able to handle it her self. It was about her trusting me with those issues so I could do something about them.
"I am sure you are more than capable of handling it Rias-san you are a member of the Chat Group after all. It's just I want to help you." I spoke out softly trying to get my point across. The small smile on her face grew slightly on her face. She may not understand why I was doing what I was doing but she got the sentiment.
"If you want to Prince-san, I would be fine with your help." She spoke out softly with a wistful tone appearing when she said my name. I had a theory about that tone but I was not totally sure about it.
"The biggest problem in my life was my engagement. My parents forced me into an arranged marriage and I hated the guy who was supposed to be my husband." She spoke out with a bitter tone that faded quickly as she tried to hold back exactly how much that issuer hurt her. Again I got it she was used to hiding her pain from others.
"You have honestly helped a lot already Prince-san. With you messing with that dufus you got my parents off of my back. With the abilities the Chat Group gave me, I can beat him in a rating game and finally break the contract." She spoke out with hope clear on her face. She was confident on beating Riser in the rating game but she was holding herself back for other reasons.
"Well the Chat Group can offer a lot of power so beating him in a fight should be easy. You should try to use the Gacha to increase your abilities." I spoke out trying to offer some advice. She looked nervous for a second and looked away from me.
"I was saving my points to buy the manual name changer." She admitted with embarrassment radiating off of her. I rolled my eyes at the waste of points but she did not need to spend those points to beat Riser.
"It's just a username Rias-san," I spoke out mildly as she shot me another pout.
"I don't want new members of the Chat Group knowing about that name." She announced with an embarrassed look clear on her face. I let out a sigh as she was free to spend her points on that if she wished. Still, her efforts were probably going to end poorly Ashley was always going to tease Rias about her username it not being there won't stop future members from knowing about it.
"Alright if that's what you want than you don't have to spend the points. We can take care of your engagement in other ways. You said this was an arranged marriage? That means your family must be benefitting from this in some way right?" I questioned with a plan already blooming in my head. She nodded hesitantly at me.
"I am sure you can beat him up in a fight but that won't stop your family from making another contract or guilting you into marriage with the guy anyway. You would have to spend the rest of your life with them nagging you about marriage so we need to strike at the main issue benefits." Hearing my words she froze with a look of horror appearing on her face. She knew she was capable of beating any suitors with overwhelming might but she never took in her family guilting her into accepting. It would be emotional blackmail and not something she could fight off, it was a good thing that she was now my friend.
"Wait, wait! This is a lot to take in. " She let out quickly as she thought over my words. Her face paling as she realized the reality of my words. The only reason she had her family off of her back in the anime was because the Red Dragon Emperor was the new suitor of their family. It was an adequate replacement for Riser.
She then seemed to realize that I was offering her a way out as she looked back at me with urgency.
"One way you can stop the marriages is finding a suitor after you beat your current betrothed." I offered seeing her look. It was not the best solution but it was one she could take without my help if she wanted to be independent. She blanched further at the idea.
"Wait, you said something about benefits, right? So you have another idea Prince-san. You have another idea right!?" She questioned me in panic. I swear she was moments away from shaking me to get her answers.
"I do but it would require me helping you are you fine with that? I questioned lightly as I looked over at her. She took in my question and a strange look appeared in her eyes but it faded quickly as if she was reminding herself of something. She seemed hesitant to accept my help but that strange look appeared in her eyes again as she faced me with determination.
"I'm fine with that I just want to choose who I get to love." She announced with a serious look on her face. I figured that was the route she was going to take. She wanted to choose her love which was a rather strange demand to have as a noble but this is the modern age. She also had the right to love whoever she wanted damn what her family thought but I was sure she did not want to cut ties with them.
"Alright. Since your family is benefiting from the marriage we just have to offer them something so tempting that they would drop the issue preferably forever. I just happen to be a potion master so I could cook up a potion that should knock their socks off." I spoke out borrowing her words at the end. She looked over at me with hope on her face again and that strange look flashing in her eyes.
"I could offer potions that quite literally do anything so help me brainstorm here. Is there any issue that your society desperately needs fixing? If I offered to cure some terrible disease that should get them off of your back." I spoke out with entirely too much confidence. I was being a bit too smug but I really could do anything given enough time. So it was not entirely uncalled for.
I knew that the devils had issues with healing and I already told her I was capable of making phoenix tears. So I was aiming at her to ask about the tears. It would be poetic irony if the thing that breaks her marriage up would be phoenix tears. She could also bring up the sleeping disease but I doubted she would. It was not that prevalent in her society.
"Fertility." She spoke out seriously with a blush blooming on her face. I froze as that was not the response I was expecting.
"Fertility?" I questioned as if I was doubtful about what I just heard. The concept was strange one since I offered to make a potion that would do anything and she brought up fertility. Actually now that I was thinking about it that potion would be the silver bullet for Devils.
"Birthrates for new devils are incredibly low. It is a miracle if a family can produce an heir. So if you offer to fix that my parents would offer you anything." She spoke out seriously. She thought I did not know the gravity of fertility in the Devil race. Which she would be wrong about but I got her position.
I contemplated for a second. Did I want to waste that potion on getting her family to drop the marriage talks? I may treat Rias as a friend but did I really need to go that far for her? I could get the entire Devil race to promise me anything with that potion and I would spend it getting a girl out of marriage talks.
Fuck it. The Devil race could not offer me anything too impressive. My Alpha Stigma could steal plenty of spells from them and I had other ways of gaining wealth here. I could also get my name out there by fixing this issue. They would not be able to make the potion without me anyway. With my eyes, I could tell that her Demonic Power would not be able to do the same things my Mana was capable of. It was too unruly for the delicate art that was required for such a potion.
I was also now capable of storing my own Demonic Power. The power grew with Soul energy that had been soaked in negativity. So it was going to be rather difficult to grow it unless I wanted to start harvesting souls. The type of negativity I needed to up the power myself was way too far.
"Alright, I'll get working on that quickly Rias-san. We should be able to get you out of those talks permanently. You will be free to love whoever you want from now on." I announced with a bright smile on my face. She took in my words and just looked over at me for a rather long time. As the silence built I felt sweat bead down my back. Why was she acting like this? Was it something I said?
(Rias Gremory P.O.V)
Gah! You can't fall for him that's Ashley's boyfriend! She will literally stab you if you do anything! She had to prove she was not that easy to seduce! Even if he just told her he would solve the issue that had been haunting her. Even if he was quite literally a charming prince that came to solve all her woes…..
Calm down Rias! You got this! You don't think his smile is charming! You don't love his care! You don't want to kiss him till he forgets his name!
Oh no, she was so going to get stabbed!
Ever since my last comment, there was a tension between me and Rias. We would talk but she would gain a dazed look on her face every once and a while. Then there were moments where she would just look at me and fidget. There was a strange sense of conflict on her face, one moment she would have this dopey smile on her face the next she would harden her face as if scolding herself.
It would be baffling to me but even I got the sign at this point. She liked me and that thought threw me through a loop for a moment. I could not understand how I was able to get her to like me so quickly. It was not like I was trying to actively seduce her I was just trying to get closer to her. Then I thought about my actions since I met her.
I came to this world showing vulnerability to her then I showed interest in who she was not who Rias Gremory was, the final blow was when I promised to get her out of her arranged marriage. I was pressing all of the right buttons and I wanted to slap myself in the face for doing so. I knew who she was and I knew how she would react to certain things so I should have taken a step back. Rias was someone who could be seduced by a pervert who constantly wanted to see other people's tits. I should have recognized that now I had to deal with the consequences of my actions.
I was honestly unsure about what to do next. Sure I wanted to get closer to her but I never meant to seduce her yet I managed to do so. I could not exactly accept her feelings as I was in a relationship at the moment. I was also planning on getting Rias to befriend Ashley and I had thrown a wench in the middle of that. If Ashley found out Rias liked me than there would be fire and brimstone. It was not like Rias could hide how she was feeling from Ashley. I was able to see she liked me and that meant she was obvious to the nth degree.
I looked over at the girl who was currently staring off into space with a concerned look on her face. She wore her heart on her sleeve and there was no changing that. She was clearly concerned about her own feelings as well. She knew that Ashley already had problems with her getting closer to me and while she was getting better this was not going to be helpful. I was tempted to ignore this little problem and hope things got better.
That was a stupid approach that would only lead to more heartbreak. I was just going to have to tell Ashley about this when I went back to my world. I would make it clear that I did not return Rias' affections and that the girl in question would not make a move anyway out of respect for Ashley. Well more like out of fear but it sounded better if I put it in a more pleasant expression.
It might hurt her a little bit but it was better if I was just honest about it. She has grown a lot over the years and while she was still likely to stab someone she was at least a bit more confident about our relationship. Out of the two of us, she was the one who was more comfortable in our relationship. I could only hope that it would stick that way.
I let out a long sigh that knocked Rias out of her concerned daze. She looked over at me in curiosity before she looked away quickly in a panic. While I was planning on telling Ashley I was not going to confront Rias about how she felt.
The girl liked me and that was my fault there was no need to bring it up. She was clearly embarrassed about it and she wanted to not feel that way so she would try her best to hide her feelings. So as long as I did not bring it up she would not bring it up either. If I did bring it up it would throw another wrench into the mix and that was needless. If I brought her feelings to the surface it might even lead to her changing her approach. Which would only lead to artillery fire and declarations of war.
"I am going to have to go back to my world to start researching the potion," I spoke out calmly with a polite smile on my face. She took in my statement and another pout emerged on her face. The pout quickly faded as she knew she should not be that upset about me leaving in this context. I was offering to get her the potion to get her out of marriage after all.
"You don't have to rush it. My marriage with Riser is a long ways away and if they push it I could beat him up to get us more time." Rias spoke out softly with another conflicted look on her face. She wanted what I was offering but she also wanted to spend more time with me. She was just not able to say the real reason.
"I should still get working on it. I would rather have everything solved instead of waiting for things to come to our door." Again I spoke out with a polite smile on my face. Rias took in my words and seemed dejected about the idea. Then she brightened as she thought of something.
"It can wait a day or two Prince-san. You came here to practice using your Sacred Gear it would be a waste of points if you did not even try to use it." She announced brightly which then led to her regretting her words almost immediately. I bit my lip at the situation in front of me. She was right I would be wasting points if I did not practice using my Sacred Gear. I had an abundance of points but there was no reason to waste them needlessly.
On the other hand, I wanted to bring some distance between us. I suppose things could wait. I really wanted to use Star Blaster Star Burster and this was probably my best shot at doing so. It was not like Rias could stay close to me as I practiced using the Sacred Gear.
"I would hate to waste my trip. So you win I'll stay a bit longer Rias-san. I'm not sure why you want me to postpone this as it's in your best interest." I spoke out blandly bringing up her strange actions. She flinched and shot me a wobbly smile. I rolled my eyes at the sight internally. If she was going to try to keep me here I was going to prod her for my own amusement. As long as I feigned ignorance she would not know that I knew.
"The whole reason you came here was to learn and improve yourself Prince-san. I would hate it if you changed your plans just to help me." Rias shot out quickly with embarrassment clear on her face. Although a blush did emerge on her face as she spoke the last part. Why did she have to be so easy to seduce? If she was not we could have had a pleasant talk and bonded better.
Now I was going to hold her at arm's length so things did not get worse.
"That's nice of you Rias-san. You really are a good person." I spoke out calmly. I assigned her a good person card firmly putting her in the friend zone. Rias was clearly not used to that card being a bad sign as she looked pleased at the compliment.
"I'm just trying to be helpful Prince-san." Rias spoke out with a blush on her face. She seemed like she was starting to feel less and less conflicted about her emotions. That sight told me that I should probably rush this situation.
"Whatever you say Rias-san. Let's get started with that practice lead the way." I spoke out with excitement clear on my face. That way she would not be able to postpone this any longer. She wore another pout on her face as I rushed the conversation but she nodded anyway.
She started to lead out of the room. The place that she was residing in might as well be a mansion. I knew that she came from a noble family so having such a large home was to be expected. While the house was impressive to me I knew that the mansion they had in the underworld would blow this place out of the water.
As we walked along the corridors of her mansion Rias would chatter about anything that came to her mind. I listened and pipped in but tried my best to not engage too much. It did not seem to deter her words.
I wished we could have just teleported to wherever she was leading me but that was clearly not happening. God, how do people deal with such massive amounts of space? I was feeling bored just walking along these extravagant halls.
Something happened that broke the non-stop chatter coming from Rias. One of the many doors in the hall opened. I was not expecting anyone else to be here but that was a stupid assumption to make. This was Rias' home and I knew there was going to be certain people here.
The girl I knew to be Akeno walked out of the room she was in with a curious look on her face. Again she was something that would have people salivating at the sight of. Devils really were far too good looking for their own good. She had a pair of tits that were even larger than Rias but they were not a perky. I looked away quickly from her.
The last thing I needed was for Akeno to find me ogling her. It was not even about her being slighted at me doing so. No, I was sure that this seductress before me would be happy to have me ogling her.
"Oh my, who is this Rias?" Akeno questioned with an amused look flashing in her eyes.
"Um, This is a friend of mine. I'm just taking him to the training room." Rias spoke out as she avoided saying anything that really mattered. She was clearly deflecting and even a toddler could see that. The amused look in Akeno's eyes grew even brighter and I was not feeling all too well about that.
"What's the hurry Rias? I just brew a nice pot of tea. We all can sit down and chat for a little while you introduce me to your friend." Akeno spoke out teasingly. She also shot me a look that screamed she wanted me. I scoffed internally as I knew she was all talk and no bite. I was not going to fall for her petty tactics.
"Well, he is in a bit of a hurry Akeno. He has something important to do after this." Rias spoke out quickly with an embarrassed look on her face. Then she looked over at me shyly which was probably the worst thing she could have done in this situation. Akeno noticed the look immediately and the amused look in her eyes intensified. She also shot me a far more interested look.
"That's such a shame. I would have loved to get to know you Mr.?" Akeno questioned leadingly with bedroom eyes clear on her face. The sight caused Rias to wear a pout on her face. She was clearly not happy with Akeno trying to seduce me and she knew she could not even bring up the reason why.
"Severus Prince. I'm sorry that I was not able to entertain you today. I'm sure we will eventually have time to chat. Rias is a good friend of mine after all." I spoke out blandly while I emphasized the word friend. The whole context seemed to shoot over Rias' head but Akeno seemed to get my meaning.
Akeno looked between me and Rias with clear amusement on her face. She now knew that Rias liked me and that I was very much not returning the affection. The situation had her twitching her lips as she tried to hold back some laughter.
"Well, it's nice to meet you Prince-san. Any friend of Rias is a friend of mine." Akeno spoke out with amusement dancing in her eyes. She also spoke out the word friend in a throaty way that sent shivers down my spine. This girl was not going to give up on her game even if I made it clear I wanted no part in it.
The fact that I wanted no part in her game probably caused her to be more interested. I knew that was the case but I still had to do it. Sure if I played along she would lose interest but that would mean me showing interest in her. That would tell Rias my relationship was not as stable as she thought and that she would have a chance. It would be a bomb that I wanted to not touch.
Akeno walked away from the two of us shaking her hips as she walked away. I looked away quickly as I knew she would just get worse if she caught me looking. Rias was looking at the byplay with a pout on her face.
"We should get to the training room now. " Rias announced sourly. I rolled my eyes when she was not looking. It was not my fault that her queen had a penchant for seducing people. That was something she would have to take up with her friend.
The rest of the journey passed rather quickly. Rias still speaking about what ever came to her mind but she was rather sullen after Akeno. She was clearly sulking and I could not bring myself to change that fact. I did not want to lead this girl on when I knew that it would only end badly.
Eventually, we ended up in a room that reminded me of the training room Ichigo used when he first became a shinigami. A vast rocky room that looked like it actually outside. For a place that was used for practice, it did not look that damaged but I knew the reason why.
This place was enchanted to contain any and all energies inside of the room. It had a certain threshold but it was based off of someone ridiculously powerful. Beyond the containing function, the room was also programmed to repair anything that happened there. The enchantments were rather minor and I could do similar things already but the room was still a miracle. Not because of how it was enchanted but the sheer power that was fueling it.
If the leylines that powered Hogwarts were a lake then the power lying here was like an ocean. I could tell that the power came from a person and not a leyline like Hogwarts. Which meant someone had the power equal to thousands of leylines. I knew who made these enchantments but the sight really brought into question how powerful the guy was.
The amount of power behind him was frankly scary. If I had a tenth of his reserves I would be able to do some frankly ridiculous things.
"I know it does not look like much but this room should be capable of taking whatever you deal Prince-san." Rias spoke out taking my sudden silence as disappointment in the room. She probably thought that the room was not that impressive to look at.
"I can see that Rias-san. Whoever made this place must be ridiculously powerful." I let out as I continued examining the sheer power rolling from the room. I was still having problems imagining someone having that much power behind them. I guess in a world where infinity was a loli dragon you needed to be equally ridiculous to make it in the top ten.
"Yeah, my brother is a bit much." She spoke out embarrassedly but with a hint of pride on her face. I felt like she was showing off but having a brother like that was really worth bragging about.
" I think that would be an understatement Rias-san." I spoke out blandly as she puffed up at my words.
" I guess you are right, but with the Chat Group behind us we will eventually meet the heights of my brother." She spoke out with determination blooming in her eyes. I let a small smile bloom on my face at the sight. She was right the limits of our power were removed thanks to the Chat Group. We would eventually dwarf even her brother even if that goal sounded ridiculous in the face of a sloppy spell casted from that behemoth.
"That's the spirit as soon as I start blowing up planets I might be able to make your brother take a step back," I spoke out teasingly. The guy really was powerful to a dumb degree. Even if I could blow up planets her brother would still wipe the floor with me ten out of ten times. Rias took in my words and wore another pout on her face. She knew I was right but that did not mean she was happy about me putting us down.
"I can already enter a state similar to my brother. So it's not that far away." She spoke out sullenly. I flinched as I took in her words I was lucky that she did not see that flich. What the hell did she mean? From what I knew about Rias she was not capable of even being compared to Sirzechs. Now she was standing here claiming she was capable of entering a state similar to that beast.
That ability must have come from the Chat Group which meant she got something truly ridiculous in the newbie gift. She really was lucky that was clear for anyone to see. Wait a minute.
She was lucky I knew that from the anime and the words she said herself. She said that luck was a Gremory clan trait. Which meant she had ties to luck as a concept. Fuck, it was not just that Rias was easy to seduce my own abilities came into effect here. Fortune's Beloved said clearly that I was able to increase affection with those with ties to luck quickly.
Which meant Rias was doomed to fall for me the moment she joined the Chat Group. I knew the Chat Group selection was fairly biased towards me because of my luck but this really took the cake. From the very moment I joined my luck was already setting me up to get in a relationship with her.
I could understand why that was for the most part. My relationship with Lily was doing nothing but harm to me. So my luck was setting me up with a red-head that would treat me differently. I would applaud it for its foresight if it was not screwing me over right now. The person I got into a relationship with was not Rias it was Ashley. So the small setup before has become a stumbling block for me now.
I was wondering why this has come to pass. If I was really thinking about it Rias and Ashley both had traits that would have led me away from Lily. Ashley's fervent need for affection and her degraded moral compass meant I would have felt an instant connection with the lonely girl. Rias' kind nature and her need to help those in pain would have led me to fall for her eventually. Both of them were set up in a way that I would find them enthralling.
Hell, even Pyrrha was someone who could have led me away from Lily. Her looks were even closer to Lily than Rias was. Her unyielding sprite would have inspired me and her desperate need for someone to be there for her would ring a far too familiar tone.
The only person that did not fit the mold was Izumi….At least I hope to god that he did not fit the mold. I did not want to think about the implication of what him being in the group meant considering my luck. Even as I dread it I could see that Izumi and I could have bonded over our otaku tendencies. I just hoped that my luck was trying to provide me with a friend that I could bond with. I did not want to think about what the other option would be.
I took a step back as I thought over what had transpired. While my luck was setting me up to drop Lily it did not lead me to a perfect relationship with any of the members. Izumi and my relationship could best be described as tolerant, Pyrrha hated me for the longest time but she has calmed down for the most part and things looked promising. Rias was only falling for me now instead of much earlier. Ashley was the one that I had the best relationship with and that was because I actively reached out a hand to the desperate girl.
So why was it that way? My luck was more than capable of making sure that my relationship with the Chat Group would be perfect. It only took me a moment to understand the reality of the situation. While my luck set me up with people that I would click with it took no further actions because that would not be what I wanted. I wanted people to like me for me, not for the lucky accidents that would have them rushing closer to me. In order for my relationship to warm up with the Chat Group I was the one that needed to take the first step.
That was why things have turned out like they have. I did not reach out to the other members so our relationship either stagnated or degraded. It made a certain amount of sense to me.
"Are you okay Prince-san?" Rias questioned me with a concerned look on her face. I had been standing with a dazed look on my face while I pieced this together. I was used to monologuing in my own mind but this time I was piecing several memories over to understand everything. So I took a rather long time this time.
"I'm alright Rias-san. I was just shocked that you would be capable of doing something similar to the person who made this room." I spoke out softly as I looked at the girl before me in a slightly better light. I could not blame her for falling for me as that was always going to happen. I was still not comfortable with it happening but I was no longer as upset about it.
"Oh, I never thought I would be able to do what my brother could. The Chat was really generous when it gave me the newbie gift." She spoke out with an embarrassed look as she took in my words. She was bragging before but there was not really any real thought behind the bragging before.
"The Chat Group had been rather generous to us." Again I spoke out softly as I thought it over. The Chat Group -provided me with people that would really end up bonding with me. I may have made a mistake earlier by not reaching out and prying but I would change that now. I was not going to try to complete the cycle and get Pyrrha falling for me as well but I was sure I was capable of being good friends with everyone.
As Rias gained another dazed look I let out a sad sigh. I can't blame her for feeling the way she does but I was going to have to deal with it. It was going to be a long talk but at least it was not one that needed to happen right now.
"Alright let's see how much punishment this room can take." I spoke out with a cocky smile on my face. I then summoned my Sacred Gear with a flash. Rias was looking at the Gear with interest as she had never seen this one before. It was time to introduce her world to a new Longnius.
— Bab baru akan segera rilis — Tulis ulasan
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
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