章 78: 78. Meeting Maou Lucifer.
Omniscient POV
Maou Sirzechs Lucifer was going about his usual routine, though he would much prefer spending time with his young son or Ria-tan instead of tirelessly working. Who even invented paperwork?
If only he knew, he would have obliterated that person from existence. Paperwork is truly evil—the root of all evil. He wishes that even his enemies didn't have to endure this burden.
Sirzechs longed to escape, but there always seemed to be a certain someone keeping a watchful eye on him to prevent any attempts to flee. The desire to escape weighed heavily on his mind.
Just as he finished pondering his idle thoughts, he suddenly remembered that the Sabnock Heir was due to arrive today.
His thoughts about the young heir were tinged with suspicion, particularly given the connections he had heard about through Serafall.
The mention of Akatsuki, a mysterious organization that suddenly emerged out of nowhere, raised red flags in Sirzechs' mind. Would he still be loyal to Underworld even after being connected to another organization?
The emergence of new organizations in the supernatural world was not uncommon, but many of them failed to stand the test of time against the established ancient factions. Would Akatsuki be any different?
But it had captured everyone's attention and remained a topic of widespread discussion. Its impact and influence seemed to transcend the usual fate of fledgling organizations, intriguing both newcomers and seasoned figures alike within the supernatural community.
This organization seemed to specialize in selling supernatural items like potions and even supernatural foods, causing quite a stir in the supernatural world. Sirzechs recalled a recent incident involving Freyja and a rare fruit sold by Akatsuki.
The whole of Norse mythology was in turmoil because Lady Freyja was adamant about obtaining another fruit even after her first purchase by winning the bid. Lord Odin certainly had his hands full dealing with her demands.
Fortunately, despite someone anonymous winning the bid for the second one, Akatsuki cleverly postponed the meeting requested by the Norse, likely to avoid further entanglement. Perhaps he also didn't wish to be entangled in such matters either. The complexities of supernatural dealings were enough to keep anyone cautious and wary. And nobody wants to deal with unsatisfied goddesses, especially someone like Lady Freyja.
Serafall also mentioned that the Sabnock Heir is exceptionally talented and strong for his age, displaying maturity beyond his years. But restoring the Sabnock family, renowned for their blacksmithing prowess, to their former status among the pillar devils would pose significant troubles.
Unlike the Sabnock member in Sairaorg's peerage, this heir possesses his bloodline power, making his allegiance crucial for securing future armaments for the devils, provided they can nurture and train him effectively.
However, before he can trust him completely, he must personally assess his loyalty.
Following that, there will be a challenging battle with the old coots in the devil council to reinstate him among the 72 devil pillars.
These individuals were ungrateful despite the Sabnock family's substantial contributions during the Great War, ultimately betraying and expelling them from the pillar devils to further their own agendas and profits.
As he contemplated these matters, he sensed the menacing aura of a high-class devil permeating his office. Even though known for his benevolence, Sirzechs rarely faced open provocation within his own office.
"I will go check on this," declared his Queen, Grayfia Lucifuge, who had been steadfastly standing by, ensuring Sirzechs couldn't slack off any further.
"No, I will handle it myself," Sirzechs responded firmly.
He could have delegated the task and gathered information later, but the rare opportunity to escape his workload early was too enticing to pass up.
Hastily, he descended the stairs, with Grayfia silently trailing behind him, fully understanding his true intentions with a resigned sigh.
When Sirzechs emerged, he observed a young boy, roughly the same age as his cute Ria-tan, exerting pressure on the guards. Sirzechs was impressed by the boy's evident power at such a young age, realizing that this must be the Sabnock Heir he was scheduled to meet.
The guards sprawled on the floor were among those 'recommended' by the Great King faction to serve in Maou Lucifer's office—a transparent attempt to infiltrate his domain.
Aware of their true intentions, Sirzechs had assigned them menial positions. However, their current behavior confirmed his suspicions—they were already causing trouble.
Internally sighing at the situation, Sirzechs knew he had to maintain a composed front in front of everyone.
"Who are you? Why are you threatening my staff?" Sirzechs inquired, releasing a fraction of his aura to assert his authority. He couldn't allow anyone to underestimate him or start a fight in his office without consequence.
"I haven't attacked anyone, Maou Lucifer. Is this how you treat all visitors?" the boy retorted, halting his own aura before speaking.
Sirzechs was surprised to see the boy withstand his aura, suggesting the boy possessed more strength than he initially let on.
"What's going on here?" Sirzechs asked, ceasing to exert any further pressure on those present.
"Sir, this boy attempted to trespass. When we tried to stop him, he attacked us," one of the guards explained, while the other seemed to attempt to intervene. At least one of them displayed a fraction of common sense.
Sirzechs turned his attention to Kouske to hear his side of the story.
"I am Kouske Sabnock. Maou Leviathan sent me to meet you. Here's her letter. But these guys refused to let me in even after I showed this," Kouske replied, visibly angry as he handed Sirzechs Serafall's letter.
"Why did you refuse him entry even after seeing the letter and her seal?" Sirzechs asked, applying pressure on the two guards.
It was clear they were already causing trouble and aiming to make him lose face. Sirzechs was already considering grounds to dismiss them, and today's incident would serve that purpose. He questioned them further before ordering others to detain them for later interrogation.
"I apologize on behalf of my staff. Come, I was waiting for you," Sirzechs said, leading Kouske into his room.
"Please have a seat. This is Grayfia Lucifuge, my Queen," Sirzechs introduced, pointing towards Grayfia.
"Greetings, Lady Lucifuge," Kouske responded politely.
"Greetings, Lord Sabnock," Grayfia replied with a polite bow before excusing herself to prepare refreshments.
"I'm truly sorry you had to experience this on your first visit. I'll handle the matter," Sirzechs assured Kouske.
"It's alright, I suppose. Serafall mentioned you wanted to meet me," Kouske replied.
"Yes, I wanted to discuss your lands. May I call you Kouske-kun? And you can call me by my name as well," Sirzechs suggested with a friendly smile.
"Of course, Sirzechs-san," Kouske agreed, earning a slight smile from Sirzechs.
By this time, Grayfia had returned with snacks, offering them to both of them. The conversation delved into the troubles and state of Kouske's lands.
"Forty percent of the lands have been claimed by other clans. I'm sorry we can't do much to help with that. Filing a complaint would only lead to a meeting board, which may not be very effective. I advise against taking aggressive actions against the other clans as you establish your family anew. It's best not to antagonize them too soon," Sirzechs advised.
"I'll keep that in mind," Kouske nodded.
"It's fortunate you still have 60% of your original properties, thanks to the support of the Extra Devil Clans loyal to your clan in the past. I can introduce you to them if you'd like," Sirzechs offered.
"Sure, I'd like to meet them," Kouske agreed.
"Here are the necessary papers. After this, it will be up to you to develop the lands. Unfortunately, some of the cities in your territory are barely functional and have fallen to monsters from the Pits. Many are considering evacuation. While we can't openly show favoritism, you can always reach out if you need assistance," Sirzechs explained.
The conversation continued until Kouske suddenly felt a mental intrusion. Noticing this Kouske's eyes sharpened and he unconsciously started leaking out his aura.
"[Kouske! Don't attack him. You still can't beat him!]" Clarice cautioned.
"Yeah, relax for now, kid. There's nothing good that will come out of fighting here. Besides, that maid is staring at you," Vritra added.
Sirzechs sensed the shift in Kouske's energy. He had been subtly trying to probe Kouske's thoughts and allegiances regarding the Devil Faction and Akatsuki.
Although Sirzechs found Kouske to be reasonable during their conversation, caution was paramount. Before potentially opposing the Devil Council on behalf of Kouske's clan, Sirzechs intended to conduct a discreet interrogation through hypnotism.
He assumed Kouske wouldn't notice, but the change in behavior suggested otherwise. Now, Sirzechs regretted not delegating this task to Ajuka and anticipated Serafall's displeasure after learning about this. That girl seemed quite fond of this boy.
"Kouske-kun, I believe there's a misunde..." Sirzechs began, but Kouske interrupted by raising his hand.
"I think we're done here, Lucifer-san. It's better for me to leave. I don't think I'm in the mood to talk further. I'll discuss any remaining details with Serafall," Kouske stated firmly, locking eyes with Sirzechs and his maid who seemed ready to move if Kouske did anything rude.
Kouske's aura continued to emanate. Despite Sirzechs' attempts to continue the conversation, Kouske departed without hearing any more explanations.
Kouske understood that Sirzechs was merely fulfilling his duties and considering the future of the devil race, but being subjected to hypnosis unsettled him.
For some reason, Kouske couldn't calm his rage, even after an hour. He felt an unusual intensity of anger, prompting him to seek solace in the dungeon to release his pent-up emotions.
As Vritra had said, a dragon's pride could be destructive, but its effects were unpredictable.
Kouske returned home after a while, seeming calmer than before. However, he still felt unsettled. Being the host of an evil dragon was no easy task. Despite having a mental barrier thanks to the system, all of Kouske's senses and emotions were heightened like those of a dragon's.
"Where's Lavinia and Asia?" Kouske asked Elle, who was engrossed in an online video game battle against someone named Queen.
"Asia-chan's still not back yet. And Reni-chan said she'll be staying at Dia-chan's house tonight too," Elle replied without even turning away from her game.
Kouske couldn't help but notice how Elle, once enthusiastic about going out and exploring, had become a lazy hikikomori, spending all day playing games online. He resolved to 'encourage' her to be more active starting tomorrow. If kind words didn't work, he might need to be a bit more forceful.
Meanwhile, Asia had begun her training as a nun in a church located far from supernatural influences. Raised in an orphanage run by nuns and taught about Christianity her entire life, Asia's faith was important to her, and Kouske respected her beliefs.
He had made sure to find a church where she could pursue her calling without interference from exorcists. With his familiars and Ddraig by her side, Kouske felt assured of her safety.
However, one thing weighed on Kouske's mind—Lavinia was still upset with him, even though a week had passed since Serafall's tantrum.
Lavinia had chosen to stay at Dia and Esri's place, and Kouske found himself experiencing withdrawal symptoms.
After years of having someone sleeping beside him, the sudden emptiness left him feeling unusually lonely and longing for her presence.
After a while, Asia returned from her nun training.
"Did anything unusual happen around the church?" Kouske asked Ddraig telepathically.
"No, I didn't notice anyone from the supernatural in that town, so it should be fine," Ddraig replied.
"That's good then. Thanks for always looking after her," Kouske said sincerely.
"Hmph! No need to thank me. I am just looking after my wielder. Your familiars were helpful too," replied Ddraig.
Later, everyone in the Miyamura residence gathered to eat dinner together, except for Lavinia.
Although Sakuya was typically the one serving everyone food, on this particular day, Kouske took charge of cooking himself and didn't let Sakuya handle any of it.
After enjoying their meal and chatting at the dinner table, everyone eventually retired to bed for the night.
Kouske was still awake and feeling lonely. Suddenly, the door to his room opened a bit and someone peeked inside hesitantly.
For a moment, Kouske thought Lavinia had forgiven him and returned. However, upon closer inspection, he realized it was just Rurune.
"Yo! You're still not sleeping?" asked the Cerberus in a girl's body.
"No. Why are you here, Rurune-chan?" asked Kouske.
"I thought you might be lonely, so I might as well sleep with ya," said Rurune, blushing and looking away.
"I guess I might need some company," replied Kouske, patting the place beside him on the bed.
"Hai!" Rurune happily jumped onto the bed.
Rurune was particularly fond of Rin and Kouske. Rin was quite surprised when she saw Rurune talk and take human form, but since Rin was already introduced to the supernatural world, she quickly accepted Rurune, albeit a bit awkwardly at first. Rurune had a simple, straightforward, and outspoken personality.
After that, both of them fell asleep quickly. At some point, Asia and Tarte had also hesitantly joined them and fell asleep alongside them. In the morning, Lavinia finally returned.
"Ko-kun! Guess who's back?!"
Lavinia was adorned in a standard magician's robe, elegantly designed with white and blue colors, accompanied by a large wizard's hat that added to her dazzling appearance. Her attire sparkled like snowflakes, catching the eye with its magical charm.
She had spent the past week searching for supernatural designers to create cute and beautiful wizard dresses for herself with Esri and Dia's help, knowing that her Ko-kun liked cosplaying so much.
However, upon returning and seeing him happily sleeping with other girls in their bed while she had missed him throughout the whole week, Lavinia felt a mix of sadness and anger.
It wasn't because there were other girls here—she was close to all of them—but rather the feeling that he hadn't missed her at all.
Quickly, she teleported back to Italy. Seeing all this drama, Sakuya couldn't help but sigh. Serving such a master wasn't easy at all.
Before, she didn't intervene since everyone except her master knew what Lavinia was doing. But now, she had to go talk to Lavinia, and it was going to be a tiring conversation.
Lavinia was already around 15, a teenager. And dealing with teenage emotions is always difficult.
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