章 91: 91. A small date with Serafall.
Omniscient POV
The very next morning was awkward for everyone. During breakfast, all eyes were on Kouske and Sakuya. Some stared directly, while others stole secret glances.
From the look of things, Kouske could tell everyone must have found out something. Even though, last night, Kouske and Sakuya hadn't done much beyond some intense kissing sessions, their interaction seemed a lot different to the eyes of everyone else. Girls are very perceptive, you know. They appeared... closer.
Koneko had a blank look, Asia and Gasper were blushing with steam coming out of their heads, while Kuroka and Valerie had a knowing gaze, teas... whispering something to their ears and making the blushing even worse.
Tarte seemed quietly in deep thought as she served alongside Sakuya. Lavinia was pondering something, Sona was glaring, and Serafall seemed amused for some odd reason.
After observing everyone, Kouske noticed Bertrand avoiding eye contact in shame. It was clear that she was the one who had told everyone, as she was the only one who had seen them last night in the shower and even had eavesdropped.
When asked why, she had simply replied she was worried about Kouske taking so long and that it was her duty to think about the safety of her lord. Kouske didn't say anything more to the profusely blushing knight at that time, as she was telling the truth.
However, it seemed she couldn't keep it to herself and ended up telling everyone. Kouske realized he'd have to be careful about sharing secrets with her in the future.
All the while, Sakuya remained silent, going about her job professionally, but Kouske could see a tint of red on her face.
'But why the hell is HE blushing so much?' Kouske thought.
"Gasper needs to man up even more," Kouske said out loud, absentmindedly, as he kept looking at Gasper.
Hearing that, Gasper jumped up from the table and ran to her room, crying and saying things about him being a meanie and all.
This left Kouske even more confused while Kuroka laughed out loud as Valerie went to check on her. Everyone else sighed and just gave Kouske a strange look.
It seems that the morning in the Sabnock Mansion today, is not so simple!
*
*
*
After the morning fiasco, Kouske found himself traveling his territory with Serafall. He still had a few more things to show, but the girls seemed tired and weren't in the mood.
This left him alone with Serafall. However, it seemed Serafall wasn't in any mood to work. She darted around like an excited little girl, dragging him from place to place with boundless energy.
"Kou-chan, what's that building over there?" Serafall asked, her mouth full of crepes as she dragged Kouske by the hand.
She pointed at an oddly shaped building, which resembled a vertical gaming console controller with toy guns on both top sides. It certainly stood out.
Kouske smiled at her enthusiasm. "That's our new arcade and entertainment center. It's designed to look like a game controller to attract young devils and gamers. It was a special request from Elle. So I have been working on it. Inside, you'll find the latest games, VR experiences, and even some retro classics."
Serafall's eyes sparkled with excitement. "That sounds amazing! Can we go inside and check it out?"
"Of course," Kouske replied, chuckling. "I had a feeling you'd like this place. To be honest, you would be the second person to be here."
"Second person? This isn't opened yet, right? Who has used this before?" asked Serafall curiously.
"Ha ha ha. You'll see when we get there," replied Kouske.
"OK!"
After they entered the still-under-construction arcade, Serafall could see all kinds of games and other entertainment setups available.
Serafall practically skipped with excitement as they approached the entrance. The building's exterior was even more impressive up close, with neon lights and colorful murals depicting popular game characters.
Inside, the arcade was a sensory overload of flashing lights, and beeping machines. Rows of arcade cabinets lined the walls, each featuring a different game.
There were sections for VR experiences, racing simulators, and even a retro area with classic games from decades past.
There were baseball, ping pong, bowling, and many more. It was a complete package. Since it hadn't opened yet, many features like food services weren't available, but beverages were still accessible via vending machines.
And there were still staff inside the building. As they explored, they marveled at the variety of activities.
"This place is incredible, Kou-chan! I can't wait for it to open," Serafall exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Kouske smiled, pleased with her reaction. "I'm glad you like it. It's been a lot of work, but seeing your reaction makes it all worth it."
As they explored, Serafall heard the sounds of someone playing games. When she checked, she found Elle immersed in a fighting game, not even noticing their presence.
Deciding not to disturb her, Kouske and Serafall moved on. Serafall was excited to try VR, a technology that still didn't exist in their world.
Kouske was working on developing VRs on the same level as those of SAO or Overgeared.
For now, he will only be introducing basic VR in the arcade, with plans to launch more advanced versions in the future, after finding more success.
They played a few rounds, and Serafall even played against Elle a few times, but she faced defeat every single time.
When they were leaving the arcade, Kouske asked Elle if she wanted to join them, but she refused, saying she wanted to stay a bit longer.
"You know, this is quite amazing. The Underworld doesn't have much in terms of entertainment, and commoners can't just go to Earth to use these facilities. I think this will be a great success and help them get over their boredom!" Serafall said excitedly as they exited the place.
After that, Serafall munched on ice cream as they strolled around the place while hugging Kouske's arm, squishing her soft, elastic melons in his arm and chest.
"You know, Kou-chan. This feels like a date," Serafall said in a good mood, skipping in her every step.
"It certainly does feel like one," Kouske replied.
"Oho? So, you are not denying it, huh?" Serafall teased.
"Well, this is what people normally do on dates. So it can count if we want to make it count," Kouske said with a mysterious smile.
"Hmmnn? Did you want to go on a date with Onee-chan so bad? But is it alright for you to go on dates with other girls right after what happened last night?" Serafall asked with a smirk, looking at him mysteriously.
"She won't mind. But I feel like Bertrand has said some troublesome things," Kouske sighed.
"Hahaha. That girl was a blushing mess in the morning. When everyone was asking her what happened, she couldn't stop thinking about it and told EVERYTHING in full detail.
Everyone was quite intrigued. You must have slept in a bit because of going to bed late last night," Serafall said, smirking.
Kouske sighed again and asked, "So, how's the date? Are you enjoying it so far?"
"Hmm. It's fun! And it will be a memorable one!" Serafall replied with a smile.
Afterward, as they were chatting like that for a while, Serafall suddenly asked, "Kou-chan, I heard you became the new overseer of Kuoh town?"
"Yeah. What about it?" Kouske replied.
"No, nothing. It's just that I thought they would never let a devil be in charge of any of their territories again, after all that. But here you still got to be one. Akatsuki must treasure you to persuade them for you," Serafall said, looking at him.
"I guess. Why, is there any problem?" Kouske asked.
"No, just wanted to ask. That's all..." Serafall trailed off, looking deep in thought.
Kouske had a feeling he wouldn't like where this was going. So he decided to change the topic and discuss something that had been on his mind for a while.
"Hey, Sera. What do you think of the people in this territory?" he asked.
"My thoughts? But what do you mean exactly?" Serafall pondered.
"I mean, do they seem happy to you?" Kouske asked.
"Hmnn... They do," Serafall replied with a smile.
"But do you know how their lives were before I became the lord of this place? The disparity among commoners in the Underworld is just too much," Kouske said sadly.
"Unfortunately, it is," Serafall agreed.
"How many Ultimate Class devils do you see here? I mean, power-wise," Kouske asked.
"There are so many, around closer to 50, I think. I've been wondering. How did you even get all these devils in such a short time?" Serafall asked curiously.
*sigh*
Hearing this, Kouske was truly disappointed.
"What was the reason behind the evil piece system? The thing even made all the other factions hate devils so much. So what was the reason behind this?" Kouske asked.
Serafall felt odd that he was questioning her about something so basic, instead of answering her previous question. But seeing the serious look on Kouske's face, she answered him.
"You should already know, it was to revive our declining population," Serafall replied, looking at Kouske curiously.
"Have you guys been able to accomplish that?" he asked.
"Well, we have partially succeeded, I think. But we still have to make sure the other pillar devils do not die out," Serafall replied.
"Yes. You guys have partially succeeded and, wanting to appease the reincarnated devils so that they do not rebel, you have given them many benefits, right?
Like free access to go to Earth alongside their kings, opportunities for making contracts, education, participating in rating games, easier rank-up examinations, etc.
But don't you think while trying to give so many benefits to the reincarnated devils, you guys are ignoring the pure-blood devils?
I am not talking about the nobles, but the commoners," Kouske said, looking into her eyes.
"What do you mean? We are treating them equally. They can also take the rank-up examinations and succeed in life with hard work if they want," Serafall replied.
"Hard work, you say. I don't see any results of their hard work, though," Kouske said solemnly, making Serafall raise her head in question.
"You know, all the Ultimate Class devils you can feel here, are all of Low-Class devil status even with their strength," Kouske said, making her stunned.
"How?!" Serafall asked.
"Sadly, there was never any equality to begin with. You guys seem to have unknowingly ignored the commoner pure devils that you were supposed to protect," Kouske said.
"In the last hundred years, how many pure-blood commoner devils do you think have risen in rank?" Kouske inquires.
"I'm not entirely sure, but there are likely several every five years," Serafall replies.
"Let me tell you—it's 13. Over the past century, only 13 have ascended in rank, and that's after accumulating enough accomplishments for a thousand years, typically advancing from the low to middle class. It often takes them over a thousand years, if they're fortunate," Kouske asserts.
"Why so few? And shouldn't it take them less time to accumulate enough accomplishments?" Serafall questions.
"Unfortunately, it does take that long. As you know, there are three primary ways to gain enough accomplishments to take the rank-up examination. The first is through war, which hasn't occurred in about six hundred years in the Underworld," explains Kouske.
"Yes, but there are other..." Serafall begins, but she's interrupted.
"Secondly, commoners can earn accomplishment points through contracts, but it's a slow process since they can't visit Earth.
Another method is excelling in rating games, but few are fortunate enough to be recruited. Even those who accumulate enough accomplishments to qualify for the rank-up exam often face unfair outcomes due to corruption.
These exams are biased, favoring only reincarnated devils or servants in noble households who only rise through recommendations.
Additionally, commoners lack proper education, while noble servants and reincarnated devils enjoy numerous educational advantages.
Moreover, to take the exams, commoners must plead with higher-ranked devils for recommendations, a daunting task.
While noble servants and reincarnated devils can rise within a few decades, commoners require thousands of years.
This inequality fosters resentment among commoners toward reincarnated devils who effortlessly attain higher status and easier lives," Kouske explains.
"But how could that be?!" Serafall asks in disbelief.
"You can ask Beelzebub if you want to make sure," replies Kouske.
"I will," says Serafall absentmindedly.
If this is true, then there might be bigger problems in the future. The commoners could rebel and incite a civil war before the reincarnated devils do.
It appears the Satans have been too focused on the reincarnated devils and politics, unwittingly neglecting the commoners, to whom they had responsibilities in the first place.
"Well, if you want to address this issue, you should consider finding new methods to combat corruption in the exam system.
However, other nobles will always wield influence in such matters, and changing the rules abruptly could provoke the devil council's intervention," says Kouske, prompting Serafall to ponder and nod.
"Yeah, those bastards would never agree!" says Serafall.
"True. But if you want my advice, I think you could start by recommending talented devils. Perhaps organize a tournament and recommend the best performers. This way, the nobles wouldn't be able to outright object as easily," suggests Kouske.
"Yeah, we could do that. But I'll have to talk to the others about this soon," says Serafall, contemplating his words.
Afterward, they spent a few more hours together before deciding to return to the mansion.
After that, Serafall inquired about all these from Ajuka and seemed to understand Kouske was right.
So she planned to make the plan about hosting the tournament and giving out recommendations a reality in the future to ensure justice for the commoner devils.
[A/N: How is the chapter? Leave a comment.
Unlock Exclusive Content Early! Join my Patreon for just $2 or $5 to read around 7 or 15 advanced chapters, respectively!
https://www.p@treon.com/Sol_Pendragon
Change @ to a
Leave behind a review!
Discord: https:// discord. gg/BkyvNkxC]
[Patreon Part]
[A/N: How's the chapter? Leave a comment!
To be honest, I think I really liked the last part of this chapter myself (Patreon chapter). It was a bit funny and cute.
So many things happened this time. Well, so many things are happening right now: Riser and Ravel's visit, the Slash Dog arc, David Cerro coming to Japan, Sona and Seekvaira's talk about the engagement with Kouske (which Kouske is completely unaware of 😂), Kouske's future visit to the Beleth ancestor to make the strongest spear (😏) that can even humiliate the strongest Longinus which will be Kouske Sabnock's main weapon while the holy-demonic sword is Akatsuki's main weapon to the world (spoiler), Kouske visiting the Nakiri clan, and the intricacies of the Demiplane (which will be added soon).
Kuroka, who just arrived, will also find out just what happened last night between Kouske and Sakuya from the other girls, especially since Sakuya is still in the house. It would be hilarious.
There are also some flashbacks from Danmachi coming up. I've decided to write those in between the Slash Dog arc. So, yeah, lots of things happening all at once currently.
I'm sorry for the delay. I think I had writer's block (😅). I couldn't write anything, even though I wanted to. Everything I wrote till now felt like a waste.
I've been watching some new anime like Ossan Boukensha, Parry, and a few others. They're amazing, to be honest. I also read some good novels and manhwas.
The fight scenes, relationship, bonds, character personalities, and backstories are really well done.
Last week's Ossan's episode was epic. The fight scene was great—really exciting and blood-boiling to watch. I wanna write fight scenes like that too... Those fights weren't just about fights. There were emotions too!
I also watched the One Piece season 1 live-action recap. I never started One Piece anime because of the poor animation in the early episodes, but the live-action recap made me want to watch the anime.
I've heard talks about a remake, and if that happens, it'll be at the top of my watch list.
Oda's story is incredible. The chef losing his leg for Sanji, Shanks losing his arm for Luffy (why did he lose it to the Snake King though? Isn't he super strong?), those two boys in the Marines growing into better people (especially the first Marine villain's son)—well, this is just what I got from the recap 😅.
Nami's transformation from bad to good because she was just trying to save her village, Zoro's backstory, and more.
Man, watching these things really motivates us struggling writers, but at the same time, it's discouraging too.
Just watching these top-tier writing, I start to think, 'Will I ever be able to write something of this caliber?'
It's kind of a downer when I think about it. It made me not want to write for a while... 😅 I was just depressed.
There's also the fact that I didn't like the last chapter of this fic, so this one got delayed a lot. So sorry!
Please leave some comments about the chapter. I'm open to any constructive criticism that can help me improve as a writer. Take care, guys! Sorry for the long rant. But sometimes I just wanna say things to feel some relief...
What should Koneko call Kouske? Kouske-san? Senpai? Nii-san/chan?
Discord: https://discord.com/invite/BkyvNkxC]
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット