Third Person PoV
Cain reached near Zeaira with a restless Rayla in row and asked her a basic question like he didn't just come to the ball with a woman other than his wife.
"So how's the ball?"
And Zeaira also replied like she didn't just watch her husband come to the ball with a new woman
"Its just so-so not much is going on. Let's congratulate Zekram and get going."
"Let me talk to the others first then we can go. Till then why don't i let the two ladies talk."
Cain had already started walking away leaving Rayla with Zeaira after he died his line. Cain ignored everyone else and went directly towards Lord Phenex while taking a glass of devil wine in his hands.
"Good day, Lord Phenex how's your family doing?"
Lord Phenex looked like he was forcing a smile and said "Everything is fine, Lord Cain."
Cain looked like he was about to give him a good verbal thrashing so he understands not to do anything to worsen his relationship with Rayla alongwith a threat to join the the satan faction now that he is involved with Rayla. But before he could even start someone else spoke
"How are you Lord Lucifer?"
It was a woman with striking similarity to Rayla. Cain wouldn't be able to tell them apart if he didnt spent time with Rayla before but something like this isn't going to deter him and he replied almost instantly
"Fine. And you must be Layla, right?"
She nodded her head and simultaneously Lord Phenex started to slip away but I locked him in his tracks by my glare.
"Not so polite now are you Lord Phenex, like come on atleast try!"
He shook his head like he has given up on something and said "If you want to talk about me joining the satan faction and ditch the GKF then talk to my wife or Layla."
And after saying that stood at the side leaving the power to his daughter.
'This is not surprising considering he married into the house.'
He looked at Layla and said "So any changes that I should be warned about in the near future?"
Cain was going easy on her afterall she is still Rayla's sister and he doesn't yet know what is dynamics of their relationship.
"No Lord Cain."
"You sure have guts denying me like that. Even when I am going to marry your sister."
Hearing that for the first time Layla's calm expression was broken and she said in a voice which wasn't really loud but still showed her realization.
"No wonder she was acting all over the place like a bigshot for the last few years. That was because you were her backer. This makes sense. If that is the case then if you really end up marrying her we may change our allegiance."
'That was surprisingly easy! But by her personality I can't see her getting along with Rayla.'
Cain started to talk to her about normal things now that the main topic had been discussed.
...
Rayla was standing infront of Zeaira who was sipping wine from her glass.
"So who started it?" Zeaira asked calmly with no expression on her face which scared Rayla even more but she didnt manage to impress Cain just by her bedroom skills
"I did." She spoke with a voice showing no hint of nervousness as a businesswoman she knew even if she is scared she can't show it to the other side or else they will have a advantage.
"So you seduced my husband? Quite a bold move even after knowing how I am."
It was well know how obsessive Zeaira is for her family.
Rayla was very close to running away only the hope the that she wouldn't be killed here because of the lords and devils in the hall stopped her. She was sweating profusely and just as she was about to run away to Cain as he was probably the only one who could save her from Zeaira Lucifer.
But Zeaira started giggling and after sometime said "Calm down it was just a joke. I wouldn't really kill you and it's not like I didnt knew about his little competition."
'A competition of that level is little,with which kind of beings did I get involved?'
Rayla was questioning a lot of things but went back to her formal persona and soon after Cain came and joined them.
"You girls doing fine?"
"Yeah I did a little bit of trolling as you call it. It was fun."
Cain looked at Zeaira and said "Lets just hope you didnt give PTSD to our resident chick."
With that both Cain and Zeaira went to greet Zekram but it went like Zekram didnt wnat a greeting but a report from Cain for his shenanigans
"Congratulations Zekram!"
"You cant create a harem Cain, it is not allowed."
Zeaira shook her head like she was used to it and Cain looked confused
"Well it will get allowed soon I guess?"
Cain said and went back to find Rayla with her family talking but it looks like Layla and her were not getting along.
"Is that fine?" Zeaira asked seeing the internal warfare between the two Phenex sister.
"Yeah she should be fine with my backing also it is not surprising considering their personalities."
They both went near the Phenex family and stood behind Rayla showing their support. Seeking that Rayla also gained motivation and continued her talk with her sister.
"Now how will you deal with the Ars Goetia?"
"A quick reality check will do the trick."
"Wouldn't that backfire on you if you continue like this many will compare you to the previous satans."
"I got the common devils on my side and the road construction is complete, while some of the roads in the various territories made during the start are already breaking. I wonder who ordered people to fight and move roughly on those roads."
Zeaira just shook her head and thought about the look that would appear on Zekram's face when Cain will start talking tomorrow in Ars Goetia.
...
The ball ended uneventfully but the next day was major, Zekram after seeing Cain and Rayla together had started rallying his faction members from the ball itself and he stayed awake whole night to prepare for the Ars Goetia as he knew Cain would be formidable in the meeting.
The Ars Goetia assembled and this time all the four satans were present alongwith the unvocalised satan Zeaira, as she was the one who handled most of the things not Cain infact this is only the third meeting Cain has attended.
Mephistopheles the overseer was absent today as he deemed today's matters not high priority for him to be present. Even if the GKF made a ruckus about it Zeaira responded that the matter related to Cain happened late and hence it was not informed to the overseer. Afterall the whole thing was rigged from the start.
...
The meeting started but unlike other times it was peaceful and only at the last the topic was raised by a member of Zekram's faction.
"I would like to ask the current members is it fair that again the satans accumulate power in their hands as the current Lucifer seems to do so by marriage."
Everyone looked at Cain as to what will he say
"Do I need to accumulate power to do anything? I alone am strong enough and if some lords here are forgetting about the scene from the end of the war I can show them albeit at a smaller level."
Zekram stood at this and said "Are you really going to strong arm the Ars Goetia?"
"You consider this strong arming? This is just some Tomfoolery. If I was actually going to brute force something do you really think anyone can stop me? Stop day dreaming Zekram. I dont interfere into your clan matters so you don't interfer into my personal life."
Zekram sat down but he hadn't given up,he had already known that Cain can't be forced to do anything. Just as he sat down Lord Belial stood up and said
"But still if you marry the Lady Phenex wouldn't you gain more monetary power?"
"Its Lord Lucifer to you first of all and secondly it is well known that Rayla isn't the heir, Layla is and even if she is disowned by the Phenex clan I would still marry her. As for monetary power I already have too much of it."
But Lord Belial didn't stop and continued as Zekram and he had made a deal.
"But still more money is never a bad thing and what is to say you wouldn't take over the Phenex household?"
"Oh now you guys will tell me about it? I remember that none of the roads made by you guys are still standing properly I wonder where that money went which was needed to be used for it."
Hearing that Lord Belial went silent and sat down acknowledging his defeat because if Cain knew about it he also knows that he used that money to raise his own army something which was stopped after the war. If he really pushes it will give a reason to Cain and the satans to act openly which never ends nicely.
Now that the Conservative faction was out Zekram needs to handle Cain on his own which isn't possible as just like the conservative faction they also trained their own little army. No one wanted to give the mad devil Cain a reason to act up. There is a reason why even though Zeaira handles most of the internal affairs whenever there is a scandal instead of her, he come to investigate which more often than not ends up in heads rolling either nobel or common.
But regardless Zekram tried his luck once more "But still that is a different matter we cant let power be stagnated in one person's hand."
Zekram was betting on his last hope that everyone will agree to atleast limit the number of wives if he cant stop Cain from taking multiple. But he fell right into Cains trap.
In the end it was decide that only superdevil class and above devils who have the rank of satan can take on multiple wives but by the time that rule was added everyone was too mentally tired due to the bickering that rose. All hell was let loose when Cain said "Are theses rules even going to apply on Devil pillars?"
Hearing that they can get banned from getting their own harems the devil lord started getting hyper and in the end Cain never specified the number of marriages he can do. Thus not limiting his choices.
The Ars Goetia ended after that and everyone went home. Most devil lords worrying on how to appease Cain so that he ignore their little army.
...
Time went by and Cain was busy Courting Rayla which was proving to be harder than Zeaira as Rayla was in every sense a spoiled princess even if she was not as favored as Layla in the Phenex household she was still the daughter of the richest clan in the underworld in paper atleast. And nobody counts the satans in such list anyway.
'How do I propose to her, but thinking this after i have gotten a blowjob and foot job feels wrong somehow. Anyways a date it is.'
Cain was eating in his castle while thinking about the date with Rayla when his thought was broken by Zeaira speaking
"Why are you thinking so hard?"
"Trying to remember a good dating spot."
"Is it for Rayla? Then something extravagant with a royal feel will be appropriate."
"You now her that much? I thought she didnt get along with you."
"She is going to be my family member so how can I not know about her preferences as not getting along that doesn't stop me from knowing he more closely."
"So you stalked her. You and your family obsession."
That was in the Gremory bloodline although Zeoticus apparently didn't inherit it.
"It will help me get along with her better."
"Then I guess India it is. The Forts there really show the higher ends of royalty."
"Yes that last time we went there it was really good but currently there are a lot of wars going on how will you get a peaceful date there?"
"Every ruler there knows about the supernatural though only the kings and queens as it strengthens their faith increasing the strength of their gods. And I think nobody wants a pissed off Lucifer."
"Fair enough."
That night Cain ordered Grayfia to send a message to the current Indian rulers about his needs for a date and free an entire fort for him.
AN:- Three more chapters and we get to the peerage arc. Also I have been thinking about some ideas on fanfics and i want to list them here so i dont forget. Vote the ones you want to see next. But beware they will only start publishing when this one reaches cannon, which is atleast a few dozen chapters away. So i will write them when I am not writing this fanfic. Also i have two chapters of the I Am Shadow already written. The vote will continue till 31st December.
1.) I Am Shadow- Mc gets transmigrated into Cid when he is 13, just after the seven shades leave. And does thing more properly than Cid.MC that knows stuff.(Transmigration.)
2.)JJK: Ignorance is bliss- A normal guy awakens his cursed technique at the same time as when Yuta is enrolled. With a simple but powerful technique how will our MC live his life.(AU)
3.)Strike the blood:The 4th Progenitor- Kojou is smart this time around. See what happnes when an immortal, powerful vampire knows his shit and Doesn't fuck around. (AU)
4.)Rosario x Vampire: Bloodlust- A vampire exchanges his place with Tsukune, destroying the plans of the youkai academy director and fate. Noblesse powers.(AU)
5.)Campione:7 Star Godkiller- A guy on a museum excursion accidentally kills a god. Getting involved in such weird thing without his control he will do whatever in order to life his life as he wants.(AU)
6.)MHA:Chain hero- A boy reincarnated into MHA with Enkidu powers. Antihero. (Reincarnation)
7.)Mushoku Tensei: Magic God- What if Rudeus instead of being a reincarnated man was the original Rudeus, having even greater magic power due to resonance between his body and soul thanks to laplace factor he goes on a journey to become the strongest.(AU)
8.)The time I reincarnated as a Beast Master- A man transmigrated into the body of Carrion decades before cannon and decided to become the greatest beast tamer ever in tensura.(AU+ Transmigration)
9.)Oshi no Ko:Superstar- A man transmigrated into Gourou Amamiya just before meeting Ai. See how he changes events in way different way.(AU+Transmigration)
10.)Cote: A Redemption Story- A man with a god complex dies and reincarnates as Ike Kanji. Deciding to complete his previous lifestyle goal and fulfill his regrets, the only problem instead of the open world he needs to deal with genius children in a school with skewed rules and morals(AU+Reincarnation)
11.) Danmachi: White Blaze- A man reincarnates as Bell Cranel. And uses his powers and fate to rule over Orario as its strongest adventurer with some beauties and goddesses around him. Not a dense bell.(AU+Reincarnation)
12.)Fate/ Master of Heroes- A man gets transmigrated as Fujimura Ritsuka, knowing his fate he tries to become the best version to save humanity and getting the heroic servants to accept him as their master. (Transmigration)
13.)Re:Zero: The player- A guy winks and gets teleported to an another world. And soon he finds another person like him. Thinking this to be a prank the guys does stuff and dies accidentally only to find himself at the start again. Comes to know he has a player system which let's him save at anypoint in time and everytime he loads he respwans. But their are other demerits to this power.(Transmigration)
14.)Spy x Family: Twilight- A guy transmigrated into Loid's body three years before cannon. Decides to be a good father to Anya,helpful husband to Yor and a good role model to Fiona.(AU+Transmigration)
15.)Konosuba: Heroes Journey- A man by some bad fate exchanges places with Kazuma just as he was teleported, to the new world after making his wish. See how he really does the cliches of isekai.(Transmigration)
16.) Date a Live: Spirt King- Smart Itsuka Shido. No bullshit, dense like blackhole. Smart and cautious MC. Uses his powers to woo and fight spirits as well as humans.(AU)