Chapter 22: Play House (2)
"It has been a while, Lord Gremory."
Standing inside his office, Lord Astaroth looked at Zeoticus Gremory, shaking his hand before the latter turned towards Sebastian, who stood next to Lord Astaroth.
"It's been a long time, Lord Sebastian."
"Let's skip the formalities, Zeoticus. We've known each other for centuries."
Sebastian waved it off, making Zeoticus smile.
"You haven't changed."
"Neither have you, so why not tell us what you have in mind? I doubt you'd visit just because you had some free time."
"Indeed, Zeoticus. It's rare for you to meet us in private unless it's an official meeting."
Hearing Sebastian and Lord Astaroth's comments, Zeoticus chuckled.
"Why don't we have a seat before talking?"
At that proposal, the three sat around a round table.
"So, what's up?"
As Sebastian urged him, Zeoticus looked at him with a confused expression.
"Why are you in a hurry?"
"Sebastian had a business meeting which he had to cancel because you decided to call us on such short notice, so he's a bit curious about what this is about..."
Hearing Lord Astaroth's explanation, Zeoticus nodded.
"Well, I'll be blunt... I want to propose a marriage between the Astaroth and the Gremory Clan."
"While that came out of nowhere, I can't say I'm surprised..."
True to his words, Sebastian's expression didn't change after hearing Zeoticus' proposal.
"Since Rias is the Heiress of the Gremory Clan, and Diodora is the Heir of the Astaroth Clan, I take it that what you're asking is for Azrail to marry into the Gremory Clan."
At Lord Astaroth's explanation, Zeoticus nodded, and soon, he turned towards Sebastian, waiting for the latter to speak his mind.
"I have two questions."
"Yes?"
"The Great King Faction… What's their opinion on having a relationship like this between the siblings of two of the Four Great Satans? I don't believe they'll just let us do as we please when it can threaten their political power in the future."
"Sirzechs has already handled that matter, although he refused to tell me what he negotiated on, but apparently, he had a bargaining chip up his sleeve, and Zekram Bael said that as long the result is a Pure Blooded Devil, he will not object to it."
"Hmm." Sebastian pondered for a few seconds. "Sirzechs had something on Zekram?"
"That should be it, but I have no idea." Zeoticus shook his head.
"I see. Then, for my second question, considering that Azrail and Rias are very close, I can't help but wonder if you are taking this decision as the Head of the Gremory Clan or Rias' father?"
"If it was purely for the Clan, I would've gone to Lord Phenex and proposed a marriage agreement for their third son, Riser Phenex, but I'm sure Rias wouldn't like that... As for Azrail, Rias likes him, so that suffices both my positions as the Clan Head and her father, and it's not hard to choose between Riser and Azrail."
"Well, that makes sense…" Sebastian leaned back on his chair. "But Lord Phenex…"
"Is something wrong with him?"
"No… Your mention of Lord Phenex made me remember that he mentioned a marriage proposal between Azrail and his only daughter, Ravel Phenex, and for her to marry into the Astaroth Clan. It happened a few months ago, so it skipped my mind…"
"You never told me about that."
"It was but a passing conversation." Sebastian shrugged his shoulders at Lord Astarorh's words. "Lord Phenex said he'd like to discuss it in the future with both of us, and you would've learned about it eventually…"
"So you forgot about it, huh..."
"Now, let's not deviate from our original topic too much." Sebastian then turned towards Zeoticus. "Have you talked to Rias about this yet?"
"I did talk to her about Azrail, and she agreed, saying that she doesn't mind as long as Azrail agrees… However, I haven't talked to her about the second option, Riser Phenex. I'm sure if I were to go with the second option, it'd be troublesome."
"As Azrail's father, I can't accept such a proposal."
"Hmm." Zeoticus didn't seem worried about Sebastian's rejection. "May I ask why?"
"I can't take such a decision without Azrail's approval, or I'll end up in a meaningless fight with Celis."
"One that you can't win."
"Silence."
Sebastian shot Lord Astaroth a sharp glare, which made him chuckle, and after a few seconds, Zeoticus turned towards Lord Astaroth.
"And what's your answer?"
"Since Sebastian has already denied the proposal, I don't think I have much to say, but as the Head of the Astaroth Clan, I'm afraid I can't accept this proposal."
"Why is that?"
"It's simple. I want Azrail to replace my son, Diodora, as the Heir of the Astaroth Clan. With Latia becoming Azrail's [Queen], she will soon lose her right to inherit the clan, so all we need is for Diodora to resign as the Heir... And if Azrail were to marry off to the Gremory Clan, the Astaroth Clan wouldn't have any candidates except Diodora."
"That makes sense."
"On the other hand, the Gremory Clan would still have Lord Lucifer's unborn child to inherit the clan if Rias were to marry into the Astaroth Clan."
At Lord Astaroth's explanation, Zeoticus and Sebastian nodded.
Zeoticus was about to say something, but Sebastian spoke up next.
"And Rias can't simply be married off by the Gremory Clan because of the Power of Destruction, right? The Higher-ups of the Bael Clan are already pissed about the Gremory Clan inheriting such strong [Power of Destruction] when the current Heir of the Bael Clan didn't even inherit their Clan Trait. The one who is probably the most pissed is Lord Bael."
Sebastian's words had hit the nail, causing Zeoticus to lean back on his chair, and he replied.
"It is as you say. While Lord Zekram had no objections to the marriage, Lord Bael did propose that in case their child inherited the [Power of Destruction], it must be a Gremory and not a member of the Astaroth Clan."
"It would've worked if the current Lord Bael wasn't a jealous little bitch, but since he dared to say his opinion, it must be something Zekram want. Otherwise, Lord Bael wouldn't have the guts to speak his mind in front of Zekram." Sebastian commented.
"Now, don't say that about Lord Bael. You have known each other since childhood, right?" Zeoticus glared at Sebastian before he sighed, as he couldn't deny what the latter had said. "And since both the Gremory Clan and the Astaroth Clan have the Rank of [Duke], we can't just marry the heir off to the one with a higher rank."
After a few seconds of silence, Lord Astaroth asked while looking at Sebastian.
"What about Azrail, though? Do you think he'll agree, considering how close he is to Latia?"
"Hmm." Sebastian thought for a few seconds. "They aren't the type to throw a tantrum about such things. Azrail will most likely agree, but I can't make this decision without his approval first, and I doubt Latia would have any problems. She knows that Azrail will have a harem either way. Although, she did say that as long as she can be by Azrail's side, she doesn't mind if it's as his [Queen]."
"How are they so mature already?" Zeoticus commented. "I'm a bit envious."
"I already have a Pure-Blooded grandchild, and considering Azrail and Latia's relationship, there will be more Pure Bloods in the future… With that in mind, pushing this matter isn't necessary for me, and I'll leave the decision up to Azrail himself."
Seeing Sebastian state his final opinion, Zeoticus and Lord Astaroth nodded.
"How about this, then. If Azrail agrees and we move forward with the marriage, he can remain part of the Astaroth Clan, but their child would inherit the name of the Gremory Clan if it inherited the [Power of Destruction]. If it inherited our [High IQ], then naming it Astaroth wouldn't be a problem. So, even the Bael Clan wouldn't have any objections. Not to mention that Azrail won't need to relinquish his right to become the Heir even if he were to marry Rias, and we can name him the Heir in the future." Lord Astaorth explained, turning towards Sebastian. "I think that satisfies both our conditions, right?"
"An arrangement like this between the 72 Pillars to keep their clan traits to themselves isn't that unheard of, but..." Sebastian looked at Lord Astaroth. "Why are you so fixated on having Azrail inherit the Clan?"
"The same reason I had when I made Ajuka the heir—his potential. When comparing Azrail to Diodora, the latter simply pales in comparison, so marrying Azrail off to another Clan isn't something I wish to do, no matter what."
"That's quite harsh, considering you're talking about Diodora, your very own son."
"It's my opinion as the Clan Head, not as a father. And Diodora's actions have been quite disappointing, both as the Astaroth Clan's Heir and my son."
"What is Venelana's opinion on this, Zeoticus?"
"She agreed, of course, and is currently talking to Celis about this marriage."
"If even Venelana agrees, I can't see Celis being against that. So the final decision is up to Azrail, after all."
"If this marriage were to happen, it'll benefit both the Astaroth Clan and the Gremory Clan immensely."
At Lord Astaroth's words, both Sebastian and Zeoticus nodded, and the latter spoke next.
"Not to mention, to have the Astaroth Clan's [High IQ], which grants perfect control over Demonic Power, along with the Bael's [Power of Destruction], the best Clan Trait when it comes to offence and defence. Just imagine if their child were to inherit both clan traits instead of one and have perfect control over such an ability."
It was extremely rare for a Pure-Blooded Devil to inherit two clan traits at once, and those who did could be counted on a single hand.
That was one of the reasons why the clan traits of the 72 Pillars remained sacred to their clans despite the frequent marriages that happened between them.
"Inherit both traits, huh…? Be honest, Zeoticus, you got that idea from seeing how Latia far surpasses Seekvaira in the [Power of Time] from the Agares Clan, right?"
At Sebastian's words, Zeoticus nodded with a knowing smile.
"Nothing gets past you, does it?"
The Agares Clan and the Astaroth Clan had a similar relationship to the Bael Clan and Gremory Clan.
Although they never said it in public, the Agares Clan was pretty upset about how superior Latia was with the [Power of Time] compared to Seekvaira Agares, their heiress, simply because she was a rare case who inherited two clan traits instead of one, with the second being the Astaroth Clan's [High IQ].
"Not when you don't even try to hide your intentions."
"I'm fine with the [Power of Destruction] being paired up with either [High IQ] or [Immortality], but when it came to comparing the potential partners, Azrail far surpassed Riser…"
"Well, whatever the case might be, we can't make the final decision right now…"
Sebastian let out a loud, lazy yawn, and soon, their little meeting ended.
---
'For satan's sake, we're ten...'
After eavesdropping through the whole ordeal between my father, Lord Astaroth, and Lord Gremory, I almost facepalmed myself.
It would've been somewhat understandable if we were humans, but Devils had a lifespan of
thousands of years, so why engage them before they even reached pre-teens?
'Not to mention, who the hell discusses their ten-year-old children having children of their own?'
There was no doubt that devils were built differently, truly.
'And since when was Latia's relationship with me like that, huh, father? Where did you even learn that from?'
Everyone knew Latia and Rias had feelings for me, even the servants of our clans, but it was one-sided, and they both knew about it, too.
Rias and Latia also shared a sort of 'Love Rivalry,' but other than that, why did Sebastian make it sound like I was also involved in it, huh?
'They are ten… What am I supposed to do with their feelings, play house?'
Devils matured fast, and I'd say Latia was more mature than someone in her late teens, while Rias was like someone in her mid-teens, but that didn't mean much when they were still children.
I wouldn't mind a relationship after they were old enough, but seriously.
Eneely Vassago, the heiress of the House of Vassago, was engaged to Iolava Amon, the second son of the House of Amon, even before they both turned six, so in a sense, Zeoticus was taking it easy.
Other than that, I found getting compared to Riser Phenex, an incompetent fool who made his Clan's [Immortality] into his only personality trait, very offensive.
'But if I didn't reincarnate into this world, then Rias would've most likely been engaged to Riser against her wishes…'
'And since Riser isn't the protagonist, he should be an antagonist in the arc about breaking his and Rias' engagement...'
'From what I know about his strength, it isn't much, so he should be a minor antagonist at best for someone who owns the Boosted Gear…'
As for Latia being a genius with her [Time Barrier], that was her hard work and effort, along with my guidance.
The Astaroth Clan's [High IQ] only raised her potential exponentially.
While Seekvaira was talented, I didn't think she had been training more than six hours with the [Power of Time] every day for years while also keeping up with her studies and learning to be someone's [Queen].
Devils would usually overlook those factors, only to then call out someone's natural talent for their achievements and hard work.
And Lord Astaroth, why was I inheriting the Astaroth Clan?
No one agreed to something like that.
[...]
---
After presenting my complaints to Great Sage, I pushed these thoughts, along with my remaining sanity, to the back of my head.
My future self would deal with it when my family asked me about it. Not to mention, complaining about it to Great Sage wouldn't do me any good.
And even if I were to agree, it wasn't like anything would change, except for me getting a fiancee on paper because I doubt the marriage would take place before our early or even mid-twenties.
"Fufufu." Rias let out a strange laugh, and the Gremory Clan's Magic Circle appeared above her arm. "Now, I'll show you something incredible. Prepare yourself."
Two books appeared above her palm.
{Berserk Vol. 19}
{Vagabond Vol. 6}
'Hold up… Great Sage, what's the date today?'
[Answer. 18th March, 2000.]
If I wasn't wrong, the two volumes in her hand shouldn't have been released until March 29 and April 21.
Rias and I collected physical copies of manga and comics as a hobby, even though everything was available online.
I also had some first-ever printed volumes of my favourite Mangas and Comics.
Without waiting for me to answer, Rias continued.
"Indeed, these volumes have yet to be released, but I could get my hands on them with my connections."
Rias' nose extended, resembling Pinocchio's.
Yes, I didn't mention Usopp because I give cartoon references, too.
"You have connections?"
Her smile widened at my deadpan reaction.
"Fufufu. Of course. I am amazing, right?"
"The last time I checked, crying your eyes out and throwing a tantrum in front of Lord Gremory wasn't considered having connections."
The smug expression on Rias' face disappeared almost instantly, and the colour of her cheeks started resembling her hair.
"H-How do you know that!?"
'So I was right. This brat…'
Zeoticus and Sirzechs spoiled Rias a bit too much, and they were even a level above my mother and Vanessa.
'Maybe Latia would've ended up like her if it wasn't for me…'
That sounded possible.
Most of Latia's maturity was the result of me rubbing off on her ever since birth, so she was unnaturally level-headed while making decisions. However, she also picked my habit of spending too much money and reading books.
"I have known you for years, so it isn't that hard to tell. But really, you shouldn't do that."
"Why not? I can get anything as long as I ask like that."
'Maybe I'll help Rias fix her spoiled attitude over the years. I'm sure her mother would appreciate it…' With those thoughts in mind, I continued. "Because if you act spoiled, no one will marry you."
Hearing my words, Rias gasped.
"R-Really?"
I made the most trustworthy and truthful expression Devilkind had ever witnessed.
"Yeah, you will need to live alone for the rest of your life, forever regretting your choices and actions until you turn into a five-hundred-year-old lady without even having a single boyfriend like Ali—!"
Bonk!*
My words were cut short as I suddenly received a Karate Chop on my head, and the attacker was none other than Alice.
'Infusing that chop with Demonic Power was straight-up petty. Seriously…'
"May I ask what you were about to say?"
"Alice, your polite tone doesn't match that life-threatening look in your eyes."
The more I teased Alice about her relationship status, the more sensitive she became about it.
First, I traumatised Serafall, and now I was making Alice insecure.
[Answer. Master: 2. Female Ultimate Class Devils: 0.]
'Great Sage, you have come so far. I'm so proud of you...'
[Answer. Thank you, Master.]
.
.
.
"Right, Azrail! I forgot to tell you something!"
About our potential marriage—was what I wanted to say after Rias' sudden callout, but I held myself back.
It'd be a weird way to confess that I had secretly wiretapped almost the entirety of the Astaroth Clan's Castle.
"What are you talking about, Rias?"
"I'm going to become an Aunt!"
Rias sure looked happy about it, giggling to herself.
'Right, Lord Astaroth did mention that Grayfia was pregnant. That detail went over my head since it isn't very important right now…'
That also explained why Grayfia wasn't accompanying Rias as she usually would.
'But still… A child between the Strongest Devil and the Strongest [Queen], huh?'
It'd be a sight to see.
"I'm not sure if that's something to be happy about."
"Why? Isn't Latia your niece?"
A niece our parents were shipping me with. I'd rather not talk about it.
"She is older than me, you know?"
The redhead ignored my comment, going on and on about how she would spoil her soon-to-be niece/nephew rotten.
Probably noticing that I was about to pass out from how much Rias' nonstop talk about Sirzechs' unborn child and my not-so-friendly history with children, Alice interrupted.
"By the way, Azrail, how was the investigation that the vampires conducted in your territory?"
'Thank you, Alice… I'll try not to tease you about your relationship status.'
I knew I'd do it again, but it was the sentiments that counted.
"They were able to find the culprit thanks to my help."
I explained what happened during the investigation, starting from how we were able to catch the Rogue Vampire from the Tepes Faction and that I'd someday introduce them to Elmenhilde Karnstein, a Noble Vampire.
It was a mystery as to how they'd react if they were to see the 'real' Elmenhilde.
"Do Vampires eat normal food, or do they live completely on blood? Alice, have you seen Vampires before?"
Rias seemed fascinated by the idea since she had never seen an actual vampire before, only reading about them in novels, and she turned towards Alice.
"I have met a few Nobles, but it was a very long time ago, and vampires don't come out of their homes that often, so they're a rare sight..."
After that, the three of us talked for a while before Alice left, saying she had some work to do within the Underworld.
Before Alice left, I asked how Latia was doing, and apparently, Latia was continuously training under Vanessa to improve her mastery of [Time Barrier] like she had promised me to.
Since that was the case, Rias and I started our cultural exchange.
We exchanged our reviews about different Manga series, along with exchanging physical copies, posters, and some merchandise.
From how it looked, she was enjoying her stay in my territory.
And so, five days passed just like that.
.
.
.
"You're going to Japan?"
"Mmh!"
At my question, Rias ferociously nodded with a mouth full of cookies.
Well, other than Rias being obsessed with Japan's culture, it was also the place where the plot of DxD would most likely take place, so her decision wasn't out of my expectations.
"Hey! Don't spill that on the couch. I'll have you clean it if you do it again."
No matter who it was, be it Rias, Latia, Alice, or any of my friends, their manners would go into the nearby gutter when they were with me.
"I'm sorry."
After apologising, Rias started picking up the crumbs that fell off when she was stuffing her mouth with cookies.
"So, are you gonna stay in Japan?"
"For now… I want to travel around the human world because seeing your territory was very fun."
For the past five days, I showed Rias around Bucharest while waiting for Elmenhilde to complete the task she was given.
"Be careful."
"Why don't you tag along with me?"
"I have a territory to manage, you know?"
Rias looked a little sad, but she still nodded, asking another question.
"How long do you plan on being the Overseer of Bucharest?"
"I don't have an exact date, but… A few years, maybe?"
"Then, when I become the overseer of a territory, how about moving there?"
"If I'm done with Bucharest, then why not?"
"It's a promise, then!"
It wasn't a promise, but whatever.
Following that, Rias turned towards Zeoticus' [Bishop], whose name I had already forgotten over the last couple of days.
"Let's go to Japan."
The Gremory Clan's Magic Circle appeared under the [Boship]'s feet, and Rias jumped on it with unparalleled enthusiasm before waving towards me.
"See you later, Azrail! Take care!"
"Yeah, see you later, Rias... Don't cause trouble there."
"Hey! That's so—!"
Before she could finish her words, the [Transportation Magic Circle] activated, and Rias disappeared.
'I should get going, too. It's about time I start preparing for that…'
Moments later, the Astaroth Clan's Magic Circle appeared under me.
---
[Darkness Magic Research Laboratory]
"It's been fifteen days since the investigation ended, so Elmenhilde should be done by now..."
A Communication Magic Circle appeared next to my face.
"I take it that you're done, Elmen?"
{Yes, Master. Everything you asked for has been prepared.}
'What a hard-working and obedient girl Elmenhilde is. If she's like this, it won't be a problem to start now rather than later…'
The next thing Elmenhilde would witness was my 'normal' side, which I used while interacting with my family and friends.
If she witnesses how someone she considered a 'monster' had normal relationships, concerns, interests, and interactions with others, Elmenhilde's fear of me would only increase further, and that would make her more obedient towards me.
'I can also grow her fear into something else. To slowly break her down and slowly rebuild her until her entire existence revolves around me.…'
It was a similar process to training a pet with fear rather than love and care.
In short, I'd have Elmenhilde develop Stockholm Syndrome, and this was the beginning.
The first step was to confuse her with who was the 'real' me, the lovely and kind-hearted Azrail loved by everyone around him, or the monster Elmenhilde called Master.
Well, I doubt she could figure it out.
No one could. No one but me.
---
Words: 3, 960
A/N:
Was about to start Renegade Immortal but somehow finished the 'Return of the Mount Hua Sect' manhwa in one sitting (yeah, in one sitting. I'm crazy).
Even with some pacing issues here and there, it's a fun read with a nice mc, good art, side characters and dynamics between them.
Recommended.
Right, with this chapter, the fic crosses 82,000 words.