Chapter 27: Back Home (2)
Azrail Astaroth Pov:
"Hey, Azrail! Your brother-in-law is here to see you."
A familiar voice came from the other side of the door, and moments later, it opened before Sairaorg walked inside.
However, as soon as he walked inside, the grin on his face disappeared, and he closed the door in a hurry, which most likely slammed it into the face of the person walking behind him.
Thud!*
"Sairaorg!"
"Wait outside, Kuisha!"
'So the one who got a door slammed in her face was Kuisha, huh…'
Sairaorg looked at me for a few seconds, probably finding the words he wanted to say.
"You... Why are you naked?"
That was a lie.
I wasn't naked.
I had my boxers on.
"I'm in the middle of getting dressed… What exactly did you expect while visiting someone who is supposed to be the main attraction of today's banquet in the dressing room, to begin with?"
"Ah, my bad."
Sairaorg seemed embarrassed at his tactless actions, making me wonder if he was finally starting to take note of his behaviour.
"See, Amy isn't embarrassed."
I pointed my thumb at Amy, who stood behind me while combing my hair.
Since she was my maid, she was the one who managed my clothes for social gatherings ever since four years ago, so Amy was well-versed in seeing me naked.
Despite telling her that I could get dressed on my own several times, Amy insisted on doing all the work by herself, saying that my fashion sense was at the level of a rock.
That was most likely an exaggeration, right?
"That's not the point."
Sairaorg probably wanted to say something else, but I interrupted him.
"And who are you referring to as my brother-in-law? I don't see Lord Lucifer anywhere."
I tried tilting my head, but Amy pulled it back while combing my hair.
I liked it when she combed my hair, as it felt like a head massage, and she also knew the spots I liked the most.
"You…"
Sairaorg looked at me, blinking stupidly, and after a good few seconds, he restarted his brain, finally answering my question.
"Rias is my cousin, you know that, right? In that sense, we're brothers-in-law."
...Right, that made sense.
I had more or less forgotten that Sairaorg was the son of Lord Bael, Venelana Gremory's half-brother. Although indirectly, the engagement had linked me to the Bael Clan.
My memory would've been perfect if I could remember things like this.
"Now that I think about it, you do have a striking resemblance to Lord Lucifer."
Sairaorg gave me a rather bland face before rolling his eyes, and I chuckled.
"I'm just kidding. Why the long face?"
I wasn't, to be honest, but he doesn't need to know that.
After sighing, my friend asked.
"So, how does it feel, having a fiancee and all?"
For the sake of my mental health and the little sanity I had left after coming to this world, I completely skipped the part where I was supposed to think about my betrothed being a ten-year-old, just going with the flow of the Devil Society and culture.
"Who knows?"
I just shrugged my shoulders, and before Sairaorg could reply, the door shot open as the Four Great Satans barged inside the dressing room without any restraints.
"Azu-chan! We're here!"
"Is it necessary to barge into a dressing room like that?"
"C'mon, Ajuka, there is no need to be that stiff around your little brother. Learn from how I behave around Rias."
"No, Sirzechs, Ajuka has a point. Look at Azrail—he's almost naked... And as far as examples go, you and Serafall aren't the best ones for how one should behave around their siblings."
'It's gonna be noisy for a while...'
I mentally prepared myself as Serafall, Ajuka, Sirzechs, and Falbium walked inside the dressing room, all having different opinions about their actions.
Compared to them, Sairaorg might as well be a gentleman for not making so much noise.
Someone needed to stand guard outside my dressing room, but then again, who in the world could stop these guys?
Other than that, I was surprised how Falbium looked completely conscious.
"Hey, it's been a while, Azrail."
"Indeed it has, Lord Asmodeus."
"Wake me up when these guys are about to leave."
I watched as the same Falbium walked towards the chair and fell asleep within the tenth of a second.
Never mind what I previously said. He was probably saving energy for the banquet.
"Oh, Sairaorg, you're here, too."
"It's been a while, Lord Lucifer, Lord Beelzebub, Lord Asmodeus, and Lady Leviathan."
The sudden intrusion surprised Sairaorg, but he still greeted everyone politely, even the sleeping Falbium, who just mumbled something under his breath in reply.
I guess it'd be embarrassing if the heir of the [Great King] were to fumble in the presence of the Four Great Satans.
Not to mention, Sairaorg's goal was to become a Satan, so he looked at the Four Great Satans as something that he was aiming for, unlike others, who looked at them with pure respect and admiration.
"Amy, there's no need to be so formal before the banquet begins."
I turned towards my right, seeing Amy bowing her head.
"That's right! We're just here to visit Azu-chan before the banquet begins."
"Indeed, there's no need to be so formal."
After Serafall and Sirzechs had said so, Amy straightened her back again.
I looked at Sirzechs, the 'Strongest Devil,' and the same person who passed out when Rias confessed that she had feelings for me in front of her family. That happened before Zeoticus proposed the marriage agreement to the Astaroth Clan, and it was something Venelana told me.
I was looking forward to several dozens of [Level Up!] notifications popping up all around me, but alas, that didn't happen.
On the brighter side, I didn't receive any threats.
Serafall once warned me that she'd skin me alive if I were to get with Sona alone, and Great Sage confirmed the authenticity of her words.
Not wanting to think about that, I looked around the group of intruders, and my eyes met Ajuka's, who smiled at me.
"The least you could do is stand up when someone comes to visit you."
"The least you could do is not visit someone when they're getting dressed."
"Is that how you talk to your older brother?"
"Is someone who visits me at a gap of three years even considered an older brother?"
"I am a Satan, too."
"Then act like one."
That was just how all of my conversations with Ajuka started.
I smiled at my older brother, and he chuckled lightly.
We had been on this frequency ever since I started existing in this world.
"So, Alice said that you had something to ask me. What's up?"
Hmm.
I'd rather ask about the [Kankara Formula] when the two of us were alone.
That way, it wouldn't be embarrassing to use our mother's name to pressure him.
"It's not that important, so let's talk after the banquet ends."
Ajuka looked at me for a few seconds before understanding what I meant.
"A shame, I had something to talk to you about, too…" Ajuka suddenly smiled slightly. "... But I guess it can wait for a while."
I could confirm that Ajuka was about to say something, but soon waved it off as if something better appeared in his mind, and his smile widened slightly.
It made me wonder what he wanted to talk about.
'Maybe it's about how I am going around kidnapping people all over the world?'
At that internal joke, I chuckled a bit.
After talking for a while, the Four Great Satans, along with Sairaorg, who was carrying the still-asleep Falbium on his back, excused themselves.
Rias and I were supposed to make our appearance after all the guests had arrived, thanks to us being the main attraction of this event, and our entrance would happen during my father's speech.
We weren't required to make a speech, so all we had to do was stand there and look pretty.
Well, we did have a dance performance, but since both Rias and I knew how to dance, we didn't even bother to practice once.
Devil Nobles were required to learn these things from childhood, and of course, we were no exception.
With that in mind, Amy helped me get my clothes on, and I looked at myself in the mirror.
"Amy, isn't this..."
My words were interrupted as Amy continued what I was about to say.
"... A little too flashy? Lord Azrail, that's what you say every time I prepare an outfit for you, and no, as the star of today's banquet, this is the only appropriate attire! Lady Celis already said any objections you have are overruled!"
Amy hadn't been cutting me some slack lately, much like she usually would. Maybe I had her work a bit too much?
"Since you say so, I'll believe you."
"Thank you, Lord Azrail."
Well, she did manage a territory in my name for half a year, along with training regularly until she could no longer stand up properly after consuming all her Demonic Power.
She never had a single holiday in the past six months, to top it all off.
'I should go easy on her from now on...'
Amy wasn't like Elmenhilde, and their values were very different.
I broke Elmenhilde in a way so I could push her around however I saw fit, but that wasn't the case with Amy, as she was my actual subordinate and maid.
"Amy, thank you."
"Why?"
Amy tilted her head in confusion.
I guess the members of the Valmra Clan weren't used to getting compliments from their Masters, huh?
"For taking care of me all this time."
Hearing my words, Amy smiled.
"But you make it sound like I'm leaving your side, Lord Azrail."
"I was just thanking you, and as for leaving my side, I won't let you go."
"I am happy to hear that."
Amy giggled lightly.
"So, how long before I need to make my entrance?"
"Thirty more minutes… I'm sure that Lady Rias will be here any minute now."
As if waiting for Amy to finish her words, the door shot open once again, followed by Rias, who seemed like she was in a hurry.
"Azrail!"
"Lady Rias, you shouldn't run while wearing that dress!"
Rias ignored the maid's call, only to stop after arriving in front of me.
"Wow, Azrail! You look amazing!"
The redhead moved in circles around me, and after she had finished analysing me, she finally stopped.
"You too, Rias."
I smiled at Rias, and she examined my expression for a few seconds. "By the way, aren't you nervous?"
Was I nervous?
Yeah.
In case the FBI showed up.
Jokes aside, I wasn't.
"Not really. What about you?"
"A little bit."
Although Rias said that, it wasn't hard to tell that she was nervous.
I, on the other hand, held no expectations from this banquet, to begin with, so being nervous would've been out of character.
My lifestyle was simple. I approached life without expecting much from even those closest to me.
I knew how they'd behave or how they might react to certain situations with some amount of unpredictability. However, I never held any expectations from them, as it would only lead to disappointment.
It was like reading a book while knowing how it'd turn out and not expecting anything much.
In that case, if there were a great plot twist or phenomenal writing, I'd be pleasantly surprised, but if the story stayed completely normal and within expectations, there would be no disappointment in my heart whatsoever.
The last time I expected something from people around me was in my past life, right after learning about my illness and my brother's death, but it didn't end well. Be it my father, mother, or my girlfriend, they all let me down at the worst possible time.
After my parents passed away, the only real 'relationship' I had was with my girlfriend, but after seeing how I ended up, she couldn't keep going anymore, and somehow, she ended up having a mental breakdown faster than me.
I knew she loved me, but her willpower wasn't strong enough to see the person she loved suffer so miserably, not after seeing my parents die, whom she was very close to, probably even more than her parents.
I loved her, too, both as a partner and as a friend, but her case was, in a sense, similar to my parents.
I expected too much from her.
Her withdrawal was the final straw that killed all expectations I had of people, something that'd probably stay like that forever.
My health kept deteriorating, and I maintained my distance from her to focus on sustaining myself.
Back then, I believed it was for the best.
However, she ended up passing away a year after we separated in an accident, and from what her brother told me at her funeral, she had been dealing with severe depression ever since we separated.
I knew that her family blamed me, but they couldn't just lash out at someone who was supposed to die within a year, could they?
Honestly, her death crushed what was left of my heart at the time, and that was the last time I shed tears, but it wasn't for me to give up, so I kept moving forward with life, and over time, I became the person I was today, someone she wouldn't even recognise.
Thanks to all that, my expectations of people remained very limited.
'I don't like thinking about this.'
I really didn't.
They were like bittersweet memories. I couldn't simply forget them, and neither did I wish to remember them.
"-rail!"
"Azrail!!!"
Thanks to how hard Rias was shaking my shoulders, I snapped out of my inner monologue.
"... Yeah?"
Rias glared at me, moving my face in different directions with her hands.
"Are you alright? We can call off the banquet if you aren't feeling well. All you have to do is say it… I'll talk to our families about it, okay?"
"What are you even on about?"
"I mean… you looked a bit tired. I never saw you like this. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine, so don't worry about it." Rias looked reluctant, but she backed off after I told her to. "And we can't cancel a banquet which is being attended by almost all the big shots of the Underworld, from most of the Clan Heads and Heirs of the 72 Pillars to the Four Great Satans, just because we want to."
"I know that, but..."
"I am fine, okay?"
I patted Rias' head, and she nodded a little.
Soon, Amy called us out.
"Lord Azrail, Lady Rias, only ten minutes are remaining before your entrance, so I suggest that we leave for the banquet hall right now."
Thanks to the tightened security, the banquet hall was protected by many different barriers, so we couldn't teleport there, and would need to make an entrance the old-fashioned way.
Well, I could teleport there, as there wasn't a Magic Barrier that could stop me from teleporting to a place I had previously marked.
That was simply how good I was at [Transportation Magic], but I'd rather not show that off now.
After everything was prepared, Amy led the two of us towards the banquet hall, and I had to say, the Astaroth Clan's castle was huge.
I must've forgotten it during the time I started spamming [Transportation Magic] for every step I took, even going to the washroom with it.
After walking for about eight minutes, Rias and I arrived in front of a large, luxurious closed door.
"The door will open within 1 minute and 30 seconds, so please be ready."
Amy explained before I could even ask.
She knew me a bit too well.
"After the door opens, you'll walk straight to the stage, getting up and standing next to Lord Sebastian and Lord Gremory, and make sure to hold hands. Lord Beelzebub and Lord Lucifer can be on the stage, as well, so don't be surprised."
"Got it."
"All we have to do is walk properly."
We nodded, and soon, Amy left.
"Make sure not to trip, Rias."
"Don't jinx it!"
Rias tightly squeezed my hand to ease her nervousness, and I smiled at her.
"You'll be fine."
"I hope so…"
Using [Sound Magic], I decided to hear what was going on inside the banquet hall, and what I heard was my father's voice.
{My esteemed guests.}
{It is with great pleasure that I stand before you tonight to announce the engagement of my youngest son, Azrail Astaroth, to a remarkable young lady, and the current Heiress of the Gremory Clan, Rias Gremory. This union is a testament to the strength of our Noble Families and the enduring bonds that tie us together.}
There was a large round of applause after my father finished, and when the noise subsided, he continued.
{As we gather here tonight to celebrate this joyous occasion, let us also remember the importance of family and the role that each of us plays in strengthening our bonds. This engagement is not just a union of two individuals, but a union of two noble families coming together to build a brighter future.}
That was a weird way to announce that it was an alliance between the Gremory and the Astaroth Clan, but well.
{Without further ado, let us welcome the stars of today's evening, Azrail Astaroth and Rias Gremory.}
The door in front of us opened as the two of us walked inside, and the large round of applause made it impossible for us to even hear our footsteps.
We made our way towards the stage where our fathers, along with our older brothers, were standing.
As we moved forward, I glanced around the hall, seeing many familiar and unfamiliar faces.
The hall was adorned with elegant draperies, rich carpets, and opulent furnishings such as chandeliers, mirrors, and art pieces. The colour scheme was vibrant, with gold, red, and other warm tones being the most commonly used.
The banquet hall comprised distinct sections—reception, dining, and dance areas. Refreshments were served at the reception, while the dining area boasted tables for guests.
All in all, it wasn't difficult to tell that the Astaroth Clan was showing off its wealth, as the decorations were much better than the Bael Clan's banquet when they announced their new heir.
By the time my father's speech ended, Rias and I arrived at the stage, standing next to our fathers.
Anticipating the pre-planned speeches from Zeoticus, Sirzechs, and Ajuka, I readied myself to avoid yawning in front of the guests.
That'd certainly be embarrassing.
After Zeoticus and Sirzechs' speech ended, it was finally Ajuka's turn.
I would've stayed on autopilot for his speech, too, but was snapped out of it when my brother looked at me, and unlike how he usually would, he wasn't smiling.
It gave me a bad feeling.
But after Ajuka started his speech, and all he said was a normal speech about his brother's engagement, the bad feeling started to slowly disappear.
That was until...
"As we all know, the Underworld's spirit and morale have been down ever since the disappearances of hundreds of Low and Middle-Class Devils, along with some High-Class Devils, that started a few years ago. Regarding that incident, I'd like to use this Banquet and my younger brother's engagement as an occasion to raise everyone's spirit because we have already figured out the culprit behind all those disappearances."
Huh?
What the hell was Ajuka talking about?
Even Sirzechs, Zeoticus, and Sebastian looked surprised at Ajuka's proclamation, indicating that this wasn't planned.
'It can't be. Not after all the precautions I took…'
A shiver ran down my spine, and my hand trembled ever so slightly, but I forcefully stopped it.
Everyone in the audience looked surprised, and a lot of murmuring started around the hall, which soon calmed down as Ajuka coughed a little.
"I am sure everyone wishes to know who the criminal is, and I know that this may come as a surprise to you all, but... The criminal is here, standing among us."
Ajuka glanced at me from the corner of his eyes, and his eyes weren't friendly like they usually were. They reminded me of how I looked at my test subjects.
"Truth be told…"
Don't!
Say that it was a joke, Ajuka!
"The criminal behind all those disappearances is none other than the star of today's banquet, the one renowned as the Strongest Young Devil of his generation, my youngest brother, and the second in line for the succession of the Astaroth Clan..."
Stop.
I don't want it to end, not like this.
"Azrail Astaroth!"
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Words: 3,469
A/N:
Mc's faced with the thing people hate the most: the consequences of their actions.
We all knew that he wasn't mentally stable (hopefully none of you considered him sane after everything he did), so let's see how bad his two 'selves' can get.
To not edge you with another cliffhanger, I'll try to upload two chapters together within the next three days.