— — — — — —
Puzzled, Grayfia tossed all those dazed, witless devils out of the castle like they were trash.
It didn't take long. Once she was done, she didn't bother with titles like "commander" anymore. She left a letter behind and headed straight back into the palace.
'Is one letter really enough?' she wondered.
In it, she'd written that she was stepping down from her post on the front lines, claiming she had received orders from the Primogenitor, Lilith, to carry out a special mission.
She'd even explained how she encountered Lilith.
But honestly… whether that excuse would hold up was another matter.
Still, she had a reason no one could easily challenge.
An order from the Devil Primogenitor, Lilith, was absolute. No devil could disobey it.
A lucid, rational Lilith stood at the very peak of all devilkind. As the beginning mother of every devil, her will was law. None could defy it.
That was the revelation Grayfia received after swearing loyalty to Algol.
She didn't understand how Lilith, the so-called Mother of Devils who birthed the first of their kind, could wield such unreasonable authority.
But in a sense, as long as Lilith's power was real, then as her attendant, Grayfia had already stepped outside the current civil war among devils—into a higher, more detached position.
And that position suited the Lucifuge family perfectly.
After all, serving the Lucifer line—or Lilith—was the very duty of the Lucifuge clan.
...
Before long, Grayfia returned to the palace—and immediately saw Algol again.
Her beauty lived up to the name. Those gem-like eyes, more radiant than any jewel, felt like the very definition of perfection.
Earlier, Her Majesty had kept her eyes closed, which had struck Grayfia as odd. But now it seemed it wasn't due to any hidden ailment.
"Oh? So this is what you look like, little girl. Not bad. Pretty distinctive. Silver hair too… yeah, you're exactly that brat Ryo's type."
Hearing Algol casually appraise her, Grayfia thought to herself, 'Ryo again?'
Suppressing the thought, she lowered her head respectfully. "Your Majesty, the devils have been expelled from your palace."
"I know. It's not like I'm blind," Algol replied with a nod.
'Then why were your eyes closed earlier?' Grayfia wondered, baffled.
Almost immediately, Algol answered her unspoken question without missing a beat, "Why were my eyes closed?"
"Obviously because they were too ugly. I didn't want them polluting my vision. What else would it be?"
Grayfia's mouth fell open slightly. She didn't even question how Algol had heard her thoughts. Instead, she asked in disbelief, "Just… because of that?"
"What else would it be?" Algol shot back.
"…Are they really that ugly?" Grayfia asked, genuinely confused.
Devils, as a race, were practically all handsome or beautiful by human standards. Otherwise, how could they seduce and deceive mortals?
And yet, in Algol's eyes, they were all apparently eyesores…
Grayfia hesitated, her expression turning awkward. After a moment, she gathered her courage and asked. "Forgive my boldness, but… in Your Majesty's eyes, what kind of devil would be considered beautiful? Someone like Lord Rizevim?"
"Rizevim?"
Algol raised a brow, then directly read Grayfia's memories. Her face immediately twisted in disgust, and she covered her mouth like she might throw up.
"How could that ugly bastard possibly be my son? If I ever had a kid, no matter what, they'd at least have to look as good as Ryo when he uses his Cosmo."
"He hasn't even proven he's worthy of being my kid's father. So how could I already have one?"
In that instant, it felt like a thunderbolt struck Grayfia.
If Rizevim wasn't Lilith's son… then whose child was he?
But he undeniably carried Lord Lucifer's bloodline.
Then… could it be?
Was Lucifer not Ryo? Were Ryo Yagami and the Original Lucifer two completely different people—and Rizevim was actually Lucifer's child?
Wasn't it precisely because Lucifer claimed the child was Lilith's that he seized the moral high ground among the devils and rose as the first Satan? Of course, his power played a major role, but many devils acknowledged him because of their mother, Lilith.
(DxD Lilith had a unique ability to asexually reproduce pure devils through the Book of Lucifer, having been the Devil Primogenitor by spawning the first generation devils including the 72 Pillars and Extra Demons such as Zekram Bael and Runeas Gremory.)
Grayfia was shaken. If this was true, then had Lord Lucifer deceived all the devils? Rizevim wasn't what they thought him to be.
Had they really treated an imposter as the prince of their race?
How could that be possible?!
For a moment, even Grayfia—renowned for her composure across the devil world—felt her expression crack.
Meanwhile, Algol muttered to herself for a while, then glanced up at the ceiling.
"Ah, time's up. Skincare routine time."
"Hey, you… Grayfia, right? Yeah, you."
"At your service!"
"From now on, you're my maid. You'll take care of my daily needs—and deal with any ugly idiots who come knocking. Only decent people are allowed into this palace. If you're not sure who qualifies, just look in a mirror. Though honestly, you barely make the cut."
"…Understood."
"Oh, right. Before that, write a letter to Ryo for me. I'll dictate, you write. Got it?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Grayfia responded automatically, but her mind was in complete disarray.
She could no longer make sense of anything.
But one thing was certain.
The Underworld was about to change.
Without Lilith's recognition, the so-called Satan faction would no longer be the ruling authority.
What came next… would be an age of setting things right. Maybe?
.
.
.