"...Riser-sama's family sure are rich!" Inside the entrance lobby, Issei stared around with a look of amazement. He had never stepped into such a luxurious place in his young life, and it showed all over his face.
The Phenex House estate was far more luxurious and extravagant than the Gremory household. They were considered the richest among the noble houses thanks to the lucrative business surrounding Phoenix's Tears, so it was only natural for their estate to surpass those of the other noble families in both scale and excess.
"So that's what it means to be a noble," Saji, next to him, let out a long sigh as he stared at the scene around him. The shining walls and floors, the decorations made from expensive materials, everything felt excessive. His eyes almost hurt from the brightness, and the gap between those who used to be poor humans like him and noble devils felt clearer by the second, whether it was strength or wealth.
One of the reasons he joined Riser's peerage was that the latter offered him a large amount of money, which he used to support his struggling family. Because of that, he was far more conscious of the gap between them than Issei ever was.
"You are all now part of my peerage and can be counted as part of our family. If you need anything, you can always have it," Riser said as he touched their shoulders one by one. He then leaned closer and whispered into Issei's ear, "I didn't forget my promise to you."
He had brought the two of them to the Underworld so they could see what it looked like for the first time. As for Kiba, he did not want to come with them and chose to stay behind in Kuoh Town. Normally, a servant could not refuse their master's order, but Riser did not want to force him. He knew Kiba was still in a period of adjustment, and pushing him now would only lower his loyalty.
"Promise?" Issei blinked and stared at his master, his expression full of confusion.
Riser did not answer. Instead, he clapped his hands, and soon multiple rows of beautiful girls dressed in maid uniforms walked in. They stood in neat lines and bowed in perfect unison. "Welcome home, Riser-sama!"
'Oppais!' Issei immediately screamed internally upon seeing the scene before him.
[Eughh! Not again...] Ddraig groaned.
"See these girls? You can choose any of them, and as many as you want. They can all be part of your harem," Riser pointed at the girls as he spoke to Issei. "Though if you take them, they will be your responsibility to care for."
"Really?!!!" Issei's eyes, already glued to the beautiful maids' visible breasts, now that they were bowing in his direction, shone with unparalleled brightness. He wiped the drool from his face, forced himself to regain a bit of composure, and asked cautiously, "Will they be okay with that? Do they have the right to refuse?"
"Issei, enough about women's rights," Riser let out a tired sigh. He needed to enlighten his new peerage member about what he considered the truth of women. He gestured toward the maids, who continued bowing respectfully, their expressions calm and clearly unbothered by the discussion that could decide the fate of some of them. "Let's talk about women's wrongs."
"..." The maids flinched at his words but did not dare to speak. All of them had gone through rigorous training to understand their place in the castle and to avoid upsetting their masters. Especially recently, the atmosphere within the estate had grown tense, as Riser had become openly hostile toward women.
It was not only him. Lady Phenex and Miss Ravel, along with Miss Yubelluna and Miss Isabel, had also begun to show clear hostility toward women.
"These women would be more than glad to be yours. You just need to say the word," Riser enthusiastically slapped Issei's back a few times. "Hurry and make your choice. You are the Red Dragon Emperor; you shouldn't be so indecisive."
"Even if you say that... I... I..." Issei stammered, flustered by the situation. Part of him wanted to get his dick wet and have his face smooched by breasts, but another part of him felt guilty. It seemed wrong to treat these women like objects. Yet the combination of Riser's insistence and his own lust overwhelmed his hesitation. "I choose her," he said, pointing at a girl who looked a few years older than him. She had large breasts and a pretty face.
"Ehh!" The girl let out a small gasp of surprise, clearly caught off guard. But she quickly composed herself and stepped forward.
"You are only choosing a single one? Don't want a harem?" Riser cast a glance at the other girls before giving Issei a meaningful look. As expected from a breasts freak, he had picked the one with the largest oppai. "Choose more, man. You're free to take everyone if you want."
"Everyone? Hehehe... an ocean of breasts," Issei imagined himself drowning in a sea of oppais, countless mounds of flesh and pink, beautiful nipples brushing against his skin. But he quickly pushed the perverted thoughts aside and said, "Just her will be enough for now. I want to take it slow."
"If that's what you want," Riser shrugged his shoulders. Issei was still a virgin and had not seen through what Riser considered the true nature of women. That was something he could work on later. He pointed at the chosen girl and said, "Come here. From now on, you have to listen to Issei's orders, understood."
"Yes!" The maid answered respectfully, her face showing no extra emotion. She walked over until she stood close to Issei and bowed deeply. "From now on, I will be dedicating myself to you. Please take care of me, Sekiryuutei-sama."
'Did she say dedicating herself to me? I never knew such wonderful words existed! Hehehehe! Being a Devil is the best!' Drool began dripping from his lips as he ogled the woman's large boobs.
"You must be tired. Go rest. She will show you to your room," Riser said, clearly satisfied with his reaction. He told the maid to take Issei. It seemed his plan was working perfectly. The more bonds Issei formed here, the harder it would be for him to betray Riser, and the easier it would be to keep him under control.
"Saji, are you also interested? You can choose anyone you want," Riser said, turning to Saji, who had been watching everything in astonishment.
"N-no! I'm okay!" Flustered, Saji quickly refused, shaking his head and waving his hands frantically. The moment the words left his mouth, he began cursing himself. 'Idiot! Why did you refuse?!! Damn it! Damn it! Can I take back what I just said?'
"If you say so, you can always ask any of them to serve you if you want. They'll be glad to do it," Riser said, not pressuring him. He instructed a maid to show Saji to his room as well, then returned to his own.
At night, after the three had finished dinner and were about to return to their rooms, Lady Phenex did not appear, and Lord Phenex seemed busy. The other children also did not show up, leaving just Riser and the two boys.
'What should I do? Is it okay to call her at this hour?' When Issei returned, he was unable to sleep. He was too excited, and knowing she was staying in the room next to his did nothing to calm him. He wanted to summon her, but was also afraid of being judged.
[You are being pathetic, partner. Making a fuss over such an insignificant matter,] Ddraig sighed at his virgin partner. He was all bark and no bite, always screaming about becoming a harem king, but when it came time to actually do the deed, he chickened out.
"I know! I hate myself for being this cowardly, but I can't help it!" Issei clenched the quilt, frustration tightening his grip as he cursed his own weakness.
Clack!
Just then, the door opened. Riser walked in, holding two bottles of liquor. Grinning, he said, "I knew you'd be awake! Come share a drink with me!"
Behind him walked two women, one of whom was the girl Issei had chosen.
They were pushing a trolley stacked with ice, snacks, some pink and red-looking pills, and other multi colored substances. There were also cards and various items meant for entertainment.
"I... I can't drink, I'm still underaged," Issei instinctively jumped from his bed when he saw the girls. He lowered his head without knowing why, stealing glances at her. She noticed and gave him a sweet, shy smile, making his heart flutter.
"What kind of rule is that? You're a Devil now, stop caring about human laws!" Riser didn't give a fuck about these stupid rules. He urged him, "Come on, come. Drinks can help you loosen up. You seem way too tense right now."
"But... but that doesn't seem right," Issei said, sitting on the sofa. He stared at the liquor, then at the girls. 'I heard that liquor can make you fearless. Maybe I can grow some balls and stop bitching,' he thought.
...
In the Gremory estate.
"Are you sure we will succeed?" In Rias's room, two women sat facing each other, discussing something important.
Something they considered even more important than world domination, immortality, or coffee.
Rias felt some apprehension about this. She didn't want their plan to fail, because if it did, her chance to get Yusuke would be close to nil. "Yusuke is very strong, and he has that pesky skill that detects danger. It's going to be really difficult to catch him off guard."
She hated the Observation Haki. That skill was so annoying and overpowered. She could no longer stalk Yusuke freely and had to be careful not to reveal any clues whenever she was near him, or even from a distance.
Even now, she was still somewhat worried that he would notice them. Fortunately, according to what she had learned from the devil girls who possessed the skill, it could only sense the presence of others and predict their next move, not hear them.
She didn't know that advanced Observation Haki could not only hear voices but even pick up on inner thoughts and emotions.
"I already factored this into the plan," Grayfia said as she patted Rias's hand, her light and confident smile meant to reassure her. "I used Sirzechs' connections to contact Circe from Greek mythology and obtained some of her brew. Sirzechs is busy and will return to work very soon. Once he does, we can execute our plan."
She had spent a large price to get that brew from that greedy, ugly bitch Circe, someday she'll make her pay back every coin she took from her!
Both of them knew that if they tried to kidnap Yusuke while Sirzechs was present, he would most likely stop them. No matter how much of a sis con he was, there was no way he would allow something that twisted to happen.
"Really?! I can't wait!" Rias was so excited that her face flushed a deep red. She hugged Grayfia tightly and thanked her profusely, her voice choked with the intensity of her excitement and gratitude. "Thank you, Grayfia-oneesama! Thank you! I will always remember what you did for me."
"Don't be. I am doing this because I want to," Grayfia said, her expression indifferent, unlike Rias's emotional display. She patted her back calmly, her eyes dark and cold as they stared ahead. "It's all for the sake of our happiness." Unfortunately, Rias couldn't see her expression clearly from this angle.
'My and Yusuke's happiness!'
...
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