Chapter 41: Sensei Alduin!
Hours had gone by, and I found myself lying down on a couch that'd need at least a few days' worth of washing with Thora's ravishing, nude, sound-asleep figure cuddled right up to me.
Both our bodies were covered in a thin sheen of dried sweat, causing our skin to stick together like Velcro, accompanied by a musky yet pleasant aroma that lingered in the atmosphere as a result of our discharged fluids.
Honestly, I'm not sure how much time I've spent lying here, watching Thora as she gets some much-needed shut-eye with a relieved smile on her face, but I'm pretty sure I could remain here forever.
This is the first time I feel like she's actually allowed herself to relax, sure, her rampaging instincts played a huge part in that, but my point still stands. If anyone's deserving of a break, it's her, and I couldn't be more glad that she finally got one, a proper one.
And to top it all off, she successfully got her Dhampir powers back, which had already been boosted by her previous consumption of the old fart's blood, and once more by mine. Speaking purely in terms of demonic power, I'm fairly confident she's on the same level as me now.
As for her physical attributes, well, the sex we just shared made that improvement crystal clear. It wasn't as overwhelming as when I was with Roygun, but there were definitely a few moments where I had to reinforce my skin a little to keep her nails from tearing into my flesh.
Not that I mind, after all, if it isn't rough it isn't fun.
On another note, I'm not entirely sure what I'm going to say to her once she wakes up. I'll obviously have to explain to her that me and Roygun already discussed this beforehand, but even then, I doubt that'll be enough to fully ease her concerns, of which I'm sure she'll have many.
"Mmm," Thora breathed a light, groggy moan. Shuffling around with slow, repeated blinks as she gradually came to her senses.
Talk about timing.
"Welcome back to the land of the waking," I smiled as my fingers gently pushed aside the damp locks framing her face.
"Y-Young Lord?" She stammered, confusion written all over her face. "What happened?"
"Don't you remember? We successfully removed the seal suppressing your Dhampir abilities," my smile grew increasingly mischievous. "But if you're wondering what happened after that, then I suggest you take a look around and see for yourself."
With her thoughts still clearly in a haze, she started to look around.
And within a fraction of a second, she went still with stunned silence. Taking in the sight of our bare bodies lovingly pressed against each other, the musty smell lingering above us, and the countless number of stains etched into the newly acquired sofa.
She opened her mouth, presumably to yell out in panic, but found herself incapable of giving volume to any words.
"If you're still confused, then allow me to refresh your memory." I cleared my throat, preparing to do a dramatic imitation of Thora's voice. "I want more of you, Alduin, give yourself to me. Does that happen to ring a bell?" I smirked, resting my cheek against my palm. "Or maybe this will? I've been wanting to do this to you for a while, Alduin. I am a woman after all, and like any woman, I have needs."
Thora remained speechless, but I could see the gears starting to turn in her head. Her brain's probably rewinding through the fond memories we just made, which included a surprising amount of straddling and biting on her part.
Again, not that I mind.
"S-SHIT!" She blurted out, gripping the sides of her face with an exceedingly jittery expression. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! WHAT HAVE I DONE!?"
I huffed. "What have we done, I think you mean?"
"N-now isn't the time to be acting so casual! Fuck! How the hell am I going to explain this to Lady Roygun!? She'll kill me!" She buried her head in her hands, letting out a series of muffled, dread-ridden screams. "I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm dead! I'm SO dead!"
Alright, as fun as it is to see Thora act all spooked, I think it'd be a little cruel to let her continue like this.
"You don't need to worry about Roygun," I reassured her. "She's alright with it."
"What makes you so sure—!?"
"Because I asked her," I revealed, my tone emphasizing my truthfulness.
"W-what?"
"Right before me and Roygun slept together, we got into a bit of a heated argument, per se, mainly about you." I began, deciding it best to explain everything from the top. "She noticed that our relationship was closer than that of mere master and servant, and jumped to the conclusion that we were involved in some kind of scandalous romantic relationship. Of course, I told her that wasn't the case, but—" I hesitated, a small part of me still deliberating whether I should tell her what I've wanted to say for quite some time now.
She raised an eyebrow. "But?"
No, there's no use in second-guessing myself like this. This is literally the best opportunity I'm going to get to tell her how I feel, I'd be an idiot to let it slip out of my fingers.
I took a deep breath before speaking.
"I told her I'm in love with you, Thora." She did an immediate double-take, wondering if those words had really just come out of my mouth. "Yes, you heard me correctly." My added confirmation rendered her even more speechless than before. Her eyes widened as much as they possibly could as utter, sheer bewilderment radiated off her.
"Young Lord, I—"
I cut her off. "I'm not finished, also, please don't call me 'Young Lord' for the time being." I sighed, earning a stiff yet understanding nod from her in return. "At first, she was… less-than-ecstatic about that. However, I made it clear that I've felt this way about you for a substantial amount of time, and she, someone whom I had literally just met, had no right to interfere with that."
She looked ready to intervene, but I held up my hand before she could, gesturing that I still wasn't done.
"I know, legally speaking, she had every right to do so. But the basis of our conversation wasn't that of legality, it was a much more emotionally charged one." I said as I recalled some of the more dicey moments involved in that discussion. "After a bit, well, actually a lot of back and forth, we came to an agreement. She allowed me to be with you, on the condition that I don't let my relationship with you diminish or compromise mine with her."
"Lady Roygun actually a-agreed to that?" She questioned with narrowed eyes. As expected, getting her to understand Roygun's perspective is going to take a little elbow grease.
"She did," I nodded affirmatively. "If you really want, I could call Roygun up here if you'd rather hear it straight from her mouth." Serfall won't take kindly to that, but personally speaking, this situation warrants an exception.
"N-no, that's not necessary. You might be reckless, but I know you wouldn't lie about something that consequential, Young L— I mean, Alduin." Though her voice had begun to steady, I noticed a pang of guilt start to infect her expression. "However, that doesn't excuse my actions! I am your caretaker, y-yet I went ahead and s-sullied you without a second thought!"
Clutching her chest, Thora attempted to sit up and escape my clasp.
"Nonsense," I frowned, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her even closer than before.
"A-Alduin?!"
"Inexcusable? Sullied? Those words shouldn't even be an afterthought to you," I made my brimming dissatisfaction clear through my voice. "I'm going to say this once, and only once. What just happened between us occurred because I wanted it to, not because I was forced, pressured, or any other despicable idea you've conjured up in that head of yours. If you try to degrade what I believe to be a beautiful moment we just shared again, then your actions will truly become inexcusable. Understood?"
After all she's endured for my sake, offering my body to her is the bare minimum I've prepared myself to do. I plan on showering her in so much love she'll feel like she's drowning!
And there's absolutely nothing she can do to avoid that.
Thora flinched in the presence of my overwhelming displeasure. I doubt she was expecting a scolding from me of all people. But she'd be a fool to think I'd simply sit by and allow her to adopt such an appallingly self-depreciating train of thought, good grief, I had no idea her self-esteem could even drop like that in the first place.
She gulped. "U-understood."
"Good," a warm smile returned to my face. "Now then, how about an answer?"
"Pardon?" She tilted her head.
I chuckled lightly. "Goodness Thora, I didn't peg you for the type to be so dense. I just confessed to you, didn't I? The least you could do is give me a response."
Her cheeks and ears flushed like a blossoming rose, it looks like her head's finally processed that part of my long-winded explanation.
"You w-weren't joking?" I could feel her heartbeat start to hasten with each passing second. I don't want to jinx myself, but I think things are looking promising for me.
"I'm appalled you'd even ask me that," I huffed, mildly insulted. "Of course I wasn't joking! Don't tell me you think I'm the type to just get intimate with any woman I stumble across? Good grief, Thora, how you've wounded your Young Lord's heart." I placed the back of my hand against my forehead, feigning an overly dramatic pained expression.
"I didn't mean it like that—!"
"I know you didn't, I was just messing with ya." Even a thousand years from now, I don't think I'll ever be capable of resisting the urge to tease her. It's almost like it's ingrained in my DNA at this point.
"Hmph, way to ruin the moment!" She crossed her arms and pouted.
The mood seems to have lightened up between us, that's certainly a positive.
"Alduin," she began, her voice carrying a distinct weight. "What I said when we were… intimate, about having wanted you for a while. I didn't just say that solely because of my… questionable state of mind. Well, I guess none of the things I said or did were just because of that… maybe it would be more accurate to say my reawakening brought out things in me I was keeping repressed. Is that… wrong of me?"
"Wrong? Why would it be wrong? We feel what we feel, that's just what it means to be a person. Having a duty, or a responsibility you feel strongly towards, doesn't mean you need to cut off your emotions. If that were the case, society as we know it would've collapsed a long time ago."
We'd basically be living in a world full of Marthas, just without the duty stuff, and only the emotionless part. I don't even want to imagine what such a world would look like.
"Yes, I suppose you have a point." She took a moment to gather herself before continuing. "At first, my affection towards you was simply the motherly kind. As I watched you grow up from the time you were hardly as tall as my kneecaps, to the point where you were level with me, it felt like I was raising one of my own. It instilled me with a sense of warmth and tenderness I never thought possible, which I desperately needed after the Lord's first wife, Gilda, no longer had an active presence in the house."
My eyes softened as I listened to her words. I don't know what kind of state House Buné was truly in when Ladora had left, and Gilda had just fallen into a coma before me and Martha were around. But I doubt it was a pretty sight.
"But for some reason, which I still don't fully understand to this day. The form of my affection started to change, and my longing started to deepen. My heart found itself wanting more than just a motherly bond. I'm not even sure if it was directed at you specifically or just the person closest to me at the time, but it happened nonetheless. I wanted more, Alduin. I had spent nearly two centuries living as naught more than a maid, content with my only true relationship being that of someone fortunate enough to be brought into the Lord's fold, but once you came into life, some part of me decided that wasn't enough anymore."
"You wanted love," I concluded with an understanding nod. "You convinced yourself that you needed to suppress your feelings, no matter how natural they were, to be an efficient servant. However, deep down, you knew that was no way to live. You were only doing yourself more harm than good. And eventually, an instinctual part of you came to understand that truth. You're a person, like me and anyone else. Love is a natural desire, and there's nothing even remotely wrong with that."
She let out a stifled giggle. "You always seem to choose the strangest times to demonstrate your wisdom."
"What can I say? It's part of my charm." I shrugged with a smug grin plastered on my face, but still decided to retain a certain degree of solemnity. Thora's next words are going to be crucial in deciding how our relationship's going to progress from this point onwards. "Judging by your words, would it be safe to assume that—"
"Yes, Alduin." She looked at me with a soft, tender gaze, clutching her hands up to her chest. "I love you. I want to be with you, not just as your attendant and caretaker, but as a woman who loves you, and will be loved by you in return."
Finally, you have no idea how badly I've wanted to hear those words come from your mouth.
"Then that's all that matters," I leaned in for a loving, drawn-out kiss before pulling away and hauling myself to my feet. "Now then, how about we take a shower? Rias and her groupies are probably going to wake up any minute now, if they haven't already, and I'd rather not reek up the room when I appear before them, again."
Only this time I won't be a masked menace with a surprising affinity for insults.
"I think that would be for the best," she agreed.
After heading upstairs and taking a nice, warm shower together, which I totally didn't stall out so I could ogle at Thora's soapy breasts for an extended period of time. She took me to my bedroom, which appeared to be styled in a modern, contemporary fashion. It adopted a dark crimson and gray color scheme, similar to the ones used for my clan, and housed a large king-sized bed in the middle with verdant pillows and blankets. Which I imagine was inspired by my Sallos lineage.
I love being a spoiled noble, especially when my pain-in-the-ass noble parents aren't around.
Thora began walking over to the wardrobe. "I noticed how much you liked the robes the Lord got for you on the day of your ceremony, so I took the liberty of ordering a special set of attire while I was discussing your living arrangements with Lady Leviathan."
She pulled out what looked to be a loose-fitting, light-colored kimono with a black edge and a black scarf. Reminiscent of the one the old man had given me in shape, but different in coloration and design.
"Technically, this one's designed for women, but I noticed you preferred a baggier fit, so I went ahead and ordered it anyway. It shouldn't make much of a difference once you put it on, the only real difference between the male and female versions is the height and length."
She's not wrong, the looseness of the robes Sebastian gave me made it much easier for me to move around and fight in. Especially since my combat style involves a great deal of acrobatics and sharp, swift movements. Trying to do all that in a tight set of attire would produce pretty much the same result as trying to do the splits in a pair of skinny jeans.
"It looks snug," I took it out of Thora's hands, gliding my hand across the fabric to get a feel for its make. "It feels snug, too." Sylvie was a big fan of the robes as well. I imagine she'll enjoy this just as much, if not more.
I put it on, acquiring optimal snugness once more, all thanks to Thora's foresight, of course. Good grief, what would I do with her?
"It looksss like the Senjutsulesss one has actually done something useful for once," as if the presence of the kimono alone had somehow summoned her, Sylvie entered the room. Immediately slithering her way up my newly acquired ensemble and burying herself beneath my scarf.
"I see your familiar's attitude hasn't changed," Thora narrowed her eyes.
"Hmph, it's not my fault a meager ssspecimen such as yourself insssists on clinging to my massster like an unruly growth of weeds." Sylvie huffed, proceeding to poke my cheek to get my attention. "By the way massster, my clone in the clubroom has detected the awakening of the red one and her servants."
"I see, I guess that's our cue." I've had some time to think, and I believe I've established a good starting point to begin their training based on the little test fight I conducted.
===
As the first one to be knocked out, Rias also ended up being the first one to awaken. Finding herself lying down on one of the sofas within her clubroom as a faint, throbbing pain irritably persisted throughout her face. Granting her an immediate reminder of what had transpired before her vision faded to black.
The cloaked figure.
She jolted upright, her eyes darting across the room and observing the sight of Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba all sprawled out similarly to her. With no visible signs of injury on their bodies, much to her relief and confusion, someone had attacked them, she had no doubt about that.
Yet, there hadn't been a single casualty among her peerage. The assailant had dealt with them as if they were mere ants, but hadn't claimed any of their lives for himself. Nor that of Sona's, assuming he had attacked her at all, judging by the fact that her barrier was still in effect.
Surely it wasn't all just a dream?
Rias went over to one of the windows, peering out at the backyard of the old schoolhouse.
Yeah, it definitely wasn't.
The freshly trimmed bushes she had spotted were still, in fact, freshly trimmed, and a substantial crater could be spotted smack dab in the middle of the space. Alongside a few small holes here and there, only wide enough for a single person to submerge themselves through.
Before anything, I should meet with Sona to make sure everything's alright—
"Man, you all should stock up on some more red meat. It's no wonder you're all so scrawny, especially the kitten." A voice originating from the clubroom's kitchen interrupted Rias' train of thought. A voice which she faintly recognized, but couldn't quite put her finger on.
Wearily, she began to tread over towards it, the sound of someone rummaging through her refrigerator growing louder and louder with each step.
Who the hell is that?!
The first thing she noticed was two pairs of long, imposing, curved, drab-colored draconic horns poking above the fridge door. One front-facing pair, and another back-facing one.
"Uhm, excuse me—!" Before she could order whoever was audacious enough to sneak into her clubroom and start gorging on her supplies, the door slammed shut, revealing the figure's appearance in full.
"Yo, it's been a minute since we last met, Rias Gremory." He was a tall, kimono-wearing man with long, extraordinarily spiky ash-colored hair that seemed to be doing its best impression of a porcupine. His eyes were of a deep, verdant, and reptilian nature.
And he also had a piece of raw steak in his mouth, which he was idly chewing on, for some reason.
"Last met? I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking abou—" Rias paused, squinting to get a better look at the man. Strangely enough, it wasn't just his voice she found somewhat familiar, but his appearance also itched at her memory. Which she found odd, considering one would typically remember someone with such a wild image.
Slowly but surely, memories from Sona Sitri's eighteenth birthday started to resurface in Rias' mind. Specifically, an incident that went down between a certain rooster and lizard. Her attention was more focused on the latter rather than the former.
"Alduin Buné?" She muttered, it was a little hard to tell at first with the horns, increased muscle mass, and whatnot, but once she conjured up a mental image of the man without those attributes, there was no denying it.
He swallowed the steak in one swift gulp before speaking. "In the flesh! Oh, and sorry about the little trashing I gave you and your subordinates. I kinda had to do it for the sake of getting a training regimen together, hehe, my bad." He scratched his nape with a sheepish, aloof expression.
"Trashing?" Rias paused once more, giving her brain some time to connect the dots. "THAT WAS YOU!?"
"Guilty!" He quipped in the same moronic voice he had initially used. "But it was all for the sake of your training, alright? So you can't get mad at little ol' me!"
"T-training?! I never asked for anything of the sort!" She stomped, infuriated that she and her peerage had been ambushed for such a moot reason. And besides, she highly doubted that was even the full story, since it didn't explain the insults he had thrown at her before knocking her out cold!
Insults which she remembered perfectly well, word for word.
"And last but not least, you're Rias Gremory, sister of a Satan you'll never match, and aunt of a child that's destined to outshine you. Heh, if he hasn't done so already, that is. What a truly pitiful woman you are."
Her face reddened with fury just thinking about it.
"I know, but your brother did, and that's precisely why I'm here." Rias shuddered at the mention of her older brother. "So rejoice, princess, your long-awaited wish of being freed from the talons of Riser Phenex's wedding arrangement shall finally come true! All thanks to your super-duper-ultra-amazing mentor Alduin-sensei!"
She wasn't sure how to explain it, but she was suddenly hit with the instinctual urge to slap the living daylight out of the overtly jovial devil before her. Suppressed only by the shock of her older brother making such an arrangement behind her back.
"I never asked for Onii-sama's assistance," she crossed her arms, feeling a little patronized by her older brother's meddling.
Alduin let out a thoughtful hum. "That doesn't mean you don't need it. No offense, but you and your peerage didn't strike me as the most prepared lot for a confrontation with Riser. Not that he's all that dangerous, but still, in your current state, I have no doubt that you'd lose to him in a peerage-on-peerage battle."
"Battle?" She raised her brow with a questioning look.
"He didn't tell you about that either? Good grief," Alduin sighed, gripping his forehead. "Lord Lucifer's already devised a plan to help you formally cancel your marriage. I'm not sure if you're aware of this or not, but the chances of the Phenex Clan honoring the arrangement to postpone your wedding until you've graduated from human university are slim, if not virtually nonexistent. Your value to their family's standing is simply too high to give up."
The drastic widening of her eyes was more than enough to tell him that Sirzechs had indeed kept her in the dark about the situation. Then again, part of Alduin had expected Rias to be well-learned enough to make that deduction on her lonesome.
Seriously, what's up with me? I keep judging her like Martha would in my mind. Get it together, Alduin.
"Listen, we don't know when they're going to make their move. It could be in a few months, a few weeks, maybe even a few days. But once they do and try to push for an early wedding, your brother's going to put forward a proposal."
"A proposal?"
"Yeah, for an unofficial Rating Game to occur between you and Riser. If you win, the marriage will be rendered null. If he wins, it'll continue." His gaze hardened, as if trying to emphasize the gravity of the situation for Rias. "If you lose, then I doubt there'll be much even someone of his standing will be able to do to help you. Which is why you and your subordinates must get stronger, a lot stronger, and sooner rather than later."
She took a moment of silence to mull over his words, letting the revelation sink in before questioning him.
"I don't understand. Why didn't Onii-sama tell me about this in advance? And more importantly, why are you the one he sent to train, assuming what you're telling me is true? I don't recall you having a particularly close relationship with him or my family. Knowing him, he wouldn't send you unless you had a great deal of his trust." She folded her arms, glaring at him with suspicion.
If Sirzechs had sent Grayfia, or any of his other peerage members, to handle her and her peerage's training, she wouldn't question it too much. But Alduin Buné? The urban myth of a noble she had only met once before? She couldn't even begin to draw a connection between him and her brother.
In the first place, isn't his family supposed to be keeping him isolated? When did he get a chance to talk with Onii-sama—
Then it struck.
During Sona's birthday, Rias recalled an observation she had made when Alduin had been called upstairs to meet with "Lord Sitri," who was in fact present on the center stage only a few feet away from them at the time, preparing a commemorative speech for his daughter.
Now it was abundantly clear to her who Alduin had really met with.
"I may not have the kind of trust one would build through years of friendship with him," he began, his voice solemn. "But we did make a deal, and I know better than to do something as idiotic as turning my back on a Satan. Especially your brother."
She couldn't fault him there. Sirzechs, alongside Ajuka, was without a doubt the strongest the Underworld had to offer. Someone of Alduin's comparatively meager prowess wouldn't betray such a figure unless he had a death wish.
Besides, Sirzech's and Serafall's diplomatic protection was of great personal importance to him. Without them, he'd be exposed to the wrath of his father, who was just as capable of stomping him with ease.
"Put simply, they've assigned me as you and Sona's Guardian, so to speak. As well as the person responsible for getting you and your peerage in shape for your inevitable bout with Riser."
"Oh?" She scoffed. "So not only does Onii-sama believe I'm incapable of training my subordinates, he also thinks I'm too inept to protect myself in my ownterritory?"
He shrugged. "Your words, not mine."
The sound of the clubroom's front door opening followed, causing both Rias and Alduin to step out of the kitchen to observe whoever had just entered.
"Young Lord, I've brought him." There stood Thora, adorned in a fresh maid uniform with a familiar, cross-dressing platinum-blond Dhampir by her side, who clung to her skirt with blatant apprehension.
He peered out at the room from behind her with an expression that made it clear he wanted nothing to do nothing more than to curl up into a ball and hide away from sight, but was still doing what he could to muster up the courage to remain in the presence of the others.
"GASPER!" Rias cried out, positively stupefied to see him out and about. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be in your seal—!"
"I broke it," Alduin admitted. "When I said I was here to train you and your peerage, I meant your entire peerage. Naturally, that includes Gasper."
Rias looked ready to blurt out all sorts of reprimands at him, but Alduin gestured that he wasn't finished.
"Relax, I'm well aware of what Gasper's power is, I've read his file. I brought him out of his seal so we can begin teaching him how to control his power, rather than letting it intimidate him into isolation for the rest of his life. I mean, it's not like you were just going to leave him alone in that room and wait for the problem to solve itself, right? You were going to confront the issue at some point, weren't you, Rias Gremory? After all, Gremory's are said to be the most caring devils in the Underworld."
The sharp, piercing stare he was shooting at Rias caused her heart to experience an inexplicable pang of guilt. One that rendered her incapable of meeting Alduin's deeply judgmental gaze, gluing her eyes to the floorboard with a sense of shame looming over her head.
"U-uhm, B-Buchou." Gasper stammered, tightening his clasp on Thora's uniform. "I-I think Alduin's s-someone we can trust."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence, my dear student!" Alduin beamed, forcefully clapping his hands together to create a thunderous noise, jolting the rest of Rias' peerage awake. "Now that the gang's all here, we can finally start our first lesson!"
———
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