{Early Morning, Sirzechs' Office}
"Are you ready?" Sirzechs' curious voice rang near me. "He might not have looked like much with Lord Zekram present, but without the elder's pressure, he is a difficult person to tackle."
"Even a boulder can be broken if you spot a crack." Phenex weren't as invulnerable as they liked to think. They were not immortal. "The Phenex are riddled with them."
I didn't bring Ingvild with me. Normally, noble devils preferred to move with their queens, but I had no intention of taking her to the Phenex estate.
I knew a certain sex fiend would be there, and I didn't want her getting into trouble.
I remembered Serafall saying the Phenex son once tried making a move on Sona. He ended up with exactly one hundred and three broken bones.
I also had to make time to visit Serafall later—she wanted me to come with her to the Familiar Forest.
"Ready?"
"Yes." I stood firm as Sirzechs activated the teleportation circle. I could feel the difference between this one and a normal circle.
Lately, I had discovered that I could actually tell apart teleportation circles from different individuals.
Serafall's circle felt smooth, like I was sliding down. Sirzechs' felt like being pulled up, like a man helping you out of a well.
Hard to explain, but that's how it felt. Being pulled away, straight into the Phenex estate.
And I could never get used to randomly appearing inside someone's house.
"Welcome!" I heard his voice. "Lord Lucifer!" He then turned toward me, his crafty smile in place. "Faiser."
"Good day, Lord Phenex," I greeted. "Hope you have been doing well."
Behind his smile, I noticed the tired lines, the wrinkles he tried so hard to hide.
Stress. He was stressed.
"Would you like to freshen up, Lord Lucifer, heir Faiser?"
The voice belonged to a woman—a very beautiful woman. Blonde, no, golden-haired, with a flawless figure. Her hair was styled high with ornate decorations, but it was her blueish-purple eyes that stood out the most.
"It's fine, Lady Phenex," Sirzechs answered. "We came right from my place, so we are fine to just sit for the talks."
Usually, Sirzechs liked to play nice, talk, and even spend time getting to know the other person if he had the chance. At least, that's how he had been around me.
But with Lord Phenex, he was more reserved—more professional.
"Surely you wouldn't say no to some tea?" the Lord of Phenex insisted. "We take pride in our tea."
Yeah, that was one of the businesses they could call their own without relying on my lands or anyone else's property.
"Tea is fine, yes." I couldn't say no to everything, so I agreed.
"My two older sons, Ruval and Revan, are out on contract work with their peerages. Ruval wants to push for a promotion exam and Revan wants to complete his peerage," he explained proudly. But when he moved to the third son, his tone shifted. "My youngest, Riser, is at home and will be greeting you once he is done with his work. I urge you not to take it as disrespect, Lord Lucifer."
Work.
I wondered what kind of "work" that was.
"I heard you had a daughter." I noticed he hadn't mentioned her. "Why only talk about your sons?"
He wasn't a misogynist, so I knew something was off.
"She… well, she is out of the estate right now. She said she wanted to explore the eastern region for a while." As he said it, he seemed a little nervous, which made me wonder if he was hiding something.
But for now, that wasn't my concern.
His wife had gone to prepare tea—as noble ladies usually only handled tea and snacks. Everything else was left to the maids.
"I hope you're adjusting well, Faiser." He put his fake smile back on. "And congratulations on the completion of your mansions."
"I have Lord Lucifer to thank for that." He was the reason it finished so quickly. "But I must admit, you have a beautiful house, Lord Phenex."
It was spacious and decorated with gold. Even the pillars were gold, or at least gold-plated.
Maybe the Phenex were richer than I expected. Which meant the potion problem was an even bigger headache for them.
"It must be difficult to handle such large estates at such a young age, right?" He asked, or rather played around. "Managing big lands, adjusting to the changed world, gathering new peerage members… you seem to have a lot on your plate."
Sirzechs let me handle the small talk, waiting to see if I would fall for the Phenex's tricks.
"Oh, I do have a lot on my plate, Lord Phenex." He wasn't entirely wrong. "But I do enjoy a challenge, and I never lose. So, I don't mind taking on some more stress either."
The man's smile faltered a little. "Of course. It is the passion of the youth, challenges and learning curves. Though not all challenges can be won."
I gave the man a soft smile. "I wouldn't know that. I haven't lost yet."
"Here," by then, his wife came back with maids. "Your tea, Lord Lucifer, and Faiser."
"Thank you, my lady," I said. As for Sirzechs, he only gave a nod.
"Riser will be here in a bit."
This time, I nodded, and Sirzechs spoke.
"Oh, I heard he won his recent Rating Game. That is a nice feat."
The Lady of the house smiled with pride, while her husband nodded strongly. "He can be difficult at times, but he is capable. The Phenex blood is strong in Rating Games."
"Enjoy your tea." Lady Phenex didn't linger. She left us in peace to discuss with the Lord.
"Rating Games are the best way to showcase your capabilities," Sirzechs agreed. "Though if I praise Riser, I must also praise Ruval. Ruval has constantly been ranked in the top ten of each Rating Game season."
The Lord laughed. "Of course, he is my most gifted child!"
If I'm not wrong, the one topping that chart is Sairaorg. And I can see why. I still feel the pain from our little match.
"I too am thinking of expanding my peerage and taking part in Rating Games, though it will take a while," I said, sipping the fragrant tea. "And I will need to expand my territory to make it comfortable for them to live and train. So, I might require some of my land back, Lord Phenex."
He finally showed a crack. He tensed up.
"W-Well, there is still time, isn't there?" He laughed awkwardly, trying to lift the cup without spilling. "You gave three years for the land."
"I did," I didn't lie. "Though I wanted them a bit earlier for my little project."
He barely hid his frown at the mention of the project. He knew exactly what I was referring to.
"Potions will be a difficult field to establish yourself in, Faiser," he said, trying not to show the hostility in his voice. "I would suggest you have someone guide you, or go into business in a partnership. I will be more than happy to guide and help you. After all, connections are not easy to build."
So that was his confidence, huh?
"Well, connections aren't an issue." I kept my composure. "After all, Lord Bael promised to help me with that."
He immediately coughed, nearly burning himself with the hot tea.
"He did?"
"He did."
The man's face was… interesting.
"So, I guess we'll be direct competitors now, Lord Phenex."
The man didn't say much. Instead, he gave a fake smile. Though from the inside, he was fuming.
"Is it possible for you to maybe extend the timeframe regarding the land issue? I will definitely make up for the delay with something of worth." He now seemed desperate.
"That wasn't the agreement." Finally, Sirzechs stepped in. "The agreement was made in the presence of the Satans and the elders."
"I–Yes. I know, Lord Lucifer." He gave a dry laugh. "It was just a suggestion." He was nervous now. "It is fine if the time period is still three years. I can manage."
And at that point, a certain someone also arrived.
"O-Oh!" The voice was weak. "Greeting, Lord L-Lucifer."
The stuttering wasn't out of nervousness.
Not at all.
"R-Riser just learned from m-mother that you have arrived."
The man who spoke in third person with jumbled words, with half-open eyes, a shirt with broken buttons, and fuzzy hair—was Riser Phenex. The main annoyance of the first act.
And we were here to nip this issue in the bud.
"Welcome." He forced a smile, and as much perfume as his mother had put on him, it wasn't enough to hide the stench of alcohol oozing out of every pore.
Sirzechs' expression flickered for a second, but as the Satan he was, he managed to keep his smile.
"It is good to see you too, Riser." He smiled despite the obvious disgust.
This was the man supposed to marry his beloved sister. It made sense that he would be disgusted.
And while at first I was worried about his presence, I was now glad.
This made things easier.
"It's nice to finally meet you, Riser Phenex." I stood up and extended my hand, though I didn't move from my place.
And he did exactly what I expected.
Riser was prideful, extremely so, but he wasn't stupid like most thought. He saw me sitting next to Sirzechs, a Satan, and figured right away that I wasn't a nobody. So, he stepped forward to shake my hand.
That was what I was hoping for.
He was smart, but even the smart failed against alcohol. With so much in his system, he stumbled forward, knocking the tea and spilling it on Sirzechs' lap.
"L-Lord Lucifer!" Lord Phenex's face went pale. "Maid!"
"It's fine," Sirzechs sighed, wiping his pants with a handkerchief.
As for Riser, he looked apologetic.
"Riser a-apologizes, sir," he said, his eyes hazy.
"It's fine," Sirzechs said again, as I finally pulled back my hand, failing the handshake.
"H-He is a little unwell, Lord Lucifer," Lord Phenex said with a frown at Riser. "Go back to your room." His voice was low, but I still heard it.
The drunk devil looked confused, scratched his head, and then nodded.
"Then Riser w-will see you later, Lord L-Lucifer."
He tripped again as he turned but managed to stay standing. He left eventually, though it took him a while.
"I apologise for that," Lord Phenex said, now clearly nervous. "He has been through a tough time lately."
"That seems to be the case for your pillar as well, Lord Phenex." I struck while the iron was hot. "I know the reason you're unwilling to let go of the land, especially now of all times."
"I don't think I follow, Faiser." He tried to stay calm, but failed miserably.
"Most pillars rely on a diversified business portfolio for their wealth," I said. "But your potion business—especially your hottest product, Phoenix Tears—has been in such demand, and so profitable, that you poured everything into it. Which means your entire pillar's foundation is built on the potion market monopoly. And if I enter it, backed by the strongest and most influential devil pillar, that's a direct threat to you. You'll suffer a major loss. Don't play the fool about it."
He bit his lip, unable to yell with Sirzechs sitting right beside me.
"I have no intention of backing out of this business," I said. And I truly didn't. "So, we'll be competing sooner or later. That means you cannot lose that land—it's essential for your potion production."
I had done my research. The land he controlled was the richest in soil nutrients, perfect for growing potion materials.
"What… are you suggesting, Faiser?" he asked, gritting his teeth. "I don't think I've harmed you in any way, so why come after me?"
"I'm not coming after you, Lord Phenex. I had an idea, found a backer, and unfortunately, you're in the way." Not entirely a lie. "It's clear you'll lose a lot if this continues, and that will directly affect your social and political standing. I believe you don't want that."
Sirzechs looked at me, almost proud.
Surprising.
"What… do you want?" Phenex asked. "From me?"
"Well, I didn't come here to destroy your business, that's for sure." I gave him a smile, a somewhat honest one. "I want to compete, but I'm willing to start with a disadvantage, using only the limited land I currently have."
Eventually, I'd get my land back from the other lords, and the playing field would even out. But not now. For now, he could keep the lead.
"And it'll take a while for me to enter the market, even with Lord Bael's support. So, for now, you remain the king of potions."
He raised an eyebrow. "What's the play? You definitely want something out of this."
He wasn't stupid.
I laughed. "Oh, I do. But it's nothing as major as losing your business. I'm here to help a friend, and this won't be that big of a loss for you."
I glanced at Sirzechs, then back at him.
"Riser's engagement with Rias Gremory," I said, finally making his eyes widen. "I want you to break it off. If you do that, I'll permanently transfer the land you're holding to the Phenex pillar, and you won't need to return the treasures either."
"That… That is difficult," he said, unsure. "This was already agreed upon with Lord Gremory."
"That's the thing," I pressed on. "The marriage was political, but in truth, you don't gain much. Riser will marry Rias, but he won't bring her here. Instead, he'll marry into the Gremorys. He's only the third son, and she's the heiress. She won't lose that position, right?"
The man went silent.
"Certainly, you would have gained the support of the Gremory pillar through the marriage, but think about it. The Gremorys profit more since Riser married into that family." In truth, it wasn't as profitable as they thought. "The returns aren't as high as you think. And instead, if you break this engagement off, then you get to keep the lands and the treasures, without hurting your potions business. So, in this case, that is the best deal."
And to seal the deal, I had Sirzechs with me.
The man initially didn't want to come, since it would be a violation of the agreement if he involved himself in this matter. But he came as a mediator, not an involved party. And that was enough.
For now, he was merely sharing his thoughts.
"I see that Riser has an alcohol addiction, and he is known to fool around with women." Sirzechs frowned. "Now, I am not involving myself in this matter, as agreed upon. I am merely expressing my worry about my sister. As no one knows what a devil might do under the influence of alcohol."
"Y-You can be assured that he will never hurt her, Lord Lucifer!" The man tried to salvage the situation, but it was too late.
"Can I?" That's all Sirzechs asked, and the man began trembling.
"This is the only offer I will give you, Lord Phenex. And once I leave this seat, the offer will be gone forever."
The man's face was as pale as it could get.
"A marriage that Rias Gremory clearly hates, one that is bound to end in a toxic relationship. And a deal that helps you and your pillar directly, while also letting Rias Gremory pursue her own happiness. Who knows, considering Riser's reputation for enjoying multiple women, he might not like being tied down either."
I leaned back, comfortable.
"I don't have the whole day, Lord Phenex."
The man could barely hide his anxiety.
"I am waiting."
And that was it.
The crack had expanded, and the boulder had crumbled.
"I—" he looked at us. "If you can legally transfer the land to me and ignore the amount to be paid back to you, then… then I agree to break off the engagement."
Sirzechs clenched his fists, barely containing his joy.
"Then we have a deal," I said, extending my hand —which he ended up taking, sealing it.
Surprisingly, however, Sirzechs had something to add.
"If you can do me a favor, Lord Phenex." The Devil King smiled. "Can you not reveal this to Riser or Rias yet? I still want the Rating Game to happen."
Oh? That's… something I didn't see coming.
"I will handle my father, but let the Rating Game happen. Let them believe that the marriage is still on the table."
The Lord of Phenex looked confused. "I… can do that. But may I ask why, Lord Lucifer?"
That's when Sirzechs showed his devilish grin.
"I love Rias. She is my only sister. But she is lazy, and the only thing motivating her to work hard, train, and improve her peerage is this marriage." He said, "So, I want her to keep believing that the agreement is still valid, so that she keeps trying to improve."
The Devil King. That's who he was. Truly a man of his name.
"I… can do that."
After all, who would deny a Devil King?
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{A/N:A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters.