{Evening, Barbatos Manor}
Lord Faiser of the Pillars Barbatos and Valefar.
Quite the long title, and I loved every bit of it.
All my life, I'd gone around calling others Sir, Ma'am, or even Lord when dealing with nobility. And now? I was the lord.
There was no better feeling than this. A third of my dreams had been fulfilled with just this alone.
"Should I call you Lord Faiser from now on too?"
That question made me laugh. "Of course not. As good as it sounds, it would only make things awkward for me. It's best if the people close to me keep calling me the way they always do."
That made my queen chuckle as she brewed tea, while I lazed on the couch. The past few days had been hectic, and the next ones would be too.
"Did you read Lord Lucifer's letter?" she asked, pouring me a cup.
"Mhm," I had read it. "It says I'll have to go with him to a certain place in two days from now."
That piqued her curiosity. "Oh? Where's that?"
My lips curled upward at her interest. She had fully embraced this lifestyle — being my queen and staying by my side. And I was making sure she got whatever she wanted.
"A bit far. Lord Lucifer and I will be going alone."
"Oh." Her face dimmed a little. "You don't need me there?"
Truth was, it was always better with her around. She had incredible offensive power, and her water techniques covered my weaknesses perfectly.
"Unfortunately, the person we're meeting wants me to come alone." Handling him wouldn't be easy. "He wants to test me."
Seeing her curious face, I explained further. "It's about the next peerage member. And this man just happens to be the father of the one I need to recruit."
I needed this individual badly. Offensively, Ingvild and I were strong enough. I could protect myself, and she filled in many of my gaps. But neither of us could tank or take the front line.
We needed a strong member who could push forward and soak up damage.
We needed a Rook.
"Who is this person?" she asked, pouring herself a cup while I took the one she'd poured earlier. "Are they strong?"
The answer wasn't mine to give.
"The person he wants to recruit is very strong, Ingvild-chan!"
Of course. She always teleported in whenever she felt like it — especially around me.
"The one he's after is a dragon. And not just any dragon — the son of a former Dragon King." Serafall appeared behind me, jumped onto the couch, and said, "Faiser wants Bova the Destroyer, son of the Blaze Meteor Dragon, Tannin, to join his peerage."
She didn't even look at me, just got comfortable on the other side of the couch and snatched a biscuit from the tray.
"He's aiming high, but if he pulls it off, he'll have a powerful peerage member."
I could only sigh as she stared at my cup.
"I already drank from it," I said. "I can get you another if you want."
She shook her head. "I'm thirsty! Give me that cup!"
It wasn't a request. More like a demand. Normally I'd ignore it, but this time I didn't. I passed it over, and she slid it toward Ingvild —who hesitated before realizing Serafall wanted a refill.
Awkwardly, she refilled the cup I'd just used, and Serafall snatched it back immediately — dipping the biscuit into it before gobbling it down.
I couldn't really blame her. Ingvild's baking was amazing. Still, it was a sight seeing Satan herself drinking from a cup I'd just used.
Serafall was weird. Weird, but adorable.
"So," I asked, now teacup-less. "What brings you here?"
She looked offended, though it was obviously just an act.
"You don't want me to visit?" She puffed her cheeks cutely, while Ingvild calmly sipped her tea and watched the interaction.
Serafall had adjusted around me, putting on the same playful and cheerful act she showed Sona, Rias, or Sirzechs. She wasn't as awkward with me as before, and I liked that.
But I still wondered—which one was the real her?
"You know that's not why I asked," I said, brow slightly furrowed. "You're welcome anytime, Serafall. But don't you have a lot to worry about? After a Lordship Ceremony, shouldn't the Satans be flooded with work?"
"Ugh!" She threw her head back and kicked her feet. "Don't remind me. I came here to run away from that stress for a while."
Saying that, she grabbed another biscuit. "These are amazing! Where did you get them?"
Shaking my head at her antics, I pointed at Ingvild.
"My lovely queen baked them," I said, taking one for myself. "Delicious, aren't they?"
She nodded eagerly. "Can I take some with me, Ingvild-chan?"
Ingvild nodded without hesitation. "I-I'll pack some for you."
She was the type who enjoyed feeding and caring for others, and she loved being appreciated. I always made sure to remind her how good her cooking was.
And now, with someone else praising her, she was definitely happy.
She immediately went to the kitchen. Even with the maids and butlers filling the manor now, she still preferred cooking for the two of us.
Therapy.
That's what she called it. And as the one enjoying the results, I wasn't going to complain.
With Ingvild in the kitchen, it was just Serafall and me in the massive living room, finishing the biscuits.
"You got lucky with her," she said without looking at me. "Or was it really luck?"
I didn't answer, just smiled. Of course it wasn't luck, and she knew it.
She was a Satan. She might act dumb, but she was smarter than me.
Maybe she believed I was lucky to get the information about Ingvild through Katerea. But no way would she believe I went there just to look for her or out of kindness.
"Both," I said honestly. "I went there believing I would heal her to make her my queen, but…"
"But?" She finally looked at me, our feet almost touching.
"But when I heard her story, I didn't fixate on it. I was ready to let her do whatever she wanted, even if she rejected me."
That wasn't a lie. I really would have. And still, she chose to be my queen.
"Tannin's son wouldn't be like that," Serafall reminded me. "No matter how young or playful Bova the Destroyer is, he's still a dragon. And dragons are extremely prideful. He won't agree just because you promise to treat him well. You'll have to prove you're worthy of being his king—to both Bova and Tannin."
She wasn't wrong. Most likely there would be a test, maybe even a fight. And if Tannin joined in, things would get messy.
Bova was probably in the middle or peak stages of High-Class. Tannin, on the other hand, was a legend. Ranked among the top ten in Rating Games, definitely peak Ultimate-Class. And if he had some Balance Breaker-type ability, he could easily break into Satan-Class. That would be the end of me.
Even Sairaorg temporarily stepping into Satan-Class was almost enough to make me lose. Tannin would be a monster on a whole other level.
"It's going to be difficult, isn't it?" I sighed, trying to relax but failing.
"It will be." Surprisingly, she gave me a smile. "But Tannin isn't that strict or unmoving. If you prove yourself, he won't deny your request. As for Bova, I know he's a troublemaker. It'll be up to you if you can control that kid."
I thought about going to another Dragon—Tiamat. But she had a certain contract with Ajuka, and she was definitely not going to be easy to deal with. Tiamat was even more prideful than Tannin. Not to mention, the rook pieces wouldn't be enough. I might have to sacrifice all my pawns.
And that was a loss.
Bova, being the son of a former Dragon King turned Devil, had higher potential than most Dragon Kings. Given time, he could even surpass his father.
So, I chose Bova over Tiamat.
The Evil Dragons were tempting, especially Crom Cruach, but I'd be stupid to approach him. I'd be dead before I even opened my mouth.
Still, seeing her made me wonder.
"Why… are you always so kind to me, Serafall?" I finally asked. "I don't remember us having that many encounters in the past. We don't even share proper memories, so why are you always going out of your way to help me?"
It felt good when the Satans helped me, but I couldn't help but question it.
Serafall froze with the biscuit halfway to her mouth, staring off without focus.
I looked her way. It was like she'd been hit by a wave of emotions. A strange mix of sadness and comfort flickered across her face as she stayed silent.
I didn't call for her again. I just kept looking.
The more I looked, the more I noticed how pretty she really was.
She wasn't a seductive beauty, and she didn't have that mature allure you'd expect from a Devil who fought in the civil war.
And still, she was beautiful. Hers was a softer kind of beauty—kind, pure, almost gentle. Similar to Ingvild, but tougher. Maybe with a few cracks too.
Her expressions showed it. One moment stable and happy, the next pained.
"It doesn't require a reason to be kind," she finally said, putting the biscuit back down. "There isn't much of a reason."
That made me pause before I decided to continue.
"I'm not like the others, Serafall. I may be young like them, but I come from a time when everyone fought for their lives—where you fought, where my parents fought. I'm used to seeing emotional, selfish, angry people. In a way, this kind Devil society feels almost foreign. So tell me, why are you so kind to me?" I really wanted to know. "Why do you always go out of your way? Make trouble for yourself just to help me?"
She finally looked at me, pressing her lips together. "It's not that important of a reason, Faiser."
"Then you wouldn't mind telling me, would you?"
She stared at my face with soft eyes, then sighed. "You won't give up, will you?"
I could be really stubborn when I wanted to be.
And right now, I wasn't giving up.
"I don't plan to."
She chuckled softly and glanced around. "Then I'll tell you, Faiser."
Looking back at me, she asked, "How about a walk through the garden?"
Gardens. She really did like them, didn't she?
I nodded, called a servant, and told him we'd be heading out. Ingvild was still busy packing biscuits, so I had him inform her in case she worried.
"Then shall we?" I asked, standing up from the couch. "Serafall?"
She smiled and took my hand. "Maybe we should."
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters.
Sorry about the delay, had to go for some check-ups.}