Disclaimer: All characters depicted in this story are eighteen years of age or older. Any sexual content involves only consenting adults. This is a work of fiction.
A Marvelous Devil.
Chapter 65: A Tiny Bit Overconfident.
Dante Andromalius.
I should have honestly expected something like this.
The Dark Force retreated into my body as Tandy and I stepped into Lilith, the capital of the Underworld. From the little I understood, it became the capital after Sera and her friends won the Civil War.
It was something I didn't particularly agree with, but I was conscious that I didn't know their exact reasons for making such a move.
It could be they wanted to separate themselves from the previous regime, but why would they care about that if they ended up taking their names?
Eh. I could ask Ajuka the next time he visited. It was probably his idea.
But what I should have expected were the dozens of photographers waiting for the Lords to make their appearance.
And the Dark Force wasn't particularly easy to ignore.
They ran towards us with sharp eyes and hungry smiles.
My grip around Tandy's waist tightened just slightly. This was her first time feeling this kind of scrutiny, and not the good kind.
There was a big difference between the people living in the Ashen Court and this group of idiots.
The camera flashes blinded our faces for a moment, and I frowned minutely.
"Lord Andromalius," an attractive black-haired reporter batted her lashes and spoke sultrily. "Is it true that this is the first time you've personally attended a session since the restoration of your family?"
I rolled my eyes at her, looking around at the others and the attention the small commotion had attracted.
Three of the four Satans were looking in my direction from a distance. It was funny that they were going to great lengths to keep Falbium away from me.
But the reporters was probably a test from them. Well, probably not Ajuka. He should know better.
"Why ask stupid questions you already have the answers to, woman?" I sighed, ignoring her offended gasp as Tandy chuckled. "You all have six questions in total, maybe more if they aren't dumb; don't waste them. As you know, I have things to do."
I avoided focusing on the indignant sound coming from the first reporter.
Looking around, I nodded at a blue-haired man who grinned excitedly. He was the one with the least equipment around him, and he was alone, unlike the rest who had aides and bigger cameras.
There were scoffs around the group from the bigger channels.
"For DGN, Lord Andromalius," he nodded, then took a deep breath. "Is there a reason why you have been sending a proxy in your stead ever since your family returned to the fold of the Pillars?"
"Better, thankfully," I nodded calmly. "Hadrian Andromalius is capable of sitting in meetings where my personal presence is not required. As you just said, my family recently returned to the noble line, and I have important things to focus on."
He nodded and scribbled on a piece of paper, then raised his hand politely.
"Do follow-up questions count toward our limit?" he asked, caught somewhere between nervousness and hopefulness.
He ignored masterfully the glares coming from the other devils.
Heh. At least he was polite.
I waved him off.
"Like completing your peerage, Lord Andromalius?" he asked after sighing in relief and sending a look Tandy's way. "We only know of one member thanks to some rumors coming out of your territory, but they have been surprisingly tight-lipped around it."
"Heya everyone!" Tandy smiled brightly. "I'm Dante's Bishop."
I swatted her hair, thinking for a moment. "It's one of those reasons, yes. Tandy is my only piece at the moment, but I have been looking forward to completing it, as all devils do."
He nodded curiously but shut his mouth after the answer.
Hm. That was surprising. He knew when to stop.
"You," I nodded at another woman. This one was petite, red-haired, and had a very serious air around her.
She smiled minutely before her frown returned.
"Seraphine for Inferno Report," she greeted me. "There has been considerable discussion around the Devil Net regarding the restoration of House Andromalius. Do you believe your family has a place among the established houses of the Underworld?"
"Apparently," I responded dryly.
"Apparently?" Her eyes shone as she practically shoved the microphone into my face.
"Well, I was called here today, no?" I rolled my eyes. "Next. You."
Mocking glances were thrown her way from the rest of the reporters.
A blond man who was a half-devil approached. I could see the hunger in his soul, as well as the desire to fan the flames around me.
"Lord Andromalius, regarding your recent… acquisition of Sairaorg Bael…"
I smirked and raised my eyebrow at him. "Acquisition?"
"I…"
"He's not an animal," I rolled my eyes, "despite eating as much as one. I would suggest you mind your tongue."
"My apologies. Regarding Sairaorg Bael's decision to enter your service…" He swallowed thickly and looked at me questioningly.
"Better." I nodded.
"Do you believe Lord Bael approves of his son's decision?"
"I have no idea," I shrugged uncaringly.
"Have you spoken to him?"
"No."
They stayed silent for a moment, and I didn't speak, just raising my eyebrow.
"Do you intend to?" he asked confusedly.
"No."
"Why ever not? He's Lord Bael!" the first blue-haired man asked worriedly, looking at me like I was making a big mistake.
Yeah… I could work with him. Misla was right; I needed a bit more presence here in the Underworld, and he would be useful. At least he wasn't a viper like the majority of the rest.
He had genuine worry for my wellbeing, as amusing as that was.
"If Lord Bael wishes to speak with me about why his son joined me, he knows where I live," I smiled at him. "Next. You, creepy dude with the walking stick."
"Kuku," he… laughed? Weirdly. Those next to him moved out of the way at the sound.
"Corvin, for ABC-U," he croaked out. Looking at his soul, I realized that it wasn't an act. He was a veteran from the Civil War and had his throat ripped open by a devil of the Old Satan Faction. He had barely managed to survive, but not unscathed.
And it wasn't like someone like him could ever dream of getting Phenex tears.
Another potentially useful man, considering the bitterness that filled his soul.
"Lord Andromalius, is today's meeting related to the growing tensions between your house and the Phenex family?" he asked wetly.
"Whatever tension, my friend?" I asked curiously.
He laughed creepily. "There have been reports of… disagreements concerning economic competition between your houses, and even some rumors coming out of the Ashen Court about a more… physical conflict?"
He received a glare from the very first woman I had ignored. One who worked for the Phenex, in fact.
"Ah," I smiled. "Our products, you mean. I would hope that the Lords of the Council wouldn't call for my presence just for that. We all have better things to do, after all."
"Does your family ever plan to enter the healing industry, Lord Andromalius?" he asked curiously, a fire in his soul that rivaled Sai's desire for a good fight. "The Underworld suspects you're a genius. Strong enough to pass the High-Class exam without any backing, revive your house, and grab the attention of the Satans themselves. You woke up two people who had the Sleeping Sickness. Will we see more of it someday?"
"Would you risk it, Corvin?" I asked, grinning as I stepped into his personal space. "Your throat? Your crippled leg? Your unmoving fingers? Do you miss them?"
"Risk what?" he laughed, looking to the side worriedly.
There was a change in the air as I towered over him.
Ajuka, Serafall, and Sirzechs started walking in our direction. Serafall and Sirzechs had worried frowns, and Ajuka had knowing eyes.
Corvin tried to laugh and wave me off, but my eyes brightened, and he froze in place.
"What would you give to have all that back, my friend?" I put my hand on his shoulder.
"Ah… Eh…" he winced as I tightened my grip.
Feeling the Satans were about to arrive, I chuckled and patted his shoulder before letting him go.
"Consider it a freebie," I patted him once more, a bit harder this time, and he crumpled to the floor. "You're welcome, by the way. Have fun picking up girls now."
I walked away and smiled at the Satans.
"Lord Lucifer!" I grinned. "It's a pleasure. Your sister spoke a lot about you."
I offered him my outstretched hand, grinning at his twitching lips and narrowed eyes.
He looked at Corvin, who had started twitching on the ground, a wet sound coming out of his throat as he coughed a glob of blood, followed by another sickening crunch from inside his body as his bones rearranged and aligned correctly.
He deadpanned before giving me a firm handshake.
"You're in so much trouble, Dante," Serafall hissed through a forced smile as she started pulling me away from the reporters who looked like they wanted to eat me alive all of a sudden.
"You shouldn't have planned that, then," I snorted, hearing Corvin's normal voice coming out of his mouth after so many centuries as everyone gasped in disbelief. "I don't particularly enjoy being put on the spot, my dear."
The sobbing of a man who didn't even remember what his own voice sounded like could be heard through the sudden silence of the venue. Right before the doors closed behind us, he fell to his knees in my direction.
"Doesn't it feel nice to be a good Samaritan every once in a while?" I chuckled, getting my hand pinched by the glaring Satan as Tandy giggled in amusement.
"Ajuka," I nodded. "You should have known something like this would happen."
The green-haired devil just sighed and glared at the whistling Lucifer.
Council Chambers.
Dante Andromalius.
Oh my… did I fan the flames too hard?
The reception into the room was a tense silence; a bit less than three dozen Lords and Ladies looked directly at us with varying degrees of scrutiny.
Tandy was uncaring of the attention, and so was I. It was funny.
I wanted to laugh aloud, but it seemed like Sera knew me more than I realized because she pinched the hand she was grabbing.
Ajuka snorted softly from the side as Sirzechs gaped in her direction.
"This will be so fucking worth it," I murmured low enough for only them to hear.
Serafall knew me a lot better than the redhead, and she paled as Ajuka sighed.
He couldn't hide the small smile on his face, though.
Sirzechs just looked confusedly at their reactions.
Taking away my hand from Serafall, I pulled Tandy closer into me.
You good, love? I sent it through our connection.
Tandy nodded minutely, keeping a placid smile.
"Anyways, thanks for taking us in. Have fun sitting in those stuffy thrones, you all," I waved the Satans off and started walking calmly towards the seat with my name on it. "Enjoy the show."
The council chambers were about what I expected. In fact, it reminded me a lot about some of the lesser hell dimensions back home where there wasn't a single ruler.
The seats of the Satans were on the very top, three of the four soon filled by the group.
Serafall looked like she was panicking. Wonder why.
Ajuka nodded at me before he lowered his head and started focusing on his experiments, and Sirzechs just started reading a page.
Beneath all of them were the rest of the families, curiously enough, in alphabetical order.
I almost expected the idiots to form bands according to their political views. But thankfully they weren't that dumb.
But that meant I was 3 seats away from a glaring Lord. A man who looked like he was almost about to jump me.
Sai's and Magdaran's father. Did he already hear about his heir's plans?
To my left, it was a man I had heard about but hadn't met: Coriana's Uncle, Lord Andrealphus. She was on Sai's peerage.
I nodded in his direction, earning a small smile from the man.
Then two more empty seats before one more was used by another man.
Meh. He wasn't important.
The point was, everyone was watching me.
The biggest glares or worried feelings came from Lord Bael, who was equally worried and angry, to Lord Phenex in the distance, who was mostly worried now, his anger having been snuffed by something else.
Then another glare from a redhead man with a gaudy beard.
Rias's dad… looked like a pimp.
I bit back a snort. I was totally telling my spitfire that when I returned.
Then there were three men sitting next to each other who looked a lot like what Nyra described to me. That should be Asmoday, Beleth, and Paimon. The top families who had the food industry on a chokehold before our arrival.
And finally, a glance filled with confusion, a bit of anger, surprise, and even more confusion.
Lord Sitri.
Sirzechs cleared his throat.
"Let's begin," he said with a smile, "first things first, I want to welcome for the first time Dante Andromalius, Lord of his house. We've had the pleasure of having his father join us ever since his family was restored."
I smiled at the begrudging claps from some of the devils present. Many didn't bother, and it didn't take me long to understand why they didn't keep the pretense.
The press wasn't allowed inside these walls.
Seeing their attention on me, I stood up while Tandy remained seated behind me.
"Thank you, Lord Lucifer," I bowed slightly, "it is an honor to be part of this meeting."
The previous day I wondered for a moment how I should act during this meeting, but I decided to be benign until I grew bored of their games. Maybe.
… Hopefully, for them.
"Yes, yes," the Lady of House Purson smiled, "it is an honor to meet you, Lord Andromalius, finally. Your lack of… interest in our dealings had been on our minds for a really long time."
I chuckled but remained silent.
"Right," Sirzechs cleared his throat once more. "Now, we all know this meeting is not on the planned date because of the topics we will discuss here, but that doesn't mean we don't have other things to deliver before we start with… that."
And so, the Lucifer droned on and on about laws, plans, and changes many different Lords wanted to make in the Underworld, and everyone voted depending on their desires.
And it was the exact proof I needed to know I wasn't entirely wrong about Ajuka and his friends.
My attention remained fixed on Serafall, who grew increasingly incensed at my mocking glances as the meeting dragged on.
It started with some idiots wanting to be freer than they currently were to gather their peerage members. They were already fucking free, which is exactly why the majority of the factions around the world hated them.
But no, some Lord argued they needed less oversight to barge into other territories, look for people under their noses (kidnap), return home, and have the big stick called Sirzechs defend them.
It didn't pass, obviously. And the idiot who brought it forth didn't even look surprised. None of them were. I just wondered how many times they had pulled shit like this to the point that it looked like the norm.
Then came the Great King Faction. An ugly Lord with a mustache that genuinely looked disgusting proposed a new set of regulations on 'independent trade.'
A very thinly veiled attempt to consolidate wealth back into the hands of his faction. The remnants of the Old Satan Faction immediately agreed, mostly because they hated new blood getting any money.
The New Satan followers argued against it, claiming it would stifle the Underworld's economic recovery. And we all knew it was recovery. The Civil War truly drained everyone's coffers.
It devolved into a twenty-minute shouting match. And what did Sirzechs do? He sat there, smiling tightly, acting like a glorified mediator instead of what he fucking was.
Then an older Lord, clearly a follower of the Old Satans, stood up to complain about reincarnated devils needing an absurd amount of compromise from the government. He proposed a hard cap on how many Evil Piece sets a family could have actively at the same time, arguing that resources were being wasted on pampering mortals.
Instead of just telling the old goat to shut the fuck up, Sirzechs actually entertained the motion. He gently talked the man down, using his charisma to get many people to go against the idea. It worked, and the bill wouldn't pass anytime soon thanks to all the advantages the Satan named.
It was clear by this point that the Satans could be on the back foot, but the other groups weren't stupid enough to go against them willy-nilly. They only did so to gain more power for their own families instead of outright opposing the rulers.
The problem was… that power? That power was used against the Satans every so often.
When the Great King Faction or other groups controlled the vast majority of the wealth, it meant that the Satans had to… accept some of their ideas to assuage any ruffled feathers.
I leaned back in my chair, resting my chin on my hand as I watched the circus.
This was Hell. The literal Underworld. And they were playing mortal.
I didn't approve at all, but I also didn't care enough to drop the pretenses yet. I knew the moment was coming, as I grew increasingly stifled by acting this way when I had gotten used to being myself back home.
The Satans had the raw power needed to make all of these idiots cower in a mere second. They had won the civil war. They took their predecessors' place, but because they were so terrified of becoming like the originals they had replaced, they allowed these weak, squabbling idiots to disrespect them to their faces under the guise of… what? I didn't even know how to name it.
I couldn't say I had experienced everything even with my very long life, and obviously I never experienced it from this side of the fence. But damn, it looked so… inefficient.
I'd rather rule the way I used to do.
And it's not like they cared. Ajuka was doing something on his phone as everyone else fought to have the word. Serafall was too busy glaring at me while making sure no one noticed. The only one that was truthfully doing anything of note was Sirzechs, and it was because it was literally his job as the Satan of Domestic Affairs.
It was pathetic.
I was almost dozing off by the time the air around the room felt different, and the meaningless bickering finally died down.
Sirzechs cleared his throat, his polite smile straining just a fraction as he sent an apologetic look my way.
"Now, moving on to the final matter on our agenda," the Lucifer announced, his voice echoing in the sudden silence. "The House of Phenex has requested the floor."
The blond man, who had controlled his worry from before admirably, stood up.
He was tall, young-looking, and admittedly a handsome man. You couldn't deny his nobility just from the air around him. His voice was smooth and controlled.
He looked like had everything under control. But his soul spoke the truth.
He didn't immediately launch into a tirade about his son getting his ass kicked by Sai inside my territory. As Serafall warned, he was much smarter than that.
"Lord Andromalius," Lord Phenex began, "Allow me to welcome you to the Council once more. We have all watched the rapid ascent of the Ashen Court with great interest. Your territory has prospered in a way that beggars belief."
"It has," I smiled, leaning back into my chair. "Thank you for noticing, Lord Phenex. I'm sure everyone back home will be positively thrilled to be held in such high regard by someone as esteemed as yourself."
Ajuka waved his hand, and an illusion of the Satans took their place just before Serafall buried her face in her hands and groaned.
Heh.
Lord Phenex's eyes tightened just a tad before he relaxed.
"Your agricultural output is impressive, too," he continued, "at this point, the Andromalius will be like they never went extinct."
"It is, yes," I nodded calmly, "The reward of hard work, I assure you."
"And your population appears unusually healthy for a territory that was, according to everyone that knows the story, a place even Lord Asmodeus was wary of entering alone."
"We're all pleased, Lord Phenex," I sighed, feeling irritated at this game already. "My people decided to trust me, and I reward those that do so to the best of my ability. We're all Lords here, and I expect that everyone here knows there's no domain without the people. That's why all the effort was worth it."
He stopped pacing at the center of the room.
"There have also been rumors of rapid development in the medical industry coming from your borders. Of miraculous findings that have been kept a secret from the rest of us. While innovation is always welcome, the Underworld has long relied upon certain established institutions to maintain stability and order."
Hm. He was truly worried about their monopoly, wasn't he? And he wasn't the only one. Even some I didn't affect personally agreed with him, all because of one thing.
Greed.
I could see the nods coming from different parts of the room. From every single faction.
"Institutions like what, Lord Phenex?" I asked innocently, "You mean privately owned industries?"
He nodded calmly. "The Phenex family has provided healing resources for generations. We're a pillar of our society's survival. The Sitri have worked for centuries in the medical field. The Paimon have focused on agriculture. The Dantalion on the logistics industry. We all do our parts to make the Underworld prosper."
"And?" I raised an eyebrow. "Is that not the same I'm being accused of doing? What's the difference, exactly?"
A dissatisfied murmur spread through the chamber. They clearly didn't appreciate some young devil comparing his recently revived house to others that had worked for centuries, if not thousands of years.
A young devil that didn't know any better and was way over his head.
They weren't exactly wrong. It was a first for me acting like this.
It was hilarious.
"And," Lord Phenex's eyes narrowed, "an unregulated influx of untested medical products could destabilize many of those pillars. Especially when they are as easily accessible as yours are."
I deadpanned at him.
"Our products are cheap, mass-market stamina boosters to help the working class get through their day," I rolled my eyes. "The origin of the product is known by those that need to know."
It surprised me how tight-lipped my people were about Tandy's light, especially when we didn't even bother hiding it.
It was sweet, truthfully speaking, even if I knew some, if not the majority of the Lords, already knew the reason for those miracles, and she sat in front of them with a tiny grin.
"Unless you're trying to say that a product tested and approved for consumption by Satan Beelzebub shouldn't be trusted? They don't replace any pillar, and in fact, help the Underworld as a whole. If your… institution is threatened by an energy drink, perhaps your foundation is weaker than you thought." I tilted my head.
"Of course I didn't say that," he sent a worried glance to the Satans illusion.
Ajuka's illusion's face was blank as he looked down at the blond in silence.
The real Ajuka had a small grin. Serafall looked at him like she didn't recognize him. So did Rias's brother.
But he was always like that when it came to me. It was easy to get him to break that composure when you knew what buttons to push. And as I said before, he didn't look at me like a younger devil. He didn't know what I was, but he knew I wasn't simply someone beneath him.
Lord Phenex, seeing the lack of reaction from the illusion, didn't take the bait and changed the topic smoothly.
"And what of the display before this meeting? Corvin Sallos is known to most of us present. His injuries have plagued his body since the Civil War. That's not the work of a mere stamina booster."
"The fact that you know him and never offered aid is beyond me, Lord Phenex," I clicked my tongue in disbelief. "I merely did my civil duty as a Lord to help someone who bled for us to be where we currently are. Are you saying that the Council should regulate my personal actions, or just my business?"
He couldn't say that, as much as he wanted to. There was no press here, but no one here was stupid enough to believe the contents of our conversation wouldn't be trending half an hour after the meeting was over.
"We're devils, Lord Phenex. Freedom to do what our hearts desire is the very essence of what we are," I finished calmly.
"Very well," Lord Phenex shook his head. "Then let us speak of stability in a different sense. The relationships between noble houses. We cannot have anyone causing unprovoked tensions by interfering with pacts between houses. Not even our esteemed Satans interfere in the private matters of the houses unless there's a danger to the Underworld as a whole."
I was wondering how he would breach this subject.
"If this is about my relationship with Rias, Lord Phenex, you may speak plainly. We're all adults here," I said dryly.
Several Lords and Ladies gasped at the fact that I accepted it publicly, thinking I was going to skirt around the subject.
Zeoticus himself stiffened in his seat because I had admitted it.
Like I told Rias. Her Rating Game was coming soon. There was no point playing around this when she was more than capable of freeing herself as she always dreamed of.
"It is about the sanctity of our laws!" Lord Phenex barked. "The Gremory and Phenex houses have had an agreement since before she was even born. Your continued… interference is a blatant provocation."
"Oh my," I shook my head sadly.
I looked around the room as my amusement grew.
"I didn't know we were angels all of a sudden," I snorted. "Since when do we care about the sanctity of marriage, Lord Phenex? Should we call an Archangel down to tell me that I'm going to hell for being a bad boy?"
Lord Astaroth burst out laughing from next to Lord Bael, and then many other Lords and Ladies followed his example as they all nodded in approval. Even many that didn't particularly like me.
They also didn't like the Phenex.
I smiled at the awkward blond for a second before I raised my voice once more.
"Rias is not property. She's the heir of her family, unlike her fiancé, unless things have changed since I was gone." I looked around the room, earning headshakes from some devils.
"Then the fact that a man, marrying up the ladder like your son, who has a harem and is quite public with his… habits, shouldn't care about what a woman like Rias does in her free time, no?"
"The marriage contract…" he began, but I just chuckled.
"Lord Phenex," I deadpanned, "we're devils. Rias hasn't broken the contract. She has her own agency. She's not property. Same as your son."
Sirzechs looked approvingly, while also looking like he wanted to strangle me.
Yeah… I wasn't pushing that button with him. As much as his infatuation was a joke unlike Sera's, he would probably try to smite me if I pulled the same shit.
It looked like another Lord didn't want to wait for Lord Phenex to gather his thoughts.
The blond man was having a silent conversation with Zeoticus.
Lord Bael looked in my direction after focusing for a moment on Tandy.
"If we are speaking of unprovoked friction and the poaching of noble assets," Lord Bael's voice boomed across the room, "then we must address the unusual circumstances surrounding individuals of distinguished lineage entering the service of another house."
"A Bael serving as a vassal to a newly restored house is abnormal," he sneered. "It goes against the traditional obligations between noble houses. In fact, I am wondering, as their Lord and family, whether those decisions were made freely."
"Whatever does that mean, Lord Bael? Are you accusing me of something?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not. But I worry as their kin. Their circumstances were… strange. Sairaorg only met you once during Heir Sitri's birthday party. Misla never met you until she had just been cured of an affliction that had plagued her for years."
He continued, his confidence growing as several Lords around the chamber whispered between themselves.
"I'm confused," I admitted, tilting my head. "Does it truly surprise you, Lord Bael?"
His eyes narrowed.
"Considering what you're like?" I finished, a soft chuckle leaving my mouth.
He didn't answer. In fact, he looked like he had swallowed something sour, considering how his face scrunched before purpling.
Anyone could hear his armrests groaning in protest in the silence that fell into the room.
A Lord who didn't have a problem with me but was on Bael's side stood up.
"Lord Andromalius," he said carefully, "please understand Lord Bael's unease. Your absence from the Underworld and uncaring attitude at the council meeting has been… notable. We don't know you, despite you being our peer."
It sounded like it hurt him to say those last words.
"My territory has prospered in my absence. I work for the betterment of my family, as do all of you." I sighed. "Is that a problem?"
"That is not the concern," he replied.
"Then what is?" I asked, genuinely confused.
They couldn't say openly that they were worried about me. I was a complete mystery, and these devils didn't like that because it was obvious I wasn't playing their own games like they had grown accustomed to. They didn't know where I went, who I met, what my ambitions were, or worse… what I was capable of.
And they didn't know how I would affect their version of the underworld next.
I could see some Lords that followed the Bael house had some questions they wanted answers to, but they were smart enough to keep silent.
The sleeping sickness's real origin was a sword on their heads, but they, the few in the know, weren't entirely sure if I knew. And bringing it out into the open wasn't the best for any of us right now.
It wasn't the time… yet.
"As amusing as this is, it's obvious you don't respect our traditions, Andromalius," a man from the other side of the room snorted.
An Old Satan sympathizer.
"Traditions are what make us who we are. You interfere with a marriage contract. You put in danger the stability of different industries. You take a son of House Bael into your service and encourage the recently cured lady of that same house to abandon her family. You refuse every attempt by the established houses to speak with you, while your own territory grows in wealth and influence."
I looked in his direction as a small wisp of cosmic power traveled that way, hidden under my clan trait.
"And when rightfully challenged, you dismiss every concern as though the very institutions that have governed this underworld for centuries are beneath your consideration. Like we don't mean anything to you."
"And you are?" I shook my head. "I fear my eyesight is not that good anymore after reading the ledgers of my territory."
"I am Lord Zepar," he raised his nose proudly even as he sneered.
The bottom of his throne-like chair suddenly gave way, sending him tumbling onto the floor.
"Hm. Zepar, then," I nodded as if I hadn't caused that. No one could prove shit.
The only one who could feel it was maybe Ajuka, and he was too busy snorting in disbelief behind the illusion.
"If we're talking about traditions, as you rightfully pointed out their importance," I nodded and stood up, walking into the center of the room.
"Doesn't that mean that I should walk over there and rip your head off as in olden times?"
I tilted my head just slightly, smiling, my eyes boring into him.
The room fell silent as I stared deeply into those clear, bright windows of his soul.
Zepar's face went pale.
Then the acrid smell of piss filled the room.
I sighed, shaking my head. "That's sad, dude."
Then clapped my hands and smiled at the Lords.
"Now then," I chirped. "Do we have anything else left?"
"I believe that's enough for today, Lord Andromalius," Sirzechs said. His lips twitched as Ajuka's illusion dropped. "Unless anyone else has anything of note?"
There were shakes of heads across the room.
"Perfect," I smiled, "It was a pleasure meeting you all."
And bowed just slightly at the Satans before looking at the right side of the room, like ten seats away from the pissed devil.
My eyes bored into Sona's dad. And Serafall paled as she stood up in alarm as I walked in his direction with a calm smile.
As if I would leave him alone, considering how much I cared about his daughters.
I'm sure he would love seeing his daughter once more, considering she had been ignoring them. Surely a dinner wouldn't be too much to ask, no?
After all, I was only an arrogant devil who was just a tiny bit overconfident.
Author's note: This chapter reminded me why I regretted writing political chapters in Celestial Ascendancy. God... it was painful to write, but I'm happy with how it turned out. Let me know what you guys thought of Dante's diplomacy in the comments! Hope you all like it!
If you'd like to support me and read up to FIVE chapters ahead, you can find me on pat * e*n . com (slash) Infinityreads99 Heads up: I post chapters fully edited, but I sometimes make minor tweaks before they go live here. Thanks for reading!