Baraquiel chuckled to himself. Of course she'd find out. Even the best disguises could not evade a master of senjutsu.
"Forgive the intrusion, Elder Magari. My kind are yet to be welcomed in this part of the hemisphere."
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|DxD|- Chapter 119- The Deal
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The mountain the nekomata lived in, underneath its peaceful surface, had always been under devil surveillance. The surface reason was because it represented a point of invasion into devil territory. Because the nekomata were not truly isolated, especially from Earth, the devils had enough reason to declare and monitor one sole teleportation point at the base of the mountain.
Baraquiel had prepared for this and took on the disguise of the human merchant designated to trade with the nekomata every month. It was enough to fool the devils, but he did not expect it to fool Magari. Though she was only Ultimate-Class, she was a sage.
"Forgive the intrusion, Elder Magari."
He raised the brim of his straw hat and smiled at her.
"My kind are yet to be welcomed in this part of the hemisphere."
Igor raised an eyebrow. Baraquiel really did embody the spirit of a cheerful old farmer.
*Plop*
"?"
He looked down in surprise. Shirone had suddenly fallen back on his stomach, completely asleep. Behind him, he saw Kuroka in a daze, as if caught in an eternal daydream.
[So senjutsu can also evoke illusions…]
He filed that knowledge just as Magari spoke with the calm of an elder.
"Diehauser. You did mention you would bring a friend, but I never quite imagined you'd give me such a big surprise. "
"Apologies, elder."
Diehauser spoke kindly without turning back.
"I feared you would bar our entry without allowing us the opportunity of convincing you."
"Hah!"
Magari scoffed.
"You gave me not even one tidbit, Diehauser. My old bones can't handle this kind of surprise anymore. But I suppose I lack the qualifications of holding seniority over you, don't I, dear cadre~?"
Magari stretched out the last syllable like a deep yawn. Baraquiel chuckled, but didn't shed his disguise.
"Elder Magari truly is a master. And before you, what is age but a mere number?"
Baraquiel's voice lowered to a throaty baritone, completely unfitting his disguise. His arms rested on the cart's back rest as it came to a stop, and the casual, almost soothing smile he had, retreated beneath a wave of seriousness.
"I won't waste words, elder. I come here because I am Igor's sponsor. Sairaorg Bael has been named the next heir of House Bael, and through him, you gain further security and autonomy for your people in the future, especially if he becomes a satan. With Igor, I offer the present."
Magari perked up, and Baraquiel knew he had gained an avenue.
"Grigori will become the nekomata's backing. Be it diplomatic deterrence, political immunity, or indigenous protection, Grigori will provide it all. In return, you train Igor in senjutsu. Within the next century, I believe he will surpass me in strength and become your military backing."
"Say no more, cadre."
Magari motioned for him to pause. In the past centuries, Grigori had rapidly risen to become one of the most powerful factions in the Christian Pantheon, especially after the wars of this century. Where everyone declined, they flourished…heavily.
They had the influence. If a pretext was there, a pretext in the form of oppression over her tribe, as long as Grigori got involved—said even one word—devils would face severe trade and reputational damage. And all of this in return for training one human? It almost sounded too good to be true.
"Cadre. Might you please tell me your name?"
She asked curiously. Even amongst cadre, influence differed. It was, in a way, a betrayal of her doubt in him, disrespectful even. She could accept a frown or even a flicker of his smile. What she did not expect, was the faintest flicker of golden lightning. And that single flicker, ever so brief, contained so much power her fur bristled and her tails straightened.
Claws flared out, ripping a small gash in the sack beneath her. There was a pause as grains of salt oozed onto other sacks below.
"I am Baraquiel."
He spoke with a neighbourly smile, and it slowly faded as his eyes opened. They glowed gold like molten lava, and held unspeakable authority in them.
"The Lightning General of Grigori."
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|DxD|
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The carts rolled to a stop alongside a series of storage holds with garage doors. Above each garage, there were plaques listing the type of goods to store.
By the salt garage, a woman sat with a clipboard and pen in hand. She was quiet, focused, and peaceful. One leg was folded over the other, and blades of bright green grass tickled her naked sole. Her ear twitched and her tails stopped swaying.
She looked to her left and saw carts being pulled along by two beasts. They passed beneath a towering tree, and in the shadow, she saw Magari along with quite a few others. Surprisingly, she sensed two devils, but her eyes remained still with no worry.
"..."
She glanced at them longer, then stood up and went to open the garage. It rolled up with a roar and her nose scrunched at the saline scent. At the corner were only seven sacks of salt remaining.
Chiharu stepped back and waited. The carts sounded old just like the driver steering them. She recalled the youthful teenager she'd seen almost a century ago. Now, even with powerful martial arts, time still came to claim what belonged to it.
Then, as the carts pulled closer and came to a stop, her eyebrows rose in visible surprise. The ever-quiet Shirone had fallen asleep on a human. What…was going on?
Chapter 119
END