Alear let out a sigh as he observed Serafall's excitement; she really had an incredible ability to completely change the mood of the environment in a matter of seconds.
"Ingvild, may I call you that? As she introduced me, my name is Alear. Feel free to call me that. You don't need to pay much attention to her way of acting." He commented casually: "Even though she acts in a... somewhat strange way sometimes, Serafall is an extremely reliable person. If you remained safe all this time, it's because she kept the promise she made."
"Eh?!"
Serafall immediately puffed up her cheeks in an adorable pout, crossing her arms while looking at him with a clearly indignant expression.
"Ale-chan! What a horrible way to introduce your beautiful fiancée!" She complained, waving one finger in his direction: "What do you mean 'a bit strange'? I'm adorable! Cute! Charismatic! The most beloved Maou in the entire Underworld! You're a very cruel fiancé for saying something like that!"
She dramatically placed one hand on her chest.
"My magical girl heart has been deeply wounded..."
Alear simply pretended he hadn't heard the complaint.
Serafall continued muttering quietly while he turned his full attention back to Ingvild.
The young woman remained seated on the bed, alternating her gaze between the two without any apparent reaction. Her expression made it clear that she was still trying to comprehend everything that had just happened. The contrast between Alear's calm posture and Serafall's inexhaustible energy was so great that her brain seemed unable to keep up with the conversation.
After a few seconds of silence, Alear asked calmly:
"Before anything else... how are you feeling?"
Ingvild remained thoughtful for a moment. She slowly lowered her gaze to her own hands, opening and closing her fingers a few times, as if wanting to confirm that she had really regained control of her own body. Then, she took a deep breath and looked at him again.
"...Strangely... good. Actually... it feels like I've just woken up from a very long dream."
Alear nodded discreetly.
"It's an understandable feeling. After remaining asleep for so long, it's natural that your body and mind are still trying to adapt." He made a brief pause before continuing in a more serious tone. "However, there are some important things you need to know. As Serafall just mentioned, during the treatment it was also necessary to reincarnate you as a member of my nobility. I imagine you know what that means, right?"
Since Serafall had created that lie, he would obviously uphold it. After all, it was also convenient for him.....
Ingvild gave a slight nod.
"Yes. My parents knew about the supernatural world and, while I was still living in the human world, they talked a lot with me about demons, angels, and fallen angels. They also explained how the Nobility system used by demons worked when they revealed part of my heritage, so I know what you're talking about."
Alear raised an eyebrow slightly and observed her for a moment, clearly intrigued.
"Wait... I noticed you said 'while I was in the human world.' How do you know you're in the Underworld?"
Ingvild lowered her head a little, showing some embarrassment.
"I... can't explain it properly." She made a brief pause before continuing: "But even while I was asleep, I had a strange awareness of what was happening around me. I couldn't open my eyes or move my body, but I could still hear voices, feel people's presence... and sometimes even notice when I was being taken to another place."
She looked away for a few moments, searching for a way to put that sensation into words.
"It's very difficult to explain. It was as if my consciousness remained awake, trapped inside my own body. I couldn't do anything at all, but somehow I could still perceive the world around me..."
"I see..." Alear murmured, reaching a conclusion. That also explained the words Misla had said after waking up. Apparently, the victims of the Sleeping Disease did not completely lose consciousness. Although they were unable to open their eyes or control their own bodies, part of their minds remained awake, allowing them to perceive, even if vaguely and fragmentedly, the world around them during the entire period they remained in a coma.....
Of course, he still believed in the hypothesis that she might be an exception. Ingvild possessed a quantity of demonic power comparable to Mio's, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that her power rivaled that of a Satan. The difference, however, was enormous. While Mio could only access that strength in extreme situations, such as moments of despair or life-threatening danger, making it more of a latent potential than a power truly under her control, Ingvild had possessed all that power from the beginning. It was a force that completely belonged to her and that she could use freely whenever she wished, of course, although she would also need training to use it decently....
From what he had discovered earlier, latent power was different from common demonic power for two main reasons.
The first was that it seemed not to be counted as part of the bearer's actual power. Even after forming the eternal oath of the [Master-Servant Contract] with Mio, which granted a comprehensive increase in demonic power to both master and servant, that latent reserve had not been considered by the contract. If it had been, the result would have been completely different. After all, if he used the same contract with someone who truly possessed Satan-class demonic power, like Serafall, his own demonic power would increase to the point of easily reaching the Ultimate Class level.
The second reason was even more curious. That latent power seemed to be stored in a separate 'reservoir' inside Mio's body, distinct from her natural demonic power. As she grew stronger, that energy was gradually absorbed and integrated into her own power, as if someone had transferred a huge amount of demonic power to her in the past, leaving it sealed to be assimilated little by little throughout her growth....
That was really intriguing, but it wasn't the most important subject at the moment. There were still countless things that Ingvild needed to know. For her, only a moment had passed since she closed her eyes, while in reality, nearly a whole century had gone by....
During the next two hours, Alear and Serafall patiently explained everything that had happened over those almost hundred years. Whenever a subject became too complex, Serafall resorted to simple comparisons and relaxed examples to make it easier to understand, while Alear supplemented the explanation whenever he deemed it necessary. Ingvild listened to everything with absolute attention, asking occasional questions but never interrupting in an inconvenient way. Despite the inevitable shock of discovering that so many decades had passed and that her parents had probably died a long time ago, she demonstrated remarkable composure. The sadness was evident in her eyes, but instead of letting herself be overcome by despair, she simply remained silent for a few moments, slowly accepting that painful reality.
During that conversation, Alear also ended up learning a little more about Ingvild herself. She turned out to be an extremely polite, kind, and soft-spoken young woman, always carefully choosing her words before answering. She showed no pride in descending from the original Leviathan lineage, nor did she possess the arrogance characteristic of many demonic nobles. On the contrary, she seemed humble, shy, and sincerely grateful for having received a second chance at life. He also discovered that she really liked singing and that, when she still lived in the human world, she used to spend a good part of her time near the sea, because the sound of the waves always gave her an inexplicable feeling of tranquility. Even after waking up in a completely different era from the one she knew, Ingvild impressed with the maturity with which she faced each new piece of information. Still, at some moments, her gaze would wander for a few seconds, revealing that deep down she was still trying to comprehend the entire century she had lost from her life....
Even though she was a half-demon, Ingvild still possessed a life expectancy far superior to that of a human. Living for several centuries was perfectly normal for someone of her race, so in terms of longevity, those almost hundred years represented only a small fraction of her life. However, aside from that, she had lost practically everything. Her family, friends, the place where she grew up, and the era to which she belonged had disappeared with the passage of time. It would take time for her to accept that reality and move forward....
After almost two hours of conversation, Alear concluded that it was enough for now.
"That's enough for today. You still need to rest and get used to your own body. Let's go home..."
Ingvild nodded silently. Although she still seemed a bit apprehensive about the fact that she would be living with a devil who was her 'master'.
Serafall called Alear's attention.
"Umm, Ale-chan... this time I won't be able to accompany you two."
Alear turned his gaze to her.
"While we were talking with Ingvild-chan, I received countless messages from supernaturals wanting to confirm if it's true that you cured the Sleeping Disease." She sighed, showing a more serious expression than usual. "Apparently, one of the doctors who was taking care of Sairaorg's mother ended up letting the information slip. The news spread quickly and now a lot of people want to know what really happened and if this is really true."
"That happened sooner than I expected..." Alear commented, remaining calm. "Fortunately, few people have my direct contact. Otherwise, it would be me receiving all those messages."
Serafall puffed up her cheeks in mock protest.
"How cruel, Ale-chan! So you think it's perfectly normal to leave me dealing with all the mess you caused?!"
Alear remained silent for a moment before answering with the greatest naturalness in the world.
"...You are the most suitable person for this."
Serafall placed one hand on her chest, making a dramatic expression.
"Look at that! You didn't even try to deny it!"
Despite the complaint, she knew he was right. As a Maou, she was much more prepared to manage the political repercussions and answer the countless questions that would certainly arise after the news spread throughout the Underworld.
"..."
"Well, since I'll have to deal with all this mess..." Serafall said, regaining her composure. "I need to know how you plan to act from now on. You mentioned that you plan to reproduce this treatment through alchemy, creating a healing potion."
She made a brief pause before continuing.
"How long will it take for this potion to be ready? Depending on the answer, I can simply inform everyone that the treatment is still under development. But if it's close to being completed, we can take advantage of the interest this news generated to officially present the potion, instead of having everyone try to contact you directly to ask for a cure."
"You can say that within a week it will be ready and can be acquired by anyone." Alear replied casually, as if talking about something trivial.
Serafall blinked a few times, surprised.
"...A week?"
She had imagined that the development would take months, maybe even years. After all, creating a potion capable of curing a disease considered incurable was something that could revolutionize all alchemy in the Underworld.
"That's much faster than I expected..." she murmured, still incredulous. "Are you sure you'll be able to finish everything in that timeframe?"
Alear simply nodded.
"Yes. The formula is practically complete. The remaining time is just to make the final adjustments and start production."
Upon hearing that, Serafall took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure. Her Ale-chan was truly incredible; a small smile appeared on her lips....
While the two were talking, Ingvild remained silent, just observing the exchange of words between them. Although she was curious to know more about the subject, since it concerned the disease that had afflicted her for so many years, she preferred not to interrupt the conversation. After all, she was still a newcomer and didn't feel comfortable asking questions about a topic that seemed to involve such important figures, like a Satan and an Archduke... Yes, she had learned about their positions earlier....
After settling the last details with Serafall, Alear said goodbye.
"When you have time, come by the house more often."
"Fufu, you can count on it, Ale-chan."
Without any shame, Serafall approached and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Then, she opened a magic circle under her feet, spun her body in an exaggeratedly elegant manner, and struck a pose worthy of a magical girl anime protagonist.
"Leviathan, exiting the stage!"
In the next instant, she disappeared enveloped by the light of the magic circle.
"..."
Ingvild observed the empty spot for a few seconds.
She really was... quite a peculiar person.
Alear, on the other hand, seemed completely used to that kind of behavior. Without even commenting on the subject, he turned to Ingvild.
"Shall we?"
She snapped out of her thoughts and nodded slightly.
"Yes..."
_______________
(A/N: Want to get ahead?
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