"Lil, may I ask you something?" she inquired, albeit with some hesitation because of what she learned when first introducing the demonic lady to her friends. Before that was what Lil stated regarding civilization in the Devil's Kingdom in addition to what her husband could have done to her. Yet prior to even that was a request she put forth before him to acquire more power. Macarona discovered all of this in the brief time that Lil spent with her since showing up the previous night. However, everything was making her head swim in confused theories and ideas as to what the true purpose of coming to the Gray Garden was. She knew very well that it was because of a bad marital dispute between her demonic friend and Satanick, the lady's spouse and Gentleman Devil. Though Macarona could understand that much and everything else Lil was saying, she couldn't help feeling like there was more to this marital dispute than simply being about a request for more power. The young angel still didn't want to pry too much, though felt it was necessary to determine if all those factors her otherworldly companion mentioned up till now were amalgamated into one big dispute.
Thinking back on everything she heard from her, Macarona attempted to put it into a pretty clear perspective as a means of better comprehending the true nature of Lil's problems. First came the inquiry for additional power which drove the demon out of the Devil's Kingdom in anger. The reason for that request had to have been the lack of power, rights, and freedoms for women whom had none because men dominated society, thus forming and developing a patriarchal society where ever poor individuals could become aristocrats if they played their cards right. This system wasn't in favor of women, however, regardless of whether they joined the upper classes too since the true power was held by men due to the civilization's culture, legislature, and social norms and mors. It was corrupt in Lil's eyes and Macarona could understand that much, though apparently a lot of the hatred her friend directed towards the Devil's Kingdom was also directed at her husband as he was having affairs with other women just for the sake of acquiring a male heir who'd inherit the throne. Added up and combined together, these motives produced a mixture of intense scorn for what that underworld was like and how it could've been on the road to ruining itself without revolutions and any rebellions or revolts. The lower classes might not have been in a position to commit themselves to such causes in order to secure better lifestyles and benefits, and even the middle classes might've felt the same way. It seemed like nothing could've been done to truly change that hell for the better.
Looking up at the lady beside her, Macarona gradually began to believe there were actually other concerns Lil wasn't raising since she probably preferred to keep most of them unsaid as well as close to the chest. There was only one logical explanation the young angel could think of to try and solve that matter, and it was merely an issue pertaining to politics. Specifically political ideas and machinations of the Devil's Kingdom, details the demon would've known better than her since she was Satanick's wife. As his spouse, Lil would've had access to plenty of secrets the Gentleman Devil and his associates in the government like that Yagi guy she mentioned—unless not if they've chosen to keep secrets too, which they most likely would've as they were men in power—had. Lil was a woman who didn't have power and was probably just some trophy of affection for what had been another dominant factor within the Devil's Kingdom: wealth. Yet she probably was aware of some things the men including her husband didn't know she knew. Everything felt like a big secret.
That was why Macarona felt uncertain about what this marital dispute was really all about. Although she'd still provide Lil with the support she needed, the angel had to know more about it.
"Sure, Macarona, you can ask me anything," the demonic lady responded with a grin to let her know it was alright to put forth any inquiries which she'd answer to the best of her abilities so long as they pertained to subjects she knew to some degree. "Go ahead, feel free to shoot at once."
The two of them had already left Macarona's other friends after they finished lunch. Chelan and Dialo had to return home to work on a project for school while Yosafire had other assignments she needed to do as well and Froze was called to join a patrol near the border of another region. It was a pleasant separation from the other girls who agreed to meet up again at school. Unfortunately for Lil, she couldn't go since she wasn't a student or even a teacher for that matter. Unless she had made a choice to contact the school about being a guest lecturer or some kind of visitor, she could not attend. Luckily the girls said they could still get together after school was over to hang out with her, so the demonic lady was satisfied. With just her and Lil left of their group, Macarona decided to show her foreign friend around the rest of Gray Village so the demon could get acclimated to it. Now that they were alone despite being around other citizens of the village, she posed her inquiry. "Is everything you mentioned today and last night part of that dispute with your husband? I know it might not be my place to pry, but I can't help but feel worried that you're dealing with a lot more than just a simple request for power. I'll still support you, though I feel there's a lot happening."
"Oh, that? You don't need to worry so much about the issue, Macarona," Lil tried to assure her this wasn't as bad as she thought it was. "I do acknowledge the problems with my hell, though I'm in no position to try and change that even if I did have more power. The Devil's Kingdom has always been a patriarchy, so the men wouldn't allow me to alter civilization to usher some equality in for women. Reform is pretty much next to impossible there; all I'd be able to really have is some more involvement in affairs—not much, I'm afraid, but it's the best I could hope to do in society."
"But your husband has affairs and could possibly have you assassinated," the angel pointed out, recalling those details which demonstrated how little Satanick actually cared for his spouse.
"Because I'm more or less expendable since Glasses won't accept his role as the male heir my dipshit husband wants. Fortunately, I'm faster and smarter than he gives me credit, and that is why he has no chance of getting rid of me. Besides, he can't even annul our marriage to claim that it never happened because legislation set into judicial and marital systems of the Devil's Kingdom prohibits that action. It was an idea a predecessor of his far beyond even the time of the last Devil thought of as a way of letting people remember who they were married to after falling from power and grace. They won't make the same mistake by marrying them or associates once more, leaving divorce as a valid, but unadvised method of casting wives aside. The reason being the emergence of a potential scandal that could cost men legitimacy for having power and prestige when taken to court. Don't get me wrong, Macarona, women can prove things in court provided they have solid, concrete evidence; testimony is considered utter bullshit as it alone is merely a wife's word against her husband that can't be proven without any of that evidence backing it. That's the difficult part."
"Meaning assassinations are a legal option in the Devil's Kingdom?" Macarona asked, but decided not to pursue whatever secretive matters Lil knew about as the Gentleman Devil's wife.
"Not in legislation, though the loophole for them is allowed on purpose provided men have the money to pay for it and also if their own bad secrets aren't revealed to civilization in any way."
"But even so, women like you could still be killed off," the young angel murmured, feeling worried about those poor demonic women in the Devil's Kingdom who were still killed that way.
"True, women do fear for their lives, that much I can concede because it's real," Lil stated in agreement with her and then elaborated on the concept again. "That being said, the fear of death is only valid in their minds for one reason only: wealth. They seek to become rich and famous like their spouses and are concerned with how they may never get to know that illusionary pleasure as they are being killed if the men do attempt to have them assassinated. It's a horrible belief of theirs, really, for their greed is practically equivalent to how greedy men could be in my underworld. The two genders don't share it with anyone, keeping everything for themselves. Although cooperation is necessary to acquire wealth and maintain it, once somebody loses it everything's up for grabs. I also despise how this belief many other women there have was instilled in them by the culture."
"I thought you said your husband claims all of it," Macarona commented since Lil did say that. Then again, she supposed it was only in the case of widows and their daughters who lost their husbands to the cold, bony fingers of death. Maybe Satanick let other men fight over other wealth.
"From widows and their daughters, yes, though not from other interactions that didn't even involve him. He doesn't give a shit about cash that's not his even though he could theoretically be the claimant who steals it from others legally with his devilishly legal prowess," the demonic lady confirmed further for her friend. "Even so, he's aware that doing that will cause friction in between him and whoever he stole the money from. It's why he never bothers to participate in other deals."
The angelic girl beside her blinked, putting all of this into perspective to comprehend what everything meant within the Devil's Kingdom. Wealth and gender were the only limits Lil clarified in her lectures on the civilization. The demons there, both men and women, were all greedy as they lusted for much wealth they could flaunt. However, it was the men who held more power alongside the wealth women could only show off, not use. If women were to become involved, they could've been killed off by their spouses because they actually did manage to control some of the wealth on their own; legally throwing them into the lower classes was also an option for widows and however many daughters they had. Only the men benefitted, and Satanick bestowed them with such power that they could've done virtually anything in accordance with laws that were so tainted by corrupt policies to the point where they could've gotten off scot free if they didn't rebel against society in any way. This was all beginning to make more sense to her as Macarona began to believe the only way to empower women in the Devil's Kingdom was to reform it via revolutionary policies which enabled them to become equal. Although women were practically symbols of men's wealth, there were two examples she thought of who exceeded these norms and mors of the civilization. "What about Her Majesty and Lady Killie?" she asked, taking them into account too. "They have power."
Lil nodded. "Only because the Queen's stronger than my dipshit husband, plus her position as the sovereign monarch outranks his. Killie's a close friend of her as she's deeply entrenched in her social circle just like you, Macarona—even though you've only associated with Her Highness once. That's how Killie managed to keep whatever power she has and maintain it, plus her husband and son help her preserve it," she continued to elaborate and clarify the details for Macarona. She stretched her arms in the air, feeling rejuvenated by the warmth and welcoming atmosphere here.
"I see…" the angel remarked as she slowly began to better comprehend the nature of power in the Devil's Kingdom. Lil was certainly quite an expert on the machinations of the civilization's affairs and how it functioned as a whole. Perhaps there was more to these subjects regarding all of this than the demonic lady was revealing, a suspicion Macarona was gradually beginning to realize as a possible truth. Lil was Satanick's wife, so it was only natural she'd understand the civilization he governed with fellow men like him, a society in which male heirs were constantly needed since male dominance had to be maintained on their end while women were excluded and also suffered whatever harm befell them. Yet Macarona couldn't help but think Lil knew far more about this all from not just the perspective of the Devil's spouse, but also from experience as well. Nevertheless, it wasn't her place to pry any further than necessary even though she'd still help Lil and allow her to stay with her—doing so could've soured their friendship which Macarona didn't want to happen.
Deciding to change the subject, she thought of what to do as she fished out a form from her pocket and looked it over while getting an idea of what she and Lil could've done together. As the investigator they spoke to in the castle's courtyard had said, a quest log would've been filed about those monsters he spoke of over in the Zeiss Orrery. This document in question which she held in her hand was that very log, and it was geared towards skilled adventurers and hunters who wanted to handle the matter. Macarona may have been a high school student, but even kids from that level of experience could take care of quests like this one provided they had an adult to do it with. Since she had been involved in the defense against Ivlis' invasion, the young angel could've also handled this on her own because she had experience from that conflict. Plus she was the reincarnated from her ancestor, Rigatona. These factors certainly qualified her for even advanced quests students like her wouldn't normally have been allowed to go on. Whatever the case, this quest was intermediate because the Nandi Bears were of average strength and didn't wield magic, though Wights could've made use of weapons and magic. Siegfried mentioned only one might've led the other monsters.
Taking notice of the form Macarona had, Lil smiled excitedly upon seeing words garnering a happy reaction from her: Quest Log. Her eyes scanned over details written below it, taking them in while her delight grew with each term she covered as she read the document aloud. "Wanted: Skilled adventurers or hunters with experience fighting undead. Nandi Bears and a possible Wight confirmed in the space around Zeiss Orrery. Parties should consist of around two to four fighters, maximally four for better success if needed. Reward amounts to around five hundred gold coins." The demonic lady's eyes met Macarona's and the woman smiled eagerly because she was pleased her friend acquired that form before anybody else. Of course, other quests were left up at the board for others to take if they wanted, so it didn't really matter since this was the only quest they took for themselves. "Sounds sweet! We could have so much fun hunting these things and putting them to the sword—figuratively speaking since neither of us use blades—and we'll split the reward too! What do you say, Macarona? Shall we? It'll be a fun experience, won't it?" she asked excitedly.
"Certainly, that's why I got it," the angel remarked with a smile of her own, glad they were off the topic about the Devil's Kingdom and any other subjects covered by it. "It is actually a way some of my friends and I acquire revenue from time to time whenever we're free to do things like this and feel up to it. Of course, we all do have other means of earning our salary like at small part time jobs such as my work as a weeklong night guard in Clarabella's Museum of Arts and Crafts."
Lil grinned, wanting to go see Macarona's brief workplace. She read about it, and now she had a chance to go see it too. "Ooh, can we go there too to see where you worked, Macarona?!"
"Sure, it's been a while since I've seen my boss from the museum," Macarona agreed to it when she received a phone call. Pulling her cellphone out and flipping it open, she answered with a smile on her face and a pleasant greeting. "Hello, this is Macarona. May I ask who is speaking?"
"Hey, Macarona, good day to you. It's me, Xerxes," the demonic curator replied over from his end of the call. Since it was a Saturday, he was either at home or the museum overseeing affairs and helping other employees with work like preparing exhibits, tours, and artwork. Macarona was unable to suppress a chuckle at the coincidence of him calling right when she and Lil were talking about the place and him. "How are you? It's been a while since your interview with me about the museum and the conspiracy. Things are going well in school and home, right?" he asked politely.
"Yep! Things are going swell. I'm just entertaining a guest right now," the angel replied.
"Ah, that's nice. I'll call you later if you're not heading to the museum right now. But listen for just a couple moments, okay?" Xerxes requested since there was something he wanted to relay to her. "One of the publishing agents from the castle stopped by a few days back, wanting to know if the museum could be a venue for book signing and questions with readers of your book. I heard from one of your teachers who happens to be a friend of mine that you were away, so I figured I'd contact you today regarding this. Would this be an acceptable location, and when can this occur?"
"I'm fully on board, and we're actually coming over for a bit in a little while as my guest's interested in seeing the place," Macarona commented with her approval of the idea. "We'll discuss this in more detail once I arrive. Is there a period when I can make an appointment with you?" She could hear noise from other people on his end, so the young angel believed he was at the museum. If not, that might have been family members of his or some friends who had gone to hang out with Xerxes at his house for some time. Maybe he brought his family and friends to the museum too.
"Great, though an appointment isn't necessary. We're just applying some finishing touches to a few pieces while completing the setup for some exhibits. There've also been ideas on how to renovate the building and increase the size of it too. But as I said, you don't need an appointment since I'll be somewhere around the museum as the rest of this work is getting finished. I'll let the receptionists know you'll be arriving shortly and they'll inform you of where I am at the time."
"Certainly, that's fine with me. I'll see you in a bit, Xerxes; have a good day and take care," the angelic girl responded, saying her goodbyes as he did the same before she hung up and turned to Lil. "That was Xerxes, my boss from the museum from last year back when I worked there. He is at the museum, so I can introduce you to him once we head over in a bit," she briefly explained.
"What was the call about?" the demonic lady inquired out of curiosity since she was in fact interested in what her hostess had discussed with the man on the other end of the phone. Although Lil was able to make out some bits on her own, she sought more details pertaining to the dialogue.
"Oh, it was just about establishing a venue where I can autograph copies of my book while answering any inquiries the readers are seeking to address. Other people who were quite involved with the affair contributed interviews I've done with them to the book itself, so I'd like to check if they'll be able to attend as well so they can also provide autographs too. It's come quite a ways in around a year, though now it's finally been published and is available in bookstores and libraries."
"Awesome! Can I have a free autographed copy too, Macarona?!"
"Absolutely!" Macarona replied right away with a smile directed at the demon. "You may feel free to have one. The books are cheap in bookstores, though free to rent in libraries. However, they shall be free to keep once they're available at the event. I just need to establish a date as well as a time when we can hold it. Luckily as the author, I am allowed the privilege of putting in some orders at the castle for free copies which could be given away as gifts. That's what I've done with the few copies I've sent to Sin and Rane while personally delivering one to Rosaliya on the trip."
Lil laughed, clasping her hands together. "Oh, simply splendidly stupendous! You certainly are an angel, Macarona!" she remarked happily as the angel laughed with her for a bit until turning her head towards a small flower shop that had its lights on which caught her attention. Seeing this, the demon also directed her gaze at the store and glanced over at the sign hanging above the door. "The Auburn Tulip…" she murmured, catching sight of a few other demons in the building which Macarona pointed out as she began to speak up because the three demons were also friends of hers.
"Oh, those girls are my other friends," she uttered and started ambling towards the location with Lil in tow. "Come on, I'll introduce you to the rest of them. This is where the Preserves sisters work with Crona. You'll love this place, it has many beautiful flowers on display and for sale too."
"Ah, flowers, like the ones planted in your yard?" the demonic lady inquired, delighted by the prospect as Macarona nodded to confirm her answer to the question. "Ooh, I'd love to see what precious little pretties they're selling! We could even do some gardening together some time!"
"I'll be looking forward to it; we could do that next weekend if the weather outside is nice," her angelic companion said while opening the door as the bell above it inside rang to indicate they arrived. Crossing the threshold, Macarona stepped inside with Lil and went forward to address her friends who worked here. "Hi, Rawberry, Raspbel, Crona. It's good to see you. How's business?"
"Macarona!" Rawberry called her friend's name out cheerfully, welcoming her. "Doing so great, as a matter of fact! We made plenty of sales this week!" Saying so, she bounded over to her angelic associate and picked up a potted plant. An apron with the store's insignia on it was wrapped around her to keep soil and other kinds of crud from getting on her outfit. Instead of the black dress and white tights she usually wore, Rawberry was attired in a pair of jeans, work boots, and a green t-shirt because she didn't want to stain her regular garb. She grinned, showing the potted plant, the small rose bush she planted, to Macarona with her eyes closed as she was proud of her little project. "See this one? I've grown this one myself, but big sis and Crona helped me get it and others done."
"Oh, that's great!" Macarona complimented her as the demon she used to work with at the museum stepped over to greet her. "Hey, Crona, things going well? How are you liking the job?"
"Doing rather swell; I haven't seen you stop by for a while," the demon remarked, her blue hair flowing down to her back where the brown wings were. Crona still wore the military uniform from her days as both a night guard and day guard. It was a professional garb, something she took very seriously because it was of the utmost importance to her that she come across as professional. "Rawberry and Raspbel told me you were on a trip of some kind to the Flower World. How was it if you don't mind me asking? You must've just gotten back not too long ago, maybe last night?"
"Yeah, late the previous night. The trip went rather well; I'm sure you girls would love the Flower World since there are so many flowers and herbs. Aside from those, the pagan religions as well as the culture, mythology, and folklore, are all quite fascinating too due to how old they are."
"Is that so?" Crona inquired, her eyes averting over to the fourth demon in the store as well. "I'd go there sometime, but Uncle Flavio still needs my help at the cemetery. Pleasantries put aside for the moment so we can get introductions going, who's the lady with you? She a friend of yours?"
"That's right, this is Lil, the wife of Satanick, known as Gentleman Devil of the Devil's Kingdom," the only angel in their group remarked while holding a hand out to introduce Lil to the trio of employees. "Lil, this is Rawberry and Crona; Raspbel's the one who went into the backroom just now." Macarona smiled as the demonic lady stepped forward to amicably greet the girls here.
"Oh, you're the rest of Rawberry's friends, huh? It's so good to meet you!" she remarked.
"Pleasure to meet you too, Miss Lil," Rawberry shook hands with the lady as her big sister returned from putting away some empty pots. "Our apologies, but we're not open today. All we're doing is cleaning up from yesterday's flea market. We sold lots of flowers to other residents along with the tourists who showed up for that, and couldn't get around to cleaning because it went very late into the night. Feel free to browse for anything; we'll gladly hold onto whatever you locate for Monday when we do open," she explained briefly as Raspbel came over to join the conversation.
"It's okay, Rawberry, we could give her a free sample today," she commented with a small smile directed at Lil, walking over to embrace her younger sister from behind in a sisterly hug. "If you wish to bring something back to your underworld, Miss Lil, you can certainly choose from the variety we've still got in stock. I'm afraid your choices will be limited, however, due to the few in the shop as you can see." Holding an arm up, Raspbel motioned it around to show there really was a very limited amount mostly likely because of the flea market they participated in on Friday. Her cheerful nature and gentle demeanor were pleasant elements of her character which felt warm and friendly to others like them around her. Macarona smiled with her eyes temporarily shut, recalling how Raspbel suffered due to the psychological trauma Soa and those Ghouls put her through. Even though it had been months since the incident occurred last year, the eldest Preserves sister seemed to be making a good recovery. Although Raspbel might've still had some trouble with her trauma, at least she had Rawberry and friends by her side to help support her through hurdles plaguing her. "Still, you're very welcome to take your pick from the remaining stock because we were thinking about letting Monday be a day for focusing more on what's been left over from yesterday's event."
"Thanks, I'll see if anything here catches my eye!" the demonic lady stated in appreciation of this hospitality when she caught a glimpse of a small shrine with two pictures in front of it. She ambled over to the shrine and bent down slightly to better look at the photos of two angels in them. Upon watching the other demon do this, Raspbel stared down at the floor in shame while tears had begun to form in her eyes. The poor girl still felt guilty about what happened to Ruby and Serenity, and she couldn't help but cry over their deaths because the two of them were close friends of hers. As the sole employee left from the days when she and the two angelic girls she used to work with before Soa slaughtered them, Raspbel was essentially in a position making her the new boss of the shop. She didn't dare think about thanking her doppelganger for the management position because her friends were both slain by said doppelganger. It wasn't how she wanted to acquire the position, though Raspbel received it anyway in spite of wanting to refuse it. Yet she couldn't since she made a promise to her friends' spirits that she'd take care of The Auburn Tulip and look after it. Each of the individuals present who knew well about what happened gazed at her in concern, worried that Raspbel was still having trouble coping with the loss of Serenity and Ruby. Lil didn't appear to be aware of this as her eyes were still on the photos. "Hey, who are these girls?" she asked curiously.
"Raspbel's friends…" Macarona murmured softly, lowering her voice to a whisper because she didn't want to upset Rawberry's older sister any further while walking towards Lil. "They are the ones who were killed…She's still very much upset and quite traumatized by their deaths…"
Lil silently opened her mouth in an 'oh' expression, standing upright while turning around to express her sympathies to Raspbel. "Sorry, my condolences; I didn't mean to bring that up."
"A-ah, n-no, i-it's alright," the older Preserves sister murmured shyly, stuttering her words out of somber nervousness while turning around so nobody would have to see her weep. Although they were understanding of how she felt, the poor girl had to be strong for others because she didn't want to make them worry about her. It was a double-edged sword, what with her appreciating this concern from others and feeling embarrassed by it too because she wasn't used to the attention that came when they expressed concerns for her wellbeing and feelings. "I-I'm fine, r-really. Just head around the shop and try to find s-something you like. Rawberry and Crona can help you search. It is no t-trouble at all, you may feel free to browse for however much time you need." This remaining part of her statement was uttered in a quick pace, her tone of voice showing she tried to be strong.
"No, it's okay, I could come again another day if you need some time alone," Lil attempted to reassure her by offering to return another time when Raspbel was feeling much better. However, it didn't appear to really work as Rawberry stepped over to her and Macarona while her big sister's sadness was taking a toll on the poor girl. Raspbel probably needed some therapeutic help to heal.
"Thanks for the concern," the younger demon commented, frowning somberly. "Big sis is very grateful for it as am I. Ruby and Serenity were such good friends of ours, so their passing can be difficult for us at times, especially for big sis as she still feels responsible for what happened to them." Her voice softened while she was telling them this, but Rawberry smiled to show gratitude towards Lil for her consideration of Raspbel's feelings. "Thank you very much for taking how she feels into account; it means a lot to us knowing others understand the pain she daily feels nowadays because of their deaths. Hopefully she'll be able to make a full recovery and get better real soon."
Macarona and Lil both smiled with her. "Indeed," the young angel remarked cheerfully for Raspbel. "She's been doing fine since then from what I know, though I do too pray she'll get much better so she wouldn't have to suffer from this pain anymore." There were murmurs of agreement from the two demons by her when the sudden clanging of something that fell seized their attention all of a sudden. Diverting their attention over to where Raspbel had dropped an empty pot that had cracked due to the accident she inadvertently caused, the three of them began to hear her crying in fear while the poor girl started scratching her arms violently to get something they didn't see off.
"Rawberry, attend to your sister!" Crona instructed the young demon and cleaned the mess.
"Already on it!" the young demon uttered in concern as she rushed to Raspbel's side prior to kneeling down beside her when her older sister stumbled back into the counter where the register was and slumped to the floor. Raspbel's face convulsed into frightful fear and she turned very pale while shivering uncontrollably, her cries of terror echoing throughout the building. "It's okay, big sis, nothing's there. It'll be okay…shhhh…everything's going to be alright," Rawberry murmured reassuringly to soothe Raspbel's nerves and help her calm down before helping her stand up while leading the older demon into the backroom for some time her sister needed to settle down to relax.
"Whoa, what's up with her?" the demonic lady inquired in confusion after observing them leave. "Did she get covered in ants or something? That trauma she experienced can't be that bad."
"I'm afraid it is a result of the trauma, an issue Raspbel's having trouble dealing with even now after the incident that involved her as a focal point to significantly affect her negatively," the other demon commented to inform her of what just happened. "She was diagnosed with delusional parasitosis, a mental illness that affects both her visual and feeling perceptions to make her believe there are parasites crawling all over her body and burrowing into it too while emerging from it. An awful issue for Raspbel with the particularly oddity about it being the fact she sees tentacles rather than parasites according to Rawberry since she said she heard that from Raspbel at times. It's real bad in the mornings because she fights herself to stay sane when it happens until Rawberry comes in the afternoons to help out. That's when Raspbel's sanity is on the verge of breaking into pieces."
Macarona knew exactly what the reason was even though she didn't understand that much of it herself. The angel believed the tentacles were likely a reference to that strange statue Soa had favored and referred to as her master from what she remembered of when Raspbel's doppelganger kidnapped her and Rawberry to eat them with Raspbel. That had to be the case. Nevertheless, she chose to not voice this concern out of respect for Raspbel and also due to the fact it was supposed to be kept secret and not be told to anybody outside of the Gray Garden due to their neutral allies.
"Gee, that sounds pretty rough; I hope she can recover from it," Lil commented to express more condolences and sympathies for Raspbel before turning to address the angel. "Maybe it'll be better to head out for now and come back another time, Macarona. It should do Raspbel some good to have some time alone for now so she could recover from that, okay?" It was a sound idea as the other demon and young angel agreed to it for the poor girl's sake because she needed some rest.
"That would be for the best," Crona remarked as she went behind the counter to keep going with the cleaning. "I'll see you both around, and don't forget to stop by my uncle's house if you'd like for a visit. You remember where it is, right, Macarona? A far side of the cemetery?" she asked to ensure her angelic associate did indeed remember the place. "Uncle Flavio and I shall welcome you anytime. It's the least we could do for your aid in solving the conspiracy and helping me too." Lifting some baskets up to begin storing plants in them, Crona wiped the sweat over her brow off.
"Certainly, we're probably going to pass right by your home en route to the Haunted Woods in a little while today," Macarona stated before she and Lil departed. "Oh, speaking of that, I shall be heading over to the museum to establish a date and time for a venue where I'll be signing books and answering questions regarding the conspiracy. Would you like to be a part of that since you've been heavily involved in the incident as well? You're more than welcome to come participate too."
Crona shut her eyes for a bit to consider the invitation, putting a finger to her chin while in deep thought over whether she'd accept it or not. Clarabella, a well-known angel from the Colored Rainbow World during the war, had adopted her grandfather, a demon since animatronic weapons she created as a head engineer malfunctioned. Her grandfather was an infant when it occurred, and the discovery of what Clarabella did would've caused a scandal if revealed. Etihw and Robin made sure to help cover the adoption up, but Germain figured it out too and blackmailed them as Robin spied on him for Clarabella and Etihw. That was in the past and she was grateful to everybody but Germain for helping her grandfather to ensure he managed to survive and live a happy life with an excellent family once the war ended. However, she still couldn't forgive Etihw for doing nothing; for not helping her mother, and also for letting the conspiracy happen while innocent people died. Had things been different back then, this might not have ever happened; had Etihw done something sooner, those poor night guards wouldn't have perished due to both the animatronics as well as the Cyfuno Gwirodydd that controlled them. It was a tragic affair that did not need to ever happen, yet it did and nothing was done in time to stop it from claiming lives, including her mother's life. The pain Crona felt from that was pretty severe, though she was moving on and learning to cope. "Sure, I'll see if I could make some time for that. Let me know when it will be starting," she responded.
"Absolutely, we're heading over to the museum now to discuss details with Xerxes. I could tell him and the other employees you said hi," Macarona replied as Crona nodded to that as well.
"Go ahead, it's been a while since I've actually had an opportunity to interact with them."
"Okay, we'll be seeing you around," the angel commented as she and Lil waved goodbye.
…
Eyes glazing over the report placed onto his desk by one of the employees in the department when he brought it over to him, the demonic young man picked it up and opened the folder to read over what the documents were about. Scanning it in detail with a critical gaze, he analyzed all the subjects described pertaining to various bank statements that were affected by national policies his father recently set into motion. Apparently Satanick had increased the payroll for military officers in service to him. This would've gone to the centralized banking institution in this underworld, yet the Gentleman Devil believed it was wise to inform the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs about the matter as well for whatever reason. Since a specified increase, a total of four thousand gold coins for military officers, was set before him only now when the date on it indicated this was already signed into law a week ago, Glasses could infer many things from this.
For starters, this practically coincided with a decline in the payroll of workers like him who were employed in this department. Evidently his father was planning something with this text. The young man didn't know what exactly, though he supposed it could have been a contribution toward what may have been the start of a military campaign. Perhaps it was also a demeaning insult to the Department of International and National Diplomatic Affairs because its accomplishments weren't as stellar as the Gentleman Devil sought. They were supposed to conduct diplomatic affairs for the national and international spheres of this underworld and others. To disparage this was an affront, an outrage against them because their work was valuable and sorely needed to ensure this hell was intact. Glasses did not care what the motive was so long as his father gave a significant—and very good—reason for the decrease in their pay and an increase for the army leaders with their salaries.
Putting a bent finger to his chin, he considered what this meant before eventually shrugging because it appeared to him other employees here weren't too bothered by that. The demons in here were conversing about other topics like the news and some rumors, yet amiably towards each other that suggested they either didn't know or were fully aware of it. The broken seal taped on the folder suggested the latter, and he did see some of his employees read over it. Maybe they made the very same inferences he did, otherwise they'd be highly against this. Satanick made no speeches about the matter, though the Gentleman Devil probably did have something in mind when he did. Glasses knew his father quite well and hated the man for what he was doing to the Devil's Kingdom, so he could only suspect this operation may have been illegal depending upon other factors. Then again, contrary to his suspicions, his belief was biased due to said hatred and Her Majesty might not have done anything about it if she were made aware because she provided her subjects and Devils plenty of autonomy so they could handle their own affairs in light of any administration she performed.
The Queen should've done something about this, but didn't for whatever reason. Satanick was the Devil of the Devil's Kingdom, and she lived here as well even if in a different region. Still, she was a resident and had more power than his father, so she was fully capable of handling this.
Throwing a quick glance at the clock while adjusting his glasses, the young man saw time was up regarding his shift. It was nine thirty-seven, a couple minutes beyond the overtime Glasses was putting in alongside some of the other demons who still worked here. Packing some stuff into his briefcase and standing up to leave, he caught sight of his superior approaching him with a few amicable waves of his hand gesturing the greeting this other man was giving him. "Glasses, you're heading out now too?" the demon with sand colored hair inquired casually, the customary suit and tie being black which made him look rather sharp for a diplomat. His eyes were open to reveal two yellow eyes surrounded by black sclera. Two gray horns in a zig-zag pattern and three black stripes on them jutted out of his head. Footfalls from his oxfords sounded his approach towards Glasses.
"Indeed, Mr. Sullivan, I'm already on my way out," the young demonic man responded in a normal tone of voice contrasting slightly with the upbeat cheer of his boss'. As the report handed over to him was still in his grasp from when he received it, Glasses thought about a minor choice he could make. The decision really was relatively miniscule compared to anything the Gentleman Devil had in mind, and it would most likely have no effect on what became of this matter. What happened would've been another machination of his father's, a plot concocted with great, elaborate detail to ensure some kind of benefit was achieved. Considering the nature of this matter, Glasses assumed it had to do with the military and using it to fulfill the accomplishment in whatever way by whatever means utilized. "Take a look at this if you will," he made his choice, handing it over; letting his superior take a look at it was a small aspect, nothing too significant to change anything.
"What's this?" Sullivan asked rhetorically and began to flip through the pages, scanning a lot of the content in just a few mere moments. He might've been something of a crybaby who only wanted to make his daughter happy, though Sullivan was one of the best professionals in this field due to his expertise with both national and international affairs. Typically Yagi was the one who'd travel abroad, though Sullivan had his own fair share of foreign excursions on diplomatic business in addition to how he maintained firm control over issues in the Devil's Kingdom. Upon finishing, he shut his eyes and sighed somberly since he knew exactly what this meant. "Oh boy, Satanick's up to something yet again. He's got plans for the army; that much is for sure regarding this." There was no doubt about that, though he was also a subordinate of Yagi which meant another detail was brought out into the fold. "Even Yagi's involved since I heard he too received a raise in his pay."
"My thoughts exactly, Mr. Sullivan," Glasses concurred with his boss about these notions.
"Nothing less important employees like us would be involved in…" the other demon mused once more, the situation depressing him because it meant he couldn't effectively pay for whatever gifts he mailed to his daughter. Although Sullivan already had the house she resided in away from town just on the outskirts of this region in a forest not too far away paid for, he doted on her as he was a good father. Not that Kurotsuno trusted him—she actually considered him a useless pest she didn't want around—though she still had her uses for him like getting OCHO chocolate for her as she loved it. The mortgage was no longer an issue for her even though she still paid taxes by herself with help from Hanten and Met as those two were her housemates besides Reina and Bis. Glasses half wondered how that affected relations between Sullivan and Hanten's father, Gyakuten, though let that matter drop; it wasn't his business. Instead, he continued listening to the former's depressed whining. "What I wouldn't give for a better job and a higher salary…Olivia deserves better to live a good life and I really do need to buy her those new shoes I heard she wanted to purchase."
"You shouldn't say such things, Mr. Sullivan," the other demon instructed him in a chiding, yet gentle voice out of minor concern for his boss. "You'll be perceived as ungrateful for your job which my father gave you in exchange for your service. He also allowed the price and taxes on her home to drop to a level she can pay as incentive for you to do well on duty in this department."
"I know, but I still can't help but hope for the best," his superior commented as they exited the department and began sauntering through the hall together. "By the way, Glasses, speaking of family matters, how're your parents doing? I've seen little of Satanick himself lately, and the same goes for your mother. Are they busy with their own affairs, doing whatever it is they do personally or professionally?" Turning his head to look at the other's reaction, Sullivan watched Glasses place a bent finger on his chin as he considered the question and pondered how to answer it for his boss.
"I do believe my father is currently in the middle of entertaining CEOs of enterprises from across the Devil's Kingdom. Last I heard about that was just this morning when I overheard some of the maids and butlers referring to limousines that pulled up into the parking lot for aristocrats."
"What about?" Sullivan asked as Glasses merely shrugged in response since he was unsure.
"I don't know, I don't care; I just do my job accordingly as should you, Mr. Sullivan. With regards to my mother, I haven't seen her around at all either like you. Of course, knowing her, she has probably disappeared elsewhere for however long she wants to be away. Father's unable to be in control of that aspect of hers from what I know, and he doesn't care so long as she doesn't make attempts to go against any restrictive rules he set in place for what she can and can't do and where she can and can't go," the young man responded uncaringly when a butler from around the corner showed up to speak with him, holding a hand up to show he wished to address the Devil's son.
"Pardon me, Mr. Glasses, but Mr. Mors has just arrived on business and wishes to see you."
"Ah, good, I trust he is waiting over in my personal quarters. That's good, thank you. I will head off at once to see him right away. You may return to your duties, Greckovf," he replied while turning to address Sullivan. "I shall see you tomorrow at the ten o' clock meeting on discussing an ideal strategy pertaining to tariffs on goods from the Tosatsu Kingdom and how it shall affect our relations with them, Mr. Sullivan. Take good care of yourself and do hurry home safely, sir."
"Thanks, you too, Glasses," Sullivan remarked and waved as he headed to the front gate as Glasses continued on his way throughout the halls of this castle. There were two in the underworld: one for the military leaders and other various faculty members on his father's staff, and another to house him and his parents with some departments Satanick's staff held dominance over. Although there were quarters in wings like the lavish wings they called home for guests, the two castles were not that far away from one another. His father's faculty could've very well let them stay in quarters here, but the establishments were reserved for foreign emissaries and Her Majesty if she came. An important need to keep those quarters empty, though one not too offensive as the other stronghold was equally lavish and grand like this castle. Nobody complained about it as there were no issues.
Eventually reaching the wing where he stayed not too near his parents, Glasses approached a door around the corner of one end and gripped the handle of a door before opening it. Pushing it forward, he crossed the threshold to find two other demons already there. One of them was an Oni with red skin and a beige sweater over a white undershirt, the color of this matching her white hair done up in two long braided twin tails and baggy socks on her feet. She was attired in a dark gray skirt too with a blue bow on her collar and two more at the end of her braided twin tails. Alongside her seated at the dining room table where Glasses could see them through the threshold just on the other side of the large hallway in his quarters was another demon in a suit similar to Sullivan's. A skeletal-like hand hanging on the coat rack next to him as he entered the abode was actually a hat, one that went well with his own skeletal hands, and their guest wore it frequently while out. Horns on his head were dark gray like the Oni's skirt, plus there were six indentations in each of them as well. Shaggy blonde hair drooped down to his neck as he read a newspaper, his dead fish-like eyes glossing over the words as he was sitting in a slouched position which wasn't too bothersome.
"Kiku!" Glasses called out while removing his shoes and setting them next to the door prior to sauntering into the dining room where his girlfriend was setting the table for them. "I'm home!"
The Oni smiled and shut her eyes, happy to see her lover home after a long day of work. It was nice of her to wait for him so they could eat together, and from the looks of it the Devil's son could guess Mors hadn't eaten as well. "Oh, welcome home, Glasses, it's good that you're back!" Having finished with this minor chore, she stepped over to where the other demon besides the two of them claimed a seat at the circular table. Mors' chair was across from the one Glasses would've sat in if Kiku didn't take that one. "Please, take a seat wherever you'd like. Mors just arrived some time ago and he'll be joining us for dinner if that would be acceptable to you," she then remarked.
"I'm well aware, Greckovf gave me the message; it's perfectly alright," Glasses responded as she returned to the kitchen through shuttered doors styled like those located in a saloon. Taking the chair across from Mors as his seat, he directed a rare small smile towards their guest as he then began to address Mors. "Good to see you, Mors. Here on business for your mother? You've had a pleasant trip here, I take it?" he inquired to make small talk as Kiku got dinner ready for them. Taking a whiff of it, Glasses correctly presumed she put a chicken into the oven with side dishes.
Mors looked up from the paper and put it aside, a rare smile of his own spreading across a part of his face. He and Glasses were very good friends, so he liked the pleasant conversations they shared together. Kiku got involved as well since they didn't mind and Glasses allowed her to have autonomy unlike other women in this world with Killie being the lone exception. "Indeed, the trip was uneventful, but calm. I experienced no issues arriving here on time as I expected to, and you're quite correct that it is to discuss business. I believe our meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, right?"
Glasses nodded affirmatively. "Precisely, at two-o'clock in the afternoon."
"Excellent, I have ensured everything is prepared for the meeting."
"Good. If I may ask, how are your parents doing, Mors? Are they well too?"
"Certainly," the other demonic young man replied amicably. Miss Devil is busy with work on her own end, though nothing too serious as it's nearing a holiday in the Shadowed Sanctuary. I also know my other mother and Rane are out on a tour of the underworlds in search of fine items. They're looking to expand on their stock, you see, hence why they're looking for seamstresses like them." Mors finished his answer just as Kiku came back in with dinner—chicken covered in gravy with a side of sweet potato fries and bacon. "What about your father, Glasses? Is he planning some political scheme like always to ensure his treasury and grip on power are completely set for him?"
"Who knows, I hardly associate with him anyway," Glasses responded honestly, aware that Mors wasn't offended by his bland tone as the son of Reficul and Sin also disliked Satanick. "I've no idea where my mother is if you're wondering about her; she's been absent for a while, yet that's just the norm with her. She can't sit still for lengthy periods of time just since she's also a nuisance. Even so, I imagine she's probably causing trouble for somebody else around here or elsewhere."
"That being said, there's something I wish to draw your attention to," Mors commented as he began to address that matter. "A miniscule topic, really, though one that pertains to her. Before my departure for the Devil's Kingdom, Miss Devil received a call from your mother asking if she could've been given a place to stay for a while. I don't know why, exactly, hence why I'm asking if she is also conducting business if possible in the event Mr. Satanick can't spare any of his men. Do you believe this is the case, or is there another reason for her inquiry? You needn't answer due to it being a minor subject, albeit one that is quite personal to you, but consider it food for thought."
Glasses blinked as Kiku dished the food out. "Probably another conflict with my father."
"Miss Devil didn't elaborate other than a remark that Lil couldn't stay," Mors elaborated.
"I accidently overheard the subject of that fight by mistake, actually," Kiku spoke up while she was dishing food. "Apparently Ms. Lil sought to acquire some power so she could acquire a decent position in a governmental role to try helping maintain this hell. However, it was denied by Mr. Satanick under the pretense that has always shaped the Devil's Kingdom, that being the norm of women not being allowed to have any power for themselves whatsoever in any case or position."
"I let you have power, Kiku," her boyfriend defended her from that notion. "You aren't in any way constricted by the limits the government's set in notion, though I do appreciate your help and support nonetheless. You're more than welcome to share power with me even if you're not in a position to really do much of anything." That may have come across as a blunt statement, though it was true nonetheless because of the way civilization was in this underworld. Glasses didn't mean anything by it and Kiku certainly knew that despite preferring this lifestyle as she truly loved him. Next he turned to address Mors again. "Mors, my apologies for any trouble my mother caused."
"Not at all, it's fine," Mors said. "She's not there as I just stated, but she could be in another underworld. Why not make calls if you happen to be curious about her whereabouts, Glasses?"
"Mm," Glasses murmured, sipping some wine Kiku poured for him. "Perhaps; nevertheless in any case, I do hope she isn't causing trouble wherever she is and whoever she might be with."
…
A sort of filler chapter for now so Lil could be introduced to more characters and also explain more concepts regarding the Devil's Kingdom, but I also wanted to delve into a bit of what's currently going on in the Devil's Kingdom in her absence. I'll get to more exciting stuff in the next chapter when I write that quest to the Zeiss Orrery, so look forward to it as it'll be about this fight against the Nandi Bears and however many Wights I incorporate.
As for Wights being able to wield weapons and magic in my non-canon stories, I have been inspired by the Bonewalkers and Wights in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones when this idea was taken into consideration. Those enemies didn't wield magic, but in my story they've got some magical abilities depending on what styles of combat they specialized in when alive. I'm not going to include the Bonewalkers in my stories as they're specific to that game; even so, I'll include a disclaimer for it anyway because the idea was still inspired by this game.
Disclaimer: I do not own the Fire Emblem series as it is owned by Intelligent Systems and Nintendo SPD as well.