[Phenex Estates]
[Riser Phenex]
Gold.
All I could see was golden light.
My body felt more alive than I ever had before- beautiful emotions surged up from within my breast to squeeze my throat tight and make my mouth dry. The sheer happiness and joy that was coursing through me was something that I was unable to control, and these sensations coalesced around my tear ducts and made my vision appear as though I was swimming in a golden sea.
"Ah." It was all I could utter as I looked at the gleeful visage of my mother; even exhausted, with sweat matting her hair, and her eyes puffy and red... my mother never looked so beautiful before.
Seeing that I was the smallest of the Phenex family I was in front with Ruval and Regen standing behind me, and my legs could no longer keep me standing. I sank down to my knees and my arms came over the mattress to support my chin. My nose ran like a faucet and I had to suck it up every few seconds.
There was something in the back of my mind that snarked that with how I was acting one would have thought that it was I who gave birth to my sister and not my mother.
I told that part of me to fuck off because this was no moment for cheek.
My hand reached out slowly and laid over the bundle gently held in my mother's arms, and for the first time, I felt my little sister's warmth. Her tiny body was so hot, the heat radiating from her tiny form like a furnace, but it didn't burn. How could it? She was a Phenex, like myself. We were born from fire. The flame was our very nature- our state of being.
The littlest feather, or so my mother called her, had finished her crying and was now murmuring- the poor thing resting her lungs. She looked so tired, and I could sympathize; being born wasn't exactly a fun experience for either party.
Yet, despite her seeming tiredness a tiny hand reached out from the swaddling and rested itself on top of my own.
My vision blurred to the point where I couldn't see anything other than my hand and Ravel's own.
Oh God in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
I bit through my tongue- the sheer agony of the prayer only served to strengthen my resolve. The flickering flames of my regeneration didn't remove the taste of blood from my mouth, but in this moment I didn't want it to; it would forever serve as a reminder to me of what I had to do.
Thank you for seeing her safely into this world.
Of who I had standing behind me.
"This I'll protect," I managed to choke out to no one else but myself, "I swear."
When the tears finally fell I didn't notice.
Nor did I notice when a quartet of glass vials were produced by my brothers to catch those precious glowing, golden tears before they fell from my cheeks.
At that moment there was only me, my mother, and my sister.
I sucked up the last of my snot and couldn't help but chuckle.
Sirzechs Lucifer and Serafall Leviathan were absolutely delusional.
There was no little sister in the world that was cuter than my darling Ravel, and on that hill... I'd die.
"Passion... tears?" I asked blankly, my eyes staring at the quartet of vials that were nestled in a crushed velvet case on the edge of my father's grand desk.
My father, for his part, was leaning against it as he ran his finger along the lacquered rim of the enchanted wooden box.
He hummed, "Yes. Passion Tears. You have been doing exceedingly well in your studies, my boy, but you are not yet ready to take up the additional duties required of you in terms of producing the Phenex Tears that our family is known far and wide for."
The Patriarch of the Phenex Clan gently closed the lid and grabbed the box before striding over toward a large painting on the wall that showed the Phenex family seated in chairs in front of the estate. I remember the day that this particular portrait had been painted- we had set up on the paved road leading up to the manor, the manicured trees lined the street and provided framing for the painting while the manor itself provided the backdrop. The large frame slid smoothly on rails to reveal a large safe, and my father stuck his finger into a small hole wherein a mechanical 'chunk' filled the air; the locks on the safe disengaged, and when he pulled his hand away I could see the Phenex flames quickly regrowing his finger.
Holy shit, did the safe just take a finger from my father to open up?
There were likely all sorts of spells and enchantments protecting it, but I suppose that having that sort of requirement to open would ensure even if someone managed to spoof the enchantments or get a little Phenex blood then they'd lose something for their perfidy.
If my father felt the pain he gave no indication, which was just another reason on my list as to why my father was a badass; the most I'd done was break a few fingers while training and I felt every last iota of pain until my regeneration had healed them. The secondary pain- a phantom pain, if you will- came into play I realized that I'd just tossed that day's physical training out of the window because I'd healed my fingers. It sucked certainly, but having broken fingers would have slowed down more than just my training until they healed.
Marcus Phenex placed the case inside the vault before shutting it, and the painting slid back into its normal position.
"How do those tears...? What makes those tears different from the Phenex Tears we sell?" I asked, curiosity bubbling just beneath the surface.
Golden eyes looked at me as he strode over to the large, high-backed chair behind his desk. His gaze was considering, and when he interlaced his fingers and brought his chin down to them it was almost a perfect mirror of a Gendo pose, "The tears we produce for sale are... manufactured to a certain extent. There is an elaborate ritual we perform to bring them forth, but because they are produced artificially they lack the qualities that the Passion Tears have; they aren't born from emotion. The most powerful of these emotions is love."
I couldn't stop my eyebrows from shooting up to my hairline.
"Love?"
His eyes crinkled slightly, "You are confused, I see. Yes, love."
"It seems almost contradictory that we as devils would require something like love to produce such things," I licked my lips as I pondered my words, "Almost counter-intuitive given our... less than human and less than holy nature."
His mouth rose up just enough so that I could see his mustache dancing like a caterpillar, and he leaned back in the chair- the rails underneath nary making a sound as he swiveled it to look out the trio of bay-styled windows overlooking the front of the estates, "One would think that but given our lineage you'll find that there are some things that cannot be corrupted... even by the likes of our forefather, the Original Lucifer."
I tilted my head to the side, "I take it that this is one of those things that isn't accurately described in even our historical texts? The ones on our family and ancestry?"
With a wave of his hand, a small summoning circle appeared, and he clasped the small crystal glass of wine that showed in a flash of light. He swirled it around a few times before scenting it, and then he gave it a languid sip. When he finished he turned his attention back to me, "I find myself at a crossroads with you, my son."
"I take it that being rather precocious and mature has made things rather difficult for you?" I couldn't stop myself from giving him a wry smile as I scratched at the side of my head, "I'd apologize for the trouble but..."
His mustache danced, "I wouldn't ask for you to. It's just... you are so different from your brothers in your own unique way, and yet you are frighteningly alike. It's almost as if there were only a few years between you and not centuries and decades; you three act as though you've been joined at the hip since boyhood, peers and not... hmmm. Your maturity has done a great deal to open them up, and I get the feeling sometimes they don't realize that you are not a boy of eight years."
"Haaa~," He let out a sigh and sipped at his wine, his eyes landing on the ceiling as he showed me an uncharacteristic slouch, "When your brothers were your age they were more preoccupied with finding new and creative ways to skip their lessons. Playing around in the yard while flinging their flames every which way, and trying to goose the maids- in Ruval's case- or in Regenald's case, peep up their skirts 'to catch a glimpse of paradise'."
The man snorted before placing his wine glass on his desk and picking up a thick packet of paperwork, "Not... sitting down with their father to go over a financial report of a business they created. Especially not so they could fund their tutor's salaries so they could venture into the Dungeon for training."
"I must confess even I forget that I'm dealing with a child and not a full grown man at times," The packet came down and his joviality slipped away into something more somber, and he scrubbed at his bearded chin- indecision written clearly on his face, "You're much stronger than your brothers were at your age. By Lucifer's name, you might even be stronger than I was. It's eye-opening and... humbling to see you so dedicated. At the rate you're going, you might be finished with your studies well before you attain your Evil Pieces at thirteen; your tutors with little left to teach you. After that you will be left to your own devices and I will have to trust that time and experience will continue to season you."
He gave me a small, half-smile as he shrugged his shoulders and raised a hand until it was level with his head, "And thus... the crossroads I stand at. There are many responsibilities that an adult of the Phenex family has to handle, more than those outside of the making of the Tears, and those typically revolve around being involved in the family businesses outside in the mortal realm... yet you already have two companies of your own. Saddling you with even more would be unfair at this juncture. Your aggressive growth and maturity also call into question when I should inform you of our family's most closely guarded secrets."
I matched my father's half-smile with one of my own, but I tried to inject a little humor into my voice, "Well, if you're asking about what I think then... well, I will just have to let those decisions rest on your shoulders. Where they belong. I am your son. This is your house, your family; you make the rules, and I follow them. Whether or not I 'feel ready' is inconsequential; it only matters when you feel I am ready."
The red velvet padding of the armchair I was seated in squished pleasantly as I leaned my elbow on it, "If it's all the same to you I would prefer to finish out my studies as quickly as possible so that I can concentrate on improving myself, or my businesses. I'm afraid that I am in no hurry to grow up- to leave behind the fine trappings of childhood and enter into the realms of men. Though honestly I wouldn't be opposed to learning the rituals to make the Phenex Tears; having another Phenex in the rotation would do a great deal to free up some additional time for you and my brothers. Without my studies taking up six hours of my day spending an hour in the ritual chamber to make a batch once a week would hardly inconvenience me. However, until that day comes when I can no longer push back my coming of age... I'll have to impose on your hospitality for a bit longer; really make the most of these carefree days of my youth."
My father blinked before a low chuckle left his lips. Soon that low chuckle turned into raucous laughter, and my father leaned back into his chair and placed a palm over his eyes, "That! That right there is what I'm talking about, Riser! Satans below, you cause me no end to my sleepless nights... and now I have a daughter to look after as well; if you aren't going to be the death of this old Phenex then she likely will."
"I'll have you know that she'll grow up to be a powerful, intelligent, and refined young lady," I let a few laughs bubble up from my chest as I leaned back in my chair, my feet kicking back and forth childishly, "I've seen it."
Despite my intentions, it appeared as though my words did more to quench the vibe than they did to stoke it.
The fingers over my father's eyes cracked open and I felt my blood run cold- his molten gold orbs searing into me, "What... what else, have you seen my son?"
I felt my eyes moisten under the scrutiny, and in spite of my fervent desire to hold his gaze properly, I couldn't stop myself from instinctively averting them, "I've seen many things, Father. Great things. Terrible things. Great and Terrible things. Images only- snapshots frozen in time. I cannot recall them and yet I have seen them. They float in the back of my mind like a specter, near-formless and indistinct, fuzzy, and yet at times clarity comes and I remember. If only for a few moments."
My whole head turned toward the carpet, if only to avoid his terrifying, flaming eyes.
I could feel it.
The terrible power of my father boiling underneath the surface of his skin like a volcano about to erupt.
Sweat beaded up on my brow and began to make its descent down my face, and my lungs found it almost impossible to breathe with the sheer intensity of the demonic aura that was starting to leak past his impressive control.
However, just as quickly as it came, it retreated.
I gasped as I felt the haze fade away like mist before the morning sun, and I felt two hands grasp the sides of my face. My father knelt before me, his thumbs caressing the bones beneath my cheeks.
He looked haggard. Exhausted. Defeated.
I hated it. My father was someone indomitable in my mind, even though I knew that devil or not. High-Class pureblood or not. Pillar Lord or not... he was ultimately a man.
Even the strongest men can falter and fall.
"Is that why you train so hard, my boy?" His voice was barely a whisper, but I could feel the emotions that flooded them.
I couldn't move my head, so I settled for a simple "Yes."
His hands left my face and he wrapped me up in his arms, the position naturally guiding my cheek to the crook of his neck.
"What a 'wonderous gift' you have, my son," He all but spat.
The vitriol in his words might as well have vaporized into a cloud of poison.
My short arms settled for wrapping around his chest, and I gave him a squeeze, "Whether it is a true gift or a poison pill... I don't really care. For all of the ill it has shown me it has also shown me the good; I got to see my sister before she was ever conceived. I've also seen her grow up; she looks so much like mother it hurts... and she'll grow up to be a fine, happy young lady."
Father squeezed me back tightly, his voice cracking a touch, "So it isn't all bad then. Good. Good. That is good."
"And... at least I know something is coming," I murmured in response, his bristly hairs tickling my lips, "I don't know when, or why. But I do know that the 'Beast of the Apocalypse bears the mark of 6-6-6'."
Silence reigned.
Marcus Phenex turned his head and placed his lips against my brow, "Ill portents indeed..."
His warmth left me as he slowly stood up and spent a few moments futzing with my blonde hair, "I will investigate this. If your visions are anything like your mother's then not checking into it would be the height of foolishness. Now, off you go; I'm sure your mother would appreciate having you by her side."
His pat on the bottom got me moving, and I stopped at the door, "If I've seen it... then it is likely someone else has as well."
"I know how to be discreet, my son," My father picked up his wine glass and tossed its contents back, "You'll find that your father has some friends in rather high places. Now. Go. To your sister. I have much work to do."
I shut the door behind me and made my way down the hall from my father's office to their bedroom in the west wing of the manor.
When I arrived it was to the sight of my mother putting one of her shapely and beautiful breasts away, little Ravel held in the crook of her arm.
I felt my cheeks color but my mother beckoned me forth with a simple curling of her finger, and I stripped out of my coat and slipped my shoes off so that I could clamber onto the bed.
My mother placed the bleary-eyed babe on the bed between us, and she curled onto her side; my tiny fingers wormed into the swaddling to grasp onto Ravel's little fist and I let out a sigh as my mother's hand stroked the side of my head.
I was wrapped in the gentle embrace of my mother's demonic power, and the soft, pleasant humming of her voice slithered into my ears to lull me off to a pleasant mid-afternoon nap.
Here, at this moment, all of the woes and worries of the days ahead felt so far... far away...
Seated in the carriage headed toward the manor of the Gremory estates was exceedingly uncomfortable, though not because the carriage was cramped but because my skin was itching.
It was also because I was wearing clothing that I was unused to- I usually wore a short-sleeved pristine white blouse, viridian green trousers with suspenders, and plain brown boots without laces. During my classes, this was upgraded with a matching viridian green coat that had gold leaf buttons, a red or blue necktie depending on the day, and a silver and gold pin on the chest pocket with the symbol of House Phenex prominently displayed. I often dressed down when taking lessons with my father or General Hans, and stripped down to my plain white t-shirt that I wore underneath the blouse when working on magic with my brothers.
However, I was now dressed for a formal occasion, and I looked like I stepped out of the 17th century!
Thankfully the formalwear was similar to what I was used to wearing already as they were similarly colored, a mixture of hunter and viridian greens, with polished gold buttons keeping the coat and vest closed, but the scarlet red cape with the Phenex crest on the back in actual gold thread was a touch too much. The pantaloons I could have done without, the same with the tights, and the gold buckles on my shoes were just obnoxious. The black hat with silver piping was the icing on the cake, with a large falcon's feather slipped into a restraining band on the top, and it enchanted to look as though it was on fire; I never felt so mortified in my life.
"Mother," I said aloud as I fussed with the floofy lacy collar around my neck, "Next time tell me that I can have a suit made. I look as though I should be grabbing a Nightmare and rushing down the roads screaming 'The British are Coming! The British are Coming!"
My mother gave me a wistful smile while my eldest brother Ruval chuckled, "Ah, I remember that particular evening... ole' Paul Revere had a set of lungs on him, that man."
I gave Ruval a queer look as I wasn't certain if he was being serious or just yanking my chain, but my mother captured my attention by patting my thigh, "Very well, sweetheart. Though your momma thinks you look very handsome."
A sigh left my lips as I stopped futzing with the lacey things protruding from my sleeves, "I think I would rather see what you think is 'dashing' and 'debonaire' if this is what you think is 'handsome'."
She hummed, "Well then, do you have a certain look in mind?"
Immediately my thoughts turned to clean lines with few frills. Dark colors were primary, but considering I wasn't nearly so jaded I could go with a wider palette of ties. A nice tie bar, some French cuff links, and solid shoes would tie it all together. I'd forgo something like an expensive watch until I'd fully grown, and the belt would likely be the plainest part of the ensemble- once again no need to get too fancy with it.
Simplistic and stylish was my aim, with a focus on flexibility that would come from the cuts.
I could already see it in my mind's eye.
"Yes, I do have a few things in mind."
Blue eyes turned into half moons as my mother chuckled and stroked my cheeks, "I certainly look forward to seeing what you think is 'dashing' and 'debonair'. Huuhuuhuu~, I wonder if it will be half as cute as what Regenal put together when he first chose his own clothing."
"Mother!" Regen hissed as he waved his hand, "There is no need to bring up the past; there are some things that are better left buried where they belong."
I leaned to my side and looked over at my older brother, and upon seeing his cheeks pinken I let myself arch an eyebrow, "Oh? Do tell, mother."
Elise Phenex pinched my cheek, "Another time, my little feather; we've almost arrived."
Normally we wouldn't be utilizing the flying carriage for a trip such as this, but since this was my first time to the Gremory estates I had not yet been keyed into their wards, so my sister and I needed to each present a drop of blood onto the primary wardstone to be recognized as the close friends of the family that we were.
I leaned over and looked out the window to see the land rushing just a few hundred feet below us and sighed.
My wrists began itching again and I pulled back the ruffles before letting a touch of magic run along my wrist, and a flowing band of Korean script became visible- the characters slowly spinning around my flesh before I stopped applying mana; the glow faded away to black ink, and then after a few moments, the ink slithered back underneath my flesh. The same seals were drawn around my other wrist, my ankles, and around my waist; the name of this particular binding art was not known to me, and Veranda had been tight-lipped about what it actually was or how it functioned.
It had obvious roots in Korean mysticism, and I could see hints of Confucianism in some of the Chinese characters, but the research that I was able to do led me to very little.
Ultimately, when activated they did their job well enough, and that was what mattered.
When turned on the restraints would draw my wrists to my hips and my ankles to one another, and I had to resist this pulling force by pushing magical energy into the restraints in conjunction with a little physical strength to move. These particular bindings were used for low to mid-level spirits and monsters, and thus they weren't too difficult to use, but even walking around the house with them activated saw me huffing and puffing.
They were perfect for my needs, but I wondered if these modified restraints would grow with me or if I would have to have them removed with a stronger set of seals put in their place.
A light flick to my earlobe saw me stop fiddling with them and at my mother's warning look; she obviously didn't want me to get all sweaty when we were about to meet her close friends, and I couldn't blame her.
I instead turned my attention to the clockwork orb that hung from my neck underneath my many-layered coats. With a small touch of mana, I felt the orb come to life, and within my mind's eye, a simple puzzle formed.
This was an heirloom gift that my mother had received from her mother, and much to my surprise both my brother Ruval and Regen had more than a few years with this device hanging around their neck; in a decade or so I would be expected to pass this onto my sister to aid her in her training.
The golden orb was small, no larger than a marble, but that marble was in fact a shell that contained over four dozen different shells, much in the style of a matryoshka doll. On each shell, there were dozens of magical puzzles that had been painstakingly engraved by a talented devil artificer's hand, and they ranged from laughably simple 'single thread' maze puzzles to frustratingly complex 'multi-thread' puzzles. In order to cast any spell outside of my body I would have to thread a small amount of my mana through the maze- without touching the edges- and once it was outside the orb I could then take that single thread and manipulate it as needed to conduct said spell.
Most simple spells only required a single thread of mana to be fed into the magic circle to actualize it, but larger and more powerful spells- or more complex spells- required multiple threads to feed the activation points on the magic circles. The amount of mana and the number of threads you needed to control corresponded to how well fleshed out the spell you were trying to cast was.
Devil Magic was powered by imagination, yes, but there were certain requirements- certain levels of understanding- that were necessary to make that spell a reality. It wasn't as though you could just will a giant fire tornado into existence... well, not unless you just dumped a horrific amount of mana into it, but those who could free-form spells like that on the fly were monstrously powerful to begin with, and if you saw them wasting huge amounts of mana like that then they're just fucking with you hardcore.
Freeforming a spell to blow someone the fuck up was like pulling down your pants and helicoptering your dick around; it was just to add insult to injury.
If you survived, that is.
There is a reason why my studies had been so heavily oriented towards not just the maths, administration, etiquette, and arts, but also the sciences and foundations of magical theory.
A long time ago casting whatever spell you wanted was a lot easier for devils, but as magic- a more structured method of magic- began to proliferate among the humans and other non-human races, the world itself began to respond, altering how magic functioned as a whole to better suit the most common systems of beliefs. The crumbling of the devil populations after the Great War and Devil Civil War certainly didn't help things as lots of magic was lost with the extinction of many Demon Pillars, and without the beliefs of millions of devils providing a counter-balance, the scales shifted in favor of the other magical methods.
Ajuka Beelzebub theorized that the great loss of numbers, coupled with the low numbers of devils in the mortal realm in general, was what helped this process along, as it only took six hundred years for the fabric of the world to change; a startlingly short amount of time given the thousands upon thousands of years that magical beings had been present in the world up to that point.
So having a solid foundation in math, physics, chemistry, and other sciences was essential in being able to craft your own spells and create your own magic circles; understanding metaphysical concepts, symbology, themes, meanings, and the like also can help in making your spell more stable.
Where the devil concept of 'imagination' comes into play is that if there are gaps in your knowledge- or the spell is cockeyed and unstable- then the malleability of our mana makes it so that applying more can fill in the gaps. How much extra magical energy is required depends on the size and number of gaps, so while you can power through a half-baked formula, it is obviously much better to create a solid, stable spell in the first place.
Though a solid and stable spell was only one half of the equation: the other half was the ability of the devil to have the control and throughput in order to power those spells.
My training in the Dungeon, and my newly acquired restraint tattoos, would be helping me on the throughput side, while the necklace helped me with my fine control.
The more I progressed with the necklace the more complex the mazes became, though I had to make a conscious decision to activate the necklace, so it wasn't as though I'd be gimped if there was a sudden, sticky situation that I needed to find my way out of; that and it only affected my mana control with spells outside of my body, meaning that my Phenex regeneration would work regardless.
Still, that meant I would have to force myself to use it at all times, much like the restraint spells on my body; a pain right now, but I knew that in true shounen fashion, I'd be likely to forget that they were ever not a part of my body. Or at least I hoped.
I moved a single thread of mana through the simple maze and entertained my little sister with a delicately flickering orb of blue-tinted fire, and a smile tugged at my lips as I watched her beautiful blue eyes follow it around as I let it slowly dance in front of her face. She tried to reach out and touch it a few times, but I carefully moved it back just out of reach until she looked like she was about to cry, and then I finally let her boop it with some spit-covered fingers.
It really was going to take me a long time to get over the fact that a fire such as this would never harm her, but damnit my Big Brother Instincts (TM) were always twigged whenever I saw her reach for it!
The fact that my mother knew what was going through my head and was immensely amused by it just made it all the more embarrassing.
After a handful of minutes, the driver of our horseless flying coach signaled that we were about to arrive, and I cut the flow of mana to the spell so that I could look out the window.
We had finally arrived at the Gremory estates, and I had a feeling that I'd be seeing a fair amount of it in the years to come.
The moment the flying horseless carriage touched down I was up on my feet and ready to get out. It was sort of funny that I could spend hours upon hours slogging through the cramped space that was the Dungeon with a wicked smile on my face while being constantly bombarded by illusory curses that would give normal people nightmares for years and yet being cooped up in a rather spacious carriage decked out to the nines in luxury made me feel rather antsy.
Or maybe it was because, at this little formal get-together, I would be meeting two of our world's four Devil Kings: the Maous Satan Lucifer and Satan Leviathan.
Two of the four strongest beings in the entire Underworld, with Sirzechs the Super Devil undeniably at the very top and Serafall being the strongest female devil.
My palms were clammy and my heart rate was starting to speed up now that I was no longer distracted by my little Ravel's curious yet sleepy face; we were almost at her bedtime but given the evening timing of the shindig at the Gremory's it couldn't be helped.
A large hand settled onto my shoulder and I looked up to see Ruval giving me a reassuring smile, "There is no need to be nervous, Riser. Everything will be just fine."
Regen scoffed as he placed a hand on my other shoulder, "Nervous? No, you misjudge- the little feather is excited, aren't you? I would have expected that after all of your experience, you would have been able to tell a nervous man from one who looks like he grasped onto a live wire."
My father, standing at the door to the carriage, placed his palm on the door frame and gave me a look, "I do hope it doesn't need to be said that doing something that would embarrass us in front of our very good friends would be... most unfortunate, yes?"
"Give me a break, Lord Father. You all should know me by now- the last thing I'm going to do is... is... hop out of the carriage and challenge Lord Lucifer for his chair!" I couldn't stop myself from huffing as I crossed my arms over my chest, but a small smile tugged at my lips, "I'll at least wait until dessert has been served and everyone is chatting over a saucer of coffee."
"As long as I've got a good cup of coffee in my hands and coffee cake on my lap then you may shout your challenge to the heavens themselves," My father's eyes were closed but there was a smile on his face, and when he opened them back up he gave my elder brothers a playful look, "It wouldn't be the first time, nor the second, that a young Phenex lad has done so."
My head snapped between Regen and Ruval, my two blonde-haired brothers suddenly finding the decor rather engaging.
I arched an eyebrow, "Oh~? Is that so? My, I learn something new about my brothers every single day; how interesting."
Regen's grip on my shoulder tightened up, "One day you'll slip up, little brother, and when that day comes..."
"Nonsense," I scoffed arrogantly, "My track record is flawless, and it will continue to be so. A scandal-free childhood will be the least of my legacy; never caused any problems with my tutors, never got chased around Nightmare stables by angry equines while butt naked, and to date, I am the only Phenex in living memory that hasn't caught his bedroom curtains on fire. This beautiful Underworld of ours will surely freeze over before you catch me sleeping."
Ruval pinched my ear, the eye-smile on his face positively radiating happiness, "You know what they say, little brother? 'Never say never'."
"Your ability to simply ask the Nightmares to leave their pens so you could clean them up is just cheating," Regen grumbled, and I had to admit it sort of was.
I hummed in agreement, "I will not lie and say that my inheritance of the Barbatos blood traits does not give me a distinct advantage in corraling the loveable beasts."
Nightmares were one of the many luxury goods that the Phenex family sold to the rest of the Underworld; our warm environment, despite being incredibly 'green' and lush, was host to a number of dormant and semi-active volcanos that were perfect for raising the flaming horses. Horseback riding was also a mandatory part of our training as nobles, but despite being the sons of the Pillar Demon there were many time-honored traditions that had to be followed for those who trained with the beautiful beasts; feeding and watering, exercising, and of course mucking out the stables.
They shat out freak'n lava. It was cool- the coolest shit I ever had to clean up in my life, and interestingly enough there were a number of alchemical recipes that utilized the fiery-hot excrement as an ingredient. My tonics used a pinch of the stuff, refined of course, to give it a fire-natured base to match it to my affinities.
Regardless they were rather temperamental, but given that I could speak the languages of all animals- be they magical or mundane- it gave me a huge leg up on feeling the flaming horses out and learning just how to handle each one. Big Bertha was my favorite of the bunch, the largest and strongest of the four herds we had on our lands- she tried to trample me to death at our first meeting, so I kicked her ass. We've been fast friends ever since, and given the defacto leader of the Nightmares bows her head to me the rest soon learned to follow suit; if she didn't break any legs then I certainly would.
Granted I was far stronger than my brothers when they were my age, so while they had to approach the beasts with a healthy dose of respect I could simply enforce my will; granted I wasn't an asshole or anything- being able to actually speak with them opened up a whole lot of doors for me- but when someone stepped out of line I was more than willing to lay down the law.
The Nightmares and I have an... understanding, if you will.
I was dragged out of my thoughts by the carriage door opening to reveal a crisply dressed porter sporting the Gremory sigil on his left breast, "Welcome to the Gremory Estates once more, Lord Phenex. Will there be any baggage that needs handling?"
"Rupert, you are looking well," My father moved down the steps, "As for baggage, no, we have nothing else with us but ourselves."
We piled out of the carriage in order of precedence, with my mother following my father, my eldest brother Ruval following her, Regenald after him, and myself and my parent's two Queens- Clarissa and Veranda- trailing respectfully behind me. Given that this was the Gremory estates and we were only visiting for the evening protocol dictated that we leave the Butlers and Maids at home.
To be honest, I was missing Lirianne already; my shadow felt so empty without her around.
My silly buckled shoes scratched against the rough-hewn cobblestones, and I looked around. Brilliant grassy fields stretched all around me, with carefully manicured trees breaking up the scenery in artfully crafted copses, and the stone road ran far past the gently sloping hills on the horizon; a four-meter-tall wrought iron fence with a meter of thick stone wrapped around the entire perimeter of the Gremory estate proper, and given the sheer size of the area the walls extended for at least fifty kilometers or more.
"Riser," My father's voice caught my attention and I trotted over to him.
"If you would please follow me," A Low-Class devil wearing what looked to be a variant of an 18th-century military uniform bowed lowly while holding out his hand toward an alcove on the side of the guard house.
I wasn't surprised when my mother followed right behind me, and I was greeted with the familiar sight of a thick book that was open, its pages filled with neatly lined blocks containing numerous signatures; we had a similar guest book at the primary gate of our own estate, and the books themselves were tied into the wards though they were temporary. I took the proffered quill and dipped it in the ink before elegantly scrawling my name into the next empty block; after blowing on the ink a few times I placed my thumb next to my signature and pushed a small amount of mana into it. The ink glowed softly, a firey orangish-red that matched my nature before it faded, and I stepped to the side so that my mother could write in Ravel's name before placing her tiny fingers up against the page.
Mother cooed at Ravel a few times before the gentle cajoling caused the babe to release a spark, and Mother guided the spark onto the page. She smothered Ravel in kisses, "Oh~! Such a good girl you are! So smart! Fuufuufuu~."
From the guardhouse, we piled into another carriage, this one bedecked with loads of Gremory memorabilia, and the Spectral Horse easily pulled its burden along at the behest of the coach driver.
The Gremory, Sitri, and Phenex lands all bordered each other, and all three were avid breeders of horses; if I remembered correctly they were the first three Pillar families to import their steeds to the Underworld in any appreciable number almost two and a half thousand years ago, and the dense mana of the Underworld caused the animals to change to better suit their environments. The Gremory lands were rich in spirits, just like the Phenex lands were replete with dormant and active volcanos, and the Sitri lands home to the largest bodies of water; the horses evolved to suit their environments, and it showed in their appearance and abilities.
It was also one of the many things the three clans bonded over- their love for dangerous horses.
When the carriage finally stopped we proceeded out once more in order, and I followed my family until we made it to the bottom of the steps. Lined up in a row to mirror us at the top of the stairs were the undeniable faces of Lord and Lady Gremory; to their direct left were Lord and Lady Sitri, and to their right were Lord and Lady Agares.
If the two Satans were there I couldn't see them, but given that this was a family function they would likely be inside rather than out front; though they would have Pride of Place at any social function, the Satans were sticklers about their image, and refused to let their presences overshadow the Hosts and Guests of the event they were attending. Especially if it was a private function such as this.
As one, the entire Phenex family lowered our torso a handful of degrees, and my father, with a hand placed over his heart, spoke serenely, "I, Marcus Phenex, Lord of House Phenex, Marquis of the 72 Demon Pillars, do announce my presence to my host, Lord Zeoticus Gremory, Duke of the 72 Demon Pillars. Accompanying me are my Wife and Lady, Elise Phenex, my three sons, Ruval, Regenald, and Riser, and my daughter, Ravel. Attending to us are my Queen, Clarissa DeVere, and the Queen of my wife, Soo Young Kim."
"Oh ho~? We're being all formal now, are we, Marcus?" Zeoticus Gremory half-whispered to himself with an amused air before he bowed shallowly to mirror my father, "I, Zeoticus Gremory, Lord of House Gremory, Duke of the 72 Demon Pillars, hear your pronouncement and I greet thee with great relish. Let it be heard that Marcus Phenex of House Phenex, his family, and his attendants shall receive the full comfort of House Gremory's Guest Rights. Let neither harm nor neglect nor treachery shadow their heads."
At his words, we all straightened up and Zeoticus met my father halfway, the pair embracing and exchanging cheek kisses that happened to be just a touch too close to each other's lips; the way the two men were hugging hip to hip- dick to dick- clued me into the distinct possibility that my father and Lord Gremory might be a little more than just friends.
That my father shared the same hugs and kisses with not only Lord Sitri but Lord Agares as well had me tilting my head; I side-eyed Ruval and Regen but the pair didn't seem to be phased by this at all.
My mother, however, was far less reserved than my father, and when she met Venelana Gremory, Lady Sitri, and Lady Agares, the woman openly began french-kissing the trio. Little Ravel found her little face smushed between four sets of equally generous bosoms, and I could have sworn I heard a roar from the ether blissfully shouting 'BOOBS!'
Reflexively I flared my mana to make sure that I wasn't caught in some illusion, but after feeling nothing being expelled from my body I shrugged.
However, this little flare didn't escape the notice of everyone in attendance, and my father, with his arm wrapped over the shoulder of Lord Sitri, gave me a look, "What was that, my boy?"
I cleared my throat as I bowed deeply, "Apologies, Lord Father. I thought someone was playing a trick on me."
"Ah, I see," My father hummed, but my Mother chimed in.
"My little feather has been training in the Dungeon a lot as of late," As if that explained everything, yet the interested murmurs from the others made me think that they at least understood.
I came out of my bow to see Zeoticus cock his hip out, the man holding a hand up to his chin, "Yes, those illusions are certainly something, aren't they? Though I would bet that if this was an illusion it would be certainly a most welcoming one compared to what that wretched place cooks up."
"It certainly beats the feeling of walking on the surface of giant eyeballs, Lord Gremory."
The red-haired devil threw back his head in raucous laughter before he jabbed my father in the ribs with his elbow, "You never told me your serious boy had a sense of humor, Marcus! What else haven't you told me? Ah, never mind that! Let us go inside and greet our esteemed Satans, then we dine!"
Ruval was the first to follow the gathered Lords and Ladies, and when Regen passed me the man flicked my ear with a smug smirk on his face, his voice a teasing whisper, "Flaring your power in front of so many Lords and Ladies? For shame, little brother. 'Scandal-free'? Indeed."
I resisted the urge to rabbit-punch him in the kidney as I followed behind, "A little bit of a warning would have been nice!"
"Now where would the fun in that be?" His blue eyes twinkled with mirth.
I gave him my best scowl but that didn't seem to phase him at all; damn him and his Phenex regeneration!
Still, while I knew that my mother and father had their peerage members as lovers, to think that they were also swingers was something of a shock to me. Harems? Yes, it was something natural that occurred in the Underworld, both due to the way power attracted devils and also because of the population problems our kind had. Monogamy wasn't practiced because it was the standard- if you only had one husband or one wife then you were simply weak. The Pillar Families, however, had a Husband/Wife dynamic strictly for lineage purposes, but the non-Pillar families were more often than not founded upon multiple families binding themselves together for wealth and protection; a hold-over from the eras of war that our people have been embroiled in.
And since they were creatures of Sin there weren't any social conventions against homosexuality unless the devil in question was a Pillar Heir; it didn't matter if you only loved men or women, regardless of your feelings you would have a husband or a wife and you would produce an Heir yourself. However, once said heir was produced then you could live how you liked as long as it didn't conflict with established Pillar Laws or the Laws of the New Satan government.
I was still in a bit of a daze when I crested the top of the staircase, and I stared at the bricks in front of my feet until I was standing in front of two incredibly recognizable people.
Well, three incredibly recognizable people.
Sirzechs Lucifer, the Strongest Devil.
Serafall Leviathan, the Strongest Female Devil.
Greyfia Lucifuge, wife of Lucifer and contender for the title of Strongest Female Devil... though most in the Underworld know her by her primary title: The Strongest Maid.
If Lirianne were here no doubt she would be swooning right now; if Sirzechs was the measuring stick of all devil-kind, then his wife was the bar with which all Maids were measured.
Thankfully this was a private function, and thus Lord Lucifer didn't have his stupid, pointy shoulder pads, but Lady Leviathan was sure as shit dressed up as a magical girl. This particular outfit had an obnoxious amount of sparkly sequins.
Lord Lucifer's face was impassive as he gazed down at me, but it was his voice that really caught my attention, "Why do I feel like you're thinking something very uncharitable about me?"
"Chuu chuu chuu~, don't be like that, Zechy!" Serafall came to my rescue as she bounced in place, the woman waving her wand around the air, but her exuberance came to a halt- the tip of her magic wand tapping the bottom of her lip, "Though you are right, I certainly getting that funny feeling as well..."
Break lock, break lock, break lock!
I bowed deeply, "Lord Luficer, Lady Leviathan, excuse me... just meeting you for the first time is an overwhelming experience."
I tilted my head up toward Greyfia, "Especially you, Lady Lucifuge; I am neither butler or maid but I am a big fan of the work you do. Not a day goes by when my personal maid doesn't live by your tenants, and her professionalism and dedication to them have been nothing short of a boon for me and my busy schedules."
The stern woman gave me a slight curtsy, "Your words are very kind, Young Lord."
"Ah, where are my manners?" I straightened myself up and placed a hand over my heart, "I am Riser Phenex, 3rd born son of Marcus and Elise Phenex. It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
I blinked rapidly as a gold star booped my nose, and Serafall chuckled as she spun her wand in her hand, "Kuukuukuu~, so formal! No need to feel like you have to be all straight-laced on our accounts! We're here as family, not as the Satans, you know?"
I let my eyes close as I smiled, "Ah, as much as I wish to follow your commands, my Lord Father has made it clear that I should wait to misbehave until after he has his coffee and coffee cake in hand. Apparently, there is a bit of a family tradition among the young men of the Phenex family, and in order to keep that tradition going strong I must announce a challenge to Lord Lucifer for his throne. But only after the coffee and cake."
My face was immediately smooshed into the heavenly side of Serafall's breast, but the arm locked around my throat smothered any enjoyment I could have; the woman poked my cheek with her finger, "Now you're getting into it! Just keep on being a sassy little boy and we'll get along swimmingly!"
I felt my eyes widen, "I can't tell if you're being serious or are joking, Lady Leviathan."
"Muuhuuhuu~! I'm either jokingly serious or seriously joking, but it's up to you to decide to guess which one is which!" She winked at me before pinching my cheek, "Just don't get it wrong, mmmkay~?"
I started to sweat.
Shit. I didn't really know these people as well as someone who read the light novels, but they seemed to tolerate Issei pretty well, and I wasn't nearly as obnoxious as the turd, so I should be fine right?
Blue eyes sparkled at me and I tore them away to glance at Lord Lucifer and Lady Greyfia; neither of them seemed to hold a single ounce of sympathy for me.
I had to remember that I wasn't a main character. I didn't have the familial ties, and there was no plot armor between me and the Power of Destruction.
I had to be cool. Calm. Collected.
I just had to play it by ear- be affable and still respectful. Keep my mouth shut-
"You're insane. Absolutely daft. If you of all people cannot see what I see then you should hang up your cloak because you aren't fit to be a ruler of any people, let alone ours."
I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly as I tilted my chin back to stare up at Lord Lucifer.
Blue burned into blue.
"Oh ho~? Is that so?" His words were like ice placed against the back of my neck; cold with a keen edge that could cleave my head from my shoulders with just the precise application of his power alone.
Yet, I wasn't afraid at all, for I was clothed in the armor of Moe, and no one could do me harm.
"Clearly," I swept my hand over the crib that held the four babes, all of them nestled up against one another, "Look at them."
I turned away from the Satan and leaned over the edge, "See how beautiful my little sister is? The elegance? The grace?"
Twin orbs of heavenly boobage pressed against the back of my head would have made anyone else jump in glee, but the fingers that threatened to tear into my ribcage told a different story.
"She's sprawled all over my precious So-tan!" Serafall hissed into my ear, and I could have sworn I felt an icicle form at the bottle of my earlobe, but I was undeterred.
"A display of dominance, masterfully done at that," I grit through my teeth, trying to ignore the claws of the Satan pricking against my flesh through my many-layered coats, "Do you see the way my little Ravel is lying on top of Rias and Sona? It's absolutely adorable! And completely disarming- she's showing them where they belong in the pecking order while still being as precious as a button!"
Ravel chose that moment to burble sleepily and roll off of the legs of both Sona and Rias, and as she curled up into a little ball the pair grunted and raised their legs up to rest them on top of her.
Icy breath spread hoarfrost across the back of my neck, "Huuhuuhuu~, what was that you said? About knowing her place?"
Destruction swirled around the crown of Sirzech's head as he leaned down and squashed his cheek up against mine, "It seems as though your precious Ravel-chan has now become a little footstool for my dear Ri-chan! Kuukuukuu~."
My lips twisted and I denied, "That is where you're wrong- it's a deception tactic! The wise Sun Tzu once said that you must appear weak where you are strong, and strong where you are weak; she's merely ceding the initiative for now, to get them comfortable, and once their guards are down she will open her beautiful blue eyes and dominate."
The Agares baby, Seekvaria, sniffled a little bit and wiped at her eyes before she rolled onto her belly and crawled on top of the puppy pile. Neither Sona, Rias, or Ravel let out a noise in protest.
I could feel my mood sour, just as Lord Lucifer's and Lady Leviathan's did.
"W-well..." Lucifer choked out.
Deciding to be the bigger man I coughed into my fist, "Well, little Rias and Sona are indeed cuties that outshine the moon and stars... so too does my little Ravel. So... for now, we'll call it a draw?"
I held out my hand and both Sirzechs and Serafall grasped onto it.
"Deal.""Deal."
Thus an unholy alliance was born, but little did those fools know that I had my fingers crossed behind my back the whole time!
So deeply enamored with my own perfidy I never noticed that Lord Lucifer also had a hand behind his back, and so too did Lady Leviathan.
Special thanks to Lmc9389, Artillery, AuraofCalm, Mioismoe, Southmonk, Darkarma, Acrimonius, T. Balewood, Randall Randall, Dominyx Black, CyberCrisis, Blue, Russ Stilter, Legion_13, Mike Fatal_Bullet, P. Nguyen, J. Ricardo Passos, K. Weierbach, R. Alderman, A P, Arrorn, Empty Shelf, PbookR, Mortaegus, Nevets309, Jake95044, Jackson R., G. Johnson, T. Dewitt, M. McGuire, DragonShark-Eater, Big-Tofu, Alexei A., Brandon B., David B., Grant L., Anti-Akuma, Cailk, Robert H., Jigawats, Joseph M. Teti, Konb, Stelliferous, A. McGregor, Jasticus, C. Wiggins, M. Compean, Dynrakmos, Lictor Magnus, Coolman59223, John the Gamer, J.Goncalves, and Shurukkah for being Patrons!
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A/N: This chapter ran a lot longer than intended, but I am a sucker for world building, especially when it gives little details that we're missing since we're taking fairly large time skips at a time.