I groaned, feeling stiff and sore everywhere. Everywhere but my head strangely. It felt as if there was a soothing energy rippling out from my forehead like a gentle stream. Considering the pain the rest of me was in, it felt like heaven.

"Good morning, master." a warm, amused voice spoke from above me.

My eyes shot open, revealing a smiling purple-haired woman in a black cloak. Her hood was pulled down, revealing her pointed ears.

"I hope your rest was pleasant." she said.

I felt panic take hold of me. "How long was I unconscious?"

The woman's smile turned to a small frown. "It had been close to twelve hours."

I let out a sigh as all of the tension left my body. I didn't miss my meeting with Magdaran. Locating my new queen had taken five days of nonstop effort. Add twelve hours on to that, and I still had a little time before our scheduled meeting.

A small hole opened next to my finger, allowing me to take stock of the store of demonic power I'd been hoarding for years. Over half of it was gone, used up in my frantic search for my queen. Years worth of power all gone in one desperate search. Eight years specifically. I was currently nineteen years old physically. I'd learned how to siphon my demonic power with Hole when I was seven. That left me just under four year's worth of reserves left over. It cost me eight years worth of hoarded energy to locate Medea and transport her here. When I'd told her I gambled my life on her, I hadn't been exaggerating. I was betting my future on her, and I had used up a significant portion of the demonic energy I intended to use as a trump card to find her. Locating Medea had cost me, but she'd agreed to become my Queen so I'd do it again in a heartbeat. Although, it was causing me to reassess some things. If every time I used this ritual would be that costly, I would need to think of something else to gather a peerage. I didn't have years to save up additional power. I was already on the Bael's radar. Still, things could be worse.

My eyes tracked up, meeting the purple irises of the woman above me. Things could be a lot worse. Wait a second… Was my head resting in her lap?

"That is a unique power. What does it do?" she asked, turning to look at the Hole I'd summoned.

"It's my family's magic. It's called Hole. The most rudimentary use is to create portals, but it's more versatile than that. It's how I was able to find you. Speaking of…" I slowly stood up, shaking off a jolt of shock as I realized that, yes, I had been sleeping with my head on her lap.

The woman across from me was frowning, almost pouting as she stared down at her legs where my head had just rested.

"Sorry," I said, drawing her attention. "I didn't mean to pass out before we formally met. Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Balthazar Abbadon, bastard son of the House of Abbadon and your new King."

The woman met my gaze and levitated from her sitting position to her feet. She stood several inches shorter than me, but I knew what she was capable of. I wasn't going to let her stature fool me into thinking she was weak. She was a demigod for Satan's sake. She was worth all of the demonic power I'd stored up over the years and more. Losing only as much as I had to gain her was a trade I would make a thousand times over.

"And I, as I am sure you already know, am Medea of Colchis, the Witch of Betrayal, and your new Queen, master."

I held up my hand awkwardly as she addressed me. "Um… You don't have to call me master. Just Balthazar or Bal is fine. I want my peerage to be a family. It's hard to foster that kind of atmosphere if I'm forcing everyone to call me by titles."

She chuckled, her lips pulling up into a conspiring grin. "How kind of you, master. In that case, I will address you as I like, master." She seemed awfully content with herself.

Well, if she wanted to call me 'master', I wasn't going to make a big deal of it. It felt a little weird for Medea of Colchis to call me that, but I chalked it up as a hold-over from her time in the Throne of Heroes, and as a Heroic Spirit.

"Thank you for looking after me while I was unconscious. I'd have liked to present a more capable front, but–"

"You needn't worry about that, master. I took the liberty of familiarizing myself with my new surroundings while you were sleeping. This ritual you've created," She motioned down to the magic circle beneath us. "Is quite extraordinary. I've already found several amateur mistakes you made that decrease its efficiency and impede its work, but that is expected for a young mage." She clapped her hands together as she bounced in place excitedly. "Now that I'm here, I can help you fix those mistakes."

"I would gladly welcome your assistance." Lessons in how to improve my magic from one of the best witches to ever live? What possible reason could I have to refuse?

"Come on," I said, motioning for her to follow me as I walked towards the door, suppressing a wince of pain as my sore body protested the movement. "I'll show you around and give you the basic rundown of this new world you find yourself in, then I'll bring you up to speed on the situation I find myself in and how it will affect you."

"There's no need, master."

I turned around, confused.

An object levitated up into Medea's arms which she then held up to show me. Was that my laptop?

"I explored the grounds and researched the world while you slept. I also found the letter you left in the dining room, but I believe I lack context about why a lunch with the Bael Heir would drive you to exhaustion trying to summon help." Seeing my puzzled expression, she frowned. "Is there an issue with my actions, master?"

I snorted. "Not at all. You just surprised me with how much you got done while I was out. Since all of that's out of the way, how would you feel about getting some food? You've just been reincarnated, why not enjoy it a little?"

Medea's eyes widened slightly. "I think… I think I would enjoy that, master."

I held out my hand invitingly. "Then let's go."

X

Medea shifted awkwardly in her seat, staring intently at the wall opposite her as I entered the dining room.

"Sorry that it took so long." I said, setting a plate down in front of her. It wasn't anything fancy. I just quickly made up some chicken curry, skills left over from having to cook for my family regularly in my first life.

"Thank you, master," Medea said, hesitantly picking up her fork and poking at the food. She took a small bite and her eyes widened. Here pointed ears twitch up and down, so quick I might've missed it if I'd blinked. That was adorable.

"Good?" I asked.

Medea nodded, another bite already in her mouth.

"Well, I'm glad. Can I get you anything else? I don't have much in the way of spirits, but I'm sure I could scare up some wine." Neither Kuisha nor I were very big drinkers, but we kept a meager stock in the house in case we ever had to host guests unexpectedly.

"I… Red wine?" she seemed hesitant to ask.

"Coming right up." I set my plate down across from her then left to retrieve the wine. I returned with a pair of wine glasses and a bottle, reading the label as I walked in. "1455 Pinot Noir. I have no idea what that means, but I'm hoping it means it's good." I said, setting a glass down in front of Medea and uncorking the bottle.

I wasn't a sommelier. I didn't drink much, not at all really, so I didn't know much about fine wines. There were a slew of people in the Underworld who obsessed over the stuff though. Collectors would fight tooth and nail over stock left over from prominent ancient cities and long-forgotten eras. A bottle from Rome was recently sold for a small fortune. I'd only paid attention because I was planning on setting up a business. I didn't plan to trade in wine, but it didn't hurt to keep my options open.

I poured us both a glass, then sat down across from Medea, digging into my own curry.

She took an experimental sip of the wine and a pleasant smile grew on her lips. I'd take that to mean 1455 Pinot Noir was good.

"When I agreed to become a devil's servant, I would not have expected him to cook me meals nor serve me drinks." Medea said, a small smile on her face as she took another sip of wine.

"I'm your King, but that doesn't mean you should grovel before me. And if I want to do something nice for you to show my appreciation for taking my offer, then I'll do it."

Medea set her glass down, looking down at the plate of food in front of her. "I saw many things on the Devil Net. There are many Devil Kings who treat their peerage as a menagerie to show off to their political allies. Others mistreat their servants." She looked up, meeting my eyes. "I suppose I should be grateful it was you who pulled me from the mud I was dying in."

"I'm just glad everything worked out. I…" I trailed off, flexing my magic and looking around with narrowed eyes. The wards… Something had been done to them.

"Medea, did you improve the wards while I was unconscious?"

"Yes. The defenses around your home were not sufficient to defend us. I still need to improve them, but I believe they are now at least passable. Did I overstep?"

I shook my head, relaxing. "No, I appreciate it actually. Next time though, do me a favor and let me know. You're welcome to work on whatever projects you want, just keep me apprised of them so they don't catch me off guard."

"I am your servant. Will I not be undertaking your projects?"

"You will, but I don't want to be a King like those you read about. I'll make sure you get free time, and when you have it, feel free to do whatever you want." I winced. "I say that, but I'm going to need to monopolize your time in the immediate future."

Medea was smiling. "You would not have summoned me if you didn't need my help, and you were very clear about your intentions prior to reincarnating me." A letter written in gold ink levitated up into the air to be caught between her index and middle finger. "I would assume your current troubles have something to do with this letter?"

I filled Medea in on the context she was missing regarding my current situation as well as a few gaps in her knowledge that appeared. She hadn't had time to look up everything on the Devil Net, but she had a solid foundation to build from.

We were done eating now, our plates set off to the side. Medea was on her fourth glass of wine, though it didn't appear to be affecting her all that much. I'd poured myself a glass, but only taken a few sips from it, I wanted to stay focused on the matter at hand.

"Unless my estimation is inaccurate, I do not see how the Bael heir could force you into his peerage." Medea said, examining the letter in her hands as she gripped her chin in thought. "He clearly wants you, but he couldn't take you by force without upsetting the New Satans."

"But he could pressure me to join, right? His family has a lot of influence. If they take my refusal as an insult, they could make things difficult for us."

"They do, but that just means you have to offer them something else to appease them." Medea let the letter go. It drifted across the table to rest in front of me. "You told me you plan to open a trading business. What do you plan to trade?"

"Anything I can get my hands on really. I was planning on acting as a middleman for other merchants. With Hole," I held up a hand and conjured a Hole to help emphasize my point. "I can bring shipping costs down to near zero."

Medea made a considering sound. "I am not a businesswoman, but I imagine it would be easier to first establish yourself as an independent merchant before selling your services. With your ability to quickly and securely deliver a product, you should have an advantage in the market. Tell me, master, how common are magical items in this world?"

I closed my fist, dispelling the Hole above my hand. "That depends on what you're talking about. Everyday items are fairly common among wealthier families, though the quality varies. As far as weapons, armor and the like though, there is far too much demand and far too little supply."

Medea grinned like a fox. "I believe I have the solution to your problem, master."

X

Medea outlined her plan to me then disappeared down into the basement. Since there was a shortage of magic items in the supernatural market, Medea thought that the two of us together could make an absolute killing. With her Item Creation skill, she'd make magical items, weak magical items by her standards, that we could sell. With Hole, I could reliably transport her products throughout the Underworld and beyond. We could open up channels to do business with other factions, but that was for the future.

For the present, Medea was setting up a workshop in the basement where she would make a few items as a proof of concept. I would then approach the meeting with Magdaran intending to use it as a meeting with a prospective business partner.

The plan worked because my business plans not only gave me a shield to politely refuse Magdaran's offer to join his peerage, but it also would be the expected move. If a Pillar Devil invited you to lunch when you yourself were a low-born devil with big dreams, using the meeting to your advantage would be expected.

With any luck, I could make Magdaran so annoyed with my insistence that he help me with my business that he just threw me out. There would be little in the way of recompense from Clan Bael because I would have offered to let them aid me in my business pursuits. Of course, there was the possibility that Magdaran agreed to assist me, but an investment from him in exchange for a small percentage of earnings was worth not being reincarnated into his peerage. I'd still be free, and I could worry about getting the Bael's fingers out of my business later.

I was feeling much better about this whole situation now. With a calmer head, I was realizing I might have blown things out of proportion after receiving Magdaran's letter. I wasn't true nobility, but I was an Abaddon, and our name meant something. If I was clearly displeased with Magdaran's offer, there would have been pushback from other pureblood devils lacking status against letting him reincarnate me because that would set a poor precedent for other lower, near-noble houses, potentially turning them hostile to the new government of the Underworld.

This was why I needed a capable Queen. I needed someone to help me think things through without getting singularly focused on one aspect of a problem. Despite the power I'd burned to retrieve her, despite the panic that fuelled my desperate gambit, despite my initial doubts about whether or not she would stay with me, despite everything, I could not have been happier that I'd chosen Medea as my Queen. She'd held the position for less than a day and already, the wards around my house were improved, I had a plan to deal with the Magradan situation, and I had an avenue to market my business as something other than a glorified courier service. She was setting groundwork for the future, those weren't the actions of someone looking to jump ship, but someone who was invested in our mutual success. I'd burned through power equivalent to eight years of my life to find her. I would do it over and over again to achieve this same outcome.

My Queen had also pointed out a rather important detail regarding my meeting with Magdaran that I had completely overlooked. I knew that accepting a position in Magdaran's peerage would have been akin to spitting in Sairaorg's face. It was one of the many reasons I had resolved not to join Magdaran. I knew that I wouldn't be joining his peerage, but what would I think if I were in Sairaorg's shoes and someone I'd thought I was loose allies with was seen having lunch with the man who stole my inheritance? Yeah, a bit of an oversight, that. I was just glad it was pointed out to me before I went to lunch with Magdaran. It would be far easier to explain things before our meeting than to make excuses after the fact.

While Medea worked downstairs, I went upstairs to shower and change into some nice clothes. After sending Medea a ping through the wards to let her know I was departing, I exited the manor.

I summoned a small Hole over my hand, flicking the point of darkness three times before letting it fade. I waited a beat, then opened a larger Hole that I walked through. Sairaorg's estate was before me

A Hole opened in front of me before I even made it to the steps. My sister walked through it. She was wearing tight-fitting exercise apparel; sweat and dirt smeared her face.

"Balthazar," she greeted, a cold look on her face. "I was surprised to receive your message." Years ago, the two of us had worked out a bastardized morse code system so we could communicate with Hole. We could just speak to each other through our portals, but I didn't know what she was up to and didn't want to interrupt anything important. The three taps I'd sent her told her I was on my way to see her. "Tell me, brother, why did I hear of my dear little brother's ascent to High Class from the Devil Net rather than from his own lips?"

I froze midstep, slowly panning to look up at her. Yep, she looked pissed. "Umm… It slipped my mind? I kind of found myself in a bit of a situation immediately after I got home. On that note, is your King available?"

X

Sairaorg frowned as his eyes scanned the letter I'd given him. Like my sister, he too was wearing athletic apparel and showed signs of recent exertion. It would seem that I interrupted a training session. After I showed my sister Magdaran's letter, she immediately called her King. Sairaorg had invited me inside and bade me sit at his kitchen table. This was the first look he'd gotten at the letter.

"Thank you," Sairaorg said absentmindedly as Coriana put a glass of cold water on the table in front of him. She was only wearing a sports bra and high-cut compression shorts. If the situation weren't so serious, I would have been unable to stop myself from ogling her.

Coriana set another two glasses down in front of Kuisha and I, then left the room, leaving only Sairaorg, my sister and I.

Sairaorg sighed, weary, as he set the letter down. The boisterous grin he'd sported at our last meeting was not present. He looked tired, sad. "Dammit, Mag." he cursed quietly.

"He wants to publicly embarrass you." Kuisha said, eyebrows furrowed in fury.

"Not necessarily. He could just want someone at his side as capable as you're proving to be at mine." Sairaorg said quietly, like he was trying to convince himself rather than us.

"We need to prevent this."

Sairaorg shook his head. "There's not much I can do. I don't have any friends any more. They all cozied up to Mag the moment he became the Bael heir. Short of taking Balthazar into my peerage…" he turned to look at me, "I don't suppose you've changed your mind?"

"Sorry to say that I haven't."

"Then there isn't anything I can do." Sairaorg said, sounding regretful, but resolute. "Magdaran has as much of a right as I do to petition you to join his peerage. The fact that he has more backing than I do just means his offer will be more…heavy-handed."

Kuisha put her arm on mine from her seat next to me. "Bal, I know you've never enjoyed the idea of being in a peerage, but–"

"My Queen and I have already arrived at an acceptable solution."

Kuisha withdrew her hand, shocked. "Your Queen?"

Sairaorg looked at me intently. "I was under the impression you'd only just passed the High-Class test."

"You remember how I told you I had plans for my peerage, Ku? Well, I finally had an opportunity to actually act on those plans. I already reincarnated my queen, and depending on how things go during the meeting, we should be able to recruit my first knight a short time after my meeting with Heir Bael." I wasn't sure how Sairaorg felt about his brother, so I was using his title to be respectful. I doubted Sairaorg was the kind to care overly much about decorum, but I would be meeting with Magdaran personally soon. If a lowly, Pillarless devil like myself attended that meeting and talked to him like we were old buddies, I'd piss people off. Better to start practicing my kow-towing now.

As to the possibility of reincarnating my knight, I was pretty sure we could pull it off. Yes, summoning and reincarnating Medea had cost me over half of the demonic power I'd saved up over my life, but I'd been desperate, rushing. So long as the meeting with Magdaran went well, I would be able to take my time. With Medea's help improving the ritual and the experience I'd gained from finding my Queen, we should be able to find my potential knight without sacrificing nearly as much of my saved power.

"You did tell me you had plans, but I didn't know they were already in motion. You work fast, little brother." Was that a hint of hurt I detected in Kuisha's tone? Did she take me keeping the details of my plans from her as a slight?

"If you can't recruit your knight until after the meeting, then how does that help you deal with my brother?" Sairaorg asked.

"Sorry, I could have phrased that better. My prospective knight has no bearing one way or the other on how we plan to handle the meeting. I will not be joining Magdaran's peerage. Instead, I'll be petitioning him for help with a business venture my Queen and I are working on. We decided that was the best way to go about this so everyone leaves happy. I'd rather avoid making any perceived slights against heir Bael."

"Then why come here?" Sairaorg asked.

"I figured it was better that you hear all of this from me than for you to overhear Underworld gossip about how I was meeting your brother behind your back. I'd like to think we're on fairly good terms, and I didn't want to jeopardize that when all I had to do to stay on good terms was keep you informed of the situation."

Sairaorg gave me a small smile. "I appreciate that, Balthazar, but I wouldn't have held it against you. You have a right to act on your peerage's behalf without justifying yourself to anyone."

"Sure, but that doesn't mean I'm going to forget who my friends are in the process. I may not have accepted your offer to join your peerage, but that doesn't mean I don't understand and appreciate everything you were offering me, Sairaorg." If I didn't have memories from my first life, I probably would have taken Sairaorg's offer. He wasn't the Bael heir anymore, but he was a strong devil all on his own. Being his bishop would have protected me from Underworld politics. Unfortunately for him, my goals required that I expose myself to that world while standing on my own two feet. Still, Sairaorg was a good guy. I wanted to stay on good terms with him if possible.

Sairaorg chuckled. "I wouldn't have taken it personally, but thanks for stopping by anyway, and feel free to call me Sai. Your sister is my Queen. We're gonna be around each other a lot."

"Then you can call me Bal." I stood up. "Sorry for interrupting your training, but I wanted to let you know what I was up to before there were any misunderstandings. I'll get out of your hair."

"Bal, wait." I stopped as Ku called after me. She turned to Sairaorg. "I would like to meet my brother's Queen. Would you mind if I accompanied him home?"

Sairaorg shrugged. "Go for it. I'll let everyone else know where you are."

"Thank you." She stood, walking over to my side. "Shall we?"

"Do you want to shower first?"

"I can shower at the manor if I am so inclined."

"Alright then." I threw a wave Sairaorg's way. "I'll see you around, Sai."

"Take care when you meet with Magdaran, Bal. He's my brother, but he… Just be careful."

I wanted to ask exactly what Sai was warning me about, but a glare from my sister kept my mouth shut. If there was something I needed to know, she'd tell me later.

Kuisha led me outside Sairaord's mansion and I opened a Hole back home. As we emerged in front of the manor, I sent two pings through the wards. Medea and I hadn't had time to discuss how to let each other know about unexpected guests, but hopefully she would understand that I had someone with me.

I led Kuisha into the house and into the dining room.

Rather than sitting down, Kuisha walked over to where Medea had been sitting this morning and picked up the wine bottle that was still on the table, swishing it gently in her hand. The bottle was almost empty.

"Bal, please tell me my absence hasn't driven you to become a drunkard." Kuisha said, a tired look in her eyes.

"My Queen and I were celebrating her reincarnation. This is not a regular thing."

Kuisha shook her head and set the bottle back down. A third figure swept into the room immediately after, preventing me from having to continue discussing the topic of alcohol with my sister, a fact I was grateful for.

Medea was still wearing her dark cloak and purple dress, but she'd pulled her hood back up, hiding her hair and her ears. My sister looked her up and down with an appraising eye as she entered the room.

"Kuisha, allow me to introduce my Queen…" I trailed off.

Medea flowed into the room, extending a hand in greeting to my sister as she picked up her introduction where I left off. "I'm Caster. It's good to meet you, Kuisha. I've been looking forward to meeting my King's sister. He's told me about you, but it's nice to put a name to the face."

I held back a sigh of relief as the two women shook hands. It's not that I didn't trust my sister, but I really didn't want anyone to know I'd reincarnated Medea of Colchis as my Queen. That would cause a significant number of issues. Judging by the way Medea introduced herself, it seemed she shared my position. That, or she was following my lead. Either way, I was grateful.

Kuisha's eyes were narrowed as she held Medea's gaze. "I wish I could say the same. Imagine my surprise when my brother told me he found his Queen today, not a week after passing the High Class test."

Medea's smile sharpened. "Oh? Well my King has been very busy recently. I'm sure he meant no offense to you."

Kuisha's posture was cold, confrontational as she said, "I took care of him as he grew. I know better than anyone how little he got out of the house, how few interactions he had with anyone who wasn't me. Who are you, and what are your intentions towards my brother?"

"Kuisha…" I tried to cut in gently, heading off this brewing storm before it could coalesce.

Medea raised a halting hand towards me, not breaking eye contact with my sister. "Thank you, my King, I can speak for myself. Balthazar saved my life. He has nothing to fear from me."

Kuisha pursed her lips. "See to it that doesn't change. I intend to continue this conversation at a later date, but there are other matters to discuss." She turned her back on Medea and walked back towards the table.

I felt tension bleed out of me. It would have been really ugly if my sister and my Queen decided to have it out in the dining room. I wasn't sure what I would have even done in such a situation, hidden behind a chair most likely.

Kuisha sat down at the table. I sat across from her. Medea, though, remained standing. She stepped up behind me and laid a hand on my shoulder.

Kuisha's shot Medea an irritated glare before focusing back on me. "You told Sai you're planning a business venture? Tell me the details."

"Well–" I started only to be cut off by Medea.

"Respectfully, this venture has the potential to be very lucrative for my King. If we shared every detail of our plan with you, it is very likely you would be able to take his ideas and beat us to the market."

"You think I'd steal from my brother?"

"I think I need to protect my King from the possibility."

"Can we call a truce here?" I asked, cutting into their staredown. "I understand we didn't get off on the best foot, but we're all on the same side here. Let's get through the meeting with Heir Bael, then we can sort out whatever this is. Sound good?"

"I am perfectly content to put these minor insults behind us." Medea said, smiling sweetly down at Kuisha.

Kuisha took a deep breath. "I wasn't asking what you were trying to do to steal your idea, Bal, I want to know if being attached to it could give Magdaran political pull. Sai is a great King, but he has no interest in playing politics. He thinks he will be able to carve a future for us with pure strength. He trains even more than you do, pushing us to grow stronger with him. He's right that devils value strength, but that alone won't be enough."

"What does this have to do with my business?" I said, watching my sister carefully. Growing up, I would occasionally catch glimpses of what I'd mentally dubbed her 'plotting face'. She was definitely plotting something right now.

"I don't need to know the details of what you're planning, Bal, but I need to know if it will put Magdaran in a strong position politically."

I shared a look with Medea. Her lips were pursed, considering.

Turning back to my sister, I said, "Depending on whether or not he agrees to help us, how much support he gives and how quickly we establish ourselves, it certainly could."

"Then don't let him help you." Kuisha said, pressing on before either Medea or I could speak. "With Sai's mother falling victim to the sleeping sickness, he was granted her estate and wealth. It isn't as vast as a Pillar's resources, but it eclipses what our house left behind for us. Sai put me in charge of his assets because he knows I will be able to use them more effectively than he can. Meet with Magdaran, make him an offer to partner with you. Give him time to think about it, then partner with us before he gets back to you. I know you, Bal. You only keep quiet about things that you believe can benefit from. I'd initially thought you were overestimating yourself…" She slowly looked up at Medea. "But I don't think that's the case anymore."

"The whole point of offering him a stake in the business was to avoid pissing him off. This? This will be worse than if I'd refused to meet with him. Rather than mildly annoying him, it'll be akin to if I'd slapped him in the face." I said, carefully controlling my expression. I think I had an idea where Kuisha was going with this, but I wasn't sure.

"No less than he'd attempted to do to Sai by recruiting you."

Medea's voice cut in before I could respond. "I understand my King is your brother, but you are asking him to make a powerful enemy for no benefit. Magdaran Bael's intent was to shame your King, not mine. Why should we do as you ask?"

Kuisha looked between the two of us as she spoke. "In the short term, you would have the Bael heir as an enemy, but in the long term? You'd have the Bael heir indebted to you."

"You want to get Sairaorg reinstated as the heir." It seemed I was right with my guess. My sister wanted her King to reclaim his lost title. It made sense. If Sairaorg became heir Bael once more, her own status and influence would skyrocket. She would be the Queen of the Bael Heir's peerage. Further, she was a pureblood devil with a respected name and a bloodline power. If Sairaorg shared the crush she had for him, she was in a position to one day become Lady Bael.

Holding Kuisha's gaze, I said, "While that would definitely be advantageous for a lot of reasons," Debts and my burgeoning friendship with Sai aside, having my sister as head of the strongest Pillar in the Underworld and being part of the reason she got there would be an amazing position to be in. "I'd be taking on a lot of risk here. I've seen some grumbling on the Devil Net, but nothing that would suggest Sairaorg was in a position to reclaim his heirship from Magdaran anytime soon. My disrespecting him won't do much to change that one way or the other. I could be at odds with the Baels for quite a while if I did what you asked, and there's no guarantee you'll even succeed."

"Then help me, Bal. You stand to gain just as much from this as I do. With the Bael's resources, we could restore our family's position. We could elevate the house of Abaddon, becoming nobility equal to the Pillars."

"I'm perfectly capable of seeing all the benefits to having my sister as Lady of the Great King Pillar. That doesn't change the fact that this would likely take centuries to come to fruition when I have yet to even establish myself. I need myself and my peerage in a position where we'll be safe before agreeing to make Magdaran an enemy."

Kuisha grinned victoriously. "But you would be willing to support me against him?"

"I have to do what's best for myself and my peerage. If, in the future, that includes weakening Magdaran to allow Sai to once more be heir, then I would do that in the future. I'm currently too weak and inconsequential to do much against him."

Medea lightly squeezed my shoulder as she spoke up. "We will need a full peerage and independent wealth before we can reach a decision. We will keep your goals in mind, Kuisha, but for now, I believe it would be best if you left. My King and I have a lot to talk about."

Kuisha frowned at the rather abrupt dismissal, but gave a jerky nod. "You can reach out to me at any time to discuss this. I'd also ask that you forward any prospective peerage members you yourself are not interested in. Sai is still searching for powerful people to reincarnate. It will be much easier for me to show him as the better option if he has a full peerage." She stood, nodding to Medea and I. "Good luck with your meeting with Magdaran, little brother. I look forward to continuing our discussion, Caster." Her parting words said, she left the room. Medea and I waited in silence until we felt Kuisha depart through the wards.

"What do you think of her proposal?" I asked. I'd gone looking for Medea for her input on matters such as these. It would be dumb not to ask her opinion.

"There are benefits and drawbacks to each path. With the ritual you used to find me, we do not need to concern ourselves with the Baels using their political might to prevent you from recruiting for your peerage, but it could benefit us to appear to be close to them. By doing business with them, we would have access to more information and trust than we would have otherwise. We could use that to aid your sister's goal if we wanted."

"And we'd be in a strong position regardless of whether her plans fell apart or not." I supplied.

"There is that as well, master."

I rolled my head back to look up at her with a raised eyebrow. "No more, 'my King'?"

She smiled playfully. "You're my King in public, and my master in private."

I snorted. "If that's how you want it, sure. So long as you're happy."

"What do you want to do, master?"

I drummed my fingers on the table as I considered my options. I didn't want to make an enemy of Magdaran right now, so I wasn't going to follow along with my sister's plan. That was too shortsighted. I'd initially wanted to avoid working with Magdaran, but Medea was right. If I wanted to help my sister, being closer to her enemy would be the best way to go about it.

I jumped, startled as Medea's hands came to rest on my head.

"You're frowning too much, master."

I sighed euphorically, closing my eyes and leaning into her touch as her fingers began caressing small circles into my head. Whatever she was doing right now had to be magic. It felt like she was literally massaging away the stress.

"Thanks, Medea."

"Of course, master. Have you made up your mind?"

"We'll try to get Magdaran to partner with us. It'll help us build up the business faster and let us keep an eye on him. It might give him a minor political boost, but in the long term we'll probably be able to get more out of being close to him then he'll be able to get out of us. If Kuisha's plans fall through, we'll still be in a good position. While we're building the business, we'll need to build up our peerage. I have enough power stored up for at least one more trek out beyond the Dimensional Gap, but it would probably be a good idea to start looking for candidates locally as well in case this next jaunt eats through the last of my reserves. I have some ideas on that front, but they'll take some looking into."

"I have some ideas in that vein as well, but don't worry about it right now. We can wait until your meeting with the Bael heir is concluded before making any final decisions. You still haven't fully recovered from summoning me. Rest, master. I'll wake you up with plenty of time for you to prepare for your lunch with Magdaran."

I sighed again, feeling a sudden drowsiness come over me. "Thank you, Medea. I picked…the best Queen."

Sleep claimed me. My worries could all wait for tomorrow.