"What are we looking for, Balthazar?" Aqua asked, walking at my side.

After the meeting, I'd decided I should probably get to work securing some future supplies. I didn't know how much of what material Beelzebub would want, but I wanted to be able to deliver. To that end, I'd asked Aqua to scout some locations with me.

"Just keep your eyes peeled for any ore veins." I said, looking over the walls of the cave we were currently walking through.

This was the fourth location the two of us had scouted this trip. The only mine I knew the general location of was The Lost Mine of Phandelver that we'd set up shop in when we first set foot in Faerun. Well, the only mine that wasn't currently in use anyway. I knew of a few others, but I would have to steal them from the people already making use of them which I wasn't too excited to try.

I was trying to keep as much of a low profile in this world as possible. That was why I had Medea layer every location we'd set up shop in with so many illusory wards and protective barriers to effectively separate them from the rest of the world. I did not want to get involved with the locals here. There was too much baggage involved with that. Local pantheons, adventurers of considerate power, metaphysics and entities that I was very thankful I hadn't happened upon when I showed up here the first time – the less attention we drew the better.

That was honestly why there were some worlds I hadn't ventured towards yet. There were some places with entities I knew for a fact I could not compete with that may or may not be able to bar my entry or capture me mid-transit. With Aqua working with me, that possibility was far more slim, but it still existed.

One individual I really wanted to offer a place as my bishop existed in one such world. I was fairly confident I could get to them and that they would almost assuredly accept after hearing my offer, but the infinitely powerful monsters that existed in said world and barred entry from potential outsiders prevented me from reaching out. It sucked, but that was the way it was. There was no use whining about it when the risk of something going wrong trying to reach them or worse, getting on the bad side of one of the stewards of that world far outweighed the reward posed by said potential recruit.

When I first came to this world, Faerun, I'd taken a risk. Not as significant of one, but a risk all the same. Luckily, Medea was able to set up shields before we were noticed, or we were noticed and deemed a non-problem. Whatever the case, we weren't yet having issues, and outside of the scrying Medea did to find new sites and my short scouting excursions with Aqua, the only permanent residents in this world from ours were the skeletons, and they were all expendable, if mildly irritating to replace.

So far our stay in Faerun had been productive. With Medea's help scrying potential locations, Aqua and I had managed to locate a few other locations suitable for mining, but our current Adamantium mine was small with few ore veins, it wouldn't be able to handle a large demand for supplies, so Aqua and I were searching for a better one now.

Waving my hand, I moved a globule of magical light around the pitch-dark cavern. We were far underground right now. There was no source of light, and even without devil vision it was difficult to make out detail. Aqua walked a next to me, her sword unsheathed and held high, spilling silver light into the air as she looked over the opposite wall. There were some veins of adamantium in the walls, but they were few and small. I'd only counted three since arriving. This cave wouldn't make for a good mine. Not when we could find something better.

I shook my head. "I'm thinking this is another bust."

"We still have one more to try." Aqua said optimistically.

"Do you want to try it today or wait for tomorrow?"

"Let's go now."

"As you wish." With a wave of my hand, a Hole enveloped the two of us, pulling us to the final Location Medea had marked down as a potential. One of the benefits to having Hole, teleportation in general really, was large amount of ground you could cover with minimal effort. It wouldn't be feasible for us to have mines spread all over the world if we couldn't easily transport our skeletons between them and the ore they mined back out, but with Hole, I could do both with minimal effort, allowing us to roam as we pleased. The location we were scouting now was across the continent from our mithril mine, but Medea had felt adamantium at this location, so we were checking it out.

"Wow," Aqua said as she looked around, holding her sword high.

I looked around with an appreciative eye. The cavern we were in was large. The ceiling was easily one-hundred meters up and the walls were as wide as a parking garage. Snaking through the ceiling, walls and floor were veins of shining silver, sparkling in the magical light of Aqua's sword.

"I think we have a winner." I said idly, spinning in a slow circle to take in the space. This was the best location we'd scouted by far. We'd need to wait until Medea had time to lay her protections over it until we got started using it, but this was a successful trip. "Thanks for your help, Aqua."

She smiled. "Of course. Thanks for letting me join you. I enjoy these trips."

I opened my mouth to respond and a deep rumbling echoed through the cave around us.

"That's probably not good." I said, reaching into a Hole to retrieve my spear.

Aqua and I pressed our backs together as we looked around, searching for the source.

A second noise, louder this time. The ground shook beneath our feet.

"Up." I commanded. No sooner had Aqua and I rose into the air on our wings than a massive maw broke through the rock beneath us, yellowed teeth snapping after us as a wriggling monstrosity with sharp fangs and spines protruding out of a purple body rose into the cavern with us, thrashing about. I recognized the creature.

"Purple Worm. Don't let it bite you. Watch out for the tail. Hit it 'till it dies." I said quickly, already sending a cone of fire down into the creature.

The worm thrashed as my fire washed over it, wiggling its way back down towards the cavern floor. If it slipped back into the earth, it might not come back up so we could kill it. We'd then have to deal with the damn thing hiding in our mine. I needed to stop it from running away.

Aqua had drawn her sword. She, striking at the monster's flank, expertly slipping around its maw as it tried to retaliate against her.

I flew down towards where the worm had emerged from. I slammed the butt of my spear on the ground. A small shockwave emanated from me. The ground shook. Stone and dirt crumbled beneath me into a sinkhole, forming a deep pit.

The purple worm shrieked, its now revealed body flailing wildly. I stepped back into a Hole that transported me into the air above it to avoid a stab from its stinger. The worm coiled up like a snake rearing to strike.

Aqua leapt back as the worm's stinger shot towards her. She stabbed her rapier into the tail as it passed her, driving it deep and dragging it along, opening a gaping wound in the worm.

The creature bucked up and down, leaping free from Aqua's blade and coiling around itself. The head dove into the cavern floor, burrowing into the ground.

Fiery chains appeared in the air around me, sailing into Holes I summoned. Holes appeared around the creature. The chains flew out, wrapping around the worm, binding it in place as it tried to flee, its head still half-burrowed.

The tails swung wildly about until more chains wound around it, holding it still. The worm rose back into the cave, gnawing on one of the chains to try to free itself. Another Hole appeared above its head. I dropped through the Hole, driving my spear down into its head.

The worm convulsed under me, thrashing against my chains even as they wound tighter around it. On the ground, Aqua was carving up its side with her sword. I continued stabbing down with my spear as Aqua sliced it apart from the other end. The worm's struggles slowly grew weaker before it finally fell limp. I dispelled my chains and the carcass of the beast fell heavily to the cavern floor.

"Are you alright?" I asked, floating down next to Aqua.

She had a disgusted look on her face as she patted her armor down with glowing hands. The dark blood and slime covering her slowly evaporated into motes of magical light as she cleaned herself off. "I'm fine. It didn't hit me once."

"Sorry, I should have expected the caves may not all be empty. In the future, we'll bring a skeleton or two with us to act as bait."

Aqua waved me off as she sheathed her sword. "Don't worry about it, Balthazar. Watching Coal and Regulus spar so often has gotten me itching for a fight. That was enough to quell the urge for a while. What are we doing with the body?"

I frowned thoughtfully as I considered the corpse. After a moment's hesitation, I opened a large Hole beneath it, pulling it away. "Medea might find some use for it that I can't think of. If she doesn't want it, we can just burn it. We'll come back when she has time to set protections up here. Are you ready to go?"

At her nod, I opened another Hole connected to the one she'd locked open with her Keyblade before we left. Together, we strode through it.

X

We'd just about finished moving into the new building Serafall got us. There were still a few things we needed to bring over and a lot of empty space while we still lacked employees, but it was set up to the point we could work out of it now. Magdaran and I both took corner offices on the top floor with views of the city.

Latia split her time between my office and Magdaran's depending on which one of us was in the building at the time. She'd moved a second desk into each room where she penned letters that she submitted to us for screening before they were sent off to their various recipients. She was proving to be a big help. She hadn't tried to screw us over yet either, so that gave her major brownie points. I was still keeping an eye on her, and the protections Medea put on the building were always active, but I was starting to believe Latia was in it for the long haul. At the very least, she wanted us as favorable recommendations for whatever her future job might be.

I wasn't here for work today. It was a weekend, so no one was here for work. My sister had been asking for a tour of one of our shops, and I figured a new headquarters was as good of an excuse to see her as any. It had been a while since the two of us had time to chat.

She met me at the Abaddon Estate and I transported us from there. After showing her around all of the empty rooms and unused space, I brought her up to my office. The two of us sat down in swivel chairs and stared out the giant window overlooking the city.

"Pretty neat, huh?" I said.

"Pretty wasteful." Kuisha challenged. "You're not using half of the space here."

"True, but that'll change in time. We've already got our first devil hire. More will follow."

"So I heard. I was surprised Latia Astaroth had taken an interest in your venture."

"Relax, sis. I'm keeping an eye on her. She hasn't tried anything stupid yet."

"I was not insinuating that she had nefarious intentions, but it is wise you do not trust her blindly." She frowned at me. "But why go to her? If you needed help, why didn't you come to me?"

I spun in my chair to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"Your business is called Bael and Abaddon Trading. I would have thought you'd want to include me."

Was that hurt I detected in her voice? Did she think because I hadn't offered her a job I didn't want her around?

"I thought you were busy with being Sairaorg's Queen. I didn't know you wanted to be a part of this. Do you want to be a part of this?"

She pursed her lips. "I am not so busy that I wouldn't be able to help. Sairaorg has few affairs for me to manage. When we are not training, I spend most of my time maintaining the mansion."

"That's not a straight answer, Ku. My talents may be varied, but I'm not a mind reader. Do you want to be a part of the business?"

She huffed. "Yes, Bal," she said, sounding exasperated. "I thought you would approach me once you needed help, but you went to Latia first."

"Okay, first off, me not coming to you immediately when I need help doesn't mean I don't care about you. Second, Latia came to me. She practically threw her resume in my lap and Magdaran thought it would be a good idea to hear her out."

I frowned as my thoughts turned to Magdaran. "I'm completely willing to have you work here, I'd like it in fact, but Magdaran is a co-owner. I need to check with him first. You… There wouldn't be any issues with you working for him, right?" I was still well aware of my sister's long-term goals. She coveted Magdaran's heirship for Sairaorg. That goal could create issues in the workplace that I frankly didn't want to deal with.

"There will be no issue." Kuisha assured me. "It will be a good opportunity to build a rapport with him."

I considered her, surprised. "Does that mean your plans have changed?"

"The end result has not. But I now see a better path to achieving that result."

I felt a ping through the wards as someone entered the main door of the building. I started chuckling, drawing a confused frown from Kuisha.

"Speak of the devil. Magdaran just walked in."

She pursed her lips. "I have never actually met him."

"I can introduce you if you want? Just promise me you'll play nice. He's my friend." One of the very few I had.

"You don't need to worry about me starting trouble. Let's go greet him." Kuisha stood, and I followed. I led her through the halls to where I felt Magdaran walking through the wards.

When she'd layered the protections on this new building, Medea had given me the magical equivalent of administrator privileges. So long as I was within the bounds of the wards, I was essentially one with the building and could bring its defenses to bear with a thought. Tracking someone walking through the halls was trivial in comparison.

We met up with Magdaran as he was halfway to his office. He was looking down at a book in his hands, scribbling notes as he walked.

He started when he saw us, smiling as he realized it was me. "Bal! Good timing. I was just…" He realized I wasn't alone and turned to look at my sister. From the way he tensed up, I assumed he put together who she was.

"Magdaran, this is my sister Kuisha. She wanted to see the new building, so I was showing her around. Kuisha, Magdaran Bael, heir to the Bael Pillar."

Kuisha curtsied. "My lord,"

Magdaran's book snapped closed in his hand as he held a hand out. "Please don't do that. I… Um… I mean, it's good to meet you, Kuisha." He stiffly shook my sister's hand, looking rattled. I probably should have given him some warning before dropping his estranged brother's Queen on him. This was an awkward situation.

"So… Um… What do you think of the building?" Magdaran asked after a beat of silence.

"It is large. And empty. I was just talking to my brother. He told me you were looking for additional staff to help you run things. Is that true?"

"Yes. We just hired Latia, but we're still looking for more help."

"How fortuitous," Kuisha said with a warm smile. "I have been looking for some work to supplement my King's income. I would be able to help my brother transport your goods and am well accustomed to administrative work. Would you be amenable to looking over my resume?"

Magdaran stared at her for a solid five seconds without saying anything.

"Mag…?" I said, taking a step towards him.

He shook himself out of his stupor. "Oh, no. I mean, no, that would be great. Um…" He swallowed nervously. "Does Sai know you're… Is he okay with this?"

"I haven't asked him yet, but I'm sure he wouldn't have any problems with it. He has been telling me about your letters. He wanted to arrange a time to meet you for lunch in the near future. If you'd accept such a meeting, of course."

Magdaran inhaled sharply. "I'd… I'd like that. I'll send him a letter. Is he free next week? Somewhere public would probably be best. There's that pasta place we both like. I could…" He trailed off as if suddenly realizing Kuisha and I were still there. He scratched the back of his head. "Sorry. Welcome to the team, Kuisha. Bal can show you around. I need to… Forgive me, but I'll be in my office." He brushed past us, darting down the hall to his office.

Kuisha and I stood in the hall, staring off in the direction Magdaran had disappeared.

"That could have gone better." I said.

"I actually thought it went well. Considering this is the first true contact he has received from Sai. If nothing else, it shows me that I'm going about things the right way."

"To be clear, as much as I'd love to have you succeed in your ambitions, I'm not going to hurt Magdaran for you. I'm not going to be party to anything that hurts him either."

"You won't need to. After this brief introduction, I'm already confident nothing unsavory will need to be done."

"Good. Do you want to see the rest of the building?"

"Is it just as empty as everything else you showed me?"

"Pretty much."

"Then it can wait for later. I will be claiming an unused office on the top floor."

"Knock yourself out. The only ones that are actually being used right now are mine and Magdaran's. We can go over specific details about your future duties and contracts later when Caster is present."

"That sounds good. It's a pleasure to be a part of the family business."

X

A man with dark hair and soft, purple eyes sat in a velvet-cushioned chair, a tall wine glass idly swirling in his hand, sloshing the red liquid within about.

Zekram Bael was old. Very old. He had lived through more than most would ever experience, and he remained unbroken. He'd learned. He'd overcome.

The Great King had played this game the Underworld was so fond of for millenia. He'd stood atop all others for much of that time. The New Satans held sway in the wake of the Civil War they crushed their opposition in, but only a fool would believe Zekram to have been dethroned. No, he still held his own power. Favors owed, calculated influence, his own personal strength – Zekram was far from removed from the goings on of the Underworld.

There was little news he was not one of the first to hear. So many mouths reported to him as to be a sea of secrets. Things had been quiet for a time, but the sea was disturbed recently.

At first it was a small thing. The Abaddon boy, the bastard as Bedeze referred to him so viciously, had earned his place among the ranks of the Underworld's High Class devils, and at such a young age. Bedeze had grown into a great pawn of Zekram's, so the achievement of the young devil who shared his name had piqued Zekram's curiosity. He watched Balthazar's match against the reincarnated brute with a Twice Critical. Not much was gleaned from the brief encounter, but it stuck in Zekram's memory. He'd planned to potentially call on the boy in another decade or two and thought that would be the end of it.

Then there were more whispers.

Rumors of Balthazar Abaddon's rapid acquisition of a Queen Piece referred to only as 'Caster', an obvious alias if ever there was one. Little was known about the Queen. Zekram would admit to a small amount of curiosity, but the secret was ultimately beneath his notice. He had far more important things to focus his attention on.

Then the sea churned again.

A Pawn joined Balthazar's peerage. Again, almost nothing was known about him. What little information Zekram received had come from those agents he still had watching his disgraced descendant. Sairaorg had made great strides since entering his exile. It was one of the many reasons Zekram did not interfere with 'Lord' Bael's decision. Sairaorg did not inherit Zekram's Power of Destruction, but he had inherited Zekram's drive. Zekram watched him from afar, silently observing as Sairaorg gathered his peerage, struggled, grew. That was how he knew of Sairaorg's praise of Balthazar's new peerage member.

Sairaorg did not share much information, but Zekram had heard that Sairaorg said his Pawn regularly sparred with Balthazar's.

Few knew the identity of Sairaorg's Pawn. Sairaorg had been intentionally secretive of Regulus's identity as he should be after uncovering a treasure such as one of Heracles's labors. Regulus was a boon the likes of which normally went unseen in a lifetime. A servant worthy of Zekram's bloodline. All the more curious, then, that this beast of legend regularly 'sparred' with Balthazar Abaddon's Pawn.

Upon hearing that, Balthazar Abaddon finally had Zekram's notice. He had changed from a mere fascination to a legitimate inquiry. Zekram devoted some of his assets to keeping tabs on the young devil. Nothing overt. Balthazar still did not warrant his full focus, but he had become more than a passing curiosity.

Zekram was one of the first to learn of Balthazar's visit to Serafall Leviathan's office. He did not know the particulars of the meeting, but the after effects were clear enough to even those who had never heard his name. The youngest Baron in history, a self-made devil from an ancient bloodline that was slowly rebuilding his once great house. It was all people talked about in Zekram's circles for an annoyingly long time. They all missed the most important pieces of Balthazar's rise, pieces Zekram did not see fit to share with them.

Balthazar found a Knight next. Once more, little was known about her. It would be frustrating to a lesser man, but Zekram merely found it endearing. Finally, here was a devil who knew the advantage of keeping their mouth shut. So many devils born in recent years boasted on and on about their power and the strengths of their underlings as if it would grant them favor. All it accomplished was informing their enemies, both seen and unseen, of their capabilities. Despite his efforts, meager though they were, Zekram knew little about Balthazar's personal strength or the abilities of those he'd chosen to serve him. If, in the future, Zekram learned that Balthazar had hidden great strength belonging to both himself and his underlings, Zekram would come to respect the young devil, if only a little.

Then came the news that caused the ocean to upheave, sending tsunamis throughout the Underworld and beyond; a mithril mine.

Zekram had not believed it at first. It was too fantastical, too impossible. Any faction with access to such would guard it more zealously than the angels hoarded holy relics.

Zekram picked up the small dagger resting on a table at his side, spinning the hilt in his hand, watching the shining silver blade catch the light of the fire before him.

People suspected Zekram of controlling this mine. Magdaran, his Pillar's current heir, was in business with Balthazar, even going so far as to have his name first in the company's name. Bael and Abbadon Trading Co. It was always gratifying to see one's influence grow without lifting a finger to see it done.

Still, it caused Zekram problems. Even some members of his more inner circle now suspected he was hoarding mithral for himself, unwilling to share it with his allies. It would make sense that the discovery would be attributed to him. Unfortunate though it was, Zekram did not control this priceless resource, and he knew Magdaran did not hold the key. The boy had spent more and more time in his greenhouses of late. If things continued as they had, Magdaran would not be fit to inherit the Bael Pillar. Almost as unworthy as his father had been.

But that was a separate matter. For now, Magdaran had somehow embedded himself perfectly into Balthazar's operation. Zekram saw no reason to interfere. Magdaran could build a rapport with Balthazar and perhaps grow into his future role at the same time. Zekram didn't need to do anything but watch and wait.

Until things changed.

Serafall Leviathan had once more stepped into the equation. Evidently, whatever business she'd done with Balthazar had shown her something, something she wanted firmly under her power. Gifting Balthazar and Magdaran a building across the street from her seat of power was a statement Zekram could not allow to go unanswered.

Balthazar somehow controlled a mithril mine through unknown means. Serafall Leviathan was actively moving to secure Balthazar for herself, likely holding information that Zekram lacked. By exerting influence over Balthazar and the company, she also exerted influence over his heir and therefore his Pillar. She would attempt to steer Magdaran as she attempted to steer Balthazar.

This was unacceptable.

"You summoned me, my lord?"

Zekram did not turn to face the new arrival in the room. He set the dagger back down on the table. "Your nephew has made waves, Bedeze."

The blond man scoffed, adjusting his well-tailored suit. "The bastard is using my name to increase his lot. The house I left him and his sister was evidently not enough to satisfy the ungrateful brat."

Zekram fixed Bedeze with a glare, causing the other devil to flinch. "Whatever your personal feelings about the boy are, put them aside. The New Satans are working to bring him under their power. That will not happen. Get him in line. I don't care how it is done, but I would prefer a soft approach."

Bedeze smiled, conniving. "I'll start with soft."

Zekram made a dismissive gesture and Bedeze left with a parting bow.

Zekram was no fool. He could surmise just how 'soft' Bedeze's approach would be. So long as it alienated Balthazar from the New Satans his aim would be achieved. If he was fortunate, it would accomplish multiple goals at once. Zekram wanted to learn more of what Balthazar had kept hidden, perhaps even the secret to the mithral mine. If Bedeze applied enough pressure, such secrets may be forced to come to light. Beyond that, Zekram hoped for more.

The Great King took a sip of his wine.

Different people painted Zekram's machinations and goals as self-serving. None of them were wrong, but they were not fully correct in their estimation of him. Zekram ensured the power and prominence of the Baels because he firmly believed in devil superiority. The Baels were the strongest of the devils, so it was only right that they lead the rest to their place at the pinnacle. But no house could rise alone. Vassals and servants were needed, capable devils in their own right who would push their race to new heights.

Balthazar Abaddon showed promise. A pureblood descendant of a near-extinct family that was once powerful. A youth who already exhibited great strength. A man who pulled a powerful source of wealth from behind a curtain no one had even seen. Yes, Balthazar showed potential.

Bedeze would move against his nephew. Balthazar would either be tempered by the approaching storm or he would shatter and Bedeze would deliver what was once Balthazar's to Zekram's feet. Either way, Zekram's aims would be achieved.