The Separate Paths We Take

by ZangetsuOldMan

In the history of the Devil Civil War, one nameless rogue will rise to infamy against the devils he hates so much. Along the way he will encounter heartache, lose and even a bond that would last long after he would fade into the pages of history. Here is the history of Rowland Moechor, the man who would call the Sitri heiress his partner. the only true friend he ever knew.

6. Chapter 6

So yeah, here we are again. Last chapter really pushed things up, didn't they? Now we finally get the 'big reveal' as it were. Well, big for Serafall and Kazgath at least. Also, I would just like to apologize as I just realized that I forgot to do cliff notes for the last few chapters. I will have to start doing that again.

LordMirror: Yeah, I can see where you are coming from with that. One of the big reasons why Rowland hesitated was that (despite what he says) he does have a good heart. Quite simply, he couldn't bring himself to murder a man in front of a young girl. The other reason is, shockingly, the complete opposite. The way that Night Scourge operates is by fear and what is scarier: a quick and relatively easy death or a slow and painful one? Also, got to remember that we are dealing with necromancers here so anything that that fat slug knew, Lord Eligos would just speak with his corpse to learn about it.

Now, without further ado, on with the show!

Serafall III

The masked man led them through the back alleys and away from the now ruined tower. He seemed quite in his element if she were to be honest. As he weaved through one corner only to go down a new one at the turn, it spoke of just how well he knew these streets.

"How much further?" She asked, barely able to keep up with the high speed in which the man was running. Say what you will of the noble life but running was never a part of it. Serafall thought that she was going to cough up a lung.

"We're nearly there." Night Scourge replied, looking this way and that as he led them.

Whenever there were a large group of people, he would steer them away and back down where he had led them. It was a bit annoying but understandable. They had just blown any notions of peace out of the water with the death of Gorthrath and the destruction of his tower, they needed to find somewhere to lay low.

It was only about a minute after the vigilante had said anything that they finally seemed to slow down. The man approached a backdoor to one of the buildings, knocking on it in a series of beats. They waited for a moment, the suspense almost killing her, before the door was opened.

"Boss, how'd it go?" A voice called out as the door opened. Serafall's eyes widened as soon as she saw who it was that was standing there.

"Rizamor?" Serafall asked, sounding confused as she looked at the teenager. She noticed how Kazgath had a calculating gleam in his eye, as if this were the final piece of the puzzle that he had needed. She wasn't too fond of what the picture was starting to look like.

"Make way Rizamor, we don't know who might have been following us." Night Scourge replied, walking through the door with the young Marchosias. "Set me out a few meals and some ale boy. I think that I have some explaining to do."

"You got it Boss." The lad replied, not hesitating as he did as he was bid. He looked back at Serafall, smiling a bit. "It's good to see that you got out of there in one piece."

The Sitri heiress nodded back, still a little shocked. Her eyes were kept on the rogue, narrowed as she tried to work out the walking enigma that was the man.

"Alright now kid, down you go." Night Scourge said, kneeling down as he put Jilriane down. The girl didn't seem to want to let go however, shaking her head as she gripped tighter and buried her face into the man's shoulder. It seemed that the young Devil had taken a shine to her protector.

Serafall chuckled at the man's predicament. If she were feeling generous, she would have helped him. However, he had a lot of explaining left to do and she needed answers.

"A little help?" Night Scourge asked, looking up at the two older Devils with a touch of annoyance in his eyes.

"Well Mister Moechor, I tend to find that when young girls insist upon something, it is hard to get them to break away from it." Kazgath chimed in, coughing into his fist as he got the room's attention. Despite the fact that he was looking at the masked rogue with stern in his eyes, Serafall could tell that he was a little amused at the man's situation.

"Ah, was it really that obvious Kazgath?" The rogue asked, the runed etched cowl disappearing as he addressed them. "What gave me away? Hopefully, nothing back at the tower."

"Oh no, you were actually quite mysterious if I do say so myself." The elderly Devil complimented, taking a seat at the table. "If I hadn't of taken that look into your soul earlier today, I would not have been able to guess. Indeed, it was your Sacred Gear that gave it away if anything."

"Sacred Gear?" Rowland asked, sounding confused. He narrowed his eyes a bit, tasting the term. "If you're talking about my cowl, I have no idea how that fell into my possession. It just, appeared one day for lack of a better term."

Serafall took a seat next to Kazgath, looking a bit upset at the whole situation. "So, all this time, you were just leading along?" She asked, looking a bit hurt. "Was anything that you said the truth to begin with?"

Rowland looked away a bit, a bit uncomfortable. "It wasn't a lie, not really." He admitted, still trying to pry the young Marchosias out of his arms. "Everything that I told you was the truth. Every word of it. The only thing that I did was, omit a few details as to my profession. And to be quite frank, I am not in the wrong for doing so." He looked back to the two, narrowing his eyes as he finally gave up on trying to pry the girl off of him.

Rizamor returned, a few trays of foods and mugs in his hands. To be honest, it was actually quite impressive for a boy his age. However, Serafall wasn't in the mood for pleasantries.

"How do I know that you didn't poison it?" She asked, still levelling her narrowed eyes at Rowland.

Rowland scuffed at that. "Oh please, if I had wanted to kill you, I would have done it the first night." He replied, glaring right back. "But no, I'm not someone who would kill a guest in my own home. I'm still me Lady Sitri, just please let me explain."

"What is there to explain?" Serafall asked, not letting up. "You used us Rowl, you sent us there because you wanted a shot at the Eligos." She looked down at her plate. A simpler meal, some bread and meat along with a slice of cheese.

"I did what you asked me to do." The rogue said, sighing a bit as he turned the young girl in his arms around so that she could more easily sit. "Tell me where I went wrong Lady Sitri. You said that you wanted to meet with the Eligos, I told you that it wouldn't work out and you ignored me. After that, I did as you bid and gave you your audience. What, are other Devils not like that? Please, enlighten me to where I went wrong."

"If I may interject." Kazgath stepped in, looking between the two. "I think that arguing over what has passed will get us nowhere." He looked to his mistress, nodding slowly. "Lady Serafall, Mister Moechor did uphold his end of the bargain. If anything, I would say that he only acted when diplomacy had all but failed. As much as he did hide from us, I cannot fault him for that." He looked disgusted as he spoke. "Thinking on how the Eligos acted, I can see why he was wary of us. Could you say that that is without fault?"

"But Kaz, we aren't like that!" The heiress exclaimed, looking taken back at the reprimanding. However, she could see where he was coming from.

The way that Gorthrath had acted, the cruel and dismissive way that he spoke as he toyed with little Jilriane. It was amusing to him. It was like the world was his plaything and that he felt no guilt for the harm that he would cause others.

No wonder Rowl fights against these people. Serafall thought, sighing as she let go of the anger that she was feeling. Things like this, it was a major reason why the Anti Devil Faction had risen up against the Satans. She could respect that.

"As for you Mister Moechor," Kazgath continued, turning to look at the innkeeper with an equally strong scolding tone. "While I could understand your hesitation to trust us, we were just strangers to us, I do have a question for you. Would you have protected had we been able to secure that alliance with the Eligos?"

"Yes." Rowland replied, not looking guilty about that fact. "If you had been willing to ignore all the atrocities that have been performed by their hands, if you had turned a blind eye to the injustice that the people of this city have endured? You would have been no more than hypocrites and deserved whatever punishment I would have enacted."

Serafall could appreciate that. Yes, if they had made that deal then they would have been spitting on what they had been fighting for since the beginning. If anything, she had to say that she respected Rowland for having the guts to tell the truth right to their faces. He had seen what she could do, knew that he was outmatched and still stuck to his convictions. How many others could claim the same?

Kazgath nodded in acceptance. "Still, I do appreciate your assistance in this matter." He said, a bit of the tension leaving him along with the rest of the table. "Despite your underhanded tactics, you still didn't abandon us when you easily could have to deal with the aftermath. If nothing else, that proves that you are a good man in my eyes."

"I was just following what I thought was right." Rowland replied, shrugging as he spoke. "You two seem like good folks to me. I guess, in a place like this, you just learn to assume the worst and work with what you got. I'm sure that you can appreciate that."

The heiress pondered that for a bit. "That does remind me, how were you able to slip in Rowl?" She asked, looking curious. "The way that they had the barriers up and with so many guards, it would have been damn near impossible."

The rogue smiled at the question, handing his charge some of the food off of his table to the girl's delight. "Well, I do have you two to thank for that." He replied, smirking a bit. "Well, one of the things that my cowl does is lets me blend into the shadows. Any shadow mind you, and I happened to have known two in particular that were travelling through that tower."

"You were with us the entire time?" Kazgath asked, raising an eyebrow in astonishment. "I didn't sense you at all. I have to say Mister Moechor, that is quite the handy trick that your Sacred Gear grants you."

"That's that word again." The rogue said, looking confused. "What do you mean by that? It doesn't seem divine or anything."

"Ah, forgive me Mister Moechor." Kazgath said, waving his hand a bit as he began to pick at his food. "You see, you are quite fortunate indeed to have one of those. It is said that the Lord, when he saw the destruction and annihilation of the humans during the Great War, took pity on them. He knew that they were weak and needed a means to protect themselves from the supernatural forces ravaging their world. So, using his infinite knowledge, he crafted several trinkets from the different creatures of the world and gifted them to humanity. Your cowl happens to be one of them."

"How are you so sure though?" Rowland asked, looking intrigued. "It just appeared to me one day, it could have been anything."
"Perhaps, but I did notice something when I was checking your affinity." The elderly devil replied, biting down into the cold bread. "I knew that something that been placed into your soul and the fact that you are human meant that that had to be a Sacred Gear. However, I have never heard of one like the one that you have. Though I will admit that such things are not my area of expertise."

Rowland looked a bit stumped at that, humming a bit as he bit off of the slab of meat on his plate. "So, what happens now?" He asked, getting back on track. The two guests looked confused at the question. "I mean, you failed to get what you wanted out of this little trip. Also, given the fact of what happened at the tower, you can be sure that Old Man Eligos is going to be aiming to kill you for that. Where do you go from here?"

Serafall looked a bit confused. True, they had failed to set up an alliance with the Eligos. A blow but not the end of the world for the Faction. However, they couldn't just leave things as they are.

"Well, there is a silver lining in this." The heiress started, getting the attention of the others. "Sure, we may not have gotten the Devil family that we wanted but we were able to get one nonetheless." She looked over to the young Marchosias sitting in the rogue's lap.

"Hm, you mean the Marchosias?" Rowland asked, seeing where this was going. "Are they one of the Seventy-Two Pillars?"

"That would be correct Mister Moechor." Kazgath answered, nodding as he glanced over at the brunette. "The Marchosias were a line of Pure Blood Devils that went extinct during the Great War. We had thought them all wiped out, but it appears that we were mistaken in this face. If anything, this might be more advantageous for us."

The Marchosias were Marquis and had command of thirty legions of demons. However, since the decline of the bloodline, said legions had decided to stay out of the fighting and simply protect their borders. Not an unforeseen reaction but not one that was working in their favor. If they could get the girl to her lands, then they could stand to gain those forces.

Rowland shrugged after a few seconds. "I don't know much about these Devil families, but she would be safe there correct?" He asked, sounding a bit concerned. "She would be safer there than with being stuck in the city."

Jilriane looked up in alarm at where the topic was steering. "No!" She exclaimed, gripping onto her seat (which happened to be Rowland's legs). "I don't want to!"

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry to say but this place isn't for the likes of you." Rowland said, patting the scared girl on the head. "You would be much safer with your family."

"I don't have any family." Jilriane muttered, gripping onto the rogue's leather vest as she stared down. "Ever since Mama died, I have been all alone." She looked up at her 'savior', a silent plea in her eyes. "Please, don't leave me Mister Scourge. You're my hero."

Serafall's eyes softened at the girl's plea. She could understand her reluctance to leave. If Rowland were the one to save her, she could understand why the girl would be hesitant to go. This was probably the first time that she had felt safe in a long time. She looked back at the innkeeper, wondering how he would respond to that.

Rowland seemed to be quiet for a bit, looking a bit shocked at Jilriane's words. However, he quickly snapped out of it as he turned away. "I'm no one's hero kid." He responded, his face going blank. "I just follow the teachings of justice. Anyone can do what I did. Hell, Serafall saved you about as much as I did."

The little Devil shook her head at that. "But you were the one that made Eligos bleed." She explained, as if the simple act had solidified her trust. "That means that you must be a good person. Thank you for saving me Mister Scourge." She smiled up at him. It warmed Serafall's heart to see the girl, who had no doubt been abused and who knows what else done to her, openly trust the roguish man.

Said rogue merely grunted as he finally decided to concede to the fact. "Alright, I can see that there is no changing your mind." He said, turning back to the other two. "Alright, I can make sure that she's safe while she is here. However, we still need to decide what needs to be done with the Eligos."

"Yes, you are right in that regard." Kazgath replied, placing his elbows on the table as they got back to the matter at hand. "Obviously, with what has occurred, we can say for sure that the Eligos are our enemies. That means that we simply cannot allow them to continue operating Nokkzaruz. The city is simply too important as a trading supply line to go unhindered."

"That is true." Serafall chimed in, nodding her head along to what Kaz was saying.

Everything that went to the frontlines had to first go through here. Rowland had said as much the first night. That meant that if they wanted to cut off the Old Devil Faction and get those supplies for their troops, the Eligos would have to be eliminated. From what she was able to see, that shouldn't be too difficult. Gorthrath was a fairly weak Devil, even for a nobleman. If they just had to deal with more like him then they would be set.

"And what happens once the Eligos are gone?" Rowland asked, looking a bit suspicious. "I doubt that you lot would just allow some random killer to take over. What's my guarantee that the new nobles wouldn't be any different than the old?"

"What would you propose then Rowl?" The heiress asked, looking back to the rogue. "I will admit that you are quite skilled and seem to have a fair amount of connections in the city. I could promise you a good position in my lands once everything was said and done."

Yes, she liked the sounds of that. Rowland wasn't the type to simply trust someone out of necessity. He was more the insightful sort. He could get a read on someone and figure out a way to take them out if need be. Allowing one of their allies to take the city could prove disastrous to said household if they weren't careful. No, they needed Rowland on their side if they wanted to do this and do it right.

"I thought I already told you Serafall." Rowland replied, looking straight back. "I was born in this city and I am ready to die in this city. I'm not going to let all of my efforts with taking out the Eligos go to waste only for some new snobs to come it. No, I want no nobles and no holding in Nokkzaruz once we're done. In exchange, I will use my resources and the connections to suppliers to get you your supplies."

"You know that no one would agree to those terms Mister Moechor." Kazgath scoffed, shaking his head at the idea. "You know how the households reacted when the Grigori moved in didn't you? They will never allow a foreigner to hold sway in their lands."

"A foreigner" The rogue asked, looking a bit angered at the term. "I was born on these streets; I was raised on these streets. My uncles raised me here and he died here as a man of Nokkzaruz. Say what you lot will but a lot of things, but you won't insult us like that. It was you lot that dragged thousands of humans to this dark and hope barren world to work your lands. I don't want to hear about how I'm some 'foreigner' or 'outlander'. If anything, why am I even brokering with you over this?" He stood up at that, Jilriane forced to jump off his lap as he rose.

"Boss, that's enough." Rizamor jumped in, trying to deescalate the situation. "You promised me that you would hear them out on this. You gave me your word."

Rowland narrowed his eyes at the urchin, displeasure on his face. He snorted once, retaking his seat reluctantly.

"Now, I think that there might be a way that we can easily get you custody of the city." Serafall continued, acting as if nothing had happened. "I can make it so that if the city falls to the Sitri household, which I believe would be fairly possible, I would be able to secure the rights to you and your lineage. If you agree to serve my Household and to assist the Anti Devil Faction, then I swear on my honor that we will rid the world of the Eligos."

Rowland pondered on that agreement for a bit. She could see as he thought it over, weighing the pros and cons of each side of the deal. That was good. It meant that he was seriously considering this arrangement. If all went according to plan, they would both get what they wanted. Rowland would be able to say that he did what was right and freed the city from the Eligos, proving his justice was the correct path.

She, on the other hand, would secure the city and its supplies for their troops on the frontlines. Also, just as important, she would be able to help Rowland. She still knew that he was a good person and nothing that had happened had changed that. Yes, everything would be perfect.

"We clean up the city first." Rowland responded, glancing up at them with a look of resolve. "After that, then we'll solidify this arrangement." He chuckled a bit after he spoke, shaking his head.

"What's the problem?" Serafall asked, looking confused.

"Nothing, it's just I never thought that I would be throwing my lot in with a noble." The rogue replied, a small smirk on his face. "I've been fighting your kind for so long, the thought never occurred to me. A cutthroat and a princess, I'd say that we make the perfect pair."

The heiress giggled a bit at the comparison. "Well, I'd prefer to say a diplomat and her new confidant, who just so happens to be quite skilled with daggers." She stood up, patting Rowland on the back as she got to him.

"Can I ask you something?" The rogue asked, looking up at the Sitri.

"Of course, anything. We're allies now after all." Serafall said, puffing out her chest as she spoke.

"How'd you do that? Back at the tower?" Rowland elaborated, gesturing with his hands as he spoke. "It was like, you were able to take all those poor souls out like it was nothing. Like, you just snapped your fingers and the whole world changed to some world of ice and snow."

Now that he dropped his guard a bit, the innkeeper sounded a bit thrilled? Well, maybe not thrilled but gleeful at the very least. Serafall found it light heartening to hear him speech in such a way.

"It's like we told you Rowl, magic is extremely powerful, and it is only limited to what your mind says that you can do." The heiress explained, tapping her temple as she spoke. "If you put your mind to it, you could do just about anything if you got the know-how and the proper affinity for it."

Serafall could tell from the look on the rogue's face that the thought seemed to intrigue him. She thought of the manner in which he had reacted to hearing about magic, the interest pure and simple. She could tell from the small encounter with the Necromancer that he was extremely skilled with blades. Couple that with learning about curses and hexes, he could easily become one of the strongest single target fighters.

Oh, she was strong. She was strong in the way that Ajuka, Sirzechs and other Devil powerhouses were strong. They could level entire armies with their magic and not be winded. Foot soldiers were nothing to him. However, Rowland was an entirely different breed of strong.

Rowland was someone who no knowledge of magic and only blades to rely on. So how did he try and level the playing field? Simple, he took what he had, and he mastered it to the best of his abilities. With no knowledge of what a Sacred Gear was, he had used in a way that went along with his fighting style. He was a perfect killer, someone that could fight a single enemy and take them out before they even knew that he was there. Those were the kinds of people that they needed.

"Hm, since you will be working for us, I think it might be a good idea if you at least learned the basics." The heiress said aloud, watching her new comrade with intrigue. He seemed to perk up at that, no matter how he tried to hide his emotions. "After all, I think that it will no doubt prove beneficial to your crusade against the Eligos. Afterwards, it will help you in protecting the city."

"Can this be done?" Rowland asked, crossing his arms as he thought about the deal. "Enough that it will be enough to make a difference. One cannot simply pick up a blade and expect to be a master of it within such a short amount of time."

"You are correct on that front Mister Moechor." Kazgath jumped in, seeing what angle his mistress was going for. "And it will be an uphill battle. However, depending on your progress, I believe that you could learn a handful of spells that should prove beneficial."

Rowland seemed to ponder the situation a bit more critically. His eyes narrowed as he thought about the deal, looking up once he seemed to come to a decision. "Not just me." He said, looking down to Jilriane and then over to Rizamor. "I want you to teach both Rizamor and the girl as well. You can consider this part of my deal for working for you in the future."

"Boss, does that mean…?" Rizamor asked, his eyes widening as his eyes seemed about to pop out of his head.

The rogue nodded as he seemed to come to a decision. "Yes, if I'm going to be accepting outside help, I might as well go all the way." He replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'll start teaching both of you what I know, should be enough to make yourselves useful." He looked back down to Jilriane, "That means you too little lady. You'll learn how to swing a blade after all this is say and done."

The young Marchosias seemed to perk up at that, seeming pleased. "You got it Boss!" She exclaimed, smiling up at the innkeeper. "I'm with you, you saved me and that means that I'm with you till the end." No doubt some of the martial code seemed to stick with the girl.

Serafall looked over to Kazgath, looking pleased with herself as she puffed out her chest. You could always tell what kind of person someone was by how they treated kids. And if she had to rate Rowland on that, it seemed that he would have passed with flying colors. Everything seemed to be shaping up quite nicely if she had to say so herself.

"Of course, I think that that idea has merit." Kazgath added, coughing into his fist as he got the attention of the others. "A high-born Devil should be able to defend herself after all." He began, looking down at the last Marchosias with approval. "I know that your family were fierce warriors on the battlefield and hopefully you will be able to carry on that tradition. As for the boy," He looked over to Rizamor, seeming to weigh the boy's weight. He nodded after a few seconds, looking pleased about something. "Yes, I think that this will work out just fine."

The heiress already knew that Kazgath was going to put those three through the ringer. Oh, they would learn. There was no doubt about that in her mind. What with the last member of one of the Pillars, what would most likely be a prodigy (she still felt that Rowland was still holding something hidden), and Rizamor seemed to have some potential if Rowland kept him around. Yes, this was going to be fine. If they all lived through the rigorous training.

"Okay, well, I think that this is going to be the start of a beautiful relationship." Serafall said, jumping to her feet with a spring in her step. "When this is all said and done, I think that Nokkzaruz will be a much better place!"

She could tell that that was no doubt Rowland's goal. Why else would he have gone on about staying here till he died and going through the danger of going after one of the Pillars. However, he was at least doing better than what most have.

"I look forward to working with you in the future Rowland!" Serafall continued, a bright smile on her face as she offered her hand to the rogue. "We'll be relying on you a lot for this."

Rowland looked down at her hands, back to her face as he too stood to his feet. "If that's what you said Serafall." He said, grasping her hand and giving it a proper shake.

She could tell that he had some fairly strong hands, a firm shake. Her father always said that you could judge a man based on how they shook hands. If she had anything to say about it, then that only cemented the kind of trustworthy person that she thought Rowland was.

Excluding the omitting details part. She thought, not letting that get her down as she retook her seat.

"Now, I would like to say that we worked pretty hard today." Serafall started, sitting back in her chair as she spoke. "We've been so hard at work; I think that we deserve a little something special don't you think Rowl?" She asked, looking back at Rowland with her puppy eyes. Now that business was over, they could at least get to do something fun.

The rogue looked back at her, sighing after a bit as he stood up. "Don't worry, I got something for this." He replied, standing up as he walked over to a set of stairs that went down to a cellar. He rummaged through there for a good minute, no doubt searching for something in particular.

"Ah ha, here it is!" The innkeeper exclaimed, returning with a dusty old bottle as he ran up the stairs. He seemed to be quite pleased with himself as he put the bottle down on the table. "I think that such things depend upon a toast don't you think?" He asked, pouring a bit of wine in three glasses, handing two of them to Kazgath and herself.

Serafall sniffed the wine a bit, nodding to herself as she found it to her liking. "This seems to be a good vintage." She said, looking pleased with the choice. "Where did you get it?"

"I stole it from one of the other strongholds that the Eligos had." The rogue replied, shrugging as he thought over his toast. "I found it after I killed a low-ranking lieutenant of their little empire. He was apparently a fairly skilled smuggler, getting things that they wanted with hardly any trouble. Well, let's just say that his last glass of wine might have had something added to it and leave it at that."

"You mean poison?" The heiress asked, eyeing the glass for a second. However, she quickly got over the notion. It was as Rowl had said. If the man had wanted to kill them, he would have just done it already. Why wait until after they had secured an alliance only to kill her? It would be counterintuitive and thus not worth it.

"No, actually it was a sleeping agent." Rowland explained, seeming a bit proud of his skill. "Poison is not really my forte, I fear. My uncle would have beaten me senseless over it. No, more I had dipped the man's bedsheets in a vile oil that burned his skin upon contact. The sleeping agent simply kept him from realizing what was happening before it was too late."

Serafall looked down at her glass, humming a bit as she thought on what Rowland. He didn't seem to take any sadistic pleasure in his killing at least. No, it was more akin to how an artist might describe a good piece he had painted. It was taking pleasure in doing a good job. She could respect that.

"Well, I would like to propose a toast to new allies." The heiress said, raising her glass as she smiled around the table. "May we find success in our future battles and strive to make a better world."

"I can drink to that." Rowland replied, downing his glass as Serafall slipped a bit from hers. "Hopefully, we can actually start making strives with those damn Necromancers." He seemed to be thinking on something as he started to pour himself another glass.

"Well, at least we know where everything stands now." Kazgath said, staring into his own glass as he swirled in a bit. The old butler was always more of a connoisseur than the other old servants. "I trust that you have an idea on where to go from here?"

"Of course." The rogue replied, not seeming too bothered by the question. "Though it might be a good idea to keep our heads down for now. The only people that know about you two being here was me, my contact and Gorthrath. Though seeing how things stand, I might need to get in contact with her soon. Amanozako has her pulse at the center of the blight infected city."

"Is she the Spider that we've heard about?" Serafall asked, seeming curious as she took another sip. This so called 'Spider' might be useful in getting to know more about their new friend. She was sure that she could get some information out of her if given the chance.

"Yeah, that's her." Rowland said, nodding as he looked away from the table. "She helped my uncle when he set up here and she's always been someone that I could trust. Hell, I'd say that Amanozako is the only person I can still call family."

Rizamor shivered a bit at the mention of the woman. "I swear Boss, I don't care what you say but that old crone was crazy. Hell, no wonder no one tries to pick a fight with her."

"Hm, well I think that we can discuss this all later." Serafall said, looking over to her butler as he gave her a nod. "We've had a very trying day so if you would excuse us."

"Of course, have a good night Serafall." Rowland said, going back to pouring himself another drink.

It wasn't until the heiress had left the room that she had realized it. She smiled to herself as she walked up the stairs. It seemed that Rowland had finally dropped the formalities. For some reason, that made her feel really good. Means that he might be opening up to me a bit.

The two devils didn't speak until they were back in their room. Serafall had walked over to her bed, jumping in the middle of it and landing with a trace of grace.

"Well, what do you think about all this Kaz?" The heiress asked, looking over to the elderly devil as he sat down at the desk. "Do you think that I made a good choice?"

"I am only a butler Lady Serafall; thus, I cannot say with complete certainty that we are travelling the proper path." Kazgath replied, looking over to the laid-back diplomat. "However, I think that securing Mister Moechor's loyalty would be beneficial to us. Did you mean what you said?" He pulled a piece of parchment from his travelling bag, turning his back as he started to write something.

"What about?" Serafall asked, already knowing what the old devil had meant.

"About giving him Nokkzaruz." The butler replied, not looking up from his writing. "Are you sure that that was a wise course of action? For a lowborn to be given such a domain, I cannot fathom what you are thinking."

"Well then, tell me something Kaz." Serafall said, looking over to her butler. "Who would you have given the region to when we secured it? You've seen how Rowland and Rizamor acted in regard to the higher class. I fear that such an approach would only encourage them to revolt against whoever we decided to station here. Add in the potential reinforcements from the Marchosias and it would be a bloody mess."

Besides, Rowland had bled for this place. She thought, knowing that such a reason would not resonate with Kaz. Rowland knew these streets and he knew how they worked way better than any of them would ever. They needed people who didn't think like the high class, people that were invested in the Underworld to look out for it. Rowland fit that criteria as far as Nokkzaruz was concerned.

"Do you really think that such a possibility exists?" Kazgath asked, his quill stopping for a moment as he pondered his mistress's words. "Hm, yes that would be a conundrum. With the way that young Lady Marchosias has been clinging to him as well as to be learning from him soon, no doubt Mister Moechor's beliefs will rub off on her to some degree." He narrowed his eyes as he ran the situation in his head.

"I believe that everything shall be fine Kaz." Serafall continued, looking peaceful as she placed her hands behind her head. "If nothing else, the city will still technically fall underneath our jurisdiction and this way we can teach Rowl that some of the things that he has been doing are not right."

From what she had seen and heard of the Night Scourge, it seemed that Rowland followed a code of sorts. However, his willingness to torture and kill in such brutal ways would need to be tempered. If they showed him a different alternative, one that still allowed his justice to be fulfilled, then she felt that she could get to him.

"Yes and allowing him to act as one of your Pieces will net the Sitri household a powerful ally." Kazgath pondered, looking pleased as he thought it over. "Yes, I think that this will be good. As long as we can start teaching him our ways and increase his strength, he might be a powerful lieutenant to you Lady Serafall."

"Don't get hung up on that for now." The heiress replied, staring up at the ceiling. "I believe that Rowl will accept the deal when the times comes. If we are patient and show him that we mean well for both him and Nokkzaruz. Earning his trust and having him become our confidant first will be our priority along with helping him take the city." She looked over to Kazgath, a questioning look on her face. "Do you think that you will have any trouble teaching them Kaz?"

"It should be no large issue." The butler said, shrugging as he went back to his writing. "From what I have seen of Mister Moechor and Rizamor, they both seem to be sharp of wit. Lady Jilriane might have trouble, but she is a high-class devil, and it is within her blood. However, I fear that her family secrets will have to wait till we can transport her back to her land."

Serafall nodded slowly as she went back to staring at the ceiling. Everything was looking to be good as far as she was concerned. Only time would tell if their hard work would be paying off. However, she needed some rest after such a stressful day. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep, letting the worries of tomorrow be left to tomorrow.

So yeah, I think that is a good window into Serafall's opinion on the matter. Say what you will but Rowland did use her to a degree. She has a right to be mad at him for that despite his intentions. However, she still sees that spark of good in him and I think that you guys will be interested in how Rowland looks at this new little deal.

Jilriane Marchosias: "The Guard Dog of Retribution", "The Halberdier of Justice", "Justiciar of the Free City of Nokkzaruz". These are all names that the current head of the Marchosias family has been able to carve out a name for herself after the Civil War. Nowadays, she is a common sight in Nokkzaruz and an enemy of any who would stand against the beliefs of her beloved Teacher. When asked about the Night Scourge, we were able to get quite a lot of information regarding the man. Perhaps a bit more than we were expecting. It appears that rumors of her being quite the devoted follower of Moechor were to be believed.

"Master was the kind of man that you could follow into battle. I never knew my father, or I don't count what scarce memories of him I do have, but I believe that he would have been accepting of Master's teachings. He was a hard man, a cold man at times, but he was also the best man that ever came out of these accursed streets. We Arbiters of Nokkzaruz are the true inheritors of his will. Though Master was a man stained in blood, he only sought peace and justice as opposed to carnage. We will carry on his legacy and make sure that any wrong doers pay the price for their crimes. We carry on this duty until our beloved Teacher returns to us and leads us once again!"

From what we have been able to gather, the Halberdiers within the ranks of the Arbiters of Nokkzaruz serve as the elite guards of the organization. They guard the city and are one of the more visible displays of power that the Arbiters have with outside forces. As opposed to the Shadows or the Executioners, the Halberdiers simply act as the martial arm of their more obscure brothers in arms. Indeed, I pity those that meet their death at the end of one of their blades (though I doubt that they are innocent if they incurred their wrath).