Chapter 20: A Satanical Offer (I)
I approached the Sitri Manor's spiraling staircase, the same maid responsible for handling the celebration's reception patiently awaiting my arrival, for Lilith knows how long.
Frankly, I found it a little creepy.
"Lord Alduin, have you finished paying your respects to Lady Sitri?"
"I don't know whether you were watching or not, but I did a lot more than just hand Sona my gift over there." I couldn't help but smirk upon recalling the rooster's fitting dissolution at the hands of Thora.
House Buné wouldn't be the same without her.
"It isn't my duty to spectate the proceedings that take place in the main hall, merely to execute my Lord's wishes." In return, I was given a curt, dry response—the humor in my voice completely whizzing over her head. Apparently, being a servant means that expressing anything other than a poker face is a felony.
She gestured towards the staircase. "Lord Alduin. If you'd please follow me, the Lord eagerly awaits your presence upstairs."
"Lead the way," I nodded.
Sheesh!
I found it increasingly difficult not to stare at the firm outline of the maid's buttocks bursting through her uniform as I followed behind her. I might be imagining it, but I'm reasonably sure the Sitri Clan's maid uniform is a lot shorter than the ones at our manor.
Calm thoughts Alduin, calm thoughts.
I'm not sure whether to call Lord Sitri a man of culture or a perv, maybe somewhere in between.
"Lord Alduin." As we were ascending, the maid gave me a harsh, judgmental side-eye. "I suggest you retain your utmost focus for the meeting you're about to undertake. You'll need it."
Gah! I've been caught red-handed!
I was quick to clear my throat to recompose myself. "I'm always focused."
"I hope that's the case, for your sake."
We arrived at the uppermost section of the estate, greeted with the sight of a broad, elongated hallway. The flooring featured a carpet in a combination of dark blue and royal purple. The ceiling was lined with evenly spaced gilded chandeliers, and the walls were adorned with meticulously curated portraits of individuals I presumed were other members of the Sitri Clan, past and present.
Whether most of them were still alive or not was anyone's guess, given the limited information I had access to.
Step by step, she continued to lead me down the confines of the hallway, presumably until we reached Lord Sitri's office.
"They await you inside, Lord Alduin." The maid stopped in front of one of the doors, my expression contorting in response to her offbeat choice of words.
"They? I thought I was just meeting Lord Sitri?"
I'll admit, I'm starting to get a little spooked here. Mainly because I'm unable to sense whoever's supposed to be on the opposite side of the door, the only people who've managed to conceal their presence from me in my lifetime successfully are Thora, Sebastian, and Martha.
I'm not sure how powerful Lord Sitri actually is, but as far as I know, physical might isn't among his reputable accolades.
"What are you waiting for out there? ☆ There's no need to get cold feet, I promise we won't bite! ☆ Come on in! ☆" A bright, cheery voice called out to me from within. A voice that I could've sworn I heard on television once or twice before.
"Great, now we've spooked him." A more composed, regal voice joined in. "This is why I said we should've just approached him outright."
"Mou! ☆ I would've done that if his maid wasn't sticking to him like superglue all the time! ☆ We wouldn't be able to have a proper conversation with Seb and the bitch— Cough! Cough! I mean, Martha's ears looming around."
The maid didn't utter a word, simply opening the door and waiting for me to enter.
Yeah, an arrangement like this totally isn't suspicious as hell. That said, I don't feel any particular hostile intent coming my way, so maybe this situation isn't as perilous as I think.
Also, I'm pretty sure someone was just about to call Martha a "bitch".
With weighted steps, I cautiously made my way inside, greeted with a spacious, lavishly decorated office covered in antique furniture that suggested its owner was quite the old head. I could smell the aroma of freshly brewed coffee wafting through the atmosphere, alongside that of baked goods that my body definitely wasn't capable of consuming.
And once I drew closer enough, I was met with the sight of two cerulean colored couches facing opposite each other in the center of the room. Each with a different figure sitting on them, both of which I had never seen before.
At least not in person.
"Ya-hallo! ☆ Al-chan! ☆"
A short, womanly figure leaped up from the couch. Running up to me while waving with cartoonishly exaggerated movements.
Bounce~ Bounce~
And by the looks of things… one area of her body is definitely moving around a lot more than the rest.
She had raven hair tied into twintails by a pair of bright pink ribbons, and deep azure irises that reminded me of Ravel's. At first glance, I'd describe her stature as "petite", but upon getting a look at her sensuous, full breasts swaying in the air… I'd be delusional to say I wasn't second-guessing myself.
Clearly, getting that part of my composure down wasn't going to take some work.
Her attire looked particularly fitting for a noblewoman, consisting of a turquoise buttoned coat, a black skirt, and a matching pair of heels. Plain, but dignified at the same time.
Also… did she refer to me as "Al-chan"? Can't say I've heard that one before.
More importantly, I definitely feel as if I'm supposed to recognize her appearance. But I can't seem to put my finger on it…
"Serafall, try to tone down your usual rowdiness a bit. You're overwhelming our guest." The crimson-haired man, still seated, chided her behaviour.
Wait.
Did he just call her… Serafall?
As in… Serafall Leviathan? One of the Four Great Satans?
Oh fuck. That's why I recognized her appearance, because of her magical girl show on television! Not that I watch that kind of stuff… Ahem, since I'm obviously not the target audience for such material.
"Your Majesty!" I proceeded to do what any rational person in my position would, and dropped down to one knee. "I deeply apologize for not recognizing you sooner! I was informed that I'd be meeting Lord Sitri instead…" I nervously looked up at her, hoping she'd clear the air for me.
But instead, all I got was a stark, evident frown.
Shit… don't tell me I was already too late in paying my respects?
"First of all, I don't require such needless pleasantries. Especially when they're done solely out of forceful compulsion." The pitch of her voice deepened, losing its humor. She proceeded to latch onto my shoulders and effortlessly stand me up, proving that her short frame did little to reduce her might as a Satan. "Second of all, you needn't refer to me as Your Majesty. Levi-tan will suffice! ☆"
That's some serious code-switching ability if you ask me.
"And third of all," the crimson-haired man stood up, his heavy-duty, kingly armor giving off quite the presence. "Lord Sitri is currently downstairs preparing Sona's commemorative speech. We called you here under false pretenses to avoid attracting too much attention. I hope you understand that we didn't mean any offense."
As if I'd be suicidal enough to claim that the Sirzechs Lucifer, the Satan Lucifer, had offended me, whose face I had seen more than enough times both in newspapers and on televised news to notice with a single glance.
Still, to think that the Satan Leviathan and Satan Lucifer both summoned me at the same time…
Just what exactly am I supposed to make of that? I can't even begin to fathom what such figures would want from someone of my comparatively inferior caliber.
"I assure you, there's absolutely no reason for you to feel apprehensive." He spoke in a gentle, almost fatherly tone. Opening his palm towards a spot on the couch beside him. "Please, take a seat. There's much we'd like to discuss with you, and you have my word that none of it is of adverse nature."
"I see…" I walked over to him at an unhurried pace, my mind still plagued with boiling uncertainty.
"Of course not! ☆ I'd never wish anything ruinous upon Al-chan! ☆ Especially since he managed to get So-tan a gift that she liked! ☆" Serafall beamed, marching over and sitting next to me. Sandwiching me between Lucifer and Leviathan.
Supposably, I'm not supposed to be bothered by the fact that they watched everything that happened down there while I was left blissfully unaware.
Hold on, doesn't that mean they saw the little incident that went down with the rooster as well?
That can't be good.
"I admit, it was quite the refreshing sight to see Riser get a taste of his own medicine." Sirzechs smiled, causing my head to spin in utter confusion. Correct me if I'm wrong—but I think I just got praised for beefing with him. This is seriously turning out to be one hell of a day. "My little sister should return home with a fond memory, thanks to you. You have my heartfelt appreciation, and probably that of Rias' as well."
You know what? At this point, I might as well go with the flow.
If the Satan Lucifer wants to praise me, then I'm not going to try to shoot his compliments down.
"See? I told you he'd be a great fit didn't I? He hasn't even started yet, but he's already made a good impression on our babies." She huffed triumphantly, discussing something presumably private between them.
"Serfall, we only had two options in the first place. And for the record, I was also in favour of him." He exhaled in exasperation.
I don't know what's going on, but from the sound of things—I think they're talking favourably about me. Or at least I hope that's the case.
"Excuses! You just don't want to acknowledge my impeccable recruiting talent!" She pouted, crossing her arms together. "It's a real shame though..."
Her eyes drifted over towards me, an eerie chill crawling down my spine as her voice grew professional once more. A voice which I assume is her true one.
"If they had let you outside more often instead of keeping you caged, I don't doubt that you would've left a more lasting impression on my little sister. Such a cruel family you've been cursed with, I pity you Alduin, truly."
What did she just say?
I narrowed my eyes at her, debating how I was going to respond to her statement just then.
This conversation hasn't shown any signs of growing inhospitable thus far, and I'd prefer it remain that way.
Still, I'm not a fan of her bringing up that. Satan or not.
"Oh? That's quite the steely glare you have there, reminds me of your mother's." I couldn't say for sure, but her tone felt as if it were mixed with both intrigue and mild satisfaction.
Do I really have the same glare as her? Surely that can't be true… Can it?
"I think you're overstepping a little, Serafall." Sirzechs admonished her for the umpteenth time, motioning at me apologetically. "Still, I don't think she's completely out of line considering the circumstances…"
I flicked my eyebrows, reclining into the couch and folding one leg over the other.
"I'm afraid you'll have to be a bit more blunt with me, Lord Lucifer."
"No, I'll take the wheel from here." Serafall insisted, causing me to redirect my attention to her. "Alduin, you're nearly eighteen—and in all the time you've been alive, you've been reported at events taking place outside of the Buné territory a grand total of twenty-five times."
Tch, of course she had to bring out the statistics.
"Twenty-five. That's all, hardly more than once a year." She repeated, driving her point home. "I imagine, more than half of those instances were just you and Riser going at each other—those don't even count as proper outings if you ask me."
My fist clenched ever so slightly, but I quickly put aside any flickers of hostility that were about to swell within me. It's essential that I remember what kind of existences I'm sharing a room with. Undeniable powerhouses, both of which could snap me out of existence at a moment's notice.
"I think I know where this is going," I said, doing my utmost to sound tranquil. "You're about to offer me something in exchange for freedom from my parents' ruling on my… limitations."
If there's anyone capable of standing up to both Sebastian and Martha, it'd be a Satan. Two of them for good measure it seems.
"Oh my, that was quite the fluctuation in your tone when you mentioned your freedom. Is there something that Sirzechs and I happened to overlook? Something you'd feel inclined to share with us perchance?" She lifted her eyebrows, eagerly awaiting a response.
Interesting, contrary to belief, I might have some negotiating power here.
"I don't wish to push my boundaries, Lady Leviathan, Lord Lucifer. However, I think it only proper in this situation for you to introduce your offer first—since you are the ones who made the initial approach." I swallowed a nervous gulp, hoping my assessment of their character wasn't off the mark.
If it were, then I just attempted to leverage two Satans at the same time, and I'll probably be going home in a body bag as a result.
They exchanged a glance, nodding to each other shortly afterwards.
Serafall folded her hands atop her lap, her expression inquisitive and formal. "Very well. Alduin, how would you feel about becoming a part of the Department of Foreign Affairs?"
———
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