Night descended gently on Valkarion Academy. The vast dining hall of the headmaster's residence was warmly lit by the glow of mana-lamps and the scent of wafting steam off freshly served food. Five people sat at the mirrored, rune-adorned table, five who stood for a central thread in Lucifer's past and future.
Seris sat with poise, her pride subtle but never absent in the rigidity of her back and the slight shaking of her silver fork almost imperceptibly. Her honey-golden eyes would sometimes wander to Lucifer, interested in playing at the edges of her mouth.
Across from her was her father, Lucifer's uncle, Albrecht Ashenford. The head of Valkarion Academy, a Saint Ranker whose frosty gaze saw all. with the possible exception of the woman next to him.
That woman Vice Principal Elvira Grane wore a serene smile plastered on, but anyone possessing good sense could perceive the furtive glances she shared with Albrecht when he was out of sight. All individuals seated at the table, including servants, knew about her unrequited love. Everyone but not Albrecht himself.
At the table's head sat Grandmother Valestra, her silver hair elegantly braided back, her countenance a mixture of warmth and concern. She'd not diverted her gaze from Lucifer since dinner began.
And Lucifer? He was the storm at the center of peaceful skies swathed in mystery, his own presence making an uncomfortable one who looked like a nine-year-old. But nobody questioned his maturity, or his skill.
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The dinner segued into hushed conversation with loose rumour of academy life, tournaments, and the selection of most able students for inter-academy exchanges.
Then, half-way through a juicy bite of roast sky-pheasant, Lucifer set his silverware down on the plate with a soft clink.
"I will not be staying long," he stated, tone level, but tinged with an undertone of finality. "Grandmother told you everything but I want to repeat myself again."
Seris blinked. Elvira's fork quivered in mid-air. Albrecht who spoke.
"You really don't want to study? Then where do you wish to go?" His voice was matter-of-fact, but his eyes glinted.
Lucifer stared at him right between the eyes. "I've joined somewhere else as you were informed."
There was silence in the room.
"Its name," Lucifer continued calmly, "is the Undying Exalted Union. One of its western factions led by a woman named Syrelle has accepted me. Her husband is the Governor-General of the Western Mathiverse."
Albrecht's brows creased. Syrelle was a name that did not ring any bells in him. But Lucifer did not speak of her in a manner akin to one describing a queen, or a tempest. A name to be feared.
"I will be posted at the Southwestern Fortress," Lucifer continued. "The one adjacent to the Dimensional Battlefield."
Elvira gagged on her wine. "The battlefield?" she asked with incredulity.
"I'll be gone for at least two years," Lucifer said quietly. "Maybe more."
"You're certain?" Valestra's voice was calm, but her hand trembled slightly around her teacup.
Lucifer nodded. "I am."
The silence hung in an emptiness charged with questions none of them dared to pose. Seris gazed at him, mouth slightly ajar. He's not the kid I used to trash it with through the woods… She felt it in the way he moved, the weight of what he was telling her.
Then, Lucifer reached into his coat. He pulled out a box, ornate, covered in runes. With one hand, he flicked it open. Inside lay ten glass spheres, each swirling with ghostly silver mist.
"What are those?" Valen asked.
"Soul Control Devices," Lucifer replied. "Modified and refined to control. You'll find them incredibly useful."
Albrecht narrowed his eyes. "Useful for what, exactly?"
"To penetrate and command the powerful nobles of the world of the Haven Cluster?"
Valen stiffened. "You expect me to employ these to—"
"To ensure our domination when the time comes," said Lucifer. "Peaceful domination is not always an option. These are a precaution."
Albrecht said nothing, his jaw grinding. "You've changed."
Lucifer smiled weakly. "No… I've only shed the illusion."
The dinner ended in a strange hush. Elvira excused herself before it was quite over, cheeks flushed tenderly either from wine or words, no one could tell. Valestra smiled and put out a soft hand on Lucifer's shoulder, then vanished into her rooms.
Seris alone remained behind, watching her cousin or whatever he had become these days with narrowed, contemplative eyes.
He felt the weight of her gaze but said nothing. Rather, he gazed out the window into moonlight streaming over Valkarion's spires.
"So this is what it is like to move against the world," Lucifer thought. "To become something greater than an heir or a piece. To be at the edge of the battlefield and declare that even gods will kneel."