{Present, Gremory Mansion}
The Gremory mansion was massive—closer to a castle, really—with enough servants to run a small city. And efficient ones at that.
The moment I arrived, they had clothes and food prepared. Almost like they'd known I was coming.
"It's good our sizes match," Sirzechs said, eyeing me dressed in black and red. "Don't feel burdened staying here for the time being."
He seemed less reluctant to acknowledge my identity than before. But was he really accepting it—or just trying not to be rude? Hard to say.
And it wasn't just him and Serafall here. There were three others.
Well, four—but one of them was hiding out of embarrassment.
Rias Gremory. Exactly as I'd imagined—and nothing like an ordinary human girl. Pretty? That word didn't even begin to cover it.
She was straight out of Da Vinci's canvas and sculpted by Michelangelo.
Now that I paid closer attention, everyone around me looked flawless.
Serafall? She was like a glass sculpture—fragile, perfect, and sharp enough to cut you if you underestimated her.
The other two women…
"Grayfia, please let the maids know we'll have guests tonight."
Grayfia Lucifuge. Wife of Satan Lucifer himself. She didn't seem like the type who smiled often—and honestly, she didn't need to. Her presence alone could bend people to her will.
That's assuming you could look past her perfect face long enough to even think straight.
And the woman who had asked her?
Venelana Gremory. Rias' mother.
I could see exactly where Rias got her looks. Aside from the red hair she clearly inherited from her father, everything else was Venelana.
Venelana was Rias—but with a more mature allure.
And for the record, I wasn't throwing shade at the men.
Sirzechs looked every bit the fairytale prince, and Zeoticus—Rias' father—was the image of a king: handsome, noble, powerful.
And according to memory? I was considered even better looking than Sirzechs.
Seriously, what were these devil genes?
"Ajuka and Falbium heard about the situation," Serafall said, slouching back in her chair. "They're preparing to handle things with the other lords and extra demons. There'll be noise, sure—but with your blood and demonic signature, it'll only take a day or two before everyone accepts you as Faiser."
She was different from what I expected. I'd known her as playful, maybe even loud and acting cute more often than serious.
But now? Faced with a devil from the past suddenly reappearing? It made sense she wasn't smiling.
Even in the memories, she'd been cheerful, yes. But not the cartoonishly playful girl people often portrayed her as. Maybe that side of her came later—after the war. The memories didn't even stretch to the end of it.
"The Old Satan Faction won't sit quietly either," Sirzechs noted. "We'll have to increase security and keep watch. Your return and their failure will stir trouble."
I leaned back into my seat, mirroring Serafall's posture.
"A lot of trouble," I sighed. "But for now, I don't want to think about it. I'd rather rest—and hear about everything that's happened in the last five hundred years that I was stuck in time."
Faiser had been a hedonist—someone who wouldn't lift a finger unless absolutely necessary.
And me? In this life, where I held noble status and didn't need to chase after power like some starving dog?
I was going to enjoy it.
I was going to use it.
Venelana gave a light chuckle. "That I can understand. A lot has changed, and it will take time for you to adjust."
"Until then, you should stay here," Zeoticus assured. "As someone who stood against the Old Satan Faction during the civil war, we owe you that much."
"I'll arrange for Lord Faiser's stay," Grayfia said as she bowed and quietly left the room.
Since they'd accepted that I was Faiser, I decided to lean into the role. And Faiser wasn't supposed to know everything.
"So, you have a sister now," I said, glancing at Rias, who was still hiding behind her mother while sneaking glances at me.
She looked old enough to be in Kuoh, but if she was still here, then it was probably a few days—or maybe months—before she went.
I also knew about Faiser's womanizing tendencies, which was why I made sure to keep a respectful expression. You didn't want to look at Lucifer's sister the wrong way. Especially not in his presence.
"Rias, dear," Venelana smiled, "why don't you bring your peerage back from Sona's place?"
Rias, standing a little farther back, gave a small nod.
"O-Okay."
She was cute, I had to admit. Even her hurried little walk out of the room was cute.
With her gone and Grayfia busy arranging my stay, I decided it was time to get serious.
"So, since when have the Lucifuge been around?" My voice dropped a few decibels. "Answer me, Sirzechs."
I wasn't anywhere near Sirzechs' level of strength, but pride wasn't something I could discard. It wasn't just an act either—Barbatos devils were naturally prideful.
My demonic power leaked into the room. Other than Sirzechs and Serafall, I was the strongest here. Venelana and Zeoticus didn't come close.
"Calm down, Faiser." Sirzechs frowned, releasing his own demonic power to counter mine. "We had our reasons."
"For having a Lucifuge serve as a maid?"
"She is my wife!" His power flared, shaking the entire room.
Risky as it was, I had an act to play.
"Wife…" My voice dropped. "A Lucifuge?"
My expression was more shock than anger, and seeing that, Serafall and Zeoticus stepped in to deescalate.
"Grayfia turned on the Old Satan Faction," Serafall explained. "She even saved Sirzechs' life."
"She may be a Lucifuge, Faiser, but she sided with us," Zeoticus added. "She rebelled against her own family and, in a way, she's part of the reason we won."
Finally, Venelana spoke. "I understand your anger, Faiser. But the war is over. She chose our side, and now she is family. Don't forget that."
Her tone carried a subtle threat—if I kept pushing, she wouldn't mind kicking me out.
I actually found that kind of adorable.
Still, I stayed silent for a moment, acting as if I was processing what I'd just learned.
"She gave up her family, her wealth, her position—everything—to stand with us," Sirzechs said, his voice calmer now. "I understand you, but she's paid enough for her choices. And she is my wife. If you hold anything against her, you hold it against me as well."
That was a powerful statement, especially coming from a Satan. As a political figurehead, he wasn't even supposed to say something like that.
I respected that, and it made me let out a dry chuckle.
"That world has changed, hasn't it?" The memories of the past still lingered in this body, leaving me oddly sad. Even though I hadn't lived through them myself, it felt like I had. Like it was me who went through everything—even if they were just memories.
When I looked at Satan Lucifer, his gaze was lowered, his expression soft—almost comfortable.
"It has," he said. "I even have a son now."
I stayed quiet, letting him continue.
"Time changes fast. As much as it feels stagnant for us, given how long we live… events like that remind you time isn't slow. We're just too long-lived."
I couldn't fully relate, but I could agree. Watching your own blood grow up in front of you must mean a lot.
"How old is he?" I asked. The conversation had become much calmer now, almost civil.
"Four. Turning five next month."
How old was Millicus at the start again? He wasn't a baby, but he didn't look that old either. Maybe six? Seven?
So, if Millicus was the pointer, this must be a few months to maybe a year before Rias heads to Kuoh.
"A wife, a son, and a sister." This time I wasn't acting—the solemn look on my face came naturally. "Your family is growing."
The soul didn't remember, but the body and its memories did. Faiser was supposed to have a family too. Parents. Maybe siblings down the line. Maybe even kids.
But here I was—someone new, with no blood relatives. Though, in a way, that was good. A clean slate.
"I have a sister too," Serafall chimed in proudly. "And trust me, she's the most adorable devil you'll ever meet."
Now that was more like the Serafall I had in mind. Cheerful. Almost obsessive when it came to her sister.
"Now, I'll admit Sona is adorable," Sirzechs raised a brow. "But Rias is the most adorable."
Serafall's smile immediately dropped into a frown. "Rias is adorable, sure, but Sona is the most adorable."
I smirked as the two bickered over their sisters. They weren't related, but the way they acted… it almost felt like they were.
"Both are adorable," Venelana cut in firmly. "No need to fight over that, you two."
Sirzechs went quiet almost instantly. Serafall too. They might be Satans, but a mother was still a mother. You listened, no matter how powerful you were.
The atmosphere in the room had calmed. I could almost call it peaceful now.
Unfortunately, peace wasn't what I wanted. I wanted answers.
"So, Sirzechs," I turned to the red-haired Satan. "Since you're one of the four Satans now, how about telling me about my situation? My finances, lands, and authorities."
The room went silent at once, which seemed to be happening a little too often. But this was a difficult talk for them.
Politics—always difficult.
"Your authorities," Serafall spoke first. "That won't be an issue. Once the Lords acknowledge you as Faiser, you'll regain the rights you had as Barbatos heir."
Barbatos heir, huh. But Valefar… that would be trickier.
I might have Valefar blood—possibly even be the last Valefar—but originally it was supposed to be my oldest uncle, my mother's brother, who inherited the title. He was the rightful heir. Dead in the war, yes, but still… it would be hard for me to claim Valefar's heir rights.
But am I going to let go of them?
Of course not. Valefar and Barbatos were absurdly rich and powerful pillars. There was no way I'd give up on either.
"As for your finances and lands…" Lucifer hesitated, and even the Gremory couple looked uneasy. "After the fall of many pillars in the war—with so many names going extinct—the elders of Devil Society decided not to let the lands go barren or treasures vanish with time."
That made me raise an eyebrow. "So?"
"So… they had the land and wealth redistributed among the surviving families. Depending on their standing and contributions in the war, everything was divided." Serafall's tone carried a hint of guilt. "That includes my family's… and Sirzechs' as well."
Yeah. Exactly what I was afraid of.
I leaned back into the couch, my head sinking against it, nearly defeated.
"So, what am I supposed to do?" Frustration colored my voice. "My family sacrificed themselves. I was most likely going to die too. Does that not count as a contribution? Instead, I hear my lands and treasures have been handed out like party favors."
"You can contest them," Zeoticus finally spoke, letting out a sigh. "They've already been absorbed into other families' finances, but that doesn't mean you lack a claim. They were given away only because you were presumed dead. Now, with your return, you should legally be able to reclaim them."
He was profiting from them as well and losing those lands would be a major blow for the Gremory finances. And still, he was willing to let go without complaint.
The question was—how? How was I going to contest my land?
Sensing my uncertainty, Sirzechs stepped in.
"There's going to be an immediate meeting in two days," he explained. "The Satans, the Lords, and the Elders will all be present. That's where you can contest everything. You should be able to win most of it—if not all."
Difficult, wasn't it?
I couldn't help but chuckle at my own predicament. "All I wanted was to rest and enjoy some peace. And now, I don't even have a house."
My mansions had been destroyed in the war, and the land most likely absorbed by others.
"About that," Serafall interjected. "The estate itself—the land where both mansions once stood—remains untouched. It was considered disrespectful to give away land belonging to fallen devils. To honor their sacrifice, the sites and ruins were left alone. What I mean is… you no longer have a mansion, but the land itself is still yours. You don't even have to contest for it."
Well—that was at least one good piece of news.
"And only your accessible treasures were distributed," Sirzechs added. "Every family hides its true treasures with bloodline abilities, in secret places no one else can access. The treasuries of Valefar and Barbatos are most likely untouched. No one other than you probably even knows where they are. So you still have your land and your treasuries. It's the rest—the wealth and scattered holdings—you'll have to fight for in the upcoming meeting."
And as if the System itself was urging me to fight for what was mine, it finally rang out after a long, heavy silence.
[Quest Alert!]
[Quest: Let Your Rights Be Known!]
Objective: Find a way to either recover all your land and wealth during the upcoming meeting, or secure an outcome that gives you great advantage while the others suffer… without even realizing it.]
[Rewards: Parchment of Finding, Ring of Wealthy Luck]
I wasn't going to let go of most of my land before… but now? I wasn't going to let go of even an inch.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters.
I will "try" to post 2 chapters tomorrow.
Also, writing a DC fic, will post here when I have enough chapters stacked. (currently just dumping into Pat reon. You can read the DC chapters for free, just join as a member (free or paid doesn't matter.)}