"Well, now…" The baron put on his best puzzled face. "What business might you fine folks have with my dear daughter?"
The guy was clearly trying to keep Beatrice out of this welcome party. Nero's gut pinged with a bad vibe—like mentioning Beatrice here was asking for trouble. She jumped in before anyone else could. "No big deal, just a passing thought. If your daughter's not up for it, no need to make a fuss."
She shot Ritsuka a quick glance, hoping the kid caught the hint. Who knows if she did.
Georgios, the star of this little shindig, wasn't exactly charmed by the baron's theatrics either. He was already halfway to the door. "Thanks for the warm welcome, my lord, but we'll be taking our leave."
"Hold on, hold on!" The baron practically tripped over himself to stop them, then rolled out the red carpet. "Why don't you all stay here at the mansion? My home's your home!"
The crew swapped a few looks. Staying close meant they could keep an eye on the baron, protect him from any Demon Pillar shenanigans, and maybe get a shot at Beatrice. After a quick huddle, they agreed to crash at the mansion.
Day one, though, they didn't rush to corner Beatrice. Instead, they holed up in a room to hash out the situation.
"Phew!" Ritsuka stretched, sprawling out like she'd just finished a marathon. "Main goal's in the bag, right? Just gotta watch our backs leaving town next time."
Nero nodded, her smirk sharp. "Next time you head out, Ritsuka, stick with me or Georgios. That demon of yours is about as reliable as a busted sword."
Mephistopheles, lounging with his hands behind his head, flashed a shameless grin. "Ouch, that stings! I'll have you know this demon was the first to shield our dear Master. I've got medals for heroism, you know."
"Big talk," Nero fired back, "but next time, you'll still half-ass it, won't you?"
Georgios's eyes snapped to Mephistopheles, sharp as a blade. "You let the Master walk into danger on purpose, didn't you?"
Ritsuka spun toward Mephistopheles, eyes wide. "Wait, what? Is that true?"
Mephistopheles just chuckled, shaking his head with a mock-wounded look. "As if I knew the road was a death trap. That's slander, Saint. You're breaking your own 'no false witness' rule."
Georgios stared him down, cold and unblinking, before turning away. "Won't admit it? Fine. You'd never let the Master die, anyway."
Nero's instincts screamed that Georgios had already clocked something about the demon. Ritsuka, too, seemed to sense it. She glanced back at Mephistopheles, who was still glued to her shadow. "I think it's time you dropped the act and gave us some straight talk, Demon Boy."
"Oh, Master," Mephistopheles purred, his smile all teeth. "An honest demon? That's just a heartfelt lie. You sure you wanna hear it?"
"Spill it," Nero cut in, leaning forward. "Or I'll scream your true name loud enough for the whole town to hear."
Under that not-so-subtle threat, Mephistopheles caved. "Alright, alright. Fine. I'll swear on my true name, then." He raised a hand dramatically. "In this Singularity, every move I make is for the Master's sake, out of nothing but goodwill. How's that?"
Ritsuka rolled her eyes. "That proves jack squat."
For the Master's sake—didn't say if that meant helping her or screwing her over. Goodwill—could be to seal her contract or to snag her soul. Nobody knew.
"Told ya," Nero snorted. "Demons don't spit out anything but smoke." She waved it off, shifting gears. "Anyway, what's the deal with the baron? Thoughts?"
"He's… decent, I guess?" Ritsuka said after a moment. "Nice to the townsfolk, seems approachable enough."
Georgios, though, wasn't buying it. "A false believer. As a man, he's average. As a lord, he's repulsive."
"You picking up that vibe too?" Nero rubbed her temple, sighing. "I used to play the devout believer myself, so I know the act when I see it."
Guess birds of a feather hate each other. Nero could tell the baron didn't give a damn about any god. His whole pious routine was just to score points with the townsfolk. Every fake smile, every overly warm gesture toward Georgios—it was like finding a roach in your pizza. Nauseating.
"You're not like him," Georgios said suddenly, catching Nero off guard.
She blinked, turning to the saint, who lowered his head. "I owe you an apology. Yesterday, I called you a fiend just because of the demonic power in you. That was unfair."
Nero waved it off, scratching the back of her neck. "Eh, no biggie. I didn't lose sleep over it. Besides, there was an actual demon right there, so I'll just blame him."
Ignoring Mephistopheles's loud protest, Nero pressed, "But what's this about me being different from the baron?"
"He doesn't believe in God," Georgios said, his voice steady. "Or in people. Or love. Or goodness. That's what makes him a terrible lord. But you…" He met her eyes. "You believe in something. I can see it."
Ritsuka's face screamed I'm lost, her attention clearly drifting. But Mephistopheles, of all people, piped up with a sly grin. "Well, aren't we lofty? This is why I love humans."
That cryptic jab could've meant anything. Lofty who? The saint? The lord? Was he genuinely into humans, or just dunking on gods and saints?
Nero glanced at the demon, and it hit her: this Singularity had more than one riddle-spouting weirdo. Hell, Mephistopheles being the mastermind behind it all didn't sound that crazy anymore.
"Enough games, demon," Georgios said, finally addressing Mephistopheles directly. "I've seen through you."
Seen through him? Did she figure out his true name?
Nero and Ritsuka both turned to Georgios, but Mephistopheles just kept smiling, cool as ever.
"Oh, really, Saint?" he teased.
Georgios's voice was iron. "You're not sin. You're a trial. And you'll never beat me."
She didn't elaborate, but Mephistopheles's grin faded, his expression turning serious.
Bad news: the riddle disease was spreading, Servant to Servant, multiplying like roaches.
Nero, feeling a headache coming on, steered things back on track. "Alright, enough with the cryptic crap. Let's talk business. Today's mess means we're not trekking out to hunt for other Servants. So, do we still try to get to Beatrice?"
Ritsuka didn't answer right away, so Nero kept going. "Here's my take: if the Demon Pillar's planning to mess with Beatrice, its real target might actually be the baron."
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