"Everyone, please don't stand on ceremony. Feel free to eat whatever you like." The clock hands moved from afternoon to dusk, and the sky ha
"Everyone, please don't stand on ceremony. Feel free to eat whatever you like."
The clock hands moved from afternoon to dusk, and the sky had darkened. Arthas and Rias gathered with their familiars in the dining hall, where the family head, sitting at the head of the table, said a few polite words, and the banquet officially began.
A dazzling array of food was laid out on the long table. Akeno and Koneko, who were already used to it, were eating slowly and carefully, but the three church members, who had never seen such a grand scene, didn't know what to do. They hadn't even seen many of the foods, let alone eaten them.
"Father, call a few maids over to help. Asia and the others aren't used to it."
"Oh! Look at my temper, I didn't even think of that…" The family head patted his forehead and quickly rang the bell next to him. Immediately, several maids, having received the order, came to Asia and the others to introduce and help them.
The banquet proceeded smoothly, and the three girls gradually adapted to this high-class aristocratic dinner.
After dinner—or so it could be said, as, although there was no sun or moon in the Underworld, the concept of 'night' still existed.
The sky outside had also darkened. Looking up, one could see something like a moon floating in the sky. However, it wasn't a real moon, but a replica created using magic. The darkness of the Underworld night was based on the same principle. The sky was originally purple, that color being daytime.
The concept of time was tentatively set according to the human world. Although the Underworld had its own passage of time, the Devil Kings had adjusted it using special magic for the sake of reincarnated devils and devils living in the human world.
The noisy girls returned to their respective rooms, as tomorrow was the big day for the young devils' gathering, and they naturally wanted to get enough rest and go to bed early.
Arthas, who was unable to sleep, went alone to the castle's watchtower, gazing out at the charming night view.
It was such a quiet place; one really couldn't tell that it was the Underworld.
As Arthas was thinking this, he heard footsteps behind him. Turning around, he saw someone he hadn't expected walking over.
"Grayfia… what are you doing here?"
"Because tomorrow is the gathering, I went to temporarily teach the girls the etiquette they should pay attention to. It's late, so please get some rest early. Tomorrow's gathering is very important for both Miss Rias and you."
Grayfia said this quietly. She still didn't quite dare to meet Arthas's eyes.
"Um… I can't sleep, how about… you chat with me?"
Looking at Grayfia's silver eyes, Arthas said this as if possessed.
"C…chat?"
Grayfia was slightly stunned, obviously surprised. Just as Arthas thought she was going to refuse, she nodded slightly and agreed.
Why did things develop like this…
Arthas thought this as he and Grayfia sat on the castle's watchtower, looking at the moon. There was about two palms' width between them, a distance that was neither intimate nor distant.
They said they were going to chat… but after sitting down, they hadn't said a word.
Arthas thought helplessly, touching his nose. Grayfia took the initiative to speak, breaking the silence.
"There are a few people you need to pay close attention to at tomorrow's gathering."
"Yeah… ah?!"
Arthas, who had been staring blankly at Grayfia's neck, was slightly stunned and then came back to his senses.
"Please show some self-respect; where are you looking!"
Grayfia involuntarily blushed and slightly tugged at her collar, covering her slender neck that had been exposed.
"Cough cough… sorry, I was a little distracted."
Turning his head away in a flustered manner, Arthas said this in a muffled voice.
"What do you mean by 'pay attention'? Isn't it a gathering for the younger generation? Are they going to fight at the gathering?"
"It's not as if there's no precedent for that. You have to know that the young masters of the pure-blooded upper-class devil families are all unruly individuals. Your feat of defeating the three sons of the Phenex family has already spread throughout the Underworld, and since you're a Gremory familiar, there are naturally many people who plan to use you as a target to cut down and curb the Gremory family's vigor."
"I see, so the devils in the Underworld aren't as united as they appear on the surface."
"Friction and struggle between families has always been like this. Devils are creatures who pursue their own desires, and only by being so willful can they constantly become stronger. This is also the reason why this gathering for the younger generation exists. It can be said that anything can be done at this gathering, and the more willful a person is, the more they will be appreciated."
"So devils are a bunch of people with twisted values."
Arthas touched his nose with some amusement, and Grayfia continued to speak.
"The people you need to be careful of are these: the princess of the Agares family, Sigureira, the next head of the Glasya-Labolas family, Zefardol, and the next head of the Astaroth family, Diodora."
"Who are these three people?"
"The Agares family is a Duke, while the Astaroth and Glasya-Labolas families are the families of the Devil Kings Beelzebub and Asmodeus, respectively."
Grayfia said this, and Arthas nodded.
"So you're saying that all three of them will come looking for trouble with me?"
"There's a high possibility of that, especially the next head of the Glasya-Labolas family, Zefardol, who is an absolute troublemaker and capable of anything."
"Ah, that sounds like a lot of trouble. If he comes looking for trouble with me, can I beat him to death?"
Arthas said this casually, and Grayfia shook her head helplessly.
She didn't think Arthas was arrogant. After all, he had the strength to fight with Kokabiel and force Katerea to self-destruct; Arthas had the capital to be arrogant.
"It's best to avoid conflict if possible, and killing him is even more out of the question; after all, he's a relative of the Devil King Asmodeus."
"I see, it's really troublesome; having a good backer is powerful."
Arthas said this and then suddenly seemed to remember something as he spoke.
"That's not right; in terms of backers, there's no one in this Underworld with a more powerful backer than me, right? I have the Devil King Lucifer and Beelzebub standing behind me!"
"That's true, but your relationship with Souna-sama can't be revealed under any circumstances right now; after all, your current strength is still somewhat lacking."
"This kind of strength is still lacking?"
Arthas muttered this, looking down at his hands.
Perhaps Arthas would have agreed with Grayfia's words not long ago, but now that he had awakened the dragon power belonging to Nehelenia, Arthas was confident that even if the Infinite Dragon God Ophis appeared, he would have the power to fight back!
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