Chapter 28: Evil Pieces
I can't believe I'm only thinking about this now, but this is the first time I've ever seen Martha leave our territory. Let alone our estate. I understand the acquisition of my Evil Pieces is a fairly momentous occasion, but one important enough to make her, of all people, leave the comfort of her own forest? I doubt it. If anything, I expected Thora to be the one to accompany me.
Speaking of which, it's a little uneasy not having her with me. But I'll manage, I can't have her babying me all the time after all.
Instead of heading towards our front gate, where I expected a chauffeur to be awaiting our arrival—Martha took me down into an underground parking garage I didn't even know we had. Filled to the brim with all sorts of top-shelf cars that easily cost a combined fortune.
I know we're a Marquisate and all, but I didn't know we were this loaded!
Range Rovers, Mercedes, Rolls-Royce Phantoms, Bentleys, and all sorts of luxury vehicles stretched as far as the eye could see. All of which were adroitly positioned atop slow-rotating, lit-up disks covered in marble—allowing me to marvel at them in all their majesty.
Did we import all of these from the human world? We must have, even though the makes in the Underworld are pretty similar; there are always a few key, standout differences that I pick up on. But the ones here seem like the genuine articles to me.
"These are all mine for the record, and I haven't told your father about them, so I'd rather you keep it that way." She revealed with a smug, proud grin plastered on her face.
I reeled back. "Seriously? How were you able to spend this much without him noticing?"
"It's simple, the money didn't come from our treasury. It came from my personal wallet," she reached into the puffy, white fur coat she had put on and pulled out a set of keys, twirling them around her finger.
You mean to tell me you afforded all of this out of pocket?
I knew she was rich, mainly because of all the trade deals she had been involved in.
But this isn't just rich.
This is RICH rich, the kind of richness that gives you a supervillain laugh.
Maybe this is why she has the personality she does?
I shook my head, discarding the thought. There's definitely a lot more to the story than just that, and it'll probably take quite a bit of time and effort from my part before I uncover it all.
Beep! Beep!
My head turned in the direction of the car that had just been unlocked, and once I got a look at what it was—my eyes widened to the point where they nearly popped right out of their sockets.
I was faced with a supercar adorned with a sleek, highly aerodynamic chassis, featuring a low, wide stance, sharply angled headlights, and a prominent rear wing that appeared capable of self-adjustment.
Unholy shit! My mother owns a McLaren P1! She has a bona fide Widowmaker!
I suppose it is kind of fitting considering her… ominous moniker as the Underworld's "Black Widow."
"So about that reward, do you think it's possible I could get one—"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Pretty please?"
"If you ask me one more time, you'll ride in the trunk."
Hmph! Stingy old hag!
With a miffed pout on my face, I hopped into the passenger seat, enjoying the sensation of the vehicle's top-of-the-line air conditioning system as Martha reached into the glove compartment and pulled out a pair of shades, tossing them over her face and putting the car into drive.
It feels like I'm seeing a completely alien side of her. I've never seen Martha act so… carefree.
"Here," she handed me another pair, causing me to let out an amused chuckle as I put them on.
I know this whole easygoing facade is just an act she's put on; after all, Martha's still Martha at the end of the day—however, that shouldn't stop me from enjoying this while it lasts. It's inevitable that we'll be back at odds with one another soon enough, so I ought to savour times like these where I get a chance to truly let my hair down and breathe.
My crosshair is still on Sebastian. I'll point it at her another time. The wise choice is to avoid a battle on two fronts, and that's the choice I plan on making. I might have a chance at beating one monster at a time with the help of the Satans, but both simultaneously? Forget it.
"Ready?" She asked, revving the engine and allowing me to listen to its beautiful, mechanical symphony.
"As I'll ever be."
===
The room was dark, illuminated only by a sparse number of scattered wax candles across the wooden, rustic floorboard—all of which did very little to lessen the eerie, almost haunted atmosphere that hovered around the space.
There was hardly any furniture present, save for about a dozen panes composed entirely from bamboo, each of them masking the silhouette of an individual sitting cross-legged behind them. Some of whom were middle-aged in appearance, and others still brimming with youth, all sat down cross-legged behind their respective pane.
If one paid close attention, it'd become evident that the panes were purposefully arranged at different levels as a visual show of hierarchy.
Creeaaaaaaaaaaak!
A door that was clearly in dire need of maintenance slowly pried open, briefly introducing a beam of light into the gloomy area as a cloaked figure stepped inside.
"Well?" A grizzled voice near the top of the room asked.
"I confirmed that there was contact between the Lady and Sebastian Buné some time yesterday," the gazes of all those present fixated on the shadowy figure, their eyes demanding a hasty continuation. "His son passed the awakening ceremony, and they're going forward with the marriage as planned."
"Mmm, well, that's certainly not ideal." A voice at the apex of the room spoke, one which none below dared to interrupt. "Bedeze has already abdicated his family name, unlike the Lady. If the betrothal goes through, we'll no longer have any backing to resist the current government's administration. We'll be desolate, void of support."
"Elder," he was addressed by the figure directly below him. "It sounds like you have some kind of plan in mind…" It didn't make sense for the Elder's voice to remain so composed in spite of the circumstances.
"Of course, do you honestly believe I'd leave the fate of this clan all up to probability?"
"No, absolutely not." He breathed a deep sigh of relief, his actions contradicting his words. "How should we proceed?"
The Elder's face twisted into a malicious, warped grin. "The Lady's far too busy to leave the estate at the moment, even for a matter such as this. Therefore, the little Buné will have to travel through our border to get here, won't he?"
His suggestive inclination ignited a wave of understanding across his peers.
"I know what you're suggesting," the hooded figure began. "But I wouldn't be too hasty if I were you, this is Sebastian Buné's offspring we're talking about—and one who properly awakened his clan trait, unlike his predecessor. I doubt what you're implying will be as easy to achieve as you seem to believe…"
"Indeed, it's likely that he'll prove to be quite the talented individual." The Elder nodded, inquisitively stroking his chin. "But so what? He's still young, inexperienced, and hasn't had enough time to fully mature. He can resist all he wants, his demise was etched in stone the moment Sebastian decided to poke his nose in matters he shouldn't have."
"Yeah… and when you get a vengeful Sebastian Buné at your doorstep after you slaughter his Heir? What then?"
The Elder snickered. "The actions of one Belphegor represent those of the house. If Sebastian decides to attack, the Lady will have no choice but to defend her home."
Do these cronies have nothing but empty space in their heads? The Lady's grown strong, but she's not ready to take on that monstrous dragon… he's the one who trained the damn Emperor himself for crying out loud!
"Besides, instead of standing there debating me… shouldn't you start making preparations? I doubt I need to remind you that the clock's ticking down to the moment of truth as we speak."
"Right… I guess I'll start working on that then." He scratched his nape and made his departure.
Kekeke… It's a good thing I'm not on their side.
Even if he were, he'd abandon ship in a heartbeat.
Attempting to assassinate Sebastian Buné's Heir? Hah! They might as well have him go shit on Zekram Bael's front porch, his chances of survival would probably be higher.
===
At the speed we were going, it hardly even took us half an hour to go from our territory to Lord Beelzebub's. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't disappointed that I couldn't enjoy the experience of Martha's P1 a little longer, but the fact that I'm about to receive my Evil Pieces more than makes up for that letdown.
The sight of the Head of the Technology Department's estate was also a reward in itself; the architecture was utterly remarkable, and that's putting it lightly. This place is supposed to be the personal residence of one man, but its grandeur is more than enough to cast a shadow over the entire Buné Manor.
Save for Martha's forest, of course, that's a priceless work of art to me—something I can appreciate wholeheartedly regardless of my opinion on her character.
The residency was a towering, charcoal bastion that reached all the way up towards the clouds, with bright-blue lines running across its exterior as if it were the structure's veins. I could only presume they were composed from Agares Crystals, the same wondrous material used to create the Evil Pieces I was about to obtain.
The fortress reminded me of the luster of Lilith's Central Tower to an extent. However, Lord Beelzebub's residence had a much more technical and ingenious vibe to it, whereas the Central Tower conveyed a monarch-like aura.
"It's a shame really, House Astaroth hasn't managed to replicate the egghead's genius for quite some time now." Martha sighed, shaking her head in censure. "They're either too muscleheaded, too politically inclined, or too technologically obsessed. They can't seem to strike any sense of balance."
"I mean… this is a Satan we're talking about, aren't we? I doubt it's that easy to just replicate that level of ability."
"If the other houses weren't lazier than beached seals when it came to training their young, then I might be inclined to agree with you—unfortunately, that's not the case." Her voice had returned to its usual, unapologetically judgmental self. "There's a reason only you and that defective Bael child are showing any promise amongst your generation, granted, at least he didn't need to be babied in order to achieve his prowess. Unlike a certain someone."
"Oh, shut it," I rolled my eyes and scoffed.
Still, I find it interesting that she referred to Sairaorg as "defective", but still speaks of him in high regard, at least by her standards. Getting her to say anything even remotely positive is a feat worthy of being sung about for millennia.
I wonder, is the gap between us and the rest of our peers really that big?
"Lady Buné, Lord Alduin. Your presence has been expected." A kind, gentlemanly figure adorned in a butler's outfit approached us once we neared the front gate. "I'm afraid the Lord could not be present today, as he has a great many matters that require his attention. Therefore, I'll be presiding over your monument registry in his stead."
"Sure, just make it quick. I've also got work to do, and I'd rather not dawdle here." Martha snapped at him, but the butler wisely chose to maintain his poise. Performing a slight, calm nod and led us inside the residence.
"Must you provoke every lifeform that comes your way?"
She huffed, raising her head proudly. "I'll do as I please, my actions don't require your input."
Of course not.
Eventually, I found myself face to face with what I could only describe as the stone statue of a gargoyle. Fitted with demonic wings, claws, ogre-like teeth, and horns—the whole package. Not that its horns could compare to mine, hehe, I have four of them after all, and mine are far more elegant in design.
Hold on a minute, since when did I have a complex about having superior horns?
"Lord Alduin," the butler handed me a medium-sized, antique box with House Buné's emblem etched onto the lid. "These are your Evil Pieces. Once you touch the monument and inject a sliver of your demonic power into it, you'll be registered as a King in the Evil Piece System, and your pieces will all activate."
Sounds easy enough.
I put my hand on the statue, doing as he instructed—and in that moment, I felt something reach out towards me from within the gargoyle's harrowing frame.
The sound of rattling kicked up from inside the box I had been given, causing me to open it up and watch as all fifteen chess pieces started to vibrate, turning bright red and nestling into my demonic power pathways.
Save for two.
"Oh my…" The butler gasped.
One Bishop, and one Knight started to turn a shade darker, their exterior gyrating as four, miniature draconic horns appeared on top of them—adopting my likeness.
"Did something go wrong?" I scratched my temple. His instructions were relatively straightforward, I doubt I misinterpreted them.
"No, not at all! As a matter of fact—"
"That's enough," Martha intervened, closing the lid of the box. "You've got your pieces, and I'd rather not spend any more time out here than necessary."
"W-wait! Your son just managed to awaken mutated—"
"I said, we're leaving." She glared at the poor butler, causing him to freeze up like he had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.
"I… uhm… yes ma'am…"
Just give it up man, it's not worth the trouble.
"Come on, we still have important business to attend to." She grabbed me by the back of my collar, dragging me outside as I examined the morphed pieces in my hand, drawn to their bizarre presence.
Whelp, this trip was short-lived. At least I've still got whatever "reward" she has planned awaiting me.
———
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