{Morning, Barbatos Manor}
"Are you sure about putting it here?" Ingvild asked, watching me place the bee hivemind on the corner of the mansion's roof.
It wasn't difficult to place. With the ability to fly, and the hive being able to attach itself to even slippery surfaces, it only took me a moment.
"The corner is mostly hidden, and no one can find it unless we bring them here." That was the whole point—keeping the hive safe.
Since the hive was only semi-conscious and worked mostly as a base, it didn't qualify to be summoned through familiar summoning magic. I could summon the bees inside anytime, but not the hive itself. So, I had to place it here.
And these bees were fast. As they buzzed around me, circling the hive, I noticed just how quick they were.
"And done."
The bees seemed happy with the placement. They swirled around the hive for a moment before flying inside and settling down.
"Do they leave to scout on their own, or do you have to order them?" Ingvild asked curiously. Apparently, she had never seen a familiar like mine.
I couldn't blame her. The hivemind was special, even though it was only a Low-Class familiar.
"Both, actually," I answered as I landed next to her, hiding my wings away. "Usually, there are scouts that roam the whole world, and they'll leave soon after checking the hive's placement. But I can also scatter the rest of the bees with a simple thought."
I didn't really need to. The scouts were enough in most cases. The only time I might send the rest out would be to find someone or something.
They could also be summoned anytime and anywhere—even all at once.
I looked at Ingvild, who was busy admiring the bees. To me, they had always looked eerie—black bodies with no details, almost like tiny shadows flying in the sky. But to Ingvild? They looked cute.
I still couldn't figure out how she found them cute. Though I had to admit, they were growing on me too.
"That was the last thing, right?" she asked with an expectant smile. I had the same smile on my face. "We should be on our way then?"
Today was a big day.
"We should."
Today, we officially moved from the Gremory Mansion to our own—the Barbatos Manor.
Everything was settled. The manor was perfect, with all the necessary facilities, furniture, and luxuries. There was even a training hall for the future peerage, and dozens of rooms for anyone who might stay over.
The only missing things? I was supposed to receive them today.
"Almost time," she said, glancing at the screen in her hands. "We should get going."
She was slowly getting used to phones and computers, and she was quick at figuring them out.
The screen showed we had about fifteen minutes left. And I really didn't want Zekram to have something else to complain about.
"Then, shall we?"
Both of us were dressed neatly. I wore the colors of my house—purple and gold.
Most of the shirt, vest, and pants were deep purple, with slight variations in shade to emphasize the pieces without making them clash. The shirt and vest had intricate gold details, representing the Barbatos pillar, with subtle touches of the Valefar pillar. To balance it out, my cravat and long royal coat were gold with purple detailing.
The final pieces were the shoes and gloves, both made of leather.
As for Ingvild, she looked absolutely stunning.
Her hair was styled in a fluffy side twist, with a floral arrangement pinned against it. Her makeup was light, letting her natural features shine, and her dress was perfect.
It was an evening gown with a deep black base and amethyst-purple highlights. The dress was long, flowing to the floor with a fitted bodice. Soft purple accents ran throughout, some shaped like crystals. The sleeves were sheer, extending into cape-like drapes. The skirt was layered and loose, moving elegantly as it flowed, and it too carried the purple shine.
Her heels were the same shade of purple, but under the gown, they weren't even visible.
She smiled and placed her hand in mine, letting me teleport her. And today, we weren't using Blink.
This was an important event, so I chose to use proper demonic circle teleportation.
"Oh?" Ingvild hadn't expected that. "It's pretty."
And it was.
The demonic circle for each pillar usually shared the same base design, with the house sigil in the middle. These circles were created when the pillars were founded, though variations existed. After digging through the records of both Valefar and Barbatos, I had modified mine a little.
Instead of a single outline, my circle had double lines. Each layer alternated between gold and purple, with designs taken from both houses. In the end, it was a mix-and-match circle, carrying both Barbatos and Valefar sigils, along with their colors.
Teleportation circles were fast—almost instant—but the initialization took a moment.
Traveling with Serafall and Sirzechs had made me used to this method, though I'd never prefer it over Blink or Traverse, except for events like today.
When the scenery shifted, I felt Ingvild squeeze my hand. She was nervous, and I couldn't blame her.
"So, you're finally here, Faiser."
It was Sirzechs, standing a few feet from where we arrived.
Valefar Estate.
That's where we were, and where the ceremony was being held.
"You took your sweet time, boy."
This time, it was Zekram, also a few steps away.
I could feel Ingvild's nerves spike at his presence, so I whispered for her not to worry.
We were standing near the Valefar mansion, right by the main garden with its elevated open stage. The crowd—yes, an actual crowd—was gathered a short distance from it.
"Apologies, Lord Zekram." I kept my tone respectful. "We should have arrived sooner."
"Nonsense!" another devil laughed. "You're on time, Faiser."
The cheerful voice came from the lord of Bael, Zekram's descendant and Sairaorg's father—Mauris Zein Bael.
Next to him stood his wife, Misla Bael, a beautiful woman with brown hair and soft eyes. And just behind them, taller than even his father, was Sairaorg Bael, grinning at me and Ingvild.
Lord Bael had changed a lot since his wife's recovery, and I wasn't complaining. He'd even promised to visit Barbatos Manor with her and Sairaorg when the time was right.
Yes, his family still had its strains, especially with the second wife and younger son.
But today wasn't the day to worry about another man's family.
There were far too many devils here who deserved equal time and respect.
Lord Agares was there with his wives and children, but out of all of them, one stood out the most—a pale, greenish-blonde girl with glasses and pink pupils.
I knew who she was: Seekvaira, the heiress of the Agares pillar.
There were plenty of other familiar faces too. The Astaroth family was present, along with a certain devil I instantly disliked. I'd never formally met him, but I knew who he was right away—Diodora Astaroth.
Then there was the Phenex family, with Lord and Lady Phenex and their children—three sons and one daughter. The three brothers couldn't have looked more different from each other, each with his own style.
One looked almost princely, another like a buffed-up nerd, and the last one—Riser. I don't need to explain how he looked, do I?
The girl, though, was adorable. She gave off the same little-sister vibe as Koneko, the kind that almost made me want to pat her head.
Ravel Phenex. She wasn't staring at me, though—she was staring at Ingvild. And in awe, no less.
Not that I blamed her. Ingvild was beautiful.
Mephisto Pheles was also present, standing near Zekram, along with many others.
The Gremory and Sitri families seemed the happiest to see me. The Gremorys were there in full, and for the first time, I saw Sirzechs' son, Millicus—finally back from whatever study camp he'd been at. The Sitri family was also present, and while I hadn't interacted with them as much, Lord and Lady Sitri, along with Sona, were lovely people.
And of course, there was Serafall, gleefully staring at Ingvild and me. Sirzechs, Ajuka, and Falbium were close by as well.
All in all, every influential devil with even a shred of social presence was here.
All for me. Waiting.
Countless maids and butlers moved through the crowd with drinks, sweets, and snacks. The whole event had been managed by Serafall since I didn't have any attendants of my own yet. The Satans oversaw the staff and the arrangements, while the Bael family—Mauris in particular—handled the venue setup, complete with floral designs and expensive decorations.
What I'm saying is… I didn't spend a single coin.
I couldn't be happier about that.
Social and political power really was something else.
"So," Sirzechs finally spoke, "shall we get started then?"
The crowd turned toward him, Mauris, Zekram, and the rest of the Satans—the ones who could actually make this event happen.
"Then let us begin the ceremony for Faiser Valefar-Barbatos, the soon-to-be Lord of the Ancient Pillars of Barbatos and Valefar," Zekram announced. And surprisingly, he didn't sound petty about it. "I request the Satans and Lord Bael to step forward. The Lordship ceremony shall begin."
Today, I would give up my heir rights—and gain the rights of a Lord.
The Lord of Barbatos and Valefar.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters. }