Magdaran watched them while the silence thickened, felt the air tighten around the four of them like a held breath.
The three women sat still, each thinking about his words deeply.
He was prepared for any reaction because he had prepared himself to be honest. He had not expected the quiet to last so long.
Finally Rias broke the silence. Her voice was soft but clear.
"I am actually happy that you said that," she said, and the brief surprise that lit her face relaxed into something warmer.
"You are right, actually... If you had said you loved everyone equally, I would have been more worried. If your heart treated me the same as someone you just met and decided to sleep with, then my place would not be unique or special.
I do not want that, I am your fiancee and your future wife, so, even if I don't have a problem with you having more women, I still expect special treatment."
Magdaran felt that sentence land like a precise weight. It was not jealousy. It was relief. She had defined what mattered to her: uniqueness, depth, special treatment.
Akeno nodded. She had been watching him with her usual composed expression, but the slight tilt of her head acknowledged the thought. "I agree too," she said. "I would rather be loved in a way that is uniquely mine. If we all received the exact same flavor of affection, it would mean you viewed relationships as interchangeable. That would cheapen them."
She added something with a small pout, half indignant and half teasing. "And I did not fall for you because you helped me with my... fallen side. I did not attach myself to you out of gratitude.
I fell for you because you are hopelessly stupid sometimes and you needed someone to keep you from doing something idiotic. I wanted someone to watch over that part of you. That is the truth."
Kuroka could not be expected to hold a long, introspective silence. She squirmed in her seat, tail flicking, face splitting into a grin that made her eyes crescent moons. "It is good you think so, Mag-chan," she said.
Then continued "But, since you are having this talk, it means that you are ready for getting into a relationship now, and since I have been agreeing to this for years, we should skip this boring talk, let us stop any talk further and go straight to making kittens. I have waited for this long enough."
She flung herself forward as she said it, impulsive, bright, and unashamed. She landed in Magdaran's lap with an exaggerated, feline purr, making him flush even before she started.
Rias's mouth opened in shock, and Akeno stared for the barest heartbeat before a single soft snicker escaped her. Magdaran felt heat creep up his neck. He had expected some blunt honesty from Kuroka, but not immediate physical action.
"Mag-chan," Kuroka said, wriggling to get comfortable, "you are not allowed to say no. This is our agreement."
Rias reached for his shoulder, steadying Kuroka with a mixture of amusement and a slightly stern glance. "Kuroka," she said, but the warning in her voice was light. "Not here. Not now."
Akeno leaned forward, eyes glittering. "It is not such a bad idea," she said, then bit the end of the sentence away with a smile. "But perhaps, let us finish discussing feelings first. If you are sincere, then the rest will follow in order."
The four of them bickered in an easy, intimate way that had nothing to do with formalities. Words bounced back and forth, teasing and barbed and oddly comforting.
"All right," Magdaran said, when he managed to catch the rhythm again. "Let us be serious for a moment. I am not trying to delay anything out of cowardice. I only want to ensure I understand what this means for all of us."
Kuroka settled herself like a cat, one hand pressed to Magdaran's chest as if to test the solidity of his truth. "You can have me," she said simply. "no need for debate, I am always ready."
Akeno rose gracefully and closed the distance between them with a swagger that was part flirtation and part determination. She stopped in front of him and tilted her head. "I will be with you too," she said softly. "And I don't mind being you secret little mistress if need be, distracting you away from Rias here."
Rias pouted at Akeno's words, the two had become friends close enough to understand that she was joking, and not be offended by it.
Magdaran let out a relieved smile hearing their answers, then, with a serious face, he asked, "Rias, Akeno, Kuroka... Since all of you do not have a problem with that, I would like to formally ask all three of you,
Would you become my girlfriend?" Then he flashed the most handsome smile he could pull off.
"Like I said, no need for formalities, but since you are asking, I suppose I can agree, but only on the condition that you take me to your bed, right now~" Kuroka said with a lewd face, ignoring the last part, what was important was that she agreed.
"Oh, I would be pleased to become your girlfriend, Mr. Devil" chuckled Akeno as she agreed.
Rias watched the two of them with a smile that was more of a grounding force than anything else. She stood, walked the measured steps to him, and put her hand in his. "You have been honest," she said. "That is good. I know what I am to you. We have been friends long enough to understand each other, and I love you, and I know you love me too."
But then, she put on a pout on her face "But you asked me to be your girlfriend, it would be redundant. I am engaged to you. That bond is more than a name on a paper. It is agreement and trust. Wouldn't becoming your girlfriend be going backwards? If you want something serious, then ask me properly for marriage."
Magdaran looked at her, felt the slow confidence in the pull of her fingers. It was strange and fragile and entirely real. He smiled, a small thing shaped by his own nervousness.
'She deserves more than a casual promise,' he thought. 'A formal promise is what she wants. It makes sense. I can give that.'
He said it aloud in a voice that was almost teasing. "A formal proposal might be appropriate. So, how about this, my gift to you on the day you turn eighteen will be something significant. Consider that an early promise."
Rias's face flushed in a way that was both indignant and delighted. "You are impossible, Magdaran," she said. "But also, I suppose I accept. That is a marriage proposal of a sort."
Akeno and Kuroka made appreciative sounds in unison. Kuroka clapped and then snuggled closer.
The conversation changed course when Rias's eyes went bright, like a lantern suddenly lit. "There is something else I have to tell everyone," she said, voice tremulous with restrained excitement.
"Sona and I are moving to the human world. To Kuoh Town, Japan. I want to study there, to live in the human world, specially Japan for a while. I want to attend school there. I want to see what the place which gave birth to anime is like."
The news landed like a pebble thrown into their calm pond. Ripples crossed the faces around her in quick succession.
Magdaran raised a brow. 'School,' he thought. 'Most of my users treated school like a annoyance in my old existence. Not exactly an attractive prospect.' He smiled inwardly at his dry assessment and then said aloud, "You want to go to school? To attend the same school with Sona?"
Rias nodded eagerly. "Yes. I want to experience normal things. And I want you to come with me. If you are by my side, it will be safer and more fun."
He considered it. Going to school in the human world was, for him, a concession. He remembered being an AI fielding endless user rants about tests, convoluted social hierarchies, and the daily grind. The notion had never been romantic to him. He knew, logically, that school was often a constrained environment where people repeated predictable tropes.
'No thanks,' he thought. 'My experience with users' school stories did not tempt me. But that is narrow thinking. I will accompany her in other ways.'
He answered Rias with the kind of honesty she had come to expect from him. "I will not attend school. Not in the sense of enrolling and sitting in classes. That is not appealing to me. I have other obligations. The Bael clan has cleared most duties to support my training, but I have to continue focusing on becoming stronger. Besides, we are not the same age, even if I go with you, we won't be in the same class, and if we are not in the same class, going there feels redundant to me."
Rias's face fell slightly, the disappointment quick and small. Then she composed herself and reached out. "Come with me as a guardian then. You do not have to sit in classes. We can live in the human world together. We can travel. We can see the cities. You can visit when you want, and not be tied to the classroom."
Magdaran considered that and realized it was the right compromise. He was not interested in being a student. But he was interested in living, in experiences, in feelings, and in the practical benefits of being in the human world.
It would also offer opportunities to recruit peerage members, to scout for 'borrowable' minor gods, and to place hidden dimensions in corners of space that no one would think to look at.
'This is an excellent opportunity,' he thought. 'I can claim the excuse of accompanying Rias and still use the trip strategically. I can study Forseti. I can set up hidden dimensions in space to store things and create safe houses. I can travel the human world with a plausible pretext.'
He answered with a smile. "I will come with you as company and protection. I will not enroll in classes. That will keep us both happy."
Rias laughed in relief and hugged him. "You are impossible and sweet at the same time." She probably thought that I am going there just because I am worried about her... to protect her. It is somewhat true, but I am still going to be quiet and enjoy the hug, let her misunderstand a bit.
"We could be together a lot more there... no restrictions, and no one to watch our actions," he said warmly.
'This will give me more freedom than I had in the Underworld. It will give me time to hunt for Forseti without making a spectacle. It will let me move in human space and place dimensional pockets. This is good strategy.'
He let them enjoy the moment. Then his thoughts turned to logistics and duty. He had to inform his parents of Rias's plans and of his intention to move to the human world with a version of liberty attached.
'And, staying in the underworld would actually be counterproductive now, Zekram is sure to try some schemes to use me now that I am this strong, until I become a super devil, I won't be free of his schemes.
It is better to live in the human world until then.'
He needed to make sure they would not suddenly assign him tasks that would sap his time. He had to remain focused on his objective, the path to Super Devil and beyond.
"Okay, I need to return now, but listen, today come to my place in the evening, okay?" Rias said seriously. 'It seems that I am going to have a serious talk with in-laws today'
I agreed and soon, she teleported back to her home, and I walked off towards my father's office
It was time to inform them about my plans. "I plan to accompany Rias to the human world," he said to Lord Bael.
"I will not enroll in school, but I will be living there for periods of time. I will train, recruit peerage members, and keep strengthening myself. Please do not assign me formal duties. I need freedom."
Lord Bael, with all the wear of political life across his face, listened thoughtfully. He had already observed how Magdaran had been the Bael family's spearhead in recent months.
The clan had cleared most obligations to let their heir concentrate entirely on growth. Now the heir was asking permission to spend time outside the clan seat, in a different world.
"Very well," Lord Bael said after consideration. "I see no issue with it as long as you remain reachable. The clan benefits if you grow stronger. If this tour of the human world helps you recruit, train, and establish connections, then I support it.
Besides, you are a high class Satan now, you don't need to ask me for things like these, but I am still happy that you did."
Magdaran's mother, who now spent an awful lot of time with Lord Bael, came forward and touched his face, proud and slightly worried. "Come back to us now and then," she said. "Do not get lost in that human world. Eat well."
He smiled and reassured her. "I will be careful."
After he finished the family conversation, he dressed and prepared to accompany Rias to the Gremory estate in person. Kuroka and Akeno accompanied him; Kuroka because she had loudly volunteered to be his entertainment and moral hazard, and Akeno because she insisted on seeing Rias and making sure their arrangement did not break anything fragile.
The three of them passed through the gates of the Gremory estate and were met by Grayfia, the maid queen, with practiced courtesy.
Grayfia bowed with the polished calm of someone reared to serve at the highest levels. "Welcome, Magdaran-sama," she said. "Rias-sama has been expecting you. Please come in."
Inside the manor they found a bustle of understated aristocratic life. Zeoticus and Venelana flitted among corridors with tasks to manage. Sirzechs lounged in a way that suggested both brawn and amusement, and of course Rias stood waiting in the main parlor, flushed with excitement and a blush.
When they had all gathered and the initial salutations were completed, the atmosphere shifted. Eyes turned toward Magdaran with that particular sparkle that reached for rumor and then settled into curiosity. Sirzechs could not resist a remark.
"So," he said with a low chuckle, "it seems Rias was correct. You have become a Satan class at this young age. Congratulations. With that kind of pace, you might one day even reach my level."
Magdaran inclined his head slightly, outwardly composed. Inside, he catalogued the praise and filed it away as data. Compliments were useful. They aided negotiations and they shaped perception. But they were not the measure of his objective.
Rias took that moment to grin, and she leaned into playfulness. "He proposed to me today," she said, as if she had just announced something ordinary. "He promised me marriage on my eighteenth birthday. It was terribly forward and also terribly sweet."
Magdaran felt the color rise in his cheeks again. He had said it, because it was the simplest way to honor what Rias had asked for. He had meant it.
"I had made myself a promise to not focus much on relationships until I became a satan class, and as soon as I did become one, the first thing I did was propose." I said with a smile.
Sirzechs laughed softly. "You are bold, young Bael," he said. "Boldness is good... and since you are bold enough to propose my little sister, I expect you to care for her to the best of your capability."
The conversation relaxed into light banter for a while. Grayfia maintained a courteous presence as maid and queen, efficient and composed.
There were the usual polite inquiries about his breakthrough and duties, and then Rias pressed to know more of Magdaran's practical plans for the human world.
"I will be there for Rias," he said. "I will not be a student though. I will be a companion and guardian. I will train, recruit, and explore."
A hush fell over the room at that sentence, they all misinterpreted my words as going to human world leaving behind all my duties as a heir just to accompany and protect Rias. Sirzechs's brow twitched the slightest amount.
"It seems I can rest assured then," Sirzechs said. "You are quite serious about caring for Rias, I like that. You probably made that plan just to accompany her, right?."
Magdaran nodded. "Though, I am curious about living in the human world too."
Akeno watched him with admiration and something like personal pride. Kuroka kept grinning and whispering side comments, pleased at the turn of events.
Zeoticus and Venelana chuckled lightly and Venelana started to tease Rias, "It seems you had quite the luck, finding yourself such a fine young man for marriage, Rias dear."
Rias blushed at her comment, but did not reply anything.
After the dinner, Rias walked Magdaran and his companions to the gate to see them off, her hand in his for a brief, electrical moment.
"Come again tomorrow." she said, with a small, private smile. "We will celebrate properly and discuss lodging details for the human world. Do not be late."
"I will be there," he said.
On the walk back to the Bael estate, the three of them were quiet in a comfortable way.
Once he had settled back in his room he ran a few diagnostics. He wanted to know, in numbers and feeling, where he stood. His body was more stable than before.
His Touki had blended with his body perfectly, demonic energy control better than before. He had also confirmed the expansion of his reserves sufficiently to make plans that required long term operations.
'Prepare for travel,' he told himself. 'Staying in the underworld means to jump into the political games, which would be a hassle, although I think I can breeze through it with ease, but when I can do something much more interesting like falling in love, experiencing lust, greed, sloth, everything.
Then why should he instead go and act as some behind the scenes boss? Isn't being in the sun with people he loves much better?'
He settled his thoughts, lining up the tasks like chess pieces on the board. Then, when the mundane plans were filed away, his attention turned to simpler, quieter things.
He had chosen honesty. He had chosen to accept differing loves, to make plans that allowed all of them to cohere without pretending that emotions were identical. He had asked and been answered. The answers were not identical. They did not have to be, because they were all with different stories, just like the emotions.
At the edge of sleep that night he thought once more, quietly.
'There is much to learn about living,' he thought. 'There is much in feelings and in small emotions. Becoming a Super Devil is a slow process and does not need to be hurried. I think I should enjoy my teen years a bit until then.' With that, he closed his eyes.
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The chapter has been delivered back, now, again with the reviews for the next one.
Spoiler alert: Next chapter is gonna have hehehehe