Chapter 70: Prize of War

—Ingvild Leviathan—

Ingvild was used to sleepless nights. After being woken up for good, she found the first few nights extremely difficult to fall asleep. Maybe it was the fear of being trapped in another perpetual cycle of sleep, a trauma response as most would say. Or maybe she had simply started hating the concept of sleep itself, afraid that people would leave her while she slept.

Faiser noticed such things. He didn't say anything to her and instead spent the nights studying, reading quietly in her room until she finally fell asleep. It was a nice gesture. It was a caring gesture.

To others, Faiser seemed uncaring, like he only ever cared about himself. But behind that easygoing, often selfish persona was a guy who genuinely cared.

Maybe it was reserved for the people he liked, or for the people he found useful. Maybe he was being selfish. But deep down, Ingvild knew that none of that mattered.

When she couldn't sleep, when she was worried — he stayed. When she felt nervous, he stood next to her. When someone raised their voice at her, he argued for her sake.

He cared for her. Even if these were basic things, they mattered.

And now that he was unconscious, having fought multiple battles with his life on the line and achieved feats that had the Satans calling emergency meetings, with devils, vampires, and other species alike gossiping — she stayed by his side.

She sat next to his bed, quietly watching over him, caring for him.

Bova was constantly moving between Faiser's recovery room and his father's. Tannin had suffered serious injuries as well, but they were thankfully healing.

She and Bova were more exhausted than injured, and a few potions had helped immensely.

What still hadn't recovered was her heart. Seeing Faiser unconscious, almost losing his life right before her eyes, had hurt her deeply. For so long, she had believed she was becoming useful to him, that she had gotten stronger.

But she wasn't. The Ultimate Class she had considered a tremendous achievement hadn't even fazed the enemies they faced in such short periods of time.

'Am I even worthy of being his Queen?'

A queen was supposed to stand by her king, protect him, and be equal to him. But here she was, unable to deflect even a single attack from Rizevim, while Faiser had fought almost evenly against the devil.

He had grown at a rate that left her far behind. She felt weak, unworthy, and sad.

'I want to stand next to you.' She gripped his unconscious hand. 'Not behind you.'

She didn't hide how she felt about him. She had even told Serafall. And while it was true that she could sense Serafall's conflicting feelings toward him, it didn't matter to her.

Sure, she felt a little bad, but she wouldn't give up on Faiser because of that. What hurt her was that Serafall could stand at least close to Faiser, while she couldn't.

'I am not giving up on you.' Her grip tightened. 'I will not be a burden. I will let you lean on me, just as you let me lean on you.'

Her lips quivered, fully aware that it wouldn't be easy to match a man who had broken through Satan Class in only a few months.

And yet, she was willing to do it.

'I promise, Faiser.' She solidified her resolve. 'And when that happens… maybe I will be able to confess the feelings of my heart. Till then… please don't give up on me.'

* * *

[Same Time — Devil's Meeting Council, Underworld]

—Carmilla Viviane Dracul—

Carmilla sat at the very end of the oval table, facing directly toward the old head of the Bael Pillar of the Devils — Zekram Bael. She had met the old devil only a handful of times, each encounter limited to events where they merely nodded at one another in acknowledgment.

Now, however, they were discussing.

"I am glad that we are on the same page," the old devil laughed, clearly pleased as he read through the contents of the file before him.

And why wouldn't he be happy? He was gaining a lot without lifting a finger. It was her, the Satans, and Faiser with his peerage who handled everything.

In a way, it irked her. But then again, that was how power worked. The ones at the top rarely moved and reaped all the benefits, while the rest had to actively struggle just to survive.

The Satans were a weird bunch, one that for some strange hobby enjoyed involving themselves in fieldwork rather than letting their minions clean things up.

"I am glad you like it, Lord Zekram," she offered a courteous smile. "I wrote the terms quite heavily in favor of the devils."

The old devil laughed aloud. "Of course. We have bled to help you. It is only appropriate that the compensation is of a caliber that helps us recover and eases your heart for the aid you received."

Her eyebrows twitched slightly at that, but she remained quiet. She couldn't really argue, not when she had seen a certain devil nearly fall to his death for the sake of vampires.

Still, it didn't sit well with her that the old devil was taking credit for things Faiser had done.

"I believe that Faiser deserves some benefits from this as well, doesn't he?" Serafall said, her smile firmly in place. "Lord Zekram?"

Carmilla hadn't known Serafall for long, barely moments. Even so, she could tell that behind that smile was someone just as annoyed as she was.

She had been alive far too long not to recognize when a woman cared about a man, and Serafall clearly did care for Faiser.

And why wouldn't she? The devil wasn't shameless like the old one. He was well-spoken, good-looking, and most importantly… he knew how to charm people.

He had won over her kind, her soldiers, with just a single battle. And it would be a lie to say she wasn't somewhat enamored by the boy. He had a certain charm in the way he talked, behaved, and lived.

"But Faiser has gained a lot, hasn't he?" Zekram countered with a smile. "With his heroic battle, his name has already spread far wider than he may even be able to handle. Beyond that, he has clearly formed a good relationship with the vampires. Which other devil can boast such a friendship without relying on external connections?"

Zekram wasn't entirely wrong. He was, in fact, quite on point. After the war, Carmilla and her vampires did see Faiser in a fairer light. In more ways than one, their view of Faiser was far better than their view of devils as a whole.

"Still, what he did didn't just help the vampires," Sirzechs spoke up. "Might I remind everyone here, he dealt with Katarea in the past, Shalba in this conflict, and even held his own against Rizevim in his True Form. If not for Faiser, I would never have been able to get rid of Rizevim."

That was ignoring his other achievements entirely. Carmilla had heard of Faiser's feats, and they had clearly impressed her. Not to mention the countless Tepes faction vampires and Old Satan Faction devils he had fought on his own.

"If Faiser hadn't faced them, we would not have been able to uproot the remaining Old Satan Faction devils," Falbium added. "Ajuka and I had to take a detour to eliminate them for good, and that was only possible because Faiser held Rizevim in place while Sirzechs finished him."

She couldn't quite tell why, but she sensed the old devil growing irritated. There was jealousy there, perhaps even an inferiority complex, stirred by the mention of Faiser's accomplishments.

"He clearly achieved a lot, but it was still you who got rid of Rizevim, the core of the Old Satan Faction," Zekram continued. "I don't see you asking for anything in return, Lord Sirzechs. It is the duty of us Pure-Bloods to protect our kind, and Faiser simply fulfilled that duty."

Carmilla's lips curled, not in amusement but in annoyance. Thankfully, she didn't have to speak and risk souring their relationship, because someone else stepped in.

"I don't see you facing Rizevim, Lord Zekram." It was Serafall. "I can't even say that I could face Rizevim myself. What Faiser did was a feat comparable to a Satan, and as such, he should be rewarded, not pushed back for some misplaced sense of patriotism toward the Devil World."

Carmilla's jaw nearly dropped at the jab, and she used every bit of willpower she had to maintain her composure.

Zekram was clearly irked, his fists clenching before he slowly lowered them.

"He clearly used some forbidden old technique from his bloodline," he tried to argue. "The Barbatos and Valefar lines aren't exactly known for fighting clean."

"And still, no dirty fighting can match a True Devil." This time, it was the green-haired devil who spoke. "A True Devil is not something you have faced, Lord Zekram. I say this with nothing but respect, but only someone who has faced a True Devil understands what it takes to even stand against one, much less fight it." He continued, "Even when we achieved our own True Forms, it terrified us to our very core, realizing the kind of power we held."

"It is not us who actively place these seals on our bodies," Sirzechs added. "The world itself tries to protect itself by placing seals on a devil who awakens their True Form. Life itself is at risk when a True Devil exists nearby. That is how dangerous a True Devil is."

"And that battle wasn't without sacrifice," Serafall said quietly. "Faiser lost nearly all his legions and… he definitely gave up a lot to face Rizevim."

Her words made the room fall silent.

"No one can face a True Form devil without a True Form of their own," Serafall continued. "And for someone to face one without it… they have to sacrifice something immense."

The implication was clear. No one wanted to say it out loud, but the conclusion they all reached was the same. Faiser must have been burning his own life force to fight Rizevim. It was the only explanation that made sense.

"His sacrifice is far greater than any of us can comprehend." Serafall's voice wavered, and everyone could see her trembling.

'She… likes Faiser, doesn't she?' Carmilla could tell. Still, she wasn't about to comment on it unless the Satan brought it up first.

For a moment, Serafall's words made Carmilla think about the object that had fallen from Rizevim's hand and been taken by Faiser. But Sirzechs had asked her not to mention it until they had spoken to Faiser directly.

The object had practically vanished when they examined Faiser for injuries. It had confused them greatly, but they had chosen not to pursue it for now.

And this wasn't the moment to bring it up.

"Then… what do you even suggest?" Zekram finally snapped. "What reward could possibly be comparable to his feats?"

The old devil clearly wasn't fond of rewarding Faiser. Unfortunately for him, everyone else was adamant.

"You have already awarded him legions from your own houses, land, and even devils," Zekram sighed. "There is nothing left you can give him."

Carmilla couldn't tell whether he truly believed that, or if he was simply unwilling. Still, it was true that matching Faiser's deeds with an appropriate reward would be difficult.

Or so she thought.

"A promotion," Falbium announced. "For all his deeds so far, for the sacrifices made by his parents, and for the level he has reached… he deserves a promotion."

Zekram immediately frowned. "A Satan Class promotion is not possible. There cannot be five Satans at once, and none of you have any legitimate reason to step down, nor would the council of devils allow it."

This was territory she couldn't step into. Devil politics wasn't for her to comment on, so she stayed quiet.

"Not a class promotion," Ajuka said, seemingly catching on to what Falbium was implying. "He is definitely a Satan Class devil now, but you are also correct that the title of Satan cannot be granted unless one steps down. And we are not at a stage where any of us can afford to do that. So… this is not a class promotion we are discussing."

He looked toward the Satans, all of whom nodded.

"Then?"

"A Pillar promotion," Serafall stated. "For all his achievements, his Pillars deserve to be promoted."

Zekram's eyes widened. "Absolutely not! The hierarchy of the Devil World is not something that can be altered just because of a few achievements!"

"And yet, us Satans have already decided on it."

Carmilla felt small amid the heated debate. The power difference between her and the Satans was astronomical.

When Zekram released his demonic power in anger, Sirzechs and the other Satans immediately drowned it out with only a fraction of their own.

"All four of us Satans have decided on this, and at least half of the other Pillars share the same opinion," Sirzechs said, raising his hand as a scroll appeared in his palm. "As it stands, you are the last one to receive this proposal, Lord Zekram. Even the current Lord Bael has signed it in favor of Faiser's promotion."

Zekram's face paled. "My own descendant has agreed to this…?"

'Devil politics… is terrifying.' Carmilla felt her body grow colder than ever, even for a vampire. The Satans had gone behind the elder devil's back and secured the signature of his own descendant before he could even move against it. That level of planning would have been unheard of in the Vampire World.

Among devils, however, it didn't even seem unusual.

"You do, of course, have a say in this," Ajuka said calmly. "But it will not change the outcome. As things stand, the majority is in favor of the promotion."

"And so," Serafall leaned back and crossed her arms, "the Pillars of Barbatos and Valefar will be promoted to King. Naturally, this includes all the benefits a King-Class Pillar receives… additional land, legions, and greater political influence."

Zekram's fingers clawed at the scroll, his lips pressed into a thin line. The old devil was furious, and all he could do was sit in silence.

"I hope you find this reward satisfactory for your benefactor as well, Lady Carmilla," Ajuka said with a smile, clearly seeking her approval as the head of a powerful faction.

Carmilla wanted to sigh. All she managed was a weak smile, impressed despite herself. "Of course. I wouldn't expect Lord Faiser to receive anything less."

That said, she would need to match the reward in her own way. While she could never rival the political weight of the Satans, she could at least offer something meaningful.

"And since it is the Vampires who benefited the most from Lord Faiser's deeds, we would also like to reward him as well."

That immediately drew everyone's attention.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Falbium asked, intrigued.

Serafall, meanwhile, was practically boring holes into her with her stare.

Clearing her throat, Carmilla explained, "I know I cannot offer much to a devil of Lord Faiser's caliber. He is clearly stronger than me and possesses immense wealth. So I was thinking of rewarding him… in another way."

With everyone's eyebrows raised, she answered.

"I've heard that Lord Faiser only has two peerage members so far, and that the rest of his peerage is empty," she said, clearly capturing everyone's attention. "Which is why I was thinking of helping him with that, by providing two vampires who could be of use to him, for his peerage."

"Oh?" Sirzechs asked. "And are they vampires we know of?"

Carmilla nodded. "One of them is Elmenhilde Karnstein, a vampire noble. That would establish a clear connection between Lord Faiser and the vampires. Of course, he doesn't need it, but it would give him a direct standing among us."

The Satans glanced at one another, clearly not expecting her to offer such a significant gift.

With Elmenhilde joining Faiser, he would gain a direct voice in vampire politics through House Karnstein. That alone was unheard of. No faction willingly allowed another to entangle itself in their internal affairs, yet here Carmilla was, openly defying that norm.

"Elmenhilde is also quite a capable vampire. While she may not be on par with his Queen or Rook, he certainly won't be disappointed with her addition."

"That… is quite the gift," Falbium said, barely believing it.

"And… you said there's another?" Serafall narrowed her eyes, to which Carmilla nodded.

"There is," she said, her hesitation clear. Given their situation, she had no way to properly handle this particular vampire, nor could she risk keeping her close in the current political climate. If anything, she needed this vampire away from the Vampire World, or trouble would inevitably follow.

"And that is…?"

Carmilla looked straight at them. "That is the only daughter of the late King Tepes. Valerie Tepes. The wielder of the Longinus-class Sacred Gear, Sephiroth Graal."

And just like that, everyone's jaws dropped.

After all, she had just dropped a nuke on the table.

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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters + Other Stories. }