Chapter 98 - A Conversation with a Devil

Chapter 98: Chapter 98 - A Conversation with a Devil

Rin felt that her legs could barely respond at this point. They were heavy and limp after so many discoveries that had turned her world upside down, destroying much of the common sense that a modern Magus like her had built throughout her entire life.

I mean... imagine discovering that she had ended up in a world where the Age of Gods had never come to an end. A world where deities still existed and walked around while humanity remained ignorant, not only of them, but also of the supernatural in general. In a way, this was still familiar to her old world, where only Magi, for the most part, were aware of the existence of the Moonlit World and the mysteries that remained hidden from the eyes of ordinary people. But that was practically the only similarity....

Alear had told her everything he knew about that world: the existence of Youkai, Dragons, Angels, Fallen Angels, and... Devils. Yes, the young man before her really was a Devil. Suddenly, that absurdly beautiful and almost inhuman appearance began to make much more sense. After all, if he was literally a demonic creature, perhaps that supernatural beauty was simply part of his very nature...

As that thought passed through her mind, Rin felt an increase in the tension in her cheeks, quickly accompanied by a growing warmth. Regarding the fact that she was standing before a Devil, she was obviously secretly frightened and maintained a certain degree of caution in her heart. After all, if Alear really was a Devil, then, technically, he could kill her as easily as someone would crush a fly. This realization also made her understand why her Gandr had failed so miserably earlier. Was it because of innate magical resistance...?

"So..." She crossed her arms, inadvertently accentuating her modest breasts. Her turquoise-blue eyes remained fixed on Alear, as if she were trying to test him in some way. The expression on her face, however, made it clear that there were still many things she could not understand. She narrowed her eyes, slightly furrowing her brow before finally asking, "Although it is still difficult to believe all of this, the amount of mana present in the atmosphere makes it impossible to simply ignore your words. It is true that it is quite different from the mana of the planet in my old world, but I can still clearly feel the difference, which gives some credibility to what you are saying... Is there any other important information I should know....?"

"Hmm, well... I already explained all the information about the world in general to you, but I haven’t explained the Underworld where we are now. Let me start with my current position. At the moment, I am an Archduke, one of the few Devils who hold this title. It is a position immediately below the Satans, the supreme rulers of the Underworld and, naturally, some of the most powerful Devils in existence..."

"Generally speaking, demonic nobility has a fairly well-defined hierarchy. Directly below the Satans are the Great Kings, followed by Kings, Archdukes, Dukes, and Princes. After them come Marquises, Counts, Viscounts, and Barons, while Baronets and Knights occupy the lower levels of nobility. Of course, a title by itself does not completely determine a Devil’s strength, but it represents their position, political influence, prestige, and authority within demonic society..."

"Furthermore, there are the Seventy-Two Pillar Houses, the ancient bloodlines that form the backbone of the Underworld’s nobility. Some of these families maintain immense political, economic, and military power, while others have lost much of their influence over the centuries. You must have heard of the Key of Solomon, right? The Seventy-Two Pillars mentioned in that grimoire are the same ones that gave rise to the great noble houses of the Underworld. Each Pillar represents a distinct demonic bloodline, with its own history, territory, traditions, and hereditary abilities. It was from these families that the political structure of the Underworld was built, and to this day, they continue to exert enormous influence over the affairs of the demonic world."

Alear explained calmly, without looking away from the turquoise-blue eyes of the girl before him. She seemed to constantly analyze him, as though examining every word that came out of his mouth while simultaneously remaining ready to question or dismiss anything she considered absurd. This, combined with the fact that she had not completely lowered her guard yet, gave him the impression that Rin was the kind of person accustomed to following her own pace. She seemed to have lived a rather solitary life, learning to act on her own and depend little on others, which probably explained why her way of communicating was so direct and, at times, difficult to follow....

That was what he had managed to learn about her during the conversation the two of them had over the past hour.

Well, he had given her a more in-depth explanation about the hierarchy of demonic nobility, but there were still some details that made his position particularly special. After all, there was only one Great King in the entire Underworld: Zekram Bael. Likewise, there had only ever been one King, Wilbert Bael, who had already passed away, leaving the title currently vacant.

Consequently, considering the absence of a King and the fact that the only Great King was Zekram Bael, his position as an Archduke effectively made him the most influential noble in the Underworld below the Satans themselves. Although there were other Archdukes, his status was exceptional, placing him above all other members of the same class and giving his position far greater political weight than the title itself might suggest....

"I see, yes... I’ve already read through the Key of Solomon, so I’m not completely ignorant regarding this subject...." Rin became somewhat more apprehensive. After her father’s death, she left for the Clock Tower, where she continued her studies and considerably deepened her knowledge of Magecraft and even True Magic. During that period, she even came into contact with the Marshal. Her ancestor had been his disciple and, apparently, that troll had become quite interested in teaching her. She, however, completely refused the offer, after all, every disciple he had taught had ended up going insane or something even worse.... But, among everything she had learned during her time at the Clock Tower, perhaps what had left the most negative impression on her was politics. She knew that the higher someone’s title or position, the more complicated their position tended to be and the greater the problems surrounding them would become. Therefore, discovering that Alear occupied such a high position within demonic society did not reassure her in the slightest....

Alear nodded slightly, observing the subtle change in her expression.

"That’s good. Having some prior knowledge makes things considerably easier." He paused briefly, as if considering how much he should reveal at that moment, before continuing in a casual tone: "Besides our hierarchy and the politics of the Underworld, there is another important point about Devils that you need to understand. We are creatures of sinful nature by essence. And that is not merely a figure of speech. Lust, pride, sloth, greed... they are all part of who we are. For example, among the nobility, it is not particularly uncommon for certain parties to end with orgies involving multiple guests.."

Rin remained silent for several seconds, her face taking on a slightly reddish hue as she tried to process that information. As a Magus, she had already studied different cultures, customs, and even practices considered morally questionable, but this was simply too strange. As expected of a society of Devils, huh? She looked away for a moment, clearly disconcerted, before turning to face him again with an expression that mixed disbelief and disapproval. Alear, however, continued speaking as though he were merely explaining a perfectly ordinary cultural characteristic.

"Some Devils are so proud that they become genuinely irritating to deal with. The slightest insult to their own image or bloodline can create completely disproportionate problems. Others, on the other hand, are so lazy that they see no problem with spending the entire day sleeping and leaving all their responsibilities to their subordinates. Both extremes exist in considerable numbers within demonic society, and you will probably end up encountering both types sooner or later." He paused briefly before adding, "Although lust is probably the most prevalent sin. Among certain nobles, for example, it is not necessarily considered a problem for a wife to become involved with other men, something that I personally deeply dislike...."

Rin remained silent for several seconds, staring at Alear with an increasingly incredulous expression. After everything she had discovered that day, apparently there were still new ways for that world to surprise her. She sighed and placed one hand against her forehead, slightly shaking her head before responding with almost natural sarcasm: "So, let me see if I understand... you are literally creatures associated with the seven sins, and apparently some nobles consider it perfectly normal to share their own wife with other men. Truly, what a refined society. And to think that, for a few moments, I was beginning to think that the Devils here would be more civilized than the Magi of the Clock Tower. I suppose I was being far too optimistic."

Alear smiled slightly at the sarcastic remark, showing no offense. He continued calmly and in detail with his explanation about the Underworld and everything else. Rin listened attentively, occasionally furrowing her brow or asking a specific question, but without completely interrupting the flow of the conversation....

It was at that moment that the office door opened softly.

Rin turned her gaze toward the newcomer and, for a moment, felt a slight discomfort. The woman before her possessed a distinctly voluptuous figure, and the contrast with her own more modest body caused her eyes to narrow slightly when she noticed the other’s generous chest. Grayfia’s expression, however, remained cold and professional, without the slightest hint of arrogance.

Alear raised his hand in a casual gesture.

"Grayfia, this is Rin Tohsaka. She will be under my responsibility for the time being. Rin, this is Grayfia, my head maid." He then turned back toward Grayfia. "Bring some tea and something to eat....."

Grayfia inclined her head in acknowledgment.

"As you wish, Alear-sama."

Without another word, she left the office with the same elegance with which she had entered, leaving Rin and Alear alone once again.

After the door closed, Rin turned her attention back to Alear. Her turquoise-blue eyes still carried a faint evaluative glimmer as she crossed her arms again.

"You’re lucky to have such a... beautiful maid." The word came out with a slight hint of irony. "That just confirms that you’re the lustful type of Devil, then..."

Alear shrugged, maintaining a calm and almost indifferent expression.

"I love many women."

The answer was simple, direct, and without any attempt at justification. Rin raised an eyebrow, clearly dissatisfied with that frankness, but decided not to press the matter. After a few seconds of silence, she looked away for a moment, reorganizing her own thoughts before facing him again. Her expression had changed once more, assuming that analytical look Alear was already beginning to recognize.....

And, in the end, Alear had been right. During the following hour, Rin asked one question after another about the Underworld, that world, and, above all, magic. She was not satisfied with vague answers or superficial explanations; whenever something piqued her curiosity, she demanded details, asking additional questions until she completely understood the subject. After learning more about the system of nobility and, above all, about the way a Devil was capable of using magic, Rin gave him a long, thoughtful look. The possibility of conjuring magical phenomena simply through imagination, without relying on Aria, without needing to reconstruct complex formulas, and without even using Magic Circuits in the traditional manner, was something any Magus would have difficulty ignoring. Only someone who had dedicated their entire life to Magecraft could understand just how absurd that advantage was. Being a Devil in that world seemed, from the perspective of a modern Magus, like a completely unfair cheat....

The conversation between the two was only interrupted when Grayfia brought a teapot accompanied by some sweets to eat. Alear imagined that Rin, considering her figure, probably did not eat much, although he could tell that she was quite athletic beneath her clothes. Since she used ’Reinforcement’, which enhanced her physical capabilities, it was obvious that Rin took good care of her body to further maximize the effects of her magic. Even with her blouse completely concealing her figure, he could still tell that she had perfect curves.....

Upon hearing the girl in front of him choke, Alear began to suspect that Rin really possessed some method of ’understanding’ what others thought about her, because whenever his thoughts drifted toward a certain subject, she ended up showing some kind of reaction. The question, then, became: how sensitive was her ’intuition’? And if he let his mind wander even further, would she be able to notice? That was the thought that occurred to him as he drank his own tea and imagined Rin completely naked. Since he could visualize such things ’perfectly’, without allowing a single detail to escape his notice, he was able to mentally form a scene that would make Rin’s admirers pursue him with even greater fervor than Zekram had pursued her family over the years.

This time, Rin threw her cup in his direction. Alear simply dodged it and, before it could fall, used telekinesis to catch it in midair, placing it back in front of her. Rin’s face was visibly red; she pointed at Alear and shouted, "You were thinking about something inappropriate just now, weren’t you?! Don’t lie to me!"

Seeing Rin behaving so exaggeratedly, Alear was satisfied to have finally obtained the answer to his question, although he was still somewhat confused by the intensity of her reaction. It was not particularly difficult for him to interpret a woman’s feelings, but Rin’s reaction was peculiar compared to the behavior of most women. Although she appeared to be the ’refined’ type, she was also clearly prone to outbursts of anger. In response to her accusation, he adopted a serious expression and shook his head before explaining, "My thoughts were not inappropriate, even if they could be interpreted as rude...."

Rin crossed her arms tightly, her face still visibly flushed, and replied in a dry tone, "I don’t trust the word of a Devil."

Her turquoise-blue gaze remained fixed on him, filled with distrust and a faint lingering embarrassment.

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