NOVEL NEXT Chapter 4: Underworld days
"So your family told you to run for your life. On your way, you ran into Kuroka and Shirone who were on the run from the Naberius clan. The two of them decided to join you on the run. That altered fate to the point where you received a pair of summon cards. Since then you have been receiving visions of the future and have been using that knowledge to alter fates to get more cards to fill out the members of your peerage. Besides training, studying, and using your visions to alter fate you haven't done much." Serafall Leviathan summarized
"Well sorry, I didn't want to draw attention to the fact I was still alive to the forces that tried putting an end to my life. Or get on the radar of the Neberius clan. So I really haven't wanted to endanger everyone by oh I don't know going and having fun at any old amusement park tied close to devils. How did you find me anyway?" Lex
"Same way we knew you were alive. Your set of evil pieces. Every time you reincarnate someone we get a single telling us what pieces you have used. I had to ask Ajuka to make a signal locator. Then all I had to do was wait for you to use one of the pieces again. I got the alert where you were and I made my way here as fast as I could. You kept six devils waiting for five years." Serafall Leviathan
"I understand that Master Lex kept you and Lord Ajuka Beelzebub waiting. But who were the other four who were left waiting?" Lavenza
"He kept my fellow Great Satan Sirzechs Lucifer waiting. Lord and Lady Penex, and his betrothed Ravel Penex. That poor girl always had a concerned look on her face when I saw her. She would always ask if we had found out anything about you." Lex felt several glares from all directions from the words of the Magical Girl Satan
"I have dibs on being the first one that you give kittens. A fiance won't stop me." Kuroka said her tails wrapping around Lex's left arm.
"Ditto, no fried chicken will get a one up on me." Shirone had wrapped her two tails around Lex's neck.
"I'm also wanting kids from Master Lex! But for that, we have to kiss… kissing Master Lex he he he…" Raptalia's face was a deep red she could been mistaken for a pomegranate
"Quite the popular ladies. I better keep you away from my little Son-tan." Serafall Leviathan
"You know having multiple girls who like you sounds nice and all, and it is. But no one talks about the bathroom issues. I wake up iron maiden in maidens and can't get out of bed to use the bathroom without playing twister to get out or I get clawed in the face or bare trapped in cleavage. I think getting bitten is the worst. I don't mind getting gnawed but when the teeth start treating me like a piece of meat I have issues." Lex
"Oh poor is the fate of our little man hoar." Yoruichi smirked looking down at her king
"Yes for one heavy is the weight of bonds you have forged with your kindness, guts, knowledge, charm, and proficiency. It doesn't hurt that you are a caring man with minimal vice." Lavenza
"Oh and what is his vice?" Sarafall
"Videogames and sweets." Shirone deadpanned
"You're forgetting spicy food." Kuroka
"So now that you have found me what are you planning to do with me?" Lex asked
"Well bring you back to the underworld for one. Your folks left me in charge of your family assets and your safety. Your family home was burned during the attack so I'll have you and your peerage stay at my studio while I get a meeting set up for you with House Penex. Deepening on how that goes you will either stay with the Penex family or with me until you reach high school age. Then you and the rest of your peerage will attend Kuoh Academy with my little sister and the heiress of House Gremory. During your time there your new estate in the underworld should be built. And when Ravel turns 16 the both of you should marry then your fate will be out of my hands. I'll still help if you get in trouble but the Penex family will be the main force ensuring your safety. Then you will settle down and have kids and I get to be Antie Sara!" Serafall Leviathan
"So how are we going to the Underworld?" Penny asked
"Well normally we would take the train, but since I haven't booked a ride were going to use a magic circle. Now since everyone is here. I'll set up a magic circle to bring you all the Underworld. Grab what you want to bring with you I'll send a moving team later to get everything else." After 10 minutes Lex and his peerage gathered up what they needed to take. This would be the last they would stay in this house.
-.-
Tick Tock
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The tea in the room had cooled. The two young devils in the room had been quiet for 30 minutes now. It was awkward for both of them. How were you supposed to talk to your betrothed for the first time?
"Is it too late for us just to start with introductions?" Lex asked trying to break the awkward atmosphere in the study room.
"If that's how you want to start this I am willing to oblige. I am Ravel Penex. My hobbies include baking, studying strategy, and reading. I'm done." Ravel
"My name is Alexander Laplace. Though I mostly go by Lex. My hobbies include speedrunning video games, cooking, and studying magic. I honestly don't know what I am doing at his point." Lex slumped in his chair feeling out of place.
"We're trying to get to know each other to build a rapport. I feel this would have been easier if we met when we were younger… To be honest when I was younger I looked forward to meeting you. Then the attack happened and I felt I might have lost you before I got a chance to meet you. Then things didn't go well with my older brother when he met his betrothed and I started to fear meeting you. Were you going to turn out to be someone mean or would you reject me as soon as you saw me?" Ravel
"What do you think of me now?" Lex asked
"You have managed to gather almost your full peerage in five years. They are all women so likely you are using your peerage to form the base of your harem, which I have no issue with. I have long accepted that I wasn't going to be your sole wife. I have yet to truly assess your abilities or the rest of your peerage. But given the feelings of oppression, I had when was in the room with them. You didn't just recruit them as eye candy. As for you yourself… I'm undecided. But for now, consider me open to getting to know you more. As of now, I have yet to find any reason to find a way to get out of our engagement." Ravel said reheating her tea with a slight use of her fire magic.
"So what do you want to know about me?" Lex
"Well let's start with your hobbies first. Can you explain what video game speedrunning entails? I am familiar with what video games are a few of my older brother's peerage tend to play electronic games on their time off." Ravel
"I love video games in a lot of respects. They are great mediums for telling stories and forging your own stories. I love the music and characters that are introduced. I love the game mechanics and the unintended exploits. Speedrunning is a way for me to try to master more of the mechanics. You are looking for clues to find ways to making the game faster. It's like a race against yourself and others trying to get the best time. It's using strats you and others find. It has a very community aspect. It was a nice way for me to make connections without ever having to reveal myself to others. So we both have an interest in working in the kitchen." Lex
"Well I always liked sweets so I wanted to be able to make my own. I also like seeing the faces of others trying my baking for the first time. It brings me joy. So what are your plans before we might have a wedding?" Ravel
"I hope to find my last peerage member, attend Kuoh Academy, and go through my own mark of mastery to become a Keybalde Master." Lex
"What's a Keybalde?" Ravel
"Well this" Lex summoned his version of No Name. "How should I put it. The Keybalde is a weapon that functions as a magical focus, a blade, and a omni-key. No physical or digital lock can stop this key from working. Even the Gods can't make a seal that could stop it. Every Keybalde is bonded to its user's heart. If the user ever loses their conviction or drives the Keyblade will refuse the call of its wielder. Only those who have the right to wield the Keybalde can do so. If someone takes a keyblade it will return to it's wielder quickly. The only real weakness to a Keyblade is the fact it can be broken. That doesn't stop it from being reforged but in it's broken state it's mostly useless." Lex explained
Ravel traced her finger on the Keyblade till she cut her finger. It healed quickly due to her Phoenix bloodline. "So how durable is a Keyblade?"
"That's a question I don't know how exactly to answer. I have only seen a Keyblade break twice. Once was when the welder was flash-frozen and fell off a cliff. The second time I think the wielder no longer resonated with his Keybalde original purpose. In some respect, he outgrew his original Keybalde and needed to forge a new one. The Keybalde can be strengthened with the use of hard to find materials. So I don't have an exact answer for durability." Lex took a quick sip of his tea. "I know for a fact it can guard against most magical attacks and it projects an ethereal blade that can cut through a building with ease."
"So you brought up the Mark of Mastery Exam. Do you know how you will be tested?" Ravel Asked
"No not really. I don't know if it will be a simple test or a massive journey. But I'm starting to feel this is more about me than the both of us. Are you willing to follow me to the human world for high school?" Lex
"Well, I am a year younger than you. So we would only share two years in high school. I doubt we would share any classes together. But we would be able to share after-school activities together and lunch. Hmm, I think I would be fine joining the human world experience thing you have going with the Sitri and Gremory." Ravel had a bit of red face
"So do you have a peerage of your own?" Lex
"No, I have a set of evil pieces but I have yet to find a need to form a peerage of my own. Due to stipulations in our marriage contract, I can't join anyone's peerage. I feel like if we are going to come to odds about the engagement we should be able to resolve matters with discussion. But if things come down to a rating game my brother Riser will act as my proxy if I have yet to form my own peerage. What is your ideal wedding?" Ravel
"I like the idea of a wedding on a private beach with minimal guests. The ceremony should be relatively short. I would not like the wedding to extend past 5 hours. So how about you lady Ravel? What is your idea for a wedding?" Lex
"I don't have any grand ideas for location. I definitely want to wear a white wedding dress with a vale. I want the decorations to have white and blue roses, gerbera daisies, and tansy aster. I wish to swing dance." Ravel
The back-and-forth question kept going on for hours. They're meeting went on until the late evening. Lady Penex was happy watching over the interaction. Lord Penex didn't care about Alexander and his daughter beyond the fact that they would carry on pure-blood devil lineage. Riser was grumpy with the whole affair. Before Alexander was found again he planned on taking Ravel in as his Bishop. Now he had to go searching the black market again. The rest of the Penex family were away on business.
-.-
"So you know Kuoh town is mine and Sona's territory. You are allowed to operate for devil contracts and stray subjection. If anything major comes up it's our responsibility to deal with it as the overseers of the town. You and your peerage will not be allowed to act independently beyond self-defense. You have third choice when it comes to recruiting any of the students of Kuoh. I believe that is all I have to say on this matter." Rias said
"Sure sure I got here last I have no real rights at the negotiation table." Lex was fairly annoyed with Rias. She felt to much one of his older sisters from his last life, A sister Lex didn't get along with, like at all. "So what are the plans with older members of my peerage?"
"We have had them tested to become teachers at Kuoh Academy. Yoruichi has expressed interest in teaching physical education. While Sanjouno Haruhime is showing promise in becoming an economics teacher. By the time you get there, they will have the full qualifications for those roles." Sona took out a few files. "Now let's bring up what club you wish to use as your cover for your peerage. I'm in charge of the student council. Rias is taking the role as head of the Occult Research Club. I debated having you and you peerage folded into the ORC but Rias will most likely recruit more peerage members and that would over crowd the club. Same reason can't have you joining me in the student council."
"Video Game Development Club. If you wouldn't mind us taking over a computer lab. We will make a small project each quarter and one big project each year. I have one requirement we have full creative liberty to make what we want." Lex
"I am willing to accept as long as no student's identities are used for characters and no using Kuoh Academy as the setting. Other than keeping with your deadlines go nuts." Sona Sitri had a small smile
"Those are acceptable terms. Do we have anything else important to discuss?" Lex
"Nope, as far as I see it we're done setting the rules for Kuoh." Rias said
"I ask if Rias and myself have disagreements in the future you act as a neutral party." Sona
"Only If I get to be in charge of setting up the games for resolving said issues." Lex
"I see no issue with that condition." Rias
Sona gave Lex a long look before nodding her compliance. Lex left the meeting with a bright smile on his face. He was going to have fun with the two heiress in the future.