Nero glanced at me with clear, unadulterated annoyance as I approached. I hadn't budged on my choice of attire, sticking to the same outfit I'd been wearing for the last few days. To be honest, I didn't really care; I looked much better dressed in my own style anyway.
"Tch."
Nero didn't say a word, but he did glare at me for a few seconds longer than usual. He was likely reeling from what he found. My current level had already reached Great Grandmaster, and I was well on my way to the peak. In the eyes of a normal noble, making that much progress in a mere day or two was insane.
The carriage ride to the Leraje clan's venue proceeded smoothly. I watched out the window, occasionally catching Nero's reflection in the glass. His expression was a shifting landscape, transitioning from that of a frustrated little brother to the mask of a prideful, stoic noble.
While he focused on his image, I turned my thoughts toward the political chessboard ahead. Making the right connections today was paramount.
The Leraje heirs were near the top of my list. They possessed a notoriously deadly bloodline ability, making them invaluable allies. After them, the Agares and Dantalion clans were the most promising targets. The Agares were known for their overwhelming combat-oriented abilities and spells, making them on par with some of the kingly houses in terms of destructive capabilities.
And among the Duke-ranked houses, the Dantalion bloodline ability was perhaps the most terrifying, known as 「Omniscient Persona」. It was a power that allowed the user to essentially "download" the personality, certain thoughts, mannerisms, and even the core emotions of a target, of course depending on the comprehension of the ability. It was the ultimate tool for subversion. It would be extremely useful to have someone with that ability under me.
'Perhaps the Valefor clan could be useful as well. One of their bloodline abilities has something to do with stealing—they are known as the patron duke of thieves, after all.'
🞜🞜🞜🞜🞜🞜🞜🞜🞜
The carriage stopped moving after about an hour. Royal carriages like ours could move at high speed distances, enough to blur the surroundings for even myself.
"Lord Dante, Lord Nero, we've arrived at the Leraje Estate."
The attendant's voice broke the silence. Nero stood up, his face having fully transitioned into that of a prideful noble. He didn't say a word as he prepared to disembark, maintaining his composure as we arrived at our destination.
I glanced at our surroundings, taking in the scenery of vast gardens and the large, violet-colored castle estate at the center.
Various young nobles had already gathered here, and I could already spot a few higher-ranked heirs among the crowd.
One in particular stood out.
It was a young man with narrow, electric-blue eyes and short black hair streaked with blue. The most striking thing about him was his demon mark—lightning-like veins crawling from his chest up to his jaw. He was dressed in a formal suit, the intensity of his aura was unmistakable.
A demon mark is something every demon from common to king possesses; mine are the marks under my eyes. His was a signature trait of the Bael clan.
I had hoped Vergil's prediction was wrong, but it seems he was right. I never liked the Bael clan that much; their members always tried to surpass the Kingly heirs every chance they got. They should've known their place and accepted being a Grand Duke house! But no. They just had to desire more and more.
Sure, they might be in the upper echelons of power, but it meant jack shit to me. It was annoying.
🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜 🞜
A young man, a few years older than I, stood on the second floor. He gathered the attention of the noble heirs with an amplified clap.
He had soft, almost delicate features and a short stature, being around a head shorter than I. His skin was unnaturally pale, nearly translucent, making the long violet hair falling down to his lower back stand out even more—a feature he obviously took pride in.
It seemed to have its own constant fan under it, though, keeping the strands in a state of perpetual motion. He most definitely did that deliberately. His eyes were a matching shade of deep amethyst, sharp and predatory despite his polite smile. He wore a high-collared pink coat adorned with silver embroidery that looked like crawling vines.
"Welcome, welcome! I am Celeris Leraje, heir to the Great House of Leraje, and your host for this banquet!"
As he continued his boisterous welcome, I scanned the crowd again. Nero had already moved into a more prominent position, playing the part of the perfect prince, chatting up some knight family members, while the Bael heir remained stationary, sipping on some wine it seemed like.
'Alright...I dont have much experience in these matters, but Im confident nothing will go wrong. Im me afterall.'
"Hey." A voice sounded from behind me.
'Eh?' I turned, staring at a rather tall man. I could tell he was of the Astaroth bloodline immediately. He had stark silver hair that was slicked back, save for a few strands falling across his pale, ash-like face, while his eyes were bronze with clockwork gears turning in the irises. He wore a dark charcoal suit with gold filigree tracing the cuffs.
I was confused on why he approached me; it must have shown on my face because he started speaking.
"You're Nero's brother, right? Dante Morningstar?"
I nodded. Why was he approaching me?
"I see…" He gazed at me for a few more seconds, his eyes roaming across my body before leaving. The gaze made me uncomfortable, my body doing an involuntary shiver.
'What is he, a homosexual?' The thought crossed my mind—it certainly wasn't uncommon among the nobility—but I quickly brushed it off. I like women!
Then, a more pressing thought surfaced. Perhaps he could see something off about me? The Astaroth bloodline ability had something to do with time—specifically causality and observation. With those clockwork eyes, maybe he wasn't looking at my body; maybe he could see the "time" of my soul? These are all theories. I doubt anyone but a few Noble clan heads and the kings could glimpse the true nature of what happened.
'I need to stop overthinking things…'
I continued to walk around for a few more minutes, drawing more than a few gazes as I moved through the crowd. I was the only one there not wearing a suit or a dress, or some formal wear, making me a blatant eyesore in this sea of heirs.
But no matter what anyone says. I'm the most handsome and gorgeous demon, even counting the Asmodeus!
'But, ignoring that… lets find who I came for.'
I began searching around, my irises glowing a dull red as I enhanced my vision. One of them should be here; there was no way a member of the Gremory clan would pass up a gathering like this.
Sniff sniff.
Did someone just sniff me?
"Hey there!" A high-pitched voice called from behind me.
I turned my head immediately, seeing nothing. I was sure I had my senses dialed up.
I swept my eyes all around me before feeling a tap on my chest.
"Down here!"
And finally, I looked down, seeing a young woman who was incredibly short, barely reaching my chest. She had a heart-shaped face with large, inquisitive eyes that shifted between shades of deep plum and charcoal grey depending on how the light hit them. Her hair was a striking, glossy obsidian, cut into a sharp, asymmetrical bob that framed her face tightly. Instead of a dress, she wore a tailored, high-waisted dark tunic over sleek trousers.
'Who…'
She didn't wait for a response, poking and prodding at my clothing.
"You smell funny! Wheredidyougettheseclothestheylooknice! Hey are you Nero's brother you smell like him! Oh whats your name!? Im Anastasia Gremory! Pleasure to meet you!"
I was glad I ended up finding a Gremory, but...
'Whats with everyone suddenly approaching me?'