Chapter 72: King Piece
With his wings fully extended from his back, Alduin soared over the Bael territory. He made no effort to hide himself, allowing his presence to be noticed by the seemingly endless number of barriers that covered the lands of the highest-ranked noble house.
Numerous soldiers and magicians conscripted into the Bael's private military glanced at him as he passed by, yet none of them paid him any heed, although Alduin had entered the territory without checking in with any of the entrance posts. A crime that would usually be met with swift, unapologetic execution.
Of course, nobles were the exception to this rule, but Alduin hardly expected them to know who he was. Serafall and Sirzechs hadn't been particularly vocal about his exploits in the human world, and Rias definitely didn't have the time to blab about him while she was under his intensive training.
Yet, every eye that met Alduin's flashed with a strange sense of recognition. They didn't appear to recognize Alduin personally, which made perfect sense unless Zekram had gone around spreading posters with the young Buné's face on them.
'It's these barriers, they're telling them to ignore me.'
Deciding the matter wasn't worth brooding over, he continued, landing right in front of the heavily-manned, reinforced gilded gate of House Bael's renowned castle.
'Talk about extravagant,' he shook his head, inwardly calculating the sheer resources the fifty ultra-specialized barriers guarding the castle consumed.
They had a Satan-Class relic living on the top floor, wasn't that more than enough?
"Lord Alduin."
Standing at either side of the gate were two gold-armoured, spear-wielding guardsmen. They each adorned royal-purple capes with their master's kingly crest sewn into the fabric.
Both of them exuded the presence of Peak Middle-Class Devils, which didn't sound like much, but for mere guardsmen? It was idiotically profligate, even if they were a part of the Bael's Royal Guard.
"That's me," Alduin offered them an unenthusiastic nod.
"His Majesty awaits you," they wasted no time, immediately opening the gate and lowering their heads to usher him inside.
He had been invited by Zekram himself after all, that alone made him a guest of the highest honor.
As Alduin strolled towards the disdainful castle's front door, he took a moment to stop and admire the pleasant surprise that was the residence's front garden. One teeming with a strange species of purple flower he had never seen before, even in his mother's greenhouse.
He approached one of the flower beds and knelt down, brushing fingers against the violet petals with a faint smile plastered on his face.
'Impressive, whoever planted these really knows their stuff. The light, water intake, nutrients, and temperature couldn't be any more optimal.'
"He said you'd enjoy them," a gentle voice called out to Alduin.
He looked up, observing the well-dressed, raven-haired young man who was walking towards him with palpable pride shimmering through a set of pupils that complemented the coloration of the flowers before him.
"Good afternoon, Lord Alduin." He pressed his palm against his chest and performed a slight, respectful bow. "It's a pleasure to meet you, my name is—"
"Magdaran Bael," Alduin's interjection caught him off guard. "I'm well aware, and the pleasure's all mine."
As a fellow phytophile, how could he not be aware of his generation's leading expert in the realm of botany?
Alduin's room was overflowing with copies of Magdaran's publicized observations, experiments, and discoveries. If his parents had given him access to the DeviNet when he was younger, he would've reached out to him in a heartbeat.
Granted, he was far too embarrassed to admit that aloud.
Stunned, Magdaran paused for a second, letting out an awkward cough to regather his composure.
"I'm surprised… this is the first time I've been recognized by someone outside of these walls, Lord Alduin."
Ever since his brother had reclaimed his status as heir from him, his family hadn't been too keen on spreading his name throughout their sphere of influence.
Alduin chuckled. "I suppose anonymity is something you and I share in common, and please, drop the 'Lord' for me." He gestured to the flower bed. "I can't say I've had the opportunity of seeing these before. Do they have a name?"
The Bael nodded. "According to His Majesty, they were known as 'Purple Autarchs' before they went extinct. Well, nearly extinct, after saving up enough of my allowance, I managed to get my hands on a few seeds and, through extensive trial and error, figured out how to replicate the suitable conditions for them to thrive in."
"Honestly, I was pretty terrified when His Majesty came to visit me a week prior. I thought my family had finally had enough of my lacking political ambition and were ready to disown me." He breathed a half-joking, half self-depriciating chortle. "Fortunately, His Majesty simply wanted me to ensure that these flowers were in top condition before an important guest of his came to visit."
"He should be honored to have a botanist of your caliber as his descendant," Alduin said with firm certainty.
In terms of pure skill and know-how, he could tell at a glance that he was inferior to Magdaran when it came to gardening. The only real difference was that one of them could utilize Ki in their craft, whilst the other could not.
That said, it wasn't like House Bael really tested the Senjutsu potential of their clansmen. If the opportunity ever arose, Alduin would love to offer Magdaran his guidance. He could only imagine the wonders a genius like him would produce if given the chance.
Alduin's words rendered the second son speechless, save for his brother. Not once had Magdaran's passion for plantlife been praised.
Even if they were, it was usually the product of his family's servants offering him empty platitudes. For a moment, he believed Alduin was handing him the same thing with a hollow smile on his face.
But his instincts were quick to correct him, they could tell that the man standing in front of him truly appreciated the blood, sweat, and tears he had put into cultivating these flowers. Even Zekram Bael himself had told him so.
Alduin gave Magdaran a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
"Lucifer knows the Underworld has more than enough muscle-brained idiots like myself and your brother, it's about time we cultivated a treasure of our race like you. Someone capable of truly appreciating our homeland's beauty."
He breathed a regretful sigh. "Honestly, I'd rather stay here and learn whatever I can from you, but as you know, I've got a meeting to attend to." He waved over his shoulder, walking off towards the castle's front entrance. "Until we next meet, Magdaran."
By the time the botanist had fully regathered his thoughts, Alduin was already too far to call out to without yelling.
'A treasure of our race,' those words lingered in his mind like an echo.
Deep down, he was glad Alduin wasn't looking at him anymore. He didn't want to be seen getting teary-eyed in front of another man after all.
///
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"My Lord," before Alduin's knuckles could knock against the steel-plated door, it was opened up wide by one of the residence's attending maids. Presumably the result of yet another barrier-provided signal. "It's an honor to receive your arrival."
"Is it?" He scoffed. "Even though you have no idea who I am?"
From the looks of things, most were only aware that he was an 'important guest' here on Zekram's behest. Beyond that, only Magdaran, who had been informed by the man himself, and Sairaorg, who had met Alduin during his trip to Lilith, were aware of his identity.
The maid showed absolutely no emotion on her face, continuing to hold the door open like an obedient droid.
'How dull,' he sighed inwardly as he stepped inside, briefly observing the castle's interior design before quickly losing interest in its excessively lavish decor.
Seriously, how many gilded lion statues did one household need?
"So? Where's Zekram?"
Though the maid remained visibly indifferent, Alduin felt her aura flicker with annoyance upon hearing his words.
He couldn't help but snicker, wondering what curses the maid was silently spewing at him for addressing the castle's master with such disregard.
"His Majesty awaits you on the uppermost floor," she gestured to an upwards-leading spiral staircase. "If you would please follow me, My Lord."
Step by step, she led him up towards the top floor, entering levels she'd otherwise be barred from had she not received Zekram's explicit permission.
As they walked, Alduin focused his enhanced vision on the windows present on each floor. Outside the castle, he detected a familiar presence surging with excitement and adrenaline, as if they were engaged in some kind of battle.
'It looks like you're working hard, Sairaorg.'
And it wasn't just him, there was another, a presence that carried the same blood as him.
'His condition's still fluctuating, but it's a lot more stable than when I last saw him. Good.'
"We're here," the maid stopped, stepping aside as they arrived at their destination.
Alduin found himself looking down a long, elegant hallway with a single oak door positioned at its farthest end.
The maid bowed once more before departing, leaving him to his own devices.
'Talk about ominous,' Alduin shook his head as he walked towards the door, his fingers performing a slight twitch as he felt the aura waiting for him within.
That of one of the 72 Pillars' founding fathers. The progenitor of the Clan Trait the Satan Lucifer wielded. An existence that resided at the peak of what it meant to be Satan-Class. The same level as his father.
He tried to take comfort in the fact that Zekram wasn't one foot in Super-Class like his adopted daughter, but as a mere Ultimate-Class Devil, it really made no difference.
'Honestly, why must all the adults I find myself associated with be unreasonably powerful?'
Once he was right in front of the door, he took a deep breath and proceeded to knock.
"Come in."
He pushed it open and found himself met with the sight of a surprisingly humble, highly organized office. A complete contradiction to all the eye-hurting effusive design he had seen up till now.
Although, magically speaking, the space was the complete opposite. Alduin could feel the signatures from every single barrier covering not only the castle, but the entirety of Bael City feeding into the room, granting its owner the ability to command them with naught but a mere thought.
Seated behind the desk was a middle-aged man adopting a straight, commanding posture. Posture that carried dignity, elegance, and experience in immense volume. His hair was the same shade of black as Sairaorg and Magdaran's and slicked back in a corporate-like fashion.
His attire was befitting of no-one less than a true nobleman. He wore a custom-tailored purple and gold suit, layered with countless, intricately woven defensive formations that could effortlessly protect him from even an Ultimate-Class attack spell.
His violet eyes, though seemingly peaceful to the naked eye, gave Alduin a strong sense of absolute authoritarianism. The kind you'd expect from a fabled monarch.
This was Zekram Bael.
Before Alduin could say anything, he let out a deep, disappointed sigh.
"I'm not impressed."
With the snap of his fingers, half of his honored guest's torso crumbled to dust, turning to specks of ash and drifting down onto Zekram's office floor.
Instead of blood, flesh, and bone, all Alduin's mangled body revealed was chipped bark and timber.
"I was looking forward to seeing my grandson in person for the first time, and all I'm sent is a mere imitation?" He narrowed his eyes at 'Alduin', daring him to come up with an excuse.
'Busted,' he chuckled nervously. The real Alduin was somewhere in Bael City with Sylvie, enjoying a nice afternoon meal at a random restaurant of his choosing.
Unlike the real thing, the Demonic Ki crawling on Alduin's face wasn't visible on his clone. He had to fake it with Partial Hypnosis when he fled from Roygun.
"Can you blame me? You've got like a gazillion barriers installed here." The clone performed an aloof shrug, quickly regenerating its composition. "I may not have a reputation for being the most cautious, but even I have a limit to how reckless I'm willing to be."
He didn't find the barriers covering Bael City all that problematic, if he really needed to, he could slip out just fine.
The castle, on the other hand? The fifty or so barriers protecting it were way above his weight class, attempting to challenge them would be plain suicide.
Zekram shook his head in frustration.
"This is all your father's fault. Damn that blasted fool and his childish paranoia, treating me like I have a bounty on his head at every turn."
Alduin hummed. "His words of caution regarding you sounded like they came from a place of honesty, at least to me." His gaze hardened. "Then again, he's not the only reason I'm hesitant to come within a thousand feet of you."
"Oh?" Zekram lifted his brow.
"My wife had a disturbingly strong reaction to you when I brought up your invitation," Alduin's eyes narrowing with contempt. "Honestly, my concern for her is the only reason I even bothered coming here in the first place instead of just straight-up ghosting you."
"Wife?" Unfortunately, the Bael showed absolutely no interest in the latter half of Alduin's statement. "That woman is not your wife, nor will she be. She's a fiancée your father arbitrarily picked for you to further his desire of fulfilling his naive ambition."
As a clone, Alduin had absolutely no reason to swallow his emotions before Zekram.
"Who are you to decide who she is or isn't to me? And what exactly do you mean by 'naive ambition'?"
Strangely enough, Zekram's displeasure didn't deepen. Rather, a slow, satisfied smile crept up his face, as if Alduin's words amused him.
He leaned forward, his shoulders stiffening with the determination of a monolith.
"I'm the glue that keeps noble society intact. I've been that person since Lucifer and Lilith first conceived me. Since their children ruled after their demise. Since their children's children ruled, and even when their descendants tried to lead the Underworld into ruin, it was I who course-corrected our people from their fate."
"There isn't a single marriage within the 72 Pillars that's occurred without my blessing, and why? Because I know what's best for our bloodlines. I know how to keep them from vanishing into mere fairytales better than anyone. You can ask Serafall and Sirzechs if you want, they might be reluctant to admit it, but they know it's true."
"That said, I have nothing against our people mingling with one another here and there. Contrary to what most believe, I'm not as much of a diehard traditionalist as people think I am. Unlike my unfortunately block-headed descendant."
Zekram breathed a despondent sigh, truly lamenting how overly reliant the current Lord Bael was on him. Control was nice, but there was a fine line between that and plain babysitting.
"If Roygun Belphegor wishes to become a part of the 72 Pillars, that's perfectly fine with me. She can have the position and all the benefits it'll bring her and her clan. There'll be not a word of complaint from my end."
Zekram steepled his fingers, pointing at Alduin. "But she will not have your hand in marriage, she is a weak, undeserving candidate. You are the first devil to successfully inherit both Clan Traits of your father and mother. At the mere age of eighteen, you're already challenging the upper echelons of Ultimate-Class. In the span of a month, you made Rias Gremory and her peerage undergo a transformation that may have taken her years."
'Martha must've told you about that,' Alduin frowned.
"You deserve much—much better than Roygun Belphegor. I will see to it that you are paired with someone deserving of your future self, that is my responsibility."
His smile widened.
"As for your father's ambition. If you come here in person, I'll be more than happy to tell you all about it."
Alduin simply scoffed in return.
'Fat chance.'
"I see, that's unfortunate." Zekram reclined back into his chair, the tension in the room dissipating. "My position aside, I have to say, I'm rather perplexed as to why you feel so strongly towards Roygun Belphegor. What's there to see in a fraud such as her? Does her weakness not disgust you?"
''Fraud', Martha used that word as well, didn't she?' Alduin knitted his brow, wondering if he was about to find out about the 'secret' Roygun was keeping from him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Taken aback, Zekram blinked in a rare display of genuine confusion, which, in turn, confused the already confused Alduin even more.
"Your mother didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?" Alduin pressed, his irritation rising. No-one enjoyed being talked to in circles.
Zekram breathed a hefty, exasperated groan. Clutching his forehead as if he was on the verge of experiencing a migraine.
'That girl,' he lamented. 'This is why I told you to take a more active role in your son's life! You've been alive for a millennium now! You're far too old to be having a rebellious streak!'
The first Bael made a mental note to set up a vacation for Alduin and his mother sometime in the future, as it would turn out, a serious period of mother-son bonding time was necessary.
"Alduin, from your perspective, how strong is Roygun?"
The Buné tilted his head. "Probably somewhere around Peak Satan-Class, but what's that got to do with anything?"
"That woman's strength is a facade. In truth, even throughout her four-hundred-year-long life, she failed to break past the ceiling between Ultimate-Class and Satan-Class. The power she wields now was granted to her through one of Ajuka's creations." His face twisted mockingly. "Though I supposed it'd be more fitting to call it a 'failed creation.'"
"...What?" Alduin's mouth fell agape.
His Senjutsu told him every word coming out of Zekram's mouth was the truth, but his emotions compelled him to ignore even the side of him he trusted most.
"The Evil Piece System Ajuka created contains every chess piece save for the King, which is substituted for by the monument he created to recognize a High-Class Devil as the King of their peerage." He took a brief, yet meaningful pause. "However, Ajuka's original concept did in fact contain a 'King Piece' before he scrapped the concept."
'King Piece?' Alduin wasn't sure, but he had a feeling he was about to hear something that ordinarily wouldn't reach the ears of most devils.
And in the back of his mind, there was a certainty that each and every syllable that Zekram threw at him from this point onwards would be dedicated to the sole purpose of separating him from Roygun. Regardless of whether he made use of the truth or falsehoods.
"Like the other pieces, the King Piece enhanced the strength of its wielder. Only to a far, far greater degree. In an instant, a High-Class Devil could wield Ultimate-Class strength, and in rare cases like Roygun Belphegor, an Ultimate-Class Devil's power could skyrocket to that of Satan-Class."
Zekram stood up, facing the window behind him with his hands folded behind his back.
"Of course, such a boon doesn't come without its flaws. If the user's existing strength is already too overwhelming, the piece would overload and end up destroying itself, taking the user down with it. It's for that very reason Ajuka decided to cease the King Piece's production early, alongside the fact that widespread knowledge of its existence would be catastrophic for the Underworld's stability."
"Innate greed," Alduin needed no elaboration.
"Indeed," Zekram hummed his approval. "Since you understand that, I presume I don't need to explain to you how important it is you keep this information to yourself?"
Alduin simply breathed a sigh of resignation in return, which was enough of an answer for Zekram. Even if he disapproved on a moral level, he understood the rationality behind leaving such information in the dark.
'Why on earth would Lord Beelzebub create such a thing? I mean, he did stop production early, but how did Roygun end up getting her hands on—'
"Originally," the Bael continued, cutting off Alduin's train of thought. "Ajuka created nine King Pieces, six of them were seized by my Great King Faction, and the other three remain with him."
Immediately, Alduin understood.
Ajuka wasn't responsible for handing Roygun such a dangerous weapon, it was the archaic man standing right before him.
"You took them from Lord Beelzebub?"
"Took?" Zekram scoffed in amusement. "Please, if Ajuka truly wished to hold onto them, we would've been powerless to do anything about it. It'd be more accurate to say he didn't care what happened to the pieces at the time, he lost all interest in their existence after he deemed them a failure."
His pupils shone with the know-how of a grizzled businessman.
"I, on the other hand, saw the pieces as a rather fruitful investment opportunity. I saw no reason to let them go to waste when there were a handful of willing candidates who could help us make use of them. Like Roygun Belphegor, for example."
Alduin's scrutinizing glare intensified. 'He talked about 'them' in the past tense, don't tell me he's already given out all six King Pieces? For what purpose?'
"You put strings on her."
Zekram shook his head. "I made a transaction. She wanted power and status, and I wanted to expand my influence. Therefore, a deal was made between us. That's all there is to it. One party obtained a King Piece, the other was able to solidify their control over the money-printing machine that is the Rating Game's Top 10 positions."
"Even if there are 'strings' on her, she was the one who agreed to have them attached to her." With both palms planted against his desk, Zekram leaned forward. "Alduin. She took the King Piece because she didn't have the confidence, talent, or skill to elevate herself any further. Is that the kind of woman you want? Is that the kind of blood you want running through your children's veins?"
Silence befell Alduin. Evidently, Zekram had given him much to ponder over, and the Bael was more than happy to give him all the time in the world, so long as he found the youngster's answer satisfactory.
However, as he looked upon Alduin, he felt that something was amiss with the Buné's expression. The face he was making wasn't one of someone who felt betrayed by the secret his fiancée was keeping from him.
Where was the anger? The bitterness? The disdain?
Alduin was way too calm, even for a child who had the concept of 'emotional control' hammered into his brain since he was able to walk.
"I'll admit, all this 'King Piece' stuff is pretty damn disturbing to hear. However, I'm not sure why you think knowing about it would make me despise her?" He hummed, staring at Zekram with pure intrigue. "So what if she's relying on external power? I'm a Buné for fucks sake. All the power we wield is stolen."
He scoffed, truly finding Zekram's attempt to ruin Alduin's image of Roygun laughable. He knew that the woman was deeply flawed from the start, and it didn't bother him one bit. He was far, far from perfect anyway.
"Now that 'Top 10' business on the other hand? ThatI do find rather concerning." His gaze sharpened with an analytical glint. "Don't tell me all six of the King Pieces you have are inside active top-rankers?"
"Initially, I was inclined to let you in on everything about the King Piece." Zekram pressed his thumb against his forehead. "However, after hearing what you just said, I'm not so sure I'm in a sharing mood anymore."
'So that's a yes,' Alduin clicked his tongue. 'Good grief, it's like I have a third Clan Trait dedicated solely to making life as troublesome as physically possible.'
"Is that so? Then I guess I've heard enough." The clone shrugged, preparing to dispel himself at a moment's notice. "Obviously, I won't be separating myself from Roygun. Even if our marriage is never officialized, I really couldn't care less. Love is much more than paper after all."
'Honestly, I was scared you were about to tell me that she was having an affair behind my back.'
Did his reaction mean he planned on ignoring the matter outright?
Absolutely not, the moment he returned to Roygun's estate, she was in for one hell of a scolding. As a matter of fact, he was already cooking up a plan to separate the King Piece from her. The power it provided didn't bother him that much, but the fact that it bound Roygun to Zekram's sphere of influence was unacceptable.
Dealing with Martha and Sebastian was already enough of a workload, he didn't need an ancestral-sized weight added to that burden.
"And you think I'll just stand by and allow things to remain the way they are?" Zekram's tone underwent a complete shift. He wasn't even trying to be subtle anymore, his words were a direct, bold-faced threat.
Alduin chuckled lightly. "No, I don't think you will. Though I'd really appreciate it if you just let it go, old fogeys ought to know better than to get in the way of young love, right?"
"She's four-hundred years your elder," Zekram deadpanned.
"Eh, petty semantics." He shrugged. "See, the thing is, I don't really have much talent for politics and stuff. So if you don't keep your distance, I'll probably have to look for a way to kill you or something."
With a bright, chipper smile on his face. Alduin's clone dispelled itself, and all the information it had absorbed since its creation was transferred to the original.
After a few seconds of disappointed silence, Zekram sat back down, exhaling as if a few more wrinkles had just been added to his forehead.
"It seems your son's developed a rather unexpected personality," he muttered to himself. Inwardly deliberating his next move.
///
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Alduin paused, his steak-covered fork hovering halfway between his mouth and plate. A torrent of everything that had transpired between his clone and Zekram rushed into his brain all at once.
'Good grief, old people really are a pain in the ass to deal with.'
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