(A/N: Initial goal: 500 Power Stones (Bonus Chapter)
Two days later...
With Echidna's arrival at the Häangenti Mansion, many things happened. First, the girls were quite surprised to see Alear recruit another member to his nobility so quickly—especially someone like Echidna, whose personality was, to say the least, peculiar. At first glance, she conveyed the image of a polite young woman with a soft voice, gentle, understanding, and even a little innocent. However, it only took a few days of living together for everyone to realize that she was also incredibly clumsy.
One of the most memorable episodes occurred during the daily training in the 'Innovate Clear' dimension. While trying to warm up, Echidna ended up causing a massive fire in the forest and very nearly burned herself along with it. In addition, she showed complete carelessness with even the simplest everyday tasks. On one occasion, for example, she forgot to change out of her nightgown when leaving her room and calmly walked through the mansion's corridors without realizing she was not properly dressed...
Although she adapted quickly and developed a good relationship with the other girls, Echidna preferred to spend most of her time alone, either in the mansion's library or immersed in the magic notebooks Alear had given her. Every page seemed to spark even more of her curiosity, and it was not uncommon to see her completely absorbed in reading for hours, even forgetting to eat.
It also became common to find her in the garden, having tea with Alear while the two talked about magic, supernatural phenomena, theories, and countless other subjects. It was precisely during these conversations that Alear once again confirmed that she was practically identical to the Echidna from Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World. In addition to preparing tea with an absolutely bland taste—just as bad as her counterpart's—she even made, with complete naturalness, the same peculiar joke of saying that the drink had been prepared with her own bodily fluids, just to observe his reaction. As expected, her humor remained as eccentric as her insatiable curiosity...
In any case, no matter how eccentric she was, Echidna quickly proved why Alear had shown so much interest in recruiting her. Among all the members of his nobility, she was, without a doubt, the most powerful. She possessed affinity with all elemental attributes and demonstrated extraordinary mastery over each of them, reaching a level of control that rarely found rivals in that era. In addition to mastering practically all the known magics of the period, she was capable of creating entirely new spells, constantly expanding her repertoire thanks to her creativity and practically unlimited curiosity.
Combining this exceptional talent with the intense training she received under Alear's supervision inside Innovate Clear, her evolution was simply absurd. In just a few weeks, her control over magic, her combat efficiency, and her adaptability reached a level that few could even imagine. At that moment, it would hardly be an exaggeration to consider her the most powerful Bishop in the entire Underworld...
Although Echidna currently held the position of the strongest member of the nobility, that did not mean her position was guaranteed. If she relaxed for even a single moment, there was a good chance she would be surpassed by the other girls, since all of them were evolving at an impressive pace under Alear's training.
Mio, for example, had achieved such a refined mastery of [Gravity Magic] that she already used it naturally in her daily tasks. It was common to see her attracting books and other objects from a distance or even repelling raindrops before they touched her body. Her control over magic had reached a frightening level of precision. In addition, her [Lightning Magic] had also evolved extraordinarily. After observing Alear in combat countless times, she managed to reproduce a reduced version of the [Black Lightning] used by the [Zenith Tempest]. Although her spell was still far from the power of the original, the mere fact that she could imitate such a complex magic was enough to surprise even Alear.
Maria had also evolved extraordinarily. Her physical body had become even more monstrous and, in terms of raw strength, she was now practically on par with Alear himself. When she combined that absurd resilience with her various body-strengthening magics, she transformed into a true walking fortress, capable of facing devastating attacks without retreating a single step. At the same time, her succubus powers had also matured considerably—after all, thanks to Alear's help, she had become quite... experienced in that aspect.
Valerie, for her part, in addition to completely mastering her dhampir abilities, had also reached an impressive level of proficiency in elemental magic. With Alear's guidance, she learned to control her [Sephiroth Graal] in a way that its use no longer represented a constant risk to her own soul. Her evolution, however, was not limited to combat. Little by little, she began to express her emotions much more naturally, becoming a cheerful, spontaneous, and energetic girl, practically indistinguishable from any young woman her age. The only difference was that, under Maria's direct influence, she had developed a rather... perverted personality.
Ingvild was the only exception. Since she had joined the nobility practically at the same time as Echidna, she had not yet had enough time to evolve as much as the others. Even so, Alear used this period to teach her all the spells related to the [Serpent of the End], allowing her to develop an extremely solid foundation for the future. In addition, he began guiding her in mastering her Longinus, [Nereid Kyrie], whose true potential granted her authority over both dragons and the sea itself. At the moment, her control over dragons had already reached a much higher level, while her sea-related powers were still in full development...
She had also begun to adapt to her new life and, little by little, was leaving the weight of the past behind. Part of this was due to the conversations she often had with Alear during some nights. Like her, he had also lost the life he once knew and had to start over from zero in a completely different world. By sharing this same experience, the two ended up forming a genuine connection, and Alear became one of the few people with whom Ingvild could openly talk about her feelings, helping her move forward without remaining trapped in the memories of her old life...
Aside from the daily training of his nobility and the adaptation period of Ingvild and Echidna to their new life in the mansion, Alear had also managed to significantly increase potion production. This was only possible because Lord Astaroth had fulfilled his part of the agreement and begun supplying practically all the materials he needed.
In the first shipment, however, it was Latia Astaroth who appeared as the representative of the Astaroth Family, and it was on that occasion that Alear met her for the first time. To tell the truth, she did not make a particularly striking impression on him. The only thing that really caught his attention was the fact that she treated Echidna as her "older sister" with great respect and showed an almost fanatical admiration for her. From what he had discovered during the conversation, it was Echidna herself who had helped her secure the position of heir to the Astaroth Family, guiding her behind the scenes and directly contributing to her assuming that role... But he asked no questions about it.
With an abundant supply of raw materials and potion production occurring at an accelerated pace, Alear only needed to travel to the Capital of Lilith to acquire a commercial establishment. After buying the store, he assigned some homunculi to manage it and take care of its daily operations, turning the place into the official point of sale for his potions.
He named the network [Holed Cauldron].
Taking advantage of his immense fortune and the support of his ally, the Phenex Family, Alear also arranged for the construction of several branches spread across various regions of the Underworld. Although none of them had yet opened their doors to the public, all the infrastructure was already complete. All that remained was to set the inauguration date.
The most impressive thing, however, was that the [Holed Cauldron] had already become one of the most talked-about topics in the entire Underworld even before selling its first potion. The news that Alear had found the cure for the Sleeping Disease had already spread to practically the entire supernatural world. When it came to light that this cure would be produced on a large scale and commercialized in the form of a potion, the repercussion reached an even greater level.
The DevilNet went into a true frenzy. Forums, demonic social networks, newspapers, and news channels talked about nothing else. Discussions about the potion's effectiveness, speculations about its price, and predictions for the store openings dominated the headlines daily.
Among the demonic population, especially those who had family members or friends affected by the disease, Alear began to be called the 'Genius of Medicine' and 'Savior of the Underworld.' His reputation grew at a frightening speed, even surpassing the prestige he had gained after the incident in Agreas.
.
.
.
.
.
It was afternoon. The garden of the Häangenti Mansion remained quiet, lulled only by the gentle swaying of the trees and the delicate fragrance of the flowers that spread through the air. The afternoon sun filtered through the treetops in golden beams, creating patches of light on the impeccably trimmed grass.
Under a large white parasol, a small tea table had been prepared.
Seated elegantly on the other side of the table was Echidna. She delicately rested her chin on her interlaced hands, exactly as if she were posing for a portrait. Her long silver hair flowed like silk down her back and extended past the chair, softly reflecting the light of the evening. A discreet butterfly-shaped ornament adorned one side of her head, while her long-sleeved black dress, decorated with lace and refined details, contrasted with her extremely pale skin.
On the table was a white porcelain teapot, two delicate teacups, and a small vase filled with pink and white roses.
Alear picked up his teacup and discreetly observed the liquid inside. After tasting Echidna's tea a few times, he had already learned not to have high expectations. Still, he brought the cup to his lips and took a small sip.
As always, the flavor was peculiar. It wasn't exactly bad, but it was far from good. In fact, it was difficult to even say that it had any taste at all. Nevertheless, he drank it calmly. This was the result of a rather strange agreement the two had established in recent days. After he commented, for the first time, that her tea was practically tasteless, Echidna suggested that this would be their new greeting. If he accepted drinking at least one sip of her tea, he wouldn't need to waste time with greetings anymore and could simply sit down in front of her.
It was, without a doubt, a rather peculiar agreement. But, considering it was Echidna, he had already learned that it was better not to try to find too much logic in certain things.
"Done. I drank it, so I've fulfilled my part of the agreement. Now, let's get straight to the point. There's something I want to talk to you about."
After finishing the tea, Alear placed the cup back on the table. Echidna, who had been watching him with an amused smile until then, tilted her head slightly and let out a look of mild displeasure.
"Ah, but how impatient, Alear-sama. I did say that the first sip could serve as a greeting. However, I don't remember stating that it prohibited you from giving me a simple 'hello' from time to time."
"I already greeted you earlier, before I left to take care of some matters. Don't you remember?" Alear raised an eyebrow slightly, looking at her with a calm expression.
Echidna remained silent for a few seconds. Then, her smile grew a little deeper.
"Ah... yes. Now that you mention it, I do remember..." She delicately brought one hand to her chin, pretending to reflect on the matter. "In that case, I suppose there's no problem. After all, it would be quite inconvenient to demand that you repeat the same greeting several times in the same day..."
"Exactly."
"But still, you could greet me again if you wanted." Her smile increased subtly, while her black eyes shone with that unsettling curiosity that seemed never to disappear. "I don't think a simple greeting is a waste of time when it comes to someone as interesting as you, Alear-sama..."
"Really?" Alear rested his elbow on the table and tilted his head slightly, observing her with a calm expression. "In that case, I suppose your new life has been quite satisfying so far. How has it been for you?"
Echidna brought the teacup to her lips and took a small sip before answering. Her eyes remained fixed on Alear over the rim of the porcelain.
"Interesting."
"That's it?"
"Yes." She slowly lowered the teacup, maintaining that delicate smile on her lips. "After all, I have no reason to complain. I have a new mansion I can call home, interesting people around me, a considerable number of books, and a very pleasant library. In addition, thanks to you, Alear-sama, I am constantly learning new and interesting things. I would say my current situation is quite comfortable and I rarely get bored..."
"So you're not bored."
"No."
The answer came so quickly that Alear raised an eyebrow slightly. He crossed his arms and looked up, thinking out loud:
"...Boredom, huh?"
"Oh?" Echidna tilted her head, as if she didn't fully understand the reason for that reaction. "Is there a problem with that?"
"No. None." Alear slowly lowered his head and turned his eyes back to her, maintaining a calm expression. "I was just thinking that maybe that was precisely one of the reasons why you accepted joining my nobility..."
He paused briefly before continuing:
"After spending some time with you, I started to notice certain things. Everything in your attitude seems so childish and superficial... completely futile. When you laugh, when you get irritated, or when you show any other emotion, there's always something strange in the way you react. It's as if you know perfectly how a person should act in a given situation, but you can't truly understand what lies behind that emotion. For example, if someone else were in your place, hearing what I'm saying, they would probably feel offended. But I can't perceive even a trace of anger in your eyes..."
"That's why I started to wonder: why would someone with such a black heart choose to join my nobility? Boredom was one of the possibilities I ended up considering, hence my previous comment..."
Echidna remained silent for a few moments. Her smile did not disappear; on the contrary, it became slightly wider as she observed Alear with a look of mild displeasure. However, anyone who paid a little more attention would realize that that reaction was completely fake. The amused gleam in her eyes made it clear that she was enjoying the conversation—especially the fact that Alear was being so blunt and openly saying what he thought of her...
"One thing is one thing, and another thing is another thing, you know?" she finally replied, bringing one hand to her chest as if she had been deeply offended. "First of all, I would like to clarify that boredom was not exactly the reason I accepted joining your nobility. It was just one of the possibilities you yourself mentioned."
"That doesn't change much of what I said."
"Ah, but it changes quite a bit." She replied immediately, with a calm smile. "If you say I accepted because I was bored, people might end up with a completely wrong impression of me. After all, I am a beautiful young maiden like a flower. Wouldn't my reputation get even worse if everyone thought I simply threw myself at the first interesting thing that appeared before me?"
Alear remained silent for a few moments.
"You just admitted that I am one of the most interesting things you've ever encountered..."
"I didn't deny that."
"And you also didn't deny that you have a black heart."
"Ah, that..." Echidna tilted her head slightly, as if reflecting on the matter. "I don't see why I should deny something you've clearly already decided to believe. Besides, I don't think it's particularly fair to call me 'futile' just because I don't react to things the way you expect. After all, I could say exactly the same thing about you."
"About me?"
"Yes." She brought the teacup to her lips and took a small sip. "You are also quite childish in certain situations, Alear-sama. The difference is that you seem to believe you can hide it very well."
Alear narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I don't think you're in a position to talk about hiding anything."
"Ah, but I don't hide. And as for the fact that I don't show anger..." She delicately placed the teacup on the table. "You're right. I'm not angry."
"I noticed."
"Actually, I'm quite satisfied."
Alear raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Because I just said you have a black heart?"
"Yes..." Echidna replied with an even wider smile, as if he had just given her a particularly pleasant compliment. "After all, between being pleasant to everyone and being such an apathetic person that you can't even recognize the value of the help you receive, I much prefer to be someone unpleasant. Someone capable of cruelly wounding another person's heart and leaving a thorn in it that can never be removed..."
Her smile deepened, while her black eyes shone with a satisfaction difficult to comprehend.
"Well then, more of this being hated and causing dislike will hurt my heart. Let's talk about the real reason I accepted joining your nobility, what do you think...?"
Alear remained silent for a few moments, simply looking at her.
"Being hated isn't what you wanted? That's the impression you gave me with that whole speech..."
"It was the cute bluff of a girl, you know? What I want is for you to see beyond it and accept it."
"Fine, I won't argue with you." Alear let out a discreet sigh, keeping his calm gaze on her. "I still wonder how I didn't realize you would be so troublesome to deal with when I accepted you into my nobility. It only took a few days to completely destroy the impression of a respectful, polite, and innocent girl you gave me during that first meeting..."
"I had to make a good first impression..." Echidna replied with a serene smile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "After all, it would be quite inconvenient if you had immediately realized how problematic I could be."
"And you did an excellent job in that regard." Alear nodded calmly. "But now let's get to what really matters. I want to know the real reason why you accepted joining my nobility. I'm starting to think you were planning to keep dodging the question."
"Avoid?" Echidna brought one hand to her chest, adopting an almost theatrical expression of surprise. "What a terrible accusation. I would never do something so dishonest."
Alear simply stared at her.
Echidna held his gaze for a few seconds. Then, she smiled even more.
"...Although, naturally, I cannot deny that I may have waited patiently until you decided to ask."
"That's practically the same thing."
"No, it's not." She replied with absolute conviction. "Avoiding a question means running away from it. I simply allowed you the opportunity to ask it of your own free will. There is a rather important difference between the two things."
"You really can turn anything into a semantic discussion."
"I like words. They are very useful tools."
"So, why did you accept?"
This time, Echidna did not answer immediately. She simply observed Alear in silence, as if deciding how far she should satisfy his curiosity. After a few seconds, she brought the teacup to her lips again and took another sip of the completely tasteless tea.
"Because only you could give me what I desire most."
Alear frowned slightly.
"That sounds quite important."
"It is."
"So, could you specify?"
Echidna blinked once. Then, her smile took on a slightly more amused tone.
"How curious. I thought you were a more perceptive man, Alear-sama."
"I am."
"Then you should be able to figure it out on your own."
"Echidna."
"Ah, you don't need to make such a serious expression." She let out a soft laugh, bringing one hand to her lips. "You're making me a little nervous."
"You don't look nervous."
"Naturally. I am an extremely skilled woman at hiding my emotions."
"You just said that while smiling."
"And what does that prove?" In the end, however, she decided to grant him an answer: "Fine. I'll give you a hint."
"A hint?"
"Yes." Echidna delicately rested her chin on her interlaced hands and leaned forward a little. Her black gaze seemed to shine with an almost childlike curiosity. "Alear-sama, do you know what the characteristic of the Astaroth Family's lineage is?"
Alear didn't need to think much.
"Isn't it 'Superior Demonic Intellect'?"
Echidna nodded slowly.
"Exactly." She brought the teacup to her lips and took another sip of tea, allowing the silence to stretch for a few seconds before continuing: "Now, allow me to ask a question. Have you ever wondered why devils are the way they are?"
"The way they are?"
"Creatures born from sin." Echidna's smile remained soft, but there was something different in her voice. A deeper, more thoughtful tone, as if she were leading Alear toward a conclusion she already knew. "Why are devils associated with concepts such as pride, envy, wrath, sloth, greed, gluttony, and lust? Why do these concepts seem so deeply linked to the very nature of our species?"
_______________
(A/N: Want to get ahead?
The story now has 120 chapters available on Patreon — that's right, there's still a lot of content waiting for you beyond the public release. There are currently 35 chapters ahead of the public version, meaning supporters are already deep into upcoming twists, revelations, and the absurd chaos of Fate Gacha summons.
If you can't wait for what comes next — the plot twists, power progressions, and those insane lucky (or unlucky) summons — this is the best time to jump in.
Light spoiler: his luck might be terrible… but the story only gets better from here.
My Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon
Thank you for your support — it makes all of this worthwhile.)