The Prince of Sloth [DxD]

A certain Castle – somewhere in the Belphegor Domain, Underworld

"Mother… is today the day the guests come over? Who are they?" asked Seir while staring at the geometric and intricate patterns etched on the stone floor that represented a Teleportation Magic Circle.

Seir knew that guests were coming to their castle, but he had no idea who they might be. However, considering he was dressed differently than usual and even had to go through some etiquette lessons, it was clear that the visitors were quite important.

"Yes, sweety, they'll be coming over today. She is an old friend of mine whom I haven't met in ages…" answered Sephie, adding, "She also happens to have a child around your age. Hence I invited her… Be good to that child, alright?"

"I understand, mother…" nodded Seir. Internally, he couldn't help but think, 'Someone around my age? Who could it be?' curious as to who the lady and her child were, and wondered, 'Is it going to be someone from the DxD Canon?' Despite living in the Underworld of Draconic Deus for over three years, Seir hadn't met anyone except Roygun from the Canon. Therefore, he is naturally somewhat eager to meet the other so-called canon characters and is looking forward to seeing if the person coming through the Teleportation Magic Circle is someone from Canon.

Suddenly, Sephie spoke, "They are here…" As her words echoed, the Magic Circle etched on the floor began to glow with a radiant golden light. Seir could sense a surge of Demonic Power emanating from the circle, meaning, someone was attempting to teleport themselves to the Belphegor Castle.

In a swift moment, the golden aura intensified, growing brighter and brighter until it enveloped the entire hall in a dazzling golden light. Then, as if on cue, it vanished abruptly, revealing three figures standing on the Magic Circle: a beautiful young woman with flowing brown hair and mesmerizing purple eyes, accompanied by a young child with black locks & violet eyes, and a young maid standing behind the two.

'She is…' Seir's eyes widened. Among the three people, he felt that the beautiful young woman with long brown hair was somewhat familiar. 'Is it really her?' thought Seir.

Seir's doubts were answered when Sephie stepped forward to greet the woman with brown hair, "Welcome to the Belphegor Castle… Lady Bael."

'Lady Bael? This should be enough of a cue to confirm that she really is who I think she is…'

"I feel a bit strange being addressed as 'Lady Bael' by a dear friend of mine..." The woman expressed her dissatisfaction and requested, "Since we are not at a social gathering or any formal event, can we not return to the way we used to address each other? I would be very happy if you were to continue calling me by my name..."

Hearing the woman's request, Sephie fell silent for a moment, a contemplative expression crossing her face. Then, a gentle smile graced her lips as she nodded. "Very well then..." and both women lightly brushed their cheeks against each other while simultaneously making a kissing sound, "Misla…" "Sephie…" and exchanged a heartfelt greeting, "It's good to see you after such a long time…"

'Mother called her Misla, huh? So, I was right… she really is Misla Bael.' If it was before developing his custom magic, Seir might not have recognized her, but ever since developing his Memorization magic to refresh all his memories from his past life, everything was crystal clear. With that, he easily identified the woman from her brief appearance in the anime.

'Since she is the first wife of the Great King Bael, and that would mean he is…' Seir's mind raced with realization as he stole a glance at the young boy, who stood a step behind the First Lady of Bael before returning his gaze back to his mother and Misla Bael.

"Come, Misla… allow me to introduce you to my son…" Sephie beckoned Misla with a warm smile before turning to Seir. "Come here, darling…"

Responding to his mother's call, Seir stepped forward, bowed respectfully to Lady Bael, and then requested Misla's hand, which surprised her a little, but she complied. Taking hold of her hand, Seir pressed his lips to the back of her hand, and politely greeted her, "It's an honor to meet you, Great Queen Bael, I am Seirios Vandegor Belphegor, heir to the House of Belphegor. People close to me call me Seir, I request you to do the same… and might I add that you look mesmerizing…"

"Why, thank you, dear, what an adorable child you are…" Misla responded with a pleasant smile, extremely surprised to witness such a refined greeting from such a young child, 'How old is he? Three?' She couldn't help but think to herself, 'No doubt about it… he is Sephie's son. At an age when children hardly even understand the meaning of grace and manners, this boy before is already making such a refined greeting!'

It is said that first impression defines one's persona in the minds of others. By making that refined greeting at such a young age, Seir had left a very good impression on Misla Bael, and she'd probably never forget their first meeting whenever they met the next time.

Of course, noticing Misla's surprise, like a proud mother, Sephie puffed her chest up in pride, 'That's my Seir!'

On the other hand, Misla smiled warmly and said, "Let me introduce you to my son as well. He's only a year older than you."

At Misla's words, Sephie and Seir turned their attention to the child standing behind her.

'The Lion King of the House of Bael,' Seir thought to himself. He couldn't deny his excitement at the prospect of meeting the devil who would go on to become the strongest youth of their generation. Unable to contain his anticipation, Seir extended his hand, "Hello, I am Seirios Vandegor Belphegor, just call me Seir or Seirios. It's nice to meet you… um?"

It's a pity that, unlike Seir, the future strongest youth did not seem too enthusiastic. He stared at the outstretched hand of the long, white-haired boy for a moment. Instead of returning the greeting with a handshake, he attempted to hide behind his mother, which left Seir feeling surprised and awkward.

'He really seems quite different from the way I remember him from the Canon.'

The First Lady of Bael gently encouraged her son, "Come on, Sai... don't keep little Seirios waiting. Return the greeting." Misla then turned to Seir with a kind smile. "He's a bit shy, so please don't mind him."

"That's quite alright, Lady Bael," Seir nodded understandingly as he patiently waited for the strongest youth to shake his hand.

Misla once again turned to her son, and spoke with a gentle and encouraging tone, "Go on, Sai..."

With his mother's encouragement, the future strongest youth hesitated for a moment before mustering the courage to take a step forward and reciprocate the handshake. "It's… it's nice to meet you as well. I am Sairaorg from the House of Bael."

'As I thought... the younger Sairaorg is indeed different compared to the Sairaorg Bael I remember,' Seir mused silently. The Sairaorg before him appeared rather timid and unconfident, a stark contrast to the Sairaorg in the canon who exuded outgoing confidence and charisma.

Watching her son and the heir of Bael exchange greetings, Sephie smiled lightly to herself. 'That's a good start...' she thought, pleased to see the interaction between the two children. She then turned to her son with a gentle smile and spoke, "Seir... Sairaorg's mother and I need to catch up on old stuff. Would you be willing to show little Sairaorg around the castle and play with him?"

Although Seir was curious about the things that Sephie and Misla wanted to catch up on, he didn't mind accompanying Sairaorg either, and nodded dutifully, "Of course, Mother." He then turned to the young devil in front of him. "Alright then Sairaorg, come with me. I will show you around the Belphegor castle. You'll love it!"

The boy in question glanced at his mother for permission who nodded lightly, "Go on…"

Upon receiving a nod in return, he followed after Seir along with Élise and the maid from the Baels accompanying them.

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After delicately savoring the taste and aroma of the tea, Sephie gently placed her cup upon the saucer and began, "Very well, let us address the matter at hand. Your request to meet me… What precisely is troubling you, Misla?"

Misla Bael hesitated, twirling her fingers uncertainly. She was grappling with the choice in front of her… whether to voice out her thoughts or just stay silent and let things happen as they were.

Sephie observed her internal struggle silently, sipping her tea as the tension hung in the air. Finally, the first lady of the Bael couldn't contain herself any longer and let out a sigh. "Sairaorg... he did not seem to have inherited the Power of Destruction."

The teacup halted in Sephie's grasp in mid-air as her eyes widened in disbelief. "Are you serious, Misla?" she questioned in shock. For a moment she could not believe what she heard and doubted her ears.

With an expression fraught with anxiety, Misla shook her head. "How could I ever joke about something so crucial?" she replied. "He truly did not seem to have inherited the Power of Destruction. But it's not just that... He lacks any trace of demonic power whatsoever. He... he doesn't have it at all!"

"Are you sure...? How can you be so certain?" questioned Sephie, setting her teacup down with a gentle clink against the table.

Misla struggled to find words. "Lord Vizel… Lord Vizel confirmed through an examination."

Sephie tilted her head in confusion, "What made Lord Bael want to conduct such an examination?"

Misla sighed, "Since the day Sai was born, he had lacked any traces of Demonic Power… Initially, we assumed that he would awaken his Demonic Power as he grew older, but that did not happen… To this day, Sai doesn't have an ounce of Demonic Power in his body. Meanwhile, Magdaran, his second son from his second wife, had already shown traces of possessing Demonic Power and the [Power of Destruction] despite being only an infant. Lord Vizel found the situation odd… He was starting to have doubts about Sai, so he took samples of Sai's blood and sent those for testing. And the results... the results were..." She trailed off, unable to bring herself to finish the sentence.

"The results said that Sairaorg was not born with Demonic Power, and he also did not inherit the Bael's [Power of Destruction]?" Sephie murmured, her voice barely audible.

Misla simply nodded in confirmation, her gaze fixed on the table between them as a heavy silence settled over the room.

"I... I don't know what to do..." her voice wavered with uncertainty, her distress evident.

Suddenly, Sephie's piercing gaze locked onto Misla's eyes as she questioned, "Have you been unfaithful?"

Misla recoiled her expression a mix of confusion and hurt "What?" For a moment, she did not understand what Sephie meant, but as she did realize; she exclaimed in disbelief. "No!" she quickly asserted, "No! How could you even think that?"

"Well, you can't blame me for having doubts, it is a natural conclusion to be drawn under these circumstances," Sephie shrugged. If Misla had been unfaithful toward Vizel, sharing the bed with another man, and Sairaorg was the product of that unfaithfulness, then it would make sense for him to not have inherited the [Power of Destruction] of the Bael.

Shaking her head vehemently, Misla retorted, "I have only ever been with Vizel, Never in my life have I been bedded by anyone else! Sai is our son... the test results confirm it as well!"

"If that's the case, then why?" Sephie mumbled in disbelief, her brow furrowed with doubt. If she hadn't been unfaithful to Vizel, and Sairaorg was indeed their biological son, so it's very strange that he did not inherit [Power of Destruction]. What's even more peculiar is that Sairaorg doesn't possess even an ounce of Demonic Power. In Sephie's mind, Demonic Power is something inherent to all Devils—whether in small or large amounts, it's always present. For Sairaorg to lack it entirely raises a troubling question: can he even be considered a Devil at this point?

"Look, I... I don't know!" Misla sighed heavily, her worry etched into every line of her face. "I am worried, Sephie... I fear that Vizel and the other Elders of the Baels will not be willing to tolerate Sai for not inheriting the [Power of Destruction]. They… they….!" She was so horrified by the thought that she couldn't bring herself to finish her words.

"They might try to silence him, huh?" Sephie murmured with a thoughtful expression.

In the rigid hierarchy of the Baels, pride, tradition, and bloodline reigned above everything. Even as the eldest son of the Head of the House of Great King, Sairaorg's inadequacy for not having any ounce of Demonic Power and not inheriting the [Power of Destruction] threatened to tarnish the very fabric of their prestigious lineage. To them, Sairaorg is nothing but a disgrace. The Baels, with their unyielding pride, would not tolerate such a disgrace, especially when it emanated from the bloodline of Great King Bael himself. Sairaorg's very existence could be viewed as an affront to their family's pride.

Misla nodded solemnly, "Yes," her heart heavy with the weight of her son's predicament as she softly added, "In fact, they have already begun to mistreat him, to cast their disdain upon him." Her voice faltered with emotion. "I... I can't bear to see my son suffer like this. I can't stand by and watch as they silence him for a mistake he never even made." Her voice trembled with guilt as she spoke. "It wasn't Sai's fault that he didn't inherit the Power of Destruction... He had no say in how he was born, in the traits he received." Her words were heavy with self-blame. "The fault lies with me... It's my responsibility, my failure, for bringing him into this world without ensuring he inherited the Power of Destruction."

Sephie's heart went out to Misla, understanding the turmoil that gripped her as a mother. If it had been her own son, Seirios, facing such circumstances, she knew she would be consumed by fear for his safety and future. With a heavy sigh, she gently inquired, "Have you discussed this with the House of Vapula?"

Misla originates from the Ducal House of Vapula, and her older brother currently heads the house. Sephie believed that seeking aid from the House of Vapula would be the wisest course of action in this delicate situation for her and Sairaorg.

The first lady of the House of Bael nodded sadly. "The House of Vapula is hesitant to intervene in the internal matters of the Bael," she admitted. "They fear offending the Great King." The House of the Great King holds immense power and influence within the Underworld, and any interference by the House of Vapula in the internal affairs of the Baels could provoke serious repercussions. Misla's elder brother, mindful of these risks, was understandably reluctant to take action that might offend the prideful Baels and escalate the situation further for the Vapula as well.

"No surprise there... nobody wants to fight the Great King Faction... not even the Four Great Maous of this generation..." Sephie mumbled, her voice tinged with resignation. Twirling the teaspoon absentmindedly, she turned to Misla, "Well, what's your purpose for visiting me? I mean, what do you expect from me?"

Naturally, Misla wasn't sharing these details with Sephie solely out of a need for pity. There was something else driving her, and Sephie couldn't help but be curious about what that might be.

"I need protection for Sai, and there are not many whom I can turn to for that... please, Sephie... I beg you..." pleaded Misla.

Alone, she would not be able to protect Sairaorg, especially if there were threats of assassination looming. With the House of Vapula unwilling to interfere, she had to look beyond Bael & Vapula for help… perhaps even beyond the 72 pillars, and turn to the Extra Demon Households. Among the extra demon households, Belphegor stood out as a powerful and influential House second only to the Four Great Maous and the Baels. If the Belphegor were to provide protection to Sairaorg, Misla could finally rest assured.

Rather than answering Misla, Sephie pondered for a moment before asking, "Did you contact Venelana? She still holds significant influence on the House of Bael…"

Misla shook her head, "No! Contacting the Gremorys might have backfired…"

In fact, she was considering turning to the Gremorys. They might have been a better option since the Gremorys have Venelana among them, who hailed from the House of Bael, and they also had the backing of Maou Lucifer and his close aide, Grayfia Lucifuge. However, the problem is that the Baels despise the Gremorys. Misla's husband, Vizel Bael, in particular, hates Gremorys. Turning to them could have easily backfired, making Sairaorg's situation all the more difficult.

Hence, Misla decided not to contact the Gremorys and seek assistance from the Belphegor instead.

Although the Belphegors abstain from participating in Underworld politics, it would be a mistake to assume that they lack influence. As one of the seven original Demon Households, the House of Belphegor retains considerable sway even today, a position further bolstered by the achievements of its current head, Roygun Belphegor.

Roygun, as the second-ranked competitor in the Rating Games, has brought significant prestige to the family name. Her success has made the Belphegors a household of renown, even without active involvement in political affairs.

Given the House of Belphegor's detachment from the Underworld's political machinations and its independence from the Great King Faction, it seemed like the ideal choice for Misla in her quest to secure protection for her son.

With such intentions, she secretly contacted Sephie to request a meeting. Coincidentally, Sephie Belphegor was in search of a friend for her son, and Sairaorg happened to be around the same age. Thus, Sephie agreed to the meeting and extended an invitation to Misla to visit the Belphegor Castle for a cup of tea.

In the face of Misla's plea for help, Sephie was also reluctant to intervene in the internal affairs of Bael and said, "I doubt I can be of great help in this matter..." She paused for a moment, her gaze fixed on Misla. "But I would also hate for my son to lose his first friend so early, and Sairaorg seems to be a good child…"

A smile graced Misla's face at Sephie's words. It was evident that Sephie's concern extended beyond mere political considerations, and for that, Misla quickly expressed her gratitude, "Sephie... I thank you from the bottom of my heart..."

"Save that for later... for now, tell me, do you have some plan as to how you are going to make things work out?" Sephie redirected the conversation to a more pressing topic.

"I do have something in mind... I was hoping for the House of Belphegor to intervene in that regard," Misla replied.

"Let's hear it..." Sephie prompted, intrigued to hear Misla's thoughts.

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Author's Note:

That's it for this Chapter. Enjoy reading it.

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