A/N: You guys get thursdays chapter early becuase I am fucking stupid and messed up orders, enjoy. No extra chapter in thursday, you guys just get an advance chapter.
『Yuta Yukimura』
"And how would you handle this conflict Yuta?"
I tapped on my chain as I ignored Katerea rubbing against my arm with her breasts sensually as she taught me about Devil Politics. How was I able to maintain such a cool and collected facade at this moment?
One part fueled by my dislike, one part because at this very moment I was also having intense sex with Shuri using my other body. It was easier to ignore your lust when you were actively relieving it after all.
"I'd publicly propose a match between the two parties, the situation you described could only happen because both parties were too prideful to let their grudges go. Backing down from my proposal would be unthinkable for either party even if they don't want to participate."
She looked mildly surprised by my answer.
"Oh really? But they will resent for announcing such a thing in public and essentially forcing them into such a situation."
I leaned on my hand with a bored expression.
"No, they won't. They might be disgruntled, but there would be no proof I did it with malintent, only the loser of their bout would get their feelings hurt, but they have no basis to press me. No self respecting noble could go their ruler because they felt like they were pressured into a duel by me."
She furrowed her brows.
"That kind of behavior will only make them build up resentment towards you and eventually lead them rebelling. It only makes sense to support the family that has been supporting you for generations rather than the newcomers enroaching on their interests."
I let out an annoyed sigh.
"Old, new, who cares? If they were that big of a baby to rebel after that slight of inconvienience I'd kill them and personally select a more eligible family head, or split up his territory and assets and distribute them properly. There is no use for someone like that in my territory. It's my vassals that have to bend their necks to make sure I'm not offended, not the other way around."
Obviously, I knew why Katerea was emphasizing the old family and how important their roots were and such while painting the newer family as bad. It was such a blatant manipulation that I doubted even a 10-year-old would fall for it.
"Things are not as simple as that Yuta."
"No, it is, any further complication is just cowardice. If they have a problem, they will bring it to me, if they hide it from me and scheme against me, I will bring the hammer to them. Simple as that."
Katerea's eyes narrowed challengingly.
"I think you'll find that a worldview like that is very flawed Yuta. There is much more nuance to these things. You can't just disregard what was already established."
"And why can't I? Such rules exist for those willing to bend the knee. I'm not unreasonable. But I'm not willing to bow my head for no reason. What? Just because they are old, and they are well-connected they expect me to compromise? Nonsense."
She was not having a good time teaching me, mostly because I already had years of Leadership training unceremoniously shoved into my head last night. Basically, I knew about leadership as well as, if not most likely better than most Young Devil's of this generation. Even Sona. Skills don't kid around.
Of course, that did not make me despise buerocrats any less. I loathed red tape, and having to deal with complex politics navigations even if I could.
At the very least, I could take solace in the fact that buerocracy in the Devil was something less evil than human world. The lack of overwhelming force being able to force people to bend their heads allowed humanity to get more creative and powerful in creating buerocracy.
To be perfectly honest, with my newfound Leadership I would say I was perfectly qualified to take over the Leviathan family. Because, frankly, despite being like a zillion years old Katerea was not good at managing shit at all.
Her bias was more important to her than the future of her Territory, most of the lesser nobles in the territory were old blood who were more interested in amassing their own power and looking out for their own interest and crushing competition than improving their territories.
To put it bluntly, they were old fucks who cared too much about their tradition and an age that has long passed, actively despising change.
Sigh... why is it my job to deal with this mess?
Maybe I should visit the beach resort in the territory. To wind down and such. Unfortunately, I still had to face Katerea scrutiny right now. Though instead of a grimace like I expected, she sported a slight smile.
"Is that so? I'll have to ask that you keep an open mind on matters such as these Yuta. I'll accept your answer for now. But I believe I'll be able to... change your mind on such matters. Now then, I'll have to do some visits if you won't mind."
I watched Katerea leave with a complicated expression.
That definitely wasn't a good thing. I'm not paranoid, my newfound Leadership exprience allowed me stop deception better. And that told me either Katerea was a mastermind trying to intentionally get me paranoid with vague words and displays like that for her plans.
But I felt like the possibility of her being an absolute dumbass who couldn't act for shit was more believable. Mostly because I get an in-depth look at how she acts whenever I'm not around thanks to the Observers Mark.
She was like a grown up spoiled brat who thinks she is more competent than she is, well, she was competent enough I'll give her that. But she reeked* of arrogance. Like a less murderous Kokabiel.
Seriously, I still don't understand why he tried to commit suicide by calling the Satans to Kuoh. Even Serafall would be able to kill him without too much trouble. Let alone Sirzechs who could probably vaporise him from a continent away by glaring at him too hard.
Hmm, now then. I should train some more.
Taking a deep breath, I allowed myself to dissolve into the void and felt my connection to this body dissapear as I got the energy back in my real body back in Kuoh. I settled down in my training room to do some meditation. And meditation really didn't work when you are doing stuff in your other bodies.
Why meditation? Well, I wielded so much power but actually held concerningly little finesse with it. I may have the talent of Esper backing me up but in terms of controlling my raw energy I was...
I was bad.
So I closed my eyes and just sat down to practice controlling my Magical Power. No one really had any reason to disturb me, the club is in school, Kuroka is lounging in the garden, Grayfia and Venelana are doing politics stuff while Shuri is reading some books in the library of the mansion.
Yes... this is very calming.
But as I was meditating, a magic circle appeared right in the middle of my living room, making me sigh and crack an eyelid open. This world couldn't let me spend even an hour in peace.
Out of the magic circle rushed out Serafall, but instead of the usual expressions I say on her ranging from smug, coy, teasing, amused, and sometimes serious, this expression looked... grave.
Which put me on edge because Serafall was the last person I expected to pull a face like that. I got up but before I could say anything, Sera rushed over and grabbed my shoulders.
"Yuta! I'm sorry to come so suddenly but what do you know about the sleeping disease?"
She looked too frantic, her grip on my shoulders like a vice that held on tight enough to almost hurt. In this situation I panicked and blurted out whatever I was thinking about.
"...That it's bad?"
The Sleeping Disease, basically Devil Cancer, except instead of cancer you slowly get sleepier and sleepier over time until you stop waking up and go into an eternal sleep-coma.
Scary stuff.
Sera blinked at my stupid answer, I took the oppurtunity to grab her wrists and pry them off and look her in the eyes.
"Sera, calm down. This is not like you. Calm down, take a deep breath. If you have enough time to ask me questions you expect answers from, you have enough to calm down and explain things to me."
My poise felt almost unnatural I'll admit. But me taking charge of the situation seemed to help center Serafall as she took a deep breath according to my instructions. She nodded and looked a bit apologetic.
"Right, sorry Yuta-kun. That was... not good of me. It's... my father, Lord Sitri, he is showing symptoms of the Sleeping Sickness. And it has progressed far, he has been hiding it to not worry us."
Oh, that is fucked up news. Now I get why she would seek me out so hurriedly. I quickly made the connections in my head.
"You want to know if I can cure it."
Serafall blushed a little at her intentions being read so clearly but nodded her head, she was being uncharacteristly emotional right now. Probably because her dad got magic cancer. It was strange seeing her so vulnerable. It made me want to grab the Sleeping Sickness that was making her sad and beat it to nonexistence with Law of Regression.
"Yes, can you?"
I nodded my head and Serafall's brightened with hope while I used Shadow Storage to change outfits to something more formal.
"If I can bring someone back from the dead, I can bring them to a state where they didn't have Sleeping Sickness, Sera. I don't know if it will stop them from getting it again but I think I can spare doing this every few dozen years or so."
I planted my feet firmly, knowing enough about Serafall to expect the Satan shaped flying towards me, I caught her midair, making my feet dig into the solid metal ground as she hugged the life out of me.
"Thank you Yuta-kun! I didn't know what to do! I don't know what I'd without you!"
My hand rapidly tapped her shoulder in the universal sign of surrender.
"S-Sera, air please. Celebration can wait for later, I should at least see my patient first."
That seemed to calm Serafall enough to let her let go of my pulverized and powered ribcage, letting me gasp for sweet air.
"Right, come on Yuta, I guess you can also count this as meeting your in-laws hmm?"
I cracked my neck and blushed a little at Sera's words, not because I was nervous about my meeting my potential in laws, but the last time I met the in laws of a girl who was interested in me...
Man I just hope their mom isn't there or something.
Shaking my head I grabbed Sera's outstretched hand.
"Hopefully trying my best to cure him will be a good enough first impression."
Sera giggled a little at my words while I sighed inwardly, using Law of Regression on a High Class Devil who has lived for Hundreds of years huh?
This will be one of hell of a treatment that's for sure.
A/N: Katereas is many things, smart, competent and cunning are not among them. Especially after Yuta got leadership, a real Demon Lord who gained skills in leadership vs someone spoiled by her faction and was naturally bowed down to because of her bloodline is not really a fair matchup. Especially with Yuta's natural scrutiny and distrust.
Lord Sitri is down with the sickness, it happens later in canon but this world is somewhat of an AU, consider it Yuta's existence with chaos butterflying hard. But yeah, now we tackle the Sleeping Sickness and this will open many doors, some good, some complicated, some dangerous. At least curing your future wife and her sister who is also your future wife's dad is a very good first impression with your in laws. What did you guys think about the chapter? I'd love to know.
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