"So, how did he do, Lady Venelana?" Ajuka asked with mild amusement and an almost criminal smugness to his expression that made her want to squish his face into a pancake.
The cocky little brat!
He may be Satan now, but she had known him since he was waddling about in his diapers. It was difficult for her to see him as anything other than her little baby boy's awkward, nerdy friend.
So, naturally, she didn't believe him when he had first spoken of Riser Phenex's capabilities.
A ten year old devil with Ultimate Class power and an intellect on par with the best of the underworld, with Ajuka, no less? She could be forgiven for having doubts about something so absurd.
But seeing it- him, first hand?
"He passed all my tests." She admitted begrudgingly, as a faint smile crept up on her face, "With flying colours at that."
"Wait, what tests?" Her husband asked, tilting his head in confusion, "Didn't he stumble out of fighting Surtr on his own- oh. No, I see it now." He realized mid-sentence as he spoke, as to what exactly had happened.
It was adorable to see him putting two and two together, though she had no doubt he was miles off from even an inkling of the full picture.
He wasn't exactly gifted in the political department.
Then again, she hadn't married him for his sharp wit.
It was moments like these that reminded her that she had married him for his charming good looks and adorable personality.
He was her escape from the ever-scheming political nightmare that was the Bael household. He was her breath of fresh air, the taste of freedom she so cherished, every single day.
Because with him, she wasn't Venelana Bael, Flaxen Haired Ruin Princess. She was simply Venelana. With him, she could be herself. Leave the Bael name and its many burdens behind, if not forever, then for the most part.
It brought the thought of her sister-in-law and her nephew's plight to her mind. Her impotence in the face of the man who had dominated her life since birth.
Free as she might fancy herself, from him, a single glare was enough to reduce her to the whimpering mess of a child she was inside. The child Zeoticus had healed with his love, shattered back again, in an instant.
In all her life, she had only stood up to him twice. Once when she married Zeoticus, and the second time when he visited a year earlier, trying to adopt her newborn grandson, Milicas, in the aftermath of Sairaorg's disinheritance.
It was then that he had told her- ordered, more like- to not interfere in their matters. To turn a blind eye to their plight.
And she obliged. No. She made a choice. Her family, her grandson over Misla and Sairaorg.
A response of apathy conditioned into her very bones by the childhood of backstabbing and betrayal she had endured in the Bael household. Each man scheming to get one over the other. And her. Looking on apathetically, after she had been hurt one time too many, caught in the crossfire trying to keep the peace.
So when he ordered her now, even as her mind screamed at her to resist, to argue. To care. She couldn't.
She couldn't so much as bring herself to talk back. To ask. Why?
The words curdled in her throat, as she choked them down with the discipline he had forged into her very bones. She gripped her fist tight, till her knuckles went white and she let out a turbid breath. The memory haunted her. The look of betrayal in Misla's eyes as she turned them away with excuses.
The guilt. The shame.
'He isn't here. This is my life. Not his.' She whispered to herself in her mind.
It's alright. It'll be all right. The Phenex were taking care of Sairaorg and Misla, where she could not. They'd be fine.
Sure, Lord Phenex might be eyeing the Bael throne, but for all her love for her family, she could not bring herself to care. The Bael throne could fall into the hands of the Phenex for all she cared. And she didn't.
She'd be glad for it.
She held no love for that rotten thing that pitted her brothers against one another, that turned her uncles and aunts into vicious vipers spitting venom at each other for scraps of illusory power.
Because that was the truth behind it all. There was no real power to be had. Not while Zekram Bael yet drew breath.
It was one more reason she was glad to wed Rias to Riser. If nothing else, she could exert some modicum of control over her house through the Phenex clan. To stop them, when necessary, should they let their greed get the better of them and try to guide the Baels the way of the Belials.
If for no reason other than to preserve what was left of her blood. She cared not for the institution that was the Great King Bael house, she cared for her family that made it so.
And if the Phenex clan could rout that poison from their veins, all the better.
Once all was settled, she would retake the reins, and this time guide her house, her family on the right path.
The Phenex were, in fact, the perfect role models for that. Their house was famously united, despite their scheming and internal conflict. There had never been any hint of exposure to the outside world of their disfunction.
Even back then, when Lord Phenex took the seat at the head of his house, ahead of his brother, there wasn't so much as a murmur of disagreement.
It was what made them formidable. Like ants, they put up a united front, as if of one mind. One unit.
That is why it was common wisdom. Never kill a Phenex. No matter how distant the relation. No matter how insignificant their person.
Because they would descend like suicidal hornets, like a plague of locusts, upon the offending party, even if it were to be till death and extinction, to their own doom, in retaliation.
She still remembered the aftermath of the Leviathan Clan's hubris.
A clan shattered, armies wiped down to the last man, woman and child, territories devastated, utterly, in hellfire. A Satan clan brought to the brink of ruin.
To this day they hadn't fully recovered from it.
There was only one word for their response to harm brought upon their family.
Biblical.
That was the sort of unity she wanted for her clan. A love for family, a sense of belonging that stretched farther than pride and status. That was more than just skin deep.
A family that felt… like a family.
And if she had to use the Phenex like a cudgel to get that result, so be it.
Though she may not seem like it, she was in fact the brains of this operation.
For all the underworld saw, she was just Lord Gremory's trophy wife. A warm and loving homemaker. And she was, for the most part these days.
But trophy wife, she was not. She was a businesswoman. Her personal wealth alone dwarfed that of the house of Gremory and all it's holdings. Her businesses, of growing rare and profitable crops, her vast ranches of hell cattle, her many, many industries, from food to fashion to tourism, were all obscenely profitable.
To that point, it was Zeoticus, who was her trophy husband, if anything, with his airheaded demeanour and charming, golden retriever personality.
She was the one who had suggested the engagement; though, in his zeal, Zeoticus had pushed through with it a fair bit earlier than she wanted.
She knew Lord Phenex- his personality, his greed, his desire for power. It was far from unique in the underworld. She knew that presented with such a chance, he would jump on it with both feet.
It was Riser Phenex that she did not expect.
"A ten year old boy at Ultimate Class." Sirzechs nodded, "For someone who wasn't born a Super Devil, he has certainly showcased an exceptional talent for his age. But that stunt with Surtr could just as well have been the handiwork of Lord Phenex."
"It wasn't." She shook her head, "Lord Phenex is too careful a man for such a stunt. And too dour for spontaneity. No, it was Riser Phenex."
"Lord Phenex could have used Riser as a cover to enact it. People change. The current state of the Phenex clan, it's sudden industry… if it shows anything it is that something about Lord Phenex has changed. He is being far more proactive than ever before. Maybe he is simply eager to avoid missing out, like he did on the DevilTV deal."
She raised a curious eyebrow.
This was not a side of her son she often saw. He had inherited his father's temperament and her powers. Suffice to say, he wasn't exactly a politician.
But it would seem that his term in office has had the pleasant side effect of setting his head on straight. To think he had improved so much… she felt a surge of pride in her son for a moment.
Nonetheless, he was still far from her level, especially when it came to insight.
"That is a good observation, but you missed one thing." She pointed out, "And that is, Riser's chaperone."
"The butler?"
"That was no butler." Venelana laughed, "He carried himself like a military man, his gait sharp, his glances measured, his eyes ever alert and hardened like steel. A High Class officer. At least a captain, maybe more."
She leaned forward, resting her arms on the table as she fixed her son in her gaze.
"Tell me Sirzechs, if Lord Phenex wanted to act under cover of Riser, why would he send an officer of his legions and not a regular, incompetent servant? It would certainly make Riser's oversight with the wand more understandable. Give him deniability."
"A plot within a plot?" Sirzechs asked, and Venelana smiled, wagging her finger.
"No. Sometimes, the simplest answer is the right one."
"The butler was there to keep Riser in check." Sirzechs let out a breath, in deep thought, "But why would he?"
"What do you think? Sirzechs? Dear?" She opened her question to them all and she could see Zeoticus quirk his head in confusion. Oh, how adorable he was, like a little puppy. Her little red haired puppy husband~
She could just kiss him, when he made that face. Sure, he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, but he loved her and she loved him, and that was enough for her. It was why she allowed him to have a harem.
Because she knew, there existed no woman who could steal his heart from her. He was hers alone. Her own, her precious- No.
She reeled in her lust, with great difficulty. This wasn't the time.
"I don't understand?" Zeoticus asked, and Sirzechs had the same look to him.
Two peas in a pod, these two, father and son.
She sighed in disappointment when Ajuka decided to interject.
"To prevent this." Ajuka gestured at the party supplies left behind in the garden before them, "What Lady Venelana means to say, is that none of this was an accident."
Ajuka helpfully guided her two idiots to the point, "Every word, every move Riser Phenex made here was calculated. Planned. There was no stumbling, no randomness to his actions. He was prepared for it. Every question, every retort, every argument we could make and more. He even outsmarted me, pinning me down with social etiquette where he knew he could not win against me with words. Everything he did was done to drive us, like corralled cattle, to the exact conclusion he wanted."
"That can't be. He's just ten!" Sirzechs refused to believe it.
"And frightfully intelligent." Ajuka cut him down to size, "Do not underestimate him. That mistake cost Tannin his arm and Mephisto, his telecom empire."
"Wait, wait, wait! I don't understand… how exactly did he…?" Zeoticus gestured vaguely at the incident, lost, and Venelana looked at her husband fondly.
"What did Riser do the moment he arrived at the party?" She began to guide him through the events herself.
"He greeted us."
"No, dear. He called Rias his future wife. Not fiancée. Not Rias. Future wife. A certainty."
"And that means, of course…" He nudged her and she smiled.
No point being subtle with her husband.
"He was gauging you and making his intentions clear in the politest way possible. Now, do you recall how he referred to her the last time he met her?"
"His child bride." Zeoticus recalled and grimaced at the memory.
"That reaction is exactly why he did that. I have no doubt he received a rap for it from Lord Phenex himself, and nothing short of an order to make things right this time around. Which he did, and at the same time he gauged your reaction to him- indifference, even under courtesy.
So naturally, his next move was to compliment me. Another poke at you. He was getting a measure of your relationship with him and he got what he wanted with that outrageous comment."
"He called you a bakery." Zeoticus stopped as he saw the happiness on her face, "You seem to like it."
"He has a way with words, that boy." She giggled, "Those are the kinds of boys that are the most dangerous~ After all, one of them stole my heart." She kissed Zeoticus on the cheek, her hand rubbing his thigh underneath the table, and watched him blush like a tomato with glee.
How cute!
"Focus, Zeo. We'll have plenty of time to ourselves, afterwards~" Venelana licked her lips seductively.
"Honey~" He cooed sweetly, wrapping an arm around her back, much to the chagrin of her son.
"Mom, Dad!"
"Bah! It's just a little PDA." She pouted, shaking her head in mock disappointment, "How did my son grow up to be such a prude?"
"Some things are for the bedroom!" He argued.
"Yes, you're right Sirzechs." She nodded in complete agreement, a mischievous smile blooming on her face, "Some things belong in the bedroom. Like a maid cosplay." She pointed at Grayfia standing silently behind her husband and watched her son's argument crumble as he flushed with embarrassment.
"That's not- Mom! You know…" He stumbled over his words and Grayfia seemed to shrink into herself a little more than usual.
Venelana chuckled.
"Stones and glass houses Sirzechs dear." She rubbed it in one last time before continuing.
"Now where was I? Ah, yes. My bakery." She shifted suggestively in her seat, "Once Riser saw where you stood with him, he immediately switched back to polite compliments and apologies. He even wished his marriage would be as pleasant as ours. What do you think that was other than a compliment?"
"He was backtracking." Zeoticus answered, "And patching the road back as he did."
He was smart enough to figure that out. He was a noble after all, and by no means incompetent. He just happened to be utterly average in all aspects of governance, without excelling in any of them. A proper noble that met the standards but never exceeded them, not that there was anything wrong with that. She certainly didn't mind it.
Against more scrupulous minds like Riser and Lord Phenex, however, he fell short by a mile and a half.
"He wanted to mend your relationship. Get closer to both you and Rias. Carve out a place in your hearts." She said, tapping the table in amusement, "As much as he was wont to dislike the arrangement. Orders are orders. But tell me Ajuka, as a fellow genius, if your father asked you to do something you didn't quite agree with, what would you do?"
"I would do what was right by my clan, and follow my father's orders as asked. I certainly wouldn't cause a spectacle at my fiancée's birthday." Ajuka replied, and Venelana scrunched her nose in mock disgust.
"Oh, pish posh. You have the personality of buttered toast, Ajuka." She waved at him in dismissal, "Little Riser on the other hand, I believe is more pepper oil and cinnamon. He's got flavour. Gusto. Chutzpah."
She threw in all the words she knew for emphasis.
"Hence the butler." Ajuka shrugged.
"An attempt in futility." She chuckled, "Even the eponymous Lord Phenex cannot outthink his son's creativity."
"But then why would he commission the wand? If he knew something like this could happen-" Zeoticus asked.
"Oh, honey… There's no secret master artificer. Riser made the wand." Venelana caressed his face softly, planting a kiss on his cheek.
"But then why would he hide that? A ten year old, genius- he- in what world would he not want to show that off? Especially to his fiancée, and us, if he wanted to get closer, that is. His talent would certainly force us into the position." Zeoticus flabbed his arms in exasperation.
Now he was thinking.
Venelana smiled.
"That is exactly why. Because it would force us into the position." She explained, "He doesn't want to force anything. Call it pride, or call it a conscience- and I do believe the little Phoenix has one, unlike his father- for whatever reason, he didn't want that. I suspect he wants a natural relationship with us. Not too close, not too far. Just right. Such that if ever he feels the need to break off the engagement, he wouldn't have to worry losing too much, emotionally speaking. He doesn't understand that with time, with our lifespan being in the tens of thousands of years, an age gap of a few years means nothing.
But being ten years old, he probably sees Rias as a child, while with his advanced intellect, he feels himself far more mature, unable to find common ground, now or ever. It is the only child-like thing I have found about him.
Let us hope, he gets over that in time, or that Rias' beauty captivates him enough to forgo his inhibitions, else, we might just lose the best match we can find for her. I have no doubt he will treat her right.
Well, that and he probably wanted to fulfill the bare minimum standard of his father's request. A silent 'screw you' to Lord Phenex. There's also the benefit of hiding his power, his talent, lest he alert the other houses that the Phenex Clan has a second Ruval Phenex now. You saw what they did to the last one. The other houses are already far too wary of the Phenexes as it is." She turned to Ajuka, "Ruval still hasn't been approved for promotion to Ultimate Class has he Ajuka? Riser probably wants to avoid that."
"I have already processed the application myself. Ruval Phenex will be, properly and officially this time, an Ultimate Class devil by the end of the week." Ajuka replied, "Though I do believe there is an element of pride to the whole thing as well. Riser doesn't take kindly to the fact that they need to seek shelter under Sirzechs. I certainly wouldn't, were I in his shoes."
"Tough luck, then." Sirzechs frowned, "You were born a super devil. He wasn't. Sooner or later, he will have to face that reality. Though devils grow naturally in power the longer they live, bit by bit, even without training, there is a gradient to power and few ever cross it; even those old monsters from the beginning of devilkind, even Mephisto has barely reached our level of raw power, and he does not possess the natural finesse we do, in wielding it. Riser will simply have to come to terms with it."
"Like Diehauser Belial did?" Ajuka shattered his friend's argument with a single sentence. That shut Sirzechs up as Ajuka continued.
"Do you truly believe that he won't find a way, or like Diehauser, claw his way up to our level of power? With his brilliant mind, I give him ten, maybe twenty years before he matches us in power, one way or another. And he isn't the only Phenex I see doing that."
"Ruval?" Venelana raised an eyebrow, "Hasn't he been stuck at his level for the past century?"
"Not anymore." Ajuka replied, "With the new spell- no doubt one that Riser developed- Ruval will inevitably break past his limits, for he lacks neither the industry nor the inspiration. Soon enough, the Phenex clan will have two Satan Class powerhouses, and perhaps the underworld will have a new Satan."
"You don't mean-" Sirzechs spoke and Ajuka nodded.
"Do you really think a Satan Class Ruval Phenex will let Serafall be? They have long resented losing their millennia old monopoly over the medical sector to the Sitris. That and the sly trick they pulled with DevilTV…" Ajuka shook his head, "The only reason they have tolerated it is by virtue of Serafall's strength. Now, with Ruval rising to match her, it is but a matter of time before we have a new Satan, if he so desires. Or perhaps if he desires his family seat more, it will be Riser who takes the seat of Satan from Serafall. Either way, her days on the throne are numbered."
"I can't tell if she will delight in the news or despise it." Sirzechs chuckled, "She has always whined about our workload, and our relationship with other pantheons is at an all time low as is. If anything, she might gladly give it up!"
Ajuka smiled for a moment, before he remembered something.
"Which reminds me of another concerning fact. That new spell, the black flame Riser developed? I fear there is more to it that meets the eye. The way it damaged Tannin…It felt like it had divine properties."
"What do you mean? Divine properties? Like an Authority? A Divine Authority?" Sirzechs asked, caught off guard.
Ajuka understood Sirzechs' apprehension.
He had long tried to match the gods with his power, being a Super Devil born with a level of power bordering on divinity himself. And he had always fallen short. He could match some of the weaker Chief Gods, the Maya, the Orisha, perhaps, but he had never been able to reach the heights of the major pantheons.
Neither had Ajuka, even with all his ingenuity. Such was the barrier separating them from true power. He knew first hand how difficult it was to match a divine authority… and how far one could reach just by touching upon one.
Even Odin could manhandle him if he got serious. All because of the one benefit Divinity granted. A Divine Authority. A firm hold over the nature of the world, on the rules of reality itself that made them nigh impossible to defeat, and absolutely impossible to kill without using something else that was Divine.
Only a god can kill a god. There was a reason for this saying.
Sure, it wasn't completely true. Anyone below the level of a Chief God was easy game for them both. The lesser idols, Sirzechs could wipe them out with but one move at times.
But that threshold, they could never cross.
Even the Shinto Chief Gods could be forced to compromise over the promise of the sheer destruction he and Sirzechs could cause. The same could not be said for Indra. Or Aten. Or Lugh.
They were about as powerful as Zeus, ordinarily- though he was far from the strongest in his pantheon, being counted among the Chief Gods simply by virtue of Hades utter disinterest in Zeus' domain, or anything else from the overworld, bar his wife, the Lady Persephone.
All will become part of my domain one day, he had once said, so why must I feud with the rest for scraps?
Suffice to say, Hades was powerful, one the top ten most powerful beings in the world.
But when they got serious, both he and Sirzechs could match him easily.
However, this was a temporary power up for them, a trick, a skill, magic that raised them high to match what Hades could do without special effort.
Not to mention, Sirzechs' complete lack of control over his own power in that state. Every time he used that power, it was a coin toss. Will he finish the fight before he loses himself, or will he dissolve into a being of pure destruction?
Ajuka felt relieved each time he saw his friend use that power, a little guilt knawing at him, an evil little thought at the edge of his mind.
At least his "serious" power only cost him his demonic power.
A sort of bittersweet schadenfraude.
And sure, Hades couldn't boost his power like they could- he was a constant, for that is what it meant to be a god- but he didn't need to get "serious" or expend himself to get there, to that level of power. His power did not come at a cost.
He simply was.
That was the difference between them, between one who was divine and one who was not.
But they could match him, defeat him even, if fortune favoured them. So could Michael, if he tapped into the power of the throne of heaven that brimmed with the faith of his flock.
Indra, on the other hand? All four Satans could try and fight him together and they would still barely hold their own.
That was a true Chief God.
The implication that the ten year old Riser Phenex had managed to achieve what they had not in all their years weighed heavy upon him.
"It was something Mephisto told me, back then when I apprenticed under him. A theory he had regarding the original Satan Lucifer. Of how he ruled hell, of how he raised the Extra Demons and the Pillar Clans to their status and built his kingdom in hell without being a god of such. A sinner punished to penance, becoming the ruler of hell in his pantheon. This was unprecedented and more than a little suspicious.
While the other three Satans were demon gods in their own right, if only lesser idols, Lucifer was a fallen angel, with half a divine authority at most, if that. He was no demon god.
And yet he managed to fight at their level, to convince them to join his new, untested pantheon, and to stand them by his sides as four equals, when he himself was no equal to them. Not at the start, at least.
Mephisto theorized that after losing his heavenly status, his archangel authority and being cast out as a mere subject to hell, he somehow gained an Authority of Hell- the Christian hell- back then a domain freshly carved out from the borders of Underworld and thus not a part of his father's domain." He circumvented the taboo deftly as he spoke, "Likely the fact that he had a metaphysical hole in his being wherein to slot said authority after his heavenly one was stripped off him. After his death, however, given how secretive Lucifer was, it was impossible to confirm it's existence, much less access it. Until now.
I believe Riser Phenex has the potential, with his descent and bloodline, his ancestry as it were, to grasp it.
He has just touched upon it and already his spells can wield it with a shine unlike any other in our history. If he succeeds, on the other hand, we might yet have a true god among us. It could be our chance at uniting the three factions again. To stand shoulder to shoulder with the great pantheons as we once did."
"Or it could divide us wholly and inevitably, plunging us into another war between heaven and hell." Venelana pointed out.
Ajuka nodded, and spoke in a hushed tone.
"That is why it must be kept secret. Quiet. Until we can confirm it in truth whether this is a fluke or a surety. A matter of time."
"Can we seize it. For one of our own?" Venelana followed up, almost on instinct. It had been carved into her very bones, this scheming. It was second nature to her. A nature she despised with all her heart.
"Unfortunately not and not for lack of trying on any of our parts. It is best that we leave it to Riser. The Phenex are born of divine stock, corrupted as it may be by the power of hell. Perhaps it is that which enables him to touch upon it, perhaps it is something else. Regardless, if we in our greed endanger his chances of grasping it, it would be an incalculable loss to devilkind.
No. Not now when we might be so close to getting a demon god again.
But once he has grasped it, accommodated it? Perhaps we can find a way to extend it's benefits to the rest of us. But not before. Never before." He emphasized, "Now, we must do all we can to protect and nurture him, if not directly then circumstantially, and bring him into our fold."
Venelana smiled warmly at that.
If there was such a thing as a good devil, it would be Ajuka Beelzebub. Even now, in the face of unimaginable power, he displayed not greed but care where any other devil, even she herself would not have the barest thought of such a thing. That was what set him apart from the rest of his kind. That was his real power. Not the mutated Astaroth trait, nor his immense demonic power.
No. It was this.
He cared.
Ajuka actually, genuinely cared about making the world a better place, not just for devilkind but for all who lived in it. He was the first to advocate for peace, when their side had all but won the civil war, overwhelmingly so. He was first to petition for kinder, gentler terms for the losing side, so as to spare them their dignity, even against all others demanding retribution to the bitter end.
When he realized he couldn't free the commoners from the yoke of the nobility, he offered them social mobility.
He created the rating games to give hope to those downtrodden, a ladder to climb out the slaving pits their system had trapped them in. A business to create, a life to live, outside of serving their lords and ladies. Independence, freedom, individuality.
Not to mention the free schools he had opened all across the underworld to teach the lowborn basic magic, deal-making and other trade skills- knowledge that until then had been limited to the nobility- so that they may make a living, not just survive but thrive.
A lesser man, even one gifted with his genius, facing the cruel nature of their world would turn away from the light and use their immense talents for their own ends. But Ajuka, born with such insight as to see past all lies and illusions, looked into that deep, dark abyss, saw the evil in the hearts of men and thought, 'How can I help them be better?'.
She held no doubt that if he wanted to keep it a secret and steal away this power for himself, he could very well have done so and none would be the wiser. Yet he did not.
Even through all the subtle manipulations, the gentle coaxing, the false promises of sharing that power once achieved, to keep them from intervening in it, she could see through it all, straight to the crux of the matter. He had no greed in his heart for it.
None.
All he wanted to do was nurture a talented young boy into reaching his full potential.
It warmed her heart to know he trusted them enough to even reveal it. She had never felt gladder that her son had a friend such as him, and he certainly needed one, to keep his imperiousness in check.
Naturally, that wasn't all. There was a reason he revealed it to them. He needed their help for something. Something he himself couldn't do for whatever reason he thought was beyond them to understand.
And she wasn't one to refuse it, not when he was being so cute about it. So she took a page from his own book and asked.
"How can we help?"
................
Yes, yes. I know. I am late. But in my defence, this chappy is 5000 words.
5000. The big five G. Capital. And after having a solid month and a half of my life wasted by my cousin sister's wedding, and her and CEO husband's subsequent honeymoon tour visit to our home a week later (a week! Mfers couldn't leave us be in peace for an entire week!), I believe I can be cut some slack. Comment here if you want the tea on all that drama~
Also, major repairs were done in my home recently, so that too.
But, finally I'm free!
Anyways, regular updates from now on.
Thanks for reading and being so cute and kind and faithful to this fic.
You guys are the best readers ever!
See you soon, like tomorrow morning with the timeskip chapter.
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Bye~