Chapter 111 - The Infamous Riser Phenex(Bonus - )

Chapter 111: Chapter 111 - The Infamous Riser Phenex(Bonus Chapter)

Alear remained talking with the Sitri family for a few more minutes. Serafall, still radiant because of the compliment she had received earlier, continued clinging to his arm from time to time, clearly not very interested in hiding how much she was enjoying that closeness. Sona, on the other hand, watched the interaction with her usual composure, although she had already noticed that her sister was becoming increasingly distracted from the real reason they had come to that party: to formally introduce her brother-in-law to high society. Serafall, however, seemed increasingly determined to monopolize Alear’s attention, something Sona could not help but notice, especially because the gazes of the various nobles present remained fixed on her family and that conversation. Tsubaki remained discreetly beside her mistress, limiting herself to silently following the conversation.

When the conversation finally reached a natural pause, Alear slightly inclined himself in a polite greeting.

"Although the conversation has been quite pleasant, I still need to greet some of the other guests, so I think it would be better for me to say goodbye for now. It was a pleasure talking with all of you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the evening."

Lord Sitri nodded with a satisfied smile.

"The pleasure was ours, son-in-law. Be sure to come by so we can talk again."

Lady Sitri smiled kindly before adding:

"You can go without worry. We’ll take care of Serafall while you’re busy. We won’t let her cause too much trouble."

"Mom!"

Serafall puffed out her cheeks, clearly indignant at the teasing, but it did not take long for her to recover her smile. She released Alear’s arm and said:

"Ale-chan, go ahead! I’m going to enjoy the evening a little too. See you later!"

In truth, Serafall was not at all interested in spending the rest of the evening discussing politics or listening to endless conversations between nobles. If she had to choose, she would much rather spend that time beside her adorable little sister. Sona immediately understood her sister’s intention and let out a discreet sigh, already imagining that she would have to deal with Serafall for the rest of the night. At least, while Alear was nearby, she had managed to keep her sister occupied with something that did not involve dragging her into some embarrassing situation.

Alear raised his hand in a brief wave and continued on his way through the hall.

From that moment on, he began politely greeting the other guests, taking the opportunity to meet nobles with whom he had not yet had direct contact. There were representatives from various ancient houses, some more reserved, others excessively courteous, but all of them displayed some level of curiosity regarding the new Lord H?angenti, who had emerged so suddenly into demon society and, despite his young age, was already known as the Great President of Hell.

It was then that a particular group immediately caught his attention. Two families were gathered in an animated conversation near one of the ornate columns in the hall. Alear immediately recognized Lord Astaroth, accompanied by his bishop, Echidna, who observed the surroundings with that enigmatic and curious smile so characteristic of her. Beside them was the Vassago family. He knew that the Vassagos maintained excellent relations with the Astaroths and, from what he understood, the two lords were longtime friends, which explained the closeness between the two families even on an occasion like this.....

Alear approached the group with calm steps and, as soon as he got close enough, greeted his acquaintances.

"Lord Astaroth. Echidna."

Lord Astaroth turned upon hearing his name and raised his eyebrows slightly before a smile of recognition appeared on his face.

"Archduke H?angenti. What a pleasant coincidence. I didn’t expect to run into you so early tonight."

Echidna, in turn, elegantly inclined her head, while her smile became slightly more pronounced.

"Alear-sama. It is good to see you again. Does my lord need anything from this servant of his?"

Her words elicited an immediate reaction from the members of the Vassago family. Eneely, a young woman with a confident posture and attentive gaze, widened her eyes slightly and exchanged a surprised look with her parents. The fact that the new Lord H?angenti already had such a close relationship with the Astaroths, to the point that Echidna referred to him in that manner, was clearly not something they had expected to encounter that night.....

Alear noticed their reaction but did not seem to attach much importance to it.

"You don’t need to worry so much about formalities, Echidna. You are part of my nobility, after all. I only came to greet them out of courtesy, since I’m the host tonight." Alear replied with a calm smile before turning his attention to the other family. "It’s a pleasure to meet you as well. The Vassago family, if I’m not mistaken...."

Lord Vassago quickly regained his composure and inclined his head in a respectful greeting.

"Indeed. It is an honor to meet you personally, Archduke H?angenti. I confess that we did not expect to discover that you already had such... established relations with the Astaroths."

"Oh, that?" Alear briefly glanced at Echidna before turning his eyes back to Lord Vassago. "Well, Echidna is part of my nobility. I imagine that was a surprise to you. I thought the Astaroth family had already mentioned this little detail, hadn’t they, Lord Astaroth?"

"Hahaha! That was a mistake on the part of this old man. I haven’t had the opportunity to tell you that detail yet." Lord Astaroth replied, letting out a relaxed laugh. "But it wasn’t such a bad thing. After all, Archduke H?angenti was able to surprise you personally by revealing that my daughter is also part of his nobility...."

Alear nodded slightly at Lord Astaroth’s words, keeping a discreet smile on his lips.

"It’s one way of looking at things. Sometimes, a small surprise is worth more than an explanation beforehand."

Lord Vassago took the opportunity to step forward, accompanied by his wife. Lady Vassago maintained an elegant posture and a serene expression, although she observed Alear with evident interest....

"Archduke H?angenti," Lord Vassago said, "allow me to formally introduce my daughter. This is Eneely Vassago, heir and future head of our family."

Eneely stepped forward and made an impeccable bow, keeping her eyes on Alear.

"It is an honor to meet you, Archduke H?angenti."

Alear returned the greeting with a slight nod, maintaining the same polite tone he had been using with the other guests.

"The pleasure is mine, Eneely-san. There’s no need to be so formal. I’m pleased to finally meet the next generation of the Vassago family."

The conversation continued naturally from that point. Alear alternated his attention between the two families, talking about relatively light subjects, such as the relationships between the different clans, recent events in the Underworld, and the reception itself. Echidna occasionally added some enigmatic comment, while the two lords discussed matters related to the current political relations between the families. Eneely, for her part, showed genuine interest in the conversation and asked pointed questions, observing Alear with an attention that seemed to have increased after that brief introduction.....

After a few more minutes of conversation, Alear finally said goodbye to the Astaroth and Vassago families, thanking them for their company before continuing through the hall. As the host, there were still many people he needed to greet that night, and it would be rather inconvenient to spend too much time with just a small group of nobles as he had done with the Sitri family. He continued walking calmly and, shortly afterward, encountered the Agares family, accompanied by his fiancée, Seekvaira Agares. After a few words about the party and the recent changes in demon society, as well as some secret details between Lord Agares and him regarding the plan they had devised, he moved on and also greeted the members of the Gamigin family, being received with the same respect he had encountered among the other nobles.

Next, Alear passed by the Amon family and the Barbatos family, repeating the same ritual of formal introductions, greetings, and a few brief conversations. However, as he moved through the hall, he began to notice a very clear pattern. The lords who initially showed only curiosity quickly became much friendlier after a few minutes of talking with him. Some even went so far as to prolong the conversation without any need, while others made a point of making it clear that their doors would always be open to the "Lord H?angenti."

Alear was not naive enough to believe that this was happening simply out of sympathy. His political position, his growing influence, and the fact that he was someone with the potential to become a Satan made him an extremely valuable figure to any family capable of recognizing an opportunity. If they could, some of those lords would probably grab his thigh and never let go, so great was their desire to establish a close relationship with him.....

Even so, he was not bothered by it. On the contrary, he found it rather interesting to observe how a few words and a little courtesy were enough to turn complete strangers into people who were already talking to him as if they were old friends. He maintained an approachable demeanor throughout all the introductions, avoiding displaying arrogance or letting it show that he perfectly understood the reason behind that sudden goodwill.

In the end, he managed to establish a rather friendly relationship with the lords of the Gamigin, Amon, and Barbatos families, something that would certainly be useful in the future....

Alear continued walking through the hall until his eyes found a family he already knew well. The Phenexes were gathered near one of the tables, talking calmly while observing the movement of the reception. Ravel, who had already noticed his approach, discreetly straightened her posture and tried to hide the small smile that appeared on her lips. Even after everything that had happened between them, she still seemed to become a little shy whenever Alear approached her in public, although the way she watched him made it quite clear how much of an affectionate "wife" she was. Alear approached without hurry and first greeted Lord Phenex and Lady Phenex, with whom he already had a very friendly relationship.

"Lord Phenex, Lady Phenex. It’s good to see you again. I hope you’re enjoying the evening."

"We are, Alear-sama. This is truly a presentation party worthy of you...." Lady Phenex replied with a warm smile, while Lord Phenex nodded beside her.

"The pleasure is ours, son-in-law. I imagine you’ve already made your way through a good portion of the guests."

"More than I expected," Alear replied with a small smile. "But there are still quite a few people left."

Ravel, who remained beside her parents, finally gathered the courage to move a little closer, although her cheeks had acquired a slightly reddish hue.

"You’re doing well, Alear-sama," she commented quietly. "I... watched you from afar for a few minutes."

Alear looked at her and smiled.

"So you were watching me?"

Ravel immediately averted her eyes, becoming even redder.

"I wasn’t... exactly..."

Lord Phenex let out a small laugh, while his wife merely watched her daughter with an amused expression. Before Ravel could come up with a better answer, Lord Phenex decided to make the formal introductions that were still missing. He turned toward the other family members who were nearby and first indicated the mature-looking man standing beside him.

"Allow me to formally introduce my eldest son. This is Ruval Phenex, my firstborn and the current heir of the family."

Ruval stepped forward and greeted Alear with impeccable posture.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet you in person, Archduke H?angenti. I’ve heard quite a lot about you."

"I hope they were good things," Alear replied with a calm smile.

"So far, I haven’t heard anything that would make me think otherwise," Ruval replied, maintaining a cordial tone.

Next, Lady Phenex introduced her other son:

"And this is Reverie Phenex."

The young man gave a small bow, maintaining a polite and somewhat more reserved expression.

"It is an honor to meet you, Alear-sama."

"The pleasure is mine, Reverie. I hope we can talk more calmly another time."

Finally, Alear’s eyes moved to the last member of the family. He did not need anyone to tell him his name to know who he was. Riser Phenex was there, and although his reputation was quite well known, the young prince did not display the arrogance Alear expected to find at that moment. Riser approached and bowed respectfully alongside his queen...

"Archduke H?angenti. It is an honor to welcome you."

Alear raised his eyebrows slightly at the formality but responded with the same courtesy.

"Riser. It’s good to finally meet you in person. I hope we can get along."

"I hope so too...." Riser replied, without any provocation or disrespectful attitude.

Riser seemed to remember something and then turned slightly toward the woman standing beside him.

"Ah, before I forget. Allow me to introduce my queen. This is Yubelluna."

The woman stepped forward with an elegant posture and gave a small bow before Alear. Despite the closeness she maintained with Riser, she behaved perfectly appropriately for a reception of that level, demonstrating that she knew exactly how she should act before someone in Alear’s position.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Alear-sama. I’ve heard quite a lot about you."

"The impression is mutual, Yubelluna. It’s good to finally meet you in person."

Alear replied casually, without turning the introduction into anything more formal than necessary. His gaze, however, happened to lower for a brief moment before returning to her face.

It was merely a quick and involuntary glance, but Ravel noticed it immediately. Without saying anything at all, she moved closer and wrapped her arms around Alear’s arm, discreetly leaning against him while maintaining a polite smile on her face. Alear glanced sideways at his little wife and, realizing exactly what she was doing, merely raised an eyebrow before letting out an ironic smile. Ravel averted her eyes, pretending she had done absolutely nothing, although the slight blush on her cheeks gave away her intentions.

Riser also noticed the situation and had to suppress a small laugh:

"Looks like my sister has become quite possessive."

"Riser!" Ravel became even redder and squeezed Alear’s arm a little tighter. "I’m not being possessive! I was just... staying close to my future husband."

"Of course, of course. I never said there was anything wrong with that....."

Riser replied with an amused smile, raising his hands in a gesture of surrender. Lady Phenex, who had witnessed the entire scene, let out a soft laugh before looking at her daughter with an affectionate expression.

"My little girl has really grown up. It seems like only yesterday that she would still hide behind me whenever she met someone she didn’t know."

"Mom... you don’t need to tell them these things."

Ravel murmured, clearly embarrassed, while Alear simply smiled beside her.

Lord Phenex also could not hide his satisfaction as he watched his daughter standing so close to the son of his oldest friend.....

"Well, since she has grown so much, I think it’s time for us to think about the next step."

Ravel slowly raised her eyes, already suspicious.

"Dad..."

"It would be nice to receive a grandchild from the two of you soon."

Ravel’s face turned completely red.

"D-Dad!"

Ruval let out a low laugh, while Reverie discreetly raised a hand to his mouth to hide his own smile. Even Riser seemed amused by the situation, although he quickly adopted a more serious expression as he looked at Alear.

"Well, as the eldest brother of the Phenex family, I should say a few things about this."

"You’re not the eldest brother," Ruval immediately corrected.

"Details." Riser replied without being fazed before looking at Alear again. "In any case, Ravel is my little sister. So, although I trust you, I still have to make it clear that I expect you to take good care of her....."

Alear looked at Riser for a few seconds before calmly replying.

"You don’t need to worry. I already consider that my responsibility."

"Good. Then we understand each other." Riser nodded, satisfied, but soon added with a smile: "But if you make my sister cry, I’ll demand an explanation."

"Riser, you’re exaggerating." Ruval interrupted, although he was clearly enjoying the situation. "Alear is already part of the family. You don’t need to act as if you’re interrogating your sister’s future husband...."

"I’m just fulfilling my role as a protective brother."

"You’re taking advantage of the opportunity to play the protective brother." Reverie calmly commented, making Riser look at him with an offended expression.

"You three have no consideration for your brother whatsoever."

"We do," Ravel replied, still holding onto Alear’s arm. "Just not when you start talking too much."

Alear could not help but let out a small laugh upon hearing that. The conversation continued for a few more minutes in a relaxed manner, with the members of the Phenex family exchanging lighthearted teasing among themselves and treating Alear with the same cordiality they had shown since his arrival. In the end, that introduction turned out to be much more familial than political, something Alear appreciated quite a lot after spending so much time greeting nobles who were primarily interested in his position...

_______________

(A/N: If you’re enjoying the story and want to continue following Arthur’s adventures, there are already over 35 advance Chapters available on my Patreon!

By becoming a patron, you’ll not only support my work but also gain access to many more Chapters of this story and other stories I’m writing.

Patreon: patreon.com/Adam_Kadmon

Thank you for your support, and happy reading!)