Barroom Seduction Fiasco and the Feather's Secret
Leave me alone!
I stared dumbly at Sibylius, who had completely changed her outfit. It was the total opposite of her usual neat and tidy style, so of course I was shocked. And I wasn't the only one—the two who had been fighting, Red and Viol, stopped dead in their tracks too.
Viol gaped at Sibylius with blank eyes and said, "Who the hell are you?"
She must have been especially stunned since they'd known each other for so long. She hadn't even recognized her at first.
"Who else? It's Sibylius."
"...The Sibylius I know wouldn't show up to a bar dressed like that."
"You're dressed pretty much the same yourself, but you're saying that to me?"
Sibylius replied calmly and plopped down right next to me without even asking. Then she said, "Bartender, one of whatever this gentleman is having."
...Was she seriously trying to seduce me like this?
Sitting next to me and ordering what I was drinking in that sleazy tone—it was straight out of some old-world playbook for guys hitting on girls.
When the drink arrived, she even winked at me while looking my way.
...Out of all the seduction tactics in the world, she had to pick this one?
Your sense of style is so outdated! This is not the kind of thing a centuries-old grand mage should be doing!
The somewhat serious image I had of you just got completely shattered!
When did she turn into this? Did it start after that love confession last time, or has she always been like this?
...Come to think of it, the original Sibylius wasn't exactly normal either. A guy in his hundreds hitting on a woman barely in her twenties just because she was nice to him? Pathetic.
I shuddered at the thought that this might be her true nature, but then I noticed the other two looking deadly serious too.
"Is this really the same woman who massacred all those demonkin by herself and declared she'd become the Maou?"
Red seemed to have taken a huge mental hit; she'd even dropped her transformation and reverted to her original form, wearing an expression like she'd seen something she couldn't unsee.
"Uwaaaah!!"
Viol straight-up lost it. She screamed, snatched the glass from Sibylius's hand, and smashed it on the floor.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"That's my line!"
Viol yelled at the protesting Sibylius, trembling with rage.
"If you're gonna do something, at least act like your usual shameless self! What the hell is that seduction attempt? You're embarrassing everyone watching!"
"What was so wrong with what I just did?"
"You asking because you don't know? Why the wink, of all things?!"
Viol was furious, but Sibylius genuinely seemed puzzled about what she'd done wrong. And of all times, they had to pull this crap while I was trying to drink—now I couldn't even touch my booze.
"Hey, just get out of here."
Red came over to me as I sat there frozen and said,
"If you wanna rest, better find somewhere else while they're distracted."
"...But what if they actually start fighting for real while I'm gone?"
"I'll keep an eye on 'em. Don't worry about that crap on top of everything else messing with your head. Go."
My situation must really be pitiful if even Red was pitying me enough to watch over them.
In the end, I fled the asura field and left the bar.
I just wandered aimlessly through the imperial palace halls.
"Seres!"
Of all people, I ran into Arios.
"Where have you been? I went to your room to see you, but you weren't there, so I was looking everywhere."
"Just... stepped out for a bit."
I couldn't bring myself to explain the bar disaster, so I mumbled vaguely.
"Had some business, no big deal."
"Really? I thought that Red bitch had kidnapped you or something."
"She wouldn't do that."
If she planned to, she would've just dragged me off earlier instead of convincing me.
"I'm fine. More importantly, what did you need me for?"
"Do I have to have a reason to look for you?"
People usually do have a reason to seek someone out. Denying that obvious fact, Arios suddenly pulled me into her arms.
"...What are you doing right now?"
"Seres, I can't even imagine a world without you."
"Yeah, okay, let go."
"That demon said you'd be the Maou's mate or whatever, but that's bullshit! Seres is mine!"
"Why the hell would I be yours?"
I tried to respond rationally, but Arios was too worked up to listen.
Just as I was about to snap at her,
"What do you think you're doing?!"
"Pulling another outrageous stunt, I see."
More people arrived—Ares and Hames.
Hames gave Arios, who was hugging me, a coldly appraising look, but Ares's glare was even fiercer. She snatched me away from Arios's arms like she was reclaiming stolen property.
"Hey, have some decency!"
Arios protested, but she just stared back blankly.
"Why should I?"
"You call that a question...?"
"Seres will have to marry someone eventually anyway."
Arios said it meaningfully to Ares, who was about to explode.
"In that case, I'm the best option. Way better than some risky half-demon or a crazy empress."
"...That's not for you to decide."
"Then who? You, Countess Ares?"
What?
I flinched at the title Arios used for Ares. She'd always called her "Mother" since we met, but now she was using her name and rank together.
Arios continued, giving Ares a strange look.
"I've thought this for a while, but you're kinda weird."
"Weird how?"
"No matter how precious your son is, this is overkill on the overprotectiveness. Scaring off every girl who comes near and freaking out at anyone who gets close? Even for a mother, that's not normal."
"...What are you trying to say?"
"I didn't think much of it until I learned Seres was adopted, but your attitude... It's too obsessive for how you treat your son. Unless because he's adopted..."
Stop!
Before Arios could finish, Hames shouted.
"There are some things you just don't say. Especially not in front of Seres himself."
She'd noticed my darkening expression and cut in quickly.
"Hero Arios, do you realize how grave an insult that was? Countess Ares could challenge you to a duel right here and it'd be justified."
"...You're right. I went too far."
Arios pretended to apologize after Hames's stern reprimand, but her eyes still held that suspicious glint.
Can you just drop it? Even if I'm adopted, don't make weird assumptions like that! It's just gonna strain things between us.
"...."
"...I'll head back to my room and rest."
Ares and I exchanged awkward glances before I spoke first.
"Too much has happened today. I need some rest."
"...Yeah, I bet. Go ahead."
Ares looked worried, but since I seemed to want to be alone, she let me go.
"Seres, wait. It might not help much, but better than nothing."
Before I left, Hames placed a hand on my shoulder and infused me with holy power.
"Sleep well."
"...Yeah."
On my way to my room.
"Seres, me too!"
"Don't follow me, you idiot! You wrecked the mood—what makes you think you can tag along?!"
I snapped harshly at Arios, who tried to come after me, and went to my room alone.
I lay down in bed. I locked the door tight and tried to sleep.
Then came a knock.
"Which bitch is it now?!"
I couldn't hold back the curse at the knock.
A flinch came from outside the door.
"M-My lord. It's me."
"Niobe?"
"If now's inconvenient, I'll come back later."
"No, come in!"
I hadn't expected Niobe. I hurriedly opened the door and let her in.
"What's up?"
"I have two things to say."
Niobe spoke gravely and seriously.
"About your true nature, my lord. I'm about to share my suspicions, so brace yourself. Perhaps you were created by magic..."
"Oh, that? I already heard."
"...Pardon?"
"Red told me. That I'm a being made from the Feather of the Heavenly God, the sacred relic the Huferion royal line once had."
I told the stunned Niobe everything Red had explained. She listened silently, then sighed.
"So that's how it was."
"How did you figure it out?"
"I'd suspected the lost Feather of the Heavenly God might have fallen into the hands of Maou worshippers."
She'd worried before that evil forces might be plotting with the feather, so when Has mentioned me, she pieced it together immediately.
"But in a way, it's fortunate for us."
"Fortunate?"
"No matter the purpose behind your creation, thanks to it, the true Huferion bloodline has revived, and we've been able to serve you."
Is that how you see it? Well, if things hadn't gone our way, who knows. The plotters all died anyway, so from the Death Knights' perspective, I'm the good one left behind.
"Don't worry. No matter how you were born, my loyalty to you remains unwavering!"
"Got it... So, what's the other thing?"
I responded halfheartedly to Niobe's passionate declaration. Some ominous feeling told me, and sure enough, I was right.
"My lord, what are you going to do about all those women? Don't you think it's time to pick one properly and sort things out?"