15 4 Days

"...Young lord is sharp." She compliments with an icy look.

"Your acting just sucks." I rest my face on my hand.

"My, and rude." She cups her own cheek.

"I prefer the term honest."

…

"How did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That I may be up to something."

"Seriously, you're what, probably a thousand year old hag. And you're asking how?"

She squints her eyes, looking annoyed at what I said.

"Alright, don't get your panties in a bunch."

She tilts her head in confusion.

"It means don't get emotional over somethin' small." I explain.

"Calling a woman a 'hag' is not something small." She folds her arms under her udders.

"Haha. How about cute hag then?" I smile at the stupid name-calling.

Grayfia is not impressed.

"The answer to your previous question is simple. You're trying too hard to gain my trust."

"Trying too hard?" She tilts her head again.

'Yup. Cute hag.'

"All the nice treatment and showing off your lovely assets is an easy way to gain the trust of some young man. A very thirsty young man. Hell, I'd do it too if I were you."

"Only from those two reasons, you knew?"

"Well, those and the offer to getting naked together. That really took me by surprise! Haha."

"…"

"Oh, and I don't think it suits who you are."

"Does not suit me? You say that as if you know me." She looks miffed.

"No, I don't exactly know you. But I do know it's not what someone like you would do. Especially with a person you just met."

"…"

"In case you're gonna kill me for reasons unknown to me, do know that I'm no threat to whatever it is you're thinking about." I say as I prepare to cast [Barrier] and [Teleport].

"Hmph…we never had the intention to."

'We? She's most likely talking about Sirzechs.'

"Mind telling me why you're 'desperate' for my attention."

"You are Agares' son."

"Says who?"

With a 'victorious' smile, she points "You."

"What the fuck does that mean?" Now it's my turn to tilt my head in confusion.

"Fufu. You truly do not realise?"

"Enlighten me, 'Mistress'."

She says nothing and casts a spell. An [Ice] element spell.

A small ice mirror is formed in front of me. Reflected on that surface, is my face.

…

"Ah." I point at my face on the mirror. A face that looks similar to Agares.

"Pfft!" Grayfia turned her head and started shaking.

"…Hahaha!" Seeing her laugh uncharacteristically is infectious.

-

Wiping her tears, she says "You are the only Agares clan member that closely resembles the First head."

Also wiping my tears, I reply "And from that, you assumed I'm his son?"

She wags her finger "At first, yes. But someone confirmed my assumption."

"Do tell." I lean forward, intrigued.

"Are you that 'desperate' to know?" She also leans forward. Her smirk makes a return.

I sigh "Yes, Mistress."

"Fufu. It was rather easy, really. All I did was call him."

"…Him?"

She nods.

"…No."

'There are only two people who know about me. And Shel isn't the type to blab carelessly.'

"Yes." She evilly smiles at my realisation.

"And how...exactly did that go?"

"I congratulated him on siring a wonderful child. When he heard me praising his son, he went on and on about how hard-working you are. Your father is quite proud of you, S. E. N. E. X." She then winks, as if to spite me with her cuteness.

I facepalm.

'That father of mine...'

"…What is it you want then?"

"You." She points at me.

I nod "I accept your marriage proposal."

"N-not that!" She denies, with a tiny blush on her cheeks .

"No takebacks" I shake my head.

She sighs "What I meant to say was, we need your skills."

"You haven't even seen my skills. And who the hell is 'we' exactly? You and Sirzechs? Tell him I'm not interested in him."

"You!" She fumed.

"Yes?" I grin at her riled up state. Kinda rare.

She takes a deep breathe and exhales.

And asks politely "Could you please take this seriously?"

'Since she asked politely, I guess I can listen.'

"Sorry, go for it."

"Thank you." She then explains

"The Four Great Satans need your skills. As you may know, their title is just that, a title. The real people holding the power are the Bael clan. Because of them and those that share their ideology, which dictates that only pure-blooded high-class Devils are superior and demonic power decides everything, corruption is rampant in the government. And due to their line of thought, peace between the three factions is impossible to achieve."

'I kind of share that same ideology. Only difference is, blood doesn't matter. Only power does.'

"So, you're gathering an army to wipe out the Baels and their ilk?"

"No!" She vehemently denied.

"Well, why not? it's a valid course of action." I shrug.

"We are not going to start another civil war!"

'Oh, right. She went through one already.'

"Why are you gathering people with 'exceptional' skills? You have the itch to just gotta catch 'em all?"

"Why do you say odd things sometimes? And no, we are gathering people to pressure those that would oppose the Four Satans in their venture for peace talks."

"Heh. And that won't result in a civil war?"

"Hmph. They forced our hands. They can only blame themselves."

"Why not just assassinate their best fighters? That would force them to bend over." I chuckle at that thought.

"Their best fighters are also our best fighters. Did you forget that there are other races besides Devils in the Underworld?"

"Right..."

"What do you say?"

"Why me?"

"Intuition."

"Seriously?"

She nods.

"You sure you didn't just fall for me?"

"You are begging for a punishment."

"And what kind of position are you offering?"

"An operative. You will answer only to me and no one else."

"Not even the Four Satans?"

"I answer to them, not you."

"And the missions?"

"Mostly the same as this one we are on."

"Oh, are we gonna be partners then?"

She sighs "Yes, if the mission is of great importance."

…

"Why do I have to join? You should know that I'm by no means a charity case. I don't really give a rat's ass about others and what not."

"…Then what is it that you want? She asks.

I point at her with a smirk "You."

"You are witty, Senex. Again, what is it?" She sarcastically 'compliments'.

"I told you. And that's final." I lean back on the chair.

"Are you honestly saying that?" She frowns from the insinuation.

"Is it hard to understand that I want you to take me as your disciple?"

Her mouth gapes as she points at me.

"Hahaha! What do you think I meant when I said 'You'? Please get your mind out of the gutter, Grayfia. You are a married woman and a mother."

She grabs her drinking glass and chugs down its contents.

And slams it down on the table.

"You are good at annoying people, Senex"

…

"If I accept you as my apprentice, you will join us?"

"Yes. And I do have some conditions that must be accepted."

"State your conditions." Her eyes turn sharp, an indication that she's focused.

"If I'm given a mission I don't like, I can refuse it.

And if a mission turns too dangerous, I can abort.

I can take days off whenever I feel like it.

That's all."

I cross my arms, waiting for her response.

"T-that is all?" she asks, doubting that it's all I demanded.

"That. And you taking me as your disciple and teaching me everything you know."

'Having her as my master will not only benefit my training but also safety in case some dumbass tries something against me.'

…

"I accept your conditions. And I am to be addressed as Mistress." She stands, offering a handshake with a serious look.

"Thank you, Mistress." I shake her hand.

When I shook her hand, a spell was cast.

It was [Teleport].

-

-Unknown, pitch white room-

"Um...Mistress?"

"Yes, dear disciple?" She replies with a 'sweet' smile.

"Where are we?" I look around, unfamiliar with the empty room.

"Why, we are in the training room. Our training room."

After saying that, her clothes shift from the sexy dress to a skin-tight training bodysuit, navy coloured.

"Since we only have four days until the ball, we will train non-stop. Do not expect much, given the time frame."

'Could've cast [Time M] if I was able to cover a large space with it. Which is hard to accomplish with my current demonic power.'

Hearing what she said, I change to my tight black shorts.

"And don't forget to teach me how to dance for the ball."

"That is your training outfit?" She dead-panned.

"Says you. Are you trying to distract me with those lumps of fat." I ogle her breasts.

'Although I am thankful for her choice of clothing.'

"Matters not. We will begin now!" She declares with an ice cold expression.

And thus, my four days of hellish training started.