2

[ Ability drawn - Agares - time ]

"Huh. well isn't that just perfect."

I don't feel any different, I feel the same to be honest. I wish this shit came with a manual like how am I even supposed to use this with no prior experience in magic? what I know of Agares is that in DxD that was Seekvaira's family and they were in the second highest position only behind Bael. Apparently, they could use the power of time to bring back deserters but I highly doubt that's the extent of what one can do with Time. all devil's traits or power is all triggered with imagination from what I remember and fueled with demonic power.

As I am trying to figure out how this magic stuff works the door opens again and in walks Aldas and Slee. the imp is carrying a bowl and brings it to the cell unlocking the door and putting it Infront of me.

"Eat, the great master Aldas has spared you some food you should consider yourself lucky." he walks out relocking the door behind him and going out of the room altogether to do who knows what.

As I pick up the bowl it seems to be some kind of soup with some kind of starch in it. sipping some I find out it tastes like some poorly made potato soup. finishing it up and looking back at Aldas he seems to be grinding some kind of plant into a paste when we hear a knock on the door. in walks Slee and behind him is a short blond girl with purple eyes who when she sees me her eyes look like she just found her new favorite toy. Aldas kneels when he sees her and then rises when she waves him off.

"I came to see if you were done with that special powder I requested." it seems like a sound reason if not for the fact her attention has been on me the entire time. "is this the human that they found on the road?" she approaches the cell to get a better look.

"Why yes princess Alice it is, we were just in the middle of investigating his origin and special ability." Aldas answer speaking in a much more respectful tone to the little princess.

"Ability? what ability does this human have?" she asked getting even more interested which honestly works in my favor if I can befriend Alice or at least use her to get Shea's interest that would be best. as far as setting up shop and gaining strength Darkmoon isn't bad no one would be expecting anything important to be happening here. and Shea would be easy to join up with she has little to no allies and can trust no one but her tight-knit circle if I can get in that then I can start making plans for the future that I will get max benefits from. that and I know exactly how to get her to the thrown and it will take a while but in the end, would have me sitting in a pretty good spot.

"He is so far immune to any poison I have tried on him so I was in the middle of crafting one of my most deadly that I don't even keep mixed up in case of accidental spills." he walks back over to the table and starts to work again. "Slee go grab the princess the itching powder she commissioned."

"Yes, master aldas" the imp turns and leaves the room.

"Immune to your poisons? how many did you try?" she asks clearly more interested in the human than the itching powder.

"*Cough* a few," he said clearly not wanting to remember his life's work was unable to hurt let alone kill a mere human.

"26 most of which tasted much better than his cooking." I say much to the annoyance of the dark elf and amusement of the princess.

"Taste better, huh the human world must have pretty good food if the cooking here is related to poison." at this, I am almost tempted to say I'm not a human. the main reason I want to show myself to be a devil, something that is unknown to these people is it may get me the attention I want. or it might just get me killed in fear of the unknown. but specifically why I want to tell Alice is she is known to be a trouble maker but she is always trying to help her sister if I look like I could be an asset she would get me out of here.

"Well, I actually wouldn't know what the human world food tastes like." at that comment Aldas turns from his work with a contemptuous look.

"You're saying you have never eaten food in your whole life living in the human world?" he is looking at me like he is seeing a complete idiot "you would have starved long ago if that was the case."

"Well, it is the truth I have never been to the " human world " so I have never had their food."

"Didn't you just say earlier your master sent you through a "warp gate " to the demon world to look for items, I knew you were lying no such thing exists."

"Well you see that's just the thing, I did come through a warp gate to the demon world but where I came from isn't the human world." at this comment they both look momentarily shocked but then brush it off as a lie.

"If you're not from the human world and you're not from the demon world where are you from?" asks Alice

"Hell, I come from hell like all devils." I say while focusing on my back on the spot that was itching earlier and like I thought two black bat-like wings sprout out.

"Are those real wings?! how? they don't look anything like the royal families!" Aldas is shocked meanwhile Alice has stars in her eyes most likely believing my story about how I randomly appeared in a public place with lots of witnesses and now these wings. I am obviously something they have no prior knowledge of.

"Yes, they're real how else would I fly with them?"

"Hmmm why didn't you tell me this earlier?" he must be skeptical of why I'm only talking of hell now and showing my wings as proof of being from hell. but honestly, I just didn't know I had them earlier.

"I was assessing the situation and was keeping my cards close to the vest."

"Cards close to the vest?" he seems confused by the statement and I realize this world is super backward and doesn't even have a deck of cards.

"Cards are a game and you don't want an opponent to see them and have an advantage." at the mention of an unknown game the little princess jumps up

"I want to play cards!" she looks super excited to play a new game but I know in reality it's because she is already thinking of marketing this new product. but that works for me if she can get them professionally made I can get a casino opened and knowing the demon world they would defiantly be a lot of gamblers.

"Sure but we would need to make a deck of cards and I can't do that locked in a cell." I say trying to look as helpless as possible. probably should put these wings up I don't need to visually remind them I am a literal flight risk.

"Aldas let's let him make a deck of cards I want to play." she says with the most pitiful look on her face.

Aldas was not necessarily scared of anything I could do but just in general apprehensive of letting an unknown captive out in a room with the literal princess in here. he is about to deny it when the door is thrown open.

"Alice I have been looking for you, you said that you were making a quick trip to pick up something important not bothering master aldas." the girl that walked in surprised me quite a bit but mainly because she looks a lot like Scáthach from the fate franchise. a bit less mature looking maybe a bit bigger breasts. I am going to guess this Athena with how she is talking to Alice like that she would be the only purple-haired girl that would do that.

"Athena! just in time where going to let this Devil out and he is going to make some cards and you can watch and make sure I am safe so Aldas doesn't have to worry." she says this putting them both on the spot and they look at each other then Athena sighs. she approaches the cell gives me a good look over not seeming to sense any danger looks back at Aldas and nods.

"By the way, you called him a devil? what is a devil?"

"Its what he is, he may look like a human but he is not a human and is a self-proclaimed devil from hell." as they are conversing Aldas lets me out of the cell and gives me a threatening look, and promises to cook me with his lighting if I try anything.

"Can I get some clothes I don't mind standing around near naked Infront of two females but I assume it's not necessarily proper, especially with one being a princess." I stretch feeling out the full extent to which I have been changed I can't even see anything about this body that reminds me of my old one. I am taller with way more muscle and also my hair is down to my shoulders and I have a pretty huge... feet I mean I have huge feet.

"Slee! go grab his clothes!" wait I had clothes? why did they take my clothes off? I could have sworn they didn't do that to Chen Rui.

"Oh by the way you can call me Nova." I say looking toward Alice and Athena because I have yet to be introduced.

"Ok Nova, how do we make cards?"

"There normally made from paper that's been treated and is stiff but we don't have that on hand I assume, so some normal paper would do and some ink." Slee brings in my clothes and it's pretty normal black jeans with a white t-shirt. honestly, why did they even take this off me it's not like it would make me a threat. maybe so I'm uncomfortable?

Sitting on one of the chairs after getting dressed I clear some of Aldas clutter out the way and grab a blank piece with the quill and ink. never written with one before but I know you have to be careful of smudging but even if I do it shouldn't be too bad. drawing the standard 52 cards I ask Alice to help with her hovering over my shoulder anyway. she seems surprised I asked at first then grabs a sheet and spare quill from the shelf. after drawing the 52 cards outlines and taking up multiple sheets I show Alice there will be four twos and four threes and so own with jacks, queens, and such. then we draw a single heart and single spade and so on because too much ink on the page would make it tear like drawing ten hearts would turn the page to soup.

"There now we let it dry then cut them out of the page then we can play. need to make more professional ones if you want to play some blackjack though since I can't shuffle these good enough." I try to imagine them drying quicker to see if I can get my power of time to work and to my surprise, I feel a pull and lose concertation and it disappears. but before I can try again Alice starts asking questions.

"What is blackjack?"

"It's one of the biggest gambling card games. you have a dealer and a player or multiple players everyone gets two cards dealer has one face down. then you can get a " hit " if you want which is an extra card the goal is to get to twenty-one or be the closest to it like twenty. if you go over twenty-one you lose and the dealer wins. there is more to it but that is the premise most casinos have lots of ways to cheat and some players can count cards to know which card is next in the deck to know if they can take a hit or not."

"That does sound fun what is a casino though?"

"Its an establishment where people come and play different games and the games are gambles with minimum entry also they usually serve alcohol to get people tipsy and make poor decisions and rob them of their money." at that Alice lights up and has the biggest smile while going on asking all kind of questions about the " casino " obviously wanting to use the idea.

"If you want Alice I can help you set one up and show you all the games I know and ways to avoid being cheated. I would need a part of the pie so to speak, I currently have zero income and have to make do till I complete my quest given by my teacher." she looks thrilled at that but then shows a bit of a sad look.

"I would but I would have to ask my sister because I would need to acquire a building and staff and all the other problems."

"Hmmm well why don't we pitch it to her together and I can help sell the benefits it would have on the economy and the profits it would personally bring her." she perks up and seems to think about it probably wondering if her sister would even agree to meet with a formerly imprisoned person to discuss a business opportunity.

"Ok let's play some games then we can go and ask her together." she indirectly told Aldas she is taking me out of here to which I grin and Athena just sighs while Aldas just silently observes.