68 The Guests I

[Richter's POV]

I left Grayfia to consider her actions and went back to the party, feeling like having some shrimp.

Going against my desires is not something I'm fond of, but destroying civilisations and causing heavy damage is also not a part of my daily routine, as much as it looks like it. Her answer and attitude disappointed me, but it is not enough for me to discard her.

That said, I'm looking forward to seeing how she is going to appease her master.

With my hands in my pocket, I walked up the stairs to the next floor; my senses covered the castle and started seeing how many new guests there were all around. The satans were already back and I was surprised to see Sirzechs as good as new, what did they give him to recover this fast? from the brink of death he was now standing upright as he talked to his family.

The moment I arrived at the banquet floor the mumblings and voices that were chatting in worry and awe stopped as if an elephant just dropped in the room.

"..."

Dead silence with only the awkward breeze coming from the big gaping hole to the side; I merely had to will it and gold began protruding from the edges of the hole, creating a new wall as if the previous one had never been destroyed, except... this was pure gold. That wall just became the strongest part of this castle.

Everyone saw it in awe, including my mother-in-law, they knew it was me... but they didn't know how I did it.

While everyone focused on the 'miracle' I pulled off, there was a particular bastard located in the place where I was headed towards... Lucy... or to be exact, the section of shrimp in sauce.

"Hmph! as it was expected of trash fallen, don't even know how to cook properly, do you think you can feed these disgusting things to Riser and remain impune!"

The man was blonde with a red suit that left most of his chest open shamelessly, clearly a youth among evils; he was yelling towards Lucy who was in front of other boys and girls, assuming the responsibility for the 'bad taste' of the food.

Dissolute, how dare he insult the shrimps? I don't care about anything else but the shrimps are good!

Fia seemed to be watching everything in powerlessness and the majority of their devils looked at this blondie nonchalantly, neither approving nor disapproving... as if it was the most normal thing in the world.

I walked enthusiastically towards the table where the food was ;amidst the servants there were those that looked at me with a little apprehension while Lucy lifted her head to see me coming her way, relief showed in her frightened expression the next second.

"Aren't you listening?! how are you going to compensate me for serving this trash? with your body?~ that doesn't sound bad".

When he said those words I saw that Fia seemed to have reached her limit and was going to interject, it was unnecessary. That blondie did something he shouldn't have done.

Waving that dirty 'yellow' hair of his... he just took one of my shrimps and insulted them.

"Hey, put that thing down, boy… the shrimps are mine," I said with disgust, now that he put it in his hands I can't eat it. Should I kill him?

"Eh!? Who the f*ck-" He turned around to see me and paled the next second.

*WHOOSH!*

As fast as a turtle a man flickered in a gale of flames and arrived by the young man, shutting his mouth and bending his whole body in a bowing position.

I lifted my eyebrow in slight amusement to see another blonde man, either father or sibling a little older than the guy who was being forced to respect his elders.

"Sir Dragon Lord, my name is Ruval Phenex... I'm sorry for my little brother's attitude… please forgive him and our Phenex Family for his impudent attitude; He's uneducated and we have certainly made a mistake with him" He said frantically, I noticed he was afraid for himself and his little brother's life.

Perhaps also for his clan's survival. For the primordials... I have never seen an older brother trash his own blood so badly, he literally called him a piece of garbage, not wrong... It seems to destroy Sirzechs' pride came along with harbouring the fear of everyone in this banquet.

Not bad, at least now they will know their place.

"Whatever… you can all have whatever you want but the shrimps are mine. Lucy".

"Yes, Richter-sama?" The angel smiled brightly, her eyes looked at me with a gaze that I knew very well, making me sigh.

I placed my hand in a receiving motion and she tilted her head in confusion before the bulb lit up. She lent me a tray full of shrimp, sporting her iconic smile.

"Thanks for your assistance, Richter-sama~" she showed me gratitude for saving her. I took a cup of wine and sat on the nearby table, not minding anyone.

The satans all looked at me grimly, trying to find the best way to approach me after what happened.

The first one to step forward was my mother-in-law together with Layla.

"Son-in-Law…" even she looked troubled but at the same time relieved.

"Hmn?"

"Thanks for helping my servants... where is Grayfia?" maybe she thought it was unnatural to see us separated.

"She's in the room, should come back in a while"

Her gaze contorted due to the coldness and disinterest in my voice, "Is there anything... I can help you with?"

"Why are you speaking to me in such a foreign tone, Fia?"

"That's... you're right, I'm sorry... you're the same person, right? the same person I went on a date with..." She held her best in relief, right where her heart was supposed to be, it seems she didn't notice what she just said.

"I don't think that's something you should say out loud" I deadpanned.

!!!

Fia blushed madly and turned around to see everyone flashing her an odd gaze, the auburn-haired lady that was close to Sirzechs, her smile was rather sassy.

"Hehehe! I'm going to help my daughter alright!? see you in a bit son-in-law!" Fia disappeared down the stairs leaving behind a dusty cloud.

'That's it, flee...'

"I'm so sorry for all of this brother-in-law, really…" Layla bowed to me right after and followed her mother and both disappeared in the stairs corridor, leaving me alone with the awkward bunch.

I've never been to a party but, is this how they're supposed to be? I'd rather stay in my cave.

"Lord Richter?" The Devil King Serafall was the first to approach as Sirzechs was evading my gaze like a coward and the other two were much the same, it seems all of them expected Serafall to go forward first for some reason.

"What?" I asked her, eating my next shrimp.

"Could we forget what happened… and start from the beginning?"

"What is there to forget? You said your name is Serafall Leviathan?"

"Yes, I am pleased to meet you. I'm the Satan Leviathan in charge of the underworld's foreign affairs" she introduced herself properly this time, trying to muster a smile and politeness, now I understand why they sent her first.

"Then Leviathan... do we have an enmity?~" I rested my head on my fist and smiled her way, it took the satan a while to answer me.

"N-No?"

"Then what is there to forget? that fool over there and I had a duel of males… it has nothing to do with you or the underworld" I said lazily, having a shrimp... regardless of whether Grayfia stopped them or not, it would have been the same conclusion.

"I apologise for attacking you… but the situation called for it, Sirzechs-chan is one of our important foundations, if he had died... it would have affected us all" she smiled this time and I merely shrugged my shoulders.

"I know, if his life was so cheap as to not affect anything, I would have ended him... I don't destroy cities and civilisations for a hobby, Leviathan... not anymore anyway" I growled, ever since the f*cking primordial council ended my amusement.

"Lucy…" I called the angel servant who immediately came to listen to my orders as if I was the lord of the castle.

"Put on some music, do you remember that one Tanya and Gary were playing the other day? just to lighten the mood… if it continues like this, the banquet will be ruined" I requested her.

"Yes, you mean... Rondo Capriccioso?~" Lucy understood my intentions and made some hand signs that the other servants understood right away, they were properly coordinated.

"Uh, yes.. that one" I grunted slightly; not recalling what she said the name was back then, I was too busy fondling Grayfia... but if she said so that one must be it.

"Immediately, Richter-sama!" She head back to a particular group of servants and guided them, shortly after a beautiful symphony began playing in the form of a piano and violin duo, I saw them practising their performance before and it sounded wonderful and relaxing.

"May I sit? Also, you can call me Serafall for now, Leviathan is sort of... odd" She took a chair but awaited my confirmation.

"Do as you please"

Her smile widened cutely and she took a seat, but by the time she did it, someone else was before us, it was two men.

One of them had white hair and a beard, the other one looked younger and both wore elegant suits.

"Could we sit here as well? if it is not a bother, Lord Dragon God"

These people should come to an agreement on how they're going to address me.

!!!

"Lord Agares, Lord Bael" Serafall addressed them by name and my sight rested on the man that may have caught my attention, I saw his face in the TV thingy during the week, addressing the citizen of his territory.

"So you're Lord Agares, do you come for compensation?" I asked him.

The man remained silent now knowing whether to speak his mind or not. His silence, however, confirmed my hypothesis.

"I have already given my word that I'd compensate the price of the damages".

"That is right Lord Agares. I can confirm, if compensation is what you're worried about then that can be settled. Just please bring me the report of damages from the incident and I will sort out an appropriate payment with Lord Richter".

Her voice sounds like she was giving an order rather than a suggestion; quite defensive and even released her aura.

'Don't mess this up' seemed to be the message to convey.

The man gulped harshly before nodding his head, preparing to stand up to bow and get the hell away, but it was then that someone else approached the table.

She was a beautiful lady with white hair and glasses, her eyes showed concealed hostility.

"Seek-chan!" Serafall got on guard once again, she's surely apprehensive of anyone messing up, quite a hilarious sight.

I raised up my hand and she stopped, my gaze directed itself to the girl, waiting for her words.

"My name is Seekvaira Agares, heiress of the Agares Clan" she bowed deeply as well, but I could feel her half-heartedness. Unlike most people here, she's not scared.

"Richter…"

The girl bit her lips and bowed deeply, "Lord Golden Dragon… I just wondered if, for someone as powerful as yourself, there would be a way to save those devils and bring them back to life!?" There was hope in her voice, I see it now, she cared about the lives of those people.

"…"

The murmurs began behind me as this banquet was more focused on me than anything else.

"I can't… the laws of life are beyond my control" It was the truth, I could rebuild the city and make it anew out of gold, but I can't revive those people... I'm not the Primordial Goddess of Life, Aurora; and although I have minor control of other laws such as fire, space and time... there is nothing I can do when it comes to life and death.

The beauty clenched her hands and nodded in hopelessness, no matter how much hatred she harboured, unlike the blondie from before, she knows her place... her father, however, wasn't finished.

"If it is okay, Lord Richter… could I state my compensation method?" He asked, bringing Serafall's apprehension levels back to the peak, thinking the man was about to suggest something outrageous.

"…?"

"Would it be okay… to offer my daughter as your concubine… as compensation?"

!!!!

The hall went into disarray as the white-haired girl blushed in outrage.

"WHAT ARE YOU SAYING, FATHER!"

"Settle down my daughter," He told her with seriousness an authority, I can tell that is not a tone she uses with her often due to her reaction.

I frowned at the man.

"You want to achieve a bond with me and indirect protection to your Agares Clan through a marriage contract… is that what you want as compensation?"

"Would that be acceptable?"

I looked the woman up and down before stating my response, she blushed but still looked at me with hatred.

"No, I shall compensate you with gold".

"I understand, thanks for your consideration Lord Dragon God" he stood up and bowed, bringing relief back to Serafall's existence.

The white-haired girl looked at me in disbelief, unable to believe that she just got rejected for an offer that she didn't even want.

The rest of the girls in the hall looked at me with intrigue.

Admittedly this white-haired woman was one of the most attractive.

Followed by the redhead from earlier and a raven-haired girl with horns in a corner, she triggered my interest, the only one that doesn't care about anything.

Even after her father had already left, Seekvaira remained looking at me for a while before backing off. She's gorgeous, but she's so weak I may accidentally kill her during our mating, a pity.