Chapter 5 : Servant Life

In Rias' room, Ciel awaited his master who was taking a shower. It had been a few days since he arrived in this new world, and he had taken the opportunity to gather as much information as possible about devil culture, hierarchy, and history.

Firstly, there were significant differences from his original world. The 73 pillars were reduced to 72, and 40 of them disappeared during a major war between the demon faction and the heavenly faction. This left only 32 remaining families. Another major difference was the presence of four Great Satans. In his world, the biblical part of Hell was governed solely by Lucifer in a monarchy, but in this world, it was led by four pure-blooded devils known as the Four Great Satans.

Originally belonging to specific families, these positions were given to Sirzechs Lucifer of the Gremory clan, the eldest son of the Gremory clan chief; Serafall Leviathan of the Sitri clan; Ajuka Beelzebub of the Astaroth clan; and Falbium Asmodeus of the Glasya-Labolas clan. They were the four most powerful demons currently ruling Hell after a civil war.

Furthermore, Ciel had managed to define the limits of the commandments imposed on him. Although he didn't recognize them initially, they were similar to the Ten Commandments given to Moses, with the difference that the Ten Commandments acted as a point counter to determine one's destination to Hell. On the other hand, the three commandments engraved on him seemed to possess a kind of pseudo-consciousness that punished him based on his intentions. Their limits became clearer when he regained the use of his magic and could use his monocle to see their nature.

The first commandment, "You shall not lie," functioned in a way that if he chose to say nothing, he could remain silent. However, if he spoke, he tended to be overly honest. With some training, he managed to restrict this tendency somewhat, but it required great concentration. The only loophole he found in this commandment was that lying was allowed only if there was no malicious intent or if it was to protect someone else. If used for conspiracy or other purposes, he received punishment. It was also possible to speak in half-truths, though it required practice.

The second commandment, "You shall not betray," acted when he attempted to harm someone who trusted him greatly or someone with whom he was contractually bound in a master-subordinate relationship. If he plotted against or harmed them in any way, he received punishment. The same loophole as the first commandment applied; if there was ultimately no malicious intent, it might be allowed in the context of a bluff.

Finally, the last commandment, "You shall not kill the innocent," prevented him from killing someone who had not committed a major crime. The only cases where murder was allowed were if the person attacked first with the intention to kill, making it a legitimate act of defense, or to protect someone else.

The conditions of the commandments were both restrictive for him, yet they allowed him to defend himself and not be entirely passive.

Ciel couldn't claim to be at his best currently. With the energy flow provided by his mistress, he could display about 1/100 of his original strength. Using some tricks, he could probably multiply this figure by three, although it might come with some repercussions. If she supported him with all the demonic energy she could produce, it might reach approximately 1/10, but he wasn't sure if she could withstand it; she would likely fall unconscious or worse. However, she should be able to provide more energy as she grew.

She supplied him with about half of her demonic power every day, though some of this energy was lost when transferred through their link. This loss would likely decrease as she learned to better utilize her demonic power over time.

He had found a relatively simple way to conserve his strength and the energy reserves needed to maintain his body at an acceptable level of strength. To do so, he rejuvenated his body to around 13 years old, reducing his daily energy cost, making it more economical. Although he could only save a portion this way, he could also transform his body into that of a cat, achieving the same effect but to a more extreme extent, as it also diminished his combat abilities.

He had had the opportunity to examine the Evil Pieces his master had received on her birthday, and honestly, it was one of the most beautiful magical objects he had ever seen. The complexity within such a small object left no doubt that the creator must be a genius in crafting occult items. It would be an honor for him to meet this person one day.

He planned to study these pieces thoroughly, as they might be the solution to regaining his full power. When she received them, he had observed the process his mistress had used to make Akeno her queen. The ability to change someone's species so easily was disconcerting, even for him. In his world, such a thing would have been considered a miracle, achievable only with the authority of a god. But here, it was commonplace.

However, it was better for him to start thinking about a new, more efficient way of fighting with his current strength. This could change everything and allow him to combat with more strength despite the lack of demonic energy. It was better for him to obtain certain materials and a space where he could create a workshop to study new alternatives by changing his magic approach. As he was contemplating asking Rias for a personal space for his occult activities, he heard the principal herself calling him.

Rias had also tried to use one of these pieces on him, but it hadn't worked. Even with a special piece called the Mutation Piece, which was supposed to allow ignoring the required number of pieces for resurrection, she was unable to resurrect him as a devil. He had his own theories about the reasons, but it wouldn't change much for now. He would study this system; it would be an excellent subject for magical research.

"Ciel, I need a towel." Without waiting, he headed to the bathroom and handed the towel to Rias for her to dry her body.

He had adapted quickly to his role as a servant because in his past life, he had been a butler for several demonic pillars of his world, either infiltrating for his own plans or when he had just arrived in Hell and freed himself from purgatory. As he wasn't strong enough at the time, he needed to make ends meet, and it was useful as they taught the butler how to use their power as a sinner. Honestly, he had to admit that she was a much better master than any he had had in his previous life. However, he didn't plan to remain her servant forever. Once he managed to recover all his power, he would probably create his own faction or climb the hierarchy of one of the factions in this world. He hadn't decided yet, but he intended to make the most of his new life. Given his lifespan, he would have the opportunity to try many things, although he was restricted by the commandments. In this life, he wouldn't have a choice but to do something other than conquering the world or plotting against others.

After finishing drying herself, the young devil finally left the shower, sitting down to let Ciel dry her hair. She had spent the last few days with her new personal servant, Ciel, whom she appreciated more with each passing day. He followed her everywhere, seeming to want to learn more about their world. He was particularly interested in the subject of Evil Pieces and had expressed a desire to examine one someday.

He told her various adventures he had experienced in his world, resembling stories from mythology but told by the one who had lived them. If she had to describe his role in these stories, he would be the final antagonist that all heroes must face at some point in their adventure. Despite being from a slightly older era than theirs, he adapted very quickly to life in the modern times.

When he explained his abilities in broad strokes, it piqued her interest in the magic of this world, which seemed highly fascinating. After finishing drying her hair, she threw herself naked into her bed.

As she lay down, Ciel joined her in his cat form. Rias seemed curious about a topic.

"Ciel, can you tell me a bit about the magic you practice?"

Facing this question, Ciel couldn't contain himself and burst into laughter.

Offended by Ciel's laughter, Rias crossed her arms and pouted. The cat, still sitting on the bed, observed his mistress's reaction with curiosity, his tail swaying slightly from left to right.

"Ciel, it's not funny! I'm serious, I want to know more about the magic you practice," said Rias in a slightly annoyed tone.

"I apologize, mistress. It wasn't your question that made me laugh. It's just that if you had asked that question to any other mage in my world, they would probably have insulted you and learned the art of voodoo curses just to curse you and your ancestor ."

"In my world, asking a mage about the secrets of their magic is considered one of the greatest insults one can commit. The only people to whom we can reveal the secrets of magic are the ones we take as students or our descendants. Although I'm not particularly fond of most traditions, this is one of the few that I strictly adhere to."

Rias looked at him with astonishment, realizing the uniqueness of the question in the context of his original world. She smiled slightly, understanding better why Ciel had reacted so unusually.

"It's interesting, Ciel. I imagine that traditions and norms differ from one world to another. But since you're here, in my world, I suppose some rules must be adapted. So, can you tell me about your magic without offending your traditions?" she asked with a curious look.

With a slightly mischievous air, Ciel replied, "If you want me to teach you sorcery, I don't see any problem with it, but you'll have to become my apprentice."