Chapter 16: Princess Gremory's Request to the Red Dragon Emperor

Sona Sitri was feeling a little frustrated during the night. For over half an hour, she was quite cheerful about the chess games she won against Jon Snow, the Red Dragon Emperor. She might never be able to beat him in battle, but she could proudly say that she was better at the board game. However, her curiosity proved to be her downfall. After she decided to try the game Jon brought with him, she lost every time. Not only did the board have a small drop-down wall to cover up the way the two arranged their pieces, it was also more complicated. Some pieces could be moved in specific ways, like all chess pieces, but in the cyvasse, not all pieces were like that. For example, there was the dragon: the strongest piece of all, which could destroy two opposing pieces in one move, but had the restriction of not being able to be used for two turns, plus the trebuchet piece and the catapult could kill it. 

There were the rabble pieces, the weakest of all, but also the most free of all when it came to movements. You had the spearmen, crossbowmen, light horses, heavy horses, elephants, and finally, the King. Simply put, it was a game that was a bit more complex and in-depth than chess. As a newbie, she didn't mind losing the first few games. After all, she was just learning how to play. However, after a full hour of games, she could feel frustration building up. 

She didn't mind losing in ranking games, nor in training battles. However, she did mind losing in board games. She didn't like it at all! 

But, that wasn't the worst of it. While playing with Jon, Jon took out pieces of cake from his [Magic Pocket], also known as [Pocket Dimension], or [Dimensional Storage]. It was a magic that most could use. The storage space wasn't too big, but you could store food without worrying about it spoiling. 

The thing is... That piece of cake, was clearly from the recipe he made that time on TV! Sona felt an enormous pleasure as she took the first bite. The flavors that exploded in her mouth made her travel to an imaginary world of sweetness. For a moment, she completely disconnected from reality, until she felt like crying as she realized that her recipe was always good, but for some reason, she never managed to get it right. 

"What the hell, Jon?!"

"Huh?" Jon looked at Rias who stood up after tasting her share. 

"This is too good! How did you manage to make something like that?! I almost... I almost felt like..." Rias blushed before sitting down, looking at the cake as if it was the scariest, yet also wonderful thing in the world. 

"Well... I use my sacred gear to enhance the flavor of the ingredients." 

"Can you make something like that?" Sona asked with a frown. "Isn't that cheating?" 

"Cheating? Uh, isn't it? As for whether she could, you have the evidence in your mouth." 

 Rias looked at her friend before smiling. She realized what was going on. However, instead of mocking her, she decided to help her out. "Hey, since you two have a sweet tooth, why don't you two do a show together? You could even make a video for DevilTube!"

"That..." Sona frowned, clearly doubting the idea.

"Is DevilTube like the human world's MiTube?"

"Yeah! It's our most famous video site. Many people record videos to upload, some also stream them. It's pretty fun."

"Mmm... I wouldn't mind," Jon smiled. "In fact, I'd like to. Besides training, I don't do much else."

"Don't you attend school?"

"No. I learn at the library near my apartment. Also on the Internet. Uh... I don't really like school. I feel like I'd be stuck in a place that's not meant for me."

"So... what do you do or will you do to earn money?" Sona asked interestedly.

"I cook. I mentioned it before, right? I run a small restaurant. It might sound a bit arrogant for me to say it myself, but it's quite famous. I make Japanese food."

"Oh? I can cook Japanese food too!" Rias said with sparkling eyes.

"I know. Your brother talks about you quite a bit. In fact, I think I know you better than he does," Jon looked at her with a wry expression.

"Ugh... bro... what kind of things are you talking about me?" Rias whispered embarrassedly.

"Can I have this game? I'll buy it for you."

 "Huh?", both Jon and Rias looked at Sona, who was still staring at the cyvasse board with a frown. She was frustrated, so she decided that she had to practice, but since she didn't have the board and pieces, she might as well buy them from the guy who brought them with him. True, she could ask one of the butlers or maids from her House to replicate things, but buying it directly from Jon was easier and faster.

"Haa~… ", Rias sighed as she shook her head. "I think you have a problem with board games, Sona."

"… "

Jon shrugged, not really caring about parting with the game. "You can have it. You don't have to pay anything, you can take it as a thank you for the cake recipe."

"That… Fine, thank you," Sona nodded. She hesitated for a moment, but ended up agreeing. Still, she was a little glad that her recipe could actually be of use.

. . . .

After having the talk with Zeoticus, Jon walked down the hall with a slightly complicated expression. The things that were talked about in the office of the head of House Gremory were not overly serious, but there were several offers that would be useful to him. He sighed a little at all the filial love that existed in the family, surprised that they cared so much about others.

In Westeros, even if people were family, they ended up killing each other for greed, love, and power. It was not uncommon to see or hear of family disputes within a House. Even the Stark family was not devoid of these problems. He experienced it himself with Catelyn Stark, who thought that he, Jon Snow, would take away the things that belonged to her half-brother, Robb Stark. It was impressive how paranoid that woman could be.

After a few moments of thinking and talking with Ddraig, he arrived at the room that had been prepared for him. But, on one side of the door, Rias was waiting with her back against the wall. In her arms, there was a white box with a few other colors, displaying the image of a red robot.

"Rias?"

"Ah…", raising her head at the call, Rias smiled lightly before walking over.

"I wanted to talk to you for a bit. Can we do it inside?"

"Sure," Jon nodded, agreeing immediately. He was curious about what Rias wanted to talk about. They both entered the room; Rias walked over to a small table near the window, placing the box on top.

"To tell you the truth, I wanted to ask you a favor. Of course, it's not like it was free. For now, I can only give you this…", Rias smiled a little sadly, placing her hand on the box. "It's a limited edition Gunpla. It's quite expensive. Also, well, I could give you a few other things, as long as it's not too over the top."

"Wait…", Jon raised a hand. "Before you agree to anything, what's your problem? What do you need my help with?"

 Rias stared at him for a few moments before looking down at the ground with an expression somewhere between annoyed and sad. "I... ugh... The thing is... I have a fiancé that I really don't want to marry. And since you're powerful enough to defeat the second ranked girl in the ranking games, I thought you could help me out."

Jon blinked before starting to laugh.

"Please don't laugh! It really is a serious problem for me. I don't like Riser Phenex!"

"No, no, I'm sorry. I wasn't laughing at your problem. I'm doing it because I've already been asked that three times."

"What?" Rias looked at him in surprise.

"Yes. When I made a magician contract with your brother, the condition was that I had to perform three favors for him. And the first one, was to help you with the matter of your engagement. Just a few moments ago, when I was talking to your father, I also received the same request. Honestly, even though your own family got you into that mess, they really love you a lot."

"That..." Rias was shocked. She didn't expect that kind of thing. She thought her father would never let her out of the engagement! She knew that her brother really couldn't do much because of his position.

Jon walked over to take the box with a smile. "You Gremorys really are reliable people. Despite the things you do, you make sure that the family is always happy and safe. I like that."

"However, Rias, before you start any kind of battle, I recommend you talk to Riser. And if you want, I can accompany you."

"Why?" Rias asked immediately.

"You wouldn't gain anything by antagonizing the other family, would you? Besides, you should put yourself in the other person's position. I don't know this Riser Phenex personally, but he was also forced into the engagement... Sirzechs told me that this was an engagement not only to improve both families, but also the power of the devil race. A daughter of the Gremory family who possesses great demonic power and luck, as well as the power of destruction, with a son of the Phenex family, who have powerful flames and high-speed regeneration."

Jon shook his head. "The baby born from that union, is destined to be a monster."

 "Let's try talking first. If it doesn't work, then we can arrange a battle to get you out of the engagement."

Rias hesitated at first. She knew that while Riser was also forced, he coveted her body. Practically everyone knew that the third son of the Phenex family was a bit of a pervert. In the end, after some thought, she nodded.

"Well... I guess I could do that. Anyway, it doesn't hurt."

Jon smiled a little in relief. Before fighting, he wanted to know what this Riser was actually like.

"By the way, I didn't know they sold this kind of thing. How do you use it?"

"You have to put it together. Although, I recommend that you don't open it. It has a pretty high collectible value. After all, it's a limited edition from several years ago."

"Oh? So, people collect them. Interesting," Jon looked at her with some curiosity. "Sirzechs told me that you liked this kind of thing, but it seems like it's a bigger taste than expected."

Rias, surprisingly, blushed slightly. "Yeah... Well. I can't help what I like, right?"

"True."