Reception
*tooo-too-too-too-toot-too-tah-toot-tah-tah-tah-toom!*
Just as Rias had said, a massive crowd and procession awaited Vahn and the members of the ORC when they disembarked the train. Alongside the sound of trumpets, soldiers in stylish red, white, and gold-trimmed dress uniforms arranged on both sides of a wide, brick-paved, carriage-lined street, firing magic rifles into the sky, triggering a cacophony of colorful fireworks that formed cartoony images of Rias's and even Vahn's faces...
"Welcome back, Rias-ojou-sama! Welcome, Vahn-waka-sama! Welcome, Rias-ojou-sama's Peerage!" exclaimed a group of more than a hundred Maids and Butlers, each speaking and bowing in concert as they formed neat rows and columns like rank-and-file soldiers with Grayfia standing at their front.
"Hiiiiii—this is way too many people..." whined Gasper, concealing himself behind a wide-eyed Issei.
Though she briefly looked back out of concern, Rias exhaled faintly from her nose when she saw Issei immediately comforting Gasper. She didn't approve of Issei trying to convince him to use his power to allow him to look up girls' skirts and grope their breasts without their knowledge, but she trusted him to take care of Gasper as she grasped Vahn's hand, gave him a reassuring smile, and led the group forward.
"Welcome back, Ojou-sama, Waka-sama. It pleases me to see you have returned safely..." hummed Grayfia, closing her eyes and offering a steep, courteous bow. Vahn was a little puzzled by her referring to him as Waka-sama, meaning Young Master, but he assumed it was a precaution against misunderstandings. After all, her actual Goshujin-sama was Sirzechs, the literal King of Hell. After that, she was the Head Maid of the Ducal House of Gremory, making Rias's father, the current Duke, her Master in name—if not practice...
"Thank you, everyone, for gathering to welcome us. You may raise your heads and see to your responsibilities," stated Rias, prompting Grayfia and the detachment of Maids and Butlers to rise and answer, "Yes, Rias-ojou-sama~" in perfect harmony. Then, the Maids and Butlers forming the front row turned simultaneously to their left and split off from the larger group, triggering a chain reaction where each row, in turn, moved in the opposite direction of the one preceding them.
"The carriages that will transport you to the central palace and estate have been prepared. Please, follow me," said Grayfia, half-turning and gesturing with her right hand to the procession of massive, extravagant, horse-drawn carriages. Instead of ordinary horses, however, they were nearly twice as large and comprised of pitch-black armor, hazy black mist filling their interiors, and fiery red orbs crackling where their eyes should be.
"Alright, then, come along, Akeno, Asia," chimed Rias, prompting Akeno to offer a slight bow and Asia, who had been awed by the scene playing out before her, to startle and respond, "Y-Yes, Rias-sama...!" as she hurried to catch up. She was technically still a Maid Trainee, but she had been given the role of Vahn's attending Maid and servant, a duty she intended to take very seriously...
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Sitting across from Vahn and Rias in the dark red and lush interior of their oversized carriage, flanked by Akeno and Asia, Grayfia dutifully went over their itinerary, stating, "Once we reach the castle, everyone will have free time until 6 PM. Rias-ojou-sama's father, Lord Zeoticus, will have returned by then, and he has requested that Vahn-waka-sama and the members of the Occult Research Club join him and Lady Venelana for dinner."
"Can you not call me that privately...?" asked Vahn, grimacing slightly as he remarked, "It feels even more awkward than Goshujin-sama..."
"Then, will Vahn-sama suffice...?" asked Grayfia, tempted to revert to using Goshujin-sama but ultimately deciding against it as, as Vahn had inferred, it might cause problems if someone overheard them.
"Sure..." responded Vahn, nodding. He would have preferred if she just used his name or the suffix -san or -kun, but since he had been elevated to the status of a VVIP, that was probably expecting too much.
'At least it's better than Vahn-kami...' thought Vahn, causing Rias to stare at him as he shuddered. Akeno had playfully used the honorific when they were enjoying some alone time in the Corridor, but she had thankfully only been teasing him...
"Well, then, Vahn-sama..." hummed Grayfia, sporting a faint smile as she stated, "Continuing where I left off, Lord Zeoticus had requested that you accompany him for a time tomorrow while Rias-sama attends her mother. Further arrangements have been made for the other members of the ORC. To be specific, Issei-kun will be receiving private lessons in etiquette and business management, Asia-chan and Xenovia-san will be accompanying me to learn more about being a Maid, and Koneko-chan and Kiba-kun will be meeting with Lord Zeoticus's top Rook and Knight to have their current strength and skill evaluated."
"What business does my father have with Vahn...?" asked Rias, not too surprised but curious.
"I would like to leave the broader explanation to Lord Zeoticus, but I can tell you it concerns Vahn-sama becoming the Director of Gremory Large Enterprises," revealed Grayfia, meeting Vahn's gaze as she explained, "In essence, you will be given land, property, and personnel to assist with the collection and sale of magical items, medicines, or anything else you wish to market."
"Ah...that makes sense..." conceded Rias, nodding sagely as she recalled that Grayfia had been present for many of the discussions she, Sona, and Vahn had regarding him selling his creations or using his power to treat all manner of illnesses. It was a bit early, but she could understand why her father, who served as the President of Gremory Large Enterprises, wanted to get a jump on things. If he delayed too long, there was a good chance that Vahn would get roped into doing something else...
"Isn't it a little early to give me property and people to manage...?" asked Vahn, reminding, "I'm still a High School student, and if possible, I would like to attend College with Rias..."
"Would it relieve you to know the land in question will be joint-owned and managed by you, Rias-sama, and Sona-sama?" asked Grayfia, smiling as she appended, "As such, you could even build the Rating Game Academy that Sona-sama dreams of creating upon it."
"I'm listening..." affirmed Vahn, his expression and tone firming, gaining a hint of severity. He hadn't been able to spend as much time with Sona as he would have liked the past week, so if he could help lay the foundation for her dream becoming a reality, he was prepared to do what he must.
"Lord Zeoticus will explain the specifics..." reiterated Grayfia, offering a slight bow as an apology before raising her head and stating, "Marginally more pressingly, the annual gathering of Young Devils will be taking place tomorrow afternoon. Vahn-sama technically isn't a Devil, but both you and Xenovia-san have been permitted to attend. Of course, if you would prefer to do something else during the event, the Gremory domain isn't regarded as the entertainment capital of the Underworld for nothing."
"I will go where Rias goes..." affirmed Vahn, squeezing Rias's hand and meeting her gaze with a smile as he added, "Besides, Sona will be there as well. How could I possibly not attend a gathering both of my beautiful fiancees are expected to attend?"
"It will certainly be reassuring to have you at our sides..." hummed Rias, narrowing her eyes and drawing her face closer to Vahn's. Her intention was to come across as playful, but when Vahn unhesitantly closed the remaining distance and initiated a kiss, she readily reciprocated despite their audience...
"Ara ara, how enviable~" hummed Akeno, cupping her right cheek and adopting a narrow-eyed smile. Asia, on the other hand, closed her eyes and brought her hands together, a happy smile adorning her face as she offered a silent prayer that Sis confirmed Vahn could hear like a whisper in the back of his mind. He couldn't make out anything she had said, but the fact he could hear it at all was as significant as it was disconcerting...
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"Welcome back, Rias-ojou-sama! Welcome, Vahn-waka-sama! Welcome, Rias-ojou-sama's Peerage!" exclaimed an even larger group of Maids and Butlers, awaiting Vahn's group as they entered an incomprehensibly large entrance hall, four hundred meters across and three hundred deep with a ceiling that towered precisely one hundred meters overhead, from which dangled a magnific, house-sized crystal chandelier.
'Incredible...' thought Vahn, mesmerized by the sight as Issei, far more interested in the group of Maids, breathed loudly with a lascivious smile, made worse by the fact several Maids smiled, giggled, and waved at him. Asia and Xenovia weren't the only ones who had been learning about the lifestyle and responsibilities of Maids of the Ducal House of Gremory, so he was greatly looking forward to being shown to his room, bath time, and nightfall...
Like a silver-haired Goddess descending from the heavens to confer their mercy upon a mortal, Grayfia promptly brought Issei's fantasies closer to fruition by expressing, "Ojou-sama, I would like to show everyone to their rooms and get them situated as soon as possible."
"Please do," responded Rias, turning to Vahn and smiling as she said, "I need to greet and converse with my mother. I shouldn't be more than an hour or two, but feel free to look around and make yourself at home after settling into your room. In the worst-case scenario, we'll see each other again at dinner."
"Alright. Take care of yourself, and please tell your mother I said hello..." responded Vahn, punctuating his words with a kiss on Rias's cheek. Her smile broadened his response. Then, as the castle's interior was like a series of massive caverns, she spread her bat-like wings and ascended to the second floor, fifty meters higher than the first. Ascending to it on foot would have required climbing up 333 steps, so flying saved literal minutes and a considerable amount of effort...
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"I thought I asked to stay in an ordinary guest room...?" remarked Vahn, his expression a mix of shock and confusion as he entered his assigned room to find a suite that was twenty meters from floor to ceiling, twenty-four deep, and more than fifty across with a living room, a full kitchen, a dining area, and an attached bath. The bed he was expected to sleep on had a canopy and poles that extended to the roof and, based on the wall panels, which were approximately three meters across, it was at least six in width, nine long, and a meter and a half tall, requiring a red-cushioned, bench-like footstool to enter and exit it easily.
"This is an ordinary guest room," asserted Grayfia, sporting an amused smile as Vahn stared at her with his mouth agape. At the same time, Asia and Xenovia looked around, similarly awed but quickly pulling themselves together as they made their way to the kitchen. They were accustomed to infinitely more humble accommodations, but since they and Koneko were being allowed to stay with Vahn, they got to work familiarizing themselves with its facilities while their cat-eared companion made her way over and crawled onto the bed to mark where he would be sleeping with her scent.
"Before you retire or take a look around the castle, would you like to take a bath...?" asked Grayfia, gesturing to the entrance of the bathroom with her left hand as she revealed, "There is also a mixed open-air bath, but it is best used after nightfall."
"Have you been assigned to attend me...?" asked Vahn, tilting his head as Grayfia going out of her way to ask if he would like to take a bath implied she intended to accompany him, an inference that was proven correct as she calmly replied, "I might not be your personal Maid any longer, but you are still my Master via our contract. If you allow it, I will happily serve you in my full capacity as a Maid of House Gremory."
"Mmm...very well..." responded Vahn, causing the smile on Grayfia's face to become marginally more prominent. He probably should have refused her, but as they had bathed together well over a hundred times, he wasn't as opposed to it as he should have been. Rather, as it had been more than a month since they last bathed together, counting the time he spent in the Corridor, he secretly missed the tension...
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