Chapter 109: Evil Pieces and In-Laws

Rome, Kingdom of Italy

March 16th, 1200

–

Erik had won. He had managed to keep himself from making the lewd joke and he could feel that his girls had to hold back too. He would have to give a reward for it to them tonight. Erik calmly sipped his tea with the most painful poker face that he could put up.

"That's nice. I'm sure that grandpa Jeo would have been proud of her."

Erik said to the Angels and witnessed Gabriel's smile illuminate the room. He could now understand why her brothers wanted to protect her 'innocence' so fiercely. Erik sighed internally and lost all his will to make lewd jokes.

"I'm sure that he would."

Michael said, agreeing with Erik.

After that, the light conversation continued for some more minutes, until Michael called for the subject that made him want to contact Erik, to begin with.

"So, Erik. Will you join the Devils' faction after marrying Serafall?"

Michael asked bluntly.

"No, I will not. I will help them with some projects that I think would be good for everyone, just like I would have helped without having married Serafall or would have helped any other faction with."

Erik replied to the Great Seraph, who nodded his head in understanding.

"And what kind of project would that be?"

Michael asked Erik with curiosity.

"The kind of 'project' that made Serafall want to start talks with you."

Erik replied to Michael while smiling, which made the two other Angels smile too.

"Your support would be very welcoming, Erik."

Michael said to Erik. Serafall, who was sitting at his left side, hugged Erik from the side at that reply.

"Yes, Erik. It will be welcomed a lot."

Serafall said too. Her hubby would receive some good pampering tonight for that.

"Any other project that you would want to endorse?"

Michael asked again to Erik, making the high human fo into a thinking pose.

"There is some, but I think that they would take some time, to begin with, to be put into action. Hestia told us that her niece, Athena wanted to restart the Olimpic Games but the tensions between pantheons are too high at the moment. That would be something that I would be willing to help happen. A sports competition between countries that would make wars stop."

Erik said, commenting with the group about some things that Hestia had said in one of their teas. Michael nodded his head at the thought of the idea.

"The idea is good, but I agree with you. At the moment the tension is too high. But I didn't know that you knew Hestia."

Michael said.

"Oh, we met with her some good time ago and we became really good friends."

Erik replied while smiling at the memories that flooded his head. Selena scowled at that.

"Good friends? You basically adopted Hestia as an elder sister."

Selena said to them.

"What can I do if she has that aura around her that yells 'elder sister'? It helps that she is a very 'adorable' person too."

Erik said back, replying to Selena's 'accusations'.

The light talk continued for some time until entered the field of why Serafall wanted to start talks with Michael. Both Angels were happy that the new Satans were so willing to put the past behind and reach for peace between their factions. It would take time. A long time at that. But this talk was laying the foundations of the bridge that would allow that to happen one day.

It was almost eleven o'clock when the Angels decided to go back to Heaven. Their talk had been very fruitful but Michael had a lot of work waiting to be done. As they stood up to exit the lounge room, Gabriel looked longingly to the snacks on the table. It was a look that Erik and the girls had seen. The trio smiled at that, already knowing what Erik would do very soon.

And they were right. As Michael and Gabriel were saying their goodbyes, Erik snapped his fingers.

*snap*

At that, a vine basket appeared floating in front of him he took it by the side and offered it to Gabriel.

"Here, Gabriel. A parting gift."

Erik said. Gabriel took the basket in her hands with some confusion on her face. She then peaked at the basket contents and her face lit up in happiness.

"Thank you!"

She said with a wide smile on her face.

"Thank you again, Erik."

Michael said to Erik. Seeing his sister smiling that way was something that he would be always happy to see.

"Oh, Gabriel, you must come to one of our girls' only tea!"

Selena said suddenly. That was something that they had started to do some years back. Selena, Serafall, Hestia, Amaterasu, and, sometimes, Gandul, would meet to have tea and talk.

"Girls only tea?"

Gabriel asked in confusion.

"Yes, it is a meeting with only girls that we have from time to time. We eat snacks, have tea, and talk."

Selena said to Gabriel who perked up at the idea.

"Have I said that the snacks are all made by Erik?"

Selena said again. And she hit the jackpot. Gabriel turned to her brother, Michael, and made some of the most heart-wrenching puppy eyes that one would ever be seen on this planet. Michael, who was not made of ice, looked at Selena while trying to keep his composure.

"Who exactly go to this tea party, Selena?"

Michael asked. Gabriel was already celebrating her head. She knew that her brother would let her go.

"Hmm… Last time there was me, Serafall, Hestia and Amaterasu. But sometimes, Erik's aunt, Valkyrie Gandul, appears too when she is not too busy with her obligations…"

Selena said. They had already discussed Erik's origins during their light talks, so Erik's roots coming from the Nordic pantheon was not new for the Angels. Michael nodded at the women involved. All of the respectable ones in accord with the knowledge that he had. He then turned to Gabriel and nodded his head, making the Angel smile widely again.

"I assure you, Michael, that the locations that we choose for the tea party are always as safe as this one here. They are always one of the homes that we have around the world."

Selena said again, reassuring a little more the concerned 'big' brother. With their goodbyes said, Michael and Gabriel teleported back to Sixth Heaven. After they were gone, Erik hooked both of his wives by the waist and walked back to the house.

–

A week later, Ajuka Beelzebub made his big announcement during an Underworld-wide transmission. He announced the creation of the Evil Pieces as a way to boost the Devils' overall population that had plummeted after two wars. The Evil pieces would be given to all Devils who would have reached High Class in power and with them, the King, together with its peerage, could compete in the Rating Games, a competition that would pit King against King, peerage against peerage, in a safe and entertaining environment. In a political maneuver to rile up the population of Devils, each of the four Satans received their own set of Evil Pieces and, in a live ceremony/demonstration, Grayfia Lucifuge became the first peerage member ever by accepting Sirzechs Lucifer's Queen piece.

That action brought a question from one of the reporters in the scene.

"Lady Leviathan, will you be taking Erik Ravenclaw as your Queen piece too?"

He asked to Serafall, who shook her head.

"That would not work, Mister."

Serafall replied to the reporter, and Ajuka Beelzebub continued for her.

"That's not how the Evil Pieces work. The King must be stronger than his pieces. That is the directive for them to work. No reaction would ever occur if the part receiving the Evil Piece is stronger than the King who is the owner of it. A chain of command must be kept with the King being the stronger one."

Ajuka Beelzebub said, adding to Serafall's answer. That seemed to satisfy the reporters but it could have gone wrong very fast.

Later that day, when Serafall, Selena, and Erik were discussing the Evil Pieces, Serafall complained that it would be a pain to find good candidates for her peerage, and she, as a Satan, would have been expected to have a strong one. Erik took pity in his future wife's situation promised to keep an eye out for Serafall and help her to find possible candidates for her peerage during their trips.

–

Sitri's Territory, Underworld

April 25th, 1200

–

Today was the day for Erik. Serafall had invited him to her home to meet her parents. Officially, that is, because unofficially he had already met them after their fight, but at that time Serafall was unconscious.

Erik was being dragged through the big mansion's corridors to the room where Serafall's parents were waiting for them. Finally, they arrived in front of big double wood doors.

Serafall knocked twice on the door, opened it, and entered while dragging Erik inside with her.

Inside the room, each sitting in their own armchair was Lord and Lady Sitri. Serafall dragged Erik by an arm while smiling widely to the front of her parents.

"Mom, Dad, this is Erik Ravenclaw, Lord of the Magic House of Ravenclaw, and my future husband."

Serafall said in her unic bubbly way. Her mother smiled at that, but her father… Serafall's father seemed to be ready to explode. The was an angry-looking vein madly pulsing by the side of his temple. Erik could see it. Or it could be only his imagination playing jokes on his eyes. Nonetheless, Erik gave the couple a small bow.

"Erik, these are my parents. Romulo Sitri and Elleanor Sitri, Lord and Lady of House Sitri."

Serafall said, introducing her parents to Erik.

"Nice to meet you, Lord and Lady Sitri."

Erik said while giving the couple another small bow. Lady Sitri was the first one to answer Erik. She stood up from her place and made a small curtsey to him.

"Nice to meet you too, Lord Ravenclaw."

Elleonor Sitri said in a very lady-like manner. She then stopped and seemed to be waiting for something. When nothing happened, she turned to her husband and saw that he was mumbling something inaudible. Erik could swear that he saw her eyebrow twitch at that moment.

"Dear~..."

Elleanor Sitri said in a sickly sweet voice to her husband. And it worked. The Devil Lord got out of whatever state of mind he was with a flinch and looked at his wife.

"Yes?"

He said meekly. Romulo Sitri knew that something bad would happen when her wife used that tone of voice with him.

"Will you not greet the guest? The one that happens to be our future son-in-law?"

Elleanor Sitri said while giving him a smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Ah... Yes."

Romulo Sitri said and stood from his seat.

"Er... Nice to meet you too, Lord Ravenclaw."

Romulo Sitri said while giving Erik a little bow, which was answered in the same manner.

"Let's sit and talk, shall we?"

Elleanor Sitri invited and waited for everyone to sit before sitting herself. As soon as they sat, a group of maids entered the room while pushing a trolley car. On it was a tea set and some snacks that were served to everyone in the room. After everyone was served, the maids retired themselves from the room to let the family talk alone. But before they started, Serafall looked at Erik and made some puppy eyes to her.

"What?"

Erik said, humoring his future wife. He knew what she wanted, but he just wanted to hear Serafall asking.

"Erik… Snacks…"

She said very shortly. Erik chuckled at that and snapped his fingers.

*snap*

A silver tray with an assortment of different baked goodies appeared in front of him and slowly floated to the small table in front of them. Serafall smiled at that and eyed the tray hungrily.

"Serafall, is the snacks from our kitchen not enough for you? Don't tell me that you are already pregnant?"

Elleanor Sitri said, making her husband choke on the tea that he was drinking.

"No, mom, I'm not pregnant. It's just that Erik's treats are that good. You will understand if you try them."

Serafall said before starting her attack on the recently added tray.

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