CH 13: THE DUCHESS

A white suit with the hem reaching my butt with buttons made out of gold. A pair of white fingerless gloves with the crest of the royal family and the church on them represented by a vermillion phoenix on the back of the right glove for the royal and a dark snake on the left one. White pants and a white pair of shoes shining clean. 

When you added his handsome looks, his golden hair and his blue eyes, Sol was truly a sight to behold. 

"*Sigh* I always feel weird wearing those clothes."

"Your highness, this is necessary. Normally it wouldn't have been a problem to join the supreme daughter in wearing normal clothes. But it seems like Duchess Milaris got wind of your meeting and decided to participate with her cohort."

Milia spoke with a calm tone as she inspected his clothes and made some small adjustments. Sol, hearing this crunched his face in distaste, 

"*Ugh* That woman..."

Mirth was evident in Milia as she heard those words, but she didn't continue the discussion. After all, it wouldn't do to insult the leader of one of the four highest noble families aside from the royal one.

"Now this is good. Perfect." 

Sol inspected himself in the mirror before nodding as he turned and took Milia in his arms as he gave her a kiss. Milia's eyes widened a little before closing as she seemingly melted in his arms. 

The kiss lasted for few seconds before ending, Milia face flushed red while Sol had a confident smile on his face, 

"Thanks for everything you do for me."

After saying that, he didn't wait for her answer and began to walk away from the room where he was toward another one. 

The room he was going to was rather special. The fact that two silent guards stood in front of it showed how important it was. 

Once he reached the door, he smiled at the two stoic women and entered. 

The room was sparsely decorated. No, even saying sparsely was too much. It was basically empty. The only form of decoration was a magical circle drawn on the floor and next to it one old woman wearing a white robe with a crow on her shoulder. 

'A nightmare crow.'

It was a special type of beast, with a quality of C. It wasn't particularly strong, but It specialized in space travel AKA teleportation, so it was very useful. As such, anyone able to contract with it had good chances to obtain its power. 

The woman wasn't the only one present in the room. Next to her, a young blue haired and blue eyed girl stood with a face devoid of any emotions. It was Setsuna. 

She was wearing a long, black kimono with an armor plate covering her chest and two arms guards of equally dark colors. It was like he was facing a samurai-like girl. 

He gave a smile to her but otherwise did not speak before facing the old woman again, 

"Good evening your highness, I hope you had a good day. Forgive me for not giving a full bow, but my back is causing me some problems lately."

The woman gave a short bow with her head dipping slightly as she wore an embarrassed expression. 

"Gatekeepers, please do not mind. How could some silly convention be more important than your health? If it wasn't because of how weak I was I could have simply made the travels by myself. Once again my aunt is doing too much."

Yes, the distance between the place where the meeting would happen and the tower was just about three or four kilometers. It was such a short distance that it was incredible how they would use a dimensional portal to reach it. 

"Ohohoh~! Your Highness, please do not worry. Her majesty is only doing so for your own good. As the last heir of the royal family, your security is paramount to anything else. Tiring my old bones for your protection is in no way a waste."

Sol gave a smile and left it at that. This old woman was from the same generation as Gerald. Her position as gatekeeper was extremely important. After all, she was responsible for space protection of the kingdom. 

"Now your majesty, step on this magic circle with your bodyguard and I will send you to the coordinates. At the end of the party you just have to step on the identical magic circles that is present there and ask your bodyguard to fill it with her mana."

Sol nodded before doing as he was instructed. 

"Now your majesty, make a good trip."

----

"*Ugh*"

Sol stifled a groan as he looked at the new surrounding. His stomach rumbled as if terribly upset and bile rose to his throat, but he managed to keep it in. 

"Your highness are you alright? You should take your medication."

"Thanks."

Taking the pills Setsuna gave him, he swallowed it before finally calming himself. 

"*Sigh*. Doing dimensional travel without a ounce of magic is really bad for me."

"Fufufu. At least your Highness didn't barf on her holiness robes this time."

*Chuckle*

A light shade of red formed on Sol as he remembered this embarrassing memory. 

The barely hidden laugh from the nuns standing around didn't help. 

If sol was asked where he spent most of his time a few years ago, it wouldn't be the tower, but rather the church. The church of Castitas. He had many embarrassing and emotional memories here. 

"How uncouth of you to shame his highness in public. Or is this how his highness raised his slave?"

A gentle but scathing voice broke the harmony as a black haired woman appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Behind her, stood two young boys about Sol's age as well as one girl. They were also accompanied by three bodyguards and one man wearing butler clothes. 

'Shadow walk.'

Nightmare crow weren't the sole beast able to allow teleportation. 

Dark phantom. 

Sol's gaze settled on the raven haired man standing with a smile close to that woman.

It was a member of the demon race, quite high ranked at that, with a quality of B+. 

'Sigh, I had hoped that I wouldn't have to meet them so soon.'

"I am sorry for the display my servant showed. I will be sure to discipline her at a later date."

Sol answered smoothly while ignoring the scowl on the face of the woman who was taking the lead. 

The Duchess Caria Milaris of the Milaris family. She was truly a beautiful woman. Even more so in her black evening gown and despite her clear lack of womanly charms. After all, as some sage said, flat was justice. 

But she was also as powerful as she was beautiful. Be it as an individual or as a noble. Like a rose filled with thorns. 

Despite never having married, she was still respected and feared because of her prowess. 

Despite how sheltered he was, he still had to meet the members of the four great families from time to time. The other three weren't much trouble. Some, even rather pleasant. 

But the Milaris family was different. It wouldn't be a mistake to say that they hated him from the bottom of their hearts. 

The reason? 

Well… Caria Milaris was the original fiancee of his father. 

'*Sigh* I feel like today will be quite a. eventful night.'

----

"Your holiness, they have come."

A nun bowed as she conveyed her message with an expression of awe barely contained. 

If one was asked who was the most influential or powerful woman in this kingdom, the opinion would be without a doubt partaged.

But if one was asked, who was the most beautiful. They would receive an unanimous answer. 

Camelia Castitas. The Supreme daughter of the Goddess Castitas. 

Seven churches existed in this world. Those churches all prayed to their respective twin goddesses. 

Camelia, as the daughter, was the highest authority in the church with absolutely no one to contend against her. 

As the leader of the church, her power was in no way inferior to the royal family. In fact, you could even say that they were totally equal. This would have been dangerous in most situations but this was in no way one in Lustburg. 

The reason? 

"Hehe~! My little Sol is finally coming to see me. It has been such a long time. I was beginning to think he had forgotten me. This must be that woman's fault. Lilith was always such a bitch. Always hogging him all to herself. Don't you think so?" 

Camelia was what one could call a fangirl. 

The nun did not answer the questions posed. One one hand, she was already used to the antics of this mistress of hers. What more,  she had to admit that Sol was really cute.

He was basically the mascot of the nuns at this level. 

What more, even though there were only the two of them present in this room, she knew that she wasn't the one Camelia was talking with.

**********

of SHK and 9 chapters of Crazy girls.

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