Chapter 14

Sona Sitri's POV: 

"My most sincere apologies; my dear king is unable to meet thou at the current moment. Is there anything that this lowly servant may be capable of doing for thou in the meanwhile, Lady Sitri?"

  The beautiful girl with crimson eyes bowed with a decorousness that would put most devils to shame, which was more than Sona had expected from her temporary fiancé's new queen. 

  Sona allowed herself a moment of respite to appreciate the pleasant discovery that Riser Phenex didn't decide to fill his entire peerage with people who shared his delusions and that his unique brand of madness has yet to infect those around him. The combined madness of an entire group of people like him would cause the fabric of reality to crumble under the weight of all that nonsense. 

Maybe she was being overly dramatic but being the younger sister of Serafall Leviathan had admittedly damaged her psyche over the years, thus the universe collapsing due to someone's madness was an actual fear of her. 

"I suppose I only have myself to blame for arriving unannounced."

Then again, one could argue that the fault laid with the person who thought that challenging one of the strongest dragons in the entire world to a duel was a good idea by any means. When her older sister told her those seemingly nonsensical rumors about a young devil surviving an encounter with the dragon who basically committed a vampire genocide were true – Serafall also took advantage of the situation to warn her to stay away from the problematic boy –, Sona almost immediately took the decision to visit the Phenex's territory, making her parent cry tears of joy for reasons she refused to dwell into. 

She was going to give the suicidal idiot a piece of her mind. Just because she did not want to get married to him didn't mean that she wished him dead, especially when the two of them had what can be considered a friendly relationship. 

"May I know what he is doing?"

"He is currently taking care of a little issue related to my younger kin." 

"Do you think it will take muc-" 

"WHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?" 

A girly shriek could be heard at the distance. 

"This should take him about two hours at most." The vampire girl calmly said after a few seconds. "Maybe more if I find out that he bullied Gaspy." 

The fact that Sona herself felt the temperature of the surroundings drop a few degrees upon seeing the supposedly sweet smile on the other girl's pale lips was proof that Valerie Tepes was chosen as Riser Phenex's queen for reasons beyond her appearance...something that Sona was already aware of. 

"Understandable, albeit disappointing. That said, at least I managed to meet the current user of the Sephiroth Graal."

  Valerie Tepes winced ever so slightly. 

  When Serafall broke the rules to reveal the veracity of those rumors to Sona, she also shared with her a few state secrets that only the four Satans and the Phenex Clan were supposed to know. 

  Admittedly, this was an unsavory way to let them know she was aware that the half-vampire in front of her was the current user of the most sought after longinus in existence, but it was something that needed to be done. Keeping this a secret from them when she should not know this in the first place would be deplorable. 

"I see." The vampire merely blinked and smiled, showing her fangs in a cutesy manner. "This lowly one's name is Valerie Tepes, the last child of Cain. I supposed that my sister-wife knowing that piece of information was to be expected."

"We are not sisters-wives."

"My fair lady, I beg you see past thy jealously and see this one's great utility. I swear under the light of the pale moon that this crownless queen shan't get in the way, thus thou can continue those grooming sessions with our mutual prince."

In that very same very second, something inside Sona broke. 

"I.am.not.grooming.him." She firmly stated. "In fact, I fully intend to break tour engagement in the near future." 

Not even years of dealing with Serafall were enough training for Sona to be able to tell whether the girl was being serious or just teasing her. It hurt so much that Valerie looked genuinely confused. 

"'What about all those rumors going around about you are teaching him to play chess because you want a husband good at strategizing?"

Who started those rumors? Nobody outside the Phenex Clan and her family should know about these chess lessons unless...Rias. 

Breathe in. 

Breathe out. 

She was going to kill her best friend after this. 

"Do not despair, my water nymph. For I will not let such slander continue if that is your wish. In the meanwhile, would thou like some tea made by my humble hands?"

Sona's left eye twitched, but she nodded all the same. She was smart enough to recognize a lost cause when she saw one. Besides, she would appreciate a cup of tea to calm herself while she waited. 

As Valerie asked her opinion on some poems of her own creation, Sona was thinking about visiting Rias once this was over and strangling her with her own hair. 

At least the tea was delicious. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

A few days ago, my dear sister shared with me her worries about Gasper not consuming all the very nutritional blood that is given to him on daily basis. As his Senior Brother, that is not something I can allow to continue as that not only would be a demerit to his health, but that would also stunt his grow to the point where he won't fight those pesky MCs in my stead in the future. 

In need to solve the problem as fast as possible. That is why I invited/forced him to have an enlightening conversation about the great Dao with me. 

"Gasper, what happened to the robes I gave you?" It is almost offensive that he is wearing a cute sundress after I gave him proper cultivation clothes. "Did Valerie tell you to dress like this?"

Yes, it looks quite nice on him, but that is beside the point. I already had a very long debate with Valerie about letting Gasper wear pants from time to time. 

"Oh, she didn't tell me to wear these clothes."

Then why… 

"Ravel did."

The purple artificial moon shining in the sky looked so beautiful that I wisely chose to drop the subject and continue with the lessons. 

"Junior brother, what do you know about cultivators?"

"You told me that they the ones who seek to defy the heavens' will and free themselves of the fate that was imposed on them." 

"Good, how do you think we do that?"

"By becoming stronger?"

"Exactly. We wish to destroy the natural order, but before that we need to accept that we are part of that order. A carp can't become a dragon and fly before learning to swim as their nature dictates."

  A lot of cultivators fall into the trap of hating the heavens. That is foolish; a wise immortal knows that in order to defy the heaven's will they need to study it and reflect on the insights offered by the world itself. 

"By refining my bloodline that I was given by the heavens, I attempt to surpass the limits that the world imposed onto it."

  For the sake of getting the point across I ignate a wild colorless flame on the palm of my hand that started to consume the heat of the surrounding in a violent, yet controlled manner. An oxymoron that is only possible because of my current understanding of the Dao of fire. 

"There is no point in denying it. You are part vampire, thus it is in your nature to consume blood in order to grow. While it is not nearly as good as mine, it is quite decent as far as bloodlines go."

His gaze shifted to his feet, refusing to meet my eyes. 

"I... am scared."

"Believe me, there is no reason to fear vampires." I scoff, rolling my eyes at the idea of those bloodsuckers being intimidating in the slightest.  "And we both can regenerate, so we will get used to seeing our own blood sooner than later."

"N-no, I am not scared of blood." I raise an inquisitive eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "I can't control my powers, and if I were to drink too much blood then..."

...Then he would become even stronger. 

It's almost laughable that  the kid in front of me is scared of getting stronger when I had almost died more than a few times in order to get strong for the sake of not geting killed like a dog. I would like to say that I do not know whether to laugh or cry, but in reality, I feel like punching his face. 

I know for a fact that there are remnants of the ancient evil sealed inside his Dao Bones that are still too much for his feeble mortal mind – that's common sense –, so his fears are not without a reason. That said, not taking advantage of that is wasteful. 

  And yet, I do not blame him.... because he also doesn't know what the hell he is doing.

"I am strong." I declare with the unwavering confidence that only those who know nothing about a subject are capable of. 

Gasper blinks at the sudden statement, but soon nods in agreement all the same.

"I am not even two decades old, and I have already formed a peerless Aureous Core. Calling me a genius would be a disservice to my person because not even those beloved by fate are my equals when it comes to sheer talent. You may have some powerful Dao Bones, but the gap between us is wider than the distance between heaven and earth."

"What if I lose control again?" His voice is shaky, but I have the perfect answer for that question. 

"If you ever lose control over your power, then I will simply slap the shit out of you." I smirk at him in a more playful manner. "It doesn't matter how strong you become in the future, because your Senior Brother is the strongest."

That's a lie I'm not sure whether or not I want it to become true. The point of having a MC as one of my loyal followers is to throw him to opponents stronger than me so I can relax with my harem in peace, but the idea of being weaker than Junior Brother doesn't sit well with me for some reason. It doesn't make any sense.

"Senior Brother is the strongest." He repeated, muttering to himself. 

.... but I do not feel the need to justify myself. 

"Junior Brother, take your underwear off. It is time for us to commit some defilement together."

Gasper stares me in silence for ten whole seconds. 

"I really hope that I am missing some context."

Without wasting more valuable time, I lift him by like a sack of potatoes and fly at blinding speeds towards the bathroom. 

''WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY?'' 

This would be an invaluable lesson for him. 

…. 

"Oh, by defilement you meant peeing on a bunch of symbols from different religions." He sounded both confused and relieved when I explained to him what we are supposed to do.

Only when one's heart if free from Buddha, they can become Buddha. Merely following the path that others paved will only lead to stagnation. Why would I follow their path when they are lost like everyone else? 

For the sake of ignore the idols in the temples and kill the gods in your heart, I have filled my bathroom with crosses, Buddha statues, bibles, pentagrams, a sacrificial goat, photography of Crom Cruach and a big red dragon, so I can prove myself above them all by peeing on them. 

Now, if only Junior Brother would stop trying so hard not to stare at my phoenix staff, this would be a much better bonding experience for the two of us. 

"Always remember, even the strongest being in existence is a mere toilet before our eyes." I share my wisdom with him while aiming at a painting of the Great Red. 

"... I am sorry". 

Since I don't know why he is apologizing, I magnanimously forgive him. 

''That is normal.  I don't expect you to kill the devil in your heart today.'' 

Asking Junior Brother to overcome all his self-doubts in a single cultivation session would be madness. 

"Wh-what will happen if I do that?"

"WHEN you do that, you will become stronger than any evil dragon."

My reply apparently reached him because he is now aiming at Crom Cruach now, which makes perfect sense giving our little adventure. 

"Why do you trust me so much?"

"It isn't about trust. It's merely common sense." 

Gasper didn't ask any other questions after that; he merely attentively listened to me explaining the advantages of kicking your opponents in the nuts while they were in the middle of getting a new power-up. For the first time in a very long time, cultivating felt...like fun 

  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

"They are chess lessons and nothing else!" 

That's truly a unique way for Sona to greet me after so long, but she must just be eager for our chess sessions. I don't want to brag too much but the only one in my household who can beat me at chess is Ravel, who has always been great at strategizing. 

"Are you angry at me?"  While I am happy for her barely contained excitement, the scowl marring her face is quite worrisome. 

"Why would I be angry at all?" Sarcasm drips from her voice as she glares at me with the heat of one-thousand suns. "You know; besides the fact my sister told me that you were indirectly responsible for the sudden vampire genocide in Romania and the first thing you said upon seeing me is -Hey, I accidentally got married to a vampire princess after being challenged by the strongest evil dragon to a duel to the death-." 

That is a gross oversimplification of what happened there, but it isn't completely inaccurate. 

"What were you thinking?" 

Ah, she must be feeling both jealous because of my currently fake marriage with Valerie and worried about my well-being. That's adorable. 

That said, calling her adorable would likely make things worse right now. 

"Well, I had a horrible concussion, so there wasn't that much thinking involved if I were to be honest, I still managed to surpass that violent tribulation and consequently purified my phoenix bloodline by showing that phoenixes are superior to dragons. Anyways, I got a gift for you." 

  My father had taught me that there is nothing like a nice gift to make a woman forget about wanting to skin you alive...he also warned me with a one-thousand yards stare that it doesn't work in the unfortunate and painful case you had forgotten an anniversary 

"I am not falling for a bribe." 

  I ignore her like any good husband would do in cases like these. 

"I present you this very exquisite robe made out the silk produced by the devil-eater aquatic spiders that live at the north of Tiamat's territory. Clothes made with this fabric are known to be a perfect fit for water users since they not only allow the user to move faster while they are in contact with a water body, but they also help to recover the user stamina when they are submerged in water. Since your parents told me that you asked Senior Sister Serafall for training tips, I thought you could make use of these." 

The best part is that they match my own robes. People would instantly recognize as a loving Dao couple the moment they lay their envious eyes upon us...not that will stop those toads from lusting for swan meat. 

"That is...quite thoughtful."  She admits after inspecting the robes with her slender fingers. "Thank you, I appreciate it." 

"Do you appreciate it enough to forgive me?" 

Sona is still glaring at me, but it doesn't have the same heat as before. 

"You are lucky you are cute." 

Adorable would be more accurate, but I would take the compliment. 

"...Did I say that aloud?" 

I nod, making her groan. 

"Little wife-." 

"Don't call me that!" 

"I am fine." I do not blame her for getting angry at me for putting myself in danger, but it is my duty as a Young Master to put those worries to rest. "A puny dragon isn't nearly enough to put me down, because this Young Master is the number one under the sun." 

That gave her a pause. A short silence grows between us until she suddenly falls on her chair, her hand covering her eyes in what could be called exhaustion. 

"This is ridiculous."  Sona mutters to herself, her previous anger turned into disbelief and exasperation. "I came here to beat some sense into your suicidal skull, but it seems that won't be necessary because you are somehow strong enough to survive your own madness. You are getting stronger at a ridiculous rate despite believing that Chinese xianxia movies are real." 

Those movies often overdramatize some aspects of a cultivator's life, but they are decently entertaining and inspiring for any individual who dreams of overcoming the heavens. 

"How do I get that strong?" 

...

Rule 47 

Don't bother with teaching your Dao to your subordinates. They will end up as weaker copies of you that MCs can beat to get used to your techniques. 

...

It is hard for a cultivator to teach others about their Dao since not only their understanding would be too profound for more inexperienced cultivator to comprehend it, but it would also go against the student's best interest since any misunderstanding in the teacher's original understanding would be transmitted to the student, crippling their future. 

That is why most teachers would rather just give their students resources and some pointers every now and then to avoid interfering too much and allow their students to reach their own and unique understanding of the Dao they are learning. 

Sharing my techniques with Sona would only cripple her progress in the long run, but that did not mean I could not offer some sage piece of advice. 

"There are only two steps for anything." Solemnity paints my tone as Sona looks at me with some thin veiled anxiety. "First, try it. Then, do it."

"This is not a joke." She sneers with a frown, not finding this amusing or helpful. 

"Nobody becomes strong by accident and even if they did, it would be completely meaningless. By trying you are not only giving meaning to your future actions, but also proving that you have the will to against fate itself."

"I already know that I want to get stronger, so how should I do that? Should I copy my sister's training or maybe study the principles behind devil magic and-"

"That is your problem.'' I cut in before she could continue. ''You're already thinking about the second step before even completing the first step. You try it, then you do it."

It is something so simple, yet my fiancé doesn't seem to get it. 

''That is…a logic that only a moronic natural born genius can follow. It is impossible to try something unless you know exactly what you are doing."

''I am a genius."  I agree with her statement. "Being a genius means that I can throw one-hundred punches with my eyes closed and land one-hundred times because I want to. Because I am a peerless genius, I know for a fact that I can produce warm flames that refuse to consume the world around them."

By waving my hand a little, the entire room is set on fire, making Sona flinch in surprise. 

It takes my fiancé a few seconds to realize that she isn't in any danger. The colorless flames are just acting playful. 

"A genius doesn't need to understand what he is doing because only his pleasure and displeasure exist."

And just like that, the flames disappear in thin air leaving Sona alone with her thoughts. No words are exchanged, but I understand that something changed...or maybe I am just imagining it because I want that to be the case. 

"Riser, do you think that water needs to be wet?" She asks without looking at me, her fingers playing with an ice knife she absently created. 

"Does it matter what I think?"

For the first time, I see Sona laugh. 

"No, I guess it doesn't." She replies with a small smirk. "We shall resume our chess lessons next week. I am going to visit a dear friend of mine."

I am such a great teacher. 

I was worried about my capabilities as a teacher since I could not fully inspire Junior Brother, but this encounter with Sona proves that the problem isn't me, but rather our compatibility. If I want Junior Brother to reach his full potential, then I will need to look for help. 

...I should also find someone who can teach Valerie to safely use her Dao Bones. I will ask Senior Sister Serafall for her advice on this matter.