Money Matters

A hole-ridden rook piece hovered over my hand as I inspected it. My QI really didn't play nice with foreign objects, especially those aligned with darkness and corruption. Tiny bands of my QI interlaced the holes hungrily, sucking away at the demonic energy contained within the piece, downloading data from the structure, and mimicking the signals the evil piece produced. The evil piece wouldn't last much longer, my QI didn't like it, or perhaps it liked the piece too much. Tiny sparks of demonic energy traveled through my soul, breaking apart and melting away, leaving behind the barest remnant of the piece it once belonged to. Soon even that demonic energy would dissolve into my QI. Turning me even with a mutated evil piece had always been impossible.

Still, absorbing the evil piece had taught my glamour skill how to immolate the signals of an evil piece leveling the skill far beyond its former limit. I'd been shocked to receive so many levels from ingesting an evil piece.

The piece couldn't turn me because no piece could make my soul or my QI had become too alien. Instead, my time gaining skills and cultivating had grown my QI and mutated it until it resembled something, not dragon, human, or angelic. Time and skills would surely change me more.

Still, I was thankful for the levels in glamour and the closeness I'd gain from Rias. Magic wrapped around my body, coating it in an illusionary shell altering my power output until it resembled a newly turned Devil. The light characteristics my soul gained from gaining Light Mastery were naturally anathema to the evil piece. If not for Light's Shadow, the piece would have shattered instantly before I'd gotten a good feel for it.

Becoming a devil was impossible for me; I made sure of that in my last dungeon.

The piece returned to my QI to finish its destruction. Venelana, that beautiful MILF had been true to her word, and my increased overhead proved it. I hired a construction crew of devils and magicians to build a mansion for me in Kuoh with a vast underground. Overnight they built my mansion and the underground. It was here that I finally began my work on a proper immortal's cave.

There were three pairs of panties in golden frames on walls painstakingly gilded with gems and from obscuring, defensive, and amplification accessories. Most would consider walls of gold with steel support as a waste of resources or a dangerous construction idea. Yet, they would be fitting if not for the amulets mixed in with the walls. Their enchantments shaped into supportive rune structures further increased and linked their effects, giving my immortal's cave much-needed protection and obscurity. If I decided to meditate here for years on end, I didn't want to be disturbed. Using solid gold to construct my basement walls had thrown the devils for a loop, but they shrugged it off quickly when they found it workable. Running wires through the gold had been a novel experience for them.

After all, if I was going to make this my immortal's cave, I needed electricity and wifi. The devil construction crew had seemed a little troubled when I presented them with a nuclear car battery instead of hooking my home up to the local power grid. Sure, many devils used a 3d rune structure to produce the electricity their homes needed, but I had plenty of nuclear car batteries from an earlier event. If they could keep a tank armed with a rail gun going for an estimated century, they could power a Nintendo Switch. Fortunately, I had no need to use any local internet providers; my phone acted as a multiverse hotspot.

Did I have the money now to pay for power, internet, and water yes? But if I used it for that, then I couldn't use it elsewhere. As human as I like to pretend to be, I have the desires of a dragon, and it's difficult to spend my hoard when it can be avoided. So there was a reason why my immortal's cave resembled a dragon's hoard.

Just in front of the framed panties of Rias, Venelana, and Ravel was a golden throne I'd painstakingly crafted from the few cultivation amplifying accessories I'd managed to gather through mini-dungeons, event point exchanges, and market trade from other users. Most of them were tiny golden rings very resistant to melting. This place was shaping up to be the perfect immortal's cave for me. There was only one thing missing. My golden throne had no seat cushion, and not just any seat cushion would do for years of cultivation.

There were other flaws with my immortal cave that needed to be addressed. First, I lacked some knowledge of QI gathering runes. This world undoubtedly had lay lines but few natural QI flows. If I knew of one in Japan, I would have put my mansion atop it or at least placed my immortal's cave there.

"You seem displeased, master." Camellia poured a cup of tea and presented it to me. "Would you like Rum, Whiskey, or moonshine in your tea?" The fallen Gaia asked.

I took the spiced Rum and enjoyed the slight cinnamon flavor added to the tea. "Ravel is scheduled to see you later today, and Rias called. So it is time to present yourself before the rest of her peerage." Camellia said. "If it isn't too much trouble, you should hire a full staff to maintain the upkeep of your mansion. I'm your general, not a maid." The woman said while dressed in a maid outfit.

For the life of me, I had no idea who she barrowed it from. I turned and stared at me as of now imperfect golden throne. While it was more than large enough to sit in, it needed a proper cushion. My walls were also embarrassingly barren. I needed more framed panties and the women they belonged to; otherwise, my immortal's cave wouldn't feel right. No, I didn't want to trap them down here; that would be counterproductive. My hoard was the entire mansion. Then there was the lack of guards and servants to maintain the upkeep of my mansion that Camellia had helpfully pointed out.

I could always go to a few of the goldy realms and barrow any servants that catch my eye. Adding a few vampires to the staff would add some class. Were there any particularly interesting vamps to add? I shook my head; what was I doing? I had things to do here and a bored general. Delegation was the key to any successful ruler.

"Camellia, I don't have the time right now to find servants or acquire vassals." The powerful raid boss ground her teeth at my statement. "So, go out in my name and find them. I grant you permission to act in my name. If you can find a powerful pureblood vampire, I'd like to add one to my collection." I said.

She didn't look incredibly pleased to be given more work, but that was ok. Delegation was also about making people unhappy. "I'll get it done; what is my overhead." I tossed her my brand-new credit card.

…

Ravel

Her brother was an idiot. Siegfried, a descendant of the dragon-slayer Sigurd, sat across from her with a calm expression on his face. Yubelluna served the human a cup of tea before moving to Riser's hand. The atmosphere in the room could only be called desperate. Her brother placed a suitcase on the table and opened it. Ravel gasped at the sight.

Vials of Phoenix tears filled the suitcase, each in their own pockets. To trade their own tears to a human was treasonous; if anyone found out that her brother hired a human dragon slayer to kill a devil, then the Satans would get involved. Red's deal with the Gremory family pumped new gold into the underworld economy.

The Gremory clan had already begun making investments throwing gold around, causing a technological boom. Moreover, according to many underworld economists, inflation was scheduled to decrease, and the pillar council had already begun signing grants. To cut that out at the root for a single marriage contract of a third son wouldn't go over well.

"I've heard that this dragon is powerful," Siegfried said.

Ravel wanted to think that was a sign the human would back out. But he was the descendant of a dragon-slaying hero of the people. The Satan forgiven hero of the people, the selfless hero Seigfried. Odds were better that this hero would do the job for free while that wouldn't beggar her brother when their parents noticed missing inventory, they would draw conclusions. But her brother didn't care about that.

"Ravel has already managed to poison the dragon once, but it takes time for the dragon's power to weaken. She will continue to poison the beast; I only ask that you strike before the rating game with my beloved's peerage." Riser said.

She hadn't mentioned what the poison actually did. Red seemed no worse for wear, and she'd altered her application of the plant. Perfume, while more potent, had time to air before their next meeting. Hopefully, it would just be enough to throw the dragon off his game.

Riser gave her a look, and it was her turn to speak. "The dragon has recently purchased a home in Kuoh, but it remains understaffed. We hope to offer your services in the short term as a butler to allow you to observe your quarry as close as possible." It honestly wasn't a bad plan if the poison worked right. Red might kill Siegfried without a second thought. But, unfortunately, dragons were known to be temperamental, and Red couldn't keep up his human act forever.

"An interesting ploy, but I have no experience in the field, and if I'm the only servant, won't I stand out?" Siegfried said.

Riser chose that moment to chime in. "You won't be alone. I've selected several devils with the experience you lack to act as camouflage." Riser said.

No, she posted the job on the develinet and combed through hundreds of resumes to find the hungriest devils possible. Her period was late, and she didn't want to think about it. Nor did she want to think about the prospects of living in a mansion with no servants.

She measured this human and the swords he kept hidden and found him wanting. If she went to her mother and father at this point, she suspected that they would Sue Red. Ravel knew that Red's status as a devil of the Gremory house would force them to contest the lawsuit. Bad blood would inevitably cause either a break in their family alliance, or Riser would be disowned. She didn't want her brother to be disowned, no matter how much he pissed her off.

"Then I look forward to a successful hunt," Siegfried said.

A magic circle later, she led Red's new staff to the doorstep of Red's mansion. It was easily two dozen stories tall and warded to the gills. She could sense strange workings of magic all around the property linked together to form a net of protection independent of the charms left by the building's engineer team. She suspected that even her own Phoenix flames would have a hard time burning this place.

Siegfried and the hired staff looked a little uncomfortable before the vast doors barring their entrance. Red had a flare for wood carving and covered the doors with many runes circling each other with some nasty charms. Ravel knocked on the door and waited.

Moments later, Red appeared and opened the door. The nearly 3-meter-tall dragon-man ignored the others and stared down at her. "Ravel, you didn't have to hire staff for me," Red said.

"You weren't going to do it yourself, and that Camellia woman is inept. Aren't you going to invite me in?" Entry without permission would trigger every ward and charm in this place.

She could feel the power radiating off the dragon suffusing the charms and runes, strengthening them beyond normal limits. Even now, the magic within them had begun to change into something far more coherent than mere arrays. It was the same phenomenon of a god's realm. The presence of a powerful being changed their claimed environment to suit them. Over time this place would become ever more defensible.

Red glanced over the staff and didn't even pause at Siegfried. He was either a great actor, or he couldn't tell the difference between a devil and a human wielding demonic swords. Of course, there was also the option that he knew precisely who Siegfried was and didn't care. On the other hand, the difference in power may be too significant to matter.

"Let's get this over with. I'm sure you're aware of my mansion's floor plan." Red's dragon pride made her want to grind her teeth. Why would anyone give out a floor plan of their home?

She managed to get through the tour and subsequent list of duties the new house butlers were meant to perform. The staff was left to unpack in their new rooms. A lack of a staff manager wasn't a good sign, but those took time to find or promote.

They retired to the mansion's study, a quiet room with a modest library lit by a large window. Honestly, Ravel expected Red to turn it into a game room.

"You have an interesting taste in perfume." The dragon said with a raised eyebrow.

Ravel spun around, letting the hem of her dress fly. "Really, I'd think my dress would be more noteworthy. It took me all morning to pick out, and what about my hair. I thought dragons loved gold." Ravel said in a light tone.

He was on her in moments. She felt Red brush his hand through her hair before sliding one of the straps of her dress away. Ravel felt her body heat up at his close proximity. She leaped into his arms and pushed her lips against his, and felt tears roll down her cheeks. What in the underworld was she going to do?

"Why did you have to take my virginity? Do you understand what you did?" Ravel demanded.

"Yes," he supported her with a hand under her bottom and sat back in his chair.

"It's all your fault; why didn't you resist me." Even if it wasn't fair, she had to say it. Sona wasn't guiltless either; instead of coming to her rescue, the Sitri heiress followed Red's lead. Now she'd be the first of her siblings to supply her mother with grandchildren at age 18. She thought she'd have at least a few centuries before she settled down. It was too sudden.

Instead of defending himself, he rubbed her back and rocked her in his chair. The mighty dragon treated her gently, even if he didn't know exactly what she was crying about.

…

I left Ravel tucked in my bed with an order for my new staff not to disturb her. Afterwards, I made my way to Kuoh academy and wrapped myself in a layered glamour. My appearance changed to that of a high school student, and I felt disgusted at the sight of myself. High school was a time in my life I didn't want to experience again.

When I stepped on campus, the students couldn't keep their eyes off me. Finally, a boy rammed into my leg and fell on his ass. My gaze turned to a brown-haired teen easily recognized as Issei. The fact that he was still alive was more interesting than anything else. Had I released too many butterflies when I culled the exorcists who annoyed me?

"What's the hurry, sport? Are you late for a very important date?" I asked in my most condescending tone. He blinked up at me, and the crowd seemed to gather closer.

"How did you know I had a date tonight?" Issei asked.

Now that was interesting. So, the fallen were still making their move, or would she cancel now that Issei bumped into me. Either way, this could be my chance to fuck with him.

"Oh, it's the talk of the town the little pervert Issei has a girlfriend. Well, champ, don't fuck it up." I said.

Issei pointed his finger at me. "You're trying to psyche me out." Issei accused.

"I'm just giving you advice, friend. Don't fuck it up because any girl who'd go out with you despite your reputation is a keeper. But, who knows, she might secretly be a pervert too looking for a kindred spirit." I said.

"Who are you, and how do you know so much about me?" Issei shouted.

"People talk," I said as Rias broke through the crowd and put her hands on her hips.

The gathered people gasped as Rias and I stared off. "You're late for the club meeting; you know we can't start without you," Rias said.

And just like that, what little joy I had from teasing Issei was gone. I should tell Rias about Ravel and why it was a good idea to marry her. Of course, Rias wasn't going to like it, and it would make a bad first impression on the rest of her peerage. Then again, my sole purpose for joining her peerage was to gain access to the underworld dungeons.

Plans change now; I wanted to collect women I had needs that only a harem could fill. Particularly an empty wall that needed to be filled with panties.

"Oh, Oppai goddess, I beseech thee save me from this prick," Issei said.

"Why are you still on the ground?" I asked.

Issei managed to pick himself up after that. "Wait, are there any other openings in your club?" Issei said.

"I thought you had a date coming up," I said. Issei froze in indecision staring at Rias' chest. Indeed he probably never heard the saying that a bird in the hand is better than two in the bush. But then again, he might die after tonight. Rias didn't seem to be keeping an eye on him.

Rias handed Issei a flier. "Please hold onto that for me, Issei," Rias said in a seductive voice.

Issei nodded, unable to even speak before running off.

She glared at me before smirking. "If Issei uses that flier, you're going to be the one who answers it," Rias promised. "It's important for newly turned devils to take contracts to grow their demonic power." I did have a golden lotus that needed demonic energy to grow.

We made our way to the occult research club. "Everyone, this is Red; he's our new rook."

"Ufufu, don't let his appearance fool you; he's a dragon through and through," Akeno said.

"President isn't that little dangerous dragons aren't known for their tolerant and agreeable natures," Kiba said.

"He smells like a bird too," Koneko said.

"Rias, I'll need to speak with you privately after this." The group looked less than pleased at my standoff nature. "Hello everyone, my name is Red, and I'm a dragon. I hope we can all get along." They all had a similar level of power. Akeno seemed to possess a nature similar to a fallen angels, which was interesting.

The amount of awkwardness in the room could be cut with a knife. Well, I knew a way to fix that. I clapped my hands together to get everyone's attention. "Well, it's been fun meeting all of you, but Rias and I have things to talk about. I'm sure we'll get to know each other better at a later time. How about we all go to my mansion for a movie night?" I asked. When in doubt, party.

I pulled out one of my credit cards and handed it to Kiba. "Take Koneko and Akeno out to find whatever movies you guys like and buy a bunch of snack food," I said.

"President, why does this card say Red Gremory?" Akeno asked while looking over Kiba's shoulder.

"The answer to that is simple," I said.

"Lady Venelana provided my cards," I said.

…

Rias

She felt nervous was he having second thoughts about being a devil. Was this about her request? Had she gone too far in requesting his presence? While she should be in charge as the king of her peerage, dragons were powerful and prideful creatures. Could Red's pride allow him to take orders from someone weaker than him? As the door shut and her peerage left to collect movies and snacks with a practically limitless credit card, she waited for the ball to drop.

"I took Ravel's virginity," Red said.

Rias opened her mouth and closed it. Hadn't they already been over this with breakfast in her family security room? Was she missing something, or was this some kind of code word?

"I think it finally sunk in, and she's freaking out about it. Do you think I should make an offer to Lord Phoenix for her hand in marriage?" Red asked.

That threw her for a loop. So, all it took were a few tears to pull on the mighty dragon's heartstrings; good to know. But she had other questions.

"What of your plan to marry me?" Rias asked.

"Do you doubt my ability to take care of you both? Or is this about something more important? I already have your dowry prepared." Red said.

From nowhere, he pulled out a tiny ball of calm darkness. It hovered above his hand, swaying about before it vanished.

Honestly, she was impressed it was important for devils to fulfill their end of the bargains. A devil who didn't keep to deals would soon be kicked out of their peerage or family. The fact that he already had her dowry prepared spoke well of his resources. Not to mention the look he gave the tiny ball of darkness. Clearly, it wasn't like his other treasures that power held a lot of value.

"No, you can clearly provide, but do you really want me. I'm much weaker than you." Rias said.

Saying such a thing was close to blasphemous to a member of a noble house. But compared to this being, she felt like a tiny shadow to a raging inferno.

"Rias, I joined your peerage, so it's time for you to give back as well. I want you to join my party so we can search for powers and treasures together." He held out his hand to her, and she felt that this more than anything was his proposal.

If she accepted, she was certain more doors would open, and she'd learn more of his secrets. But she was a devil. Nothing was given without a price. This offer was more than just to go explore; she could feel the meaning in his words. In a sense, he asked her to go with him perhaps to places even devils feared to tread.

"Is this your way of asking me on a date?" Rias asked.

A bright smile lit across his face. Rias relaxed; this might not fully open the door to the truth of Red, but it might crack it a little. The mighty dragon took her hand in his, and he pulled her away, and together they vanished from the world.

Rias opened her eyes, and they stood on a frozen landscape; there was a castle so tall it seemed to like a pillar of the heavens in the distance. Icy dragons of eastern nature coiled through the clouds lit by the moon above. A terrible wind blew her skirt up and nearly froze her to the bone. Immediately the situation set in, and she heard the howl of wolves. Peering from the darkness, their red eyes emerged hungry and full of mad rage. The magic of this place felt uninviting, like it would do everything in its power to repel them. Moreover, she sensed dark beings, unlike devils, beings that could only be vampires in the castle.

With a force of will, she dared to take her eyes off the wolves to see Red take a step forward. Power like what he wielded against her brother emerged, and in moments the wolves were burned to death. It happened so quickly; she hadn't even blinked before Red had struck. The wolves' bodies immediately turned to ash, leaving behind a cloak of wolf fur of all things. Red took the cloak from the ground and placed it over Rias' shoulders.

"Don't freeze up next time; there will be stronger mobs further ahead." He picked up a bundle of blue arrows, and suddenly they vanished.

"What is this place?" Rias asked through the cold.

"This is a place that could have been under different circumstances. Much like any world, really. It exists now on its own time, looping back every day. Don't expect paradoxes to make sense, Rias; just make use of them whenever you can." Red said.

She knew that wasn't the whole truth, but it was a piece of it and she was certain that he'd give her more in time.