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(TPD) Chapter 24: The Ancestor's Arrival
🕑 Added 2024-12-21 14:58:27 +0000 UTCChapter 24: The Ancestor's Arrival
Avalon was sitting down in the Bael Estate’s courtyard cross-legged, watching on with a smile as Souji engaged in some light sparring with Sairaorg.
“He’s a quick learner isn’t he?” Avalon’s hand to hand combat teaching wasn’t terrible, but it still didn’t hold a candle to the person who invented the style in the first place.
“That he is— I’d expected no less from my grand-disciple,” Souji beamed as he blocked one of Sairaorg’s punches. “Make sure you keep your shoulders tight when you guard, the more tension there is the harder it’ll be for your opponent to break through.”
“Got it!” Sairaorg replied heartedly.
‘It’s a shame, if his Demonic Power wasn’t the way it was we could’ve taught him reinforcement as well. He’ll still be plenty strong without it though, so for now I should just focus on perfecting what he can do rather than worrying about what he can’t.’
Even though Sairaorg’s current rate of progress wasn’t bad, Avalon could tell that he had become distracted.
Neither he nor Souji could blame the young Bael for it, his mother’s absence wasn’t something Sairaorg was used to. Even if he pretended like it wasn’t bothering him, they both knew it absolutely was.
‘I’m counting on you, Ajuka, Lord Sitri. Pandorica, has there been any update?’
[They’ve just admitted her, Young Lord, I’m afraid it’ll take some time before they make any feasible progress.]
‘Fair enough.’
“Souji, do you think you can handle Sairaorg’s training for now?” Avalon flicked his head towards the estate, his master quickly picking up on what he meant.
“Sure, and good luck.”
Avalon took a deep breath, steeling himself for what was to come before entering the Bael Estate’s living room.
“I’m shocked, for someone so insistent on tradition you didn’t even bother to notify either of us before proposing to our son,” he heard Venelana speak in a clearly upset tone of voice.
Zeoticus sat down right beside her, but he was finding it exceptionally hard to keep his head straight— since the person opposite him was none other than Zekram herself.
“That tradition only exists for those seeking permission Venelana, you’re in no position to demand such a thing from me.”
“No position? He’s an 8 year old boy for crying out loud Zekram! I don’t care if he looks older, he’s not capable of making such a delicate decision with sound reasoning and you know that.”
“I see,” Zekram cupped her chin. “I thought sending you out of these walls would teach you some perspective, but it would appear that you’ve learned absolutely nothing these past few centuries— I’m disappointed.”
“That nonchalant attitude of yours really is infuriating, I didn’t come here to discuss myself. I came here to discuss my son, so can we please stay on-topic?”
Outrage had very little effect on Zekram, if any at all, if Venelana wanted to hold a proper conversation with her she was going to need to steel her resolve.
“Is there even any point in discussing it? Avalon already agreed, what’s done is done. I’m also led to believe that he already informed you about the arrangement and his intent beforehand, that should be courtesy enough.”
“Of course there’s a point in discussing it, I want to know what you did to manipulate him into going ahead with your insane proposition. The Avalon I know would know better than to listen to a single word that came out of your mouth.”
“The Avalon you know? What an interesting sentence that is,” Zekram breathed a sinister chuckle, looking to the other side of the room. “Don’t you think?”
Venelana and Zeoticus soon followed her line of sight, being met with a younger figure leaning against the wall.
“Avalon!” Venelana yelped.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t provoke my mother— Honey,” Avalon said in a threatening tone.
“I’d never do such a thing, I wasn’t making casual conversation with her, that’s all.”
“It doesn’t seem that way to me,” he walked over to Zekram, sitting down beside her before returning his attention to his mother. “Sorry, apparently my fiance doesn’t know how to play nice.”
Venelana looked at him in stunned silence, not having the faintest clue as to where she should begin.
‘Wait, did he just call her Honey?’ Venelana grimaced, noticing how unperturbed her son appeared to be next to Zekram.
“So, what’s this about me not being able to make my own decisions? I thought we had already gone over that part?”
“Avalon, I—”
“She was just concerned for your wellbeing,” Zekram butted in. “A natural thing considering the circumstances, wouldn’t you agree?”
Zekram’s attitude toned down a little upon noticing Avalon’s heightening disquiet.
“Maybe it would be better if I talked with my parents alone, since there’s probably a lot they still want to ask me.”
“If that’s what you want, I’ll be waiting in our room when you’re finished.” Zekram departed, never having had any interest in holding a genuine conversation with Venelana in the first place. Merely wishing to see how her descendant had developed during her time in the Gremory Clan.
Moreover, it was foolish of her to believe for even a second that Zekram would let go of him now, after all the work she had put into getting in this position to begin with.
“Our room?” Venelana raised her brow once Zekram was gone.
“Son, don’t tell me you’re already getting busy with her?” As much as Zeoticus wanted to hide it, he couldn’t help but respect Avalon a little more.
“She was just trying to rile you up, don’t worry about it.”
Doubt was ridden all over their faces.
“Are you sure? Zekram’s never been the joking type, at least not in the time I’ve known her.” As his mother, it was only right that she’d be invested in something like that, she had yet to even give him the talk.
“Is she really the one we should be talking about right now?”
“What do you mean?”
“There’s nothing about my fiance that we haven’t said already at this point— but you still seem to have your doubts, which is why you’re here of course, but I can’t help but feel like you’re all being a little unjust here.”
“Unjust? What are you talking about sweetie?”
‘Sorry, but the doubt I’m about to plant in you is for your own wellbeing. As much as I love you both, I just can’t trust you to handle Zekram on your own.’
“I’m talking about me,” his posture hardened, his expression completely unreadable with his blindfold still on. “Why am I not being subjected to the same scrutiny as her? I mean, I’m the one who agreed both to become Great King and marry her aren’t I? I’m feeling a little left out over here with her getting all the spotlight from the Gremory family.”
Venelana glowered, “I’m not sure I like where you’re going with this.”
“Just now you asked what Zekram told me to get me to agree to her proposition— and the answer is she told me the truth. She offered me the position of Great King, and made it very clear what she and I would be getting out of it.” He paused for a second, letting his words sink in before continuing. “I even got Ajuka’s advice before making a decision, yet I still accepted her offer in the end. Even if you doubt my ability to understand Zekram, surely you don’t doubt him?”
After shamelessly name-dropping the Satan, he knew it would be significantly harder for them to push their argument.
But unless Avalon resolved himself and followed through, Zekram would simply continue to eat at their heads like a never-ending migraine.
“You’re probably wondering if I’m telling you what Zekram’s making me say at the moment aren’t you?” They had been caught red-handed. “We can take this conversation back to the Gremory Clan if that’s what you want, I assure you my words won’t be any different. We can even take it to the Human World if that’s not enough, they still won’t change.”
He stood, knowing that it would take them a considerable amount of time to formulate a proper response.
“You have one son controlling the common populace, and the other the noble one, I’d be proud if I were you. Oh, and as you already know the award ceremony is tomorrow so you might as well stay the night. Adaloth’s still training with Mathers, if you want to catch up with her you’ll need to wait a little longer.” He left the living room, giving them one last wave. “Goodnight.”
‘I think you made them doubt a lot more than just whether they should get in between you and Zekram or not,’ Tomoe remarked. ‘They’re probably doubting whether you’re even their son or not.’
‘True, I’ve never talked like that to either of them before. But if I had waited any longer to rip the bandage off, then it would’ve just done more damage. It’s a parent’s instinct to believe their children are righteous, dulling that was the only way they’d ever view the situation in a more rational manner.’
‘Even if doing so will create a rift in your relationship?’
‘I’m leaving the Gremory Clan to become Great King of the Bael Clan— there was bound to be a rift no matter how I approached it.’
“Are you sure they’re not sleeping in the same room already?” Avalon’s super-hearing caught Zeoticus' words from the living room after he had left.
‘Good grief, I’m actually starting to believe that you’ve proposed to her before, Father.’
---
“Your mother has changed quite a bit from when she was last here, but not in the way I had hoped.” Zekram said while laying on her bed, wearing a plain white nightgown that pronounced her each and every curve to perfection.
Her room was lush and decadent, with translucent, indigo-colored curtains draping down the sides of her bed to give it an added sense of comfort and privacy.
“Were you hoping for her to be more like you?” He asked while kicking off his socks and laying down right beside her, the scent of lavender radiating off Zekram being more pungent than ever.
“No, I wouldn’t have sent her to the Gremory Clan if I had. I was hoping she’d be a bit more— prideful.”
“Prideful?”
“She is capable of a great deal, but for some reason she’s always been insistent on humbling herself to the point where she refuses to reach for anything beyond mediocrity. I thought sending her to a less restrictive environment like the Gremory Clan would change that, but that doesn’t seem to have happened.”
“Don’t tell me you were expecting her to suddenly seize control or something?”
“Of course not, I just wanted her to embrace her abilities more, putting her in a Clan full of lesser nobles was supposed to help her realise that she wasn’t the same as them. But alas, the opposite happened.”
“You do understand I’m one of those ‘lesser nobles’ right?”
“Are you really? Out of all your siblings, you’re the only one without a single Gremory trait. You don’t have the hair, you don’t have the eyes, you don’t even have the face.” She hummed, running her fingers through his hair. “You’re all Bael, both on the inside and outside.”
“According to you,” he didn’t make any attempt to stop her, simply pulling the cover closer and making himself comfortable.
“But what’s with this white streak here? Did you dye it?” She touched the front of his hair.
“No, it’s just a side effect from something I did while fighting Armaros. I’ve already tried dying it brown again, it doesn't work.”
“You look like a delinquent, it’s unbecoming of a proper noble. I can also sense faint traces of Ki coming from it, is it because of the Youkai you’ve sealed inside you?”
“You looked inside me without permission? Hmph, I knew you were a perv— Baka Zekram!” He huffed, turning his head away.
“Is there still any need for you to keep that creature? I have plenty of artifacts that you could use instead if output is the issue.”
“Not a fan of Youkai are we?”
“I’m not a fan of you contanimating your blood with something else, a Youkai-hybrid won’t sit well with the rest of the Great King Faction.”
“Then you better keep it to yourself, since I don’t plan on getting rid of Tomoe. Like my blindfold and the device you see draped around my neck, he’s my lifeline.”
‘Awe, I’m also tempted to come out there and give you a big kiss!’
“Doesn’t that bother you? Having to rely on Ajuka’s inventions just to survive?”
“Nope,” it only ever bothered everyone else around him. “I’ve been living like this for three years now, it’s because of his inventions that I don’t need to live in an isolation chamber, and they’re also the reason I’m able to fight the way I do.”
“He could use them against you one day,” she pressed further.
Avalon chuckled, “So? If I challenged Ajuka I would lose regardless of whether he had a way to tamper with my life support or not.”
“Combat isn’t the only way you could end up challenging him.”
“I have no interest in challenging him politically either— not to mention the chances of him being wrapped up in such a thing are astronomically low. Or do you think he’s spying on me right now or something?”
She looked at his CAD, “It’s a possibility.”
“There’s no in-built microphone or camera inside it, I assure you that much.”
“Based on what?”
“Based on the fact that I’ve dismantled the entire thing before, Ajuka’s been programming lessons in engineering and spellcraft lessons into the device, I’m not sure why he does it, but he buys me limited-edition Levi-tan merch each time I finish a subject so I don’t complain.”
The lessons that had been conveyed through Pandorica also helped him create his Spider Dance technique.
“Why would he teach you how to dismantle his own invention? That doesn’t seem logical.”
“According to him It’s so that one day I’ll be able to fix it on my own if anything were to go wrong with it while he’s not around. Dismantling it properly was pretty tough since I’m only able to do it with the blindfold off, but I managed to get it down.” He said proudly.
Taking into consideration that he had only received his CAD less than a week ago— his progress was nothing short of utterly remarkable.
Who knew he had a talent with technology this whole time? Deserving of the title ‘Little Beelzebub’ indeed.
Of course, dismantling it didn’t mean he could upgrade or recreate the CAD on his own, but it did mean he had a much better understanding of the device that was attached to him.
Learning about the blindfold was significantly easier in comparison since he had already been studying sealing magic under Echidna for quite some time, which had contributed to the sealing function Spider Dance could execute.
And there was also the obvious fact that he had been wearing it the whole time, most of the stuff he learned about it was more likely than not just coincidental.
‘Ajuka’s teaching him engineering? Even after knowing that he wouldn’t be going down the path of a Satan? I don’t understand, where’s the benefit in that?’
If he was attempting to groom a successor than Zekram would be able to comprehend the decision, but that clearly wasn’t the case.
“Moreover, if Ajuka wanted to spy on you. He’d just infiltrate your barriers directly,” as much as she hated to admit it, he was right. The Satan had created an entire day and night cycle for crying out loud, such a roundabout method was completely unnecessary.
“Will you ever be able to live without them?”
“That would depend on these two buggers,” he pointed to his eyes. “They haven’t told me or Ajuka how strong they plan on getting yet, so until that information is revealed we won’t be able to make an estimate.”
“They’re growing stronger?”
“They always have been, ever since I was born. Does that worry you? That our children will be born the same way?” He asked with a wry grin.
“I’d rather you tell me whether I should be worried or not,” she replied in an unamused tone.
“If they do happen to be born with my mutation, Ajuka will probably give them the same treatment as me if they need it.”
“If they need it?”
“I mean, there is the chance they could be born as a controlled version of me. Either with eyes that regulate themselves, or with a mutated body that can actually handle the onslaught of information they’re given.”
If such a child really were born, then it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that they would be the most blessed child in the Underworld, right up there with Avalon’s older brother.
“Ara, you’re not even trying to hide your excitement.” He wrapped his arms around her waist. “Don’t tell me you already plan on getting started?”
“That can wait, first start putting the same amount of effort into my lessons that you do for Ajuka’s engineering. But if you’re going to bring that up, why don’t tell me about your Sister while you’re at it?”
“My Sister?”
“She’s in love with you isn’t she? Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed?”
Avalon’s playful smile dropped into a frown, his arms leaving her waist.
“What of it?” He propped his arm up on the pillow, resting his cheek against his palm.
“She’s been quite hostile to me, and we both already know why. Surely you don’t plan to just leave her as is? That would be a rather irresponsible thing for you to do both as her King and Brother.”
“There’s nothing to be done about it, she just needs to learn to face reality and move on.”
“Really? You don’t plan on responding to her—” Zekram felt a sharp chill run down her spine, a thread of Demonic Power appearing a centimeter in front of her face in a split-second.
Her complexion paled as her brain hurriedly deliberated a flight or fight response out of sheer instinct.
Avalon simply observed her stunned silence, retracting his thread a short while after.
Even if Avalon wasn’t nearly as experienced or well-learned as her, at the end of the day he was still a Super Devil. Without using her barriers or artifacts to prepare herself beforehand, confronting him was something that bore a great deal of risk.
“You ruined the mood, I’m going to sleep now.” He turned over to the other side, his back now facing her. “You won’t have to worry about Adaloth attacking you, at least not in a physical sense.”
‘It has been some time since I was last in a relationship, I suppose I have some unrusting to do,’ she mused after recomposing herself.
---
“There’s no way you’re going to make me wear something this extravagant, I’d rather attend the ceremony in my pajamas.” Avalon said while holding up the left side of his blindfold to stare at the piece of attire Zekram had set down on their bed.
It was a long white robe with golden accents covering its high-end fabric, the Bael Clan’s sigil proudly etched into the back of it alongside an officer’s cap to complete the outfit.
“Everyone else is going to be wearing the same thing, it’s important you look presentable while you’re up on stage.”
“How is making me look like dollar store Lelouch Vi Britannia in any way considered presentable?” He retorted.
“Lelouch Vi—? Whatever, just hurry up and wear the outfit. I’d rather not be late to an event hosted in my own territory.”
He groaned, “Fine, but it still looks stupid. Also, are you actually going to attend the event yourself?”
“Is that surprising?”
The common consensus around Zekram was that she was a complete recluse who only left her estate once every blue moon, but Avalon didn’t have it in him to start an argument so early on in the day.
“No, not at all.” He said in a very unconvincing tone.
They both left their room at the same time once he had finished changing, walking through the lengthy, decorated hallways of Zekram’s abode as Avalon glanced out one of the windows.
He could sense at least a hundred attendants already present in the reserved courtyard, the Bael Clan’s Royal Guard who were responsible for guarding the castle itself all moving into position as they secured a perimeter around the venue.
“Wilbert’s already here.” Even though Avalon had only met the Valen Head once over three years ago, he had not forgotten his presence. “You sure keeping him around Sylas is a good idea?”
“Sylas won’t do anything, not that he’s capable of having much of an effect on Wilbert.” She replied calmly. “He’ll announce the recipients, and then he’ll sit back down— that’s all.”
“You have him on a tight leash.”
“He strapped the leash around his own neck before I could even consider doing so,” if he took his blindfold off, he was confident he’d see a wicked grin on her face.
Avalon continued to let his senses encompass the courtyard, picking up on Klauth, Zeoticus, Venelana, and even Iris.
“You two are awfully chummy today,” and of course, he couldn’t miss the person right in front of him— Adaloth. “I heard a rather interesting rumor from Mother and Fath-”
She stopped herself mid sentence, taking a step back to observe Avalon.
“Oh my Lucifer!” She ran up to him, pulling him into a bone-crushing bear hug and rubbing the side of her face against his. “You look adorable! Hold on, I have to take a picture of this!”
As if she had completely forgotten what she was going to say, she took out her phone and snapped a multitude of selfies while smushing him against her torso.
“I’d appreciate it if you didn’t crease you and your brother’s uniform before the ceremony has even begun,” Zekram sighed.
Adaloth’s lips dropped into a frown, her upper eyelids narrowing in a frightening manner as she stared Zekram down.
“Don’t tell me what to do, you unsightly hag.”
Zekram’s left eye twitched, “What did you just call me?”
“Are you deaf? I called you a hag because you’re a hag, but since you’re the one who picked such an adorable outfit for him, I’ll allow you to live for a little longer.” She clasped Avalon’s wrist, pulling him alongside her. “Let’s go, Lars and Esdeath are waiting for us in the front row.”
“That was uncalled for.”
“Did you have sex with her?”
‘That’s definitely a great question to start the day off with.’
He deadpanned, “Good morning to you too, Adaloth.”
“I’m being serious, now answer the question.”
“I did, as a matter of fact Zekram just had a positive on her pregnancy test this morning.”
“Wha—”
“Of course I didn’t, do I look like a gigolo to you?”
“No, you look like a cutie patootie to me, especially with that uniform on.” She ruffled his hair, “But yesterday I heard Zeoticus and Venelana talk about how you two might be sleeping together already after I finished training with Mathers, and to top it all off I see you two together first thing in the morning while I’m headed to her room.”
“How did you even know where her room was?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“She asked me to sleep in her room from now on, but we haven’t done anything beyond that.” He flicked her on the forehead, “Not that it’s any of your business.”
“You don’t seem very bothered about it.”
“I mean, I didn’t wake up with my back looking like it had been mauled by a Demonic Beast for starters, that’s definitely a positive in my book.” He said while throwing an accusatory glance her way.
In an out of character moment, she blushed. “That was my first time, cut me some slack.”
‘For a second I thought she had somehow already gone back to normal, but that clearly isn’t the case.’ He grimaced, ‘Why do I have a feeling I’ve somehow made it all worse for myself?’
‘She’s a better manipulator than you, did you really think it would be that easy? So much for having learned from past experience.’ Tomoe chimed in.
‘I’m not a manipulator, and the fact that I’m not dead right now is a huge improvement from how it ended up in my past life.’
They eventually made it to the courtyard, two of the Royal Guards that had been stationed at the entrance planting their spears and standing at attention the second they saw Avalon.
“Lord Avalon.”
“Lord Avalon.”
‘Zekram definitely told them to do that, she’s probably just doing it so everyone else here would see it.’ He sneered— once again being met with the profound shamelessness of his fiance.
But his disdain was soon replaced by delight as a much more welcome figure approached.
“It’s been some time since we last met hasn’t it? Avalon, Adaloth.” Wilbert greeted both of them in a gentle manner that contradicted his intimidating frame.
“That it has, but we’ll have plenty of time to catch up once the next campaign begins won’t we?” He smiled, elated at the notion of no longer having to listen to Sylas’s half-assed orders.
‘I really can’t stand the thought of staying here for a year straight or Lucifer forbid more than that while all the fighting’s happening, maybe I should just find a way to disable the barriers and sneak out?’
[I could be of assistance with that, Young Lord.]
‘You’re the best.’
“I was talking with some of Lith’s soldiers that are attending, I’m looking forward to seeing you in action after hearing the stories they told about the both of you and your peerage. Your father also told me a rather amusing story just now.”
“He did?”
Wilbert chuckled, “He said you were getting married to Zekram Bael of all people. Sheesh, if he didn’t want me to bring up the prospect of you getting married to Mio again he could’ve just said so.”
Of course, any sane person would interpret the notion as nothing but a joke.
“He wasn’t lying,” the woman in question said as she arrived at the courtyard, every Royal Guard present immediately tensing up like a rowdy classroom that the principal just walked into.
Wilbert’s light-heartedness vanished upon making eye contact with Zekram.
“You actually left your cave for once, color me surprised, and what do you mean he wasn’t lying? You’ve never been the joking type— Zekram.” Wilbert was one of the very, very few people in the Underworld to have interacted with her more than once.
“If that’s your interpretation of me, then you should be able to connect the dots without my help, General Valen.” She walked past him, signaling for Avalon to follow her. “Come on, we’re sitting in the front row.”
“Are you just going to let her order you around like that?” Adaloth queried, Avalon eye-rolling from beneath his blindfold in response.
They walked to the front of the venue, many of the higher ranking nobles, especially those affiliated with the Great King Faction shuddering the second they noticed Zekram’s presence. Some of them even pinched themselves to see if they were just hallucinating.
“Aren’t you popular?” Avalon joked.
“You’ll be as well once you’re called up to the stage, so I wouldn’t get too snarky if I were you.” While the attention she received had its use, even Zekram found it bothersome to a certain extent.
“Ah, would you look at that? Our esteemed King finally graces us with his presence.” Lars stood up and bowed, plastering on an exaggerated expression.
“Indeed, it is an honor to stand before you Lord Avalon, and an even greater one to be seated in the same vicinity as you.” Esdeath joined in on the fun, thoroughly embarrassing him in front of everyone watching.
“Insolence! How dare you not get on your knees while His Majesty stands before you?” Adaloth planted her hands on his shoulder, making the spectacle a three-on-one.
“Ruff!”
“...Not you too Avalanche.” Even his fluffy comrade refused to show him any mercy.
Lars’s playfulness soon came to a halt as he looked up at the remarkably bewitching woman standing next to Avalon.
“Who’s that?” He asked bluntly.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Lars,” she extended her hand. “My name is Zekram Bael— I imagine you might have heard of me at some point.”
Lars blinked.
He blinked again.
And then he blinked one last time.
“Eh?”
---
Sorry for the “cliffhanger” even though there’s no real action going on, I wanted to include some developments during the ceremony but if I put it all in this chapter then it would become a tedious info-dump for everyone to read, and I really wanted to avoid that.
Zekram’s finally coming out of her castle again which is probably going to send most of the Underworld’s nobles into a panic, so that should be fun to watch.
Wilbert’s finally back after 21 chapters, so we’ll be getting more from the testament cast than just Lars from now on. Maybe Mio will also make a return in some capacity?
That’s all for now, as per usual leave your suggestions and comments below and I’ll get to them whenever I can.
