The Road To Peace

Arc 2 Chapter 3: A Peculiar Follower

A month has passed since Amaryllis decided to take my training a bit more seriously. My progress in learning magic has improved immensely, so much so that she wants me to learn wordless magic right away. That's what we've been working on since... well, that and my incubus training.

Amaryllis has made it clear that she wishes my progress in suduction training went as well as my magic, but there's only so much I can do. Another person would be needed for me to "test" my abilities after all. I know no one, and those who may have seen or known me will immediately assume I'm with Amaryllis, so they'd avoid me or feel obligated to placate me.

I sigh, closing a book about the methods of attracting your target.
It's been strangely quiet, even with Clara gone now. Amaryllis hasn't really approached me as often as she used to. For about a week, she sits at her desk, seemingly agonizing over the ever-growing piles of papers on her desk. I've tried to ask about it only to receive a disinterested "It's nothing you should worry about right now".
So she'd give me more work to do around the house or with training.

As she mumbled to herself about the contents of her desk, she suddenly perked up. A smile broadens on her face as her eyes shine with excitement and pride.

"Iruma," she began, seemingly struggling to contain her excitement, "I'm worried about you. With your natural shut-in tendencies and your past experiences, it's understandable, but you won't be able to make progress like this."
Her observations, although genuine, felt a little like fodder with how her excitement grew with each passing word.
That cheeky smile of hers means that she has something planned for me, and it's definitely to my detriment.

"So, I'm going to give you an assignment. You are to make at least one connection using your own charms without my supervision. You aren't allowed back into my chambers until it's completed, understood?"

"Eh?"

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"What a cruel condition she set..." I mumbled to myself while standing outside the entrance to the Asmodeus manor.

I guess when your students aren't making as much progress as you'd like, you'd show them a bit of tough love or gently push them outside of their comfort zones, but I have no connections here. Though I'm relatively safe here, survival would be near impossible.
Or so my excuse would be until I felt a soft, repeated tapping on my shoulder. I fix my gaze on the being. It was a demon about a head or two taller than me. Her tail waved through the air as if giving me a greeting as she smiled at me. The clothes she wore justled slightly as she inched closer to me.
She's seducing me?

"You're that blue-haired boy hanging around Amaryllis, no?" She quizzed, her voice being what I assumed was supposed to be high-pitched and cute.
She continued, obviously answering her own question. "To think a boy would catch Amaryllis' attention, you must be very special! hufu~"

"Ah, thank you."
It's obvious what she wants from me.
A free ticket to Amaryllis.
I understand the need to make connections with higher-ranked demons; I'm training to do the same thing, but I won't allow myself to be a stepping stone for others goals. Even if I allowed her to use me, Amaryllis wouldn't accept that for my mission.

The demoness smiled at my answer, trying to close the distance between us more, but I stepped away from her. Her face twisted into one of bafflement and anger before she quickly composed herself again.

"Iruma, right?" She extended her hand out for me to shake. "I'm Lilia! A pleasure to meet you."
I can't tell her rank like this. Knowing that I'm most likely considered the lowest rank, Alef, rejecting her could mean trouble for me in the long run, but if I were to accept her handshake, it'd be difficult to get rid of her. Both options are losses for me.