True Magician

Chapter 103

Lucifer's Castle.

A brief flash of light later, I was brought back into the hall, where I appeared next to Sirzechs and received the general attention of the remaining guests. Their eyes showed surprise, admiration, pride, and fear of varying degrees, and there was discussion and whispers of my power and that of the heirs, who, incidentally, were not here.

As I understand it, they were teleported straight to the infirmary, where the retinues absent from the hall were headed. My attacks didn't have any 'Sanctity' in them, so the heirs' wounds are rather superficial, and all they need to do is rest and heal a bit. The Blade of Light I hit with at the end, while it did damage, it was set up to burn away strength, both mana and stamina, rather than pure destruction or killing.

Also worth mentioning is the absence of the two Council members who were throwing threats. I don't know when exactly they left, but I imagine they were eager to tell their colleagues what they'd seen and devise a way to deal with me. Though there is a chance that the radicalized part of them will put aside their pride and stop plotting, I find that hard to believe.

- "Romani Archaman. Thanks to you, everyone has been able to see the strength of the younger generation. The heirs have proved with blood and sweat that they are worthy of their titles, that the entire race of demons awaits a bright and prosperous future. I, Sirzechs Lucifer, as one of the Demon Lords proudly declare that I am not afraid to leave my post and trust this generation in the hour of need." began Sirzechs, with a triumphant smile on his face, "Ladies and gentlemen, let us give the benefactor the applause he deserves."

The next second the hall was filled with applause, and Sirzechs looked at me and nodded in satisfaction. Then he led me a little to the side where we could talk for a while.

- "The deed was done. Thank you for your help," he began, "I didn't expect them to be so capable. It was a great show, though, and much more fun to watch than the standard Ranking Games."

- "You were going to say Rias, weren't you?" I grinned.

- "That too, of course. When I heard about training with a certain 'Archer', I was skeptical, but now... Using the power of Destruction like that really surprised me. I suppose Rias took inspiration from that training?"

- "Not without that," I shrugged, "To be honest, I assumed you'd only want to use Sairaorg against me, not all the heirs at once."

- "That was my plan. But the teleportation spell did malfunction, and took not only my cousin with it, but the others as well. I'll have Ajuka check it out later," Sirzechs said, to which I rounded my eyes, "For now, enjoy your evening, Romani-san. You deserve it."

With those words, he walked away and disappeared into the crowd. I crossed my arms over my chest and thought about his words.

So, he didn't do it? I don't think it's that simple. Someone had interfered and changed the spell, but why? What's the point?

Families don't benefit from something like this because the consequences could be bad. It would be nearly impossible to hide evidence from Ajuka, and their children would meet with a certain vote of no confidence, which would affect their careers and public opinion of them.

In theory, John Doe just wanted to see the strength of the heirs and compare them. In that case, the Council members are perfect to allocate resources and attention based on potential and promise. And they can also shut Sirzechs and the other overlords up, even if they turn out to be discovered. It all sounds pretty logical, but somehow I don't believe it. And there's a reason for that.

Demonic society aside, this prank could have been aimed at me. To see my powers, my relationship to my heirs, and my reaction to such a 'glitch'. I don't exactly have any 'enemies' at the moment, but I do have a reputation and a kind of fame, and I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to study me in a variety of ways. To strategize how to interact with me, so to speak.