Hell, Pride Ring, Pentagram City, Silence District, March 25, 1949, 6:32 AM
The morning did not begin with a cup of good tea.So William concluded, watching as the Princess of Hell herself—dressed in her usual crimson ceremonial gown—practically dashed around his mansion, rummaging, fetching, replacing, and doing God knows what else since the early hour of five.
The Fallen Archangel himself was more of a guest—or even an audience member—in a play, where his only role was to watch Charlie.Dressed in her strict, slightly uncomfortable gown (judging by her rare sighs and quiet groans of irritation), she seemed torn between turning his rooms into her royal reception hall—or robbing him blind.For now, William leaned toward the latter.
"Charlie…" William exhaled evenly, sipping his tea as he watched her rummage through his kitchen. "You were the one who said the Stolas family was among the most loyal and amiable…" He tilted his head, adjusted his white robe, and settled more comfortably into his nearly-soft chair.
From the far corner came more shuffling, muffled beneath the grand hem of the Princess of Hell's gown as she bent down to fetch something from the lower cabinets.
"I know, but that doesn't cancel out everything else!" Charlie groaned, her voice laced with irritation—something that genuinely surprised William. She had been oddly serious since dawn, not at all like their usual chats. "They're still part of the High Goetia, which obliges even the Princess of Hell to respect their customs and…" Her voice trailed off, words becoming softer and less clear as she kept searching for something only she knew.
No, William suspected she was digging through his Earthly supplies, hoping to find something fit for aristocratic taste. He remembered her mentioning that both demons of the Goetia enjoyed fine wines and strong drink…
William took another sip, savoring the aroma of fresh-brewed tea.
"Your mother got into your head again?" he asked almost dryly, making Charlie's figure freeze mid-motion, like a statue. His quiet chuckle followed, for even from here he could see the crimson flooding her pale cheeks. "Don't tell me you waited until the last minute to tell her about our little outing?" he added, hiding a smirk behind his cup.
Charlie's shoulders slumped slightly. She turned her head and gave a small, guilty nod."She…" Charlie drew the word out slowly, eyes shifting away. "Wasn't exactly thrilled about our idea… At least, not when we didn't tell her right away." She rubbed her forearm, looking at William with a conflicted mix of emotions.
William sighed, drained his tea in one gulp, and stood. His beloved pink slippers tapped softly as he walked toward her.
"Tell me what you're looking for and what Stolas and Stella actually like. Maybe I can fetch the right thing from my cellar." He set the empty cup in the sink, where it was instantly cleaned away by Warding. Charlie nodded and stepped back a little.
"Lady Stella is… " Charlie's face twisted into a strange blend of irritation, embarrassment, and reluctance. She turned aside, avoiding his gaze. "Much more particular than her husband. Not everything will suit…" She paused—not as if to recall facts, William thought, but to find polite words. He only nodded, suppressing a smile as he glanced at the mess she'd already made.
"Lord Stolas," Charlie continued, lifting her gaze upward, tapping her chin, recalling something. "He's less picky, as long as the gift… carries him away into 'holy oblivion,' if I'm not mistaken." She nodded, though not entirely sure, before glancing back at William, who was busy straightening what she had disturbed.
William nodded again, snapping his fingers twice to summon the appropriate gifts, all while listening—not so much to advice, but rather to stories about House Stolas, of the Paimon line, the King of Magic.
That House, one of the many "hereditary" ones, with Stolas himself a Prince of Goetia—one among countless "heirs" to a throne that had not changed hands for…
"And how long has Paimon sat as one of the Kings of Goetia?" William asked, sipping tea again, scanning Replicant reports while seated at the kitchen table beside Charlie, who cradled her hot coffee. His question cut into the flow of her lecture-like speech.
"…And then Mother said that usually Goetian demons despise those beneath their station, unless—huh?" Charlie blinked at the sudden silence after his words. She glanced at him, her face clouding in thought, eyes darting around the kitchen. "Since his ascent to the throne, maybe?" she offered, with a mix of confidence and doubt, as if she herself were asking.
William exhaled slowly."So potentially since bloody Babylon… or Solomon…" He rubbed his temples, eyes closing, suppressing another sigh.
Charlie, perhaps taking it as a cue to continue—or to "comfort"—pressed on.
"But still, his heirs are already being prepared to rule!" she exclaimed, her hands moving animatedly as if to pull William's attention back. "Each Prince of Goetia possesses at least one relic from Paimon's treasury, which, according to Mother, can bypass even some laws of the world! Lord Stolas has a vast wealth of knowledge about Earth—and other cosmic realms too!" Her voice grew stronger, her eyes glowing crimson with passion.
William stifled a chuckle.No, he was grateful for Charlie's openness, for the flood of information she offered freely—knowledge that otherwise would have taken him years of service in some Goetian house, among the Eldritches perhaps. Yet the sheer weight of such secrets, knowledge that could mean his soul's execution if misused…
William straightened his back and smiled."…So, what was it you were saying about House Stolas?" he asked, looking directly into Charlie's eyes, watching her fall silent and adjust her gown's hem.
Was there truly anything in the Ring of Pride besides the Cursed City—these days simply called Pentagram City?William had never thought about it, as he admitted to himself.It had never even crossed his mind that in the Ring known for "society's rejects," "rabid dogs without leash or muzzle," and countless other epithets he'd heard from demons… someone could actually live.Not just anyone, but an entire bloodline of the damned Goetia.
"You're kidding me?" was William's first reaction to the news that he and Charlie weren't shifting to another Ring, but rather just… driving to another city. Damn it.
"So… all this time, you had this… machine?" William asked slowly, discomfort thick in his tone as he sat inside what was nearly a replica of the few vehicles he had glimpsed in Heaven—crafted by Lucifer for his daughter, so she might ride this monstrous contraption of mechanics.
Dressed in his finest Silence attire—the same that had served him well at the reception with the Eldritches—William sat there, simply trying to put words to this… this thing.
He was not exaggerating when he called the long-bodied car a monster. Clearly, Lucifer had cared little for how mortals actually designed their creations.
"Uh… yeah?" Charlie shrugged, carefully selecting a drink from the cabinet of half-alcoholic spirits, before settling onto a chair beside him at the table. "We used to ride one when I was little, though it was smaller back then." She smiled softly, eyes closing slightly as she leaned back against the cushioned rest, her gaze drifting toward a window that was larger inside than out.
"It was even smaller?" William nearly exclaimed, struggling to suppress his overall mood about the trip as he stared out the car's untinted glass window.
No, the vehicle itself resembled the finest model of the era of William's own death—he wouldn't deny that. A driver's seat and passenger seat up front, three rows behind for six more riders, all set within a dark-painted frame trimmed in gold, with wheels both soft and firm, and headlights that shone with what could almost be called holy golden light.
But what William hadn't expected was that the inside would resemble the damned coupe of a luxury train, built to hold a dozen people.Crimson armchairs and sofas, upholstered with the most lavish, expensive-looking cushions and stuffing. Tables of what he could only describe as golden glass. Wooden flooring, a dark carpet woven with roses, vines, and spade patterns, ornate chandeliers hanging from an elegant ceiling—and, on top of it all…
William simply stood up and poured himself some tea from the coffee machine, a thing he had only seen in Paradise, and even then, it was... less mechanical and had a nicer white body.
Slowly sitting down next to Charlie's head, William just stared at the view... Sharp rocks, a large pentagram in the sky, and nothing but desert.
After all, cars fly through the air, they don't drive.
He didn't say that the steering wheel should be a steering wheel, not some damn control panel for a boat, plane, or whatever else.
"Something wrong?" Charlie asked softly, cracking open one crimson eye to watch William shake his head, his gaze fixed on a single point in the ever-shifting space outside—as though they were on a luxury train rather than a simple car.
"Everything's fine, Charlie…" William exhaled, closing his eyes and trying to regain his focus, mentally returning to what she'd just told him. "What was the name of this city we're supposedly 'driving' to again?" He forced out the last word, since Charlie seemed to find it perfectly normal that cars could fly.
At that, the Princess of Hell's relaxed shoulders tensed slightly, her eyes opening."…It doesn't really have an official name," she whispered, the sound clear in the silence of the carriage-like cabin. "Imps call it one thing, the hound packs another, even the Goetia—who decide the 'standard' name—refer to it differently…" Charlie tilted her head, tracing her chin with an elegant finger. "But when I was there, I heard it called the City of Imps."
She shrugged, took another cookie from the table, and washed it down with coffee, idly swinging her feet—free of her narrow shoes—kicking them like a child's.
William simply nodded, summoning with a snap of his fingers a small notebook—his collection of notes on Charlie's words about the Goetia, or rather, one particular family.The House of Stolas. The Family of the Goetian Prince. The Family of the Keeper of Stars.One of the many branches of the high demon bloodlines, specializing in their own sphere of influence…
"Stolas—unhappy in his marriage and almost always keeps to himself. Stella—his wife, always speaks first and often leads nearly all the house's public affairs."William reread the short summary, sneaking a glance at Charlie.
From the very moment of the invitation—when the Princess first proposed their joint venture into the "repository of knowledge on Sin"—she had explained everything to him. And then… well, not so much repeating herself, but rephrasing things over and over, either to cover up the lack of more useful details or simply to fill the silence during preparations.
Meanwhile, his streams of thought worked alongside him.
Replicant Senator. General report on all districts of Silence.Replicant Mother. Weekly sermon summary. Estimate of residents potentially relocatable toward the center.Replicant Elder Sister. Reminder about reviewing the proposal from the Lord of the Cannibal District. Also, reminder of the Radio Lord's invita—
All the while, they were nearing the City of Imps. They didn't need the city itself, but rather its outskirts—where, to William's continuing surprise, the residence of a Goetia family was located.
"So-o-o…" Charlie leaned toward him, prompting William to raise his eyes from his considerations of Silence's affairs. "How are you doing?" she asked with a faint smile, shivering slightly before shaking her head. "I mean, how do you feel about this meeting?!" she blurted, forcing a wide grin, breathing in and out quickly as she blinked.
William waved a hand. "I'm fine," he exhaled, closing his eyes and rubbing his temples. Sometimes all these streams of thought converging at once led to headaches—especially when someone distracted him. "Just running over what was said and planning the meeting…" he said evenly.
Charlie nodded eagerly."Yes, but you remember Stella is stricter and more demanding than Stolas, so—" Her voice grew less clear, while William merely nodded and hummed in agreement, enduring his time aboard this devil's monstrosity of a vehicle.
Something strange had been lingering around him ever since he'd boarded this "car."
Research №2523. "The Thread." Process stable, formula yielded projected result, data under review, indicators holding steady, strands released from fingers—
"…and since Stella usually steers the conversation toward the Goetia, I'll take care of that part, so you don't have to worry," Charlie added, fists tightening, smiling at him before glancing out the window—where the silhouette of a city, much like Pentagram City, was already visible.
"Alright… then what should I expect from her, personally?" William asked, listening to Charlie's explanation of "the Lady of Stars," his words cutting across her stream. Her crimson eyes darted toward the nearing skyline, then back into the carriage of the car-train-boat hybrid.
"U-uh…" Charlie muttered, clutching the hem of her gown. "She's… fine?" she tried, forcing confidence into her voice, chewing her lip. "I mean, I've never seen her discuss Sinners directly, but the things she has said weren't very…" Her gaze flicked between the "wheel" and William, who was watching her closely.
William blinked, his focus split between here and elsewhere.
"…There are several candidates for the 'City,' as you now call your reservoir of Sinner souls, Chief," spoke the Elder Sister, lighting a thin, expensive-looking cigarette. William even recalled the Replicant's predecessor smoking something similar. "Their souls are strong enough—they're secretly building power, hoping to become Lords. Names, residences, schedules—they're all here. Just say the word, and their souls are yours."
William nodded. Charlie smiled, settling a little closer—now only a hand's span away.
"Alright then, here's the plan…" Charlie exhaled, golden energy flashing in her eyes as she looked at William. "I'll talk to Stolas. I'll explain that we—you—" her face twisted with a strange mix of unease, curiosity, even excitement, "need information about…" Charlie frowned, nearly lost, almost stunned as she looked at William, who could only quietly…
Admire that palette of emotions.
"Anything on Sin as a phenomenon," William breathed, eyes closed as he let his shoulders relax, setting his notebook on his lap. "If there's anything at all—even a description, its effect on the human soul, whether it's even…" His expression tightened, fingers flexing in an empty hand. "Tangible." He shrugged, sighing, meeting Charlie's gaze—she only blinked and nodded slowly.
William leaned back, carefully turning over every possible outcome of this venture—an opportunity he might only get once. Especially if everything he'd heard about the Goetia and their demons proved true. Truth that came from Adam, from Sinners who might once have seen or spoken to them—and from Charlie, who was hardly the most reliable source.
Not because she was naïve or foolish. No.But what aristocrat would show their "best" qualities before the daughter of the most powerful being in their world?