A beautiful woman with black hair and violet eyes greeted them. She was slender and of short stature. She was like a combination of Sona and Serafall. She seemed kind and calm, yet relaxed.
"Ah, Sona, you're finally here. And this handsome young man must be Altair, right?" The woman extended her hand, and Altair took it, kissing the back of it.
"And you must be Lady Sitri. I can see where Sona gets her good looks," he complimented her.
"Did you hear that, dear? Everyone knows who the good genes in the family come from," the woman joked with her husband, who was standing next to her.
He was a serious man. Like Sona, his wife's comment only made him move the corners of his lips slightly.
The man extended his hand toward her. Altair took it; his grip was firm but not oppressive. He showed no disdain or superiority; he only showed respect.
"You are the mastermind behind Phoenix Powder. You are different from what I expected a scholar to be," he said.
"We come in different forms," he replied. The man nodded.
"Yes, I have met Ajuka. Those of your kind have something special. Please come in. I will introduce you to fellow scientists who have been analyzing your creation." Altair walked hand in hand with Sona.
They found themselves in a vast hall. Hundreds of devils lived together in groups. If Altair had to learn the names of every person in the room, he would be in trouble.
The scientists Lord Sitri spoke of were doctors. Their experiments were clinical; they did not seek to analyze the product, but rather its effects on the body. He spent several minutes answering questions. Some of them sought to obtain the ingredients, likely in an attempt to replicate his creation.
They were common ingredients; anyone could obtain them and attempt to make the potion. But that didn't mean he would let them get in his way easily.
It was a little strange for him to be harassed by doctors, each of whom seemed highly interested in him. Having so much attention from men was weird. There were a few women there, with whom he chatted a little more. He even agreed to meet them later to "discuss" things further.
They seemed willing, and he wouldn't deny that he was also interested in them. Just like in the magical world, there wasn't an ugly female devil. After all, his goal in the underworld was simple. Although Sona's gaze at his side was a little less pleasant. Perhaps he would have to explain his situation to her as well.
In the end, they managed to separate from them, after many promises to keep in touch. It was suitable for Altair. Having the contact information for these people could help him in testing his products in the future.
"You are a pervert," Sona seemed resigned, as if she were pointing out a bad trait in her partner but couldn't do anything about it. She didn't reproach him, but she didn't seem happy about it either.
"I have a reason to be," he said. "I'll tell you in a less crowded place," other devils greeted them, though not with much interest.
Some approached out of curiosity. He had been introduced as Altair Asmodeus, even though his chest trembled with rage just hearing it. Others were annoyed; after all, the Phenex family had made his relationship with Rias public.
There were a few female devils who approached with other, more carnal interests. However, Sona's presence on his arm made them back away.
"You!" he heard a male voice say. "You stole Buchou's virginity from me." Altair cast a spell to block the sound before the word "virginity" could be uttered.
"Issei Hyoudou," he said the name, a bitter note on his lips. "Out of respect for your king, I didn't do anything to you back then. Don't bother me."
"I want... I... I want to be your disciple," the young man knelt in front of him.
"Issei, get up, you're embarrassing Rias," Sona intervened. She looked around; everyone had a confused look on their face as they stared in their direction.
"Anti-listening spell," Altair whispered to her. "And... I refuse, get out," he said to Issei.
"In that case, I will challenge you to a duel for the love of Rias-sama," Altair looked at an artifact manifesting in Issei's hand. A red gauntlet, it looked like something out of a mecha anime.
"Ara~Ara~ ~, and I was wondering what you were talking about in secret," Akeno arrived just in time. "Issei-kun, retreat now," her smile promised pain. Issei cowered in fear.
"I didn't know all of Rias' nobility would come," said Altair, watching the young pawn leave.
"My nobility and Rias' are here, as they are considered the devils closest to you," said Sona, adjusting her glasses.
"I apologize, Altair-dono, for Issei's behavior. I ask you to be patient with him. You can take out all the stress he caused you on this young maid of the House Gremory," Akeno bowed in his direction. The girl was perfectly aware of how she was exposing her cleavage for him to see.
"I'll make sure to take you up on that—ouch," he complained of Sona's pinch.
"Look, there's Seekvaira and Latia," Sona quickly moved away from Akeno.
She led him to where two girls were standing. One had greenish-blonde hair and pink eyes; she was the first person he had ever seen with those features. She wore square glasses that gave her a strict look. And from her demeanor and the serious way she looked around, Altair thought she would be one of McGonnagall's favorite students.
Next to her was another young woman, shorter and looking a little arrogant. Her hair was blonde at the roots, fading to blue at the tips. She looked like a rich, stuck-up girl, reminding Altair of Cassiopeia.
"Seekvaira Agares, heir to her clan," Sona introduced him to the mini-McGonnagall. "Latia Astaroth, niece of Maou Ajuka Beelzebub." Altair kissed both girls' hands, although he couldn't help frowning at Latia.
'Astaroth'. He couldn't help but be suspicious.
"I'll have to re-educate her. Along with your pets. My nobility is full, but the nobility of the young heir of the Astaroths is not. I owe them a favor, you know? They want strong women, the boy has an obsession with saints."
That was his father's words back then.
"Altair Regulus Asmodeus," he introduced himself. Seekvaira looked at him intently. She wasn't rude, but she wasn't friendly either. Latia, on the other hand, nodded in his direction.
"A pleasure, young Asmodeus, I've been curious to meet you," said the girl.
"You can just call me Altair," he said, disliking his surname. Just because he used it didn't mean he wanted to be called by that name all the time.
"It's improper to use someone's name when you've just met," the green-haired girl interjected.
"It's no problem, Seekvaira. May I ask where you got that scar, Altair?" Latia asked.
Altair's hand went to his face, to the scar left by Snape so long ago.
"A spell cast by a bat-man," he wondered if he should tell the truth. That could bring bad fame to Hogwarts. Altair disliked Snape, but when the headmaster explained his reasoning for not punishing him so severely, he agreed with him. Dumbledore raised Snape like a pig for slaughter. That comparison was so funny to him.
"Bat-man? It looks dangerous," said Seekvaira.
"He was. At that time, I hadn't developed any Phoenix powder. The surgery, although magical, left a scar," he told them.
"I've heard little about you. They say you went from being, excuse me if I offend you, an untalented wizard to living among devils. It's admirable," said Latia.
"Admirable?" He didn't expect to hear those words from that person.
"Yes. I have always believed that strength must be earned through effort if one wants to rise in this world. You are an example of my beliefs," said the woman.
Altair remained silent at her words, unable to formulate a good response. Sona resumed the conversation with Seekvaira. The young green-haired woman was a fan of Mechas, a topic that Altair found boring.
He was finally included in the conversation when Sona said that he could create a mecha if he set his mind to it. Altair didn't deny it, although he wasn't particularly interested in doing so. Then Seekvaira pounced on him with questions. Altair was intelligent, but he wasn't a walking encyclopedia. He couldn't answer many of her questions; he had never researched Mechas.
In the end, Seekvaira was disappointed in him, saying that he wasn't as smart as people made him out to be. Altair looked at Sona and found her amusing.
'You can't expect me to be a genius in an area I've never studied.'
'So she has a mean streak, huh,' he thought as he watched her smile.
Latia joined in and got him talking about other topics he was more familiar with. That was enough to keep Seekvaira quiet for a while.
In the end, he said goodbye to both ladies, got Latia's contact information, and didn't even try with Seekvaira.
"Ah, are you Altair?" he heard a female voice call him.
He found a woman wearing a low-cut purple dress, which was more like two pieces of fabric stuck to her sides than an actual dress. He could see a neckline that ended at her stomach. She wore glasses and had greenish-brown hair. The woman looked at him fearfully, as if she were afraid he would hurt her or something.
"And you are?"
"Ketarea... Ketarea Leviatan", she introduced herself.