"Oh dear, oh dear..."
"Where did you pick up that obviously parasitic phrase?"
"From that pirate's stream about that game... What was his name? I forgot..."
"You should learn to process information better and pick up trashy expressions from speech."
"Are you talking to me?" the dragon whistled in surprise. "You'd better keep an eye on Leviathan. Otherwise, you won't have a home anymore."
Castor silently rose from his seat and followed the concerned and angry Lord of Hell into the house. Along the way, the mage got rid of the ice that Serapholl had created due to her lack of control during the emotional outburst. When Brinel reached the front door, he snapped his fingers, stopping Leviathan with an icy wall that formed out of the air in front of her face.
"That's... That's Kuroka!" the demoness pointed accusingly at him, squinting at the non-human creature frozen near the refrigerator. The transparent ice did not prevent the Lord from seeing the cat.
"That's right, that's her name.
"She's a dangerous criminal wanted in hell!" the demon declared, receiving only a more irritated smile from the archmage in response. Serafall's unexpected outburst did not please the man, so his sense of hospitality slowly faded, replaced by a desire to throw the Lord out on his ear.
"To hell, but not here.
Kuroka looked at him in surprise, and Leviathan turned her head towards him and smiled tensely.
"Did I hear you wrong, or are you not planning to hand her over?" Her voice trembled with indignation and discontent, threatening to burst into something louder, but Castor nodded silently.
"My home is not part of hell, and I have no connection to your family or politics. Or do you wish to dispute these facts?" Brinel raised an eyebrow, without adding any threat or irritation to his voice. But his calm tone should have been enough.
"No, I understand," Serafall exhaled and moved away from Kuroki. "But you have to understand me too," the woman looked at him as the nekoma slowly retreated to the second floor, turning to face them. Castor noticed out of the corner of his eye that the bandage on her left leg had turned red. Bad...
"Kuroka is an SS-ranked criminal wanted for multiple brutal murders," the Lord sighed and ran a hand over his face. "She's slipped through our fingers so many times, you have no idea...
"I can't imagine it, and I don't want to. And I'm not interested in any money or favours," Castor planned to stay as far away as possible from all this stinking politics and the situation in general, so he could live his life in peace. But if there was a threat...
"Everything will turn to ice!"
"Damn, I knew it," Serafall pouted dramatically, then replaced her puffed cheeks with a smirk. "Aren't you afraid the cat will bite your throat out?"
"I don't feel any threats or even hints of them coming from her side," Brinel's smile twitched again for the umpteenth time that day. "She's irritable, but within normal limits.
"What if the forces of Hell show up here?" The mage was distracted from reheating his soup in the technological marvel known as a microwave and turned to the demon. He saw no hidden threat in her voice or posture, although the way she phrased it suggested otherwise."Then it will be the official start of a conflict that will lead to the death of an entire race or my own," Brinel took out the reheated soup and sat down at the table while Serafall silently stared at him, trying to pick something out with her sullen gaze.
"An entire race?"
"I fought in a war of extermination, Serafall Leviathan," Castor put his spoon down on his plate and looked at the demon, who froze, staring into his eyes. The mage looked emotionless, only a hint of sadness showing in his smile.
"It leaves deep scars on the soul and moral code. Scars that will never heal.
One can try to ignore them and live a life of peace and tranquillity. It is a difficult path, but the archmage is confident of his success. His logical mind, once touched by the universe itself in the form of an old friend, will not allow him to drown in old regrets and sins. Reflecting on one's past or becoming a slave to one's emotions is an extremely foolish pursuit, especially in a world where there is so much beauty to explore.
"One more month, I'll pass my exams and set off on a trip around the world," Castor smiled warmly at his own thoughts. What is this? Meeting people from other cultures and worldviews, engaging in philosophical conversations with them about religion and the world? Oh, Brinel would soon experience this for herself. The thought made her mind sink into anticipation...
"Do you have any more questions, Serafall? Or did you want to engage in conversation with me?" The mage looked up from his plate and glanced at the Lady, who looked as if she was about to explode. Her clenched fists, pouting lips, and fierce gaze said it all.
"You are an extremely strange individual," Leviathan said slowly, exhaling and finally regaining her composure. "And you are skilled at provoking others.
"Are the problems of not understanding your own stupidity and short-sightedness mine? Or those of the people who suffer from it?"
At this, the demoness literally growled.
"I haven't known you for very long, but it seems to me that your detachment and calmness are a mask for a terrible asshole..."
***
Rias looked at this strange guy, Castor, and couldn't understand what was wrong with him. That's what! The redhead frowned slightly when he silently sat down under a tree near the Occult Club and opened a book. It looked like the cover said "Crime and Punishment." Brinel stared at the pages with a serene smile, clearly enjoying his reading.
"I don't understand him..."
It wasn't easy to come to terms with this thought. Gremory was used to people around her being predictable and driven by their desires, no matter how light or dark they were. Everyone had something... something special. But this calm and constantly smiling guy? He seemed interested in literature and history, judging by his activity in class, but Rias saw no fire in his eyes. And despite his passable appearance and the aura of a detached gentleman, he was not popular because of his sharp tongue.
The demoness had never heard so much sarcasm and irony! Add to that his calm and even tone... The result was a volatile mixture that drove anyone Castor disliked crazy. However, this did not deter a few, including her queen. Akeno decided to "break" this man and enjoy the prize behind the seven seals. The red-haired girl decided to give up trying to figure out this strange guy, whose aura felt like a cool summer night. Yes, he was interesting, but how could she avoid losing her temper and reducing him to dust... Koneko, her beloved rook, said that Brinel smelled of winter, blood, and something else that the girl couldn't explain.
"Strange, just strange..."
Rias noticed out of the corner of her eye how Akeno tried to sneak up on the guy, who silently tore himself away from his book and looked straight at Himegizuma. The girl was surprised by this turn of events and almost dropped her bento from her hands. Gremoori just smiled at this. Her friend's attempts to "break" the guy looked funny.
"Miss Rias.
"Yuto, I've asked you so many times to just call me Rias..." The girl looked away from the amusing scene outside the window and turned to the speaker. The handsome blond with blue eyes and an athletic build was the dream of many girls at the academy, as well as her loyal horse.
"I'm sorry, it's a habit," the guy bowed slightly, causing Gremory to roll her eyes.
"Let's put your bad habits aside," the demoness smiled slightly, then frowned. "Did you find out anything?"
"Besides what we already know?" Kiba sighed and shook his head. "Nothing new. The same ice statues, the same handwriting, and the same ridiculous poses."
She frowned even more, placing her finger on her chin. Fugitive renegade demons had always been a problem, difficult to deal with due to their secretive nature and their love of abandoned places. What's more, their numbers were slowly dwindling: hell was still full of evil Kings and those who refused to accept their fate, which was better than that of humans. The renegades also liked to settle in their town: far from the big cities, it was easy to hide in some abandoned place and so on... But recently, their numbers had decreased, and the number of ice statues had increased.
It was unclear who was walking around their territory with Sona and destroying dangerous creatures as if it were a normal trip to the park. This bothered Rias, as did the fact that her friend had been pensive for the past week, as if something was gnawing at her.
"Thank you for the information, Kiba. And don't get involved in this matter anymore.
"Alright, g... — Yuto coughed. — Rias.
The girl smiled. She couldn't risk the lives of her beloved servants, so now she would just wait for the right moment. But... Greemory turned her head and looked out the window. Castor was also sitting under a tree with a book, and Akeno was sitting next to him, saying something to him. The boy, as always, paid no attention, flipping through the pages.
"Is it possible that Brinel is connected to these murdered renegades?"
The timing of the boy's arrival at the academy and the start of these events differed, but not by much, so maybe... Rias chuckled. From experience, she could say that coincidences were not accidental, but it wasn't worth jumping to conclusions. What if it was a false conclusion?
"Is Akeno trying to break through the ice again?" Kiba approached the window and also looked at the amusing scene. "How many times have we told her to stop?"
"Too many times to count," Gremory giggled and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "And as you can see, the result is the same."
"I think he's making fun of her," Yuto shook his head and smiled. At that moment, Rias's smile faltered. She may have given up trying to get to know Castor, but his jibes would be remembered for a long time, especially one in particular...
"They call you the queen of the academy, but you don't stand out in any way except for the size of your breasts and the colour of your hair."
That jab was very painful, but deserved. She decided to talk about it with Brinel... She knew something like this would happen! Gremoire was a fool and knew it.
"But Rias, are you sure this man is harmless?" Kiba suddenly frowned. "I don't like the way he looks..."
"Perhaps, but he hasn't done any harm yet," Rias shook her head. Her horse sometimes took things too much to heart.
"Except emotionally," the blond's crooked smile made her feel sick. No... Forget it! Forget it!
"Let's forget about him for now and talk about your training..." The demoness smiled triumphantly as Yuto turned pale. He may be a kind king, but he's very, very vindictive...
***
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