[Third Person POV]
Once inside the bakery, Riser looked for Erza, who he found already in line and had her eyes locked onto a certain confectionery good.
Like a cheetah hunting a gazelle, her eyes didn't move from her target, only growing fiercer as she closed in.
Riser joined her in line, scanning the racks for something to snack on.
By the time they reached the front of the line, Riser had decided on a croissant with a chocolate drizzle. Erza, predictably, wanted a slice of strawberry cake.
After placing their orders, the cashier took a minute to get their food, putting the cake slice on a paper plate and the croissant in a bag.
Grabbing their food, the two sat down at a table by the window, looking out at the street.
Riser opened the bag and started eating the croissant. Across the table, he saw Erza, completely still, just looking at the cake as if worshipping its existence (something he was sure she was doing).
Eventually, Erza picked up the fork and began eating the cake slowly, each bite treated as a blessing from the gods.
Riser and Erza spent the next few minutes in silence.
Riser had already finished the croissant and was now waiting for Erza. He didn't bother rushing her, knowing the terror she could inflict on someone when enraged, especially for ruining her enjoyment of a strawberry cake.
11 minutes later, Erza finally finished her cake. After tossing her trash, she and Riser left the bakery and continued walking.
They stopped at a few stores to check out what was on sale.
At the bookstore, Riser bought a few books for his room, including a beastiary he found intriguing. His family's library was obviously bigger, better, and more accurate, but books like the beastiary were nice to read to relax.
Erza got a few books too, an entire stack actually. Riser did his best to pretend the books were normal storybooks. Nothing else.
While they were out, Riser also took the chance to get Erza a phone. He wasn't sure how much she'd like the technology, but it would be a good idea for her to be able to contact him in an emergency and vice versa.
Sure, there were magic spells to call people, but phones had other uses that magic couldn't replicate by itself.
As Riser and Erza passed a high-end clothing store, a man in expensive attire emerged.
He wore a fancy suit from the Gremory brand, one of the more popular ones in the underworld. His shoes were minotaur leather, while he wore a few rings on his hands. He also had golden ear studs and sunglasses. He reminded Riser of those people who dress rich to mask their poverty.
As soon as the man stepped out and saw Erza, the two were unaware that his eyes had changed. They widened, his pupils dilating, as if he'd seen something that would change his life forever.
The man calmed himself so as not to seem overeager before walking over to the two.
"Excuse me, miss," he interrupted Erza and Riser's talk on magic swords. "I, Bekk Oris, couldn't help but notice how enchanting you were, so I just had to come and ask you to join my peerage," the man explained, quickly getting to the point.
He wasn't worried about her saying no. Why would he be? He was Bekk Oris! Recently promoted high-class devil! Who could resist such an opportunity to advance further? Besides, a lady this beautiful would only look good hanging off his-
"No thanks," Erza bluntly answered. She didn't know what was going on in that devil's head, but she was completely loyal to Riser. Not to mention Riser already wanted her to join his peerage, which she agreed to, and given his family's status, there were literally no better options she knew of.
"Excuse me?" Bekk asked, confused, that she said no, rather than having misheard.
"I said no thanks," Erza repeated. "I'm quite happy with my current master," she said, gesturing to the 8-year-old Riser beside her.
Hearing that such a beautiful woman was denying him, for a child, enraged Bekk.
"Some brat is good enough to be your master?" Bekk asked as if trying to make sense of Erza's logic. "Well, if some brat is good enough to be your master, then I must be hundreds of times better. I recommend you think carefully about who to serve," Bekk said, voice deepening as he started threatening them.
Riser, meanwhile, was watching the whole thing go down, confused at the man's actions.
'Did he really not recognize me?' Riser thought.
While not the most famous member of his family, he should still have been a familiar sight to others in Phenex territory.
Maybe it was because he was a kid and couldn't influence things yet. Maybe it was because he was the third son, and thus politically unimportant. Either way, Riser was shocked that someone would even consider threatening him while in Ashkarion.
He knew people like Kokabiel, Cao Cao, or Rizevim would be willing to do so, but the first two were complete psychopaths who didn't care for life that wasn't of their own race, while Rizevim just wanted chaos.
Riser didn't even recognize who was talking, but judging by the fact he mentioned he had a peerage, Riser deduced he must've been a noble, and given his attitude, probably a recently promoted one at that.
Still, despite the threat, Riser didn't bother taking the man seriously.
He didn't know the man's exact strength, but it was at best high-class, something he knew Erza could compete against.
The man continued trying to recruit Erza to his peerage.
Bekk tried to pressure her with his nobility. When that didn't work, he tried to bribe her with promises of wealth beyond her wildest dreams. He even had the gall to propose she become his first wife, something that finally got to Riser.
Erza was his, nobody else's.
She might not necessarily become his wife, and he would eventually have an arranged marriage with Rias. Still, Erza was undoubtedly his, and Riser didn't like how this guy was trying to take her from him, hopeless as his attempts were.
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Author's Note:
Thanks for reading; I'll see you next time!