Not the peaceful silence from before.
This one felt...
Reverent.
The colossal summoning circle that had dominated the room was at last unraveling, ancient runes breaking apart into motes of crimson and gold that drifted through the air like dying stars. The oppressive pressure blanketing the Gremory estate eased with every passing second, allowing the room to breathe again.
The scent of ozone remained.
So did the faint aroma of heated steel.
Somewhere beneath it all lingered something older.
Ancient.
Like rain falling across dragon scales that had witnessed the birth of kingdoms.
Nobody spoke.
Not Lucien.
Not Grayfia.
Not even Erza.
The newly summoned dragonborn remained kneeling exactly where she had sworn her oath, armored fist resting against her breastplate.
Perfectly still.
Like a knight awaiting her king's first command.
Kuroka's golden eyes wandered between them.
First...
Lucien.
Then...
Erza's crimson horns.
Then...
The long dragon tail resting behind the knight.
Her own twin tails began swaying.
Slowly.
A grin spread across her face.
"Nya..."
Lucien immediately recognized that smile.
His shoulders slumped.
"...Don't."
"It looks like Master Lucien really does have a thing for tails."
Grayfia slowly closed her eyes.
Lucien pinched the bridge of his nose.
"It was a compatibility summon."
"Mhmm."
"I didn't choose her."
"Mhmm."
"The System did."
"Mhmm."
Kuroka folded her arms.
"So your mysterious System looked across countless worlds..."
"...and decided the perfect Knight just happened to be another beautiful woman with dragon horns and a tail."
Lucien opened then closed his mouth.
"...When you put it like that..."
She beamed.
"Nya!"
Erza blinked.
Once.
Twice.
A tiny crease appeared between her brows.
"...Is this normal?"
Grayfia answered without missing a beat.
"No."
Lucien sighed.
"It has become normal."
For the first time...
A nearly invisible smile touched Erza's lips.
Barely noticeable.
Gone almost immediately.
But it had been there.
The atmosphere finally loosened.
The impossible tension that had filled the room since the summoning eased, replaced by something warmer.
Then...
The System chimed.
[Party Chat Unlocked.]
[Peerage Synchronization Complete.]
[Knight Piece Successfully Integrated.]
[First Peerage Formation Milestone Achieved.]
Lucien smiled.
"Looks like we finally..."
His sentence stopped.
The smile vanished.
His heartbeat skipped.
The world tilted.
At first...
Only slightly.
Then violently.
The floor lurched beneath him.
His vision blurred.
Golden windows split and doubled before his eyes, blurring until they melted into long, indistinct streaks of light.
His breathing became uneven.
Every magic circuit throughout his body screamed in protest.
The System reacted instantly.
[Warning.]
[Magical burnout detected.]
[Current mana reserves critically depleted.]
[Soul Synchronization Overextended.]
[Host exceeded safe summoning threshold.]
[Emergency Recovery Recommended.]
"...Master?"
Kuroka's ears flattened.
Lucien reached toward the nearest table.
His hand missed completely.
"...Huh..."
His voice sounded strangely distant.
"...I don't..."
He never finished.
Lucien's knees buckled.
The room spun.
Every ounce of strength vanished from his body at once.
He fell.
Before his body struck the floor...
Erza moved without conscious thought.
She crossed the distance with astonishing speed, catching him before his shoulders could hit the marble.
Almost simultaneously...
Kuroka slid beside them, wrapping an arm around Lucien while her tails fluffed anxiously behind her.
"Master!"
Grayfia appeared before either of them realized she'd moved.
Her silver eyes flashed.
She pressed two fingers against Lucien's forehead.
Magic flowed immediately.
Cold.
Precise.
Measured.
Her expression darkened.
"...He's emptied nearly every reserve."
Kuroka's playful smile disappeared.
"...Is he going to be okay?"
Grayfia didn't answer immediately.
Instead...
She examined the remnants of the summoning circle.
The broken Knight Piece.
The lingering dragon mana.
The strange power she still couldn't identify.
Only then did she understand.
"...He forced his soul to maintain a bridge between worlds."
Even for High-Class Devils...
Such a feat bordered on madness.
For someone Lucien's age...
It should have been impossible.
Grayfia looked down at her unconscious son.
A mixture of pride...
Concern...
And quiet fear flickered behind her usually unreadable eyes.
"...Carry him."
Erza answered immediately.
"Yes."
Without the slightest strain, she lifted Lucien into a princess carry, treating the unconscious King with remarkable care despite the enormous strength hidden beneath her dragonborn physique.
Grayfia watched her for a brief moment.
Interesting.
No hesitation.
No awkwardness.
Only instinct.
Like someone protecting something precious.
Perhaps...
The fabricated memories weren't entirely fabricated anymore.
As they left the ruined chamber...
The final remnants of the summoning circle vanished.
The room fell silent once more.
But somewhere...
Far beyond the walls of the Gremory estate...
The ripples created by Lucien's first summon were only beginning.
Morning sunlight spilled through the towering windows of Lucien's chambers, painting long bands of gold across polished marble.
The room was quiet.
Golden morning light spilled through the tall windows, painting soft patterns across the polished floor.
Outside, birds greeted the dawn from the cherry trees surrounding the Gremory estate.
Inside...
One person was already awake.
Erza stood before the open window, her back perfectly straight.
Her crimson cloak rested neatly across the chair behind her, leaving only the fitted silver tunic beneath her armor. The cool breeze stirred loose strands of scarlet hair while the first rays of sunrise reflected across the crimson scales tracing her shoulder.
Her dragon tail rested quietly against the floor.
Not once had she looked away from the horizon.
Behind her...
Lucien stirred beneath the silk sheets.
His body protested every movement.
"... Ugh..."
His magic circuits still ached, not with pain but with the strange emptiness left behind after exhausting nearly every ounce of demonic power he possessed.
"..."
His eyelids slowly fluttered open.
The familiar canopy of his bed greeted him first.
The first person he noticed wasn't Grayfia.
Or Kuroka.
It was the dragonborn standing watch.
He blinked.
"You couldn't sleep?"
Erza glanced toward him.
"I slept."
Lucien frowned.
"... Then why are you standing there?"
She answered without hesitation.
"A knight watches over her King."
There wasn't even the slightest hint of embarrassment.
To Erza...
It was simply the truth.
Lucien rubbed his forehead.
"You don't have to stand guard every second."
"I know."
"... Then why?"
A faint smile touched her lips.
"Because I wished to."
Lucien laughed quietly.
"I think I'm going to have to get used to that."
Lucien blinked.
"...Why are you looking at me like that?"
Kuroka's ears immediately perked up.
"Master!"
Before anyone could stop her, she leaned over the bed, wrapping both arms around him.
"You idiot!"
Her twin tails puffed outward.
"You scared your kitten half to death, nya!"
Lucien laughed weakly despite the soreness radiating through his body.
"I've been awake for five seconds..."
"You collapsed!"
"I noticed."
She lightly smacked his shoulder.
"...Ow."
"...Serves you right."
Despite her teasing, Lucien noticed something unusual.
The corners of Kuroka's eyes were faintly red.
She really had been worried.
His smile softened.
"...Sorry."
She huffed dramatically.
"...You're forgiven."
"...This time."
Only after Kuroka reluctantly stepped back did Grayfia move.
Without saying a word...
She rested the back of her hand against his forehead.
Cool.
Gentle.
Professional.
She remained there for several long moments.
"The fever has broken."
She nodded almost imperceptibly.
"Good."
Lucien blinked.
"...You were worried?"
Grayfia looked at him as though he'd asked whether water was wet.
"You collapsed."
"You exhausted nearly every drop of magical power your body possessed."
"The estate's physicians remained outside this room until dawn."
She folded her hands together.
"You are my son."
"Of course I was worried."
The words were spoken with the same composed tone she used when discussing estate finances.
Yet somehow...
They carried more warmth than a thousand emotional speeches.
Lucien felt something tighten quietly inside his chest.
"...Thanks, Mom."
Grayfia's silver eyes softened for only an instant.
Grayfia rested two fingers against Lucien's wrist.
Pale silver magic flowed through his body.
She examined every magic circuit one by one.
Only after several long moments did she exhale.
"...Good."
The tightness around her eyes eased.
Lucien smiled weakly.
"I'm okay, Mother."
She looked at him.
"...You frightened me."
She returned to being Grayfia Lucifuge.
"Drink."
She handed him a crystal glass filled with cool water infused with restorative mana.
Lucien accepted it immediately.
"...Yes, Mother."
Behind Grayfia...
Erza stood perfectly straight.
She hadn't moved since he'd awakened.
She looked almost guilty.
When Lucien noticed her expression, he tilted his head.
"Erza?"
She immediately bowed.
"My King."
Lucien nearly choked on his water.
"...You really don't have to call me that every sentence."
"It is proper."
"...Lucien works."
"I cannot."
"...Master?"
"...Better."
Kuroka burst into laughter.
"Nya!"
"I told you she's serious!"
Erza looked genuinely confused.
"...Was I amusing?"
Kuroka laughed even harder.
Grayfia pinched the bridge of her nose.
"This household is becoming louder by the day..."
There was a faint knock at the door.
Venelana walked inside with a tray herself.
Not servants.
Just her.
"I heard my grandson collapsed."
Lucien smiles.
"Grandmother."
Unlike Sirzechs...
Venelana immediately hugs him.
"Don't frighten your grandmother like that again."
Lucien smiles awkwardly.
"I'll try."
Grayfia almost smiles.
Kuroka notices.
Erza quietly watches.
She has never seen a noble family interact like this.
That tells readers a lot without exposition.
Sirzechs was the last to arrive.
Not with a hug.
Not with doting.
Only a sharp look.
"You overextended yourself."
Lucien nods.
"... Yes."
"You endangered yourself."
"... Yes."
"You endangered everyone protecting you."
"... Yes."
Long silence.
Then...
"... Good."
Lucien blinks.
Sirzechs continues.
"That means you've learned something."
Then...
"I'm proud you survived."
Not "I'm proud of you."
"I'm proud you survived."
Grayfia rolls her eyes.
Venelana smiles knowingly.
Lucien understands exactly what his father means.
The Chaos Within
After confirming Lucien was well enough to sit upright, Grayfia dismissed the physicians waiting outside.
The bedroom became quiet once again.
Morning sunlight danced across the floor.
Outside...
The estate had already awakened.
Gardeners trimmed hedges.
Servants hurried through marble corridors.
Somewhere in the distance, Lucien heard the faint laughter of children belonging to lesser noble families visiting the estate.
Life had returned to normal.
For everyone except him.
Grayfia sat gracefully beside the bed.
Her silver eyes studied Erza carefully.
Not with hostility.
With calculation.
She had personally witnessed the impossible summoning.
She had felt the foreign power that rewrote the Underworld's laws.
Now she observed its result.
"Lady Erza."
Erza immediately straightened.
"Lady Grayfia."
"You possess considerable magical power."
"I do."
"You possess dragon blood."
"Correct."
"You possess knightly training."
"Since childhood."
Grayfia nodded once.
"I suspected as much."
Lucien looked between them.
"...Mother?"
Grayfia finally turned toward him.
"I wished to evaluate your newest Peerage member."
She glanced back toward Erza.
"I find her... satisfactory."
Coming from Grayfia...
That was almost extravagant praise.
Erza lowered her head respectfully.
"Thank you."
Lucien smiled.
"I think you'll all get along."
Kuroka immediately snorted.
"Nya."
Grayfia and Erza both looked at her.
"What?"
"I just don't believe life is ever that easy."
...
Several seconds of silence followed.
Then...
Grayfia sighed.
"...Neither do I."
Lucien carefully explained everything.
The System.
The Rare Summoning Token.
The compatibility calculations.
The Peerage Link.
The fabricated memories woven into reality.
Grayfia listened without interrupting.
Only once did her composure visibly falter.
"...Repeat that last part."
Lucien swallowed.
"The System says Erza's mother is Irene Belserion."
Grayfia nodded slowly.
"And?"
"...She is Ddraig's only niece."
Silence.
Even Kuroka stopped smiling.
Grayfia stared at Lucien for several long moments.
"...That explains the dragon aura."
"...Mother?"
"It also explains why yesterday's summoning affected the entire Underworld."
Lucien blinked.
"...The entire Underworld?"
Grayfia nodded.
"Sirzechs."
"Ajuka."
"Several members of the old nobility."
"They all sensed it."
Lucien slowly covered his face.
"...Wonderful."
Kuroka giggled.
"You've been awake for ten minutes."
"You've already become an international incident."
"...Please stop helping."
Grayfia rose elegantly.
"There is one final matter."
Lucien immediately became wary.
"...Should I be concerned?"
"Yes."
She answered far too quickly.
"Your fiancées are arriving this morning."
Silence.
Lucien froze.
"...My what?"
Kuroka's grin returned with terrifying speed.
"Nya~"
Erza blinked.
"...Fiancées?"
Lucien slowly buried his face in his hands.
"...Can I go back to being unconscious?"
"No."
"...Worth asking."
Grayfia turned toward the door.
"You have thirty minutes."
"Wash."
"Dress."
"And present yourself as the heir of House Lucifuge."
She paused before leaving.
"And try not to collapse again."
"I make no promises."
"I expected that answer."
With a ripple of silver magic...
Grayfia disappeared.
The room remained silent.
Then…
Kuroka quietly flicked his forehead. "Don't do that again."
Lucien smiles. "I'll try."
She shook her head. "No, promise me. You promised me a family."
Lucien looks at her.
Really looks.
Before he slowly nods. "... I promise."
Kuroka leaned toward Lucien with a wicked, playful smile.
"So..."
Lucien immediately pointed a finger at her.
"Don't."
"...Your harem-peerage is growing nicely, Master."
"I knew it."
Erza tilted her head.
"...What is a harem?"
Lucien closed his eyes.
"...I refuse to answer that."
Kuroka laughed so hard she nearly fell off the bed.
The Heirs Assemble
Thirty minutes later...
The grand dining hall of House Gremory was already alive with quiet conversation.
Morning sunlight streamed through towering stained-glass windows depicting the ancient victories of House Gremory.
Long crimson banners hung between marble pillars. Crystal chandeliers bathed the polished mahogany table in warm light, while silver cutlery and fine porcelain reflected generations of noble tradition.
Every servant bowed.
"Lady Grayfia."
Then...
Another sound.
Click.
Click.
Click.
The measured rhythm of high heels echoed through the corridor beyond the dining hall.
Conversation stopped.
Even veteran servants instinctively straightened.
Lucien looked toward the entrance.
The pressure arrived before the women did.
One was suffocatingly elegant.
The other...
Cold enough to freeze the room.
Grayfia looked toward the doorway.
"They're here."
Lucien's heartbeat sped up.
His fiancées.
The first woman entered.
Every servant lowered their head.
Beauty beyond reason.
Long black hair.
Golden eyes.
An elegant white gown.
She carried herself like royalty.
Yet the look she gave Kuroka...
Then Erza...
Could have frozen hell itself.
Albedo.
Her smile never reached her eyes.
The second woman followed.
Blue hair.
Military uniform.
Hands resting calmly behind her back.
Unlike Albedo...
She wasn't studying Kuroka.
She wasn't studying Erza.
She was studying...
Lucien.
Every instinct she possessed immediately began measuring him.
Strength.
Potential.
Resolve.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
Interesting.
Esdeath had met countless warriors.
This boy...
Didn't possess overwhelming power.
Yet somehow...
She found herself wanting to know how strong he could become.
Lucien suddenly felt like prey.
Kuroka leaned close.
"... Master..."
"... The blue-haired one is looking at you like she wants to challenge you."
Lucien whispered back.
"... The black-haired one looks like she wants to kill both of you."
"... New."
"... I noticed."
Grayfia sighed.
"This..."
"... is going to be a long engagement."
For several heartbeats...
No one spoke.
Albedo's gaze drifted toward Kuroka.
Then...
To Erza.
Her smile never faltered.
It simply became...
Sharper.
"So..."
Her voice remained perfectly graceful.
"Our fiancé certainly keeps interesting company."
Kuroka instinctively took one cautious step behind Lucien.
"Nya..."
"...She smiled."
"...Why do I suddenly feel threatened?"
Erza merely met Albedo's gaze without flinching.
Knight recognizing queen.
Neither willing to yield.
Across the table...
Esdeath ignored the tension entirely.
Her eyes remained fixed on Lucien.
Not with affection.
With assessment.
Interesting.
He had survived a summoning that shook the Underworld.
His magical reserves were exhausted.
Yet he still stood straight.
Still met every gaze without lowering his own.
A slow smile spread across her lips.
"So..."
She rested her chin upon one hand.
"You're stronger than the reports suggested."
Lucien smiled politely.
"I hope that's a compliment."
"It is."
She stood.
"I dislike weak men."
Kuroka leaned toward Erza.
"...She's scary too."
Erza nodded once.
"...Yes."
Grayfia clapped her hands once.
The room immediately fell silent.
"Enough."
"Introductions may continue later."
Her silver eyes swept across the six young nobles gathered before her.
"Breakfast first."
"Training afterward."
Lucien blinked.
"...Training?"
Grayfia smiled.
A small smile.
One that somehow made everyone straighten instinctively.
"I would like to see exactly what kind of companions my son has gathered."
Esdeath's smile widened.
Albedo's golden eyes gleamed.
Erza stood a little straighter.
Kuroka muttered under her breath.
"...Nya."
"...This is going to be a long day."
The gates slowly opened.
Rows upon rows of enchanted weapons floated in the air.
Ancient magic circles awakened beneath the stone.
Training golems slowly activated.
Even Erza paused.
Grayfia stopped walking.
Turned.
Looked at all three.
Then smiled.
"A true King..."
"... cannot stand alone."
Her silver eyes shifted between Kuroka...
Erza...
... and Lucien.
"So today..."
"... your peerage begins its first lesson."