After leaving the former Palace of the Great President of Hell, Alear used his teleportation magic to travel directly to the mines in the territory of the Gäap family.
He appeared at the top of a small hill, from where he had a privileged view of the entire area.
Before him stretched a complex of simple but well-built houses. It was an organized village, with dozens of two-story residences, stone walls reinforced with dark wood and sloped roofs. The houses were modest but had an air of dignity, small verandas, community gardens with black and red flowers, and a magical lighting system that kept the streets well lit even during the night in the Underworld. There was also a central square with a fountain, an improvised school, and a community hall where the workers could gather.
Right behind the village rose the true jewel of the region: an enormous crystal mine. The main entrance was a colossal cave, more than fifty meters high, whose inner walls shimmered with multicolored crystals that emitted a soft, hypnotic light. Magical transport rails ran through the interior, and floating platforms carried the miners to the depths.
Hundreds of workers, low-class devils—most of them former Gremory employees—had been gathered in the central square by the administrators of the Agares Family, who had begun managing the crystal mines that day.
Alear observed the activity in the village for a few moments before starting to descend the hill. His presence quickly drew attention. As he approached the square, conversations gradually ceased, tools were lowered, and curious eyes turned toward him.
Just before reaching the main square, a gray-haired man walked quickly in his direction. Despite his advanced age, he maintained an upright posture and a robust physique, shaped by decades of hard work. He wore an elegant three-piece black suit, impeccably tailored, contrasting with the white gloves covering his calloused hands. His time-worn face conveyed severity, but his eyes revealed intelligence and loyalty. As soon as he stopped in front of Alear, he bowed deeply.
"Welcome, Archduke Häagenti." His voice was firm and filled with respect. "My name is Sebastian Agares. I am the younger brother of Lord Agares and, consequently, the uncle of your future wife. I have currently been tasked with managing these mines and the workers' village. It is an honor to finally meet you."
Alear simply gave a slight nod.
"The honor is mine, Sebastian. So you are Seekvaira's uncle?" A faint smile appeared on his face. "You can just call me Alear. There's no need to be so formal."
Sebastian shook his head in refusal, maintaining his impeccable posture.
"I'm afraid I cannot do that, my lord. It would be disrespectful to your position." He paused briefly before continuing. "May I ask the reason for your visit? If we had been informed in advance, we would have prepared a reception worthy of your arrival."
Alear slightly pursed his lips upon realizing just how rigid the man before him was.
It was enough to observe his impeccable posture to understand that Sebastian took his position and responsibilities extremely seriously. More than that, he conveyed the image of the perfect butler: disciplined, polite, discreet, and absolutely loyal to the Agares Family. Alear had already heard about the younger brother of the former Lord Agares. Unlike most nobles, Sebastian had voluntarily renounced any claim to becoming the patriarch of the Agares family. Not due to lack of ability, but because he desired a peaceful life and held an almost unshakable admiration for his older brother. He was a man practically devoid of personal ambitions, who seemed to find satisfaction only in serving his family to the best of his ability...
In addition, he was extremely strong. The aura emanating from his body was discreet yet overwhelming. Without even needing to use his [Mystic Eyes], Alear could already affirm that the man before him was more powerful than King Tepes, the vampire he had faced earlier, and possessed an even more impressive physique than his own. If the two fought to the end, even using all the cards he had, he estimated that his chances of victory would not exceed forty percent... Of course, he still had confidence in killing him with a single attack, especially now with [Merodach] in his hands, and his [Tsubame Gaeshi] technique available...
But the two had no reason to fight. On the contrary, they were now on the same side.
"There's no need for that," Alear replied casually. "I just wanted to see the place personally."
Sebastian blinked for a brief moment, surprised.
"…I see."
Behind him, hundreds of workers had completely stopped their work. Men and women of low class watched Alear in absolute silence. Some showed curiosity, others distrust. There were those who looked at him with admiration, those who seemed nervous, and even those who simply didn't know how to react in front of someone who, until a few days ago, had been only a distant name.
Noticing that all eyes were on him, Alear took a few steps forward, positioning himself in the center of the square.
"I imagine many of you have already heard of me." His voice was calm but firm enough to reach everyone present. "Even so, I think it's fairer to introduce myself personally. My name is Alear G. Häagenti. I am the Lord of the Häagenti and Gäap Families… and also the true master of this territory, whose administration was temporarily under the responsibility of the Gremory Family."
As soon as he finished speaking, practically all the workers bowed in unison.
"It is an honor to meet you, Archduke Häagenti!"
The chorus echoed across the entire square.
Alear maintained a serene expression, though he seemed somewhat resigned.
"You don't need to be so formal. I didn't come here to be treated as someone unreachable. I came because I wanted to meet the people who make this territory work every day."
The workers exchanged discreet glances.
"While I'm here, I'd prefer you to speak to me naturally. Continue respecting the hierarchy when necessary, of course… but I don't want every word directed at me to sound like part of a ceremony."
Some devils widened their eyes.
This was completely different from the attitude they expected from a member of the high nobility. In some aspects, it reminded them of how the Gremory Family treated their subordinates, although Alear was much more direct and pragmatic. There was respect, but without the insistence on calling everyone "family" or the almost paternal kindness that characterized the Gremorys...
Alear continued, keeping the same calm tone.
"I also don't intend to judge anyone by the position they were born into. What really matters to me is each person's character, competence, and dedication. I imagine you have all already been informed about the benefits and conditions you will have while working under my command, and that's precisely why you decided to stay here." He paused briefly before adding: "But benefits come with responsibilities. In return, I expect everyone to give their best. I can say, without any exaggeration, that among all the paid jobs available in the Underworld, you are among the best-treated workers."
The words were simple, without any grand speech.
Precisely because of that, they sounded sincere.
The tension that dominated the square began to fade little by little. Some workers relaxed their shoulders, others exchanged discreet smiles, and even the most distrustful ones started to see that young patriarch in a different light.
Afterward, Alear remained in the square for some time, talking with the workers without any hurry. He wanted to know how long each one had been working there, what the biggest daily difficulties were, whether the accommodations were comfortable, whether the children were attending the small village school, and even whether the food provided by the former administrators was sufficient to sustain those who spent the entire day inside the mines. Many answered timidly at first, unsure of how an Archduke would react to complaints or suggestions, but as they realized he was genuinely listening attentively to every response, the conversation began to flow naturally.
Before long, several workers were already speaking much more comfortably. An old miner explained that the excavation equipment used in some galleries was old and required a lot of physical effort, while a woman responsible for the community kitchen commented that it would be good to expand the food storage to avoid waste during the Underworld's summer. A young supervisor suggested increasing the number of carts used to transport the crystals, as production had been growing in recent years. Alear listened attentively, making small notes in a notebook he took from his inventory. He didn't promise to solve every problem immediately, but he assured them he would analyze all the suggestions and implement those that truly improved working conditions...
Sebastian watched the scene almost without blinking. He had managed Agares Family properties for centuries and had met countless nobles, yet he had never seen someone in Alear's position spend so much time listening to ordinary workers. Most would simply delegate that function to administrators and never set foot in the place again. However, the young Archduke seemed to perfectly understand that efficient administration did not depend only on numbers recorded in reports, but also on the opinions of the people who carried out the work every day.
Another thing he noticed was that in a short time, Alear had achieved something many nobles never accomplished in their entire lives: awakening the trust of those low-class devils!
It was no wonder he was known as the 'political genius' among the high nobility!
After talking with practically everyone present, Alear asked Sebastian to escort him to the entrance of the mine. As soon as they passed through the enormous stone gates, a current of cold air swept through the large main tunnel. Crystals of dozens of different colors covered the walls and ceiling, creating a spectacle of lights that transformed the interior of the mountain into something almost supernatural. Rails ran the entire length of the galleries, while magical platforms transported large loads to the surface.
"Previously, the Gremory Family sold the crystals extracted from here to the Agares Family, charging a price that, on many occasions, was above market value," Alear commented while watching a group of workers unload a large box full of red crystals. "But now that the administration of this territory has passed directly into the hands of the Agares Family… you will practically have access to these crystals at extraction cost. I imagine the family's profits will increase considerably from now on."
Sebastian responded immediately, as if he had already reflected on it countless times.
"I believe not as much as yours, my lord."
A faint smile appeared on Alear's face.
"That's true. The agreement signed between our families ended up being quite advantageous for me." He shifted his gaze to the mine's activity before continuing. "But in the end, that doesn't matter much. Our families are allies. The more prosperous the Häagenti family or the Agares Family becomes, the greater the prosperity for all of us."
Sebastian seemed discreetly satisfied with the answer.
The two resumed walking...
As they walked through the galleries, Alear used his [Mystic Eyes] to analyze the entire structure of the mountain. Entire veins of crystals still remained untouched hundreds of meters below the surface. There were enough riches to keep those mines operating for many decades, perhaps centuries, if properly managed. In addition, he found small concentrations of extremely rare magical minerals hidden in yet unexplored regions.
"Interesting…" he murmured.
Sebastian immediately noticed his interest.
"Did something happen, my lord?"
"Perhaps new galleries can be opened in the future. But that will be for another occasion. Before any expansion, I want to ensure that everything is functioning as well as possible."
The visit continued for hours. Alear toured practically all the important facilities in the region: the warehouses, the supervisors' accommodations, the tool storage, the mine ventilation systems, and even the small medical posts installed near the deepest galleries. Whenever he found a problem, he limited himself to making objective observations, asking how they planned to solve it or suggesting simple alternatives to increase efficiency without unnecessarily raising costs.
When the sun of the Underworld began to slowly disappear on the horizon, tinting the reddish sky with orange tones, Alear finally let out a long sigh.
"I've seen enough for today."
Sebastian gave a slight bow.
"I hope our administration has met your expectations."
"It has," Alear replied sincerely. "There are still several things that can be improved, but you started today. It wouldn't make sense to expect perfection on the very first day."
The administrator seemed discreetly relieved to hear those words.
"We will do our best to meet your expectations."
"I'm sure you will."
Before leaving, Alear returned to the main square to say goodbye to the workers. Many had already returned to their activities, while others were ending their shift for the day. As soon as they noticed his approach, several waved respectfully, some even smiling. The atmosphere was now completely different from the tense reception he had encountered a few hours earlier.
Alear simply waved back.
"Keep working hard. Next time I come, I hope to hear good news."
"Yes, my lord!"
The responses came almost in unison.
With one last look at the village, Alear activated his teleportation magic again, appearing directly in the office of his mansion, expecting to find only silence and the pile of documents he had left earlier. However, as soon as the light of the teleportation dissipated, he froze in place...
Sitting comfortably in his own chair behind the desk, with her legs crossed and swinging her feet, was his future wife, Serafall Leviathan!
She was wearing her usual Magical Girl outfit. In one hand she held a cup of tea, while in the other she casually flipped through some of the documents he had left behind. As soon as she saw him appear, her blue eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and joy.
"Ale-chan~! You're finally back!"
Serafall placed the teacup on the desk with a graceful movement and practically jumped from the chair toward him, wrapping him in a tight hug before he could react.
"You took so long! I've been waiting here for almost an hour…" She complained with an exaggerated pout, pressing him against her chest. "Ravel-chan told me you went personally to deal with the Gäap family territory…"
Alear let out a resigned sigh, returning the hug with one arm while his other hand rested naturally on her waist.
"Serafall… Did you really invade my office and sit in my chair?"
"It's a very comfortable chair…" She replied without any shame, pulling her face back just enough to look him in the eyes, still not releasing the hug. "Besides, I'm your fiancée. I can sit wherever I want, right?"
She tilted her head to the side, with a mischievous yet sweet smile.
Her expression then suddenly became serious.
"….Ale-chan, we need to talk about the Gremory family…"
_______________
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