Chapter 10: A Displeasure

Chapter 10: A Displeasure

A carriage trundled along the bumpy, winding path, its exterior rocking and swaying with each dip and jolt in the road. Despite the rough ride, the passengers within the carriage remained perfectly serene, their comfort ensured by the carriage's enchanted suspension system.

The carriage itself was driverless, with the reins being held in place by an unseen hand

In recent years, the use of traditional carriages like this one had become increasingly rare, as the majority of people had turned to more modern modes of transportation such as automobiles and airships.

However, it was still considered fashionable or traditional for nobles and those of high social standing to use carriages as a symbol of their status and wealth.

The old-fashioned mode of transportation was seen as a sign of elegance and refinement, and those who could afford to use it often did so out of a desire to display their social status.

Diablo turned his head towards the window of the carriage, resting his chin on his hand as he peered out at the approaching figure of a wrought iron gate, as the ride moved at a steady pace.

Leading the carriage towards the gate were a team of powerful stallions, their coats as dark as the night sky and their eyes red and bloodshot.

The creatures were massive, standing at least a hand taller than the average horse, with muscular bodies and thick, powerful legs. Their coats were sleek and glossy, and their manes and tails were long and flowing, almost seeming to shimmer in the light

These were no ordinary horses...They were Nightmares, known for their notoriously difficult temperament. Not the fastest, but a sign of wealth and power.

They were very hard to tame.

However, these days, the use of these beasts were rare, seen as a frivolous and unnecessary expense. A waste of time and resources

Only fools or those who were disgustingly rich would consider using them. And yet, here they were, pulling the carriage forward with a sense of unbridled strength and ferocity.

Grayfia observed her Lord, watching as he gazed out the window with a distracted expression. Her mind drifting back to their earlier conversation at the Barbatos estate. Her mind still rattled from the arguments he presented her.

While she understood the need of a personal force, quite grudgingly so, she couldn't fully understand the timing

Why now?

...Why them?

None of it made sense to her...but despite that, she trusted him. Even if his decisions turn out to be wrong in the end, she would always stand by him and face all the consequence for him

That was her role as his maid - to do anything for him, no matter the cost, no matter what the future held. She would be there for him, through thick and thin

Because to her, that was her purpose in life...to serve him, and to do anything for him...no matter what

...

An elderly butler, that carried himself with the poise and dignity of a seasoned professional, stood waiting near the front entrance, his gaze locked on the approaching carriage.

The sound of hooves clacked against the cobblestone driveway, announcing its arrival as it made its way around a fountain

The carriage, a luxurious model with gleaming gold accents and plush velvet seats, came to a stop in front of the entrance, and the butler made his way towards it with measured steps, his movements smooth and graceful despite his age. Reaching out with a show of respect, the butler opened the door of the carriage and stood back, allowing its occupants to emerge.

First to step out was a stunning silver-haired maid, her fair skin and delicate features a striking contrast to the dark fabric of her uniform. She extended her slender hand, offering assistance to a young charming boy who was making his way out of the carriage. He took the maid's hand and stepped out

The maid, in turn, silently took her place by the boy's side, standing attentively behind him

The butler, having closed the door of the carriage, approached the boy and the maid, bowing deeply with one hand on his chest.

"Greetings Lord Barbatos, it is an absolute honour to have your presence here at the Belphegor household," the butler said courteously, offering a slight bow to Grayfia, as well

However this did nothing as she simply frowned in displeasure.

"A honour, is it?" Diablo repeated, barely masking his ridicule, "If it is such an honour, I cannot help but wonder where Lord Belphegor is himself. I imagine he's busy?"

It was not customary for the head of the household to personally greet the heads of other households, but it was an unspoken rule to do, a sign of minimum respect. Especially so, when Diablo's status was above his.

"I-I deeply apologise for this inconvenience, Lord Barbatos," the butler stuttered, clearly uncomfortable and burdened by the situation, "Unfortunately, Lord Belphegor was in the middle of dining and was unable to come down to welcome you himself."

Grayfia's frown only deepened

"Is that so..." Diablo said, his eyes narrowed

The butler grimaced and hurriedly continued, "May I show you to the dining room? Lord Belphegor is eagerly awaiting your arrival, waiting to welcome you!"

Diablo stared at him for a few seconds before simply nodding.

The butler nervously gulped before bowing once more and guiding them into the house. As they entered, other servants opened the door for them and bowed as well, their faces betraying their nervousness at the situation.

As the butler led him through the mansion, Diablo couldn't help but notice the elaborate details of the interior design. The walls were adorned with intricate moldings and artwork, and sunlight filtered in through large windows, casting a warm glow over the luxurious furnishings and decor.

Despite the grandeur of the place, there was something off about the atmosphere that felt different from his own mansion back home...He couldn't quite put his finger on what it was...

Soon they arrived in-front of two grand wooden doors, with guards attentively stationed at either side

The guards bowed their heads slightly in respect before using one hand each to push the doors wide open

What came into a view was a grand dining hall

The room was filled with a long, ornate table that stretched the length of the room, lined with numerous chairs and adorned with a variety of sumptuous delicacies. Platters of roasted meats, bowls of steaming vegetables, and baskets of freshly baked breads and pastries were laid out in abundance.

At the far end of the rectangular table sat a rotund man, hogging his food with no sense of elegance

His lips were smeared with sauces, and it was unknown how he was getting his hands dirty despite him using cutlery.

The man seemed to have no regard for table manners, shovelling food into his mouth with abandon and making loud noises as he ate, manners that would befit a head of a house were not present at all. Table manners were thrown out the window

However, despite his lack of proper etiquette, he was draped in luxurious clothing, which looked quite unusual on such a man.

As the newcomers entered the room, the middle-aged man tore his gaze away from his food and looked up, an annoyed expression on his face that quickly dissipated when he saw who had arrived.

"Ah, Lord Barbatos, we have been expecting you," he said, standing up and dropping his fork and knife. A light smile appearing on his face

"May I say, how much of a delight it is to finally see the famed heir of the Barbatos here, in person. When I had first heard of your intentions to visit us, I was overjoyed. It is truly pleasure to have you here" He said boisterously with a laugh

Diablo fought the urge to roll his eyes at the man's sycophantic words.

As he spoke, Lord Belphegor hastily wiped the grease from his hands onto the cloth covering his chest before gesturing to the chairs at the table, "Please, please, do take a seat. Dine with me"

Diablo studied him for a moment before walking to the opposite end of the table and sitting down, facing him but maintaining a safe distance.

Grayfia pulled out a chair for her lord and stood behind him with practiced grace.

Lord Belphegor's eyes flicked to her, expecting her to take a seat as well, but she simply gazed back at him with a cold, monotonous expression.

He weakly smiled as he once again took his seat, taking the cutleries back in hand

"Though, I must apologise for not welcoming you outside, Lord," Lord Belphegor said, his face contorting into a look of 'remorse', "As you can see, I was in the middle of a meal and was not expecting your arrival. Haha, I'm embarrassed to admit this, but we were not quite ready. Your letter took us by surprise."

He ended as he took a bite of his steak, the juices running down his chin and onto his already grease-stained robes

"I see..." Diablo answered, disgust and frustration bubbling up inside him.

They had sent a letter to the Belphegor household a month ago, which was more than enough time to prepare for their arrival. Hell! You could even plan a damn wedding by then!

It was clear that he was making a mockery of them. Another reason why Diablo needed to increase not just his personal power but his standing as well

Diablo forced a smile, "I understand Lord Belphegor, preparations do indeed take tim-"

*BURP!*

A belch resounded from a certain man, interrupting him

"Ah, pardon me, Lord. It's hard to control these urges, old age you know, haha. I apologise...You were saying?" He ended with an 'earnest' look on his face, as he took a sip from his wine.

Diablo's smile twitched, "Nothing, Lord Belphegor"

Grayfia, who stood behind him, had tensed up. He could literally feel the fury radiating from her

'Young Master, just give me the word' Her words resounded in his mind as she used Telepathy

'No'

'But-'

'No Fia'

Grayfia grudgingly settled down, her anger still palpable

It wasn't that Diablo wasn't confident that she could take them all down.

Oh she could, every last one of the Devils here.

You are reading story Diablo in Highschool DxD at novel35.com

Even the Ultimate-Class Devils that were lurking in the walls of this very room, and the other High-Class guards outside. She could take on all of them...but that would be detrimental to his plans right now.

He could understand her anger, he was pissed off as well. The man was doing it intentionally, even though they lacked grandeur or finesse, they were all power moves. He wasn't even trying to hide it, he did not care at all...but that was ok for now, he wasn't the main objective anyway.

"Lord Barbatos, I must say this again, but I'm truly honoured to have you here. Honoured to be in the presence of the grandson of The Fallen, himself"

'The Fallen'...One of the many nicknames that had been given to his grandfather. While this particular nickname was not particularly flattering, it was not meant to be insulting either. Just in between, but a slight lean towards the negative

"I had the good fortune of meeting him once, and it was a truly memorable experience. Ah, speaking of that, Lady...uhm...Lucifuge?

...I'm not sure how to address you now. Miss Grayfia, perhaps?"

Now he was taking jabs at Grayfia

"...Miss is fine," she said coldly, with a subtle tinge of rage.

"Yes, as I was saying, Miss Grayfia was also present at the meeting I mentioned. Although we didn't have the opportunity to speak with each other directly, I did catch a glimpse of her dignified self from afar. Haha.

He paused for a moment before continuing, "She was always so close to Lord Yamamoto...some people even referred to her as his second child.

Do you remember those times, Miss Grayfia?"

Grayfia's expression faltered for a moment, a hint of sadness and bitterness creeping into her voice, "...Yes...I do.."

But before the emotion could fully take hold, her expression iced over as she continued with bite, "I recall conversing with your brother on that occasion, Lord Belphegor...however I fail to recall your presence...

Yamamoto-sama indeed mentioned your a brother a few times but he never brought you up..."

At these words, Lord Belphegor's eyes betrayed a flicker of emotion as his smile faded slightly.

"...but I'm sure he simply forgot to mention you...old age, perhaps?" she ended, her tone drenched with noticeable sarcasm as she repeated his previous remark

Now that affected him, his facial muscles twitched in response to her words, his facade of calm momentarily slipping

Diablo failed to hide his smirk at it.

He then cleared his throat, drawing the attention to him, "Speaking of your brother, my deepest condolences for your loss, Lord Belphegor. It must have been a difficult time for you and your family"

"...Yes...very sad, he was taken too early.." He answered, his stare not leaving Grayfia once

The tension between the two of them lingered for a few more seconds before Lord Belphegor finally turned his face away.

He clapped his hands once, and a group of servants quickly came to clear the table and tidy up. One of the maids approached Lord Belphegor and gently wiped his face and mouth with a white cloth

Once this was finished, Lord Belphegor stood up and turned back to Diablo, a smile once again present on his face

"Now, enough of the pleasantries. Shall we move on to business?"

Diablo smiled in return, "Certainly"

"Ah then please follow me to my office, we can discuss everything there"

---

(1 hour later)

Diablo POV:

I walked out of his office and met the gaze of my maid who was standing guard outside.

She stood at attention, her posture impeccable as she waited for my next move. I remained silent as I stood next to her,

I had got what I wanted...

*RING!*

The sound of a bell ringing filled the air

A servant, who had been waiting just down the hall, rushed into the room, bowing deeply to us before disappearing inside. After a few moments, the servant reappeared and stopped in front of us, bowing once more.

"Lord Barbatos, if you would be so kind as to follow me," she said, her voice shaking slightly with nervousness.

I gently nodded and followed the servant as she led the way.

The contents for my discussion with Lord Belphegor weren't really noteworthy. We simply made a business deal.

Back in the Barbatos Estate, I was probing around the news of the entire Underworld, gathering information about its current events. I was trying to get a sense of where I was in the timeline and to learn about any significant developments that might have occured.

It was during this process that I got hold of the news stating that the Belphegor clan was seeking to purchase some land in the Underworld, they wanted to get involved in some kind of business

The Belphegor clan was a member of the Extra Demons and as I had mentioned before, they were a group of clans that had purposely separated themselves from the current Devil Society, not wanting to involve itself with the governing body.

This detachment had left them with limited connections and opportunities, leading them to struggle in securing desirable deals. Thus, they had received a bunch of costly and potentially risky business ventures

I fished for more information, and from what I got...I made a move

I had sent a letter to them, attempting to negotiate a deal for the sale of a parcel of land belonging to the Barbatos clan. This was obviously going to make them wary, as it was unexpected and my motivations were unknown...and it was well known fact that last thing the Barbatos Clan needed was wealth, so I knew I had to present a different proposal.

In an effort to appeal to the Belphegor clan, I offered a different deal...instead of just money, I asked for their guidance in political matters in exchange for the land

Which was bullshit by the way, as I had said before, the Belphegor clan was affiliated with the Extra Demons, who had exuded themselves from the Devil society. The last clan anyone would ask political advice on, would be these clans...

...but it wasn't anyone that asked them

...Not just any rival clan

...It was the sole heir of a dying house, an 'entitled' and 'pampered' child who hoped to use their inherited status to 'manipulate the situation' to their advantage.

I did everything in my power to convey my 'desperation' for the deal in the letter I sent. All of my actions since arriving here have been motivated by this 'desperation'

The fact that I offered to come to their clan instead of inviting them to ours, knowing full well that this would put me at a disadvantage

The fact that I had Nightmares, serving to further demonstrate my 'lack of responsibility' when it comes to managing the wealth of the clan.

The fact that Grayfia and I came alone, with no one else to support us or provide backup (not that there was anyone else that could come with us...)

This only added to my 'vulnerability' and made us seem less intimidating

The fact that I remained quiet during his disrespect in the dining hall and not pursing on the fact that he failed to personally welcome us and pressing him on it.

...and also the fact that since the moment I had arrived, I have acted as spoiled and dependant as possible, nearly all my actions were aided in some sort of way by Grayfia.

I showed him my 'vulnerability', due to this he probably thinks I'm nothing but spoiled naive kid who knows nothing, easy to manipulate

These negative perceptions of me had likely been exacerbated by the rumours that have circulated about me within the Noble Devil society...Yeah, I'll come to that later

It was also due to this that as soon as we entered the privacy of his office, away from Grayfia's watchful eye, the man's entire demeanour seemed to shift. He became much more relaxed and informal, launching into a series of negotiations over the price of the land I was selling.

Despite my initial apparent 'reservations', he managed to wear me down with his persistent haggling, and I eventually agreed to part with the property for a sum that was significantly lower than its true value...

He was probably thinking he hit the jackpot with me...but alas, he couldn't be more mistaken...

The servant took us along a spiralling stairway that eventual led into a hallway, my heart raced nervously

...it was the first time I was about to do...what I was about to do..

After what felt like an eternity, we finally reached the end of the hallway as the servant halted

She knocked on the door

"Miss, the guests are here to see you," she called out, her voice carrying through the thick wood.

There was a brief silence before a reply came from the other side of the door. It was a voice like honey - smooth, sultry, and full of charm, "Let them in"

The maid obediently opened the door, gesturing for us to enter with a respectful bow of her head.

The door closed behind us with a soft click, as we stepped over the threshold and into the room beyond, and what came into view was woman seated before us, in all her breathtaking beauty. Her piercing eyes locking onto mine

There she was...the reason I had come all this way...

Roygun Belphegor

---

{{NOTE from Author-san:

- A lot of the shit is not explained yet, so just wait for the next chapter before commenting about it. All the stuff about Roygun and about the Belphegor clan would be explained in the next chap, so yea :) }}

You can find story with these keywords: Diablo in Highschool DxD, Read Diablo in Highschool DxD, Diablo in Highschool DxD novel, Diablo in Highschool DxD book, Diablo in Highschool DxD story, Diablo in Highschool DxD full, Diablo in Highschool DxD Latest Chapter