Chapter 49: The Gathering of Ambition
The Bael estate shimmered beneath a veil of twilight, its gothic spires reaching toward the reddening sky. The gathering of young high-class Devils was in full swing—elegant, calculated, and brimming with silent competition.
Volundr Agares arrived not in flashy armor or with a noble entourage, but with quiet dignity. A tailored black suit hugged his frame, adorned only by the blue and silver crest of House Agares over his chest. A subtle reminder—he did not need to flaunt power to possess it.
The courtyard was filled with nobles sipping enchanted wine and making veiled threats behind courtly smiles. Volundr's eyes scanned the crowd with clinical precision.
"You came."
The booming, familiar voice cut through the chatter.
Volundr turned to see Sairaorg Bael, tall and built like a temple of muscle, striding toward him in formal wear barely able to contain his frame.
"Of course. Lord Bael's invitation is hard to ignore," Volundr replied, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
Sairaorg clapped him on the back with a force that would stagger most men. Volundr took the blow like stone.
"You've been making waves, Volundr. Rescuing half-bloods, refining your training, even keeping the old nobles guessing."
"I act where I must. No more, no less."
"Still, you've earned my respect," Sairaorg said, eyes gleaming. "When time allows, let's test each other. Fists, no magic. Just will."
Volundr nodded without hesitation. "Strength sharpens strength. I accept."
Social Maneuvering Begins
The dance of politics began the moment the two separated.
Volundr found himself approached by Lucien Glasya-Labolas, son of a prideful house steeped in tradition. His words were polite—his tone, anything but.
"The Agares heir, so young yet so... active. Do you believe you can rewrite the structure of our world with rescue missions and clever speeches?"
Volundr met the noble's narrowed gaze calmly.
"No. But I can reshape it over time. One move at a time. Quietly. Thoroughly."
Nearby, Lady Silene Belial watched with veiled interest. She stepped closer, intrigued.
"I heard you're building your own war room. Planning a game of kings already?"
"Only a fool steps into battle blind," Volundr said. "And the board's already set. I'm merely learning the rules before I bend them."
Not all were hostile. A few from minor houses, like Camille Zepar and Elias Phenex, approached with cautious interest. They asked about his techniques, his views on peerage strategy, his insights into Sacred Gear fusion. Volundr shared just enough—always more questions than answers, always weaving.
He made mental notes:
Zepar: intrigued by innovation.
Phenex: uncertain, but flexible.
Glasya-Labolas: staunch traditionalist.
Belial: unpredictable but intelligent.
He walked the hall like a spider threading a web.
A Quiet Moment
As the evening neared its close, Volundr stood by a balcony, gazing at the stars. Sairaorg joined him again, this time silent.
"Some of them won't accept you," Sairaorg said after a pause.
"I know."
"But I'm glad you're shaking the cage. Devils like us—we weren't born with the world laid at our feet. We carve out space with our fists."
Volundr smiled faintly.
"Then let's carve it well."
They shook hands—not as nobles, but as warriors.
End Scene: Shadows and Threads
Back at the Agares estate, Volundr stood alone in the candle-lit war room. Walls were now lined with charts, sigils, and lines of glowing thread connecting bloodlines and noble houses.
Each thread was an insight. Each pin, a potential weakness or ally. Sacred Gear sightings. Bloodline anomalies. Political incidents swept under rugs.
He picked up a quill and noted:
"Glasya-Labolas – hostile. Belial – dangerous curiosity. Zepar – potential. Phenex – uncertain.
The board moves. And I move with it."
He closed his eyes and whispered into the flickering silence:
"Let them doubt me. Let them scheme. I'll learn their game... then break it."
He placed another pin on the board—this one, over Sairaorg's name—and wrapped a golden thread from it to his own.
Mutual respect. Future ally. Worth protecting.