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I raised an eyebrow at him. "I wasn't aware you wanted a tour. You're welcome any time. I can key you to the wards before we part ways. In fact…"
I held up my hand and summoned a spell circle. A faint orange light gently cascaded across Ruval and Zissa bodies. "Done."
Grinning widely, Ruval said, "I appreciate it. Now, if you have nothing planned, I was thinking…"
he trailed off as his eyes drifted to something over my right shoulder.
Following his gaze, I saw four figures approaching down the hall Ruval had just exited.
A young blonde woman flanked by a black-haired man and a brown-haired teen who both wore suits walked properly forward, her hands clasped in front of her, her sea-blue dress just barely brushing against the floor.
A second young woman, this one with chestnut hair, followed in the wake of the other three.
"I apologize." the young woman in the lead said. "I was not aware I was interrupting."
"Oh you're not!" Ruval said before I could respond, his tone far too jovial. "We were just leaving."
He offered his arm to Zissa, and the two walked past the trio down the hall. Ruval shot a thumbs up and a wink my way over his shoulder as he turned out of view.
Struggling to hold in a sigh at my brother's antics, I turned to greet the new arrivals. "Heiress Agares."
I said with a slight bow that my peerage mimicked behind me. "It is a pleasure to see you again."
The two figures behind her were her queen Alivian and her recently reincarnated rook Issei.
The Red Dragon Emperor had not been a part of her peerage very long even by human standards, but I was amazed to find that his mere presence didn't make me uncomfortable as it did when Seekvaira and I retrieved him.
The suit he wore was nearly identical to Alivian's and he stood with the same posture as the butler. Whatever Seekvaira, or likely Alivian as the evidence suggested, was doing to alter his behavior was working splendidly.
The final figure, the brunette girl, I didn't recognize. Given the company she kept, it was a safe assumption that she belonged to Seekvaira's peerage.
Judging by the longsword sheathed at her waist, she was Seekvaira's knight.
"The feeling is mutual, Lord Riser. Though I believe I have told you to refer to me as Seekvaira."
"Seekvaira." I corrected my greeting with a nod. "How can I help you?"
Seekvaira stepped to the side and motionted down the hallway that Ruval just fled down, holding her other arm out to me. "Will you walk with me, Riser?"
Curious as to why she'd sought me out so long after our business had concluded, I stepped up beside her and took her arm.
She began down the hall; I matched her step as she began walking. Our respective peerages followed behind us, offering a respectful distance and a semblance of privacy.
"I have been attending your Rating Games." Seekvaira said as we walked down the hall.
Wooden floorboards creaked slightly as we stepped across them, the light from sconces set into the stone-brick walls lighting our path.
"Have you found them enjoyable?" I asked in an effort to be polite, not entirely sure where she intended to take the conversation.
"I have." she said, a faint smile dancing across her face. "Your peerage has doubled in size since we last spoke, and yet nothing new has been gleaned about it.
I find the puzzle both interesting and amusing."
"So is that why you've sought me out? Are you looking to solve the puzzle?"
Seekvaira chuckled, the sound like a tinkling bell. "I will admit to curiosity. From your discovery of Ingvild and Issei I imagine that at least one of them is remarkable.
Would I be correct in assuming the young blonde woman holds a Sacred Gear of some sort?"
I smiled mischievously at her. "Her name is Valerie, and that would be telling, Seekvaira. Though since you broached the topic, may I ask how Issei is acclimating to your peerage?"
Seekvaira scowled, her eyes moving to stare down the hall as she said, "For the first few weeks after I reincarnated him I was most upset with you, Riser.
Issei was an unforgivable pervert and a truly deplorable excuse for a man." She sighed, turning her gaze back to me, an expression of acceptance having settled over her features.
"However, he has grown more than I thought possible even in the short three months he has been my rook.
Alivian has accomplished nothing short of a miracle in teaching Issei etiquette, and his training has progressed to a point I find astonishing.
I daresay he may yet become a proper gentleman. Once he learned to control his…baser tendencies, a surprisingly caring young man revealed himself. I can now say I am proud to have him in my peerage."
"I'm glad to hear that." I said, genuinely happy. If she'd come here to demand compensation for failing to deliver a competent Red Dragon Emperor, there wasn't much I could do to appease her without getting Serafall involved.
The less a fiasco involving that nuclear option was thought about the better.
We lapsed into silence as we continued down the hall. Soon, the hallway ended, leaving us in a large reception area that led off towards both assembly areas for the competing peerages.
There were half a dozen cameras and demonic journalists gathered around my most recent competitor. He was very animated, an enraged scowl on his face.
"This is outrageous! Riser is nothing more than a fallen ant that is attempting to use my successes and popularity to regain a fraction of his past respect.
I will not tolerate any further insinuations that the slime is superior to me in any way!" he yelled, his eyes finding each camera as the surrounding journalists scribbled in notebooks.
Chuckling at the sight, I directed Seekvaira away from the display and led her towards the exit.
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