The Prince of Sloth [DxD]

A certain Castle – somewhere in the Belphegor Domain, Underworld

"Sigh… so troublesome… what should I do? Why am I feeling like this?" Seir muttered under his breath, pacing back and forth across his room. His thumb grazed his teeth as he bit down in frustration, his annoyance growing with each step.

Élise–who was tidying up his room by arranging scattered books to their proper place–noticed Seir's troubled expression as he paced back and forth. Concerned, she asked, "Lord Seir, is something troubling you?"

"Hmm? Nothing!" Seir replied quickly, shaking his head. Despite his denial, he continued pacing, his restlessness evident.

'You're clearly troubled about something, my Lord…' Élise thought to herself, but she chose to remain silent, respecting his reluctance to share.

Meanwhile, Seir kept pacing, lost in his thoughts. 'Why am I so concerned about him? Why should I care if something happens to Sairaorg?'

Earlier at Agreas, when Seir heard that Sairaorg couldn't make it to the Agreas to watch the Championship finals, he had dismissed the matter entirely, convincing himself it wasn't his problem. Yet now, back in his room, the thought lingered, gnawing at him.

'It's not like we're friends or anything… just acquaintances who spent some time playing together,' Seir thought, trying to reason with himself.

'So why should I care about the fate of someone who's merely an acquaintance?' Seir questioned himself.

'Besides, things did work out for him in the end, and by his own efforts… so my involvement isn't necessary, right? If anything, I might make things worse if I act recklessly,' he reasoned.

Yet, another part of him argued, 'Still, for a child to endure something like that… I wouldn't wish it even on an enemy, let alone an acquaintance.'

'But even if I feel that way, what can I actually do? I'm too weak—both politically and in terms of strength—to voice my opinion in front of the Baels… especially when it's an internal matter of theirs,' he thought bitterly.

'And there's no way I'd risk offending the Baels at this stage. That would spell trouble for Roygun… and I can't let that happen.'

'Moreover, is it even the right thing to help him? Suffering is what made Sairaorg the person I know. If he doesn't go through that suffering and overcome it, he won't be the same Sairaorg. He'd become someone entirely different, and he might not even become as strong as he manages to become without that struggle. If I try to ease his suffering, I could be taking away his future.'

'Therefore, I shouldn't interfere or try to help him. He needs to overcome his problems on his own.'

'Sigh… I know this… I know… so why do I feel so guilty about ignoring this entirely?' Seir wondered, pacing in frustration.

'If I hadn't met Sairaorg, I probably wouldn't care at all… but now that I've met him, I can't seem to just turn a blind eye. Even if it's just to avoid the guilt of standing by and doing nothing…'

'Honestly, if this were me from my past life, I might have even taken pleasure in someone else's misfortune. So why can't I bring myself to completely ignore it now?'

Seir sighed deeply as his thoughts were tangled in a mess. 'Have I grown soft in the past three years? Has all the affection I've received from my family made me weaker?'

Seir didn't have a definitive answer, but he felt like that might be the case. After all, in his past life, he had been utterly alone—no friends to lean on, no family to care for him after his father passed away in his teenage years, no lover to share his feelings with. It had been a cold, solitary existence.

But this life was different. He had a family that loved him—maybe even a bit too much—and that constant affection seemed to be softening the indifference he'd once clung to so tightly.

"Sigh… so troublesome…" Once again, letting out a sigh, Seir murmured to himself.

Taking a deep breath, Seir began to reassess his thoughts. 'Haah… I understand that I want to help him, but doing so out of guilt isn't the right thing to do. First of all, acting out of guilt would mean I'm pitying him, and pity is probably the last thing he needs. Besides, feeling guilty is pointless—it's not like I'm the cause of his misfortune, nor am I in a position to change his fate.'

Seir didn't want to act out of the guilt of being a bystander. He understood that if he gave in to such feelings, it would set a precedent—one where he'd feel compelled to intervene every time he saw someone in trouble. That was a path he simply couldn't take and didn't want to take because that was a path that would never end and only lead him to more suffering.

'I don't want to become someone like Emiya Shirō,' Seir thought firmly.

Helping everyone was an impossible idea. Even the almighty couldn't intervene for everyone, as the world was perpetually filled with people facing troubles, both big and small. That was the nature of existence, and it would remain so until the end of time.

Walking that path would only lead to endless suffering—and Seir neither had any intention of burdening himself with such pain nor did he feel that his existence was great enough to be able to handle that kind of endless burden.

'Rather than acting out of guilt, I should act out of selfishness…! I should only act if there's something in it for me. If and only if I can benefit from helping, I should step in.'

'By limiting my actions to selfish motives, everything boils down to profit and loss and when it comes to profit and loss, I won't have to wrestle with dilemmas about whom to support. The answer becomes simple—where there's more profit, that's where I'll lend my hand.'

'With that in mind, let's look at this issue before me from a selfish perspective... one involving profit and loss.'

'Although I want to help him… but what's in it for me to help him out…'

'For one I know that Sairaorg will overcome his challenges and surpass everyone's expectations.' There wasn't a shred of doubt in Seir's mind.

In the canon, Sairaorg became strong enough to challenge some of the most powerful beings in the world. He defeated the third-ranked Rating Game player, Bedeze Abaddon, who is considered to be as strong as one of the current Maous, and even fought a monstrous opponent like Balberith. A man capable of such feats didn't need anyone worrying about his future.

As a result, Seir found himself unconcerned about Sairaorg's eventual success.

'With that perspective, I can confidently say that investing in Sairaorg is far from a bad idea…'

As someone destined to become one of the strongest in the Underworld and undoubtedly a third-generation Maou, Sairaorg is undeniably a worthy investment.

Helping someone destined to become a Maou would mean earning the gratitude of a future Maou—a favor that could prove incredibly valuable.

As Seir had once told Roygun, he had no interest in becoming one of the Maou. However, having a Maou who works for him? That wasn't such a bad idea, was it?

'In fact, if I play my cards right, I could even steer the politics of the Underworld in the direction I want,' he mused.

'Yes, that's the approach I'll take on this matter,' Seir decided.

Having decided on his approach, Seir knew exactly what needed to be done. He turned to Élise, who was watching him with concern and said, "Élise, I need a favor. Can you help me out?"

Without hesitation, Élise nodded. "As long as it's within my power, I will do my utmost to assist you, my lord."

"Thank you," Seir said with a grateful smile before explaining what he needed. "So, here's the thing…"

Élise listened carefully, ensuring she didn't miss a single detail. Though she couldn't help but wonder, 'Why does Lord Seir need those kinds of cassettes and books?' she didn't question his request. Instead, she simply nodded and replied, "I'll have everything ready by evening."

"Perfect," Seir said with satisfaction as he headed to his study. Once there, he retrieved a blank parchment, a quill, and a bottle of ink.

'Meeting with Sairaorg is likely not an option with Lord Bael restricting him, so I'll need to consider an alternative method of communication…'

Settling in, he began to write a letter:

Dear Sairaorg…

Meanwhile, Élise quietly left the room to carry out the task Seir had entrusted to her.

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In the Evening

Élise, carrying a basket, entered Seir's room after knocking on the door. "Lord Seir, everything you requested is here."

Inside the basket, there were a few fruits native to the Belphegor Domain, along with some flowers. Additionally, a couple of books and cassettes were included, the covers of which displayed men and women in rather peculiar positions.

She had arranged everything beautifully and placed the basket on the table.

"It looks good enough," Seir nodded in approval, clearly satisfied with her preparation. He then placed an envelope labeled 'Get Well Soon–Sairaorg' on top of the basket and murmured to himself with a smile, "Now this is perfect…"

"The next thing I need to do is make sure this gets delivered to Sairaorg," Seir murmured to himself.

Normally, this wouldn't be a problem. He would simply give Élise the order, and she would handle the arrangements for the basket to be delivered to Bael Castle in the Bael domain. However, considering Sairaorg's current situation, it might not be so simple to ensure the basket reaches him.

'Maybe I should consult Mother about this,' Seir thought, contemplating the situation.

At that moment, Élise spoke up. "Lord Seir, it's almost time for dinner. We should head to the dining hall to join my Lord and my Lady."

"Oh, perfect timing," Seir replied, nodding. "Let's go."

Using telekinetic magic, he levitated the basket and, with Élise by his side, they left his room and made their way to the dining hall.

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At the Dining Hall

By the time Seir and Élise arrived at the dining hall, Malakarion and Sephie were already seated, and the maids had finished setting the table.

Roygun was absent, as she had gone to attend a party organized by the Great King Faction to celebrate Diehauser Belial's championship victory.

Naturally, she had invited Seir to accompany her, but he had declined, using the excuse, 'I am too young for that kind of stuff…'

He'd had enough of socializing for the time being and wasn't eager to attend a gathering filled with the prominent figures of the Underworld. The thought of introducing himself and engaging in formal interactions with them was something he simply didn't want to deal with at the moment.

Anyway, arriving at the dining hall, Seir greeted Malakarion and Sephie, "Father… mother… good evening…"

Élise, meanwhile, bowed respectfully to both Malakarion and Sephie before taking her place alongside the other maids, including Cecily, Sheetal, Agni, and the others.

Malakarion responded to his greeting, "Good evening, son."

Sephie, however, complained with a sulking expression, "What were you doing all evening? You didn't even join me for tea. You know, I had even prepared your favorite cookies, but you turned the maid away, saying you were busy and didn't want to be disturbed. What could possibly be more important than spending time with me?"

Seir offered a light apology, "Please forgive me, Mother." Then, levitating the basket in front of her, he added, "I was working on this."

Sephie glanced at the levitating basket beside Seir with curiosity and asked, "What is this?"

Seir carefully placed the basket on the dining table in front of Malakarion and Sephie, ensuring they could clearly see its contents.

"This basket contains some fruits and flowers from our domain, a few books, and some cassettes. And what's this?" He picked up the envelope resting on top and read aloud, "'Get well soon—Sairaorg.'"

Malakarion, visibly surprised, looked at his son. "You went to such lengths to prepare this for the boy from the House of Bael?"

Sephie, equally taken aback, exchanged a glance with her husband.

Taking his seat at the table, Seir addressed their unspoken questions. "Since Sairaorg is supposedly 'unwell,' as Mother mentioned earlier at the Agreas, I decided to put this together for him so that he can get 'well' again." He added casually, "I was hoping it could be delivered to him."

Sephie was genuinely touched by her son's thoughtfulness. "Oh, Seir…" she said warmly, her eyes softening.

Malakarion, however, appeared slightly skeptical. "Hm? If you wanted this delivered to that boy, you could have simply given the order to Élise," he said, glancing at the maid. "Was there an issue with that?"

Caught off guard, Élise turned pale under Malakarion's cold, penetrating gaze. "M-my lord… no… I didn't…" Her voice trembled, and it was as if she couldn't breathe. For a low-class Devil like her, the intense scrutiny of an Ultimate Class Devil was nothing short of suffocating.

Realizing his father had misunderstood the situation, Seir quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "Father, the reason Élise didn't deliver it is that I never asked her to. In fact, I'm deeply grateful to her for helping me prepare this in the first place. So, please don't frighten her."

Malakarion murmured, "Is that so?" and withdrew his piercing gaze. Only then did the poor maid manage to breathe normally again. Despite this, her fear lingered—her back was soaked with cold sweat, her legs trembled slightly, and she dared not lift her head.

Malakarion, turning his attention back to Seir, asked, "And why didn't you give her the order?"

Seir shrugged casually. "Because I wanted to make sure this is delivered directly to Sairaorg himself."

"Ah… I see. That makes sense," Sephie murmured thoughtfully. Malakarion seemed to grasp the reasoning as well and gave a small nod before calling out, "Belmont."

A middle-aged man dressed in impeccable butler's attire approached the dining table and picked up the basket. "I understand, my Lord."

Malakarion instructed him, "Ensure this is delivered directly to the boy it is intended for."

"As you wish, my Lord," Belmont replied with a polite bow.

Sephie suddenly thought of something and gave a suggestion to the butler, "Oh, Belmont, you could also deliver it to Misla's butler. I'm certain he would ensure it reaches Sairaorg personally."

Belmont nodded once more. "Understood, my Lady."

After bowing to Sephie, Malakarion, and Seir in turn, Belmont left the dining hall with the basket in hand.

"Well, that takes care of it," Malakarion said.

"Thank you, Father," Seir replied with a grateful smile.

Malakarion nodded and added, "In the future, if you have such a task again, just give the instructions to either Belmont or Cecily. Of course, if Lucia is around, you can hand the task directly to her—it will get done."

"I understand, Father," Seir nodded in acknowledgment.

"Alright, boys, since that's settled," Sephie said, clapping her hands, "Shall we have dinner?"

"Ah, Mother, there's one more thing," Seir interrupted her.

"What is it?" Sephie asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity.

"It's about my Magic Education," Seir replied.

"Hm… we'll discuss your Magic Education after dinner," Sephie said, smiling as she picked up her kerchief and tied it around her neck. Malakarion did the same. "For now, the dishes are getting cold, so let's eat first."

"I understand, Mother," Seir nodded, picking up his own kerchief and tying it around his neck.

The family then turned their attention to the meal.

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After finishing dinner, while Sephie and Malakarion enjoyed their after-meal tea, Seir once again brought up the topic he had mentioned earlier. "Father, Mother, about my Magic Education..."

Sephie set her cup down and nodded. "Right... let's talk about it."

Malakarion chose to remain quiet, continuing to sip his tea, as this was something Sephie would handle.

Seir spoke up, "Mother, your requirement was for me to make at least one friend. I'll have you know, I've exceeded that. Not only have I befriended Seekvaira Agares, but I've also made another friend."

"Hm? Really?" Sephie said with interest. "And who is the other person?"

"Cleria Belial... Lord Diehauser Belial's younger sister," Seir answered.

Technically, they were more 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend,' not just friends.

Of course, the 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' thing was more Cleria playing along with him as she found it amusing, and Seir wasn't taking it too seriously either. However, he might have some plans regarding their relationship in the future. What those plans were, he'd leave to his future self to figure out. For now, he didn't need to worry about it too much, but he still considered it a form of friendship.

'I mean, she did promise to bring me some treats from Kuoh Town… if that counts…'

"Ara? Really? You befriended that child?" Sephie said, surprised.

"Yes," Seir nodded with a smile.

"She's not your age, though," Sephie pointed out.

"Why does that matter?" Seir replied, adding, "In fact, I think it would be more fun to hang out with her since she's not a child."

"So says a child…" Sephie murmured sarcastically, amused by the fact that Seir felt more comfortable spending time with someone much older than himself, rather than someone his own age.

"Father~" Seir whined, glancing at Malakarion for help. However, the former head of the House of Belphegor shook his head and replied, "Don't look at me… I have no control over this matter." This only made Seir whine even more as he turned back to Sephie. "Mother~~"

"Alright, alright," Sephie relented, not pursuing the matter further. "Well, since you've met the requirement, and given that you don't have much else to do now that you've mastered the Demon Tongue, and the basic etiquette to a certain extent, we'll start your Magic Education properly."

"Awesome!" Seir exclaimed, pumping his fist in excitement.

But before he could get too excited, Sephie added, "But…"

'There's always a but,' Seir thought, his excitement fading a little as he looked at his mother. "But what, mother?"

"If I see that you're stressing too much over your Magic Education, it will have to be stopped," Sephie replied. "I want you to enjoy your time, not just with your studies but with other things as well. Spend time with us, too. No more refusals to my tea invitation like today. You must have evening tea with me every day—that will be non-negotiable. The same goes for your father and Roygun—spend time with them and relax."

She continued, "Essentially, what I want to say is don't rush through life. These years of childhood are precious and limited. Take things slow and enjoy the process. Once you leave childhood behind, the world you'll face won't be as carefree as it is now. Do you understand, young man?"

"Crystal clear, mother," Seir nodded in agreement.

"Good…" Sephie smiled, clearly satisfied, and said, "We will begin your Magic Education from the first day of the coming week. In the meantime, we'll prepare a proper plan and get in touch with the folks who will be tutoring you. Is that acceptable?"

"Yes, mother…" Seir nodded happily.

"Since that's settled, let's talk about something else…" Sephie said, changing the subject.

Seir quietly listened to her conversation with Malakarion, occasionally offering his own input. The discussion continued for about an hour before it was time for him to return to his room. He said his goodbyes and left the dining hall with Élise, who had now recovered.

As Seir walked away, Sephie sighed, her expression filled with reluctance. "Seir is growing up so fast… I'm not comfortable with it."

"Well, it's bound to happen… children do grow up," Malakarion responded.

"But Seir… he's growing up too quickly," Sephie lamented. "Even Roygun gave me more time. But Seir… sigh… just a while back, he was a baby, and now he's about to start his Magic Education. At this rate, in the blink of an eye, he'll be all grown up, managing his territories, taking on his responsibilities as the next heir, and participating in the Rating Games… and I'll be left missing those days when he was just a baby, and I held him in my arms for the first time…" she sighed again, her heart heavy with emotion.

Malakarion placed his hand over hers, offering comfort as he said, "But we have to accept it, don't we?"

Sephie could only reluctantly sigh in response.

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A certain Castle – somewhere in the Mammon Domain, Underworld

"C'mon, Rudiger… can't you do me this one favor? Please? Pretty please?" Roygun pleaded with the seventh-ranked Rating Game player, her tone both insistent and persuasive.

"I… well…" Rudiger hesitated, visibly conflicted. Refusing Roygun outright was difficult because of their long-standing friendship, but the request she was making put him in an awkward position. He did not question whether he was up to the task, rather, he had to consider his responsibilities as a member of Lord Mammon's peerage.

"I'm telling you, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," Roygun pressed on, refusing to take no for an answer. Her voice was filled with determination as she sought to sway him. "My little brother is a genius among geniuses—he might even surpass Lord Beelzebub in brilliance. Think about it, Rudiger. The chance to teach someone so exceptionally talented… do you really want to let that slip away?"

Seeing Roygun's determination, the middle-aged man sitting across from her couldn't help but ask, "Lady Belphegor, why are you so set on Rudiger? Surely, there are plenty of other options to choose from, right?"

Roygun responded without hesitation, her tone confident and resolute. "There are indeed other options, but as an elder sister, I want nothing but the absolute best for my little brother. And as far as my personal connections go, Rudiger is unquestionably the best choice. He's not only incredibly skilled but also the founder of Rosenkreuzer. Who could possibly be more qualified than Rudiger?"

She continued, her words persuasive and practical. "Of course, I'm not asking for Rudiger's help without offering something in return. He will be fairly compensated, so there's no need to worry about that."

The mention of compensation piqued the middle-aged man's interest, and his eyes lit up with curiosity. He paused briefly, then asked, "Just how much of a genius is your little brother? You claim he surpasses even Maou Beelzebub—how can that be? Was he born with…"

Before he could finish, Roygun chuckled, her eyes gleaming with pride as memories of her younger brother's incredible feats surfaced. "You want to hear about my little brother's genius, Lord Mammon? Very well, brace yourself for the legendary exploits of Seirios Belphegor," she said with a playful grin.

She straightened in her seat, her voice brimming with enthusiasm. "My little Seir was already using conscious magic as a newborn. That's right—as an infant just a few months old, he could consciously cast elemental magic spells. By the time he turned three, he had completely mastered elemental magic. Now tell me, doesn't that sound like the mark of a true genius?"

Lord Mammon and Rudiger exchanged astonished glances, the same thought running through their minds: 'Casting elemental magic as an infant? Is that even possible for a normal person?'

Noticing their stunned expressions, Roygun's smile grew even more triumphant. She continued with pride, "And that's not all. At just seven months old, Seir expressed an interest in learning how to read and write in the Demon Tongue."

Turning her attention to the [Bishop] of Lord Mammon's peerage, she asked with a sly grin, "Rudiger, how long did it take you to master reading and writing the Demon Tongue after you were reincarnated as a Devil?"

"Huh? Why does that matter?" Rudiger muttered, clearly puzzled by the question. Still, after a moment of thought, he replied, "Well, I don't recall the exact details since it was several centuries ago, but if I were to estimate, I'd say it took me about six or seven years, based on a human's sense of time."

Hearing Rudiger's response, Roygun burst into laughter. "Hahaha… so even you took that long, huh?" she said, pausing to let a proud grin spread across her face. "Compared to you, my little brother managed to learn how to read and write in the Demon Tongue in just two and a half years. That's right—he was only a month past three when he had already mastered it! Now tell me, if that isn't the mark of a genius, then what is? Can you find another devil with such unparalleled talent?"

Hearing Roygun's boast, both Lord Mammon and Rudiger were once again stunned, 'What kind of monstrous intelligence level is this? To be able to master such a thing in such less time at such a young age… is such a thing even possible?'

Roygun's eyes gleamed with pride as she continued, "I personally taught him how to read and write, and even I was stunned by the speed of his progress."

Of course, she conveniently left out the fact that Seir had used a Custom Memorization spell to achieve such a feat at such a young age and in such a short time. She wanted Rudiger to view Seir as an unparalleled genius. However, even if she had mentioned it, it wouldn't diminish his brilliance—because Seir had actually created that spell himself.

To develop a custom magic spell at the age of one, and to conceive such an idea and apply it in this way, defied all common sense expected from any convectional one-year-old. In truth, it only served to further underscore his extraordinary level of genius.

Continuing, she said, "That child is someone who'd definitely surpass me. That's why I'm telling you, Rudiger—this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Please, do it for the sake of our friendship, would you? He's incredibly eager to learn magic, and I have no doubt you'd enjoy teaching him just as much!"

Hearing Roygun's glowing praise for her little brother, Lord Mammon, now somewhat intrigued, turned to Rudiger. "What do you think? Would you be willing to give it a try?"

Roygun quickly added, "I promise you won't regret it."

A brief silence followed, during which Roygun's unwavering gaze bore into Rudiger.

Finally, Rudiger sighed and relented. "Alright… let's give it a try and see just how much of a genius your little brother truly is—and whether he can keep up with my teachings."

Roygun broke into a jubilant laugh, "Hahaha!" She declared, delighted that Rudiger had agreed to her request, "I can guarantee you'll be surprised!"

'With this, all the tutors have been arranged for Seir…'

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Author's Note:

That's it for this Chapter. Enjoy reading it.

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