The next morning.
"So, Millicas, what do you think of devil life in the human world? Our lifestyle, I mean," I asked, sipping miso soup at the breakfast table.
Millicas had already observed the work of Rias's retinue—Akeno, Koneko, Xenovia, Kiba, and Gasper—as well as my own.
Akeno's clients are usually company presidents or high-society ladies. She listens to their troubles, keeps them company over tea, and helps them de-stress.
Asia and Koneko mostly take on clients seeking comfort, acting as conversation partners or posing for cosplay photoshoots.
Kiba's clients are often working women. He helps them unwind by chatting or cooking his signature dishes. Honestly, it's a waste he doesn't take on spicier requests!
Xenovia, as we saw yesterday, handles physical jobs—think sports practice or construction assistance.
Gasper's gigs are online. He makes contracts over the internet, catering to people who struggle with face-to-face interaction. Very Gasper-esque.
Rossweisse gets a lot of requests from housewives, teaching them budgeting tricks or strategies for nailing bargain sales. Watching her passionately explain it… kinda makes me want to cry.
As for me, I took on a relatively normal client to show Millicas. The job? A rookie salaryman asked me to buy a limited-edition figurine for him since he was stuck at work.
Sure, you might think, "Why hire a devil for that?" But it's a legit devil job, and this guy's one of my valued clients. Can't turn him down.
So, I dragged Millicas along, and we stood in line for hours to snag that figurine.
Point is, devil work in the human world isn't always super "devilish." It's mostly mundane stuff.
"Everyone seems to enjoy their work, and it's great to see," Millicas said with a bright smile. "The clients look happy, too. It feels like a mutually rewarding relationship."
He's got a point. Our clients are satisfied—happy enough to keep coming back. We've built a decent level of trust with them.
"I'd love to work in Japan someday," Millicas added.
"That's a great idea," Rias said, nodding warmly. "Mention it to my brother. I'm sure he'd support you."
If Millicas works in Japan, it'll probably be when he's in high school, like Rias. That's not far off—elementary to high school flies by.
Well, I've lived three years longer than most my age, but still.
As I mulled it over—
"Issei, are you free today?" Rias asked, her tone suggesting a favor.
"Big Bro Issei! Let's spar!" Millicas called out, standing across from me in a tracksuit, brimming with determination.
We were about to have a mock battle to bond and give Millicas some experience.
"Issei, could you spar with Millicas?" Rias had suggested. "It'd be a great opportunity for him."
Millicas had jumped at the idea, shouting, "Yes, please!" with enthusiasm.
Apparently, he admires devils like us and Sairaorg who train hard. He's been training himself, too, and he's super curious about our "grit."
So, here we were, ready for a mock battle.
The rest of the gang watched from the sidelines of the training room. I'd changed into a tracksuit, too—no way I'm fighting in pajamas.
"Let the mock battle begin!" Akeno announced.
I stood still, waiting to see Millicas's move.
What's he gonna do?
"I'm coming!" he shouted.
"Bring it on!" I grinned back.
Millicas kicked off the ground and charged.
Whoa—fast!
I was genuinely impressed. He moved at a speed you wouldn't expect from a kid.
A red aura glowed in his hands. I braced for a direct attack, but he feinted, sliding to my side and unleashing a blast of magical energy—Rias's Power of Destruction, no doubt. The magic was denser than I expected.
I stepped back, dodging as the blast hit the ground, erasing a chunk of the floor. A basketball-sized crater stared back at me.
…That's not a kid's power level! If that hit me head-on, even I'd be in trouble!
"Hyah!" Millicas closed the gap, firing a scattershot of smaller blasts.
The Power of Destruction obliterates anything it touches, and it seems that holds true even for a kid like him. Or maybe because it's Millicas, he's this strong at such a young age.
Sirzechs and Grayfia's kid, huh? Their talent clearly runs in his veins.
I cloaked my fists in aura, knocking the blasts away one by one. Normally, I'd counter with my own scattershot, but since it's Millicas, I'm putting some limits on myself. Not because I'm underestimating him—this is part of the training.
As I deflected his attacks, the trajectory of one blast suddenly shifted!
He's not just powerful—he's got precise control, too!
"Here!" Millicas shouted, surrounding me with a ring of destructive orbs.
"Crap…" I muttered.
His physical skill, magic control, and tactical approach—this wasn't just talent. It was proof of Millicas's hard work.
As he thrust out his hand and clenched his fist, the orbs rained down on me. Deflecting them one by one would be tough with this many.
So, I wrapped my fist in aura and swung it sideways with a roar.
WHOOSH!
The gust from my swing scattered the orbs, averting the crisis.
Phew… that was closer than I expected.
"Too careless against a kid!" Alice called out.
Ouch, harsh words from my Queen!
I wasn't trying to be careless, but yeah, Millicas is something else. At his age, with this level of skill? He's beyond exceptional.
Millicas was panting, clearly having used a lot of energy, but he didn't drop his stance, already planning his next move.
I glanced at Rias, who gave me a warm smile.
The Millicas Faction.
Rias had mentioned it before—a group within the Underworld's political sphere that supports Sirzechs, called the Sirzechs Faction. Within that, there's a subset already focused on Millicas.
So many devils are watching this young boy, some with hope, others with… less pure intentions. The weight of their expectations must be heavy on his small shoulders.
Looking into Millicas's determined eyes, I felt a surge of resolve. If those adults' ambitions are burdening him, I want to support him.
I raised my fists, readying my stance. "Come on, Millicas! You're not done yet! Hit me with everything you've got!"
"Yes!" he replied, eyes blazing.
About thirty minutes later.
"Haa… haa…" Millicas collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.
I'd mostly played defense, deflecting his attacks and striking at openings, but for him to keep up for thirty minutes? That's incredible.
He'd thrown everything at me, using every trick in the book until his magic ran dry. Even when I knocked him down, he got back up without a single tear, charging again.
I gave him pointers along the way, and he adapted almost instantly—a testament to his talent.
"You held your own against Issei. That's impressive," Rias said, praising him.
Yeah, his techniques and magic are great, but his grit? That's next-level. A true Gremory man, through and through.
"Take a bath and wash off the sweat," Rias said. "Issei, can you look after Millicas?"
"Sure thing. I worked up a sweat, too. Let's go, Millicas."
"Y-Yes…" he panted, clearly exhausted.
Haha, he's beat!
So, we headed to the bathhouse after getting things ready. We scrubbed each other's backs, chatting about nothing in particular, and it hit me—this must be what having a little brother feels like. Different from a sister, for sure.
"Ahhh…" we both sighed, sinking into the hot water.
"It feels like I've got a real brother," Millicas said.
"Same here," I replied, ruffling his hair. "I've got a sister, but no brother. Hanging out with you feels like I've got one now."
"You feel that way, too, Big Bro Issei?" he asked, eyes wide.
"Yup," I grinned.
It's a nice feeling. Millicas is a good kid.
Reflecting on our spar, he said, "You're amazing, Big Bro Issei. I couldn't land a single hit."
I'd gotten a bit serious with my dodging toward the end—enough for Alice to call me "immature." Whoops.
"It's just experience and skill," I said with a wry smile. "You'll get there. Keep training, and you might even surpass me one day."
"I can't imagine beating you…" Millicas mumbled.
"That's how it feels at first," I said. "I used to think the same about guys like Morris. No way I could beat him back then."
…Okay, he's still a cheat with that swordsmanship, so it'd be tough even now.
"By the way, Big Bro Issei, are you going to marry Big Sis Rias?" Millicas asked out of nowhere.
"Gah!?" I choked, coughing violently.
Where'd that come from, Millicas!?
"Why would you ask that!?" I sputtered.
"Dad mentioned something about it," he said casually.
Sirzechs!? What did you tell him!?
I mean, I did accept Rias's marriage proposal, so he's not wrong, but… how does Sirzechs even know? Oh, right—Azazel was there. Of course.
That's when I felt a wild, primal aura behind me.
Turning, I saw a massive figure—over two meters tall—standing at the bathhouse door. Spiky orange hair, a thick coat. I recognized him.
He grinned at me. "Well, well! Looks like the Young Master and Little Lord are getting along great!"
"Second, it's rude to barge into the bathhouse like that," another voice said—a man in a crimson robe, followed by a Japanese-looking guy in a haori.
I knew them, too. They helped us during the Beast Riot!
"You guys came, too!" Millicas said, his voice bright with excitement.
They must be familiar faces to him. After all, these guys are—
"Thanks for last time," I said. "Sirzechs Lucifer's retinue."
--+--
T/N: Although I'm an inexperienced Editor, I do have a Patreon account! Although it seems like I don't have many supporters right now, my webnovel will be released in full every day, and the advanced chapters will be uploaded to Patreon.
It may not be worth it now, but who knows, it might be different in the future. Who knows!
patreon.com/Greyhounds
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