The Prince of Sloth [DxD]

"So, Rudiger has been telling me that your younger brother is quite the genius… huh," said Lord Mammon, his tone laced with intrigue.

Rudiger, standing beside him, nodded and added, "At this point, calling him a genius would be an understatement. That child has absorbed years' worth of magical knowledge in just six months. He's already solving seven- and eight-variable equations—something that typically takes four to five years of dedicated study."

Roygun smiled proudly as she agreed, "Well, what can I say? I did mention that he's one of a kind before I requested Rudiger to be Seir's magic instructor."

"Even then… I hadn't expected him to be this good… Seirios' learning speed and capacity are so extraordinary that I was starting to struggle in making the lesson plans. In the end, I had to reduce the number of classes just to keep pace," Rudiger sighed helplessly.

Roygun chuckled in response, "Fufufufu~"

"On that note… I've heard rumors that the youngest son of Tannin is quite the beast himself," Lord Mammon murmured, bringing forward another child who is touted as a one-of-a-kind genius.

"Oh, I've heard that as well," Roygun nodded. "They say he's the most talented among all of Tannin's children." She had met Tannin's other two sons on a few occasions, and if the rumors were true—that the youngest was even more gifted than his older brothers—then he was indeed a force to be reckoned with.

Rudiger sighed in exasperation. "From what I've heard, he's quite the troublemaker…" He then added, "Even Lord Tannin himself seems troubled by his son's antics."

"Haha… that's just the recklessness of youth," Lord Mammon chuckled. "In fact, sometimes having a troublemaker for a child is better than having a quiet, obedient one. It makes parenting far more interesting and involving."

After all, the memories created by raising a troublemaker child are something a parent can look back on and smile fondly at. In contrast, what memories would a parent make with a quiet and obedient child? There would be nothing but a mundane cycle of "do this" and "do that," with the child simply following orders. While such parenting may be free of headaches, it lacks excitement. No parent would look back on those uneventful moments with the same fondness as the chaos and joy that come with a more spirited child.

"Does it really?" Rudiger muttered, unconvinced. He couldn't understand Lord Mammon's perspective. In his opinion, he would never want a troublemaker for a child. Ideally, his child would be someone like Seirios—even without Seirios' genius, he would still prefer a child with a similar temperament.

Lord Mammon smirked mysteriously "Well, you will probably come to understand what I mean once you become a father yourself."

"Become a father myself…" Rudiger murmured, repeating Lord Mammon's words. He sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, 'I wonder when that will happen…'

"Cough!" Trying to change the topic Roygun coughed, and said, "Putting aside the matter of child—" 

BOOM!

"What was that?!" someone murmured in curiosity as the sound and shockwave rippled through the hall.

"It seems a fight has broken out…" another person whispered.

"How uncouth… to start a fight at such a prestigious gathering. Isn't that blatantly disrespectful to everyone here?" A noblewoman unfolded her hand fan, partially covering her face as she spoke in disgust.

"It's almost barbaric… who allowed such a barbarian to participate in the gathering?" another woman beside her agreed with a disapproving nod.

"But who's fighting?" someone else asked, their curiosity piqued.

Among those drawn by the commotion were Roygun, Rudiger, and Lord Mammon, all turning their attention toward the source of the shockwave.

"Huh? Isn't that…" Rudiger murmured in concern, his gaze fixed on the small figure with long white hair and a pair of red horns hovering in the air and blocking his face from all the dust and gravel that flew at him.

"Seir? How come—?" Roygun's eyes momentarily glazed over as she took in the sight of her little brother evading an attack. The realization that someone was targeting him struck like lightning, and her expression darkened with fury.

"Whoever it is… they're dead!" she growled, and wasting no time she vanished from her spot, charging straight toward the source of the shockwave leaving behind a stunned Rudiger and a confused Lord Mammon.

"For Lady Belphegor to leave so abruptly…" Lord Mammon murmured, his expression thoughtful. Having known Roygun for centuries, he couldn't recall ever seeing her this enraged. It made him curious—just what had provoked such fury?

"That child…" Rudiger spoke, gesturing toward the small figure hovering in the air. "He is indeed the young... Seirios Vandegor Belphegor."

"I see… so that's him," Lord Mammon mused, stroking his goatee as he studied the boy in the distance. "No wonder Lady Belphegor was seething with rage…" A spark of interest flickered in his eyes.

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BOOM!

Dodging yet another punch, Seir steadied himself in the air and tried once more to reason with Bova. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot?"

However, rather than resolving the matter with words, Bova let out a furious roar. "Die!" he bellowed, slashing at Seir with his sharp dragon claws, aiming to tear him apart.

"Sigh… you really are a moron…" Seir muttered in frustration as he effortlessly evaded the attack, rising higher into the air.

BOOM!

Yet another shockwave rippled through the hall as razor-sharp air blades, created by Bova's wild claw attack, tore through the walls and ceiling, leaving a path of destruction in their wake.

Seeing the extent of the damage, Seir's eyes turned cold. "This guy… He's really trying to kill me…!"

Seir had no desire to fight Bova or seriously injure him—doing so would only create unnecessary conflict with the former Dragon King, Tannin, and potentially turn the powerful dragon into an enemy. However, if Bova was intent on mindlessly trying to attack him for no reason, and was unwilling to sort things out with words, then Seir saw no reason to hold back. "If that's the case… then don't blame me," he murmured icily.

Instantly, a glowing violet demonic aura flared around his body as he swiftly raised his hand, instantly conjuring two Magic Circles–one wind and one fire.

"You acted without thinking… now you'll have to bear the consequences," he murmured as the wind started to swirl around him and a fiery aura began to seep from the Magic Circle.

'Whatever happens afterward… I'll deal with it then.'

With this thought, Seir began channeling his magic, preparing to unleash a Fire Tornado upon Bova to turn the young Dragon into tender Dragon meat. However, just as he began to release the spell, he suddenly sensed an abyss-like aura rapidly approaching. It was deep, unfathomable, and so overwhelming that a cold sweat ran down his back.

For a brief moment, tension gripped him—until he recognized the source.

'This aura… it's Roygun's…'

Realizing that Roygun was on her way, Seir let out a small breath and eased his stance, gradually slowing the flow of his spell. 'If Roygun is intervening… I don't need to waste my energy on this brainless, idiot dragon…'

"!!!" But relief barely had time to settle in before another powerful presence surged toward them from the opposite direction.

'Damn… who is it this time…?' Seir thought, his brows furrowing as he braced himself for what was coming next.

He had no time to think—before he could process his thoughts or even try to figure out who the second aura belonged to, both auras had already arrived. They surged toward each other, seemingly on the verge of clashing, yet instead of colliding, they stopped just short, forming an impassable barrier between Seir and Bova.

"Sister…" Seir murmured, his gaze fixed on Roygun's back.

"It's alright…" Roygun replied calmly, not turning to look at him. Her sharp gaze remained locked onto the figure standing before her.

"That is…" Seir whispered, shifting his attention to the presence before them. It wasn't a Devil—it was a Dragon.

A western dragon stood opposite Roygun, its body covered in shimmering purple scales, golden horns crowning its head, and its glowing red eyes exuding an overwhelming pressure.

There was no doubt about it.

The former Dragon King.

"Lord Tannin…" Seir muttered in realization.

From the other side, Bova's stunned and panicked voice broke through the tense atmosphere. "Fa-Father…"

Rather than responding to Bova, Tannin kept his gaze fixed on Roygun, who was radiating a dangerously intense demonic aura that exuded immense pressure.

Logically, there was no denying that Roygun Belphegor was the strongest being present in the hall… stronger than Bedeze Abaddon, stronger than Rudiger Rosenkreutz, and even stronger than the former Dragon King Tannin. The sheer force of her demonic aura affected the entire room—lights flickered, cracks spread across the windows, the floor beneath her splintered, and an oppressive chill settled over everyone, sending cold sweat trickling down their backs as a foreboding sense of dread filled the air.

No one needed to think twice to realize that the ever-friendly, flirtatious, and approachable Head of the Belphegor Household—the one often seen as an elder-sister figure who liked teasing young men—was now absolutely livid. And if anything escalated further, there was a real possibility she would go on a rampage.

'This might not be good…' thought Rudiger in worry.

Despite having been friends with Roygun for centuries and competing alongside her in countless Rating Games, this was the first time Rudiger had seen her in such a terrifying state.

No—even in the most desperate moments of a rating game, when she was pushed to the very brink, she had never radiated such an overwhelming and menacing presence.

It wasn't just Rudiger who felt this way—everyone who had ever watched her Rating Games shared the same thought.

And everyone knew that the reason behind Roygun's state was the child behind her, Seirios Vandegor Belphegor.

'Scary...' Seir thought, surprised at his elder sister's state.

Yet, despite the overwhelming pressure, Tannin, although a little tense, remained unfazed, standing his ground with calm composure.

After a brief but tense standoff, he finally spoke.

"Little girl… shall we calm down?"

"Sister, you are also giving me chills…" murmured Seir from behind as he too urged Roygun to calm down.

"Haah…" Roygun exhaled lightly, and the intense pressure she was exuding eased, giving everyone a moment to breathe. However, before fully releasing her aura, she looked at the former Dragon King and demanded, "Lord Tannin… I need an explanation."

After all, her little brother had been attacked by Tannin's son. Although the young dragon wasn't able to do anything to Seir that doesn't mean she was going to let this audacity slide away.

Tannin scratched his head before giving a small nod. "Alright..." He then turned to Bova and his three minions, his expression turning stern. "What's going on? Why were you attacking the heir of the Belphegor Household?"

Instantly, all eyes turned to Bova and his minions, the weight of their gazes creating immense pressure on them.

The three minions were drenched in cold sweat, too frightened to speak.

Bova hesitated, not daring to meet his father's gaze. "That…" he started, unsure of how to explain. Though he didn't want to give an answer, he could sense his father's stern expression and knew that if he didn't provide an explanation, things wouldn't end well for him.

That's when his eyes shifted to Seir floating beside Roygun and anger took over him.

"That wench…" Bova said angrily, pointing at Seir. "Called me gay and mocked me in front of everyone!"

"Huh?" The room fell silent as everyone turned their attention to Seir, surprised by Bova's words.

Seir calmly shook his head, dismissing the false accusations. "I said no such thing," he responded. "All I did was ask him if he's gay, and he confidently admitted, 'Yes, I am Gay.'"

Several eyebrows were raised as everyone's attention shifted back to Bova, who quickly refuted with an ashamed expression, "That's not true!"

Seir smirked, his expression full of amusement. "Oh, really?" he said, then added, "If that's the case, why don't you swear upon your honor as a Dragon and claim that you didn't admit to being gay?"

For a Dragon, honor is everything. No Dragon, no matter how vile of evil, would ever speak falsely after swearing upon their honor. 'Niðhöggr might be an exception to this rule, but Bova Tannin is not!'

Hearing Seir's challenge, Bova hesitated, clearly unsure of what to say.

Seir pressed on, "Huh? Can't do that, can you? If you'd like, I can swear upon the honor of the Belphegor Household that I never insulted you by calling you gay, nor did I mock you. It was you who admitted it."

"..." Bova stood silent, seething in anger, unable to refute or stop Seir's mocking words. 'Damn wench... I'll get you for this…'

Tannin sighed, breaking the tension. "Well, I guess we have our answers…"

"Not all the answers," murmured Roygun as she turned to Seir with a confused look. "But Seir… why did you ask him such a question?"

Seir scratched his cheek awkwardly and responded, "This moron ran up to me and suddenly proposed to me…"

"What?" Roygun exclaimed, her eyes widening as she turned toward Bova and glared at him.

Not just Roygun but everyone in the hall, including Tannin, turned their attention to Bova and looked at him weirdly, causing the dragon to flush with shame and embarrassment.

Bova tried to defend himself, stammering, "I… I just…"

Seir shrugged, spreading his hands in exasperation. "What sort of response was I supposed to give?" He then added, "So, I asked him if he's gay... because that would explain his ridiculous intentions behind his proposal. Although I was only teasing him and trying to give him a subtle hint, rather than catching the hint, the doofus surprisingly admitted to being gay." Seir chuckled, then continued, "But even then, I didn't mock him… Once I realized that this bozo was beyond helpless, I didn't want to linger around him any longer, so I simply wished him all the best in his life and began to live… but then he suddenly began attacking me, saying that I mocked him."

"You made a fool of me in front of everyone…!" Bova complained, adding sadly, "And you didn't even respond to my proposal…"

"Fufufufu~ You really seem to have hurt his feelings, Seir… You should at least give an appropriate response to his proposal," Vermeil–who was watching everything from the side–teased with a mischievous grin.

Tick marks appeared on Seir's forehead as frustration built up inside him. He snapped at Bova, "You're really a brainless idiot, aren't you? Unless I speak in the simplest terms, you won't get it, will you? I'm not a girl, you moron—I'm a boy! Is that simple enough for you to understand?"

"Huh? Wh-what?!" Bova was stunned to hear that the person he had proposed to was a man, not a woman. "But… how is this possible? How can you not be a woman, but a man?"

Seir sighed in exasperation, "Even if you ask me that question, how am I supposed to answer?"

"..." Bova fell silent.

With Bova having no further rebuttal, Seir sighed inwardly, 'Ugh… why did I have to go through this tiring ordeal?'

Tannin, realizing the entire mess was caused by Bova, turned to him with a stern expression. "Bova… apologize."

Everyone looked at Bova, expecting an apology as Tannin had ordered. However, to their surprise, Bova still refused to apologize. Feeling that his honor had been insulted and believing he was the one who deserved an apology, he pointed his finger at Seir angrily and declared, "That's it… I, Bova Tannin, challenge you to a duel. If you want my apology, defeat me, and I'll bow down to you. But if I win, I'll completely crush you under my feet, and you'd have to apologize to me…"

"Huh? A challenge?"

"The third son of Lord Tannin is challenging the heir of Belphegor?"

"Well, this is unexpected…"

All eyes turned to Seir, wondering how the heir of Belphegor would respond to Bova's challenge.

But Seir coldly dismissed it. "Get lost… I have no interest in your stupid challenge or your stupid apology."

Bova's apology? He couldn't care less about that. Whether the little lizard apologized or not didn't matter to him. And as for the challenge, Seir had no reason to accept.

Bova smirked, seeing Seir reject his challenge. "As expected, you're a coward."

"Well, at least I'm not gay," Seir retorted with a snort.

"Pfft–" someone in the crowd couldn't help but laugh out loud. No doubt about it, it was Vermeil.

Bova, instantly provoked by Seir's taunt, shouted, "I, Bova Tannin, am not gay!"

"Says the guy who confidently admitted to it just moments ago," Seir murmured nonchalantly, further aggravating Bova.

Enraged, Bova snarled, "Forget the duel—I'll crush you right here and now!" He lunged at Seir, but before he could make a move, Tannin, visibly exasperated by his troublesome son's antics, effortlessly lifted him by the collar with just two fingers, leaving him flailing in frustration.

Helpless, Bova could only flail his arms and hurl insults, unable to do anything more.

Seir, not one to miss an opportunity, stuck out his tongue and mocked the young dragon, further fueling Bova's rage.

"I'm challenging you to a duel! Fight me, you bastard!" Bova roared.

"Why should I?" Seir replied, utterly disinterested.

"Because… because… it's a matter of honor!" Bova insisted, desperately trying to justify his challenge.

Seir scoffed. "The only one who lost their honor here is you, and frankly, I couldn't care less. Your so-called honor can rot in the gutter for all I care." He crossed his arms and added, "If you really want a duel, give me a compelling reason, just saying that you will apologize to me if I win isn't compelling enough to me since I don't care about your stupid apology. If you can give me a reason, then fine, otherwise, go cry somewhere else and get out of my sight."

"Reason…?" Bova was momentarily stunned before a wicked grin spread across his face. "Then how about this? If you win the duel, I'll become your servant. But if I win… you'll become mine."

Bova held himself in high regard, believing this was the best possible offer. After all, he was the most talented among his brothers and destined to surpass them in strength. However, Seir remained completely unmoved. Waving a hand dismissively, he scoffed, "Boring. I have no interest in having a gay dragon as my servant. The only dragon that interests me is Tia Momm– I mean… a certain dragon who's far stronger than you. So, you can get lost."

'Having Bova Tannin as a servant?' Seir had no interest. Sure, Bova was talented and might one day surpass his father Tannin and become a Dragon King, but so what? Seir didn't care. Compared to him, Tia Mommy was on an entirely different level of preference for him.

'Although I don't know if Tia Mommy would be willing to serve me.' After all, she is the strongest Dragon King. Countless Devils have attempted to make her submit to them, but none have succeeded.

Therefore, it's difficult to say whether she would be willing to serve him.

'Who cares… that's a problem for my future self, I will leave it upon him…'

Roygun narrowed her eyes. 'Tia Momm–? Who's that?'

Meanwhile, the rest of the crowd was left stunned by Seir's complete rejection of Bova's proposal.

"Damn you, bastard…! Mocking and insulting me over and over…!" Bova was reaching his limit, his patience wearing thin. With a furious scream, he roared, "Just fight me already!"

Seir was about to shoo Bova away like an annoying stray dog when a deep, composed voice suddenly echoed through the hall, stopping him in his tracks.

"A duel between the child of a dragon and the child of a devil? Well, well… This isn't what I expected to witness, but I must admit… I find it quite intriguing. Child of the Belphegor Household, won't you indulge me by accepting this duel?"

The moment that voice echoed through the hall, all eyes instinctively turned toward its source. As soon as they saw the speaker, shock rippled through the crowd.

"Huh? You're…!"

"Mephisto Pheles!"

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Author's Note:

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

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