The Prince of Sloth [DxD]

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"Hmm… I see… so, in a way, creating a magic tool is somewhat like writing a computer program…" Seir murmured, his eyes scanning the explanation in the book he held.

With his mood improved, thanks to Zest's help, he was back in the library, this time engrossed in a book about Magic Tools and their creation.

Although his first encounter with Magic Tools wasn't exactly ideal—given that the ones he saw were Maria's ahem "specialty" creations designed purely for pleasure and debauchery—that didn't mean his curiosity about Sex To– I mean, Magic Tools had diminished in the slightest.

As a former scientist, there was no way he could ignore such an intriguing field, so he had been conducting some research on it.

'Perhaps research is too strong a word, considering that, at the moment, I'm barely scratching the surface of basic knowledge.'

Based on his surface-level understanding, creating a Magic Tool was fundamentally different from casting magic. Magic itself was akin to fields like algebra and geometry—where problems had to be solved using calculations to arrive at specific results. In contrast, the creation of Magic Tools was more comparable to coding software or designing mobile apps.

'And, coding was never really my strong suit…' Seir sighed.

It was embarrassing to admit, but true—he was never much of a programmer in his previous life. No matter how much he tried to learn, writing code never quite clicked for him. It didn't make much sense, nor did it interest him enough to stick with it and practice. As a result, he only ever grasped the basics of languages like Python, Java, and C++, but that knowledge was never enough to actually create a functional program, and all he could do was solve some simple problems.

'But now, it seems I'll have to dabble in something similar again… except this time, I won't have the luxury of giving up if I want to actually create these magic tools.'

Of course, the languages used to create Magic Tools weren't programming languages like Python, Java, or C++. Instead, they relied on various enchantment languages. But in the end, the core principles were the same—logic, syntax, structure, and precision.

Obviously, enchantments—or magical programming languages—are just one aspect of creating a Magic Tool. Other fields, such as Smithing, Alchemy, Magic Metallurgy, Magic Circuit Design, et cetera, are equally crucial in crafting a functional and effective magic tool. However, enchantments remain the most vital component, as they define both the tool's purpose and the precise way it carries out its intended function.

"It seems I have one more thing to work upon…" murmured Seir.

He had initially hoped that studying and creating Magic Tools would be simpler—something easy enough for him to craft various powerful tools for himself without much trouble. However, it was becoming clear that wouldn't be the case. Even if it were possible, it certainly wouldn't be as effortless as he had hoped. It would require significant dedication and effort on his part.

'Why, oh why, wasn't I born with a System or something that would grant me instant mastery over any subject of my desire after completing some simple sign-in tasks?' Seir lamented, feeling a pang of regret.

At the same time, after realizing just how complex the study and creation of Magic tools truly was, his respect for figures like Big G, Azazel, and Ajuka grew immensely. These individuals were capable of crafting truly astounding tools.

Big G was in a league of his own, having built things that defied all logic—including an actual functioning System and so many Sacred Gears. Azazel was also amazing out there developing Artificial Sacred Gears that can even rival Longinus and other cutting-edge technologies, while Ajuka had single-handedly designed the Evil Pieces and the entire Reincarnation System alongside many other complex things, saving the entire Devil Race.

'Yeah… these guys are seriously on another level,' Seir mused in awe.

As he was lost in such thoughts, a maid approached him, pushing a cart. Stopping beside him, she greeted him respectfully, drawing his attention. "My Lord… it's time for your tea break."

"Hm? Is it that time already?" Seir murmured absentmindedly. He had been so engrossed in the book that he lost track of time. Finally pulling his attention away from the pages, he turned to look at the maid.

When he glanced at her, he was surprised to see that it was none other than the girl he had recently acquired as a servant and potential peerage member thanks to his parents.

"Kuisha?" he said in surprise.

"My Lord," Kuisha nodded respectfully.

"You look different…" he murmured, taking note of her appearance.

"Hm?" Kuisha tilted her head slightly, glancing down at herself before gracefully lifting the edges of her long black skirt with both hands. With a curious expression, she asked, "Does this not suit me?"

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(A/N: Image Here)

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Seir smiled. "I never said you looked bad… in fact, you look quite adorable." And added after a momentary pause, "I was just a little surprised to see you in a maid outfit."

The last time he saw her, she had been dressed in an elegant gown suited for high-class gatherings. But now… she wore a classic black-and-white maid outfit featuring a long black skirt that fell just below her knees, a white apron tied neatly over it, black thigh-highs, matching black shoes as every other maid, and a white headdress over her blonde hair.

"Ah… I-I see," she stammered, caught off guard by the unexpected compliment.

Due to the way she had been treated at the Abaddon House, receiving unexpected praise or suddenly being called 'adorable' out of nowhere was shocking for her, leaving her flustered. A blush crept onto her cheeks as she murmured to herself, "S-Saying something like that all of a sudden… That's not fair."

Seeing Kuisha react like that, Seir couldn't help but think in amusement, 'Children can be adorable at times…'

Trying to distract herself from her flustered state, Kuisha quickly changed the topic. "I have brought your tea, shall I pour you some, my Lord?" she asked.

"Hm? Yes, please do…" he nodded, closing the book he had been reading and setting it down on the table.

Kuisha nodded as well. "Alright…" Then she picked up the kettle and elegantly poured tea into a cup.

'I see… she must have been practicing,' Seir thought, watching her carefully fill the cup before offering it to him.

"Here you are, My Lord," Kuisha said, placing the cup and saucer before him, accompanied by a plate of lemon-flavored madeleines.

"Thank you," he said as he picked up the cup and took a sip. The refined taste of the tea caught him by surprise, prompting him to ask Kuisha, "Did you brew this?"

Kuisha shook her head. "No, My Lord… I wasn't the one who prepared it." Lowering her gaze slightly, she added apologetically, "I'm still far too inexperienced to serve you tea of my own making…"

"Hm, I see… Don't worry about it, you'll get there," Seir reassured her before taking another sip.

"Yes," she nodded as she joined her palms together and stood by his side silently while he sipped on his tea.

Noticing the girl standing there silently, her curious eyes wandering over the shelves, Seir realized she was interested in checking out the books. Setting his cup down, he turned to Kuisha and asked, "Do you have any immediate tasks to take care of right now?"

Kuisha shook her head as her eyes returned to him. "Not at the moment, Sir. I'm currently on my break…"

"It's your break?" Seir murmured in surprise before raising an eyebrow. "Then why are you serving me tea in your free hours?"

"Oh, this?" Kuisha responded before quickly explaining, "I originally planned to visit the library to browse the books, and since I was already coming here, Madam Zest asked me to bring the tea and serve it to you as well."

"That explains everything…" Seir nodded thoughtfully before saying, "Well, you've served me the tea and completed your task. Now you're free to browse the books as you originally intended, so don't just stand there—go ahead, do what you originally intended to do."

"Hm?" Kuisha looked taken aback. "Um… I can't just leave like this…" she hesitated before adding, "Madam Lucia will scold me…"

"Hm… I see. She is quite strict, huh?" Seir murmured.

Recalling the sharp glares and scoldings she had received for the slightest of mistakes over the past week, Kuisha shuddered and nodded. "She is…" After a brief pause, she added, assuring him, "I'll browse through the books later… I have plenty of time for that today."

"Well, since you can't leave and have to remain by my side until I'm done with the tea, how about joining me for a conversation?" Seir suggested.

"J-Join you?" Kuisha muttered, caught off guard by the unexpected proposal. Hesitantly, she spoke, "U-um… I…"

"What are you hesitating for? Have a seat already," Seir said, gesturing for her to sit.

"Um… Madam Lucia might get angry if she saw me acting in such a manner in your presence, My Lord…" Kuisha was still hesitant.

"Eh? No, she won't. She and Roygun are quite close friends despite their positions, and they often have conversations together over tea. The same goes for my mother and Cecily—they frequently play card games and exchange all kinds of gossip—so there's no problem," Seir reassured her before adding, "A master and a maid are more than just a superior and a servant… they are also companions in conversation."

Noticing her lingering hesitation, he smiled and continued, "If you're still unsure… then do it because I, your master, am ordering you. I'm commanding you to fulfill your duty by joining me for a lighthearted conversation over a cup of tea during my time of leisure." Then, with a teasing glint in his eyes, he asked, "As my maid, you wouldn't refuse an order from your master, would you?"

After a brief moment of silence, Kuisha nodded. "Alright…" she said before taking the empty seat opposite him.

"Very good… now then…" Seir flicked his fingers, and instantly, the crockery began to move. The kettle, now enveloped in a dark bluish aura, lifted from the tray and gracefully poured tea into an empty cup. Once filled, the cup, with its saucer underneath, floated effortlessly through the air and gently settled on the table in front of Kuisha.

"This is…" Kuisha muttered, taken aback as she stared at the steaming cup of tea.

But her surprise didn't end there. A moment later, a small plate carrying several lemon-flavored madeleines drifted through the air and landed softly beside the tea.

"My Lord…" Kuisha murmured, glancing at the cup of tea and the plate of lemon-flavored madeleines before shifting her gaze toward Seir.

"Just a simple use of Telekinesis Magic," Seir said casually, picking up his own cup and taking a sip. Then, with a slight nod, he added, "Go right ahead. Oh… but be careful—the tea is hot."

"Right…" Kuisha nodded before lifting her cup and taking a cautious sip.

'Hm… she doesn't quite have the proper etiquette for drinking tea yet…' Seir observed, noting her movements but choosing not to comment on them since she is only a child at the moment and would improve as she grows older.

"It's a bit bitter…" she murmured before picking up a slice of Madeleine. As she took a bite, the tangy sweetness of the lemon balanced out the bitterness of the tea. "Hm… this is much better," she said with a small nod of satisfaction.

Seir watched her with a gentle smile, which made the little maid feel slightly embarrassed. Lowering her gaze, she murmured softly, "I… I'm sorry…"

Seir shook his head. "Don't worry about it," he said reassuringly. "In fact, if anyone should be apologizing, it's me."

"???" Kuisha tilted her head in confusion, her expression full of question marks. She couldn't understand why he would need to apologize to her.

Seir offered an explanation. "I apologize for not checking in on you since we arrived at the castle. I've been a bit preoccupied with some… um… let's just say, personal matters…" He paused briefly before continuing, "Suddenly moving away from the place you've spent so many years, having to live in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people… I can imagine that must be difficult. On top of that, the one person you were supposed to be acquainted with and serve didn't even check up on you once—that must have made it even harder. I'm truly sorry for that…"

"It's… not so bad," Kuisha murmured, her gaze momentarily distant. Then, with a small smile and closed eyes, she added, "I don't really have many fond memories of that place… and since I was always confined to a single room, well… this place is much better. At least here, I don't have to spend months locked away in one place."

'Locked in a single room for months, huh?' Seir mused, unsure how to respond. In his previous life, he had also spent months confined to a single room—but by choice. With no friends to spend time with and no real reason to go outside, he had always preferred the solitude of staying indoors.

Though in Kuisha's case, it was likely different—she probably despised the idea of being confined to one place for so long.

Kuisha continued, "As for you not checking up on me… you had personal matters to deal with. It's only natural that you couldn't pay attention to me."

Although she didn't know what personal matters he had to deal with, she understood that if he was busy, it was only natural that he couldn't pay attention to her.

'Children are supposed to throw tantrums over the smallest things… yet here she is, so understanding and accepting. Honestly, it's quite sad…'

Seir smiled at her understanding nature and asked, "So, how have you been this past week?" He paused before adding, "Lucia mentioned that she's been training you… and from what she told me, you're starting from the very basics. That has me a bit concerned about the kind of tasks you've been given…"

Kuisha avoided his gaze and hesitated before replying, "Well… I'd rather not go into detail about what I've been doing. It's just some cleaning and dusting… nothing too important. Yeah, just some cleaning stuff… that's all."

"Is that so?" Seir murmured, frowning slightly as he noticed her averting her eyes. He paused for a moment before gently asking, "Is something troubling you?"

But Kuisha quickly shook her head. "No… nothing is troubling me. Please rest assured, my Lord," she said before pausing and adding with a small smile, "I've been getting used to this new life. I have tasks to keep me busy, people to talk to, seniors to ask for advice, and a master who seems to care about me… everything is better."

"Are you certain?" Seir asked once more, his gaze steady.

Kuisha quickly nodded, bobbing her head repeatedly. "Yes, yes…" she assured him before adding, "Compared to when I was locked away in a room, everything is much better here. And… although Madam Lucia is very strict, she's training me, so it's understandable…"

She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before softly adding, "Besides… no one bullies me here so that alone makes it much better."

"I see… I'm glad to hear that," Seir replied, taking another sip of his tea.

Meanwhile, he pondered, 'So, the maids at Abaddon Castle bullied her, huh? But that's a bit strange… Why would the maids go out of their way to bully her? Hmm… Could it have been under Lady Abaddon's orders?'

Such a thing wouldn't be surprising in the slightest.

Kuisha nodded and took a small sip of her tea, her gaze drifting toward the book resting beside Seir's arm. After a brief hesitation, she asked, "If you don't mind me asking, my Lord… what kind of book were you reading?"

"Hm?" Seir followed her gaze to the book and replied casually, "This? It's about Magic Tools… I've taken a bit of interest in them lately."

"Magic Tools?" Kuisha murmured, repeating his words as her mind drifted to the object she had in her room. 'That thing I have with me should be considered a Magic Tool, right?' she wondered to herself.

"Yes," Seir nodded, then recalled something she had mentioned earlier. "Come to think of it, you said you wanted to browse the books here. Are you interested in reading?"

"A little bit," Kuisha admitted with a small nod. "I own a few books… Lord Malrik—err, I mean, Lord Abaddon's butler—would bring me books from time to time."

"Oh?" Seir raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "What kind of books were they? And since you own books, I assume that means you can already read?"

Kuisha shook her head in embarrassment. "Only a little… I'm not very good at reading yet."

Seir blinked. 'Well, she's still quite young, so it makes sense that she isn't very skilled at reading…' But her words sparked his curiosity about something else.

"Then how do you read the books?" he asked. After a brief pause, another thought crossed his mind. "Or are they picture books, and you interpret what's drawn on them?"

"Um… well… there are both kinds," Kuisha replied. "Some have pictures, but most of them are filled with long lines of text… though they're all storybooks." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "As for how I read them… well, I don't—at least, not on my own. I use this tool that I have… it's a Magic Tool that Lord Malrik gifted me on my fifth birthday. So… whenever I place a book in it, it starts narrating what's written inside."

"That's… interesting," Seir murmured. 'It's basically text-to-speech technology…'

"Yes! It was the best thing ever," Kuisha nodded with a smile. "I used it all the time and had it narrate so many beautiful stories from the books Lord Malrik gave me over the years…"

"I see…" Seir responded.

Kuisha continued, "Yes… Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, Cinderella, The Goose Girl, Beauty and the Beast, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, The White Cat, Rapunzel, The Frog Prince… and many other tales."

Seir was slightly taken aback to hear the list. He hadn't expected her to name such well-known, and said, "All of these are fairy tales."

Kuisha blinked in surprise to hear his reaction, "Do you know of these stories, my Lord?"

"I suppose you can say that…" nodded Seir. Although it is certainly surprising that these stories have reached even the underworld, in the human realm, these stories are timeless classics that almost everyone living human must have heard about at some point. As a former human, Seir has certainly heard of these tales, most of which were published by the Brothers Grimm, popularized among the masses as Classics by Disney, and then brought to ruin by corporate greed and woke culture.

"Huh? This is a surprise…" Kuisha murmured, not expecting Seir to be familiar with those stories as well.

"So, you like fairy tales?" he asked, while thinking to himself, 'Well, she is a child, and I suppose most little girls enjoy these kinds of stories… Or perhaps, it's the idea of a prince rescuing a princess from an ignorant father and an evil witch of a stepmother or something similar that fascinates her and makes her love these tales. Considering her circumstances, such a thought wouldn't be strange at all.'

'Did she also long to be rescued by a prince, just like in those stories?'

But to Seir's surprise, Kuisha shook her head, her expression darkening. "No… I hate those stories," she muttered.

The teacup in his hand paused midair. "Hate them?" he murmured in surprise. Then, with curiosity, he asked, "Why? Do you not like the idea of a prince coming to save a princess and fighting for her?"

"A prince coming to rescue a princess, huh… For a time, I was captivated by that idea, and it deeply fascinated me," Kuisha admitted, biting her lip. "I would spend entire days staring out the only window in my room, waiting for a prince to appear." Her voice softened as she continued, "I used to dream of the day a prince would storm into the castle, take me away, wed me, and make me the queen of his land—just like in those tales. And together, we would live happily ever after…"

But then, with a small sigh, her shoulders slumped, and she added, "I eventually realized that I'm no princess like the heroines in those stories. I'm not Snow White, Cinderella, or Sleeping Beauty… I'm just an illegitimate daughter born from a fling with a maid—someone never meant for greatness, someone never meant to stand beside the prince. So why would he fight for me?

After all, in the tales I read, princes didn't fight for bastards and maids; they fought for princesses. And even in the few stories where they did supposedly fight for the 'maid,' it always turned out that the maid was secretly a princess all along—forced to live and work as a servant. But that's not the case with me. I am no hidden princess. I'm nothing more than an illegitimate daughter, a bastard—someone who could never be compared to a true princess and would never be worthy of standing by his side."

Seir remained silent. "…"

However, he couldn't help but think to himself, 'Even if you're an illegitimate daughter, in a way, that still makes you a secret princess… Though, I suppose now that you've severed ties with the Abaddon Household, you'll never be acknowledged as a legitimate heir. So, I guess, at this point, you really are just a maid…'

Kuisha continued in a bitter tone, "That's why I came to hate these stories… because they made me realize that everything I imagined was nothing more than a wishful dream—one that was never meant to come true."

"I see… well, your dislike for these fairy tales is indeed justified…" Then, with a thoughtful expression, he added, "But isn't that only because you've never read a story where the prince fights for the maid instead of the princess?"

"As if such a story would ever exist…" Kuisha scoffed. She had read hundreds of fairy tales, yet not once had she come across one where the heroine rescued by the prince was truly a maid—and not some princess forced to work and live as a maid.

"All those tales demonized people like me and my dead mother, portraying them as jealous, evil women who mistreated the 'princess,' as if their only purpose was to take advantage of her," she added bitterly. "Never once was there a story where the illegitimate daughter was the one who suffered—bullied and mistreated by the legitimate wife and daughters."

Seir simply shrugged. "There's no use complaining. If such a story doesn't exist, then create one."

"Huh? Create what?" Kuisha asked, confused by the sudden suggestion.

Seir elaborated, "A story that suits your taste. Write your own fairy tale—one where the maid is the protagonist. A girl who is mistreated and bullied by the legitimate wife and daughters of the Lord, or King, or wealth magnet, or whatever… a story where the prince fights for the illegitimate daughter who is a maid and rescues her instead of the princess."

"I… I don't know… Create my own story?" Kuisha shook her head. "I've never thought about that before."

"Well, in that case why not start thinking about it now?" he asked. "What's stopping you?"

Kuisha was still not convinced and said, "There's a lot of things stopping me… I… I can't even read properly, let alone write… So, crafting an entire story is not something I can do… Yeah, something like that? It's impossible for someone like me. I… I'm just a maid. How could I ever think about writing… um… stories?"

Seir pursed his lips in dissatisfaction. "First of all, you were the one complaining about the lack of fairy tales that reflect your circumstances, and now, when given the opportunity to create one yourself, you're against the idea? Why are you being so pessimistic?"

He sighed before continuing, "Secondly, you're still just a child. There are countless possibilities ahead of you… Well, maybe not endless, but you get the idea. So what if you can't read or write yet? It's not like you have to write the story right away. You have years ahead of you—an entire lifespan that you have no choice but to live through—so just learn. No one is stopping you."

His gaze sharpened slightly as he added, "And if you're going to serve me, it's only natural that you become educated. Whether you want to or not, you'll receive proper schooling. Your position will be an important one, and an illiterate person could never serve as the personal maid of the heir apparent of a household as prominent as Belphegor."

Although she likely wouldn't attend Astaroth Noble Academy—since it was reserved for the legitimate children of prominent houses who were High-Class Devils, not for servants or illegitimate children—that didn't mean she would go uneducated.

Seir himself didn't want an illiterate and uneducated child to serve him. In his opinion, he would rather have an animal serve as his [Bishop] or maid than entrust that role to an illiterate and uneducated person.

"I… I see…" Kuisha murmured, feeling somewhat happy at the thought of receiving an education. Yet, at the same time, she remained unsure about the idea of writing a story for herself. "But… but I am going to be your personal maid. I will have my duties as your maid… How can I be… um… be a writer or something…"

Noticing her hesitation, Seir sighed and said, "Tell me… do you intend to limit your entire life to just being a maid? I mean, yes, this life was forced upon you, and I won't comment on that. And I'd be lying if I promised to grant you freedom or said that you wouldn't have to serve me and you are free to go pursue whatever dream that you may have had… No, I won't say that because I'm a greedy and selfish man who prioritizes his own happiness, comfort, and ambitions over other's, I guess.

But at the same time, I advise you not to build your entire existence around the idea of being just my personal maid. Find something for yourself—hobbies you enjoy in your free time, interests that belong to you and define you. Neither I nor anyone else will stand in your way.

Of course, this is just a suggestion. In the end, whether you choose to write or pursue something else is entirely up to you. If you'd rather explore a different hobby, that's your decision—no one will stop you. Well… aside from a few restrictions on certain 'activities' that might bring harm to Belphegor in any manner. But as far as writing goes, I doubt there would be any issue. In fact, I'd fully support it, since reading stories happens to be one of my favorite pastimes."

As an otaku, how could he ever say no to stories?

In fact, opening an anime production studio—along with a movie and television production company—was one of the goals on his bucket list and a major reason why he planned to become a trillionaire in this second life.

So, the idea of his own maid and [Bishop] becoming a part-time writer? That wasn't just acceptable—it was ideal.

'If she ends up creating a great story… I'd love to see it adapted into a movie or something.'

He glanced at her and added, "Of course, if you don't want to take up any side hobbies, that's perfectly fine too. I won't force you. But… I'd still recommend finding something you enjoy. Having a hobby can be fun, you know."

"I see… I'll think about it," Kuisha murmured, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Yeah… give it some thought," Seir said with a smile, pleased to see her reflecting on his words.

"Hm…" she murmured as various thoughts began swirling in her mind. With her gaze shifting between Seir and herself, she whispered to herself, "A prince rescuing the daughter of a maid, huh?"

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The following day, at a certain training field – somewhere in the Belphegor Domain, Underworld

The day Seir had been eagerly awaiting for over two months had finally arrived—Roygun had managed to carve out time from her busy schedule to teach him how to use [Crack].

Excited, Seir woke up early that morning, though he couldn't deny that Zest had played a role in that. But that wasn't the focus right now.

After quickly finishing breakfast, Seir and Roygun made their way to a designated field where his training would begin.

Roygun glanced at Seir and smirked. "Well, you're certainly excited."

"Can you blame me? I've been looking forward to this day for over two months!" Seir replied, his enthusiasm clear.

Roygun nodded, unsurprised. Resting a hand on her hip, she asked, "Well then, little brother… shall we begin?"

"Yes… let's start!" Seir said eagerly.

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That's it for this chapter. Hope you enjoyed reading this one!

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