I navigated through the crowded ballroom, the sea of devils parting just enough to let me pass without actually acknowledging my presence. The Gremory celebration was in full swing now, the music swelling as couples took to the dance floor. I caught glimpses of familiar faces – devil nobility performing the same practiced social dance they'd perfected over centuries.
Across the room, I spotted them immediately. A gathering that screamed political significance to anyone paying attention. My father stood tall and imposing in his formal attire, his long black hair pulled back severely from his face. Beside him, my mother's silver hair caught the light, making her look almost ethereal. They were engaged in conversation with Sirzechs Lucifer himself, his crimson hair unmistakable even from a distance. Beside him stood Grayfia, looking decidedly un-maid-like in an elegant gown that complemented her hair perfectly.
And between them all, looking politely bored in the way only children forced to endure adult conversation can, stood young Millicas Gremory.
Ah. So that's what this is about.
A babysitting request. Not political maneuvering or another attempt to push me into some arranged marriage. Just a convenient excuse to pawn off a child while the adults discussed whatever tedious matters concerned them.
I'd never been so grateful for the existence of a seven-year-old.
"Lord and Lady Valac," Sirzechs greeted my parents as I approached. "Your son has finally decided to grace us with his presence."
"Fashionably late, as always," my father replied.
I bowed slightly, more out of habit than respect. "Lord Lucifer. Lady Lucifuge. A pleasure, as always."
"Dante," Grayfia acknowledged with a slight nod, her expression perfectly neutral. "You're looking well."
"Not half as well as you," I replied. "The maid uniform doesn't do you justice."
A dangerous gambit, but Grayfia's lips curved slightly. "Flattery will get you nowhere, young Valac."
"Can't blame a young devil for trying."
Sirzechs laughed. I turned my attention to him, and the laughter abruptly stopped. His blue eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of confusion crossing his features as he studied me.
Shit. Can he sense it?
My Shadow Veil technique—a passive ability I'd developed to conceal my true power level—was supposed to be undetectable. It redirected excess energy into a shadow pocket, presenting me as significantly less powerful than I truly was.
But Sirzechs was no ordinary devil. As a Satan, his perceptive abilities far exceeded normal limits. If anyone could see through my deception, it would be him.
"Something wrong, Lord Lucifer?" I asked, keeping my tone casual while mentally reinforcing my Shadow Veil.
Sirzechs blinked, then smiled. "Not at all. For a moment, I thought... but it must have been a trick of the light."
Mental note: Shadow Veil only works on those below Ultimate-class.
"Dante," my mother interjected smoothly, "we were just discussing the possibility of young Millicas giving you a tour of the gardens. He's been cooped up with adults all evening."
I glanced down at the red-haired boy, who perked up immediately at the suggestion. His gray eyes—so like his mother's—lit with hope.
"Would you really?" Millicas asked, his formal manners slipping to reveal childish enthusiasm. "Mother says the Gremory gardens have secret passages, but she won't show me where they are."
"Security concerns," Grayfia said primly, though her expression softened when looking at her son.
I crouched down to Millicas's level, meeting his eyes directly. "Secret passages, huh? Well, I happen to be something of an expert at finding things people don't want found."
"Is that so?" Sirzechs remarked dryly.
"A natural talent," I replied, standing back up. "I'd be happy to walk with Millicas. Give you adults some time to... discuss whatever boring political matters require such an impressive gathering."
My father's jaw tightened at my flippancy, but my mother placed a gentle hand on his arm. "An excellent suggestion."
I offered my hand to Millicas, who took it eagerly. "Shall we go exploring, young man?"
"Yes, please!"
"Don't wander too far," Grayfia cautioned. "And Millicas, remember your manners."
"Yes, Mother," the boy replied automatically.
"We'll be fine," I assured them. "What trouble could we possibly get into in a garden?"
I led Millicas away from the adults, feeling their eyes on my back until we disappeared into the crowd.
"So," I said once we were safely out of earshot, "secret passages?"
"Do you really think we'll find them?" Millicas asked, his voice pitched low as if we were already conspirators.
"Between your Gremory intuition and my Valac shadow affinity? Absolutely."
We made our way through the ballroom, Millicas attracting fond looks from various guests. Being both the son of Lucifer and impossibly adorable had its advantages. I kept a protective hand on his shoulder as we navigated the crowd, steering him toward the terrace doors.
"Have you been to many parties like this?" Millicas asked as we stepped outside into the cooler night air.
"Too many," I admitted. "They get boring after the first hundred or so."
"I think they're boring after the first hour," he confided. "Everyone just talks about politics and alliances and marriages."
I laughed. "Smart kid. Most adults don't figure that out for centuries."
The Gremory gardens was a vast expanse of manicured lawns, ornamental shrubs, and winding pathways illuminated by magical lights that floated like fireflies. In the distance, I could make out the gazebo where Latia and I had been talking earlier.
"Where should we start looking?" Millicas asked, scanning the gardens with determined focus.
"Well, if I were hiding secret passages," I mused, "I'd put them somewhere people wouldn't look too closely. Somewhere obvious but overlooked."
Millicas frowned in concentration. "Like... behind a statue?"
"Possibly. Or under a decorative element that seems purely ornamental." I pointed toward an elaborate fountain in the center of the nearest garden section. "Let's start there and work our way outward."
As we walked, Millicas's small hand still in mine, I studied him more closely. The boy was the perfect blend of his parents—Sirzechs's crimson hair and Grayfia's gray eyes, features that somehow managed to combine his father's warmth with his mother's elegance.
"You're the one who made Aunt Sona mad at the chess meeting," Millicas said suddenly, catching me off guard.
I nearly stumbled. "You know about that?"
"I heard Aunt Rias talking to Father about it." He looked up at me with innocent curiosity. "Did you really call Aunt Sona tiny?"
Even the kid knows?
"That's... a complicated adult situation," I hedged. "Sometimes grown-ups say things they shouldn't."
"Mother says that's not an excuse."
"Your mother is right about most things," I conceded. "But some situations require... creative solutions to complex problems."
Millicas considered this. "Like when you pretend to be less powerful than you are?"
I stopped dead in my tracks, staring down at him. "What did you say?"
"Your shadow feels bigger than it looks," he explained, as if this were perfectly obvious. "Like when I try to hide cookies in my pocket but the shape shows through."
This kid can sense my Shadow Veil? How is that possible?
"That's... very perceptive of you," I said carefully.
Millicas beamed at the compliment. "Grandmother says I notice things others miss. She says it's a good trait for a future leader."
"She's right about that." I started walking again, processing this unexpected development. A child—even one with Sirzechs's bloodline—shouldn't be able to detect my carefully crafted concealment technique. Either my execution was flawed, or Millicas had inherited more than just his father's hair color. I'd have to consort with Latia about this.
"Don't worry," Millicas said, patting my hand reassuringly. "I won't tell anyone about your shadow cookies."
A startled laugh escaped me. "I appreciate that."
We reached the fountain, a massive stone structure depicting various mythological creatures. Water cascaded from the mouths of serpents and the wings of eagles, collecting in a wide basin below.
"Look at the water patterns," I suggested, crouching beside Millicas. "Sometimes secret mechanisms are hidden in plain sight, controlled by disrupting established flows."
Millicas studied the fountain with intense concentration, his small face screwed up in thought. "The water from the dragon's mouth doesn't match the others," he observed after a moment.
I followed his gaze and noticed he was right. While most of the water flowed in smooth arcs, the stream from one particular dragon had a slight stutter to it, barely perceptible unless you were looking for irregularities.
"Good eye," I praised him. "Let's take a closer look."
We circled the fountain, examining the dragon figure from different angles. Up close, I noticed subtle wear marks on the stone around its mouth, as if it had been touched frequently.
"I think..." I reached out and gently pressed the dragon's eye.
Nothing happened.
Millicas giggled. "Maybe try the other eye?"
I did, and was rewarded with a soft grinding sound. The section of the fountain basin directly beneath the dragon slid back, revealing a narrow staircase leading downward.
"You found it!" Millicas exclaimed, bouncing on his toes with excitement.
"We found it," I corrected him. "Team effort."
The stairs disappeared into darkness below, the air emanating from the opening noticeably cooler than the garden atmosphere.
"Should we go down?" Millicas asked, peering into the darkness.
I hesitated. Taking Sirzechs and Grayfia's only child into a mysterious underground passage probably wasn't the most politically savvy move, especially given the fragile truce between our families.
"Let's just take a quick look," I decided. "Stay behind me, and if I say run, you run. Deal?"
"Deal!" Millicas agreed eagerly.
I summoned a small orb of fire to my palm, illuminating the staircase. The steps were worn smooth from centuries of use, curving gently downward.
"Ready for an adventure?" I asked.
Millicas nodded, his eyes wide with excitement.
"Then let's see where this leads."
Together, we descended into the darkness beneath the Gremory estate, leaving the glittering party and political machinations far behind. Whatever awaited us below, I suspected it would be far more interesting than whatever the adults were discussing above.
And if we happened to get into a bit of trouble along the way... well, that was just part of the fun.