[Grayfia's POV]
I felt like the system was a little bit in a rush, moreover… taking him out of this realm, for the sake of what? nevertheless, I still needed him to take me out of there. The treasury realm is bordered by an almost endless expanse of nothingness that I'm unable to cross with my powers.
[No need to ask questions, complete your tasks and everything shall fall into place, Lady Lucifuge~].
Disregarding my senses I proposed myself to do what the system says, however… there was one question hovering in my mind for this whole while, 'Will I ever tell him about this?'
It was something I didn't desire to answer right now.
Before my lazy master-to-be took the chance as I dwindled in my own thoughts to go to sleep, I patted his cheek slightly and the big eye opened.
"Can I request something, Richter-sama?"
"What do you want?" Despite asking me, it was as if he was reluctant to accede even before I told him what I needed. A few days with him were surprisingly enough for me to realise his disposition… it is not that he doesn't want to help me, it is that he's one of those sloths. Should be Sloth God instead of Dragon God.
"Could you take me to the civilisation…? Anywhere where there are other living beings or a town?" It was a difficult way to express it as the place where we currently are surpassed any cognition of mine.
"Oh... so you finally want to lea-" He began with a rather sad disposition.
"I don't want to leave!" I yelled with all due intention, he stopped and a smile popped up on his gigantic mouth, where is your poker face now, huh? "I'd like to prepare you something delicious, but... there is nothing here for me to use"
He looked at me as if I was stupid, I felt offended... I could imagine him thinking, 'Are you stupid? I'm an almighty Dragon God, I don't need to eat'
I didn't care, I still wanted to prepare him something... what is the use of all the culinary training I went through with my mother, if I can't even serve my master a dish?
"You know anything you take here will just be transformed into gold" After opening his mouth widely, he let his head rest on his claws and looked at me with that same laziness.
"Is there no way to stop this?"
The gigantic dragon sighed before transforming into his human adult form, it happened in an instant, a flash of golden light engulfed the whole cave before he was there in front of me with his golden trousers, scratching his head.
"Follow me…"
It took us a long time, leaving through the complex caves until we reached the surface, I enjoyed every second, going as far as to grasp and clasp his hands with mine, blushing slightly at my boldness. I knew my feelings and wouldn't hold back on them.
"Why?" He asked me, pointing at our connected hands as if it was the lewdest thing in the world.
"I don't want to get lost in the tunnels", I lied... I wouldn't get lost, I just want to hold his hands.
He didn't tell me anything and just allowed it; leading the way to the region where I previously was when we met one another, that golden lake.
Once we approached he waved his hand and the petrified corpse that had previously frightened me, hovered out of the molten gold.
I could see this demon now in all his size and glory, he was ridiculously intimidating.
The golden sculpture fell in front of us.
"This is Selodus, a powerful demon that I captured in the primal realm while I was... huh... travelling" Richter-sama explained but for some reason, his voice sounded stutter and he was evading my gaze, that's not common.
"Travelling?" I frowned, he was hiding something from me.
"Yes, I was having a bad time here in Goldstein, so I just...went on holidays, yes, that's it... I went on holidays all around the multiverse to buy some treasures"
"Buy?"
"Yes, I acquired everything legitimately!~" He scratched his head and whistled, couldn't be any more suspicious but I wasn't about to question him when I was hiding something as well.
"What will we do with this?" I pointed at the sculpture, confused.
"I can't be bothered to take you out on a stroll every time you need to, Grayfia" He sighed and although it hurt me the way he said it; I understood where he was coming from but still pouted in discomfort, 'I will make sure of it… once you fall in love with me, you will take me wherever I want!'
"Not only that, but if you want to stay with me, you have to become stronger. So… I will give you the means to do this yourself. In this Primal Realm, the race of demons is quite particular, there is something called the [Heart Lineage] which according to their records is the main inheritance that demons obtain in order to be qualified to become the next ruler of the demons… the one that is qualified shall inherit this heart and therefore, rule all demons… that is the public rule" He explained to me every detail.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
"..." I frowned, more or less understanding what his intentions were.
"The Heart Lineage is currently inside this demon, Selodus."
"Don't tell me-"
"I'm going to give you this heart, Grayfia… and you're going to become the next Demon Empress, in fact… you might even become a Demon Goddess straight away if your compatibility is good enough" He smirked as if expectant of what result I would get out of all of this.
"W-Wait, I'm not even a demon!" I shook my head and my hands frantically, as compelling as this sounded it didn't sound as if I was compatible from the get-go.
"You said you're a devil, but I don't detect any differences in constitution compared to the demons aside from those pesky eight wings and some things here and there... it shouldn't be a problem" He spoke with disdain upon sighting my wings.
"T-They're not pesky" I didn't like how he said it, I was proud of my devil wings.
Before I could even think of fleeing, he grasped my wrist!
I wanted this to happen for a long time, becoming stronger... but not in these circumstances!
"A-Are you sure of this!?"
"No, I'm not… but we're going to try~"
He's not confident at all!
"M-Moreover, aren't demons supposed to have a royal dynasty?! are you telling me that I without any royal blood can inherit this!?" Logically that's how it should have been, in the case of devils... pure blood devils that descend directly from the satans are genetically stronger... I'm a direct descendant of the Lucifuge a pureblood family, but there was no point in comparison to Lucifer, Beelzebub, Asmodeous or Leviathan.
"Well, it might be the case for you Devils but the Demons are different, they only believe in the strong... to my knowledge, so long as the demon is strong enough to tolerate the 'nightmare' then they should be able to inherit the heart"
"W-What nightmare?" There he goes, another variable in this already broken idea.
"Oh? I didn't tell you…? well, once I gouge your heart out and replace it with selodus', you will experience what is called the Demonization Nightmare, it is a test to know if you have what it takes to inherit the Heart Lineage. If you pass the test, then you will become the demon empress, but if you don't… your body will explode and leave the heart behind" He said with a smile.
'How can you say that with a smile?! Take my heart out… and put this one in place… nightmare… explode?'
I didn't know what happened next, the world turned dark and I passed out.
**
**
[Richter's POV]
I had to wait until this woman woke up before I re-told her what the procedure would be like, why did she even pass out? I just had to take her heart out and replace it with a new one, is not a big deal.
Her eyes opened finally as I looked down at her, we were in the same spot from before.
"Grayfia… everyone in the Helius Multiverse craves this heart and I'm giving it to you free of charge, don't tell me you're afraid" I frowned, a little upset. What's some pain in front of the prospect of endless glory? not many knew of the potential of the Heart Lineage but we Primordials knew, it wasn't any different from a Primal Spark, just... a very special one.
In truth, the true identity of the Heart Lineage is the Primordial Demon Legion. A primordial entity from antique times in Helius, perhaps even as ancient as Ether herself. That entity ended up separating himself and creating many demon families; sacrificing his status as a Primordial, as a result... the demon race was born and to this day remains one of the strongest races even if they're now scattered due to the missing heart.
From that primordial entity, only the heart remains and that is the [Heart Lineage].
All the demons in the multiverse hail from it and the one that's recognised as the Demon Emperor or Demon God is the undisputed leader, it doesn't matter if the demons agree to it or not, they must follow the commands of this Demon.
I wouldn't give this treasure away to just anyone, I intend to keep Grayfia by my side forever.
Upon seeing my expression Grayfia realised the severity of the situation.
"T-That"
My eyes pierced her… I have been considering keeping her for a while now. Be it as my companion or as my servant, regardless… she is not strong enough. I have too many enemies.
This is the quickest way I can think of for her to become stronger, it is lucky that she is a devil or whatever... if she was any other race, I wouldn't know what to do as all other inheritances I plundered require the individual to be at least a demigod.
Her eyes shivered before she bit her lips and drew blood, I sensed how she tried to calm down before looking at me dead set.
"I can take it… but also, I have a request."
'I lose one of my greatest treasures and also have to accept one of her requests, does she think I'm some sort of bonanza?' I sighed inwardly.
Before I could complain, she continued.
"If I manage to inherit this heart and become strong enough… I want you to accept me as your maid, Richter-sama!" She took my hand in between her two, pressing it against the centre of her chest, pledging herself to me.
"Eh? maid?" I knew what a maid was, I just didn't understand why she would want to be mine… with her strength, she could ask to be my soldier, my knight, my assistant... even if she asked to be my mate... I might consider it, why maid? as a Dragon God, I didn't have anything that I needed her help with.
I don't need to eat, I don't need to wash, I don't even need to shit… all those things that I used to partake in during my 'mortalhood'… I no longer need them.
"Yes, Richter-sama, the way you live is not worthy of a Dragon God such as yourself, please… allow me to be your maid, I'll make everything better!" She continued with words I can't understand, why? why are you so desperate to help someone? why are you getting in exchange?
If she asked to be my mate, she'd at least get status, but as my maid...? even then It sounded like a rather arrogant proposition, she was basically telling me that she will enhance my life with her presence.
I stopped for a moment to consider; for those days that she has been here… cleaning and doing shores, I do feel like I had fun, even if a little.
'More than a little Richter, don't be a cheapskate!' Ether seemingly heard my thoughts, of course, she was watching.
"If you're so insistent then I will accept this request of yours, but only with one condition" I said solemnly.
She gulped a mouthful and awaited the condition.
"If you succeed in this trial, you can evolve into either Queen, Empress or Goddess. I will accept you as my maid only if you evolve into a Demon Goddess with the Heart Lineage. This is not public knowledge, but that bastard Selodus broke through to the Demon God Realm during his fight against me… he was even stronger than those pests that you saw the other day, those were lesser gods"
"..."
"That means that even if your chances of failure still exist, the chances of you ascending straight into the Demon God Realm also exist, it all depends on you. If you manage to achieve that, I will allow you to be my maid" I said with a warm smile, approaching her delicate ear, "And maybe even more~"
!!!
Hearing my whisper she blushed profusely in expectation, "I will try my best! but- what exactly do I have to do during this trial?"
"I have no idea, I only imagine that you will know the answer during the Demonization Nightmare. So, do you accept?"
"Yes!"
Grayfia was quite enthusiastic, her fears vanished the moment I offered prospects. We returned to the cave together with the corpse of the fallen Demon God, it was time for the trial.