54 Chapter 54 Seekvaira was silent.

"I have been attending your Rating Games." Seekvaira said as we walked down the hall. Wooden floorboards creaked slightly as we stepped across them, the light from sconces set into the stone-brick walls lighting our path.

"Have you found them enjoyable?" I asked in an effort to be polite, not entirely sure where she intended to take the conversation.

"I have." she said, a faint smile dancing across her face. "Your peerage has doubled in size since we last spoke, and yet nothing new has been gleaned about it. I find the puzzle both interesting and amusing."

"So is that why you've sought me out? Are you looking to solve the puzzle?"

Seekvaira chuckled, the sound like a tinkling bell. "I will admit to curiosity. From your discovery of Ingvild and Issei I imagine that at least one of them is remarkable. Would I be correct in assuming the young blonde woman holds a Sacred Gear of some sort?"

I smiled mischievously at her. "Her name is Valerie, and that would be telling, Seekvaira. Though since you broached the topic, may I ask how Issei is acclimating to your peerage?"

Seekvaira scowled, her eyes moving to stare down the hall as she said, "For the first few weeks after I reincarnated him I was most upset with you, Riser. Issei was an unforgivable pervert and a truly deplorable excuse for a man." She sighed, turning her gaze back to me, an expression of acceptance having settled over her features. "However, he has grown more than I thought possible even in the short three months he has been my rook. Alivian has accomplished nothing short of a miracle in teaching Issei etiquette, and his training has progressed to a point I find astonishing. I daresay he may yet become a proper gentleman. Once he learned to control his…baser tendencies, a surprisingly caring young man revealed himself. I can now say I am proud to have him in my peerage."

"I'm glad to hear that." I said, genuinely happy. If she'd come here to demand compensation for failing to deliver a competent Red Dragon Emperor, there wasn't much I could do to appease her without getting Serafall involved. The less a fiasco involving that nuclear option was thought about the better.

We lapsed into silence as we continued down the hall. Soon, the hallway ended, leaving us in a large reception area that led off towards both assembly areas for the competing peerages. There were half a dozen cameras and demonic journalists gathered around my most recent competitor. He was very animated, an enraged scowl on his face.

"This is outrageous! Riser is nothing more than a fallen ant that is attempting to use my successes and popularity to regain a fraction of his past respect. I will not tolerate any further insinuations that the slime is superior to me in any way!" he yelled, his eyes finding each camera as the surrounding journalists scribbled in notebooks.

Chuckling at the sight, I directed Seekvaira away from the display and led her towards the exit.

The heiress tilted her head curiously at me as we departed the area unnoticed, the press too embroiled in Falon's tantrum to have noticed our passing.

"Will you not speak against him? Save your pride?" Seekvaira asked, though there was no accusation in her voice – only curiosity.

"I have very little pride left." I said in amusement. "He can say whatever he wants about me. The results of the Rating Game speak for themselves."

Seekvaira smiled. "Yes, I suppose they do. Once again your peerage has emerged victorious with no one but yourself and your queen taking the field."

"As pleasant as your company has been, Seekvaira, I would like to return home. Was there something specific you wanted to discuss with me before myself and my peerage leave?"

Seekvaira was silent. She led me down a connecting hallway away from the press that opened into a small room with a large viewing screen. It was likely the room she had watched the Rating Game in.

The Pillar heiress released my arm and stepped a few feet away, turning to face me fully, her peerage following to arrange themselves behind her.

"I have been following your exploits ever since our initial meeting, Riser. Everything I have seen has impressed me. Your company is also pleasant. I found myself enjoying our meetings when I frankly detest most other nobles. With all this in mind, I made a request of my parents. Unfortunately, they do not view you in the same light that I do."

Now I was just plain confused. Where was she going with this? "Are your parents upset with how our business concluded? I thought they accepted the trade of…" I trailed off as Seekvaira shook her head and waved her hand dismissively.

"You need not worry about that, Riser. They are actually very pleased with the addition of the Red Dragon Emperor to my peerage, and felt the trade was fair. No. What they disapproved of was my other proposition, something I would very much like to see approved. However, there was only one way to convince them to even consider it. Therefore…"

Seekvaira took a dramatic step forward. Her eyes hardened as she said, "Riser, I challenge you to a Rating Game."

I stood in dumbfounded silence as I stared at Seekvaira. At first, I thought she was joking. Then I saw the determination in her eyes and realized she was completely serious. Following that realization, I grew immensely confused.

"Why would you offer an opportunity like this to me?" I said, trying to understand her motives. "By competing against me, not to mention challenging me, you are effectively telling the entire Underworld that I am a worthy opponent. Win or lose, this will open a multitude of doors for me. What do you get in return?"

Seekvaira smiled knowingly. "That would be telling, my dear Riser." she echoed my words from earlier. "Know that I do not harbor nefarious intentions towards you or your peerage. All I ask in return is that you keep an open mind when I approach you after the Rating Game."

I narrowed my eyes slightly. "You're trying to convince your parents of something and need to fight me to do it. Are you trying to convince them to let you add me to your peerage? While I'm flattered, I must respectfully…" I stopped talking as Seekvaira began to openly laugh.

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