Sacred Gear Store - Chapter 5 (Patreon)

Chapter 5 - The Social Ladder

< Door (Multiversal) - A Common Door currently affected by a Multiversal Domain. At the User’s current Power Level, it has two World Slots. >

< World Slot 1: Fairy Tail >

< World Slot 2: ??? >

That’s what I found once I returned Home after spending the rest of my Afternoon at Fairy Tail getting to know the Guild Members better. I gained another World Slot.

And I’m not sure why. Power Level is quite a broad description. Is it just because my Demonic Power Reserves grew by 10% after taking that much from Everlue? Or is it because the sum of my Experience and Knowledge grew altogether?

I added Celestial Spirit Magic to my Repertoire!

Maybe it just happened because I visited my first World, and it automatically unlocked the next one. Or maybe my Power Level just means Mastery over my Sacred Gear! It could even be because I gave several Keys from this Store away.

Hard to tell without any Data.

For now, I better ignore it, and the fact that I got a Second World Slot right after getting back. I may be a Devil, but I need some rest too.

And more importantly, there’s something I really need to try.

With a Golden Key in my Hand, I call out, “Open up! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!”

A flash of Stellar Light later, and a figure in a Maid Outfit appears in my Store, her head bowed.

“How may I help you, Master?”

Oh, thank God. My Soul is healing. That traumatic Image is finally getting overwritten.

Instead of a fat, pink-haired Gorilla, I get an actual beautiful young woman with a petite figure, short pink Hair, and blue Eyes, wearing a cute, frilly Maid Outfit. The only unusual thing about her would be the Chains she wears on her Wrists.

“Looking good there, Virgo.” I nod as I check my Demonic Power Reserves.

Summoning took quite a toll on my Reserves. Quite a bit more than summoning a Silver Spirit, more than I would have expected.

No, it actually makes sense!

“As a loyal Celestial Spirit, I take on a form and shape that my Summoner would like me to!” she replies.

I give her a nod. “Do you feel anything unusual? Any Problems with being Summoned?”

“There is no Ethernano in the Air. But since you are providing me with Magic, it won’t be any Problem, Master. I won’t be able to summon myself to this World. Oh, and the Summoning seems to have been quite a bit more expensive than it would have been in Earth Land.” Virgo points out after a moment of thinking.

“Yeah, I guessed as much. As long as being here isn’t harmful—I mean, more harmful than being Summoned in Earth Land—then it’s fine.”

It’s great to know that I can Summon Celestial Spirits in another World as well.

I decided to summon Virgo because she is the only Spirit in my Possession capable of Human Speech. That’s unfortunately one downside of Silver Keys and below.

Most of them are harder to communicate with. With the majority, I’m basically limited to pointing or asking yes-or-no Questions.

“Now then, let’s make a Contract. When are you free for me to be Summoned?”

“I’m fine with being available from Monday to Saturday, Master!”

“Ehm, thinking about it… While you are available for most days, which World’s Monday to Saturday? I could end up in a World where there aren’t even normal Weekdays. Or days at all. Time could also be out of Sync!” World-hopping can get quite messy…

“Let’s take Earth Land’s Calendar as the Base. It’s the easiest for me. I won’t blame you if you summon me on a Sunday in case Time is actually out of Sync, Master. I’m also fine with being Summoned on a Sunday in case of an Emergency!”

“Thanks, Virgo. That makes it easier for me. Besides that, you’ve got that whole Maid theme going. Are you fine with cleaning and taking care of the Shop and my Home?” Having an actual Maid would make things much simpler for me.

“That would be part of my Job from Monday to Saturday, Master.” She agrees with ease.

Right, she did that for the Pig too.

“That’s great, Virgo! Then we’ve got a Contract!”

Man, I’m so glad that Celestial Spirits and Summoning Magic aren’t useless in other Worlds. Looks like I’m going to earnestly collect those Keys.

———

New day in the Underworld! What a beautiful Purple Sky!

Yeah, who am I kidding? It’s still so strange to look at. But I’m stuck here.

Okay, I’m only stuck in the Underworld of this specific World. I can visit Earth Land anytime now.

But here, I’m a Low Class Devil, even if I’m technically the Head of one of the 72 Pillar Clans. That’s only as far as the Paperwork is concerned.

I don’t even know how to teleport out of the Underworld to complete some Contracts with Humans and raise my Status.

Everything in Devil Society is tied to your Status. Want some actual knowledge related to being a Devil? You know, like how to use your Magic, create Summoning Contracts, Teleportation Circles, and all that? Become a Mid Class Devil first.

And Mid Class is just the requirement to be allowed to buy that Knowledge!

How do you become a Mid Class Devil?

Gain enough Merit to earn the Right to participate in a Promotion Exam.

What gives you Merit?

Contracts, Military Accomplishments, or Rating Games.

For Contracts, you need to be able to create Summoning Contracts in the first place. Information that is locked behind the Mid Class Rank.

For Military Accomplishments, you need a War in the first place, along with the strength to survive it.

And for Rating Games? Well, you need a Peerage or have to be part of one.

Want a Peerage? Don’t even dream about it before becoming a High Class Devil!

This Society is completely stacked against Low Class Devils. Or, more accurately, independent Low Class Devils.

If I were a Servant (Slave) of a High Class Devil, I could probably gain Access to all that Knowledge much more easily without needing a Promotion in the first place. Not to mention that I would be able to participate in Rating Games with my King.

My Owner.

Yeah, fuck that Option.

I get why the legal System of Devil Society is designed this way. I would probably design it similarly if I were a greedy and power-hungry Race close to extinction, relying on other Races to replenish my Numbers.

It’s simply the logical conclusion if you want to keep a new Population under control through the Power of the Law. If they didn’t, there wouldn’t be any real Devils left for long.

That’s why everything is designed to push someone toward High Class Peerages if they want to rise in Power.

But it screws someone in my Situation over completely.

One of the few Options I have left would be to approach another Devil Clan and make a Deal with them. But that could potentially put me in their debt. And I have no way to contact anyone of importance.

Most would just ignore me if I appeared at their Doorstep.

No wonder that Sairaorg Bael guy has a Peerage filled with Devils from supposedly extinct Houses. Those fuckers somehow got screwed over too and have no prospects of climbing the ladder without outside support.

Still, that’s not an Option for me. My Hand is simply too good to give someone else control over it.

Wait, am I an Idiot?

I literally can buy anything in the World! As long as I have the necessary cash.

It took only a few moments to check the possibilities I could purchase, and I immediately realized that the Options available in this World are different from those in Earth Land.

For example, the only Celestial Spirit Keys I can buy are the ones I already have in my Possession. And they cost nothing.

Master Makarov’s theory that my Magic buys stuff from somewhere or someone else in the World, which already exists, may be true.

The Magic available in DXD is also different.

Oh, I can even buy Sacred Gears. But fucking hell, are those expensive. Even something weak like a Twice Critical starts around the price of Lost Magic in Fairy Tail.

Well, there is a limited number of Sacred Gears, with most of them only existing once. And unlike Knowledge, they are difficult to replicate.

Starting with Gold Celestial Spirit Keys, things also get far more expensive to purchase with my Ability in Earth Land.

Fortunately, Knowledge of Summoning Magic is within my Price Range. But that would put a serious dent in my Finances. I would be almost broke.

And that’s for Knowledge that is pretty Common among Devils, as long as you have the Connections or the necessary Rank to purchase it.

Hmm, what actually happened to the Books of House Zagan? We should have had a Library too. If not several.

Some were probably ransacked by other Houses and added to their own Libraries.

But maybe I’m lucky enough for there to be an unowned, forgotten one?

What does the location of former Books belonging to House Zagan, related to Summoning Magic and Summoning Contracts, which are currently unowned or forgotten, cost?

My Ability immediately gives me a reply.

There are such Books fitting the Criteria!

And they are far more affordable than outright buying the Knowledge of the Magic itself.

Sure, I’ll have to study them, and 6,000 Dollars is still quite a lot. But it’s better than over 80,000 Dollars! That would have left me with less than 10,000 of my initial 100,000 Dollars.

And I just got some Stock for my Shop.

Before I can make any Money with my Gale-Force Reading Glasses, I’ll need the Connections to sell them. And for that, I’ll need to visit the Human World.

At least if I want to act without provoking the wrong People.

Ah, fuck it.

6,000 Dollars vanish from my Cash, and I immediately learn the locations of several hidden places containing Books that once belonged to my House and hold information about Summoning.

I note everything down immediately.

What I get are rough descriptions of the locations and directions relative to my Position.

Three in total. Maybe there are more, but they didn’t fit the Criteria of my request.

One of them isn’t that far away. Still quite a flight with just my Low Class Devil Speed, but I’ve got better alternatives.

“Open up! Gate of the Winged Horse! Pegasus!”

With a flash of Celestial Light, a white, winged Horse appears in front of me.

“We’re going out, my Friend!”

———

“Open up! Gate of the Maiden! Virgo!”

“You called me quite fast, Master! Did you miss your cute Maid?” Virgo asks as soon as she appears beside me.

“Sure, but I’ve got a Job for you, Virgo.” I chuckle.

“Hmm, here? What is this Place? A complete ruin. Looks like there has been a War here.” The Maid comments as she takes a better look at our Surroundings.

It’s an entire ruined Town we’re standing in the middle of. Mostly, all that remains are the scattered Stones of the Buildings.

And those are old. Several Centuries old, if not older.

Devils are a long-lived Race. Their Buildings can be very old in comparison to those of Humans.

Especially if you’re a slothful Devil and too lazy to move.

“This, my dear Virgo, is apparently my Clan’s former Territory. A few Centuries ago, this entire Town belonged to House Zagan. It was mostly an Outpost and a Holiday Retreat. It was mostly obliterated during the Civil War since it was right at the Border and was never rebuilt. We’re standing right in front of what was once a Mansion belonging to my Family.” I sigh as I remember the Information my Ability gave me about this Place.

“So what are we doing here, Master? Come to inspect the Ruins for future reconstruction?”

“That won’t be possible. I no longer own this Territory. This has apparently become Gremory Lands.” I muse as I think about that interesting tidbit of Information.

Apparently, the good old Lord Gremory is quite the Opportunist and snatched up quite a bit of the former Zagan Lands, rich with Businesses and Trade.

Of course, he isn’t the only one. But I guess having the strongest Satan as your Son gives you quite a bit of backing to make a lot of Profit in such a Situation.

Well, everything is legal. We lost the War, after all.

I have no legal ground to stand on.

But I’ll keep that in mind.

“Then what are we doing here? And isn’t that Trespassing, Master?”

“Not really. Even if they legally own it, they don’t forbid traveling across their Lands. Devils rule these Lands like a Feudal Society, so they’re also somewhat like public Land. As for why we’re here, this Place may be destroyed on the surface, but there are some hidden Areas below ground.” I explain while leading her exactly to the Spot described in the Information I purchased.

“I see, so you summoned me to dig a Tunnel for you, Master.”

“Exactly, you got it. I notice that you’re not surprised by me mentioning Devils.”

Virgo shakes her head at that. “You may be able to hide your Nature from most Human Mages, but you would have a hard time fooling a Celestial Spirit. We perceive more of the World than Humans. I immediately sensed the first time we met that you are part Demon. A natural one, not one created by the Black Wizard.”

“I don’t really hide my Nature. If you mean my Wings, they’re just a bit unwieldy to always have out. Also, I’m not a Demon, but a Devil. I hope that won’t cause any Problems for our Contract?”

“Not at all, Master. As long as you follow the Rules of the Spirit World, you’re an eligible Summoner like anyone else.”

Right, even Members of Dark Guilds can summon Celestial Spirits without breaking their Contracts. I guess only getting legally caught and declared a Criminal would break the Contract.

“This is it!” I announce as I find the exact Spot, pointing at a larger Part of the Wall that is still standing. “Can you dig straight down at exactly that Spot, Virgo? It needs to be that exact Spot.”

“No Problem!” my Maid says before diving into the Ground and creating a Tunnel straight downwards.

My Devil Wings expand, allowing me to fly down the Tunnel right behind her.

We soon break through the Roof of a small opening, revealing a small Chamber below Ground. It’s dark down here, but my Devil Eyes have no Problem making out my Surroundings.

The Chamber was clearly constructed rather than being part of a Cave. One side of it has completely collapsed. Maybe intentionally, to hide this Place. Or perhaps it was just an aftereffect of the War that happened above.

Who can really tell?

I could buy that Information, but why would I need it?

“Is that what you’ve been looking for, Master?” Virgo asks as she looks around the small Room. “There’s nothing here. Is what you’re looking for below that Rubble?”

“So you can’t see it with your Celestial Spirit Senses?” I ask as I point toward the only Wall that seems to be unharmed.

“It’s a Wall?”

“No, there’s a Door. But it’s Warded against intruders. Good thing I’ve got the right Key for it.” I smile before placing my Hand directly on the Ethereal Door that, somehow, only I can see.

The moment I do so, I feel my Demonic Power react as some kind of Magic releases itself.

“Now I can sense it! That was a powerful Concealment Spell!” Virgo nods. “There’s a much bigger Room, completely intact, behind it.”

“Yeah, if you had dug down at the wrong Spot, you would have gotten seriously hurt. There were some powerful protective Wards around this Place.” I explain as I open the Door, revealing a large but very dusty Library.

“I wouldn’t have died. Celestial Spirits are Immortal, besides a few exceptions. The Damage would have simply dispersed me and sent me back to the Celestial Spirit World.” Virgo explains earnestly.

“I know, but there’s still no reason for you to get hurt.”

She gives me a simple bow. “All right, Master. You found your Library. Is there anything else you need from me?”

“Well, if you have some time, do you want to help me carry all these Books Home?” I ask while looking at the hundreds of Books stored in this hidden Library, well below the Ground.

“That will take quite some time. A Storage Item or Requip Magic would have been useful. I can sense that we’re quite a bit farther away from the place you Summoned me Yesterday, Master!” she points out.

“Leave that to me.”

Closing the Door behind me, I place a Key in the Lock and turn it.

The Door begins to glow slightly.

After opening it, we’re greeted by the inside of my Store.

“See? My Home is right there.”

“That’s quite an impressive piece of Magic.”

Yeah, that’s a Longinus for you.

I give her a nod. “I wonder if it would work in the Celestial Spirit World? Do you have Doors there?”

“We do. Would you like me to try?”

Creating another Key for her, I nod. “Yes, but later. First, let’s get all those Books back into my Store.”

Of course, we tried it later.

Turns out, you can connect to my Store from the Celestial Spirit World.

There are some Restrictions. While a Celestial Spirit is visiting, the Door can’t be closed, with my House effectively acting as an extension of the Celestial Spirit World itself.

Also, Spirits can’t leave my House except by going back through the Door. But they are freely able to enter it without being Summoned.

Oh, and our Time gets synchronized. A few Hours don’t turn into Months outside.

Quite a fascinating effect.

[-- End of Chapter --]