Ariella left using her space-element rune, leaving no trace behind.
She promised to meet Eren and Agatha often in the city of White Raven. She had to if she wanted to ensure the deal got properly executed.
Eren was still sitting at the rickety table. He had various thoughts running through his mind at the time. He needed to calm them before leaving the place.
Ariella had agreed to pull some strings and see what she could do about arranging a meeting between Eren and Ottoman. There were no promises. But Ariella had to put in genuine efforts because she had struck a deal with Eren. One needs to take care of their business partners after all. Especially if the business partner was someone like Eren.
However, Eren knew that the Last Blood Bastion would get in the way of his war with Demonmir if Demonmir proved valuable to all half-bloods. And the guy had all the right advantages to lure the half-bloods. His knowledge and expertise in the lost paths of magic alone made it worth it for the Last Blood Bastion to invest in him.
This was the reason Ariella focused on striking a truce between Eren and Demonmir. This was even though she herself did not agree with half of the words coming out of her mouth. She knew both of them were significant figures in the Last Blood Bastion. They were irreplaceable entities in their eyes. The loss of either one would be a huge loss for the Last Blood Bastion.
Of course, Ariella, or the Last Blood Bastion was wary of Demonmir more than they feared Eren. Ottoman killed his faction from House Montmorency to be with them. So things were not really easy to decide for the Last Blood Bastion elders. They were constantly trying to balance the situation, a task without an expiry date.
Therefore, Ariella refused to commit to a window period to arrange the meeting between Eren and Demonmir. It could happen in the next couple of months or years from now on. This depends upon Demonmir's situation, his availability, the state of the war, and even the Anfang Alliance's actions against them.
Eren agreed to Ariella's proposal anyway. He had no other way to track and locate Demonmir. And he wasn't free to dedicate all his energy to finishing Demonmir. So this passive move worked for him.
Eren also told Ariella that he wanted to visit the Last Blood Bastion and meet with other Houses. He was interested in doing business with him. Ariella agreed to his proposal immediately. She only told him to wait a few weeks to arrange things from her end.
Eren could have always used Sirius' connections to get inside the Last Blood Bastion. But even Sirius agreed that House Lowin had a relatively higher standing in their circle. Getting invited by House Lowin would make Eren more approachable to half-blood clans.
Eren and Ariella achieved a lot in their first professional meeting. They had a few disagreements, but they found a middle ground. Eren had to say that Ariella was a better representative of her House than Fiona. Their roles were almost identical for their respective clans. But Ariella had certain authority within her family, while Fiona relied on Sirius to make key decisions.
Eren would have preferred branding Ariella then and there. She was a crucial chess piece he could use to infiltrate the Last Blood Bastion. But he knew he couldn't use his Mist of Lust on her right off the bat. That's because his powers did not work that well against real half-bloods.
The half-bloods weren't immune to Sin Series Abilities' effects. But being related to demons by their blood, they had higher resistance to these powers. Mist of Lust would inflict a backlash on Eren if Ariella's soul resisted during the branding process.
All of his business deals and future plans would be ruined if that happened. Plus, the Last Blood Bastion would grow wary of him and his powers if Ariella conveyed what had unfolded between them. The risks outweigh the rewards in this situation.
This left Eren with only one option. Wooing Ariella in the traditional way.
Eren took his time. He complimented Ariella sweetly and subtly and asked a few personal questions that weren't too intrusive. He mixed them in between business talks and let them flow naturally.
The lioness was hesitant to respond to Eren's queries at first. So she did not fully open herself to Eren. But she responded positively to his compliments. So it could be called a positive start.
Not everything needs to be instant anyway.
Eren needed to set his future meeting with Ariella in the right settings under the right conditions. So that romance blooms on the foundation of a booming business.
Eren indulged himself in retrospections and future plans when left alone in the shabby house. Scratching his chin, he thought.
'It doesn't look like it'll happen anytime soon. But I need to prepare for Demonmir in advance. Killing him would not be easy even if I set traps for him. It'll be especially troublesome if Samael completely takes over.
Plus, how can I kill him without the Last Blood Bastion interfering between us? The realistic answer is no. The bastard knows how to use people. Plus, he has many Trump cards to ensure his survival.'
The more Eren thought about meeting Demonmir, the harder it seemed for him to kill the guy. But that didn't discourage Grimdawn from planning against him or the Last Blood Bastion.
'If I couldn't use this meeting to kill Demonmir, I would use it to create an opportunity. An opportunity to surprise him whenever I want to. The element of surprise would be my biggest ally when getting rid of that fucking snake.
I'll have to use Alephee's instructions to create a kill room– one specially crafted for a Demon Prince's vessel. I also need safety protocols and exit strategies.
Fuck! This is complicated.
Even if I manage to kill Demonmir and neutralize the Demon Prince's soul fragment within him, I'll have to keep things clean in the Last Blood Bastion. I'll also need a fallout plan in case things go south.
It's a perfect storm in the making no matter what I do.'
