Chapter 41: The New Member
Edmund furrowed his brow as he eyed the stranger before him:
“Who are you? Strangers aren’t allowed in this order”.
“Oh, but I’m no stranger”.
Edmund blinked at such a demonic look of his and nervously adjusted his glasses. His countenance grew sterner:
“Who are you, then? I’ve never seen you before”.
“Demon Lord Kokujin D’Infernal, enchanté,” Kokujin stretched his hand out with a smirk.
Hearing the title ‘Demon Lord’ and the manner of his speech, his voice grew familiar for Edmund. He adjusted his glasses in a stupor, not believing his eyes:
“Don’t tell me… you’re Tamie’s muse?!”
Kokujin chuckled:
“Good guess”.
Edmund brightened and shook his hand in a welcoming manner.
“So, are you summoned, or?”
“I’m revived”.
“Eh? For real?”
Edmund gave a questioning look at Tamie, who had approached them with a timid smile.
“Yes, I… I revived him yesterday. He is of this world now, and can travel between the dream world and our one”.
“Amazing… Just like Ivy back then…” Edmund was impressed. He turned back to Kokujin: “So, would you like to join our order?”
“I don’t really know… You don’t seem all that strong of a group”.
“Hey! We’re a powerful order!”
“Yeah, couldn’t even defeat a single sealed guy and a puny ghost if I hadn’t been there”.
“Listen, you_”
Edmund wanted to grab him by the collar of his hoodie when Kokujin’s purple-nailed hand seized his arm and squeezed it. He cried out in pain.
“You want to pick a fight?” Kokujin’s icy eyes flashed.
“I wouldn’t recommend you picking a fight with me either,” Edmund snarled back.
Tamie interfered and pushed them off each other:
“Stop, you two! Why are you fighting over a petty thing like this? Jin, mind your manners! This is not Noiron. Here, you are no king!”
“I know what I am,” Kokujin pushed her arm off. “I’ll join the Order only to stay close to you”.
Tamie sighed with irritation – such a grumpy guy… Why would she ever create a muse like that?! But it couldn’t be helped now.
“Should’ve said that from the start… Erisa will help you with preparations”.
Edmund pointed at the counter where the white-haired beautiful girl was talking with Goldmund. Then, he turned away and walked off, to greet Riza, who watched them with a smile.
Kokujin shrugged and went to the counter. He jumped onto one of the chairs and cut into Erisa’s and Goldmund’s conversation:
“Yo, Erisa, I need to get registered”.
Seriously, no manners…
Tamie walked up to them. She feared it might not go well if she wasn’t there. Meanwhile, Erisa looked at Kokujin in surprise, but then gave him a polite smile and took her notebook out:
“Sure! What is your name?”
“Kokujin D’Infernal”.
“Oh, cute surname! Have never heard of such one before…”
“It’s one of a kind. Only I have it,” Kokujin grinned with pride.
“Hehe, well, no wonder, since you’re Tamie’s muse… What are your sign and spirit?”
“Leo. Dragon spirit. I’m two years younger than Tamie. She created me first when she was two years old and made her first writing piece”.
“Wow, wonderful!” Erisa wrote the information down. “So, what Class do you want to pursue?”
“I’m no Zodiac Master, and don’t want to be”.
“Eh? But only Zodiac Masters are accepted in this order_”
“Write him as Tamie’s muse,” Goldmund cut in.
“Huh? B… But_”
Goldmund took an old notebook from the counter, opened it, and showed Erisa a particular profile of a beautiful woman with long green hair and grey eyes, who greatly resembled him.
“Ivy Steinbock (formerly Ziegen). Scorpio. Sheep spirit. William Steinbock’s muse”.
Erisa stared at Goldmund in shock:
“Y… Your mother?!”
His mother was a muse? She never knew!
Goldmund nodded with a smile. Erisa couldn’t snap out of her stupor for quite some time, but then, she acquiesced and wrote Kokujin’s information down:
“Kokujin D’Infernal. Leo. Dragon spirit. Tamie Wingfield’s muse”.
She turned to Kokujin with a polite smile:
“You’re all set. The Joining Ceremony will be held shortly”.
“Thank you!” Kokujin turned to Goldmund: “Hey, you… So you truly are a muse’s son?”
“Yes”.
“I guess that is why I got a familiar feeling from you…” Kokujin hit him on a shoulder in a friendly manner, “Cool”.
On that day, Kokujin’s Joining Ceremony was held, and he became a part of the Order. He received the Order ring on his left hand, just like Tamie.