My Goblin System : Levelling up with my SSS Class Devouring skill Chapter 150

"Very," Jessica admitted. "Can we just stay here all day and avoid Seraphine entirely?"

"I wish," Lyra said. "But she’s expecting to conduct interviews today. We need to be present and professional."

They extracted themselves from the tangle of limbs and prepared for the day. Lyra’s quarters had a private washing area, which they took turns using. The morning routine was surprisingly dostic—taking turns, sharing space, the casual intimacy of people comfortable with each other.

By the ti they erged into the settlent proper, Seraphine was already active.

She’d set up in one of the eting rooms, with her retinue arranging furniture to create an interview space. When Satou, Lyra, and Jessica arrived, Seraphine looked up with that knowing smile.

"Good morning," she purred. "Did you all sleep well? Together, I assu? How cozy."

"We slept fine, thank you," Lyra replied coolly. "Shall we begin the interviews? I have a list of residents representing various roles and backgrounds."

"Excellent. Let’s start with soone random—that goblin craftsman over there." Seraphine pointed to a young goblin who’d been walking past. "You, co here."

What followed was several hours of interviews. Seraphine questioned residents about their daily lives, their feelings about the settlent, their relationship with leadership, their hopes and fears. She was thorough and surprisingly fair—her questions were probing but not leading, genuinely seeking to understand rather than manipulate.

Satou, Lyra, and Jessica observed from nearby, ready to intervene if needed but trying not to be obviously intrusive.

The residents’ responses were overwhelmingly positive. They talked about how the settlent had given them safety, purpose, community. They praised the fair laws, the equal treatnt, the opportunities for growth. Several ntioned Satou specifically, speaking with genuine respect and affection for their chief.

Seraphine’s expression beca increasingly thoughtful as the interviews progressed. She was clearly finding evidence that contradicted any assumption that this was just propaganda or facade.

By late afternoon, she’d interviewed over a dozen residents. Finally, she dismissed the last one and turned to Satou.

"Impressive," she said, and for once her tone wasn’t sultry or mocking—just honest assessnt. "Your people genuinely believe in what you’re building. They’re not following you out of fear or obligation, but because they want to be here. That’s... rare. Especially in demon lord territories."

"That’s the point," Satou replied. "Building sothing people choose to be part of, not sothing they’re forced into."

"Yes, I’m beginning to see that." Seraphine stood and stretched, her wings rustling. "I think I have enough for today. Tomorrow I’ll observe your settlent operations—watch how disputes are actually handled, how resources are managed, how your governance works in practice rather than theory."

She looked at Satou with an expression that was harder to read than usual. "And tomorrow evening, I’ll need that private interview with you. The personal assessnt, as it were. Alone, please. So questions are better asked without an audience."

"My partners will be present," Satou said firmly.

"We’ll see," Seraphine replied, her mysterious smile returning. "Goodnight, Satou. Dream sweetly."

She glided away toward her quarters, leaving the three of them standing there.

"That was... less aggressive than expected," Jessica observed.

"Don’t let your guard down," Lyra warned. "She’s being patient. Building up to sothing. The private interview tomorrow is when she’ll make her real move."

"Then we need to be ready," Satou agreed.

They spent the evening much like the previous one—planning, discussing, preparing. But as night fell and they returned to Lyra’s quarters, Satou couldn’t shake a strange feeling.

Sothing about Seraphine’s deanor during those interviews had been... off. Not wrong exactly, but different from her usual predatory focus. Several tis he’d caught her looking distant, distracted, as if her mind was elsewhere.

And once, he’d sworn he saw sothing like worry cross her features before she’d hidden it behind that sultry smile.

The third day followed a similar pattern. Seraphine observed settlent operations with ticulous attention. She watched Urgak drill his soldiers. She observed Lyra handle an administrative dispute with diplomatic skill. She even spent ti in Jessica’s healing hall, watching treatnts being administered.

Throughout it all, that strange distracted quality persisted. And Satou noticed sothing else—Seraphine’s retinue seed tense. They were speaking in hushed tones when they thought no one was listening, their postures suggesting stress rather than confidence.

Sothing was wrong.

As evening approached, Seraphine requested the private interview. They’d set up in the sa eting room, and as expected, she imdiately asked Lyra and Jessica to leave.

"This conversation needs to be confidential," Seraphine insisted.

"We’re his partners," Lyra replied. "Whatever you need to discuss with him, we should hear."

"This is official demon lord business," Seraphine countered. "Unless you want to report that your administrator and healer are interfering with council evaluations?"

It was a checkmate move. Lyra and Jessica couldn’t refuse without giving her ammunition to use against Satou.

"It’s fine," Satou said. "I’ll be okay. Stay close, but give us the room."

Reluctantly, both won withdrew, though they positioned themselves just outside the door—close enough to intervene if needed.

Seraphine watched them go, then turned to Satou. For a long mont, she just looked at him, her mismatched eyes searching his face.

"You’re very lucky, you know," she said finally. "To have people who care about you that fiercely. Who’d stand against a demon lord to protect you. That’s... rare."

"I know I’m lucky," Satou replied carefully, unsure where this was going.

Seraphine moved to the window, looking out at the settlent. When she spoke again, her voice had lost its usual sultry purr—she sounded tired.

"This settlent is genuine. The evaluation will reflect that. You’ve built sothing real here, Satou. Sothing that actually works. The council will approve your permanent status. You’ve passed."

"Thank you," Satou said, feeling relief but also confusion. That seed too easy. "Is that all you needed to tell ?"

"No." Seraphine turned back to face him, and for the first ti since she’d arrived, Satou saw her mask slip. The predatory seductress was gone. In her place was soone who looked... worried. Afraid, even.

Satou noticed imdiately. Sothing was very, very wrong.

"What’s the problem?" he asked directly. "Sothing’s been bothering you since you arrived. I could see it during the interviews. What’s really going on, Seraphine?"