Just when I was finally enjoying life, my least favorite member of the Hudson clan had to rear his ugly head. Mikael, my number one nemesis! For other people I could just ask Azon to beat them up.

But this was my cousin of the same lineage. The clan would look down on me if I used a follower to deal with his cousin. Mikael had always been stronger than me, so I always received a beating!

"Mikael, I was just leaving. I have important business to attend to!" I said.

It was time for this young noble to escape!

"Little cousin, if I don't straighten you out you'll create a calamity for our Hudson clan one day. Now accept your beating as always," said Mikael.

"Afterward, focus on improving your devilry instead of flouting your mother's followers around. It dooms one who lives off his family and does not work hard to be mediocre in the devil world."

Noooo, he started monologuing again. I screamed internally. Why does he always tell me about hard work and such? This young noble was born into nobility, I should flout my arrogance!

What hard work? I only need to have enough fel resources to hire the strongest followers. Then they can ruthlessly thrash all who come my way!

If one comes, one falls. If two comes two fall. This young noble will always be an arrogant young noble. Working hard and improving one's devilry is for common devils like you Mikael!

I quickly became pigheaded. There was no surprise. He was still better. I could not stop a single attack from him. I was distraught. My combat proficiency had improved remarkably since fighting with his mother.

I was already in the mid-Esquire realm. But in these past few months Mikael did not slack off at all, he had already cleanly broken into completion-Esquire.

That was two minor levels above me! He's a bully. And he wasn't even nice enough to have an even fight with me like my mother. Ah, the pain it hurts. My young noble body is in pain.

Mikael used his superior devilry to teach me the rewards of hard work and effort! One day I will best that righteous prick. Just you wait, Mikael. Ow ow, why does it hurt so much?

"If I see you around the Hudson City again shamelessly flouting your mother's followers before reaching the Knight realm you'll receive several more beatings. Leave 100 medium fel shards here for inn repairs," said Mikael.

"Second Baron Duking worked hard to have such a pleasant inn for visitors to our humble Hudson City. You just came and destroyed it like some kind of savage with no home training. Our first lineage is better than that and you know it."

Oh god, can he just stop monologing and leave? Damn you Mikael… I'll become stronger than you one day and then you won't be able to bully me anymore! This young noble worked hard. I even learned blacksmithing and yet I'm still 2 steps behind.

Looks like Devil Ancestor was right, trying to learn multiple Daos slows down your progress considerably. I'll learn the Soul Dao with the stupid book, then I'll show you, Mikael! When this young noble becomes a Devil Knight, you won't be able to bully me!

I continued cursing Mikael internally as I finished receiving a beating. I laid on the ground, entirely pigheaded. It looks like one's devilry was always the final decider. Even when I had improved my level of combat prowess Mikael still beat me because he had much more Devil qi to work with.

Azon walked up beside me like a loyal butler. After Mikael had walked away.

"Do you want me to carry you home, young lord?" said Azon.

"Yes, that would be for best Azon," I said.

Neither of us brought up the beating I just received. Azon was truly my savior. Fighting my battles and saving my face. I need a loyal lackey like him by my side!

I returned to my room and spent the next week slowly recovering in my bed. My father only gave me normal healing pills. He said I should slowly digest this beating and think over my actions while recovering. Where's my mother to seek justice for me?

~~~

James' mother is out of town. I must ensure he understands right and wrong. Mikael was right to teach him a lesson. I didn't raise such an unruly brat. As the patriarch of the clan, I had to show a neutral stance in clan affairs.

My son James was completely in the wrong for trashing another clan member's inn. If he didn't destroy Second Baron Duking's inn I might go to bat for him. But you just had to be so arrogant and overbearing!

My wife needs to stop teaching him such nonsense. Though I will never bring that up to her!

Samuel suffered day and night from his henpecked disease.

~~~

Word finally got back to the Devil Ancestor about the incident a week later.

Yezzesa Marquess clan heir dare be that unbridled on my estate? Doesn't that stupid heir know what a Devil Duke smith signifies? This Devil Ancestor makes weapons for Devil Dukes!

I could have a few of my Marquess level followers to have your Marquess clan exterminated!

Everyone knows any talented craftsman has stronger followers than themselves. They have not taught their heirs properly. When he gets back to his clan, he won't cause any more trouble here if he knows what's good for his clan.

On my Estate, James has taken his trash young noble role too far. I must punish him so he grows up well.

"Johnson pass down my order. For recklessly destroying the property of another clan member, I punish James with two years of mandatory service in the Wesser Forest," I said.

"Until he completes the service, I do not allow him to step foot back into Hudson City. The clan will think of it as a heavy punishment, but that brat needs direction. If I don't force him on the right path, he will become a wastrel."

"Yes, Devil Ancestor," replied Johnson.

"And go demand some compensation from the Yezzesa clan for sullying my dignity. If they don't offer you enough restructure their territory to be a part of [Mountain Shadow]."

~~~

The clan exploded when they heard the Devil Ancestor's punishment.

"He must have pissed off the Devil Ancestor by offending the heir to a Marquess clan"

"Shows him right! For his stupid slum tavern he wants to cause fights with stronger clans?"

"That taverns popular though, they have some quality product." said one devil puffing felweed.

~~~

When Jaffil returned to his clan and demanded his clan take action against the Hudson clan, he was locked up and educated.

"Are you stupid enough to think our Marquess clan can offend a Devil Duke smith? [Mountain Shadow] is a Duke level organization, you stupid unfilial descendant," said his elder.

"Why would a person who can create excellent weapons for Devil Dukes not be able to recruit Duke level followers? Are you that stupid?"

"Devils might not set aside their pride to follow them, but other races in the Abyss will. Devils are only the ruling class at the top level of the Abyss."

"You've caused a mess! He will demand a lot of compensation from us for causing a storm in his territory."

"There's an excellent reason the Hudson clan can sit on such a fat piece of meat as the Wesser Forest without being harassed by other noble families of the Rez'gal Empire."

"For one, they allow anyone in the Empire to try their luck in it. If everyone can farm the resources of the forest without having to fight the Hudson clan why would they?"

"The second reason is Count Hudson has several Duke level followers. There is a brief list of people that can cross him in the Rez'gal Empire without paying due compensation. And we are not on that brief list."

"But what about James, he's trash in that family!" said Jaffil.

"The younger generation will be the younger generation. His Ancestor already punished him with 2 years of mandatory missions in the Wesser Forest," said the elder.

"That's much worse than you could do on your best day. The official reason they punished him was for clan infighting, daring to destroy another clan member's property."

"You should know better though, it's to set an example for other members of the clan not to create clan vs. clan grudges. We are after all both noble clans under the Rez'gal Empire.

"Your biggest mistake though was not getting all the information of who you dared to offend."

"James is the son of Diana Rossen, the princess of the Rossen Kingdom. Even the Rez'gal Empire heirs would take two steps before offending her. Rossen's are some of the most arrogant devils in all the Xertzul Abyss!"

"Diana is overbearing, and she's not a weakling like Kogthoz!"

"Last I heard she was a Devil Duke but she might have become a Devil Arch Duke. If you pissed off her, our clan would swiftly be exterminated, so it's good you paid compensation."

"Dealing with a madwoman like Diana is not in our clan's best interests. Do not go creating more fights with James!"

Jaffil was indignant. He definitely would find a chance to take care of James in the Wesser forest when he got out of confinement.

If no one knows why he died, how will they tie it to our clan? If his Ancestor knew what he was thinking he would have locked him up longer than a year.

Daring to even think of killing a Devil Duke's son was asking for your Marquess clan to be eradicated.