There were three people in the reception room.
In front of Sirzechs, dressed in his luxurious formal wear, two of them stood up as Leo and his group entered. The third remained seated, showing no reaction at all.
The first to draw everyone's attention were the two who had stood up.
One was older, one younger. Their features were strikingly similar at a glance, making their blood relation obvious—and both were undeniably beautiful.
The younger one looked more youthful, not very tall, but with a well-proportioned figure. She was exactly the same as the Ravel Phenex Leo had seen in the servant candidate files.
The older one was also a young woman. Her bearing and expression carried a natural nobility. Her hair was elegantly pinned up and adorned with jewelry that was clearly expensive. Her looks and stature were fuller and more mature than the younger girl's.
"Sirzechs-sama."
Leo briefly glanced at the two of them, then nodded to Sirzechs as the host in greeting.
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others bowed respectfully as well, then quietly followed behind Leo without saying a word.
"Let me introduce them,"
Sirzechs said with a smile, gesturing toward the mature woman.
"This is the wife of the current head of the House Phenex. She's Ravel's mother."
The moment those words landed, Leo aside, Yukinoshita Yukino and the others were all startled.
Her mother?
Ravel Phenex's mother looked this young?
Wasn't she supposed to have three sons and a daughter already?
She didn't look the part at all.
Then it clicked—she was a devil.
Devils were a long-lived race, and once they reached a certain age, they could freely alter their appearance with demonic power. Looking young didn't mean she actually was. For all they knew, she might even be older than a centuries-old figure like Miyamoto Musashi.
"Greetings, Lady Phenex."
Leo already knew her identity and politely bowed.
"Good day, Mr. Eligos."
Lady Phenex smiled back just as gracefully. Her eyes, however, had been observing Leo from the moment he walked in—and the more she looked, the more satisfied she became.
She had seen his photos before and knew what he looked like, but meeting him in person felt different.
Bright.
At first, she had thought Leo would be exactly as he appeared—a sunny, cheerful young man. Seeing him up close, she realized that while his personality might indeed be open and warm, he was far from simple.
The sharp edge hidden beneath his smile, along with the subtle demonic power that gave her a faint sense of pressure, told her she hadn't misjudged him. This was a truly remarkable young man.
Then she glanced at the beautiful servants standing behind him, and her smile deepened.
Such promising talents—each of them stunning, no less impressive than her own daughter. Their presence was exceptional, their potential limitless. Given time to grow, they could easily become powerful assets.
She really hadn't chosen wrong.
Yes—Ravel Phenex becoming Leo's servant as a way to draw closer to him had been Lady Phenex's decision from the very beginning.
The current head of the House Phenex—Ravel's father—had fiercely opposed the idea. He couldn't accept that his precious daughter would become someone else's servant. But Lady Phenex had suppressed him single-handedly and pushed the decision through. That was how Ravel's name ended up on Leo's candidate list.
Which was why she, not the head of the family, was present today.
Now that she saw Leo's appearance, strength, potential, and the quality of his servants—all exceeding her expectations—Lady Phenex was naturally delighted.
"Originally, I should have invited you to visit our home,"
she said warmly. "But Sirzechs-sama wished to host this meeting, so I brought my daughter here instead. I hope you'll forgive any discourtesy."
Her tone was friendly, almost enthusiastic—like a mother-in-law meeting her future son-in-law.
"No, if anyone's being discourteous, it's me,"
Leo replied with an easy smile, not one to turn away goodwill. "If anything, I should be the one inviting you. Unfortunately, the Eligos Territory hasn't fully recovered yet. I'll have to wait for another opportunity."
"That day won't be too far off, will it?"
Lady Phenex laughed.
"Yes,"
Leo nodded frankly. "At least, that's my plan."
"If you need anything, feel free to contact me,"
Lady Phenex said, openly extending goodwill. "The House Phenex has plenty of wealth. If you need materials or resources in the future, let me know. I'll do my best to arrange it."
This wasn't just polite talk—if anything, it was understated.
As the only family in the Underworld capable of producing Phoenix Tears, the House Phenex was obscenely wealthy. Even compared to the treasure-hunting Gremory House, they lost nothing in that regard.
Rebuilding a territory required massive resources and astronomical funding. If the Phenex family was willing to help, they absolutely could.
"Then I won't refuse, Lady Phenex."
Leo understood this was also part of her effort to draw closer to him. He accepted it calmly and nodded.
If he took Ravel Phenex as his servant, it would effectively bind him to the House Phenex. In that case, there was no reason to reject such goodwill.
He could also understand her mindset. She likely wanted to give as many benefits as possible to strengthen their relationship. If the Sitri House hadn't already been his earliest supporter and financier, Leo suspected the Phenex family would have tried to take that role as well.
For him, this was all upside.
"Ravel."
Lady Phenex called softly and gently pushed the girl beside her forward.
Ravel had been observing Leo ever since he entered—her gaze even more direct than her mother's, as if she were assessing whether the man in front of her was truly worthy.
"I am Ravel Phenex, eldest daughter of the House Phenex, and the one who will soon become your servant. Please take care of me, Leo-sama."
She lifted the edges of her dress and performed a proper curtsy. Her expression didn't show resistance to becoming Leo's servant, but the scrutinizing look in her eyes was so obvious that it gave the impression she wasn't entirely willing.
Leo met her gaze, a faint glint flashing through his eyes.
He could sense the blazing demonic power hidden within her. In sheer quantity, it rivaled that of a High-Class Devil—greater than all of his servants, even surpassing Yukinoshita Yukino, who already possessed High-Class Devil-level demonic power. In quality, it was second only to Rias' Power of Destruction.
Anyone could tell this was an extremely orthodox pureblood devil.
If she chose to debut as a King herself, she already met the qualifications to receive Evil Pieces. She would become one of the youngest rising devils of her generation. But the House Phenex already had three sons who had debuted. One more—or one less—didn't matter.
And so she had ended up standing before him instead, about to serve under him.
All things considered, gaining a servant like this was an absolute windfall.
A pureblood devil capable of becoming a King on her own would, at minimum, be a top-tier medium-potential talent. Taking her in was unquestionably worth it.
"May I call you Ravel?"
Leo asked, his thoughts settling in an instant.
"Of course. You are my master. You may address me by name."
She said that, yet stood tall and proud—looking far less like someone preparing to serve, and more like someone expecting to be served.
Leo didn't particularly mind her arrogance. Yukinoshita Yukino and the others, however, subtly frowned.
"Then, Ravel, let me confirm one last time,"
Leo said, businesslike. "Are you certain you wish to become my servant and acknowledge me as your master?"
Ravel glanced at Lady Phenex. Only after her mother nodded did she sigh softly and look back at Leo.
"I am certain. Please do not reject me, Leo-sama."
She adopted a formal tone, no longer scrutinizing him.
Leo sensed there was more beneath the surface, but didn't press the matter.
"Then…"
Just as he was about to finalize it—
"Wait."
A single word cut in.
Everyone's gaze immediately turned toward the speaker.
Leo had noticed him long ago, his expression subtly shifting. Yukinoshita Yukino and the others felt the same—and openly disliked the man's presence.
He was lounging lazily on the sofa.
A man in a red suit, his features decent but completely lacking dignity. He leaned back with legs crossed, arms spread across the backrest like a delinquent heir.
He looked around twenty-something, two or three years older than Leo. He hadn't even bothered to stand when Leo entered.
Though wearing a suit, he had no tie, his shirt open at the chest. His disreputable aura was in full display, leaving a terrible first impression.
The way he looked at Leo was even worse—contemptuous, dismissive, and condescending. It was enough to make Yukinoshita Yukino and the others visibly irritated.
"Riser."
Lady Phenex called sharply, her tone filled with warning.
"Brother."
Ravel addressed him as well, making his identity clear.
Riser Phenex.
The third son of the House Phenex. Ravel's third older brother. The man who, in the original story, would later take Ravel as his Bishop piece—and the fiancé who would eventually marry Rias after she came of age.
In other words, the future son-in-law of the Gremory House, and Sirzechs' prospective brother-in-law.
That status was the only reason he dared to sit so disrespectfully in a room where a Maou was present. Otherwise, Grayfia would have thrown him out long ago.
Riser slowly stood and walked up to Leo, leaning in like an arrogant rich kid.
"I haven't agreed to this yet."
He sneered.
"So this is Leo Eligos? The guy everyone's been hyping up in the devil world. You don't look like much."
The atmosphere instantly froze.
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others felt their tempers flare.
Leo simply narrowed his eyes, watching Riser without speaking.
Sirzechs and Grayfia stood quietly to the side, clearly choosing not to interfere.
"Riser!"
Lady Phenex's face darkened as she snapped, "If you want to embarrass yourself, go home!"
"Brother,"
Ravel added with a frown. "That's enough."
Riser ignored them both.
"I'm just telling the truth,"
he scoffed. "The Eligos family? A dead, poor house. Now some half-human mutt crawls out with a Longinus, and suddenly everyone's rushing to fawn over him. It's pathetic."
"A Sacred Gear that can supposedly kill gods and Maou? Power like that depends on the user. Give it to a nobody, and it's just a gem covered in dust."
"You want my sister to serve some poor, impure-blooded trash like this? I don't agree."
The blunt disdain in his words dragged everyone's expression down.
Leo, on the other hand, smiled.
A smile that was oddly intriguing.
"So you're Riser Phenex?"
He spoke calmly.
"Looks like meeting you really doesn't live up to your reputation."
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You can read up to chapter 183 on patreon.com/NiaXD.