"Next, let's go over this month's contract numbers. We have Akeno with eleven, Koneko with ten, Yuuto with eight, and Asia with three."
"That's amazing, Asia-san."
"My my, fufu, well done."
"That's quite a good result for a newcomer."
"Th-thank you very much!"
At the moment, Rias-senpai was reporting their activity not so much as the Occult Research Club, but as the Gremory peerage.
Nothing unusual about that, but what was unusual was the location.
This wasn't the usual clubroom in the old school building, but rather Issei's house.
Apparently, the old school building was closed for cleaning, so Rias got permission from Issei's parents to use his room for club activities. …I wonder what they did about Gasper's room?
"And finally, Issei... zero contracts."
Rias delivered the harsh truth while gracefully sipping her tea.
"I—I have no excuse..."
"Hahaha! The path to becoming a high-class devil grows ever longer, Issei."
That said, I'm sure this guy will still charge full speed ahead on his road to becoming Harem King, so I'd better mock him while I still can!
"Shut up! Next month I'm taking the top spot for sure!"
"That's the spirit, Issei. And besides, if you stay at zero, I won't be able to give you your reward."
"R-Reward!?"
Issei exclaimed in shock, eyes locked firmly onto Rias-senpai's chest.
It was blatantly obvious what kind of reward he was hoping for.
"Yes, a reward. What would you like, Issei?"
Rias said this while folding her arms under her chest, emphasizing them... She definitely knows what she's doing.
"If I can get a reward... then which one should I choose!? The right!? The left!? Or, could it be, BOTH, President!?"
"Fufu, if you manage to get the top spot, then both might be fine."
"FOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"
Just as Issei let out an unintelligible shriek of ecstasy at Rias-senpai's provocation, the door to the room opened.
"Excuse me. I brought some cookies. Also, Issei, please keep your voice down. You'll disturb the neighbors."
It was Issei's mother, coming in with a tray of cookies.
"Ah! Forgive me for not helping, Mother-in-law!"
"It's quite all right, Asia-chan. Today's an Occult Research Club meeting, right?"
"Yes, Mother-in-law. It may sound suspicious when you hear the word 'occult,' but in reality, many occult beliefs are deeply tied to local religions and folklore. They're an important way to study what ancient people revered or feared."
Whoa, that sounded impressive! When she puts it like that, the Occult Research Club almost sounds like a legitimate academic club!
So that's how they present it to outsiders... Hard to believe this is the same Asia who was just arguing with Akeno-senpai about whether aliens are humanoid or squid-like. Also, I could swear Rias and Asia's way of saying "Mother" felt slightly off... Or maybe I'm just imagining things?
"Sniff... To think that Issei, who used to be all about lust, is now taking an interest in history and culture... In that case, maybe I'll save this for another time..."
Issei's mother sighed and made to leave, holding a large book-like object under one arm.
Curious, Rias-senpai tilted her head and asked:
"Mother-in-law, what's that?"
"Oh, this? These are pictures from when Issei was little."
In the very next instant, Rias was right in front of Issei's mom, her movement was so fast, if it weren't me watching, I might've missed it entirely! Just how boosted was that!?
"Please! I absolutely must see them!"
Rias begged, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
====================
"This is Issei when he was in elementary school."
"My my... completely naked. So tiny and adorable."
"Such an unfiltered past for Issei-senpai."
"This one's cute too! Was this a kindergarten race?"
"Yes. Even then, he was always chasing after the girls' butts..."
The girls were all gathered around the album, thoroughly enjoying the show. Even I was having fun, I'd never seen photos of Issei from before middle school. As for Issei himself, he was clearly dying of embarrassment, mumbling a small "This is the worst..."
"Little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei, little Issei..."
"Tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei, tiny Issei..."
Uh oh!? Not just Rias-senpai, but even Asia-san was giving off a faint yandere vibe! The way they stared into the album, eyes wide and unblinking, it was kinda terrifying!
Well, at least compared to them, Akeno-senpai and Koneko-chan seemed normal… right?
...Right?
I looked over to check on them.
"Ufufufufu"
…Akeno-senpai!? Why are you licking your lips while looking at a picture of little Issei crying over a broken toy!?
"Middle-school Issei-senpai..."
Koneko-chan? Yeah, I'm in some of those middle-school photos too since we used to hang out with the usual trio... but that's not the point!
As the group continued to cheerfully flip through the album, Yuuto turned to Issei and quietly asked:
"Hey, Issei. This photo, do you recognize this sword?"
His voice was unusually flat, unlike his usual calm tone. But Issei, too flustered by embarrassment, didn't notice the subtle change.
"Hm? Let me see... Oh, that one? That kid moved overseas because of their parents' job, so I don't remember much. The sword… well, I doubt any normal family owns a real one. Probably just a replica or something?"
Yuuto, however, seemed to hardly register Issei's response.
"So things like this really do happen... That's a holy sword," he muttered, almost to himself.
====================
That night, Rias-senpai contacted us with an urgent call to meet at an abandoned factory.
Apparently, a very dangerous stray devil had infiltrated the town, and the higher-ups had ordered immediate elimination.
For the record, I may be in the Occult Research Club, but I'm not part of the Gremory household, so I'm not obligated to join stray devil hunts. In these cases, I'm usually treated like a part-time mercenary.
Of course, I wouldn't dream of demanding big money from my friends, so it's more like a well-paying side gig.
And just to be safe, I did get permission from Yasaka-san to make sure it wouldn't be an issue, since peace hadn't officially been declared yet.
"Sorry I'm late!"
While I was lost in thought, Issei returned from his previous job and joined the group.
"Sorry for calling you right after your mission."
"No, it's fine... So, the stray's inside that factory?"
"Without a doubt. I can sense its presence and smell it," Koneko replied to Issei's question.
"We received orders from the Archduke to eliminate it tonight," Rias explained.
"That means it's dangerous. We can't afford to drag this out. Asia, stay in the rear. Akeno and I will wait outside. Koneko, Yuuto, and Issei, lure the enemy out. Ikki, protect Asia. If the stray tries to escape, pursue immediately."
"Got it."
"Understood."
"Yes, President!"
""Roger that!""
Because I'm human, Rias-senpai often treats me as a backup, probably due to her pride. But I can't blame her for that.
"Yuuto?"
Noticing Yuuto's silence, Rias called out to him.
"...Ah. Understood."
"Alright! Let's go, Kiba, Koneko-chan!"
"Yes."
"...Yeah."
Unlike me, Issei hadn't known Yuuto long enough to pick up on the change in his demeanor. Without noticing anything strange, he ran toward the factory, with Yuuto and Koneko following behind.
BANG!
With a single punch, Koneko blew the door off its hinges, and the three of them rushed inside.
=============
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