Returning to the corridor of the rental apartment, Lin Mu and Shiina Mahiru each headed back to their own rooms.
There wasn't much conversation between them during this time.
Not participating in club activities meant that Lin Mu had plenty of free time ahead.
He opened his laptop and continued typing away.
In his previous life, he had been a struggling writer with no grand ambitions. Like most ordinary guys, all he wanted was financial freedom and a pretty girlfriend.
To achieve that laid-back, easygoing daily life.
Such simple thinking wasn't something that could change in a short time. Perhaps after he saw more of the world and mingled in high society, he might grow a bit.
For now, though, it was better to focus on making money and improving his life a little.
Lin Mu didn't want to keep filling his stomach with ham sausages, bread, or instant noodles every day.
After spending an hour organizing his thoughts, he had essentially completed the first half of the first volume of the novel he planned to submit.
With a few more days of polishing, he could give submission a try.
Shutting down the computer, Lin Mu stretched lazily.
Then he pulled out his phone and started browsing the web to learn about this world.
First up were the famous major conglomerate families.
The Shinomiya Family.
According to online sources, the Shinomiya Family held the top spot and was known as the heart of the nation.
Of course, this was only the top in Neon Country.
But the family in second place, the Sanjou Family, was even more extraordinary.
The information showed that the Sanjou Family had only one heir: a very young girl who had skipped three grades and was now in high school, named Sanjou Nagi.
And the school she attended was... Seihaku Imperial Academy?
Wasn't that his own school?
Sanjou Nagi?
The female protagonist from the anime "Hayate the Combat Butler"?
As soon as Lin Mu thought of that anime, he instantly decided that staying low-key was the right call.
If Hayate the Combat Butler was integrated into this world, then the power level here wasn't low at all.
The Sanjou Family, in particular, controlled special powers and was a conglomerate that could stir up massive waves on the international stage.
Unlike the Shinomiya Family, which stayed confined to Neon Country, the Sanjou Family had countless businesses overseas.
Among them, the butler of the young lady from this major conglomerate family, after rigorous training, could master powerful moves—Special Techniques.
The foundation of a major conglomerate was beyond imagination.
By comparison, the Shinomiya Family seemed a bit weaker. From what he remembered of the anime, there didn't seem to be any supernatural powers associated with them.
Aside from the Shinomiya Family's heir, Shigunakiya Kaguya, being an exceptionally talented woman, they appeared to be just an ordinary conglomerate.
As for the Yukinoshita Family, they were even weaker.
The Yukinoshita Family seemed to be a recently risen clan. Relying on their resources, they had even groomed a politician with some influence in the political world.
Lin Mu was certain the Yukinoshita Family hadn't mastered any supernatural powers.
Why? Because Yukino Yukinoshita was still in a coma in the hospital after being hit by a car.
If the Yukinoshita Family had mysterious powers, wouldn't she have been discharged long ago?
Thinking of the Yukinoshita Family made Lin Mu recall their female protagonist, Yukino Yukinoshita.
Maybe he could work something out there.
If he remembered correctly, Yukino Yukinoshita's older sister, Yukinoshita Haruno, was a massive siscon.
So, once he gained the ability to heal others, could he use that as leverage to have some deeper interactions with big sis Haruno?
As these naughty thoughts crossed his mind, Lin Mu's lips curved into a slight smile.
Besides the Yukinoshita Family, the Sarushiro Family was also worth noting.
Since Sanjou Nagi existed in this world, her good friend, the Priestess of Light, Sarushiro Izumi, definitely did too.
She was no pushover. Rumor had it that all sorts of supernatural incidents might stem from Miss Izumi's inability to control her innate powerful spiritual energy as a child.
Even as a demon, Lin Mu felt a bit intimidated.
If he got any funny ideas and she just reached out and exorcised him like some evil spirit, that would be bad.
Better to take it slow.
If he wanted to build a good relationship with Sarushiro Izumi—or even contract the Priestess of Light as a familiar—Lin Mu figured starting with Sanjou Nagi was the way to go.
From his somewhat fuzzy memories, Sanjou Nagi seemed like a total shut-in who was super into 2D culture, loved manga, and even drew her own comics.
So, breaking in from the light novel angle, gradually building his reputation, could be a solid plan.
There might be other ways to get close to Sanjou Nagi, like playing the hero saving the beauty.
Online sources suggested she was frequently targeted for kidnappings to extort the Sanjou Family.
But that sounded too much hassle. Better to handle things at hand and let nature take its course.
Of course, he needed to be more proactive about contracting other familiars too.
Relying solely on the Super Recovery Ability from his angel classmate Shiina Mahiru wouldn't let him go on a rampage.
Putting down his phone, Lin Mu stopped overthinking.
He rubbed his stomach, ready to whip up some simple meal to tide him over.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Lin Mu opened the door and looked surprised.
"Shiina? What's up? Something wrong?"
Standing at the door was none other than the angel classmate he'd just been thinking about—Shiina Mahiru, from the room next door.
Facing his question, Shiina Mahiru suppressed her complicated emotions and handed him a bento box.
"I accidentally made too much food. You probably haven't eaten yet, right? If you don't mind, could you help me out by eating this extra portion?"
"Of course! But... are you sure it's okay?"
Lin Mu took the still-warm bento box, his gaze fixed steadily on her.
"What's wrong? What could be the problem?" Shiina Mahiru frowned, staring at him with some dissatisfaction.