That same day, under Yukinoshita Yukino's personal direction, the Service Club was officially disbanded and renamed the Department of Mystical Affairs. The clubroom remained the same one, still without any special equipment—but Leo and the others didn't need any anyway.
Naturally, Leo became the department president. Yukino was the vice president. Asuna Yuuki and Utaha filled out the application forms that very day, joining the Department of Mystical Affairs as full members.
The news spread across Sobu High in record time, leaving countless students stunned.
It wasn't the disbanding of the Service Club that shocked them—almost no one cared about that club to begin with. If it hadn't been founded by Yukino, the "Winter Flower" of Sobu High, most students wouldn't even know it existed.
The club's recent popularity had only come from rumors involving Leo and Asuna, two high-profile students who seemed to move freely in and out of the room—giving rise to all kinds of relationship speculation.
But this new Department of Mystical Affairs was another story.
"Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuuki Asuna, and Kasumigaoka Utaha… three school goddesses joining the same club?"
"And the president is that guy at the top of the popularity ranking—Eligos-senpai? What the heck happened?"
"Why would the Winter Flower dissolve her own club to give him the spot?"
"What I want to know is why Kasumigaoka-senpai, the Autumn Flower, joined. She's already a third-year. And she's a rising light novel author. The literature clubs have been begging for her since first year. Now she suddenly joins some brand-new supernatural club?"
"Department of Mystical Affairs… a club for researching paranormal events?"
"A niche club like that—how does it attract multiple school beauties?"
"What did Eligos-senpai do?"
The entire student body buzzed with theories. Even the teachers were baffled and joined the debate.
Some people suspected Leo had used improper methods to make this happen. Others suspected the club members had… improper relationships with one another. Even the school board received complaints.
But nothing came of it.
Yukino had already informed her sister. Haruno Yukinoshita promised to "talk to the board." Leo also called a few board members directly. After some short conversations, the issue evaporated.
In Chiba, Leo's years of demonic activity had built him a wide network. Even if none of his contacts were on the Sobu High board, they knew board members—and were on very good terms. Leo could speak up and actually be heard.
All that remained were campus rumors. Leo didn't bother addressing them.
If anyone asked, he said the same thing every time:
"I already knew Utaha. I've got ties with the Yukinoshita and Yuuki families. I felt like starting a club on a whim, so I invited people I knew. Problem?"
Problem?
Oh, there were problems.
Like—
"Are you guys accepting new members?"
"President, do you think I qualify? I'm actually pretty interested in the occult…"
Both people Leo knew and people he didn't tried to angle for entry—only to receive a dismissive laugh.
Interested in the occult? Sure you are.
There was absolutely no way new members would be allowed. The department's whole purpose was to provide cover for their activities. Only his servants would ever join. Even if someone discovered their real identities, if they couldn't be useful, Leo wouldn't consider them.
So he claimed the club had enough members for now. Maybe he'd consider expanding "if the need arose."
Of course, the other members were also pestered.
Yukino was fine—her social circle at school was tiny, and no one dared approach her too eagerly. But Asuna and Utaha suffered. Friends and acquaintances kept chasing them down for explanations.
Especially Utaha. Of the three servants, she had the widest network at Sobu High.
Asuna had only just transferred in. Even with her beauty and kind personality, she hadn't built many connections yet.
Utaha was different. She didn't seem close to anyone at first glance, but she'd written scripts for the drama club, and her literary reputation had earned her ties with multiple writing and literature circles. Now she'd been "stolen away" by a brand-new club—infuriating her admirers.
Their complaints were all variations of:
"If you wanted to join a club, you could've joined us! Why a supernatural club?! You're a literature prodigy!"
What did supernatural studies have to do with literature?
Okay, maybe a little, but come on.
They were devastated.
They'd begged Utaha for years—from first year into second year—only to give up when she reached third year with no intention of joining anything.
And now, now, she suddenly joined a supernatural club?
Was this a joke?
Utaha had to endure wave after wave of complaints.
But then someone approached her whom she hadn't expected.
"You really joined that so-called Department of Mystical Affairs?"
Blocking her path in an empty hallway, tossing the question at her without so much as a greeting, was a slender girl with golden twin-tails, clear blue eyes, pale skin, and features just as striking as Utaha's.
Hands on her hips, she glared up at Utaha, making her stop in place.
"Well, if it isn't Eriri Sawamura."
Utaha folded her arms and smiled.
The girl blocking her way was Sobu High's second-year student, known as the Summer Flower—the art club's ace, Eriri Spencer Sawamura.
A very popular beauty.
To most students, Eriri was a refined young lady with elegant manners and a gentle personality. Her popularity extended across both her year and the year above.
But that gentle young lady was nowhere to be seen now. In front of Utaha, Eriri showed an attitude no outsider ever saw—sharp, arrogant, and unrestrained.
"You said you didn't care about any school clubs and just wanted to write quietly," Eriri said, almost demanding answers. "So why did you suddenly join that weird club?"
Utaha wasn't bothered at all by her rudeness.
Because she knew this was the real Eriri. The sweet, well-behaved act was just a mask she wore. Only in front of people she knew well would she drop it.
And no one knew that Utaha and Eriri had a very deep private connection.
For a simple reason: Eriri was secretly an otaku. Officially, she was the art club's prodigy. In reality, she was the famous doujin artist "Kashiwagi Eri," known for her extremely popular ecchi illustrations.
She hid that side of herself carefully—until Utaha debuted as a rising light novel author. Her first work, Love Metronome, needed an illustrator. That was when their editor introduced Eriri.
And just like that, Eriri's identity was exposed.
Ever since then, the two acted like strangers at school while cooperating privately. Utaha teased Eriri about her "good girl" persona. Eriri resented Utaha for discovering her secret. Whenever they saw each other, they either didn't speak at all… or immediately fought.
That was why Eriri showed no restraint now.
Utaha also dropped some of her usual politeness.
"Is there a problem?" she asked lazily. "I just felt like joining a club on a whim. Isn't that allowed?"
"Who are you trying to fool?" A vein twitched on Eriri's forehead. "If that were true, why didn't you join a literature club? Why some brand-new supernatural department?"
"Don't brush me off! I'm not like everyone else! Your flowery excuses don't work on me!"
She even pointed a finger dramatically, looking like a pint-sized detective about to expose the culprit.
Utaha sighed.
"If you already know I'm not telling you the real reason, why make such a fuss? It has nothing to do with you. Or… are you actually worried about me?"
"What?!" Eriri jumped back like a startled puppy. "Who's worried about you, you smug cow?!"
A tic mark formed on Utaha's forehead.
Cow?
This gold-haired mutt—who are you calling fat?
I am not fat.