Over the next few weeks, Leon once again embraced a peaceful routine.
The matters with the Yukinoshita and Yuuki families had been resolved. Both had tacitly accepted the fact that their daughters were Leon's devil servants. Their interference in the girls' lives suddenly became much less, almost to the point where, aside from daily check-ins, they no longer questioned the two girls' lives.
Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuuki Asuna officially moved into Leon's manor, each having her own room. Yukinoshita Yukino even canceled the lease on her original apartment, moving all her belongings to the manor. Barring any surprises, it was unlikely she would move out again.
Yuuki Asuna, under the arrangement of the Yuuki family, transferred to Soubu High and became a student in Class 2-J, the same class as Yukinoshita Yukino.
The J classes across all three grades at Soubu High were International Liberal Arts classes composed of children of repatriated elites and students preparing to study abroad. Those attending this class were wealthy and influential, essentially the "aristocrat class" of Soubu High. Although Yuuki Asuna had never lived abroad, simply enrolling in a pre-study abroad program allowed her entry. The Yuuki family naturally didn't want their daughter in a regular class, so the two girls ending up in the same class was, to some extent, an inevitable development.
However, Yuuki Asuna's enrollment caused quite a sensation at Soubu High.
There was no helping it. This transfer student's looks were completely on par with Yukinoshita Yukino, and her family background was even superior. Her grades, naturally, went without saying; with Kiriko Yuuki, a university professor, fostering her with an elite education from a young age, it would have been odd if Yuuki Asuna's grades were poor. Furthermore, she was equally accomplished in aristocratic education; her flower arranging and tea ceremony skills were at a level where related clubs would actively seek her out to join. The result naturally turned out as expected.
It could be said that the sensation caused by Yuuki Asuna's enrollment was no less than that of the first-year student who enrolled this year, the "Flower of Spring" of Soubu High, Shiina Mahiru, who was nicknamed "The Angel."
When that "Angel-sama" enrolled, she also caused a sensation within just a few days and quickly became famous.
After Yuuki Asuna transferred, the students of Soubu High even privately nicknamed her the "Fifth Flower of the High Peaks," considering her the Fifth Season, independent of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter.
Well... just as the Four Heavenly Kings usually have five members, is there a problem with Soubu High's four seasonal flowers having five?
No problem!
Thus, Yuuki Asuna's title as the Fifth Flower of the High Peaks was settled. Her fan club quickly appeared on campus, and because of her proper demeanor and gentle personality, the size of her fan club soon surpassed that of Yukinoshita Yukino, the "Flower of Winter."
However, not long after the fan club was established, Yuuki Asuna's fans discovered that their Flower of the High Peaks, just like Yukinoshita Yukino, went to the Service Club room every day and often accompanied Leon and Yukinoshita Yukino, causing many people to feel devastated.
Many speculated about the relationship between the three: why had they suddenly become so inseparable recently, and why did they subtly revolve around Leon?
Because of this, many third-year students couldn't help but run over to ask Leon for the reason.
"It's just that their families asked me to look after them."
Leon naturally wouldn't speak of the two girls as his devil servants in front of ordinary people. Thus, he gave this perfunctory explanation, which caused another pang in the hearts of many.
"Families?"
"You're acquainted with their family members?"
"Does this mean you've already met the parents?"
At this point, let alone the fan clubs of the two Flowers of the High Peaks, everyone else began to feel envy and jealousy.
Was this the officially sanctioned "first come, first served" strategy? The kind that even the teachers couldn't stop?
Damn, so jealous!
Of course, some also speculated about Leon's background, wondering how he could be connected to the Yukinoshita and Yuuki families.
Could this guy be a hidden scion of a powerful family?
It wasn't impossible!
At this time, Leon's outstanding looks and temperament were very misleading, causing many to start believing that he was the scion of some hidden powerful family.
Only Kasumigaoka Utaha, who had been quietly watching Leon in the shadows, suddenly realized something.
"Could it be that Yukinoshita and Yuuki are actually both his devil servants?"
The more Kasumigaoka Utaha thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. She also finally understood why Yukinoshita Yukino had been constantly accompanying Leon since a while ago.
At that time, she had been puzzled, wondering what sweet talk Leon had used to trick the coldest Flower of the High Peaks at Soubu High. Now it seemed he hadn't used sweet talk but had simply taken her as a devil servant.
And, from the looks of it, both the Yukinoshita and Yuuki families had already agreed...
"That perverted devil-kun seems even more formidable than I imagined."
Kasumigaoka Utaha quietly changed her perception of Leon.
Speaking of which, it was interesting that Kasumigaoka Utaha hadn't mentioned that night's events to Leon again during this period, acting as if she had never summoned him and was unaware of the existence of the supernatural world. Her behavior seemed to have no obvious difference from before.
Only Leon keenly noticed that the literary girl, who usually loved reading, hadn't been flipping through books much since then. She often zoned out during class, and when talking to him, she concealed some subtle abnormalities that others wouldn't notice. She had even seemingly put down Koisuru Metronome, which she had been diligently writing, and hadn't sent Leon any new chapters for review recently.
At the same time, Kasumigaoka Utaha had actually tried to visit a local church in Chiba Prefecture during after-school hours and holidays, having brief contact with the church personnel. She seemed to be trying to confirm certain things in her own way.
Leon had been keeping an eye on this "senior" who was actually a classmate and the Flower of Autumn. He was surprised when she chose to contact the church personnel herself but didn't stop her, choosing only to observe quietly.
Although Kasumigaoka Utaha was a potential talent he had noticed early on, if she genuinely didn't want to follow him and wished to approach the supernatural world as a human, he wouldn't say anything. He would simply let her go, switch targets, and continue to develop his own power.
If someone was truly unwilling, Leon wouldn't insist on entanglement.
He didn't believe that becoming his devil servant was a great sacrifice or loss. Just like Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuuki Asuna, he had saved their lives, helped them master their Sacred Gears, giving them enough power, the opportunity to break free from their originally designated lives, and choose an absolutely extraordinary path. He was even prepared to bestow his territory upon them, granting them longevity and eternal youth. Was this a bad thing?
If Kasumigaoka Utaha didn't choose him, his loss would only be a talent he had paid attention to for a while, but she would lose much more. It was even possible that her status as a Sacred Gear user might lead her into an abyss of no return.
At that time, Leon might feel regret, but he would absolutely not feel sorry for her.
This was fundamentally a process that required mutual willingness, and Leon didn't choose people arbitrarily.
If he truly wanted high-potential servants regardless of any other factors just to enhance his strength, then why wouldn't Leon take a trip to Kuoh Town and trick the yet-to-awaken Red Dragon Emperor into joining him?
That person was a wielder of a God-Slayer-Class Sacred Gear, just like Yukinoshita Yukino. Although he didn't have the aptitude to be a devil and was reputed to be the weakest Red Dragon Emperor of all time, as the protagonist of the original work, Leon knew his future achievements all too well. If he truly only wanted high-potential servants, he should have rushed to poach Rias Gremory immediately after awakening his "Subordinate Transformation" trait. Why would he bother protecting his own little patch of land?
The reasons he didn't do so were: firstly, the unwritten rules among devils—it's best not to trespass and steal talent, otherwise, Leon wouldn't have been the only one interested in Yukinoshita Yukino previously. Secondly, he felt that person didn't fit the image of the servant he desired.
He didn't want to recruit a male servant who was sleazy and lecherous all the time.
He didn't even want to recruit any male servants at all. He only wanted to recruit visually pleasing female servants and live a comfortable harem life.
Having lived a tough life in his previous existence, and now being a High-Class Devil who could legally run a harem in this life, wasn't he allowed to indulge himself for once?
And since this world had so many inserted female protagonists, all of whom had both potential and looks, and were pleasant to have around, why bother recruiting any male servants?
It could only be said that, fundamentally, Leon was also a capricious person. Becoming a devil in this life only made him completely let loose, doing only what felt right to him.
Holding onto this principle, Leon only maintained his interest in Kasumigaoka Utaha and did nothing more.
During the weekdays, he lived an enviable life with Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuuki Asuna, while secretly continuing to refine himself and his two servants.
Yuuki Asuna had been continuously practicing swordsmanship with Miyamoto Musashi and was already seeing initial results, able to fight with a sword. Yukinoshita Yukino, too, besides reading and studying, occasionally sparred with Miyamoto Musashi, like Leon, to improve her actual combat experience.
Sona Sitri had been in constant contact with Leon, keeping an eye on his progress. Not long after Yuuki Asuna moved into the manor, Sona brought Tsubaki Shinra over again as guests, formally making their acquaintance.
After several weeks passed in this manner, Kasumigaoka Utaha finally summoned Leon again one evening.
She made a reluctant request to Leon.
"Can you let me see the life of a devil?"
This request was made in the form of a wish.
In response, Leon raised an eyebrow and, without even using a communication device, tossed out a line:
"Kiss me, and I'll let you see."
Hearing this, Kasumigaoka Utaha gave Leon an exasperated look and tossed back a line of her own:
"Then just like last time, consider it owed."