Sōbu High School, Service Club activity room.
As the magic circle on the floor lit up, Leon and his group of four appeared from within, arriving at the school.
"...I finally understand why you're always coming in and out of this activity room. So this is what's going on?"
Kasumigaoka Utaha was silent for a moment before issuing a complaint.
"Devils, you're just too cunning, aren't you?"
She had absolutely no idea that while she struggled every day with how to wake up early, catch the train on time, squeeze into a carriage with the early morning commuters, and try her best not to be late, Leon and the others could commute with such ease.
Just by going into the basement at home, they could instantly arrive at school... What kind of New Age Anywhere Door was this?
If she could also commute this way, she could sleep for at least another half hour, or even an hour, every morning and still just manage to make it before the class bell rang, avoiding being late.
It was unbelievably enviable!
"It really is convenient. At first, I couldn't believe we could go to school like this."
Yuuki Asuna spoke with genuine feeling from the side.
Aside from living in the school dormitories, this was probably the most convenient way to commute, even more exaggerated than living right across the street from the school.
It was the same after school; just by going into the activity room, they could immediately return to the mansion, returning home. This was even more enviable than staying in the school dormitories.
After all, school dormitories certainly couldn't compare to the living conditions at home, especially when there were no elders supervising them at home.
In any case, Yuuki Asuna felt that her current life was much easier and freer than before. Coupled with having a group of companions she could genuinely talk to, she had already grown to love her current life.
In the past, she didn't have the social conditions she had now. While she wasn't so aloof that no one dared to approach her like Yukinoshita Yukino, the environment of an aristocratic school was far more complex than a normal school. Every social interaction felt like it had been carefully planned. Who to befriend, who not to, what to say, what not to say—everything had to be weighed, ultimately becoming a choice based on advantage and disadvantage.
Yuuki Asuna had always been wary of delving deep into that kind of social interaction because it was so full of hypocrisy.
Now, her parents no longer made overly strict demands of her, and she had companions she could truly confide in. This made it impossible for Yuuki Asuna not to love her current life.
"If only someone would remember that this is my activity room."
Yukinoshita Yukino interjected an icy retort from the side.
Leon knew this statement was aimed at him.
After all, ever since Yukinoshita Yukino became his peerage, this Service Club activity room had practically become his personal relaxation spot during school hours, which he used even more frequently than Yukinoshita Yukino.
Yukinoshita Yukino was the club president, but ever since Leon commandeered the space, she had virtually no say here. Sometimes, she even had to run errands and handle various chores for a certain unscrupulous master.
Had it not been for Yuuki Asuna arriving and proactively taking over daily chores like preparing tea, Yukinoshita Yukino would still be responsible for brewing a steaming hot cup of black tea for Leon every day.
If this were in the past, and you told the former Yukinoshita Yukino that she would one day serve such an unscrupulous man to this extent, treating him like a pampered lord, she wouldn't just refuse to believe it—she wouldn't even bother to listen.
But there was no helping it. Who told her that she had become Leon's peerage servant?
She could only diligently perform her duties.
"Speaking of which, there's something I want to talk to you about." Leon looked at Yukinoshita Yukino and said, "While you didn't choose to abandon the Service Club, you don't seem to be actively taking on requests from school faculty and students or performing club activities anymore, have you?"
Yukinoshita Yukino immediately fell silent.
She had indeed stopped performing the Service Club's activities.
Not only had she stopped accepting requests from faculty and students, but she didn't even allow outsiders to casually enter the Service Club's activity room.
This was probably unavoidable, wasn't it?
"How am I supposed to let other people into this place?" Yukinoshita Yukino pointed to the magic circle on the floor, saying, "If someone saw this, they'd probably think I was conducting some mysterious ritual for a cult organization here."
To avoid unexpected trouble, Yukinoshita Yukino had even turned away the faculty member who had previously approved the formation of her Service Club. When the teacher came to observe the situation, she deliberately stepped out of the activity room and spoke with them outside, which had already given the other party some unnecessary suspicion.
Furthermore, the fact that Leon, Yukinoshita Yukino, and Yuuki Asuna were constantly entering and exiting this room together had already spread throughout the school. There were quite a few teachers who suspected the three of them were up to no good inside.
Frankly, if she hadn't already gotten permission from her family, and if Yukinoshita Haruno hadn't used her influence to provide some cover for her at Sōbu High, Yukinoshita Yukino would likely have been called in for a meeting with the teachers long ago.
At that point, Leon and Yuuki Asuna probably wouldn't be spared either and would also be summoned by the school.
Leon was naturally aware of this.
He rubbed his chin and then suddenly made a suggestion.
"If you're no longer committed to the Service Club's activities, then why don't you just change the club?"
At this, the girls all looked at Leon.
"Change the club?" Kasumigaoka Utaha seemed intrigued, asking, "Change it to what kind of club?"
"Naturally, a club that suits our identities," Leon sounded as if he had already thought about this, answering immediately when asked, "For example, a club whose activities revolve around researching mystical phenomena, investigating inexplicable incidents both inside and outside the school. Such a club would also be good cover for us."
Hearing Leon's words, the girls all fell into contemplation.
This was not a bad idea.
After all, they would definitely continue to go in and out of here endlessly in the future, and sometimes they would engage in actions or conversations that might seem baffling to others. If they had a club like this to provide cover, it would at least prevent others from becoming too suspicious.
"I think it's a good idea." Kasumigaoka Utaha was the first to agree. "Although founding a new club and joining a new club in our third year is a bit late, our situation is special. We really do need a place like this for cover."
"A club for researching mysticism?" Yuuki Asuna thought about it and also voiced her agreement. "Such clubs aren't unheard of in other schools, and many people tend to avoid them. We wouldn't need to worry about people casually approaching this place anymore."
Yukinoshita Yukino felt that everyone had a point, but her expression was somewhat complicated.
She couldn't help it. The Service Club was a club she founded, and it embodied her grand ambition to change the world. Although it might sound arrogant, Yukinoshita Yukino had always taken it seriously, never just talking for the sake of it, and it was certainly not a great-sounding mission statement meant only for show.
Besides her desire to prove her ideology, there was an unknown reason for founding the Service Club: she also wanted to escape loneliness, wanting a place and a reason to interact with others.
This was why Yukinoshita Yukino had kept the Service Club open and hadn't disbanded it.
But now...
Looking at the people surrounding her, passionately discussing the matter, Yukinoshita Yukino suddenly realized that her unknown wish for founding the club seemed to have been fulfilled.
As for the Service Club's activities, she was no longer as enthusiastic about them as before.
After operating as a Devil in the shadows of the night, coming into contact with all kinds of people possessing various desires, Yukinoshita Yukino realized how ridiculous her previous ideas were.
To change the world by changing the weak aspects of others?
To give people the ability to fish rather than just giving them fish?
To be dissatisfied with human nature's tendency toward jealousy when others succeed, and thus to offer help for visible difficulties and change others?
It was too narrow-minded.
They were just a group of students. Even if they were changed, how could they stand against the ingrained faults of all humanity and society?
Furthermore, after extending help to them, would they truly be inspired and changed because they received assistance?
After seeing too many people who wished to the Devil (herself), exposing their incredibly ugly desires, Yukinoshita Yukino no longer held out hope for this.
Human nature was ultimately difficult to change. Even if a small portion of people could be changed, it wouldn't change the masses, let alone the entire world.
Those who would pay any price to beg a Devil for help and fulfill their hidden desires were the most authentic reflection of the world.
And she... couldn't change them.
"Sigh..."
Yukinoshita Yukino let out a faint sigh and slowly nodded under everyone's gaze.
"Then let's disband the Service Club and establish a new one."
Instead of looking forward to a future that was too ethereal and distant, it was better to grasp the reality in front of her.
At the very least, in this world hidden in the shadows, she might still have the potential to master the power to change everything.
"Then it's settled," Leon immediately concluded. "Yukino, you can handle the communication with the teacher, right?"
"I have a problem with that," Yukinoshita Yukino said, a rare tone of annoyance in her voice, "Even if I say so, I still have to be the one to go, don't I?"
"After all, you have experience," Leon chuckled. "I believe you can certainly persuade the teacher in charge of our club."
Every club needed a teacher to take responsibility, so having Yukinoshita Yukino, who had experience establishing a club, handle the communication would definitely be much more efficient.
"Then what should the new club be called?" Kasumigaoka Utaha raised her hand to ask, blinking as she said, "The Mystical Service Club?"
...What kind of suggestive, lewd club name was that?
Yukinoshita Yukino and Yuuki Asuna's eyelids simultaneously twitched, their faces full of resistance.
"If you name it that, you'll probably be suppressed by the Great God of Censorship."
Leon shot a look at Kasumigaoka Utaha and then spoke.
"Since it's a club for researching mysticism, let's call it the Department of Mystical Affairs."
The neighboring Kuoh Academy had a Occult Research Club, and their Sōbu High had a Department of Mystical Affairs. Was there a problem with that?
No problem at all!
It was settled!
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