"You're at the manor?"
On the palm-sized Magic Array, Sona Sitri's small figure floated, her clear voice slowly emanating, with a clarity like rolling jade beads.
"Yes, I just got back." Leo transferred the Magic Array to his hand, holding up the girl's projection, and smiled, "I still have to thank you for giving it to me as a gift."
"It's just a small token." Sona pushed up the glasses on her face and said, "For something as significant as your promotion to a High-Class Devil, I should have given you a more precious gift. But my family… including my sister… all felt that we shouldn't interfere too much with your growth, as that would only be detrimental to you. So, I could only give you something from the human world. I hope you don't mind."
"How could I?" Leo shrugged and said, "In your eyes, this might just be a small token, but in the human world, this gift is by no means insignificant."
Such a large manor, located in the central district of Chiba City, where every inch of land is precious. In the human world, ordinary wealthy individuals truly wouldn't have the power to acquire it, even if they had the money.
But for a Demon, acquiring such a manor is far too simple.
There's no need for illegal means. Just instruct some officials, who have chosen to deal with Demons to climb to higher positions, to handle it. Obtaining land would be effortless.
Building the manor is even simpler. With a Demon's power, it could be constructed in just one night.
Therefore, for the future head of the esteemed Sitri Family, this was indeed a gift as thin as could be. But for Leo, who has always lived in the human world, it was already enough to satisfy him.
Sona could also see that Leo was not being insincere, and her expression immediately relaxed a lot.
"If you need anything else, you can tell me anytime." Sona said, then changed the subject and asked, "How is it? Have you found a Retainer you like yet?"
"More or less." Leo smiled and nodded, saying, "I just don't know if that girl and I are fated."
"Is it the girl you mentioned to me before?" Sona's gaze under her glasses shifted slightly, and she said seriously, "Have you confirmed that the girl has 'that thing' on her?"
"Pretty much, right?" Leo recalled an event that happened shortly after school started, and the smile on his face deepened. He said, "If there are no surprises, she should be close to awakening."
"Then you'd better hurry." Sona reminded him, "Ordinary humans who haven't had contact with the supernatural, once 'that thing' awakens, are very likely to lose control due to improper handling, ultimately causing serious consequences. It's best to quickly take her in as a Retainer."
"I'm not in a hurry." Leo said calmly, "There's still plenty of time. It's still uncertain if she and I have that kind of fate, so I'll observe for a while first."
"As long as you know what you're doing." Sona nodded, then her expression suddenly turned serious. She said, "Recently, some people from other factions seem to have arrived in Chiba City. They are very likely attracted by the power within that girl. You should be more careful."
"People from other factions?" Leo's eyebrows immediately raised, and he unconsciously sat up straight, saying, "People from the Church? Or our neighbors in the Underworld?"
"It's the latter." Sona said somewhat coldly, "If it were the former, I wouldn't have specifically reminded you."
The conflict between Demons, Angels, and Fallen Angels has a long history. Now that they have fallen to the point where they must rely on humans to survive, it naturally leads to each of the three factions having their own arrangements and territories in the human world.
In Chiba Prefecture, where Chiba City is located, the largest force is the Church, while the power of Demons and Fallen Angels here is considerably weaker.
Leo had previously dealt with people from the Church several times and had several conflicts in Chiba City, so if people from the Church appeared here, there would be no need to make a fuss.
"Those feathered beasts are also eyeing this small plot of land?" Leo murmured, a somewhat dangerous arc curving at the corner of his mouth. He said, "That's good. I haven't really dealt with those good neighbors much yet."
"Don't be careless." Sona couldn't help but remind him, seeing his expression, "Currently, the three factions are in a delicate state of truce. There are no major wars, but small skirmishes are constant. Everyone is very restrained because we all don't want to be severely weakened, or even nearly annihilated, as we were before. You must be careful not to let the conflict escalate."
"Don't worry." Leo nodded and said, "As long as it's not someone with a deep background like you, Sona, then even if I kill them, they won't dwell on it."
"But casually instigating disputes and acting recklessly might lower your evaluation among the higher-ups." Sona said seriously, "You have just been promoted to a High-Class Devil, and your background and your own person are very special. Many people are secretly watching you. If you want to restore the Erigor Family, you must perform well to gain the support of more people."
"I hope so." Leo said somewhat ironically, "As long as those old geezers don't bring up the fact that I'm a half-blood again, I'll be satisfied."
Sona stopped speaking, finding it difficult to continue the conversation.
She naturally knew how much trouble it would cause to have a half-blood, born of a Demon and a human, inherit a pure-blood Demon family, especially when the human bloodline of this half-blood came from an Exorcist of the Church. This would undoubtedly make those who view the Church as mortal enemies even more displeased and more opposed.
If it weren't for the fact that this matter involved the restoration of a defunct noble family, and Leo himself had shown some special value, it would have been difficult for him to even become a High-Class Devil, let alone inherit the Erigor Family.
With most pure-blood Demon families already extinct, Demons truly need fresh blood. So, even if Leo is a half-blood, as long as he carries the bloodline of a pure-blood Demon family, the Demon side will not easily give him up.
Of course, there will certainly be opposition, and the older the entity, the more they will oppose.
They are inflexible, still adhering to the old rules, which has led to many outdated customs still existing in the Underworld.
Leo's existence is undoubtedly an eyesore to them.
Fortunately, the reformists' voices currently dominate the Underworld. The current Four Great Demon Lords are not rigid individuals; they are even vigorously promoting new systems and striving for reform. They are in favor of Leo inheriting the Erigor Family, otherwise, Leo would not have been able to inherit it at all.
This also involves the struggle between the old and new factions, and Sona felt it was better not to let Leo get too deeply involved.
"In any case, remember to be careful." Sona admonished again, saying, "Recruit trustworthy Retainers as soon as possible; they will be your strong supporters in the future."
At this point, Sona seemed to remember something and pushed her glasses up again.
"Also, my sister asked me to ask you, when are you planning to fall in love?"
This sudden question almost caught Leo off guard.
"Huh?"
He was stunned.
What kind of inexplicable topic shift was this?
"Don't look at me like that." Sona glanced at Leo and said, "You are already a High-Class Devil, and the Erigor Family will be reborn through you. Many people in the Underworld are concerned about the continuation of your family's next generation."
Leo's mouth twitched, and a cascade of black lines appeared on his forehead.
"Then please tell them that I am still young, and they don't need to worry about that!"
Fall in love?
Fall in love with what?
He's a Demon, not a succubus. Why concern himself with those romantic matters all day?
Besides, if he really fell in love, he'd have to coax the other person, cherish them, and spend a lot of time on them. What's the point of that?
Isn't cultivating and getting stronger more appealing? Or are the Retainers he's recruited not obedient enough?
He would never fall in love. It's impossible for him to fall in love in this lifetime.
If he truly fancied someone, he would bewitch her, tempt her, make her sell her soul, her body and mind to him, become his possession, and have her coax him, cherish him, serve him... Isn't that what a Demon should do?
...After lunch, seeing that he still had plenty of time, Leo went to the basement of the manor.
There was a very spacious underground room here.
The spaciousness of the basement even surpassed that of the manor above ground, easily fitting several football fields.
Upon closer inspection, the walls around the basement were also engraved with obscure Magic Arrays, creating a faint transparent barrier that enveloped the entire basement.
This was a training ground Sona had specially prepared for Leo.
Since coming to this manor, Leo had always trained here.
"Whoosh!"
With his Demon wings spread behind him, Leo flew into the middle of the basement, stopping there.
He closed his eyes, slowly mobilizing the magic power within him, allowing a powerful aura to ignite around his body.
Magic power is the foundation and source of a Demon's strength.
Demons cause supernatural phenomena through their imagination, and what makes it possible is magic power.
When using magic power, as long as one has a very strong imagination, the imagined supernatural phenomenon can appear.
Of course, this doesn't mean that Demons can have their wishes granted, because the more complex and powerful the phenomenon, the more intense imagination and advanced technique are required to materialize it. Therefore, when Demons use magic power, the most common method is to imagine magic power as cannonballs, beams, and other things, and launch them to create direct destruction.
Leo was no different.
"Buzz!"
Numerous brilliant Magic Arrays suddenly unfolded behind Leo, transforming into cannon turrets.
"Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!" "Boom!"... In the next instant, countless magic bullets rained down from the sky, crashing onto the ground, unleashing violent explosions and roars.