Incidentally, Rossweisse-sensei who is also a 'Rook' was still in a staff meeting at the faculty room.
At first glance, a client might doubt whether someone as small as Koneko could handle heavy labor. But apparently, whenever that happens, she simply lifts something heavy nearby—like a bed or a bookshelf with one hand, and that shuts them up.
Then again, among the Gremory peerage, the only one who looks suited for that kind of work is Issei (and Yuuto is too slender), so there's no point worrying about appearances.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Koneko."
"Yes, President."
After a short reply, Koneko used a magic circle and the summoning card as a marker to teleport to the client.
With Koneko gone, Kuroka took her seat and casually reached for the snacks on the table.
"Hmm… not knowing when you'll be summoned is kind of a hassle. Well, I'm technically a 'Stray' now—free to work whenever I feel like it, nya~."
"The summoning times are usually fixed, so it's not that inconvenient… By the way, President Rias, if someone insists on requesting work outside of regular hours, do you accept it for extra pay?"
"It depends on the request. If our schedules don't align, we simply can't accept it. And if we took every job just for extra pay, we'd lose our flexibility. We first assess the request in detail, if it can be handled during normal hours through magic or other means, we do that. If not, we pass it on to devils who specialize in daytime summons."
Devils who specialize in daytime requests, huh… It must be exhausting, but I guess it comes with the advantage of less competition.
As we chatted, a small communication magic circle appeared near Rias's ear.
"Koneko? What is it? …Yes… I see… Understood. We'll head there immediately."
With that, Rias stood up.
Did something happen?
As I wondered, she turned toward us.
"Ikki, Ravel, Kuroka—you should come with me."
"Huh? What happened?"
"...It seems the one who summoned Koneko… is your mother."
Oh boy…
We just talked about this.
That flag got triggered way too fast.
With Issei and the others seeing us off with worried expressions, we teleported together with Rias to my house.
We arrived in the living room. Both my parents were there, seated at the table in the center.
Koneko looked a bit stiff… understandable. From her perspective, this must've been a heart-stopping situation.
"Ikki! And Kuroka-san, Ravel-chan, Rias-san too!"
"Whoa… I always thought teleportation was something from science fiction."
If anything, this is more fantasy than sci-fi.
"Koneko, how much have you explained so far?"
"Nothing in detail yet…"
Well, we did arrive almost immediately.
"Before we talk, I'll make some tea. Ravel, give me a hand. Kuroka, move the chairs so everyone can sit."
We decided to settle the atmosphere first.
"Understood."
"Got it, nya."
Once everyone had gathered around the table and calmed down with herbal tea, Rias began the explanation.
"Now then, Aunt, Uncle. Since Ikki is present, allow me, as Koneko's master to explain."
My parents nodded hesitantly.
Rias then took out a card from her pocket.
"When Koneko was first summoned, you made a wish using this card, correct?"
"…Yes. With New Year's approaching, we were discussing cleaning up heavy furniture. While sorting through some old items, I found this card we received years ago, maybe from a station promotion? I meant to throw it away, but it was left behind. Half-jokingly, I wished for a strong helper… and then Koneko-chan suddenly appeared through what looked like a magic circle. It was quite shocking."
So they dug it up while preparing for year-end cleaning.
Even if we stopped distributing cards after I joined the Occult Research Club, older ones were still out there.
"I see. First of all, as you've witnessed, beings of the supernatural exist in the hidden side of this world. Devils, angels, fallen angels, youkai, and even gods from various mythologies. There are also humans with abilities, such as spiritualists and onmyoji. Among them, myself, Koneko, Ravel, and Kuroka are devils."
As she spoke, Rias stood and unfolded her demonic wings.
If everyone did it, it'd be cramped—and Ravel's wings might set the house on fire, so Rias alone demonstrated.
My parents stared at her wings in amazement as she continued.
"Devils sustain themselves through a form of 'faith' granting human wishes in exchange for compensation. However, in modern times, very few people attempt proper summoning rituals. That's why we distribute cards, allowing clients to summon us more conveniently."
After explaining, Rias asked, "Do you understand so far?"
My father took a sip of tea before replying, "I can't say I fully understand, but… it sounds like even the devil world has its hardships."
…That's what he focused on?
Well, given everything, it's not surprising.
Despite the image of devils as enemies of humanity, the fact that Koneko and the others seemed normal and that I was sitting here with them probably kept their guard from going into full alert.
"Next, there are ranks among devils. High-class devils are granted special tools by the Maou that allow them to reincarnate other beings as devils. Using such a tool, I reincarnated Koneko who was originally a youkai as my servant. Of course, with her consent."
"Koneko-chan was originally a youkai… then Kuroka-san too?"
"Yes. Koneko and I were originally nekoshou—a higher species of nekomata, nya."
At my mother's prompting, Kuroka revealed her cat ears and tail.
"Kuroka-san…"
My mom leaned forward eagerly.
"…What is it, nya?"
"Can I touch them!?"
"Well… I don't mind…"
The moment she got permission, my mom immediately began enjoying Kuroka's ears, even grabbing the tip of her tail on the table.
"Hey, Koneko-chan, can you show yours too?"
"Y-Yes…"
Unable to resist, Koneko revealed her ears and tail as well.
"Kyaaaa! So cute!!"
My mom's excitement skyrocketed, petting them nonstop until my dad scolded her.
Meanwhile, my dad looked composed but his right hand kept twitching toward the ears… probably holding himself back.
"…I can really tell you're Ikki-senpai's parents."
"Hehe~ Ikki loves our ears and tails too, doesn't he?"
Well… if fluffy cat ears are there, of course you'd want to pet them.
"…May I continue?"
Rias sounded slightly exasperated.
Still, thanks to my mom, the tension in the room had eased.
"Currently, Koneko is my only servant present here. As a devil, she must fulfill duties, which is why she was dispatched to grant the wish contained in the card. Though I never imagined the summoner would be Ikki's parents… For reference, most members of the Occult Research Club are my peerage. Our advisor, Azazel-sensei, is a fallen angel, and Vice-Advisor Rossweisse is also my servant. We even have angels among us. As you know, your son is human."
"Angels? I thought angels and devils were eternal enemies. Is that not the case?"
My father looked surprised.
"Indeed, devils, angels, and fallen angels were long known as the Three Factions, constantly at war. However, not long ago, their leaders held a summit and agreed to end the conflict. Peace has since been established, and efforts are ongoing to extend that peace to other mythological factions as well."