"President… why does she have a younger brother?" "But he does look kind of similar, doesn't he?" Two girls whispered amongst themselves. Ar
"President… why does she have a younger brother?"
"But he does look kind of similar, doesn't he?"
Two girls whispered amongst themselves. Arthas and Souna weren't exactly alike, but perhaps because they both had black hair, they gave a similar impression.
"President, is Arthas-san a Pawn like me?"
At that moment, the only other male in the room spoke.
"Yes, Arthas is a Pawn, just like you.
He used three of my devil pieces."
Souna replied, her statement accurate. Arthas had indeed used three of Souna's pieces; the other five belonged to Rias, so it wasn't her concern.
"I see. Then, welcome, Arthas-san. I'm Genshirou Saji, the student council secretary, and also a Pawn familiar to President Souna. I used four pawn pieces."
With a faint smile, Genshirou Saji extended his hand to Arthas.
Arthas frowned slightly at the tone of his words. While it sounded like a normal introduction to others, Arthas heard a strong sense of superiority in it.
The feeling was: I used four pieces; you only used three.
Show some respect, Pawn.
"I see. It's a pleasure to meet you, Saji-san."
Despite his displeasure, Arthas didn't show it, shaking the other's hand cordially.
"I'm Tsubaki Shinra, the vice-president of the student council, and also a familiar to President Souna. My rank is Queen."
The intellectual woman with glasses introduced herself, also shaking Arthas's hand.
The other girls in the room followed suit, introducing themselves and stating their ranks.
"Well, you're all companions now, both within this academy and as devils. I don't want any unpleasantness. Arthas is new; please help him if he doesn't understand something."
Everyone nodded.
Then, a curious question arose.
"President, you said Arthas-san is your brother.
Is he your real brother?"
"That…"
Souna paused slightly, then slowly explained.
"No, but Arthas's situation is complicated. He has no family, and due to certain circumstances, he ended up here. So, I adopted him as my brother and let him stay at my house for now."
"Wait, President, Arthas is staying at your house?!"
Before the girl who asked the question could continue, Genshirou Saji suddenly stood up, visibly agitated.
"What is it, Genjirou? Is there a problem?"
Souna frowned, looking at the agitated boy with puzzlement.
"No… nothing.
It's just… it might be a bit inappropriate, considering the difference between men and women. If you don't mind, perhaps Arthas-san could stay at my house for now."
Genshirou Saji stammered, and Souna shook her head.
No way. She'd fought hard to keep Arthas at her house to foster a bond. If he left, Rias would snatch him away in a heartbeat!
Once he was at Rias's house, with her skills, she'd charm him in no time.
"Don't worry about that, Genjirou. Arthas recently experienced… a significant upheaval. It's better for him to stay with me. As his master, comforting and stabilizing his mental state is necessary."
Souna's explanation was strained, but as familiars, the girls wouldn't question their master's decision. Genshirou Saji stood there, seeming to want to say something more, but after much hesitation, he gave up.
"Alright, let's leave it at that. You can get back to your work. I'll take Arthas to familiarize himself with the student council facilities."
Souna said. The others nodded, and Souna took Arthas out of the room.
"How does it feel? My familiars?"
Walking down the long corridor, Souna asked expectantly. She hoped Arthas would like them; she didn't want friction among her familiars.
"Well… they all seem easy to get along with, except…"
"Except? Except what?"
Souna paused, and Arthas shook his head.
"Nothing."
Arthas shook his head again, not mentioning his opinion of Genshirou Saji.
Perhaps he was just being overly sensitive?
It wasn't good to jump to conclusions, and Genshirou Saji's reaction was understandable.
After all, he was Souna's only male familiar, a Pawn who had used four pieces, making him as strong and potentially as powerful as Tsubaki Shinra, the Queen.
Given his capabilities, his pride was natural, and his slight disdain for a three-piece Pawn was understandable.
Although Arthas had actually used eleven pieces.
Thinking this, Arthas chuckled, touching his nose. Neither Souna nor Rias seemed to fully grasp the significance of eleven pieces.
"By the way, is this really okay? With my unusual situation, how will we explain my whereabouts to them tomorrow?"
"Tomorrow, you'll be Rias's familiar. I'll handle the explanation here. Just try to avoid them."
"This is going to be so troublesome. And we can't keep this up for long, can we?"
Arthas shook his head, understanding why he hadn't seen Rias today.
With so many familiars under both of them, they would inevitably meet.
Thinking about it, it was indeed a headache.
"We can only keep it up one day at a time. After all, a devil reincarnated with eleven devil pieces—even Beelzebub wouldn't believe it.
Your existence must be kept absolutely secret. If it's revealed, I fear for your life."
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