"How...? A reincarnated demon cannot possibly have two masters. That's impossible."
Grayfia's gaze shifted between Rias and Sona as she spoke, and a dreadful thought suddenly crossed her mind.
Could it be that both the Sitri heiress and Lady Gremory had taken a liking to this man, forcibly making him their shared servant?
Not as a reincarnated demon, but as a privately contracted subordinate. And just now, had she accidentally stumbled upon one of their usual... play sessions?
"Grayfia, what on earth are you thinking? Why is your face so red?!"
Rias couldn't help but laugh at the maid's flustered expression. The silver-haired woman quickly snapped back to reality.
"My apologies. But please explain clearly—what exactly is the nature of this shared servant between the two of you?"
"A pleasure to meet you. I serve House Gremory. My name is Grayfia. I look forward to working with you."
Even as she pressed Rias for answers, Grayfia politely greeted Yoru. Though her initial insult ("lowly creature") had been unpleasant, Yoru could tell her harshness stemmed from concern for Rias, so he chose to let it slide.
"Hmph. Don't be too shocked, Grayfia. What type of Evil Piece do you think Yoru was reincarnated with?"
"I sense nothing particularly unusual. Given that, I assume he's a Pawn? Were multiple Pieces used?"
When Rias had called Yoru a "great one," this was the first possibility Grayfia considered.
A servant reincarnated with multiple Pawn Pieces would indeed be an outstanding subordinate. But a servant was still just a servant—a mere underling. Compared to that distinguished young master, the gap remained far too wide.
Of course... if he had been reincarnated using all eight Pawn Pieces, his value might indeed force the family to reconsider. But even so, he was still just a Pawn now. Who knew how long it would take for him to grow strong enough to stand on his own—or to bring substantial benefits to the household?
"Correct. Then guess—how many Pieces were used to reincarnate Yoru?"
"Forgive my bluntness, Lady Rias, but even if he truly was reincarnated using eight Pawn Pieces, calling him a 'great one' would still be a stretch compared to the young master of the Phenex family. His potential may be limitless, but stacked against one of the 72 Pillars, the House of Phenex, he is currently insignificant."
Grayfia spoke with calm logic, as if urging Rias not to pin her hopes on some distant, uncertain future.
Potential was one thing, but throughout history, countless demons had shown promise. Very few ever grew into truly formidable powers.
Even a "great one" reincarnated with eight Pawns was still just a Pawn at the end of the day.
"Hmph. Grayfia, you're severely underestimating Yoru. I told you—Yoru is a shared servant between me and Sona. How could he have been reincarnated with just eight Pieces?"
"Just... eight? Lady Rias, do you realize what you're saying? Each person only possesses eight Pawn Pieces, and different types of Pieces cannot be stacked. Not even your brother, Sirzechs Lucifer, can alter this rule."
Grayfia frowned deeply as she spoke. Then, as if struck by sudden realization, her eyes darted between Rias and Sona, her expression shifting to one of utter disbelief.
"Heh. Finally figured it out, huh? That's right—Yoru was indeed reincarnated purely with Pawn Pieces. But not just mine. He also used three of Sona's Pieces. In other words, Yoru is a Pawn reincarnated with a total of eleven Evil Pieces!"
Rias declared this with visible pride. Grayfia, however, seemed unable to process the information. She stared at Yoru, muttering "impossible" under her breath.
"How could... such a thing..."
"It doesn't actually violate the rules of the Evil Pieces, does it? After all, Lord Beelzebub never anticipated someone capable of absorbing so many."
At Rias's words, Grayfia fell silent. She studied Yoru for a long moment before finally speaking again, her tone solemn.
"If what you say is true, Lady Rias, then this gentleman Yoru is indeed worthy of being called a 'great one'—one who far surpasses even the young master of House Phenex!"
Grayfia's declaration was firm, and her address for Yoru had shifted to a more respectful "gentleman."
"See? Told you. Now go tell that overgrown chicken to scram back to where he came from."
Rias snorted dismissively before playfully wrapping her arms around Yoru's neck again from behind.
"Yoru, let's pick up where we left off."
*Ahem.* "Lady Rias, even if you are fond of your servant, premarital relations are inappropriate. Moreover, Mr. Yoru appears... rather troubled by the idea."
"Fine, fine. I get it. Just kidding~"
Rias pouted but obediently slipped her discarded clothes back on, concealing her alluring figure once more.
"Grayfia, did you come here on your own? Or was it the family's decision? Or perhaps... my brother's?"
Rias narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips—a surprisingly girlish expression for someone of her stature.
"All of the above."
Grayfia answered without hesitation. At this, Rias gave a small nod.
"I see. No wonder the 'Queen' serving my brother personally came to the human world. If not for Yoru, I might have given in by now."
"Indeed. Mr. Yoru is undoubtedly a trump card capable of swaying the family's decision. However..."
Grayfia glanced meaningfully at Sona.
"The fact that he was reincarnated using eleven Evil Pieces must remain absolutely confidential, even in the Underworld. To the outside world, he can only be acknowledged as the Pawn of House Gremory's heiress."
Her words carried an implicit apology toward Sona. If they were to use Yoru's existence to overturn the Gremory family's decision, his status as Rias's servant would inevitably spread throughout the Underworld.
That would leave Sona with no claim over him—hence Grayfia's remorseful tone.
"I don't mind. Arranged marriages are my least favorite thing anyway."
Having pieced together Rias's motives from their conversation, Sona smiled faintly, her response graceful and unbothered.
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