-----
-----
At Rias's villa—
In the massive living room, the long table was piled high with all sorts of food.
But the air... was thick with the scent of alcohol.
Koneko and Asia looked a little uncomfortable—they didn't drink at all.
The others? Totally unfazed.
I mean, who here hasn't had a drink before?
"You two really aren't gonna try a little? It's actually pretty good~"Leone leaned in close to Koneko and Asia, her beautiful eyes already slightly glassy.
"I'll just have juice."
"Y-yeah, same here…"
Both shook their heads quickly, their cheeks already a little flushed just from the smell of booze in the air.
If they actually drank? That'd be a disaster.
Minato glanced around the room, lifted his glass again, and said,"Come on, let's keep drinking."
"Cheers!"
Glasses clinked. Everyone raised their drinks and downed them in one shot.
A few of them were already starting to look tipsy, but that didn't stop the constant refills.
Esdeath, however, had her eyes locked on Rias.
So this is the childhood friend, huh? She's definitely a beauty.
But hey—I'm no slouch either.
Feeling Esdeath's gaze, Rias smiled gracefully."You're really strong. I'm happy Minato has someone like you on his side."
"..."
Esdeath stared back at Rias deeply.
Yep. Classic main girl vibes. Totally composed.
Esdeath chuckled, "No, it's an honor for me to be one of his companions."
She raised her glass. "Miss Rias, let me toast to you."
"Sure!""I'll drink to that too, President Rias!""Here's to you—cheers!"
Rias's eyes sparkled, but she didn't turn down a single toast.
As the hostess, and as the main girl, she had to keep things under control.
Minato just sat there watching quietly, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
Yep… once everyone gets drunk, they start wanting more booze.
He shook his head in amusement.
And just then, he noticed Utaha standing in front of him, her eyes dreamy and sparkling with something else.
"Master, I used up a lot of magic power today too…"
The alcohol had clearly given her some courage—she was way bolder than usual.
But she still had a little sanity left, enough to make her cheeks blush bright red.
"You're too sneaky, Utaha! "Leone pounced forward, practically hanging onto Minato now, and whispered in his ear,"Master, I need a mana recharge too~"
Hic!
Akame, burping from the booze, crawled over like a kitten without hesitation.
"W-wait what…"
Cangna Shitori, who had been watching the whole scene unfold, was now completely frozen in place.
"Hey! Don't you think you guys are getting a bit out of hand!? I'm still here!"
Her voice wasn't exactly quiet… but no one seemed to be listening.
Her eyes widened even more, staring in disbelief at Minato and the girls.
This is… this is total chaos!
Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. Moving stiffly, she started walking toward the door.
"Y-you know what, I think I'll just call it a night. That's enough party for me."
"Wait—wait up!"Koneko quickly stood up and followed her.
She had a feeling… if she didn't leave now, she might not get to leave later.
"Esdeath."
Suddenly, Rias—clearly drunk—turned to Esdeath with glassy eyes."You're not going over there?"
Esdeath blinked. "You don't mind?"
"Why would I?"
"???"
Esdeath looked confused.
Wait… seriously?
Even she couldn't be that chill about it, right?
Rias smiled, "Mana replenishment is the master's reward to his companions."
"Besides, here in the Underworld, if a man is powerful, it's totally normal to have multiple wives."
Esdeath looked into Rias's eyes.
So this… is a devil's worldview?
She could say stuff like that without even blinking.
Even Esdeath felt a little outmatched in terms of boldness.
Shaking her head with a smirk, she replied,"Well, since you put it that way… I won't hold back."
"You should join in too, then~"
"?"
Now Rias was the one caught off guard.
Then she suddenly realized what Esdeath meant.
Wait a second—Minato… is playing that kind of game!?
After a moment's hesitation, Rias also stood up.
She was the main girl. She wasn't about to back down.
Elsewhere in the room, Akeno Himejima lounged in her chair, her eyes occasionally drifting toward Minato and the girls. Her heart was pounding wildly.
"My body… it's getting so hot…"
Her breathing became heavier, her gaze growing hazy.
No… this isn't good.
Not here…
She shook her head hard, trying to clear her mind.
"We're out of wine. I'll go get some more."
She quickly left the hall, but didn't go far.
Instead, she peeked through the crack in the door with a silly, lovestruck smile.
Here… this should be good enough.
Back inside—
Only one person was still left sitting there, totally lost and confused.
Asia's face was bright red.
After what happened the other night, she was already in shock…
And now this!?
She knelt down on the floor, hands together in prayer.
"Oh merciful Lord… what should I… oww, that hurts…"
After the Rating Game—
Minato had been living a pretty laid-back life.
Aside from studying new extraordinary knowledge, he spent his time guiding his companions in training.
It's worth noting that Esdeath and the others didn't stick around for long—they returned to their own worlds shortly after.
That was Minato's order.
Even though the Revolutionary Army had been wiped out, there were still some scattered remnants left.
Not to mention, there were other nations far away from the capital.
Each of these places were potential sources of extraordinary knowledge, and needed to be brought under control as soon as possible.
And if they needed to return? All it took was a thought from Minato. Easy.
One day—
At Minato's house—
[Minato][Class: Origin Mage][Magic: Origin Lightning Magic – Level 31 (+)][Origin Points: 17]
"I wonder… just how strong am I now?"
Looking at the data, Minato's eyes gleamed.
He had just used up all the Origin Points he had gained.
His strength? Felt like it had multiplied several times over.
But to be honest… it was hard to say exactly how strong he'd become.
This world was basically a big ol' mashup.
The power scaling was all over the place.
Even among demons, the higher up you go, the fuzzier things got.
Who's stronger? Who's weaker? You only find out by fighting.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Minato made a sound of surprise, as if he sensed something—and a playful smile appeared on his face.
"....."