Rias is not only the next head of the Gremory family but also the chief administrator responsible for this region. If supernatural-related chaos breaks out and is not promptly contained and resolved, human authorities will intervene and hold the Gremory family accountable. In short, serious supernatural incidents in Kuoh Town would lead to trouble for Rias.
Caleb's action of killing the five thugs, though unwitnessed, left the bodies where they were, naturally causing a significant uproar. The police in Japan might be considered somewhat ineffective, but they can still uncover the truth in such brazen, uncovered murder cases. They immediately pulled surveillance footage from the convenience store around the time of the five men's deaths. Due to the camera angle, the moment Caleb struck the fatal blows wasn't recorded, but it was easy to deduce that he was the killer. Moreover, this surveillance footage could be used as direct evidence...
After a meticulous on-site investigation and observing Touko Sakurauchi's strange 'gaze kill' in the surveillance footage, the ordinary police officers in Japan decisively reported the incident to higher authorities. Early the next morning, all the evidence was presented to Akeno Himejima. Completely unaware of what had happened, Akeno Himejima was stunned, but seeing that it concerned Caleb, she skillfully employed a delaying tactic.
Akeno Himejima told the officials that Caleb was already Rias's servant, and the killing of the five men was part of a mission. Because it was his first mission, he was nervous and forgot to handle the aftermath. Although the story had many flaws, the Gremory family's face had to be saved. The officials could only temporarily retreat and wait for Rias's return for further discussion.
"So that's what happened..." Caleb stroked his chin, feeling some regret. If he had known this information, he would have immediately informed Akeno Himejima. Given the behavior of those five delinquents, who must have committed many bad deeds in the past, a brief investigation would easily confirm the legitimacy of Caleb's 'self-defense.'
"Even if it wasn't self-defense, if you had informed me immediately, I would have been able to handle it." Akeno Himejima glanced at Caleb, speaking a rather startling truth with casual indifference.
Caleb was stunned. "Akeno-senpai... what do you mean?"
"This is the Gremory family's territory. As long as you handle it well and don't affect ordinary people, killing a few individuals is not a big deal at all." Akeno Himejima had initially been reluctant to tell Caleb, who was an ordinary person not long ago, this harsh reality, fearing he wouldn't accept it. Now, it seemed she had underestimated Caleb's mental fortitude. "There are many ways to erase a person's existence. There are subtle methods like altering memories, and also more brute-force methods, like the Pale Flame I used just now."
Akeno Himejima narrowed her eyes, her dark-hearted nature fully exposed. "As long as you clean up thoroughly, unless the ordinary person you killed had an extremely powerful background, no one in Kuoh Town will come looking for trouble. The Gremory family isn't someone just any Tom, Dick, or Harry dares to provoke."
Caleb gave a sheepish smile. He could tell that Akeno Himejima had probably endured a lot of frustration this morning. Being clearly in the wrong initially, even she had to restrain herself. He moved behind Akeno Himejima, placing his hands on her well-proportioned, slender shoulders, and began massaging them while comforting her. "Akeno-senpai, don't be angry. It's all my fault for not telling you sooner."
With the two heavy bunnies constantly on her chest, Akeno Himejima's shoulders often ached. Enjoying Caleb's massage, the relief spreading through her shoulders alleviated much of the resentment in her heart.
"If anyone asks you later, just say you were carrying out a mission." Akeno Himejima simply lay back in Caleb's arms. After all, they had done everything but the final step. "I was planning to wait until the President came back to tell you this, but now is a good time."
Caleb blinked, looking thoughtful. "Are you talking about me officially joining the Occult Research Club and carrying out requests and missions with you?"
"Yes." Akeno Himejima wiggled her body, settling into a more comfortable position. "I've checked your power just now. Once you master the Intermediate Magic Power Extraction, you won't encounter danger unless it's a top-tier A-rank expert."
"Great." Caleb nodded without hesitation. Only a fool wouldn't latch onto Rias's long, pale legs. If it weren't for the anomaly during his reincarnation, he would have filled out the application long ago.
Being a 'servant' wasn't just a verbal agreement; it required formal verification, not through a ranking game every time. This Club Admission Application served as the written document. Once stamped with Rias's exclusive seal, Caleb would officially become Rias's servant. Akeno Himejima's need to wait for Rias's return was due to her lack of Rias's exclusive seal. Delegation is one thing, but the exclusive seal of the Gremory family's next head cannot be casually given to others. It wasn't that Rias didn't trust Akeno Himejima, but rather to prevent others from using it as an excuse to attack them. With her older brother, one of the current Four Great Devils, backing her, Rias wasn't afraid, but it would certainly lead to some turmoil. The main thing was that she hadn't expected Caleb to stir up trouble so quickly. Akeno Himejima could handle most ordinary issues; matters requiring Rias's exclusive seal were few and far between.
After filling out the application, Caleb wanted to linger with Akeno Himejima for a while, hoping to complete what they hadn't finished last time while the atmosphere was good. Akeno Himejima pushed him away with her small hand, showing mild disgust. "You reek of a woman's nasty scent. Get away."
Caleb lowered his head and sniffed. He caught a faint, subtle fragrance, identical to the one on Sakura Miyajima. Glancing at the annoyed Akeno Himejima, he tactfully touched his nose, choosing not to argue about whether the smell was pleasant or unpleasant.
"Akeno-senpai, I'll be going now. I have something important for the next few days and might not be at school often. If you need me, just call my number."
"Hmm." Akeno Himejima squinted at Caleb. "I bet it has something to do with another girl."
Caleb shrugged. Not just one, but several.
"This time, I'm doing something legitimate. I've discovered someone who might be a naturally awakened ability user."
"And so?" Akeno Himejima was indifferent. Naturally awakened ability users weren't common, but they weren't rare either. Unless they awakened a very powerful ability, similar to Caleb's, they wouldn't pique her interest.
"That person might do some bad things. I want to keep an eye on them." Caleb decided to disclose a little bit about Hajime Tanaka. If something really did happen later, Akeno Himejima wouldn't be caught completely off guard, as she was this time.
"Ara ara, not bad. Just started the job and already working diligently?" Akeno Himejima covered her mouth with her hand, smiling genuinely. "Do you need your older sister's help?"
Caleb shook his head. "For the first mission, I want to see if I can handle it independently."
"Ara ara, are you serious?" Akeno Himejima repeated her verbal tic subconsciously. She had thought Caleb was just making excuses, but now it seemed he was serious.
Caleb nodded. "Yes, I am." Initially, he just wanted to protect the Takamine sisters and Sakura Miyajima and the other girls without knowing all the rules. Now, it seemed he was also contributing to the stability of Tokyo. If that massive hypnosis incident truly occurred, resolving it would count as a merit.
"In that case, take this with you." Akeno Himejima pulled out a slightly yellowed paper slip from her chest. A pitch-black pentagram was drawn on it. Outside the pentagram were two circles, and in the space between the circles, tadpole-like, strange runes formed a continuous pattern.
"Akeno-senpai, what is this for?" Caleb was no longer a complete novice. He knew it was a magic circle, but he didn't know its effect.
"If you encounter a critical situation, or a situation you can't resolve, inject magic power into it." Akeno Himejima warned, "If you can run, you should avoid using it and try to escape first."
"Okay, I understand." Caressing the smooth paper, Caleb became even more curious about what kind of magic circle this was. Before he could ask further, Akeno Himejima started to hurry him out.
"Lunch break is almost over. Do you have anything else? If not, hurry back to class." Carefully tucking away the paper slip that still carried Akeno Himejima's body heat and scent, Caleb quickly added, "Akeno-senpai, I'd like to borrow your familiar."
"You may." Akeno Himejima readily agreed. She didn't need to ask to know what Caleb wanted the familiar for. She waved her hand, summoning a small, pitch-black sphere. She pointed at Caleb and instructed, "Follow him for the next few days. Do whatever he tells you to do." The small sphere flew around in the air twice and then settled on Caleb's shoulder.
"Akeno-senpai, is that all it takes?" Caleb looked at the small black creature and curiously reached out a finger to poke it. He didn't connect, as the small black sphere had no physical body.