Tiamat could tell everyone with absolute certainty that, given his current circumstances, Leon would undoubtedly hold a significant place in the underworld in the future.
The quality of the dependents under his command was simply too high. Putting aside the young girl who possessed "Eternal Ice Princess," the Sacred Gears on the other two girls were far from simple. As long as they mastered those two Sacred Gears, those two girls would, at the very least, reach the level of Ultimate-class Devils in the future; it was even possible for them to reach Satan-class.
As for the wielder of "Eternal Ice Princess," she possessed a Longinus capable of eliminating both gods and Satans. As long as she didn't meet an early end, how weak could she possibly be?
With these three dependents, who were destined to be at least Ultimate-class Devils, it was impossible for Leon not to stand out in the underworld. Restoring the Eligos clan would be child's play; even if he did nothing, many among the upper echelons of the underworld, having recognized his potential, would be more than willing to help him.
As for Leon himself, he was already under the scrutiny and valuation of the high-ranking Devils due to his mutation trait; more than one Satan was keeping an eye on him. If it were revealed that he possessed "Zenith Tempest," the second strongest Longinus in the world, it would likely shatter the peace of the entire underworld and cause a massive uproar.
The more Tiamat thought about it, the more alarmed she became. Finally, she couldn't help but reveal herself to meet with Leon.
"I am already looking forward to seeing you all active in the Rating Games."
Tiamat used a single sentence to express her full regard for Leon and his group.
"No, we are still far from that."
Leon sighed and responded in kind.
He knew that since Tiamat was aware of him being the wielder of "Zenith Tempest," Ajuka Beelzebub would likely find out soon. And if Ajuka Beelzebub knew, the other Satans would probably catch wind of it shortly thereafter.
When that time came, his status as the wielder of "Zenith Tempest" probably wouldn't be a secret anymore.
"Fine, if it can't be hidden, then so be it."
Leon quickly came to terms with it.
His current strength had not yet reached the point where he could ignore the consequences, but at least he wasn't weak. According to Miyamoto Musashi, if he went all out, he could barely hold his own against a newly promoted Ten-Winged Ultimate-class Devil. A being of this level was already considered a powerhouse, a cadre-level figure in various factions, and should be enough for self-preservation.
Furthermore, he was currently only half a step away from becoming an Ultimate-class Devil, and his mastery of "Zenith Tempest" had reached its limit under normal conditions. As long as he recruited one more dependent with moderate potential, he could fully promote to an Ultimate-class Devil. Once he found a way to master Balance Breaker, he would have the strength to contend with Satan-class beings.
Satan-class—that should be enough to make many people wary and suppress any restless, ill-intentioned thoughts they might have.
Thinking of this, Leon relaxed.
"Meeting the legendary strongest Dragon King during this trip can be considered a perfect conclusion." Leon smiled at Tiamat and said, "If there is nothing else, we shall take our leave."
Saying this, Leon prepared to lead Yukino Yukinoshita and the others away.
"Wait."
However, at that moment, Tiamat called out to him.
"Don't be in such a hurry to leave, little guy. I'm not going to eat you." Tiamat said testily, "You are the wielder of the second strongest Longinus in the world; is it necessary to be so afraid of me?"
...Do you even hear what you're saying?
You are the strongest Dragon King, a living legend who doesn't even care for ordinary Satan-class beings!
Who knows if you'll suddenly turn into a dragon in your own territory, pounce on us, and snack on us to sharpen your teeth?
Leon complained inwardly, but he didn't show it on his face.
"Miss Tiamat must be joking. We have simply achieved our goal for this trip and wish to return home."
Leon pointed to the familiars Yukino Yukinoshita and the others were carrying and told Tiamat.
"Isn't there still one who hasn't contracted a suitable familiar?" Tiamat glanced at Utaha Kasumigaoka and said, "The fact that you came here proves you took an interest in the monsters in this lake. But because of the Hydra, the monsters here have all fled. It won't be easy if you want to find them again."
"How about this? Listen to my request and help me do something."
"If you are willing to listen, I will help that girl contract the familiar that best suits her heart's desire. If you can help me complete this task, I can even introduce you to satisfactory dependents. How about it?"
Initially, Tiamat's words didn't move Leon.
Given this strongest Dragon King's knowledge of the Familiar Forest, helping Utaha Kasumigaoka find a perfect familiar was a simple matter and not worth getting excited about.
However, Tiamat's subsequent words made Leon's brow twitch.
"Satisfactory dependents?"
Leon didn't expect Tiamat to say something like that.
Naturally, there was a reason for this.
"I know that your mutation trait has already connected with the Evil Pieces in your hand. As long as you use the Evil Pieces as a medium to recruit high-potential dependents, you will receive feedback and become stronger."
Tiamat's blue eyes looked directly at Leon as she stated calmly.
"Coincidentally, I have two good children here whom I happened to encounter and save a few years ago. If you can help me finish this matter, I will introduce those two children to you, allowing you to gain two dependents with impressive potential."
Hearing this, Leon's interest was piqued instantly.
"What kind of people are they?" Leon asked curiously. "Or are they not humans, but monsters like dragons?"
As the strongest being in the Familiar Forest and the only one of the Five Great Dragon Kings living a truly prosperous life, Leon had reason to believe she had dragons or monsters serving under her.
While Leon wasn't particularly interested in dragons or monsters, as he had said before, he wasn't opposed to compromising if the situation was special. If their potential was truly extraordinary, he wouldn't mind making an exception; otherwise, it would be a lack of respect for his "Dependent Transformation" trait.
On the other hand, Yukino Yukinoshita and the others had different reactions upon hearing this.
"Can non-humans also be reincarnated as Devils?"
Utaha Kasumigaoka, the newcomer who had just recently been reincarnated, couldn't help but ask in a small voice.
"They can." Yukino Yukinoshita, as the first dependent to join the group, had already learned a lot of relevant knowledge through her studies and replied softly, "As long as it is a living creature, it can be reincarnated as a Devil using Evil Pieces. This includes, but is not limited to, humans, Angels, Fallen Angels, Dragons, and even monsters, Youkai, and Vampires."
In the history of the underworld, there were even special cases where things other than biological organisms were reincarnated as Devils. However, those were exceptional cases, and Yukino Yukinoshita didn't intend to mention them.
"Could it really be a dragon or a monster?"
Asuna Yuuki muttered under her breath.
In the end, Tiamat did not give a direct answer to this question.
"Those two children are indeed not human, but they are also not dragons or monsters." Tiamat shook her head and said, "I won't be too specific right now. After all, you haven't decided to help me yet. I can only guarantee that they are two children with immense potential."
After a thought, Tiamat still revealed some information.
"Let's put it this way: before this, it's not as if no Devils knew of their existence, and many wanted to take them as dependents, but not a single person succeeded."
"There are many reasons. Some couldn't convince the two children, while others eventually chose to give up."
"The reason for giving up was simple: some didn't want to use up so many pieces at once, and others couldn't even if they wanted to."
As soon as these words were spoken, Leon's heart skipped a beat.
There was a lot of information in those words, and Leon understood what Tiamat was trying to convey.
Her meaning was simple: either of the children she spoke of required more than one Evil Piece for reincarnation.
The number of pieces required for reincarnation as a Devil is determined by the target's ability and potential. The higher the ability and potential, the more pieces must be consumed.
From this, it was evident that the two children Tiamat mentioned possessed such incredible potential that some were unable to succeed even when willing to use multiple pieces.
This was not an impossible scenario.
For example, when using "Pawn" pieces, if the target's ability or potential is so high that it requires nine pieces to succeed, what can be done? Every set of Evil Pieces contains at most eight "Pawn" pieces; there simply isn't a ninth one.
When such a situation occurs, reincarnation becomes impossible—unless the Evil Pieces used include a Mutation Piece.
Similarly, when using pieces like "Queen," "Rook," "Bishop," or "Knight" for reincarnation, if the target's inherent ability or potential exceeds the total value of the piece, the reincarnation will naturally fail.
A "Queen" is equivalent to nine "Pawns." A target whose value is higher than nine "Pawns" will inevitably fail reincarnation. A "Rook" is equivalent to five "Pawns." Even using two "Rooks" simultaneously only equates to ten "Pawns." Reincarnation for a target valued higher than ten "Pawns" naturally cannot succeed.
The "Bishop" and "Knight" are in the same situation. Even if both are used, they only equate to six "Pawns." Reincarnation for a value higher than this is doomed to fail.
Of course, unused Evil Pieces react to the holder's growth, and their value increases accordingly. If the "King" possesses high strength, a reincarnation that would have failed might turn into a success.
However, those who receive Evil Pieces are at least High-class Devils. Even for the weakest High-class Devil, if the Evil Pieces in their hand cannot complete a reincarnation, it means the target's ability or potential is terrifyingly high.
And so...
"Let's change location."
Leon took a deep breath and spoke.
"We shall discuss this in detail."
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