Inside the luxurious and vast drawing room, Sirzechs stood in his formal attire. Before him were three individuals.
Two of them stood up the moment Leon's group entered, while the third remained seated, offering no reaction whatsoever.
The two who stood up were the first to catch the attention of Leon's party. They were a pair—one older, one younger—whose resemblance was striking enough that their blood relation was obvious at a glance. Both were exceptionally beautiful.
The younger one had more delicate features and was not particularly tall, though her figure was quite graceful. She was an exact match for the Ravel Phenex that Leon had seen on the candidate list for his Peerage.
The older one was also a young woman, but her aura and the look in her eyes carried a sense of nobility. Her hair was elegantly styled and adorned with jewelry that looked unmistakably expensive. Her features and height were far more mature and voluptuous than the former.
"Lord Sirzechs."
Leon gave the two women a subtle, measuring glance before nodding to Sirzechs, the host, in greeting.
Yukinoshita Yukino and the others bowed respectfully to Sirzechs and then remained silent, following closely behind Leon.
"Allow me to introduce them to you."
Sirzechs returned the smile to Leon and his group, then gestured toward the young woman.
"This is the wife of the current head of the Phenex House—Ravel's mother."
At these words, while Leon remained unfazed, Yukinoshita Yukino and the others were startled.
Mother?
Ravel Phenex's mother is this young?
Wasn't it said she already has three sons and a daughter?
She doesn't look like it at all!
But as soon as they remembered the other party was a Devil, the girls understood. Devils were an incredibly long-lived race. After reaching a certain age, they could use demonic power to alter their appearance at will. Thus, looking young did not necessarily mean being young; in terms of actual age, she might be even older than the several-hundred-year-old Miyamoto Musashi.
"Hello, Madam."
Leon, naturally aware of her identity, bowed without a hint of surprise.
"Greetings, Mr. Eligos."
Lady Phenex smiled with perfect etiquette, but her eyes had been scrutinizing Leon since he walked in, and she grew increasingly satisfied with what she saw.
Although she had seen photos of Leon and knew what he looked like, seeing him in person provided a different feeling. Originally, Lady Phenex thought Leon would be a bright, cheerful young man consistent with his appearance. But seeing him with her own eyes, she knew better; he might have an open personality, but he was certainly not "sunshiny."
The sharpness hidden beneath his smile, and the subtle demonic power that exerted a faint pressure on her, told Lady Phenex that she hadn't misjudged him. This was indeed an extraordinary young man.
Glancing at the young and beautiful members of his Peerage behind him, the smile on Lady Phenex's face widened.
These were all excellent prospects. Not only were they not inferior in beauty to her own precious daughter, but each possessed a unique aura and limitless potential. As long as they grew, they would surely become powerful assets for the Phenex family in the future.
She truly hadn't chosen the wrong person.
Indeed, the matter of making Ravel Phenex Leon's servant to win him over was orchestrated entirely by Lady Phenex. The current head of the Phenex House—Ravel's father—had been vehemently opposed to the idea. His reaction was intense; he couldn't accept the thought of his only "little princess" becoming someone else's servant. However, Lady Phenex had suppressed her husband single-handedly and pushed the matter through unilaterally. That was how Ravel ended up on Leon's candidate list.
The reason Lady Phenex was here today instead of the clan head was precisely because she was the one driving this decision.
Seeing that Leon's appearance, strength, potential, and the quality of his Peerage all exceeded her estimates, Lady Phenex was naturally very pleased, and her smile grew warmer.
"I should have invited you to my home, but Lord Sirzechs intended to host, so I brought my daughter here to meet you. Please forgive any discourtesy."
Lady Phenex spoke to Leon with a kind attitude, showing a warmth reminiscent of a mother-in-law toward a son-in-law.
"No, if anyone is being discourteous, it should be me," Leon replied, knowing not to strike a smiling face. Since she was kind and enthusiastic, he didn't mind maintaining his "bright and cheerful young man" persona. He smiled and said, "Even if there were an invitation, it should have been me inviting you to my place. Unfortunately, the Eligos territory has not yet been restored. I can only wait for a future opportunity to invite you properly."
"Then I shall look forward to that day," Lady Phenex said happily. "I believe that day won't be too far off, right?"
"Yes," Leon nodded, speaking frankly. "At least, that is what I intend."
"If you need anything, feel free to contact me at any time," Lady Phenex offered her goodwill once more. "The Phenex House might not have much else, but we have some wealth. If you need any resources in the future, just let me know, and I will do my best to arrange them for you."
This was no mere polite talk.
As the only family in the Underworld capable of producing Phoenix Tears, the Phenex House was obscenely rich. They were not inferior to the Gremory House—who were adept at finding treasures—and might even surpass them.
Restoring a territory required massive amounts of resources and an astronomical amount of money. If the Phenex House was willing to help, they truly had the power to do so—at least in terms of funding.
"Then I won't be modest, Madam."
Leon knew this was one of their methods to win him over, so he did not refuse and nodded readily.
If he took Ravel Phenex as his servant during this visit, it would mean he was bound to the Phenex House. In that case, why refuse such small favors? Leon understood their current mindset; they were likely eager to shower him with benefits to pull their relationship as close as possible. If the Sitri House hadn't been Leon's supporter and financier from the start, Leon felt the Phenex House would surely have tried to snatch that position too.
Since this was beneficial to him with no drawbacks, Leon accepted it naturally.
"Ravel."
Lady Phenex was immensely satisfied with Leon's candor. She then called to the young girl beside her and gently pushed her forward.
The girl had been observing Leon since he entered. Her gaze was even more blatant than her mother's, as if she were weighing whether the person before her was truly qualified to possess her.
"I am Ravel Phenex, the eldest daughter of the Phenex House, and the one about to become your servant. Please look after me, Lord Leon."
Ravel lifted the hem of her princess dress and bowed elegantly. Her expression didn't seem to show rejection toward the idea of becoming Leon's servant, but her gaze measuring his worth was still too obvious, giving her performance a sense of slight reluctance.
Leon met her measuring gaze, a faint glint flashing in his eyes.
He could feel a burning demonic power hidden within the girl. That power was not inferior to a High-class Devil. In terms of sheer quantity, it undoubtedly surpassed all of his current Peerage members—even Yukinoshita Yukino, who already possessed High-class level demonic power, couldn't match her. In terms of quality, she was second only to Rias with her "Power of Destruction." Anyone could see she was a perfectly orthodox pure-blood Devil.
If she intended to debut as a "King," even if she were already qualified to receive Evil Pieces, she would become a new-generation Devil even younger than Leon. However, the Phenex House already had three sons who had debuted one after another; one more Ravel made little difference, and one less made none. As a result, she had ended up before him, about to join his command.
Overall, being able to possess such a servant was undoubtedly a massive stroke of luck. A pure-blood Devil capable of debuting and becoming a "King" on her own had a potential level that was, at a conservative estimate, among the best of the middle-tier. Taking her in was definitely worth it.
"May I call you Ravel?"
His thoughts took only a second to process. Leon quickly composed himself and spoke to Ravel.
"Of course. You are my master; you may address me by my name directly."
Ravel said the words, but she stood with her head held high. She didn't look like someone about to be a servant at all; rather, she looked more like she wanted to be Leon's master.
Leon felt nothing toward her slightly arrogant manner, but Yukinoshita Yukino and the others frowned subtly.
"Then, Ravel, let me confirm one last time," Leon said, as if following procedure. "Are you certain you want to become my servant and serve me as your master?"
At this, Ravel glanced at Lady Phenex. After her mother gave a nod, she let out a sigh and looked back at Leon.
"I am certain. Please do not refuse, Lord Leon."
Ravel also adopted a business-like attitude, no longer scrutinizing him.
"In that case—"
Leon sensed something, but he didn't voice it. He merely indicated his understanding, prepared to finalize the matter.
However, at that moment, the man who had been sitting on the sofa without standing up finally spoke.
"Wait."
One word caused everyone present to turn their gaze toward him.
Leon had noticed this person long ago, and his expression was somewhat subtle. Yukinoshita Yukino and the others were the same, but they showed a clear dislike for the man's image.
It was a man in a red suit. His features were handsome, but he didn't look solemn at all; instead, he appeared quite lazy and dissolute. He looked to be in his early twenties, two or three years older than Leon. Before Leon entered, he had been leaning back broadly on the sofa with his legs crossed and his arms spread wide over the backrest, looking very much like a delinquent son of a mob boss.
Though he wore a suit, he had no tie, and his shirt was open to his chest. His "bad boy" aura was in full effect, and he made a terrible first impression.
The way he looked at Leon was entirely different from Lady Phenex and Ravel. There was a condescending haughtiness in his gaze, as well as disdain and contempt, which made Yukino and the others flare with anger.
"Riser."
Lady Phenex called his name, her voice thick with warning.
"Brother."
Ravel also addressed him this way, informing everyone of his identity.
Riser Phenex. The third son of the Phenex House, Ravel's third elder brother, and the one who, in the original story, would have taken Ravel as his "Bishop."
Beyond that, he had another identity: Rias Gremory's fiancé, the man planned to marry her once she reached adulthood. In other words, he was the prospective son-in-law of the Gremory House and the man set to become Sirzechs' brother-in-law.
Had it not been for that, in this setting where the Great Satans were present, if he had dared to sit so sloppily on the sofa without standing, Grayfia likely would have thrown him out long ago.
"I haven't agreed to this yet."
Riser slowly stood up and walked over to Leon. Like a typical spoiled heir, he thrust his face right in front of Leon's, looking at him with a sneer of contempt.
"So this is the Leon Eligos who's been the talk of the Underworld lately? He doesn't look like much!"
His attitude, his tone, and his words caused the atmosphere in the room to plummet to freezing point. Yukinoshita Yukino and the others felt their anger surging.
Leon narrowed his eyes, looking at Riser who was right in his face, but remained silent.
Sirzechs and Grayfia stood quietly to the side, as if they had no intention of intervening in this dispute.
"Riser!" Lady Phenex's face darkened visibly as she barked, "What is this attitude? If you want to make a fool of yourself, go back home!"
"Brother," Ravel also said with a furrowed brow, "you mustn't be so rude."
Unfortunately, Riser ignored both of them.
"I'm only stating facts," Riser sneered. "What kind of pathetic, destitute family is the Eligos House? They've been extinct for so long, and now some guy with half-human blood suddenly pops up, and you're all rushing to suck up to him. It's pathetic to watch."
"So he's a Longinus host? They say it can eliminate Gods and Satans, but that depends on who's using it. Giving that kind of power to a mediocre talent is just letting a jewel rot in the dirt."
"Letting my sister become the servant of such a pathetic, half-breed brat? I absolutely refuse!"
These ruthless words, which practically had the terms "disgust" and "scorn" written all over his face, caused everyone's expression to sink.
In contrast, Leon laughed. He laughed in a way that was deep and meaningful.
"You must be Riser Phenex, right?"
Leon let those words out.
"Truly... meeting you is far less than hearing the rumors."
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