Chiba, Leo's Manor----
That night, Leo once again gathered all the members of his household in the living room to discuss the matters that Sirzechs had entrusted to him.
"Participating in the Middle-Class Devil Assessment?!"
Yukino Yukinoshita, Asuna Yuuki Utaha Kasumigaoka Mahiru Shiina, Ram, Rem, and Rem all exclaimed in surprise.
Their complexions looked better than during the day, as if with Leo's return, their last concern, they could finally rest and recuperate without feeling so pale and weak.
Even so, the girls were still surprised after hearing Leo's words, even the usually sharp-tongued and arrogant Ram was surprised.
"We're about to advance to Middle-Class Devil?"
"Really?"
"Isn't this too fast?"
"It seems like we haven't been Devil for very long, and we haven't met our performance targets yet, have we?"
Yukino Yukinoshita, Asuna Yuuki, Utaha Kasumigaoka, and Mahiru Shiina were the most surprised, as if they had never expected such a thing to happen.
If even they are like this, then Ram and Rem, who have only Eligos Peerage less than three months ago, needless to say, are even more so.
"----I didn't expect to become Middle-Class Devil so quickly."
"Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Ram muttered to himself, while Rem looked somewhat uneasy.
"Hey, what's Middle-Class Devil?"
Kanna, looking bewildered, tugged at Stella beside her, appearing eager to learn.
"----have no idea."
Stella remained silent, seemingly unconcerned about the matter, and gave Kanna a curt reply.
In this situation, it was Ravel Phenex wore an expression of complete indifference.
"While it was indeed a bit fast, upon closer reflection, it doesn't seem so difficult to understand," Ravel Phenex calmly analyzed. "You all lack some experience as Devil, yet the events you've faced so far far exceed what Low-Class Devil can handle."
"During the attack by Leif Trix, everyone's performance was quite good. Even though you only survived because of the timely arrival of Leo, Rias Gremory, and Sona Sitri, being able to deal with so many monsters, Devil from the Old Satan Faction, and Stray Mage was enough to make the higher-ups in the Devil world see your strengths."
"During the attack by Kokabiel, a high-ranking officer of the Fallen Angel, although Lord Leo was the main character, everyone else also demonstrated outstanding strength, capable of slaughtering an entire Cerberus clan. This is not something that mere Low-Class Devil could accomplish."
"Of course, the main point is still the events of this Summit Meeting. Without Lord Leo's support, we single-handedly defeated the Hero Faction of the Khaos Brigade. This has caused a great deal of discussion among the Three Factions, not to mention in the Devil Realm. I'm sure your deeds have gradually spread among the lower ranks. You are no longer just unknown newcomers like before."
Ravel Phenex counted on her fingers as she spoke.
"In terms of strength, you are all more than capable of being Middle-Class Devil, let alone High-Class Devil. Especially Yukino, Utaha, and Ram, the three of you are not weak even among the Ultimate-Class Devil. It is actually a waste of your talents to promote you to Middle-Class Devil."
"In terms of fame, you all already have it. You've become famous throughout the Devil world even before your official debut, something many Middle-Class Devil or even High-Class Devil haven't been able to achieve."
"In terms of merit, the achievements you all accumulated before defeating the Hero Faction were enough to warrant a nomination on the promotion list, and after defeating the Hero Faction, there is no doubt that you are fully qualified for promotion."
"To be honest, none of you would object to being directly promoted to Middle-Class Devil. We're just having you take an assessment now, and you can only be promoted after passing it. If it weren't for the fact that this situation is due to your lack of experience, I would suspect that there's some kind of shady deal behind this."
Ravel Phenex's analysis and explanations left the girls looking at each other in bewilderment for a moment before they regained their composure.
"So, it's all true?" Yukino Yukinoshita looked at Leo, her expression cool, and said, "We're really going to advance to Middle-Class Devil?"
"The prerequisite is that you can pass the assessment." Leo shrugged and said, "Of course, in my opinion, that's already a done deal."
"What's the Middle-Class Devil exam like?" Utaha Kasumigaoka couldn't help but ask, "Does it test strength? Or knowledge?"
"Both are true." Leo didn't hide anything and said frankly, " The Middle-Class Devil assessment is divided into two parts: a written test and a practical test. The former tests the Reincarnated Devil's mastery of knowledge about the Devil world, while the latter tests whether the strength meets the standard."
Normally, Devil's promotion doesn't involve any assessments; as long as both strength and achievements meet the standards, one is qualified for promotion.
For example, when Leo was promoted to High-Class Devil, there was no such thing as an assessment. After his strength and performance met the standards, he applied for promotion to the higher-ups in the Devil world through his backers. Once the higher-ups verified that his strength and performance had met the standards, they would grant him a promotion.
However, with the increasing number of Reincarnated Devil in recent years, most of whom are of ordinary origin and have only a superficial understanding of the Devil world, some even lacking in common sense, the situation is far worse than that of native Devil. After repeated discussions, the higher-ups of the Devil world decided to add a written test to the promotion of Middle-Class Devil.
The test wasn't actually that difficult; its main purpose was to encourage Reincarnated Devil to understand the Devil realm. At the very least, they needed to have the general knowledge of native Devil, otherwise, surviving in the Devil realm would become a problem.
This is naturally a very difficult task for those Reincarnated Devil who have only recently been reborn and are still figuring out the rules and ways of life in the Devil realm.
However, for Yukino Yukinoshita and the others, this was child's play.
"I'm not worried about the actual combat situation at all. All six of you have strength far exceeding the level of Middle-Class Devil. Even Rem, without turning into Oni Transformation, can approach the High-Class Devil. I believe that even if you underperform, you can still get through this level without even lifting a finger."
Leo said this with a relaxed expression.
"As for the written test, I don't need to worry about that, do I?"
If the people under his command were as uncultured as Issei Hyoudou, then he would have some reason to worry.
However, who are the people under his command?
Yukino Yukinoshita is the top student in the second year of Sobu High School, consistently ranking first in academics.
Asuna Yuuki, a graduate of a prestigious school, received an elite education. Although her grades were not Yukino Yukinoshita's, she was still a regular among the top students in her grade.
Utaha Kasumigaoka, an artistic girl, Light Novel author, and a renowned talented woman, is among the top students in her third year at Sobu High School.
Mahiru Shiina, the top student in the first year, excels in both academics and sports. Not only is she the top student in academics, but she is also the top girl in sports, completely on par with some boys.
These four women are all impeccable in terms of appearance, temperament, intelligence, and background; they are the unattainable High Mountain Flower of Sobu High School. Why would anyone need to worry about their achievements?
Do you even know what " High Mountain Flower" means?
She's a girl who's unmatched in every way!
Even though they had only recently become Devil, they had already spent a lot of time in the manor's study learning about all sorts of things in the Devil world. Among them were even ruthless individuals like Yukino Yukinoshita, who had read through all the books in the study. If they didn't pass the test, the Middle-Class Devil in the entire Devil world would probably decrease drastically, with very few able to pass the test and successfully advance.
Even Reincarnated Devil like Ram and Rem, who are dedicated to their maid duties, have lived in the Underworld for a full ten years and are practically indistinguishable from native Devil. With just a little effort, they could easily pass the Middle-Class Devil assessment.
Therefore, from the moment he learned that the six of them needed to take the Middle-Class Devil promotion test, Leo had not worried about them at all.
They themselves, however, seemed to be worrying unnecessarily.
"We still can't be careless, can we?" Asuna Yuuki said with some concern. "We've been in intensive training lately, and we haven't been going to the study room much less. What if the test covers knowledge we haven't encountered before?"
"Yes," Mahiru Shiina said earnestly in agreement, "Opportunities are for those who are prepared, especially in studies. The most important thing is to accumulate knowledge over time; cramming at the last minute is just a desperate struggle."
"Anyway, I can only stay in bed and rest these days, so I might as well read more books." Utaha Kasumigaoka had already stood up and said, "I haven't been to the study in a long time, so I might as well spend the night there."
"Let's go," Yukino Yukinoshita said directly. "Let's spend as much time as possible in the study before the assessment."
As they spoke, the four of them left the living room and headed towards the study.
"No... you're leaving already?"
Leo was almost caught off guard, staring blankly as the four women left, his face full of confusion.
He genuinely felt that these four didn't need to be so alarmed; with their intelligence, passing the competition would be a piece of cake.
Especially for that Second Young Lady of the Yukinoshita Family, you've already practically worn out the books in the study, is it really necessary for you to spend so much time in there?
"Big sister, shouldn't we also read more books?"
While Leo was stunned by the departure of Yukino Yukinoshita and the other three, Rem was secretly talking to Ram.
"Don't worry, Rem," Ram said calmly. "It's just a written test, how could it possibly be difficult for us?"
"Of course you don't need to worry, Sister. After all, you are the smartest person in the world."
Rem continued to wholeheartedly recommend her older sister, to the point of blind faith, but she didn't have much confidence in herself.
Deep down, Rem harbors feelings of inferiority and insecurity. She sees herself as far inferior to her older sister, who can easily pass the written test. She, on the other hand, is so stupid that she loses her mind even when Oni Transformation; how could she possibly be any smarter?
What if I fail the written test?
And in real combat, there are risks involved too, right?
Without Oni Transformation, his strength is the weakest among all of Eligos Peerage, not even reaching the level of High-Class Devil. A practical test against Middle-Class Devil would definitely be somewhat risky for him.
You can't exactly use Oni Transformation during a practical assessment against an Middle-Class Devil, can you?
Thinking of this, Rem felt uneasy. She hadn't expected this to be the Middle-Class Devil promotion test, where the requirement for the examinee's strength was simply to reach the Middle-Class Devil. Rem already possessed the strength of Middle-Class Devil under normal circumstances, so passing the Middle-Class Devil combat test should be a piece of cake for her, right?
All I can say is that this maid lacks self-confidence.
Ram knew exactly what kind of person his younger sister was, and seeing her anxious expression, he sighed.
"Well, what can I do? You're Ram's cutest little sister, after all." Ram patted Rem's head, looking at her with a doting expression, and said, "Alright, Ram will reluctantly keep you company and go to the study together."
Rem was immediately moved, which made Leo, who was standing next to her, want to complain.
I really don't know why you're always so confident.
Admittedly, Ram is a genius, even a child prodigy, but Leo felt it was better to question whether she was truly intelligent.
Ram's mind was quick and her observation skills were sharp; she could often see things that others couldn't. But Leo hadn't forgotten that this older sister, who acted like she was the boss and second-in-command, was actually a complete failure at domestic chores in private.
When it comes to housework, this older sister's proudest skill is peeling potatoes.
Is it really okay to be so clumsy?
Unfortunately, Ram ignored Leo's complaints, took her sister's hand, and walked out of the living room with her head held high, showing no concern for the upcoming assessment. Leo wondered if she was feeling guilty or if she was taking the opportunity to go to the study to study and catch up on her studies at the last minute.
"Don't worry, Lord Leo, I'll keep an eye on everyone." Seeing Ravel Phenex staring at Ram Leo Rem as if he could read her mind, Rebel patted her chest and said, "I'll urge everyone to study, find the key points from previous Middle-Class Devil written exams, and ensure everyone successfully advances to Middle-Class Devil in this exam."
This is also her duty as an agent, strategist, estate manager, and member of the Eligos family, whose name is pronounced "castle" but is written as " Queen ".
"Then I'll leave it to you, Ravel Phenex."
Leo patted Ravel Phenex's head, making the young lady show a happy and shy expression.
Then, Leo realized that someone had quietly left the living room and disappeared without a trace.
"Hey, what exactly is Middle-Class Devil?"
Only Kanna remained, then tugged at Ravel Phenex's clothes, persistently asking her questions.
Leo ignored the Young Dragon and stared thoughtfully in the direction where a Princess had left.