Do You Want to Improve?

It was Sona Shitori who first told Leo about Sharon Holygrail.

After all, as an old rival who kept pestering him, Leo naturally wouldn't neglect to investigate her. He had deliberately asked Sona Shitori, using the power of the Sitri clan to uncover her origins and background.

At first, upon learning that Sharon was the product of an artificial genetic modification project, Leo was merely surprised. However, once he realized that Sharon possessed a devil factor within her—making her an exorcist who had gained devilish power while maintaining her human identity—he understood why she was so obsessed with hounding him.

Although she was innocent, as a human with a devil factor who had grown up in the Church—a place that viewed devils as evil creatures—it was practically impossible for her not to have been treated unfairly.

Just think of Asia Argento, the nun from the original story known as the "Saint." Because her sacred gear could heal devils, she was exiled and cast out by the Church. How could Sharon, who actually possessed a devil factor, not be met with contempt?

Therefore, it wasn't hard to understand why she would reject the devil factor within her and despise devils.

Of course, that was from Sharon's perspective. From Leo's own standpoint, this logic was utter nonsense.

You were treated unfairly, and instead of hating those who treated you that way, you hate the devil factor that led to your situation, and even worse, you hate the source of those factors?

What's more, you are still risking your life for such a place, continuing to work for them?

"Was it the Church that captured you for experiments, or was it the devils?"

Leo had once said this to Sharon's face.

And then... then she had pestered him even more intensely.

Given this, in Leo's mind, Sharon Holygrail had always been someone with a screw loose. If the current situation hadn't been so delicate, and if he hadn't lacked the ability to deal with her as he pleased back then, he likely would have found a way to crack open that woman's skull to see if there were any traces of brainwashing by the Church.

Although, it was precisely because of this that Sharon later used a honey trap on him, granting him quite a few perks, he still looked down on her. Whenever he saw her, he couldn't help but provoke her; seeing her lose her composure made him feel quite satisfied.

Of course, he also knew that with the personality of a madwoman like Sharon, she would likely target Yukino Yukinoshita, who had become his peerage. That was why he had prepared the specially crafted devil flyer, adding a layer of insurance for a peerage member like Yukino Yukinoshita.

As it turned out, he was right.

"I didn't hold back this time. It's highly probable she'll be bedridden for a long time, and it wouldn't be surprising if she ended up crippled or dead."

Leo's tone shifted; he stopped pouring emotion into the subject of that woman and turned to speak to Yukino Yukinoshita.

"If she's lucky enough to survive and comes looking for trouble again, don't pity her. Pitiable people always have their detestable aspects. Who knows what that woman might do? If you run into her, wash away your shame, take your revenge—don't overthink it."

Even though the current situation was delicate, if the other party intended to kill, Leo wouldn't be hesitant or indecisive.

Why should you consider the feelings of others when they don't care about you at all?

If something really happened, at worst, he, as the master, would just clean up the mess for his peerage.

Perhaps in the past, he lacked the ability to influence the grand scheme of things, but now, he absolutely possessed that power.

The Zenith Tempest had not yet been developed to its limit. Once he reached the realm of the balance breaker, Leo would have the means to become one of the figures capable of influencing the landscape. Even if he couldn't become a player, he would at least be a piece that the players could no longer manipulate at will.

The feedback provided by the peerage transformation trait still had plenty of room for growth. Leo had only recruited two out of fifteen possible peerage members, yet he was already capable of contending with an ultimate-class devil. If he could fill all the slots, even if the subsequent recruits only had average potential, he would be able to leap into the ranks of the highest-level devils—at the very least, he wouldn't be inferior to a maou.

By then, with maou-class strength as his baseline and the world's second-strongest longinus as his trump card, he shouldn't fall behind the original red dragon emperor or the white dragon emperor, right?

The two heavenly dragons eventually became existences that no faction could ignore, possessing the potential to become top-tier experts in the world. If he still couldn't surpass them despite having zenith tempest and peerage transformation as his aces, he might as well just hole up in Chiba, act like a local tyrant, and spend his days amusing himself with his beautiful peerage members.

"I understand."

Yukino Yukinoshita took a deep breath, finally calming her emotions.

She was the type of person who always hit the nail on the head. If others were wrong, she would point it out or even criticize them without mercy, rather than accommodating them, understanding them, or letting herself suffer.

Losing to Sharon today was already enough to make Yukino Yukinoshita feel resentful; she didn't want to repeat that mistake.

Therefore, she would work hard to cultivate and grow stronger. If they met again in the future, then just as her nominal master had said, she would wash away her shame and take her revenge as needed.

Seeing that Yukino Yukinoshita had come to terms with it, Leo smiled slightly and finally turned his gaze toward Haruno Yukinoshita and Mrs. Yukinoshita, who had remained silent throughout.

"It's about time we talked about our business, you two." Leo tapped the table and said with a smile, "You both must have a lot to say, right?"

"It's fine, say whatever you want. I'm listening."

Leo's words caused the heavy air in the guest room to stir, but it only replaced the tension with an even more oppressive silence.

The women of the Yukinoshita family kept their mouths shut, none of them speaking up immediately. Only their eyes and expressions revealed how complicated they were feeling.

"Well, I can understand how you all feel right now, but continuing to stay silent is just a waste of time." Leo ruthlessly broke the stillness. "I recall that the people of the Yukinoshita family are supposed to be very decisive, aren't they? You are all famous career women, after all! Surely you haven't reached the point where you can't even sort out your emotions?"

Under Leo's intentional—or perhaps unintentional—provocation, the Yukinoshitas present were forced to suppress their complex emotions and force themselves to regain their composure.

"Mr. Eligos... is that right?"

Mrs. Yukinoshita finally spoke.

"Just call me Leo." Leo followed her lead, showing Mrs. Yukinoshita sufficient courtesy. He spread his hands and said, "I know this is a bit of a tall order, but your daughter has become my servant, so we can barely be considered family. You can just treat me like an ordinary person, Madam."

Upon hearing this, not only Mrs. Yukinoshita but even Haruno Yukinoshita couldn't help but complain inwardly.

Servant, family, ordinary person... there should be a limit to how illogical you can be.

These are three types of people that have absolutely nothing to do with each other. It's truly impressive that you can string them together into one sentence without changing your expression...

"I will call you Mr. Leo." Mrs. Yukinoshita gave a bitter smile, then sighed. "At this point, I've come to understand that you and people like us simply don't belong to the same world. I imagine that no matter what we say, it's all inconsequential to you, isn't it?"

"That's not quite true." Leo looked at Mrs. Yukinoshita and offered a polite smile. "Although the outcome cannot be changed, you are Yukino's family after all. I don't want to have unpleasant relations with the family of a peerage member who will be by my side for the rest of my life."

"Therefore, if you have any concerns, Madam, you can tell me. I will do my best to dispel your anxieties and ensure you are satisfied."

Leo's attitude might not have been entirely sincere, but at the very least, it was amicable.

With that, Mrs. Yukinoshita felt a little more at ease, regaining some of her composure.

"Since you've put it that way, I'll be direct," Mrs. Yukinoshita said, steeling her nerves as she looked Leo straight in the eye. "I don't really understand the world you come from, so I only want to ask one thing."

"My daughter, Yukino Yukinoshita—what will happen to her after she becomes a devil?"

Mrs. Yukinoshita wisely steered clear of topics she shouldn't touch, focusing directly on what she cared about most.

It was the mark of a clever person, and it made Leo look at her with a newfound sense of respect.

"Actually, from your perspective, Yukino will still be the same Yukino. Nothing will change," Leo said, giving Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno Yukinoshita the answer they wanted most, his tone casual. "She won't go anywhere you can't see her, and she certainly won't suddenly turn into someone you don't recognize."

"She will continue to attend Sobu High School with me until graduation. If she has free time, she can come back to see you whenever she wants. Even if she leaves with me in the future, she can return at any moment—it's instantaneous, even more convenient than taking a plane."

"If you really have to ask what will be different about her after becoming a devil, I suppose it would be what you saw earlier: she has mastered supernatural powers."

Leo toyed with his teacup, speaking as if it were a casual, offhand remark.

"Other than that, her lifespan will become very long. By the time you grow old and withered, she will likely still look as young and beautiful as she does now. Eternal youth and the like are nothing more than trivial matters for her now..."

Mrs. Yukinoshita: "!!!"

Haruno Yukinoshita: "!!!"

There's actually such a good thing?!

Yukino Yukinoshita: "(ｷ｀ﾟДﾟ´)!!"

So there was actually such a good thing?!

The four words "eternal youth" instantly changed the look in all three women's eyes.

"If Yukino develops the ability later on, she could actually help you gain something in that regard, too."

Leo sounded like a true devil, his tone filled with temptation.

"For a powerful devil, helping a human extend their lifespan or helping them maintain their youth isn't a difficult task at all."

With that single sentence, the expressions of the three women of the Yukinoshita family shifted once more.

"Oh, right. I also have quite a few connections; perhaps I could help you with those as well?" Leo bared his final fangs. "I'll just ask you this: does the Yukinoshita family want to move up in the world?"

The three Yukinoshita women: "..."

This is the whisper of a devil!