After fucking Sylpha until exhaustion and falling into a pleasant sleep, Renya woke up around midday and showered again with Sylpha.
Finishing his bath, during which Sylpha fussily attended to him, and eating a late breakfast combined with lunch, Renya was now in his private study, reviewing various documents while listening to the sound of rain falling.
The first thing he looked over was the data on Sona's Servants that she had mentioned.
Aside from Shinra Tsubaki, there were no Sacred Gear wielders, and no one possessed any remarkable abilities.
'Well, abilities aren't everything. Personality compatibility and circumstance are also important.'
That being said, despite being reincarnated as Devils from humans, only the Queen, Shinra Tsubaki, possessed a Sacred Gear. The rest were overall average low-class Devils.
'At least, that's the case on paper. Depending on her command, something might happen. Personally, besides being a naive, dreaming princess like Gremory, she's apparently also a talented young lady. If the chance to fight ever comes, I'll test her out.'
Having reached that conclusion, Renya moved on to the next document.
These concerned the magical formulas and items that Renya had developed and was selling through the "Gray Sorcerers."
'Sales are good. Even after deducting the merchant's commission, it's a considerable profit. It's a crucial source of funds, so it's helpful.'
Since he entrusted these matters to trustworthy people, there were no problems.
If anything was needed, they would contact him via the private line.
In the first place, there was, of course, a reason Renya was so mindful of his finances.
The House of Pheles was a distinguished family founded by the famous Mephisto Pheles, himself a notable figure even among "Extraordinary Devils" distinct from the 72 Pillars.
Having grown weary of the tyranny of the original Four Great Maou, Mephisto distanced himself from the government and now served as a board member of an organization of magic-users called the "Gray Sorcerers."
This meant they received little benefit from the government, and Renya had actually purchased his current territory in the Netherworld with his own resources.
Apparently, Mephisto had loathed the previous Four Great Maou so much that he had even relinquished most of his possessions to sever ties with them.
Precisely for this reason, Renya had to accomplish most things on his own.
Thus, unlike Rias and Sona, who received support even from the Maou, let alone their family homes, he couldn't simply govern a territory in the human world.
Because he was effectively not the next head, but the current head of his house.
"Now then, next..."
As Renya steadily worked through his tasks, a magic circle suddenly materialized at his feet.
'This is...'
Even though he, Lavinia, and Elfaria had implemented various magical defensive measures, Renya recognized this magic circle.
Yes, it was the magic circle used to summon Renya and his Servants.
While his concern that a powerful individual had set a trap dissipated, a different wariness arose within Renya, as few among his Servants would be so bold as to summon their own King.
'Is it that troublesome a situation, or... is the summoning location a trap?'
Thinking this, Renya revised his assessment upon examining the circle's formulas.
'This is... a specialized formula I constructed.'
It was a formula created by Renya himself, capable of summoning him with certainty.
He had given this only to a select few individuals who were not his Servants.
'All my Servants are present, so if it's a summoning, it must be a Servant candidate?'
As he narrowed it down, the summoning light burst forth brightly.
The next scene that appeared in Renya's vision was vastly different from his study.
It was a room in a dilapidated tenement building.
Even though it was spring, a still chilly wind blew in through a shattered window, creating eerie sounds.
Naturally, there was no electricity, making it pitch black, but Renya, being a Devil, could see in the dark without issue, even if only partially.
Thus, he could clearly make out the person before him.
Her flaming red hair was tied up in twin side-tails.
Her adorable features could easily rival any idol. Her body, wrapped in a sailor uniform, boasted a figure that would put a gravure model to shame. She was truly a peerless beauty.
Despite being somewhat grimy and haggard, her charm remained undiminished, a testament to her high caliber as a young woman.
Renya recognized the red-haired beauty.
"Mio."
"Renya, you came."
The beautiful young man addressed as Mio smiled, relieved that Renya remembered her and had responded to her summons, then collapsed weakly.
Moving faster than she could fall to the floor, Renya caught her securely.
"Whoa... are you okay?"
"Ah... y-yes. I just felt a little dizzy... from running out of magical energy, and... well... seeing your face made me let my guard down, that's all."
Saying this, Mio turned her face away haughtily, but then noticed something and hurriedly moved away from Renya.
"Mio?"
"I-it's nothing, I said it's nothing!"
At Renya's questioning look, Mio subtly put some distance between them.
'I'm sweaty right now, and I haven't been able to bathe... c-can he smell me?'
Such girlish anxieties ran through Mio's mind, but then, remembering how she got into this situation, she realized this was no time for such thoughts.
"Th-that's right! Renya! I'm sorry to be so sudden, but please, help me!"
"Ah, leave it to me."
"You'd probably be troubled if I sprung this on you without explanation—wait, just like that!?"
Renya's firm reply, given while she was still explaining, made Mio cry out in surprise.
And well she might. She—Naruse Mio—while a candidate to become Renya's Servant, was at best in a relationship where even that status was tentative.
The reason for this was that Mio was the daughter of reincarnated Devils whose master had died, leaving them free. Although she possessed immense magical power befitting a High-class Devil, she had lived in the human world due to her parents' wishes.
However, two years ago, her parents were attacked by Devils belonging to the Old Maou Faction. Both were killed, and Mio herself had been on the run until eventually being taken under Renya's protection.
Incidentally, the Old Maou Faction considers themselves the legitimate successors of the Maou whose names remain in the Bible—the precursors to the current Maou government.
However, the Old Maou Faction is an extremist group that, even after the great war between the three major powers, continued to advocate for war, disregarding not only other races but even their own kind, the Devils.
Then the Current Maou Faction used their last remaining strength to drive the entire faction, their families and all, into the remote regions of the Netherworld.
As a result, the Devil side managed to obtain a fragile peace, but it was a tenuous one, like walking on thin ice.
Holding a grudge for this, the bitter and resentful Old Maou Faction continues to scheme to regain power, claiming to be the true Maou's family and the rightful rulers.
Mio's parents were not targeted for themselves, but for Mio, who possessed immense power and had not yet been indoctrinated with Devil ideology. Their goal was to abduct her, brainwash her, and turn her into a weapon.
After that, Mio recuperated under Renya's care, but she suffered from recurring nightmares of her parents' murder. Unable to forget her hatred, she was plagued by mental instability. However, with Renya's support, she was able to mentally recover.
Due to her convalescence, she should have been living peacefully under Renya's protection, honoring her late parents' wishes.
However, ...
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