I get the text I've been waiting for from Serafall shortly after dinner. Excited, I quickly [Void Travel] to the lobby of my mansion and face the teleportation room while I call Wilhelm and Sakuya with [Sound Domain] to join me. They arrive quickly, and just a few minutes later I feel a large group arrive.

Serafall comes out first, and behind her are Lord Phenex and a woman who must be Lady Phenex. Behind the two of them is Ravel, and behind her is the rest of Riser's old Peerage, now Ravel's Peerage.

"Welcome to my humble home," I greet them as they approach me. Serafall, dressed up in her normal magical girl outfit, Lord Phenex, Lady Phenex, and Ravel all stop directly in front of me, while the rest of the girls form a small group behind them.

I take a moment to get a feel for the general mood using [Empathy]. Serafall is as cool and collected as ever, I rarely get much from her. Despite her outward personality, her emotions are pretty stable. Lord and Lady Phenex are nervous, but otherwise, their emotions are also held in check.

Ravel, to my surprise, isn't nervous. Or no, that's not true. There's some nervousness there, but it's small, and it has a different flavor to it than her parents' nervousness does. Ravel's primary emotions are curiosity and excitement.

The same doesn't hold true for her new Peerage though. It's hard to pick out individual emotions from them, grouped up and distanced from me as they are. But casting a look over their facial expression in conjunction with [Empathy] gives me a decent idea of how they're feeling.

Most aren't feeling much at all besides boredom or interest as they look around. I guess maybe they're not loyal to Riser and don't care? I'll find out later. A handful of them are feeling happy or excited, and are clearly checking me out. Not necessarily in a sexual way, though a couple of them are, but most are looking at me as if they're trying to find out what kind of person I am.

The rest are nervous, upset, or confused. Especially Yubelluna, who doesn't look or feel happy to be here at all. Interesting. Maybe she actually liked Riser? It was bound to be true for some of them...I guess.

I turn my attention back to the people directly in front of me. "Lady Phenex I presume?" I ask her. She's wearing a red dress showing a modest amount of cleavage and her hair is tied up in a ponytail that separates into drills. She's just as blonde as her husband and children, and in fact, she looks like a mature version of Ravel.

"You presume correctly," she replies politely. "I came to see what sort of man my son has traded my daughter to." There's a bit of annoyance in her words, but it seems mostly directed at Riser, and not myself.

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Lady Phenex

Not great, but not bad either. As I open my mouth to reply I'm interrupted by Serafall. "Is that Grayfia?" she asks in surprise as she looks behind me at Sakuya.

"No, it isn't," I answer. "You were there when I was asking Grayfia about knowing someone who looks just like her right?" Serafall nods, realization dawning on her face. "Well, yesterday I called her up and asked if she knew who Grayfia was. She doesn't, and apparently, their similar appearances are coincidental."

"Bullshit," Serafall fires back immediately. "I mean, look at her! She's basically a shorter Grayfia. Even her maid uniform is pretty similar."

I shrug. "Both of them claim not to know of the other and I don't see why they would lie. As for why she's here, when I called her it so happened that she was looking for new employment, so I hired her."

"Uh-huh," Serafall replied, doubt clear in her voice. "And where did she work before?"

"A secluded supernatural community primarily made up of Youkai," I reply. "But I don't believe you came here to investigate my new Head Maid?"

She sighs, agreeing to back down on the subject. "No, you're right. I've come to tell you that the arrangements have been made. Ravel is now a King and all of Riser's Peerage members have been transferred to her. Getting it done took a bit of pulled strings, but not too many. Ravel already qualified for getting her own set of Evil Pieces, so it was just a matter of procuring a set for her quickly. There's a bunch of red tape you have to go through even if you qualify."

"I see," I reply. "Well, thank you for doing it."

"If I could interject," Lord Phenex says. "I know I asked this of you already, but I'd like to ask it again. What are your intentions with my daughter?"

"Primarily, it's to train her and the rest of her new Peerage," I reply. "As I said before, I see them as wasted potential. Riser raised the stakes of our fight, and I had to demand something in return. And a chance to further prove how foolish he was being was available, so I took it." I shrug. "And, again, as I said before, I'm not going to lay a claim to her forever. Once they start taking part in official Rating Games we can revisit our arrangements."

"What else do you have in mind for her?" Lady Phenex spoke up. "You said 'primarily', implying you have other plans for her."

"I have a project I need assistance with, and my gut tells me that Ravel will be the perfect assistant for it," I answer. "I can't say what exactly it is yet, the details haven't been announced yet, but Serafall knows about it."

Serafall tilts her head at me. "You mean that business? Yeah, you could use an advisor for that." She shakes her head. "Honestly, I was going to suggest someone for you soon, but your gut is right, from what I've heard, Ravel here should do the job just fine."

Ravel's curiosity grows stronger but she doesn't speak up. Lord Phenex, however, does. "And what sort of business is this?" he asks, wary.

Serafall waves her hand dismissively. "Don't worry about it, it's nothing bad," she says. "It's something I've been working with Axton with for a while. It should be a great learning experience for Ravel."

Lord Phenex frowns but doesn't push the matter. Serafall and I are dancing around it, but the project I intend to have Ravel help me with is my potions. Mostly the business side, as I can't possibly accurately value my potions. It's one of the reasons I've hesitated to make official announcements about my potions.

Not that information hasn't started to leak thanks to them being shown off during the Rating Game. That was deliberate though, as I knew I would be getting Ravel afterward. Lord and Lady Phenex should know about them as well, but whether or not they'll make the connection between what Serafall and I have hinted at and those potions, I can't say. I don't think they have, but it honestly doesn't matter.

"Very well," Lord Phenex says. "If that is all you intend, and since Lady Leviathan approves, I won't fight against this." His wife next to him nods. They're both accepting, and while they're still nervous, it's not as much as they were before. If you two are so worried about your daughter you really shouldn't have let her be in Riser's Peerage.

"I'm glad," I reply. Mostly because it would be annoying and it would sour our relationship if I had to insist. "And don't worry. She'll be free to visit the Underworld as often as she likes so long as she's not busy, and I won't be working her to the bone. She'll have plenty of time to visit and keep you two informed of how she's doing here."

+9 Affection with Lady Phenex
+8 Affection with Lord Phenex

That decreased their nervousness by quite a bit. I guess that was a big fear of theirs, not knowing what is happening. Good. Letting her visit home cost me nothing and gains me a lot of goodwill. If I were doing something nefarious, I wouldn't let it happen. Of course, I'll be seducing her, which could be considered nefarious, but I'll be making it look natural.

"In that case, we'll take our leave now," Lady Phenex said. She turns to Ravel, who's been standing silently the whole time even as we discussed her. "Ravel, be good, and visit us soon, okay?"

"Yes Mother," she says with a slight nod of her head. Very prim and proper, but [Empathy] picks up a flash of annoyance. Oh? There's something going on there. Is it about Lady Phenex specifically or the situation? I'll have to keep it in mind.

As Lord and Lady Phenex leave, I turn quickly to Serafall. "Before you go, I want to arrange a meeting with you."

"Oh?" she replies, curious. "What about?"

"That other project you mentioned the other day," I reply. "The long-term one that we discussed when you first showed me around this place. I've been thinking on it, and I have some ideas about how to go forward with it."

"Hmm," she responds as she thinks. "So like a boring serious discussion then. Yeah, I can make some time for that soon. I'll let you know, okay?"

I nod. "Sure thing, I'll keep my schedule as open as I can."

"In that case, I'll talk to you later Axton!" she says cheerfully as she skips off. I note that her skirt bounces to the perfect height to where you think there's a chance you might be able to see her panties, but it never actually goes high enough to expose her. I can only admire the skill that level of teasing takes.

I turn to Ravel. "Well then, it looks like we'll be working together for the time being."

First Impressions Perk Activated
+25 Affection with Ravel Phenex

Reputation Bonus added
+8 Affection with Ravel Phenex

I was wondering when I'd see this. I had asked Kyu a while back how Affection works if I hadn't met the person. Because as I became more well known, surely there will be people who gain or lose Affection with me before I meet them, but it's only as I meet them that I unlock it.

Apparently, that's what the Reputation Bonus is for. It gives an appropriate amount of Affection after their first Affection gain based on how much they liked you. And the best part is that it actually benefits from Affection increases, unlike most other bonus forms of Affection gain.

So I had some Affection with Ravel before this? Judging by her emotions now, I can believe it. She's actually feeling pretty happy right now. Not over the moon, but excited and pleased.

"I'll be in your care," she says with a deep bow. Interesting that she's using Japanese mannerisms already. Did she research those? I don't remember anything about her also being a secret fan of Japanese culture.

"We need to talk tonight about arrangements. But first things first," I say. I turn to her Peerage, who are standing there somewhat awkwardly. I look over them again. They're quite a colorful cast, and all of them are beauties. "To all of you, I know these are some big changes happening very quickly. Don't worry, I'm not going to add on to that pile tonight. We'll figure it all out tomorrow evening. For tonight I just want you to relax."

I call Sakuya over with [Sound Domain] and she steps forward. "This is Sakuya, my Head Maid. She'll show you to the living quarters, and each of you can pick a room. You can share rooms if you want, or have your own room, it doesn't matter to me. If you need more or fewer beds in a room, or if you need anything at all, ask Sakuya here."

I get affirmations at mixed levels of enthusiasm, but some of the nervousness from them dissipates.

"If you'll please follow me," Sakuya says, leading them away. They do so, a few of them shooting glances at me as they go by. I smile back at them, especially the ones that seem more flirtatious. Ravel and I watch as they all file out through a side entrance leading to the living quarters, and then it's just us and Wilhelm left in the room.

I turn to the butler. "Could you do me a favor and bring some tea to my office? Ravel and I need to get some business out of the way."

"Of course," he replies with a small bow and a hand over his chest. He takes off in a different direction, slipping through an inconspicuous door. I turn to Ravel and give her a look over. She's wearing a pink dress that covers most of her skin. I can see a pair of white stockings on her legs, and she's wearing a nice but simple pair of flats on her feet.

"Come on, my office is this way," I tell her as I walk in yet another direction. She dutifully follows me as I walk through the halls. Normally I [Void Travel] through the house, but I decide to hold off on that for now.

"So, Ravel," I start as we walk towards my office. "You've been fairly quiet so far, but you're probably the most affected by what's happening. What are your feelings about this situation?"

I want her to open up a little bit to me so I can get her Affection up as quickly as possible. Ravel is cute and useful and I'm extremely excited to finally have my hands on her. Metaphorically speaking at least. I'm still waiting to literally get my hands on her in the way that I want.

"I'm mostly still curious, sir," she replies.

"Please, don't call me sir, I'm not that much older than you," I reply. "Call me Axton. And curious how"

She nods. "Axton then. And I'm curious about what your plans are. I admit that I haven't been able to get much of a read on you since we haven't interacted much. And the few times I have seen you, you've either been relaxed or sharply focused and implementing a strategy, such as when you baited my brother."

Ah, so she noticed as well. I wasn't being subtle about it I suppose, and Riser didn't notice, which is all that really matters. "And how do you feel about working under someone who did something like that to your brother?" I ask her, not bothering to deny it.

There's a little surge of satisfaction from her. Was she not sure, and is proud to be right? "If I can speak candidly?" she asks.

"I insist that you do so," I reply. "Especially when you think I might not want to hear it." I need her to trust me and like me after all. Plus, as someone who I hope to have in an important position, truthful feedback is important.

"The truth is my brother is an idiot," she says. "I love him, but he's also extremely frustrating. I joined his Peerage at my parents' insistence that I get some experience before forming my own Peerage. At the time, it made sense to me, and I agreed. But I regret that. Riser put the bare minimum amount of effort and thought into his games and relied on our Phenex trait to see us through the Rating Games. It worked, but I knew it was only a matter of time before it didn't."

We arrive at my office and I silently open the door and lead us in. I gesture at a seat in front of the desk and she sits down in it, still talking as I sit behind the desk. "This whole situation between you and him has been...cathartic. He's ignored my advice at every turn, claiming he knows better than me. I tried for a long time to have him change his way of thinking, to be more like our older brother, but I recently gave up. So, to answer your question, I'm quite thankful for what you did, and I'm excited to be working under someone competent. I'm nervous about suddenly having my own Peerage, but with your guidance, I'm ready to take on the challenge of leading them."

"I see," I reply. That was a better answer than I dared to hope for. I knew she wasn't overly loyal to her brother. She started crushing on Issei after he beat Riser after all. "I'm glad you feel that way, and I'll do my best to meet your expectations," I continue. "But tell me. Does your new Peerage share your feelings?"

She grimaces and squirms a little. "It's...mixed for them," she admits. "Most of them had a certain kind of relationship with him…" she says, trailing off.

"I already guessed he picked them based on how much he wanted to sleep with them rather than anything else," I say. But to my surprise, Ravel shakes her head.

"No, well I mean, yes. Kind of," she says. "That was definitely one of his requirements for picking members. But that's pretty normal when making Peerages, especially for male Devils. But Riser did care about quality, not just in the bedroom, and he made sure they had talent as well. It's part of the reason why I'm fine with accepting them as a Peerage."

"True, none of them seemed useless," I agreed. "I noted their potential myself already. So what is the issue then?"

"Well, it's just that each girl had a different relationship with Riser," Ravel explains. "And now that they've been taken away from him, they of course have different reactions to that. Some are glad, either having to come to dislike my brother for one reason or another, and most are apathetic. But a few did like my brother, and are upset." She sits up straighter. "I'll do my duty and keep them in line though. I'll make sure they do their part, even if they're unhappy."

I wave away her worries. "I'm sure you will, and there's no need to push them. A transition like this can be challenging, and I can be understanding. There's no time tonight, but tomorrow evening you and I will sit down with each of them and talk to them individually. I want to know how they feel, what they want, and what their plans are for the future."

"That sounds like a very good idea Axton," she says, relaxing a little. "That will help put many of the girls at ease. Right now they just see you as a sort of bogeyman. Most of them didn't even see you in the fight, and they were knocked out before they realized anything was happening. Talking to you would help with those fears."

Ah, yeah. I guess my method was pretty frightening for the recipient. "I would think that would apply the most to you," I say. "While I didn't face you directly, my familiar kept you trapped in ice. Surely that wasn't a fun experience."

She blushes slightly and looks down while squirming. "It wasn't exactly," she admits. "But it wasn't horrible either, and it was a good idea. I know you could have taken me out as easily as the others, but I also know you were going for the shock and awe angle and had to split up with your familiar to go as quickly as possible. Having your familiar lock me down since it was incapable of using the same methods as you was a smart move. I didn't need to retire from the game, you just needed me unable to support Riser."

It calmed down while she was explaining her personal analysis of the match, but at the start there her arousal definitely spiked. Did she enjoy it more than she's admitting? Hmm. I haven't checked her out with [Lewd Scouter] yet.

Ravel Phenex
Arousal: Moderately Low
Perversion: Moderately Low
Affection: 33
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Powerplay, Masochism, Kissing

That's a combination I hadn't expected. But the first two explain her arousal, and the first one explains her attitude. She really does like being under powerful people, and I certainly showed off in the Rating Game. I wonder how she'd feel if she got to see me really show off.

It's also cute that kissing is tacked on as well. She has her tastes, but she's still a cute girl who likes a bit of romance. I like the contrast.

"She could have actually used one or two of my Holy weapons," I say. "But while she's very skilled, she's also young. I deemed it a little too risky for her to use Holy weapons considering the ice option was available to us. Part of my reasoning behind my plan was to minimize how much I had to hurt you girls."

+8 Affection with Ravel Phenex

"Because you were going to lead us after that," Ravel guessed. I nod, confirming it. "I hadn't thought of that."

"Consider that your first lesson then," I reply. "It's not enough to plan for how to defeat an enemy. You need to take everything into consideration, even your relationship with the enemy after you beat them. And not just the enemy, but anyone who sees the match. Rating Games aren't just about the two sides fighting, it also has an audience. How the public sees you is important as well."

Her brow furrows as she thinks over that. "I see," she murmurs. "Is that why you did what you did in the Rating Game? Surely you could have taken Riser out as quickly as the rest of us."

"Partially yes," I admit. "On top of teaching Riser a lesson in humility and the limitations to his 'immortality', I was sending a message to the world. I've mostly operated by keeping my head down until this point, but I decided to take the opportunity to change tracks.

"And what message did you send out?" she asks, curious.

"Each person will probably interpret it a little differently," I say. "But the core of it was pretty simple."

I pull at my soul and partially use Void Form, focusing on my hand. My skin and clothes are replaced up to my elbow by a pitch-black silhouette, and the fingers end in sharp points rather than rounded edges. I clench my fist. "Don't fuck with me or mine, or I'll put you down," I state in a serious tone.

Ravel's eyes widen as she looks at my Void-covered fist, and I feel her arousal spike again, which I encourage with a nudge of [Erotic Pierrot]. If she's attracted to strength, I'm going to make sure it's my strength she gets off on.

A knock at the door interrupts the moment. "Come in," I call out as I drop the transformation, returning my hand to normal. Wilhelm enters the room bearing a tray with two cups and a pot of tea. "Thank you, Wilhelm, just leave it on my desk," I instruct him.

"Very well," he replies as he does so. He quickly bows to me and then to Ravel. "I will be nearby if you require anything else." He leaves as quickly as he came, closing the door behind him.

I pour myself a cup of tea and then pour another for Ravel. I can feel her surprise as I do so, but she doesn't say anything. "Please, help yourself," I tell her. "Wilhelm makes a pretty good cup of tea."

As she picks up her own cup and takes a sip, I pick the conversation back up. "So tomorrow we'll be speaking with your new Peerage. As for training, we'll also hammer out the details then, once I have a better feel for everyone. There's no need to rush." Ravel nods in agreement. Good. I have a lot of training to do on my plate already. "The other thing I wanted to talk to you about is that other project I mentioned earlier."

"Is it related to those potions?" she asks.

"It is," I confirm, mildly impressed that she guessed. "I'm curious, what made you think that?"

"You used the Rating Game between the Gremory heiress and my brother to show them off, right?" Ravel asks, causing me to nod. "And it's something you've been working with Lady Leviathan on, and potions like that made by a non-Devil would be handled by her. And if you think I can help, then it makes sense that it's related to those potions, considering my family deals in our own healing products."

"Solid reasoning, and totally correct," I praise her, causing her to smile in satisfaction. "What I'm about to tell you is still a secret, though it will be announced soon. Until then, I need you to not mention this to anyone, okay?" She nods. "I can make a variety of potions like that one for a relatively small material and time cost. One of those is a fertility potion that guarantees conception." Her eyes widen. "Exactly. That's what put me into contact with Serafall in the first place, and we've already worked out a deal for trading some of those. Not just with the Devils, but the other Factions as well."

"I- I see," she replies, still reeling from the bombshells I just dropped on her.

"You don't need to worry about that aspect of it, I'm taking care of it," I reassure her. "But I do need help with another part of it." She nods, gathering her wits. "Truth be told, I'm not very good with money or the value of things. I have no idea what price I should sell these potions at, nor how to start a business or market them. That's what I'm hoping you can help with."

"I can absolutely do that," she says, almost excitedly. [Empathy] picks up relief, probably because I'm giving her something she can actually do instead of dealing with the politics between the three factions. "I've worked with my family several times. I can't speak for the other factions, but I've spent time studying the Devil market and can certainly help price products and set your business up officially. There's a pile of paperwork that is necessary for that."

"I believe Serafall has sent much of it over already," I admit, indicating another desk in the room. It's to the side of the room, perpendicular to my own desk, and it's smaller than mine. On top of it is a stack of papers that I've been ignoring. "Also, that will be your desk while you're working for me. That way you can be close by and we can more easily work together."

"Understood," she says with a nod. "Do you want me to get started tonight?"

I'm about to tell her no, but I pick up on her emotions again with [Empathy]. She's excited and eager to get to work. "Sooner is better than later," I say after a moment. "I planned on letting you rest tonight, but if you don't mind…" I trail off.

"Not at all!" she enthusiastically replies. "I'd be happy to start immediately. As you said, sooner is better with these sorts of things."

I nod and stand up, walking around my desk. "In that case here, let's go over the paperwork together and I'll fill you in on the details." She stands up as well and I lead her over to her desk, where she sits down. I stand to her side and lean over her as the two of us start sorting through the paperwork Serafall dropped off.

[Touch of Pleasure] requires skin contact, but [Increase Sensitivity] doesn't. I use it to slightly increase her sensitivity and I casually put a hand on her shoulder as I point at something on one of the documents.

+8 Affection with Ravel Phenex

I can feel her react. She doesn't flinch or jump, but she tenses up slightly before relaxing, and [Empathy] picks up joy and arousal. Oh yeah, she wants it. And I want her too, but I hold myself back. As much as I want those lips of hers wrapped around my cock right here and now, I push aside those thoughts. Rushing to that would set the wrong tone for our relationship.

Still, this is good progress. Especially since she's now at 49 Affection. Which means this is my last chance to use a Heart Crystal on her. I don't hesitate to do so. I don't want to rush events, but if her own feelings increase quickly, then that's fine.

As I silently crush a Super Heart Crystal behind my back, I grin. Besides, as soon as I saw the number she was at, I knew what I had to do.

Perk rewarded for 50 Affection with Ravel Phenex
[Shortstack Special] - Increases Affection gain with short girls with big boobs by 20%

Lewd Skill Gem rewarded for reaching 69 Affection with Ravel Phenex

Lewd Skill Gem Used!
Pick a Lewd Skill!
[Alter Size]
[Imbue Tightness]
[Summon Appendages]
[X-Ray Vision]
[Lubricate]
[Seal Orgasm]
[Link Sensations]
[Phantom Hands]
[Bind]

The list is getting pretty short, but all of the skills on there are still so good. But now that my harem is growing, there's one important skill I need to get.

[Link Sensations] - Level 1(0%)
Link up to 1 secondary target to a single primary target. Secondary targets feel everything that the primary target feels.

Perfect. That way no one will get left out when my bed starts to get crowded. Only so many of my girls are interested in entertaining each other while I focus on others. So long as the number of secondary targets increases quickly, I won't have to deal with that issue.

I keep my hand on Ravel's shoulder during the rest of our time in my office. I don't push it any further than occasionally giving her a light squeeze in response to something she says. My only goal right now is just to get her used to and comfortable with my touch. More will come soon, I just have to be patient.

The next day finds me once again in my home waiting for new arrivals. Sakuya is right behind me, but no one else is. That's mostly because it's noon right now, and Asia is at school, while Ravel and her Peerage are hanging out in another part of the mansion. But I got a text from Azazel, who said he got my number from Serafall, saying that someone was coming by to drop off Raynare and Mittelt. So I decided to cut class a bit to get them settled in. Lunch just started, so if I'm quick, that's all I'll miss.

Thankfully I don't have to wait too long. After just a few minutes of standing around, I once again feel new arrivals in the teleportation room. Wilhelm, who was waiting inside, greets them and invites them into the lobby, where Sakuya and I are waiting.

I see Raynare and Mittelt as expected, both dressed in a maid uniform that straddled the line between slutty and modest. Mittelt feels wary, but also accepting of what's happening. I don't think she'll be an issue. Raynare feels bitter and angry still though. I'll definitely have to do something about her.

But what catches my attention the most is the third person, the person responsible for escorting them. Azazel said he didn't have time to come himself, but I certainly didn't expect him to send Vali Lucifer, wielder of Divine Dividing, counterpart to Atsuko's Boosted Gear.

"Welcome White Dragon Emperor," I greet him as he approaches me. "I didn't expect to run into you anytime soon." I quickly hit him with [Observe].

Vali Lucifer
Level: 905
Race: Half-Devil
HP: 42,200
MP: 40,040
SP: 37,880
CON: 1,055
STR: 947
DEX: 998
INT: 1,001
WIS: 1,012
CHA: 741
LUK: 654

Hmm. Not as high as I expected, but then again, the same could be said for Atsuko. Her Boosted Gear makes her a monster despite her relatively mediocre base stats. I'm not sure how Divine Dividing impacts his stats, but I can say that his stats are almost certainly not indicative of his actual threat level.

I also note that his stats are roughly equal to mine but his level is almost three times mine. I pretty much already knew that my levels were worth more, but it's nice to have such an easy comparison to confirm it.

First Impressions Perk Activated
+5 Affection with Vali Lucifer

Vali shrugs casually. "The old man asked me to escort these two and pick up the potions, and I had the time," he replies. His eyes flick to Sakuya standing behind me, and I see as he sizes her up. Is it because she looks like Grayfia, or does he recognize her power? Or both?

Vali being here is a chance though. Right now, he still works for Azazel. But in canon, after the Kokabiel incident, he received an offer from the Khaos Brigade and joined them. Although outside of one event, he seemed to join them in name only as he created his own team and did whatever he pleased.

But that hasn't happened yet, and I believe I can head that off and further my own plans in one fell swoop. "I'm glad you're here though," I reply, causing him to look back at me. His face is blank but [Empathy] picks up a smidgen of curiosity. "I've heard about you, and there's actually something I'd like to talk to you about, if you have just a few minutes."

He narrows his eyes slightly, suspicious of my intentions, but his emotions barely waver. "Fine, I can spare a bit of time."

I nod gratefully. "I appreciate it. Give me a moment to get these girls settled in and we can talk." He nods in acceptance, crossing his arms.

I approach the two Fallen Angels. "Long time no see," I say with a grin. Mittelt lowers her eyes and actually curtsies, but doesn't say a word. Raynare just glares at me.

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Mittelt

No reputation bonus despite us having nearly met already? Well, I guess I didn't really do anything to her that would gain Affection. I should probably consider myself lucky I didn't immediately lose some instead.

"Nothing to say?" I prompt them. "I know we had that misunderstanding before, but I think that we can put that behind us, and start anew. What do you say?"

"Yes sir," Mittelt replies in a slightly meek voice, still not making eye contact. Hmm. She's maybe just a bit too scared of me.

Raynare, on the other hand, is struggling to contain her irritation. "Yes sir," she replies, practically spitting the words out. Well, whatever Azazel did certainly taught them the motions, even if their hearts aren't behind it. No use trying to fix that now though. Maybe when I have more time.

Speaking of things to do when I have more time, I hit them both with [Lewd Scouter].

Raynare
Arousal: Low
Perversion: High
Affection: -24
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Sadism, Domination, Degradation

Mittelt
Arousal: Moderate
Perversion: High
Affection: 10
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Submission, Masochism, Rough Sex

Raynare is the same as the last time I used the skill on her, though she's not very aroused and her Affection is pretty low. Both of those are expected though. Mittelt is more interesting. I'm going to have a lot of fun with her as my maid and those fetishes. Especially if this situation is enough to put her at moderate arousal.

Still, that's future fun. Right now I have business to take care of. "I'll leave you two girls in the hands of Sakuya, my Head Maid," I tell them. "She'll catch you up and assign you your tasks." I've already explained the situation to Sakuya, so she knows what to expect.

"If you'll come with me, I shall show you around the mansion as I explain your duties," Sakuya says behind me. Both of the Fallen nod and start to move towards her. But I place a hand on Raynare's shoulder as she passes me, stopping her. Anger and fear flare up at my touch, but I ignore it as I make eye contact with her.

"I know that Azazel likely told you already, but I expect you to be on your best behavior," I tell her, tone cold. "If you do anything to my guests or my property," I pause and pull at my Soul, switching to my Void Form. "You'll regret it," I finish, my voice warped by Void.

Her anger disappears, replaced by more fear, and she shakily nods her head. I drop the transformation and smile at her. "Good, so long as we're clear." I remove my hand from her shoulder, and she practically darts to Sakuya's side. Mittelt also looks pretty spooked. Oops, I didn't mean to scare her more. Ah well, I'll take care of that later.

As Sakuya leads the two Fallen angels away, I turn my attention back to Vali. He's definitely looking at me with more of an interest now. Good, that was another reason for my little intimidation show. It's perhaps a bit strange that with such a useful skill I'm getting more use out of its appearance than the actual benefits I get from it, but I find myself in social situations more often than I find myself in combat ones, so there's nothing to be done about that.

"Come on, there's a sitting room nearby that will be private enough for our talk," I tell him, leading the way. He shrugs indifferently and follows me.

So far I've allowed events to progress pretty naturally, and events have more or less followed what I recalled from the anime. But I'm reaching the end of my knowledge pretty quickly, and my incentive to keep the plot 'on track' is disappearing. So I've decided not to, and to leverage the knowledge I have to set myself up in the best position I can for the storms that are certainly approaching without any concern for how it affects the timeline.

And this talk with Vali might prove to be a crucial step in that.

Twenty minutes later I'm shaking Vali's hand as we're back in the lobby. Throughout our conversation, I managed to increase his Affection a little, but only to twelve. He's a hard guy to get close to. But overall, the conversation went well.

"And here you go, the potions that Azazel ordered," I say, handing him a wooden box with said potions carefully stored.

He nods as he accepts them. "I will consider your words, but until you have something to show, I won't make a decision."

"That's more than fair," I accede. "Let Azazel know what I'm thinking of, and that I'd like to talk to him personally about it when he gets the time."

"I will," he promises, before turning and leaving with the potions, teleporting away using one of the arrays set up in the teleportation room.

I glance at the time. Sadly, I have just enough time to get back to class. Being home already is making it tempting to just stay home, especially with the two new maids I just got. But Sakuya is more than capable of taking care of them, and since I can make it back in time, I should. Besides, the girls would miss me if I skipped.

Also, I'm in a pretty good mood after that conversation, and I have plenty of fun times to look forward to. So with only a bit of hesitance, I [Void Travel] back to a hidden spot at school and head back to class.

"My customers so far have been kind of weird," Atsuko tells me as we sit around in the Occult Research Club room. I'm sitting in the middle of the couch with Atsuko and Aika on either side of me. And of course, Koneko is on my lap, her tail curled around her waist as she eats some cookies.

Aika and Atsuko have started doing their duties as Devils, which means making deals with humans. I don't have to pretend too hard to not know what they mean since I was legitimately pretty unsure about the details, but they've been telling me about their jobs. Aika's customers so far have been people with complicated issues that they need help solving, usually having to deal with social situations. Aika was pretty humble about it, but from what I could tell, she was able to easily untangle complicated social interactions and offer solutions and plans to her customers.

"Weird in what sort of way?" I ask Atsuko. "Hopefully not in a bad way."

She shakes her head. "Not really no. They were just oddballs and all wanted help with really weird or specific stuff." She slumps a little bit. "Not that I can usually help them."

"That's something we can work on," Rias comments from the other couch, where she, Akeno, and Kiba are sitting. "Besides, despite that, they've all given you very good reviews."

"I'd still like to actually help them though," she says with a sigh.

I wrap an arm around her and pull her into a side hug. "Don't worry, you'll get the hang of it. And if it's anything I can help with, feel free to let me know. I can drop by really quick."

She beams up at me, spirits lifted. "Thanks, Axton."

Rias, however, frowns. "I understand you want to help your girlfriend, but as a Devil, she should be handling these sorts of things herself."

"She should be using whatever abilities and resources she can, no?" I ask. "After all, you only get your payment if she completes the job. I don't see why I can't be considered a resource at her call. And if you're worried about her relying on me for free, I can think of a couple ways I can get her to pay me back for my services." I wink at that last sentence and move my hand suggestively on her side.

Atsuko blushes and looks down, but [Empathy] picks up a thrill that goes through her. Akeno and Kiba look amused, and I can feel the same from Aika. Koneko in my lap also gets a little embarrassed, and also a little aroused, but doesn't outwardly react.

Rias just sighs. "Fine, fine. She can call on you occasionally. But she should work on her own ability to fulfill contracts, and as she does this more she'll start getting regulars suited for her talents. But if she gets a client that only you can help with, I'm fine with her asking for your assistance."

"Woo!" Atsuko cheers. "Thanks a lot, Rias! I promise I'll train extra hard."

"Good," Rias says. "Because today we're going to keep working on your magic. You need a lot more practice."

Atsuko immediately slumps, "Ugh, but it's so hard."

"That's what sh-" I hear Aika start to say, but she's cut off by Rias's phone ringing.

Rias looks at her phone and tilts her head. "Brother?" she says to herself. She then looks back up. "Sorry everyone, I need to take this." She stands up and moves to the other side of the room as she answers it.

I pat Aika on the shoulder in consolation of her interrupted joke, and she leans into it appreciatively. But I'm curious, so I use [Sound Domain] to eavesdrop on Rias's conversation, though it seems like I missed the beginning of it.

"-really? No, no, I want to. I'm just surprised. Thank you brother, I won't let you down." She hangs up and quickly rejoins the rest of us. "I just received some excellent news," she tells us. "Due to our performance in the Rating Game against Riser, they've decided to allow me to unseal Gasper and start training him."

Koneko perks up, and I feel a sense of excitement and joy from her. Kiba and Akeno also look pleased. "That is wonderful," Akeno comments. "He's been down there for too long."

"Uhh, sorry," Atsuko timidly interjects. "Who's Gasper?"

"Gasper is my other Bishop," Rias explains as she taps away at her phone. "However, he doesn't have very good control over his Sacred Gear, so my brother and the other higher-ups decided to seal him until I became strong enough to control him."

Aika frowns. "How dangerous is his Sacred Gear?" she asks.

"It's not too dangerous," Rias replies. "His Sacred Gear is the Forbidden Balor View, and it allows him to stop time for anything he looks at. The problem is that he frequently accidentally activates it, freezing whatever he happens to be looking at. Most of the time it's not really an issue, but in some scenarios, that can be dangerous."

"That's a powerful ability," I comment. "Even when limited to line of sight, time stop is no joke."

"But isn't it kind of mean to just seal him away?" Atsuko comments.

It's Koneko who shakes her head. "He's a shut-in anyways," she says. "Doesn't like people. We visit him sometimes though."

"And we're all going to go visit him right now," Rias says. "I've been wanting to introduce him to our two newest members anyway."

Koneko hops off of my lap and all of us get up. "Where is he staying right now?" Aika asks.

"There's a basement room in this building where he stays," Akeno answers. "It's safe and close by." I had already noticed the room, it being in the range of [Void Detect], but I hadn't paid much attention to it before. I noticed Gasper within it, but I knew it was just a matter of time before we'd be introduced, so I pretended like I didn't know about it.

Paying attention now though, I watch as Gasper picks up his phone and looks at it. He suddenly stands up and looks around. He's too far away for [Empathy], but his body language makes it obvious he's panicking. Spotting it in the corner of the room, he immediately dives into a box and pulls it closed above him.

I struggle to keep my face neutral and not smile in amusement. Thankfully, we reach the room quickly. The basement doesn't look much like a basement at all, as it's furnished exactly the same as the rest of the building, just without any windows. The stairs we took opened into a long hallway, and Gasper's room is only a few doors down.

It's obvious which one is his. The door itself is covered in caution tape and paper seals. With a nod from Rias, Akeno starts casting magic as she slowly takes off the seals covering the door. She makes quick work of it, and in less than thirty seconds I feel the magic of the seal fade.

Rias doesn't hesitate to burst in. "Gasper! I've come to get you out of this room."

"I don't wanna!" comes the muffled reply from the box in the corner. "This room is safe and it has everything I need."

Rias sighs. "Come on Gasper. I know you're nervous, but it's not healthy to stay in here all the time."

"No!" came the enthusiastic reply. "Put the seals back up!"

"I'll get him," Koneko offers, striding to the other side of the room where the box with Gasper in it is. She throws open the box and reaches in. There's a bit of a struggle as Gasper resists, but Koneko succeeds in hauling him out of the box.

"Nooooo!" Gasper cries as he's yanked into view, and I can feel Atsuko and Aika's surprise as he's revealed. Gasper is small and effeminate, easily mistaken for a girl. Especially considering he's wearing a girl's uniform for Kuoh Academy.

He looks out into the room, clearly panicking, and I realize what's about to happen a second before it does. I see his eyes change shape and everything freezes. I can't breathe, blink, or feel anything at all. In fact, the world is dark. But [Void Detect] still works, and I'm able to use [Void Sight] to see clearly.

Everyone around me is similarly frozen, except for Gasper, who looks more scared than ever.

"I did it again!" he wails, frustration and regret clear in his voice. I can't feel it with [Empathy] though. Still, with the senses I do have available to me, I watch as he untangles himself from Koneko's grasp and flees back into the box, tears streaming down his face. Sensations flood back to me and everyone starts moving again.

"Eh?" I hear Atsuko say as she looks around. "Where did he go?"

"He stopped time for us and hid in the box again," I explain.

"Oh wow, that's weird," she replies. "One second there, and then the next he's gone, without even a blink."

Rias nods. "That's his Sacred Gear. Whatever is caught in his sight freezes entirely, not even noticing that they've been frozen until he looks away and time resumes."

Wait, is that how it works? It sure didn't work like that for me. I mean, sure, without my sensory skills I wouldn't have been able to tell what was happening, but I was still aware and able to think.

Does [Gamer's Mind] protect against time stop? I wouldn't have thought that was the case, but I can't think of any other reason I was able to maintain awareness. I'll ask Sakuya later to help me experiment a bit. I decide not to mention it though, no need to advertise another way in which I'm different.

Rias looks back at Koneko. "I know we need to push him a bit, Koneko. But please, be a little gentler. Him panicking won't do anyone any good."

Koneko nods, and I can feel a bit of guilt from her. She approaches the box again but doesn't open it this time and instead, she just speaks. "Sorry for scaring you Gasper," she apologizes, and unlike her usually flat voice, there's some real affection and warmth in her words. I guess the two of them are pretty close.

"I-it's fine," I hear faintly from the box, his voice unsteady. I hear him sniffle. "I'm the one that messed up and froze everyone."

Koneko shakes her head. "No one minds," she says. "We know it's hard. It doesn't hurt us."

"But it could," he protests. "All because I'm no good. I'm better off here alone where I can't hurt or inconvenience anyone."

"You won't," Koneko denies. "I know you won't let any of us get hurt, not even by accident. And we want you out here, with us."

Gasper doesn't respond to that, and the silence stretches out for a few moments. I stand there awkwardly, not sure what to do in this situation. I don't think I, a random stranger, is who Gasper needs to hear from right now. Should I mention that his time stop isn't 100% effective on me? It could maybe cheer him up, or at least put me as someone he has to be less scared of freezing. But I don't know if it would actually help.

Koneko interrupts my thoughts by speaking up again. "We had a Rating Game recently. I told you about it, remember?" There's a small noise of confirmation from the box and I feel him nod with [Void Detect]. "Did you watch it?"

"No," he says. "I felt bad since I couldn't help you guys. I'm really glad you guys won though."

"Part of the reason we won is because I used Senjutsu," Koneko says, and I can feel surprise from Gasper at her words.

"...Really?" he asks. "But I thought…" he trails off.

"I was afraid," Koneko finishes his sentence. "Afraid of my powers. Afraid of hurting my family. But someone helped me face those fears. And I took control of my heritage. It's still scary, but I can do it. Because they helped me. And I want to help you. We all do. We'll be there for you, no matter what."

The room is quiet when Koneko finishes speaking. Rias shoots me a grateful smile before stepping up to the box next to Koneko, her hand on the smaller girl's back. "She's right," Rias tells Gasper. "We're a family, and we'll be here to help you every step of the way."

"But what if you get hurt?" Gasper asks. He seems torn between wanting to accept their words, but still being afraid.

"We'll be safe," Rias tells him. "And I agree with Koneko. You won't hurt us, I believe that with all my heart."

"You really think so?" Gasper says.

"I do," Rias replies confidently. "Now come on out. I have two new family members to introduce to you, and a new friend as well."

Gasper doesn't reply, but after a moment he slowly pushes his head out of the box. He looks around a bit, and then nods, and slowly stands up fully. "Okay. I'll come out for a little bit."

Rias and Koneko smile at him, and Koneko pulls him into a hug, which he returns. "Thank you," Rias tells him. She turns to the three of us awkwardly standing there and motions for us to approach.

Atsuko is there first, so Rias places a hand on her shoulder and turns back to Gasper. "Gasper, meet my Pawn, Atsuko Hyoudou. She is the possessor of the Boosted Gear."

Gasper's eyes widen. "Wow," he breathes. "Uhh, I mean," he stammers a bit. "It'snicetomeetyou" he blurts out while bowing.

"It's good to meet you too!" Atsuko replies cheerily, taking his awkwardness in stride. "I might not know you very well yet, but you can count on me too for whatever you need."

He blushes a bit in embarrassment, but nods. "O-okay," he says.

Atsuko steps back and Aika takes her spot. "And this is Aika Kiryuu, your fellow Bishop. She doesn't have a Sacred Gear, but she's been learning magic and is very good at it. You two might be able to talk about it together."

"It's nice to meet you, Gasper," Aika says with a slight bow. "You're very cute in that uniform."

He blushes even harder, his slightly pointed ears turning scarlet. "Th-thank y-you," he replies, embarrassed. I'd be jealous if he didn't look so feminine and I wasn't sure Aika was just up to her games again. Sorry, Aika, he's cute, but that's not enough for me. Though I do have plenty of genderbend potions. Hmm.

Aika steps back and I take that as my cue to step forward myself. "And this is Axton," she introduces me. "He's Aika and Atsuko's boyfriend, he helped train us for the Rating Game and has been a good friend to us in general. "

"Axton?" he says with a frown, confusion on his face. He brings his head up and looks me in the face, and after a moment, his eyes widen in surprise.

First Impressions Park Activated
+25 Affection with Gasper Vladi

Reputation Bonus added
+45 Affection with Gasper Vladi

Perk rewarded for 50 Affection with Gasper Vladi
[Siren Blood] - Increases Affection gain with those that drink blood by 20%

I struggle not to show surprise on my own face. I haven't seen an Affection gain that big since the first time Aika saw me and sized me up. He didn't know anything about me before meeting me, right? Why is the Reputation Bonus so big?

I push those thoughts to the back of my head though and greet him casually. "Hi, it's nice to meet you," I say, keeping it simple.

He stares at me, and I feel his emotions rising. Panic, surprise, confusion, and...arousal? All of them are rising rapidly. What the hell? I use [Lewd Scouter] on him. Normally it's not a skill I bother using on guys, but I'll make an exception here.

Gasper Vladi
Arousal: Moderately High
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 70
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Crossdressing

Definitely aroused. And also bisexual. Does he have a crush on me? Once again, he's cute, but I'm really going to need him to drink a certain potion before that's an option.

"I-I-I-" he stammers, and then the world goes black again as he stops time for me, and according to my skills, for the others as well. He quickly darts back into his box, and time once again flows normally for me. But I was definitely aware while we were stopped.

"I guess meeting three people all at once was a bit too much to start out with," I joke, hoping to keep the mood light.

Rias sighs. "I suppose we shouldn't rush this." She turns to the box. "Sorry for pushing you so far, Gasper. I'm very proud of what you managed today. We'll continue another day, okay?" Gasper doesn't reply, but Rias seems fine with that.

Before we leave, I make my way to the box and squat next to it, addressing Gasper myself. "Don't worry about what just happened," I tell him. "I don't mind. I just wanted to tell you that you're welcome to drop by my house whenever you want. I live in a big mansion, but there are a lot of empty rooms in it. It wouldn't be hard to explore it without being seen by anyone. So if you want to visit somewhere new without people, or maybe only a few people, you can drop by there whenever you want. You can get Koneko to show you how to get there." I look at the catgirl for confirmation and she nods.

"Axton's place is big," she says. "We can play hide and seek."

"O-okay," he responds, but I can tell that he's reached his limit for the day, so I opt to silently stand up and step away.

"We'll be back another time," Rias tells him. "But until then rest up." All of us file out of the room, and Akeno closes the door behind us. I can feel him relax as the door closes, but he doesn't immediately get out of his box.

Rias leads us back to the main room upstairs. "Thank you all for being so understanding with him," she says. "He's been through a lot."

"It's fine," Atsuko says casually. "Though I'm curious about why he dresses up like a girl." Aika elbows Atsuko in the side. "Ow! What?"

"He says he prefers girls' clothes because they're cuter," Akeno provides. "We didn't see any harm in it and he did become happier when he started wearing them."

"I'm more curious about what he was before he became a Devil," I say, changing the subject. "His ears were a little too pointed to be human."

"Huh?" Atsuko says, shocked. "Wait, were they? But I thought only humans could have Sacred Gears?"

"He was a dhampir," Rias explains. "Half-vampire, half-human. I found him fleeing his home and recruited him."

If I remember right, she found him dead and had to use an Evil Piece to revive him. But I guess Rias doesn't want to bring the mood down with that piece of information. "I see," I reply. "That's why I didn't recognize him. I've met a vampire before, but not a dhampir."

I have a companion gem for a vampire anyway, and since I'm pretending they're all people I've met over the years, I may as well set that up now."

"Woah, really?" Atsuko asks excitedly. "What were they like? Did she try to drink your blood?"

"No, she was pretty chill," I reply. "We didn't talk much, but she was very relaxed."

"Was she part of the Carmilla faction then?" Rias asks, curious.

I shrug. "No idea, she was by herself as far as I know, at least in terms of other vampires. She was allied with a mixed group of humans and Youkai. If she was part of a specific vampire faction, then she didn't mention it. Like I said, we didn't talk much."

"You lived a pretty interesting life before coming here, didn't you?" Kiba asks.

I grin. "It's been way more interesting since I got here," I reply truthfully. I turn back to Rias. "What's the difference between a vampire and a dhampir?"

"There's not too much," Rias replies. "Dhampirs can do everything a vampire can, but they're not weak to sunlight and can survive off of normal food as a replacement for blood. And since they're half-human, they can be born with Sacred Gears."

"Sounds like being a dhampir is the better deal," Aika comments.

"You'd think so, but most vampires would violently disagree," Akeno says. "They view dhampirs very poorly, as inferior half breeds." There's a bit of anger in her voice and in her emotions, and Rias puts a hand on her Queen's shoulder, reassuring her. That's right, Akeno is half Fallen Angel. She hasn't revealed that yet though. I was hoping it would come up before the game against Riser, but it never did.

"Well Gasper seems pretty cool, so fuck that," I say. "By the way, that invitation extends to all of you as well. My house is too big, but it's got a lot of cool stuff. Feel free to drop by unannounced and go for a swim in my pool or use my nice big bath or kitchen or whatever."

"Thank you, Axton, that's very nice of you," Rias says with a smile. "Our own home is rather nice as well, but I admit, we don't have a pool. I didn't think of it when the house was built, but we usually just rent out a water park or use the school pool when we want to swim."

"Speaking of home," I say while looking at the time. "I have something there I need to take care of, and the Student Council should be finishing up soon, so I need to pick up Asia and head home. I'll see you guys later!" I give Atsuko and Aika a kiss goodbye and give Koneko a pat on the head before waving at the others before I [Void Travel] away.

I see the sweat glisten on Kyu's bare back as I pound into her from behind. Fucking Kyu never gets old. The way her pussy squeezes around my dick as I roughly pound into her can't be compared to any other girl. Thankfully, it was merely unique instead of way better, or else sex with other girls wouldn't be as enjoyable.

Kyu moans in a low voice as I fuck her. She's currently bent over my office desk right now, having come to bother me as I prepared for the meeting with Ravel's Peerage. And I was horny, so it inevitably led to this.

Seeing her bent over my ornate desk is a thrill though. The papers knocked aside by her desperate and grasping hands, her face pressed against the wood, the way her voice echoes through the room. It's all such a turn-on. I grip her hips tighter and kick it up a notch.

I almost don't notice it when the door opens. I do notice because I keep [Void Detect] up nearly constantly at this point. But I'm distracted enough that it barely registers, and it certainly doesn't cause me to stop.

Ravel steps quietly into the room, and her reaction surprises me. Or rather, her lack of one. Enough so that I let myself get distracted and focus on her with [Empathy]. I feel a little bit of surprise from her, but not much else. The only other emotion of note is a slowly rising amount of arousal. No disgust, no annoyance, nothing negative at all really. Now isn't that interesting?

I slow down my thrusts for a moment and look at Ravel. "Give me a minute to finish up," I tell her. To which she nods, standing up straighter.

Kyu, slightly out of it, looking slightly confused. "Huh?" she asks as she looks around before noticing Ravel. "Oh, hi!" she says. I'm not sure if she would have said more though, because I pick that moment to pick up my pace again, thrusting into her even harder than before. She yelps a little in surprise, but she immediately follows it with moans.

The flesh of her ass and back ripples every time I slam into her hot depths, and the sound of flesh slapping together echo alongside her noises of pleasure. And as it does, Ravel stands there, dutifully waiting and watching, her own arousal growing. I decide to give it a little nudge with [Erotic Pierrot]. Her being aroused by this on her own is great, but that just means it's easy for me to encourage that.

I'd already been fucking Kyu for a bit before Ravel came in, so it doesn't take me long to reach my climax. With a grunt I slam once more into Kyu and cum, shooting my seed deep inside of her. She cries out sweetly, and I feel her body shudder underneath me and her walls writhe around me as she cums as well.

When my orgasm finishes I slowly pull out of her inch by inch, enjoying the feeling of her tightness on my sensitive erection. As my dick pops out of her, I pull my pants up and take a moment to appreciate the sight of her bent over my desk, her pussy on display and soaked with sweat and sexual fluids.

But I can't appreciate it all day. I give her a light spank, causing her to shoot up. "Come on Kyu, get up. I have work to do."

"You wear a girl out and then kick her out, I see how it is," she grumbles, but there's a teasing tone to her voice. She makes a gesture with her hand and her clothes reappear on her. Not that they provide much modesty.

"I'll spend some more quality time with you tonight," I tell her as I kiss her lightly. "But for now…"

"Yeah yeah, I'm going," she says. She flies away, passing Ravel on her way out through the door, giving her a wink as she does so. Once the door closes behind Kyu, I turn my attention to Ravel.

"Sorry about that, I guess I took a little longer than I planned," I apologize.

She shakes her head. "It's no problem, I arrived earlier than you asked me to come," she says. "If you'd like, I could start knocking before entering here."

"Nah, this is your office too, so you shouldn't have to knock to get in," I reply. "I don't care if you walk in on me having sex, and from the looks of it, you didn't really mind either."

She blushes very slightly, but she keeps a straight face. "No sir," she says. "I'm used to finding my brother similarly occupied, and seeing you like that is considerably less awkward since we aren't related. Besides, it's only natural for someone like you to act like that."

I tilt my head. "What do you mean by someone like me?"

She panics a little. "I didn't mean anything bad by it," she insists. "Just that you're strong and powerful, and you're surrounded by attractive women who are under you. Satisfying your lust with them only makes sense."

Is that how she sees it? Powerful men get women? Well, it makes sense for her to think like that. The conversation I had with Sona the other day comes to mind, about how Sona and Rias are nicer than most other Devils. This is likely a case of Devils having different values than humans.

But I can work with this. After all, I am strong, and I'll only get more powerful. If that's what she thinks is universally attractive, then that just makes my job easy. Still, I don't want her to have the wrong impression. Or at least, I don't want her impression to not match the one I've spent so much effort cultivating.

"To be clear, I don't force anyone to have sex with me," I say. "I don't bribe or coerce them either." That's less true, but no one knows that. "If a girl is interested, I'll gladly and enthusiastically have some fun with them. But I don't push it. I don't need to."

"I'm sorry," she says with a short bow. "I didn't mean to imply otherwise."

"It's fine," I wave off. "Just wanted to make that clear. But enough about my sex life. We should get to work."

Ravel nods. "Right. The girls are waiting in the sitting room you asked me to put them in. I told them that you wanted to talk to them one at a time." She pauses. "A few of them asked if they could go in groups. Specifically, Ile and Nel, Ni and Li, and Marion and Burent."

"That's fine," I say as I walk towards Ravel. "It makes sense for those ones to want to stick together too." That would be the two sets of twins and the pair of maids. I place my hand on Ravel's shoulder. "Let's go then," I say, and I push her forwards as I take a step, using [Void Travel] to teleport the both of us to the sitting room adjacent to the one I had asked Ravel to bring her Peerage to. There's a door connecting the two rooms directly.

Ravel's eyes widen at the sudden teleportation, but she gets her bearings quickly. "Before we start, there's something I want to ask you," she says.

"What's that?" I say as I move to one of the couches and sit down. I pat the seat next to me, inviting her to join me. She does so with a small smile.

"Mostly I want to know what your goals are for these meetings," she says. "The girls were asking, and it'd set them more at ease if I could give them an answer."

I shrug. "Nothing sinister. I just want to get to know a little about them, what they do, and what they want. Also, I'll be giving each of them a choice. Do some work for me around here, or go to school. I know some of them are of school age. But I don't want them idle every hour that I'm not training them personally, so they'll either educate themselves or work."

"I see," she says. "Does that extend to me as well?"

"Sorta," I tell her. "I already have you working though, don't I? If you want to go to school as well, you can, but you would need to do both."

She shakes her head. "No, I don't believe I would learn much at a human school. Working on your potions business sounds much more interesting." She stands up. "If that's all, then I'll get the first girl now." I nod in approval, and she exits the room.

While I wait for her to come back, I pull out The Heart. I haven't really used it since I got it, but that's mostly because I already know most other people's secrets. I don't need a haunted clockwork heart to reveal them to me. But for a meeting like this, it'll be useful. These girls were fairly minor characters, so I don't know a lot about them.

Thankfully, I know the Heart is invisible to others. I even tested that it's invisible to Devils. I know some people can see it. Both Yua and Kyu can. But so far, those are the only two. That means I can easily use it without looking like a creepy dude holding a human heart in his hands.

A few moments later, Ravel enters with Yubelluna in tow. Ravel has her sit down on the couch opposite to me, and then she sits down next to me. Good, that's why I invited her to sit down next to me earlier. I want Ravel on my side during these conversations. It'll help cement the image of Ravel being mine in the minds of her Peerage.

Just looking at her face, I can immediately tell we're starting off with a tough one. I don't need [Empathy] to tell me that her expression means she isn't very happy.

"Nice to meet you Yubelluna," I greet her. "As you probably already know, I'm Axton, and I'll be responsible for you girls for the foreseeable future."

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Yubellena

She doesn't say anything and just continues to stare at me. I hold back a sigh. "The purpose of this meeting is for me to get to know you a bit better, and to decide how to go from here."

"Whatever," she replies dismissively, looking away. "You'll just do whatever you want with us. Because apparently, we're just commodities to be traded around."

"That's the unfortunate truth of being part of a Peerage," I reply cooly. "Living practically forever and magical powers come with a cost, and you know what they say about making deals with Devils."

"Riser was different," she argues. "He cared for me."

"And he agreed to trade you away out of greed, arrogance, and anger," I shoot back.

"You egged him into it, and were the one who asked for us in the first place!"

"He asked for a lot, I had to ask for something of equal value," I reply. I'm honestly starting to get tired of giving that excuse. "And my words before weren't lies. You girls are wasted on someone like him."

"I don't care!" she says, nearly shouting. "I was happy with Riser, and you took that away."

I sigh. Yeah, this is certainly not the best of starts. Ravel looks pretty nervous, unsure what side she should be taking. While I would like for her to pick my side and be loyal only to me, I am glad to see that she's torn between that and being loyal to her new Peerage.

"Look, is that your issue? Do you want to be back with Riser?" I ask her plainly, voice calm.

She calms down a little as well. "Yes. I know I'm in the minority, but I love Riser, even with his faults. He makes me happy."

"Well, I can't promise anything soon, but it's not impossible that you'll eventually make your way back to him." Her gaze sharpens, and her eyes lock with mine. "I've told this to Lord and Lady Phenex already, but this arrangement isn't permanent, and in a few years, once I feel I've prepared you a decent amount, I will be renegotiating this arrangement. For now? You're mine. But at that time, trading you and anyone who still wants to go back to Riser to him wouldn't be off the table. I'd leave that final decision to Ravel since it's her Peerage, but by that point, that would be fine with me."

"A few years," she repeats doubtfully.

"Maybe less, it depends on how quickly you guys start participating in actual Rating Games," I reply. "Either way, it's a drop in the bucket compared to the lifespan of a Devil."

"I would be willing to trade you back to my brother," Ravel adds. "Replacing you will be difficult, but if you are unhappy in my Peerage, I wouldn't want to force you to stay."

Yubelluna's expression softens. "Sorry Ravel," she apologizes. "It's not about you. I think you'll make a great King. But you're not the King I left home for."

Ravel shakes her head. "It's fine, I understand. But for now, this is the situation we're in, and I think it would be best to take advantage of it while we can and figure out the rest in the future."

"I'm not going to half-ass it," I say. "I said I'd train you girls up, and that's what I'm going to do. And I can't do that if I trade half of you back."

"Fine, fine," Yubelluna says with a sigh. "I get it. I'll cooperate. Just don't expect me to be happy about it."

"That's good enough for me," I say with a shrug. "Now, let's get back on track. Mostly what I'd like to know is your life before you were reincarnated and your role in the Peerage."

She gives me a strange look like she doesn't know why I'm asking her this, but she answers me anyway. "I grew up in Italy, and there was a local bar there that I would sing in. It was a pretty nice bar, and the man who ran it was a friend of my father. I would sing there on weekends sometimes. I even earned some money doing it from the patrons who would give me tips. Then one day, I noticed Riser in the crowd, staring at me. After my performance, he came up and talked to me. And then he came the next time I sang, and we talked more. We really hit it off. After a few months of this, he explained everything and asked me to join his Peerage."

She shrugs. "I didn't have a reason to say no. I was almost old enough to move out anyway, but I couldn't afford college, even with the money I'd saved up. And Riser was kind and handsome. And I knew it was rushing into it. But my favorite story growing up was how my mother and father met, and they eloped within a month of knowing each other. You won't find a happier couple than the two of them."

"That was a few years ago though. I've enjoyed living life as a Devil, and I go see my parents every now and then. As for my role in the Peerage, well, you've probably heard of my nickname." She grimaces. "They call me the 'Bomb Queen'. I don't like the name, but it's not inaccurate. I've focused on hitting hard and fast, and I'm good at it. My role has always been to catch opponents off guard and thin their ranks wherever I can."

"I see," I reply. "Thank you for that." She shrugs. "I'd also ask how you feel about being transferred to me, but we've already gone over that. One last thing then. In addition to training, I'm going to give each of you a choice. I still go to school, and during that time, I want you girls to either be in school or working as well. But I'll let you choose. Go to school, or work around the mansion. This place is new, and I have yet to hire the people needed to support a house this large, so there's plenty of work to be done."

She sighs. "I was looking forward to lazing about all day, but fine. I've finished high school though, is there a college around here?"

"Kuoh does indeed have a college," I answer her, having looked into it already. "It's small, but it's considered a good school. Rias and Sona both plan on attending it next year."

"I would like to study music," she mutters. "It's what I fantasized about before I joined Riser."

"Kuoh College does have a music program," I confirm. "I can definitely get you into that."

She pauses, thinking over it for a moment before nodding. "Alright, I'd like to do that then."

"I'll get it arranged then. In the meantime, we'll have our first training session Sunday morning. If you could send in Mihae, I would appreciate it."

+7 Affection with Yubelluna

She nods and stands up to leave. As she does so I use [Lewd Scouter] and The Heart on her.

Yubelluna
Arousal: Very Low
Perversion: Moderately High
Affection: 17
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Submission, Oral

"She claims to hate her title, but secretly she revels in being recognized as excellent at what she practices so hard at."

Interesting. Maybe I'll be able to use that in the future. But for now, I sit back and sigh. One down, thirteen to go.

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Mihae

"I was just a normal high school girl in Tokyo when Riser recruited me," Mihae explains. "I didn't have any big aspirations, I just wanted to find a good husband and have a lot of kids. Riser said he found me by coincidence and noticed my large potential for magic, and he said I was so pretty that he had to recruit me. When he told me that I'd live a long life and could have as many kids as I wanted in that time, I was ecstatic, so I agreed."

"And he didn't mention the conception rates of Devils," I guess.

She frowns, and there's some anger in her expression. "No," she replies cooly. "He left that part out. Finding that out...soured things between us if I'm being honest. I don't regret it in the end, because even if it's harder, I'll have more time in which I can have kids."

"My role in the Peerage is to play support. Not just in battle, but I try to take care of everyone all the time. The older ones get annoyed sometimes, but the younger ones appreciate it, even if they're only a couple years younger than me."

"I'm okay with this change. Maybe this way I can meet someone who will give me a bunch of kids. Riser never would let that happen, despite me not having any interest in him after he lied by omission."

Ravel looks at me, and I can tell what she's thinking. I've already told her about my fertility potions after all, so she knows I can solve that issue. But I don't plan on bringing that up right now. As much as I would like to use them as an excuse to jump straight to having sex with Mihae, who is very cute, I'm not sure I'm ready to have kids yet. And when I do, it feels wrong to give Mihae my first child when there are other girls I've been with longer.

That being said, I'm also not an idiot, and I know how to play the long game. Hopefully, by the time it comes to pass, I'll have a big enough harem that I won't have to do much to take care of the kids myself.

"It's possible," I say. "I'm not ready for kids yet, but hell, if you haven't found a father by the time I am ready, I wouldn't mind making babies with a cute girl like you." I give her a flirtatious smile and a wink.

+21 Affection with Mihae

She blushes and looks down, but I can tell she doesn't hate the thought from the way she's smiling. "We'll see," she replies coyly.

"As for school or work, I'm not sure. I'd like to take care of kids, but since you don't have any, I can't do that," she continues.

"I have a garden, if that's close enough," I offer. "And I'll be keeping animals, some mundane, some magical, soon. I know that's not really the same as taking care of a kid, but it's taking care of living beings."

"Hmm," she thinks on it. "That does sound kind of nice. Yeah, I'd like that more than going back to school."

"Great! Asia is the one in charge of Garden right now. You can help her for now, and once I get those animals in you can start taking care of them. And if I need someone to babysit or take care of kids in the future, your name will be at the top of my list."

She bows her head at me. "Thank you, Axton, that sounds fantastic."

Mihae
Arousal: Moderately Low
Perversion: Moderately Low
Affection: 31
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Impregnation

"The thought of carrying and birthing a child brings her more pleasure than the act of making one ever could."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Karlamine

"My entire life I've trained to be a knight," Karlamine explains. "Back home in Germany I took up the sword as a child and I've fought in many competitions. Siris and I were international rivals. At one of those competitions, Lord Riser scouted me and I immediately said yes, excited to finally find a Lord to serve."

Ah. She takes the knight roleplay very seriously. Well, I can play along if it means getting her loyalty.

"I suppose I don't need to ask what your role is then," I say. "It's very obvious that you're a Knight, in more than just the Evil Piece that was used on you." She preens at my words, sitting up straighter. "But how do you feel about being taken from your previous Lord?"

She grimaces, and her emotions turn confused. "If I may speak honestly milord, I'm still unsure," she admits. "Lord Riser was my first Lord, but serving Lady Ravel is an honorable cause. And what you said is true, as much as it pains me to admit. I haven't improved as much as I could have under his command, and I've been worried about stagnating. If you can help us improve, then as a Knight, I can't ignore this opportunity."

"I see," I say. "Well, I'll make sure neither I nor Lady Ravel disappoint you. We'll make sure to improve your abilities as a Knight as much as we can."

+7 Affection with Karlamine

"Thank you Lord Axton!" she replies enthusiastically, sitting up straight and holding her fist over her chest. "I won't let you or Lady Ravel down!"

She's an odd one, but she's cute. "Now, work or school?" I ask her.

"I'd like to focus on defending your estate if at all possible," she replies. "I can't think of a higher honor than defending your home."

A guard, hmm? I'm not sure I really need one, considering Sakuya has already said she'd protect my home. But having a more visible guard might not be a bad idea, and if I need a bodyguard for some social reason, having someone always available for that on hand would be convenient.

"Very well," I accept. "Starting Monday, you'll be charged with defending my home and my guests." She smiles at the news, genuinely pleased.

Karlamine
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Moderately Low
Affection: 17
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Submission, Roleplay

"She lives in constant fear of rejection, but hides it behind a cheerful mask."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Siris

"I started sword fighting when I was young," Siris explains in a quiet voice. "My dad encouraged me to try it once, and I discovered I had a knack for it, so I kept doing it. I've gone to a lot of competitions, and I met Karlamine there. We fought several times during those. Sometimes I won, sometimes she did. Riser recruited both of us at a competition, though we didn't face off in that one. I'd started using a heavier sword, so we weren't in the same category anymore."

My first impression of Karlamine is that she's a pretty reserved girl. The total opposite of Karlamine, despite their apparent similarities.

"Karlamine and I both usually handle the other sword wielders in battle," she continues. "If the other side doesn't have any, we usually go after whoever has the most dangerous weapons. This is fine with me, as my sword is well suited for it. Better us than someone like Xuelan."

"And how do you feel about the change of leadership?" I ask her.

She shrugs. "It's whatever. I'm glad to get away from Riser. He was fine at first, but lately, he's been asking to do stuff that I'm not into, and that hasn't been fun."

Rookie mistake Riser, always play to the girls' kinks and find girls that like what you do. "Don't worry, that won't happen with me," I tell her. "I might order you to train or work, but I'm flexible in the bedroom."

She nods, and her face is impassive, but [Empathy] tells me a different story. There's a bit of embarrassment and arousal mixed with a nervousness that's been present the entire time. You'd never guess it by looking at her though.

"As for work or school, I'd rather work," she continues. "I've done most of high school already, and college doesn't interest me. I'm good with paperwork if that helps."

"Paperwork, huh?" I muse, turning to Ravel. "What do you think? Do you want an assistant?"

Ravel thinks it over. "Having an assistant would streamline some of my work. She would have access to sensitive information though."

"Do you trust her in that position?" I ask. "I'll trust your judgment of her since you know her better."

"Absolutely," Ravel agrees immediately. "Siris has always been kind and professional and followed orders."

Siris was watching our conversation with sharp and interested eyes, but she relaxes a bit at Ravel's answer.

+9 Affection with Siris

"Very well, starting Monday you'll be Ravel's assistant then," I tell her. "She'll explain everything to you later. The short of it is that I have a business I'm getting started and Ravel is in charge of helping me with the paperwork and management side."

"I see," she says. "I look forward to it. Thank you for trusting me."

Siris
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 19
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Cunnilingus, Doggy style

"In front of others she is quiet and polite. But her most treasured possessions are the erotic books she has hidden and disguised among her things. She reads them every night."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Isabela

"I was the lead guitarist for an indie glam metal band in America," Isabela explains in a bored tone. "We never got big, only ever played local shows and we mostly did covers, but it was fun. Until it wasn't. Pro-tip, don't date a drummer, they're cheating scumbags. Anyways, tensions were a little high, but we kept doing shows. Riser was at one of the shows, we hooked up afterward, and then he invited me to his Peerage. I felt like the band was going to fall apart anyway, so I said sure, and now I'm a Devil."

"In a fight, I'm a brawler," she explains. "I dish out the hurt, and I can take a beating. Simple as that."

"As for how I feel?" She comments, anger rising in her voice. "Pretty fucking pissed. Riser and I had a good thing going, and sure I had to share him, but I knew that going in, so it's whatever. Now I've been taken away from him, and it sucks."

I sigh. Another one that is loyal to Riser. I guess it shouldn't be that surprising. "I'll tell you what I told Yubullena," I say, and I give Isabela the same offer I gave Yubelluna.

"And Yubelluna accepted that?" Isabela said. "Fine, whatever. I'll cooperate or whatever. Gimme a simple job that isn't being a fucking maid. I'm not interested in school."

"How about guard duty alongside Siris?" I suggest.

She sighs. "Yeah, whatever. Guarding is easy. Not crazy about working with the LARPer, but I'm used to her by now."

She gets up and storms out of the room. I can tell that changing her tune is gonna be pretty hard.

Isabela
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Moderately Low
Affection: 10
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Rough Sex, Masochism

"She loved him, the drummer. She fantasized about spending her entire life with him. She never truly recovered from his betrayal."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+5 Affection with Xuelan

"My father owns a dojo back home in China," Xuelan explains. "It's very prestigious. Unfortunately, my brother is set to inherit it and has made it clear that he doesn't want me to be involved at all. Thankfully, Riser came and recruited me, giving me a way to make use of my skills through the Rating Games."

Xuelan is polite and proper, and she speaks clearly. And she's certainly a looker.

"And your feelings on now being in Ravel's Peerage rather than his?" I ask.

"Undecided," she says. "This will take us from the Rating Games for a time due to Ravel being young, but it's a chance to improve my skills even further if you can really help us as much as you helped the Gremory Peerage." She pauses, and I feel her emotions shift. She smiles flirtatiously. "Also, how do you feel about secretly having sex in public locations? Riser would never indulge me, and I'm starting to get pretty pent up."

Maybe she isn't so proper after all. But this is even better. I grin at her. "I'm a big fan," I tell her. "I'm sure you and I can have a lot of fun if you're interested."

+21 Affection with Xuelan

She winks flirtatiously at me. "Impress me during our training and I'll consider it," she says.

"I look forward to it," I respond. "In the meantime, school, or work?"

"School," she says. "The Kuoh uniforms are cute, and I miss going to school."

"You'd be a third year, right?" I ask, and she nods. "I'll make the arrangements, we should be able to get you started on Monday."

"Fantastic," she says. "I look forward to working with you."

Xuelan
Arousal: Moderately Low
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 26
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Oral, Public Sex, Submission

"She is used to never matching the expectations set on her. First those of her parents, then the ones of her older brothers, and now the ones she sets on herself. Those are the harshest expectations of all."

-x-

First Impressions Perk activated
+10 Affection with Ile
+10 Affection with Nel

"We were gymnasts in Spain," Ile starts off.

"Really good ones too," Nel continues.

Ile nods. "We won a bunch of competitions, and our coach and parents said if we kept working hard, we could go to the Olympics when we grew up."

Nel grimaces. "But we didn't want to do that. Gymnastics stopped being fun. Our parents and coach kept pushing us harder and harder."

"So when Riser tracked us down and recruited us, we ended up accepting," Ile says.

"We talked about it for a few days, because it was a pretty big decision, but we just really wanted to get away from all the pressure," Nel adds.

"Wait," I interrupt. "How old are you? Did Riser kidnap you?"

The two of them look at each other, confusion on their face. "Kind of?" "I guess?" they both say at the same time.

"I mean, we agreed to go with him, but he did use his mind magic to make our parents and coach okay with it," Ile explains.

"And we're 15!" Nel answers.

I blink. "Oh, I thought you were a lot younger than that."

They both sigh. "No, we're just small," Ile says.

"Our coach said it was a good thing, but getting mistaken for being elementary school students sucks," Nel continues.

"And Riser was getting really creepy about it too," Ile says, Nel nodding in agreement. "We never went past first base with him, but he kept making us dress up in children's clothes."

Well, that's something I didn't really want to know about Riser. I understand the desire for variety, but to go as far as making them act younger than they are is a step or two too far.

Now that I look at them closer though, and now that they're dressed in clothes of their own choosing rather than the bloomers they wore in the rating game, I guess they do look roughly as developed as Koneko, who is 15 as well.

"Well, under me, you can wear whatever you want," I tell them. "I assume that means you're okay with working for me and Ravel instead of Riser now?"

""Yep!"" They say in unison.

"How about what you do when fighting?" I ask. "If I remember, the two of you use chainsaws?"

"That was one nice thing about Riser," Nel says. "He let us choose whatever weapons we want, even when we said chainsaws. They're a lot of fun to use. We turned into Devils, we may as well make use of that super strength."

Ah. "I can understand the appeal," I say. "I'll see about potentially getting you upgrades if you're interested in that." Hopefully, the Tenno who used to own the Orbiter I scavenged had some of the chainsaw-like weapons I know the Warframe universe has.

+14 Affection with Ile
+14 Affection with Nel

""Yay!"" they say together.

"Now, would you like to go to school, or work for me?" I ask.

"School please," Ile says.

"We miss having school friends," Nel clarifies. "And now that we're not doing gymnastics all the time, we would actually have time to hang out with them."

"In that case, I'll get that set up," I tell them. "I hope you have a good time at school."

Ile
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Low
Affection: 24
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: None

Nel
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Low
Affection: 24
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: None

"These two sweet girls were pushed to the brink by the adults around them. Every moment of their lives were written down on a schedule, and even suggesting a deviation from that led to a harsh scolding. Sometimes a Devil can do a good thing."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+25 Affection with Ni
+10 Affection with Li

"We're from a Youkai settlement in east China," Ni explains. "But that was boring, so we set out to explore the world, just the two of us."

"But that turned out to be boring too," Li complains. "Other places are pretty much the same. Smelly humans and tall buildings and you get in trouble if you try to go into any of the cool places."

I guess all twins speak in turns because these two do it too. "So how did that lead to you meeting Riser?" I asked.

"We met by chance," Li explains.

"More like we were lounging around bored and Riser came up to us, told us we were cute and asked if we wanted to join his Peerage," Ni corrects.

"Right," Li agrees. "Anyways, Rating Games sounded like fun, and being a Devil didn't sound so bad, so we agreed."

"And it's been pretty fun so far," Ni says. "But Riser is old news now, we're much more interested in you mister Axton."

"Yeah yeah!" Li agrees. "Stop hiding them and show us!"

I tilt my head at them, confused. "Stop hiding what?" I ask.

"Your ears!" "Your tail!" they say.

Ah, my Nekoshou features. As Nekomatas, I guess they're interested. With a thought, my cat ears pop out of my hair on top of my head, and a tail sprouts out of my lower back, pushing its way out of my shirt and into view.

+10 Affection with Ni
+10 Affection with Li

"Oh wow, they're so pretty," Li comments in delight.

"That's really hot," Ni says in a much different tone.

"I thought Nekomata preferred non-Nekomata mates?" I asked.

"Psh, that's just what the elders say to do," Li scoffs. "Something about strengthening Nekomata as a whole or whatever."

"Besides, you're not actually a Nekomata right?" Ni asks. "You're a human that somehow got Nekomata features?"

"Nekoshou actually, but yeah," I confirm.

"Then that's even better," Ni replies. "Besides, male Nekomata aren't very common."

"And we prefer catboys above all," Li says. "So you can think of us as your two little kittens."

"We'd love to curl up in your lap as you pet us all over," Ni says with a wink.

"That sounds pretty appealing," I say, amused. "I'll definitely take you up on that at some point."

+10 Affection with Ni
+10 Affection with Li

"Good," Li purrs. "We look forward to it."

"For now though, there are two more questions I need you to answer," I say, steering the conversation back on track.

"Oh right," Ni says. "In fights we usually team up to hit enemies hard and fast. We know a bit of senjutsu, but we're still major novices at it."

"And we wanna be maids!" Li says. "But only if we can dress in super skimpy uniforms."

Ni nods. "We picked these outfits out ourselves you know?" She says, indicating her outfit, which was just a high school girls sailor uniform, but the top only reached far enough down to barely cover their nipples, leaving their underboobs and entire stomach exposed.

"I'm sure we can arrange that," I say with a grin. "Find some designs you like and we'll take care of it."

"Yes!" Ni says while Li fist pumps. They then turn to each other and give each other a high-five. "Operation: Slutty Cat Maid is a go!"

These two are a lot of fun.

Ni
Arousal: Moderately Low
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 45
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Pet Play, Exhibitionism

Li
Arousal: Moderately Low
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 30
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Pet Play, Exhibitionism

"Since early childhood, the only thing they've been good at is following their own desires, something that has caused those responsible for them no end of frustration."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+5 Affection with Marion
+10 Affection with Burent

"We worked as maids for a family in France," Marion says. "We hadn't been working for them long, but our mothers had worked for them, and we practically grew up in that house. But it turns out, the family is close to the Phenex's, and Riser saw us while visiting one day. Deciding he needed maids, he poached the two of us."

"I'm guessing from your wording that you weren't too pleased about this?" I ask.

She shrugs. "It was sad to leave our home and family, but we became Devils, and that's been pretty nice. We did the same thing for the Phenex family as we did before. We served as maids. And now, I suppose we'll serve as your maids now."

"You can do something else if you want, or even go to school," I tell them. But they both shake their heads.

"Maids are what we are," Burent says, speaking up for the first time. "We wouldn't want to be anything else."

"I see," I reply, a little weirded out. But well, if they want to be maids, I'm not gonna fight that. Maids are great. And with the two of them, Ni and Li, the two Fallen Angels, and Sakuya to lead them, I probably have the Maid team I need. "That's fine with me. You'll work under Sakuya then." They nod.

"As far as combat goes, it's not our strong suit," Marion admits. "I'm decent at ranged magic, and Burent is good at fighting in close quarters, but most of the other members of the Peerage outshine us in terms of combat ability."

"That won't do," I say, slightly teasingly. "Don't you know, the best maids are the ones that can fight as well? But don't worry, we'll get you trained up. You'll be just as good at fighting as the rest of them soon enough."

They don't seem very enthused, but they nod obediently.

Marion
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 5
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Domination, Teasing

Burent
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 10
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: Submission, Bukkake, Spanking

"These two have been taught since childhood that they aren't in control of their lives, that more powerful men and women will control them. It's difficult for them to consider that things could be any other way."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+10 Affection with Shuriya

"I used to dance in Egypt," Shuriya explains. "It was something I had a lot of fun doing, and it put food on the table and a roof over my head. Most of my fans were foreign tourists and businessmen, but they always tipped really well. Riser tipped the best, and I admit, he struck my fancy. When he asked me to join his Peerage, I didn't hesitate. I had no family or friends, no connections I'd be leaving behind, and it would be a more comfortable life."

"But truth be told, life with Riser has gotten boring. He never asks me to dance for him, he was only interested in fucking. Whenever I tried to dance on my own, he would jump on me after just a few minutes." She shakes her head. "Sex is good, but I like to dance as well."

"I'll definitely keep that in mind," I tell her. "I'm interested in seeing you dance myself. When I get some time, I'll definitely ask you to do that."

+8 Affection with Shuriya

She winks at me. "I'd love to," she replies happily. "And for the rest, I'm good at fire magic and I usually support the others with it wherever I'm needed, and I'd actually like to go to school. I never finished high school, and I'd like that chance to do so."

"Very well," I reply. "You'll start Monday."

Shuriya
Arousal: Moderate
Perversion: Moderate
Affection: 18
Orientation: Bisexual
Fetishes: Stripping, Teasing, Exhibitionism

"She claims to have no family, but that is only partially true. Her family is scum, and she ran from them at a young age, cutting ties. She has made her own path since then."

-x-

First Impressions Perk Activated
+5 Affection with Mira

"I'm uhh. I was a first-year high school student," Mira says nervously. "Last year I won a competition. A bo staff one. There weren't really a lot of competitors, it's not that popular. And the high school I went to didn't have a club for it, just a Kendo one. But I still practiced outside of school. Riser tracked me down, he said he was impressed by my skill and he wanted me on his Peerage. I wasn't sure at first, but he also talked to my parents, and they seemed to think it was a good idea, so I ended up joining."

I frown. "He didn't magically convince your parents, did he?"

She shakes her head. "I don't think so," she replies. "They've always kind of been like that. We didn't have that much money, and my mom would often tell me to find a rich boy to marry. I was never sure how much of that was a joke and how much of it was serious. I think they saw Riser as a chance for me to live a more comfortable life. Even if it meant I wasn't human anymore. They didn't even mind that I'd keep fighting, saying that I do that anyway. They've never been a big fan of me competing using my bo staff, but they did allow it and support me."

"So that's what I did while in Riser's Peerage. Mostly in training. The only Rating Games I've done are the two that happened last weekend. And you know how those went. Riser only recruited me a few months ago. I've been learning fire magic, and it's been neat figuring out how to add that to my normal fighting style, but I still need a lot of practice."

"Don't worry, I can provide that," I say. "And also some tips as well."

She nods. "In terms of how I feel about switching...I'm not sure," she says. "I didn't really know Riser very well yet, and now I guess I won't get to know him. I guess it doesn't really matter, since Ravel is my King now and I'm still being trained while living in a fancy mansion so I can fight against other Devils in games."

"That's completely understandable," I tell her. I wasn't aware she was so freshly turned. A bit of whiplash makes a lot of sense. "Hopefully things will stay pretty stable for at least a few years, so you can get settled in."

She nods in appreciation. "And I'd like to go to school please. I've heard good things about Kuoh. They don't have a bo staff club, but I kind of wanted to try a different club anyways."

"Great," I reply. "I look forward to working with you."

Mira
Arousal: Low
Perversion: Low
Affection: 5
Orientation: Straight
Fetishes: None

"She struggles to connect to others. To her, it feels like no one understands what she means, and they think her strange. So she shies away from personal connections. It has made her lonely.'

I lean back, relaxing with my eyes closed. I miss not having to do any work. Sure, this whole situation gave me a pretty good feel for each of Ravel's Peerage members, and which ones I could easily convince to sleep with me, so it'll be worth it in the long run. But this week has been filled with a lot of boring work. I'd rather be grinding in the dungeon than doing this. But this is important work. Mostly because it means more girls in my harem, but for other aspects of my life as well.

"What are your thoughts, Ravel?" I ask without opening my eyes or moving.

"Well, I knew most of the girls already, so it went more or less how I thought it would," she confesses. "I wasn't sure how a few of them would act in front of you, but there wasn't really anything surprising." She pauses, and I can feel her nervousness bump up a little. "Umm. If you'd like, you could rest on my lap instead. I wouldn't mind."

Ooh, that does sound nice. "Don't mind if I do," I say, repositioning myself so I'm splayed out on the couch, my head on her soft thighs. They really do make an excellent pillow. I should do this more often.

"I think the way you mollified Yubelluna and Isabela was a good idea," Ravel continues once I settle onto her lap. I can feel her nervousness, but there's also joy and satisfaction there. "Isabella will be easy to replace, most of her ability comes from her mindset and her Evil Piece. But Yubullena will be more difficult."

"I can always help you find someone," I comment offhandedly. "I'm good at that. Besides, I also bought myself a few years to change their minds. By the time they have the chance to leave, they may no longer want to."

"I suppose that's true," Ravel agrees. "Speaking of which, I still have an empty Bishop slot. If you have any candidates in mind, please let me know."

"Sure, will do," I respond. "I don't have anyone in mind right now. Asia would make a good Bishop, but she doesn't want to be a Devil. But I'm sure I'll meet someone who's interested." I do still have some companion gems I haven't used after all, and I might get more in the future.

"Training will start bright and early Sunday morning," I continue. "I'll explain the details then, but it will be as a group, and there will be combat. Make sure everyone is rested, stretched, and dressed in some simple exercise gear. I'll make everyone custom armor and outfits once I see them in action myself."

"Understood," Ravel says. "Is there anything else you want to be done before then?"

"Not really," I reply. "Most of them can relax until Monday comes around. I'd like you to keep working on setting up my potions store, which I'll come up with a name for soon. We should actually get more of that done tonight. But if you want to get Siris involved before Monday, that's fine with me. I'll leave that up to you."

"Very well," she accepts. "Is there anything in particular you want to focus on tonight?"

"Anything you can't get done by yourself," I say. "I'll be busy all day tomorrow. I have more guests arriving, members of the Church."

"Ah," she says, nervousness bumping up a little bit. "Is that going to be a...problem?"

"Hopefully not," I say with a tired sigh. "I'll make sure they behave. Just make sure your girls don't antagonize them. I don't mind if they interact, so long as they get along."

"Yes sir, I'll let them know," she replies. We're both quiet for a couple moments. "Umm, are we going to start working?"

"In a few minutes," I say. "This is really comfortable, I don't wanna get up yet."

"I- I see," Ravel says, that mixture of nervousness, happiness, and satisfaction rising even higher. "You are of course welcome to rest on my lap for as long as you please."

"Thank you, Ravel," I tell her. Yeah, I have a lot more work now, but it's worth it for moments like this.

"I have to say, you did a great job back there," Momo comments as we walk through the school halls the next day, heading back to the Student Council room together. We just finished talking to two sports clubs who both wanted to use the same field. I stepped in and helped negotiate and convince both sides to reach a compromise.

I shrug. "The main issue was that they weren't really empathizing with each other, and didn't realize that they were in the same exact situation," I say. "Once I got them to realize that, getting them to agree to share was much easier."

"Getting them to realize that is no small feat with tempers as high as they were," Momo points out. "I think Sona probably would have just barred either of them from using the field if they didn't reach a compromise."

"Oh," I say in realization. "That would have been a lot faster, huh?"

Momo giggles. "It's fine, I prefer the way you handled it. This way they're less likely to cause problems in the future." She sighs. "Though those two girls are hot-headed, and they've been rivals for ages. So maybe it won't help all that much."

"Ah well, we did our best," I respond. "They're getting along for now at least."

"Speaking of which," Momo says, and her tone makes me pause and look at her. She's smiling at me, and I can feel her arousal suddenly rising. "We finished that faster than expected. We have enough time to make a quick detour and still be back before we are expected."

Corrupting Momo to make her more perverted is one of the best things I've ever done. "Oh?" I ask with a grin on my face, playing along. "A quick detour where?"

She takes me by the hand and leads me to the girls' bathroom we were near. [Void Detect] already told me it's empty, so I'm not worried about getting caught. There aren't many clubs in this section of the school.

We're barely out of the hallway before Momo turns around and has her arms wrapped around me and her lips on mine. Not that I mind. I enthusiastically reply in kind, meeting her tongue with my own. My hands reach down beneath her skirt to squeeze her luscious butt cheeks.

We keep walking even as we make out, and soon we reach the sinks. I lift her up and sit her down on the rim of one, and she responds by immediately wrapping her legs around me.

My hands then go to her clothes, and in a few moments I have her shirt unbuttoned and her bra pulled down and out of the way, leaving me free to play with her tits. Her own hand reaches down to my belt, undoing my pants and pulling out my quickly hardening dick, which she strokes a bit to encourage it to grow faster.

When it's fully hardened she lifts her skirt and pushes aside her panties. I line myself up and thrust into her, never breaking the kiss. She's already wet and ready to go, so I don't hesitate to start pumping in and out of her.

Momo moans into my mouth, the muffled noise echoing slightly through the bathroom. But it's mostly drowned out by the wet slapping sound caused by me pounding into her.

Our lips finally separate, and her moans echo freely through the room as my own mouth latches onto her nipple, playing with the hardened nub with my tongue. Her arms wrap around my head, holding me tight against her chest.

It only takes a few minutes of me thrusting into her for my climax to arrive. When it does, I don't hesitate to slam my hips forward to reach her deepest part and cum inside of her. I deposit shot after shot of thick semen deep inside of her.

She reaches her own climax as I flood her insides with my cum, crying out loud enough that anyone walking by outside would have heard her for sure. Her legs tighten around my waist, and I can feel her body shuddering against mine.

Our lips meet again as we both come down from our orgasms. My dick throbs, still lodged inside of her, but I know we don't have time for another round.

Momo pulls back and smiles lovingly at me. "I love it when you cum inside me," she breathes. "It just feels so satisfying to be filled like that."

"I'm a pretty big fan of it myself," I say. "It's nice not really having to worry about accidentally knocking you up too."

She pauses. "Do you not want kids?" she asks, a little hesitant.

"In the future? Sure, absolutely I'd love some kids," I answer. "We're still in high school though, and there's no need to rush. Thanks to my potions, we don't really have to worry about it either, we can guarantee a kid whenever we want."

"I suppose that's true," she says, calmer now. I guess she was afraid I wouldn't ever want kids. "We have a long time to figure that out."

"That's right," I tell her, kissing her again. "We can have kids whenever you want."

She nods and pulls me into a hug. We stay there silently for a bit, just enjoying the moment, before Momo sighs. "We should probably get going now."

"If we have to," I jokingly complain. "But you know, today is a Friday. And we're meeting up in the morning anyway. What do you say to you and the other girls coming over for another sleepover tonight?" I ask her. "We could spend some more quality time together. I have to welcome the representatives of the Church, but otherwise, I'm free all evening."

"Mmm, that does sound fun," Momo agrees with a flirtatious smile. "Would Kyu join us this time?"

"I think we can definitely convince her too," I say. "If you promise her a good time, she'll never say no."

"I'll be there," Momo promises. "You talk to Atsuko and Aika, and I'll tell Ruruko. But for now…" she trails off and unwraps her legs and arms from around me.

"Right, right," I say and I finally pull out of her, dick twitching at the sensations. Momo bites her lip as well, enjoying the feeling. All I wanted to do was to plunge straight back into her, but instead, I sigh and pull up my pants. Honestly, the chances of us being walked in on aren't that low, and that would be a pain in the ass.

Once we're presentable, we make our way back to the Student Council room, this time holding hands.

We enter the room to see the others hard at work. The two of us walk up to Sona, who is sitting at her desk, and Momo starts giving a report about how it went. I'm distracted by Asia though, who I spot in a corner with Tsubaki. Tsubaki is leaning over Asia's shoulder, pointing at a piece of paper the two of them are looking at and explaining something. The sight causes me to smile. I'm glad Asia is fitting in and learning.

"Thank you Momo, you did well," Sona says. "You can go ahead and get back to your other work. Axton, I'd like to talk to you for a second."

"Sure thing boss," I cheerfully reply as Momo heads back to her desk. She narrows her eyes at me a little but doesn't comment on me using the wrong title.

"First, good job with the sports club. Expect to be sent on more errands like that, with or without others. You apparently have a talent for it, so I'll make use of it while I can."

"That's fine with me," I reply. "Talking to people is easy."

"Second, I wanted to finalize some details about tomorrow," she continues.

"About our date?" I ask. "Don't worry, I've got it planned out."

She blushes, even as she keeps her face still. "I was more referring to the training. I was wondering what the details of your training plan are, in terms of where and when we should meet up."

I shrug. "We can meet up anywhere, whether that's at my place or your training hall area or any other place that's semi-private from the public eye. I'll pull us into the dungeon, we'll kick some ass, and then we pop back where we went in. I'll leave the location we enter from up to you. As it's easier for me to get somewhere than to get your entire group somewhere."

"We'll meet at the training hall then," Sona decides. "We have a change of clothes, a bath, training equipment, first aid, and a slew of other useful facilities there. I doubt we'll need more than the clothes and the bath, but it's still the more convenient location. What time were you thinking?"

"8am?" I offer. "That way we finish around noon, just in time for lunch."

Sona nods. "That is fine with me," she responds. "Thirdly, those representatives from the Church are arriving today, correct?"

"Their plane lands in about ninety minutes," I confirm. "My Head Maid will be picking them up and driving them to my place." I still find it funny that Sakuya knows how to drive a car, but Wilhelm doesn't. It makes sense, Wilhelm comes from a land of carriages drawn by dragon-like creatures, not automated machines powered by gas. Sakuya comes from…well, that's not entirely clear. Gensokyo, which I believe had a mix of technology and magic, but she also had a life before that.

"Did they happen to mention who they would be sending?" she asks.

I shake my head. "They didn't. From the way Michael was talking though, at least one of them will be an Excalibur wielder."

She sighs. "Right, because of the issue with that stray exorcist. He hasn't been seen since then. Aren't you worried about him arriving at the airport again? They say lightning never strikes twice, but this is a man we're talking about, not a force of nature."

"I hope he does," I say with a laugh. "If he tries anything at all, Sakuya will beat him within an inch of his life and tie him up like a pig before he can blink."

Sona raises an eyebrow in surprise. "Is your maid so capable? I haven't met her yet, but I seem to recall him getting away from you."

"Firstly, he only got away from me because he had a sword that made him invisible, another one that made him fast, and he threw his lackeys at Asia and forced me to focus on them rather than him," I defend myself. "All of which won't work on me again. Second, yes, absolutely she's that capable. I hate to admit it, but in a fight between the two of us, I wouldn't stand a chance."

I actually had asked Sakuya for a spar after that deal with Gasper. And no, I'm not immune to time stop. Not hers at least. She had no idea why I'd be partially immune to Gasper's either, not without her seeing it in action. Something I'll need to arrange soon.

"I'm surprised you have someone so powerful as a maid," Sona says, curiosity clear in her voice.

"As far as I know, she's always been a maid, and it's what she likes to do," I say. "And I got lucky that she was looking for a new employer when I contacted her."

"Hmm," is her only response to that. "Well, either way. Please do what you can to keep them out of trouble. If that exorcist or anyone else wielding the stolen Excalibur fragments appears, then they can take whatever action they see fit. But for everything else, I need them to let us handle it. Stray Devils, stray exorcists, whatever. Unless one of us explicitly asks them to help, I want them to stay out of it."

"I'm sure I can get them to agree to that," I agree. "Though, to clarify, when you say 'one of us'..."

"I mean me or Rias," Sona clarifies. "You're free to handle any situation that pops up, I trust your judgment and ability to handle those sorts of situations. But I'd ask that you confirm with one of us before you authorize them to do anything."

"Can do boss," I reply. "I don't think that'll be necessary though, not unless something dire pops up." Like Kokabiel.

She sighs. "That's my hope. Now, did you have anything for me?"

"Just two things," I say. "First, I talked with them, and I have the list of girls from Ravel's Peerage who wish to go to school, and what grades they would enter." I pull out a piece of paper with said information written on it and hand it over to her.

"Ah good," she says as she looks over the list. "Not as many of them as I feared. This many should be doable, though the one who wants to enter the College might be trickier. I'll have to contact some people. We're a little far into the semester for a normal entrance, she might have to wait."

I grimace. "We'll figure it out. I'll put her to work temporarily if need be."

Sona nods in agreement before pausing. "Ile and Nel are first-year high schoolers?"

"When not dressed up as children, you can tell that they're about Koneko's age," I say. "Still a little young looking for their age, but not overly so. And their wardrobe was something Riser was in control of, not them."

Sona closes her eyes. "I did not need to know that about Riser," she grouses.

"That was my reaction as well," I comment, amused. "But Ravel confirmed it, and they were good students before joining Riser."

"Very well, I'll make the necessary arrangements," Sona says. "And the other thing?"

"Our date," I say with a grin, causing her to grow still again as she controls her reactions. "If it's okay with you, the plan is to pick you up at 5:45 pm tomorrow, and I'll teleport us to what we'll be doing. The appropriate level of dress is nice, but not formal."

"I see," she says carefully. "That works fine with me. I look forward to seeing what you have in mind."

I grin. Her response taken at face value is very formal and not exactly romantic. But I can tell how she really feels, and how hard she's working to not be too embarrassed or excited. "It'll be a blast," I promise.

Sona turns away and looks at the clock. "Oh, would you look at the time," she says, changing the subject and speaking loud enough to address the whole room. "That's all we have time for today. Good work everyone, it's time to go home."

I hold back a laugh. Teasing Sona is a lot of fun. I'm going to miss it when she stops getting embarrassed. Then again, by that point, we should hopefully be doing things that are much more fun, so it'll be worth it.

I help Asia finish putting everything away, tell everyone else goodbye, and then teleport the two of us home. Momo and Ruruko will come by later, and I'll call Atsuko and Aika now to invite them over as well.

But before I can enjoy my time with them, I have one last piece of business to take care of. "Asia," I catch her attention. "Do you want to be there when I greet the people from the Church?"

She frowns, brow furrowing as she thinks. [Empathy] paints a clear picture of how conflicted she is. "Do you want me to be?" she asks.

"I'm fine with either option, it doesn't make a difference to me," I tell her. "It's you I'm concerned about. Because I know, either way, it matters to you."

She thinks on it more, biting her lip. But eventually, she shakes her head. "No, I don't want to. I'm- I'm not sure what they would say. I don't want to be the first thing they focus on. I'll talk to them later maybe, after they've settled in."

"Okay, that's fine," I say as I pull her into a hug. It's no surprise she's so nervous about meeting members from the Church after being so rudely excommunicated. "The other girls are coming over later. Why don't you go relax in the greenhouse a bit, get it set up and figure out how Mihae will be helping you, then afterward all of us can spend some time together, okay?"

She nods. "Okay," she says. She stands up on her tiptoes and kisses me before running off towards the greenhouse.

I watch her go and then sigh. I have just under two hours until they get here. I've been slacking on my training lately, so I may as well take this time to catch up on that. With a thought, I [Void Travel] down to the training room.

One quick phone call, and then it's time to finally figure out how Arc-Light works.

Arc-Light is a lot of fun to play with. Using only [Conjure Arc-Light] I can't really do much more than do a bad Sith Lord impression by firing streams of lightning in random directions. It's powerful stuff though, and it makes a high-pitched screech whenever I throw it around.

But it's when I add [Shape Arc-Light] that things get interesting. My control is still pretty rough, but I could feel it improving quickly as I leveled the skill. But I could will the Arc-Light to follow certain paths, and I could even make solid objects made of it. The first thing I tried making was a knife, but my control isn't fine enough to make something like that yet. Instead, I settled for lances of various sizes that I could summon and control. Similar to the ones I made with [Hemomancy] when fighting the Ender Dragon, but of a totally different elemental bend. And they had a tendency to break apart on contact with a solid object, the energy traveling along the surface until it dissipated.

I mostly focus on making different shapes for use in different scenarios. My current goal is to level it up enough so I could recreate the Bladedancer Hunter subclass from Destiny. A blade made of Arc-Light as I zip through enemies is exactly what I was aiming for when I chose this class.

I can't wait to hop in a dungeon and do some grinding to level up my class and unlock the next skill. My gut is telling me it'll upgrade my ability to use Arc-Light even further.

As for the resource pool...it's complicated. The skills seemed to mostly draw on my Mana, but they also drew a bit on my Soul. Or it felt like they did, but my Soul never really depleted. Figuring out exactly what's happening is going to take more time, and hopefully leveling up will help answer my questions.

Two hours pass quickly though, and [Void Detect] picks up Sakuya arriving with my new guests. I'm pleased to see that my guess on who they sent was right, though I didn't expect the third one.

I use [Clean Body] to wipe off the sweat and get rid of the smell of burnt clothes while I switch out the exercise clothes I was wearing for something casual. I'm not looking to impress the church so I don't need to dress up nice, but I'm not gonna greet some pretty girls in electricity burnt clothes.

I'm waiting for them in a small entrance hall near the garage. Sakuya is the first person through the door, but the person immediately after her is the surprise guest that I don't recognize. She's tall and looks to be somewhere in her late twenties or early thirties. She's also dressed up in a nun habit, and looks like your stereotypical nun, though a rather curvy one. [Observe] gives me a good clue about who she is though.

Griselda Quarta
Level: 529
Race: Human
HP: 14,000
MP: 13,660
SP: 13,800
CON: 700
STR: 690
DEX: 684
INT: 683
WIS: 691
CHA: 203
LUK: 122

She's one of the most powerful humans I've seen, stronger than even Wilhelm. Wilhelm is faster than her, but he specializes in DEX, whereas Griselda is amazingly balanced. The last name and the level are the biggest clues about why she's here, especially as the other two enter the room and I'm able to use [Observe] on them as well.

Xenovia Quarta
Level: 112
Race: Human
HP: 1,540
MP: 1,010
SP: 3,760
CON: 154
STR: 188
DEX: 125
INT: 101
WIS: 98
CHA: 107
LUK: 122

Irina Shidou
Level: 106
Race: Human
HP: 1,320
MP: 880
SP: 2,360
CON: 132
STR: 118
DEX: 178
INT: 88
WIS: 105
CHA: 104
LUK: 87

Xenovia and Irina I know. Xenovia looks roughly my age and has short blue hair with a single streak of green in her bangs. She's on the taller side, and she has an athletic build. Irina has two long twintails of orange hair and is on the smaller side. Both are wearing white cloaks that hide what they're wearing beneath them

I know them both as the teenage wielders of the Excalibur Fragments Destruction and Mimic respectively. Of course, Xenovia also wields Durandal, but that's not why she's here.

The two Excalibur Wielders I expected, or maybe more accurately I hoped for. They're both extremely cute, and if I can play my cards right, I can bag them both. It won't be easy though.

Judging from her last name and her level of strength, I guess Griselda is here as the chaperone and actual liaison from the church. She's likely the one with actual authority. Unless she also uses an Excalibur Fragment. I don't remember what the fate of Excalibur Blessing was.

"You must be the representatives from the Church sent by Michael," I greet them. "I am Axton. Welcome to my home."

First Impressions Perk Activated
+5 Affection with Griselda Quarta
+25 Affection with Xenovia Quarta
+10 Affection with Irina Shidou

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Griselda says with a polite smile. "I am Griselda Quarta, and these are my charges, Xenovia Quartet and Irina Shidou." Xenovia nods her head in greeting, face blank. Irina smiles and waves, but doesn't speak up.

"I'm sure you girls are pretty jet-lagged after your flight, so I won't keep you too long right now, But I'll be fairly busy over the weekend and I might not get a good chance to talk to you, and there are a couple important notes I need to go over with you sooner rather than later."

"By all means," she says. "We've had plenty of time to rest on the plane and in the car ride over, we're not in a rush to get to bed." Irina and Xenovia look like they're not totally in agreement with her, but they don't say anything.

"First, the potions that Michael ordered," I start. "They are ready for you at any time. Whenever it's convenient for you, simply ask Sakuya here, my Head Maid, or Wilhelm, who is my Head Butler, for them. Or ask any of the maids to ask one of them. You can also give the payment to them."

"We will take care of that first thing tomorrow morning," Griselda says. "Thank you for your punctuality and for making the process convenient."

Irina has a look on her face like she wants to say something, but her eyes dart to Griselda and she keeps her mouth shut. I feel like this would be going very differently if Griselda weren't here.

"It's the least I can do. Additionally, while you are staying here, feel free to ask any of the maids for anything at all that you need. If they can't accommodate you, they'll let me know, and I'll see what I can do." They nod.

"The last thing I need to go over are some rules," I say. "The most important of which is that I ask you to please not take any action against anyone that isn't the stray exorcist Freed Sellzen or is in some way connected to the stolen Excalibur Fragments. Those are fine, but anything else? Please let us handle it. The Sitri Heiress, the Gremory Heiress, and I are all able to handle whatever issues crop up."

"Don't underestimate us, we can handle ourselves as well," Irina speaks up.

"Irina," Griselda warns. "That is not why he is asking us to not get involved."

"Right," I confirm. "Michael implied he would be sending Excalibur Fragment wielders, so I know you girls are skilled. But it could get...messy, politically speaking, if you were to get involved in something that, speaking bluntly, isn't your business or responsibility."

"We understand," Griselda says, a warning hand on Irina's shoulders. "Is that all?"

"One last rule," I say. "You're likely aware of this already, but my goal is to maintain friendly relationships with all of the major factions," I explain. "This means I'm going to have a lot of guests, and among those guests might be people who you might not like very much. Do not antagonize them. My home is a neutral zone, and I expect all my guests to be treated politely at the very least. If you have any issues with someone, take them to me, and we will figure out a solution. Do not fight, antagonize, berate, or bother them. If someone does any of that to you, do not take action against them, instead, bring it to my attention, and I will handle it. If I am unavailable, I trust both Sakuya and Wilhelm to handle the situation in my absence, so they can be approached as well. This is something I insist on for all my guests." Though they're the only ones I've spelled it out for.

No, I don't trust the Church, what gave it away? Though in all seriousness, they're the group most likely to act out of a sense of righteousness and passion without thinking about the larger picture, seeking a misguided justice at the risk of a revival of the Great War.

Or at least, Xenovia and Irina are hotheaded enough to do something like that. Griselda seems to have a cooler head on her shoulders though, for which I'm grateful. Then again, my gut is telling me that she's going to be a barrier when it comes to seducing the younger girls. You win some, you lose some I suppose.

Irina opens her mouth to speak again, but Griselda tightens her grip on her shoulder and Irina's mouth snaps shut before she says anything. "That is perfectly acceptable," Griselda agrees. "We promise to not make any trouble and abide by those rules."

Xenovia is eyeing Griselda nervously, but she nods as well. "That's all I have for you," I say. "Sorry for taking your time, I'll let you rest now. Sakuya will lead you to the bedrooms, feel free to choose any of the empty ones. You can share a room, or each have your own room, it doesn't matter to me. I have plenty."

"Thank you very much for your hospitality," Griselda says. "Come on girls, let's go put down our luggage."

I watch them leave as Sakuya leads them towards the living quarters. I'm glad Xenovia and Irina are here, but Griselda is an unforeseen obstacle. Xenovia and Irina were never going to be easy to seduce, they're too devoted to the Church and God for that. But just learning that God is dead would be enough to get Xenovia to cut ties. Irina not so much, but she's also a pervert deep down, and I could have approached her by exploiting that angle.

Griselda is an unknown though, and my impression of her is that she's too smart and too cautious. And more annoyingly, she's too responsible. Altogether, she's going to realize what kind of guy I am. With a mansion full of my harem, one that will only grow, it's impossible to hide. There's a good chance that she's going to recognize that and interfere with any chances to make moves on the two girls.

Which is a problem, but at the end of the day, it's just that, a problem. Problems can be solved. The difficulty has increased, but that's fine. Nothing worth having comes easy, and it will be all the more satisfying when I do.

Besides, one possible solution is to just seduce Griselda first. Corrupt the nun, and the doors to the other two will be opened.

Speaking of which. I didn't notice it while training, but [Void Detect] reaches my bedroom from here, and there are a lot of people in there. I grin and [Void Travel] there, and I'm greeted by the smiling faces of six girls all dressed in sexy lingerie.

"I hope I didn't keep you girls waiting," I say as I strip off my shirt and approach them.

"You did, but it's fine," Aika teases. "You'll just have to make it up to us."

"Very well, if that's what I must do, then I will spend all night doing so if I must," I promise dramatically.

I join the girls on my bed, which is starting to feel a little crowded with this many people on it, and I'm instantly surrounded by eager and horny girls. I pull the closest one, Ruruko, into a kiss. I think it's time to break out [Link Sensations] and see how it does.

Irina Shidou sighed as she placed her bag down next to a wooden dresser. "Why do planes have to be so uncomfortable?" she complained as she took off her large white cloak, revealing the skin-tight black combat suit she wore underneath it, and the katana strapped to her hip. "We spent so long in those little seats, only to get off and get onto an even tinier plane and spend even longer on it."

"At least you could make Excalibur Mimic smaller," Xenovia pointed out as Irina unsheathed the katana at her hip. The blade rapidly shrunk down until it looked like a knife rather than a katana, which Irina placed on the bedside table. "I had to lug this around as a carry-on to make sure I had Destruction with me at all times," she continued, putting down a large guitar case on the bed across the room from Irina.

"I still can't believe they couldn't get you a better way to transport that," Irina commented as Xenovia popped open the case. "I mean, I know the Holy power of Excalibur Fragments doesn't play well with spatial warping, but what about Durandal? Couldn't they do the same thing for that?"

"I asked, and apparently they can't," Xenovia replied as she pulled a massive six-foot-long sword out of the too-small guitar case. She propped the simple iron blade up next to her bed and put the guitar case away. "That's a property of Durandal, not something the Church did."

"Ah," Irina replied. "That makes sense I guess. Too bad you can't just use that one."

"Yet," Xenovia said. "I'm still working on it."

"I know, I know," Irina replied. "So hey, what do you think of that Axton guy?"

Xenovia shrugged. "He seems fine, I guess. It's a little creepy that I can't tell how strong he is, but don't you think that means he's probably really strong? I mean, that maid was, so he should be pretty strong too, right? I wonder if he's any good with a sword…" Xenovia trailed off, lost in thought.

Irina sighed. "That's not what I meant," she said. "I mean, did you hear the way he spoke? No honorifics or titles for either Sister Griselda or Lord Michael. And he has the gall to demand payment for his little potions, instead of just donating them to Heaven like he should."

"I guess," Xenovia replied, unsure. "It's not like he's hurting for money. I mean, just look at this place." Xenovia ran a hand over the sheets of the bed. "I don't think I've ever been to a place this nice."

"Neither have I," Irina admitted as she picked up a pillow and squeezed it. "I think this pillow is filled with feathers."

"Maybe this won't be so bad after all," Xenovia commented.

Irina turned to look at the other girl. "Don't get tempted by the material wealth," Irina warned her. But then her expression softened. "Though it is nice to be back home. I wonder how my old friend is doing. I should try to find her."

"You know where she used to live, right?" Xenovia asked. "We can stop by during a patrol or something."

Irina nodded and opened her mouth to reply when both girls heard something faint that caught their attention. They both stopped moving and fell quiet, trying to figure out what the sound was.

After a few moments, and as the sound grew more clear, it was Irina who figured it out first, causing her face to turn red. "No way…" she breathed.

"What? What is it?" Xenovia asked, still trying to figure the sound.

"That's- those- those are girls!" Irina stammered. "Girls are making that sort of noise!"

It took a moment for it to click with Xenovia, but her eyes widened as she realized that the sound they were hearing were the voices of multiple girls crying out loudly in pleasure.

"Oh," Xenovia said, unsure of how to handle this sort of situation. "Do- do you think that it's Axton causing them to make that noise?"

"It has to be, right?" Irina replied, hands over her ears. "No wonder he demands payment, he's a sinner of the highest order." She then launched into a prayer, asking the Lord to forgive her for entering a den of debauchery.

Xenovia simply reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of earplugs. She had originally packed them to block Irina's snoring, but they'd work for this as well.

-x-

"You've barely even talked to him," Ravel said to Yubelluna. "Don't you think you should give him a chance before judging him?"

"No, I don't," Yubelluna shot back. "I've seen enough of him. And it doesn't matter. I became a Devil because Riser asked me, and that's all I care about."

"I understand that you liked my brother, but I feel like, if you gave Axton a shot-" Ravel started, but Yubelluna cut her off.

"Just because you want to get in his pants doesn't mean we all do."

Ravel frowned. "That's not-"

"Isn't it?" Yubelluna pressed.

"I do," Ni added.

"Same," Li agreed.

Ravel and Yubelluan looked over to where the two Nekomata were sitting across from each other playing a card game with each other. Ni and Li looked up as the other two girls stared at them. ""What?"" they asked in unison.

"I thought you two liked Riser," Yubelluna said as she glared at them. "But you've switched sides already it seems."

Ni shrugged as she turned her attention back to the card game. "Sure, Riser was fun. But Axton is better."

"He's a catboy for one, and that's pretty hot," Li said as she placed a card on the pile between the two of them.

"You'd move on just like that?" Yubelluna replied, anger in her voice. "Just because he has cat ears?"

"Not just that, no," Ni replied casually. She placed another card onto the pile and immediately both girls put down their decks and started playing Rock Paper Scissors. Ni groaned in defeat as her sister beat her, and the two girls switched their cards.

"So what else is so great about him?" Yubelluna asked, annoyed.

Li opened her mouth to answer, but then stopped. Both her and her sister's ears twitched, and they both glanced at the door. A grin grew on their faces. "What perfect timing," Li comments.

"What do you-" Yubelluna starts, but both Nekomata held a finger to their lips and shushed her.

In the silence that followed, all four of them heard it. The muffled sound of what was obviously girls moaning in delight. It sounded like someone in the next room had multiple porn videos playing at the same time, but they all realized what was really happening. Yubelluna's eyes widened slightly as she realized what she was hearing, but Ravel just nodded.

"When was the last time Riser made any of us moan like that?" Ni said as if that settled the argument.

"Much less...what, five? Six? All at the same time?" Li said as she turned her attention back to the game she was playing with her sister.

"That's- that's beside the point!" Yubelluna argued, but there was less confidence in her tone than before. "What does that have to do with anything?"

The Nekomatas shrugged. "We know what we like," Ni said.

"And we like Axton more than Riser," Li followed up.

"Look Yubelluna," Ravel said, jumping back into the conversation. "No one's saying you have to suddenly like Axton. I'm just asking you to give him a shot, and not hate him just because he's not Riser. If you never grow to like him, I'll eventually trade you back to Axton. I'd hate to see someone as talented as you leave, but I won't keep you here."

"I- I'll think about it," Yubelluna replied, off-balance. "Now, I'm going to my room, where hopefully I can't hear that." She quickly stood up and strode out of the room.

"I wouldn't mind if I could hear it from our room," Li commented.

"I think her room is closer to his than ours is though," Ni pointed out. The two girls giggled to themselves. Ravel smiled at them, glad that at least some of her Peerage members were happy with the change.

-x-

Siris sat on her bed, curled up with a book. The room was dark except for a single bedside lamp that provided the light she needed to read. Her long blue hair was down, and she was dressed in a thin and loose top and small athletic shorts as sleepwear.

She bit her lip as she turned a page, and one of her hands made its way down to between her legs. She gently touched herself as she read her book. This book in particular was a favorite of hers, and the pages were worn from how many times she had read it. It was also the one she put the most effort into hiding, not wanting anyone to know the kind of literature she preferred.

Just as she was approaching the steamiest part of the book, she realized she could hear a noise. She looked up from her book, brow furrowing as she concentrated on figuring out what the noise was.

It doesn't take her long to identify what can only be described as a chorus of ecstasy. The moans of several girls overlapping as they echoed through the halls and through her door. And figuring out the source of it was even quicker, as there was only one person who could possibly be responsible for that.

For her new employer to openly act with such debauchery...Her breathing grew heavier, and her hand slipped underneath the elastic band of her shorts and panties as she started touching herself directly.

This was the man in charge of her. She'd basically be his secretary. Book forgotten and discarded to the side, she bit the knuckle of her other hand to keep herself from making any noise as she masturbated. The two of them would be alone, and she could only imagine the lewd things he'd make her do.

And imagine them she did as she listened to the sound of Axton's handiwork.

+18 Affection with Siris

-Bonus Scene-

Hibiki grumbled as she glared at her phone as if it had betrayed her. It had, in fact, done exactly that. She knew she had taken pictures of the UFO in her neighbor's backyard. She did it explicitly so she knew she wasn't crazy.

But her phone disagreed. When she had gone to put them on her computer so she could try to discreetly ask around if anyone knew what it was, she noticed that the pictures were empty. Not completely empty, it still showed the grounds of the mansion. But no spaceship, no boy, no naked flying fairy-looking girl. Just the walls and some grass.

They were the same on her phone. But Hibiki was still sure she wasn't crazy. Because while at some point the UFO disappeared without her noticing, there was still a visible mark on the grass where it was torn up from where it was. But when she took pictures of that, it didn't show up either.

She could see it clearly. She could even point her phone at it and clearly see it through the phone's camera. Hell, she could record a video and see it.

But as soon as she took a photo or stopped recording, there was no sign of it. She had even gone so far as to try streaming it to an online friend of hers, but they said they couldn't see anything on their end. The breaking point had been when she had taken out an old polaroid camera, the kind that printed out a physical picture right after you took it, it hadn't appeared in that either.

She was sure she wasn't crazy...but maybe not 100% sure. She had tried searching online for technology and ways to automatically filter out that sort of stuff, but all the information she found was either about extremely specialized software that had to be used very precisely, or nutso conspiracy theory sites. Aliens, devils, leprechauns- these sites had all sorts of explanations for secret hidden worlds and plots. They were easy to dismiss at first, but she didn't like how much sense they were starting to make. At least, compared to all the other possible answers.

She wasn't going to give up that easily though. Whenever she wasn't drawing or otherwise busy, she was on her balcony, spy- watching him for anything suspicious.

On the grounds, she rarely saw anything happen. There was a butler and a maid that would sometimes walk across the grounds, either heading to one of the other buildings on the property or walking around and inspecting the walls surrounding the estate. And she had seen a blonde girl wearing the uniform of the local high school go into the greenhouse once. But there wasn't much traffic on the grounds.

That doesn't mean she had nothing to watch though. At the back of the mansion was a balcony and a massive set of windows. They were the same windows where she had seen the girl fly out of that one time. And, as she quickly discovered, they were the windows to the Master Bedroom.

With a zoom on her camera, or with a pair of binoculars, she had an extremely good view of the interior of the Master Bedroom. And she was able to confirm that it was definitely her old neighbor who had moved in, because he had at least two girls in his bed every night, and they would exhaust themselves before sleeping each night, naked and covered in bodily fluids.

She'd actually drawn quite a few pieces inspired by what she saw. She wished she could hear it, but seeing it wasn't bad either, and using their naked sleeping forms as a reference was convenient.

One of the girls that were there every night was the blonde one she had seen going into the greenhouse, and the other was the fairy she had seen before. And she was definitely something, because she could fly, had fairy wings, and she could change size, shrinking to more of a pixie size or any size in between. Hibiki had been introduced to a few new fetishes just by watching her.

None of that was particularly helpful in finding information on him, even if it was entertaining and excellent material for her art. She glanced outside at them now, but it was a Friday afternoon and school was still in session.

She sighed and turned back to her computer. Displayed was the landing page for a local pet shelter. She had been trying to find a kitten to adopt since that was the entire motivation behind her moving here in the first place, but weirdly, none of the local shelters had kittens.

It was as she was scrolling through a list of local pet shelters that she heard a knock at her door, causing her to tense. She slowly and silently crept up to her front door and peeked through the eyehole...but nothing was there.

She put her ear up against the door, listening to the other side of it. She could hear her other neighbors because of how the sound traveled through the walls, but she couldn't hear anything on the other side of the door.

She was tempted to dismiss it as her mishearing, but it was also possible that someone had dropped off a package without sticking around to get her to sign for it. She hadn't ordered anything, but it wasn't unusual for her parents to send her little care packages.

Making sure the deadbolt was still on her door, she opened it slightly and peeked outside. Sure enough, there was a box in front of her door. But not at all the kind she expected. For one, the box was open, and inside was a blanket. And inside that blanket, barely visible, was a clump of ginger fur.

The clump moved, revealing itself to be a small kitten that let out a high-pitched squeak. Eyes wide, Hibiki quickly closed the door, undid the deadbolt, opened the door again, grabbed the box, and brought it inside before closing and locking the door behind her again.

Fully awake now, the kitten started moving around in the box, squeaking repeatedly, though its lungs weren't developed enough to make much noise yet.

Hibiki, mind reeling and trying to figure what was going on, noticed that there were other things in the box as well. She gently lifted the kitten out of the box and placed it on her kitchen table. It immediately started walking around and exploring, sniffing at everything. While it did, Hibiki turned her attention back to the box.

The first thing she found was a scrap of paper. She pulled it out and discovered that there was writing on it. The handwriting wasn't very good and looked like a young child had written it, but it was still legible. "Please take care of her," it said.

"So you're a 'her', huh?" Hibiki muttered, looking at the kitten, who ignored her and kept sniffing around, nervously looking over the edge of the table. Hibiki gently pushed her away from the edge, causing the kitten to squeak in protest.

Pulling out the blanket revealed a few things hidden under it. A stack of money, about fifty thousand yen, a bottle of milk that was still warm, a simple black leather collar, and a few pamphlets for local vets.

"Is this all to take care of you?" Hibiki wondered out loud. "This is a lot of work just to leave you on my doorstep. Even included a lot of money. I guess for the vet? But what if I just took the money and left you?"

The kitten, of course, didn't respond, and just continued to slowly plod around the table.

Hibiki sighed. Well, she did want a kitten. And having one dropped literally at her doorstep was convenient, even if it was weird and suspicious. But that was just her life recently, and she didn't have the energy to care.

She picked up the kitten and held it to her chest, causing it to squeak again. "What am I going to name you, huh?" she asked the kitten.

Unseen by her, a small gray from peeked in from her window. Seeing that she had made a good choice, Yua left, satisfied that another kitten had found a good home.

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Axton's Character Sheet: tinyurl com / axton-cs

Find me on Discord, either directly(shifty-sword#6508) or on the Shiro Gaming Omniverse server(discord .gg/wd3tUYWVCd), where I'm glad to answer questions or just talk about things.

AN: I swear that him hitting 69 Affection with girls so often is legit a coincidence. I didn't realize that Ravel was going to do so until I had made the plan and saw how the numbers worked out. Honestly, the luck that Axton has is insane, even from my perspective. His rolls always come out favorably and the numbers work out in his favor. I'm starting to feel like that player in a D&D game that always rolls super well and no matter how much I swear I'm not cheating it's starting to look pretty suspicious.

Ravel's finally here and you have no idea how hard it was not to include some lewds with her. In fact, this chapter was delayed a couple days because I wanted it so bad, I ended up writing a scene from a near-future chapter(probably next chapter) featuring lewds of her. On the bright side, it means that that future chapter will be out a little sooner.

The timeline for Vali is actually super weird. He explicitly doesn't defect from Azazel until after the Kokabiel stuff, actually receiving the offer while he had Kokabiel in custody and was bringing him to wherever. But in between that time and his appearance as part of the Khaos Brigade at the end of the next volume, he apparently formed a team with Kuroka and Bikou and they seem pretty close already, implying that they've been working together for a significant time. Then again, Bikou being part of the Khaos Brigade seemed like a surprise early on as well, so perhaps they knew each other before then? Whereas for Kuroka, there just isn't really any info on what she was up to between her killing her King and her being on the Vali Team. So I've had to make up some stuff to fill in the gaps.

I'm aware I've introduced a lot of characters within the past couple of chapters. Thankfully, I believe that's most of them, and I'm definitely going to be taking my time to explore them and work them into things. Due to the pacing of the rest of the arc though, it was necessary to get them all introduced sooner rather than later. There's going to be a lot of parallel development since I can't just focus on a character for a chapter and consider it done.

I admit, most members of Ravel's Peerage won't get much of a focus. But it's important to me that they all get at least a little fleshed out and not just remain cardboard cutouts that make no impression. And I figured that was my best chance to use The Heart a bit more since he doesn't get to use it often. Though the downside of the Heart is that it's terribly bleak and rarely has a good thing to say. Still, I like coming up with lines for it.

Also, if you have a suggestion for what to name Hibiki's new kitten, drop them in a comment! If someone suggests one I like, I'll use it.