Chapter 285: Familiar Slots
The next moment, as if realizing she was being too forward, Ravel blushed, turned her head away and explained softly: "I was always going to become your Familiar anyway. Since you've already given me the Queen Class, of course I need to secure it quickly. What if you change your mind..."
Although tsunderes might be considered outdated nowadays, Haruto still found the golden-haired twin-tailed young lady somewhat adorable when she acted like this.
The contract process went smoothly. As a pure-blooded devil, Ravel didn't require any so-called reincarnation.
Watching Ravel standing eagerly by his side, Haruto smiled faintly.
Since he had decided to form his own Familiar team, he wouldn't handle it carelessly.
Giving the Queen Piece to Ravel wasn't a random decision either.
As the legitimate daughter of the Phenex family, Ravel's potential was undeniable. However, being still young and having been idling under Riser's name without drawing attention, she hadn't fully showcased her abilities.
With Haruto's guidance and her innate talent perfectly suited for Rating Games, Ravel's debut would undoubtedly astonish many.
The 'Undead Queen' would become the third Queen among the younger generation to earn a title, alongside the Thunder Witch and the Bomb Queen.
She might even have hope of succeeding Grayfia's title as the strongest Queen.
But more important than future prospects was that Ravel, as Queen, could now fully manifest the Phenex family's extraordinary Phoenix Rebirth talent.
The Queen position symbolically represented the wife's role. By accepting this position, the proud yet shy golden-haired twin-tailed young lady now had an excuse to accept Haruto.
However, Haruto decided to wait for a while.
Ravel was only sixteen and hadn't trained seriously before. Despite her excellent innate talent, she was currently only at peak A-rank, not yet reaching the S-rank strength of so-called High-Class Devils.
Breaking through this barrier would pose no difficulty for her. Haruto planned to wait until after her breakthrough to make his move, maximizing the effects of their first dual cultivation.
Of course, besides this, the main reason was that he didn't have time these days.
Due to the Katerea incident, he had spent nearly ten days confined in a dark room. After receiving the Evil Pieces, he still needed to properly comfort the various young ladies.
...
After school in the afternoon, Yuuma and others learned about the Evil Pieces and Ravel becoming Haruto's Queen.
"Yuuma, if you want to go to Haruto's side, just go. Don't overthink it," Rias said, smiling at the hesitant trio of fallen angels before her. "Though that would mean you're voluntarily moving down in the lineage hierarchy."
The so-called lineage was similar to a human family tree.
Rias was the King, not anyone else's Familiar, making her the origin of this lineage.
Below her were Haruto and other Familiars.
After obtaining Evil Pieces, Haruto also gained King status, and the Familiars he recruited would naturally rank below him.
If visualized, Rias would be in the first column, with Haruto and Akeno in the second.
The Familiars Haruto recruited, like Ravel, would be in the third column.
However, the lineage didn't represent actual status and held no practical significance. Even moving from the second to the third column would have no real impact on Yuuma and the other two.
Rias deliberately mentioned this to lighten the atmosphere.
Yuuma and the other two indeed wanted to go to Haruto's side. Although Rias treated them very well, they always felt something was missing.
But since Haruto never brought it up, they found it too awkward to mention it themselves.
While it wouldn't affect them much, it would create significant trouble for Rias.
Having eight Pawn Pieces resign simultaneously meant replenishing them wouldn't be something Rias could accomplish overnight.
This wouldn't be an issue if no Rating Games were held during this period, but if one occurred, losing nearly half their combat strength would be problematic.
Rias could see what they were thinking. In her view, as long as Haruto was present, no one in their generation could possibly defeat her in a Rating Game.
Yuuma and the other two exchanged glances. Though they felt somewhat guilty toward Rias, they ultimately still wanted to be by Haruto's side.
When Haruto learned about this through the soul network that evening while lying in the embrace of the Takamine mother and daughters, he was completely stunned.
Why would they specifically want to transfer under my command? Besides the nominal difference, wouldn't this have zero impact on their current relationships and daily lives?
He didn't understand, but he was profoundly shocked.
Fortunately, Yuuma and the others hadn't formally resigned yet, otherwise it would have been too late for him to stop it.
Since both Yuuma and Rias were connected to the soul network, Haruto immediately created a group chat to address the matter.
He even lost interest in cooperating with Sakura, the Takamine Sisters, and other heroines who were constantly clinging to him and seeking intimacy, simply lying still and letting them take the initiative.
Whoever managed to claim the sole dragon would be lucky, while the others could only comfort each other or rub against Haruto to slightly relieve their frustration.
Haruto: "Rias, Yuuma, I've already made arrangements for the Evil Pieces on my side. Let's not make unnecessary changes."
Rias: "Oh? Is that so? I don't really mind, I was just going along with Yuuma."
Rias: "As long as you and Yuuma reach an agreement."
Ding. Rias left the group chat.
Having stated her position, Rias immediately left - she truly didn't care.
Pieces could be replaced after resignation, it would just take some time to recreate them.
Yuuma: "..."
Yuuma: "You scumbag!"
Yuuma was somewhat angry, feeling that Haruto didn't care about them anymore.
Haruto could have many women, but he couldn't not care about them - that was the bottom line.
Women's thoughts are strange, but female demons' thoughts are even stranger.
Haruto could only explain helplessly: "Aren't you going to sign Soul Contracts? Why bother about a Familiar position? All this trouble will only create distance between you and Rias's group without any benefit."
The soul network fell silent until Haruto couldn't help but call out to Yuuma, when the fallen angel's hesitant voice finally spoke again.
"Sorry... I forgot about the Soul Contract matter."
Now it was Haruto's turn to be speechless.
"Alright, and I really have plans regarding the Pieces already. Let's leave it at that. Remember to explain this to Mittelt and Warna."
After ending the soul network conversation, Haruto turned to look at the bright moon outside the window. He decided to form contracts with Mittelt and Warna during the next full moon to stop them from overthinking.
"Haruto-sama~"
With a seductive call, the silvery moonlight was blocked by snow-white, rosy flesh as Natsuha Shinomiya's lewd body was fully exposed before Haruto's eyes.
Grabbing the beautiful girl's shapely, slender black silk-clad leg, Haruto pulled her directly before him and extended his tongue toward her moist, rosy valley.
"Ah... Mm—"
After a brief cry, the girl let out a contented moan, her lovely eyes completely overtaken by pink hearts.
Seeing this, Akane, who was straddling the dragon facing away from Haruto, refused to be outdone and began twisting her plump, snow-white bottom with even more vigor.
With each rise and fall, she swallowed at least half of the dragon's head into her palace.
If not for the overwhelming stimulation of taking it all in, which would prevent her from continuing to move up and down, she would have seated herself fully every time.
Enjoying the warm, moist sensations washing over his entire body, Haruto finally felt his interest stir.
The aftereffects of his secluded dual cultivation with Katerea—which had left him detached and dispassionate—finally vanished completely.
While dual cultivation with the heroines no longer offered him any real improvement, the atmosphere of these orgies always thrilled him intensely.
Especially since the heroines were exceptionally lewd and alluring in their lovemaking, allowing Haruto to experience unique pleasures and satisfaction each time.
The next day.
Haruto summoned the Naruse sisters to the Divine Research Club and explained the matter of the Evil Pieces.
"Mio, and Maria too, I want you both to become my Familiars."
Faced with Haruto's invitation, the Succubus Loli maintained her usual stance—she would follow whatever her dear Mio-sama decided.
Mio hesitated for a moment, but this time she didn't refuse. Still, she followed her usual routine with a bit of tsundere pride.
"I'm only agreeing because you seem short-handed. Don't expect me to call you Master."
Haruto simply smiled faintly and teased, "If you'd like, I can call you Mio-sama, just like Maria does."
Mio's face flushed bright red, and she lifted her small, round-toed leather shoe to stomp on Haruto.
After some playful banter, Haruto took out the chess pieces in his hand and let them choose their preferred classes.
The red-haired, twin-tailed, busty beauty carefully examined them, her delicate brows slightly furrowed.
"Haruto, where's the Queen?"
Haruto blinked. "The Queen has already been taken by Ravel."
The girl's exquisitely cute cheeks gradually puffed up, and even her gaze toward Haruto turned unfriendly.
"So we weren't the first after all. It seems you're not that short on people."