Leo had known for a long time that Ajuka Beelzebub had been quietly keeping an eye on him.
There was no helping it. His Servant Conversion trait needed an external medium to function, and Evil Pieces just happened to be the perfect medium for it. Given that Ajuka Beelzebub was the developer of Evil Pieces, it would've been strange if he wasn't paying attention to Leo.
On the day Leo received Evil Pieces and awakened his mutated trait, he was summoned by Ajuka Beelzebub for that very reason. Come to think of it, Ajuka had been the first person to learn about the existence of Leo's Servant Conversion trait—and about what made his Evil Pieces different from the rest.
That day, Leo chose to tell Ajuka everything, trading full disclosure for the Underworld's attention, resources, and support.
Thanks to that, Leo went from being a complete nobody to becoming a key figure under close watch in the devil world, and a large part of that was due to the current Maou, Beelzebub, working behind the scenes.
Without a Maou backing him, Leo had no doubt that when Yukino—a Longinus holder—was exposed within his territory, other devils might not have dared to make a move openly due to the rules, but they definitely would've tried shady methods behind the scenes to steal away his intended servant.
In this world, background and influence mattered just as much as strength.
At a stage where his power was still insufficient, having a Maou supporting him was undeniably a good thing.
That might also be why the Old Maou Faction had set their sights on him, viewing him as one of Ajuka Beelzebub's people. But at the same time, it was precisely because of Ajuka's presence that Tiamat, the Chaos Karma Dragon, had valued Leo more highly in the Familiar Forest. Seeing his potential, she gave him the chance to obtain a servant that truly suited him.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse depended on how one looked at it.
Still, Leo hadn't expected Maou Beelzebub to specifically have Sirzechs come and warn him.
"You should be well aware of the situation you're in now, right?" Sirzechs said when he noticed Leo deep in thought.
"I more or less get it," Leo nodded. "Rias and Sona have talked to me about it too. I've probably already caught the attention of the Church, the fallen angels, and even Heaven."
He didn't mention whether anyone in the devil world itself might also be watching him. That would've been a bit too sensitive to say in front of the strongest Maou.
But Sirzechs clearly understood it anyway.
"After the news reached the Underworld, the higher-ups took this very seriously and made a few suggestions," Sirzechs said calmly. "I figured you wouldn't accept them, so I rejected them on your behalf."
Sirzechs didn't explain further, but Leo understood perfectly.
Some people had probably tried to abuse their authority, hoping to gain something from him, only to be stopped by Sirzechs or Ajuka.
"As far as devils are concerned, we're keeping an eye on things for you," Sirzechs said, his expression growing more serious. "At the very least, they won't dare act openly. But when it comes to Heaven and the fallen angels, even if we step in, we can't guarantee we'll block all malicious intent."
"Zenith Tempest, Incinerate Anthem, and Absolute Demise… three Longinus gathered around a newly awakened devil. No matter how you look at it, that's bound to draw attention."
"Especially from the fallen angels. That governor who founded Grigori is obsessed with the Sacred Gear system created by God. It's said he's cultivated quite a few powerful Sacred Gear users under him, including multiple Longinus holders."
"You showing up will definitely pique that fallen angel governor's interest."
Leo had already known all this, but hearing the warning directly from the strongest Maou still weighed heavily on him.
That fallen angel governor held a pivotal position even in the original story, and Leo knew him fairly well. He'd thought he had enough leeway to deal with it, but now he felt he shouldn't be so blindly confident.
That man wasn't just forward-thinking and extraordinarily capable—he was also the most knowledgeable being in this world when it came to Sacred Gears, a fanatic researcher. And at the same time, he was the governor of the fallen angels, a highest-ranking twelve-winged fallen angel.
His strength rivaled a Maou's, and if he used the fruits of his long research, he could even contend with Maou-Class beings. He was absolutely not someone Leo could face right now.
What if that man truly harbored ill intent?
What if he decided to use force instead of talking things through?
The thought filled him with an unprecedented sense of urgency.
He really hadn't taken this seriously enough before.
"What do you think I should do?" Leo asked, lifting his gaze to meet Sirzechs's, sincerely seeking advice.
"The best option would naturally be returning to the Underworld," Sirzechs said after some thought. "That way, even if someone wants to make a move against you, they'd have to think twice. But that would also put you in a more passive position, and the Underworld isn't exactly free of people eyeing you either."
"So, I can give you two choices."
Leo straightened up and listened carefully.
"First, you can stay in the human world. I'll give you a direct way to contact all four of us. That way, if you ever run into danger, you can call for help immediately."
"But this option isn't without risk," Sirzechs continued. "Communications can be cut off, and it still takes us some time to reach you. We can't guarantee instant support."
Having the Four Great Maou as personal bodyguards sounded incredibly reassuring.
But just as Sirzechs said, it wasn't foolproof. If someone planned ahead, they could easily counter it and leave Leo without rescue.
On top of that, entrusting his life entirely to others didn't really suit Leo's personality.
So he silently ruled out the first option.
If that was off the table, what else could he do?
Did he really have to leave the human world and return to the Underworld?
"Then… what's the second option?" Leo asked, frowning slightly.
"I figured you'd want to keep staying in the human world," Sirzechs said with a knowing smile. "So the second option is that you stay—but we send people to protect you."
"Serafall's Knight piece is already over there with you, right?"
"How about we send a few more people? They'll protect you and guide you at the same time."
Leo was stunned.
"That's… allowed?"
He didn't hide how tempted he was.
It was still protection, sure—but having strong figures nearby who could actively guide him and the others was far more appealing.
If he became strong enough, all dangers would naturally disappear.
"Why wouldn't it be?" Sirzechs chuckled. "You're all kids with tremendous potential. You could very well become pillars of the Underworld in the future. We just hope you grow as quickly as possible."
To Sirzechs and the others, Leo and his group were nothing but pleasant surprises.
Three Longinus holders appearing among devils at once—if they all matured properly, the devil world would only become stronger and more stable.
Especially Leo. The Longinus he possessed ranked second in the world. If it was fully developed, even in the worst case he wouldn't be much weaker than them. And that was without even factoring in his absurd trait that let him grow stronger simply by recruiting talented servants.
Because of that trait, Sirzechs and the others had already begun considering whether to send promising talents from the devil world to the Eligos House to become Leo's servants.
That way, Leo's strength would increase, and he'd also form strong ties with existing powers in the devil world—mutual benefit for everyone.
Because of this idea, even some pureblood devil families had started feeling tempted.
Recruiting three Longinus holders in one go?
If they could send their children to the Eligos House as Leo's servants, wouldn't that essentially turn the Eligos servants into their own people?
Going even further—if they could arrange a marriage alliance with the Eligos House, wouldn't that secure this immense potential completely?
Thinking that far, even those who originally had no intention of using underhanded methods to obtain the three powerful Longinus holders found themselves shamefully tempted.
It was said that this matter even reached the ears of the head of the Sitri House, throwing that worried father into a panic.
Because of that, this whole incident might not be entirely bad for Leo.
The only question was how Sona would feel about it.
She was probably anxious too.
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
Sirzechs found the whole thing amusing the more he thought about it—but when it came to his own sister's future, he couldn't help but feel conflicted again.
"Should I go persuade Father to choose a different son-in-law?" he thought to himself.
"That'll be a big help," Leo said, unaware of the dangerous idea forming in Sirzechs's mind, though he did feel the Maou's gaze on him suddenly become… strange.
"Don't worry," Sirzechs said after giving Leo a long look, smiling faintly. "I'll make sure everything is arranged for you."
Originally, Sirzechs had planned to send some of his other servants over as Leo's guards and instructors.
But now, he was thinking of changing the candidate.
If they were choosing "family," then it made sense to send actual family over.
"Hopefully the head of the Sitri House won't blame me," Sirzechs muttered to himself.
With that, he left the space together with Leo.
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