Hotel Okura is an internationally renowned hotel brand with a branch in Chiba City. It boasts a large number of rooms and complete facilities, making it one of the preferred hotels for business travelers.
The meeting place for Leo and the Yuuki Family was arranged here, in a luxurious suite on the top floor.
When Leo arrived with a somewhat nervous Yuuki Asuna, he not only saw Yuuki Asuna's parents, but also her older brother who had brought her to Chiba.
The three of them looked at Leo as he walked in, their expressions very serious.
They still didn't know what had happened, or who this boy was, who looked to be the same age as their daughter.
Initially, when Yuuki Asuna went missing, they thought she had met with some accident. When the wealthy families in Chiba Prefecture suddenly contacted them, claiming someone wanted to talk to them about Yuuki Asuna, they even thought these people wanted to use their daughter to blackmail them and achieve some goal.
Don't think it's impossible; the business world is like a battlefield. Modern tycoons often refer not to kings and generals, but to those capital magnates who thrive in the business world.
Sometimes, to achieve their goals, they will use any means. Some even started out in the underworld before becoming successful, and even now, they thrive in both legitimate and illegitimate circles. How could they always remain law-abiding?
The Yuuki Family has a large enterprise, and they have encountered similar situations over the years of their growth, so they had every reason to suspect they had run into such a situation.
However, when they mobilized their own resources to investigate the situation here, they discovered something was amiss.
The biggest anomaly was that these wealthy families who contacted them were not trying to talk to them for their own sake.
These people were merely acting on behalf of a young man, entrusted by him, providing convenience as intermediaries.
And this young man, no matter how much they investigated, they could only find that he was a somewhat prominent third-year high school student at Sobu High School. As for his family background, ancestral origins, or parents' names, they couldn't find anything. Even if they found something, it was fake information that made them suspect it had been tampered with.
Yet, this young man owned a mansion in the heart of Chiba City that was even more luxurious than their own, and he could command so many local wealthy families in Chiba. There were even politicians who, for his sake, specifically called them to issue a warning... This made the Yuuki Family suddenly realize that they might have encountered something extraordinary this time.
They had to take it seriously!
Thus, the entire family was mobilized to attend this meeting.
Leo was also straightforward, immediately having Yuuki Asuna reveal her Devil wings, which instantly stunned the three originally serious individuals.
Leo, however, gave the three no chance to react and went straight to the point.
"Don't be surprised yet. Once you've accepted these memories, we can have a proper discussion."
Saying this, Leo unfolded a Magic Circle, encompassing the three members of the Yuuki Family within it, and infused them with the necessary memories.
These memories involved the existence of Devils, common knowledge of the Underworld, Yuuki Asuna's experiences, and her current situation, among other things. Now, all these were poured into the three members of the Yuuki Family at once, making their brains instantly dizzy.
This was something Leo had specifically dug out of the books in his study just today. It was a magical formula involving memory, which could be used to infuse a certain amount of knowledge into others, saving unnecessary explanations.
Because it seemed he had been explaining this and that these past few days, sometimes to his Retainers, sometimes to the Retainers' families, Leo was getting tired of talking. Hence, he specifically sought out this magic, so he wouldn't have to patiently explain in similar situations in the future.
This not only saved time on explanations but also increased the credibility of his words, killing two birds with one stone.
Therefore, Leo immediately learned this magic and applied it directly here.
After the three members of the Yuuki Family recovered from their dazed state, Leo, ignoring their uncertainty and astonishment, swiftly pulled out a document.
"You probably understand the situation now, so take a look at this," Leo smiled at the three and said, "These are the benefits Asuna can receive after becoming my Retainer, including but not limited to lifelong consumption coverage, management and ownership rights over a territory in the Underworld, at least three trips per year, and the handling of various secular world documents and identities. These conditions are far superior to the life plan you arranged for her."
"Of course, your Yuuki Family will also receive corresponding benefits. Although the Tokyo area is not my territory and my influence doesn't reach there, if necessary, I am not unable to ask the people behind me to act and provide some assistance to your Yuuki Family."
"As for yourselves, whether you want to extend your lifespan or ensure a life free of illness and pain, I have the ability to resolve it for you."
"Take a good look, but please don't misunderstand, this is not about selling your daughter."
"After all... your daughter is already mine. Even if you object, it's ineffective. So, this is just a personal favor I grant to the family members of my Retainers. In other words, everything depends solely on my personal will. If I'm willing to give, you get it; if I'm not willing, you don't. That's all."
Leo's attitude this time was much more assertive than it had been at the Yukinoshita Family during the day, at least firmly intimidating the Yuuki Family.
There was no other way. The Yuuki Family was not like the Yukinoshita Family. The latter, after witnessing supernatural powers firsthand, knew their subordinate position. Even if the former saw some incredible scenes, as a wealthy family from Tokyo, they might still rely on their status and position to do some unrealistic and time-wasting things.
Therefore, Leo's attitude had to be more assertive than it was at the Yukinoshita Family during the day, making the Yuuki Family think twice before acting.
"This..."
The three members of the Yuuki Family were still in a daze. Listening to Leo's words and looking at the various benefits listed in the document before them, they felt as if they were dreaming. Everything felt so unreal, so doubtful.
"...Is all this true, Asuna?"
Yuuki Asuna's father clearly had a stronger psychological tolerance and was the first to calm down, yet he still looked at his daughter with some doubt, his face full of disbelief.
Shozo Yuuki, CEO of the integrated electronics manufacturer "Rect," unlike Yukinoshita Yukino's father who married into the Yukinoshita Family, if not the absolute head of the Yuuki Family, was at least someone who had seen many storms and rarely lost his composure like this.
But the facts this time were simply too bizarre, and he couldn't help but react this way.
In response, Yuuki Asuna merely fluttered the Devil wings still unfurled behind her, sat gracefully, and after a moment of silence, spoke softly.
"It's true, Father. I really have become a Devil."
Saying this, Yuuki Asuna also created a short sword in her hand, emitting a sacred aura that made one's spirits lift.
This was not a power one gained immediately after reincarnating as a Devil; it was a capability of Yuuki Asuna's Sacred Gear. However, Yuuki Asuna, unlike Yukinoshita Yukino, had not fully learned how to use magic, so she could only use the power of her own Sacred Gear to provide some proof like this.
She did indeed awaken this power after reincarnating as a Devil, so it wasn't really lying, was it?
"It's actually true..."
Shozo Yuuki still looked incredulous, but the facts were right before his eyes; he couldn't disbelieve it even if he wanted to.
"How could such a thing happen?"
Yuuki Asuna's mother was somewhat lost in thought.
Kyoko Yuuki, a professor at a university in Tokyo, held very traditional elite family values. Therefore, she had always strictly controlled her children's lives through rigorous family education, demanding that they complete their studies and enter society according to the life path she planned. In her children's eyes, she was an even more authoritative presence than their father.
Yet, this university professor, who had maintained a stern expression ever since Leo entered the room, now uncharacteristically lost her usual rigidity and became somewhat flustered.
"It's all my fault. If I hadn't brought Asuna here, she wouldn't have encountered such a thing."
Yuuki Asuna's older brother, Koichiro Yuuki, was full of guilt.
He was not as serious as his parents; on the contrary, he was someone who looked easy to talk to. After learning all the details, he was also the first to feel a lingering fear for Yuuki Asuna's experience. From this performance, he might even be considered a more qualified family member than his parents.
If it were a different setting, Leo wouldn't mind chatting with Koichiro Yuuki, but now was not the right time.
Leo didn't interrupt them, just quietly waited for them to accept it.
After a long while, the three finally accepted the current situation. Their expressions towards Leo were no longer serious but somewhat complex, somewhat fearful.
"Please allow me to express my gratitude first," Shozo Yuuki, after all, had some presence about him. He was the first to bow to Leo, thanking him, "No matter what, thank you for saving my daughter."
"You're welcome, I did it for myself too," Leo accepted it calmly and said, "If Asuna didn't have the potential to be an excellent Retainer, I wouldn't waste a precious slot to save a stranger."
This was very realistic, but it actually made Shozo Yuuki, a man who navigated the business world, feel at ease.
"I understand what you want to tell us, and I generally understand that this has already happened and cannot be changed," Shozo Yuuki looked at Leo, his expression complex yet exceptionally serious, and said, "I just want to ask, will my daughter live well?"
"Who knows?" Leo glanced at Kyoko Yuuki beside him, then smiled and said, "But it should be much better than being a puppet in your wife's hands, right?"
At these words, Shozo Yuuki's expression immediately became somewhat awkward, while Kyoko Yuuki's face turned ugly.