…Whether it was because of my parents or not, I can’t gauge the true intentions of Buchou’s family. I pointed at myself and asked. “U-Umm, why me?”
Then, Buchou’s mother stopped smiling and spoke to me frankly with a serious expression. “You—are the last bit of selfishness of my daughter, the next family head. As parents we bear the responsibility right until the end.”
When I turned to look at Buchou, her gaze met with mine and then she turned her face away, which had become red. It’s no good. I don’t understand it all! Just what kind of situation was I in…? “In other words, for high-class devils, high society is—”
It's the day after I arrived at Buchou’s home in the Underworld. Since morning, I had been forced to listen to things about high-class devils, the upper echelons of society and nobility from a tutor devil. Yes, it was the aforementioned studying. This was my exclusive tutor appointed for me by Buchou’s parents. They said he was “one of them”. Did that mean that there were others? I give up. This was just too strange, to think that I of all people would be studying about the aristocratic world. Well, since I didn’t know a lot about the Underworld in the first place, it worked out well. He also gladly answered my questions. Since, this seemed to be something important. I wrote furiously with my pen in my notebook, so as to not fall behind. Hmm, was it possible that I also had homework over the summer holidays now? Millicas-sama was also here in the seat next to me and was studying along with me. Despite being small, he was diligent. He seemed quite intelligent. The other club members were sightseeing around the Gremory’s land along with Buchou. How nice! How nice! They seemed to be touring around Buchou’s exclusive castle and the castle that Sirzechs-sama used when he returned to his birthplace! They were sightseeing around the Gremory castles! I wanted to go too! “Young master, do you know the devil alphabet?”
“N-No, I really don’t know it.”
“Very well. Then, remember them one by one from now on.”
In this way, the tutor devil carefully and patiently taught me, who didn’t even know the basics. However, what was with the “young master”? Since last night, I had been addressed that way by the Gremory’s maids, butlers and even this tutor. “It’s because I have to teach you everything about the Gremory family, young master. Please prepare yourself.”
“U-Umm, what’s with the “young master” thing?”
“……Now then, let’s speak about the history of the Gremory family next.”
Ah, he dodged the question again. Why do I even have to know the history of Buchou’s family as well as the structure of the nobility? Is it because I’m her servant? Did Kiba and the others have to do this kind of studying too? Ah, but then why aren’t Asia and Xenovia, who are also new devils, getting this education too? Geez, I don’t understand it at all! Gacha. The door opened, and Buchou’s mother came in. As I thought, she really is beautiful. “Grandmother!”
I see, for Millicas-sama, she’s the equivalent of his grandmother. Though no matter how I look at her, she looks like Buchou’s older sister. “Issei-san, Millicas. How is your studying progressing?”
She came between me and the tutor while giving a gentle smile. I tried not to show her my clumsy devil writing, but she smiled as she saw the notes I had written down. “It’s just as Sirzechs and Grayfia reported. You work hard at everything, no matter what it is. I can’t say that your writing is very good, but I can grasp your attitude of trying hard to memorise it.”
Buchou’s mother admitted a maid into the room and served tea. “Rias will be returning soon. Since, there is a customary function for the gathering of young devils in the Maou’s territory today.”
Now that she mentioned it, that had been included in the to-do schedule while in the Underworld. The young devils of about Buchou’s age seemed to be assembling in one place. They were all devils who had yet to debut in official Rating Games. I’d heard that the high-class devil heirs from old and noble families were gathered by the leaders to come to know one another as they greet each other. Buchou and student council president, Sona Sitri also had to go. We servants would be accompanying her as well. I’ve been busy ever since coming to the Underworld. Now then, what will happen next? Immediately after Buchou and the others returned from their sightseeing tour of the Gremory castles, we went by train to the territory where Maou-sama was. After passing through several magic circles that appeared in mid-air for long-distance jumps, the train continued onward. Three hours of being jolted around in the train later. We arrived at the urban area! Both the station and the homes were modern! There were even vending machines here! The design was a little different from the world I lived in, but the houses I’d seen so far looked very cutting-edge! “This is the city of Luciferd within the Maou’s territory. It’s the old capital of the Underworld where the previous Lucifer-sama lived.”
So Kiba explained. So this was the town where the old Lucifer-sama lived. Incidentally, we were dressed in our summer uniforms. It seemed to already be our family’s uniform. “We’re going to change over to the subway from here. Since there’ll be an uproar if we go from the surface.”
Kiba said this. So there’s also a subway here! This place really isn’t that different from the human world! Thinking about it, humans and devils are closely related. It could be said that, starting from the contract and the reincarnation of humans into [Evil Pieces] as servants, there was a relationship of coexistence between them. I wonder if this is the way their race lives, by taking in other cultures and sublimating it into their own. “Kyaaah! Princess Rias-samaaaaaaa!”
Suddenly, I heard a high-pitched cheer. When I looked, a group of devils on the station platform were looking at Buchou and giving her longing gazes. Ooh, was Buchou a popular person here? “Buchou is the Maou’s younger sister. What’s more, she’s also beautiful, so she’s a yearned-after target among low- and middle-class devils, you know?”
Akeno-san explained this. Seriously!? So Buchou is a super-celebrity in the Underworld? Ah, she is the Maou’s younger sister. What’s more, she’s the next head of the noble upper class Gremory family. Moreover, she was, in a word, an extremely beautiful young woman! You could say that it’s inevitable that she became popular! “Hiiiiiiiiii…So many devils…”
From behind my back, Gasper reacted to the voices of the many devils and panicked. The tough day continued for the hikikomori. “How troublesome. Let’s switch over to the underground train quickly, before it becomes an uproar. Has the private train been prepared?”
Buchou questioned one guy from the pairs of black-suited men. They seemed to be our bodyguards, and many of them had followed us from the Gremory castle. These people were said to be quite strong.