Several days had passed since the assault by the groups of magicians. I, Hyoudou Issei, am currently at my house, inside my room, waiting to receive good news from Rias, while continuing with the selection of a magician whom I will make a pact with. “——For that reason, this person——and so that’s how it is——and if I may add——.”
Ravel explains it for me while reading the documents next to me. ……To be honest, Ravel’s words aren’t reaching my ears since there are so many things that I’m concerned about
I received a report that Rias’s meeting with the House of Vladi is progressing well, so I’m not that worried regarding that. I will go to her aid if something happens. The problem is……
——Euclid Lucifugus. He was the mastermind behind the assault the other day. ……Lucifugus. Yeah, he’s someone related to Grayfia-san. What’s shocking is that he’s her actual brother. ……The higher-ups of the Devil’s side are in a stir due to his appearance. After all, there’s someone else besides Grayfia-san who is a survivor from the House of Lucifugus that directly served the former Lucifer. I heard that Grayfia-san is currently being asked questions. ……It’s regarding about how Euclid is alive. So that must mean that the higher-ups are suspicious of Grayfia-san and thinks that she lied about his death. ……There’s no way that Sirzechs-sama will doubt Grayfia-san, however the higher-ups are different. They must be feeling uneasy so that’s why they are questioning Grayfia-san. Especially, cases regarding “Lucifer” are treated as a totally different story in the Underworld, regardless of the “Old” or the “New” one. Yeah, for example, someone like Vali who is a descendant of the former Lucifer and who is also the Hakuryuukou. And the current Lucifer, Sirzechs-sama, who is said to be the strongest being in the Underworld. If the survivor from the House of Lucifugus besides Grayfia-san that was the closest to the former Lucifer still exists, and he happens to be a member of the terrorist group “Khaos Brigade” on top of that, then I can only say that it’s natural for the higher-ups to start panicking about it. The civil war of the past, the treatment towards the Old-Maou faction after that, and the monster crises that happened recently due to those incidents. It was something that the internal anatomy of the Devils created. ……Akeno-san tried to pass on the message of what Euclid said to Grayfia-san, but it seems like the way Grayfia-san panicked wasn’t normal. She probably never imagined or even predicted it. That’s how much Grayfia-san thought her little brother whose status was unknown was dead. Why did Euclid appear now? Something like the ideology of the Old-Maou factions……no, it doesn’t seem like it. I didn’t sense the aura of hatred and rage that Shalba carried in Euclid. Rather than hatred, he seemed like he had an eye of someone who has a new ambition in him—. Ravel who looks curious speaks to me who has my mind off to somewhere else. “……Were you thinking about Grayfia-sama?”
She’s a sharp girl. Not many days had passed since she became my manager, but it seems like this girl knows what I’m thinking about just from my expression. ……No, maybe I’m the sort of person who shows what’s in his mind through his expression. “You can tell?”
“I am your manager after all.”
Ravel says that while being proud. She sure can’t be taken lightly. It seems like she will not only look after my allowance, but eventually what I will be eating for my dinner as well. Ravel takes a breath and then says it formally. “To be honest, this is something that will involve politics. It isn’t something we can get involved in. Situations that involve the previous government are to be taken delicately, so I’m sure the higher-ups are in a panic.”
Politic isn’t part of my job. Well, I do get requests from the government to do an “Oppai Dragon” show, but we are basically the servant Devils of Rias Gremory. We usually have to continue with our job as a Devil. Though we do have to fight for the Underworld as the youth Devils by the order of Sirzechs-sama. All right, I need to think about something else. I have to select the magician first. I need to choose the magician who’ll become my partner after all! From Ravel’s perspective, if there isn’t any outstanding magician, then she’s thinking of declining all of them. In other words we will be moving to the next opportunity for the selection. “What’s your thought about this, Ravel?”
I ask Ravel about the selection of the documents we are currently doing. Ravel makes a sour look on her cute face. “To be honest……I’m starting to think it would be a good idea to move onto the next opportunity for the selection. Saying that, the majority of the magicians that chose Ise-sama are people that can’t get a passing mark from me. ……There are parts we can’t come to know unless we do the test which comes after selection of the documents, however judging from their experience and what kind of ability they have attained, then I don’t see any remarkable person that can live up to being a partner of the “Heavenly Dragon”, the “Sekiryuutei”.”
It’s Ravel who has researched them down to every last detail, so her ratings towards them will mostly be accurate. There’s also the side of her where she lifts me up high, however there must be aspects which only bring dissatisfaction to her if we are talking about my long-term partner. She’s certainly right since I also looked through the documents, but there isn’t any person that actually stands out. Though there are magicians that I thought may be good or that are erotic! Instead, if we are talking about short term (Several months to a year), then there are several of those who I think I don’t mind making a pact with. Ravel also knows about those aspects as well. Even regarding other group members, there aren’t just a few of them that are thinking of making a short-term pact. They must want to get familiar with it by having a short-term pact first. I have also heard that there were magicians that made a profit from a short-term pact. “Hmm, then should we just make a short-term pact after all?”
I ask Ravel while tilting my head. Ravel doesn’t object to it strongly, and instead makes a serious face with her cute face. “……If we make a short term pact and make a beginner's mistake since we are new to this, we may get a bad rating and have bad rumours going around in their society, so I do think that will be full of risks…… As your manager, I certainly would be sad if you don’t have a partner who will make a pact with you in your next occasion to form a pact.”
So she’s even thinking that far ahead. ……Yup, I’m scared that I might make a stupid mistake…… I’m trying to be serious regarding this issue, however if I compare myself to Rias and Kiba, then it feels like I will make more mistakes than them. That’s part of it, but I’m starting to feel doubts about certain things. I’m thinking about asking Ravel about those things as well.