"You don't seem to be students from our school. How exactly did you get in?"
Shinra Tsubaki carefully observed Zhong Chen and the others, realizing she had never seen them before.
Ever since she was converted into a devil by Sona Sitri, she had possessed an eidetic memory.
As the Student Council Vice President, she was intimately familiar with every student in the academy.
"You're right, we're not students of this school. As for how we got in, we walked in."
"Could it be that we flew in? Don't you think so, Miss Vice President?"
Upon hearing Shinra Tsubaki's question, Zhong Chen replied with a playful smile.
"You know me? How come I've never seen you before?"
Hearing Zhong Chen call out her title, Shinra Tsubaki thought carefully, but finding no trace of him in her memory, she asked with a puzzled expression.
"Heh heh, Miss Shinra Tsubaki is quite the popular figure in the entire Komaou Academy. I don't think I could *not* know her."
"So that's how it is."
Hearing Zhong Chen's explanation, Shinra Tsubaki immediately showed a look of sudden understanding.
Although her popularity couldn't compare to Rias, Himejima Akeno, or her master Sona Sitri, she was still very well-known throughout Komaou Academy.
Zhong Chen and the others could indeed find out information about her with a little inquiry.
"However, you still haven't stated your purpose. If you don't have a reasonable explanation, I'll have to ask you all to leave!"
Shinra Tsubaki said to Zhong Chen and the others with a serious expression.
"Oh, look, you're in such a hurry. At the very least, you should wait for me to finish speaking, shouldn't you?"
Zhong Chen said with a slight hint of teasing.
"Uh… you're right, I was too impatient. Please speak!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Shinra Tsubaki's face showed a hint of embarrassment.
"We're here to enroll in Komaou Academy!"
"Enroll? It's no problem for these two young ladies to enroll, but you want to enroll too?"
Shinra Tsubaki looked at Zhong Chen and the others with a surprised expression upon hearing his words.
Rimuru and Milim looked suitable based on their appearance, but although Zhong Chen also looked young, he always gave her a feeling of being very old.
Hearing Shinra Tsubaki's words, Zhong Chen suddenly pulled a pair of rimless glasses from somewhere and put them on, while a pointer appeared in his hand.
He gently pushed up his glasses with his left hand, and with his right hand, he pointed the pointer at Shinra Tsubaki, shouting sternly:
"I am not here to be a student. I am here to apply for a teaching position, Classmate Shinra Tsubaki!"
Shinra Tsubaki stared dumbfounded at Zhong Chen, who had suddenly become incredibly serious.
'Where did this guy pull those glasses from? And isn't it a bit too early for you to assume the role of a teacher?'
"Uh… if you want to apply for a teaching position, it needs to be approved by the Student Council President. Come with me, I'll take you to see the President."
Because Komaou Academy was a devil's territory, the so-called principal was merely a puppet on the surface. Only two people truly controlled the entire academy.
One was Rias Gremory, the heiress of the pure-blooded devil family, the Gremory family, known as the Red Hair Ruin Princess.
The other was Sona Sitri, who served as the Student Council President of Komaou Academy. Her true name was Sona Sitri, and she was the heiress of the pure-blooded devil family, the Sitri family.
Incidentally, Sona Sitri had an older sister who was an extreme siscon, willing to even provoke a war between the three factions for her younger sister.
She was also a serious fan of 'Magical Girls'.
"Oh my, you're just going to take us to see the Student Council President so easily? Aren't you afraid we might have ill intentions?"
Zhong Chen asked Shinra Tsubaki, who was leading the way, with a surprised expression.
"Hmph, I advise you to put away your petty schemes. If you have malicious intent, I believe you will be the one to suffer."
Upon hearing Zhong Chen's question, Shinra Tsubaki's expression remained unchanged. It was a joke; a mere few humans trying to lay a hand on an Upper-Class Devil?
It was simply wishful thinking.
"Is that so? Perhaps."
Zhong Chen did not refute Shinra Tsubaki's words; instead, he showed an indifferent smile.
Knock knock knock… "Come in!"
"President!"
"Tsubaki, you're back. You've worked hard. And who are these people?"
Sona Sitri looked at Zhong Chen and the others, who had followed Shinra Tsubaki in, with a puzzled expression.
"Oh my, oh my, this must be President Sona. It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Zhong Chen, here to apply for a teaching position. This is Rimuru and Milim; they are here to enroll!"
Without waiting for Shinra Tsubaki to speak, Zhong Chen darted to Sona's desk and tightly grasped her delicate hands.
He looked as if they had met too late, then, as if remembering something, he released Sona's hands, pulled a thick red envelope from his pocket, and placed it on the desk.
"Heh heh, I heard that President Sona holds a high position and wields immense power. So, this is a small gift, a token of my respect!"
After speaking, Zhong Chen even deliberately winked at Sona, giving her a look that said, 'Don't worry, I won't expose you.'
"Yura, is this what they call bribery in legends?"
Sona's Bishop, Kusaka Reya, asked Yura Tsubasa, who was sitting beside her, with a shocked expression.
"It… it should be. I just didn't expect such blatant bribery."
Yura Tsubasa also looked at the smiling Zhong Chen with a shocked expression.
"Oh, are you trying to bribe me?"
Looking at the red envelope on the table, Sona pushed up her glasses, her face full of seriousness.
"Heh heh, what bribery? It's just filial piety!"
"You can open it and see. I really splurged this time; all my private savings are in there."
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Sona, who had originally intended to throw it back, now became interested.
She reached out her delicate hand, picked up the red envelope from the table, gently opened it, and took out the banknotes inside to look… "Are you playing a trick on me?"
Sona looked at the fairy-tale-like banknotes in her hand, her face involuntarily showing a hint of anger.
"Ah!!! How could that be? That's a full three thousand! I saved it for a long time."
Hearing Sona's words, Zhong Chen, far from being afraid, instead showed a wronged expression and retorted.
"Wow! A Chen, you secretly hid so much money!"
"That's right, A Chen! You have money but you didn't continue playing Landlord with us! You're too cunning!"
Rimuru and Milim angrily questioned Zhong Chen in loud voices.
"What do you two know? This is what I saved behind Sakuya's back, little by little…"
At this point, Zhong Chen suddenly felt a chill down his spine, and cold sweat involuntarily dripped from his forehead.
He mechanically turned his head and looked at Izayoi Sakuya, who was staring at him expressionlessly, and immediately showed an awkward smile.
"Um, Sakuya, about this money, I can explain. I absolutely did not save money to go play pachinko, I swear!"
Hearing Zhong Chen's words, Sakuya's expression remained unchanged. Instead, she asked softly:
"Let's not talk about the money for now. It's reasonable for you to have some private savings, and as a maid, I shouldn't interfere too much, but…"
"I remember all pachinko parlors were forcibly cleared out. How exactly did you find a new pachinko parlor? I'd like you to explain that thoroughly later!"
"I understand…"
Hearing Sakuya's words, Zhong Chen responded in a low voice, his face devoid of any will to live.
"I think you should pay attention to the occasion. Also, from what you're saying, is this stuff really money?"
"Hmph hmph, these are the famous lime coins, worth… worth…"
"It seems you can't say it. You really are playing a trick on me… Tsubaki, close the door!"
"Yes, President…"