Tokyo, Chiyoda Ward.
If Tokyo is the heart of the nation, then Chiyoda Ward is the heart of Tokyo.
Not only is it geographically situated at the very center of the Tokyo metropolis, but it also houses the Imperial Palace at its core. As the political hub, it concentrates numerous vital institutions, including but not limited to the National Diet Building, the Supreme Court, and various central ministries. Nagatacho is home to the Prime Minister's Official Residence and party headquarters, while Kasumigaseki serves as the concentration of central government offices. Even the Territory and Sovereignty Exhibition Hall is located within this ward, granting Chiyoda an unparalleled blend of administrative, commercial, and cultural functions. Its significance, both geographically and symbolically, is extraordinary.
At this moment, within a subterranean tavern in Chiyoda Ward, Leon's figure appeared quite out of place.
The surroundings were filled with middle-aged men drinking and chatting. For a young boy like Leon, whose legal adulthood was questionable at best, to appear here was not only inappropriate but also made him stand out like a sore thumb. Many people looked his way, their expressions and gazes turning subtle and curious.
Leon, however, ignored them and walked straight to the bar, taking a seat.
"Anything to drink is fine."
He didn't display the nervousness or timidity typical of a first-timer; instead, he acted with the casual nonchalance of a regular, causing those observing him in secret to begin whispering.
The bartender behind the counter didn't even spare Leon a glance. He silently produced several bottles and, with practiced skill, mixed a glass of crimson, heavy liquor, sliding it in front of Leon.
Those who knew their drinks were secretly astonished by this sight. This particular liquor was not on the tavern's usual menu; it was something reserved only for special guests. Not only was the flavor vastly superior to the standard offerings, but it was also exorbitantly expensive.
In other words, to drink such a glass, one needed both a unique status and immense wealth. And yet, a boy who looked like he hadn't even reached adulthood had been served this drink by the bartender without a single word of protest.
Where did this wealthy scion come from?
The surrounding crowd stopped whispering and instead stared intently at Leon, attempting to discern something about his background. Unfortunately, they were destined for disappointment.
"The flavor is quite good. As expected of something Miss Musashi insisted I must try at least once."
Leon lifted the glass, first taking a scent before preparing to take a sip. However, before the glass could reach his lips, a slender, porcelain hand suddenly reached out and blocked it.
"You are not yet officially of age. According to the laws of this country, you are not allowed to drink alcohol, Lord Leon."
Ravel had appeared by Leon's side at some point. Ignoring the stunned looks of the people around them, she gave him a solemn reminder.
"I'm not a citizen of this country," Leon protested. "Besides, I'll be officially of age and making my debut soon. A few days won't hurt, right?"
"That won't do." Ravel remained steadfast, acting like a strict talent manager overseeing daily conduct. "When in Rome, one must do as the Romans do. That is the proper upbringing for a noble. Furthermore, you are indeed still a minor. Please wait until you are of age before you indulge in alcohol."
With that, Ravel snatched the glass from Leon's hand. Under the even more shocked gazes of the patrons, she poured the priceless liquor straight onto the floor, causing many jaws to drop.
"Fine, fine." Leon could only shrug helplessly. "I really did pick up a strict little governess."
"As a member of your peerage, it is my duty to ensure my master becomes even more excellent." Ravel puffed out her chest—which was impressively developed for her age—and said triumphantly, "I won't speak for the past, but now that I am here, it is my responsibility to make Lord Leon a proper noble. This will be beneficial for the future restoration of the Eligos family."
"Alright, you have a point." Leon was amused by Ravel's smug expression and chuckled. "But before that, you need to complete the task I assigned to you. How is it? Have you investigated Tokyo thoroughly?"
At those words, Ravel turned serious.
"Yes. I have collected a significant amount of valid intelligence and was just about to report to you, Lord Leon."
Ravel sat down beside Leon and pulled a small notebook from her pocket, flipping through the pages.
Leon looked at her and waved a hand. The bartender silently stepped forward and slid a cup of black tea and an iced drink across the counter. Leon picked up the iced drink and took a sip, while Ravel ignored her tea and began her report on the information she had gathered since arriving in Tokyo.
"This is a very unique place. It is not controlled by devils like Kuoh Town, nor is it the territory of the Church like Chiba. Instead, it is managed by human exorcists."
"Perhaps because this is the nation's capital, human control over this area is extremely strict. They are unwilling to leave even the smallest opening for other races. Consequently, aside from the Church—which is also a human faction—other groups find it very difficult to operate here. For instance, it is hard for us devils to conduct business here or obtain rewards through summons and contracts."
"The Church's penetration here is also quite low. Perhaps because of the connection to the Heavens, the human exorcist factions have always maintained a level of vigilance toward them."
"Therefore, the primary powers here are not Heaven, the Underworld, or even the Church. It is the various exorcist families led by the Five Great Clans. Even mage organizations find it hard to establish a foothold here. The atmosphere is highly xenophobic, forcing the Three Great Powers to only set up small, secret outposts."
Ravel glanced around the tavern as she mentioned the "small outposts," and Leon nodded. This tavern was, in fact, an outpost controlled in secret by devils. Not everyone who came here was a devil, but any devil visiting Tokyo would eventually pass through such a place to gather information.
Leon had learned of this place from Miyamoto Musashi. Although she was a figure from centuries ago, she occasionally stopped by for a drink. After all, Musashi-no was right next door, so this wasn't an unfamiliar area for her. The special menu reserved for "unique figures" was actually meant for devils. Leon hadn't bothered to hide his magic fluctuations, so the bartender had recognized him instantly and silently fulfilled his request.
"The Shinomiya family is a massive conglomerate with total assets exceeding two hundred trillion yen. They own over a thousand subsidiaries and are the largest financial group in the country. Their main residence is located in this area, very close to the center, which speaks to their high status."
Ravel continued her report.
"As you suspected, Lord Leon, given the Shinomiya family's power and status, they are qualified to have contact with a portion of the supernatural world. The family has long used various methods to contact and maintain good relations with major exorcist families, including the Five Great Clans."
"Currently, the Five Great Clans even accept annual funding from the Shinomiyas, establishing a deep cooperative relationship."
"At the Shinomiya main estate, there is not only a group of exorcists—led by the Five Great Clans—stationed year-round, but every important member of the family is also assigned personal guards."
Ravel flipped a page, reaching the information Leon was most concerned about.
"Kaguya Shinomiya is the eldest daughter of the family. She is protected twenty-four hours a day by a professional trained in exorcism. On the surface, this person is Kaguya's maid, but her actual abilities are quite high. Even if a High-class Devil were to take action personally, they might not necessarily be able to get past her to reach Kaguya."
Hearing this, Leon blinked. "And this so-called maid is...?"
At Leon's subtle inquiry, Ravel provided the answer without hesitation.
"Ai Hayasaka. She comes from the Hayasaka family, which was once a prestigious name capable of standing on equal footing with the Yuuki family in Tokyo—perhaps even exceeding them. However, that prestige collapsed after a defeat in a competition with the Shinomiyas. Since then, they fell from grace, became a disgraced family, and were eventually absorbed by the Shinomiyas."
"As a member of the Hayasaka family, Ai Hayasaka also became a trophy for the Shinomiyas. Fortunately, she possesses one-quarter exorcist blood. The Shinomiyas took an interest in her excellent lineage and decided to bring her under their wing, entrusting her training to the Five Great Clans."
"Having received an exorcist education since childhood, Ai Hayasaka returned to the Shinomiya family upon completing her training. She was ultimately assigned to Kaguya Shinomiya as her maid and personal attendant."
Ravel seemed to have investigated Ai Hayasaka quite thoroughly, as she spoke to Leon with a serious expression.
"Though this Ai Hayasaka only has one-quarter exorcist blood, her talent appears to be very high. Since completing her training, it is said she has subjugated many supernatural beings, including some with strength comparable to High-class Devils. She is not easy to deal with."
For Ravel to say such a thing proved that she considered Ai Hayasaka a formidable opponent. At the very least, she didn't have the confidence to win.
"And then?" Leon said thoughtfully. "Besides Ai Hayasaka, are there any other forces guarding Kaguya?"
"No," Ravel shook her head. "Ai Hayasaka is the only one with supernatural power by Kaguya's side. Everyone else is an ordinary human."
"The Shinomiya family is certainly bold," Leon remarked, curling his lip. "Aren't they afraid someone might defeat Ai Hayasaka and harm Kaguya?"
Given the Shinomiyas' social status and wealth, the number of factions targeting them was countless. At the very least, many in the devil world surely had their eyes on the family. The Shinomiyas were known as the heart of the nation; if someone could control them, it would be equivalent to being able to influence the country's future. It might even allow a single faction to turn the country into its personal domain, rather than the fragmented control currently held by different powers.
If a devil gained control over the Shinomiyas, devil business could expand throughout the nation without restraint. Why would they need to worry about the Church or Fallen Angels then? Under such circumstances, many were naturally watching the family.
As the eldest daughter, Kaguya only had one guard. Wouldn't she be an easy target? Unless that guard was a Satan-class being, it shouldn't be enough to scare off all the predatory factions.
"Regarding that, it may be because Kaguya's status within the family is not very high."
Ravel seemed to have anticipated this question and honestly explained the reason.
"Though Kaguya is the eldest daughter, it is said her mother was a top-tier hostess at a nightlife establishment. Her father, Ganan Shinomiya, was once extremely infatuated with this woman, completely captivated by her. Later, she left her job due to heart disease and returned to her hometown for treatment. When she reappeared, she was pregnant with Kaguya."
"The family was in chaos for a time because of this. Many believed Kaguya was another man's child and wanted to cast her out. However, Ganan Shinomiya insisted she was his child and even refused a paternity test. This led to persistent rumors within the house about whether Kaguya is truly his biological daughter."
"Shortly after, Kaguya's mother passed away. Since then, Ganan Shinomiya has acted as though he's forgotten his daughter exists, showing her total indifference."
One could imagine the status of such a girl in that household. Thus, even though Kaguya was the eldest daughter, she only had one maid-slash-guard because she was not valued by the family.
This wasn't particularly difficult information to obtain. If Ravel could find it, others could as well. Consequently, there weren't actually many people targeting Kaguya, because people didn't believe they could leverage the entire Shinomiya family through a daughter who was so disregarded.
"This is good news for us. At least we won't have to clash with the Five Great Clans," Ravel said. "As long as we can defeat Ai Hayasaka, we can make contact with Kaguya and obtain the Tablet of Fate from her hands."
Ravel believed Leon's goal wouldn't be hard to achieve. She might not have the confidence to defeat Ai Hayasaka, but Leon was here. At most, Ai Hayasaka had defeated beings at the level of High-class Devils; could she possibly defeat an Ultimate-class?
Leon not only possessed magic power at the Ultimate-class level but also held the world's second strongest Longinus, and had even reached the Balance Breaker realm. Dealing with someone at the High-class level would be effortless; he could even stand his ground against Satan-class beings. If Leon took action, someone like Ai Hayasaka would be a minor character he could deal with at his leisure. Therefore, obtaining the Tablet of Fate from Kaguya wouldn't be difficult.
Ravel didn't realize that Leon was not as optimistic as she was.
"She is a daughter of the Shinomiya family after all. If she were that easy to handle, she wouldn't have survived until now," Leon remarked noncommittally. "But, it's worth trying to make contact first."
Leon finished his iced drink and rose from his seat.
"I'll lead the way."
Ravel quickly tucked away her notebook and, under the gaze of the patrons, followed Leon out of the tavern.
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