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After getting the technology he wanted, Minato didn't leave in a hurry. Instead, he humbly started asking for advice about the demon chess pieces.
Like—
How to fully expand the number of demon pieces.
And how to change the roles of those demon pieces.
After all, the Queen is the strongest role.
If all his pieces were Queens, it'd massively boost the overall strength of his followers.
Of course—
He also asked about the movements of certain factions.
Because even though Minato was already pretty powerful in this chaotic, mixed-up world, he still wasn't anywhere near invincible.
"Looks like just having a dozen or so followers isn't enough for you anymore," Ajuka said, shaking his head as he realized what Minato was planning. "But this kinda breaks the rules. You—"
Halfway through speaking, he stopped himself.
He remembered—this guy in front of him was a God-Slayer.
Strictly speaking, he wasn't your average devil anymore.
Even if the old geezers found out, they probably wouldn't dare do anything about it.
Ajuka couldn't help but laugh. "Well, whatever. Do what you want. Honestly, seeing those old fossils annoyed wouldn't be so bad."
Minato said sincerely, "Either way, thanks for the tech and advice."
Without Ajuka's detailed guidance, it probably would've taken him a while to fully master the technology.
But now, he was confident he'd see results soon.
"Oh, think nothing of it. This is just me showing a little sincerity."
Ajuka gave him a playful wink and said, "Anyway, time's about up. I won't overstay my welcome. Catch you later."
"Sure thing!"
As the conversation ended, Ajuka's form slowly faded until he completely vanished.
"Time to pick up the pace," Minato muttered.
Looking at the research notes in his hand, he didn't head back to school. Instead, he cast a teleportation spell and disappeared.
A few days later—
Minato made a trip to Higashigi City and brought Medusa and the other girls back to his apartment.
The reason?
The new demon chess piece tech was ready. He was planning to help the girls level up.
Running back and forth was way too much trouble—it was way more efficient to do it all together.
At the same time, Minato used magic to contact Najeshitan, asking her to make preparations on her end.
Since there were quite a few people involved, the space over there was bigger and roomier.
Plus, it was a good chance to let some of the followers meet each other.
"Your Majesty, is there really an 'other world' like in the legends?" Liliana asked curiously.
Minato nodded. "Of course. And you're about to see it with your own eyes."
Liliana's face lit up—she was clearly excited.
A love story in another world, huh? That actually sounded kinda nice.
"Are there other followers there too?" Erica asked in a calm, almost lazy tone as she looked over at Medusa and the others.
"Of course."
"I conquered a whole country, y'know? No way I wasn't gonna build a harem."
Erica's eye twitched. Her usual noble, refined vibe instantly collapsed.
So much for being the first love.
This guy already had over a dozen lovers.
In that moment, it felt like all the color drained from Erica's world.
"Erica-nee, are you okay?" Sakura tugged on the corner of Erica's clothes and asked innocently, "Don't worry. The other big sisters are really nice!"
Utaha gently patted Sakura's little head and said with a smile, "Sakura, this is grown-up stuff. You'll never get it."
"If you had to explain it, we'd call this being a 'loser in love.'"
"Really?" Sakura blinked, clearly confused.
As expected—
She didn't understand most of what these big sisters were saying.
"This woman…" Erica grit her teeth slightly and glared daggers at Utaha.
She realized it the moment they met.
This woman was her type—competitive and aggressive.
No way she was backing down now.
Just because she showed up late didn't mean she was giving up.
So what if the others came first?
As long as she played her cards right, being the "sneaky cat" stealing the spotlight was totally an option.
"Alright, time's about up. Let's get going," Minato clapped his hands to get everyone's attention. "Everyone, gather around me for a second."
Hearing that—
All the girls moved in closer.
Each one of them had a look of curiosity on her face.
An alternate world? Who wouldn't be curious?
Even Utaha was clearly looking forward to it.
I mean, it was the healing world, and she'd never been there before.
"Alright, everyone! Our very first trip to another world… here we go!"
As Minato finished speaking, the magic circle beneath them flashed for just a moment.
The once-crowded room was now completely empty.
The Healing WorldInside the Palace
The magic circle lit up, and Minato and the others appeared out of nowhere.
Esdeath and the rest had been waiting for a while, and when they saw Minato show up, their eyes instantly lit up.
But right after—
Their attention quickly shifted to Erica and the other new arrivals.
So these were the new followers the Master brought, huh?
His taste in women is still as top-notch as ever.
Without realizing it, even Esdeath started to feel a little sense of danger.
Now that she thought about it—
The Master hadn't shown up for over ten days.
That wouldn't do at all.
They exchanged glances and instantly understood each other—there was fire in their eyes, a fire called "determination."
They needed to make up for all the time they lost.
"So this is another world?" someone asked.
"It's gorgeous! I've never seen a palace in this kind of style before."
Looking around, Erica and the others were all wide-eyed and sparkling with curiosity.
"Ladies, welcome," Najeshitan stepped forward gracefully. "If you're interested, I'll arrange a tour for you later."
"You two must be the new followers, right? Nice to meet you," Esdeath said with a warm smile as she looked at Erica and Liliana.
This woman… is dangerous.
Both Erica and Liliana had the exact same thought.
Just one look—
And it felt like a wild beast had locked its eyes on them.
"You guys go ahead and get to know each other," Minato told the group. "I'm gonna go set up the magic circle. Shouldn't take long."
With that, he turned and walked off, pulling out the materials he'd prepared in advance and getting to work.
"....."