As the sun dipped below the horizon, night gradually descended, turning the sunset-streaked sky completely dark.
At this hour, pedestrians on the streets were steadily thinning out. People were either returning home to start dinner with their families or gathering in various restaurants for social meals, infusing the nighttime city with a faint sense of warmth.
Before long, most people in the city would be asleep.
But for devils, this was the time to become active.
"Well then, let us welcome the joining of Shiina-san."
In the manor's dining hall, following Leon's command, a small welcome party was held.
"Welcome to the group, Shiina-san."
"————Welcome."
"Eat whatever you like, please don't be formal."
Kasumigaoka Utaha was the first to respond to Leon's call. Yukinoshita Yukino, though a moment late, also spoke up somewhat stiffly. Only Yuuki Asuna smiled warmly at Shiina Mahiru and invited her to help herself.
Currently, the dining table was piled high with various dishes. These steaming, fragrant meals were not made by the chef familiars of the manor, but were personally prepared by Yuuki Asuna.
Hosting a welcome party for Shiina Mahiru was a whim of Leon's, but Yuuki Asuna was very interested as well. She proactively took over the role of head chef, heading into the kitchen with great enthusiasm to prepare this massive spread.
"Thank you, Senpais."
Being the guest of honor, Shiina Mahiru was a bit restrained at first, appearing somewhat unaccustomed to such a lively atmosphere. However, she soon revealed a pure smile and accepted everyone's kindness.
"Is there udon? There should be, right?"
Miyamoto Musashi was also present. She had even placed an order, looking at her disciple with eyes full of anticipation—her desire was practically written on her face.
"There is, Master. Please eat while it's hot."
Asuna respectfully placed a bowl of udon in front of Musashi, prompting the latter to let out a cheer.
"As expected, udon really is the best!"
Musashi began slurping the noodles with an expression of pure bliss, prompting the rest of the group to pick up their chopsticks.
"This is delicious," Utaha praised while enjoying the food. "Your cooking really is the best, Asuna."
As single women living alone, both Utaha and Yukino knew how to cook.
However, compared to Asuna, at least in the realm of culinary skills, Utaha felt she had to concede.
She felt that among the people in this manor, Asuna's cooking was the most brilliant; even the professional chef familiars might not be able to match her.
However, Asuna didn't think so.
"Yukino's cooking is also very good. I don't think I can compare to her."
Asuna's words caused everyone's gaze to settle on Yukinoshita Yukino.
This statement wasn't without merit.
Although Yukino was somewhat solitary, sharp-tongued, and cold, it was undeniable that she was indeed highly capable.
Whether it was cooking or housework, Yukino was extremely proficient—so much so that it could be called flawless.
While Asuna was also skilled in the kitchen, she had only started studying culinary arts after entering high school. She had gradually developed an interest, and her family hadn't stopped her, viewing it as a sort of "bride training." However, Asuna had only been studying cooking for less than two years; she felt she couldn't match the universally capable Yukino.
"Asuna's skills are already excellent," Yukino said calmly as she noticed the group looking at her. "Even if I were to do it, it would probably be at this same level."
She was indeed capable at housework, but she wasn't a chef dedicated solely to the culinary arts, so she didn't feel her skills were significantly higher than Asuna's.
"You're both amazing, alright?"
Utaha suddenly felt like she was losing a bit in the category of being a "capable woman," so she spoke up with a hint of annoyance.
Was her cooking skill the worst among the girls present?
While it wasn't exactly bad, compared to specialists like Yukino and Asuna, she likely fell short.
But what could she do? She prided herself on being a future great novelist; she preferred using her delicate hands to tap on a keyboard rather than grip a spatula.
Therefore, Utaha hadn't gone out of her way to study cooking. She might be far better than girls who couldn't cook at all, but compared to those who excelled at the craft, she was ultimately inferior.
Despite being the Senpai and the oldest/most Senpai person present aside from Leon (not counting Musashi), her cooking was inferior to two Kouhais—it was a bit embarrassing.
To make matters worse, it seemed even the newcomer might surpass her in this area.
"I recall that Mahiru is also very good at cooking, right?"
Leon held a piece of hamburger steak steadily with his chopsticks and smiled at Shiina Mahiru.
"I'm alright," Mahiru said modestly. "If the Senpais are interested, I can also cook."
This "Angel-sama" might actually be the hidden culinary master.
This was because she had specifically studied cooking since she was a child.
A woman who had been responsible for taking care of her since childhood once told her that in order to capture the heart of a chosen partner in the future, it was necessary for a girl to master cooking.
Thus, Mahiru had likely spent the longest time studying culinary arts among everyone present; even Yukino and Asuna might not be able to compete.
"Hey, hey, little Shiina, can you make something for me next time?"
As the person with the oldest actual age and seniority on the scene, Musashi didn't hide the fact that she was completely clueless about cooking. She only knew how to hold a sword and couldn't even match the younger generation in this regard, speaking up with great expectation.
"I want to eat Oden!"
Hearing this, Mahiru felt a bit overwhelmed by Musashi's enthusiasm and hesitated with an air of confusion, unsure if she should agree.
She didn't know Musashi's specific background yet, let alone what her status was in this place.
"Alright, Master, just eat your udon for now," Asuna said, helping Mahiru out of the situation. She spoke to Musashi with a sigh, "I'll make Oden for you next time."
"Yay!" Musashi cheered again.
It didn't matter who made it, as long as it was delicious.
As a warrior, Musashi's thoughts were just that simple.
"If you want to cook, you can do so anytime. There's no shortage of opportunities," Leon said casually as he picked up a piece of tender fish. "The days ahead are long. I've decided that from now on, whenever a new member joins, we will hold a welcome party."
Previously, there were too few people, so it hadn't been necessary.
But now, he already had four peerage members. It was perfectly fine to liven things up when a new member joined.
This would also help improve the relationship between his retainers, preventing them from feeling distant as their numbers grew.
"That's a good idea, I agree."
Asuna clapped her hands together, being the first to chime in with Leon.
"Acceptable."
Yukino thought for a moment and nodded.
Although she wasn't particularly suited for such lively atmospheres, she didn't feel any resistance toward them. If cooking was needed then, she didn't mind helping.
"Am I just unlucky then?"
Utaha felt a bit disgruntled.
She had only joined this group a few days ago herself, yet starting with the person right after her, every new member got a welcome party. It truly annoyed her.
"You should look at it from a different perspective. For instance, you get to participate in the welcome parties of all future members and have a big feast. Isn't that also a stroke of luck?"
Leon joked with a beaming smile, earning a roll of the eyes from Utaha.
The group began to chat and eat amidst a lively atmosphere. If the teachers and students of Sobu High saw this scene, they would probably find it extraordinarily rare.
The most popular boy in school and four undisputed "flowers on a high peak" were gathered together for a meal. The boy was dashing and the girls were beautiful, yet they were eating together with a warmth that didn't resemble children of elite households at all, but rather like the coziness of an ordinary family. This was certainly something many people would never have imagined.
Mahiru was the same. Watching this scene, emotions she had never felt before rose in her heart.
She truly had never experienced such a lively dining table.
Her parents didn't want anything to do with her, and the servants at her home would never sit at the same table as her. Thus, in her sixteen years of life, Mahiru had spent most of her time eating alone. She had never known such warmth and liveliness at a table.
"Is this what it feels like to become a devil?"
Mahiru asked herself silently in her heart, her expression softer than ever before.
Once everyone had eaten their fill, there was no need for them to clean up the mess; that task was left directly to the familiars.
Before leaving the table, Leon announced one more thing.
"This coming weekend, I plan to take you all to Kuoh Academy to meet two friends who live there."
Leon gave the group this delayed notification.
"Kuoh Academy?"
"Is it Sitri-senpai's side?"
Yukino and Asuna reacted immediately; both had met Sona Sitri before.
"Yes," Leon nodded. "At that time, you will also meet the retainers of Sona and another high-class devil. You can interact and exchange experiences with each other."
"So, get prepared. Don't disgrace the name of the Eligos Peerage."
Having said that, Leon left the dining hall, leaving the girls behind to discuss.
"They are all new-generation devils, and they might even be competitors in the future. It's good to go see them," Musashi said, patting her stomach with a satisfied look. "The princesses of the Sitri and Gremory families are both geniuses; I imagine their retainers will be quite interesting too."
Musashi wouldn't be going along at that time, so she said no more and left directly.
The girls looked at each other and finally stood up together.
"Shiina-san, I'll take you to the study."
"Alright, thank you for the trouble, Yukinoshita-senpai."
"Asuna, do you want to spar with me this time?"
"Sure. Please guide me, Kasumigaoka-senpai."
The girls went their separate ways, striving to improve themselves.