That sa day, under Yukinoshita Yukino's personal direction, the Service Club was officially disbanded and renad the Departnt of Mystical Affairs. The clubroom remained the sa one, still without any special equipnt—but Leo and the others didn't need any anyway.
Naturally, Leo beca the departnt president. Yukino was the vice president. Asuna Yuuki and Utaha filled out the application forms that very day, joining the Departnt of Mystical Affairs as full mbers.
The news spread across Sobu High in record ti, leaving countless students stunned.
It wasn't the disbanding of the Service Club that shocked them—almost no one cared about that club to begin with. If it hadn't been founded by Yukino, the "Winter Flower" of Sobu High, most students wouldn't even know it existed.
The club's recent popularity had only co from rumors involving Leo and Asuna, two high-profile students who seed to move freely in and out of the room—giving rise to all kinds of relationship speculation.
But this new Departnt of Mystical Affairs was another story.
"Yukinoshita Yukino, Yuuki Asuna, and Kasumigaoka Utaha… three school goddesses joining the sa club?"
"And the president is that guy at the top of the popularity ranking—Eligos-senpai? What the heck happened?"
"Why would the Winter Flower dissolve her own club to give him the spot?"
"What I want to know is why Kasumigaoka-senpai, the Autumn Flower, joined. She's already a third-year. And she's a rising light novel author. The literature clubs have been begging for her since first year. Now she suddenly joins so brand-new supernatural club?"
"Departnt of Mystical Affairs… a club for researching paranormal events?"
"A niche club like that—how does it attract multiple school beauties?"
"What did Eligos-senpai do?"
The entire student body buzzed with theories. Even the teachers were baffled and joined the debate.
So people suspected Leo had used improper thods to make this happen. Others suspected the club mbers had… improper relationships with one another. Even the school board received complaints.
But nothing ca of it.
Yukino had already inford her sister. Haruno Yukinoshita promised to "talk to the board." Leo also called a few board mbers directly. After so short conversations, the issue evaporated.
In Chiba, Leo's years of demonic activity had built him a wide network. Even if none of his contacts were on the Sobu High board, they knew board mbers—and were on very good terms. Leo could speak up and actually be heard.
All that remained were campus rumors. Leo didn't bother addressing them.
If anyone asked, he said the sa thing every ti:
"I already knew Utaha. I've got ties with the Yukinoshita and Yuuki families. I felt like starting a club on a whim, so I invited people I knew. Problem?"
Problem?
Oh, there were problems.
Like—
"Are you guys accepting new mbers?"
"President, do you think I qualify? I'm actually pretty interested in the occult…"
Both people Leo knew and people he didn't tried to angle for entry—only to receive a dismissive laugh.
Interested in the occult? Sure you are.
There was absolutely no way new mbers would be allowed. The departnt's whole purpose was to provide cover for their activities. Only his servants would ever join. Even if soone discovered their real identities, if they couldn't be useful, Leo wouldn't consider them.
So he claid the club had enough mbers for now. Maybe he'd consider expanding "if the need arose."
Of course, the other mbers were also pestered.
Yukino was fine—her social circle at school was tiny, and no one dared approach her too eagerly. But Asuna and Utaha suffered. Friends and acquaintances kept chasing them down for explanations.
Especially Utaha. Of the three servants, she had the widest network at Sobu High.
Asuna had only just transferred in. Even with her beauty and kind personality, she hadn't built many connections yet.
Utaha was different. She didn't seem close to anyone at first glance, but she'd written scripts for the drama club, and her literary reputation had earned her ties with multiple writing and literature circles. Now she'd been "stolen away" by a brand-new club—infuriating her admirers.
Their complaints were all variations of:
"If you wanted to join a club, you could've joined us! Why a supernatural club?! You're a literature prodigy!"
What did supernatural studies have to do with literature?
Okay, maybe a little, but co on.
They were devastated.
They'd begged Utaha for years—from first year into second year—only to give up when she reached third year with no intention of joining anything.
And now, now, she suddenly joined a supernatural club?
Was this a joke?
Utaha had to endure wave after wave of complaints.
But then soone approached her whom she hadn't expected.
"You really joined that so-called Departnt of Mystical Affairs?"
Blocking her path in an empty hallway, tossing the question at her without so much as a greeting, was a slender girl with golden twin-tails, clear blue eyes, pale skin, and features just as striking as Utaha's.
Hands on her hips, she glared up at Utaha, making her stop in place.
"Well, if it isn't Eriri Sawamura."
Utaha folded her arms and smiled.
The girl blocking her way was Sobu High's second-year student, known as the Sumr Flower—the art club's ace, Eriri Spencer Sawamura.
A very popular beauty.
To most students, Eriri was a refined young lady with elegant manners and a gentle personality. Her popularity extended across both her year and the year above.
But that gentle young lady was nowhere to be seen now. In front of Utaha, Eriri showed an attitude no outsider ever saw—sharp, arrogant, and unrestrained.
"You said you didn't care about any school clubs and just wanted to write quietly," Eriri said, almost demanding answers. "So why did you suddenly join that weird club?"
Utaha wasn't bothered at all by her rudeness.
Because she knew this was the real Eriri. The sweet, well-behaved act was just a mask she wore. Only in front of people she knew well would she drop it.
And no one knew that Utaha and Eriri had a very deep private connection.
For a simple reason: Eriri was secretly an otaku. Officially, she was the art club's prodigy. In reality, she was the famous doujin artist "Kashiwagi Eri," known for her extrely popular ecchi illustrations.
She hid that side of herself carefully—until Utaha debuted as a rising light novel author. Her first work, Love trono, needed an illustrator. That was when their editor introduced Eriri.
And just like that, Eriri's identity was exposed.
Ever since then, the two acted like strangers at school while cooperating privately. Utaha teased Eriri about her "good girl" persona. Eriri resented Utaha for discovering her secret. Whenever they saw each other, they either didn't speak at all… or imdiately fought.
That was why Eriri showed no restraint now.
Utaha also dropped so of her usual politeness.
"Is there a problem?" she asked lazily. "I just felt like joining a club on a whim. Isn't that allowed?"
"Who are you trying to fool?" A vein twitched on Eriri's forehead. "If that were true, why didn't you join a literature club? Why so brand-new supernatural departnt?"
"Don't brush off! I'm not like everyone else! Your flowery excuses don't work on !"
She even pointed a finger dramatically, looking like a pint-sized detective about to expose the culprit.
Utaha sighed.
"If you already know I'm not telling you the real reason, why make such a fuss? It has nothing to do with you. Or… are you actually worried about ?"
"What?!" Eriri jumped back like a startled puppy. "Who's worried about you, you smug cow?!"
A tic mark ford on Utaha's forehead.
Cow?
This gold-haired mutt—who are you calling fat?
I am not fat.
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