The next day.
Caleb instinctively arrived at the Occult Research Club. Once there, he didn't see Koneko Toujou and only then realized that the combat training sessions were over.
Akeno Hijima was on duty today. Rias had taken the white-haired Loli out to handle a request.
"Little Caleb, did you encounter any problems with your magic today?"
Caleb shook his head. "No..."
You've got to be kidding . I couldn't learn it at all, so where would the problems co from?
Akeno Hijima smiled. "That's impressive. Tell , how many have you learned already?"
Caleb stared at Akeno Hijima expressionlessly, forming a circle with his index finger and thumb.
"Ten?"
Caleb: (￣ー￣)
Akeno Hijima looked surprised. "Oh my, twenty in one night?"
Caleb covered his face, finally deciding to tell the truth.
Upon hearing the truth, Akeno Hijima cupped her chest with one hand and rested her chin on the other, pondering. "You are so sensitive to magic power. Why is it so difficult for you to learn spells?"
The so-called "difficulty" was relative to naturally gifted people like them. Caleb's magic ability was still marginally above the passing grade.
Caleb looked innocent. "I don't know."
Don't ask , I just don't know. He never claid to be a magic genius; they all guessed it themselves. This couldn't be hidden anyway. If he couldn't learn it, he couldn't learn it.
Akeno Hijima placed her hand on Caleb's forehead, sensing the magic power within him. "The rate of magic power growth is indeed fast. You'll be able to attempt Middle-Class Magic Power Extraction soon." Akeno Hijima was puzzled, as she hadn't encountered this situation before. "The magic power growth is definitely genius-level, so why is spell mastery so difficult..."
In reality, it was because Caleb's magic extraction thod was different from others. While others needed to spend ti sitting in ditation, he could absorb external magic power naturally as long as his mind was relaxed, whether he was sleeping or daydreaming. It was essentially a semi-automatic skill. He extracted three tis the magic power in one day compared to others. Of course, this excluded those who were completely focused on cultivation. Caleb wasn't absorbing magic faster than others; due to his unique circumstances, he was essentially logging three tis the training hours.
After a mont of deliberation, Akeno Hijima didn't dwell on it. It was a vast world full of oddities. Perhaps Caleb's physique was great for absorbing magic power, but quite ordinary when it ca to controlling it.
"Little Caleb, have you considered reincarnating as a Devil?" Akeno Hijima's eyes glead as she brought up the topic again. With Rias away, it was a good opportunity. If Caleb strongly objected, she could always claim she was acting on her own initiative. "After reincarnating as a Devil, your magical control will greatly improve, because Devils are naturally more suited to using magic than humans."
Caleb's heart stirred, but he quickly thought of sothing else. "Akeno-senpai, why haven't I seen Koneko use magic?"
Akeno Hijima's gaze drifted, and she stamred guiltily, "Oh my... well... although that's what I said, not every Devil is naturally good at magic, right?" She wasn't entirely lying. Reincarnating as a Devil would definitely improve physical fitness and strengthen magic control. However, the most important factor was still individual aptitude. Koneko Toujou was a typical example: completely unsuited for using magic. The few spells she mastered were for enhancing her physical abilities; at the end of the day, she was still a pure Brawler.
Caleb didn't bother to expose Akeno Hijima, deciding to give his superior so face. However, the Devil Bloodline was indeed a good thing, and the sooner he got it, the better.
"Akeno-senpai, you ntioned last ti that Low-Class Devils can be promoted to High-Class Devils and then have their own Familiars." Caleb asked, "Besides becoming soone else's Familiar and ranking up through the Rating Ga, do ordinary Devils have other ways to advance?"
"Yes, but they are much harder than the Rating Ga and often involve life-threatening risks." Akeno Hijima looked at Caleb, speaking seriously. "I advise you strongly not to entertain such ideas."
After the Great War of the Three Factions, the Devil population drastically decreased, but only relative to the past. The total population was still huge. Not all Devils could beco soone else's Familiar and slowly climb the ranks. If that were the case, the power structure of the Underworld would be composed entirely of a hierarchy of Evil Pieces.
Caleb shrugged. Good dicine is bitter, and honest advice is unpleasant. He decided to ekly accept Akeno Hijima's warning and abandon any unrealistic thoughts.
"Senpai, one last question."
Caleb had also been pondering the issue of Familiars for the past few days. Rias had done so much for him. He wasn't heartless; it was ti for him to reciprocate.
"Familiar... how strong is the King's binding authority over a Familiar?"
Akeno Hijima straightened up, becoming more serious than ever before. "What do you an?"
"No specific aning. I just need a truthful answer." Staring into Akeno Hijima's cold eyes, Caleb's expression was equally serious.
Akeno Hijima frowned. Combining Caleb's previous question, she seed to understand what Rias had said last ti. Caleb's ambition was indeed great, perhaps even hubris. She watched Caleb silently for a mont, then sighed softly.
"Since you put it that way, I'll be honest with you. I hope you don't disappoint later." Akeno Hijima leaned close to Caleb's ear, explaining the relationship between a Familiar and a King in a voice only they could hear.
The Evil Pieces themselves did not have any compulsory functions, but there was a subtle, subconscious influence. A Familiar and their King would naturally develop mutual affection. Under normal circumstances, a Familiar would not refuse their King's requests. This was a major reason why many Familiars and Kings beca couples.
If a conflict arose between a Familiar and their King, the King's only ans of punishnt was to prohibit the Familiar from participating in Rating Gas, thereby cutting off their path to further advancent. Sotis, a Familiar's aptitude was so great, coupled with the augntation of the Evil Pieces, that their strength grew rapidly, leading them to develop different, more dangerous ideas. There have even been cases of a Familiar killing their own King. For such Familiars, the Underworld would issue a warrant for their arrest, and upon capture, the penalty was instant execution, with no alternative.
If there was any true restriction, this was the biggest one after becoming a Familiar: absolute loyalty to one's King, at all tis. Of course, this was a rule imposed by the Underworld, not a side effect of the pieces themselves. Without such a rule, recruiting Familiars would require even greater caution.
Caleb did not doubt the truth of Akeno Hijima's words. Everything she said aligned with his vague mories. Especially when she ntioned the killing of a King, Caleb finally recalled the incident Koneko Toujou was so reluctant to talk about. The white-haired Loli's sister, the Cat Youkai Kuroka, had killed her master after becoming a Familiar and then fled. This incident led to prejudice against Koneko Toujou among Devils, who feared she, too, would betray her master. She was almost executed, but Rias intervened and took her as a Familiar.
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