After ten or so minutes of us chatting while Saji led the way, we finally arrived at a newly constructed building at the southern edge of town.
The architecture took us all back—it looked just like Kuou Academy!
It was a little smaller than our own school, but the layout was identical, and it also had what looked like a gymnasium and sports field in the exact same places.
The nameplate on the school gate read Auros Academy in demon script. So they used the town’s name for the school? Then again, it was a safe choice. If they called it Sitri or Bael, it would no doubt stir up trouble with other political forces.
We passed through the gate and made our way to the main building.
Children were running around the playground and playing games using their demon powers. On closer inspection, I could spot the Sitri and Bael Familias among the crowd. The children must have been here for the open house trial classes.
Chairwoman Sona greeted us as we stepped into the building.
“I’ve brought the Occult Research Club, Chairwoman!” Saji said.
“Good work. You can go back to your duties now.”
“Catch you later.” He waved to us before disappearing at a quick trot.
We took a look around the building. It smelled new, proof that it was freshly built. That being said, a lot of the features around the entrance and the interior echoed what we were used to at Kuou Academy, so it wasn’t completely familiar.
“Congratulations again, Sona,” Rias said, extending her hand with a smile.
“Thank you, Rias,” the chairwoman said, accepting the handshake. “We’re still in the early stages, and we won’t be officially opening for some time yet, but we’ve got enough in place to run a few trials.” She gestured farther down the corridor with an upturned hand. “Let me show you around.”
We let her lead the way, passing groups of parents with kids in tow. We spotted several members of the Bael Familia teaching in the classrooms. The children were focusing intently on what the teachers had to say while their parents watched on seriously from the back of each room. Most of the trial classes were conducted by members of the Bael Familia or visiting guest lecturers, with the Sitri Familia providing logistical support. It made sense in a way—they were still students themselves, so they could hardly take the lead. Plus, the volunteer staff the chairwoman had recruited were busy all across the campus, too.
Most of the children looked to be around ten years old, about elementary school age in the human world. There were a few teenagers, but it was the younger cohort that stood out the most.
“How many people have come?” Rias asked.
“News about the trial classes spread through word of mouth, so we ended up with more visitors than we expected. I would say there are around a hundred and fifty children here today alone. If you count the parents as well, there must be more than four hundred people on campus.”
Whoa! That was a huge turnout! More than a hundred kids? And this wasn’t even an official enrollment drive… There weren’t a lot of demon children in the underworld, so that number was seriously impressive. The number of kids who wanted to go to school but couldn’t must have been much higher than I thought… I felt like I was seeing a part of the underworld that wasn’t usually brought out into the open.
Every now and then, a parent would startle when they recognized me and Rias, what with us being the Breast Dragon and Switch Princess, but all we did was give them a friendly wave. If this turned into a handshake event or autograph session, no one would be able to enjoy the school tour. Nonetheless, it was precisely our celebrity status we hoped to draw on today—in other words, the help we were giving was in the form of a surprise visit from the famous Gremory Familia. Of course, Chairwoman Sona was delighted to have us, and Rias saw it as a golden opportunity to help a close friend.
As we crossed the walkway and entered the gymnasium, we were greeted by a flood of lively voices.
“Listen up! When you throw a punch, you need to drop your hips and launch it from your whole body!”
“Yes!”
Sairaorg was busy teaching a group of kids the basics of martial arts!
The children were clumsy in their attempts to follow suit, but they certainly looked to be enjoying themselves trying to keep up with their instructor.
“““Hah! Hah! Hah!”””
Sairaorg, noticing us, relaxed his stance and flashed us a cheerful grin. “Ah, Rias! And the rest of you!” He turned to address the children. “Look, it’s the Breast Dragon!”
No sooner did he say that than the kids all spun toward us.
“Wow! It’s the Breast Dragon!”
“And the Switch Princess!”
“Ah! And Darkness Knight, Fang! Are they gonna fight?!”
They scurried to gather around us—and just like that, this training workshop turned into a Breast Dragon event!
“Breast Dragon! Hit the switch! Hit the switch!”
“Transform!”
The children were buzzing with excitement. “No pushing! It isn’t your turn!” Chairwoman Sona called out trying to calm them down—but once they were fired up, there was no stopping them…
“Leave this to me!”
It was Ravel, my talented manager, who came to the rescue! She would bring the situation under control in no time! Or so I thought, when—
“Line up here for handshakes and autographs! Get the chairs and tables ready! Everyone will need to take turns! The Breast Dragon isn’t going anywhere! Rias—can you set up a line for the Switch Princess, too? All right, Issei, Rias, here are your autograph pens!”
Ravel lined up the kids, started dishing out instructions, and then pulled a pair of signing pens from her pocket!
Yes, just like that, my decisive manager transformed the gymnasium into an event venue…