Starting from Zero to Build a Demon Family
Chapter 19 - Utaha the Beast Understands Her Master's Greatness

Chapter 19: Utaha the Beast Understands Her Master’s Greatness

Basic Knowledge of the Underworld

“Underworld?”

Yotsuya Miko couldn’t help but blurt the word aloud when she saw it on the screen. Utaha, by contrast, remained far more composed. She had heard a little about it from Rias before—just fragments, really. All she knew was that it was the stronghold of the demon race. The details beyond that were still largely a mystery.

Lynn said, “Rias sent me this. She said it was made to help reincarnated demons quickly get up to speed on demon basics.”

“If you’re interested, take a look. Think of it as a way to pass the time.”

Interested?Absolutely.

Both Utaha and Miko were immediately drawn in. For Utaha, it was a potential goldmine of material for her next novel—and a chance to better understand her new demonic existence. Miko was simply curious. After all, they were demons now. It would be absurd not to know anything about their own kind.

They both settled into their seats, eyes scanning the document in silence. It covered weaknesses of demons, races outside the demon kind, demon chess pieces, ranking games, the current Four Demon Kings, and more.

“Sirzechs Gremory?”

Utaha paused, frowning slightly at the name. “Gremory…” The same surname as Rias. Could it be…

“That’s right,” Lynn confirmed. “He’s one of the current Demon Kings—Rias’s older brother.”

“Seriously?” Utaha’s eyes widened. “I didn’t expect someone so easygoing to have such a powerful background.”

Rias? Yotsuya Miko looked up at Lynn and Utaha, wondering. Was she a friend of Lord Lynn and Senpai Kasumigaoka?

“A Demon King…” Utaha murmured thoughtfully. Still, it all felt too distant to be real. People at that level of power were far removed from her daily life.

She had no frame of reference for what someone like that could actually do. Right now, she was nothing more than a weak, low-ranking demon.

She’d already seen the classifications in the document: lower-class demons, middle-class, upper-class, ultimate-class, and so on.

Confirming her position as cannon fodder left her with a strange, complicated feeling.

“So that’s how reincarnated demons and demon chess pieces work…” she muttered. “Hard to believe demons have a population shortage.”

But one thing caught her attention.

“Do demon chess pieces have ranks?” She furrowed her brow, trying to remember if she’d felt anything like a rank boost when Lynn had turned her into a demon. But no, she hadn’t noticed anything like that.

“You can ignore that part,” Lynn said.

He gestured toward the screen. “You saw the name of the inventor of the demon chess system, didn’t you?”

Utaha nodded. “Ajuka Beelzebub. One of the Four Demon Kings.”

“Correct. But the chess pieces I use for my followers are my own creation.”

As he spoke, Lynn raised his hand. Between his thumb and forefinger, a glimmering new demon chess piece shimmered into existence.

Utaha’s eyes widened, her soft pink lips parting slightly as she whispered, “That explains everything…”

She had been confused ever since reading about the demon chess pieces in the document. Demons born from Ajuka Beelzebub’s system, while granted ranks, didn’t receive unique abilities. They weren’t like her or Miko—who had awakened personal powers. At one point, she had believed she was special. But when she saw Miko receive her blessing upon becoming one of Lynn’s followers, Utaha had started to question that assumption.

Was she truly unique? Before becoming a demon, she had been completely ordinary. Someone like Miko seemed far more exceptional.

But now, she understood.

The special one wasn’t her.

It was Lynn. Their master.

“The Blessing System must’ve been your creation too, right?” she asked, voice certain.

“You could say that.”

“You really are incredible… doing things not even the Demon Kings have accomplished.”

Her gaze lingered on him. There was a light in her eyes—soft and admiring, edged with something deeper, something she herself hadn’t entirely acknowledged yet. Yes, things even Demon Kings couldn’t do… If she were being honest, Utaha would admit that she couldn’t imagine anyone in the world capable of rivaling Lynn.

They might be called the same thing—demon chess pieces—but there was no comparison between the ones created by Ajuka Beelzebub and the ones Lynn made.

Even the Blessing System alone rendered the former obsolete.

Thanks to the document, she now had a much clearer picture of the demonic hierarchy. From the lowest to the highest tiers, each level was a monumental leap. And gaining power was incredibly difficult. The way she and Miko could strengthen themselves simply by training or fighting monsters… if others knew, they’d grind their teeth with jealousy.

Some would probably beg to become Lynn’s followers. Others—more dangerous ones—might covet them for it.

Utaha swallowed hard.

She had never realized just how fortunate she was to be Lynn’s subordinate. Even the perks of being a demon—the longer lifespan, the slowed aging—were things she hadn’t fully understood until reading this document.

Even as a mere lower-class demon, she could live for centuries. And with the Blessing System, she could continue to grow stronger.

“Haaah…”

She exhaled slowly, then lowered her head in reflection.

Back when Lynn had first offered to make her his follower, she’d hesitated. At the time, she’d thought he was just another shameless flirt trying to use his generosity to take advantage of her. Looking back now, she should’ve thrown herself at his feet, clung to his leg, and begged to join his harem then and there.

Duang! Duang! Duang!

Utaha started slamming her forehead against the desk.

Lynn stared at her, puzzled. “What are you doing?”

Was she lost in another of her daydreams again?

With a sudden rustle, Utaha jumped to her feet and marched over to him. Her delicate, pale hands cupped his cheeks firmly.

“The reward you promised last time,” she said, voice clear and resolute.

“Magic replenishment.”