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As soon as the visitors entered his humble home, Adam observed how, due to the limited space, they spread out between the living room and kitchen.
Rias, Akeno, and Koneko sat together on the couch, while Kiba and Issei, the latter reluctantly, sat on chairs at the kitchen table. Adam suppressed a smile as he watched the perverted boy try to join the girls on the couch, only to be hit by a kick from Koneko that sent a clear message, causing him to return to his seat with a defeated expression.
That small interaction made the atmosphere a bit more natural, but still, Adam had to admit all of it was a little unsettling. He never thought he'd one day be sharing a room with so many demons on such... peaceful terms.
If it were his "old self," there was no doubt he would have tried to cut their heads off immediately. But the person he was now… It wasn't that his body wasn't prepared if needed, but that urge to kill had weakened greatly—not just due to the soul fusion, but also because of his broken spirit and long inactivity.
Back in wartime, he would've tortured Dohnaseek until the Fallen Angel forgot his own name. But now, Adam was no longer the madman consumed by vengeance he used to be. He didn't give him a quick death, but compared to what he would've done in the past, he'd been ten times more merciful.
"Sorry if it's a problem, but I only have sencha tea." Pouring some glasses of tea, he began distributing them, receiving nods and thanks in return.
Rias, who sniffed the tea for a moment, took a generous sip, satisfaction drawn across her face as she enjoyed the sweet balance of the popular drink. "It's great, thank you very much."
Adam smiled. Even though she was a demon, Rias seemed quite genuine. Maybe it was his bias talking, but he hadn't met many friendly demons in his life. In fact, all of this was still new to him. He didn't know the girl's character deeply yet, but he had a hunch that she was, in fact, a good person.
"I'm glad you liked it." Adam nodded, then moved in front of the couch and sat comfortably on the floor, his arm resting on his knee while his back leaned against the wall behind him. "Well then, how about we begin with the proper introductions?"
"It would be a pleasure." Rias smiled, and placing her cup on the table in front of her, stood up with a confident expression, her posture radiating nobility while her eyes gleamed with a soft glow. "I'm Rias Gremory, representative of the Gremory household and current president of the Occult Research Club at Kuoh Academy."
'Gremory, huh?' Adam thought. It wasn't just due to his meta-knowledge that he knew this was a noble family. The Gremory clan had been known on the battlefield for hundreds of years, so it was natural that he knew of them.
Of course, he didn't know how the dynamics in the Underworld were working nowadays, but he doubted things had changed enough for the Gremory clan to fall from nobility… Besides, the way Rias carried herself made it obvious that wasn't the case—everything about her screamed high royalty.
"It's a pleasure, Miss Rias." Because of all this, he made sure to be respectful, even if Rias didn't seem to care much for it. He preferred to play it safe—the last thing he wanted was to offend a noble when he was so weak.
With that, the introductions continued. Akeno introduced herself in a way Adam could only describe as… "peculiar." As she said her name, he could feel her eyes on him, as if she were trying to see through his clothes, which made him… slightly uncomfortable.
But aside from that odd impression, she seemed like a good person… Still, he made a mental note to always keep a safe distance.
The third to introduce himself was Kiba. The young man carried himself with refinement, his speech meticulous. Adam appreciated that and could say he liked the boy.
But there was something about Kiba that made Adam stare at him a little longer. Something bothered him, though he couldn't quite tell what it was. His intuition rarely failed him, so he made a mental note to investigate later. There didn't seem to be any malice in the boy, but Adam preferred not to take unnecessary risks.
Next came Issei's turn. The perverted young man introduced himself in a decent manner, which seemed to surprise Rias and the others. Having Issei act normal and not blurt out perverted lines wasn't common. Understandable, considering what Adam knew from the anime.
But none of that drew Adam's attention to Issei—except for one thing…
Adam felt his Sacred Gear. Initially, he didn't pay it much attention, but over time, it started to bother him that he could feel an irritated intent directed at him. For some reason, the "being" within the Sacred Gear didn't seem to like him very much…
Well, he couldn't please everyone. As long as that irritation stayed internal, Adam had nothing to worry about.
As for the last person to introduce herself, Adam paid closer attention.
Koneko's introduction would've been pretty ordinary, if not for one crucial point—her gaze. The way she looked at him didn't carry ill intent; rather, it seemed more like fascination. That intrigued Adam, and he decided to ask the girl directly about it later… Also, the fact that she mistook him for a Youkai gave him something to think about. It'd be a good way to better understand her reasoning.
So, with the introductions finished and tea time over, Rias sent Kiba, Koneko, and Issei outside the house. Their goal seemed to be using demonic energy to fix the broken parts, apparently also serving as training for Issei.
He just hoped nothing exploded in the process… He really didn't want to have to find temporary housing.
"Well, well~"
And just as he watched through the window, his attention was drawn to the source of the sultry voice, his eyes landing on Akeno staring at him with seductive eyes, while Rias, beside her, had her arms crossed over her ample chest.
"Mr. Adam, may I ask you something?" Her voice carried a flirtatious tone, but Adam could sense genuine curiosity.
"Go ahead."
"Well, you seem to be a foreigner, but you speak Japanese so well… I could even say you speak it perfectly."
The question seemed driven by curiosity, but Adam noticed the subtle hint of suspicion. Akeno was cautious… Adam could respect that. It wasn't wise to trust someone you'd known for less than two days.
As for her question, it brought up one of his abilities—one of the few that had remained with him even after his fall from Eden: the ability to understand and speak any language. And literally, any language.
Since waking up, he hadn't really stopped to think about it, but he could now appreciate how interesting this ability was. Not just human language, but also animal speech—he could understand them fluently.
Of course, not all animals were intelligent enough to communicate properly, but many could express their intentions through a unique language.
Even though birdsongs or growls didn't sound like words, Adam could understand them as if their meanings were directly implanted into his mind.
It was, indeed, a very useful ability.
"I've been living in Japan for a few years; being around people and a little talent helped with that." But they didn't need to know any of that. Just as they didn't fully trust him, he had no intention of revealing his true identity or abilities.
"I see…" Akeno nodded, her expression calm as her eyes closed. "I'm still very curious… You say you're an ordinary man, but I don't see how an ordinary man could kill a Fallen Angel."
"Akeno." Rias called in a reprimanding tone, but Adam quickly raised a hand, signaling that it was okay.
"I understand your distrust, Miss Akeno, but believe me when I say I'm just as surprised as you are." In a way, that was true. He didn't expect his restrictions to be lifted. "When the Fallen Angel appeared, I just went with the flow—it turns out my abilities gave me enough of an advantage to catch him off guard… The supernatural isn't exactly new to me, but I've never been as involved as I've been recently."
He lied, but had no trouble keeping it hidden. It wasn't hard for him—after all, he'd fought in countless wars where infiltration was necessary.
Learning to lie was just one of the many skills he'd developed.
"I can see that." Akeno nodded, not seeming to doubt his words.
Rias, who exchanged a quick look with her Queen, nodded as if understanding a hidden message—an interaction Adam could only watch with curiosity.
"Well, Mr. Adam, I remember offering you a contract with us." Rias said, her blue eyes meeting Adam's.
'Oh, there it is. Looks like I piqued her interest enough for a contract to be worth it.'
"So, based on our friendly interaction…"
'Why do I feel like she's trying to persuade me just to fix my house?'
"I'd like to know your answer."
"..."
Adam stared at her for a few seconds, his chin resting on his fist as he closed his eyes thoughtfully—an expression that seemed to make Rias a bit anxious.
Creek!
But just as he seemed about to answer, the attention of all three turned toward the stairs when a creaking sound echoed through the room, their eyes landing on a beautiful blonde girl with a sleepy expression.
"..."
But the moment she saw two women sitting on the couch, her eyes widened in surprise, her body freezing as she seemed unsure how to react.
"Good morning, Asia!"
A good start to the day.