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Chapter 2 - II. Gula

Heinrich Cornelius von Nettesheim - the diagnostic window showed me when I focused my gaze on this uncle who had come to see me off from the beginning to the end of the trip. Because apparently, Gabrias Gremory asked to go to Japan - when I tried to refuse the trip, which was perceived as an attempt to avoid dressing up, I was reminded that this was exactly my desire, not someone else's. And that's where this uncle apparently held the Gremory territory. The nickname was also present and made very little sense to me, Agrippa. In Russian, his name would sound something like Genryh Cornely Nettesgeimsky, probably, but this could be inaccurate. It's been quite a while since I've expressed myself in Russian, except for thoughts.

In the depths of my thoughts, of course, I'll give him another handle, Gosha, for example. This gloomy pecker face looks a lot like a Gosha? Or maybe Gena? Like that crocodile from a cartoon. By the way, I need to find it and watch, it won't be any weird because of age as of yet.

But the pecker is honestly so sullen, sits there, sticks his nose in the teacup, and won't even look at the servants who serve us. Of course, I scanned them all with this barbed circlet on my wrist, because you never know. I've already been taught by all sorts of incomprehensible terrorists in one of my past worlds. Of course, not everyone is sick enough to attack a child, but shit happens.

Oh, it's quite a pity, that this crystal thing doesn't have an Internet connection, so at least I'd look in more detail for what exactly it means - the author of De Occulta Philosophia Libri III , and other titles in his status. As an effect, the very first one was Cursor Daemoniorum . Of course, my half-baked tour operator gave me the lone good advice, and he did have a lot of wisdom in this, to learn Latin.

Well, of course, in that leather folder that was with me in the clearing, there was also a PDA the size of half a regular paper sheet. Therefore, nothing prevented me from getting into the local version of the devilish Internet. Except, of course, the presence of politeness hammered into the subcortex. In theory, I should at least try to start a conversation with a fellow traveler, at least at the level of the weather outside the window. Although, the outside is this... Ginnungagap.

The weather must be something special, alright.

As I understand it, we are going to Japan, and I have not gained any new knowledge of Japanese language - only the crumbs that I didn't lose during all this time. And I lack practice for almost decades. So either Rias learned Japanese by eleven, or we'll have a translator in our retinue, or none of this is necessary. I can't ask either, unless I try the roundabout way.

"Agrippa... san? Sensei?" I tried to break my forehead on this little ice layer that emerged between us, as we were completely incompatible and different people on principle.

Oddly enough, I managed.

"Rias-san, I see that you are already trying to use the necessary honorifics!" He nodded his head approvingly, although he did not change his nonchalant expression to a more friendly one. "Great! This way you avoid any problems with the locals if you maintain the necessary official distance. You wanted to visit common areas, right? And call me Agrippa-sensei or just Sensei. Lord Lucifer agreed to help you with the study of magic other than your bloodline, and therefore decided to combine business with pleasure."

"Yes, that's what I gathered. I just want to see Akihabara and, if possible, visit the Ghibli Museum, it is in the Inokashiro Park in Tokyo, recently opened!" I said it as enthusiastically as I had the patience for, and sipped the already cooling tea.

It was odd to hear him speak Russian, with very clearly understandable respectful expressions. He was definitely not Russian, and his lips did not match what I perceived for myself. It's also strange because I've spent most of my last few incarnations communicating in English. Aren't people supposed to start thinking more in the language they speak more often? So this thing isn't even based on thoughts? I didn't have the opportunity to look those I was talking to before, except for Austin, of course, directly in the face, and watch the movements of the lips at the same time. What the fuck is this, anyway?

"I would like to know, if this... language feature of ours, is it available in some form to ordinary people?" I looked at him expectantly and finished my tea in quick sips while he seemed to think about how to explain it to me more simply.

He obviously didn't have the best opinion of my brainpower, and he was probably even correct when it came to magic.

"The magical population has some auxiliary artifacts," this Gosha-man decided to answer in the most boring way. 

And after I didn't ask any follow-up questions, he leaned back in his seat and began staring out the window, where the equally boring views of Ginnungagap floated by.

I looked towards the maid and smiled - all for the sake of tea! She indicated a smile in response and did not stop supplying me with tea, which constantly changed its taste and color. Nevertheless, we were among decent people, and we did not observe any ceremonies, except for one thing - not to drink from the kettle itself.

On one particularly delicious green tea, my hand even reached out for the kettle, to sip right out of the spout. But even with the pleading eyes, the maid just waved me off and pushed a bowl of cookies towards me.

Gena-man continued to accompany me in this trip towards his territory quite politely, but very much uninterested. I wouldn't even have noticed if I was actually a little girl barely past the threshold of the first decade.

Well, since the polite part of all this has been observed, we should open the devil-net, or whatever it is they have here...

"Lady Rias, what are you doing?" Heinrich, who hadn't been interested in my tea party before, asked me with a frown.

"I want to look for something... What of it?" I tossed my head and loudly slurped the tea, completely out of touch with the concepts of etiquette, but hardly anyone cares right now.

"Devil-net won't work in interdimensional space anyway, Lady Rias," the maid explained softly and tapped her watch. "We only have fifteen minutes left before arrival. I think you have enough control over yourself to be able to wait."

"Control? What do you..."

I trailed off.

In my explorations and diagnostics of other creatures around me, I simply forgot that this is just a third-rate function, not the main one at all, and definitely not what Austin gave me this bracelet for.

There was an entry in my window now, right under Avaritia S and Acedia M.

Gula ( Laute M, Studiose M, Nimis S, Praepropere S, Ardenter M) M

So now I can't even chuck a cup of tea without acquiring one of the Deadly Sins?!

Am I not allowed to enjoy anything now?!

Although yes, the sin is not in the action itself, if you think about it that way, but in the fact that I overdid it, and this is clearly understandable if you look at it from the outside.

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

I wanted to beat my own face in, for real.

Of course, my own sin will be the fucking sin of Gluttony in five forms, these are clearly those separated by commas and with their own definitions of the depth of falling, so to speak.

Oh God in Heavens, what for? Heh, in this world, I can at least pretend that I'm not an atheist.

I'm also kind of afraid to call Inari-okami-sama out loud, especially since we're about to land in Japan, where her native land is supposed to be. And I am inhabiting the being of another, let's say, Pantheon. That's why I'm not even trying to take a look at Kyoto on this trip. After all, that's where her largest shrine is, and that's where I have the highest chance of getting burned - especially when accompanied by the devils of the Underworld who report to Rias's Brother, who's also the Satan Lucifer. After all, my mark - the mark that allows me to reincarnate into different worlds - was placed on me by the Inari's fox.

One question from them, heard by the wrong ears, and my whole charade will go down the drain. And they will ask, they will not be ashamed.

That's why I implement a no-no rule for Shinto temples!

Although I really want to rally all the local servants of the goddess to the cause of me finally meeting Tomiko again.

Thoughts about her somehow really spoiled my mood, even such barely formed ones, and so I reached for the cup again and continued to drown in it. It was a feeble attempt to drown out the remnants of barely smoldering emotions towards the fox who saved me from death, but doomed me to some unnamed number of rebirths in a female body.

Not that I could do better in such a situation, but still, she screwed us both over in a bad way that time, ugh. 

I sighed heavily and started staring at Ginnungagap as well.

The abyss was curiously soothing.

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