Of course, that didn't mean Asia had never tasted meat before.
It was just that the meat dishes in the Church were always so plain, so utterly flavorless, that they barely counted as food.
But this, this was something else entirely.
The flavor explosion of grilled meat, cheese, and sauce practically brought tears to her eyes.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Asia forgot all about her exile.
At that moment, happiness had a taste, and it came wrapped in grilled flatbread.
Naturally, she ate too fast and ended up choking.
Rod handed her a bottle of fizzy soda and told her to gulp it down.
She did.
And when the bubbles popped in her mouth, her eyes went wide in confusion.
"M-Mister Rod… I think there's something fighting inside me…! What's… what's happening?!"
Rod suppressed a laugh and explained patiently, "It's soda. There's nothing fighting in you, it's just the bubbles popping."
What a dork.
Still, he found himself amused.
At this point, taking care of her felt like raising a pet.
"Here, you can have the rest."
He passed her the bottle.
"Th-thank you!"
She accepted it like he'd handed her a precious treasure.
She took a tiny sip.
The burst of sweetness and carbonation hit her tongue, and her entire body trembled in delight.
Her eyes squeezed shut in bliss.
For a girl who'd never had fast food in her life, this was a gourmet experience.
A revelation.
....
Half an hour later.
Asia, who'd already had dinner earlier, now had a visibly rounded tummy from everything she'd eaten.
Rod, still indulging his little "pet-raising" fantasy, wasn't stingy.
He took her through the Roman night market, letting her enjoy the sights and food.
Though not as extravagant as the bustling night markets of his previous life, there was still enough to dazzle Asia.
By the time they'd wandered through a dozen food stalls, Asia had stuffed herself silly.
"M-Mister Rod… I-I'm sorry, I don't think I can go to Kuoh Town just yet… urp…"
She clutched her mouth like she might hurl at any moment.
"It's fine. I wasn't planning to leave tonight anyway," Rod replied casually.
"We'll take a look around Rome first. You've probably never gotten the chance to explore properly, right?"
"R-Really?!" Her eyes lit up.
"Besides, I've got a few things I need to take care of."
"O-Okay!"
Asia beamed.
Ever since she could remember, she'd lived inside church walls.
And while she'd occasionally accompanied priests and nuns to other convents or missions, she'd never truly explored the world outside.
Noise, color, crowds, these things had always been close, yet impossibly far.
She wasn't even allowed to walk freely, being the Church's precious Saint.
But of course, Rod wasn't really planning on sightseeing.
He was just waiting for the next phase of the plot to kick in.
According to his memory of the original story, not long after Asia was expelled, a group called the "Far Eastern Rogue Exorcists" approached her.
They claimed they wanted to offer her sanctuary, assigning her to a church in Kuoh Town.
It was all a lie.
What awaited her was an ambush, an elaborate ritual to rip her Sacred Gear out of her body.
It was honestly kind of hilarious.
Of all the places to pick, those idiots had chosen Kuoh Town, territory under Rias Gremory's control.
If it had been anywhere else, Asia probably would've been dead before the hero cast even showed up.
Rod sighed and watched the city lights pass as time slipped by.
Eventually, deep into the night, he took a still-energetic but clearly tired Asia to a hotel.
The front desk lady gave him a look when she saw the pretty blonde girl dressed like a nun.
In a city packed with churches, showing up at a hotel with a "cosplaying nun" was certainly… bold.
Rod didn't care what anyone thought.
…
They got a double room.
Once inside, Rod dropped into a chair and pulled out his phone.
"You go shower first. I'll go after."
"Okay!"
Asia replied brightly, digging through her suitcase for her sleepwear and heading into the bathroom.
The moment warm water hit her face, she froze.
Wait a second, was she really sharing a room with a man?!
That realization sent her into panic mode.
Her cheeks turned crimson like a boiled crab.
"W-Was this… a mistake? Or… or…"
She began to overthink it.
Then quickly shook her head, droplets of water flying from her golden hair and splashing the glass walls and mirror.
"No, that's wrong! Mister Rod would never do that! He's a messenger of the Lord! He bought me food, showed me around town… and there are two beds! Definitely just a coincidence!"
"It's not like there were any other rooms available!"
"And even if there were, he's God's chosen guide, he'd never have impure thoughts!"
"Oh Lord, forgive me for such wicked thoughts! Amen!"
She crossed herself in repentance, the blush slowly fading.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the door…
Rod sat there, staring wordlessly at the frosted glass panel of the bathroom.
You couldn't see details, but the silhouette was enough to make his imagination work overtime.
Under the light, her creamy skin looked like milk-glass, smooth, delicate, like carved precious stone.
Was this some sort of reward for all his heroic work?
Coincidence or fate, it really matched the whole vibe of DxD.
And so, he shamelessly enjoyed the view.
Asia's figure wasn't exaggerated like Rias or Akeno, but her petite build had its own appeal.
Soon, the sound of running water stopped.
Asia stepped out, wrapped in a modest set of pajamas, steam still rising off her face.
She avoided eye contact, cheeks glowing.
"Y-Your turn…"
And with that, she scampered to her bed and dove under the covers.
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