Turns out, even in the world of High School DxD, biological rules still apply.
What greeted Rod's eyes wasn't the little nun Asia, but Lavinia.
She was wearing nothing but a white button-up shirt, her long, snowy legs fully exposed to the open air. Although she was lying with her back turned and he couldn't see anything R-rated, Rod could tell by the feel alone.
Softer than marshmallows. Better than Asia's, even.
"If you've had your fill, you can let go now."
Lavinia's gentle voice came as she stirred, clearly already awake.
Her tone was just as calm as always, as though being groped by him like this didn't upset her in the slightest.
"Mm."
Even though the situation was more than suggestive, Lavinia hadn't reacted like one of those easily-flustered anime heroines who would instantly freak out after being touched. That, Rod could appreciate.
Still, things being as they were, he felt the need to clarify.
Especially since Lavinia had sat up and turned to face him after he let go.
"I think I deserve an explanation," Rod said sternly.
Apologizing was out of the question. It's not like he had crawled into her bed in the middle of the night.
"...Huh?"
Lavinia blinked, seemingly surprised by Rod's reaction. Wasn't the guy supposed to be the one apologizing in these situations?
"This is the couch I slept on. You were supposed to be in the same room as Asia."
She thought about it for a moment and realized ,yeah, that sounded about right.
That was the end of that.
The girl tilted her head, letting her golden hair spill down like sunlight to her waist. Though it now covered her rather bold figure, it actually added a layer of hazy allure, making her appear even more charming than usual.
Of course, even without that, Lavinia's appeal to men was already maxed out.
Forget the dazzling white scenery in front of him ,just the composition of her legs and what lay between them was enough to make Rod want to go home and "check the mail."
"I remember now," Lavinia murmured. "I got up to use the bathroom last night. When I came back, I must've lain down here. And since you were holding onto me so tightly, I didn't want to disturb your sleep, so I stayed."
She rubbed her drowsy eyes and added matter-of-factly, "Though I do have to say, your hands were awfully disobedient. Every time I moved them away, they found their way back exactly where they were."
"And my back… got a little sore from being poked. Is that what people call a physiological reaction? I didn't expect that from you, Mr. Rod."
Rod's mouth twitched. What do you mean "you too"?!
If it weren't for their current friendship level being too low, he would've pinned her down right then and shown her just how much he did have.
But as things stood, this was probably the furthest they could go. Pushing it further might tank his favorability rating to the negatives.
Just then, a sleepy voice came from the bedroom doorway.
"Mr. Rod, have you seen where Miss Lavinia-"
Asia stood in the doorway, rubbing her eyes mid-sentence. But the moment she saw Lavinia and Rod on the same couch, her grogginess evaporated.
Her emerald eyes widened. Her mouth opened slightly, as if trying to speak but no words would come out.
"Mr… Mr. Rod, what's going on here…?"
"I've been defiled," Lavinia answered flatly, as if quoting a line she'd read in a local manga.
Asia didn't scream. She didn't break into a dramatic display like some white-haired heroine from a tragic love triangle.
She just stared at Lavinia's upper half ,specifically the Fuju-san-tier peaks half-exposed through her undone shirt ,then glanced down at her own modest plains.
She looked like she was about to cry.
Of course Mr. Rod would like big ones. It's only natural for a man…
Why couldn't I have a body like Miss Lavinia's?
…
The morning sun beamed cheerfully across the sky.
After the little misunderstanding was resolved, Rod and the two girls set off from Kyoto.
But just as they were leaving…
Several figures stood hidden behind the protective barrier surrounding the city, silently observing the departing car.
"Are you sure we don't need to stop them for one final inspection?"
"No need. He's not the culprit. In fact," Suzaku said with a faint smile, "I'm hoping he really was the one who took the treasure. That way, we won't have to waste resources chasing shadows."
She waved it off. "Let's focus on our internal affairs. Outside forces have been unusually active lately. We're not the only ones with problems."
…
Once they'd passed beyond Kyoto's perimeter, the sensation of being watched disappeared.
Rod knew they were now outside the range of the Five Great Clans' barrier.
According to their earlier plan, it would take them roughly 400 kilometers by car to reach their destination. Not too short, not too long. Even with breaks, they could make it in a day.
About two hours in, Rod parked the car to take in the view.
They stretched their legs and shared some food to recharge.
Rod never skimped when it came to daily living.
His inventory didn't just contain combat gear and mission supplies. Thanks to its time-stasis properties, it also housed loads of daily necessities ,including fresh food that stayed perfectly preserved.
Even if he'd packed it a year ago, it still tasted like it just came out of the oven.
Just as they were finishing up, Lavinia furrowed her brows.
"There's some kind of unusual energy coming from the forest."
Rod had sensed something too, but it wasn't as clear to him as it was to a professional mage like Lavinia.
"Want to check it out?" he asked.
"I'll go," Rod offered.
He had time to kill anyway. Who knew ,maybe it'd trigger a new system quest.
Though the odds weren't great. This area sat between Kyoto and Kuoh Town, a neutral zone between two powers. It was rare for plot-relevant characters to appear here.
…
In the forest.
A sleek black cat lay curled on a patch of grass, carefully licking a wound on its leg with its pink tongue.
Its golden eyes shimmered with something unnatural, occasionally scanning the surroundings with wariness.
But soon, perhaps due to blood loss or sheer exhaustion, the cat rested its head on the grass again, its throat vibrating with soft purrs.
Just as it was about to drift off… it stiffened.
It sensed something. Someone.
Its head jerked up, scanning the woods with sharp eyes.
But it saw nothing.
Until a shadow fell across the sunlight filtering through the leaves.
Only then did the black cat realize ,
A stranger had arrived.
<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Read 40 Advanced Chapters
p(a)treon.com/Shalltearr
Drop some POWERSTONES to push the story forward!