The first thing that entered Rod's field of vision was a pair of enormous breasts.
It wasn't really his fault that his eyes immediately locked onto them. They were simply too big.
"I didn't expect Mr. Rod to have arrived already. Once I heard you would be coming, I found myself looking forward to it for quite some time."
Gabriel was dressed in a white robe. Even though it covered her skin from head to toe, numbers were numbers. It was impossible not to notice them.
As expected of Heaven's ultimate heavenly bust.
Behind Gabriel were Xenovia and Irina, whom he had not seen in several weeks.
"Yo, long time no see, Rod."
Xenovia was as straightforward as ever, raising a hand to greet him.
"I didn't expect so many things to happen while we were gone."
Irina also gave him a cheerful wave, looking rather pleased.
"Yeah, it really has been a while. I think the last time we met was the previous time."
Rod sighed with feeling.
"Hmph. You sound so moved on the surface, but in reality, you didn't miss us at all, did you? We already know. During the whole time we were gone, you didn't even ask about us once. Sister Griselda told us that!"
Irina folded her arms and puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.
"We fought side by side as comrades, and you didn't even send a single greeting."
"It was for your own good that I didn't contact you. Besides, even if I had, you probably wouldn't have seen me anyway, right? You were both shutting yourselves away at the time. If I'd gone over, who knows what it would've turned into."
Rod spread his hands.
Irina's eyes rolled as she thought about it, then she nodded.
"That actually sounds about right. I really did stay shut up in my room brooding for a long time back then. If it weren't for Lady Gabriel and Sister Griselda, I probably wouldn't have made it out of that slump."
"Yes. If you'd come to comfort us, Rod, we probably would have fallen into corruption on the spot and become unclean women, letting you use us however you pleased."
Xenovia nodded in full agreement.
"That was what I was thinking too, but thanks to you, I managed to overcome my inner demons. I'm now a Reincarnated Angel under Lady Gabriel."
Rod really did not know how to respond. He had indeed entertained that thought before, but these two honest children really did not need to say it out loud.
Still, he wasn't surprised that the two of them had become angels.
After the peace talks between the Three Factions, Heaven had obtained all the information regarding the Evil Piece system and, using it as a foundation, developed the Reincarnated Angel system named after playing cards.
In the original story, only Irina had been reincarnated, while Xenovia gave in to despair and was taken advantage of by Rias, who lured her into becoming a devil.
Afterward, she said she regretted it deeply.
But with the plot changed this much, she had naturally become an angel instead.
"Is this Lord Odin? I heard you would be coming today as well. I didn't expect to run into you here."
Gabriel also noticed the old man with the beard nearly reaching the floor beside Rod, and she smiled sweetly.
That smile, however, carried a rather formulaic quality.
"Heh, Gabriel truly lives up to her name as the most beautiful angel. I'd wager Azazel, Shemhazai, and those other fallen angels only fell because of you. If I were them, I'd probably have fallen too. Heh heh heh..."
Odin grinned lecherously, while Rossweisse beside him immediately grew angry.
"Really, Lord Odin! This is Lady Gabriel, one of Heaven's Seraphim! You cannot look at her with those sort of lustful eyes! It is unworthy of the dignity of the King of Gods!"
As she scolded him, Rossweisse also produced a folding fan from somewhere and began whacking Odin over the head with it.
It had been one thing when Odin and Rod were gossiping about her earlier, but now he was openly ogling Lady Gabriel.
What if it accidentally caused a diplomatic incident?!
Having his head repeatedly smacked, Odin could only withdraw his gaze and look at Rossweisse resentfully.
"I am the King of Gods, Odin. Aren't you damaging our reputation by hitting me like this?"
"I'm guiding Lord Odin toward the dignity a King of Gods ought to possess! Honestly! I apologize, Lady Gabriel. Once we return, I'll make sure to discipline Lord Odin properly."
"Even though you say that, why is it fine when he looks, but not when I do?"
Rubbing his head, Odin pointed at Rod, clearly trying to prove he wasn't the only offender.
Only then did he realize that, at some point, Rod had put on a pair of black sunglasses. With those dark lenses covering his eyes completely, there was no way to tell where he was looking.
What?!
You can do that?!
Odin was deeply shaken.
Why had he never thought of that before?
Because of the wandering gaze he just couldn't help, those Valkyries and gods under him had filed countless complaints over the years.
"Hehe, it's fine."
Gabriel covered her lips and laughed softly, but at the same time she subtly shifted her body away from Odin's side and angled herself more openly toward Rod instead.
Damn it!
So this was age discrimination!
Naturally, Odin noticed that too, and his mood darkened further.
"Let's go. The meeting should be starting soon."
Gabriel spoke to Rod.
Then the three parties made their way together toward the conference room.
The great doors stood open, and quite a few people were already inside.
There were the familiar faces of Sirzechs and Serafall, as well as Azazel and a fallen angel in a black kimono who looked strikingly like a gorilla.
The system panel displayed his name as Baraqiel.
Akeno's father, in other words.
Rod wondered what sort of expression Akeno would make if she learned that her father was here as well.
The people in the room were all startled when they saw Rod arrive together with Gabriel and Odin.
"Hmph! Have none of you youngsters learned how to greet an old man properly?"
Odin swept his gaze arrogantly across the room.
"Long time no see, you foul old geezer from the northern backwater."
Azazel raised a hand and waved lazily at him.
"It has indeed been a while, you brat leading the fallen angels. But seeing enemies who've fought each other for so long all sitting here together so harmoniously, are you up to something underhanded again?"
"Haha! We young people think differently from you country folk, who cling to tradition and dead customs. Rather than obsessing over pointless hostilities, we care more about self-improvement and development."
"Yes, yes. That really is the loser's spirit of the weak. In the end, you're all just a bunch of little children who've lost both your God and your Maou."
Hearing that, Azazel immediately looked displeased.
"You really can't spit ivory out of a dog's mouth, old man."
"Because this place looks exactly like children playing house in a kindergarten, all I can do is laugh."
The moment Azazel and Odin met, the smell of gunpowder in the air became intense. Rossweisse stood to the side, unsure how she was supposed to intervene.
After all, the other man was the leader of the fallen angels. How exactly was she supposed to stop him?
Rod, on the other hand, could not have cared less. Whether those two leaders quarreled themselves hoarse had nothing to do with him.
After finding a seat, he kept his sunglasses on and, while chatting with Gabriel seated beside him, continued enjoying himself thoroughly behind his shades.
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