3rd Person POV
After dinner, Arto took a quick shower before returning to his room to continue his work with his simulation project, but what waiting him are Rias and Akeno deliberately sitting on his bed, tucked themselves comfortably under his blanket with their tablets before their faces. "Now you're doing homework in your teacher's bedroom? You're really speeding ahead with the landlord privilege," Arto remarked, though he didn't mind. He sat at his desk, the glow of his monitors casting a soft blue hue over the room.
He opened his own tablet to check the communication app named 'ManaGer'—he saw the group chat is buzzing with discussions about the homework with....."Wait, how the hell did you all manage to get these icons?" Arto asked out loud while scrolling down the chat seeing them sending customized emojis, including a very detailed caricature of himself looking tired with a cup of coffee.
Rias looked up from her screen, her expression one of innocent curiosity. "You said the system was a network, Arto. Once Sona figured out how to access the metadata of the icons, she realized she could upload her own. We've spent the last hour collaboratively designing a set of emotes for the peerages. Sona's is very professional, but mine... well, Akeno helped me with the creative side."
Arto let out a smile as he looked at the emotes list "You seriously spent your time making emojis instead of doing your homework? I give you a revolutionary tool for magical simulation, and you use the metadata gaps to create a digital sticker pack of my tired face."
"It's called community building, Arto," Rias replied, leaning back against the pillows with a triumphant grin. She tapped her screen, sending the caricature of Arto—complete with a tiny, floating Stress Level: Critical gauge—into the group chat. "Besides, you look adorable in chibi form, look at this one" She showed him an emote of himself looking menacingly "A warning for the students to start doing their homework"
Akeno giggled before sending another message following Rias's Menacing Gaze emote "You'd better be doing your homework, Sensei is watching~" before snapping a picture of Arto's face to send to the group, and earned loads of emojis and reactions from the students who were probably just as distracted.
Arto sighed, though he couldn't hide the warmth in his voice. "I'm too old for this, everyone, too many colors for these eyes, so I'll let you cook up what you want, just finish your homework." He turned off his tablet before coming to the bed where Rias and Akeno are doing their homework....or chatting, impossible to know.
He jumped on the bed but what landed wasn't Arto, but a large gray wolf whose body spanned across the entire width of the bed, his body landed comfortably on Rias and Akeno's laps, with his head near Rias and his tail near Akeno.
Both of them yelped to the sudden impact of the wolf, but soon charmed by the sensation of the wolf's thick fluffy fur on their laps and arms. The wolf let out a long, contented huff, closing its eyes and sinking into the mattress with a heavy thud.
"Now his is an upgrade," Akeno purred, her fingers immediately diving into the thick silver-gray coat of the wolf's neck. She leaned in, pressing her cheek against the warm fur. "Much better than a grumpy teacher. I think I prefer the wolf version of Arto. He doesn't tell us to stop chatting."
Rias laughed, shifting her position to lean against the headboard, her hand resting on the wolf's flank. "You're so spoiled, Akeno. But he's right, the fur is incredibly soft, but hard to fall off" She tugged the fur slightly to see how firm they are "No wonder Koneko could hold onto this while he ran at Mach speed the other day, the animal control and local news were panicked seeing a girl riding a wolf running around town"
The wolf let out a low, rumbling huff that sounded suspiciously like a sigh of annoyance. He shifted his weight, nudging Rias's palm with his wet nose, demanding more attention. To the outside observer, it was a scene of domestic bliss, but for Arto, shifting into this form was the only way to truly turn off the Professor and Strategist switches in his mind. In this state, the complex calculations of Systematic Magic and the burdens of a thousand years of isolation dimmed into a simple, sensory world of warmth, scent, and the rhythmic beating of two hearts beside him.
"I wonder if he can still use the tablet in this form," Akeno mused, her fingers scratching a particularly sweet spot behind the wolf's ears. "Imagine the look on Sona's face if a wolf suddenly logged into the server and corrected her homework with a red pen."
As if responding to the thought, the wolf's eyes snapped open—sharp, dark blue like Arto's own, and brimming with a flicker of mischief. With a sudden wave of his paw, the tablet on the desk flew to him gently as he started monitoring it using his paws, his claws clicking against the screen with surprising precision.
Rias and Akeno can't hold it seeing a large wolf working on a tablet with his tail wagging back and forth and his behind legs kicking once in a while as he gets a bit too excited. It's too adorable, Akeno took the initial action as she took a picture of the Sensei from behind and sent it to the group chat "Guess who~?"
The group chat exploded instantly. A flurry of "What is that?!" and "Is that a dog in the ORC?" flooded the screen. "No, it's too big for a normal dog, when did you adopt Fenrir, Rias?" Reya wrote. And from nowhere, Arto's voice came "Hey, what is Fenrir? And why did Reya compare me to that?" Rias almost jumped hearing that voice came from nowhere, until she realized the wolf is speaking.
"Rias, answer me, who is Fenrir?" The voice was still Arto's—dry, slightly irritated, and distinctly human—but it emanated from the throat of a beast that looked like it could swallow a medium-sized goat in a single gulp. Rias blinked, her mouth hanging open for a second before she burst into a fit of giggles.
"Fenrir is the Great Wolf of Norse mythology!" Rias explained, leaning over and scratching the wolf's chin. "The one destined to swallow the sun during Ragnarök, their apocalypse. Given your... size... and the way you've basically conquered the bed, the comparison is actually quite fitting."
The wolf let out a huff that sounded like a miniature gale, his nostrils flaring. "Destined to swallow the sun? That sounds like an exhausting amount of calories. I'll stick to the dinner we had earlier, thank you."
He shifted his weight, his paws clicking against the screen of the tablet as he scrolled through the group chat. "And for the record, I am just a normal Senjutsu master, not some mythological omen of apocalypse, though I won't deny that I am kind of that sometimes"
Rias' eyes widened hearing 'Senjutsu' as she leaned closer to his head "Arto, you....know Senjutsu?" The wolf didn't look up from the tablet, his paw deftly swiping through a particularly poorly constructed formula in one of the students' submissions.
"Yep, learned from when I was 6, mastered when I was 10, taught to me by the native wolves of the lowest Ring of Hell in my world, granted me enhance sense, usage of natural energy, and yes, turning into a wolf with whatever size I want, like..."
The large dog shrunk into a tiny ball of fur no larger than a fist, curling up in the center of the bed and letting out a tiny, high-pitched yawn. Rias and Akeno stared at the miniature fluff-ball, their hearts collectively melting. The contrast was absurd; one moment he was a sprawling beast of silver fur, and the next, he was a palm-sized puff of wool that looked like it belonged in a luxury pet store.
"I can't decide which version is more dangerous," Akeno whispered, her eyes shimmering with affection. "The one that can swallow the sun, or the one that makes me want to buy him a little sweater." Arto's voice, now muffled by his own fluff, sounded profoundly exhausted. "If anyone mentions a sweater, I am deleting your access to the simulation server for a week."
Rias chuckled, gently poking the tiny wolf with her fingertip while Akeno is taking pictures of him to send to the group chat. The "tiny fluff-ball" version of Arto was far too tempting to ignore. As the room grew quiet and the dim light of the monitors flickered, the playfulness shifted back into the focused academic curiosity that defined their new dynamic.
"In all seriousness," Rias said, her voice softening as she shifted closer to the small creature. "Senjutsu... that's the art of utilizing natural energy, right? In our world, it's an incredibly rare skill, usually reserved for those with specific lineages or those who have spent decades in ascetic meditation. To have mastered it as a child... your world must have been an absolute crucible."
The tiny wolf opened one eye, the deep blue iris glowing faintly in the dark. He expanded back to the wolf that spanned the bed before and went back to working on his tablet, evading Rias' comment "Do you homework, you're having such great fluffy moral support over here, so if you two don't get a 90+, I'll ban you from sleeping with me, use my body as a stand, pet me if need, ask me if hit the wall and can't go further, but don't you dare skip the homework."
Rias and Akeno shared a look of mutual understanding. The "threat" was actually a promise of more quality time, and the "ban" was practically an invitation. They both dove back into their tablets with renewed vigor, the visualizing devices activated again as they started picturing the spells in the homework.
Their hands instinctively found Arto's fur as comfort to maintain their focus and integrity in imagination. The room became a quiet sanctuary of humming technology and rhythmic breathing. Both girls concentrated on their own tasks while Arto answered the questions from other students
[Timeskip: Brought to you by chibi Arto turning into a chibi wolf]
After 90 minutes of intense focus, the homework is done, the .vis files are submitted to be graded, Rias and Akeno are waiting for the final result with the mind exhaustion they have never experienced in a long time.
Rias groaned, stretching her arms over her head with a loud pop of her spine. "I think my brain actually feels like it's been put through a centrifuge. Is this what it's like for you, Arto? Just... calculating formulas for thousands of years?"
A ping, the results calculated on the tablets of Rias and Akeno, echoed through the room. Both girls scrambled to check their scores. Rias stared at her screen, her eyes widening as she saw a 92% shimmering in the center of the screen. Akeno, beside her, let out a small gasp, her result clocking in at a 94%. For the first time in their lives, the thrill of a grade felt as visceral as winning a duel.
"Arto, look. look!" Rias exclaimed, thrusting the tablet toward the wolf's face with an enthusiasm that nearly knocked his head sideways. But what answered her was not Arto's voice, but a tilt of the wolf's head in somekind of curiosity and confusion and then....he licked the fingers Rias was using to hold the tablet, leaving a damp, slobbery trail across her hand.
"Eww! Arto!" Rias shrieked, though she was laughing, trying to wipe her hand on the duvet. The wolf lifted himself up from the bed and moved to face the girls with his face displaying emotions completely different from Arto's own, his eyes are gray instead of dark blue like Arto's, his tongue is sticking out stupidly like....a normal dog.
Rias and Akeno froze, their expressions shifting from amusement to utter confusion. They looked at each other, then back at the wolf, who was now tilting his head in a way that was far too clumsy to be the strategist they knew. He didn't answer when Rias called his name; instead, he let out a loud, goofy bark and suddenly pounced on Akeno, knocking her backward onto the pillows with a heavy thud and licking her face with reckless abandon.
"Wait, Arto? Is this a joke?" Akeno giggled, trying to push the massive head away, but the wolf was relentless, treating her face like a giant chew toy. "Arto, stop it! You're being too... dog-like!" A lick came at her face from the massive tongue of the dog, nearly knocking her head to the side.
Rias sat up, her laughter echoing through the room. "He's not answering us, Akeno! I think he actually turned his brain off! Arto, Arto, you in there?" The wolf turned her with that same goofy face, seemingly knowing his own name, but something is off about the wolf Rias can't quite place.
Until she notice a piece of paper tucked deep inside the big fella's fur. Rias reached out, her fingers brushing against the silver coat, and plucked a small, handwritten note that had been pinned to the wolf's collar—a collar that hadn't been there a moment ago. She unfolded the scrap of parchment, her eyes scanning the neat, disciplined handwriting.
I'm going to sleep now, I'll leave the wolf to you, he is operating in half-instinct mode, to put it simply, he is just a cute house dog with the power of Fenrir Rias read the note aloud, her voice trailing off into a bewildered laugh. "He literally scheduled his own consciousness to take a nap and left a decoy."
The wolf barked happily as he showed Rias his head, eagering for a pet. Without the analytical mind of the strategist filtering his reactions, the creature was a chaotic whirlwind of affection. He didn't just want attention; he wanted the entire bed to be a wrestling mat. Akeno, despite her initial shock at the slobber, found herself laughing as she wrestled with the massive beast.
"For a powerhouse that could rival Fenrir, you're too adorable, my precious wolf darling~" Akeno cooed, her voice dripping with a mixture of amusement and genuine affection. She stopped resisting and simply let herself be pinned beneath the beast, her fingers digging into the thick scruff of its neck. The wolf responded with a series of enthusiastic, low-frequency woofs that vibrated through the mattress, effectively turning the bed into a percussion instrument.
Rias, meanwhile, was petting the wolf's head and watched his tongue sticking out out of comfort "You're right, he is too adorable to be Arto, I might have thought they are 2 different entities"
The "decoy" wolf responded by flopping onto his back with a dramatic thud, legs splayed in the air in a classic invitation for a belly rub. He let out a soft, huffing sound, his eyes rolling back in bliss as Rias and Akeno both succumbed to the temptation.
For a while, the room was filled with the sound of rhythmic scratching and the wolf's contented groans. It was a strange, liberating experience for the girls; they were used to Arto being the pillar of stability, the one who always had the answer or the plan. Seeing him—or at least the biological shell of him—reduced to a creature of pure, uncomplicated impulse was a relief they hadn't known they needed.
"You know, my sweet wolf, you're such a big, fluffy boy, just like Arto, if only you can be a bit smaller, I can take you to school with me," Akeno teased, her fingers dancing across the wolf's belly. The creature responded by shrinking into just a small ball of fur with high-pitched barks, attempting to climb into Akeno's lap with an urgency that nearly knocked her off the bed.
"Well, he could do that, maybe even more, Darling~" Akeno teased, her voice humming with a playful mischief. She scooped the tiny fluff-ball up, cradling him against her chest like a precious plush toy. "Can you turn into a Goldren Retriever?"
The small wolf tilted his head, not knowing what she was talking about, but sensing the positive energy in Akeno's voice. "Here" Rias said from behind him as she showed him a picture of a Golden Retriever, the wolf looked at it for a few seconds before shifting, his fur remained unchanged, but the ears grew floppy and the tail became a thick, wagging plume of silver. He let out a happy, goofy yip and began licking Akeno's chin with an intensity that suggested he had just discovered his new favorite hobby.
"He's actually doing it!" Rias laughed, leaning in to help Akeno struggle against the affectionate assault. "He doesn't even know what a Retriever is, he's just mimicking the visual data on the screen. He's like a living, breathing biological mirror."
The wolf, sensing the shared laughter, suddenly shifted back to his original, medium-sized form, though he kept the floppy ears. He let out a long, dramatic sigh and flopped over, his paws landing squarely on the tablets they had used for homework, effectively shutting them down. It was as if the instinctive half of Arto was telling them that the day's mental labor had officially reached its expiration date.
Akeno sighed, leaning back against the pillows and using the wolf's flank as a plush armrest. "You know, Rias, it's almost unfair. Arto spends all day being the most competent person in the room, and then he leaves us with this little chaos-muffin to keep us company. I don't know which side of him I like more—the one who can rewrite the laws of magic, or the one who thinks a belly rub is the highest form of currency."
The girls then practically collapsed inward, sandwiching the silver-gray wolf in a flurry of silk pajamas and soft laughter. Arto let out a sound that was half-growl and half-purr, his large paws kneading the mattress as he settled into the center of their huddle.
"Soft wolf, warm and fluffy, best hugging pillow ever~" Rias muffled into his fur, her voice sounding distant as she drifted toward sleep. Akeno also snuggled deeper into his flank, her breathing evening out into the slow, steady rhythm of deep exhaustion.
[Timeskip: Brought to you by Rias and Akeno hugging wolf Arto to sleep]
The next day, the class is in a mood that is both weird and endearing, the students, stern Sona included are looking at a big gray wolf with the size of a horse sitting near the board where Arto stood yesterday. The look on the wolf face is most defeated resignment and a tint of amusement "Good day to you, students, this is the result of your poll to be taught by a dog, and regrettably, I was the only one who went against this....so here we are....woof "
The room remained silent for exactly three seconds before the students barged in to pet him, Tomoe was the first one, followed by Momo and Reya, who seemed more interested in the texture of his fur than the lesson on mana-conductivity. "You're so cute~" Tomoe literally buried her face into the teacher's fur, causing the wolf to let out a low, vibrating rumble of annoyance.
Rias and Akeno, who have had time enjoying the teacher's fur last night, left the space for others "I never thought the dog you took picture of last night was Arto-sensei" Tsubaki look her seat while still gazing at the place where Arto is being showered in pamper by his students. "What magic...or what interest made him....you know, turn into a wolf?"
"Well, while being a battle, tactical and magical genius, Arto is also....a master of Senjutsu" Akeno explained, her eyes twinkling with the memory of the previous night. Tsubaki raised an eyebrow "Now, this is getting absurd, you know that?" She asked.
"Tsubaki is right, like my father said, what Arto could do exceeded everything we could imagine possible, and the process of getting what he has must have taken more than just a few years, and he is at most 10 years older than us" Sona added, her gaze turned to Arto who is trying to maintain his cool while his tail can't stop wagging
"Gremory hasn't explained clearly the source of his unprecedented knowledge, now you're saying he is a Senjutsu master on top of that, this is getting more and more suspicious, Rias. Not to mention his somewhat tongue-slip when referring to a place no one knew about Arcanan, you have a lot that you haven't explained, Rias" Sona's final word land as she leaned closer to Rias, her expression a mix of deep curiosity and a touch of professional jealousy.
Rias gave a light shrug, her eyes glancing toward the chaos at the front of the room where Arto was currently being used as a living beanbag by three different students. "I'm just as surprised as you are, Sona. All I know is that he's remarkably honest—once he likes you. And honestly, looking at him now, it's hard to feel intimidated by his mysteries when he's being groomed by a bunch of high schoolers."
Arto, feeling the collective gaze of the room shift from affectionate to analytical, let out a sharp, authoritative bark. The sound was like a thunderclap in the small classroom, instantly freezing the students in their tracks. The suddenness of it sent Tomoe jumping back with a squeak, and the other girls scrambled back to their desks in a flurry of apologies and nervous laughter.
"Enough with the petting zoo. The novelty of my fur does not excuse you from the laws of thermodynamics or the precision of mana-conductivity," Arto's voice rumbled, the sound vibrating through the floorboards. He didn't shift back; instead, he placed a paw of his to towards the board "Go back to your seat, today we will continue to study Intention, with a pinch of spice added to the mix, that is physics."
His book flew also to that spat of the paw, opening to pages where the laws of physics are displayed in hologram form. As the students settled, the atmosphere shifted from a petting zoo back into a lecture hall, though the sight of a horse-sized wolf pointing at a chalkboard his paw and the chalks are flying to write or to throw at anyone's face who is not focusing on the lesson.
"Physics is important to this because like I said yesterday, we are using magic in world that is following non-magical rules, so while you can do absurd things with the environment around you, the laws of gravity and thermodynamics are still there, they're just waiting for you to make a mistake so they can kick you in the face," Arto's voice echoed, sounding strangely muffled yet resonant coming from the wolf's chest. He used a floating piece of chalk to sketch a diagram of a falling object, the chalk moving with a ghostly, precise autonomy.
"The simplest application is the nature of magic itself, that's mana usage, anyone can tell me the Law of Conservation of Energy?" Arto's voice rumbled, the floating chalk pausing mid-air. A few students blinked, looking confused. Tsubaki's hand shot up instantly, her expression one of focused intensity. "Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. Therefore, mana isn't 'created' by the caster, but drawn from an internal or external reserve and converted into a specific effect," she answered, her voice crisp.
The wolf let out a low, approving huff, the chalk sketching a complex formula of energy conversion on the board. "Correct. It's all down to energy shiftment from one kind to another. And the spell-casting process is the how many cycles of conversion? Anyone? Or are you all still thinking about how soft my ears are?"
Sona's hand rose with a level of precision that matched her personality. "Two cycles for basic manifestation," she answered, her voice steady but her eyes narrowing as she analyzed the diagram. "The first is the conversion of raw mana into a the stable kind due to creatures' ability to absorb mana, and one from that reserve to cast spells"
"Spot on, that explains many things as well, the reason why you are tired when casting lots of a spells, why some people have more mana than others, and the origin of Stabilizer" Arto's voice resonated through the room, the floating chalk sketching a series of rapid, interlocking circles that looked more like a blueprint for a turbine than a magical seal.
And he continued "You get tired because your body can't take as much mana while your conversion rate is lower, and Stabilizer originated from the idea of creature's mana absorbing ability, optimized to near instant. Have you gotten it now? We've never escaped the rules of the physical world, we are still operating under it, just using a different currency."
The silence that followed wasn't one of confusion, but of profound realization, as the students stared at the board. For the first time, the abstract "feeling" of magic was being replaced by a tangible, logical framework. They weren't just learning how to cast; they were learning how the universe actually functioned. Sona's gaze lingered on the "currency" analogy, her mind already racing to apply this logic to her own strategic reserves.
"Wait," Momo interrupted, her hand halfway up. "If we're just using a different currency, does that mean we can exchange it for something else? Like, could I turn a fireball into kinetic energy to launch myself backward?"
The wolf's tail gave a single, rhythmic thump against the floor. "Now we're thinking. That's exactly what the 'spice' of physics allows. Most mages treat a spell as a finished product—a ball of fire, a wall of ice. But if you view the spell as a process of energy conversion, you can divert the exhaust. If you understand the vector of the heat expansion, you don't just burn the enemy; you use the recoil to reposition." He shifted his weight, his claws clicking on the floor. "It's the difference between a torch and a rocket engine."
Rias watched him, fascinated by the way he simplified the complex. He wasn't just teaching them a new system; he was dismantling their entire worldview and rebuilding it with a foundation of science. She could see the spark of ambition igniting in the others—a hunger for precision that went beyond the desire for power.
"To demonstrate," Arto rumbled, "take Fly for as an example because I know all of you can do that, you think all your tiny wings can take you weight into the sky? No, you're just using mana to lift yourselves up, what's more is that you can actually apply aerodynamics to fly more efficiently"
As he spoke, the wolf's body shimmered, and he shifted back into his human form in a seamless blur of silver light. He didn't just reappear; he seemed to unfold from the space the wolf had occupied, landing on his feet with a soft thud. He was already mid-stride, moving toward the center of the room with a fluidity that made the air ripple around him.
"Most of you fly like bricks being pushed by a breeze," Arto said, his voice returning to its usual dry, composed tone. "You push mana against the air to propel yourselves. It's wasteful. Inefficient. It's like trying to swim through honey by punching the water."
He suddenly blurred, moving across the room so fast he became a streak of gray, appearing behind Momo before she could even blink. He didn't use a teleportation spell; he had simply manipulated the air pressure around his body to eliminate drag. "If you treat the air not as an obstacle, but as a medium for pressure differentials, you can move without consuming a single drop of extra mana once you hit your cruising velocity."
The students gasped, several of them leaning forward. Momo looked at Arto, then back at the board, the gears in her head turning. "You... you just used the air as a slipstream. You didn't push the air away; you let it pull you."
"Exactly," Arto replied, walking back to the board with a faint, satisfied smile. "That is the 'spice' of physics. When you stop fighting the world and start using its own rules against it, your efficiency doesn't just increase—it multiplies at a rate amateur will call....magic."
He tapped the hologram of the energy conversion cycle with a finger. "Most of you treat the air as a void. But the air is a fluid. It has viscosity, pressure, and temperature. If you create a localized vacuum in front of you and a high-pressure zone behind you, you don't need to 'fly' in the traditional sense. You are simply being sucked forward by the atmosphere itself. The mana cost becomes negligible once the initial vacuum is established."
Sona's eyes were practically glowing with the intellectual challenge. She was already sketching a revised version of the flight formula in her notebook, her pen moving with frantic precision. "The drag coefficient... if we can synchronize our mana shells to match the laminar flow of the wind, we could potentially travel at supersonic speeds without the sonic boom shattering our own eardrums," she murmured, almost to herself.
Arto paused, looking at Sona with an appreciative nod. "A gold star for the student council president. Yes, that is exactly the goal. Now, since most of you have finally stopped trying to pet me, let's put this into practice. Everyone, tablets out. Open the simulation module for 'Fluid Dynamics and Mana Integration.' I've uploaded a set of wind-tunnel scenarios."
The room erupted into a flurry of activity as the students scrambled to launch their ManaNet tablets. The air filled with the soft hum of the devices and the collective focus of thirty students trying to visualize the invisible currents of the air. It was a strange sight: a classroom of supernatural beings treating the laws of nature like a complex puzzle to be solved.
[Timeskip: Brought to you by wolf Arto floating through the screen of the tablet]
Sona looked at Arto on the board in wolf form teaching them how to use physical laws to amplyfy their spell power and visualization with sheer awe and suspision, not just with his amount of knowledge, which is really absurd by the age he was said to be, but also how well he applies things into practical cases, it almost scares her how he can treat a magical world as a simple set of laws, and his way of thinking is more like a scientist than a mage.
"Believe it or not, students, you've learnt the entire field of available mechanical physics, not just learnt, understood, you can feel that right in the next physic test at school," Arto's voice rumbled from the front of the room, his horse-sized wolf form shifting with a lazy stretch. "But understanding and applying is a long way, and I don't intend to force you to move fast on that path, it's all for today, go home, rest and do the new homework I updated about adding physical effects to spell visualization."
But as the 10 students gather their stuffs, their wolf teacher laid down on his back, his belly turned to the ceiling "And as a reward for your good study, I'll give you what you've been craving the whole lesson, you can pet this dog as you like, come here!"
The reaction was instantaneous. The professional veneer of the classroom shattered as the students surged forward like a tidal wave of affection. Tomoe and Momo didn't just pet him; they practically dove onto his flank, their laughter filling the room. Even Sona, who had spent the last hour trying to dissect Arto's origins with surgical precision, found herself drifting closer. She tried to maintain her composure, her arms crossed, but her gaze was fixed on the soft, silver fur of his underbelly.
"You're far too indulgent, Arto-sensei," Sona remarked, though her voice lacked its usual edge. She reached out a hand, tentatively brushing the fur of his chest. The texture was surreal—dense and warm, humming with a latent energy that felt like a low-voltage current. "To treat a classroom like a kennel... it's completely unorthodox."
Arto let out a long, guttural sigh, his large paws twitching in the air as three different sets of hands scratched behind his ears. "The 'unorthodox' approach is the only one that works with teenagers, Sona," he rumbled, his voice vibrating through the floor. "If I tried to maintain a strict military hierarchy while looking like a plush toy, I'd be laughed out of the room within ten minutes. Better to embrace the absurdity and use it as a motivational tool."
Rias and Akeno watched the scene from the back, leaning against each other with knowing smiles. They had seen the shift in the room—not just the shift in form, but the shift in the students' hearts. The Systematic Magic was demanding, taxing their minds to the breaking point, but Arto's willingness to be their hugging pillow acted as a psychological release valve. He was providing the stability they needed to handle the instability of the new knowledge.
"He's actually quite brilliant, isn't he?" Akeno whispered, her eyes tracing the way Arto's tail thumping against the floor acted as a rhythmic metronome for the chaos. "He gives them the hardest lessons of their lives, and then he lets them treat him like a pet. He's creating a bond of loyalty that isn't based on fear or respect for power, but on genuine affection."
"Hey, hey, don't tug, my fur can't fall off easily...have you ever gotten you hair pulled? It's painful like that!" The wolf's protest was interrupted by a sudden, synchronized barrage of giggles as the students realized they had found a "sweet spot" behind his ears. Arto let out a dramatic, exaggerated groan, his massive limbs splaying out as he surrendered completely to the onslaught of pampering.
[Outside the class]
Sona and Tsubaki are walking together home after the lesson, Sona is still on her mind about something "Still thinking about his origin, Kaichou?"
Sona didn't answer immediately. She adjusted her glasses, the evening sun casting long, amber shadows across the pavement of Kuoh. "It's not just the knowledge, Tsubaki. It's the nature of it. Most mages treat the laws of the universe as suggestions that can be overridden by a sufficiently powerful will or a complex enough circle. Arto doesn't override the rules; he uses them as a lever. He treats magic as a variable in a larger equation of physics."
She paused, her voice dropping an octave. "A man who can treat the supernatural as a science is a man who has seen the blueprint of the world. No one achieves that kind of perspective simply by studying books."
Tsubaki sighed, her pace slowing to match Sona's pensive stride. "He's certainly a contradiction. One moment he's a living encyclopedia of forbidden theory and tactical warfare, and the next, he's letting Momo use his stomach as a beanbag. It's too absurb for a man of that age to know that much, but I'll stop questioning his origin for a while, because what he was teaching is way more valuable than any genealogy report."
Sona didn't look entirely convinced, though she gave a slight nod as if in agreement. "You're probably right; I should focus on what he shares rather than trying to dig up things he doesn't want to talk about—curiosity can easily turn into nosiness, can't it?"
Tsubaki smiled softly, glancing back toward the clubhouse. "Speaking of nosiness, did you see the group chat? Rias just launched a new emojis set taking the the wolf Arto turned into as a base. She's calling the set The Great Fluff."
Sona let out a rare, genuine laugh, the sound light and airy. "Honestly, at this point, Arto is the only person in this city who can command a room of high-tier devils and then be reduced to a household pet in the span of five minutes. It's a fascinating study in psychological dominance—or perhaps just an extreme lack of dignity on his part."
[Timeskip: Brought to you by chibi Sona trying not to pet wolf Arto, but failed in the end]
Arto is now alone in the clubhouse, Rias, Akeno and others have a stray hunting mission to attend....with empty belly. Waving his hand to clean the classroom, Arto wiped his hands off chalk dusk before heading into the kitchen to cook a hearty meal for tired souls both from learning and hunting.
He rolled up his sleeves, tied on the plain black apron that had become his unofficial uniform, and pulled Lady Venelana's cookbook from the shelf. The pages fell open naturally to the beef stew recipe he'd used last time—the one with the little heart next to the note: "Extra thyme when they're tired. They won't say it, but they feel it."
First the meat: beef chuck cut into generous chunks, patted dry, seasoned with salt and pepper. Into the hot Dutch oven with a generous glug of olive oil. The sizzle was immediate, rich and promising. While the beef browned, he chopped—onions into thick half-moons, carrots into rolling chunks, celery into crescents, garlic smashed and roughly sliced. No precision needed tonight; the stew would forgive uneven cuts and turn them into something better.
The beef browned on all sides. He pulled it out, added a knob of butter, then the vegetables. They hissed and softened, releasing their own sweetness into the fat. A bay leaf, two sprigs of fresh thyme (Rias loved the aroma), a small bundle of rosemary, black peppercorns cracked under the flat of his knife. A splash of red wine—enough to deglaze the fond, the alcohol hissing up in fragrant steam.
Stock poured in—homemade from the freezer, dark and gelatinous. The beef went back in. Lid on. Flame down to the lowest simmer. Forty-five minutes to an hour, and it would be perfect—flavors melding, beef falling apart, broth thick enough to coat a spoon...Plenty of time.
Taking a quick leap to the nearby bakery for some freshly baked bread, and some small desserts for the crew when they return, putting the treats into the fridge and the bread into a warm oven to maintain its freshness, Arto returned to the cooking counter to make some mashed potato, which will go perfectly with the stew.
Taking the boiled potatoes out of the salted water pot, Arto worked the masher with a rhythmic, steady motion. He added a generous knob of butter and a splash of cream, whipping the potatoes until they were light and airy, the kind of comfort food that could ground a person after a day of fighting monsters or calculating mana-vectors.
When the meal is done, Arto set them aside before returning to the dining table, waiting for the peerage to return, in the meantime, he can work through the material list he is requiring to build Simulation facility, or as he called, Simulation Room.
The Simulation Room wasn't just a bigger version of the prototype sheet. It was a living, breathing chamber—walls lined with layered intention-mapping arrays, ceiling embedded with adaptive mana diffusers, floor etched with micro-scale stabilization runes that would channel excess rebound into harmless dissipation.
The core would be a massive, self-sustaining Stabilizer matrix—capable of filtering ambient mana from the entire room and recycling it into clean, usable flow. But the materials...
Some existed in this world under different names. Some had equivalents he could substitute with minor adjustments. Some... didn't exist at all. He needed to be crystal clear about the functions so that the clans would know what to get him
He opened a new document and began typing—methodical, precise, the way he'd written legion orders centuries ago. The list was an architectural manifesto of power:
Material List – Simulation Room Core Construction (Notes for Gremory & Sitri procurement teams. All items must be sourced or synthesized exactly as described. Substitutions require my direct approval.)
- Beryllium-Copper Alloy (BeCu 172)
+ Purpose: Primary heat-sink lattice for Stabilizer core. High thermal conductivity + exceptional fatigue resistance under cyclic mana load.
+ Required quantity: 1,200 kg (plate stock, 12 mm thick).
+ Alternative names in human world: "Alloy 25", "C17200". If unavailable: High-purity copper + 1.9% beryllium (exact ratio critical). Do not substitute with aluminum bronze.
- Orichalcum-infused Quartz Crystal (synthetic)
+ Purpose: Intention-mapping array substrate. Must resonate at 7.83 Hz ambient frequency without damping.
+ Required quantity: 84 kg (cut into 40 × 40 cm slabs, 8 mm thick, double-sided polish).
+ Note: If anything, use lab-grown quartz doped with 0.02% tellurium + 0.015% gold nanoparticles. Exact doping ratios attached in Appendix B.
- Mana-attenuated Graphene Composite
+ Purpose: Containment shielding for simulation field boundaries. Must absorb 99.7% stray mana rebound without structural degradation.
+ Required quantity: 320 m² (single-layer sheets, 0.5 mm thick).
+ Human-world equivalent: CVD-grown graphene on copper substrate, post-treated with proprietary mana-dampening coating (formula provided separately). Do not use commercial graphene oxide.
And so on. Page after page. Rare earths. Exotic ceramics. Crystals doped with elements that barely existed in trace amounts on Earth. Metals that had been myth in this world for centuries.
Each entry included:
Exact chemical composition Required purity level Intended function in the system Acceptable substitutes (if any) Critical tolerances (±0.001% on some ratios)
By the time he finished, the document was thirty-seven pages long. He saved it. Encrypted it with a personal Abyssgard cipher keyed only to his mana signature and those of Rias and Sona. Attached it to an email draft addressed to both Gremory and Sitri liaison officers, only opened when receiving consent from the 2 direct heiresses of the clans.
Subject: Simulation Room – Phase 1 Blueprints & Material Procurement List
Body: Review attached. Contact me directly with questions or sourcing issues. Construction begins only after mutual approval.
He hit send. Then leaned back in the chair, closed the laptop, and exhaled. The stew was probably ready by now. Coming to the stove to check the pot, the water is reduced and the stew now has this thick, glossy sheen to it, the kind of rich brown that promises a deep, savory warmth. He gave the pot one final stir, the aroma of red wine and rosemary filling the kitchen, and began setting the table.
The sound of the front door opening echoed through the clubhouse, followed by the heavy thud of boots and a collective groan of exhaustion. Rias and Akeno entered first, their clothes dusted with residue from the hunt, looking more like survivors of a landslide than high-tier devils. Behind them, the rest of the peerage trailed in, their faces pale and their shoulders slumped from the mental drain of the day's lessons combined with the physical exertion of the mission.
The scent hit them the moment they crossed the threshold. It wasn't just the smell of food; it was a sensory blanket of slow-cooked beef, aromatic thyme, and the buttery, yeasty warmth of fresh bread. For a moment, the group simply stopped in the hallway, nostrils flaring, the tension in their muscles beginning to dissolve under the olfactory assault of comfort.
"Tell me that's not a hallucination," Kiba murmured, his voice raspy. "If it is, we're all having the same one," Rias replied, her eyes brightening as she spotted Arto in the kitchen, looking remarkably domestic in his black apron.
"You're back, how was the hunt?" Arto asked with a smile as he placed the plates onto the dining table along with the utensils, and cups for the tea he'd brewed moments before. "Exhausting," Rias replied, barely managing to kick off her boots before sliding into a chair with a sigh of relief. "The target was a nuisance—too many illusions and not enough common sense. I think my brain is still ringing from the mana-interference."
Koneko didn't answer, instead, she moved to the table, not even a single care for the dirt on her and held the plate towards Arto "Hungry" A single word told everything about their feelings at the moment. Kiba and Akeno both sat down as well, too exhausted to speak.
Akeno, on the other hand, came to Arto and hugged him from behind, her head resting against his back as she let out a long, contented hum. "The smell of this kitchen is the only thing keeping me conscious, Arto-kun. You're a miracle worker."
Arto chuckled, though he didn't move to shake her off, knowing that the tactile grounding was just as important for their recovery as the nutrients in the meal. "Wash up first. I'm not having the dirt of monsters seasoning my beef stew. Kitchen is this way, towels are fresh."
The group moved like zombies, though the prospect of the meal acted as a powerful catalyst. As they left, Arto casted a spell on the plates to make them hotter to keep the heat of the food throughout the meal before bringing the pots to the table, one of beef stew, one of mash.
Distributing them by hefty portions, he placed the perfectly sliced of bread at the center of the dining table, letting their aromas combined and urge and peerage to wash themselves faster. When they finally returned, smelling of soap and feeling human again, the atmosphere had shifted from the frantic energy of a hunt to the quiet, expectant reverence of a sanctuary.
Rias took the first bite, the rich, velvet texture of the beef melting on her tongue. She closed her eyes, her posture sagging as the warmth of the stew radiated through her chest, chasing away the lingering chill of the mission. "This is exactly what I need after an intense mission," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "Everything just... disappears. The noise, the stress, the frustration with those illusions. It's just this."
The table fell into a comfortable silence, punctuated only by the clinking of silverware and the rhythmic tearing of warm bread. Even Koneko, usually the most stoic of the bunch, was eating with a focused intensity, her cheeks puffed out as she savored the creamy mashed potatoes.
For a few moments, they weren't heirs to powerful houses or warriors in a supernatural cold war; they were just a group of exhausted teenagers being looked after by someone who understood that the greatest luxury in life wasn't power, but a meal that tasted like home.
"Eat all you can, there is still more in the pots" Arto ensured them as he took out his tablet and sent message that got everyone on the dining table to notice when they checked their tablet 'Tomorrow's class is off' The table stopped eating, looking at Arto for an answer, same thing for the students of Sona's peerage, message notices flared up one after another.
"Well, I can't force tired people to study after a long lesson and an exhausting mission right behind it, very ineffective, I want my students to step into my class with htghest moral and ready to study as they like it, not as they were obligated to," Arto explained, leaning against the counter with a casual shrug. "So eat, rest, sleep, spread your pace on the homework and be sure to sit in my class with the right, bright, eagering minds."
He stood up from his seat "Meanwhile, I will go do the launcdry, when you're done, stack the plates at the counter, I'll wash them later, okay?"
As Arto retreated toward the laundry room, the peerage was left alone with the pot of beef stew, Koneko was the first to take action as she moved to take another plate for herself, though her eyes lingered on the doorway where the man had disappeared. "Senpai. Approved" She said simply as the scoop of mash laned on her plate. "More? Anyone?"
"I'll have some more please" Kiba handed his plate to the petite white-haired girl with a tired but grateful smile, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. The group descended upon the remaining stew with a renewed vigor, the silence of the room now filled with the soft sounds of contentment and the occasional clink of a spoon hitting the bottom of a ceramic bowl.
Rias leaned back, her gaze drifting toward the hallway where Arto had disappeared. The image of the man—a former soldier who had survived the crushing isolation of the Void—now spending his evenings meticulously prepping beef stew and doing laundry for a group of teenagers, brought a strange warmth to her chest. It wasn't just the food; it was the way he created a perimeter of safety around them.
"He's too good to be true," Akeno sighed, swirling the last bits of rich brown gravy around her plate. "A tactical genius, a master of a lots of science, and he can actually cook. I'm starting to think 'mercenary' was just a cover for 'professional house-husband'."
Kiba let out a soft laugh, leaning his head back against the chair. "It's the contrast that gets me. Most people with that kind of power develop an ego the size of a mountain. But Arto... he doesn't seem to want the pedestal. He just wants us to be better, and then he wants us to be fed."
"Dessert" Koneko announced simply as she brought what Arto stored inside the fridge out, a strawberry parfait for Rias, a matcha latte for Akeno, a choclate cake for Koneko and a mango & cream eclair for Kiba. Their eyes brightened seeing him got them their favorite treats.
Rias quickly grabbed the parfait, the cold sweetness of the cream providing a sharp, delightful contrast to the savory depth of the stew. As she took a bite, she felt the last vestiges of the mission's mental fatigue dissolve.
It was a strange phenomenon; Arto didn't just provide physical nourishment, he provided a psychological anchor. In a world where every interaction with other High-Class Devils was a game of political chess or a display of dominance, the atmosphere Arto curated was stubbornly, blissfully simple.
"He's doing it again," Akeno murmured, sipping her matcha latte with a contented hum. "He creates this perfect vacuum of peace, and then he slips away to do the laundry. He's the only person I know who can manage a household and a military operation with the same level of terrifying efficiency."
Across the table, Kiba was already halfway through his eclair, a small smudge of cream on his lip. "I think I'll have meals at the clubhouse more often, right, Koneko?" He turned to Koneko who was enjoying the cake bit by bit, and she nodded slowly, her expression one of pure, sugary bliss.
[Timeskip: Brought to you by the pots of food being wiped clean bite after bite]
Rias and Akeno are now in Arto's room again, sitting on both of his sides as he works on the blueprints of Simulation Room, the atmosphere was quiet as Arto's concentration was peaked. He was focused on something called....Sector 1: Adaptive Training Ground, his pen is tapping against the screen of the tablet.
Rias sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of the man who had become the steady center of her world. "What's troubling you here, Arto?" She asked, snapping him out of his own focus. "You've been staring at that specific node for ten minutes. Is the material procurement going to be that difficult?"
Arto paused, the digital pen hovering over a complex geometric intersection in the blueprints. "Something like that, I was expecting to project the Dark Arena into this sector, but I don't know if this world has something that could project dreamscape into reality, my world had Noctus Veilstone that could do it, but here, I am not sure if there is anything like that," he explained, his voice low and focused.
"How would things be without it? I thought this Simulation Room could simulate anything we imagine?" Akeno asked, wrapping her arms around his waist from behind, her chin resting on his shoulder. She could feel the slight tension in his muscles, a physical manifestation of his intellectual frustration.
Arto sighed and rotated the 3D model on the screen, showing them a swirling vortex of iridescent gray. "It could, but it would take an amount of energy even the Stabilizer at its peak performance would sweat to conjure, that's just one sector, other works of 2 clans will stack onto that consumption as well, meaning the power reactors need to work at a higher rate, I'm not talking about the stability of the structure, but the secretive nature of it."
He expanded the blueprints to show them the entire structure of the Simulation Room with 3 layers, the lowest one is the power reactor layer with 3 reactors run on Stabilizer supplying energy for the facility from a huge mana leyline running under Kuoh like a underground river
The reactors are placed near an actual underground water stream acting as a cooler, making the energy flow nearly undetectable from the surface. "If the reactors spike too high because the Simulation Room is trying to brute-force a dreamscape into existence, it creates a mana-signature flare," Arto explained, pointing to a series of red warning nodes on the map. "To any high-level devil or fallen angel flying over Kuoh, it would look like a supernova of magical energy just went off in a residential area. Not exactly the kind of discreet we're aiming for."
Rias shifted, her gaze tracing the intricate lines of the reactor layer. "So, the problem isn't that we can't create the simulation, but that the cost of doing it without a catalyst like this 'Veilstone' makes us a beacon for every curious power in the region."
"Exactly," Arto replied, finally setting the pen down. "Without a medium to translate imagination into matter, the system has to convert raw mana into physical substance from scratch. It's like trying to build a house by weaving every single atom of wood and nail out of thin air. It's an incredible waste of energy."
Akeno squeezed him tighter, her voice a playful purr against his neck. "Then what if we don't do it? It won't be much a problem, right?" Arto let out a soft, defeated chuckle, the tension in his shoulders finally breaking as he leaned back into her.
"From a comfort standpoint, you're absolutely right. But from a tactical standpoint, it's the difference between training in a gym and training in a war zone. You've fought inside Dark Arena with me, so you know how much you've grown from fighting an enemy that learns about you every time it was defeated and came up with newer, better strategies next time to counter you, right? Without the Veilstone equivalent, the simulation is just a static image. With it, the environment becomes a living opponent."
Rias hummed, her expression thoughtful as she looked at the shimmering blueprints. "I understand. You don't want us to just practice our spells; you want us to evolve in a way that feels authentic, even if it's artificial." She shifted her weight, her gaze softening. "But you're always pushing for the impossible, Arto. Is there really nothing in this world that can act as a catalyst? Surely some ancient relic or a rare mineral in the Underworld could serve the same purpose."
"I'm still waitng from the Procurement Department of Gremory and Sitri, if there isn't anything, I'll have to come up with training scenarios for you and Sona's peerages on my own while....I don't know, creating a catalyst from scratch," Arto admitted, his voice trailing off as he considered the sheer instability of such an attempt. "Would take a while, but....I know I can do it as long as I have enough knowledge, but having something available is still better"
He opened the description he wrote for the clans:
- Noctus Veilstone (or closest analogue)
+ Required: 1.47 kg, cut into 12 perfect octahedrons (edge length 1,8 cm ± 0.05 mm). + Properties: Must maintain coherent wave resonance at 0.0004–0.0007 Hz under 1.2 × 10¹⁴ Pa internal pressure. Zero micro-fracture tolerance.
+ Human-world candidates: Synthetic quartz doped with rare-earth elements (proposed: 0.003% dysprosium + 0.001% erbium). Natural herkimer diamond clusters (if large enough specimens can be sourced).
+ Theoretical: lab-grown oscillating bismuth crystal lattice under zero-gravity conditions.
+ Note: If no match is found, Sector 1 will be built without the Dream-Anchor. Adaptive Training Ground will fall back to conventional simulation (higher energy cost, lower scalability).
"A bismuth crystal lattice grown in zero-G," Akeno murmured, her voice vibrating against his shoulder. "You certainly don't make things easy for the logistics teams, do you?"
Arto let out a soft laugh, but before he could answer, an email came from the joint departments of 2 clans, and there are 2 of them, procurement and R&D. The first one was from the Gremory side, a formal yet slightly bewildered response from the logistics head.
They had managed to source the Beryllium-Copper and the graphene composites with relative ease—human industrialization was, after all, quite efficient at producing high-end alloys—but the "Noctus Veilstone" had caused a minor crisis.
"I see, everything can be ready for construction, aside from Dream-Anchor Lattice, good, good" Arto nodded while checking the second mail from R&D division of both clans.
The R&D report was far more fascinating. It seemed the Gremory and Sitri researchers had spent the last forty-eight hours in a fever dream of the blueprints Arto sent of the Simulation Room, they were fascinated by...almost everything Arto put forwards for them, from the power reactors to the simulation generator, the servers, database, the construction for the AI assistant, the spacial manipulation method to make the room being able to expand a lot from its small original size, the mana frequency crystals used for the data flow, the cooling system, and more.
The email detailed a collaborative effort between the two houses in one thing: asking for Arto's permission to research these new tech they have never seen before. It wasn't just a request; it was a plea. The R&D heads were practically begging for a consultation, treating his blueprints not as instructions, but as sacred texts of a lost science.
"They're completely fascinated," Rias murmured, reading over his shoulder. "You've essentially thrown a grenade of knowledge into their quiet little world of traditional alchemy and magic circles. They don't even know how to categorize your 'mana-frequency crystals,' let alone how to manufacture them."
Arto leaned back, the blue light of the tablet reflecting in his eyes. "Well, this begged a new concern, I will need to find myself a financial consultant to valuate these innovations of mine for me, I'm not familiar with this world's money, I know how things work, but how much the value needssomething with more knowledge than my own," he joked, though the underlying point was serious. To the Underworld's R&D, he hadn't just provided a blueprint; he had provided a leap in civilization, a way to systematize power that had previously been intuitive and erratic.
"So you're pricing the clans to access and use your innovations? That sounds remarkably predatory," Akeno teased, her voice trailing off into a soft laugh as she nipped playfully at his shoulder. "Most people would just give their secrets away for a bit of fame, but you... you're treating it like a corporate merger."
Arto chuckled, though he didn't pull away from her embrace. "That is because these innovations are my lifeline and income source, if I don't show my importance and values, the clans might view me lesser and the chance for betrayal will rise following that if they know my secrets are free, I will give them the result so that I can pay for the investment, but after the debt are paid in full, I will have them pay for licensing and patents for the ones they want to keep using for a long period"
Rias shifted her position "My parents are not like that, you know?" She said, she thought he has fully trusted her and her family, but what he said proved otherwise, they have never truly earned his trust. "The Gremory name is built on honor. We wouldn't dream of betraying someone who has become as vital to our peerage as you."
Arto didn't disagree; instead, he gently reached out to pat Rias's hand. "I know you wouldn't, Rias. But even if your parents are not like what I said, I can't be sure about those around them, you know, the clan's council, the ambitious underlings, or the political rivals. Honor is a strong shield, but a contract is an unbreakable wall. I'm not protecting myself from you—I'm protecting the stability of the system we're building."
He leaned back, the soft warmth of Akeno and Rias acting as a grounding force against the clinical coldness of the blueprints. "Besides, it's not just about the money. By formalizing these as patents and licenses, I am making myself an individual the clans must protect at all cost, so that I will need to be in the spotlight, I can stay hidden and enjoy the quiet, weathly life with those I care about."
He turned to the red-haired princess, looking at her in the eyes "Don't look so down, Rias, I meant the clan's higher-ups, I never meant you, because you the person I trust the most in Gremory clan, because our relationship was built on pure trust, 2 blind beliefs, me trusting you could provide me a shelter, documents for my work and protection for my identity as a man who had nowhere to go, and you trusted my baseless claims and my work as a girl who has nowhere to turn to, we were 2 desperations playing one risky bet and now, look how far we've gone."
Rias blinked, her expression softening into a look of profound tenderness. She leaned in, pressing her forehead against his, the tension of the previous conversation dissolving into a shared, intimate moment. "You always think so logically, yet you speak from such a vulnerable place. It's a contradiction that I've grown to care about."
Akeno let out a soft, humming laugh, tightening her hold on Arto's waist. "He's a tactical genius who thinks like a merchant but loves like a puppy. It's quite endearing, really. Though, if you're going to be a wealthy patent-holder, Arto-kun, you'll have to take us shopping to celebrate your first royal payout."
Arto smiled, the weight of his military past feeling lighter in the warmth of the room. "I think I can manage that. But first, I'll refuse the requests from R&D divisions until I could find myself a trust-worthy financial consultant. I'm not about to let a bunch of bureaucratic accountants from the Underworld convince me that a mana-frequency crystal is worth a handful of gold coins when it's actually worth a small city."
"And where exactly are you going to find that person?" Rias asked, her voice laced with a mix of curiosity and amusement. She shifted her weight, her red hair spilling over his shoulder like a silken curtain.
Arto tapped the tablet, navigating away from the blueprints to a encrypted directory of contacts he had carefully curated since arriving in this world. "I'm not sure, but I'll find one one way or another, it's essential for my future here" He turned off the tablet and put it on the nightstand "You two should go back to your rooms, you've had enough today, fighting in the Dark Arena would only make your minds more strained tomorrow"
Rias pouted slightly, her lips curving into a small, reluctant smile. She didn't move immediately, lingering in the warmth of his presence for a few more seconds. "You're always so diligent about our recovery, Arto. It's almost as if you're treating us like a precious resource that needs constant maintenance."
"In a way, you are," Arto replied, his voice softening as he looked at her. "The most precious resource I've ever managed. Now, go. If I catch you sneaking back into the Dark Arena for 'extra practice' tonight, I'll double your fluid dynamics homework."
Akeno giggled, finally releasing her grip on his waist and standing up with a graceful stretch that emphasized her curves. "Such a strict teacher. Very well, we shall retreat for now. But don't think you can escape the shopping trip just because you're playing the role of the brooding genius." She leaned down, planting a lingering, soft kiss on his cheek before turning to follow Rias toward the door.
As the door clicked shut, the room fell into a heavy, sudden silence. Arto let out a long, slow exhale, the mask of the composed mentor slipping for a moment. He didn't immediately lie down; instead, he stood by the window, staring out at the quiet Kuoh night.
The peace of the clubhouse was a fragile thing, a bubble he had painstakingly blown around himself and the peerage. He knew that as soon as the Simulation Room became a reality, that bubble would be under immense pressure. The technology he was introducing wasn't just a tool for training; it was a disruption of the status quo.
He walked back to the nightstand and picked up the tablet, the screen casting a cool blue glow over his features. He didn't open the blueprints this time. Instead, he opened a blank document and began to sketch out a profile for the "Financial Consultant" he needed.
He didn't need a simple accountant; he needed someone with a deep understanding of the Underworld's shadow economy, someone who could navigate the labyrinth of devil nobility without being swallowed by it. He needed a shark who could protect a wolf.
"Do you have any recommendations for me, Spy?"