"Rhode, can I ask a favor of you?" Griselda's voice carried a hint of hesitation.
Rhode was surprised by her tone. "We're already this close, is there anything you can't say? Don't tell me you've decided you want to 'rob the cradle' after all?"
It was a joke, of course.
"...If I weren't a nun, I wouldn't say no."
Griselda leaned lazily against her desk. From beneath her habit, her enchanting face broke into a playful smile as she looked at Rhode.
Rhode stared at her in shock. I've always treated you as a friend, but you want to treat me as a mount?
When Rhode first met Griselda, being a young virgin at the time, he wasn't exactly immune to her charms. But while the world of DxD was filled with "well-endowed" beauties—and the original protagonist got "fan-service" benefits left and right—that was strictly "Main Character" treatment. If you weren't the MC, you'd likely end up like those background loners in the anime.
Want to get close to a beauty? Fat chance.
In Kuoh Academy, Rias Gremory was established as a "Cold Flower" from a foreign land. Ordinary students couldn't even manage a conversation with her, let alone anything else. Being a Devil, she naturally exuded an "untouchable" aura that made normal humans feel inferior just standing there.
This was the conclusion Rhode had reached after his early, struggling days as a transmigrator. If you wanted the MC treatment, there was no way around it: you had to get strong enough for others to look up to you. And, of course, you had to have a handsome face. If you looked like a monster, even if you saved the damsel, you'd only get a: "I shall serve as your ox or horse in the next life," rather than the desirable: "I offer my body in marriage."
Fortunately, Rhode didn't have to worry about his looks. Otherwise, Griselda might have hesitated quite a bit when she first laid eyes on him.
"It was just a joke. Don't take it seriously."
"..."
Rhode remained silent. But he honestly felt like Griselda wasn't lying. If she weren't a nun bound by strict vows, he might have actually faced some "unspoken rules" of the workplace. Thinking about Griselda saying something like, "You wouldn't want to lose your source of missions, would you?" actually felt a bit... exciting?
He was pulled out of his thoughts by Griselda's voice. She was sitting upright again, her serious expression suggesting that her previous playfulness had never happened.
"It's about Asia. I have a private request for you. Could you look after her for a while?"
"Her faith in God is incredibly devout. Even now, knowing she's been expelled, she hasn't abandoned her belief."
"Oh? If you do this, are you sure your superiors won't blame you?" Rhode asked curiously.
At the very least, this hadn't happened in the original story. Was this the "butterfly effect" in action?
Griselda didn't answer directly. She shook her head. "The higher-ups don't know about this. This is purely a personal request. Of course, I won't force you to accept. After all, you're used to being a lone wolf."
[Griselda has issued a private commission.] [Mission: The Holy Maiden, Asia Argento.] [Goal: Protect Asia Argento from the persecution of Fallen Angels.] [Reward: Church Reputation +10, Random Reward x1.]
If it were anyone else, Rhode would have passed on such a troublesome task. But Griselda was an old acquaintance, and Asia was a major character; there was no reason to refuse. Besides, the mission content made it clear this was tied to the main plot.
Since Asia's Sacred Gear had been exposed, the dangerous elements targeting her—aside from the nun-obsessed Diodora—would be the Fallen Angel, Raynare, who wanted the Gear to climb the ranks. Come to think of it, Rhode had encountered Devils, Vampires, Angels, and even Ghouls since he arrived, but he had yet to see a mission involving Fallen Angels.
"Rhode, are you willing to accept?" Griselda asked, watching the dazed Rhode with a trace of helplessness. In her mind, the free-spirited Rhode probably wouldn't want to take on such a burdensome chore.
But she truly had no one else to turn to. She couldn't use Church resources to protect Asia, and Rhode was the only reliable person she knew outside of the official hierarchy.
"Oh, what did you just say?" Rhode asked, having been distracted by the System prompt.
"Never mind, skip that... I accept."
"Here... please don't be offended. This is all the cash I can currently access."
Rhode looked at the $50,000 that had just entered his account, then at Griselda's slightly blushing face. His mood was complicated. Griselda was effectively a mid-level manager in Heaven, yet she only had this much cash on hand. Life in Heaven really was tough.
"Actually... the benefits in Heaven are decent. It's just the base salary that's a bit low. And the Church is going through a difficult period right now, but it'll pass soon."
"You don't really need to explain that to me."
Unlike the Underworld or the Grigori, Heaven's assets in the human world were mostly non-profit organizations like orphanages and nursing homes. Their main revenue came from donations and tourism. The other two factions could build commercial empires like hotels and malls; they were rolling in cash.
Rhode remembered the Underworld was the wealthiest. The Gremory family's territory alone was said to be the size of an entire island nation. They lived in castles with private armies numbering in the tens of thousands—it was "fuck-you" money at its finest. And there were dozens of families like the Gremorys. Raiser Phenex's family, for instance, was even wealthier; they had enough money to last ten lifetimes.
"Fine. It's not like it's a difficult mission anyway," Rhode said with a nod.
"Thank you, Rhode."
A subtle change flickered in Griselda's expression. Once upon a time, she thought Rhode was just greedy and a bit of a lecher. After all, she'd caught him sneaking glances at her chest more than once. But now, she felt her judgment might have been too narrow.
As long as he isn't doing anything evil, what's wrong with a man being a bit of a pervert?
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (53 Chapters – Ongoing)
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