The blonde beauty had a pair of stunning green eyes. In the world Rhode came from, she would have been a once-in-a-lifetime beauty. But compared to her cute features, those eyes currently expressed confusion and a faint trace of fear.
Even though they were near the Church, she had just been excommunicated. Seeing a man matching her face to a photo would lead anyone with a bit of an imagination to think he was there for revenge. Of course, Asia's personality meant she wouldn't have made enemies with anyone. Her current emotions were mostly anxiety over her exile.
"May... may I ask who you are? Is there something you need?"
Back when she was in the Church, people usually sought her out to heal the injured. But Rhode didn't look like he had a scratch on him. Moreover, Asia now felt a slight repulsion toward her own Sacred Gear. Even someone like her couldn't help but feel that this "gift" was the source of her calamity—though that only made her more certain that this was a trial from God!
"That's the one. Come with me." Rhode stowed the photo and grabbed her suitcase from the ground. It wasn't particularly heavy—in fact, it was quite light—but for a girl of her age, even an empty leather case was a burden.
"Eh? Wait... um... what do you mean by 'come with me'?"
Though raised in the Church, Asia still possessed some common sense. For example: don't go with strangers, don't accept things from strangers, and don't eat food from strangers.
"Someone asked me to look after you for a while. You don't need to ask who, but you can rest assured."
"But..."
Asia was about to ask who it was, but she saw Rhode shake his head. It was then that he pointed his finger slightly upward.
"Some things shouldn't be spelled out too clearly."
"I... I understand!"
Catching his meaning, Asia—who wasn't entirely dull—guessed at a portion of the "truth." A flush of excitement rose to her cheeks. It was just as she thought! This was definitely a trial from the Lord, and this man was her divine guide!
With tears still in the corners of her eyes, Asia smiled at Rhode.
"This is too easy to trick," Rhode thought as he watched the girl construct an entire epic narrative in her head. No wonder she was so easily deceived by Fallen Angels in the original story; you didn't even need proof, just a few vague words and she'd be spinning in circles.
Of course, that was just part of Asia's character. But such unconditional trust in others wasn't exactly a good thing.
"Let's go."
Rhode turned to leave, carrying her suitcase. Seeing this, Asia immediately broke into a small trot to keep up. Because of the significant difference in their height, her shorter legs had to work quite hard.
Noticing her hurried pace, Rhode slowed his stride.
"Phew..." Asia breathed a sigh of relief, a gentle smile appearing on her face. She realized Rhode was accommodating her. Just as she was about to thank him, she realized she didn't even know his name.
"Excuse me..."
"My name is Rhode."
"Thank you, Mr. Rhode," Asia thanked him, her heart full of joy.
"..."
Rhode nodded. Although he had been treating this world like a game so far, he found himself quite liking this polite little girl.
"Mr. Rhode, where are we going next?" Asia asked, her mood no longer low, but filled with curiosity.
However, she seemed to realize something and quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Is this something I'm even allowed to ask?
"Kuoh Town," Rhode answered.
There was no reason to keep it a secret. In reality, neither Griselda nor the System missions had strictly dictated where he had to take Asia. Since there were no constraints, Rhode naturally intended to head toward the heart of the plot.
Kuoh Town was a "blessed" place. Most of the original story's events unfolded there, and nearly every major heroine was gathered in that one spot.
Having been reincarnated into the world of DxD, it would be impossible for Rhode to have zero ulterior motives. If this were some serious, grimdark fantasy world, that would be one thing—but this was a world famous for "fan service" and "borderline-hentai" tropes. If he didn't experience it to the fullest, he'd be doing a disservice to the System that sent him here.
Asia was trying to figure out where Kuoh Town was, but having never stepped foot outside the Vatican in her entire life, she was utterly clueless about the outside world. Consequently, after a brief moment of thought, her attention was quickly snatched away by the vibrant, colorful world around her.
The neon lights, the bustling traffic, the flashy signs on the storefronts along the streets, and even the fashionable clothes of the pedestrians—everything caught Asia's eye. For a girl who had lived in the quiet, austere environment of the Church since childhood, the allure of the outside world was simply overwhelming.
Just then, a mouth-watering aroma wafted through the air. It instantly hooked Asia's attention.
What met her eyes was meat roasting on a large vertical spit. The surface of the meat glowed with a golden-brown char. A shop assistant was using a knife to shave off thin slices of cooked meat, and the scent of fat and spices drifted through the breeze.
Asia couldn't help but swallow hard.
"Want some?" Rhode asked. He was starting to feel a bit hungry himself.
Hearing this, Asia instinctively nodded, but then quickly shook her head. However, the tiny bit of drool escaping the corner of her mouth betrayed her completely.
Rhode didn't say another word. He walked over to the kebab shop and ordered two wraps.
The meat was evenly spread across a white flatbread, drizzled with sauce and a bit of cheese, topped with tomato slices and onions, and finally rolled up tight. It was a simple, common street food, but the moment Asia took a bite, tears began to well up in her eyes.
The Church didn't forbid nuns from eating meat, but Asia had always lived a life of poverty. Her daily meals consisted of bread and milk, with vegetable soup and pasta for lunch and dinner. Opportunities to eat meat were rare; she usually only saw food like this on television.
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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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