Upon opening the door, Rhode was greeted by a pair of beautiful women. He had seen both of them before.
One was Lavinia, whom he had recently parted with. She was still in her magician's attire—the pointed hat and white robe—though thankfully, the chest area was now fully enclosed rather than the "Southern Hemisphere" cutout from before. The slit in her skirt only went to her knees, but she still wore black silk pantyhose that gave off a subtle, refined sheen.
The other girl caught Rhode by surprise.
Himejima Suzaku, the successor to the Himejima Clan of the Five Great Clans. Logically, after such a major incident at the Okunoin, she should have been at headquarters directing the clan's exorcists and overseeing the reconstruction. Why did she have time to come here with Lavinia?
Damn! Rhode thought. Did this little brat Lavinia leak my identity?
After all, when he saved Lavinia, his glasses were off. While being exposed wasn't the end of the world—since he hadn't done anything wrong—feeling like a "clown" for having his secret identity seen through in a single night was annoying.
In reality, Suzaku had followed Lavinia for two reasons. Yesterday, after Lavinia returned to the sanctuary, Suzaku had asked about the outcome of the battle. Although Lavinia was a bit of a space cadet, she wasn't a fool. Since she intended to stay under Rhode's roof, she knew she had to follow certain rules. Consequently, she hadn't revealed that Rhode was the mysterious man in glasses. She only said that he was the one who saved her, without adding a single extra word.
Suzaku's first goal was to see Rhode again to determine if he was the mystery man; her second was to thank him personally. Since Lavinia was her friend and was about to leave, Suzaku felt obligated to make an appearance.
"Mr. Rhode, I hope you have been well," Suzaku said. She was wearing a red casual outfit. While most people couldn't pull off such a vibrant red, on her, it felt natural and carried a unique elegance.
As she spoke, she carefully observed Rhode's every move. Her contact with the man the night before had been brief, but he had left a deep impression. Even if he were turned to ash, Suzaku felt she would recognize him.
However, although something about Rhode felt familiar, her intuition told her that the man before her and the man who saved her last night were two entirely different people. His demeanor and appearance were completely different from what she had seen.
In truth, let alone Suzaku, even Lavinia felt that Rhode was a different person entirely once he took off those glasses. It was a transformation she couldn't explain even with magic, leaving her to simply marvel at the wonders of the world.
"Even though you violated the agreement between us, you did save my dear friend Lavinia. For that, I must express my gratitude in person."
"It was just in passing. Helping others is a traditional virtue, after all. I was a model student for 'Civilized Progress' back in school," Rhode quipped.
Neither of them knew what that meant, but it wasn't hard to understand it as a bit of self-praise. Once Suzaku confirmed that Rhode wasn't the man who defeated Sataniel, she set her suspicions aside. "Won't you invite us in to sit?"
Inside the hotel room, Suzaku had relaxed her posture, shedding the stern, unapproachable attitude she showed to the outside world.
"Lavinia has been alone since she was a child. I am very uneasy about her leaving, so I must ask you, Mr. Rhode, to look after her."
In truth, Suzaku still didn't understand why Rhode had offered to take Lavinia in. But since Lavinia hadn't complained, she had no intention of making decisions for her friend.
"Why are you saying that, Suzaku? I'm an adult too. I can take care of myself even if I'm alone," Lavinia said with a hint of dissatisfaction. Why did everyone look at her like she was a child?
"You have the nerve to say that? You're a ditz on a normal day, and as a girl, what's with you always wearing those clothes?"
"I'm a magician, so it's fine to dress like this. Besides, this outfit boosts my mana and allows me to jump into battle instantly in an emergency," Lavinia argued.
"In short, you don't take care of yourself. You're such a beautiful girl, yet you dress so plainly. You need to be better to yourself from now on," Suzaku sighed, having long grown accustomed to Lavinia's ways. "As a farewell gift, allow me to treat you all to a simple meal."
Whether in East Asia or the rest of the world, social etiquette is largely the same: the only proper way to say goodbye to a friend is with a feast. Soon, the group arrived at a private room Suzaku had reserved.
The wine flowed, and the food was excellent. Perhaps due to the alcohol, both Suzaku and Lavinia's cheeks were flushed with a slight intoxication. Asia sat somewhat stiffly, sipping her juice. Facing these two "big sisters" who were much older than her, the young girl felt a significant amount of pressure.
Suddenly, Suzaku spoke up. "Mr. Rhode, you must think the Five Great Clans are quite a terrible place, don't you?"
Before Rhode could answer, Suzaku continued, "But these are the rules of the clans from ancient times. I once had a precious family... a cute cousin and a beautiful aunt. But because of the family rules... I lost them."
A look of deep sorrow crossed her face, her eyes filled with regret and guilt.
"To this day, I still regret that I couldn't save them. If only I had more strength and talent, Akeno and my aunt wouldn't have ended up like that..."
Wait, why does this sound familiar? 'You are too weak... you lack power?'
Just as Rhode was about to crack a joke, the system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Himejima Suzaku has issued a quest to you]
[Long-term Quest: Reform of the Himejima Clan]
[Objective: Assist Himejima Suzaku in changing the current state of the Himejima clan and amending the rules set by the Five Great Clans.]
[Reward: To be determined based on your influence on the event]
Suzaku's gaze hardened with determination. "Mr. Rhode, I want to change the Himejima clan. For that, I believe it doesn't matter who helps me."
She leaned in closer to Rhode's face. Rhode was "horrified." Is there really a beautiful girl who gets wild after drinking in this day and age?
But this was only the third time he had met her. Wouldn't doing that be a bit much? At the very least, he should tell Asia to close her eyes first.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (117 Chapters – Ongoing)
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