Rias took some time to process the information.
Afterward, she looked at Rod with a complicated expression.
This was becoming a bit troublesome.
He had dealt with the Fallen Angels who had been giving her a headache, then proactively used the flyer to contact them, and now had openly explained everything from the start.
Although Rias felt Rod was certainly still hiding something, she understood the principle that one shouldn't strike someone who comes with goodwill.
She couldn't just fabricate a reason and declare that he wasn't welcome here.
After all, Rod was an unaffiliated free agent. Treating him that way would be bad for the development of her territory and would also tarnish the reputation of the Gremory family.
While Rias was thinking about what to do, Akeno, who had been standing silently with a cold expression, finally spoke up.
"You're free to stay here if you wish, but those Fallen Angels must either die, be handed over to us, or leave Kuoh Town immediately!"
Her gaze was razor-sharp, cutting into the three Fallen Angels like blades.
Raynare and the others had no idea what they had done to provoke her, but faced with a devil's glare, they instinctively glared back.
They feared Rod, but that didn't mean they feared the devils here.
"A mere Lower-Class Devil, who gave you the right to speak here?" Raynare sneered, narrowing her eyes.
"Whether I have the right or not isn't for you to decide!"
As soon as the words fell, purple magic surged across Akeno's body. With crackling sounds, a sphere of lightning filled with tremendous energy condensed in her hand.
Not to be outdone, Raynare manifested a spear of light, clearly ready to start a fight at any moment.
The atmosphere in the living room instantly turned tense.
"Enough!"
Rias shouted sharply.
"Akeno, stand down."
Only then did Akeno reluctantly disperse the lightning and magic, though her eyes remained fixed on the three Fallen Angels.
The trio still looked confused.
Yes, they had entered devil territory, but they hadn't actually done anything yet. Besides, their target had been a nun, not devils. Was there really a need to react so strongly?
"I apologize. My subordinate was a bit too emotional just now. There are reasons for that, because of certain events in the past, Akeno has come to deeply hate Fallen Angels."
Knowing she was somewhat in the wrong, Rias apologized decisively.
She was just about to add a stern warning, something along the lines of telling Rod to properly manage his Fallen Angel slaves, when she suddenly heard Rod chuckle.
"It's fine. After all, I know about Akeno's past as well."
"Hm?"
Both Rias and Akeno froze slightly upon hearing that.
Even Koneko and Kiba Yuuto only knew fragments of Akeno's background. Her true past was known only to the two of them.
"Himejima Suzaku is a close friend of mine," Rod said.
Beside him, Lavinia immediately wore the expression of an elderly man staring at a phone on the subway.
Didn't you only meet Suzaku a few days ago? How did she suddenly become your 'close friend'?
But Lavinia had already grown accustomed to Rod casually making things up, so she maintained a calm expression.
"Himejima Suzaku? You know my cousin, Suzaku?!"
Hearing the familiar name, Akeno's expression changed instantly, her voice trembling slightly.
It couldn't be helped.
Although Akeno hated the Himejima family, she had once experienced a small measure of warmth there.
When she was young, Suzaku often visited the shrine to play with her, bringing snacks and toys from outside. Whenever members of the Himejima family tried to oppress her and her mother, Suzaku would step in and drive them away.
Thus, for Akeno, aside from the small home she had shared with her mother for over a decade, the only part of the Himejima family worth remembering was Suzaku, her only relative she still called "cousin."
However, due to the isolationist policies of the Five Great Main Houses and her own inability to travel to Kyoto, they had lost contact for several years. After so long, she had nearly forgotten what her cousin even looked like.
Still, Akeno quickly calmed herself and suppressed her emotions.
"How can you prove it?"
In response, Rod tossed over a letter.
Akeno caught it smoothly. Seeing the elegant handwriting on the envelope, she opened it with a hint of excitement and read the contents carefully.
A few minutes later, she let out a long breath, carefully storing the letter as if it were something precious. Then she bowed deeply toward Rod.
"I apologize. I was rude earlier. I didn't realize you were truly a friend of my cousin. Please forgive my earlier disrespect."
As she bowed, the curve of her chest subtly shifted under her uniform.
Rod nodded slightly. He wanted to crack a joke about how "showing cleavage while apologizing is common sense," but with so many people present, he decided against it.
There would be plenty of opportunities later.
At the same time, Rod received a system notification.
[Mission: Deliver the Letter]
[Objective: Deliver Himejima Suzaku's handwritten letter to Himejima Akeno in Kuoh Town]
[Completed: Reward: Hand Soap ×10]
Sigh...
...
Rias was also surprised that Rod turned out to be a friend of Akeno's relative, and apparently a rather close one at that.
But soon she relaxed slightly.
If he was an acquaintance, there was less reason to remain overly wary. She might not fully trust Rod yet, but she trusted every member of her peerage, especially Akeno.
"Since the misunderstanding has been resolved, we won't trouble you any longer. I hope you all enjoy your stay in Kuoh Town," Rias said politely as she prepared to leave.
"Wait, there's one more thing."
"What is it?" Rias asked.
"Let's exchange contact information. I'm currently operating as a free agent. If you ever encounter a problem you can't handle yourself, I can take care of it for you, of course, for a fee."
Rias hesitated for several seconds.
A human offering to solve problems for devils? What kind of reversal is this?
Still, out of courtesy, she exchanged contact information with Rod and politely said she would reach out if the need arose.
"We should head back now, Mr. Rod."
Rias prepared to activate the teleportation circle to return to the Occult Research Club.
"Wait."
"?"
"What is it now, Mr. Rod?" Rias asked, trying to maintain her usual tone and smile.
Couldn't he just say everything at once?
"I just want to ask Koneko something. You have an older sister named Kuroka, right? What kind of impression do you have of her?"
Rod asked.
Hearing that name, Rias and the others were surprised.
He even knew about that?
Still, Koneko's background wasn't exactly a secret. The incident had caused quite a stir, after all, a stray devil killing her master and fleeing was extremely rare.
As the younger sister of that rogue devil, Koneko had naturally been implicated as well. She had nearly been executed before Rias intervened and saved her.
Upon hearing the name, an indescribable expression appeared on Koneko's face.
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