Chapter 17 (Patreon)

Issei Hyoudou was heading home after the club’s regular activities to have dinner, take a bath, and change before returning to the Occult Research Club—this time for his work as a devil.

His latest contract had been another load of nonsense. He’d spent the whole night just watching anime with a nutjob of a client… Seriously, what else could you call a musclehead who called himself Mil-tan and dreamed of becoming a magical girl? A complete nutjob, maybe. Sure, Issei considered himself… a bit quirky, but not that quirky. Definitely not. Next to Mil-tan, he was the very epitome of boring normality.

(Mil-tan. No need to thank me. )

I must be the wrong sort of devil, Hyoudou sighed to himself.

Contracts were assigned so that each member of a peerage would be comfortable taking them on. According to Chiba-san, at least, that was how it worked for the Underworld’s highest aristocracy, including the Sitri and Gremory families. So Rias-senpai’s and Sitri-senpai’s servants could be sure they wouldn’t be given anything… unpleasant, or at odds with their wishes and ambitions.

Then again, whenever Issei thought about some of the clients he’d had, he began to wonder if the system assigning him contracts was broken. Or had Rias-sama decided to play a joke on him? Was the problem Issei himself? No, every job had turned out to be perfectly fine in the end—nothing he found unpleasant. Still, some of them were undeniably bizarre. Even his first contract, when he’d stood in for Koneko-chan, had been strange and fun at the same time.

And so Issei Hyoudou walked through the park, thinking it might be nice to watch another season of Magical Girl Milky Spiral. He’d found himself hooked on the anime last night while carrying out Mil-tan’s contract… Yeah. There was definitely something wrong with him…

Something heavy hit the ground behind Hyoudou with a sudden thud, followed by a girl’s soft yelp. He jumped.

Definitely a cutie! Issei decided at once, snapping out of his thoughts without even turning around. It was a hunch—no, an absolute certainty. Hyoudou had never been wrong about things like this!

“Careful, Sister,” said a young man’s voice. Issei recognized it instantly, and his spirits sank a little. Next to Taro-san, with his serious, responsible air, Issei would look… less than impressive. Not quite as bad as he did next to that asshole Yuto, but close.

“Oh, thank you!” Issei turned and saw that it really was his classmate, Chiba Taro-san, supporting a young nun by the elbow. Very young, judging by her voice. He couldn’t see her face yet—her back was to him—but even from behind, her figure looked wonderful. An open suitcase lay on the ground, some of its contents scattered around it. “I’m always tripping over things… I’m so clumsy…”

“I’m not surprised.” Oddly enough, Gloomy Chiba was being quite friendly. He even gave her a warm smile. “You were so busy looking at everything around you that you couldn’t watch your step. Is this your first time in Japan?”

“Ah… yes! But how did you… Is it that obvious?”

“You reminded me of myself. May I help?”

Chiba-san crouched down and began gathering the books and other odds and ends that had spilled from the suitcase. The nun gave a little yelp and joined him, though she went for her clothes first. Issei even caught sight of a pair of plain but cute white panties, which she snatched up almost before anything else.

“Thank you so much, but I could have done it myself…”

“A trifle, hardly worth mentioning. You’re from Italy, am I right?”

“Yes… How did you know?!”

“I guessed from the titles of your books. And you’re speaking Italian to me.” Hyoudou’s classmate handed the nun a small stack of books.

“I… Oh! You’re right, I’m sorry. But what did you mean when you said I reminded you of yourself?”

“When I traveled, I often got so caught up in new sights that I stopped paying attention to where I was going. Unfamiliar architecture, different people—it’s captivating.” Chiba-san helped her close the suitcase, then stood and offered her his hand.

“Thank you!” The nun took his hand and rose too. For a moment, something strange crossed the student council member’s face: a serious, intent, businesslike look. It vanished so quickly that by the time she reached for her suitcase, Taro-san was smiling politely again. The devil from Sitri’s peerage picked up her suitcase before she could take hold of the handle.

“Let me carry it for you. It’s rather heavy for someone as delicate as you.”

“Oh, there’s no need. I can manage it myself…”

“I won’t hear of it.” He gave her another broad, friendly smile. “Helping your neighbor is a good thing, isn’t it? Don’t take away my chance to do a good deed!”

The nun laughed at Chiba’s words. The Lord’s servant had a lovely laugh.

“Thank you again. My name is Asia Argento.” She gave an awkward, stiff bow. It was clear she wasn’t entirely sure she was doing it right. “I’ve been transferred to Kuoh, and I’ve only just arrived, but… I got a little lost. My Japanese is terrible, so I didn’t even know whom to ask for directions… By the way, your Italian is wonderful!”

“My name is Chiba Taro.” Gloomy Chiba gave her another kind smile and returned her bow. “Chiba is my family name; Taro is my given name. Just call me Taro, Sister Argento. No need for formalities.”

Issei squeezed his eyes shut, pinched himself, and opened them again. Nothing had changed. Chiba-san was smiling sweetly at the girl. Chiba-san—whom only student council members and a few members of the Occult Research Club called by his given name, and whom no one addressed without an honorific! Had he… fallen in love? Or was he… hitting on a nun?! Trying to tempt her?!

“Then… just call me Asia!” Relief and delight rang in the Lord’s servant’s voice. “I’m still having trouble knowing how to address people properly. I mean… the way you’re supposed to in Japan. Everything here is so different. And the bowing…” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I don’t know when I’m supposed to bow, or how to do it right. That’s probably why people sometimes look at me like I’m a fool.”

“You’ll get used to it.” Chiba-san slipped easily into a more familiar tone. “I’m sure they’ll explain everything at the church. Besides, anyone can tell you’re from abroad, so no one will take offense at little mistakes. They’ll notice, of course, but you won’t offend anyone—especially if they can see you’re trying. Well… no one sensible. There are idiots everywhere, naturally… Ahem. You said you were lost? Would you like me to walk you to the church? There’s only one Catholic church in Kuoh. It’s on the outskirts, not far from here. A quiet place. I went there a couple of years ago.”

“I… I don’t know how to thank you, Taro! Perhaps the Lord Himself brought us together today!”

“A higher power was certainly at work.” Sitri-sama’s Rook smiled again, bright and friendly as before. For an instant, though, something appeared in his eyes… something that didn’t belong with that smile. “Shall we? It isn’t far. If you like, I can tell you about our city on the way. It’s not one of Japan’s biggest, but it’s beautiful and cozy.”

“Let’s go! I’d love to hear about it, since I’ll be living here now!”

At last the girl turned toward Issei, ready to follow Chiba-san, who politely indicated the way with an open hand. The sight took Issei’s breath away.

Large, enchanting eyes of a vivid green. A sweet, beautiful face with European features. Golden hair beneath her veil… Dazzling. Adorable! And her gaze—so innocent and gentle.

Issei was about to approach her and his classmate when a sudden certainty that death was near and unavoidable froze him in place. He stopped breathing. He would have run, but his instincts screamed that he’d be better off playing dead. Why? Where was it coming from?! The answer came as soon as Hyoudou met Chiba-san’s eyes…

Chiba-san’s gaze was cold and menacing, promising dreadful punishment if Issei tried to approach. A moment later, Sitri-senpai’s Rook turned his attention back to the sweet nun and went right on smiling at her, warm and friendly as ever.

What the hell? A stampede of goosebumps ran down Hyoudou’s back, and sweat broke out on his forehead. The awful sensation had lasted only a couple of seconds and was already gone, but Gremory’s Pawn felt utterly drained. Completely crushed.

Better go home, he decided, taking another path through the park. Taro-san had made it perfectly clear that Issei’s company wasn’t wanted right now. Pushing it would only mean poking a dragon. It stung a little, of course, but fair was fair: his classmate had approached the girl first. If Hyoudou had met a beauty like her himself, he wouldn’t want anyone intruding either.

But honestly, he could have been a little more polite!!!

Issei sighed heavily and shuddered. Taro-san… Yeah, of all people, he’d fit right in among the devils from tales of terrifying monsters. He wasn’t very sociable, but he was usually calm. Then, every so often, he showed something beyond the understanding of humans… or even the devils Issei knew. It wasn’t magic. It was something else: a strange, incomprehensible sense of menace that seemed to carry a breath of icy wind and the smell of a graveyard.

It happened rarely. Usually when someone said something about Sitri-sama that Chiba Taro considered disrespectful, or insulted the student council. Before Taro-san joined the disciplinary committee, students sometimes got into arguments with its members. Now… the mere presence of the “Dark Prince,” as people had started calling him lately, was enough to make even the loudest troublemakers lower their eyes warily and settle their disputes calmly and constructively.

Something similar happened within the Gremory and Sitri peerages, though only to the guys. Chiba Taro never looked at the girls LIKE THAT, but Genshiro-kun and Issei got that look now and then… Only that asshole Kiba never did. Probably because he never made mistakes… And they couldn’t really complain. For one thing, it was scary. For another, most of the time Issei and Genshiro really had stepped out of line.

On the other hand…

It didn’t happen often. And on the whole, Issei was grateful to Taro-san in a way. Since he’d started listening to his classmate’s advice, Hyoudou had noticed that the girls in his class no longer looked at him with disgust. Sometimes they even talked to him. Politely. With smiles. That was… yeah, it was a lot nicer than the sausage fest he’d had before. He got along well with Aika Kiryu now—a pretty, fun girl.

Most of the time, he got along with Taro-san too. He just had to speak of Sitri-sama with respect and not drool over Koneko-chan in front of him. It stung to admit it, but maybe the Pervert Trio falling apart was a good thing after all.

Matsuda and Motohama… hadn’t been real friends after all. The moment they transferred to another school, they just vanished from his life. They stopped answering his calls, and when Issei went to their homes, both of them kicked him out!

That hurt. Then Hyoudou learned that his former friends had been spreading the rumors about him and the girls in the Occult Research Club, and it hurt twice as much! Taro-san had been right again: Matsuda and Motohama were jealous pieces of trash! They were vile enough to spread stories about Hyoudou and Kiba having sex!!! And disgusting stories about him and Koneko-chan! Yes, she was beautiful, but she was so little!!! Issei admired her, and sure, he’d thought… things, but he would never do to her what Matsuda and Motohama had been describing! He was a decent, dirty-minded pervert, not a criminal!

“But it still stings. Why did Taro-san have to treat me like that?” the boy sighed quietly as he walked along the park path.

The door opening drew Momo’s attention away from her paperwork. She had an annoying problem to solve: the supplier of the academy’s classroom furniture—desks, chairs, bookcases, and the like—had stopped producing the models the school normally bought. Now Momo had to plan how to update the classroom furniture.

“My Lady.” Chiba Taro entered the student council office and bowed to Sitri-san, who sat at her desk. “The work is done. The contract is closed.”

“Excellent. But you took longer than expected.” There was no reproach in Sona-san’s voice. It sounded more like a question, touched with the faintest curiosity.

“I met someone interesting,” Taro said thoughtfully. “And I need to speak with you about them.”

“If you think it’s necessary.” Sona smiled slightly. “But first, I want you to see what the press is saying. I think you’ll appreciate it… Our hero!”

“Hmm?” The boy’s eyebrows rose in surprise as smiles began spreading across the faces of the girls gathered in the office.

Momo couldn’t help smiling either. They’d already discussed the article in the local paper and giggled over it. Now everyone wanted to see how their new local “celebrity” would react. Even Sona-san showed a gleam in her eyes, though she gave no other sign of impatience. She wanted to watch her second Rook read the article too.

“Now you’ve got me curious.” Taro picked up the newspaper lying at the edge of his Lady’s desk. It was already open to the right page. “‘Hero or Criminal Vigilante’?”

He settled into an empty chair and began to read. Almost at once, his calm, serious expression gave way to amused snorts and chuckles.

“Is the paper’s editor-in-chief named J. Jonah Jameson, by any chance? I won’t even ask if it’s called the Daily Bugle, but the tone of this piece is straight out of Spider-Man. No, wait—it keeps hinting that all those gaijin comics are to blame for everything. Why are foreign comics getting all the blame, anyway? Our manga has vigilantes too, and there’s not a word about them.”

“Well, according to this rag, everything Japanese is virtuous and uplifting, while anything foreign is ‘Eww, yuck! Put that nasty thing down!’” Tomoe laughed. “But enough of that crap. What’s it like being a celebrity?”

“I can feel my sense of self-importance swelling inside me,” Chiba-kun snorted. “It’s bursting out all over. Honestly, though, I couldn’t care less. I was just carrying out contracts. All the ‘heroic deeds’ described here are thanks to the clients. My role was that of a pair of brass knuckles or a baseball bat. If I didn’t have to make sure the people I beat remembered their lesson, they’d forget not only my face but the beating itself.”

“So you don’t feel any satisfaction from seeing justice done?” Tsubaki-san adjusted her glasses with a graceful gesture.

“Satisfaction… Mostly, no.” Taro rolled up the newspaper, considering the question. “More like frustration. In all this time, only three clients have asked for the strength to solve their own problems or take revenge themselves. And only one agreed to take the hard road instead of relying on devil magic to grant his wish. That’s a man I can respect, and a choice I can approve of. As for the rest… Well, I do think castrating that would-be child rapist was unquestionably the right thing to do. And the girl’s mother, who asked for his punishment, was willing to do anything for her child. Since the Angels around here are asleep on the job, this devil is happy to handle matters like that.”

“I win,” Yura Tsubasa declared with satisfaction. “Sensei went with the boring option.”

Momo and the others, Sona-san included, pulled out thousand-yen notes and handed them to the winner.

“Wha—?!” Taro seemed most shocked that his Lady and her deputy had taken part. “Reya?!”

Or perhaps not. He was staring wide-eyed at the quietest member of the Sitri peerage, who had also handed Tsubasa her money.

“I thought you’d fool around,” the girl said, shyly lowering her eyes.

“Ah… Ohhh… Right…”

“Very eloquent, Master,” Tsubasa chuckled, counting her winnings.

“Okay, all right.” Chiba Taro rubbed the bridge of his nose. “Now for something serious. Sona-san, we need to put up a ward against eavesdropping.”

“Hmm?” Sona-san raised her eyebrows in surprise. “That serious…”

With a slight wave of her hand, Sona activated a complex spell against eavesdropping. Momo felt her Lady’s magic at work, but even as a Bishop—a piece that specialized in magic—she couldn’t begin to make sense of it. The spell was that powerful and that intricate.

Well, there was the difference between a born devil and a reincarnated one. Skill, training, and sheer power gave her an enormous advantage. Fortunately, Momo now had plenty of time to grow stronger, catch up with her Lady, and become even more useful to her and the peerage.

“Well?” Sona-san turned a serious gaze on Taro-kun.

“Today I met someone with a Sacred Gear.”

“I see.” Her expression grew considerably sterner.

“A healing Sacred Gear.”

“That…” Sona relaxed a little. “Not something devil peerages are particularly interested in…”

“Judging by a few things the girl let slip, it can heal anyone. Angels, humans, Fallen Angels… devils.”

“Twilight Healing?!” Sona-san’s brief relaxation vanished. She tensed, her hands curling into fists on the desk, her gaze sharp and intensely focused. The others sensed how important this was and held their breath.

“I can’t say for certain, my Lady.” Chiba-kun spread his hands. “I didn’t have the chance to find out more. But Asia Argento is a nun who’s been transferred here to Kuoh from Italy—to the abandoned church on the outskirts, of all places. It’s been empty for as long as I can remember, but when I walked her there today, I felt a pressure coming from it, as though one of the Fallen were inside.

“On the way, she told me a sad story. It wasn’t hard to tell she was speaking from experience: she’d healed a devil and been persecuted for it. I sensed a Sacred Gear in her, just as I did with Genshiro and Issei, so I took her on a bit of a detour through town. Luckily, she doesn’t know her way around Kuoh yet, and I tried to get her talking without making it too obvious. I wish I’d had more time, but I gave her my number and promised to show her the city when she’s free.”

“Hmm… Excellent.” Sona-san leaned back in her chair. “Did you keep your nature hidden?”

“Of course, Sona-san. I walked the nun part of the way, keeping far enough from the church that no one there could see through my disguise, then told her our conversation had made me forget some urgent business. I came straight here.”

“I see. A nun, and the recent attack by a Fallen Angel on a member of Gremory’s peerage… Hmm. Thank you, Taro-kun. I need to think this over and perhaps speak with my elders. And not a word to ANYONE about her Sacred Gear.”

Everyone present bowed their heads in silence. Momo had spent enough time among devils to understand the value of a healing Sacred Gear. It was precious to everyone except devils, who couldn’t withstand holy magic. But if this one could heal them too…

No wonder her Lady had stressed that no one must learn about the Gear. In the race to claim an advantage capable of miraculous healing, friendship with the Gremory peerage would take a back seat.

“You’re working without me today.” Sona-san gave a decisive little shake of her head, as if settling something in her own mind. A teleportation circle flared, and she vanished from behind her desk.

“Taro-kun.” Tsubaki-san glanced at the broadly smiling boy. “You seem awfully pleased…”

“Oh, Queen-san.” Chiba Taro’s eyes gleamed. “How could I not be? My Lady believed me. Immediately and without question. If that isn’t a sign of trust, what is? By the way, would anyone like some tea? A new variety of mine is ready…”

“Say no more!” Sona-san’s deputy perked up and switched on the electric kettle with a wave of her hand. “Momo, the tea set! Reya, sweets!”

“What a swift change of subject,” Tsubasa marveled, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.