LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 13: Familiarity
Following the hour they were given for lunch, Vahn found himself staring off into space during his inaugural Social Studies class, the teacher's words entering his ears but his brain failing to consciously process what was being said.
'Hey, Sis...' said or, more accurately, thought Vahn.
(Yes, Vahn?) answered Sis.
'Did I really just get a girlfriend, or is my brain playing tricks on me?' asked Vahn.
(Based on my recollection of events and the context of the situation, the former seems more likely.) responded Sis. (As for whether or not you're being cheated or taken advantage of, I do not believe that to be the case, as she made clear the consequences of your involvement.)
'Right...' recalled Vahn, the memory of Rias's warning materializing in his mind as if she were right in front of him, speaking the words for the first time. The Path vested him with perfect recall, so as the memory replayed itself, he could even feel the warmth of her body and the wetness of her tongue, causing his face to heat up before he shook his head to clear the thought from his head like an etch and sketch.
'Am I making a mistake...?' asked Vahn, not regretting his confession or the result but fearing he was getting in over his head. Things like politics were completely foreign to him, so if his and Rias's relationship advanced to marriage, he had no idea how to be a good leader...
(I believe that is something Rias intends to see to herself.) expressed Sis, appending (What she appears to desire from you is raw power and dependability. I suspect she may have one or more adversaries that she is unable to deal with on her own.)
'So I need to get stronger...' reasoned Vahn, suddenly feeling that he was wasting his time by sitting in class. None of the anime and manga he had seen or read went into detail about what happened during class, so while he was happy to be enrolled as a student at Kuoh Academy, he felt the 3 PM bell couldn't come soon enough...
(Patience is a virtue, Vahn.) said Sis, reminding (You already have more time available to you than most thanks to the CIF, so while these lessons may not be the most mentally stimulating, you should pay attention out of respect for your teachers.)
'You're right...' affirmed Vahn, adopting a serious expression and focusing on the lesson being given. With Sis and The Path, he didn't need to study, but he wanted to. He would feel bad if the only reason he succeeded over others was because he had advantages they didn't. More importantly, he was committed to living and becoming someone his mom could be proud of, and that meant taking as few shortcuts as possible...
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With the day ending surprisingly quickly after he began paying attention, Vahn politely declined several invitations to chat and visit the Academy's cafe and made his way to the Old School Building. Rias had asked him to come by after classes let out, but even if she hadn't, he would have done so to honor his arrangement with Kiba.
Finding no one waiting for him when he arrived, Vahn felt confused and unsure of what to do until Sis reminded him (It's likely they are on their way over now. Don't forget that, alongside being Devils, the members of the Occult Research Club are students. They would have been released from class at the same time as you.)
'Oh, yeah...' realized Vahn, his cheeks warming slightly. He had reached the Old School Building much faster than he had during lunch, so it made sense that the others hadn't reached it since they likely couldn't teleport in front of other students.
Proving Sis's theory correct, Kiba appeared shortly after Vahn, his brows rising as he approached and joked, "Good afternoon, Vahn. Did you run or jog here, perhaps?"
"Something like that..." responded Vahn, turning his head to avoid Kiba's gaze. The latter found this amusing, but since they had somewhere to be, he gestured to the Old School Building's entrance and teased, "Shall we head inside? I'm certain Lady Rias is just as eager to see her boyfriend's face."
"She's already inside...?" asked Vahn.
Nodding, Kiba explained, "Lady Rias only attends classes the first half of the day as she has already completed Kuoh's High School curriculum and has qualified to advance to the College Division."
With Kiba heading toward the entrance as he spoke, Vahn followed after him, feeling nervous but excited as they entered the increasingly familiar building. In response to the former's explanation, he remarked, "She must be very smart..."
"Our Lady is exceptional in almost every regard," affirmed Kiba, his smile turning playful as he looked back at Vahn and added, "You're very lucky in that regard."
"Right..." responded Vahn, his face warming slightly as he again avoided Kiba's gaze. Fortunately, the journey to the Occult Research Club's Club Room wasn't particularly long. There, Kiba opened the door for him and made a bowing gesture for him to enter, so Vahn stepped inside, finding the room dimly lit by multiple candelabras. He also saw Koneko sitting on one of the two green sofas present, but his attention was attracted by the sound of running water, prompting him to turn and look what he presumed was a shower curtain based on the sounds emanating from beyond it.
Though curious to confirm his suspicions, Vahn only stared at the curtain briefly before making his way to the sofa opposite Koneko, prompting her to stare at him with an impassive expression. Vahn naturally mirrored the expression, so for several seconds, the only sounds within the room were those of the nearby shower until Kiba said, "The two of you have already met, but allow me to introduce you to one another officially. Vahn, this is Toujou Koneko, a valuable member of the Occult Research Club and Lady Rias's Rook. Koneko, this is Vahn Mason, the newest addition to our Club and Lady Rias's boyfriend. Let's be sure to treat him accordingly."
"Fine..." sighed Koneko, clearly reluctant as she rose to her feet, offered a slight bow, and appended, "I'll be in your care..."
Believing he was supposed to reciprocate the expression, Vahn rose to his feet with his hands at his sides. Before he could say anything, however, a husky and feminine voice chimed, "Ara? Ara, Ara? Is that the boyfriend of our beloved Rias that I spy?"
"Please wait there! I will be out momentarily!" appended the voice of Rias, prompting the owner of the first, Akeno, to exhale a throaty giggle before winking in Vahn's direction and stepping through the two layers of curtain barring the shower area from view.
'So it was Rias taking a shower...' mused Vahn, nodding to himself before returning his gaze to Koneko, who had already sat back down, staring at him with a deadpan. Vahn adopted a cramped smile at this, but since he was already standing, he felt compelled to bow and state, "I'll be in your care as well."
"Nn...just try not to get in my way..." retorted Koneko, prompting Kiba to exhale a faint, amused chuckle and state, "Koneko might come across as standoffish, but she's a steadfast ally and someone who cares dearly for her friends. She also enjoys sweets, but her all-time favorite snack is dark chocolate."
"Kiba...don't go saying unnecessary things..." said Koneko, adopting a slight, pouty expression.
"You like dark chocolate...?" asked Vahn, preempting Koneko's response by pulling a neatly wrapped bar, beaming as he said, "Then you should try this. It's super bitter, but if you break off one of the cubes, mix it into milk, and add some sugar, it increases your base Spirit Energy Regeneration by 20% for one hour."
Looking between the offered chocolate and Vahn's face, many questions formed in Koneko's mind. Ordinarily, she would never accept candy from a stranger, but since Rias believed Vahn to be valuable enough to invite into their group and make her boyfriend, she eventually leaned forward to give it a tentative sniff.
ssshf
"Sorry for the delay," said Rias, emerging from the shower area with a towel in hand, dabbing her still-damp hair as she revealed, "I've never had a boyfriend before, so I've been perspiring more than normal since lunch."
As he didn't want to interrupt her, Vahn remained silent as Rias spoke and moved closer, a broad smile developing across his face before he tensed at the realization she wasn't approaching the group but him.
"Why are you so nervous?" asked Rias, narrowing her eyes mischievously as she suggested, "In fact, you should join me next time. Skinship is very important for a burgeoning relationship."
"Is that okay...?" asked Vahn, causing Rias to narrow her eyes further and respond, "Only if you can behave yourself during it..." before handing him her towel, winking, and stepping past him to sit against the edge of a very well-made wooden office desk.
While Vahn was left with his jaw hanging open, the other members of the Occult Research Club assembled around the coffee table separating the two sofas, Kiba sitting with Koneko and Akeno giggling as she guided him to sit next to her. Once they were all seated, Rias, standing with her arms crossed, stated, "Okay. Now that we're all here, our first order of business regards our newest member. You should have all met him by now, but this dashing fellow is Vahn Mason. The two of us have agreed to start dating from today onward, so for my sake, please treat him well and ensure that he feels welcome."
Following Rias's words, Kiba and Akeno clapped while Koneko, focusing on the chocolate Vahn had given her, took a tentative bite, her gold eyes widening slightly at its quality and taste.
"And what's that you have there, Koneko?" asked Rias, noticing Koneko's reaction.
Saving Koneko the effort, Kiba explained, "It's chocolate that apparently has the ability to increase the rate at which the consumer recovers Spirit Energy. Our new friend here gifted it to her a short while ago."
"Oh? Your ability even allows you to produce consumable goods, Vahn? May I try some?" asked Rias, her curiosity piqued.
"Sure," responded Vahn, readily producing three more bars of chocolate as he had a stack of 68 within his Inventory. They were a fairly common drop from a Slime variant resembling a half-melted ball of chocolate, so he had plenty and could easily acquire more.
"Ara? Is this for me~?"
"You have my gratitude."
Seeing Vahn provide Kiba and Akeno a bar of chocolate after her, Rias hummed, "You're so considerate, Vahn~" before breaking off a piece of her bar and sampling it. It was very bitter, as expected of dark chocolate, but it had a sweet aftertaste, and the moment she swallowed, a pleasant warmth permeated her body, making her feel invigorated.
"This would be very popular in the Underworld," affirmed Rias, carefully rewrapping the bar of chocolate for later study and consumption before adding, "And since we're on the subject, our second order of business is an exhibition. To say I am interested in learning more about Vahn's power is an understatement. So, to encourage him to share and strengthen our understanding of one another, we will all be revealing and demonstrating our capabilities to him."
"I have no objections."
"I think it's wonderful to deepen our understanding of one another~"
"Whatever..."
With Kiba, Akeno, and Koneko giving their consent, Rias turned her gaze to Vahn, sporting a broad smile as she eagerly anticipated his response. Fortunately, he had already conferred with Sis about what he could and shouldn't share, so without needing additional time to deliberate, Vahn nodded, his expression and tone firm as he asserted, "I won't disappoint you..."
"And I'll be sure to reward you plentily for it," hummed Rias, narrowing her eyes in gratification. She didn't feel she had done anything to earn Vahn's apparent devotion, but since he presented it to her of his own accord, she looked forward to rewarding him for it...
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