"It's about time for them to arrive…"
"?? Who is coming...?"
"Issei-san, here's some tea."
"Ah, thanks…"
The moment Issei took the tea, his expression hardened. Because next to him was a nun who had supposedly left this town. The nun looked at Issei with a bright face and greeted him.
"Hello, Issei-san?"
"…Why are you here?"
"She had nowhere to go and looked so pitiful… She's already been branded a witch at the church, and if she goes back she'll be despised, so I decided to make her my servant. Of the Evil Pieces I had left, Bishop seemed most suitable… so I reincarnated her as a Bishop."
"Ah, let me introduce her again. I'm Rias-snepai's Bishop, Asia Argento. Please take good care of me, Issei-san."
"…If she was going to become a devil anyway, I didn't have to go rescue her… I thought she'd returned to the church…"
At Asia's innocent smile, Issei's brow twitched. He genuinely regretted what he'd done then. If she was going to become a devil, there was no need to go through all that trouble to find her Sacred Gear, why did I go through such a hassle to save this girl, he wondered. His gaze moved to the travel bag beside Asia, and he felt bad for some reason.
"…Why the travel bag…"
"It's about time to head back, isn't it? Perfect timing. I was thinking of doing this today. Let's go straight to Issei's house."
"Huh?"
"By now the luggage should have arrived."
He only understood what she meant when they arrived at his house. There were quite a few cardboard boxes in front, and the moment he saw them, his expression hardened. Rias, oblivious to his face, smiled and said:
"Now then, Issei. Carry these cardboard boxes to the room."
"Why me?"
Crack.
A vein popped on Rias's smiling face at Issei's words.
"It's Asia's luggage. Don't you think it's gentlemanly to help carry it?"
"A gentleman is what you call a man who shows manly behavior under the name of pervert… or something. More importantly, why my house… why here?"
"Because Asia wanted it that way."
Akeno spoke in place of Rias, who was on the verge of exploding. Issei looked at Asia with a 'why my house of all places' face, and under his scary gaze, Asia looked about to cry as she apologized.
"I-I'm sorry!! But the only person I can trust and rely on… is Issei-san…"
'That's why it would've been better if you'd gone back then! Michael isn't that coldhearted… Damn it… why me…'
"Don't tell me, Issei-kun, you'd be fine with a delicate girl like this getting kidnapped and violated by men out there?" -Akeno
"Hah?"
"Issei… I'm disappointed in you. No matter how rude you are, to leave such a girl alone…"
"How does it end up like that… does it?"
"It's okay, Issei-san. If you want me to… I don't mind being… violated …."
'You airheaded nun… If you say that, I'm the bad guy! Damn… Ah, there is that method.'
"I don't mind, but… my parents…"
"Welcome!! We will gladly take care of Miss Asia!!"
"Kkh… Honey… finally… finally…"
"Ohh!! Honey… We were worrying whether our totally sexless son could ever date a girl properly…"
"Dear, that much is a relief. I… I wondered if Issei was maybe impotent, sniff… That this day would come!!"
"..."
'Hey, Ddraig… Just what kind of image do I have in this family?'
(I want to ask you the same thing. What did you do at home to get that reaction?)
"Because you're like this, Dad thought he'd never see a grandchild's face in his lifetime. He lamented that in his old age he'd have to worry about you living single."
"And Mom too, Mom thought Issei would never get a bride. Right? But it's you, Issei. A son so uninterested in girls he gets called impotent. I thought we raised you to be presentable to society, but your libido was so low… If Mom had a time machine, I'd go back and persuade my past self with all my might: 'That boy will be a kid who has no interest in girls, so make him watch a lot of porn.'"
'What are these parents even saying?'
Though they were foster parents, they were so moved they were crying, leaving Issei dumbfounded; Rias glanced at Issei's face and smiled slyly.
"Then Asia will…" Rias
"Miss Rias! We'll take Miss Asia Argento into our home!! No, please let us!!"
"Congratulations, Miss Asia." Akeno
"Please take care of me, Issei-san's father and mother." Asia
"Yes, please take care of her. Issei-kun's father and mother. It's decided then." Rias
With Rias smiling with relief, and a face that said she felt refreshed, Issei sighed. And so Issei and Asia came to live under the same roof. Asia approached Issei to say 'please take care of me,' and Issei, as if giving up, answered, 'Yeah, please take care of me.'
'Haa…'
(Don't be so annoyed. Just think you've gotten a little sister.)
"…A bride… huh…"
'Hm?'
Issei glanced to the side and saw Rias with a slightly lonely expression. He roughly guessed why she wore that expression.
'…Being nobility is always a tiring thing.'
(Hmm… Indeed, being nobility is quite tiring. All the more so as the next head of Gremory… There must be things she wants to do, but there are many constraints…)