Akeno then briefly described the process of a noble welcome ceremony. Saluting cannons were mandatory, as was a red carpet at least a hundred meters long. On both sides of the carpet, knighted devils would stand with swords drawn. At the end of the line, maids and butlers would wait, and finally, Rias herself would deliver the welcoming speech.
In short, it was a massive hassle. Akeno had seen it a few times when Rias went home for breaks. The first time she saw it, she was shocked—it was a bigger production than receiving a head of state, just for a girl going home for the holidays. Since they were in Kuoh Town, the process had to be simplified.
Rhodes felt like he was living in a high-budget web novel. But on second thought, the Gremory House's power in the Human Realm would be equivalent to owning a whole country—and Rias was the princess. He couldn't help but feel a bit of "wealth envy." He'd been in this world for years and still hadn't achieved true financial freedom. His savings were in the seven figures, but in a major city, that wouldn't even buy a villa.
Rias, on the other hand, was born with more money than she could ever spend. Her allowance alone could start a real estate empire. But then he thought of Xenovia and Irina—the "poor corporate slaves" who worked harder than anyone for pennies—and he felt balanced again.
The car drove smoothly through every green light until it reached the hotel entrance. Normally, this place was packed with socialites, but tonight it was empty save for their limo.
"This hotel is actually a Gremory property," Akeno explained. "Rias is the owner, so she cleared the place out for tonight."
"She's that rich?!"
"Eating here for one night must cost hundreds, at least!"
Xenovia and Irina were staring at the gold-decorated hotel in pure envy. When they were on missions, they only looked for the cheapest food stalls. Akeno let out a small laugh, not out of malice, but because she found them amusing.
Kuroka was being carried by Lavinia, her big eyes darting everywhere. As a cat, she didn't care about Rias's wealth; she just wanted to see where her sister was. Lavinia didn't care either; she was just thinking about the food. Her mouth was already watering, but she reminded herself not to embarrass Rhodes in public.
"Found Sister!" Kuroka spotted several figures by the hotel entrance. Locking onto the shortest one, she leaped from Lavinia's arms. "Shirone, your sister is here, meow!"
Kuroka flew through the air in a perfect arc toward Koneko, but the younger sister looked disgusted. She didn't catch her; instead, she stepped aside, letting Kuroka fly right past and dive headfirst into a large potted plant.
Kiba Yuuto looked at Kuroka as she tried to pull herself out of the dirt. "Is that really okay?"
"It's fine. Ignore her," Koneko said blankly.
Rias didn't pay it any mind. Like the others, she was wearing the Kuoh Academy uniform. The custom-tailored suit hugged her curves perfectly, the skirt swaying with each step. Despite the conservative design, it couldn't hide her impressive figure. Her hair, usually loose, was tied back in a ponytail today, giving her a mix of youthful energy and mature charm.
Beside Rias and her peerage were two people Rhodes had seen once before: Sona Sitri and her Queen, Tsubaki Shinra. Sona's figure was "average" compared to Rias, but normal by most standards. Rhodes, however, had been "spoiled" by the heavy hitters in his life. Seeing Sona, he slightly shook his head. As a devil, her figure is a bit lacking.
On the other hand, Tsubaki was quite well-endowed. Not quite Rias-level, but she met Rhodes' "standards." He remembered Tsubaki was from one of the five major clans in Kyoto, much like Akeno, but had been cast out because of her Sacred Gear. She was luckier than Akeno, though; she'd left on her own and hadn't been hunted.
Rhodes' "auto-aim" gaze went unnoticed thanks to the sunglasses he'd worn before leaving the house. Staring at home was one thing, but he had to maintain his image in public.
"Welcome, Mr. Rhodes," Rias said. The words were formal, but her smile was genuine. In her mind, Rhodes' status was already higher than that of the pure-blood house heads in the Underworld—not just for saving her, but for the power he'd displayed. The Underworld was modernizing, but the core logic remained: might makes right.
"Welcome, Lord Rhodes. You likely remember me. I am the successor to the Sitri House, Sona Sitri." Sona used her real name rather than her human alias, showing her level of respect.
"Yeah," Rhodes nodded. Seeing Rias and Sona waiting for him to speak, he cleared his throat. "Well, since we're here, let's eat."
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (216 Chapters – Ongoing)
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