As the cult leader had begun to sulk again, Issei went to prod further details out of her. He had gotten sidetracked after she began informing him about her plot to lure him here and her intentions, but he wasn't asking about that.
He did need to know, and remained unoffended after he did. However, that had become secondary after receiving a new quest. He was more interested in learning about her arranged marriage and who he needed to stomp out.
"Why are you so down? I told you it was okay," Issei said comfortingly, hoping to breach her defenses and get her to spill. Seeing how down she was, he tried uplifting her. "My junk wasn't that ugly, was it?"
Akeno had to cover her mouth, his self-deprecating joke provoking uncontrollable laughter from her. Rias tentatively glanced back upwards at the boy, watching how his face lit up after saying such a ludicrous thing to the two hottest girls in school.
She giggled. He was cute.
Hand brushing the crimson locks that had fallen over her vision back, Rias returned a warm look of her own. "It's nothing, Issei. But thank you nonetheless."
Crap. He was losing her.
"I know I can be a pretty dumb guy sometimes, and I don't understand much unless people tell me clearly..." He tried stretching his voice without making it obvious in attempt to be implying. "So if you ever need to tell me something, or feel like getting something off your boob- I mean chest, just know you can turn to me. I'm not always the brightest guy in the room, but I'll be there for you."
"I know you do..." Rias replied quietly, her smile turning wistful.
Issei waited a moment for her to say anything more, hoping that had been enough to break through. When she didn't, his throat constricted as he searched for something else to say.
He didn't want to end it like this. He had to know.
'Come on, Assistance Mode. You got an answer for me, don't you?' He asked internally, turning towards his trump card. This was the perfect moment for it to shine - unable to tell him anything, but could guide him down the proper line by giving him a hint.
Help: Ask about the arranged marriage.
His eyes read over the message and he immediately tensed.
He... couldn't do that.
It was too obvious. Sure, if he asked Rias straight up like that he may get a confession, but that would rebound back several more incriminating questions at him.
'Damn it. Assistance Mode failed," Issei cursed, feeling betrayed by the power for the first time. It hadn't failed, so much as failed to give him the answer he wanted.
A new weakness he'd discovered within the ability: it couldn't grasp nuance.
Just because he wanted to keep his Gamer powers a secret doesn't mean the system itself would naturally conform. It wasn't alive in the same way he and others were. It bended to his will, but couldn't read it.
It knew the what, but not the why.
He failed to get through to Rias, her gentle words permitting him to return back to the main building ringing hollow through his ears. He nodded minutely, wearing a kind facade as he bowed towards the two devils near the door before slowly exiting.
This was like the Koneko situation all over again. In fact, if he had thought to use Assistance Mode during that time, it probably would have said something just as straightforward.
It was going to be a bit harder than he thought to get each of them to open up to him. Issei was aware he was not the most sensitive guy, and that his nature put off most women from ever confiding in him.
He needed to go about it a different way outside of relying on his system. Observe and Assistance Mode were incredibly handy and he certainly hadn't used them to their fullest, yet maybe that had been a good thing. He still had some growing to do on his own.
If he relied too strongly on The Game, he might not grow in the way he wanted to.
Sighing at having his Quest unknowingly denied progress for the second time, Issei pocketed his hands in his trousers as he walked to the staircase leading down. Usually at this time, he would be asking Ddraig what he should do.
Couldn't do that anymore. Not with the dragon sealed... or 'super' sealed.
He glanced idly at the dark wooden doors chained shut at the end of the hallway, seeing the small blue outline of the person inside as always. He recalled Koneko had called them 'Gaspie,' though he'd yet to learn anything else. If he could use Observe through doorways without needing a direct line of sight, then he would know much more about whoever they were.
'Maybe I'll ask more about them.' If there were ever a location he loitered around just screaming at him that it was a Quest, it was that place. His thoughts lingered on those questions, and just what he needed to ask to open up those proverbial doorways blocking his progression.
His last resort was to always reload one of the daily save states that would automatically happen every day. He always had that safety net, and would deploy it if he somehow failed Rias's timed Quest. He would even go as far back to the day before Ddraig and The Flaming Sword were locked away if he needed to.
But he would keep things how they were for now. The idea of having a hundred different timelines of his playthrough being active and jumping through them made his head spin. Those were best kept for little side adventures for now. Speaking of...
Stopping on the stairs, Issei pulled his menu back up, going over to his save data. Making another save state, his eyes hovered over the one he'd made just before entering the ORC room where Rias was showering alone with Akeno appearing later.
Quests progression could wait. He had a job to do. A very wet and intimate job.
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