The moment she heard the word "salary," Rossweisse instantly stopped crying.
"I can hire you at double your previous Valkyrie salary. Five social insurances and one housing fund, weekends off, and paid annual leave."
After Rod finished speaking, Rossweisse froze completely.
Her mouth opened slightly.
"R-Really?"
"I don't think I have any reason to lie to you."
"Of course, if your performance is good enough, there's also the possibility of promotions and raises in the future."
For example, going from this household's bodyguard to Rod's bed-warming guard.
After hearing that, Rossweisse was completely stunned.
Then, in the next instant, her expression became incredibly excited.
"S-So there's even the option of promotions and raises? That's wonderful! When I worked as a Valkyrie in Valhalla, my base salary was pitifully low, and I didn't even have social insurance or a housing fund. They even delayed my wages all the time!"
"So your answer?"
"I'll join! I'll definitely join! The social insurance and housing fund alone already crush the benefits I had back in my homeland! And Mr. Rod, your strength is the best guarantee of credibility. From now on, there is no Valkyrie Rossweisse. There is only Bodyguard Rossweisse!"
As though afraid Rod would go back on his word, Rossweisse suddenly straightened up and saluted him.
"Rossweisse, reporting for duty!"
"Good!"
Rod grinned.
Naturally, the so-called social insurance, housing fund, and double salary did not actually exist for now.
However, Rod's current pool of funds was quite substantial.
During his trip to Romania, aside from destroying the blood factories, he had also swept away the money there. As a result, his private treasury was now rather abundant.
Just then, Rod suddenly sensed a resentful gaze sweeping over him.
He turned around and saw Rias looking at him with a faintly bitter expression, silently putting away the Bishop piece in her hand.
She had originally wanted to bring Rossweisse into her own peerage system.
But she had not expected Rod to act first the moment he returned and snatch away her mobile artillery platform.
Still, what else could she do?
Of course she had to forgive him!
"I formally protest, nya! Why don't I get social insurance, housing fund, and double salary, nya?! Forget salary, I haven't even seen a single coin of allowance, nya!"
Ignoring Koneko's attempt to stop her, Kuroka loudly protested.
"I demand fair treatment too, nya! I need money to buy dried fish, nya!"
Hearing this, Rod looked at Kuroka and said calmly,
"That's fine. But from now on, you're not allowed to sleep in, you're not allowed to play games on workdays, and you're not allowed to rummage through the freezer for snacks whenever you feel like it."
"So, do you choose your current lifestyle, or do you choose social insurance and housing fund?"
"Hmph! This nya wants both!"
Kuroka placed her hands on her hips and stared at Rod defiantly.
"Koneko."
"Yes!"
Although Rod had only said her name, Koneko immediately exerted great force and pressed Kuroka's head down.
Seeing Kuroka's state, the room instantly filled with cheerful laughter.
...
To celebrate Rossweisse joining them, Rod instructed the Fallen Angel trio to prepare a full table of food and held a small welcome party.
At dusk, the round table was covered with a dazzling array of dishes, and some of them looked extremely familiar to Rias.
They were clearly specialty products from the Underworld.
Only then did she remember that the last time Rod and the others had entered the Underworld through official channels, they had bought quite a lot of things in Lucifaad.
These ingredients had probably been purchased by Rod.
But why were they all the sort of ingredients that boosted male stamina?
Could it be...
Rias subtly glanced toward Rod and found that he was continuously picking up that stamina-boosting Underworld specialty with his chopsticks.
Although the taste was indeed quite good, always going for the same dish made his intention a little too obvious.
But then again,
Rod already seemed to have female companions.
That much was obvious from the fact that the people living in his home were all girls. Rod did not seem like a particularly proper person.
Maybe he had already taken that step with several girls.
Thinking of that, Rias's cheeks could not help turning red.
She recalled the matter her parents had discussed with her when she returned to the Gremory residence in the Underworld, and her heart began to race.
They had even said they wanted to hold a grandchild sooner.
But how could that kind of thing be rushed?
She had not even spent time alone with Rod, let alone confessed their feelings to each other.
Then, because of a small accident, the two of them would end up alone in the same room, sitting together on the same bed, holding hands, kissing, and finally taking the last step.
After all, that was how it always went in galgames.
"Hehe. Could it be, Rias, that you're thinking about the same thing as me?"
Akeno's sudden laughter interrupted Rias's thoughts.
"H-How could it possibly be the same thing?! Akeno, what bad idea are you plotting now?"
Rias quickly regained her composure and lowered her voice.
"What do you mean, bad idea? I'm only thinking of finding someone to rely on as soon as possible. I think Mr. Rod is the best possible choice in my heart. What do you think, Rias?"
Akeno spoke with a soft laugh.
"In any case, i'm all alone and don't have that many attachments. What's done is done"
"Akeno, do you know what you're saying?"
"Of course I do. I just think that even if I can't be first, I at least shouldn't be last."
Akeno smiled sweetly.
"Anyway, good luck, Rias. I heard that after dinner, everyone has decided to go soak in the hot spring on the second basement floor. Mr. Rod will be going too."
Rias froze for a moment, then reacted.
"Although there is a mixed bath, I remember that the men's and women's baths are separate too."
Hearing that, Akeno covered her mouth and laughed.
"Hehe. Mr. Rod has already said that he'll be going to the mixed bath."
At that moment, to welcome his new "family member" Rossweisse, Rod had deliberately arranged for her to sit beside him.
At first, Rossweisse still felt a little embarrassed.
But after drinking a single glass of low-alcohol fruit wine, her speech had already become slurred.
"Puha! That... that feels amazing!"
Rossweisse looked at Rod with unfocused eyes, then spoke boldly.
"I'm telling you! You're a really good person! You're so much better than that lousy old-man boss I had before!"
"One glass got you drunk?"
Rod looked at the sparkling fruit wine, which only had three percent alcohol, and revealed the expression of an old man staring at his phone on the subway.
This was not some divine wine.
It was just ordinary fruit wine Raynare and the others had bought from the supermarket.
With this alcohol content, forget Rod. Even Asia could drink a few glasses and only become slightly tipsy.
But wasn't Rossweisse a Valkyrie?
Her physical abilities and magical potential were both top-class, yet this tiny amount of alcohol was enough to get her drunk?
Thinking of that, Rod looked toward Raynare, who was eating gracefully, and asked,
"Did you buy fake alcohol?"