"Urgent matter. Come at once."
As everyone knows, the fewer the words, the bigger the problem.
Griselda had been so busy that she didn't even have time to call him. Still, Rod could already guess what this was about.
With a teleportation anchor in place, traveling to Heaven was effortless. After informing Lavinia and the others, he activated it and arrived in the Heavenly Realm. He made his way straight to Griselda's office and, as usual, skipped the courtesy of knocking. The door opened with a simple push.
Inside, Griselda was in discussion with Xenovia and Irina. All three turned toward him at once.
"You're finally here, Rod."
There was no trace of her usual teasing. Instead, a faint unease lingered in her expression. In the entire Heavenly Realm, aside from her superior, Rod was the only person who would walk into her office without hesitation, regardless of whether confidential matters were being discussed. At first, she had found it outrageous. After all, though still human, she held a leadership position in Heaven, ranking above ordinary angels.
In the beginning, Rod had actually kicked the door open. Only after several reprimands had he downgraded to pushing it instead.
Xenovia and Irina merely nodded at him, their expressions far more serious than usual.
Without wasting time, Griselda went straight to the point.
"In the past two days, we've uncovered the truth."
"Three Holy Swords were stolen. The perpetrators are stray exorcists who were expelled from their respective churches not long ago. The one who instructed them… is indeed a member of the Grigori, but not just any member."
She paused briefly.
"The mastermind is the fallen angel executive, Kokabiel."
She studied Rod's face, perhaps expecting shock or disbelief. Instead, his expression remained as calm as ever.
"Kokabiel is no ordinary fallen angel," she continued. "He survived the ancient war and is recorded in Scripture as one of God's enemies. It's even said that he once crossed blades with God Himself."
At those words, Xenovia and Irina felt their hearts sink.
Rod, however, was already familiar with the storyline.
Kokabiel marked a turning point in this world's narrative. Until his appearance, Rias and her group had been dealing with relatively manageable threats. But once he stepped onto the stage, the scale of danger escalated dramatically, leaving everyone except the Boosted Gear user struggling to keep up.
What Rod found far more baffling was that even after nearly being wiped out, Rias and her team had shown little urgency in strengthening themselves. Fortunately, he had already altered part of that trajectory by encouraging Akeno and Koneko to accept their bloodline powers much earlier than they originally would have.
"Because the Holy Swords carry special markers," Griselda went on, "we traced the stray exorcists to Sardinia. However, by the time we arrived, the swords were no longer there. Only a few exorcists remained behind, and we extracted all the necessary information from them."
It was clearly intentional. Kokabiel had wanted the Church to follow the trail. The obvious clues were no accident.
Once captured, the stray exorcists offered little resistance and confessed everything. By now, half of Kokabiel's plan had already succeeded.
"We still don't know his ultimate objective," Griselda said gravely, "but one thing is certain, the Holy Swords must not remain in the hands of fallen angels."
"I have received instructions from above. Your primary mission is to retrieve the Holy Swords. If retrieval is impossible, you are to destroy them."
"Yes, ma'am!"
Xenovia and Irina stood straight at once, but a hint of hesitation soon crossed their faces.
"Sister Griselda," Xenovia asked carefully, "will there be additional reinforcements? If it's just the two of us, confronting Kokabiel may be beyond our capabilities. After all… he is an executive."
They were confident in their strength, but their opponent had once battled God. The disparity between them was impossible to ignore.
"I'm afraid there will be no reinforcements."
Griselda's voice carried unmistakable resignation.
Irina's eyes widened. "Just the two of us?"
It sounded almost like a death sentence.
She did not fear death. Dying in service to the Church and to God's glory would not frighten her. But this situation felt like walking straight into a carefully prepared trap.
"Yes. Those are the orders. Considering the distance involved, I've secured additional operational funds for you."
The two girls fell silent for a moment before straightening once more.
This was a mission entrusted to them by the Seraphim of Heaven. They could not fail, even if it cost them their lives.
Griselda then turned to Rod.
"What about you?"
If this had been a simple search mission, she would not have interfered. But knowing that Kokabiel was involved, she did not want Rod walking into unnecessary danger. At the same time, she couldn't bear the thought of Xenovia and Irina facing such an enemy alone.
Still, the orders from above could not be refused.
Rod, on the other hand, was a mercenary. He had every right to decline. This was, after all, a power struggle between Heaven and the fallen angels.
Rod gave a faint smile.
"Don't worry. I understand."
Griselda let out a quiet breath of relief. "I'm glad you-"
Before she could finish, Rod calmly drew two Desert Eagles from his coat.
"So, to summarize," he said evenly, "my mission now includes retrieving the Holy Swords and eliminating the evil fallen angel Kokabiel. Is that correct?"
Griselda fell silent.
That was… not what she meant at all.
What exactly had he understood?
Yet his resolve was unmistakable, and she knew persuasion would be futile.
Meanwhile, Xenovia and Irina felt a surge of gratitude. They had been uncertain, even uneasy, but now there was at least one reinforcement. Whether the three of them could truly stand against Kokabiel remained to be seen, but the odds were no longer close to zero.
After leaving the office, Xenovia spoke first.
"Thank you, Rod."
She looked at him more sincerely than before. "I used to think you were just a lazy, lecherous, money-grubbing mercenary. I couldn't understand what Sister Griselda saw in you. But now… I see you differently."
She paused, then added honestly, "You're still lazy, lecherous, and money-grubbing, but you're also brave."
Irina nodded enthusiastically. "When we come back victorious, you're treating us to dinner!"
"And I promise I won't hold it against you for secretly staring at my and Xenovia's chests anymore. Amen."
Rod nearly choked.
So that was his image in their minds?
And what was wrong with sneaking a glance?
If a beautiful girl stood next to you in tight clothing and you didn't look, Rod would salute you as a true gentleman.
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