"In principle, I wouldn't go, but since you've put it that way, I'll reluctantly agree."
"Oh? Then it's a deal! The location is Romania on the Balkan Peninsula. Once you arrive at Bucharest Henri Coandă International Airport, I'll meet you there."
"Alright."
"Big sister will be waiting for you~" Rhode could tell that Jeanne was very happy he had accepted.
After hanging up, Rhode opened the system map and teleported to a point near Vatican City. Romania and Italy were quite close; a flight from Rome would only take four or five hours.
Unlike the sluggish tourism of Vatican City before Rhode transmigrated, the support of Heaven meant that the daily foot traffic in the Vatican was massive. Rhode was greeted by an ocean of pilgrims and tourists from all over the world.
Rhode left the teleportation range and blended into the crowd. Seeing a taxi approaching, he expertly opened the door and sat inside before the car had even fully stopped.
"To the airport."
"You got it!" Seeing a foreigner—an Asian one at that—the driver's face bloomed into a smile. It looked like he was going to make a killing today.
Half an hour later.
The driver stopped the taxi in a small alley near the airport. He pointed at the meter, which displayed a staggering 800 Euros.
"Eight hundred!" He held up his fingers, afraid Rhode wouldn't understand.
"Is there something wrong with your meter?" Rhode asked.
"How could there be? We're honest folk here, clear pricing. You aren't planning to stiff me on the fare, are you?" The driver's face took on a predatory look.
"If it were the real fare, I'd definitely pay." Rhode leaned forward and ripped the meter right off the dashboard.
The driver was enraged. "You moth—! ...Wow, you're so handsome!"
His left hand, which had been reaching for a tire iron in the door pocket, froze. He found himself looking down the barrel of a black handgun pressed against his forehead. The cold touch of the muzzle made him break into a cold sweat.
In Asia, a driver might think it was a toy. But in the West, where "freedom" was prized, one had to be careful about strangers pulling "black and hard" things from their waistbands. He couldn't fathom why an Asian tourist would have a gun.
However, as he stared at Rhode's face, he suddenly found the tourist looked a bit familiar. Buried memories came rushing back. The driver finally remembered who this man was.
"Yo! Looks like you finally remembered me." Rhode whistled.
"He... hehe." The driver gave a nervous, sheepish smile.
A few minutes later, he was looking tearfully at his taxi—its engine completely totaled—while the culprit, Rhode, was already boarding a flight to Romania.
After a smooth four-and-a-half-hour flight, the plane landed. Rhode followed the signs and left the airport. At the arrivals area, he heard a familiar voice.
"Little Rhode! Over here~!"
Looking toward the sound, he saw a pair—a man and a woman—standing behind the railing. The man was just a man. The woman was Jeanne, whom Rhode had met in Italy.
Unlike the "delinquent girl" look she had used then, Jeanne had changed into a white shirt and jeans suitable for movement. Though not skin-tight, they outlined her perfect curves. Her chest was a bit smaller than Lavinia's, but still quite impressive. Her features were delicate, and the light makeup she wore made her look even more charming.
Rhode's eyes moved up and down. They lingered primarily on the "triangle zone" and her chest. After being teased by Lavinia for the past few days, Rhode's eyes were instinctively "auto-aiming." To avoid being noticed, he was wearing sunglasses, so no one could tell.
"Little Rhode, long time no see!" Because Rhode had left a strong impression on her, Jeanne recognized him instantly. After he reached her, the familiar Jeanne gave him a once-over. "Oho~ it's only been a few days, but you feel even more solid!"
As she spoke, she actually reached out and squeezed Rhode's arm. After feeling what she wanted, she covered her mouth and giggled.
Rhode was surprised. This Saint... she isn't actually interested in me, is she? Westerners were passionate and open, and their choice of partners wasn't particularly picky. In reality, Rhode's thought would be one of the "Three Great Illusions of Life," but here, it wasn't impossible.
"It's called... 'after three days apart, you must look at a scholar with new eyes.' Well, something like that."
"Oh right, let me introduce you. This is Siegfried." Jeanne lowered her voice and said to Rhode, "He's the Vice-Captain of our Hero Faction. His strength is second only to Cao Cao."
Rhode finally looked at the other man.
[Character: Siegfried. Original Name: Sig. ] [Description: An artificial warrior cultivated by the Sigurd Institution. Formerly the Church's top swordsman. Vice-Captain of the Hero Faction. Freed's 'God-knows-how-many' generations clone.]
Seeing that last part, Rhode finally realized why this man looked so familiar. He was a clone created from the same genetic material as the two Freeds Rhode had killed. No wonder he had white hair and looked about 70-80% the same.
However, compared to Freed, Siegfried felt much stronger. Still, this was the "Hero" second only to Cao Cao? Wasn't he a bit weak? Rhode remembered that in the original story, Siegfried was soloed by Kiba Yuuto—who himself was only at a mediocre level.
With this strength, you should probably just leave the group chat.
However, this did put Rhode at ease. If Cao Cao was the only powerhouse in the Hero Faction, then he had nothing to worry about.
"Hmph!" Siegfried glanced at Rhode and gave a cold snort. Clearly, he wasn't a fan of someone who had "entered through the back door."
"Don't mind him, Little Rhode. Siegfried is just like that. Let's go." Jeanne didn't care at all and pulled Rhode toward the airport exit.
Seeing Jeanne and Rhode acting so intimately, Siegfried's expression grew even colder.
Sensing the hostility from behind, Rhode felt a bit helpless. Seriously, brother? We just met and you're this hostile? Did I steal your girlfriend or something? Are you and the 'Sieg' from Fate/Apocrypha—who relies entirely on plot armor—long-lost brothers?
Still, Rhode didn't care. If Siegfried tried something, he'd just kill him. Though it would be better if a mission popped up before then.
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High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD (200 Chapters – Ongoing)
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