It was not a good day, even taking into account her absolutely incredible training results via rare candy. In fact, it was a downright horrible day. Staring down at the monstrosity in her hand, Steliana was to scream in horror while throwing up. It wasn't a golden brown, but closer to a very soft yellow. It didn't have a crunch, crisp, or hearty bite to it. No, it was soft. There weren't layers, there wasn't a special surprise within. There weren't beautiful holes where gluten had properly developed. The dough was uniform and flat. In other words, it was absolutely disgus—
"They're so gooood!!!" Steliana's gaze slid in absolute horror at hearing those words. How could anyone think that? This… this MONSTROSITY was a sin for all fried pastry! Sitting a few stools over was a kid, probably eleven or twelve at most, with a school uniform on that she didn't recognize. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and looked like any other kid on the street. In other words, perfectly bland. Just like his very clearly flawed opinion on food. Clearly, his guardians can't cook or bake to save their lives.
"Why, thank you." The young woman who acted as both proprietor and chef—something she was clearly failing at—smiled widely. Boing. Her chest ridiculously bounced as she turned around. "I'll get you another one free on the house for being so kind!" The kid with horrible food opinions giggled, a flush on his cheeks. Oh.
Steliana bit back a groan, of course. The kid was being nice because it was an ecchi world. Sometimes she honestly forgot, and then things like that happened. I swear there was an actual sound effect there, this damn world. Putting the last bits of the monstrosity down, she stood up, preparing to leave. Oh well, onto the next place. "Small, I bet they won't get that much larger when older." Hearing those whispered words, Steliana froze. Then, from nowhere, a vein bulged and throbbed in her forehead.
Small?! Won't get larger when I'm older?! I'm THIRTEEN right now, you brat and a Nekoshou! I age SLOWER when I'm young! Turning around, she was ready to tear into the perverted brat, only to freeze again as he was innocently staring at the recently made miniature dough balls that were currently rising. Somehow, someway, he wasn't talking about her? No, I won't fall for that. That innocent look in his eyes? No. She wouldn't take the bait of such an obvious trap, not in this world. Somehow, this kid had managed to look away in time. Somehow, he had known she had heard.
I'll be keeping my eye on you… Turning around and walking out of the stall, her forehead vein throbbed again as the kid whispered, "The cake is pretty nice though." Don't murder a child, remember Steliana. Murder is BAD. You want to do good in the world. Murdering a child is bad. Very bad. Even if he is a pervert. Taking a deep breath, she continued walking, doing her best to ignore the giggle that sounded distinctly perverted.
Just a child… Subconsciously stepping out of the way of a fast-paced woman, on autopilot, she began to walk toward the next place she had picked out to try. Yet a few seconds later, Steliana looked back, a furrow in her brows. That woman looked vaguely familiar. I wonder who it was? That was strange, considering none of the main cast were adults and all of the adult side cast were supernatural of somekind, and that woman was definitely a human.
Shaking her head, she continued walking. It's not that big of a surprise. There were a lot of background characters that only showed up once or twice. A few minutes later, it hit her. Wasn't that Issei's mom? A shudder went down her spine. Definitely staying away from that part of the City for now, then. Even if she could rush back to stalk the woman and find where the house of the future 'protagonist' was, she just didn't want to risk it yet.
Who knew when that Eldritch Boob Goddess started watching him after all? That kid. He couldn't be Issei, could he? He was a child, so the looks besides hair and eye color didn't match, plus he was a pervert. But. There were a few things that didn't line up. He didn't shout, he was actually kind of sneaky about it, and as annoying as it was… he did compliment my ass, Issei wouldn't do that. A breath escaped from her as she shook her head, a smile on her lips. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a hundred perverted brown-haired brats in Kuoh. Leylines flow past here, and it's devil territory.
The chance of it just being a coincidence was higher then 95%, which increased even more when she took into account that the kid actually seemed to have some physical and magical potential from what she sensed, completely unlike Issei. Still, I'll keep it in mind and what that kid looks like. She'd make sure to keep any further 'contracts' she made out of this part of town as well.
It wasn't worth the risk, not yet. She had nearly five years till canon started after all, and that was a long time to grow. By the time canon started, she would at least be High-class without further usage of her candies. There was no reason to do something risky as prodding the world's golden child, for the sake of the future, yet. Hopefully, this next spot has better food and company.
Unsurprisingly, considering how truly awful the previous stall was, the one Steliana found herself at now was far, far better. But it wasn't the favorite she had found so far during these last two weeks. That said, the Kare Pan was actually pretty good, even if the Taiyaki was only decent! Not to mention, the vibe was just far more to her preference. Maybe it was because her own artistic preference lay in an older, more structured style. Or maybe since coming to Japan, she found herself enjoying places more rooted in the culture and holding some history, instead of newer places with a 'modern-vibe'. But either way, it was far more to her tastes.
Overall, it wiped out her previously soured mood enough that Steliana decided to pay for a cup of tea and pull out her phone to check on her recently posted Devilnet Thread. Looking through it, there were some typical welcoming responses, suggestions to check out various threads, and a few other minor comments, which she made sure to respond to. Some of these replies are a bit sus. Then again, it's a forum for Youkai, can't judge that too much. A few of them were interesting, and she would definitely check in with them, but one in particular caught her attention.
.
.
Silent Believer (Verified Human)
Greetings and welcome to Kuoh City, Saint Nekopire! If you would be so inclined to help, there are a few purification and light-related issues that have begun to creep up since the Church left Kuoh and Lady Belial passed. I do believe that I can be of some help in getting you into the Kuoh All Girls Academy, as my daughter already goes there, and I know the Headmistress quite well.
If you have any interest in learning more or helping, please do request a DM.
.
.
Needless to say, Steliana was interested, and she wasn't even too suspicious of the comment for one reason. Sona's Peerage. More specifically, how they were basically all former humans. Kuoh City was an interesting place. It had leylines passing underneath it, a history of contention between the Church and Devils. On top of that, there was a much older history of originally being presided over by an Ōkami during the Edo period. It was highly spiritual, which was likely why the Protestant sect of the Church had even managed at one point to have a functioning church here.
The fact was, there was a decent chance that Kuoh's population of spiritually aware humans was on the same level, if not higher than Kyoto. That number has to be particularly large among the generation who were there for Cleria Belial and Masaomi Yaegaki's governance of the city. The chance of this human being a Protestant attracted by her title of Saint and usage of Light magic was incredibly high.
As for it being a trap? No one in Kuoh can keep me, let alone be a threat to me. From her sleuthing, she had confirmed that Kiyoko was if not the strongest, one of the strongest in the city. Probably why Sirzechs and Serafall felt so comfortable sending their siblings here. Although it's a decent-sized city that's highly spiritually aware, it's still rather weak. Kuoh was, after all, less than an hour by train to Kyoto. Anyone in any real power wouldn't come here since it's not under the governance of Yasaka and yet too close to her ever-watching tails. Many smaller cities have a far stronger supernatural population.
So, even if for some reason this was a rogue exorcist waiting for her as some kind of strange trap, Steliana wasn't worried. If anything, she'd be amused. It's been so long since someone tried to trick, trap, or even assassinate me… When was the last proper one that hadn't immediately failed? Oh, right, then. When she was fifteen, back when that matter caused the death of her mother and the eventual death of her father.
A hint of pain flashed through her eyes. I don't have anyone to love in this world, though. Then again, neither did this world know better than to trick her. Not like the supernatural side of her world had learned after what she did in rage. Shaking her head, Steliana put on a smile and requested to open a DM with this 'Silent Believer'. Putting her phone down, she picked up her tea that had just arrived and took a sip. Not bad. Though tea still doesn't make my top three, even if this tastes different from others I've had.
Taking slow and small sips to savor it—and to delay for time—when the cup was nearly empty, Steliana put it down and picked her phone up. Oh, wonderful! Seeing that the DM request was accepted and that she already had a private message, she tapped on the notification and quickly read it.
Silent Believer
Thank you for agreeing to talk with me in private. My daughter is currently in Grade 2 of the High School Division, and I know the Headmistress, as I said. While for a Saint such as yourself, I would usually freely offer my help, but we do truly have some issues that we desperately need fixed.
Currently, I know of multiple possessions that our reports to Shrine Maidens have gone ignored because of our faith and connection to the Church. Alongside that, our one chapel of worship is unable to be accessed by us because of a curse placed on it by the Devil that took the former Governor and ran off the Priests and Exorcists stationed there.
I know it would be too much to ask for you to deal with all of that, and the other various minor problems we have. But I only hope that a small part of it can be fixed in exchange for my full support in getting into the academy, no matter how much I loathe to ask such a thing from a Saint, let alone a child.
Looking over the message, Steliana's lips twitched downward. War on faith, people refusing to help each other, and forcing others into desperate straits? How disgusting. It reminded her eerily of her own world. When those parasites had become active once more, tensions had risen, hate had grown, and neighbor fought neighbor because of something as silly as belief in a cross, a star, or a circle. All over the war on faith, to increase the number of humans that believe in them, and to grow their power that they already had more than enough of.
After all, in the 21st century, most religions had exploded in worshippers due to the sheer number of people. Those parasites had more power than ever in their grasp, and yet they still had wanted more. Politics, religion, and everything else people use as stupid reasons. Why does it matter when your fellow person needs help? Why does it always fucking matter? Who gives a shit what they believe in? If they need help, just help when you can. She felt her Youki coil inside of her, fangs growing as her tail and ears itched to come free at her rage.
With a deep breath, Steliana slowly emptied her mind and responded.
Saint Nekopire
For such matters, I do not require payment outside of any supplies I might use. While I do not worship the God of the Bible, I do believe that people should help each other, especially when they are in dire need. I'll clear the curse on the Chapel and look over the possession cases you have to see what I can do. Please send me the addresses and any information you have on the people currently suffering.
Putting her phone back into her pocket, Steliana rubbed her forehead. Sometimes I forget why those first few weeks in my cottage, I was so happy. I thought I wouldn't have to deal with this nonsense after I killed them all. She had killed an uncountable number of 'Gods', 'Divine Spirits', 'Mountain Lords', and the like in her past life, all for the sake of saving her world from its inevitable parasitic decline. Let's hope the gods in this one end up at least a bit more agreeable.
Based on DxD, it was honestly hard to say. But she could have some faith, even if her experience screamed at her otherwise. With a sigh, she drained the last of her tea. Having already paid, which was a far better system than she was used to, Steliana stood up and left the stall. So the 'Abandoned Church' as it was called in the anime and novel is cursed? Interesting, it makes sense that Rias and Sona wouldn't have been regularly checking and didn't have any wards around it.
Whatever Devil had executed Cleria Belial truly fucked things up in the future. Luckily I'm here, and so hopefully innocent people won't have to die as much. She didn't say at all; she would never make that promise. Because she, of all people, knew that no matter what? Innocents died. The hardest lesson she had ever had to learn was that you couldn't stop that, and to just try her best to minimize that number.
Stepping into an alleyway and covered by shadows, she shifted into the form of a bat and flew toward the Chapel on silent leathery wings. Let's see what kind of curse we're dealing with. Although admittedly, her experience with curses was more of blocking them and removing them from people, instead of buildings. People had been trying to kill her since the day she was born, and curses were a very good way of dealing with someone from a distance or dealing with someone far stronger than you.
So even if it was going to be a curse from a brand new system of magic, she was confident enough to be able to do something about it, or at least be able to tell 'Silent Believer' what would be needed to deal with it.