Rhode felt like the Devil in the photo looked familiar, but he couldn't quite place who it was.
Regardless, it wasn't a major concern. If it were a truly significant character from the anime multiverse, there was no way he wouldn't recognize them instantly. Since the face felt so obscure, it was likely just some nameless bit-player.
He had dealt with plenty of Stray Devils and Rogue Exorcists like that before.
"The reward for this mission is quite substantial. Do you have any other questions?" Griselda asked, watching Rhode sink into thought.
"None. You just sit here and wait for the good news."
Rhode treated it exactly like the games he used to play; he ignored the guides and the plot, preferring to just find the enemies and kill them.
"..."
If Griselda hadn't known that Rhode's mission completion rate was a perfect one hundred percent, she wouldn't have felt comfortable letting him go alone. She had originally planned to assign him a partner, but she knew Rhode well enough to know he would never agree to it.
Leaving the office, Rhode looked up once more at the dazzling sky. A holy radiance enveloped everyone here, leaving not a single shadow behind.
The vast expanse of shimmering white sky above made it clear that this was no longer Earth. While the various mythological factions of the DxD world were theoretically attached to Earth, their respective domains were, in fact, entirely separate worlds.
The territory of Heaven was no smaller than Earth itself. Contrary to what most humans imagined, the architecture of the First Heaven was actually quite similar to that of Earth—except for the fact that the entire city complex floated atop the clouds.
Angels with pure white wings flew to and fro. Some looked at Rhode with curiosity, wondering what a human was doing there.
Rhode didn't linger. He pulled up the system map and used a teleportation waypoint he had unlocked on Earth to leave Heaven.
After resting for a full night at a hotel, Rhode set off for Italy.
The Vatican is the most unique country in the world, an enclave within Rome, Italy. It has no president or king; instead, it is governed directly by the Pope, with Italy handling its national defense. In his previous world, the Vatican was essentially just a high-profile tourist attraction.
But in this world, because of the existence of Heaven, the Vatican held a position of immense global importance. Of course, this status was only known to those on the "Mystic Side." The vast majority of ordinary citizens remained blissfully unaware of gods, devils, and the bizarre realities that existed alongside them.
"System, track the mission target."
Aside from the gacha, the System's most vital feature was its tracking function. Just like in a video game, as long as Rhode was within a certain range of the mission location, he could activate it.
[Mission Refreshed. Target location marked.]
A prominent red dot immediately appeared on the 3D map in Rhode's vision.
"Do these Devils have balls of steel? They actually dare to cause trouble in the Vatican," Rhode muttered to himself. He gave the Devil a silent thumbs-up for their sheer audacity.
That said, he still got to work. "Not too bad. It's not that far."
The Vatican was situated on the Vatican Hill in Rome, roughly thirty kilometers from Rhode's current position. The red marker indicated the target was already inside Vatican City, though it was currently moving slowly.
Leaving the airport late at night, the sky was lonely, and the distant city lights cast a red glow onto the clouds. After getting into a taxi, Rhode used English to tell the driver he wanted to go to the Vatican.
"Guest, why go to the Vatican so late? There's nothing fun over there at night."
The driver was a man with a thin mustache who began chatting in broken English as soon as Rhode got in. Rhode gave a half-hearted reply while the driver secretly peeked at him through the rearview mirror. Seeing how young Rhode was, the driver chuckled inwardly.
He didn't expect to catch such a "fat sheep" this late at night. Tourists from the Great Eastern Country were rumored to be loaded with cash; if he didn't "adjust" the meter, he'd be doing a disservice to the kid's wallet!
The half-hour drive passed in high spirits for the driver. Finally, the car pulled over into a deserted alley near the Vatican.
"Guest, we have arrived at the Vatican. The fee is seven hundred and eighty Euros. Thank you for your business."
Rhode opened his eyes. "Isn't that price a bit off?"
"How could it be? The prices are clearly marked. Look at the meter." The driver pointed at the display with an unfriendly expression. "You aren't trying to stiff me, are you?"
Rhode didn't answer. Instead, he leaned forward from the back seat and slammed his fist into the meter. It shattered instantly, rendering it completely useless.
"Now the price is zero."
The driver stared blankly for a few seconds before rage took over. "Smashing my meter, huh? You little... you look absolutely handsome today, sir!"
As he stared down the barrel of a gun pointed directly at his face, the driver's expression bloomed into a smile more radiant than a sunflower.
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My : https://[email protected]/AuAuMon
High School DxD : Reincarnated into the Multiverse, but it's High School DxD
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