Chapter 54: The Holy Swords pt5
After Alduin bade farewell to the devils and set out towards his parental home, where his mother requested his presence.
This request sounded somewhat surprising, considering the fact that the Hyodo couple had practically forgotten about the existence of their younger son.
There were two solid reasons for this, which were tied to Issei and multiplied by the nearly extinguished desire of the parents to see grandchildren.
The parents' home of the Hyodo brothers.
"Shitori-san, I apologize for all the inconveniences my wayward youngest son causes you," Hyodo Shiho thanked the raven-haired third-year student, serving her and her companion a mug of tea.
"There's no need to apologize, Shiho-san," Sona responded to the woman, "Tatsumi-kun behaves surprisingly calmly compared to what I've heard about him before."
"After all, the idea of sending Tatsumi to Kuoh Academy has borne fruit," Shiho thoughtfully pronounced, "At least one of my sons has turned over a new leaf."
"He might behave a bit provocatively, but he has never crossed a certain line. He can rant and rave about the rules of behavior as long as he likes, but he will follow them, albeit with some minor reservations."
"As a mother, I'm glad to hear from the school council president that my son isn't causing problems. If only my eldest would also mend his ways," Shiho sighed.
"I can't vouch for Issei, but as the student council president, I will make every effort to ensure that Tatsumi becomes a role model for other students."
"I think you'll succeed." Shiho said "Tatsumi is like a cactus - behind big and sharp thorns on the outside hides a kind and responsive guy. And I was afraid that if he continued to behave so arrogantly and push people away from him, he would sooner or later break."
Ravel Phenex, who was sitting next to Sona Sitri, was drinking tea and trying to match the man Shiho-san was talking about to the monster who had literally smashed her brother, Riser Phenex's servants, during the Rating Game.
As a pure-blooded devil, she understood why her family was so interested in the Hyodo brothers. While she had a rough idea of what to expect from the elder, the younger remained a mystery. A man who cold-bloodedly murdered two devils was joking about his brother and turning her brother into a woman within minutes.
This was the man her father asked her to build a relationship with, but Ravel had no idea how to approach this, given the limited information she had. When her father learned that Tatsumi Hyodo would live independently, he immediately advised her to move in with the boy.
On one hand, this advice made sense as spending more time with her family's object of interest would give her more insight into him. On the other hand, she was scared of the unknown.
"I'm home," a man's voice echoed from the entranceway. "Mom, what's the talk you're startin...?"
From the hallway, there came a strange sound as if someone was inhaling deeply through their nose. Then the sound of quick steps followed, and Hyodo Tatsumi himself entered the living room.
"Sitri! What the hell are you doing here?! And... Who is this?" Alduin pointed at the blonde with two twisted braids on either side of her head.
"Tatsumi, watch your mouth, we have guests," Shiho scolded her son.
"Ahem, OK. Should I wait?"
"No, we need you here."
"I didn't do anything. At least, no one caught me."
"We'll talk about your behavior at school after Parents' Day," Shiho sternly said to her son. "Shitori-san has come to me with a certain issue."
"And?" Alduin asked, still standing in the doorway, checking his mother for any signs of spell influence.
"Shitori-san has some trouble accommodating young Miss Phenex. And someone just recently claimed to have become independent."
"I don't like where this is going..." Alduin felt something was off, although he found no trace of mental influence.
"And since you've become independent, I think there's nothing wrong if Miss Phenex stays with you for a while," Shiho said, giving her younger son a stern look.
"And why are you turning my cozy house into a boarding house all of a sudden? Who gave you the right to do that?"
"I'm your mother, and until you're of age, I have the full right to manage your property! And I think a girl's presence in the house will have a positive impact on you." She paused for a second. "After all, it certainly had a positive impact on Issei."
"Ah, Shiho-san, you don't have to do anything, I can stay in a hotel for a while until I rent an apartment," Ravel protested.
"See. This blonde—by the way, what's your name?—perfectly understands that locking her in a house with a guy whose hormones are raging due to his age is quite risky endeavour."
"I am Ravel Phenex, not 'this blonde'!"
"I don't believe you'd stoop so low and disgrace our family, Tatsumi," said Hyodo Shiho, looking into her son's eyes.
"Nobody told Issei about 'not disgracing the family,' why am I the one to blame?" – grumbled Alduin. - "How long is she staying?"
"By Parents' Day, Dad should sort out the housing issue for me and... my older sister," replied Ravel, still struggling to accept the fact that her brother had become a woman in almost every sense. Moreover, their father had received a proposal of betrothal from one of Lord Vapula's sons for her ex-brother, Rosaline.
"And what do I get for playing the gracious host?" asked Alduin, remembering a particular family trait of the Phenex clan.
"Parents' Day will tell," replied Shiho.
"Thank you for your support, Shiho-san," said Sona, rising from the couch.
After bidding his mother goodbye, Alduin led the two devilesses to his home, pondering along the way how to obtain the Phenex flame and anchor it in a place of power, where fire atronachs would be born with the ability to regenerate. Doubts about the absence of any higher aedra traces in his mother's soul also crept into his thoughts.
"Tatsumi, you're so mercenary," sighed Sona, when the trio had walked a decent distance away from Tatsumi's parents' home.
"A devil scolding me for this? The world has gone mad," Alduin mused, momentarily distracted from his thoughts. "And you've gone even madder by not warning our 'guest' about the presence of two churchmen wielding Excaliburs in the city. How do you think they'll react to the appearance of another, what do you call it, higher devil? Your actions seem illogical and unjustified."
"Tatsumi, Ravel-san's visit was arranged a week ago."
"Then why the... ahem... devil am I just hearing about it now? And if her visit was known in advance, you should have arranged a place for her to stay, rather than foisting her onto me."
"Hyodo-san, I specifically requested to stay with you," Ravel defended Sona.
"After all the chaos I caused during the Rating Game? You're either crazy or overly brave, which is really the same thing." Alduin replied and turned to Sona. "Care to join me for a cup of late tea that smoothly transitions into a morning breakfast, Sona?"
"Unfortunately, no, Tatsumi. I need to discuss something with Rias. Ravel-san, your belongings will be delivered within fifteen minutes," Sona said, stopping at a crossroads near Alduin's house. - "Goodbye, Ravel-san, Tatsumi-kun.
"I apologize for any inconvenience caused, Sitri-sama," Ravel bowed.
"Take care, Sona," Alduin said, watching Sona. Once she had disappeared around the corner, he turned to look at Ravel, who was nervously fiddling with the hem of her blouse. Only now, in the absence of various distractions, was he able to take a closer look at the young deviless.
Ravel had changed her dress, the one he had seen during their prior meetings, for a skirt reminiscent of the academy uniform, along with a white blouse featuring a lacy collar.
She was rather appealing, even by Alduin's standards, and without knowledge of her true nature, Ravel could easily be mistaken for a typical student in her final year of middle school or just starting high school.
"Is something wrong?" Reivell asked, not lifting her gaze.
"No, not at all," began Alduin, "Our initial meeting was rather unpleasant and we're still to share a roof, so I suggest we start fresh. My name is Hyodo Tatsumi, the Firstborn of Akatosh. I'm a student at the Kuoh Academy and I once dreamt of ruling the world. Given that there are more than one Hyodo in this city, you can refer to me as Tatsumi, or Lord. 'World Eater' would work too, but that's for special occasions."
"I'm Ravel Phenex, descendant of the Legendary Phoenix, the fire bird," she replied with a slight smile on her face, "I'm the youngest daughter of the Phenex clan, and from tomorrow, I'm transferring to Kuoh Academy. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. And now, let's deal with more mundane matters," Alduin stated, striding towards the house, "like rooms and provisions. Speaking of which, do you like sweets?"
'He's odd,' Ravel mused, walking alongside the boy she had been assigned to keep an eye on, 'Maybe, just maybe, he isn't as bad as he first appeared to be?'
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