Chapter 9: Arrival (9)

"You know I thought we were going to wake up early and get started on actually tracking down Hoestia, not have me just stand around and wait for everyone else to get settled in."

Yukikaze gave him a withering glare, bluntly stating, "Well apparently you can just be ready to go whenever, it doesn't work like that for us. We need to inspect our suits and make sure all the enchantments, woven fibers and particle-absorbing material haven't degraded any bit, never mind our weapons. And the Exor-bitch over there is outfitting the nun with her own brand of protective gear because of course no one bothered to outfit the healer with anything more durable than a sister's robes with only the most basic magic protections and scattered patches of woven kevlar."

Cayman fought down his two immediate responses, the first of which was him reflecting that this world really was crazy if people like Asia were walking around with mild tactical loadouts. The second probably would have ended up with him being punched, since he was about to snark that Taimanin usually wore such revealing and flattering attire that inspection would be finished in five seconds flat.

Probably not the smartest thing to open with.

So instead he sighed and commented, "Well what time do you think all of you are going to be done? I don't really have any preparations to make."

Shrugging her tanned shoulders Yukikaze promptly responded, "Five in the afternoon, at the earliest. We're probably going to get held up by the two church girls, since we're professionals and they're not."

Cayman couldn't resist smirking slightly, teasing, "Professionals who left their equipment preparations until the last minute."

He considered it a good sign of their relative comradery with the other that her kick to his shin would probably only mildly bruise instead of leaving him with a snapped leg.

"Quit being a smug asshole, we're the ones who're going to be guarding your fragile hide once we go down below."

"Of course you are. And speaking of asses...hey, Till, how do you think I would look in Taimanin spandex?"

Yukikaze slapped an open palm against her face, the Fairy sporting a significant blush as she gazed at his clothed body with no doubt all manner of intriguing thoughts racing through her relatively innocent mind.

"Just keep yourself busy and don't bother us, alright?"

"Will do. Also, here's breakfast. Share it with the rest, will you? I don't want to be smited by god for walking in on two changing women of the cloth...at least not without their permission."

Yukikaze accepted the wrapped egg sandwiches with a fair bit of enthusiasm, nonetheless sniping, "What are you, our mother? Whoever ends up in your bed is definitely going to be on top."

"I'm more than willing to participate in such an experiment with you, put that claim to the test."

He took no small amount of petty joy in the brief awkwardness that flashed across the Taimanin's face before she offered up a rather cute scowl, growling, "You still have an unkicked shin, you know."

"Be totally worth it."

Rolling her eyes the Taimanin hefted the food he'd passed along, stating, "Five in the afternoon, don't forget. Try to put the moves on me and I'll shoot your dick off."

"How about if I put them on Jinglei? I hear she doesn't have a boyfriend and is probably a lot nicer than you."

"W-what? Why her?! It's not like I'm taken either!"

Grinning at the easy riling of the young woman upon bringing up her rivalry-friendship with the Chinese Taimanin Yukikaze apparently realized she'd fallen for his bait without much resistance, scowling before flipping him off and stalking away.

"Huh, guess she hasn't ended up with Tatsurou yet. Strange, considering this apparently took place after the events of Under Eden and all that. Then again it's not like anything else in this universe has tried to stay all THAT consistent…"

Setting aside that thought for the moment he turned to Till, asking, "Anything you want to do right now, Till? Looks like we've got a few hours on our hands."

Unleashing a titanic yawn the Fairy - who was apparently not much of a morning person - flopped down atop of his head, mumbling, "I'm fine with whatever, you were so warm and comfortable last night…just a few more minutes..."

Smirking at her easygoing attitude he replied, "Alright then, if that's the case then I think a trip to the library is in order. The sooner I can figure out how everything in this world fits together the better."

"You might not find it all in a normal library, then...even my people's royal library-"

Another adorable yawn escaped the tiny woman.

"-which has stuff from all sorts of different people isn't complete."

Cayman stopped in his tracks, eyes widening.

"Shit, you're right."

That was a pretty dumb oversight to make, in hindsight. After all, your run of the mill public library didn't have the laundry list of every black ops mission and terrorist cell's activities front and center. All he would get was a watered down version of what he really wanted to know...hell, that was assuming the info wasn't doctored or censored in the first place.

Huffing out a sigh as he walked out the front door his gaze was immediately drawn to the distant sight of Tokyo Kingdom, sitting just outside of his reach on its solitary island...a veritable treasure trove of information and resources that he didn't really have any means of reaching currently, what with the security checkpoints leading across the sole bridge to the place almost certainly able and willing to tell him to fuck off...he wasn't willing to bank on his Sanctuary membership getting him across.

"What a damn shame. The one place where you can buy almost anything for the right price and I can't even get in there. Also I'm poor, but baby steps."

Rubbing his chin in contemplation Cayman gave the glittering jewel of deceptive beauty a closer look, giving serious thought to how he might be able to weasel his way inside. Tokyo Kingdom had originally been planned as an industrial and innovation center built atop a man-made island, a means of ensuring Tokyo's continued growth but with the constant wars and societal upheavals that were prevalent within the original material - never mind the new clusterfuck he'd stumbled into - civilian investments and amenities had quickly been put on the backburner, the government pulling out bit by bit as the slack was taken up by private investors or giant corporations that had been willing to put significant amounts of upfront capital into the venture, relying on the unregulated and potentially highly profitable closeness to the Demon worlds to make up for their investments.

What had resulted was an island of towering wealth and prosperity that didn't even try to hide the fact that it also supported and functioned alongside industries that were in plain violation of whatever human rights articles pretended to be upheld in this universe, a land of opportunity and possibility that was the very definition of a risky investment.

Curiosity piqued more and more Cayman pulled up his phone, checking to see what legal methods there were to enter the city and had to bite back on a sigh. While perfectly doable - the island DID have a thriving tourist industry - admittance was an expensive and lengthy process. Background checks, millions of yen total if you wanted to end up staying at anywhere halfway respectable or safe, a waiting list several months long...yeah, that was a no go. And while there was likely uncountable ways to enter not so legally he wasn't sure where to start looking or how much that crap would run him.

"But damn do I want what's held within!"

[Road to Knowledge.]

[Details: Find a means of steady and repeatable access to Tokyo Kingdom and the various resources within.]

[Rewards: EXP 1500, 30 Reign and ? item.]

"...Well shit."

"Huh? You say something?"

Till's sleepy voice snapped him out of his musings, dismissing the quest notification with no shortage of wry amusement, wondering if Alaya was just fucking with him or a strong enough desire or want would trigger a quest.

Not that he was complaining about the increase in reward size, granted.

"Sorry, just annoyed at something outside of our control. We'll hit up a normal library today, see if there's something we can make use of beyond just basic info I could grab with an internet search."

Yawning one final time Till finally seemed to wake up, floating up off his head while stating, "Okay, that sounds like it could be fun…"

"It probably won't be. But physical media is a bit tougher to alter once it's printed than online sources are, hopefully that makes enough of a difference to warrant the trip."

An idea suddenly popping into his head Cayman asked, "Hey, Till, you wouldn't happen to know about any hidden or secret methods of getting into Tokyo Kingdom, would you?"

Blinking at the sudden inquiry the Fairy wilted a bit, regretfully stating, "Sorry, I don't."

Quickly waving off her despondent reply he stated, "No worries, I'm no more knowledgeable about it than you are, no sense in getting upset."

"If you say so…"

Feeling a brief twinge in his chest at the Fairy acting so despondent he unleashed an internal sigh, taking pity on the winged woman as he said, "Well here's something you can help me with, Till. If we're going to fuck in the future is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable? I know Fairies are durable and all that but I'd like to hear your take on it."

The princess blinked, meeting his gaze-

-and promptly blushed scarlet, stammering, "Y-y-you can have a bit more tact than that, right?!"

Cayman merely smiled, the lovely woman sagging in defeat as she shyly poked her fingers together, commenting, "It's true, although I've never experienced it myself...we're a fairly elastic and durable people and even if we do die during sex we can simply revive ourselves using our contractor's magic shortly afterwards…"

"Yes, but I'd prefer it if we both enjoyed things. Wouldn't that hurt or be painful?"

Just because the lore stated that Fairies couldn't be broken or driven insane by pain or torture due to their regenrative abilities didn't mean he was eager to go wild on his contracted partner. Yes, he found the idea of fucking the diminutive lady insanely hot and attractive. Causing her immense discomfort in the process?

Sorry, no dice.

Refocusing as the Fairy shrugged slightly and swayed a bit through the air she responded, "I…I don't know, actually. Maybe we can just start slow and see what feels okay?"

"Works for me. We'll see how a finger does for you and then keep going if you want. I'll settle for kissing if that makes you feel better."

His roguish grin accompanied a quick dart of his neck, lips softly brushing against Till's athletic butt as the Fairy squeaked, smacking him across the nose - the blow feeling a bit like a hard swat from a cat - as she protested, "Not in public!"

"So in private?"

She puffed out a cheek and planted her hands on her hips, Cayman chuckling at her reaction.

+5 REP with Till [75/100]!

"Alright, alright. C'mon, let's get going while we still have time, maybe we'll encounter something interesting along the way."

Huffing out a breath that didn't quite manage to hide her pleased smile Till floated down to his shoulder, making herself comfortable in the usual spot as he started off towards the nearest library courtesy of his phone.

"So you have any requests for specific literature you want, Till? I don't have a library card but we can probably figure out some five-finger discount deal."

"I don't want you to steal on my account, Cayman! Besides, I'll just read whatever you're reading, I haven't read too many Human books in a while so it should be interesting."

"Works for me. Bear in mind I'm a pretty fast reader so I hope that your eyes move quick."

The pair bantered back-and-forth for awhile, continuing on their way-

"Oh for...that old pervert just had to go and make my life miserable on the one day I have off! It's not as if I had plans or sales that I wanted to catch, oh no, surely I'm free because I'm still single."

-and Cayman paused, eyes drifting towards the source of the feminine, accented and furious muttering that carried to his ears, the streets in this part of the city mostly empty aside from a few distant passerby going about their business...and he almost felt his jaw drop.

"Wow. Talk about a chance encounter. Do I have a class bonus that increases likelihood of encountering named characters or something?"

It had taken him a moment to make the connection between anime features and the more realistic and mildly flawed 'real world' version but he was without a doubt 100% certain that it was none other than Rossweisse from DxD stalking towards him, gazing down at her phone with a petulant scowl.

Long silver hair flowing free in the slight breeze, bright blue eyes that shone with annoyance and a fierce intellect, soft tones now sporting a Norwegian accent - consistent with his new reality, where people had speech patterns that weren't uniform japanese or english dubs - while a simple pair of boots, jeans and button-down shirt failed to hide a very attractive figure.

"Yup. That's her. And - if I was a betting man - currently trying to track down Odin again, since she's probably still stuck watching over him. Let's play it cagey until we know for certain though."

"Ooh, thinking of helping her out?"

Raising an eyebrow at Till's eager words he asked, "You seem pretty excited about me just jumping into things, don't you?"

The Fairy proudly smiled, replying, "Of course! My contractor should always be looking to help others!"

She awkwardly coughed.

"And...and the more base impulses are to be expected and are acceptable."

Chuckling to himself the Gamer replied, "You're the best, Till," before turning his attention to the fast approaching woman.

"You look like you're having a bit of trouble there."

Rossweisse started, halting in her pace for a moment as she gazed at him...and promptly huffed in irritation, no doubt assuming he was trying to pick her up or something along those lines.

"I am. And because my current boss is an incorrigible wanderer I'll have to be on my way."

She made to stride past him, Cayman amused by her gruff words when she was typically the more shy and reserved type in canon.

"Odin giving you trouble again, Rossweisse?"

That prompted a stumble and double-take from the silver-haired woman, whirling around to face him with body language screaming of suspicion and readiness to fight, beautiful eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"And just how do you know who I am, or who I'm searching for?"

Grateful to have at least some basic facts confirmed Cayman raised his hands in a peaceable motion, commenting, "C'mon, who doesn't know about the lovely Valkyrie run ragged by her ever gallivanting boss of a deity, who somehow manages to keep his affairs on track? Or at least, who doesn't know if they're a part of the supernatural world?"

A few quick blinks followed his words...and then canon Rossweisse was back, blushing up a storm while stammering, "W-w-what do you mean lovely?! Who says things like that?!"

"Aforementioned supernatural world, apparently. Name's Cayman Lute, this is my contracted Fairy, Till."

"Nice to meet you, miss Rossweisse!"

The Valkyrie's eyes shifted towards the happily grinning Fairy, her body language relaxing somewhat upon seeing her.

"Seems like Till is a good way for people to be a bit more at ease around me. Sure, there'll be those who might think I'm an easier mark but that's a cheap enough price to pay for having a proverbial foot in the door."

"...Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you as well."

Coughing into her fist and regaining her composure the lovely woman asked, "Now if you'll excuse my brusqueness I am in something of a hurry, do you have any business with me?"

Her gaze yet again landed on Till, more contemplatively adding, "Those with contracted Fairies tend to be more kindhearted and selfless, hopefully you will continue the trend and not make my life more difficult than it already is."

Giving his fun-size companion an appreciative rub with his pointer finger that she greatly enjoyed Cayman replied, "Well if you're having trouble with finding your boss it just so happens that I have a bit of an odor sleuth on hand. Ready, Cerb?"

Activating his summoning ability and dumping a fair amount of mana into the spell - 500, to be exact - a brief flare of light and spiral design filled their corner of the street, passerby giving them strange looks before doing the time honored big city tradition of 'not my problem' and being on their way, Cerb happily barking up at Rossweisse as his fluffy tail wagged with unreserved excitement.

The Valkyrie's eyes widened, voice an academic whisper as she said, "You're a summoner? And is that a Hellhound Pup?"

He modestly shrugged, stating, "Novice summoner, really. Still a bit wet behind the ears but I've made do so far."

"You undersell yourself, summoning is by no means a simple or lackluster craft to pursue."

In what seemed to be a recurring case Cerb's natural cuteness - despite the edgy and ominous name of his species - melted hearts all over, Rossweisse squatting down in front of the canine before holding out the flat of her palm, the summon all too happy to slobber affectionately on the Valkyrie's hand as Cayman used the opportunity to peek at the woman's stats.

Rossweisse Magnhild, LVL 78

HP: 2400

MP: 20,000

STA: 3000

STR: 350

DEF: 200

AGI: 500

MAG: 1100

MAG DEF: 1000

"Jesus Christ, at some point I'd like to find something weaker than I am in this universe. And if my bastardized version of structural grasping is still working as assumed this is her at her baseline. No armor, no weapons, no magic that boosts her power...and I thought the Taimanin were bad. Then again I haven't seen them in full combat mode either."

Shrugging aside that train of thought he continued the conversation with, "If you need a hand in tracking down Odin this little guy will be your best friend, got anything with his scent on it?"

"Aww, who's a good little boy, who's a good little fluffy monster~!"

Cayman raised an eyebrow as the Valkyrie completely ignored him, instead scratching under the pup's chin as its eyes narrowed in bliss, Till trying to stifle a giggle and failing as Rossweisse stiffened at the noise, realizing how 'unprofessional' she was being before jumping to her feet, blushing pink and clearing her throat.

"M-my apologies, I've always wanted a pet but never had the time."

"Heh, no worries. Odin have you running mad most of the time?"

An aggrieved sigh left the woman as she rubbed her temples, grumbling, "Only when he visits Tokyo, which thankfully only occurs once every couple months. But add this to my already significant duties as a teacher at Tokyo University and...ugh."

Cayman filed that extra bit of info away for later perusal. In the original timeline Rossweisse had wanted to find a good job as some kind of teacher but had been saddled as Odin's assistant full time. It sounded like that was more of a side gig this time around and she was already an instructor.

Which also begged the question if Tokyo University was just a normal school or something like Kuoh Academy, a mixed bag of extranatural and normal people pushed together.

"Questions for another time, seeing as how we just met and all."

Rossweisse quickly pulled a midnight feather from a glowing magic circle, apologizing with, "Here, a molted feather from Huginn, one of his familiars. Wherever the raven is Odin won't be far...and I apologize about venting to you when you're just trying to help."

"Don't be, I could have backed off anytime I wanted, after all. Here you go, Cerb."

Passing the feather to the Hellhound the pup eagerly sniffed at the thing, eventually giving a short yip before trotting off down the street, nose pressed flush to the ground while occasionally waving through the air.

Sure, he'd never seen Cerb in action before but he felt safe in assuming he could pull off the required task without issue. Normal bloodhounds were pretty insane and a supernatural one was probably even crazier.

"Looks like we've got a hit. Ready to go?"

"Of course, the sooner I find that perverted old coot-"

The Valkyrie awkwardly coughed, amending, "I mean, once I find the Allfather I can get back to more important details."

"No need to stand on ceremony around me, I can keep my mouth shut around the old pervert."

"Yup! Cayman's really good at keeping secrets."

Poking Till as the Fairy gave him a teasing smile he idly remarked, "None of that now, a man has to retain some air of mystery."

Rossweisse tilted her head as they trailed after Cerb, the pup meandering back-and-forth across the sidewalk.

"If you don't mind me asking, what branch of the Supernatural world are you from, that you would so readily help another and have knowledge of who I am?"

"I part time in Sanctuary, subsequently I get fed a lot of useful information."

+5 REP with Rossweisse Magnhild, [5/100]!

Blinking away his surprise at the sudden boost simply by mere association he noticed Rossweisse looking positively excited at his admission, all but beaming, "Truly, Sanctuary? That's quite the achievement! While I would hesitate to say the organization is as benevolent or unified as they say they do have stringent entry requirements!"

She belatedly seemed to realize she had just badmouthed his place of work, Cayman quickly heading off her swiftly approaching apology with, "It's fine, I'd say your analysis is pretty much spot on."

"Er, right. Thank you."

It was fairly amusing how everyone seemed to have different views on the organization he was evidently a part of, with the Taimanin duo being skeptical and wary, Asia worshipful and Rossweisse with a more middle of the road approach.

"So you said you're teaching in Tokyo, mind if I ask how long that's been going for?"

Evidently not minding in the slightest the Valkyrie replied, "Almost a year now, ever since Odin complained that I was 'crimping his style'-"

The words accompanied an annoyed scowl.

"-I got my teaching degree and was offered a position at Tokyo University. It was a big move but I'd like to think I've handled it quite well. How about yourself?"

Both he and Till shared a brief look, the man eventually replying, "Only a few days at this point for Sanctuary work but I think I could get used to it. There's certainly no shortage of things to do and see, never mind the sheer amount of crap you can buy. I need to find myself a 100-yen shop at some point."

Right on cue the silverette's eyes lit up, Cayman inwardly grinning at the action. Rossweisse was 100% a bargain hunter and this was killing two birds with one stone, getting her to be more comfortable and friendly with him and figuring out where to shop without breaking the bank, since he was still technically without stable income.

"I know lots of places if you're interested! We once took a school field trip to this city when I was younger and I began making a list of discount and 100-yen stores that's only been added to once I moved back!"

Till gave the Valkyrie a strange look - not having been warned about this particular aspect of her personality - and wryly commented, "You're a pretty frugal person, huh?"

Rossweisse seemed to realize what she'd blurted, blushing pink as Cayman smirked, stating, "Maybe so, Till. But I'd prefer to call it being responsible and it's not like I'm rich right now or anything. If you don't mind sharing I'd like to take a look at what you've got, Rossweisse."

+5 REP with Rossweisse Magnhild, [10/100]!

"Geez, and I thought Asia gained REP pretty easily."

Beaming at his words the woman replied, "It's nice to see someone who shares the same mindset as me, most people spend as if it was their last day on earth!"

She paused in her enthusiasm, curiously asking, "But are you truly so low on money? From my understanding most in Sanctuary are given a fairly lucrative stipend. Not exactly copious amounts of wealth but compensation aplenty for the risk and work you do."

"Well shit, looks like I've been missing out on one rather fabulous paycheck."

Settling for a shrug he merely replied, "My position among Sanctuary is a little more complicated than just being a member of it, unfortunately. Trust me, I would very much like to have more money."

While the Valkyrie didn't entirely buy his response - he certainly wouldn't have - she was tactful enough to not bring it up when he was helping her with one absolute migraine of a situation.

"So what do you teach at Tokyo University? The starting level courses or the heavy duty thesis stuff?"

Smiling with pride - Cayman got the impression she didn't get to talk about herself that often - the Valkyrie replied, "I teach proper application of multi-elemental spellcraft of all different origins and schools as well as advanced mathematics such as calculus and trigonometry. It's quite the busy schedule but most fulfilling."

A sudden blush adorned the woman's pale skin, tone somewhat miffed as she muttered, "Although I could very well do without all the jokes and propositions my students offer all of the time…"

"With an instructor like you? I'd be channeling a bit of Van Halen's Hot for Teacher myself."

The pout directed Cayman's way made him chuckle, the gamer more seriously remarking, "But still, teaching a bunch of Supernatural, Demons and who knows what else? I think my work at Sanctuary pales in comparison."

A more easygoing and amused expression appeared on Rossweisse's features, the duo slipping into a comfortable banter as Cerb continued to lead the way, their meandering walk continuing for almost an hour before a sudden whine left the summon, their gazes landing on the confused and dismayed canine as it paced back and forth, sniffing around a seemingly plain spot of concrete down a dead-end alley placed between two shops, a market and hardware store.

"Huh. Any ideas?"

To his surprise Rossweisse merely groaned, gently pushing aside Cerb as she tapped a part of the floor, silvery light spiralling upwards into an ethereally glowing door framed by twisting tree roots, the center awash in calming white light.

"That willful old fool...to use a Yggdrasil Gate in such a public and simple place…"

"Yggdrasil Gate?"

Rossweisse sighed, explaining, "Imagine someone building a personal highway for their use except it's right next to a normal one, subsequently throwing a tarp over it and assuming that no one will attempt to make use of aforementioned highway."

"That bad?"

She relented somewhat, stating, "No, but it is a very secure and very important means of travel to our pantheon, making use of the world tree's roots to perform instantaneous and uninterruptible journeys. Using it here - for a purpose I fear is completely silly - is akin to throwing a precious gemstone onto the street because it's inconvenient to carry."

Cayman nodded, getting the general gist of things.

He also decided right then and there that he wanted a piece of this proverbial silk road, since he had a sneaking suspicion where it might lead if Odin's proclivities from OG DxD canon were still the same in this reality. And it could very well fulfill the quest he'd just been issued.

"Well, no sense in sticking around. C'mon, let's see where this leads."

Cerb happily trailing after them the pair walked through the glowing entryway-

-and smoothly exited through the other side, senses immediately assailed with quite the different mixture that had been present back through the gate.

Aromatic smoke, unwashed bodies, cooking meats with spices and a sort of musk that brought to mind all sorts of carnal delights. Pounding music of all genres, a constant hum of background conversation and the clinking of glasses or revving of engines. And through it all Cayman could only grin, eyes glancing back and seeing that they had been deposited in a small but relatively clean alley sandwiched between two buildings, not wide or deep enough for something to take up residence but not so shallow that it didn't afford some measure of privacy.

And in the distance was none other than the Tokyo city skyline.

"Fucking called it, this is Tokyo Kingdom. Hah! Knew Odin would want to come here. Alright, now we just need to figure out where the old coot went and not get shanked for our boots."

He turned towards Rossweisse, Cerb already eagerly sniffing the air...and had to fight back a laugh, the silverette with her head in her hands, quietly moaning, "Of course. Of course he would use a Yggdrasil Gate to come to this place."

Sympathetically patting the Valkyrie on the shoulder Cayman noted, "Come on, Cerb must have picked up his scent again, little guy's practically about to go running off."

Unleashing a long, pained sigh the woman agreed with a small nod, taking a step forward-

-and yelped as Cayman slid an arm around her waist, grinning sadistically as he teased, "Now now, we're in a kingdom of excess and debauchery. Have to blend in and everything, wouldn't you agree?"

Pale skin shifting towards an alluring tinge of reddish pink Rossweisse favored him with a pouty glare, nonetheless accepting his grasp as she mumbled, "Very well, if it's to make things that much easier…"

"Ooh, nice one!"

Till's whispered comment caused Cayman to chuckle, grasp firm but not unpleasant as he carefully explored the feeling of his companion's body. Soft but only on the surface, a slight application of force as he brought her close revealing that hardened and athletic muscle rested beneath the velvety exterior. Made sense, considering she was a trained and hardened warrior, usual jokes and such at her expense aside.

...Of course the poor woman stiffened up at the action, robotically walking alongside him as she desperately tried to keep a straight face.

"Rossweisse? Arm around my side as well, please. Relax, this isn't something to get overly worked up over."

His reassurance seemed to work somewhat, the silverette shakily nodding as a mechanical movement had her limb encircling his own waist, hand barely so much as touching his flank.

"Well, it's a start."

Deciding not to give her grief over her shyness he instead watched Cerb wind his way through the streets, streets that had him eagerly looking around as Rossweisse moaned in resignation, "Oh of course he would come to this location in particular…"

They had ended up in another red-light district of sorts, albeit one that made Kabuki's seem positively quaint. Practically every establishment had some sort of non-human attraction or was comprised entirely of it, catering to both genders without discrimination. Orc 'dancers', a rave house that had Dryads adorned with christmas lights and glowsticks sensually swaying about, a mansion where Angels with snow-white wings innocently hung around...he was assuming those were the Taimanin version of the winged men and women, the DxD versions were highly susceptible to sin and excess which could turn their wings black and Tokyo Kingdom seemed to be the poster child of debauchery.

Then again, what the hell did he know? Maybe some crazy advancement in anti-horny technology made it so Angels could fuck like animals...or maybe they'd just brainwashed the poor souls into thinking getting gangbanged by a bunch of pig-like Demons was worshipping god, if the way an adorably naive woman ruffled her feathers with coquetish shyness as aforementioned bovine bachelors drooled at the sight of her.

"It's fine, it's fine, just keep your eyes forward, it's all perfectly normal…"

Rolling his eyes at Rossweisse's complete and utter panic - Till having long since hidden her face in his neck - the male let his summon lead the way, eventually arriving at a smokey and polished wood building that gave off a very sophisticated and erotic aura.

The Coffee House.

"So is that title meant to be a pun or…"

The Valkyrie wetly swallowed, commenting, "No...no it's very much what you're thinking. Since we're nominally at odds with each other there are few opportunities for fraternization between Asgard and the Dark Elves. Naturally, being the kind of man that he is, Odin likes to fraternize nonetheless."

"Hmm…"

Cerb sat down in front of the place, panting heavily as the little pup finally seemed to run out of steam, Cayman letting go of Rossweisse as he offered the canine a chin scratch before sending the summon back to wherever they resided when dematerialized.

"Well, no sense in hanging around, let's see if we can find the old coot. C'mon, Rossweisse."

"E-eh?!"

Smirking as he dragged the woman behind him Cayman boldly approached the entrance, two bouncers immaculately dressed in soft silk robes, dusky skin and pointed ears complimenting sharp eyes of blue and yellow staring at them with general disinterest.

"Hey, Odin inside? We're here to chaperone him."

Rossweisse almost choked at the blunt statement but one of the Elves - the male counterpart to the female - merely smiled, voice smooth and alluring as he commented, "You are here earlier than expected, lady Valkyrie. The perverted Allfather didn't expect you to find him until much later in the day."

"We had some help. We good to enter?"

"Of course. Feel free to partake of our products should you desire to do so."

Smoothly opening the main doors - some ethereal flashing of magical light accompanying the motion - Cayman calmly strode inside, Rossweisse gathering her courage as Till nervously swallowed, still not entirely comfortable with things like this.

The air inside was thick and aromatic, full of rich scents like lavender, vanilla or other calming balms that were at odds with the various actions on display across the sprawling main floor, both public and private booths full of oscillating bodies and passionate noises. Across one side of the significantly sized building laid an entire bar stocked with spirits, predictably, but also a wide variety of coffees, teas and other more simple pleasures. Not to mention the ambient music was a sexy combination of synth, rhythm and jazz that got you in the mood while still retaining a semblance of class.

"Yow, now this is an establishment I can get behind. How about you, Rossweisse, Till? Like the atmosphere?"

He smirked at their reactions, Till peeking out from behind splayed fingers at the party while the Valkyrie was as stiff as a statue, gazing with wide eyes at a gyrating man further in that was doing the helicopter spin for a crowd of blushing and giggling ladies, the layer of sweat adorning his body really selling the spectacle.

"She'd probably get mad at me if I took a picture. Best we find Odin and scram before she has a meltdown."

Nudging the silverette forward he made his way into the thick of things, wondering if he should search some of the more private areas-

"YYYYYYEEEEAAAAHHHHH! SHAKE THAT MONEY MAKERRRRRRRR!"

-and decided that the booming voice was a good enough place to start, an older man a few booths down waving his arms towards where a Dark Elf lady was hypnotically working her way around a pole, adorned only in trailing ribbons of silk and a veil of glittering gems as people all around her whooped or threw money.

Not that Cayman couldn't see why. While the woman wasn't overly busty or something like that she did have a rounded, bubbly ass that just would not quit as it slid between the reflective metal of the dance pole, like someone slipping a knife between two mounds of delicious chocolate cake.

And there was absolutely cake to be had if the way none other than Odin himself machine gunning paper bills onto the dance platform was any indication, beard bouncing and waving in time with his motions as flowing gray robes fluttered like sails in a strong wind.

Cayman smirked as Rossweisse marched towards the man, features set in stone as the last of the bills left the god's hand-

-and a grip made of unbreakable steel set itself on his shoulder, Rossweisse glacially stating, "And just whose money is that, I wonder? The usual expenses being used for less than important matters?"

Rather than freak out despite the audible creak his bones were releasing Odin turned around to give the Valkyrie an unimpressed stare, replying, "Firstly, it's all my money since I'm the head god. Second, you weren't supposed to show up here for several more hours. Thirdly, you and that stick up your ass are killing the vibes we have going. This kind of thing is why you're still single, you know."

"GUH?!"

Sighing at the harsh blows to the silverette Cayman moved forward, wincing as his attempt to get a read on Odin's stats ended the same way Lugh Beowulf's had, with shit to show for it and a small headache.

"She had help this time around. Sup."

The Norse deity's attention landed on him as he stepped forward, Till squeaking in fright before hiding behind his head as the older man cocked his head, examined the gamer from head to toe...and turned towards the downtrodden Rossweisse with a wizened grin.

"Well I'll be, you finally managed to snag yourself a partner! A little on the weak side but with a good attitude. And here I thought you'd die a loveless spinster, hah!"

"D-do you really need to say it like that?!"

Merrily chuckling in amusement Odin stated, "We're killing the fun, let's take this outside. I'll see you again, Melarue! Perhaps for a more private dance, hmm~?"

The god's words accompanied a roguish grin and flick of his wrist, a fat wad of cash being deftly snatched midair by the gyrating Dark Elf as Cayman swore she sent a playful wink Odin's way, despite the veil.

Without further ado they began to make their way outside of the establishment, Odin asking, "So how'd you end up with this unfortunate social dunce, boy?"

Eye twitching madly Rossweisse growled out, "Luck and nothing more. He's a part of Sanctuary and was kind enough to aid me in finding you."

"Oh hoh, is that right? You here for the Dr. Hoestia job?"

Correctly interpreting Cayman's raised eyebrow as a request for how he knew that the bearded god replied, "I was good friends with Ryou Igawa and subsequently get to hear all sorts of interesting facts and hearsay from the Taimanin side. Still haven't managed to get into his grandaughter's pants though. And I don't fancy my chances ever since she went ahead, got hitched and then lost her hubby…"

"Ah, so Asagi was romantically involved with her significant other in this universe, at least that's mostly consistent. Not sure why Yukikaze isn't though."

Mentally shrugging off that train of thought he returned to the conversation as Odin continued with, "Nice of you to hang out and help the loveless little assistant of mine over there, she really doesn't get much in the way of positive male interaction outside of myself."

Rossweisse sputtered as they exited the building, no doubt ready and willing to protest the last part of that statement as Cayman merely smiled, responding, "Which is a shame, I very much enjoyed her company. Guess it just means a lot of guys out there are missing out."

+5 REP with Rossweisse Magnhild, [15/100]!

"Geez, now I'm starting to feel a little bad at how easy it is to increase her REP. Girl really hasn't had much in the way of positive influences during her life, has she?"

Even as he grinned at the Valkyrie's adorable squeak of embarrassment Odin's gaze fell on where Till was trying to make herself as small as possible, stroking his beard as he mused, "Contracted to the Fairy princess herself, huh? But you're not some wishy washy do gooder either, you were checking out all the fine lads and ladies in there like you'd been there and done that."

"Been there tapped that, actually."

The deity snorted at his words, considering something unknown to Cayman as he glanced between him, Till and Rossweisse...before grinning, snapping his fingers and causing a flare of white light to appear before them, Cayman tensing-

-and instead blinked as a simply beautiful spear of ornate construction and glittering metal manifested before his gaze, the haft and pointed head alternating between pure white, steely silver and perfect blue as Odin handed it to him with an amused grin.

"Here, take it."

Reverently taking the breathtaking weapon Cayman instantly tried to see what the weapon was all about-

[Requirements Insufficient.]

-and felt his mood plummet like a stone, Odin guffawing at his expression as he mused, "Looks like Edelweiss is being as picky as ever, huh?"

Shaking his head Cayman archly asked, "While I'm not complaining I don't know what use a spear I can't really use properly is worth."

"Consider it an investment, boy. These old eyes of mine can see an interesting future ahead of you and wouldn't mind having a bit of an early favor in the works."

He pointed to the gleaming spear, remarking, "Edelweiss is a picky broad but if you manage to wield her properly a more potent stick anywhere else you'll never find."

Feeling a fit of boldness the gamer questioned, "Well if we're talking favors and investments I want two more things."

He took an inordinate amount of pleasure in the way Till and Rossweisse choked on air, demanding something of a veritable GOD.

"Oh? Quite bold of you to demand something of a man who's already given freely."

"Quite so. But when the ant demands of the sun, why not go for broke?"

Odin blinked before bursting out into laughter, waving a hand before amusedly responding, "Alright, go ahead. Let's see what the proverbial insect asks of a star."

"First, I want unrestricted access to that Yggdrasil Gate to make use of it as much as I want. Getting into Tokyo Kingdom is kind of a pain and that'll make things way easier."

Odin looked almost disappointed, remarking, "That's it? I was going to leave that thing there anyways, feel free to use it whenever."

Rossweisse looked scandalized, protesting, "You were just going to leave a Yggdrasil Gate in some back alley?! What if someone stumbled upon it and-"

"And so what? Only people who are recognized by it can make the jump, so who cares? That reminds me, we need to key you in, boy. Can't go expecting the v-card holder over here to always be with you."

"Funnily enough, that brings me to my second request."

He turned to face an irate Rossweisse.

"I want her phone number."

"Well that's a simple enough demand to-eh?"

The Valkyrie paused mid-sentence, brain trying to process what it just heard and failing miserably, Odin snorting at the request.

"And here I thought you would ask for something more difficult, boy. Yeah, go ahead and take those two, no skin off my nose."

Turning towards the silverette with an expectant smile as Till giggled he said, "You really caught my attention today, Rossweisse. And if you're living in Tokyo I wouldn't mind getting to see you again. Exchange numbers?"

One of the most alluring shades of pink he'd seen to date adorned the Valkyrie's skin, a hesitant nod dipping her chin forward as Cayman smirked, knowing that the day had just become very much worth it.

+10 REP with Rossweisse Magnhild, [25/100]!

[Keys to the Kingdom, COMPLETED!]

[Details: A stable means of travel to and from Tokyo Kingdom with most none the wiser has been discovered, the resources of the island city are now ripe for the picking!]

[Rewards: EXP 1500, 30 Reign and Edelweiss Spear.]

"Now we're getting somewhere."

Cayman Lute, LVL 8

HP: 450

MP: 1500 + (75)

STA:800

STR: 55

DEF: 65

AGI: 120

MAG: 185 + (9)

MAG DEF: 220 + (11)

REIGN: 67

EXP: 650/800