[Romani Oyama]
Asia was quite a naive girl, to the point of being almost unbelievable. But what reinforced that perception of mine was the simple fact that she was eating a pizza in a completely clumsy way.
How on earth does an Italian not know how to eat pizza? It would be the equivalent of a Brazilian who doesn't know how to play football, an American who doesn't know how to handle a gun, or a Frenchman who doesn't know how to set a car on fire during a protest.
Certain stereotypes existed for a reason.
After a few minutes patiently teaching an Italian girl how to hold a slice of pizza without letting the filling drip down her chin, I was certain of one thing:
She was an innocent girl with little to no life experience. It was entirely possible she didn't even know what sex was.
"Thank you very much for the food, Romani-san." She bowed slightly in my direction, her blonde hair falling softly over her shoulders.
"No need to thank me. I just didn't want to eat alone." I rose from the table, and we both left the pizzeria.
"I am so grateful to God for allowing me to meet you." Asia turned toward me, flashing a radiant smile that would probably convert a few people on the spot.
This girl was truly born to be a nun. Every other word out of her mouth was about the Big Guy upstairs.
During lunch, I learned a few things about her. Asia Argento was a nun sent by the Vatican to Kuoh. Apparently, there was someone who was supposed to be waiting for her in the city, but that person never showed up, and it seemed I had taken their spot. As strange as that was, Asia didn't seem to mind in the slightest. She was, without question, a kind, lovely, and caring girl. In other words: a saint.
Honestly, any man's dream would be to have a girlfriend like her. It was a shame that I was a demon and she was religious to the bone.
We could play Romeo and Juliet, but that sounded like far too much work.
Cutting that thought off before it went too far, I raised my hand and pointed with minimal enthusiasm at the structure before us.
"This is the only church in Kuoh. Are you sure you want to live here?"
It was an abandoned church in every possible sense of the word. I knew that devout people had the habit of living with little, but this was too much even by the standards of religious humility. The facade was peeling, the windows covered in moss, and there was a general atmosphere of "no one has been here in decades" that I found honestly impressive for something supposedly sacred.
"Yes! Thank you so much, Romani-san!"
Asia looked at the ruined church and simply smiled, radiant as if she were gazing upon Saint Peter's Basilica, before turning back to face me.
"You are a good man. I have no words to thank you for everything. May God bless your soul."
Damn...
The moment those words left her rosy lips, I felt a pain shoot through my head as if someone were squeezing it in a steel press.
In moments like that, it was impossible not to remember that I was a devil.
A sigh escaped my lips as I bit down on them, hiding the pain as best I could.
"No problem."
I raised my hand, subtly massaging my temple with my fingers.
"Hey, Asia-chan, do you want to meet up with me tomorrow? I can show you around the city."
It wasn't really my style to ask a girl I had just met to go out. In truth, aside from Akeno, I had never pulled off a move like that. But I was genuinely worried about leaving this completely clueless girl alone for too long. Kuoh was not exactly the safest place for someone who blessed demons by accident.
"Oh! Of course, that would be great! Thank you so much, Romani-san." For some reason, Asia's cheeks took on a slightly reddish tint. "Then I'll see you tomorrow."
With her smiling in my direction, I couldn't help but give her a lazy smile back as she turned and walked toward the church, her blonde hair swaying gently with each step.
Huh. She's a dangerous girl.
In just a few hours, I had already grown attached to her. Almost like when you find a dog on the street and end up adopting it.
Though cats were the superior species, I suppose golden retrievers had their charm too.
✧°✦°✧===✧°✦°✧===✧°✦°✧
A man's home is truly his castle.
With a phrase that would probably look great on the side of a truck, I pushed the door open and stepped into my humble residence.
At the exact moment I was about to throw myself onto the couch and enjoy my daily dreams about sheep girls, my eyes drifted toward a box sitting on the living room table. Large, neatly wrapped, with a note attached to the top.
Please tell me that's not a bomb?
Resisting the urge to sink into the couch like the Titanic, I shuffled over to the box and picked up the note.
"Dear Romani-kun, Mama Noel arrived early. My, my! I managed to find all the alchemical ingredients you wanted. A kiss, Rias Gremory~ ( ˘ ³˘)♥"
A smile crept onto my lips as I read the note Rias had left behind. There was even a red lipstick mark on the corner of the paper.
Setting the note aside carefully, I opened the box and began examining its contents, pulling each item out with the methodical attention of someone conducting an official inventory.
Which, technically, I was.
The first thing my fingers found were chunks of ground iron. Right after came ginger roots, fresh enough to release a pungent, slightly burning aroma that hit me the moment I opened the small paper wrapping.
There were a few more basic materials, but setting the common ones aside, the next item was a set of solidified mana crystals, separately packaged and wrapped in linen cloth.
The black mandrake extracts came stored in dark glass vials with wax-sealed corks, most likely a precaution to prevent the unmistakable smell of wet earth and floral rot from contaminating the rest of the ingredients.
Quite impressive. Just this alone must have cost a small fortune.
But the next item was truly a surprise.
Wyvern scale fragments.
That was one of the few alchemical materials I had honestly thought Rias would have trouble finding.
Beside the scales were prana crystal fragments, noticeably smaller than the mana ones, but with a remarkably higher energy density and warmer to the touch, as if they held a compressed flame between their edges.
The diluted mana essences came in a separate vial, clear as distilled water.
And then, at the bottom of the box, wrapped in dark velvet, were the gemstones.
Rubies redder than Rias's hair. Sapphires of a deep, saturated blue. Raw, uncut diamonds. And purple, translucent amethysts.
I stood there staring at the contents for a few seconds. There were still several other alchemical materials I hadn't even begun to properly catalog.
How much must this have cost? Honestly, more than I'd want to owe to anyone, living, dead, or supernatural.
So this is the power of a demonic sugar mommy?
I guess my couch is going to have to wait, because I have work to do.
✧°✦°✧===✧°✦°✧===✧°✦°✧
In the garage, which was the heart of every self-respecting man's home, I began sorting the materials for my new potions.
A few drops of diluted mana essence. Small prana crystal fragments ground into fine powder. A few branches of ley line dew. Young mandrake extract.
Over a transmutation circle drawn with enough precision not to blow up in my face, I poured the powder into a glass crucible and slowly added the ley line dew. The moment the liquid touched the crystalline surface, the mixture reacted immediately. Small ripples of light appeared on the surface, spreading out like circles on water, delicate and geometrically perfect.
Beautiful, but no time to appreciate it. I picked up the mandrake root and, using a thin blade, cut off a small fragment before crushing it in a mortar until it became a thick, greenish paste, which I carefully added to the crucible.
Now it was time for transmutation.
I placed my palm over the circle and gradually released my demonic energy. Thanks to Akeno's demanding and peculiar training sessions, I now had a much finer level of control over the manipulation of demonic power.
So then...
Moving through Refinement, Deconstruction, and Reconstruction, a blue-tinted potion materialized before me in a matter of moments.
I let out a sigh, raised my arm, and wiped the small bead of sweat from my temple. I picked up the vial and used ⟨Identify⟩ on it.
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
Minor Mana Potion (V)
A small restoration vial that, when ingested, spreads a cool and slightly tingling sensation through the body while working to replenish depleted mana reserves.
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
My eyes blinked.
I had created a perfect Minor Mana Potion, skipping every previous version in one go.
Quality materials combined with a more refined control over demonic power really did make all the difference.
Unable to hold back my smile, I held up the vial and slowly turned it between my fingers, watching the blue liquid swirl.
To advance toward intermediate potions, I would need to refine my transmutation skill even further.
There was a long road ahead, wasn't there?
A dry smile spread across my face as I realized I had a lot of work to do.
Cracking every bone in my body with the enthusiasm of someone about to take on a marathon of unpaid volunteer work, it was time to get my hands dirty.
I separated the materials again and quickly began producing mana potions in batches.
A few hours later, ten blue-tinted vials stood lined up on the cabinet.
Giving myself a few proud pats on the back, I sorted the materials again. This time, however, for my minor healing potions.
Moving through the three stages of transmutation once more with the concentration needed not to ruin the process, a red-tinted potion materialized before me.
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
Minor Healing Potion (V)
A small healing vial that, when ingested, spreads a dense and immediate warmth through the body while working at an accelerated pace to close deep cuts, reverse extensive bruising, and reconstitute damaged muscle tissue, compressing hours of natural recovery into minutes of concentrated regeneration.
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
Ohhhh.
I raised my arm, holding the healing vial up before me.
Watch out, Phoenix Tears. My healing potions are going to steal your title of best regenerative elixir at some point. Maybe not today. But someday, they will.
Threatening the Phenex family's main source of income, I slapped my hands against my face to shake off the drowsiness and got back to work.
A few hours later, a long and drowsy yawn escaped my lips as I contemplated the row of vials lined up on the cabinet.
Red ones: minor healing potions.
Blue ones: minor mana potions.
And to the surprise of all my lords and ladies, there was a new grey one glowing among them.
Smiling more tiredly than I would have liked to admit, I reached out and picked up one of the vials, using ⟨Identify⟩ on it.
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
Minor Resistance Potion (V)
A small resistance vial that, when ingested, disperses a cool and steady sensation through the body while working continuously to temporarily harden muscle structure, reduce the impact of incoming physical damage, and dampen the transmission of brute force through the tissues, enhancing the body's durability to that of a trained fighter.
〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰〰
I now had all three main potions.
Even though I was more exhausted than a supermarket stocker pulling overtime on Good Friday, the future was glorious, brothers and sisters.
Half-closing my eyes, a smile formed on my lips.
With the minor healing potion and the minor resistance potion, I could extend the duration of my physical training sessions and practically quadruple the results.
It was time for this body to put on a little mass. Thanks to my ⟨Adonic Beauty⟩ ability, it had the potential to grow ever more beautiful, and muscle on a man was, without a doubt, a form of beauty.
But for now, my destination was my bed. I flatly refused to stay awake one second longer.
Author's Note: Romani's potions will one day dominate Hell. And Asia is quite cute and innocent. Of course, a certain demon is going to chip away at her innocence a little, but she's still quite adorable.