Bab 14: A dinner with Mahiru

Classes are over, and another day is heading towards its end, but for Mateus, many events are still to unfold. Saying goodbye to some of his classmates and the friends he made in class, Mateus heads towards the school gates. Walking through the school corridors, Mateus quickly reaches the exit, and shortly after, he is at the school gate. Mateus and Mahiru had arranged to meet here. Mateus didn't have to wait long for Mahiru to arrive.

Smiling at her, Mateus says to Mahiru, "Shall we go then?"

"Let's." Mahiru responds. They walk and talk, but Mateus speaks to Mahiru, "Shiina-san, I have to stop by a bakery on the way home. How about we grab a cake there? It's on me, of course." Mateus informs Mahiru that he needs to visit a bakery, as he wouldn't forget the promise he made to Ophis.

"Sure, why not." Mahiru agrees with Mateus's request, but deep down, she can't help but think that this is more like a date than a simple walk home. Perhaps she's overthinking it.

But the fact is that Mateus really wants to spend more time with her; if it were the opposite, he would simply pass by the bakery and buy the cakes for Ophis. Whether it's a date or not, Mateus doesn't really care; his goal is already fixed in his mind. During these internal dialogues for each of them, they quickly arrived at the bakery. This time, they met the owner of the establishment.

Mateus smiles as he places his order, "Onee-san, today I'll have a Matcha Roll cake. And you, Shiina-san, what would you like?" Mateus quickly places his order, and soon Mahiru places hers, opting for the popular Shortcake.

Sitting at a table, Mateus and Mahiru begin to enjoy the cake. Trying the cake from this shop for the first time, Mahiru can't help but praise the cake in front of her: "This cake is really good! How did you find such a good bakery, Mateus?"

Certainly, these are high-quality cakes; the cake Mateus ordered is equally delicious. Responding to Mahiru, Mateus says, "They are indeed great cakes. As for how I found this shop, it was totally by chance. While walking around, I just found the shop interesting. After trying the cakes, I realized it was a great find."

In a way, Mateus isn't lying, but it's not particularly relevant. While having good conversations, Mateus and Mahiru enjoyed their cakes. Before leaving, Mateus pays the bill but makes another request.

"Onee-san, I'll take one of each cake you have available, please pack them." Quickly fulfilling his request, Onee-san brings everything he asked for, and he pays for it, getting ready to leave.

On the way back home, Mahiru asks Mateus, "Will you manage to eat all these cakes?" Trying not to be rude, Mahiru inquires, and Mateus responds, "Maybe not, but my little sister will certainly handle it." Thinking about Ophis, Mateus acknowledges that her appetite is much larger than his, and for her, this amount of cake is just a playful indulgence.

"So, you have a little sister?" Mahiru expresses curiosity.

"We're not blood-related siblings, but I consider her my little sister. She's very cute; you'll like meeting her. How about having dinner at my place tonight? That way, I'll repay you for the dinner you treated me to earlier, and you can also meet my little sister. What do you think?" Being assertive for the first time in this story, Mateus invites Mahiru to dinner.

Taken by surprise, Mahiru shows a bit of embarrassment in her expression but can't help agreeing with the invitation. She's curious to find out if he can cook well, as he mentioned during the earlier break.

So, with plans set for dinner, Mateus feels even more motivated to cook tonight. Walking a bit more and reaching their respective homes, they bid farewell.

"See you later, Shiina-san. You can come later; just knock, and either I or Ophis will open the door for you."

"Umu. So, until later." Agreeing in a cute manner, Mahiru bids farewell to Mateus.

Entering his home, Mateus sees someone waiting for him. Looking at the adorable figure in front of him, Mateus can't help but pat her head.

"Ophis, I brought some cakes for you. You can have any of them. I'll take a bath, okay? We'll talk later." Finishing his statement, Mateus prepares to take a bath.

Undressing and entering the bathroom, Mateus first washes up before getting into the bathtub. Baths are usually relaxing and help cope with the stress of the day.

Relaxing, Mateus begins to contemplate himself. 'I'm also quite laid-back about the supernatural.' He thought something similar in the morning; this time, delving deeper into his thoughts, Mateus considers that after dinner tonight, he might visit Kuoh Town. Even though he has never been there, it's easy for Mateus to go there. With a mastery level of 7 in the teleportation skill, Mateus can go anywhere as long as he knows the location by looking at a map. So, it's quite easy for him.

Determined about what he'll do later, Mateus wonders if he should invite Ophis to accompany him. On second thought, it's strange that the Devils haven't come directly to him or tried to convince him to become one of them. So, Mateus needs to see for himself what they're thinking.

With this in mind, Mateus enjoys a few more minutes of his bath.

— — —

Considering what to cook for dinner, Mateus thinks of something simple yet delicious. So, contemplating it, Teriyaki Chicken seems like the best choice. With the dinner plan in mind, Mateus starts gathering the ingredients he will use.

While he begins the cooking preparations, he hears knocks on the door. He asks Ophis to open the door, as he already knows it's Mahiru.

Doing so, Ophis goes to the door and opens it for the blonde girl waiting outside. Although Ophis has little common sense, Mateus has been making a considerable effort in recent days to help her adapt better to the "normal" world. Hence, she can now open the door and invite someone inside.

Entering, Mahiru feels no surprise, as the apartment's design is the same as hers. But, to tell the truth, there was a surprise. Mateus is cooking. Not due to stereotypes, but because he works so skillfully and elegantly in the kitchen, something that can truly catch one's attention.

Unaware of all the admiration coming from Mahiru, Mateus continues preparing dinner. However, he wouldn't be rude not to greet someone who comes to his home. Looking at Mahiru, Mateus says, "Hello, Mahiru. Please sit and wait; dinner will be ready in a few minutes."

Hearing Mateus and greeting him back, Mahiru sits and eagerly awaits the food. Meanwhile, she chats a bit with Ophis and now understands why Mateus speaks so highly of her. 'She's so cute.'

After a few more minutes of waiting, the food is ready. Mateus sets the table, and everyone serves themselves, delighting in a good meal.

Mahiru praises Mateus's cooking, saying, "You truly are an excellent cook, Mateus. Your food is so good; it surprised me."

Modestly responding to the compliments, Mateus says, "You flatter me, Shiina-san. Still, thank you. It's good to hear praise from someone who cooks as well as you do."

With conversations flowing smoothly, they spend more time in the living room after finishing their meal. Chatting about mundane things, they enjoy themselves. However, time passes quickly, and it's already relatively late. So, Mahiru decides it's time to return to her apartment. She says her goodbyes to Mateus and Ophis. Mateus also bids farewell, saying, "See you tomorrow after classes, okay?" Once again inviting Mahiru, Mateus indirectly suggests spending more time together.

Agreeing, Mahiru gives her final farewells. After she leaves, Mateus turns to Ophis and says, "Ophis, I need to go to Kuoh. Want to come with me?"

"Yes." Ophis agrees to go with Mateus, so, preparing for the possibility of not returning home today, Mateus takes Ophis's hand and uses his teleportation ability.

Teleporting directly in front of the school, Mateus now realizes he made a serious mistake. He doesn't know where he can directly find the devils.

In fact, he only chose the DxD world because of the fanfics he read; after all, they all had unimaginable harems, so he wanted the same for himself. But he's not so foolish as to not have another plan in case the first one fails. What Mateus plans to do is release a part of his aura or magical energy, alerting the demons and bringing them directly to him. Simple as that. He's a genius, right? Nothing can go wrong, right? Right?

Actually, nothing will go wrong; he relies on magical strength. If by some chance he is overpowered in combat, he still has his trump card by his side, Ophis. She can be useful not only in terms of strength but also in status. Think about it, what's worth more, any random human with magical abilities, or a Dragon God? The answer is clear, right?

So, taking advantage of the brilliant idea of having Ophis by his side, Mateus prepares to put his plan into action and try to understand why the devils were the only ones who didn't contact him, and also to make clear his position regarding this race. Enough with internal dialogues. Now it's time for action.

Executing his plan, Mateus releases a large portion of his power. But before doing so, he thinks, 'Why not release it all? That way, it'll be easier for them to know who I am.' Having useful thoughts, Mateus acts according to the plan. Releasing all the magical power contained within him, Mateus alerts the world once again. If someone could look closely, it would be as if reality were distorted around him.

Alerted, the devils of this city prepare to go check what's happening. Meanwhile, our protagonist impatiently waits in front of the school. "Will I have to wait for a long time?"

With these thoughts, Mateus remains there, awaiting the devils.