บท 21: Chapter 20
Asia Argento wanted to cry with happiness. This was the first time she was feeling like she was just a normal girl with friends.
How sad was it that she felt that among devils, did that mean that the people who excommunicated her were right? That she was a witch? If so, why did it feel so right?
"Asia? You ok?" Cyrus, the descendant of the great hero Samson, asked her.
"Yes, yes I am fine. Why?" She asked with a smile, trying to make herself believe it as well.
"Then why are you crying?" Her hand went up to her cheeks and she felt the wetness. Wetness that she tracked back to her eyes, she really was crying.
The realization was what broke the dam for her and small stream of tears on her cheeks became waterfalls as she cried her heart out.
Then she told them everything. Her childhood, her discovery of her powers, her life as a holy maiden and her healing that wounded devil which had led to her excommunication.
The Gremory peerage simply listened to her, tried to look understanding. Aika on the other hand…
"Those bastards!" She gritted out with a glare that looked murderous.
"Please, Aika-san, you do not have to…"
"It wasn't your fault." Cyrus interrupted them. His words were not loud but they were firm. She instantly knew that he meant what he said.
"Cyrus-san…" she tried to deny it but she was interrupted once more.
"It wasn't your fault." He said again, his words just as firm as the last time.
"Asia, Christianity, much like many other religions has one core message in it that should be important above all other lessons. Be good." He said with his tone captivating everyone in the room.
"That is without talking about the fact that religion's most important figure, other than the Heavenly Father himself, forgave people who nailed him to a cross and beg for the Lord to forgive the mankind, the ones who tortured him. You healed somebody without caring for gender, religion, ethnicity or race. That is not simply an action that even your messiah would see as good, but also the core of being a healer. You did nothing wrong."
His words weren't just firm anymore, as blasphemous as it was, she felt like she was in the presence of something, someone, divine.
So once more, Asia Argento cried. She cried on Cyrus' chest but now, she felt like everything would be fine.
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Asia did not stop crying until she ended up sleeping in my arms, so I put her on a bed in one of many rooms of my new house.
Honestly, even though I already knew of her story, hearing it from her made one of my opinions about this world. Fuck the church.
If a girl as pure and good as Asia, a model Christian as far as I was concerned, was screwed over by them; then they didn't deserve to act like the protectors of humanity. Especially since I knew for a fact that they had hurt humanity almost as much as the devils themselves. At least the devils were honest about it.
"I guess things ended up on a very sad not huh." I said with a fake smile on my face as I watched the Gremory peerage get ready to leave.
"No, it's okay. I just… I didn't think that she would have such a history." Rias said with a sigh and I could see that her peerage had sympathetic looks in their eyes.
Not surprising considering their own less than pleasant pasts. Akeno with her mother's murder at the hands of her own clan while her father was away. Koneko with being held accountable for a crime that her sister committed and almost being executed. And Kiba, who had been wronged by the church just as Asia had been even if his story was much more bloody.
"Cyrus-san, please tell Asia that if she ever needs to talk, that we will be willing to listen." Kiba said with a fake smile of his own.
"I'll tell her that." I said and watched as they left. Leaving time with only Aika.
"You okay?" I asked her.
"I hate them." She said.
"I hate that they would do that to a girl as sweet as Asia." She said, looking like she was about to cry so I put my hand on her shoulder.
"So do I." I said with a sigh.
"Just… let's just stop talking about that." She said as she wiped her unshed tears away.
"Where is Paul?" She asked, changing the subject.
"He is in the basement, doing experiments and likely creating magical concoctions that would be considered either miraculous or even just plain impossible." I shrugged.
"Let's see which." I said as we left.
{+75 Affection with Asia Argento[75/100] for your words, for convincing her that she deserves to be happy.}
{50 Affection reward of Asia Argento: [Friend of Pure Ones]. Increased Reputation, Affection and Obedience with those who are pure of heart}
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"Hello sir!" Paul waves at us with a very big smile as his other hand is feeding Anatole with a drumstick.
The genius alchemist had decorated the basement. There were many tables, bookshelves, chemistry tools and several giant glass tanks.
"Do I even want to know what these tanks are for?"
"Oh those? Those are for the creation of Homunculi. I kinda need some lab assistants who won't require much time with education. Not to mention their magical outputs, which are superior to normal human mages, should help with this experiment!" He said as he showed me a several crystals; one red, one brown, one blue, one green and one purple.
"And those are?"
"They are elemental crystals! They require quite a bit of work but when ready and filled with enough magical energy, they will turn into Elemental Spirits. Beings with high combat power that should help us immensely!" The genius magus said with a big smile that I copied without even realizing it.
Elemental Spirits of Paracelsus were powerful enough to battle Servants, even strong enough to delay Arthur Pendragon! Their addition to our forces would be superb.
"By the way, we have a new roommate." I said and then explained her situation to Paul, who was less then impressed.
"It is heartening to hear that Church, even in another world, is as incompetent and illogical as always." He snorted.
"Though miss Argento's healing abilities sound interesting, I wonder if she'd be agreeable for helping me with potions."
"Just don't pressure her and do try not to scare her." I said.
"And while I'm here…" I rolled the sleeve of one of my shirt.
"I believe I did promise you some blood." I said with a smile as Paul's expression turned into one of joy.
"Oh yes, I am truly interested in the properties your hero blood has!" He said as he threw several objects out of a drawer before pulling out a moderate sized syringe.
"Though there is something I want you to know." I said to the approaching magus.
"If you try to use that blood to make a clone or even use it for Homunculi creation, I will take one of the elemental crystals and activate them after inserting them in your rectum." I threatened the genius alchemist who stood still for a moment before continuing his approach.
"Duly noted sir. Anything else you wish to tell me?" He asked and I took a moment to consider as he inserted the syringe into my arm and start pulling the blood.
"I believe that I will call some new… allies… from far far away places."
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