DxD: Path of the Gremory Prince

Author Note: Bigger chapter to celebrate the release of patreon! 30 advanced chapters available!

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Compared to the main building, the old Kuoh Academy building had a completely unique aura. It was an even older-looking building, made of wood instead of bricks, with large windows and a completely old-fashioned look.

From the outside, anyone looking at this place from any angle would see this building as something ancient and shabby. The structure was reminiscent of a classic mansion, surrounded by tall trees.

However, as I walked through the doors, I saw how clean and refined the interior was, with elegant Victorian-style décor. The floor was covered in a luxurious red carpet, and the walls were lined with bookcases and refined furniture. It looked more like the parlor of a noble Victorian estate than a simple meeting place for a school club.

Akeno led me up the stairs and then down a corridor to a double door, where she knocked lightly before turning the handle and pushing open the door.

So I entered and I saw an oak desk cluttered with piles and piles of yellowed papers. Behind all these papers stood Rias Gremory with a small feather quill between her fingers.

Rias looked up at me, and her face quickly changed from seriousness to a closed smile. "Milicas, how nice of you to come."

"I couldn't put it off. We have some things to talk about."

"Akeno, please prepare tea for us."

"With pleasure, President." Akeno withdrew, leaving us alone.

I approached the desk and sat down in an armchair opposite Rias' desk.

"So, how was your first day at Kuoh Academy?" Rias asked as she finished writing something on the paper in front of her.

"A bit eccentric."

"Let me guess: the girls chased you around, bombarding you with questions."

"Yes! How do you know?"

"The same happened to me, to Akeno, and also to the others here at the club. Except for Issei. Hmm..." She put a hand to her chin. "I think it was because he already had a bad reputation before he became my Pawn. Anyway, what was it like spending your first night with your Queen and Bishop?"

"Uncomfortable."

She raised her eyebrows, and I quickly continued.

"I had to sleep on the sofa to let them use my bedroom. Besides, they were both out of clean clothes, and I had to give them money."

A small smile appeared on Rias's face. "It's a master's job to look... Wait, did you say 'both out of clean clothes'? Is your Queen a woman?" She raised her head and looked at me in surprise.

"Isn't that a prerequisite for a Queen?"

Rias sighed and put the document she was writing in a small pile to her left. "Not necessarily. Most devils are their own Kings, but Queens aren't always women."

"I see... By the way, can you do me a favor?"

"If it's about Asia, it's already being handled. As I had my eye on her, I was already taking care of the paperwork when you took her for yourself."

"So... you already know about her story too?"

"Yes. Issei told me everything."

I bowed my head to Rias. "Thank you for taking care of that and for making Issei understand the situation so easily yesterday."

She waved her hand in front of her face. "That's what family is for. Anything I can do to help you, I will. Anyway, you came here so we could sort out the devil contract situation, right?"

"Exactly. I need to earn money, and now that there are two Gremorys in town, it wouldn't be fair to leave all the work to you."

"Good. Then let me explain how the devil-human contract system works."

"In the world of devils, contracts are our fundamental way of earning money and interacting with humans. In essence, a human makes a request, and a devil can accept that request for compensation. This compensation can be many things: money, influence, favors, or mana."

"Contracts are divided into categories. The most common are low-level ones, such as helping move furniture or keeping someone company during an activity. These contracts yield little, but they are a constant source of income and cannot be underestimated."

Rias then opened a drawer and took out a scroll, unrolling it on the desk.

"Intermediate-level contracts are rarer and demand more from the devils. These usually involve deeper desires, such as sex, power, or protection. The rewards are greater, but so are the risks, which is why certain devils are assigned to these tasks. We can't always fulfill the exact request, but it's still possible to use words to persuade humans to give us what we want in exchange for a minor favor."

"What about high-level contracts?" I asked.

"Those are the most lucrative, but also the most dangerous. The humans who make these requests are usually already involved with devils in some way. Sometimes they're magicians or occultists, sometimes they're even hunters. Depending on the contract, it can bring enormous benefits or colossal problems. Luckily, these contracts are very rare."

I crossed my arms and nodded. "So, which contracts should I start with?"

"Kuoh City is an inland city in Japan. There aren't as many intermediate-level requests here as in Tokyo. However, there are so many low-level requests that they pile up easily, as you can see..." she looked at the stacks of papers. "As you're just starting out, I want you to start at the bottom like everyone else. When you accept one of these contracts, all you have to do is use the teleportation seal and go to whoever is calling you. Here's one I've set aside for you."

Rias then handed me the parchment she had taken from the drawer.

"As you can see, the parchment details the request."

I took the parchment and read the request carefully.

{I need someone to help me in the kitchen of my restaurant overnight. The traffic has exploded, and the waiters are charging too much to stay overtime. I need agile and efficient hands. Guaranteed payment for fast, quality service. - Mayumi Tanaka}

I raised my eyes to Rias, who was watching me and commented: "Seems like a simple request." 

"Yes, which is why it's ideal for your first contract. This way, you can get used to the process without unnecessary risks."

"Fair enough."

"The magic circle is here. There's just a slight change in the runes compared to ours and..."

"Neesan, you're worrying too much about me. I know perfectly well how a teleportation magic circle works."

She smiled. "Right. I'm sorry about that... Maybe I'm overprotective, but you already proved to me yesterday that you can take care of yourself."

I took the contract and stood up. "It's okay to be careful. I like your attention... Anyway, I'm going to do this now because I still need to earn money to buy dresses for my companions to wear at the formal ball this weekend. When I get used to it and introduce them to the contracts, we can split the contracts equally to ease your burden a little."

"I'm counting on it," Rias said.

With a slight smile, I activated the magic circle. A crimson glow emanated from the paper I was holding, and in the blink of an eye, I was in the middle of a back corridor in a city block.

To my surprise, when I opened my eyes, I saw a woman throwing trash into a garbage bin. This woman looked to be in her fifties, with hair tied up in a messy bun under a kitchen cap, and she had certainly seen me emerge from a magic circle.

"W-what? You're already here?"

"I hope you're Mayumi Tanaka, otherwise it'll be hard to explain what you saw."

She laughed. "Yes, it's me. I threw the flyer away because I didn't think it would work."

At that moment, I looked down and saw that I was standing on a small piece of advertising paper featuring a magic circle and the words: "Got a wish? Call us!"

"Are you a demon? I imagined you with redder skin and horns." Mayumi Tanaka said.

"Demon? No, I'm actually just a devil. Demons are far older and more powerful. Even so, I'm at your disposal to help you however I can in your restaurant."

Mayumi looked me up and down. "Can you cook?"

"Not much, but I can learn fast."

"Right..." she sighed. "I don't have much choice. If you know how to cut vegetables, you'll be a great help."

With a wave of her hand, she invited me into the restaurant, and I soon found myself in its sophisticated, bustling kitchen. Pots were boiling on the stove, ingredients were scattered on the counters, and waiters were rushing to take orders. It was chaos.

"Pay attention, kid. The orders are on this screen, and the faster you go, the better for me! "

I looked at the dishes listed: ramen, tempura, tonkatsu, yakisoba... Pretty complicated stuff for someone like me, who knew little about cooking. In my past life, I basically survived on highly processed food and iFood.

"You look healthy, but let's see if you can keep the pace here," Mayumi said as she walked to the other side of the kitchen. "Start chopping those vegetables for the yakisoba. If you're good, I'll show you how to prepare the ramen broth."

On the counter in front of me, there was an apron, a knife, and a pile of vegetables.

'Would my sword training help make this easier? Well, I don't think so. Handling a sword and handling a knife are two different things.'

[Optional Scene Started!]

[3 Patrons are now watching this scene.]

'Right on time... Wait, this time the voice calls it an "Optional Scene" and not a "Main Scene." That must mean there are different types of scenes. Hmm...'

'There's still a lot of mystery about how this scene system works, but I can't complain because it's helped me. And I really wanted a scene start now so I could test something out.'

'Open store!' I thought with my right hand stretched forward.

[The Entity Shop is open!] The voice in my head announced. 

It was exactly as I had imagined. The store could only be accessed during scenes. Then, a series of holographic screens appeared before me on the counter. 

[Special Offer! Ring of Invisibility for 50,000 credits!]

[Special Launch! Flying Carpet is available in various sizes for 2,000 credits!]

[Flash Offer!!! Fit Everything Bag, perfect for adventurers, for ONLY 900 credits!]

I frowned, annoyed by all these pop-up ads, and most of the items were way too expensive. So I just tapped on those screens and pushed them away. To my surprise, that was enough to make them disappear, leaving only the search bar. 

"Dev- I mean... Kid, how are things going over there?" Mayumi asked from the other side of the kitchen as she prepared a yakisoba in a large frying pan.

"I'm fine!" I said and grabbed the knife from the kitchen to pretend I'd already started work. 'I'm not even going to bother with this store because I already know what I want. I remember seeing this item when I was looking for items that seemed useful before signing the contract.'

The moment I typed two simple words 'Accelerated Evolution', a whole list of items appeared. Among them, one seemed perfect for what I wanted.

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[Item: Amulet of Celestial Growth.]

Type: Magic Accessory.

Description: A small glowing orb that, when equipped, hovers above its wearer's head. This amulet speeds up the wearer's learning, making them more efficient in a wide variety of skills. When activated, a sense of clarity and focus takes hold of the wearer.

Effects:

Accelerated Improvement: Significantly increases the learning rate in the following areas: Cooking, Mechanics, Charisma, Physics, Logic and Creativity.

The orb is invisible, but can be felt if someone tries to touch it.

Cooldown: None.

Price: 80 credits.

+

[Do you want to buy the item 'Amulet of Celestial Growth?' YES/NO.]

'I really wanted to buy this before, but I had more important things to choose from that couldn't be obtained later, like my inheritance. Now that I have the credits, I will not let this opportunity pass me by. After all, this item reminded me a lot of the growth system in The Sims 1, which I was addicted to as a child.' I thought about it and immediately bought the item.

[80 credits have been debited.]

[The Patrons don't understand the reason for buying an item like this, as they believe you could have bought a cooking skill.]

I smiled and whispered: "And what fun would it be to buy a skill and not enjoy the process?"

With the amulet equipped, a floating orb appeared over my head. Then, not wanting to waste any more time, I grabbed a piece of cabbage and tried to cut it in half.

My first cut with the knife was clumsy — too thick and uneven.

"Okay. My knife skills in the kitchen are practically nil now, but what if I keep doing the same thing?"

I kept cutting the cabbage as best I could, and all the cuts I made were far from perfect. However, I soon felt my dexterity increase, and the slices got thinner.

[Congratulations! You've reached Cooking (Level 1)!]

'There you are!'

[The entity named 'Countess of the Iron Pot' is impressed by your rapid progress.]

[50 credits have been sponsored.]

Mayumi, on the other side of the kitchen, looked at me over her shoulder as she shook the pan. "You're really fast! Be careful not to cut yourself!"

"Relax. I'm a fast learner."

"If you're comfortable with that, stir the ramen broth behind you. Don't let it boil too much and add the spices little by little. Don't add too much or too little!"

Behind me was a large pot on low heat on the stove. The broth was almost bubbling and exuded a rich aroma. I picked up the large wooden spoon next to it and started stirring, but the first spices I threw in were so poorly distributed that they formed small lumps on the surface of the broth.

Mayumi noticed my expression and shouted: "If you think the flavor isn't balanced, add more water to dilute the broth!"

And so, little by little, I got the hang of it. Minutes later, the broth had a more balanced aroma and taste that didn't irritate the nose.

"You seem to be doing well there! The next thing you're going to do is fry the tempura. It's simple: dip the karaages in the batter and fry until golden brown!"

The first batch was drenched in oil. The second was almost burnt. But by the third attempt, I could already feel the difference.

[Congratulations! You've reached Cooking (Level 2)!]

Mayumi approached, looked at the golden tempuras I had taken out of the fryer, and raised an eyebrow.

"You've never cooked before, have you?"

"No."

"Then how the hell did you get better so quickly?" she gave me a suspicious look and then laughed loudly, looking proud.

As the minutes passed, the pace in the kitchen increased. The orders kept coming in, but I could already keep up with the flow because my job wasn't too difficult and I was naturally fast.

However, the third level of cooking didn't come as quickly as the others.

'As I imagined, it's like in The Sims... The skill progress bars go up more and more slowly and you have to dedicate more time to climbing. Looks like it's going to be really hard for me to get to Level 10 quickly.'

Now, I could chop vegetables and cook a broth like a pro, so the other cooking-related things were just a matter of time too. Besides, I probably didn't need to be in the kitchen to learn about cooking. A TV show or even a book could help me improve.

The shift passed quickly. Before I knew it, the kitchen was quieter, and the number of orders had decreased.

Mayumi watched me with her arms crossed. "Okay, I admit you have talent. And you were a great help today."

"So, the contract has been successfully fulfilled."

She laughed. "Of course it has. Here's your payment for the four hours you worked."

I counted the bills quickly, and they added up to 16,000 yen. Before I left through the back doors, I heard Mayumi say to me:

"If you come back, I'll test your skills with more difficult dishes!"

"I'll remember that. See you later!"

[Optional Scene Over!]

[50 credits were sponsored during this scene.]

[50 credits have been added to your Balance.]

[Current balance: 220 credits.]

There was no need to go back to Kuoh Academy since it was already so late, and I could do the contract report later. So, I flew back to my apartment as quickly as I could.

I had left Makima and Asia alone for a whole day, and that worried me a lot.

Even though Makima had been acting normal so far, I was still afraid that her original nature would somehow manifest at some point.

When I landed on the balcony of my apartment, I realized that the living room lights were on. I pushed open the glass door and stepped inside.

The room was quiet. Too quiet.

"Makima? Asia?" I called out.

There was no reply.

The living room was tidy, and I could see that the kitchen and entrance hall were as well. I looked around, checking every corner, but nothing seemed out of place. Maybe they'd gone to sleep?

I walked to my room and pushed open the door, but the bed was empty. Sheets spread out, no sign of anyone having lain there.

Something was wrong.

Suddenly, I heard a sound coming from the hallway. That was when I noticed that there was a bit of light leaking from under one of the doors — the bathroom door.

Just as I was approaching and nearly relieved, thinking that they were just taking a shower, I heard Asia's voice pleading:

"Makima-san, please don't do that... I... don't want to..."

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