Four months had passed since the Hyoudou residence had been renovated into the grand mansion it was now, complete with six stories above ground and three below, and I still found myself stumbling upon new rooms and features I had never seen before.
For instance, I had recently discovered a hidden chamber on one of the basement levels—a combined audiovisual room and training facility that also boasted a large communal bath. There was an apparent dead end in one corner of the room, but lo and behold, I had found a concealed door tucked away out of sight.
“I’m told Ajuka Beelzebub designed this house himself,” Rias explained, one day. “He loves to place hidden elements in all his creations, so something tells me there are other secrets within these walls.”
Seriously? What else was lurking in this house…?
In the end, that hidden room was assigned as Kuroka’s and Le Fay’s secret abode. They both insisted that as former terrorists it was wiser for them to hide in the basement than to risk exposure above ground.
As for the Hyoudou residence’s other hidden secrets…we were currently experiencing one for ourselves.
“What a lovely bath,” Rias murmured next to me as she soaked in the warm water—completely naked.
Without warning, a mysterious door had appeared in a corner of the large bathroom. There hadn’t been anything like it just the day before; it seemed to have popped into existence out of the blue.
And behind it…was another bathing area.
It was more spacious than the bath I had been using all this time, with a stunningly opulent design encompassing the ceiling, walls, and all the fixtures.
The room was also home to a number of tropical plants, giving it something of a jungle vibe.
On top of that, flumes of water spilled from the mouths of dragon-shaped statues, cascading like miniature waterfalls.
Each column was adorned with intricate decorations, with House Gremory’s noble crest incorporated into the designs.
Startled to discover this new bathing space, Rias had proposed an idea, “We’re already here, so why don’t we go in together?”
And so Rias and I slipped into the water. I couldn’t help but marvel at the resplendent bathhouse—but my eyes were equally drawn to Rias’s heaving breasts! A feast for the eyes!
“Ajuka probably designed the house to open up to us over time. After all, it’s winter now, and a new bathroom has revealed itself with perfect timing,” Rias said as she surveyed the room.
Unlocking new facilities over time…? Just how many secrets were hidden within the walls of my renovated family home…?
I craned my neck and let my eyes wander. It was only natural. After all, this bathhouse wasn’t reserved just for us—there were others soaking in here, too!
Before my very eyes, our lively Church Trio was playfully washing one another’s backs!
“Your hair is beautiful, Asia,” Xenovia said as she sponged her back.
“N-not at all… Sometimes, I wish I could cut it as short as yours.” Asia blushed.
Xenovia breathed a deep sigh, giving her head a firm shake. “Stop that. Don’t. Nothing could suit you better than keeping it long.”
“Oh? You used to wear yours long, too. It suited you,” Irina, washing Xenovia’s back in turn, chimed in.
“You used to have long hair?” Asia asked.
“…A long time ago. I figured keeping it was too hard to work in, though. Once, during a mission with Irina, an enemy grabbed my hair. After that, I learned to keep it short.”
Wow! So Xenovia used to have long hair…? I couldn’t even picture it, but I was sure it had to be a cute look.
More importantly, it was simply mesmerizing how her breasts jiggled each time she scrubbed her friend’s back! The same went for Irina! I would have to save this moment in my memory! And Asia’s were growing more beautiful by the day as well! I couldn’t have been happier!
“Then again, doesn’t Issei prefer girls with long hair?” Irina said while playing with Xenovia’s silky strands.
“…R-really…?” Xenovia mouthed, after a brief pause. “Maybe I should ask the prez or Akeno if they know any magic that can make mine grow longer?”
And here I was casually eavesdropping on the three of them… Long or short, personally, I was fine either way! But when it came to Rias, Asia, and Akeno, I just couldn’t picture them with short hair. Those three looked great with long styles, especially Rias—her crimson hair was one of her most striking features.
I sat there, lost in thought about the length of the girls’ hair—when Ravel’s angry voice broke through my reverie.
“I’ve had enough of Kuroka! How dare she eat the egg pudding I tucked away in the fridge?! I went all the way to Minoya to buy that! I can’t forgive her! I won’t!”
Yes, a pouting Ravel was soaking in a small tub alongside Koneko. This new bathhouse was equipped with several different tubs in a range of sizes.
“…Sorry, Ravel,” Koneko apologized, her cat ears wilting. “I’ll give her a warning. And don’t worry. I’ll buy you another one.”
Ravel shook her head. “Oh no… You have nothing to apologize for, Koneko. Kuroka’s the one I’m upset at, not you!”
“…But…She is my sister…”
“We both have thoughtless older siblings, don’t we?” Ravel joked.
…She meant Riser, no doubt. Honestly, I thought he wasn’t too bad of an older brother now that he had grown out of that arrogant attitude he used to have.
Yes, it was a heartwarming sight, seeing these two get to know each other better.
…Before I knew it, I found myself comparing Ravel’s and Koneko’s breasts…! N-no! I had etched that fleeting image of Koneko’s temporarily matured form in my mind! She was going to be such a gorgeous figure before I knew it! It was definitely something to look forward to…
The next moment, a wooden bucket came flying at my head!
“…I can’t beat Ravel as I am now. But take this!”
A merciless attack! Koneko truly was a force to be reckoned with! She sure had a knack for reading my mind!
“…Please don’t stare so intensely, Issei…,” Ravel murmured, embarrassed.
To be perfectly honest, that just made me want to look even more. But after Koneko’s last remark, I had to force myself to turn away!
Still, watching from the sidelines, it seemed to me that Koneko and Kuroka were slowly letting go of old grudges. In fact, Koneko scolding her older sister was starting to become a common sight in the Hyoudou residence.
Kuroka and Le Fay had officially moved into the house after the formation of the anti-terrorist team, DxD. Surprisingly, they had blended in more smoothly than I thought they would. Then again, given that they had already been sneaking into the Hyoudou household even before the team was formed, it felt like a natural outcome.
Right now, Kuroka and Le Fay were out shopping at the local store, picking up some household essentials we were running low on.
…Anyway, once I get out of the bath, I ought to sit down with Ravel and Le Fay to finalize our mage’s pact. We were planning to make it a five-year contract to begin with.
Le Fay was a wonderful girl, no doubt about it, and her abilities were exceptional. A one- or two-year pact would be too short, but the idea of committing to ten years made me a little anxious about what the future might hold.
A five-year contract seemed like just the right balance—though it was my savvy manager, Ravel, who pitched that idea. From a demon’s perspective, a year, five years, or even ten might seem like a blink of an eye—but for someone who had been reincarnated from a human, five years felt like an eternity. Ravel took that into consideration when drafting the contract.
If Le Fay and I decided it would be beneficial to extend the agreement down the track, we could just sign an extension then. There was no need to cross that bridge until we came to it.
…Anyway, for now, all I had to do was kick back and enjoy some eye candy. This was paradise! Pure bliss!
“Oh-ho. Isn’t it fun bathing together?”