Chapter 19 - Inviting Kiba
"Others get to tail cute, beautiful girls, but I'm stuck following a high school boy with a head full of perverted nonsense?"
Roy muttered to himself, eyeing Issei's figure from a distance.
For caution's sake, Roy didn't approach Issei right after he left home.
Instead, he opted for a casual encounter in the supermarket to avoid any potential surveillance by anyone lurking in the shadows.
It might be overthinking, but better safe than sorry.
The supermarket buzzed with activity, shoppers weaving through the aisles.
As Issei browsed, Roy followed.
Seizing a moment, Roy brushed past Issei, making it look accidental.
[Congratulations, host. You have obtained 500,000 Dimensional Points!]
Roy froze, then checked the system interface.
The five zeros—sent a surge of glee through him.
Half a million? That was far beyond expectations.
Yuuto Kiba, a major supporting character, had just over 50,000 Dimensional Points.
Roy had estimated Issei might offer triple that—around 150,000.
But 500,000? Nearly ten times?
This was an instant windfall.
No more scrimping on Dimensional Points.
He could replicate Kiba's Kendo talent or a fallen angel's abilities without hesitation.
But his elation crashed the next moment as he reviewed the replication costs for Issei:
===
Full Replication: 1,000,000 Dimensional Points
Longinus: Boosted Gear: 1,000,000 Dimensional Points
===
Roy fixated on the string of zeros.
A million points?
His heart sank.
Moments ago, he'd been thrilled with 500,000, but now...
"Good thing I never planned to replicate the Boosted Gear outright," Roy consoled himself.
The richer he felt, the poorer he realized he was.
What a brutal reality.
"Time to focus on the fallen angels," Roy decided, sticking to his original plan: use the Sacred Gear stripping technique to forcibly take the Boosted Gear from Issei.
It would cost far fewer Dimensional Points than replication.
Regaining his composure, Roy kept his expression neutral, as if nothing had happened.
He grabbed a few random items, paid, and left the supermarket.
Issei, oblivious to the encounter, continued shopping for his mother's list.
In the crowded supermarket, a slight brush was unremarkable.
Roy headed to the shop he'd visited yesterday.
After the church trip, he'd tasked them with procuring surveillance equipment.
He'd initially wanted cameras to monitor the church, but installation was impractical without proper conditions.
Returning to the church, Roy inspected it as usual.
Like yesterday, there were no signs of fallen angels.
They hadn't returned overnight.
Where were they?
Kuoh Town was their stage—why weren't they here?
Grumbling about the absent fallen angels, Roy set up listening devices instead.
"All set. Now I wait for them to show," he said, connecting the small cameras to the internet and his phone.
After testing the signal, he confirmed clear reception from the church and left.
The cameras batteries would last a month, letting Roy monitor the church remotely.
If no fallen angels appeared, he'd swap the batteries and keep waiting.
"Kiba, you free? I want to thank you for yesterday's help with a meal," Roy texted Kiba after returning to the hotel.
With 500,000 Dimensional Points from Issei, Roy could afford to splurge.
Plus, Kiba had abilities that Roy coveted.
***
Kuoh Academy, Occult Research Club
The quiet room stood empty until a magic circle flared in the center.
Rias appeared first, finding no one present.
She settled gracefully on the sofa, legs crossed, her skirt just covering her thighs and revealing fair calves.
Soon, Akeno, Koneko, and Kiba appeared from the teleportation circle.
"Any suspicious figures on your end?" Rias asked.
"All clear here," Akeno reported first.
"President, no suspicious people in my area," Koneko replied.
"Kiba, any leads?" Rias asked, pinning her hopes on Kiba.
"Sorry, I haven't spotted anyone suspicious," Kiba said, apologetic.
"I'm sorry, President. I'm useless," Koneko added, her stoic facade masking guilt.
She'd vowed to find the suspicious person, yet after a day's search, she'd found nothing.
"It's fine," Rias said with a reassuring smile.
"I haven't made progress either."
"Kuoh Town is big—it's no surprise we haven't covered every corner in a single day."
"Exactly, Rias," Akeno chimed in.
"If this person's still in Kuoh Town, they'll slip up eventually."
Ring!
Kiba's phone pinged with a notification.
He glanced at it, his expression shifting slightly.
"Kiba, what is it?" Rias asked, noticing the change.
"It's the transfer student I met yesterday."
"He wants to treat me to dinner to thank me for showing him around," Kiba explained with a wry smile.
"Inviting you to dinner for such a small favor? He seems like someone worth knowing," Rias pondered slightly.
"Go ahead, Kiba. We're done here, and after a busy day, you deserve a break."
"Thank you, President," Kiba said, bidding farewell.
He left Kuoh Academy, heading to the restaurant Roy had suggested.