Start in DxD as Motohama: Leveling Up in Another World-Chapter 20: Another Unusual Situation (III)

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

As he tried to understand the rapid developments of the situation up until that moment, he realized they had arrived at the main gate of "Kuoh Gakuen."

Kaori led him through the school gate. It seemed they had arrived just when the class was about to start, as no students were visible in the hallway except for them.

"U-um... Are you okay?"

"What's wrong?"

"Well... it doesn't look like there are any students around. It seems that classes have already started..."

At Shinji's concern, Kaori elegantly laughed.

"Fufufu. It's fine. As I mentioned before coming here, the president of the board at this school is my father. I also notified the school in advance that I would be late today, so it will be fine."

"I see..."

That was a relief. If she got scolded because of him, he would feel really bad. However, the president of the board at such a large school... He thought Kaori's behavior was elegant, but as he had suspected, she was really from a wealthy family.

Still, that change in the story he remembered was something he couldn't just let go of.

Shinji felt curious and decided to use [Appraisal] on her.

[Name: Kaori Houjou]

[Age: 17]

[Race: Human (100%)]

Title: [Descendant of one of the Four Shinto Noble Families]

Occupation: [None]

Level: 1

Magic: 10

Strength: 10

Constitution: 200

Agility: 20

Intelligence: 50

Luck: 500

BP: 0

[Skills: None]

Shinji widened his eyes at the information. He couldn't deny that he was surprised.

First: The girl in front of him had superior stats compared to his when he received the door, despite being at the same level.

That somehow made him feel quite weak.

Second: She turned out to be a descendant of a Shinto family.

From his memories, the novel mentioned that Akeno and Tsubaki were descendants of Shinto noble clans. However, it didn't go too deep into this.

But for the girl to have that kind of background... It left him even more surprised.

Now a new question arose: Could she be related to any of the previously mentioned families, or is she from a new one?

As Shinji followed Kaori, lost in thought, they soon arrived in front of a door labeled "President's Office."

Kaori knocked on the door, and then a refined voice was heard from inside.

"Come in."

"Excuse me."

"P-please excuse me!"

Nervously and with curiosity, he entered the room, following Kaori.

Inside, there was a leather sofa, a light brown suit table, a desk for working, all of which looked to be of good quality. Then, a cool middle-aged man was sitting at the back of the desk. Upon closer inspection, Shinji could sense that he resembled Kaori in some way, so he assumed he was her father. The man seemed surprised for a moment when he saw him enter the room, but immediately greeted him with a kind look.

"I'm glad you've come. I'm Tsukasa Houjou, the new principal of this 'Kuoh Gakuen.' Motohama Shinji-kun, I've heard about you from my daughter, Kaori. Thank you for saving my daughter."

After the polite greeting, he bowed his head, and Shinji, nervous, quickly told him to lift his head.

"P-please raise your head! I didn't do much..."

"No, no matter what you think, you certainly took action at that moment. That's something to be proud of."

"That's true, Shinji-san. Once again, thank you very much."

When they said that, it made him feel embarrassed.

"U-understood."

"... Thank you."

They lifted their heads after he accepted their gratitude. Then, he asked something that had been bothering him.

"Now that I think about it, why was Houjou-san alone at that time? Doesn't she have an escort or...?"

"Shinji-san, you don't need to be so formal calling me Houjou-san like that. Please call me Kaori. An honorific or title is unnecessary, you know?"

"Eh!? But..."

"My daughter says it's fine, and since you're the same age, you don't need to be that respectful, right?"

"Okay?" Shinji felt like things were getting too weird. What's up with this permissive father? They're just getting to know each other, and he already wants him to call her by her first name? Isn't that strange? Well, for now, the best thing is to just go along with it. It would be awkward to keep saying Houjou-san when they both share the same last name.

"Well, I suppose you're right..."

Kaori smiled upon hearing him accept.

"Now, Shinji-kun, regarding your earlier question, I want Kaori to live a normal life, and she hasn't had an escort since she was young."

"That's what I personally wanted. I won't be able to be independent if I always have someone with me, and I don't need them to find a job either, right? But because of that previous situation, I need to bring her with me now."

Kaori said, glancing at the woman with a butler-like appearance.

"I'm sorry too, but she's still my daughter. She's important to me."

"I see..."

Shinji thought that the rich also have their own problems. Especially when there's a risk of being kidnapped and such, and the possibility increases when considering the poor security in the city.

After talking like this, they finally got to the main topic.

"Well, I had Shinji-kun come here because I want to show my gratitude. That's why I'm willing to fulfill a request of yours."

"A request?"

The president nodded when he responded.

"That's right. This is my way of thanking you for saving my daughter. By the way, you don't need to worry about this year's tuition, I'll take care of it."

"Really! But still, you didn't have to go that far..."

"I told you already, didn't I? She's my precious daughter. This is a small price to pay in return."

The president said this while laughing, and Kaori's cheeks reddened shyly upon hearing that. Shinji thought they made a good father-daughter pair. It was truly a huge difference from his own home.

"So, what do you want?"

"I... I'd like to change classes."

It was something he had thought about. While he didn't have a problem staying in his current class, he felt like he needed a change of scenery of some sort. So, if he decided to change, wouldn't it be good for his environment to change as well? In the end, his goal was to have a peaceful life in this world.

"Is that so? Consider it done. Do you have a specific one in mind?"

"I'll leave it to you."

"Alright, I think I know the one that fits you perfectly."

Tsukasa moved toward the phone on the table and pressed a button.

"Tell Rie-san to come."

After that, Tsukasa turned toward Shinji, who was watching him curiously.

"I guess you have a lot of questions, kid. However, this is neither the place nor the time to answer them."

Shinji felt that. For a few seconds, the man's body emitted a flow of energy. It was different from anything he had felt until now, and he found it difficult to identify, but soon he received a notification.

[New skill {Spiritual Perception} acquired]

[{Spiritual Perception} has been integrated into the skill {Universal Sense}]

Shinji widened his eyes in surprise at this. His suspicions about the identity of the man in front of him began to grow deeper.

However, was this possible? Wasn't it supposed to be that the only users of spiritual energy, ki, touki, or whatever you want to call it, were youkai? Doubts flooded his mind.

"Is something wrong, Shinji-san?"

Noticing that Kaori hadn't noticed, he assumed that she wasn't involved in the supernatural world yet.

"It's nothing."

He was about to use [Appraisal] on Tsukasa when a knocking sound came from the door.

"Looks like she's here... come in."

"Thank you."

A woman had appeared as he said this. She was wearing a lab coat with a weary impression, and beneath the jacket, she wore a worn shirt.

Additionally, since the shirt is simple and slips off her shoulder, the chest is... Let's just say the bra wasn't visible anywhere. Shinji swallowed nervously at the sight.

The president smiled bitterly when he saw the woman's overall relaxed appearance, which surprised him.

"You're the same as always... Shinji-kun, I want you to take experiential classes with this woman."

"I see. Well, don't be so nervous. Sensei will teach you properly."

"U-umm..."

Shinji was left speechless. He knew this world had its quirks, but he could only thank God for what his eyes were witnessing, even though God had been dead for many years.

"... Well, you may have a lot to say, but despite looking like this and having the mentality of a scientist, her classes are easy to understand and are popular among the students. So, take it easy, don't get nervous."

"That's right. Sensei is amazing."

"... It's good if you can feel comfortable."

With concern in his heart, Shinji let himself go with the flow of things.