Chapter – 41 The Newbies & The Training!

"Whoa, you must be joking! Do we have this entire Apartment Complex all to ourselves?" exclaimed Natsume as she looked at the building with multiple floors.

Iris nodded, "Yes," and added, "But it's not going to be just the three of us; there are others as well," and explained, "Currently, including Nova and me, there are already four people living here, and this number will increase up to nine or ten within the next few days… Oh, but you don't have to worry about the living space; there are plenty of rooms available for double that number of people to be able to live here comfortably."

At this time, Nova added, "And you know what's the best thing about this place? It's the fact that this place is heavily warded with Enchantment Magic and other stuff that would prevent Utsusemi and other enemies from ambushing us or carrying out a surprise attack without us noticing while we have our guard down. Therefore, you can rest easy; you will be perfectly safe here."

Nova did not delve deeper into the type of enchantment protecting the Apartment Complex. However, it's a very effective spell, inspired by the 'Fidelius Charm' from the Harry Potter Novel Series written by J.K. Rowling. Apparently, Harry Potter Novels also exist in this world, but unlike the original that Nova remembered from his previous life, there are clear differences. What exactly those differences are, many can imagine, as this is the Draconic Deus, and the perverseness did not spare that Novel series as well.

Anyhow, Lavinia–being the magical genius she is in various branches of magics–created the spell upon Nova's suggestion and used it on the Apartment Complex, making Nova, Iris, Vali, and Azazel the Secret Keepers. With the spell in effect, unless it's one of these four people or Lavinia herself telling someone about the spell, nobody will ever be able to find out about the location of the Apartment Complex.

And the reason why they took such measures? It's to prevent the traitors within the Grigori from finding them. Since Nova is fully aware that there are multiple traitors inside Grigori at this point, as Azazel has yet to purge them or deal with them, this precaution is necessary.

'Well, the others have already arrived; let us make haste and not keep them waiting for too long,' said Nova. Without any further ado, he and Iris led the brunette into the apartment complex.

Natsume was extremely happy to hear that she would be living in a safe place, and wouldn't have to worry about getting killed or kidnapped out of the blue. She joyfully followed the two people along with a hawk sitting on her shoulder as they made their way into the Dining Room of the Apartment Complex.

…

Dining Room/Meeting Room of the Apartment Complex

Lavinia, Vali, as well as a tall Japanese guy with a typical delinquent aura, and a small white-cat were sitting at the dinner table while Lavinia explained the ins and outs of various things pertaining to the supernatural side of the world along with other stuff. Vali chimed into Lavinia's explanation from time to time to add details.

The blondie continued her explanation as she felt someone bypass the enchantment and sensed that it was none other than Nova and the others, along with an unregistered human girl. As soon as she figured out that they had returned, she stopped her explanation, then stood up from her seat and approached the entrance of the gate, waiting for them to enter the dining room.

Lavinia's sudden actions confused the delinquent-looking guy. He looked at Vali, hoping the kid would answer his doubts, but the silver-haired kid simply shrugged, not at all interested.

A minute passed in silence, and soon Lavinia saw Nova along with Iris and a busty brunette enter the dining room. The moment they stepped inside, Lavinia moved forward and bowed respectfully, "Welcome back, my Lord," welcoming her master and her [King] back after his journey.

The sight of Lavinia bowing to Nova and referring to him as 'my Lord' further confused Natsume and the delinquent-looking guy. Neither of them expected to see a woman as beautiful as Lavinia—who is also older than Nova—bow and show such respect to him. They couldn't help but think, 'Is he someone of a higher status or position?'

They were doubtful of this interaction and wanted some explanation. However, neither Iris nor Vali reacted to Nova and Lavinia's interaction. Something of this sort is quite normal for them. To those who are perfectly aware of the intricacies of the supernatural world, things like these are quite common.

In fact, it would be odd and disrespectful of Lavinia not to welcome Nova with a respectful bow. After all, she is a servant, and Nova is her master—a servant must always have the self-awareness of a servant. Since she serves as the [Bishop] of Nova's peerage, who is her [King], her actions are indeed completely normal.

But unlike Vali and Iris, Natsume and the delinquent-looking guy are new to the intricacies of the supernatural side of the world. Since they have lived the past seventeen years of their lives in modern Japanese society, where such practices are not so common, they found the sight odd and confusing.

Anyhow, since none among Iris, Vali, Lavinia, and Nova themselves talked about it and treated the interaction as something completely normal, Natsume and the delinquent-looking guy decided to put this matter on the side for now and focused on the more important topics—such as introductions—in front of them.

…

After the tall delinquent-looking guy and the busty brunette had introduced themselves to each other, as well as the other four people in the dining room, as the former second-year students of Ryōkū High School and two of the five survivors of the 'Heavenly of Aloha Incident,' and also learned the names along with a thing or two about the other four in the dining room, the matter shifted to a much more important topic.

It was Samejima Kouki who posed the question, "When can we start rescuing the other missing/dead students?" He was not too keen on waiting for all the five survivors to gather before making their move and rescuing the missing students of Ryōkū High School. He believed that every moment they waited, the lives of those students, especially the life of his best friend Nobushige Maeda, would be in jeopardy.

Nobushige Maeda was Kouki's best friend; both of them were in the same class back in Ryōkū High School, and to this day, Kouki is deeply saddened because of his 'death.' In fact, his very reason for agreeing to join this team was that he wanted to rescue his friend after Lavinia told him that he might still be alive. Which is why he didn't want to sit still while his best friend's life might be in danger!

The one who answered Kouki's question was Nova, "Samejima-kun, right? Well, to answer your question… it will take some time as we are still trying to gather information about that organization and where their base of operation might be along with their goals. Therefore, I regret to inform you that you will have to be a little patient."

Kouki clicked his tongue in annoyance, "Tch!" and said, "But the lives of everyone captured by them… the more we wait, the less probability that they will…" He didn't finish his words as he was horrified by what he was about to say.

In response to Kouki's worries, Nova shrugged, "There is no other way… this is not a simple matter, the people we are dealing with are not simple either. We will have to act carefully; otherwise, we will expose ourselves, and that would further put the lives of your former schoolmates at risk. Instead of blindly rushing there, it's better to wait for a few more days and prepare ourselves."

Even if he wanted to, Kouki couldn't deny Nova's words and sighed helplessly, "Sigh, I see."

Seeing his disappointment, Nova suddenly clapped his hands, and, looking at the white cat sitting on his shoulder, he suggested, "I know, in the meantime, why not start familiarizing yourself with your Sacred Gears? You too, Minagawa-chan… You must also start to get familiar with your Sacred Gear."

The two of them were surprised, "Familiarize ourselves?"

Nova nodded, "Yes, familiarize yourself, as well as train to understand them and their power so that the two of you can master it. By familiarizing with them and mastering their power, the two of you will be able to grow stronger."

Natsume asked in confusion, "How does familiarizing ourselves with them help us master their power and become strong?" Although he didn't ask it, Kouki had the same doubt.

It was Iris who answered their doubts, "Both of your Sacred Gear have the form of an Independent Avatar, and because they are independent avatars, they can think and act for themselves. Of course, they are also a reflection of yours, but that's not the point right now. The point is, in order to harness their power, you would need to familiarize yourself with them and communicate with them so that when you channel your emotions and imaginations into them, along with the fuel that is Magical Energy in your body, they can understand these emotions and imaginations. They won't be able to do this if they don't understand you—their users, masters, partners, whatever you want to consider yourselves."

"I see," both Kouki and Natsume nodded in understanding.

"Iris dear, thank you for the input," Nova gratefully at Iris for answering Natsume's doubt. Then, turning toward Natsume and Kouki, he said, "So, as I was saying… By familiarizing yourselves with your Sacred Gear, you will be able to become stronger, and by becoming stronger, you will be able to provide aid in this entire operation as well."

"Well, that is…" Kouki pondered over Nova's suggestion. It wasn't only him; Natsume was considering it as well.

True, they have been promised protection from Utsusemi and Utsusemi Agency, but is protection really what they want? At this rate, who knows how long it will take for these people to figure out the things about that organization. During this time, both of them will have no other choice but to sit in this Apartment Complex and wait for the results while being completely helpless to do anything about it personally. After all, they aren't strong enough to openly face the supernatural side of the world. However, if they learn to use their Sacred Gear and become stronger as Nova said, they will not only be able to protect themselves, but they will also be able to provide aid in rescuing their former schoolmates!

This reason alone is more than enough for Kouki and Natsume to accept Nova's suggestion. After a bit of thinking, both of them nodded, "Alright, we will try our best, and we are very grateful for everything you people are doing for us."

"Glad to hear that," said Nova, happy that both Natsume and Kouki accepted his suggestion. Then he turned to Iris and Vali and asked, "Can I leave their training to the two of you? Vali for the big guy, as he seems to be the type who learns from practical experience, while Iris for Natsume? I would have participated in their training as well, but I have other things to do in the meantime and will not be able to devote my time to them."

Vali was the first to accept, "Very well, I shall take it upon myself to guide this ignorant human in the ways of power. Under my tutelage, he shall learn to harness the power of [Táowù], just like I harness the power of my Dragon [Albion]."

From the way he spoke, his Chuunibyou traits were clearly visible. Lavinia found this side of Vali incredibly cute and patted his head, "There… there… Va-kun is such a talented and good boy. Have fun with Shark!"

"Wha–?! Haven't I already told you not to call me that, and don't touch my hair, woman!" said Vali with a flustered expression as he tried to get rid of Lavinia's hand patting her but failed miserably.

Having spent the day with Lavinia as they both worked together to find and bring Samejima Kouki to this place, the two seemed to have become closer. All the more reason for him not being able to get rid of Lavinia's hand. The current him has become completely helpless; he is able to voice his dissatisfaction, but nothing beyond that, as Lavinia seems to like that side of Vali and ignores his dissatisfaction.

Not minding the sibling-like bond his [Bishop] and the heir of Lucifer have developed, Nova turned to Iris to hear her response. The ashen-grey-haired girl nodded lightly, "I will train her."

"Alright then, that settles it!" said Nova, about to conclude the matter.

Kouki suddenly interrupted him, "Wait… I haven't agreed to be trained by this kid. I need someone strong, someone with more experience." Kouki was a little dissatisfied with Vali being the one teaching him. Clearly, the kid is the youngest among these four and needs to learn himself; how would he teach him?

Honestly, Kouki was expecting Lavinia—the oldest among the four, and the only one older than him and Natsume—to teach him. He had already witnessed her powers when she effortlessly defeated multiple Utsusemi in a matter of seconds when he himself couldn't put even a scratch on them despite everything he tried. During that time, Vali just stood beside her and did not do anything, so in his opinion, the boy is only a child, and Kouki doubts he would be able to learn anything remarkable from a child.

In response to Kouki's doubts, Lavinia said, "Do not worry, Shark. Va-kun is extremely strong! And he will perfectly guide you so that you learn how to use the power of your Sacred Gear."

"Will he really?" asked Kouki with a doubtful expression as he looked at Vali.

"What's that gaze supposed to mean? Are you looking down on the talent of the most talented Host of the Heavenly White Dragon in history?" said Vali with a pout. He was dissatisfied that he was being underestimated. At the same time, he was also pleased that he was praised by Lavinia. Of course, this doesn't mean he will happily accept her head pats—humph! Only one woman is allowed to do that.

"Your doubts are reasonable, Samejima-kun," said Nova, not denying his doubts. Then he said, "But you needn't worry; Vali will guide you well." I mean, Vali was able to bring power out of Issei better than that dunderhead could at that time, so the boy is definitely capable of training others, even if he riles them up with insults and looks down on them while doing so. They tend to become furious. But that's beside the point. He added after a pause, "And if you still feel that's not satisfactory, how about I suggest this? During the training, if you manage to so much as land a scratch on him, I will agree to change your trainer with the best possible teacher. Does that sound good?"

"You think I can't land a scratch on this kid?" questioned Kouki with a frown.

Nova shrugged, "I don't just think," and added with a smile, "I am certain of this… even a few months from now, that wouldn't be possible for you. That's the disparity between your strength—the difference is like the difference between Heaven and the Underworld. The way you are now, you are nothing more than a human with an above-average physique who happens to possess a powerful Sacred Gear, that's it. Moreover, you have just stepped into the supernatural world, and you know nothing about it.

As someone who was born on this side of the spectrum, my advice to you is to never judge a person by their appearance. Among our kind, appearances can be deceiving, and I really mean it when I say it, 'appearances can be deceiving.'

Don't let your young age and appearance deceive you. We are the native people of this world and have been living on the Supernatural side of the world for many years. So we have far more experience and information than you can imagine and possess power that you can't even begin to fathom."

"That's right, that's right," nodded Vali, pleased to hear praises and boasts about his strength.

"Is that so?" muttered Kouki as the skepticism in his eyes turned into interest and curiosity. He wasn't foolish enough to scoff at Nova's advice, since what Nova said seems to be true. Unlike Nova, Lavinia, Iris, and Vali who have fully integrated themselves into the supernatural side of the world, he is really a 'newbie.' Therefore, he has to accept the advice that he cannot allow his previous worldview to define things from now on. Hence, after a moment of consideration, he accepted Vali's training, "Alright, let's see how this will go." He was looking forward to his training with Vali.

With this matter decided, Nova and Lavinia excused themselves from the dining room without giving any explanation, but Iris and Vali seemed to be aware of it. Anyhow, after Nova and Lavinia left, Iris and Vali helped Kouki and Natsume select a room for themselves at the Apartment Complex for their future stay at this place. When that was completed, the two started with the newbies' training.

In the meantime, Nova and Lavinia found themselves in Nova's room. His purpose in leaving Natsume and Kouki's training to Vali and Iris? The reason is obvious, and it's not what everyone is thinking.

Nova needs to train as well to manifest the power of [Aeon Balor] and master it. Before his plans in Romania are kicked off, he intends to master [Aeon Balor] to significantly increase his strength. He aims to become multiple times stronger compared to his current state because the enemies he might end up confronting from here on are definitely going to be on par with the strongest among the Ultimate-Tier Devils (strength-wise, not in political position).

To ensure that he doesn't meet his demise while pursuing his ambitions, he needs that strength, and for that, he needs to train, and that's exactly what he is going to do now with Lavinia watching over him and helping him if he requires.