Momonga froze, an expression of shock writ on his face as he looked at Miki, pondering exactly what he should have done at the moment, and how very different the Earth of the past was from his own past world. In his past world, the practice of adoption and even orphanages still existed, but not until the age of twelve. For at that age a child could well afford to work on the assembly line without additional problems, and thus be able to earn, provide for himself, and pay the bills – nobody wants to adopt a parasite. So orphanages function more like a cheap labor pool than a place for orphans to be adopted.

And they were the lucky ones.

Of course, there were certain age-related restrictions. After all, it was difficult for a child, unless he had inherited an apartment from his parents or had just been released from an orphanage, to find a place willing to rent them a room. As children were known to be forgetful and could easily set off a fire or similar disaster.

Momonga saw dead orphans with a certain frequency and periodicity – and more than once had to go around certain neighborhoods because of the work of the ‘cleaners’. Especially during colder times or months of letting orphans out of their orphanages – but he was officially a year older than Issei, which meant he was already seventeen. He should be able to get a job easily in almost any job that didn't require connections or special education

Not that he wanted to work in an assembly line factory or as an office worker again, but for a few days, at least. Enough time to make up his mind about how the world worked and how he should behave in society, that would have been enough.

Adoption, on the other hand, was a very rare occurrence. Usually it was either when a rich person could not have children for some reason, which all the technology of his past world could not help. Or ceremonially, in the case of adoption into one of the rich families, as a reward or with some purpose in mind. Last, and very rarely, by the kindness of a rich man who might take a fancy to a random orphan.

Perhaps that was the point, though? Education in the past might have been extremely cheap, but only available to certain families or groups of people, and that's why Miki wanted to adopt him, to give him the opportunity to learn. In Momonga’s past world, anyone could get into a school if they had the money and met the minimum requirements of the institution itself. If in the past, only certain groups of people could learn, Momonga might even be a little surprised that mega-corporations did something relatively good in this world. Where they made it possible for everyone to learn, regardless of status – though with regard to their money.

But no, Miki had said a little earlier that he had to be in school, hadn't she? So he must have belonged to one of those families… Ha, really, trying to pass himself off as a local in another world was really hard.

Momonga thought about it for a moment, then decided to take a risk. "Well, I have this…”

Whereupon Momonga pulled out from behind his back – to be exact, he created with [Create Greater Item] a copy of the documents he had managed to study a little earlier, using Gorou and Issei's documents as an example – something like the ‘ID card’ he had in his past world, only of a slightly different type. Of course, after replacing the important details with new ones that fit him.

He'll try to show Miki's documents, and if she starts asking questions that Momonga won't be able to answer, he could just wipe her memory using [Control Amnesia], then head to the adoption process with her. Huh, if they don't use body chip implants at this time – then what marking will be made to indicate his adoption? If they're going to brand or something like that - Momonga will need to scrutinize that branding for the future, since just one use of [Create Body] could easily change his branding, taking away his credibility.

In any case, reaching forward with the card to Miki, Momonga paused for a moment. He wouldn't want to use a tenth tier spell like [Control Amnesia] right away, after yesterday he'd managed to put some simple wards on the area to protect himself from surveillance. But he decided to limit himself to the simpler and weaker wards, so as not to raise suspicion in any possible observer with the very strength of the wards.

As a last resort, he would rather feed his opponent false information about his weakness and gain their scorn and underestimation than reveal his hand completely.

Miki, taking the card, immersed herself in reading it for a few seconds – before blinking and shifting her gaze to Momonga.

Momonga, on the other hand, tensed inwardly as he looked at Miki’s strange expression. “Is something wrong?”

“These papers… They say you're of legal age, you have a driver's license… Why do you have one? Do you have a car?” Miki blinked, in apparent confusion, before exhaling slowly, while Momonga had already prepared to use [Charm Species] and [Control Amnesia].

Apparently, just copying Gorou's papers, he forgot to delete some important details he didn't know about. “And here I was wondering how did you get here and about money… Ha, you are actually emancipated?”

“Emancipated?” The word pricked Momonga's memory a little, but that knowledge wasn't on the surface of his mind, and he didn't have time to dig into his memory right now. So, he just nodded, hoping that it wasn't a trap. But, judging by Miki's facial expression, it was an answer to her question, explaining if not all, then many questions at once, "Yes, I am, Miki.”

Miki raised her hand and put it to her face before looking away, an action that seemed suspicious to Momonga, but he allowed Miki to act as he saw no intention to attack or do anything similar or unexpected. “Ha, a great rarity indeed, I guess that explains a lot – how you got here, the money, your maturity… It's just, it is so rare that I never thought I would ever meet anyone emancipated even once in my whole life.”

‘Oh, apparently what Miki thought I did is possible, but is really an extremely rare event… Maybe it would have been better to just let her adopt me?’ Momonga thought about it, but decided against it in the end.

‘No, until I know the situation definitively – it's better to use as little high-rank magic as possible. The less magic used in creating my cover, the less likely I am to screw up on some little thing. I should try to adapt to this world – the more underestimated I am and the less my enemies are aware of my abilities, the better.’

“Ahem, in that case," Miki twirled Momonga's ID in her hands before returning them. "I guess there's no point in me going anywhere with you right now – much less to school… But, huh, maybe I should go with you after all? I think you’ll soon realize that emancipated people are very rare, and it would be better if I could be present during your enrollment for school. At least it would be better for the principal.”

“Absolutely, I would love to have you with me Miki," Momonga nodded. One more person, especially one who knows how the world works and who can guide him at the right moment, has always been a joy for Momonga. When it’s available, discounting a trustworthy guide just because you want to go on an ‘adventure’ is beyond foolish.

“And I think it’s best for you to prepare to bring your emancipation documents with you when we go to school, just to make all progress smoothly… Actually, did you already bring all your stuff with you from Kyoto? Yesterday, you… yesterday, you came without your things – did you move them overnight?” Miki stumbled as her memory of what happened yesterday was still raw.

‘Ah, crap, that's right, I forgot to fabricate some luggage… I guess it’s a good that I had put Miki to sleep, she would’ve asked some uncomfortable questions.’ Momonga, however, not showing his discomfort, only nodded. Then, after a slight momentary regret, did not dispel his ID documents, instead returning them to his inventory, forgoing their original function as a temporary item. He rather not risks crafting them again and miss some slight detail that would mark them out as fakes, especially now that he has to use them as his permanent personal documents.

"That's right, Miki…” Momonga simply agreed, not showing outwardly any of his thoughts.

Things created with [Create Greater Item] could exist for a long time, as long as their existence was maintained by Momonga himself. The cost of maintaining them depended on the size, quality, quantity, and purpose of the items, plus, of course, the inability to create artifacts, magical weapons, food, or materials – anything that could be a resource.

Instead, he could only create facsimiles of the item, albeit a high-quality one, one that would be immediately recognized as a ‘fake’ if he ever tried using it as a resource, disappearing as soon as Momonga wished it. Of course, given that his documents were essentially a ‘page of paper’ in YGGDRASIL terms – Momonga could maintain the existence of his ID indefinitely.

Still, albeit only a drop in a pool, such an act reduced Momonga's potential mana regeneration. It would last at least until he learned the look of his documents thoroughly and could reproduce them perfectly every time after.

‘One more item on the quickly growing to-do list…’ Momonga sighed, then frowned. ‘Now, a question, who has any idea what an emancipation resolution looks like?! What even is an emancipation resolution!’

***

Issei made his way to the gates of Issei's school before closing his eyes, drawing in the scent with his nose.

‘Ah, mein Freund, indeed – it is the smell of… purposelessness.’ Issei smiled, then crossed the small boundary separating the school grounds and the rest of the city. As he got closer, he could feel the sleepy and already awake minds of the students and adults around him begin to slowly spin, preparing for their daily drudgery. And through it all, the smell of directionlessness, of people simply ‘existing’ rather than ‘living’ are thick in the air.

‘Purposeless teachers, purposeless students, purposeless people and even purposeless demons… what a contradiction in terms’

Issei even began counting the demons, sensing their presence around him. ‘One, two, three, four, five… Oh, there's a whole posse of them here!’

Kiba Yuuto is a demon, a former human in fact, reborn with the help of [Evil Pieces]… Hmm, a race-changing artifact from this world? Interesting… Maybe Issei should take the form of some Supreme Being and try to steal those? A good idea, but Issei couldn't afford to be distracted by his passion for collecting now that he had a mission...

Though maybe a little later?

Issei thought for a moment, before lightly touching Kiba Yuuto's thoughts, trying to determine if he was a potential danger, an actor, or just another setting of this scene.

‘Hmm, a [Knight] of Rias Gremory – his current level… Hmm, judging by his thoughts and memories, he is supposed to be well above the level of a new 'low class demon'. But still hasn't made his way to 'middle class demon', so I would estimate his level to be about the twentieth? Perhaps, a little lower, although his ability to create swords…! O mein Vater, that's not an ability – that's an artifact he possesses!’ Issei felt his interest slowly begin to take over as he discovered an artifact in his ‘stroll’.

‘[Sword Birth], another of these so-called [Sacred Gear] that Father mentioned earlier. The feeling I got makes it not nearly as strong as the World Class Item – but it is still a unique artifact of this world, a member of a very high rank of artifacts! Though the swords he created are quite weak, but the tactical flexibility itself is magnificent!

Oh? Hmm, further, within his memories he was… Trained by Okita Soji? I'm not familiar with the name, but he looks like a strong enough opponent. However, in Yuuto's memory he hasn't demonstrated anything really strong. In his training Okita would bring Kiba along to destroy hmm, Stray Devils? Another unfamiliar term… Still, judging by the monster’s appearance, the one in the memory was about level fifteen – even an opponent only ten levels higher could easily deal with him, so it’s not a good measuring stick of Okita’s strength. Still, this is Yuuto's thoughts, and Okita’s strength was in no question to him as he was… A [Knight] of Sirzechs Lucifer? Hmm, he’s the elder brother of Rias Gremory, and is supposed to be the Strongest Satan. What strange information, isn’t there supposed to be only one Satan, Lucifer? Are there multiple Satans in this world? Hm-hm-hm, what lovely information I’ve found! I wonder… what lies deeper within you, Yuuto Kiba?’

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With a silent smirk, Issei did find something exciting beneath all that memories and thoughts.

‘Oh, sadistic experiments to create [Holy Swords] users!’ Issei nearly jumped from the emotions from Yuuto at that memory, almost overwhelming him. ‘The only surviving orphan at that… This is so cool! His real name is Isaiah, not Yuuto Kiba – great, unbelievable! So cool!’ Issei felt some exuberance as he began to penetrate the very center of Yuuto's mind, half absorbed by the horizons that opened before him. Of course, the other half is still keeping vigil, no matter how intriguing this first demon he had found, choosing him as his target simply because he was nearest. All must be because of Father’s will!

‘And inside him…? Oh, my what a struggle! Two raging streams of flame, two sparks trying to defeat each other, were raging inside Yuuto. His loyalty to Rias Gremory, who saved him in his final moments – and his hatred for the holy church, for the very concept of a [Holy Sword], a desire for revenge for all his slain comrades…’

The beings of the Great Tomb of Nazarick were bestowed by Their grace with the knowledge of their purpose, their life purpose. Whether as a ‘maid’ or as ‘Floor Guardians’, while the people of this world were empty and meaningless, bereft of that purpose of which they were incapable of even realizing.

And yet, even among these masses of empty vessels devoid of everything, there were those who tried to raise in their souls that great flame that burned in every inhabitant of the Great Tomb. They do so senselessly, and yet commendably, capable of generating pathetic sparks from their own understanding of their purpose – such a purpose existed inside Yuuto… Yet Yuuto Kiba was torn – for there were two of these sparks in his soul. Both of them insignificant compared to the great flame of a true servant of the Forty-One, and yet real, tangible – and each of these sparks were tearing his soul apart.

His colliding passion causing him great suffering.

Issei could not imagine the terrible agony that Yuuto must have felt, being torn between his two destinies. It would be a pain throughout his entire being, like the thorns of a rose sprouting through his flesh.

And yet, just like a blooming rose, it was so beautiful and thrilling, a magnificent tragedy for those who wished to enjoy it.

“Ise!” A loud voice of a student interrupted Issei's musings, causing him to remember that he had a mission, and to turn away from the contemplation of the stunning specimen, turning away, hiding a slight expression of displeasure on his face. “I know that look on your stupid face, you bastard! You almost drooled there just now, your eyes glistening – did you get lucky with that Yuma yesterday, you bastard?!”

The student who approached Issei had a shaved bald head, dressed in his school uniform, and was practically sobbing, as he looked at Issei – or, well, ‘Issei’.

“Brother, we were abandoned, abandoned to our cruel fate!” Almost sobbing as hysterically as the first, dressed exactly the same as the first, with disheveled hair and large glasses covering at least half of his face. He seems to linger behind the first, as he responded to his cry, torn between trying to be the more resilient of the two, and wanting to fall to the ground and tear up right on his way to school.

“Ah, Matsuda, Motohama” Issei easily picked up on the superficial thoughts of the schoolchildren, getting their name and relationship with ‘Issei’. “If you mean yesterday about Yuma and me, then…”

Issei thought about what he should answer for a moment. ‘Yuma’, that was the name the Fallen Angel, Raynare, had introduced herself to Issei with. Issei was not fully aware of what had transpired between the Fallen Angel and ‘Issei’, but he did receive adequate information from Father as He prepared to go into this world.

It seems that ‘Issei’ had died after his date. More precisely, he should have died after Yuma, Raynare's actions, but he was saved by Father, before becoming an unfortunate collateral of the fight between Father and the red dragon's… Or, perhaps it was intentional – considering all other actions that followed before and after what had transpired.

The bottom line, however, was that the date between Issei and Yuma did not end in a way that the Issei could have simply told. Even if he had received permission to inform these people about the existence of magic, fallen angels, and, as could be understood from Yuuto Kiba, demons and dragons – he had to play the role of Issei.

And so, instead of answering, he merely picked up a superficial thought from the mind of one of the schoolchildren, then voiced that. It seems that ‘Issei’ doesn’t have the best of reputations with the fairer sex. “It was all a prank… When I met her for the date, Yuma filmed me and then laughed and ran away! It was kind of a set-up, or maybe she was forced to do it as a way to humiliate her…”

Moments later, Issei collapsed on his knees, after which he balled his fists and began striking the ground. The perfect pose to act out despair!. “I'm crushed, totally crushed!”

“Shit, man!” Matsuda, the bald guy, made his way over to Issei, then instantly knelt down beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder in a conciliatory gesture. “Don't worry, I have some raunchy new mag on me – the best boobs, I'll give it to you for free!”

“Dude, let's go to my place after class! I have so much new stuff, and my parents have moved out of the house for the rest of the week! It’ll cheer you up right away!” Motohama, the young man with glasses, immediately got on the other side of Issei, showing his support of him.

Issei, however, only noted that simultaneously with the real worry for Issei and his trampled love life and the friendly support and sympathy from the depths of the two schoolboys' minds – came relief. As if they feared that if Issei would get a girlfriend, bypassing them in life, and that by getting a girlfriend he would leave their ‘perverted trio’. Which was once an offensive nickname that the trio of friends now proudly wore. Along with that, however, were considerable anger – both at Yuma, for daring to wound Issei, and at themselves, for being relieved to learn that Issei didn't actually have a girlfriend.

“Thank you guys!” Issei rose from his stupor, then smiled sadly, wiping away a small tear that had appeared as he sucked in the air noisily. “You two are real friends.”

“No problems, bro," Matsuda gave Issei a friendly slight nudge on the shoulder as they began walking towards the school, causing Issei to note that Matsuda was in excellent physical shape – surpassing his supposed first level.

“Ah, speaking of bros," Issei shook his head, acting out some kind of surprise. "I think I found an older brother…”

Matsuda and Motohama, upon hearing this, instantly stopped their attempt to walk forward, shifting their attention back to Issei. “Ise, don't tell me you found someone you're willing to trade us for…”

“No, that's not what I mean," Issei shook his head, "I really did find my older brother… It turned out that my father had a family on the side, and the result of that relationship came here after his mother died, trying to find his father. So to make matters short, mother kicked father out and now my sort of older brother lives with us.”

Matsuda and Motohama shifted their gaze to each other at these words, then back to Issei. And then, clearly not knowing what else they should have said somewhere along the way, just said the first thing that popped into their mind.

“That sucks, brother," Matsuda spoke up first, briefly summarizing the news.

Motohama only nodded at that, allowing Issei to frown and hang his shoulders. “Yeah.”

Matsuda and Motohama's thoughts swirled in their heads, regret mixed with some awkwardness and along with that, sadness, sympathy, and anger. Not only were Issei's dreams trampled yesterday, his father also turned out to be nothing like he had seemed all these years.

‘They really were good friends to you, Issei.’ Issei sighed mentally, and outwardly, to complete his act. ‘If that's any consolation for you in the afterlife, of course.’

Issei’s attention was then drawn towards the direction of the school as more and more figures of schoolboys and schoolgirls, adults and youths, demons and humans with their emotions swirled in the distance.

Issei smiled a little. Indeed, his Father had prepared a great task for him – and at the same time, seemingly a dangerous one. It was a buffet full of viands and possibilities – even just one Yuuto Kiba was already such a unique specimen, so what awaited Issei next? So many choices, so many wonderful, wonderful choices…

Issei's gaze suddenly came upon the figure of Father – and at the same time the figure of Issei's mother, Miki, walking lightly across the school grounds. Father's face expressed no emotion, while Miki seemed to be changing somewhat rapidly as she cast a slightly unfocused look around her, and at the same time looking at Father ahead, now with apprehension, and with respect…

‘Father, have you come here to see if I have done Your will?’ Issei smiled inwardly, feeling as if he were a child before the gaze of his Parent, watching intently as the child wrote their first letters.

‘Father, such grace and mercy… Father, look at me, for I am now Issei Hyoudou, and I am doing Your bidding!’

“Brothers, but you know exactly what will never betray us?” Issei – no, Pandora’s Actor, who took that mask, dissolved into it, and became Issei Hyoudou until Father said otherwise – smiled a smile full of pain, and at the same time, an undercurrent of confidence.

A moment later, Matsuda and Motohama smiled as they understood his message, and then, embracing together, they threw their arms up in the air with a loud shout.

***

“BOOBS!” A loud shout surprised Momonga – though the shame he felt was definitely not about the content of the shout, but who exactly was shouting.

‘I'm not listening, I'm not even looking, don't look at me, let no one see or notice me, I don't even know these people… Pandora’s Actor! Why!?’ Momonga kept his gaze straight ahead, trying not to shift his eyes, running from the shame that rose so high that it dissipated after a moment.

‘I am so grateful for my abilities… If it weren't for them, I would have run away by now, using [Time Stop] and [Perfect Unknowable] liberally.’

Momonga took a few steps before he heard voices – apparently someone was enraged by the shouts of schoolchildren, including Pandora’s Actor’s, posing as Issei at this moment, trying to quiet them. ‘I am grateful to you, whoever you are. I am very grateful…’

Stopping for a moment, Momonga waited for Miki to walk a little closer to him, as he had unconsciously hastened his steps as soon as he noticed Pandora’s Actor.

‘Huh, and why did I only copy Gorou's documents…’

As it turned out, Gorou could indeed drive. A fact that was reflected in his driver's license, which Momonga had copied and not changed because he didn't know what that particular box on the card meant. So when Miki discovered this fact, and thanks to the fact that Gorou had left his car as he ran off into the night without it, she offered to let Momonga drive.

Momonga should compensate Gorou, somehow, later for this loss.

Momonga in turn reasoned that if he had a driver's license, it would be hard for him to find a reason not to get into a car, although he had never driven a car in the past world.

In YGGDRASIL, Momonga had used many different mounts, including mechanical ones. Even though he didn't have the special abilities of the cavalry classes, barring him from bonuses for fighting on horseback or driving a mount – he was still capable of using those.

Therefore, he decided to at least try himself as a driver… As it turned out - Momonga didn't know how to drive.

Thankfully, he didn't crash into anything along the way – and, as far as he could tell from the lack of police chasing him, he hadn't broken any traffic rules… At least, other than speeding.

Momonga had forgotten that in YGGDRASIL, mounts were used primarily for two things – either to move quickly from one location to another or during a battle to change positions quickly. Perhaps as an extra power in case the mounts were strong enough, or to activate the special abilities of players that required those, like [Ramming].

So when he got behind the steering wheel of the car, Momonga used it as he always did. He didn’t pay any attention to the fact that the mounts, cars, of this world were not meant to be used at full speed – even if they had the ability to move quickly. The fact that he’s accustomed to the speed of level one hundred players, with the maximum speed of the car ‘below a specialized level forty mount’ didn’t help matters. His mind was simply used to processing things moving at a much greater speed.

So Miki, who was sitting in the front seat and had only time to buckle up, was instantly crushed by the speed of the bellowing beast of a car. A car which immediately burst with inhuman speed into the thick stream of cars on the road, and then rushed forward, as Momonga maneuvered the car between offensively slow cars.

Momonga didn't even pay attention to the strangled wheezes Miki made beside him, as she tried to figure out what she was seeing in front of her eyes. Momonga ignored it all completely, considering what was happening as normal as it was in YGGDRASIL, having covered the distance to Kuoh Academy in literally minutes.

After that, having easily parked with a ninety-degree turn he had practiced in the past – adjusting for the car's comparative clumsiness of course, Momonga calmly stepped out of the car. While for Miki, she seemed to just flow out of her seat – like slime, barely finding the ground under her feet only because Momonga had put his arm up to her and waited another dozen minutes before she could regain her composure a bit.

If it hadn't been for Momonga's buff-giving food a little earlier, it's likely that Miki would have parted with the contents of her stomach by now. Something which made Momonga think of experiments – if the person who ate the buff-giving food expelled it from her body, would its effects end? What about the natural exit of that one from the body? Some high-level food could give extremely long-lasting buffs, what if the person went to the toilet earlier – would the buffs stop working, or not?

Momonga shoved those thoughts away again – after which he did lead Miki to the headmaster, supporting her for a while as she couldn't walk on her own.

And now, when she did seem to have found her legs, she still intermittently stopped to cast strange glances at Momonga – something that made him feel uncomfortable. But, at the same time, Momonga knew that he well deserved the reaction, Momonga was faced with his child acting strangely as Miki also was faced with the strange actions of her newfound son.

‘I don't even know what's more embarrassing – when he salutes and speaks German, trying to do some ridiculous 'cool' pose all the time, or now as he acts like Issei.’ Momonga couldn't help himself, and put his palm to his face, as if trying to hide from the world behind the barrier of his fingers.

‘Ha, I don't even know what to do. Miki, should I apologize for my son’s actions, or sympathize, because I know what it's like to have a shameful child…’

Momonga cast a glance at Miki, who was looking at Pandora’s Actor – Issei. Or rather, at the trio of schoolchildren, at the moment seeking to escape from some girl with a wooden sword in her hands, running after the trio, threatening them with every possible punishment under the sun.

Momonga turned his gaze to Miki, wanting to convey his silent sympathy and understanding, but found on her face not what he himself was experiencing – but a strange detached expression, full of pain and recognition.

Then Miki shook her head and turned away, finding Momonga's gaze.

Momonga sighed, then tried to silently convey a commiserating thought to her. ‘Don't worry, I understand how you feel right now…’

It was unclear whether his thought had reached Miki's mind, but she cheered up a little and then smiled a little, less sadly and without so much pain inside.

“Let's go, Miki," Momonga nodded toward the nearby school administration building, noting that there were still twenty minutes left before classes began – if classes here began the same time as in his previous world, at least, at half past eight.

Miki, taking a few steps forward, clearly strengthened and recovered from Momonga's trip, stopped for a moment, then smiled Momonga’s way. "You know if you want… You can call me Mom.”