'Why the overacting?' Veylith grumbled, clearly annoyed by Soren's act.
'Can't you read my thoughts?' Soren shot back, which only made Veylith grumble even more.
'I can read your thoughts, not your instincts. You had absolutely no thoughts when you snapped your neck toward that monster of a priest.'
With Vasco now gone from the hall, Soren focused back on his porridge.
"Are you alright, Soren?" Rui asked softly. "I know it can be intimidating, but don't be afraid, okay? He's a holy person. He's a good person."
"I know, Rui." Soren smiled, reassuring her that he was fine.
That was enough to put her at ease. Rui let out a relieved breath and went back to comforting the other children, all while still keeping an eye on him.
'Well, I am a three-year-old kid,' Soren finally answered Veylith. 'I stayed calm to catch his attention. And when he released his holy energy, I had to react to keep that attention, to make him believe I can sense holy power.'
In truth, Soren couldn't sense holy power at all. Without awakening the gear, he was no different from a normal child, aside from his sharp mind. It had been Veylith who subconsciously muttered about the leaking holy power, which pushed Soren to act the way he did.
'He has to believe I can sense his power. And I'll need your help for that,' Soren said firmly. 'If we want that blessing, we need to impress him even more. He may have promised it, but we can push further. So help out.'
'As long as it helps me release my power and finally interact with the real world… I will,' the dragon replied.
That was enough for Soren to finish his food in peace.
He didn't know who Vasco was. He had never heard the name or seen the face in the show. But judging by the power the man was clearly suppressing, Soren was certain he was important. Probably someone from the source material that hadn't been adapted yet.
'At least Ultimate Class in terms of devil power. Maybe higher,' the dragon commented. 'Hard to say while I'm stuck like this. If you'd awakened me, I could've gauged him better.'
'Yes, yes,' Soren chuckled quietly. 'I'll make sure to awaken the gear once I get this blessing.'
The dragon was genuinely impressed. This hadn't been planned. Soren had decided everything on the spot, purely on instinct.
'Still impressive that you stayed calm in front of a monster.'
That might have sounded like high praise to others. To Soren, it was simply expected.
Compared to his past life, where even death had grown dull, and the year spent in the void with a being whose presence alone could cause heart attacks, Vasco didn't really scare him.
'What I'm curious about is how much he influences the story,' Soren mused. 'Being strong doesn't always mean being important.'
That did change when the individual happened to be the Pope's right-hand man. After all, aside from angels, they formed the very core of Christianity in the world.
At the end of the day, all of this was just for a blessing. Anything beyond that would either be a burden or an added benefit.
'The porridge is pretty good today.'
* * *
{Minutes Later — Airi Children's Home, Airi Town}
—Vasco Strada—
"I hope the tea is to your liking," the caretaker said softly. "The leaves were a gift to the orphanage from a believer."
Vasco took a slow whiff, immediately appreciating the pleasant aroma. He had always enjoyed tea, especially blends from ethnic regions.
China, India, Japan, Sri Lanka, even Taiwan.
Most of the tea he truly liked came from Asia, where it all originated. Chinese green tea and Indian black tea were his favorites. Kenyan tea wasn't bad either, but since tea wasn't something he indulged in regularly, he rarely got to enjoy it as much as he would have liked. After all, ethnic tea tasted best in the places it came from.
"So, this is the estimate?" he asked, glancing at the neatly organized cost breakdown.
Most places tried to overcharge him. It had happened far too often. And while it saddened him that greed thrived even in places where it should have been the farthest thing from anyone's heart, this… this felt refreshing. There was no deception here.
"That should cover most of the expenses, yes," the middle-aged woman said, sounding a little nervous. "But if it's too much, we can delay some of the renovations for—"
"That won't be necessary," the Cardinal Priest said calmly. "I can approve this."
Truthfully, he was willing to add a little extra for the children's development. But she didn't need to know that yet.
Satisfied, he returned his attention to the tea. As he did, he noticed the caretaker fidgeting slightly.
"Is there something else?" he asked, already familiar with the look. People usually had more than one thing on their mind around him.
"I… was wondering if the child you were planning to bless was Soren, Your Eminence."
So that was it. Nothing troublesome. Just curiosity.
"Soren, yes," Vasco nodded. "I believe that's the name the young caretaker called him."
He tried to lean back in his chair, but the wood creaked ominously under his massive frame. He froze, a thin sheen of cold sweat forming, and decided to stay exactly where he was.
He glanced at the caretaker, half-expecting her to notice, but thankfully she didn't. Instead, she smiled softly, clearly relieved.
"He's a special child," she said, unprompted. "Always ahead of his peers, but never looking down on them. He started running when others were still learning to crawl. Spoke full sentences when most children were barely saying words. And not long ago, he learned to read."
Her smile carried a hint of pride.
"Most children his age are drawn to picture books. But he picked up a book without pictures. A dictionary."
She finally raised her head, looking at the giant man who somehow still towered over her even while seated.
"He hasn't shown any signs of holy power," she continued. "But even without it, I believe God has blessed him."
"Every child of God is blessed," Vasco corrected gently. "Just in different ways."
Even so, he couldn't deny the pull he felt toward the boy. No holy power, yet such sharp sensitivity to it. Combined with what the caretaker had said, if trained properly, the child could become an excellent tracker. An excellent exorcist.
'Maybe… just maybe,' the thought crept in despite himself. 'He could even become a wielder.'
For now, that was nothing more than wishful thinking. Without the ability to wield holy power, the boy's path would end at exorcist.
'Still,' Vasco mused, 'with how quickly he grasps things… it might not be impossible.'
The lady suddenly asked, "If… if I may ask," she hesitated a little. "Would you be taking him to the Vatican after the blessing?"
That wasn't a stupid thought. In fact, it made a lot of sense.
Most Bishops who blessed children often took them along to train or teach if the child showed promise. With the Vatican, though, that was rare. Very few talents ever caught its eye.
But if a child did manage to draw the Vatican's attention, they were destined for greatness.
Vasco, however, wasn't certain. "He certainly shows promise," he said. The boy's sensitivity made him consider the possibility. "However, unless I see how the blessing reacts to him and how he accepts it, I won't be able to say for sure."
And even if he did take the child to the Vatican, he doubted he would be the one teaching him. Given his duties and his methods of training, not everyone was suited for it. If the boy went there, it would most likely be someone else guiding him.
"It is up to the Lord and His guidance, and the child, and how he follows that guidance," he said with a smile. "We can only wait and watch."
And waiting was what he did, for the most part. Since the children were having their meal, he didn't hurry them. Sure, time was tight, but the kids needed to eat.
So he stayed in the office for about an hour, letting the children finish their food and settle down before finally making his move.
Most of them were either in their rooms or getting ready for the rest of the day. For some, that meant preparing their books; for others, their clothes; and for most, their toys.
But the boy he was looking for wasn't doing any of that. Instead, the caretaker told him the boy was somewhere else.
"He usually goes to the library at this hour."
That only made Vasco more intrigued.
'I can understand kids his age being drawn to books, but spending time in the library every morning, routinely…' He was pleasantly amused. 'That's something.'
It took them only a few seconds to reach the library. It wasn't big by any means, barely a few square feet of space, with books as old as a century or two cluttered together.
There, tucked into the corner of a bookshelf, was the boy they were looking for. He was sitting with his back against the shelf, more than five books scattered on the floor, and one massive hardcover resting in his hands. The book was heavy enough that it had to sit on his lap, and judging by his focus, he was completely invested in it.
The caretaker tried to call out to the boy, but Vasco immediately raised a hand to stop her.
Instead, he slowly walked toward the child, careful enough that his weight wouldn't make the floor creak.
Vasco was well aware that his size announced his presence no matter what he did. Still, seeing the boy so deeply absorbed in the book, he held onto a bit of hope.
Once he was close enough, Vasco finally spoke.
"That's an interesting book you have there, child."
The boy, Soren, finally lifted his eyes from the pages and looked up at the towering man.
"Are you here for a book as well, sir?"
He didn't address Vasco by his title. Given his age, Vasco was pleasantly surprised by how composed the child was.
'Being this fluent and formal at such an age is almost unheard of.'
Vasco smiled. "I was looking for you, my child."
He leaned forward slightly, and the floor finally let out a creak. 'They really need to reinforce these planks.'
Ignoring the floor for now, he focused his attention back on the boy.
"Do you like reading, Soren?" This time, he called the boy by his name.
Soren didn't need to think about it and nodded immediately. "I love books, sir."
'Sir.' Vasco couldn't hide his satisfied expression. 'He doesn't really know how to address me, but he understands that I hold a higher position than the caretakers around him.'
That was perception, a quality necessary for an exorcist or a wielder of holy power.
"Is there any kind of book you like in particular, Soren?"
There wasn't any special reason behind the question. He was simply curious about the boy's answer.
The brown-haired boy thought for a moment, his bright eyes searching for the right words.
"I like language books," he said. "I like reading them."
That wasn't the answer Vasco had been expecting. But with how many times Soren had already surprised him, he was starting to get used to it.
"Oh?" The old man kept his smile. "Is there a reason for that?"
He didn't expect a deep explanation from a child, but he did expect something. Nothing serious, just what drew him to them.
Maybe it was the different scripts, the strokes, or the way the words felt foreign. But what he didn't expect was such a clear, fluent answer.
"Because they help me understand people," Soren said, surprising Vasco even more.
"Oh?" The old man was genuinely taken aback. "And why do you want to understand people?"
This time, he hoped the boy would have an answer. Soren didn't disappoint.
"Because if I can understand them, I can help them!" he said, his eyes shining. "I can't help people if I don't understand what they say."
"Oh, my child…" Even the caretaker standing in the far corner couldn't help but gasp in awe.
As for Vasco, his resolve only grew stronger.
"You truly are a child of God, Soren," he said softly. "You truly are blessed."
He gently placed the palm of his right hand on the boy's head and whispered,
"You are already blessed by God, and this will help you follow His will even better."
With that, Vasco muttered something under his breath, too quiet for anyone else to hear. The result of that murmur, however, was visible to all.
The caretaker stared in disbelief as a bright golden light engulfed Soren, starting from his head and spreading across his entire body. The boy slipped into a brief trance, his cognac-brown eyes glowing in harmony with the holy power.
"Unbelievable…" What looked like a simple holy blessing to the caretaker was something far more astonishing to the cardinal priest. "He's… he's absorbing the blessing like a sponge."
* * *
'Do not stop now!' Veylith roared in his mind, ordering him not to even think of backing off. 'Take in every drop of holy power you can. Do not waste a single bit!'
It wasn't easy. Taking in so much holy power without having a natural compatibility for it was difficult. The only reason he wasn't suffering anything beyond discomfort was because of Veylith's help.
'Oh, this is good!' the dragon cackled. 'Take it all!'
Veylith was cursed by God, but unlike dark creatures such as devils, he didn't have a direct weakness to holy power. Sure, many dragons would suffer under it, but not one of his caliber.
As Vasco let pure holy power flow into Soren, Veylith guided it toward himself instead. The power strengthened the dragon's soul and increased his authority, further solidifying his existence as a sacred gear.
What had taken nearly three years to accumulate was matched in a matter of seconds. Now, every trace of holy power flowing into Soren was being funneled toward the gear's awakening.
'We won't be able to awaken it right now,' Veylith explained. 'But with this, consider the gear ready to hatch in a few days.'
"What a child…" Vasco, on the other hand, was in awe. It was draining, yes, but for a man of his level, it hardly mattered.
'Now!' Veylith cackled. 'That's enough! Use the rest to strengthen the mind!'
That had been the whole reason for choosing holy power in the first place. Until Vasco actually used it, even Veylith hadn't realized it could be shaped so precisely. Regardless, it worked beautifully. The remaining power flooded toward Soren's brain, forming a thin but unimaginably strong layer of protection around it.
Some of the holy power had already reinforced his bones and muscles, even boosting his immune system. With what remained, his mind gained a special barrier capable of repelling most mind-altering abilities, especially those belonging to devils, fallens, vampires, and other beings steeped in darkness.
Holy beings rarely read minds directly, with only a few exceptions. And even those would be stopped once Veylith regained enough of his strength.
For now, the duo had achieved more than enough to justify choosing this body.
After a few minutes, far longer than either Veylith or Vasco had expected, the process finally ended as Vasco pulled his hand back.
"Never in my near seven decades of life have I seen a child capable of handling this much divine power," Vasco muttered, his next words barely audible. "Maybe he'll awaken holy power on his own. Maybe those monstrous reserves are the reason he hasn't yet."
'Yeah, right,' Veylith scoffed. 'Like that'll ever happen.'
'It can't?' Soren asked, genuinely curious and completely unaware of the exact conditions required to awaken holy power.
'You're either born with it or you're not. You don't have it,' the dragon replied. 'The only way to gain it is through rebirth, being born as an angel or something similar. Humans who are blessed have it from birth. It's just that not everyone awakens it right away.'
In Soren's case, he didn't have even a shred of holy power. He didn't have any power at all. Without Veylith's presence, the boy would have likely lived a completely mediocre life.
Thanks to the two of them sharing this body, he now possessed both the mental strength and the tool needed to become something far greater.
Seeing how calm Soren remained, Vasco finally asked, "How did it feel, child?"
Soren behaved just as he had the entire time, trying his best to impress the old man in every way he could.
"It felt… warm and comfortable," he said. "Like sitting near a fireplace."
He wore a bright smile as he lied straight through his teeth.
Veylith scoffed at the act. 'All you felt was discomfort. But lying seems to come naturally to you.'
Vasco, however, was very pleased with the answer. "For the blessing to feel warm and comfortable, you must be a good soul. You must be loved by God, my child." The old man smiled, clearly satisfied. "You are a chosen one."
'Yeah, yeah…' Veylith found the praise unbearably annoying.
'Bear it for a while,' Soren tried to calm the dragon. 'I know you're not exactly thrilled about taking in this power, considering the past. But the power that cursed you will also be the power that frees you. So cheer up.'
Veylith didn't respond, choosing instead to quietly watch the scene unfold.
"You have made me reconsider my initial opinion, Soren," Vasco said. "I have decided on something, if you are willing."
'Careful,' Veylith warned, already sensing what was coming. 'This might come back to bite you in the ass.'
'Or it could be a massive advantage against the devils,' Soren countered, 'considering they're some of the main players in this world.'
The Cardinal cleared his throat.
"Would you… like to come with me to the Vatican, Soren?" the old man asked, quickly adding, "Not now, of course. When you turn ten. You can stay here with your caretakers until then, spend time with them. And once you're old enough, I would like to take you to the Vatican and teach you some things."
Soren acted a little nervous, making it seem like he wasn't ready to leave his caretakers or his friends.
Noticing the unease, Vasco immediately added, "You said you wanted to help people. If you come with me to the Vatican, you'll be able to fulfill that wish, my son."
'Think this through,' Veylith warned again. 'You're walking straight into the lion's den. Once my power awakens, they'll be able to sense it.'
'That doesn't mean I plan to spend my life hiding you or your power,' Soren replied calmly. 'Ten is a decent age to reveal your presence. If not your existence, then at least your power.'
The dragon mulled it over, clearly not fond of revealing himself before reaching a stage where he could handle most threats.
'You'll have to grow much stronger over the next five years,' Veylith said. 'Otherwise, you'll end up as someone's pawn. And I refuse to work under anyone.'
Soren wanted to smile, but somehow managed to hold it back.
'Don't worry. By the time I'm ten, I'll make sure to unlock your Balance Breaker,' he said. 'That's a promise.'
And honestly, even knowing how dangerous the Vatican could be, especially with Veylith's existence forgotten and his presence likely being mistaken for a newly discovered gear, Soren still wanted to take the risk.
'Your ability is to steal and copy,' Soren reminded him. 'And there's nowhere else we'll find power as potent, as holy, and as refined as what exists in the Vatican.'
It was also the gateway to the angels.
'So we're taking the offer.'
Veylith stayed silent for a long moment before finally sighing. '…Maybe you do have a point. Just remember, the day your poker face cracks is the day you're in real trouble.'
'Yeah.'
For Soren, that wasn't much of a concern. If there was one thing he had absolute confidence in, it was his poker face.
With the decision made, he looked Vasco straight in the eyes.
"If… if I can help people," he clenched his fist, like a child solidifying his resolve, "then I will go with you, sir."
Vasco couldn't have been happier. "An excellent choice, my child! An excellent choice!"
And a few years from now, that choice would come back to bite someone in the ass.
Either Veylith and Soren.
Or the Vatican.
But one way or another, someone was definitely getting bitten.
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{A/N: Got a pat reon named RedLamp01 with 30+ chapters. Veylith's dialogue's will be italicized from now on.
Till Chapter 33 available on Pat reon for this story and till Chapter 67 available for DxD: Heir of Asura.}