Some time had passed since Richard arrived in the supernatural world.
Despite possessing extraordinary power and a firm ideal, he did not rush into action. During this time, he stayed with Vali's team as an unofficial member.
With his superhuman learning ability, Richard quickly picked up various skills. He learned both basic and advanced magic from Le Fay, and even mastered Touki under Kuroka's guidance. Though confident in his own strength, Richard was never arrogant enough to consider himself invincible.
He also spent time studying the different factions in the supernatural world: angels, devils, and neutral races like the Youkai or other independent factions. However, all his current knowledge remained theoretical—things he read and what the Vali team had shared with him.
And he knew very well that Vali's group was involved in a dangerous organization: Khaos Brigade.
To Richard, it was no different from a terrorist group capable of causing chaos at any moment. Still, he didn't object to his friends' involvement. In his eyes, they were simply passionate youths, and as long as they didn't harm innocent people—he wouldn't interfere.
One peaceful afternoon, Richard sat alone on the couch in Vali's base. He wore a simple white t-shirt, topped with a rugged black leather jacket. Black jeans with a few silver chains shimmered under the soft lighting. As he sat lost in thought, a soft object suddenly jumped into his lap—it was Kuroka in her cat form.
"What're you thinking about, nya~?" the black cat asked, her golden eyes glistening as she looked up at him.
"Hmm… nothing too serious," Richard replied, gently stroking her smooth fur. "I'm just thinking… maybe I should live among humans for a while."
"Heh? Why's that? Are you trying to leave me?" Kuroka asked in surprise. She had grown used to his presence and truly enjoyed their time together. To her, Richard felt like a warm sun—and cats, of course, loved basking in the sun.
Richard let out a soft chuckle.
"I just want to see more of the world. You know, I've always hated how the supernatural factions exploit humans—especially the devil peerage system. I seriously can't stand it."
"Yes, I know that, nya," Kuroka nodded, resting her head against his chest. She understood Richard's sense of heroic responsibility. He had once shared it with the others in Vali's team, and they acknowledged that Richard shared some similarities with the Hero Faction.
But unlike them, Richard wasn't a racist. He protected humans, yes—but never to an extreme, and he didn't harbor hatred toward other races.
"So, where do you plan to go?" Kuroka continued.
"I'm considering heading to the Vatican. Maybe even joining the Church…"
That comment immediately made Kuroka frown.
"Not a good idea, nya. The angels might like you, but the Church… they're extremists. With your actions, they'll label you a heretic in no time." Kuroka hissed slightly.
Truthfully, she was scared that if Richard joined the Church, they might one day become enemies—and she didn't like that at all.
She knew Richard was kind—he had spared rogue devils more than once just because they wanted a normal life. And the Church would surely brand him a heretic for showing mercy to devils.
Richard nodded lightly, rubbing his chin in thought. "Then do you have any suggestions?"
"Hmm… what about Kyoto? Youkai territory, I think you—" Kuroka suddenly paused, as if a new idea had struck her.
"Nya, I think you should go to Kuoh."
"Kuoh? The place where your little sister lives with her devil master?" Richard asked.
"Exactly. If you live there, I can visit Shirone and visit you too," Kuroka replied, lazily curling up in Richard's lap, purring happily like a content cat.
"So that's your real reason," Richard smiled, playfully pinching her nose, making her let out an adorable "nyan!"
"But besides that," Kuroka continued, "Kuoh is also the territory of the two Maou sisters. They're lazy when it comes to managing it, so the area is crawling with stray devils, Youkai, and lawless individuals. It's perfect for your goals."
Richard closed his eyes, thinking it through. A small town, loosely governed, with familiar faces—it was an ideal place to start taking action.
"I'll go to Kuoh," Richard declared, then suddenly scooped Kuroka up like a doll. He buried his face into her belly, laughing heartily. "And if I'm there, I can also protect your little sister."
"Stop it, nyan~ that tickles!! If you keep this up, we might end up with kitten babies~ Nyahahah!"
Kuroka looked incredibly happy, thoroughly enjoying their skinship.
______
Richard also informed the others that it was time for him to leave.
This saddened everyone, especially Vali and Arthur, as they could no longer train alongside him.
After saying his goodbyes, Richard set off for Kuoh with Kuroka. Creating fake documents wasn't too difficult for him, and since he had a considerable amount of money, he planned to buy a house to live in.
"Are you planning to go to school? If you want, you could attend the same school as Shirone," Kuroka asked curiously.
Richard simply shook his head. "Probably not. I'm not interested in school. Hmmm… I might open a café or a small restaurant."
"If you open a restaurant, I'll definitely come by often!" Kuroka said cheerfully.
After that, Kuroka left to look for her little sister, while Richard decided to explore the town of Kuoh. He suppressed his magical presence to avoid drawing attention from the devils.
As he walked around, Richard couldn't help but attract attention. With his striking good looks, bold fashion sense, sharp eyes, and unique presence, he was like a walking magnet. Many girls glanced his way—some even boldly approached him to strike up a conversation or ask for his contact info.
However, Richard only responded with a polite smile and skillfully turned them down.
Eventually, Richard stopped in his tracks when he saw an old, abandoned church standing in front of him.
"A church in devil territory… and it's filled with fallen angels inside. Now that's interesting."