The Time of Isolation Hath Come
V
He might have been a bit obsessed with making glitter every chance he got.
Which was, unfortunately, what led to this situation.
Romani leaned forwards slightly, shoulders slumped and expression dour, his eyes remained fixed to the ground and only just managing to keep an eye on the tapping foot that was directly in front of him. He couldn't quite find it within himself to bring his head up, mainly because he knew that if he did, he would see the teasing smile on the face of the person.
That would utterly finish him and he knew it.
"I'm not quite sure how long you're planning on sulking like a child, Roman-sensei." A little chuckle followed by a low hum of further amusement. "I'm not as intimidating as Sona now, am I?"
She most certainly was in entirely different ways.
"Though if you would prefer to deal with her…then I suppose I could just drop a hint at the student council that you were engaged in some reckless activities. I'm rather curious as to what sort of face she would make when she found out you were trying to perform magic where anyone could just wonder on past-"
He flinched.
The cold dread seeped through his body.
His eyes snapped up and he held out his hands, sporting a smile that he hoped didn't betray just how much that idea really didn't appeal to him.
"T-there's no need to go that far, right? I mean…J-just a simple little warning should be alright, shouldn't it? A-and Sitri-san has plenty of work that is really important that she needs to do, so there's no need to interrupt her over something so trivial-"
Akeno placed a single finger on her chin, angling her head to the side with a look of pure innocence. "Ara~ More important than the school that she takes such pride in? Rather, I'm certain that she would be very interested to learn about the sorts of things you're getting up to when no one is looking…the terrible, scandalous things…"
Stepping forwards, the girl leaned down with a rather malicious looking smirk and that gleam in her eyes that was nothing but predatory. "I just shudder to imagine the sorts of things that would happen if the Student Council found out…the terrible influence that you would be on the children. Tut, tut."
Romani slumped in his chair. "You're making this much worse than it actually is! You keep making innuendos!"
A chuckle, the girl leaned back and placed her hands behind her back. "I'm not sure what you're referring to, Roman-sensei. First you get up to all sorts of indecent actions in here-"
"They weren't indecent! That's slander!"
She didn't even look as though she heard him, continuing on with that same smug looking smile on her face.
"And then you accuse a student of being inappropriate when she catches you out on your misdeeds? This isn't looking good for you, is it?"
His hands came up and rested themselves flat against his face, a groan escaped into his palms. There was the sudden emergence of the amused laughter from directly in front of him, a touch louder than before and far less mischievous. All Romani could do was wait until it died down, slipping his hand down the front of his face and dragging his expression flat.
Akeno looked rather unashamed about her actions.
She really was a devil sometimes.
"Ara?" Her eyes almost seemed to twinkle, then he felt sweat form on the back of his neck from the sudden piercing gaze she levelled upon him. "You look as though you just thought something that could be considered rather rude, Roman-sensei."
"...No?"
There was no verbal response.
The teen just cocked an eyebrow while smiling.
"...Setting that aside." He coughed into his fist, adjusting himself in his chair and making a very strong effort to move on from the topic. The mirth in the face of Akeno and the muffled laugh told him that his efforts were about as transparent as a glass window. But, thankfully, she was merciful enough to let him do so. "What's got you in such a good mood?"
A blink, then Akeno rolled her jaw, the amusement faded ever so slightly. "What makes you assume I was in a good mood? Rather, I'm sorry to say, Roman-sensei, but I am just using you for my own pleasure. I realise how much this must wound you-"
"Alright so I'm just like some sort of plushy stress ball?" He muttered with a pout, it was rather exaggerated but he was now a touch concerned about her words. "In which case, what has you all so worried that you felt the need to come here and give me a heart attack for kicks?"
"That is actually a coincidence." Akeno countered with a raised finger. "I did just so happen to pass by when I sensed the magical energy in the room and was rather…alarmed. Especially given that I was unaware you had taken steps to become a mage, conscious steps at least, I should correct myself."
Romani flinched a little at the reminder, moving his hand up and scratching at his nape while turning his eyes from the girl. "Oh…sorry for worrying you…wait." He blinked, then looked back to her and furrowed his brows. "Wouldn't Xenovia or Issei-kun have told you? Or even Asia? They all saw me yesterday-"
"Ara?~" He knew by the sudden widening smile, he had made a terrible mistake in admitting that. "A repeat offender, are we? Perhaps I should get the student council involved-"
"Please don't do that."
Romani wouldn't say that he begged…
But it was a very passionate request that she did not inform Sona.
…He winced at the rather pointed look he got as Akeno looked a touch more pleased at his very urgent pleading.
"Well…since you begged me so desperately." Akeno gave another giggle, holding her hand before her lips to cover her obvious smile. "I suppose I can be generous and leave you be. Wouldn't that be kind of me?"
Romani resisted the urge to roll his eyes, though he flattened his tone. "Very magnanimous…But back to my earlier point."
Akeno lowered her hand, the smile faded. "I'm afraid that they did not get around to informing anyone of that, though given what happened yesterday, it can't be helped that they forgot all about it in the excitement. Rather…yesterday was something of a surprise for all of us."
She fell silent, then looked at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "...I do not suppose something happened yesterday evening with you, did it?"
Romani knew that she knew.
She was just making sure that he knew as well.
"...Yes, something did happen to me." Romani replied slowly, scratching the side of his cheek. "I met up with someone for drinks…well, they ambushed me while I was shopping and then dragged me off to for food and drinks, I should say…Though I'd like to avoid getting them into trouble by telling you their name."
Akeno released a sharp sigh, then stopped and visibly composed herself, burying the flash of irritation in her eyes. "I see. Did you enjoy your time with them?"
"...I feel like I'm getting grilled about the time I brought a girl home for the first time." Romani muttered to himself, the rather pertinent questions and the hidden meanings in Akeno's speech weren't helping matters much. "You know you don't need to pretend to be happy about it…Though you were right and they did ask if I wanted to go with them for help."
"...I see."
Romani smiled back. "I told them that I was happy working here and didn't want to leave."
Akeno paused, staring back at him for a few seconds before she wet her lips. "Is that so? You turned them down did you…That is…" she fidgeted for a couple of seconds before she nodded her head once. "That is rather pleasing to hear, I would be disheartened if the school was to lose their resident nurse."
"Yeah, resident stress toy, more like." Romani shot back with a wry smile before shaking his head. "But I did mean what I said. I am happy working here…But if you know about it, then I take it that he went and did something that let everyone know that he was running around?"
He could feel the headache coming on.
And right after he had just tried to be all secretive about it to stop them getting in trouble.
There was a nod of the head from the dark haired girl, a sharp look entered her eyes. "It would seem they saw fit to ambush someone else yesterday in much the same way…or at least, tricked them into a false sense of security before revealing who they were and what their goals were…Which were 'apparently' to offer some words of apology for letting the situation progress."
"That…sounds nice."
Akeno's look indicated that it apparently wasn't all that nice, at least according to her.
"Okay…so it's not all that nice?"
She sighed, then brought a hand up to nurse her temples. "I suppose you wouldn't see the problem, generous with your feelings as you are…but the head of the Fallen Angels doing something as simple as that does not happen…Certainly not in such an underhanded and secretive manner."
Her hand came back down. "Especially as he is known as an eccentric collector of Sacred Gears and Issei just so happens to have one of the strongest in existence and he has apparently been allowed access to Issei repeatedly with none of us being the wiser…there is no telling what he could have done."
That sounded rather paranoid to him.
But he could understand what she was saying.
His head nodded up and down. "So you're angry that Issei-kun was allowed near someone who could have been dangerous without any of you knowing about it? I can understand that…He is alright, I take it?"
"He is, but-"
"I think that the important thing is that Issei-kun is alright, rather than worrying about what might have happened…" He waved his hand, though it was more to try and veer her away from the feeling where she might go on another tangent. She was clearly worried enough about it. "If we spent our time worrying about everything that could happen, then we'd probably never get anything done…I, for example, could hardly imagine leaving anyone in the company of actual Devils."
Akeno, at least, seemed to be mollified by his words.
Or if she wasn't, then she at least decided that it wasn't worth getting more angry about the situation. The girl rolled her lips inwards and sharply turned her head, walking across the room and towards one of the beds, dropping herself down onto the bed and exhaling.
"Perhaps…" The girl muttered rather quietly, then brought her eyes back up to meet his own and offered a light smile, though it was admittedly a rather brittle looking one as well. "But I'm far more worried about how Rias is taking all of this. Especially because it isn't something that can be disguised."
Ah, right.
Politics.
He winced a little in sympathy, having to deal with politics as an adult was challenging enough, never mind as a teenager. "Sorry…"
"It is hardly your fault." Akeno replied swiftly with a shake of the head. "Even if you had spoken of what happened, by all accounts Azazel still would have been in the middle of an encounter with Issei…"
"It…might get a little worse." Romani shuffled in his seat, drawing the curious eyes of the girl. "One of Leo's friends stopped by last night to let her know that the…ummm…magic school is interested in what happened with the zoo guy, so someone important is coming over here pretty soon to have a look around."
He quickly brought his hands up. "You'd need to ask Leo about it, because I really do not know."
Another breathless sigh. "The warning is appreciated, Roman-sensei. This is truly becoming a most exasperating week, isn't it?"
"...Yeah."
He paused for a moment.
Then he brought his hands up and started to make the magical glitter again.
Akeno raised a brow, the unspoken question lingered in the air.
"I was…just trying to see if I could make you feel a bit better with some literal magic tricks…" He paused for a moment, then gave a faint chuckle as he cut the magic short. "Though I am fairly certain that you could probably do something a little cooler than I could, right?"
Silence.
Then a faint giggle from the girl, her hand held out in front of her mouth, "Yes, though I would hardly be one to brag about my abilities when it comes to magic. I believe it is best to let my results speak for me…and those are rather shocking."
He snorted.
"So is there anything else we should be worried about?" He asked after a few seconds, keeping his tone semi-serious as he glanced about the room, then leaned back into his chair and waved a hand. "Any more big reveals of surprises that are going to put everyone in an even more stressful mood? Don't tell me that Levi-tan is going to be here or something."
A pause.
Akeno's lip twitched upwards. "...Well…it is the upcoming parents day, is it not?"
He blinked. "But wouldn't that…Isn't she her older sister?"
"Yes, but it applies to guardians as well." Akeno pointed out, smiling rather amusedly towards him. "Which means that the Student Council President has doubtless gone through great pains to keep the day hidden from her older sister in an effort to try and avoid anything that could be considered embarrassing…namely showing up to the school in costume."
Romani could only blink owlishly.
"She wouldn't do something like that, right?"
The smile that remained on the lips of the dark haired girl was enough of an answer for him.
"...Oooooh." With a wince, he felt second hand embarrassment. He might well be proud of his love for Levi-tan - the idol not the person, that would be very weird indeed - but he could imagine how it would affect the image that Sona had managed to craft for herself. Even still. "Well…uhm….I guess that makes sense? Do her parents at least know or is she keeping it hidden from them as well?"
All Akeno could do was shrug. "I would hardly call us close enough for that manner of information."
That was fair enough.
He nodded to her, then leaned backwards. "Still, parents day…" he pinched his brow as he tried to recall how it was last year as well, actually, he was fairly certain that he had been ill for that. "Hopefully I avoid a stomach bug this time around. So, are your guardians going to be showing up as well then?"
The mood plummeted immediately.
Akeno's expression glazed over for a fraction of a second.
It was quick, only a single heartbeat, then her expression formed the same polite smile.
But it looked like a mask to him.
He froze and stared at her, his own carefree expression very nearly shattered on the spot.
"Ah, I'm afraid mine will not be attending this year."
"I-...Listen, I-"
Akeno stood up, then let out a breath and brushed herself down. "Goodness me, I believe I might have taken up a bit too much of your time, Roman-sensei. And given that this conversation was born of the mention of the wrath of the student council, it would hardly do for me to linger too long and risk inviting it upon the pair of us."
She stepped away from the bed and started to move towards the door, pausing briefly as she turned and cast her eyes towards him, then inclined her head and smiled. "But I shall say that it was a very impressive little trick you pulled with magic, Roman-sensei. Dazzling, even."
Pulling the door open, she stepped into the hallway. "Until next time."
It shut before he could say anything.
Romani leaned back into his chair, then stared at the door, his eyes cracked a little before he lowered them towards the ground.
Him and his big mouth.
Sona fought back the wave of vertigo that flooded through her at the revelation of what she had just been told.
It took every ounce of willpower for her to not drop the slip of paper onto the desk and collapse into a ball on the floor. From the outside, she must have looked like some stoic figure given how none of her other peerage had really reacted to her at all, she was somewhat thankful for that.
But there was another thing.
She would be expecting a visit from Rias some time soon.
Presumably within the next ten or so minutes.
Perhaps fewer, depending on the nature of her reaction.
That was all beside the point, however.
Sona lowered the paper onto the desk in front of her, then leaned backwards and stared across the room for a few moments in total silence. Her eyes cycled to each member of her peerage for a few brief moments before she thinned her lips and closed them. She would doubtless need to inform them of it.
"I have received a message from the Satans."
Those simple words turned the room into dead silence.
It had been quiet before, but it was the silence of work.
This was the silence of apprehension, when Sona opened her eyes, she was greeted by the multitude of faces that all looked rather nervous about the situation. A direct message from the Satans - from her own sister - was something that none could ignore. Especially given the nature of the message.
Bringing her arms up, she rested them upon the table and locked her fingers together.
"In light of the recent situation in Kuoh, namely on account of the threat posed by Fabro Rowan and the…events that transpired."
Sona glanced down at the note once more, reading through it once again to ensure that she had not been mistaken and she wasn't currently suffering from some sort of delusion about things.
Unfortunately, the paper was no hallucination.
"It has been decided that representatives from the three Factions will be meeting to discuss the nature of the ceasefire."
She looked up.
"The nature of the ceasefire…?" The first to speak was the vice president, her Queen adjusted her glasses and squinted ever so slightly. "Is this a manner of saying that they are considering making the situation more neutral?"
It sounded absurd, the three factions had been at one another's throats even with the ceasefire.
The idea that they could just end that conflict…
No, that was foolish to think.
This was likely something that would take decades to actually iron out.
"I cannot say." Sona replied slowly, leaning forwards and exhaling. "The nature of the meeting has not been made apparent to me and, I suspect, it has only just been made apparent to the rest of the Devil world as well, especially given that this was a joint announcement from the four Satans. I'm certain that if we had eyes and ears within the Grigori and the Church, they would say much the same thing."
"That is…good, right?" Saji spoke up next, scratching the side of his neck while looking a bit lost for a moment or two, then rolled his jaw. "Isn't it, Kaichou? It means that we might not have to worry about trouble with the other two factions anymore, right?"
"I very much doubt that such a change will happen immediately, but that is not an inaccurate assessment." She nodded to the young man, who looked rather pleased as she confirmed his words.
Sona let him have the brief moment before she continued onwards. "However, I do not need to remind you that such agreements take time and effort and could just as easily fail."
"Kaichou is right." Tsubasa nodded rather grimly. "There's been strife amongst the factions for ages and I doubt very many are going to be pleased with the idea that we're going to try and put an end to all the fighting. I get the feeling that the dead Fallen guy wasn't the only person who wasn't happy with the ceasefire in the Fallen camp."
Unfortunately, Tsubasa was quite correct.
"Yes…While the death of Kokabiel is certainly a boon in that one of the more prominent members of the Grigori - and clearly a critic of the Governer General of the Fallen - is no longer there to combat the process, that does not mean there are those on the remaining sides who would not wish for peace."
She could already imagine a half dozen members of the Underworld who would very much be opposed to peace.
Those who had ties with the old Satans before the current generation, the remnants of the Civil War were hardly the sort who agree to this. There were still unsavoury rumours in regards to what they would do to reincarnated Devils, nevermind what they would do to try and stop a move towards peace with 'the enemy'.
"Regardless of who is supporting it in what capacity, what troubles me is the next piece of news…"
This was what she had been dreading speaking aloud.
Because it felt as though she was going to pass out on the spot from the mountain of stress that was just waiting to be dropped on her head.
Keeping her voice as even as she could manage, he read out the next section.
"This comes from Lady Leviathan herself, I suspect Rias got a similar missive from Lord Lucifer…" Taking a deep breath, she spoke. "In light of the joint operation conducted in Kuoh as a result of special circumstances, it has been decided that the opening talks of peace shall take place at a chosen venue within the town. The three Faction representatives shall convene there at an undisclosed time in the future to discuss further steps."
Silence.
"T-they're coming here?" Tomoe squeaked a little, combined with the expression akin to a rabbit faced down with a fox, she was clearly rather panicked. "They're all going to be coming to Kuoh at some point in the future?"
Sona silently nodded her head up and down.
"D-do…" Ruruko spoke up, clearing her voice and then leaning forwards slightly. "Do we know where it is going to be taking place or are we expected to do anything?"
A pertinent question.
That she didn't have an answer to at the moment.
"As of yet, I have not been informed of where the meeting will transpire or what we are expected to do during the duration of the time." Sona replied after a moment of silence, tightening the lock between her fingers, pulling her lips thinner.
It was, unfortunately, something that she could not access but it was for understandable reasons.
"But I suspect that they will speak with us ahead of time if there are any elements that need to be decided. Given that Lord Lucifer has given word that he might be attending the upcoming parents day, so there is chance enough that he will use the opportunity to provide Rias and myself with details regarding it, that is if there is anything they require from us beyond a venue."
She avoided mentioning her sister.
Because if she asked, then there was no doubt that her sister would try and find a way of weaselling a deal out of her for something.
Likely when the parents day was.
Sona refused to let that happen.
A stray thought occurred to her.
Romani.
Romani was apparently a massive fan of her sister and he was also a member of the staff…which meant that if her sister wanted any information on school events and open days, then she could just go up to Romani and ask him.
There was no chance that he would refuse as well.
Cold sweat started to form on the back of her neck as she considered that terrible situation.
This was not shaping up to be her day.
Her eyes danced up to the door of the student council room at the knock, though it only lasted a couple of beats before being flung open before anyone had the chance to actually open the door for them.
As she had anticipated, Rias marched into the room a moment later with a clear expression of forced calm, crossing the length of the room with a few short strides before coming to a halt in front of her desk. Her friend immediately folded her arms and looked down with a strained expression.
"So I assume you have heard then?"
"You as well?"
The two shared a brief moment of shared suffering before she exhaled and leaned back into her chair. "This certainly seems as though it is going to end up as a very troublesome situation indeed. I cannot imagine this ending in any capacity that does not lead towards some manner of altercation…"
"That would depend upon the delegations of the three factions." Rias hastily replied, then waved her hand. "I doubt that Lord Lucifer would bring along anyone that he felt would be opposed to the conference to avoid trouble, he is very diligent…and there is always Grafiya and Vlov to keep him from accidentally doing that."
Sona fought back a mirthful noise at the response. "I would assume the same from the Grigori, but one can never be certain. It has been a very long war and…I do not enjoy being told that something which could end in disaster is behind held in Kuoh."
"I am no great fan of it either." Rias moved her hand up towards her mouth, biting at her thumbnail for a brief moment before she clicked her tongue. "And according to the news I received from Akeno earlier, it hardly gets much better…She spoke with Romani earlier who apparently met with someone - and old friend of his wife - who claimed that the Vice-Director of the Clocktower would be coming to Kuoh."
Sona blinked.
Then she straightened. "The Vice Director of the Clocktower? For what reason would they be coming here-? No, in the first place, the Mages of the Clocktower barely interact with Devils if they can help it. Why would they come all the way out to this place?"
It only took her a second to answer her own question.
The words of Leona flooded back through her mind, as well as the importance of a certain individual. "...Fabro Rowan."
Rias nodded her head up and down. "Apparently it has caused quite a stir but information coming from the Clocktower is scarce enough. As it stands…Though from what I was told, it seems as though that the Vice Director is not the type of individual who will truly make an effort to communicate with us in any real capacity."
That brought a frown to Sona's face.
"That is just as well, but the point remains that it is only proper that they announce themselves and their intentions to us in an official capacity."
Rias frowned. "I confess that I know next to nothing about this Vice-Director…Brishisan, certainly. But this person…" She shook her head from side to side. "I will need to speak with Leona and see what she can tell me of them. I would rather not be caught unawares by this…but I do not believe it is related to the current situation."
"A case of bad timing." Sona surmised, drumming her finger on the table for a moment, then nodded her head. "Very well. Please inform me as soon as possible as to what you uncover about this person, who they are and what they are like…and then see if we can have an introductory meeting with them to determine what they intend to do and establish some basic ground rules."
Letting so many people into their territory like this did not sit right with her.
With the potential of members of the three factions arriving, she hardly wished to have anything jeopardise that.
But more than that…
Her eyes narrowed and she glanced towards Rias. "...Do you suppose that this meeting relates to more than just Fabro?"
Rias paused for a moment, then cupped her chin and frowned. "You refer to Romani himself? I…Hmmm. It is not news that has been spread beyond Kuoh and Leona has been extremely secretive of her husband even before he had something to hide…Though Akeno told me that he was propositioned by Azazel the same day that Governer met Issei."
Sona froze for a moment, then grimaced.
That was hardly surprising news.
But the reminder of who had been in the territory stung her pride.
"...And?"
Rias put on a rather smug expression. "He said he was happy being where he was."
Sona raised a brow. "So he gave the expected answer then? I see."
Rias jolted for a moment, then pouted. "I would have thought you'd give a stronger reaction than that."
"To what? Nurse Archaman is hardly the sort of individual to get involved with the Grigori in that capacity…Though my own research into his abilities has been rather…limited."
"You're not scouting him, are you?"
Sona glanced up. "Hardly. I'm not fool enough to try and pick a losing battle. He would never accept being reincarnated in the first place and even if he did, his personality is hardly suited for the work of a Devil." she raised a finger. "But he remains a member of the faculty and, therefore, it is the role of the student council to see that all members of the school - staff and students - are well and healthy."
Rias hummed, then raised a brow.
Sona wasn't sure she liked the look she got from her friend, that sort of knowing smirk which would usually be followed by a rather smart comment.
"I see. You're just worried about him, aren't you?"
"Obviously. As I said, he is a member of the faculty. It would be shameful if he suffered while I remained blind."
As they had all done so - including Romani himself - for a long time.
"Besides, if Romani does indeed have a Sacred Gear or the soul of a Hero inside of him…"
She trailed off for just a moment, combining the words 'Romani' and 'Hero' felt like the literary equivalent of trying to mix oil and water. Judging by the odd expression on the face of Rias, she wasn't alone in that belief.
The two of them shared that brief moment before Sona shook her head. "Setting that odd situation aside, there is no doubt that there is more to Nurse Archaman than we initially thought, though it is hardly unprecedented…but to consider the notion that Mrs Archaman was ignorant of the true nature of the man is…surprising."
"Is it?" Rias tilted her head with a frown. "From the very beginning, it seems as though this has been a recent change for the two of them. Clearly for Romani more than for Leona…It is hardly as though he ever gives the impression of being capable of shooting dragons down from the sky, does he?"
Sona would grant Rias that.
No, Romani did not give that impression.
"Hmm. I suppose that much is true…" Her hands drummed on her desk for a moment. "...I suppose there is nothing much we can do beyond waiting at this point."
It was a rather troubling feeling to be left with this sense of powerlessness, especially given that all of this was happening in Rias and her own territory. A place where they were supposed to have been the responsible bodies but were instead having to adhere to the demands of the guests who just so happened to show up every now and again.
In a way, they were lucky the people arriving were so powerful.
It meant they had some sort of defence if their competence was ever called into question, claiming that no one else could have really done a better job of it.
"Well then…" Rias stepped away from her desk, then brought her hand up to cradle her face. "I shall leave you to it, given that it seems we're both going to be doing quite a bit of work. I'll be off to get Leona round to explain this whole Vice Director business…though I do not doubt it shall be another headache."
With that, Sona could wholeheartedly agree.
"First thing to remember is that she's an aristocrat through and through."
Leona explained as she paced around the room in front of them, her face more in line with being a troubled frown with a touch of anxiety to it.
"So like a real oujo-sama type or-"
Leona turned towards Issei and raised a brow at him, the boy fell silent a moment later.
"As in mediaeval type." She replied after a moment, then grimaced deeper. "I suppose an equivalent would be to say she isn't too dissimilar to the pure-blooded devils in the underworld. The sorts who pride themselves on their heritage and their long lineage which stretches back to the founding of their families. The problem with the Vice-Director is that it is very much earned pride, rather than the normal sort of blowhard arrogance you might end up with from the odd pureblooded devil."
Romani blinked for a moment, then scratched the side of his neck. "So just be really polite-?"
"Be incredibly polite." Leona turned on him, then paused and winced. "On second thought, don't talk to her. Let other people talk to her to make sure you don't accidentally offend her. Just pretend she's a lion and avoid looking her in the eye because otherwise she'll take it as a sign of challenge."
Someone cleared their throat.
Romani chanced a look to the person in question, finding the rather puzzled expression of Xenovia.
"Forgive me but when you say it is earned arrogance-"
"I'm not saying she'll kill you for disrespect." Leona hastily waved her hand, though Romani wasn't sure he was a fan of the small hesitance. "...But she would take it very seriously. We didn't interact much on account of me belonging to the neutral faction - long story, it doesn't matter - but everyone knew her by reputation. She's not very extravagant when it comes to her magic though. She pretty much focused on a single path."
"A single path?" A mutter from Rias as she leaned forwards, resting her hands on the desk. "Am I to assume that the danger lies in some manner of rigorous training? I fear not the man who has thrown a thousand punches, I fear the man who has thrown a single punch a thousand times."
Leona snapped her fingers, shooting an approving grin to Rias. "Bruce Lee quotes aside, you're dangerously close. Yes, it's no real secret that the Vice-Director chose a single path of magic and just decided to exploit it for all it was worth. Effectively…she's a monster of a mage. I mean that in the most literal way possible…"
A sigh escaped her. "I'm not sure when she is supposed to arrive, but I've been told it will be fairly soon. Probably within the next week…now if you're set on meeting her for the sake of basic responsibility, then that's fine. But try and avoid appearing too…set. Be a bit flexible to let her look around but not too flexible or she'll just walk right over you."
Rias nodded her head up and down, frowning as she did so. "I am familiar with the sort-"
"And, no offence, your way of dealing with the sort isn't really applicable." Leona remarked with a shake of the head. "If even half of what transpired with the Phenex family is true, then trying to muscle your way around is going to end badly. Really, really badly."
A sigh from the girl. "You make it sound as though I am bullheaded."
"Ah, you mean you aren't Buchou?" The rather innocent remark from Akeno earned a rather aggrieved flush from Rias and a sharp look from the red head. The raven haired girl chuckled lowly and waved her hand. "I jest but perhaps it is worth listening to Mrs Archaman for a touch longer. I was present for your rather heated arguments with Riser."
Rias twitched and then sighed. "I have dealt with more nobles beyond Phenex, Akeno…"
Romani coughed. "I don't think Leo means you haven't, I think she just means you need to be a bit more careful…I think?" he glanced at his wife, then let out a short sigh of relief when he saw her nod of the head. "Basically, the lady is really important so we need to make a good impression."
Leona resumed speaking. "You're the daughter of a Satan. The Vice Director is still expecting you to agree to let her around, but if you fold too quickly then she's going to just assume you're not worth paying attention to. The basic idea is to just make her work a little bit for permission and establish some fair but firm ground rules for the duration of her stay."
Rias sighed rather loudly.
At this point, Romani was really starting to feel bad for her, especially because of the obvious stress that she was under as well. From the sounds of things, this was really the sort of thing that required an awful lot more experience than someone of Rias age should really possess…or have to deal with.
Stepping closer to Leona, he dropped his voice into a whisper. "Can't you be there with her to help."
Leona grimaced. "I'm not exactly popular with the Vice-Director. She doesn't hate me at least, but if I show up and try talking on behalf of Rias-"
"No, myself and Sona can handle this."
He turned towards Rias and frowned a little at the rather determined voice she held now, though he noted the resignation in her expression.
"This is our territory and it wouldn't do to have someone else speak on our behalf. Furthermore, I would prefer not to insult this woman."
Even if she said that…
Rias looked at him for a moment longer, then softened her features slightly. "Your concern is appreciated, Romani-sensei, but it is unnecessary. This is precisely the sort of ordeal that it is expected for someone such as myself to face. I would hardly make a worthy heir to the Gremory clan if I allowed myself to be cowed in such a way."
With a smile, she stood up, leaning forwards over her desk and looking around the room. "While daunting, I have no doubt that my peerage is up to the task…for the most part, at least."
Her eyes stopped on one person in particular.
It took Issei several seconds to realise the eyes of the room had fallen on him.
"Hey, what the heck is that supposed to mean?"
Rias gave him an apologetic look. "It is nothing against you, Issei. Merely your experience…as it can hardly be said that you've truly dealt with very many nobles in your life so far. Or persons of importance, at least not compared with the rest of us."
Issei opened his mouth to retort, then paused and slumped back into his chair. "You know what? That's fair."
[Hmph. As if my partner should have to bend the knee to some human mage. Pah.]
"Oi, don't say that in front of them!" Issei hissed at his hand with a rather scandalous look. "I don't need you messing things up for Buchou."
[Hey, you're my partner here. What you do reflects on me. I don't need to be seen as some sort of tamed mutt.]
"What? What the heck are you even talking about?"
Romani pinched his brows, then glanced towards Rias who met his eyes from across the room, the teenager offered a simple smile that he assumed was supposed to be comforting.
"As I was saying." She spoke, heedless to the small dispute between Issei and his sentient arm. "I have full confidence in the ability of my peerage to meet the challenge…And Ddraig?"
[What?]
"It is only for posterity's sake."
[Do I look like a peacock to you?]
"Of course not." Rias replied rather smoothly. "Merely a suggestion that your majesty is restrained until such a time as it can be properly displayed without restraint. It wouldn't do for you to flex your strength in a trivial meeting between some nobles, would it?"
[...I know what you're doing.]
Rias kept her smile on her face.
[...But I don't really care enough to argue against it. So fine…as long as my partner isn't made to embarrass me, then I can let it slide.]
The girl shook her head. "I would never dream of doing such a thing, after all, it would reflect upon my own reputation if Issei was seen to be as easily cowed, wouldn't it?"
[Hmph.]
Issei stared at his arm as the green light faded away, then looked up and blinked several times before glancing around the room, his eyes eventually landing on Romani's. "Uhhh…what just happened?"
"Diplomacy." Rias replied with a bright smile. "Don't worry about it."
As it turned out, Rias was soon to discover, they did not have to wait very long until they received a message from the delegation of mages that were due to arrive.
Though she hadn't expected it to be the very next day she would receive the missive and even beyond that, she was informed that they would arrive in Kuoh the day after that. Fortunately she had been composed enough to draft up a response for them that was prompt and polite, but she wasn't able to introduce Sona to it until after the fact.
"It's outrageous."
Rias could only hum and nod her head at the rather sharp words from her friend.
It was quite outrageous, it was also borderline disrespectful, given that they had provided a location for them to actually meet in the first place. Evidently, they did not fancy the academy as a suitable ground so instead selected a more neutral location. Or rather, one they probably assumed would be less heavily guarded.
They were not entirely wrong either, it wasn't as used as other parts of the town.
It spoke volumes of the amount of trust they put in one another, but she had been informed that Mages were both paranoid and proud. So really, this sort of thing wasn't all that surprising. She would hardly even have blinked if it came from a Devil, if she was being truthful.
"What's done is done." Was all she could say, drawing a sudden gaze from Sona, though she did raise her hand. "I am not saying I approve of it either, but it was either this compromise, or allowing them to select the meeting destination entirely."
That at least mollified her friend, but it was hardly anything worth noting.
Tsubaki opted to speak up next. "It can hardly be helped, meeting in the centre of another's territory - regardless of faction - is risky unless you have complete trust in them."
"I am aware of that." Sona exhaled, rubbing her eyes. "Merely that this affair is tiresome."
Rias had the distinct feeling that her friend wasn't actually talking about meeting with the mages, but rather something else was bothering her. In her mind, there were very few things that could actively wear down Sona in such a way and only one of them made sense at that moment.
With a sympathetic smile, she aimed a pointed look towards Sona. "I assume that your sister has started to fish?"
"She's gotten it worked into her mind that I am keeping something from her."
"Which you are."
"Of course I am." Sona huffed quietly, then sighed and shook her head. "But she has become…quiet. At first she was pressuring me into telling her about it but now she has since stopped. I am far from comforted, she is not one to give up this easily and I am left with the distinct impression that she is planning something."
Rias could only chuckle at the plight of Sona, it was hardly as though she did not understand the troubles of a clingy sibling, but she at least had Grafiya to run interference when her brother got too bad. Not to mention her cute little nephew as well.
Sona, unfortunately, had no such defences.
"In that case, I assume you would have been far more receptive to all of this." She replied with a wave of the hand. "It certainly changes things up, doesn't it?"
Perhaps she would have replied, but the group tensed as one as they felt something wash over them.
"Ah, that would be the bounded field." Came the rather simple comment from Akeno, Rias turned to her friend as the girl glanced around for a moment, then gave a rather impressed little hum. "That would explain the lack of an audience."
Yes.
Because commandeering an entire park was rational, apparently.
Rias straightened herself out, taking in a deep breath, then striding forwards. "In which case, we had best not take too long, lest someone take notice of the deserted park for too long."
This park was quickly turning into a site of strange happenings.
…Maybe it was cursed or something?
It did not take long to notice the other delegation.
All dressed in matching black suits and ties save for one person in particular, that being the woman at the very head of the group.
The most startling thing about the woman was…she was shorter than she expected.
In fact, Rias was certain that Sona actually had more height on this woman.
Though she did not let her surprise show, instead she maintained her cool smile as she moved closer and closer to the group, all of whom stood before the fountain, save for the Vice-Director, who had somehow managed to gain access to a rather nice looking ornamental chair.
With chestnut coloured hair styled into a ponytail, the woman's features were decidedly sharp, if a little youthful as well. If she were to make an educated guess, Rias would have said the woman was in her mid twenties at the most, yet apparently Leona - who was around her thirties said the two attended school at the same time.
She aged very well, it seemed.
Setting that aside, with the beige coloured long coat atop a white blouse, a single button closing it up at the waist, burgundy coloured baggy trousers with knee high dark leather boots, and a rather intricate designed scarlet ribbon at the neck, it was clear that the woman very much dressed the part of a noble as well.
Rias slowed her pace to a halt, standing up straight and placing her hands on her hips.
Perhaps with only a few metres distance between the two parties.
The hazel eyes of the woman moved between the two of them, making no effort to hide their judgement.
Rias wasn't quite sure what the woman was searching for, but clearly she found it as she silently rose from her chair and folded her arms behind her back. "...Lady Gremory and Lady Sitri."
She noted that they didn't even bother to look at either Akeno or Tsubaki.
Nor did she speak Japanese, instead speaking in perfect english.
Rias had been warned of that as well.
That irked her a little, but she had experienced such dismissive actions from others before.
"Lord Barthomeloi." She greeted with a smooth tone, keeping a confident smile upon her lips. "I hope that your trip was pleasant."
The woman didn't even so much as blink. "Passable enough, given the land I was coming towards."
A hint of disgust crept into her voice but just as quickly vanished.
"Enough pleasantries." Barthomeloi announced, eyes sliding between the two of them. "I am here to represent the interests of the mages association in regards to the incident involving Fabro Rowan. Myself - and my subordinates - shall investigate the site of the battle as well as the other locations Fabro Rowan visited upon and then we shall depart…once satisfied."
Ah, once satisfied.
That was an interesting phrase.
Something that her friend picked up on instantly.
Rather slowly, Sona adjusted her glasses and inclined her head to the side. "I shall assume that you would only be satisfied after completing an investigation by your own standards?"
The eyes of Lord Barthomeloi switched onto the Sitri in a flash. "That much goes without saying."
"And such an investigation would doubtless contain a great many tests and rituals to ensure you cover every possible avenue and answer every question, yes?"
A flat look, but they said nothing.
"Forgive me if this sounds presumptuous, but would it be safe to assume that your level of satisfaction is to - as the saying goes - leave no stone unturned?"
"I assume there is a point to this line of questioning?"
Sona smiled politely. "I was merely wishing to ask at what point you believed it would be acceptable. Not to offend you, or your authority, but this is our territory. Despite the personal claim you have on the individual in question…to arrive now and abruptly claim that you wish to conduct a series of tests and investigations is rather…presumptuous."
That was a rather bold way of phrasing it.
Barthomeloi said nothing, rather, she did not even look as though she was affected by the words in the least, much the same could be said for all of her subordinates as well.
"And yet, here we all stand." The woman replied rather smoothly after a moment of pause. "And you did not deny our request. Which means you are inclined to offer us the grounds for an investigation under the terms that we…barter with you."
The way the word was spoken was with a certain lack of respect.
As though they were speaking to some sort of common merchant or con artist.
Rias was the one to speak up this time. "Barter? Hardly the word I would use. This is more of an arrangement between the two of us. You would be free to conduct your business provided you met with certain assurances…as you can imagine, we are currently rather hesitant to allow yet more mages into our town…given the last one."
A low hum from Barthomeloi was the response, the woman brought her hands around from behind her back and drew them together, but remained silent with that stoic expression.
"Is this a clumsy manner of forcing our hand?"
"Not in the least." Rias dismissed with a shake of the head, smiling a bit wider and appearing more friendly. Not that she really meant it. "This is merely so that we can both rest easy knowing that the other is doing anything concerning. Just as much for your security as it is for ours."
"And you believe I am concerned regarding my security?" The woman raised a brow then gave another hum. "But if what you seek is nothing more than peace of mind, then perhaps we would be willing to accommodate that request…provided that we were gifted with all the relevant information regarding the encounter with Fabro and locations of interest."
Rias hid her concern well.
Because that information would include both Romani and Leona as well.
"For someone who has come to a foreign territory, you are rather swift to make demands. I doubt you would be so tolerant of someone making the same requests if they stood before your own door."
The Vice Director switched focus to Sona once more in the wake of the comment.
"No, but I would not need to worry about such things…" Her jaw rolled to the side for a brief moment, then a single hum. "Obstinence speaks of individuals that you would prefer I not be aware of. Protecting your clients, I assume…But very well, I doubt they would have much to inform us of."
The woman gave a tired sigh. "A change of pace then, to save us this pantomime. We shall conduct our business only at the sites of the attacks and request that the interviews conducted in the wake of the attack are made accessible for us to examine."
It was incredible that someone could make the word request sound like an order.
Rias raised a brow and folded her arms. "So you are allowed to frolic around in our territory conducting mystery spells at the cost of us not handing you names of our clients? I fail to see any reason thus far why we should allow you to venture here…though…"
She brought a hand up, then tapped away at her chin. "For all the trouble it is worth…perhaps it would be easier to just bleach the sites of the attacks."
They gave nothing away.
Barthomeloi stared at her without even blinking before they responded in a slow manner. "If that was your intent, you would have done so already. You have already concluded that the information from the sites of the attack is valuable to the Clocktower, hence you agreement to meet with me…but very well, I shall humour the demands of my host."
With a practised smile, the woman lowered herself back into her seat.
"What is it that you wish to know?"
Rias could see they were not taking her all that seriously, neither her nor Sona.
"A list of every known familiar that you can document from Fabro would be a start as well as species his research had shown an interest in."
The chestnut haired woman turned her eyes to Sona and hummed, the amusement was gone and replaced with the same coldness once more.
"...And?"
Rias spoke next. "And…It would be greatly appreciated if you could provide us with a small selection of items."
That earned narrowed eyes from Barthomeloi, the woman frowned for a moment. "Selection."
"Merely items that would be much easier for you to acquire than it would be for individuals like myself or my friend here."
"And I suppose you have a list of said requirements?"
Rias merely smiled without saying anything.
She did have a list, passed on to her by courtesy of Leona.
Reaching to the side, she opened up her palm for Akeno, upon which a small roll of paper was placed into her waiting fingers, circling around it and turning to gesture the paper towards the woman. It was barely even a second before the paper was whipped right from her grasp and into the waiting grip of the mage.
Rias gave no indication that she was bothered by the snatch.
Unfolding it, the woman glanced down at the paper, then frowned.
She watched her reaction, then commented. "You are gaining information of value, should it be any wonder that we are asking for something of equal value?"
The eyes of the woman flickered towards her, then a low hum escaped Barthomeloi as she rolled up the paper and handed it to one of her subordinates without looking. "That would depend upon the nature of the information we uncover. The amount you receive will vary in regards to how satisfied I am that the information is worthwhile."
Sona gave a small hum, then performed much the same movement as Rias.
This time, Tsubaki unveiled a shard of ice.
Ice that contained a small section of the body of Fabro Rowan, blasted off when Serafall attacked him. Quite frankly, there were bits and pieces of the man scattered about all over when they had retreated. Some parts hadn't been able to join back up with him after the man teleported to safety and others were still contained in the ice.
Barthomeloi turned her eyes to the small shard and tensed ever so slightly, then glanced back at Rias.
"You'll find a few more pieces scattered around…but I'm sure we could put in the effort to gather them up for ease of access, hmm?"
"...Acceptable." The woman snapped her fingers, the chair behind her was abruptly picked up and disassembled. It quite literally fell apart and then was willed into a briefcase that one of the suits behind the woman produced. "Though damages or loss to the samples will affect payment, though for the time being, we have an agreement. Researchers will be here within the next day to begin examinations. I expect the battle sites to be accessible."
Rias offered a practised bow of the head. "Of course, and you will observe the agreement?"
"I will overlook your insinuation of my honour regarding agreed deals out of good faith."
Barthomeloi narrowed her eyes once more, this time with a greater sense of danger.
"Do not make that mistake again."
She turned and strode away, soon flanked by her guards.
Rias watched her depart, then stepped back and turned towards Sona and exhaled, moving her hand up to cup her head. "That was quite a bit simpler than I thought it would be, though I will say that Leona was quite right."
Sona hummed. "I suppose that is the case…Though I suppose we were fortunate that we had something she wanted, else I doubt she would have been so agreeing."
Wasn't that the truth of it?
Leona was right, they really did want whatever it was that Fabro had done to himself.
Sona turned to Tsubaki and nodded once. "Have that secured and prepared for transport, I suspect they will ask for it to be handed over to them as soon as possible, if only to verify the claims."
The vice president nodded her head and turned away.
"...I suppose this marks the start of our uphill battle, doesn't it?"
Sona closed her eyes. "...Do not remind me."