Education at its finest

"Julian, dude... I'm sorry. I shouldn't have thrown a trantrum like that." Issei dipped his head as they were walking in the hallways toward the ORC.

Julian only threw a look to Issei and patted his shoulder. "You're still on that? It's okay, you were right. I shouldn't have said shits about your decision if I didn't even properly warn you about it. I was just a little upset that you didn't take more time to do it."

Issei sheepishly scratched his head. "Well, I admit that maybe I was too hasty about it all. But in my defense, I think I was influenced by outside factors."

Julian palmed his face as he understood, saying only one word. "Boobas?"

Issei nodded as he answered with a solemn tone. "Boobas."

"Boobas?" Yuuto who was listening since the beginning repeated the word, one of his brow lifting.

Julian waved him off as he said in a dismisive manner. "Yes, boobas. But you wouldn't understand."

Yuuto mouth twitched at the totally free insult, that he had to admit was kinda true.

But wasn't this dude the same as him. After all, how many girls went after him since he entered Kuoh?

As if Julian could somehow understand what Yuuto was thinking. A disdainous expression appeared on his face as he shook his head helplessly.

Making Yuuto feel even more wronged.

As they exited the main building of the school complex and arrived before the Occult Research club. Both Issei and prince golden nut(Yuuto) witnessed as Julian shed his easy going demeanor to a more cunning, scheming one. With an evil smirk on his face and his gaze becoming more piercing.

This expression almost made him seem like a vilain, a vilain that knew his life long scheme was on the point of coming true.

Strangely, the gaze vanished as they entered the old building. Julian just setling on a sort of knowing smirk that may or may not have given him an arrogant look.

Issei shoulders deflated a bit as he knew that look. It was the one Julian used when he came to claim something. Or with a precise goal in mind. Either way, he knew he was doing it on purpose and that things were sure to become interesting.

—————

Julian surveyed everyone in the room as he took a deep breath of the smell of a calming incense burning on a shelf in the back.

He smiled and waved at Koneko who was sleepily eating cookies. Receiving only a barely noticable nod in answers.

He threw her one of the candies he always had on him and didn't wait to see how she would catch it as he turned himself toward the other person in the room, who was diriging herself to their group to welcome them.

With her having the same eye and hair color as both Melissa and Raynare. Julian couldn't help but compare her to them and notice how her face had way softer traits than both of them. Making her generate a comfortable and calm aura.

With her gentle smile and proper demeanor, she truly looked like a shrine maiden or a big sister.

Of course, it was only on the surface. As Julian could easily see past her facade and see her for what she truly was. A traumatized young woman with too big an amount of self-loathing.

Even if he hadn't known about her before hand, masks simply didn't work in front of him. And Julian would have seen through her all the same.

As in contrary to Koneko who didn't really hide how affected she was by her past. Akeno made sure to hide it.

Bowing a bit and smiling elegantly, she greeted them. "Welcome back, Issei-San, Yuuto-Kun. And I take it you are Håberjorgen-Marquis-San?"

Julian grimaced a bit at how much his name was not adapted to Japanese culture. At the same time, he was impressed how Akeno managed to say it all correctly.

Nodding, Julian corrected her, smiling all the while. "Yeah, that's me. But please just call me Julian. My name is quite a troublesome thing to say, don't you think?"

"Julian then? Well, I'm Akeno Himejima. Pleased to meet you, you can take a seat as the president is still taking a shower in preparation for this meeting."

"Please to meet you too. I hope you'll take good care of me." Julian nodded as he squinted his eyes with an amused smile.

Taking a seat purposefully on where Rias would be seating and ignoring where Akeno led him. Julian took the maximum of place he could on the couch with his arms and put his feet on the table.

He could see how both Akeno and Koneko opened their mouth to to say something, but the former shook her head in the end and simply proposed him some tea, which he accepted. While the latter eyed the candy he had thrown to her with a flash of realisation before she ate her bribe quietly.

Why was he doing all of this you may ask? Simple, he was only playing the same game Rias was. As it was a basic hierarchical move to make someone wait for you in a meeting.

He didn't know why she was doing this, or even if it was willingly ot not. But either way. He was way too acquainted with the procedure to let it pass, as he himself had done it in his previous life to flex on the gouvernement of his country when was a scientist.

At the very least, you didn't make someone you wanted to ask something from wait. And making him wait specificaly was worse.

After receiving the tea and thanking Akeno for it like nothing was wrong. Julian simply closed his eyes and drank it as he could hear the very close sound of water running.

Making the atmosphere quite ankward as either nobody cared enough to be the one to talk (Koneko) or they simply didn't know what to say (the rest).

At least issei sat beside him on the couch, even when he was pretty distracted by his own fantasies due to Rias taking a shower.

Of course he was being rude, but did he care? No. Plus, it was Rias's fault anyway.

The one in question finally exited the shower five minutes later and was helped to dress by Akeno.

And as she stepped before the group, she said something that made Julian almost foam at the mouth. "Sorry for the wait, I just came back from sport class and didn't want to come so sweaty to this important rendez-vous."

The worst was that Julian couldn't detect any lie...

So he was just reading the situation too much.

Well, in his defense. Which sort of devil would come back all sweaty from a sport class? Apparently Rias.

But did Julian care for his mistake? No, as in the end he just shrugged and didn't bother to change his posture.

He was feeling way too much comfortable for that.

And for some reason, she was acting much less formal than Julian thought she would.

Was it perhaps another play?

Ok maybe he should stop.

So removing his feet from the table, prompting the arch of an eyebrow from Rias. Julian stopped seeing her as some kind of political opponent for no reason and leaned forward. Asking directly. "Before we come to the reason I was invited here. I would like to ask if the demands I made to you concerning my friend here, were respected or not. Despite the fact that he already became a Devil." Julian thumbed Issei who only smiled wrily to his new 'king'.

Rias took a seat on the opposite couch, not minding Julian having taken her place. She took a couple of seconds to gather her thoughts as she knew her answers would probably determine the outcome of this meeting.

She had spent some time talking to Issei yesterday to learn more about another potential member of her peerage's personality. As well as replayed their recent encounter multiple times in her mind to prepare her approach of today.

And what she deducted and learned was within her expectations, though a bit depressing.

She couldn't outsmart him.

She couldn't outplay him.

And any try of manipulating him was prone to cut any chances of him ever joining her peerage.

She was glad that in a bout of clarity she had decided to go to Sona for advices on how to deal with the situation.

"Firstly, I already explained and apologized to Issei for the cruel and selfish move that was not saving him from the fallen angel even when I was aware of her intention to kill him. And that simply to have a sure way to get him into my peerage. As a fellow student and civilised person, this is quite unacceptable."

Julian closed his eyes and nodded in approval. Joining his hands together as he was still leaning forward. This was a net positive, but there was still an essential factor remaining. "Oh? And did you explain it all to him before or after he joined your peerage?"

Rias sighed deeply as she knew it was inevitable. "After."

Julian opened his eyes as he didn't make any comment and kept smiling. Making everyone in the room besides Rias and Issei tense in reflex. "About the rest, did you tell him all he need to know about the supernatural world and that there was other peerage he could join... Before him being reincarnated as a devil?"

Rias nodded. "That I did."

As the rest of the peerage saw the decidedly one side meeting between their king and a possible member of the peerage. They had the strange impression they were assisting to an adult reprimanding a child for being naughty. As such, they all sported weird expression on their faces.

Issei, as for him. Was just glad that Julian wasn't really mad at Rias all that much. Even if it was the impression he certainly gave.

"Did you offer him anything besides being made a devil for joining your peerage?"

"Well, I always offer the best I can to the members of my peerage. Be it tutors, knowledge, and even money as I don't lack of it."

'You forgot your body, well unless events changed from canon already.' Julian thought.

All the tension in the air disappeared as Julian straightened up and sat normally on the couch. "Good, you made some mistakes. But I'll give you a chance since this mistake concern mainly Issei own feeling. Now, let me hear the reason I was invited to this place."

Making an offensed face at Julian as he made it look like he gave her permission. Rias took a deep breath as she calmly stated, regaining her regal aura. "Like Issei, I would like to offer you the opportunity join my peerage."

A silence was cast upon the room as all eyes fixed themselves on Julian. Everyone sporting a different expression.

Yuuto had a dissastisfied face, as he didn't like rude people who disrespected their king.

Akeno had an interested smile. As she found Julian intriguing.

And koneko was a bit glad. As she hoped that with him around, she would get to have more brib- treats.

As for Julian, he was already expecting such a proposal. He could go on a lengthy haggle and demand what she could offer him more that Sona's couldn't. Or if he was another protagonist, sneer at the futility of joining a peerage and the 'humilation' of having to answer someone order.

But unfortunately, he was not in the canon world where only one year was needed to roll over everyone in the universe.

The proof was that he was still stuck with one pair of wings.

He still grew in strenght passively everyday. But it was way too slow. And he was lacking in knowledge on how to fasten his growth as a specie that had no problem living for hundreds of years.

Joining Rias peerage was one way to gain knowledge on how to fasten his growth, but also on magic, demonic energy and other kind of things.

And if he ever wanted to quit her peerage because he didn't like it or because of an order. He could, as opposed to someone else, nothing was impossible for him. Well, not yet. But one day with him gathering sparks of his concept. It certainly would.

The other way would be to admit his identity as a gremory. It was kinda boring, but way simpler than joining her peerage. Plus, maybe he would be able to be given his own king piece.

But, it was dangerous... The other factions certainly remembered the day of his birth still. There was certainly a bunch in the lot that would want to pile on him. It was the reason his mamma(Freyja) hadn't brought him back with her in the nord pantheon. And he doubted the devil faction alone could shield him against all the other one.

But maybe... If he could gather the support of the Nord and angel faction. He wouldn't have to hide anymore.

Odin surely was already aware of his existence, so if he did nothing about it yet. It meant that he wasn't against him. And he doubt he would dare to do something to a child his wife carried in herself for centuries.

For the angels, it was a bit more complicated. As Michaël just wanted to make his own business and find a way to repopulate their population. So he wasn't sure if they would go as far as to defend him against everybody else.

Or maybe really the danger wasn't external, but internal as many devils would surely exterminate an abomination such as him.

Nevertheless, it seemed pretty feasible.

As for possibly joining another faction...

Sirzechs was his dad, duh.

And now that he thought about it, he also had a little brother didn't he?

So, without suspense and rubbing his jaw. As well as making a good number of mouth twitch. Julian answered.

...

...

...

"I refuse!"