Chapter - 18

"Hey gramps."

Zeoticus gave a lazy wave at his grandson's greeting, flipping to the next page of Prince Sitri's proposed legislation. He could see Serafall's hand in it as clear as day. The Satans were not as subtle as they thought they were.

In principle, the Duke didn't really oppose the idea of a central army. He'd lived long enough to see human civilizations rise and fall, and knew that centralization was an essential part of the formation of the nation-state. If Gehenna was going to become a unified country rather than a confederation of practically independent clan fiefdoms, power would have to be yielded to the Diabolical Senate.

Yet Zeoticus was wary. As inefficient as the Senate was, since any motion in it depended on clan alliances and every legislator except the four Satans inherited their position by right of blood, was it worse than the alternative? The entire reason Sheol had proceeded from an absolute monarchy under the Great King Bael to a junta dictatorship under the Old Satans, and then the loose collection of clan warlords it was at the present was because revolutions against the previous abuses of authority.

A lot of blood had been spilled because the Great King or the Satans had hungered for more power and more glory. Would giving more power to the Senate bring back those dark days? Or would it finally move Gehenna along the road to a more efficient and more stable form of government?

Huffing a sigh, Zeoticus beckoned Naruto over and shoved the thin booklet into his hands. "What do you think, kiddo?" His grandson was a bit of a genius oddball, and while the Duke would make the final decision, maybe he could turn the whole thing into an intellectual exercise with his heir.

Naruto gave his grandfather an odd look, but did as he was asked and began to skim over the pages. "I don't really get it. What's the problem?" The ten year old prodded. If his grandfather was so deep in thought about it, maybe there was something Naruto wasn't seeing. But other than that, he kind of supported the whole idea. It reminded him of the Allied Shinobi Forces, minus the whole 'Madara is going to destroy everything' vibe. "Do you just not want to give up your own power or something?"

The question might offend other more high strung nobles, but Zeoticus was much more mild.

Ignoring the thoughtless implication that it might just be lust for power, the Duke tugged the proposed law out of Naruto's hands and tossed it on the desk. "The question isn't really about personal power, since the Prince isn't suggesting the clans need to abolish their own armies. There is an increase in taxes of course, which might affect the more greedy, but every clan could offset that by cutting their military spending or trimming back on conspicuous consumption."

"Well it's not like we're hurting for cash or anything." Naruto shrugged, blue eyes growing a touch impatient. As interesting as the impromptu lesson was, he had other reasons for bothering his grandfather. "So if the reason you're questioning it isn't because you don't want to reduce your own power or wealth, it must be because you don't want to give more authority or money to the Senate."

Smiling slowly, Zeoticus propped his chin in his hand and ran a thumb over the scruff of his stubble. "You're getting there. Finish the thought."

"But if it was that simple, you would just vote against it?"

"Go on."

Naruto's brow furrowed, the ten year old deep in thought as he struggled to see it from his grandfather's point of view. "I got nothin'. Y'all like to call me a genius, but I'm no mind reader."

Ruffling the boy's hair, Zeoticus gave a wink. "Are you sure? Take a guess. What am I thinking of right now?"

"Breasts."

"How did you know?"

"Well you are the harem king." Naruto grunted, hoisting himself up on the desk and glaring down at his grandfather. "But enough bullshitting, just tell me already so we can move on."

A crimson brow slowly inched up as Zeoticus stared at the impudent ten year old. "Careful brat, I might tell your mother about how you talk to me. I'm starting to think you like the taste of soap, given how much you seem to go looking for excuses to have her wash your mouth out."

"Aww, come on gramps, it's all in good fun. If you can't handle the banter just tell me. You don't have to go crying to mom about it."

"Touche. To get to the point - yes, there are benefits to voting for and against. When your tutors begin to discuss more modern parts of history and politics, you'll learn that centralizing authority is part of stabilizing a country and making ruling it more efficient. But centralization also makes rebelling against corrupt authority more difficult, and I think that Gehenna has seen enough rule by power hungry dictators. Preserving local rule and clan power make it much harder for a small cabal to drag the whole realm into another war."

Naruto chewed the inside of his cheek and ran an absent thumb over the collar of his white button up shirt. "Fair enough. Maybe what you should do is vote against this, but suggest something else instead that makes the government more efficient without giving it power? What does it need an army for anyway? If some clan rebelled, you'd all dogpile it, and if someone invaded, you'd all dogpile him."

Zeoticus reached up and gave his grandson's nose a rough tweak. "Are you sure you're not a mind reader? That was my exact train of thought. There are better avenues to pursue than the military one. Why not propose a law that limits what sort of laws clans can make locally, or one that requires an equality in criminal justice? But if the end goal is to abolish clan armies down the line and replace them with one controlled by the central state, then this would be a good place to start."

"Dude, stop, you're making my head hurt. I didn't come here for a lecture."

A fond chuckle bubbled up from Zeoticus' chest. "If you say so, Naru-chan. I believe you had something to ask me?"

"I'm not a 'chan'." The Heir to the Gremory clan grumbled before giving a long sigh. "I just - how do I fix this whole 'I hate you' thing Rias has going on right now? Because let me tell you, it's getting pretty old pretty quick. Used to be that I had a partner in crime when it came to putting fish in dad's pillowcases. Now she won't even talk to me without being a hundred different kinds of awkward."

A mixture of nostalgia and pain lit up Zeoticus' mind. At the end of the day, such childhood conflicts were eventually forgotten. Something that would seem like the end of the world when one was a child became an amusing memory decades later.

The Duke had no doubt that Rias' tiff with Naruto over being ousted as heir presumptive seemed like the end of the world for his daughter, yet deep down Rias didn't want to truly lead the clan in the first place. It had been just a convenient distraction for the girl, since it was easier to seek power than love in Gehenna. Devils were often lost to their lusts, making the explicitly romantic love Rias wanted very difficult to find.

His daughter hadn't clued in yet that the validating love she wanted she already got from her friends. Which wasn't unusual as far as Zeoticus was concerned. The young seemed to think that romance was the be all and end all of love.

He blamed Hollywood.

It wasn't in his nature to spill all those revelations to Naruto, since they were Rias' feelings and not his to share. However, no parent liked to see their child in pain. Or their grandchild for that matter.

So Zeoticus decided to throw Naruto a bone rather than let them flounder through their adolescent conflict. "Just keep trying." the redhaired man advised, carefully weighing his words. He wanted to send Naruto down the right path without giving up too many of Rias' personal thoughts. "Rias does love you, even if she's jealous right now."

"Well I told her that if she wanted I'd help her train and give her a duel any time."

Zeoticus winced at his grandson's fumble. "That... wasn't a smart choice. If I can be honest, you came across as a pretty big arrogant asshole there. And your 'power' isn't what Rias is really jealous about in the first place."

"Well then what the hell is it?"

"Your mother is going to skin us alive. You, me, and your father. We'll be three flayed men in a row." Zeoticus lamented, pinching the bridge of his nose at his grandson's reflexive dirty mouth. "What Rias is jealous of is less your power and more your assurance. Compared to her, you've always had a purpose in your life. You've always seemed to know what you want, regardless of other people's opinions. However, in Gehenna a devil is valued less by who they are and more by what they're achieve. Despite my best efforts, she's internalized that view, but she rejects it too. It's created a bit of an odd situation where she values herself based on what she can do but wants to be valued by other people based on who she is."

Naruto mulled that over. "Sounds psychotic." he muttered, yelping when his grandfather gave him a smack around the head.

"Don't be a little smart ass." his grandfather warned, giving of an air of amused long-suffering. "I know it'll probably be hard. Brats have a way of holding grudges forever. I wasn't any better when I was your age. But I know that you'll manage to patch things up eventually. Just accept her overtures when she makes them, and don't push around too hard. Rias will have to figure out her purpose on her own. Considering you were the one that pulled the rug out from under her, any attempt you make to help is just going to have her clam right up."

"I get it, I get it. Jeez. Any other advice, oh wise and powerful sage of family relationships?"

"When it's that time of the month for a woman, either do your best to appease her or get the hell out of there."

"...I knew that already ya geezer!"