Some good tea

"I'll admit, this is some good tea." Gold hummed as he savored the taste. He wasn't really a tea kind of guy, but this was some good stuff to him.

"Your kind words are much appreciated." Akeno smiled as she stood off on the side.

Gold was casually enjoying the tea as he sat across from Rias Gremory. Koneko and Akemi were on the sofa, while Kiba stood behind them. Apparently Akemi had been offered to hang around the Occult Research Club to get to know them better. Rias was hoping that she would change her mind on becoming a devil if she had a better understanding of them.

"Well, would you like to join my peerage?" Rias finally asked while Gold was still smiling with his eyes closed from the tea. It really was some good tea. He didn't detect any magic used to alter the taste or anything. It really was just some really good tea.

"Nope" he responded as he popped the 'P' with his lips.

"Eh, You too? There are a lot of benefits to becoming a devil you know. Like your lifespan increasing and you could even have a peerage of your own eventually." she pouted since she didn't expect to be rejected again after Akemi said no.

"True, honestly that's actually tempting to me. But I just don't feel like putting in the work. Too lazy."

"Work? I don't have strict requirements for my peerage to do much though."

"It's just the amount of time and effort it would take to be promoted to high-class to reap benefits from joining your peerage. Especially with the cease-fire going on with the 3 factions." Gold spoke slowly as he raised the empty cup towards Akeno for more tea.

"I guess, but there would be benefits now though."

"Oh? And what benefits are those?"

"Well... you would be in a peerage of beautiful girls." Rias stated as she seemed to raise her chest up with her arms.

"A very impressive offer, but I'll pass." Gold smiled as he shamelessly peered at the view "But it's not only what was already said that I have a problem with. It's just the idea itself is basically indentured servitude bordering slavery and that's me putting it lightly."

Not only Rias, but the rest of the people in the room frowned from that besides Akemi who was just listening in.

"I'll have you know, the Gremory treat their peerage like family." Rias stood up with her hand on her chest as if offended.

"I'm not saying that you don't. But can you honestly say that majority of other devils have similar views to you on the subject?" he raised a brow.

"Thats...."

"Take Koneko for example." Gold said as he pointed his thumb at the white haired cat girl who stopped munching on sweets after being called out.

"Do you really believe that her sister really killed her master simply because of losing control of her Senjutsu?" Gold asked as the room's mood seemed to take a dip.

"Senjutsu caused her to go berserk, after killing her master she escaped from the other peerage members that witnessed her escape." responded as she tried to remember the information on the event back then.

"Which lead to Nekoshous to be wiped out since the master who was killed was a branch member of the House of Naberius, but let's not go into the details of that whole debacle. Instead let me ask you, why did she flee?"

"Because she would have been killed if she didn't."

"She was berserk. How could she have been capable of those kinds of thoughts? There are too many inconsistencies and holes in the story." Gold pointed out. There really was too many inconsistencies to the story to ignore.

"What are you saying...?"

"Please.... please stop..." Gold looked to his right when he felt his shirt tugged by a small hand. Koneko had her head down, her voice sounded small as if pleading.

"I'm sorry but you need to hear this, so I suggest you listen to the end." he stroked her head to calm her down before turning back to Rias.

"I did my own research on the event and used some scrying to see some truths. Eventually I came to wonder, why did your brother Sirzechs decide to intervene with Koneko's execution and allow something as 'dangerous' as a Nekoshou near the sister that he dotes on even to the point of making her a rook." Gold used finger quotes as he said 'dangerous'.

Back when Gold had found out that the protagonist was genderbent. He went on to wonder if there were other things changed within the timeline. So he went to do digging on things like the Holy sword project, the Great War of the three factions and what lead to the persecutions of Nekoshous.

"So I'm honestly wondering if you could help me confirm something. Call your brother and ask for the real reason he allowed Koneko to be a part of your peerage. My guess is that the runaway sister under all the stress of fleeing, was somehow able to get a message to the current Lucifer in hopes that he would be sympathetic to her plight." Gold finished his guess as he waited for Rias to sink deep in thought for a moment.

"Akeno, hand me the phone please." Rias decided she wanted to know as well.

∞

Honestly, despite being incredibly good at putting up an everpresent fake smile most of the time. I don't think Sirzechs has it in him to really lie to his sister if she really pushes it. I mean, the dude seriously dotes on Rias to the point that he could be a siscon. But I don't think he is a complete siscon since if he was, then I don't think he would have allowed Issei to perv on his sister. Which means he just really cares for his sister is all.

Also holy shit, this tea tastes like it was made from a godam angel! Well Akeno is part fallen, so that isn't really a wrong statement. I glanced to the side as Koneko was grabbing onto my arm. Strong grip, actually her grip is starting to hurt. She was shaking, probably gripping onto me to stop herself from falling. The trauma is strong with this one.

"You were right." I turned to Rias who finally got off the phone with her brother. She was pacing back and forth through the entire conversation on the phone.

"Well that confirms it for me." I nodded. Honestly I'm glad the only thing that really changed in this timeline was that SOME CHARACTERS ARE FREAKING FEMALE WHEN THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DUDES!

"Why... why did she leave me?" I turned back to Koneko. Oh shit she's crying on my arm. My sleeve is getting wet. Wow, now I feel like a bad guy. Oh god no, the shreds of my conscience are acting up again.

"I don't know, maybe you can ask her yourself one day." I sighed as I looked around the room to signal anyone for help. Kiba didn't seem to know how to approach her and Akeno seemed to be giving me a signal to deal with it since it was my fault. Damnit Akemi, as my apprentice you should help the master deal with problems! Don't look away from me you damn protagonist!

I took the girl to my lap and just held her there. I didn't say anything else, I'm not good at consoling people. But I don't understand the crying, shouldn't this be good news? I mean I basically just proved that your sister isn't a crazy murdering psycopath right? Why the tears!? I don't understand! Eventually she fell asleep, so I gently laid her down on the sofa.

"Okay, anyway this was a productive meeting but I have an appointment with miss Sitri so I'll see you another time miss Gremory." I waved while trying to quietly exit the room

"Just call me Rias." she smiled as I left. Man, what is it with anime characters and crying at good news?

∞

"I've been told to take you to the student council room.... why are you staring at me like that?" Saji asked as he seemed a bit off put by Gold's piercing stare.

Gold stepped closer to saji and clamped his hands down on the blonde's shoulders, slightly freaking him out. His eyes shined golden light that seemed to illuminate the world despite it being already bright outside.

"THANK YOU FOR BEING A GUY." Gold seemed to cry tears of joy that he wasn't genderbent as well.

"Eh!?" Saji for his part was incredibly confused.

"It's just... there are so much woman around me that I feel like there isn't enough manliness in my life!" Gold complained as he let out frustrated tears. There were just too much woman around him, and he wasn't even banging any of them. They were just there! When he made the genetically screwed up horse he named Jack, he purposely overdosed on the manly factor which resulted into what he is today.

"Dude let go, this is getting really weird." Saji was officially creeped out

"I refuse! Prepare yourself Saji, for we shall be friends starting today!" Gold declared with radiant eyes

"I don't think I want anything to do with you!"

"Nonsense, as your friend I'll even help you get together with that Sona girl that you like so much!"

"Eh!? Really? You can do that!?"

"You're damn right I can. Now let's get started!" Gold immediately pulled out a white board from his gate.

"First, your master Sona Sitri was able to escape from being forced into engagement by making a condition where a suitor must defeat her at chess. That'll be our ticket!" The board showed a crude drawing of Sona's head with a wedding ring and a chess board next to eachother.

"So, I have to beat her at chess? But she's incredibly smart! How am I going to do that!?" Saji had seen his master play chess before, he doesn't think she's ever lost.

"Don't worry, with me here anything is possible! Prepare yourself because I will train you!"

"But it could take years to be good enough to beat her at chess! I've seen her play! She's unbeatable!" Saji seemed to release tears of despair

"Relax, we'll just do this through a montage." Gold stated as he put the whiteboard back into his gate.

"A wha-?"

SCENE CUT

"YOUR THE BEST! AROUND~!" old motivational music started playing to the montage of training.

The scene changed to the blonde devil being taught how to punch at a punching bag by Gold.

"NOTHING'S GONNA EVER GONNA KEEP YA DOWN~!"

It changed again to Saji running to the music as Gold chased him down with his truck with the sun blazing in the sky.

"YOU'RE THE BEST! AROUND~!"

It now displayed the blonde devil lifting weights in a gym with Gold nodding his head in the background.

"NOTHING'S GONNA EVER KEEP YOU DOOOOWN~!"

Saji was running up some temple steps with a boulder on his back. Gold waited at the top with a stopwatch ready to time him as the sun was finally going down.

When Saji finally made it to the top, he let the giant boulder off his back and the two jumped in joy at the accomplishment.

"WAIT A MINUTE, HOW IS ANY OF THIS SUPPOSED TO HELP WITH CHESS!?" Saji finally realized that all he did was stamina and weight training all day.

"For a healthy mind, one must first have a healthy body." Gold seemed to nod as he spouted out complete bullshit.

Saji dropped to his knees, letting out tears of despair at the wasted day.

Back at Kuoh, Sona was seated with the rest of her peerage wondering where Saji and Gold were at.