Mediation

I helped Gabriel and Asia clean up the church the next day, using my water as a powerhose and my strength to move things to their preference. Gabriel seemed to watch me when I cleaned with a thoughtful and intrigued face for some reason, but i decided to just not be bothered about it. Dont ask questions, things don't happen, mum taught me that. Usually. It got me this many years of peace anyway.

Then came about Monday. I was waiting with Asia at the airport holding a sign reading out Griselda Quarta + Friends on it and waiting for our guests. It didn't take too long before A woman with northern european features, blue eyes and blonde hair came walking up to us with two girls in tow. The first had blue hair with a fringe dyed green and brown eyes. The second had chestnut hair tied into twintails with a blue scrunchy and violet eyes. Both girls were about 5'5'' and all three wore nun garb, similar to Asia.

"Good morning. I presume you to be Griselda Quarta and her charges Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou?" I asked politely.

"That would be us, yes. I take it you are Asia Argento and Ronald Mallory?" Griselda asked.

"That is we, though Asia is now Asia Mallory Argento. Can i help with your bags at all? I've got a trolly here." I offered, and soon was hoisting the multiple suitcases onto the trolly.

"Asia, I can only express my sorrow for what you had to go through. I hope we can become friends as work together." Griselda smiled a little at the obviously nervous nun.

"It's okay Quarta-san, I believe I was brought here for a reason, and am glad to have made some friends already. There are some truly kind people in this town." Asia replied, eyes flickering briefly my way.

"Asia, please for the life of me don't think coming here was a good thing for you. You could have died, worse, you would have likely been tortured before you died had it not been chance that you bumped into my sister and I. You should be a little more wary." I said as i hauled up the last suitcase.

"God's plan can't be understood by us mere people though." Xenovia stated as if fact.

"Which god? They all exist." I rolled my eyes leaving her to glare at me, Irina frowned at my apparent not believing in God, and Griselda chuckled."Come along, first to meeting the big bad devils, then to your church." I said as I lead them to the car.

"So, Ronald, do you mind if I address you as such? Then Ronald, I take it you are not a believer?" Griselda asked after I had waved her concern away.

"Nope, I simply try to be at least a half-decent person and leave the world a little better than how I found it." I answered succinctly.

"If you want to leave the world better than you found it then why don't you join the church? God brought us into this world, we should give back." Xenovia began preaching, making Griselda's lips twitch down a little.

"I'm pretty sure my mother brought me into this world. She certainly complains about it enough." I answered. "Also, miss Quarta, one of the terms for allowing you all to stay here was no preaching or evangelising. Do you really want to be sent back on the first day?" I asked.

"you-" Xenovia began.

"That is enough Xenovia. He is correct, and both Lady Gabriel and I explained this to you before you accepted coming." Griselda cut her off. "My apologies Ronald."

"That is fine. I expected some friction. Also, no doubt I'll have to hammer Hyoudou into the ground at least a few times when he makes comments about you three... four, he hasn't met Asia-san yet" I groaned in pain.

"Hyoudou? Issei Hyoudou?" Irina asked.

"Yeah, you know him?" I asked.

"Yeah, I used to live here. We were friends." Irina said.

"Yes well he was killed by a fallen angel because of his draconic sacred gear and reincarnated by a devil shortly after. His behaviour before and after re-incarnation was the same by the way, so don't even try to blame his perverse nature on the devils." I bluntly told her.

"He can't be that bad surely?" Irina asked anxiously.

"Before he was reincarnated he went around shouting about Oppai, peeping on the girls kendo team, into the girls changing rooms, and drooling over them, sometimes literally, while talking about wanting to be a harem king... It was bad before the reincarnation. After it he has suddenly gotten a modicum of power and I am quite frankly scared for the girls at school." I honestly replied. "He isn't a terrible person Irina-san, in fact he can be a good person when he wants to be. It's just his fixation and lust is extreme, like extreme extreme. I'm just hoping Rias can straighten him out a little." I told her.

"I see. Maybe I could help him some." Irina said, a small bit of care and warmth in her eyes.

"I see." I smirked, catching Griselda's eyes in the mirror. She had a similar smile on her face. Irina noticed both our smiles and blushed a little "I wish you the best of luck Irina-san."

I let the girls talk some more and learn about each other while keeping Griselda company with some light conversation about the different places we've seen and suggestions for holidays.

***

"I knocked on the doors to the ORC, and they were opened by a woman with braided grey hair, blue eyes, and wearing french maid attire. I believe Serafall said her name was Grayfia.

"Welcome Ronald-sama and guests." Grayfia greeted us. "I am Grayfia Lucifuge, Queen of Sirzechs Lucifer and representative of the Satans for the initial meeting. I shall only be observing however. Please, come in."

"Thank you Grayfia-san." I bowed politely and entered the room.

Sona and Rias were sitting side by side behind Rias's big desk, Sona's peerage were all lined up on the left hand side of the room, with her Queen closest to her and her pawns furthest away. Rias's peerage was similarly arranged on the other side. Issei was shaking and oggling the assets of the nuns as they entered.

"Issei, don't make me drown you." I calmly said, and he stood straight and looked forward.

I walked to the chairs arranged before Rias and Sona and pulled them out for the nuns.

"Allow me to do the introductions. First, as everyone knows, I'm Ronald Mallory, a normal human who really doesn't want to be here. Then we have the co-govenors of Kuoh Town. Sona Sitri and Rias Gremory. Then we have Sister Griselda Quarta, her proteges Xenovia Quarta and Irina Shidou, and the nun Asia Mallory Argento, yes she was adopted into my family." I introduced before sitting down in an armchair a little away.

"It is a pleasure to meet you both, Heiresses Gremory and Sitri. As Ronald mentioned, I am Griselda, a retired exorcist. I want to thank you for agreeing to allow us to look after the church that was abandoned." Griselda began. "As per the arrangements we will only be maintaining and welcoming willing guests to the church, I will do my best to keep these two from evangelising or preaching."

"Thank you. We won't infringe on the church property, nor will we blame you for defending yourselves, however do not provoke others into attacking in the first place." Sona began. "I hope that we don't have to be at odds. If you could avoid praying in our presence as well, that would be greatly appreciated."

"We shall endeavour to do so. I would also like to fill out the forms necessary for Irina and Xenovia's attendance to Kuoh Academy." Griselda said.

"What?" Xenovia and Irina suddenly asked.

"I cannot teach you everything at the church and all your instructors from the vatican are in the vatican. You need to finish your education and I won't hear otherwise. Thus, you will go to school here, for both education and to try and find common ground with the new generation of devils." Griselda answered patiently.

"Fine." Irina sighed, and shot a glance to Issei, who was taking side long peeks at them.

"I don't like it." Xenovia commented.

"Too bad." Griselda answered her.

"Very well, Sona can help you there. I on the other hand have business to start my evening training. Please excuse me and my peerage." Rias said, and constructed a teleportation circle where her peerage got on.

"Apologies for Rias, she truly has little time to spare. Here are the papers." Sona handed over three sets of documents and Griselda began the arduous process of filling them out. Fifteen minutes later, Irina, and Xenovia were all enrolled in Kuoh Academy. Asia was already set up by my parents.

"Perfect. Here are you schedules, uniforms will be sent over to you in a few days time alongside your schedule. I suppose I shall see you in school unless there is anything pressing you wish to discuss now." Sona said as she squared up and filed away the papers.

"No, nothing. Thank you Heiress Sitri. We'll take our leave." Griselda smiled softly.

***

It was shortly after that I had driven them to their church, which they were somewhat surprised to find in livable, if not perfect, condition. That would largely be on them. I unpacked the car, and hauled the suitcases inside the church entrance while Asia took them on a short tour of the building.

"Well, this is it. I hope you settle in well. I'll see you in school, and don't forget to practice your japanese Xenovia-san. You may have that bracelet now but you really should learn just in case." I nodded to her.

" I look forward to seeing you again." Asia smiled politely.

"Indeed, thank you for all your help Ronald. I hope we'll have time to talk again." Griselda said with a warm inviting smile.

"Time will tell. Goodbye for now. Have a pleasant night." I said before hopping back into the car with Asia and driving away.

***

<Grayfia POV>

"So that is Ronald? Not bad, he clearly has some meagre strength to him, and must be intelligent to have your respect Sona-sama, but I don't see why both Serafall-sama and Gabriel-san asked him to mediate. Regardless, I must return. It was a pleasure as always Sona-sama. Farewell." I said, not quite able to suppress the feeling that there was more to Ronald. Part of me wanted to dig and find out, but I had promised Serafall I wouldn't. So, I would suck it up until either it was revealed or Serafall told me.