Awestruck

Freshly attired in one of the six uniforms he had been given, consisting of a black blazer with white accents over a long-sleeved, button-down shirt with vertical lining, a black ribbon on the collar, matching black pants, and dark-brown dress shoes, Vahn enjoyed the remainder of the campus tour, wrapping up at what looked like an old, three-story, ivy-covered mansion with a clock tower, a sloped, black-tiled roof, a steepled entryway, and a white facade. There, he was kept occupied by Sona's retinue before being guided to a spacious room lined with wood paneling and decorated with expensive-looking furniture, multiple bookshelves, and a multitude of fine art pieces, ranging from vases to impressionist paintings.

Though his eyes curiously scanned the room as he entered, it wasn't long before Vahn's gaze focused on its occupants, causing him to blink, stop in place, and part his lips in surprise. Seated across from Sona atop a stylish green sofa, backed by a curvy, gold-leaf wood frame and situated atop a massive maroon carpet, was the most gorgeous person Vahn had ever set eyes on. A second exceptionally beautiful girl stood behind her and off to the side, sporting long black hair fixed into a ponytail, violet eyes, and one of the most incredible figures Vahn had ever seen, but both she and Sona paled in comparison to the crimson-haired girl sitting down, staring at him with the sharp, confidence-filled blue eyes. Her full figure was on par with the black-haired girl standing a short distance behind her, but she exuded what Vahn could only describe as majesty...

"You must be Vahn Mason," said the girl, freeing Vahn from his stupor as she adopted a faint smile and revealed, "As you have likely surmised, I am Rias Gremory, Heiress to the Duke Gremory Household and Governor pro-Tempore of Kuoh Academy and the associated town. My good friend Sona here has informed me that you possess quite a unique ability."

"It's nothing that impressive..." responded Vahn, surprised as he suddenly found himself unable to meet Rias's gaze. His face also felt warm, causing him to reach up and massage his cheeks, discovering they were hot to the touch.

"I see now what you meant," remarked Rias, turning her attention to Sona and gingerly covering her mouth to conceal a smile and suppress a laugh as she added, "It's been a long time since I've seen such an innocent boy who wasn't a child."

"And it would appear he has taken a liking to you..." noted Sona, feeling somewhat vexed as, while Vahn hadn't hidden his appreciation for her and the members of her Peerage, he regarded them as someone might a well-carved statue. His reaction to Rias was completely different, reinforcing a truth Sona had long known, specifically that her crimson-haired childhood friend was far more beautiful than she.

"I'm flattered," said Rias, patting the space to her left as she added, "Why don't you come and sit down, Vahn-kun? It's a little awkward to converse with someone who's standing while sitting down."

"Oh...okay then..." responded Vahn, making his way over and sitting where Rias had indicated. He believed he was being considerate by keeping a bit of distance between them, but Rias didn't seem concerned with doing the same as she promptly moved closer to him, her surprisingly large and soft thigh nestling against his as she stared closely at his face and declared, "I would really like to see your ability for myself."

Though he couldn't see it, Vahn's face was bright red as he instinctively leaned away from Rias, taken aback by her disregard for boundaries and personal space. He didn't particularly mind that she was close to him; he just didn't expect it.

"Sure..." responded Vahn, holding up his right hand and materializing his [Bracelets of Dominion] a second time. Similar to Sona, Rias immediately grabbed his hand to inspect the bracelet more closely, but Vahn felt a lot more aware of the latter, his heart racing and a fluttery feeling pervading his chest as he averted his gaze.

"How precious..." hummed Rias, feeling an almost overwhelming desire to tease and dote upon Vahn but suppressing it to focus on his bracelet. She could sense potent magical energy slumbering within, so while it wasn't quite on the level of a Sacred Gear, she could picture Vahn's ability being invaluable if he were raised well.

Leaving Sona feeling exasperated, causing her to cup her head and sigh, Rias nestled Vahn's hand into her ample bosom and said, "I know you told Sona you were only interested in being a student, but I would be thrilled if you considered becoming a member of my Peerage."

Contrasting Rias's expectations, Vahn didn't have much of a reaction to the fact his hand was in contact with her breasts. Instead, he turned to meet her gaze, much of the redness fading from his face as he sported a confused look, questioning, "What's a Peerage?"

'How curious...' thought Rias, keeping Vahn's hand nestled in her breasts and grasping his forearm with her right hand as she explained, "A Peerage is how high-ranking Devils refer to their direct, most-trusted subordinates. Tell me, are you familiar with a game called Chess?"

Seeing Vahn nod, seemingly unconcerned with what she was doing with his hand and arm, Rias's smile broadened as she explained, "The owner of a Peerage represents the King. We possess fifteen other pieces that grant unique powers to those they are vested. Akeno here is my Queen..."

"Hello there," hummed the girl named Akeno, smiling and waving as Vahn looked up to meet her gaze. Something about her sleepy eyes and smile made him feel uneasy, but since he was pretty good at being able to tell if someone wanted to harm him, he reciprocated with a smile and raised his free hand, returning her wave.

Regaining Vahn's attention, Rias, looking as though she was moments away from suckling his fingers, continued her explanation, stating, "The pieces I have remaining are a Rook, a Bishop, a Knight, and eight Pawns. Rooks are vested with superhuman strength, granting them a substantial increase in their offensive and defensive capabilities. Bishops receive an increase in demonic power, greatly enhancing the efficacy of their Magic and corresponding abilities. Those who receive Knight Pieces are famed for their speed and mobility, while Pawns, despite being regarded as the weakest Piece by many, possess functionally unlimited potential as they can be promoted to gain the power of any other Piece. Excluding a King, of course."

"I see..." muttered Vahn, finally taking note of what Rias was doing with his hand as he felt the heat and moisture from her breath and noticed the warmth of her bosom. Instead of getting excited, however, he wondered if Rias's behavior was due to his bracelet's [Golden] enchantment, which ostensibly made people want to steal and claim it as their own.

"If you're willing, I would like you to become my Knight," expressed Rias. "You could also become my Rook, but I feel that the title and position of Knight are distinctly suited to handsome boys like yourself..."

Catching Rias a little off guard, Vahn extricated his hand from her grasp, his expression and tone firm as he responded, "I appreciate Rias-san's invitation...but since I already told Sona-san that I want to be an ordinary student, I think it would be hypocritical of me to accept..."

"Saying that makes me want to have you as my Knight even more..." hummed Rias, narrowing her blue eyes. But instead of insisting that Vahn change his mind, she abruptly clapped her hands together and proposed, "Then, instead of my Knight, what would you say to becoming my friend and a member of the Occult Research Club? You might change your mind once you get to know us and what being a Devil entails. There are quite a few perks and almost no meaningful downsides."

"I don't know..." responded Vahn, smiling apologetically as he explained, "I really would like to be your friend...but I'm not sure befriending a Devil or joining a Club called the Occult Research Club is something an ordinary student would do..."

Coming to Rias's aid, Sona asserted, "But you're not an ordinary student, Vahn. More importantly, you won't be a student forever, so it's important that you form meaningful connections that will aid you in your future path, regardless of the course it follows."

"Hmmm..."

Though he didn't like feeling pressured, Vahn wasn't incapable of seeing the reason in Sona's words. He also really wanted to be Rias's friend, so without too much deliberation, he grabbed the back of his head, smiled, and replied, "I'm not sure if it will change my mind...but I think joining the Occult Research Club could be fun."

"Excellent," said Rias, adopting a broad smile as she asserted, "And just you wait. Once you understand what it means to be a constituent of my Peerage and the many paths it opens to you, you will surely become my Knight. Until that day arrives, I will reserve the Piece specifically for you."

"You can be exceedingly opportunistic at times, Rias..." remarked Sona, sporting a half-lidded expression and crossing her arms. Had she known that Rias would try and pull Vahn to her side, she would have made more of a concerted effort to entice him to her own. Now, after witnessing his initial reaction to Rias's appearance, she knew the odds of him choosing her over her childhood friend were slim.

Crossing her own arms and sporting a smug smile, Rias playfully retorted, "It doesn't matter how early the bird is if it fails to snatch the worm before another arrives. Besides, with Saji-kun being completely smitten with you, I doubt he would respond well to another boy joining your Peerage."

"True enough..." conceded Sona, spreading her hands, shaking her head, and shrugging. Then, as it was approaching noon and she wanted to get at least a few hours of rest before nightfall, she rose to her feet, brushed her skirt, and appended, "Vahn-kun and I should be going. The tour took longer than anticipated, and he has someone waiting for him outside the front gate."

"Then I shall see you off," responded Rias, rising in turn before extending a hand and beaming at Vahn. He didn't need her assistance standing, but since she offered it, he reciprocated with an awkward smile and accepted it, allowing her to pull him to his feet with surprising ease.

"Oh...? I was under the impression you were shorter than me," remarked Rias, placing her right hand on her head and using it to compare her and Vahn's heights. She was fairly tall at 172cm, but Vahn was a tad taller at 175.

"Isn't it better if boys are tall...?" asked Vahn, prompting Rias's smile to broaden as she replied, "You're right. But young and petite ones aren't without their charms. The same applies to girls. You got a look at Koneko earlier, correct? Her short stature is one of her charm points."

"She was cute..." affirmed Vahn, nodding. Immediately after, however, he adopted a slight frown and appended, "But she called me a pervert for no reason."

"Well, I'm sure she'll apologize. Eventually..." said Rias, gesturing to the door since Vahn had yet to move, causing Sona to develop a somewhat sullen expression as it wasn't long ago that he was following her like a puppy. Fortunately, the Ducal House of Gremory and the Principality of Sitri had been allies for a long time, so even if she couldn't induct Vahn into her Peerage, she should still be able to benefit from his unique power and abilities. The only downside was that the Gremories were infamous for their extraordinarily affectionate natures, so even if she just wanted to play with him in the future, Vahn would likely be off-limits to her once Rias grew attached...

'And he would have made such an excellent doggy, too...' thought Sona, closing her eyes and internally sighing as she walked ahead of Vahn and Rias. To her classmates, she was strict but kind, but behind the scenes, particularly toward those she was fond of or had taken an interest in, she was more of a Queen than the King of her Peerage...

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