Tales of the dragon slayer

Chapter 19: Season 1, Chapter 11

Disclaimer.

I don't own High School DxD, or any of the other copy right stuff that may be included in this story.

I don't make any money off of it and only write this for my own enjoyment.

If criticism of religion bothers you, please don't read this story. Also, why are you reading DxD, a story which makes heroes out of devils, if criticism of religion bothers you?

Rias Gremory took a deep breath of the clean crisp air as she and her peerage hiked up the mountain trail. For the first time in a long time, things were finally going her way; it was rejuvenating.

"Of course, I still have to actually win the rating game." Rias thought, reminding herself that hope could be a bitter illusion.

Her prospects for getting out of her engagement with Riser had always been bleak; going up against a being with the ability to regenerate was a daunting task. There was no doubt in her mind that Riser Phenex would be a formidable opponent. In fact, his official record states that he'd only lost two Rating Games, though both of those losses were to families that were aligned with his.

"No doubt he lost those matches on purpose in exchange for political favors for his family." Rias privately reasoned.

But now things were different, now Rias finally had that 'Ace' she had been so desperately looking for; as it turned out that very 'Ace' might be her long lost nephew Millicas.

After experiencing a second trip to the sewage plant the other night, Grayfia had practically interrogated her about Ambrose. Truthfully, there wasn't much to add since Rias had already gave most of the details to her brother. Nevertheless, Grayfia wanted her to reiterate everything all over again, in greater detail, and constantly interrupted Rias's briefing with more additional questions.

"You really think he's Millicas?" Rias had asked her sister-in-law at the time.

"He is Millicas." Grayfia had adamantly insisted.

And that was that; Grayfia was certain that the alchemist was her son and nothing would dissuade her of that notion. Rias, herself, was not so sure and had even told her sister-in-law about the holy magic he wielded; however, Grayfia seemed unconcerned and almost dismissive of that important detail.

Despite the her own personal reservations, Rias wanted Ambrose to be her lost nephew; not only for her family's sake but for her own personal reasons as well. The Gremory Clan stood to lose a lot if Rias should end her engagement and win her freedom. They never had that much land in comparison to most of the other 72 Pillars. Presently the general extent of their territory was about the same size as Honshu, the main Japanese Island, and a significant portion of that land had been claimed by her family after the destruction of the 39 extinct Pillars. One such territory was the Seere Valley, the land that Ambrose wanted as payment for his services. It was the former territory of the now extinct Seere Clan and was roughly a total of 1/23rd of the entire Gremory province. Never before in this history of the Devil Nation had any devil given land to an outsider, to someone who was not a devil. It was especially disconcerting that Ambrose could, in effect, be declared a Lord once the land was his; though he could only do so with the Maōs' permission.

Her father, Lord Zeoticus Gremory had been absolutely livid when he had found out the deal she had made. Not only was she risking the alliance between the Gremory and Phenex Clans, but to promise land to an unknown magician was absolutely unheard of. In fact, Rias failed to recall another time where her father had yelled at her so fiercely. She would have loved to tell her father who Ambrose could be, but Grayfia and Maō Lucifer had sworn her to secrecy. It was for this reason that Rias desperately hoped that Ambrose was, in fact, Millicas. Should the alchemist turn out to be her long lost nephew then the land he would win for himself could seen as an inheritance, and therefore the consequences of Rias's actions could be swept under the rug.