The Legacy of the Most Unpredictable Ninja

46

Naruto was trying not to fidget.

He knew that he should keep his back straight, his head up, his posture set, and his body rigid when dealing with these types. But taking note of these things would always just...draw attention to the problem. Then staying still would eventually get to a point where it was unbearable.

That was a problem when one was dealing with people that valued useless pomp and rigid social customs; everything had to be done on their terms lest you offend them somehow. Something that the blond was wont to do on a regular basis, normally.

Besides him, Rias was languidly resting her arms upon her seat's armrests, posture lax, though her eyes spoke differently. "Thank you for allowing us the chance to speak, Lord Bael. I'm sure that this must be a difficult position that you're in, and I appreciate the opportunity to clear the air, so to speak."

A neutral and cautionary approach to the beginning salvo of what would be a perilous journey through noble devil politics, this was something that Grayfia was acutely aware of as she gazed upon her sister-in-law's tentative first step. Before her and the young man who unintentionally sparked the issues that were being spoken of in this room were several figures that the Queen knew by heart.

Powerful people; powerful devils. Nobles that belonged to the ancient 72 Pillars of the Underworld, one of whom; Lord Furcas, a giant of a man that wore expensive Western-styled armor based off of Medieval European knights, leaned into the table to regard the Gremory heiress. "Rias Gremory –younger sister of our illustrious Maou Lucifer...I'd hoped that this meeting wouldn't need Lucifer-sama's ear." his visor rose to also acknowledge the powerful woman wearing the maid outfit, wary.

"Please don't concern yourself with that, Lord Furcas." Rias sought to assuage the faux knight's worries, flashing a small smile. "I'm not here in the name of my brother, nor is Grayfia. She's to act as a neutral observer whilst I stand alongside my friend here to help assure the upper classes of his good intent."

"Good intent, hm?" Lord Agares, another noble that was able to attend this meeting remarked with a scowl, his sharp eyes hidden behind the clear lens of his thin glasses as he slicked his pale and short green hair back. "All things considered, I seriously doubt that-"

Lord Bael stonily turned to look at his fellow Lord, eerily calm and composed, even as the Agares head shrunk back in his seat. He turned to face the far younger devil with a hollow smile. "Rias Gremory, it's been far too long. I thank you for bringing this man before us today, perhaps he can clear things up for us, if possible?"

The red-head smiled in return. "Hopefully. Though it should be noted that Uzumaki Naruto over here sought you all out himself; I didn't bring him before you, I'm simply along for the ride."

For the first time since he sat on that table, the full weight of the man known as 'Lord Bael' was brought onto Naruto's shoulders through the man's piercing violet eyes. "Is that so?"

Feeling as if he was given a queue, the shinobi nodded firmly as he spread his palms onto the clearly expensive table in front of him. "Yeah, I wanted to clear up any misunderstandings...uh...sir."

Quirking a solitary eyebrow, Lord Bael regarded him over steepled fingers, attempting to dig into the depths of his mind through his violet irises so he could get the answers he wanted out of the boy a few meters away from him. Though if he thought he could achieve such a thing by intimidating him, it was clear that blond was far too headstrong for that.

After the gap of silence widened for just a few more moments, Lord Bael eventually leaned back, making the first foray into this delicate discussion. "Very well then. Uzumaki Naruto; as the representative of the 72 Pillars, we'd like to know what your intentions were when you insinuated that the societal structures that have been put into place for centuries needed to be changed?"