Gabriel's previously welcoming and gentle smile became somewhat fragile as she stiffened at Ei's blunt question.
"Please forgive her!" I said standing up and bowing my head as Micheal didn't look happy at all. I knew Ei was... As blunt as a baseball bat. But I didn't expect her to go for the damned throat to Gabriel's question. "Her soul is but months old and she isn't that great with social norms. So please excuse her question as she simply doesn't know better." I ended weakly as I pushed Ei's head downward and forward into an apology as she looked between me and Gabriel in confusion.
Thankfully though Micheal seemed to accept my words as he said more relaxedly. "That is fine. In either case, which of us haven't made a mistake in our long lives?" He then took a breath and gently waved his hand as though to sweep Ei's previous words to the side as he continued.
"Jake Gremory, I will be candid. What will it take for you to remodel angels to allow us to copulate without the fear of falling and allow us the same possibility of population growth as our Fallen cousins." He specified and I actually smiled at the way he phrased it.
He didn't phrase it as making angels stronger or even removing their ability to fall in general. He wanted their ability to fall out of Lust to be removed. Which... Honestly, how could anyone have sex even with pure procreation in mind do the deed without the sin of Lust tainting their minds?
He didn't want their race to be hinged on me for bonus and more power, he just wanted them to have the same growth potential as their cousins. Which I was perfectly fine with honestly.
The angels weren't a threat to me honestly. They couldn't get the Brave Saint system with how Ajuka was dead/isekaied to another world so now they needed me for the possibility for their race to grow beyond a single angel being born every couple years due to angels basically mind controlling themselves or getting knocked out to have sex with humans to make more angels.
I folded my arms across my chest as I considered it in the long term. Angels would have the same stupidly low fertility as their fallen cousins so even should they occasionally do the deed, their population growth wouldn't match the bondage fuck bunnies in the Fallen.
Finally and lastly... The Devils, Fallen, and Angels, of the Abrahamic faith needed to stick close to one another. The Greeks were trying to force the Devils and Fallen out of the Underworld, and the Hindus and Hel of the Norse were trying to steal souls from Heaven.
The Abhramic faith was clearly being encircled after our Satans having died or in Serafall's case was hiding away to smother Sona after seeing her dead along with the rest of the Sitri clan.
So in the end I leaned over to Grayfia and whispered into her ear as I raised a small barrier. "What should I even ask for? We need to stick together and I want to accept this as it is a great favor to me. It doesn't cost the Devils anything more than my own time to do this."
Grayfia went still before she spoke slowly and quietly even with the sound barrier isolating our voices. "We need assurance for their goodwill. As for what they should give... Have them give what they will offer for such a service. See how much it is worth to them in the end."
I lowered the barrier with Gabriel smiling as she gently asked. "Have you two come to a conclusion?"
I nodded and then said openly as I laid my hands on the table. "Yes. I am inclined to agree to your request. But as for the reward or trade in this deal, I will leave that to you. What is this opportunity worth to the Angels?" I asked at the end and both Micheal and Gabriel shared a look before Gabriel gently waved her own hand to form a barrier to obscure our view of them as they discussed what they would offer while I sat back in my chair.
While I waited for them to respond, Grayfia was quietly scolding Ei for her prior verbal fuck up. I received a text message and attached to it were a few images.
The first images featured Klee and Milicas dead sprinting away hand in hand together from an ominous-shaped rocket that was launched into the air behind them which was adorable.
The second image featured Artemis who was lying across a long lounge chair with her adopted daughter in the Chimera Atalanta along with Koneko and Ni a Li who were all snuggled up to the goddess of the hunt whose domains made the cat girls ultra comfortable around her.
And lastly, the last image made me smile with love blossoming in my heart as I saw Rias lying down with one arm linked up with Venelana's arm as they were on a couch watching some kind of movie or something together.
At the end of the images was the simple text from Akeno which said. [We already miss you <3]
While I sent back a couple of mushy messages back to Akeno I heard a slight buzz as Gabriel brought down the barrier allowing us to see Micheal and Gabriel facing us with a more serious expression on their faces.
Micheal started things off as he spoke seriously with none of the welcoming candor. "Jake. You wished to see our sincerity. But I have to ask. Do you want the sincerity aimed towards the Devils as a race? Or yourself?"
I blinked and then answered straightforwardly. "Preferably for myself frankly. After all, I am the one doing all the work, and just fixing your race won't actually give your race the same growth potential as the fallen if your angels will rarely copulate to begin with."
Micheal nodded with a sad smile coming to his face as he looked to Gabriel who took a deep breath and spoke. "Jake, regardless of how the Greeks have betrayed the Devils in helping kill the Satans. That doesn't change the fact that the Olympian Artemis is still a wife that you are keeping within your heart." She started and my heart stilled, my eyebrows twitched.
And all I think was. 'Ahhh fuck'
Gabriel who took a breath as though to gather her thoughts spoke with a small flush entering her pale cheeks. "Jake, in order to secure your efforts for the Angel race of Heaven, and being known as a very sentimental man who loves his family more than anything in the world. We want for you to consider angels as your family. We wish for you to marry an angel."