Junichiro nodded at that and filed the information away for later. At the same time, he stuffed the Sword Birth medallion into his pocket. No way in hell was he going to immediately stuff it into his body! He wanted to scan and study it first.
This was his first encounter with a Sacred Gear in person and there was no way in hell he was going to waste the opportunity to study it!
Seeing the action only brought a smirk to Azazel's face. It's exactly what he would have done in the kid's position. He was very excited to see what the kid would come up with after studying one of his pop's creations.
Azazel had been studying them for centuries and he still made new discoveries on occasion. He was also really close to developing his own artificial Sacred Gear. He estimated it was just a month or two away from testing thanks to Fafnir being so helpful.
Junichiro glanced at Mittelt, "The contract for her to sign is in my office."
With his part in everything done, Junichiro turned around and just walked out of the room and made his way to his workshop. He was going to run every scan he could think of on Sword Birth before adding it to himself! His plan was still to steal Boosted Gear from Issei, but as powerful as Boosted Gear was, it lacked the sheer versatility he could get out of Sword Birth.
He figured with everything he had planned, he would become exceptionally powerful and well rounded.
First, his Artificing gave him the ability to make just about anything as long as he had the proper materials and the time. He included the necessary magical power as a material.
Sword Birth gave him further utility but took away the time requirements that Artificing required giving him a more rapid form of adaptability in combat. Boosted Gear would give him all the power he could need to make his creations.
Just imagining the possibility of combining things like an elemental sword from Sword Birth with the Boosting ability of Boosted Gear was inspiring and terrifying.
That didn't take into account his plans to be turned into a devil by Rias still. Despite his budding relationship with Mittelt, he was still determined to see that through. Though his reasoning had changed slightly. If things with Mittelt worked out like he hoped, then his mortality would become an issue. He had solutions for that, but all of those solutions had limits and costs. Nothing was EVER free, after all.
For example, a Philosopher's Stone to make the Elixer of Life? He'd have to sacrifice the lives of one person of every age he could find from age one to the oldest living human he could find. So, at least eighty or more individuals starting with innocent children. He might have few scruples but even he wasn't monster enough to do that just so the Stone would have the magic to de-age him properly.
Naturally, he could make a phylactery, but that way just led to badness all around. If anyone ever got a hold of it they would have control of his soul. He was also concerned with the implications of the soul in this universe compared to others. Sacred Gears proved that souls contained the memories and minds of the beings they belonged to.
Ddraig still 'lived' in the Boosted Gear. That didn't even include thoughts on his reincarnation. So, if he pulled his soul out and stuck it in a phylactery, would he even be able to control his body anymore? Could he use a Sacred Gear through a puppet body since the item was located within his soul? So... yeah that idea was a complete nonstarter for many reasons.
The point was, of all the ways he knew to preserve his life for hundreds to thousands of years, none of them were risk or cost free. Being turned into a Devil by Rias though? Rias might official be his 'master' but aside from some small things here and there, she was a complete cinnamon roll. If he saved her from Riser's clutches? He would be able to do anything he wanted and would be her servant in name only.
That didn't take into account how she was the ultimate waifu in the entire series that supported and stood by a shit stain like Issei through everything.
In exchange for being her 'servant' and saving her from that pissant Riser, he would become a devil capable of living for thousands of years without having to do anything special to maintain his lifespan. He would gain access to the easiest form of magic in the DxD universe. He would have the support and protection of Rias, and thus Sizechs Lucifer.
Then once he became a recognized High Class Devil he could gain his own Evil Pieces and make his own Peerage.
He was also pretty certain that once he had those pieces, he could turn Rias into his Queen and thus balance their relationship. They would both be master and servant to each other, equals in other words.
That didn't even really touch on the political power of being with Rias. Even if he became Gremory Junichiro, it would be worth it.
Once he was a member of her peerage, he would also finally be able to use his Essence of the Blank. He would refused to use it until then for the simple fact that if he did use it, it would be impossible for anyone to ever change him into a devil.
Since the Evil Pieces worked based on potential, limitless potential meant limitless conversion cost. Simple as that.
Once he could take it though, he would stop holding back on making himself as strong as he could. Knowing that Rias would be moving to the human world soon meant he could find a way to meet her soon and join her peerage then.
He would have at least a full year to get to know everyone, work with them, and then he could crush Riser. He'd already started creating things to help himself grow stronger, not using them was actually starting to annoy him so the sooner Rias turned him, the better.
He was not looking forward to talking to Mittelt about his plans to become a devil.