Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though she was more than a little reluctant, Sakura was whisked away by Mordred and Fenrir to go explore the chateau while Da Vinci was shown to a private room by a fashionably dressed Butler so that she could access the internet. Even if most of the information was ultimately useless to her, Da Vinci had been considering hijacking the entire internet, using the same backdoors put into place by the powers the regulated the global network to monitor its users. She suspected that it had been a product developed by the Atlas Temple, meaning there was likely an extremely advanced Artificial Intelligence charged with monitoring and cataloging everything its users did, both online and offline. If that was the case, Da Vinci felt it would be enjoyable to contend against the AI, regardless of the fact the Atlas Temple would undoubtedly become aware of her snooping.

While Da Vinci was playing around on the world wide web, Vahn remained in the recreational study with Artoria and Gray seated at his sides while Rin and Olga sat on the opposite sofa. There was a lot for them to discuss but, before anything, Vahn pulled out Alaya while asking, "How much did you tell Luvia...?" At the same time, Vahn cast a momentary glance toward Olga, making it clear he wanted to know how much she knew as well. To his surprise, Rin released a sigh with a wry smile on her face as she explained, "Everything...Luvia has been...very proactive over the last month or so. You should get into contact with her soon...haaa..."

After everything Luvia had done, any action Rin took to intervene between the relationship between her 'rival' and Vahn would be petty jealousy. Since she had a lot of time to think over the last month, Rin had already accepted that she would become a small part of Vahn's unbelievably large existence. At the very least, he treated her well when they were together and, even though it wasn't really his responsibility to do so, Vahn was more than willing to help her take care of Sakura. No matter how she looked at the situation, it was infinitely better to be at Vahn's side than it was to spend the rest of her life associating with a community she genuinely detested. This was true even before she had to worry about Sakura so, regardless of what happened between Vahn and other women, Rin had decided to just go with the flow and try to secure her place near the top of the hierarchy...

Understanding Rin's words to mean that Olga was also aware of everything, another notch in her favor, Vahn placed Alaya on the table, saying, "Reveal yourself, Alaya. Tell me, how did Rin get injured without you bringing it to my attention...?" Though she hadn't changed at all from his perspective, Alaya practically 'blinked' into existence from the viewpoint of everyone else in the room. Artoria, Rin, and Gray had all seen her take on multiple forms so they weren't all that surprised by Alaya's relatively cute appearance. Olga, however, had an incredulous look on her face as she internally remarked, ("The manifestation of Humanity's Will to Survive is a tiny creature with animalistic traits?")

In response to Vahn's inquiry, Alaya plainly stated, "You had not told me to inform you if they were in danger. My task was only to protect them if their life was endangered. As the Goddess Ereshkigal was more than a match for her opponents, my assistance was not required. Do not blame me for your oversights and expect me to start thinking for you, Master..." As this was one of the few ways in which she could 'protest' against Vahn, Alaya refused to provide him any information unless he directly ordered her to inform him. Even then, he would need to choose his words wisely as, if there were any loopholes, Alaya would not make assumptions based solely on Vahn's convenience.

Though he knew that arguing with Alaya was pointless, it didn't stop Vahn from lightly pulling on the tips of her long ears as he complained, "I hope the day comes when you are more empathetic..." This caused Alaya's brows to furrow as she shook her head in an effort to liberate her ears. Vahn's fingers made it feel as if a strong electrical surge was running through her ears and, though she could resist it easily in the past, one of her sub-directives was to allow Vahn to pet her, something Alaya believed would become her bane in the future. Fortunately, Vahn released her ears the moment she shook her head as, even though he was mildly annoyed, he knew it wasn't Alaya's 'fault' as she had only done what he asked, nothing more...

While having Alaya sit on the table as 'punishment', Vahn listened as Rin and Gray gave a detailed explanation of what had happened over the past few weeks. Most of what they said was within his expectations but, when they began to talk about the matter revolving around Svin and his cronies, Vahn's eyes had started to glow with a cold light. If not for the fact that Ereshkigal had already put Bradley through a surprisingly brutal punishment, Vahn could imagine himself stabbing the young man through the chest with his bare hands. As for Svin, Vahn had the false impression that he got off easily, at least until he considered the prestige the young man had lost and the life he would live in the future.

Now that Svin was nothing but a blank slate, it wasn't incorrect to assume that he would either become a 'factory' for the Clock Tower or, if one of the major families believed his body was 'worth' something, they would likely purchase and recycle it. Transfering the soul might be a very rare form of Magecraft but, for any of the families that had thousands of years of history, it wasn't all the uncommon for them to prepare suitable vessels for their descendants. Some families even kept the existence of their heirs an absolute secret until they had already come of age, making it impossible to determine if the appearance revealed to the world was their original form...

The most important thing Vahn took away from the conversation with Rin and Gray was that he had to put more thought into his interactions with Alaya. At the same time, it seemed that Ereshkigal was more than a little stronger than he expected but, considering she was the Queen of the Underworld, presiding over Death itself, he could have inuited this from the start. Since she also detailed many of the things Luvia had done, specifically with him in mind, Vahn knew he had misjudged the drill-haired woman. Based on what Rin revealed, it seemed that Luvia was somewhat similar to Loki and Kali in nature, being that she wasn't afraid to take advantage of a situation to secure more power, nor was she afraid of fighting against her enemies directly...

After agreeing to talk things over with Luvia, Vahn turned his attention to Olga this time as, during the previous discussion, she had been entirely silent. He was curious how she fit into all of this, even though Rin had already mentioned the alliance between the Edelfelt and Animusphere families. In response to his gaze, Olga swallowed nervously as, even though she had 'prepared' herself for this day, it had barely been a week since her discussion with Luvia and Rin. They never expressly told her to try and 'woo' Vahn, only encouraging her to think about her place and what she might be able to offer him in exchange for his support. Though there were certainly a number of 'hints' that implied what she should do, Olga felt extremely nervous after feeling the intense aura radiating from Vahn's body when he got angry.

Seeing Olga freeze up, Rin rolled her eyes before explaining, "Because we had no idea what you were up to, Luvia and I had discussed ways to help you build your actual Empire in the future. The Animusphere family is one of the ten most prestigious Magus families associated with the Clock Tower, specializing in the Thaumaturgical School of Astronomy. With their unique Magecraft, they are able to see into the history of objects and had created a system that can potentially see into the very history of the Earth itself. If their research is accurate, it would be possible to view the state of the world in the Past, Present, and Future. At the very least, it could serve as a means of viewing the entire planet in order to keep track of the movements of our enemies. I'm not entirely sure how it works but, since you have someone as famous as Da Vinci on your side, I imagine she would be able to figure it out..."

Though Rin, Gray, and Olga had all been surprised when Vahn introduced Da Vinci, Rin had gotten over it almost immediately as it wasn't all that uncommon for historically male Heroic Spirits to end up being female. She had already seen the examples of Artoria and Nobunaga so it wasn't all that surprising that Leonardo Da Vinci was also a female. Gray had also accepted the truth relatively quickly, as she had seen and experienced far stranger things in her life, leaving only Olga dazed and confused by the fact that Da Vinci was a woman of almost indescribable beauty. As she had removed her spectacles during their brief exchange earlier, the main cause for everyone's surprise, it was very clear that few women, regardless of their efforts, would be able to compete with Da Vinci's beauty and intellect.

In response to Rin's explanation, Vahn gave an understanding nod but still asked, "And how does Olga fit into all of this?" This caused the woman in question to pale as she tightly clenched her skirt, leaving Rin to once again answer in her stead, explaining, "That is ultimately up to her, I think...? She is supposed to act as the Director of the organization known as Chaldea, assuming you believe it is worth investing into. Luvia has every intention of trying to become your Empress so she is already investing billions into future projects that would strengthen your Empire, politically, socially, and financially. Since activating CHALDEAS apparently costs nearly forty-billion Yen, it is an investment she is unwilling to make unless you are the one who wants to see it brought online..."

Hearing Rin point out how astronomically expensive CHALDEAS was, an amount that seemed even larger when converted to Japanese Yen, Olga's face became white as a sheet. She had been prepared to be treated terribly as a political hostage for only three-hundred million pounds so, knowing it would take more than three-hundred 'billion' just to start CHALDEAS, Olga couldn't help but wonder what she was willing to 'accept' in order to make her family's dream a reality. However, when she saw Vahn flanked by Gray and Artoria, both breathtakingly beautiful in their own right, Olga had absolutely no confidence in trying to offer herself in exchange for financial support...

Seeing Olga's sickly appearance, Vahn couldn't help but furrow his brows, something the pale-haired woman seemed to misinterpret as she opened her mouth, ultimately failing to find any words. Vahn felt she was a somewhat awkward woman who didn't seem to have a lot of experience interacting with other people. It was impossible for him to make a decision regarding Luvia's finances without a better understanding of the situation so, for the time being, Vahn raised his hand, sending calming energy through his domain and into Olga's body as he said, "Just relax...breathe..."

Though she had been startled by the sudden warmth invading her body, Olga knew she wasn't in any position to outright refuse anything Vahn wanted to do to her. Thus, after calming her heart, Olga began to follow Vahn's words, taking slow breaths before releasing them in an audible manner. This continued for well over a minute, surprising Olga as a result of how comfortable and relaxed she felt, almost as if she was wrapped up in a soft blanket with a warm glass of cocoa on a cold winter morning. Then, almost as quickly as it had come, the comfortable feeling began to recede as Vahn lowered his hand and asked, "Do you feel better now...?"

Now, instead of paling, Olga's face gained a tinge of ruddiness as she nodded her head with a sheepish, 'Nn' escaping her throat. Then, noticing the looks everyone else in the room was giving her, Olga's face became gradually redder as she averted her eyes and said, "CHALDEAS is just one of the projects my family has been working on for the past century...please...please don't look down on us...I'll do my best...even if..." Finding the words she wanted to say impossible to form, Olga looked like she was on the verge of tears as everyone in the room continued to stare back at her.

Feeling that Olga was rather pitiable, Vahn's expression softened a bit as he softly stated, "Don't worry, Olga. You'll understand soon enough but, so long as people are doing their best, I will never look down on them. I'm certain the research you and your family have been working on is something worthy of praise, not reproach..." Not realizing he had said a 'trigger' word for Olga, Vahn was a little surprised when her ahoge suddenly 'twitched' in response to his words. This caused the corner of his eyes to squint almost imperceptibly while Olga herself seemed to calm down significantly, a small smile on her face as she muttered, "Thank you..." in a quiet tone of voice.

As the specifics would need to be discussed later on, after contacting Luvia, Vahn began to begin explaining what he had been up to since their parting. With the obvious exception of Artoria, everyone else was shocked to hear that his base of operations was none other than the legendary Island of Avalon and the Ivory Castle of Camelot. Vahn even brought out a diorama that was almost an exact replica of the island, albeit much smaller. With the Ivory Castle dominating the northern part of the island, looking more like a small mountain than a man-made structure, it was a rather impressive, borderline unbelievable, sight.

Vahn went on to explain some of the aspects of his summoning system, leaving out any specifics like its location, and some of the implementations he and Da Vinci, primarily the latter, had come up with. Following that, Vahn explained his intentions of essentially converting the entire island into an Academy the train future generations and provide sanctuary to those treated as tools by the other three factions. He also explained how, in the not-so-distant future, the border between the Surface and Reverse Sides of the World would likely become thinner.

The type of Magecraft Vahn intended to teach was far closer to True Magic than what had become popularized by the Mage's Association. Just like he had done in Danmachi, Vahn was intending to explain the principles behind 'real' Magic to students who had earned the right to learn it. Since there were quite a number of misunderstandings that actually become the very foundation for why Magecraft weakened over time, Vahn intended to change the perspective of, not just the Magus Community, but the people of the world itself. When Angra Mainyu appeared, the death toll would likely reach into the millions, if not more, regardless of their preparations. As Vahn intended to keep his promise with Paracelsus as well, he was going to spread the existence of Magic throughout the entire world, fundamentally changing how every government and organization functioned...

Though many of the things Vahn was saying were rather 'unbelievable', the only one who seemed to have any trouble envisioning the future he had in mind was Olga. When she considered that he may be bridging the Surface and Reverses Sides of the World in the future, however, a lot of what he was saying sounded plausible. One of the obsessions of nearly every Magus family was gaining access to the Reverse Side of the World as even something as simple as soil obtained from there could serve as a powerful catalyst for Magecraft.

Just venturing into the 'Dungeon' beneath the Clock Tower was like entering into a completely different world, filled with fantastical creatures and rare materials that were nearly impossible to find on the Surface. The closer you got towards the Reverse Side of the World, the more reality itself seemed to be the illusion as, assuming you could survive the mana-rich atmosphere, you could even find yourself face-to-face with beings your mind simply couldn't begin to comprehend. Those that had ventured beyond the Kalion Observatory, considered the lowest stable point of the Spiritual Tomb: Albion, often came back completely changed, some even losing their humanity in the short time they were away. In the most extreme cases, there were even people who would venture beyond the threshold for only a few minutes, returning several years older, wearing nothing but rags as they rambled on incomprehensibly about what they had witnessed...

Towards the end of his explanation, Vahn decided to ask the question that had been on his mind from the start, "Will you be accompanying us back to the castle...?" As it was very clear that Rin no longer intended to humor the Mage's Association, Vahn expected she would be more than willing to retreat to the comparably safe Avalon while the Clock Tower slowly tore itself apart.

Meeting Vahn's expectations, Rin gave an almost immediate nod, explaining, "I had actually been thinking about using the method you left me in order to contact you. It is too dangerous for Sakura to be outside right now, especially with the Association Director placing a Sealing Designation on you. The entire Magus Community is only the lookout for you and, even though Luvia's people can be trusted during most situations, it is impossible to guarantee they have not been influenced by external sources. Besides, she will be a lot happier back at the castle...I think she will have an easier time accepting things when she understands she is an actual Princess..."

As it was already impossible for Sakura to be part of the public education system, especially with the world on the verge of destruction, it was inarguably better for her to be back on Avalon. Since it was currently isolated on a different Texture of the world, even Angra Mainyu would not be able to gain access to the island without discovering one of the few access points. Its corruption would obviously not reach other Textures of the World, especially places like the Reverse Side. If that happened, Vahn might not even have to take action himself as there were numerous Gods near the peak of Tier 4, with the potential of some even reaching Tier 5, waiting to deal with it.

Agreeing with Rin's take on things, Vahn nodded his head, saying, "We can return to Avalon the moment you are ready. I had planned to stay outside for a few days but, if you think it will be safer for Sakura, it is best we move these discussions there. I imagine I'll need to deal with Luvia myself and I'm certain you're also interested in exploring the island, correct?" As she couldn't help but feel at least a 'little' excited at the prospect of exploring a fantastical place like the Island of Avalon, Rin smiled in response to Vahn's question, answering, "If it is as empty as you say, I imagine it might be a little scary to explore on my own...I'll have you escort me. I won't allow you to refuse..."

Hearing Rin's teasing words, Vahn felt a warmth spread through his heart as he answered, "It would be my pleasure. We can bring Sakura along with us as well. You'd surprised how beautiful a seven-hour long sunset is from atop the Ivory Castle's spires..." This comment caused Artoria to nod her head in agreement at the side as, before entering into the Orb, she had also never experienced such a thing. Sunset always felt like a fleeting thing in the past, something that could be rarely enjoyed, yet that changed completely in Avalon. It had become rather common amongst the castle residents to congregate along the castle ramparts, watching the sun slowly set beyond the horizon as they enjoyed each other's company.

Though the atmosphere had started to become somewhat rosy, this was broken almost instantly when Olga raised her hand and sheepishly asked, "Can I come...?" This caused Vahn to laugh aloud, followed by Rin releasing an exasperated sigh while Artoria and Gray both giggled lightly at Olga's expense. As a result, her face became scarlet red, her thoughts turning chaotic as she wondered what she had said to garner such a response. Before she could think too deeply into it, however, Vahn looked toward her with an amused smile on his face, answering, "Of course you can come. If you want to stroll around Avalon later, I don't mind accompanying you. However, I'd appreciate a bit of alone time with Rin and Sakura before that...hahaha~."

Realizing her question could be misconstrued as her asking permission to accompany Rin and Sakura, Olga's face became even redder until she ultimately found solace in her hands, avoiding looking directly at anyone for several long and awkward seconds...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Luvia, or perhaps the Edelfelt family, always gets what they set their eyes on xD...','Avalon, Land of Twilight','RIP Olga, you are grossly unprepared for what you just got into')