Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After leaving Da Vinci and Galahad to carry out the rest of the orientation themselves, Vahn returned to the Faculty Room, a large three-story building that had both living and work spaces. Here, Okita, Jeanne, and Gareth, his usual entourage, were waiting while, seated at a small table, Zelretch could be seen nursing a cup of black tea.

Seeing Vahn enter in through the front door, Zelretch inhaled one final whiff of the fragrant tea that had been provided to him before asking, "How is it, being an Advisor? I wish I had been there to see the surprise on those children's faces, hahahaha~"

Taking a seat of his own, followed by Gareth dutifully pouring him a cup of tea, Vahn answered, "It won't be long before the number of prospective students explodes. I'll need to make sure the other Factions keep their noses clean, lest I have to bloody them..."

Zelretch couldn't help but laugh in response to Vahn's words as he could, quite literally, imagine a few Nobles getting more than their noses bloodied by the latter's actions. There were some people who, despite all the evidence acting as a deterrent, would still seek death as a result of their errant actions. This was especially so for the Factions that had been eyeing certain students, students who would now, undoubtedly, seek shelter in the Empire.

Understanding this, Zelretch adopted a more genial expression as he mused, "I should have taken more proactive action to redress the flaws in the world. Now, I can only leave the matter to you. It is high time I take a backseat and observe the passage of time...perhaps I'll even take in a new disciple. I can't deny that your words, back then, have left quite an impact on me...hmmm..."

Hearing Zelretch's words, Vahn tilted his head to the side in rumination before stating, "You may not be qualified to teach others. Those that have lived far beyond the normal lifespan of the people they teach have a difficult time empathizing with them. In the past, you let your experiences shape how you educated your disciples, breaking them in the process. If you're looking for someone to succeed you, I can pull someone suitable through the Throne..."

Zelretch made no attempt to refute Vahn's words, even though they were a little harsh. Instead, he began to stroke his beard in a self-calming manner before asking, "Did you have anyone in mind? I already had a few suitable candidates but, after hearing your words, that may have been misguided on my part..."

In truth, Zelretch had several potential candidates to succeed, not just his Magecraft, but his actual Magic itself. He had even included Vahn in this list in the past but, after visiting Avalon, he no longer thought the Emperor before him needed the power and guidance he could provide. Rather, due to the same experiences Vahn mentioned, he almost had to recuse himself from getting involved in the events that would be taking place in the near future.

Vahn couldn't immediately answer Zelretch's question as, in his opinion, True Magic itself wasn't that unique. Though the original wielders were undoubtedly terrifying existences, the restrictions on the use of Administrative Functions made it a dead-end pursuit. It would be completely useless outside of the Records of the Nasuverse so, rather than focus on borrowed power, he was more interested in teaching people how to obtain lasting strength...

Still, it wasn't too difficult to come up with candidates that would benefit from the tutelage of a True Magician. They just needed to have a positive alignment, the mentality of an immortal, and a strong sense of responsibility. It was almost impossible for a normal person to become the apprentice of a True Magician as, as could be observed in Zelretch's case, their perspective was too skewed from the norm. Only those with powerful quirks, bordering on psychosis, that would be able to emerge from the training without any mental trauma.

After thinking for a few moments, Vahn asked, "How about the first generation director of the Atlas Temple? Their organization has been protecting the world since before the Mage's Association even existed. The Atlas Temple also has the most developed understanding of Laws so they would be a suitable candidate. After all, they already have the ability to see the future and view parallel worlds, albeit to a lesser extent..."

Hearing Vahn's suggestion, Zelretch just laughed as he shook his head. This earned a raised brow from Vahn until the former explained, "That bridge has already been burned. Atlasia didn't much appreciate the influence I had on the future so we had a few...disagreements...hahahaha~"

Remembering that Zelretch had traveled at least a few hundred years into the Age of Gods, Vahn wasn't too surprised that he had met the first Director of the Atlas Temple. Though it would have been more accurate to call them the High Priest, as they were a descendent and worshipper of Isis, the future generations of the Atlas Temple recognized them as such.

Rather than offer another name, Vahn shrugged his shoulders and said, "Your biggest issue will be finding someone that you can treat as your equal. If you only want a protege to follow everything you say, it will be impossible to rear a capable Mage. You may have had some disagreements with Atlasia but that is all in the past. There is an unlimited future ahead of us so you shouldn't dismiss the idea outright."

Finding a grain of truth in Vahn's words, Zelretch nursed his black tea for a few moments, his mind wandering to distant memories. When he regained clarity, however, he shook his head again before saying, "I can't deny the wisdom contained in your words...maybe it's because I'm an old man but, if I'm to choose a successor, I'd want them to be a blank slate. Atlasia was a capable alchemist with a very powerful foresight but, as a result of their upbringing, it would be impossible to take them as a disciple. Rather, I imagine it is more likely they would become the head of the Atlas Temple or try to work with your Empire..."

Understanding the logic behind Zelretch's argument, Vahn gave a small nod but, hearing the man mention a 'blank slate', he asked, "Why not rear an artificial human or a conceptual entity? They are your best option for finding a blank slate. If you raise them properly, they could become the most ideal version of the successor you have in mind. As for everyone else, they will always have a history and an ego, one which can be shaped based on the circumstances of their environment. To that end, you don't really have much of a choice in the matter."

Zelretch couldn't help but frown in response to Vahn's suggestion. He didn't think it was wise to entrust such power to an artificial lifeform but, when considering his own metrics for choosing a student, it did seem like the best choice. After all, it was difficult to find even poor candidates for an apprenticeship, much less 'ideal' ones. There were too many uncontrollable variables and, with the existence of Vahn, any small hiccup in their training could have disastrous consequences...

While Zelretch was feeling conflicted, Vahn shook his head before lightly tapping on the table and saying, "It really doesn't matter. You're putting too much thought into something that shouldn't be a problem. Stop trying to control everything and just do your best as a teacher. Even if your student goes astray, you should just guide them back onto the correct path. The more you try to force them, the greater the contradiction you'll create in their mentality. People become great because they are inspired to greatness by their circumstances. If you try to engineer greatness, forcing it upon those who don't have the capacity to accept it, you'll only end up creating a monster or, at best, a puppet."

This time, Zelretch entered a very long and solemn silence as, with thousands of years of experience to draw from, he knew there was a great deal of truth behind Vahn's words. While it was possible for a powerful individual to rear up others, they were often inclined to play favorites and allow those of their choosing to take shortcuts. This generally built up positive rapport between Master and student but, when things didn't go as planned, a great rift could be formed between them, often ending in a great tragedy...

Without a better response, Zelretch released a tired sigh before asking, "How can someone like you, who has so much control over everything, advocate the idea that it must be relinquished? What you have done thus far seems contrary to the point you are trying to make..."

Vahn furrowed his brows slightly in response to Zelretch's accusation, his mood soured slightly at the lack of awareness the elderly man had. Still, he had put a lot of thought into his actions so, without a single fluctuation in his voice, he explained, "My actions are necessitated by the state of the world. It is the inaction of those that should have acted, combined with a lack of accountability on behalf of those who have power, that requires me to do establish the Empire. None of that has anything to do with my personal stance on education and rearing disciples...rather than throw out accusations, you should see for yourself how I operate. I am not a hypocrite that simply spews platitudes, old man..."

Zelretch was a little surprised by Vahn's hostility but, rather than be offended, he was actually more relieved than anything. It was too easy to compare Vahn to the people that he had encountered in the past, something that emphasized that he did, indeed, rely too much on his experiences. Because of this, a part of him was always skeptical of what people said and did as, in many instances, even the best of intentions could be led astray by simple setbacks...

What Zelretch often forgot, even though it was one of the more important aspects of Vahn's very existence, was that the man was not from his world. He was a fundamentally different existence and, in the short time he had existed, great changes had already been introduced. Just the presence of Alaya at his side showed that he was, in many ways, an incomprehensible existence. After all, while others had to fight hard to obtain their power, scheming and machinating to rise above others, Vahn was already there. He had enough power to easily dominate the world by force yet chose to focus on building the foundation for a better future by empowering the younger generation and inspiring them to greatness...

It was only now, when he compared himself to Vahn, that Zelretch began to understand the very different ways in which they viewed the world. He was too used to the 'certainties' that came with being able to use the Second Magic. As for Vahn, he never cared about the future and its myriad paths. Rather, his only concern was on the present and how his actions in any given moment would shape, not just himself, but the very world around him. The future was completely inconsequential as, by measuring all of your actions against things that have yet to happen, you were already too detached from reality to live a meaningful existence...

With a crooked smile spreading across his face, Zelretch began to stroke his beard as he mused, "It really is a shame...if I had met you a thousand years ago, I may not be as hopeless as I am today. I've only ever considered what my successor might do in the distant future...it is no wonder my students have been unable to break away from the path I foresaw...I forced them to take it..."

Vahn was still a little annoyed with Zelretch but that didn't prevent him from nodding his head and adding, "The worst thing a parent and a teacher can do is neglect those in their charge. It is our duty to establish a baseline of consistency, one which allows them to freely choose their future. It is when you begin acting contrary and going against your own teachings that they begin to stray. So long as you help them build a strong foundation, focusing on morals and merit, children, and people alike, have no limits to what they are able to achieve."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Senile Old Man','Experience can lead to wisdom but, more often than not, it instead becomes bias...','Believe in the future, not the one you have planned, but the one that will be created by your children. Be good to people.')