Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Vahn couldn't be sure whether or not his decision was the 'correct' thing to do, but, in the grand scheme of things, it was inarguably the 'right' thing to do. He wasn't particularly fond of lying, and, though he would make exceptions when it came to governance and politics, he disdained the idea of manipulating people. Even when he did machinate for a specific outcome, it was never with the intent to take advantage of or exploit someone. Rather, it was often to bring an end to exploitation, or, depending on the circumstances, encourage someone else to better themselves.

Unless he wanted to become personally responsible for the fate of the Magical World's population, Vahn knew he would need to rear others that were capable of doing so. Though he wasn't fond of politics and the existence of monetary systems, trying to impose the Common Law on every Record he visits, while not impossible, was impractical. He hadn't even managed to ensure order in his own Realm, so it would be exceptionally foolish of him to split his focus even further.

People like Arika, Asuna, Theo, Jack, and Nagi were those who were originally intended to shape the fate of the Record. By supporting them, and others like them, he could ensure peace and prosperity without having to take proactive measures to govern. That could be entirely left to others, allowing him to become a deterrent force that only took action when the world was in danger. He would be akin to the Guardian God of the planet, christening new rulers and passing judgment on those who deviated from the path of righteousness.

Ultimately, Vahn wanted to help the world, he just didn't want to be responsible for managing it. He would rather reunite with Eva and then fall into the background, shifting his focus from the world at large to the affairs of his internal Realm. Then, once he had made adequate preparations, he would depart this Record for the next. He currently had no intention to subsume Mundus Magicus into his own Realm, as, at least for the time being, he didn't understand how to reconcile the differences in Laws. The last thing he wished to happen was pulling the Magical World into his Realm only for it to be completely destroyed the moment he did so...

As could be expected, it took quite a bit of time for Arika to fall asleep, but, after she had done so, she, like Asuna, seemed to fall into a type of stasis. This seemed to be a unique trait of the Ostian Royal Family, and, if he wasn't wrong, it was almost as if their minds were processing and analyzing things whilst they slept. Their brain activity would increase dramatically from the moment they fell unconscious, only returning to 'normal' between three and five hours later. From that moment on, they could be awoken without too much difficulty, but, before that, they seemed to ignore virtually all external stimuli.

Had he any untoward thoughts, the girls' sleeping habits could have been rather 'dangerous', but, even after revealing the truth to Arika, Vahn was still against reciprocating her feelings. If he did so, she would become an anchor that binds him to this world, forcing him to become more involved by virtue of their relationship. He couldn't very simply ignore the struggles his own lover, so, from the moment he gave in to her budding emotions, Vahn's fate would become tied to Ostia and the fate of the Magical World.

Fortunately, while he couldn't exactly take things too far, Vahn had ample distractions to keep him from worrying about such things. Thus, while the royal duo slept, he snuggled up next to Fenrir in order to discuss her past, present, and future behavior. Her fervor toward him was a little infectious, so, even if a girl didn't particularly like him, they would start to after interacting with her for a long enough period of time. He also shared a considerable amount of blame in this, but, as Fenrir would basically serve as an example for others, Vahn wanted to ensure she restrained herself, even if but a little...

After falling asleep a little after 8 PM, Asuna awoke almost precisely five hours later, stating, "I need to pee..." in a dull monotone. As a result, Vahn and Fenrir found themselves with wry smiles on their faces as they stood outside the partially open bathroom door. Afterward, due to Asuna feeling wide awake, they kept her entertained by talking about, of all things, magical theory. This continued until Arika awoke, once again after around five hours of sleep. Then, until the sun came up, they all made idle conversation, enjoying an extended breakfast that included pancakes, tarts, tea, and juice.

During the breakfast, Vahn transitioned from idle discussion to the matters of the day, asking, "Now that you've slept on it, what have you decided? I intend to meet with the Great Spirits to discuss the protection of this world. However, if you want to forge an alliance with them, it will be through your own efforts. I can provide my backing, but it will be up to you to convince them of your worth."

Though Vahn had yet to meet the Great Spirits, he had an inkling they would be willing to lend him an ear, or whatever their equivalent was. Even the Great Spirit of Darkness and Ice shouldn't be too hostile to him, not just because of his [True Friend of the Elements], but because of the very nature of his Source Energy. To them, he was like their older sibling or something akin to a father figure, an existence they would come to respect if for no other reason than the purity of his aura and his love for the planet. Arika, however, was 'just' a human, and, though she was very special, he wouldn't be the guarantor that bound the Great Spirits to human desire and politics...

Understanding what Vahn was trying to say, Arika nodded her head, a glimmer of conviction in her eyes as she stated, "I would like to meet with the Great Spirits. Even if I cannot win their favor, I will endeavor to win their trust. True prosperity can only be achieved when people live in harmony with the Elements."

Approving of Arika's words, Vahn nodded his head in turn before smiling as he said, "Very well then. Our first destination will be the Shrine of Wisdom. Afterward, we'll have a day or two just to explore before departing Nyandoma. Unless you want to try and prevent the war in its entirety, we have just under two years to focus on your training. You know my reason for coming to this world, so, as long as you keep that in mind, I will support any path you choose."

Though she didn't believe Vahn would just stand on the sidelines, Arika gave a curt nod in response before plainly asking, "When will we depart?"

Rather than answer Arika's question, Vahn turned to Asuna, who, for quite some time now, had just been staring blankly as she listened to the conversation. She seemed to be in a passive state of data collection, absorbing everything she was seeing and hearing.

Seeing the doll-like girl turn her head to meet his gaze, Vahn's smile softened slightly as he asked, "Are you ready to go, Asuna? This journey is as much yours as it is your cousins. If there is a special place you wish to visit, I will take you there."

Seemingly considering his words, Asuna adopted a reflective look, her eyes briefly deviating to the left as if she were trying to recall something. Then, after several long seconds, she gave a small nod and said, "Mother told me to make lots of friends. I have read that it is normal for children to go to school in order to form bonds and learn more about the world. I would like to try going to school."

Though he wasn't exactly surprised, Vahn didn't expect Asuna to suddenly mention something like attending school. It had actually been something he had thought about, but, until the Mage of the Beginning had been dealt with, allowing her to attend school was simply too dangerous. Even if he became a teacher and watched over her from the shadows, it was virtually guaranteed that Cosmo Entelecheia would target her. Even sending her to Earth wouldn't really be a solution as every major school teaching Magic was operated under the authority of the Magic Council stationed within the Megalomesembrian Confederacy...

Realizing there wasn't a simple solution to Asuna's request, as even enrolling her into a school for normal humans wasn't really an option, Vahn fell into deep thought. He could always try making his own school, recruiting teachers and students during their travels, but that created quite a number of problems. Most of the students he picked up would basically be orphans, and, unless he used the system he had implemented back in Danmachi, there was no simple way of unifying the curriculum and ensuring everyone had the best possible education to suit their needs...

Understanding he would need to put a lot of thought into it, Vahn decided to temporarily shelve the matter, ruffling Asuna's hair as he stated, "It will take some time, but I can promise you will be able to attend school at some point. Until then, why not try to become friends with Fenrir, Medusa, and the Elements? It is possible to be friends with animals, spirits, and even monsters, so don't limit yourself to only befriending other people, okay...?"

Since she hadn't expected to be able to go to school immediately, Asuna wasn't bothered by Vahn's words. Instead, she looked toward Fenrir, finding the curious woman smiling back at her. Then, after a few seconds had passed, her eyes drifted toward the fluffy ears atop Fenrir's head, smiling slightly when she saw them twitch in response.

Having come to a conclusion, Asuna looked back at Vahn, stating, "I understand. I will do my best to become friends with everyone."

Though Vahn wanted to correct her and explain there were people she needed to be cautious of, he didn't intend to let Asuna out of sight until the danger had passed. Fortunately, she seemed to be an exceptionally smart young lady, so, even if he didn't go into greater detail, she should be able to correctly deduce who she should, and shouldn't, trust. She also had the most powerful fate he had ever seen, so, regardless of what happened, Asuna would be able to become monstrously powerful, or, at the very least, accumulate allies who were willing to fight at her side.

Confident in his reasoning, Vahn gently ruffled Asuna's hair one last time before saying, "That's that, then. We'll head to the Shrine of Wisdom and decide on our next course of action after returning to the ship. Come, let's get you washed up and ready to go. I'm looking forward to meeting the Great Spirit of Light in person."

Though she nodded her head in understanding, Asuna didn't immediately get up from her seat at the low-lying table. Instead, she chomped down on one last cookie before raising her arms, clearly intending for him to pick her up. This caused Vahn's smile to turn slightly wry, but, finding her antics to be somewhat adorable, he still dutifully picked her up, carrying her all the way to the bathroom as she continued to nibble on her cookie...

As a nation comprised of predominately nocturnal citizens, anything that wasn't considered vital to Nyandoma's prosperity generally operated at very awkward hours. The only places that were really open were the various tourist traps, but, with a war looming on the horizon, the number of tourists had sharply declined. As a result, Nyandoma became eerily silent during the day, but, if you were to look closely, you could still see quite a number of people just lounging about, absorbing the rays of the sun, or, quite literally, enjoying a catnap.

Fortunately, due to how sparsely populated the streets were, Vahn's party didn't have to suffer from the same hateful gazes as the previous night. Most of the people out and about during the day had little motivation to cause trouble, and, due to the principle belief that the 'early bird gets the worm', the majority of Mercenaries and Adventurers had already departed the city. This made it relatively easy to traverse, and, after a little over half an hour, Vahn was able to see the rather massive Shrine of Wisdom looming over every other building in the area.

Seeing the shrine that had basically been carved into a small forested mountain, Vahn couldn't help but admire its beauty. It had a simultaneously ancient yet pristine feel to it, and, though the culture of Nyandoma was marginally different from Japan, there were still tori-like gates present. There was also a long stone path that seemed to zig-zag up the mountain, allowing people to leisurely climb the seventeen-thousand steps to the top. The other option included scaling what was known as the 'Path of Heaven', a series of stone steps that ranged between five and fifteen meters in height. This wasn't actually that difficult to traverse, but, due to the barrier around the mountain, it was virtually impossible for normal people to use Magic.

As the only way to meet with the Great Spirit directly was to scale the Path of Heaven, Vahn looked toward Arika, asking, "Will you be okay without your Magic?"

Rather than answer, Arika only briefly made eye contact with Vahn before taking a step forward and rather effortlessly leaping up the first step. The barrier didn't actually interfere with her ability to use Royal Magic, but, not wanting to cheat, she used the strength of her legs alone to make the leap.

Seeing Arika ascending without much difficulty, Vahn turned toward Asuna, who, immediately after meeting his gaze, said, "I won't be able to make it." in a curt tone.

Vahn would have actually been more surprised if the 85cm tall Asuna could leap five meters without any kind of boost. She could clear even higher obstacles with the use of Magic, but, unlike the other members of the Royal Family, Asuna couldn't use Royal Magic. Instead, she had something infinitely rarer, a type of Ancient Magic that hadn't existed since the Era of the Gods: Twilight Imperial Magic. According to what Ana and Vesperina had told him, this was a type of Magic that allowed a person to create and destroy worlds. This meant Asuna was very likely a Tier 5 being, and, though she was currently very weak, her potential was absolutely monstrous...

As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn couldn't help but grin when Asuna suddenly lift her arms up high, clearly intending to be carried to the top. She might very well be the most important person in the entire Record, but, at least for the time being, she was just an adorable, slightly spoiled, little Princess. Rather than worry about what she would become, Vahn was more concerned about giving her the chance to be happy, so, after lightly tickling her sides, he picked her up into a princess carry before easily leaping up the massive stone steps...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn just wants to be lazy with Eva (UwU)...','Mahou Sensei Vahn!?','Asuna is slowly taming the Dragon xD...')