Chapter 1138: The Passage of Time
With each day in the real world constituting an entire week within the Sub-Space Projection, more than a month and a half had passed since the arrival of Irisviel, Da Vinci, Kenshin, and Siegfried. In that time, the most notable presence within the castle was Iris as, without exception, everyone was rather fond of the innocent and gentle woman who treated everyone in a friendly and sincere manner. Because of her efforts, even Nobunaga had stopped holing herself up in the room while Artoria, having been close with Iris in the past, had become even happier than before. When she wasn't training Mordred or trying to keep her out of trouble, Artoria could be found escorting Iris around the castle grounds or sitting quietly within the Library enjoying tea together. Catherine and Astolfo would often join them as well, bringing Kenshin, Nobunaga, Medusa, and even Illya into the mix as she enjoyed spending time with her mother whenever possible...
As for Da Vinci, Kenshin, and Siegfried, the latter got along well with everyone but couldn't be considered close to anyone. He spent most of his time training his body or solemnly sitting atop the castle walls as he looked out across the currently 'empty' Empire. During the evenings, he could most often be found drinking with Vahn and, on occasion, Astolfo, Nobunaga, and Kenshin. The latter was a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but could almost always be found following behind Nobunaga around, the only exception being when she was helping Vahn train. Though she was improving steadily, having no problems with anyone in the castle, Kenshin was very reliant on following the social cues of others to determine how she would act. It was easy to see that she was making a sincere effort, however, so Vahn would often spend time with her and Nobunaga after his training had completed...
The one person who didn't really fit in with any of the other social groups, not that she had caused any problems, was Da Vinci. She very rarely left their shared workshop, the only exceptions being when Vahn took her around to do a land survey and when she needed to be on-site for one of her projects. Her body apparently didn't even need to eat anything, as she could subsist entirely off of mana, and, no matter how hard she worked, Da Vinci actually smelled 'better' if she didn't bathe for a few days. When Vahn had asked about the 'secrets' of her body, Da Vinci had teased him about needing to discover them on his own, all while going out of her way to point out that she didn't need to poop...
Since it was almost impossible to tear Da Vinci away from the workshop, most of the other castle residents had only seen her a handful of times. However, due to the fact that she had left for a specific reason, Da Vinci wouldn't spend much time talking to them as, more than anything else, she didn't like to 'waste' time. The only exception to this rule seemed to be whenever she was interacting with Vahn and, after seeing them for the first time, Fenrir and Medusa. She showed a great deal of interest in Fenrir's Devouring Laws and had tried to ask Medusa for a 'sample' of her hair. Neither girl was fond of the idea of being an experimental test subject, however, so they less than politely made it clear they had no intentions of helping her research without Vahn asking directly. After that, Da Vinci didn't bother the two girls any further, nor did she try and pressure Vahn on the matter as, with the latter being both more interesting and far more willing, she was already content with her current research material.
Vahn had been learning a great deal from Da Vinci, to the point that it felt like his prior efforts had been the aimless floundering of a child, but his focus had actually been on other things as of late. Ever since Scáthach had placed Kenshin in charge of helping him train, it felt like he was making real progress once again. Though he never doubted for a moment he was getting much stronger, it was difficult to 'feel' strong when you were fighting against someone like Scáthach. As for Kenshin, she would always get very excited during a fight, to the point she seemed simply incapable of holding back after realizing that Vahn could essentially take any kind of punishment she could dish out. She never went as far as Scáthach, as it wasn't her intention to torture Vahn, but their battles were often rather bloody for both parties. This didn't deter either of them, however, as, much like when he would fight against another battle junky like Tiona, Vahn would get just as excited as Kenshin during their training...
To that end, Vahn found himself wielding a black katana as his arms, neck, calves, and parts of his face were covered in black scales. There were several wounds on his body that, even with his regeneration, were slowly mending themselves as he stared down at an equally ragged-looking Kenshin. She had a wound on her abdomen that looked rather visceral while several small cuts were present all over her body. Though she was far more skilled than he was, Kenshin lacked high-speed regeneration of her own and, as the fight progressed into the fifth hour, she was breathing heavily while wielding a jitte and medival looking mace that Vahn had been batted around with a few times at this point. Things were just now progressing into their final stages, as Kenshin was simply too tired to try and keep up with Vahn's seemingly endless stamina...
Regardless of her fatigue, Kenshin had an excited smile on her face as she pointed her jitte towards Vahn and said, "This will settle it, Master. Let's see if you can take out more than two of me today...!" With that said, a massive tidal wave of mana exploded outward from Kenshin as she shouted, "Biten-Hassō Kuruma Gakari no Jin~!" Following this, seven more versions of Kenshin appeared behind her, each wielding different sets of weapons as they all eyed Vahn with the same excited smile. This was how most of their battles ended so Vahn could now be considered intimately familiar with Kenshin's Noble Phantasm. Not only did it give her a set of armor that was impervious to anything beneath A-Rank, but each of the 'clones' was a real version of herself that was capable of independent action. There was no 'true' body and, so long as there was at least one survivor, Kenshin herself was not in danger of being killed.
Without being afforded any opportunity to make his own preparations, Vahn instantly created a barrier around his body using the active effect of his Xuanwu form. This coincided with the exact moment that the leading Kenshin stabbed her spear towards him, impacting the barrier and causing it to ripple slightly. Right behind her, another Kenshin used a heavy tetsubo to smash the end of the spear, causing the shield around Vahn's body to fracture slightly. He wasn't simply turtling idly, however, so, by the time his shield had been broken open, Vahn had opened his hands to reveal small particles of 'sand', each a different color as they glimmered and pulsed with elemental energy. When Kenshin saw this, her eyes widened slightly but, instead of backing away, three of her attacked with fierce momentum as they cut Vahn's body into several pieces. Another Kenshin actually used her body to directly receive the small particles of sand before tucking her body into a fetal position in a vain attempt to stifle the resultant explosion...
Though it could be considered more than a little unfair, Vahn knew his immortality was one of his strengths, something both Scáthach and Kenshin had taught him to actively exploit. Thus, he had no qualms about throwing out several small granule-sized [Elemental Star]s, each capable of rivaling a B-Rank magic spell in destructive power. As a result, nearly a hundred small explosions wrought havoc on the surroundings, consuming Vahn's body and a total of five Kenshin's in a surprisingly beautiful display of destruction. The other three Kenshin's had already vacated the area and were currently waiting a few hundred meters away with bows at the ready. When she used her Noble Phantasm, the fight wasn't over until there was only one of her bodies remaining. With that in mind, the three surviving Kenshin's began to loose arrows towards the 'pieces' of Vahn at the very instant the explosive plumes disappeared.
With Kenshin's understanding of Laws related to pretty much every weapon, Vahn's regeneration was significantly weakened whenever they fought. Even small wounds would take several seconds to heal while, having parts of his body pierced by her arrows, Vahn felt as if each of his individual cells was made of lead as he essentially turned his body into a liquid state just to try and hasten his regeneration. Unfortunately for Kenshin, she had no reliable means to deal with an Immortal and, so long as Vahn didn't 'believe' she had killed him, he was able to avoid a repeat of what happened with Musashi in the past. Now, if he were to face against the Master Swordsman once again, Vahn believed he would be able to tank several blows without losing himself a second time...
As this wasn't the first time she had seen Vahn turn into a form akin to a metallic black goo, Kenshin could only release a tired sigh as her fatigue had long-since caught up to her. Though she came out ahead in virtually every exchange, it was simply impossible for her to keep Vahn down without using weapons specially designed for that purpose. She had never 'lost' against him outright but, at the same time, she had also never been able to 'win' against him either. In a way, all of their fights ended in a draw as she would tire out and, though this could be considered her loss, the fact she had struck down Vahn 147 times over the last five hours more than justified calling their battle a tie.
Now that Kenshin had stopped pelting him with arrows, Vahn slowly reformed his body into a seated position, making sure to properly wear clothes before he took on a human form. She had dismissed her two remaining clones and was walking over to his position with a tired expression that failed to diminish the fire in her eyes even a little. After helping him to his feet, Kenshin smiled radiantly as she said, "You're always improving, Master. At this rate, it will only be a few years before I am no longer a match for you..." Though this was intended as a compliment, Kenshin realized her words could be misconstrued as boasting. Vahn, however, just laughed light-heartedly in response before pointing out, "You are also improving, Kenshin. If possible, I'd like for you to become even stronger so that, instead of a few years, it takes me a few decades to surpass you..."
Since Vahn had needed a rival to hone himself against, and Kenshin fit the bill surprisingly well, he wanted to see her become even stronger so that he could further refine his own skills. Though it was frustrating to fight against Scáthach, Vahn actually felt that it was a little 'lonely' to be peerless within the world. He had never truly reached that point but, after becoming stronger than most mortals and gods back in the Record of Danmachi, Vahn could tell there was an invisible gulf between him and most people. Though Fenrir was doing her best to breach the gap, Vahn felt it was refreshing to have someone like Kenshin who he could strive to surpass without suddenly growing far beyond her own strength...
Hearing Vahn's words, Kenshin's fighting spirit could be seen burning in her eyes but, after a few seconds, it had died down a bit as she pointed out, "My strength may stagnate a bit in the near future. However, I will do my best to become even stronger after the fact...!" As she had already discussed the matter at great lengths with Nobunaga, Kenshin was fully intending to bear a child at some point over the next few years. Since she would never abandon fighting on the battlefield, she needed to have a child during peaceful times to avoid any unnecessary complications. Since the flow of time within the Sub-Space Projection was seven times the norm, she could easily raise a son or daughter to become self-sufficient long before the battle with Angra Mainyu took place. It was even possible for her to leave behind several descendants as, with Vahn's capabilities, Kenshin knew it was possible for her to live for hundreds of years without issue...
Knowing what Kenshin was referring to, Vahn gave a light-hearted sigh as he shook his head with a smile and stated, "Once Rin, Sakura, and Gray show up, we'll talk about this matter in greater detail. I want Sakura to be comfortable within the castle before I suddenly start giving her younger siblings to worry about." Though there wasn't anything he could do about Mordred, who had already been made aware of her 'younger' sister, Vahn wanted to avoid having additional children until Sakura had moved into the castle. Since it could potentially take more than a year in the outside world for her and Rin to finish wrapping up everything, that meant any siblings he created for her would be around her own age by the time she moved in. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as she would have a group of children her own age to play with, Sakura seemed like the type that would be happier as a big sister instead of trying to fit in with children her own age.
As she wasn't in a particular hurry to get pregnant right now, Kenshin gave an understanding nod without commenting further on the matter. Instead, she moved off to the side after wishing Vahn well, knowing full well nothing she said could 'help' him overcome what he was about to face. As for Vahn, he gave a wry smile before rising to his feet and increasing the density of his body without compromising his mobility. He was given a ten minute rest period after his training with Kenshin and, with less than twenty seconds left, he wanted to at least make some preparations against the expressionless 'Purple Monster' staring at him from fifty meters away. She already had a set of spears in hand, one short, one long, both glimmering with a subtle light that made his skin tingle. Then, the moment his ten-minute 'break' had come to an end, Scáthach turned into a phantom as Vahn did his best to survive her onslaught for another three hours...
---
Following several more thrashings and a few other small developments, Vahn managed to survive another 'day cycle' within the Sub Space Projection. He wrapped things up by playing hide and seek with Mordred, Medusa, Fenrir, and Circe within the massive apple orchards present on the island so Vahn was in a good mood by the time he entered into the workshop located beneath the Amory of Camelot. As was exclusively the case thus far, Vahn found Da Vinci had at work, this time trying to synthesize completely new compounds by mixing together elements and ores that, under normal circumstances, could never be fused together. Fortunately, though he had no doubt she would be able to pull it off in the future, Da Vinci hadn't been able to make too much progress, only creating three new compounds of the thousands of potential combinations she had tried.
As Vahn entered into the workshop, a small mechanical sparrow flitted over before perching on his shoulder, its eyes opening and closing like the shutter of a camera as Da Vinci, without looking back at him, stated, "I will be finished in approximately seventeen minutes. I don't mind if you gawk, but please do not distract me for the time being." When these words left her mouth, Da Vinci tapped the gemstone around her neck, causing her outfit to dissipate into particles of mana that retreated into the large ruby present on her necklace. Vahn had allowed her to research the process of storing physical objects as energy, a technology Da Vinci had already innovated on several times at this point.
Da Vinci now had a necklace that had seven different gemstones present, each representing a 'slot' on her own body that worked in much the same way as his Equipment Function. Each gemstone had a specific type of clothing that coincided with a certain part of her body, allowing Da Vinci to freely modify her outfit at her leisure. She had even made a 'template style' lingerie that, by tracing your finger along the elastic band of the bra and panties, could adjust the density of the fabric in real-time, to the point it would dissipate entirely if 'necessary'. It even had a small gemstone on the very front which, when tapped, completely changed the style of lingerie in much the same way as her necklace.
At this point, Vahn had no idea how many different outfits Da Vinci had 'programmed' into her gemstones as, instead of making the outfits first, she had modified the technology to simply store a certain amount of magical energy instead. So long as you could 'imagine' the outfit you wanted to create, you needed only tap the respective gemstone to change your attire however you pleased. Though this required you to be able to form an actual mental image, Da Vinci was working on a version that could be used by others that they could pre-load with various outfits that could be downloaded from a terminal she intended to place inside the men's and women's baths. Fortunately, Vahn managed to avoid the situation reaching the point where there was communal bathing this time around, even though he sometimes found himself sharing the bath in his own room with one of the girls on occasion...
Since he didn't want to interrupt Da Vinci's work, Vahn took her advice and just sat down in a recliner that he pulled out from his Inventory. He didn't exactly 'gawk' but, having her permission to look, Vahn would occasionally spare a glance at Da Vinci's silhouette and backside. She really did have an immaculate body and, though they hadn't done anything 'too' intimate just yet, Vahn was beginning to grow rather fond of the time they spent together.
Though she had no sense of boundaries, and would often do things like this, he just considered it another one of her quirks. With that in mind, Vahn fed a fragment of a magical core to the small mechanical sparrow as it used mana to keep itself running. The fact that Da Vinci could make 'artificial entities' such as birds and other small animals, each capable of emulating their living kin without any variance, had been yet another example of her unrivaled genius. She hadn't even been able to get access to a computer just yet but, using his own memories and the knowledge she had obtained through the summoning system, Da Vinci now had small mechanical golems implementing a network throughout the castle, intending for it to expand throughout the entire Island in the future.
Da Vinci had even hollowed out a 'secret' chamber that she openly admitted existed but asked that he never enter without her permission. This was supposed to serve as the central nexus of the network while also allowing her to work on a few projects without his scrutiny. Since everyone needed a bit of freedom to keep secrets, Vahn had no problem with Da Vinci having a few private projects, so long as she followed the 'rules' he had laid out for her. This included respecting the decision of the other castle residents and never invading their privacy, two things that Da Vinci had readily agreed to as she wasn't all that interested in them from the start. She had even gone out of her way to inform him that, once she had finished working on her 'secret' project, she would allow him to periodically access the room, promising he would greatly appreciate what she had been working on...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Irisviel is impossible to hate','A Healthy Rivalry','Da Vinci-chan is even sneakier than Fenrir~!?')
(A/N: Guys, I'm dealing with a lot of stuff IRL at the moment but I will try to continue publishing chapters when I can. There should still be 2-3 per day but the hours will be even weirder than normal for a few days. Pretty soon, I plan to 'fix' the schedule once again so reading and commenting will be easier for those that like to try and get first comment and such. Thank you for your patience and please don't forget to vote with Power Stones xD...)
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Chapter 1139: Paradise : Prophecy
As the days passed, some more meaningful than others, Vahn found himself hanging out with Siegfried as they both sat atop the castle's battlements. Since the Ivory Castle was built into an artificial mountain that had been constructed as the sealing grounds for the Welsh Dragon, it was easy to see all of Avalon from where they were seated. Since it was just about to turn January in the real world, the whole island had a deeply set chill that had caused the thousands of apple trees to frost over slightly due to the island's humidity. This had no effect on Vahn and Siegfried, however, as the latter was sitting with an open tunic while Vahn was wearing a thin dress shirt and a beige vest. Unlike a normal garment, however, there was a fashionable emerald gemstone near the collar that would allow him to adjust the color and tensile density of the fabric at will.
Since there had been a long lull in the conversation, as Siegfried was a man of few words, Vahn broke the silence by asking, "So, how are you settling in?" In response to this, Seigfried kept calm as the cool wind blew through his long silvery-white hair, an appreciative glimmer in his blue eyes as he answered, "This place is like a paradise. Everything is so calm and peaceful...had I not experienced the memory link and gained knowledge from the summoning system, I would have thought this place was the paradise promised to warriors after their death..." Though each day seemed to blend into the rest, Siegfried had found this kind of lifestyle preferable to the one where he had spent every waking moment granting the wishes of everyone who happened upon him.
Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn added, "It almost makes me not want to invite people to live here in the future. However, an Empire is nothing without its people and I can't just sit here idly as the rest of the world continues to spiral towards their inevitable destruction. There are days when I just want to go out into the world and visit a few hospitals, curing every patient I come across while the Doctors who had failed them watch on in awe. However, the moment I do something like this, the powers that have been biding their time in the shadows would immediately move to try and eliminate us. It is such a farce...we live in a world where things like food, clean water, and medical treatments are a luxury that only a few countries can afford. With things like Magecraft, all of these things could be resolved without any difficulty whatsoever but, instead of trying to help, the people that have all the wealth and power bide their time in the shadows without caring about the suffering their inaction begets..."
As this wasn't even remotely the first time Vahn had complained about such things, Siegfried gave a polite smile in response without commenting. He already knew Vahn's own inaction was driven by his desire to protect the people he cared about. Though this could be the same reason as some of the more powerful families in the world, it was also true that they had allowed the world to stagnate for their own benefits. Siegfried still didn't understand if the future Vahn sought for everyone was the best path to walk. However, so long as the latter did not become a despot or a tyrant, Siegfried had decided to walk the same path to its end. At the very least, Vahn seemed to genuinely believe that he could make the world a better place, something few had the power and conviction to see through...
From where they were seated, Vahn and Siegfried both caught sight of a small figure wearing a red leather jacket running down the long road connecting the Ivory Castle and the Castle Town below. Right behind the red figure, one with midnight blue hair exited behind her before turning back and waving at them. This caused the red figure to stop in its tracks, removing the golden-fur trimmed hood it had been wearing to reveal platinum blond hair with a slightly golden hue. Then, cupping her hands around her mouth, Mordred shouted in a voice that was only audible due to Vahn's enhanced hearing, "Chichiue~! Come fishing with us...!"
At his side, Siegfried laughed in a light-hearted manner before commenting, "I can understand why you want to protect this place...go, I'll be fine on my own." With that said, Siegfried shook his wineskin to indicate it was still full before jumping off the battlement, dropping 30m without needing to worry about injury. As for Vahn, he lightly pushed off the white stone surface as if he was completely weightless, flying through the air towards Fenrir, Mordred, and Susu. The latter had more or less been 'catnapped' by Mordred after the mischievous young girl discovered its existence. Vahn had seen his daughter chasing after the cat on all fours through the hallways, often with Susu finding sanctuary by fleeing into his arms. Currently, it was tucked into Mordred's coat, mewling pitifully when Vahn touched down nearby...
After saving Susu from Mordred, Vahn accompanied the two girls down to the repaired docks after passing through the rather lively ghost town. Though there weren't any people living there just yet, there were dozens of humanoid golems tirelessly working to repair all of the houses while, in the alleyways and beneath the streets, smaller, animal-like golems were repairing the sewer system and laying down the framework for Da Vinci's future network. Avalon could easily support upwards of 200,000 residents using the available land but Vahn actually had no intention of just letting anyone move here in the future. He was intending to turn Avalon into the heart of his Empire, making it into an academy-like city where people would tirelessly work to improve upon the concepts of Magecraft and what Da Vinci referred to as Magi-Science. The only permanant residents would be those given leeway to reside in the castle while everyone else would either be part of the staff or a student that would be required to leave after graduation...
Upon reaching the docks, Vahn sat Susu down to let her explore the beach while Fenrir and Mordred stripped down into their swimwear, consisting of Da Vinci's take on the Aegis Set, which she had taken to calling [Aegis Type D-001]. Though it actually lost some of its defensive capabilities, they were extremely comfortable to wear and were basically 'living' garments. Innovating off the concept of shaping energy into matter, and vice-versa, Da Vinci had designed an undergarment that could adapt to the needs of the user. If they felt cold, the fabric would move to cover more skin before generating a small amount of heat. Though this could actually lead to some compromising situations in the inverse situation, as the garments would basically shrink when you were overheating, that was easily avoided by making a small change in the magic formation sewn into the fabric.
Fenrir's Aegis took on the form of an athletic swimsuit that was cut a little high on the hips while Mordred, knowing she would get in trouble otherwise, wore an almost proper one-piece. The only peculiarity was that there was a gap around her navel that allowed her seal to be visible, something Vahn had confronted her about in the past. According to Mordred, she didn't like wearing anything around her midriff and, whenever the seal was covered, it would become unbearably itchy. Since he had confirmed this with his [Eyes of Truth] by having her wear a t-shirt, Vahn allowed her to keep it exposed during times like this. When she was walking around normally, however, he made sure she either wore loose clothing that wouldn't irritate her too much or, as she often preferred, Mordred would need to wear her jacket and have it zipped up. Since it was a size or two larger than it needed to be, Mordred didn't have to worry about the fabric touching her seal which, as the days passed, seemed like something that should be removed relatively soon. The only reason he hadn't was due to Mordred's own admission that it made her feel 'calm' to have it...
Since they were going to be 'fishing' in the cold waters, Vahn changed into a swimsuit that looked like a diving suit that didn't fully cover the arms and legs. Though it still showed off his figure, which had become 'slightly' more burly over the last few months, it was a compromise Vahn made so that Mordred would not deviate in the same way that Tina had. Fortunately, at least for the time being, this surrogate daughter of his treated him as if he were her biological father. Though she had gotten a spanking for trying to sneak into the men's bath when he was using it, that was just Mordred's innocent desire to wash his back and spend time together. Even so, Vahn was still cautious around her as, with the things she had seen and experienced in her past life, there was always a chance she would have some strange thoughts once she matured once again. Fortunately, for better or worse, she actually seemed to have a bit of puppy-love for Fenrir, something Vahn had already discussed at length with his most trusted companion.
Without waiting for permission, Mordred dove into the water before disappearing into the depths without any fear or hesitation. Vahn gave a small nod to Fenrir, sending her to look after Mordred as he walked into the water without hurrying. It was so cold that, if not for the salt content and the fact that the seas were rather rough around this time of year, it would have frozen over. This didn't really affect him all that much but it still caused his own Aegis to thicken before the cold was replaced by a warm sensation. Vahn was often amazed by Da Vinci's creations and, as he had just been talking to Siegfried about the future, he wondered if it wouldn't be better to start spreading her innovations and Paracelsus' research into the wider world...
While Vahn was thinking about leaving Avalon for a short while, a plump of water erupted around thirty meters away. Following this, Mordred could be seen bobbing in the water as she lifted up a large Smoothound Shark that was even bigger than she was. Judging by the trail of blood leading from its mouth and nose, it was easy to see that Mordred had killed the shark as she happily swam towards him with a face that practically screamed, 'Praise me'. Vahn placed the large catch into his Inventory before rubbing Mordred's head and saying, "Well done. When we get back, I'll help you brush the salt out of your hair." Though it didn't seem to bother her at all, there were small icy salt crystals forming in Mordred's hair from the cold air and the water molecules instantly freezing over.
With an even bigger smile than before, Mordred exclaimed, "I'll catch an even bigger one this time! I saw a fat tuna swimming around, shishishishi~." As she said this, another plume of water shot up in the distance, catching both Vahn's and Mordred's attention. Then, as if to spite the little Knight's claim, Fenrir could be seen paddling towards them while carrying a massive tuna through the water. This caused Mordred to tilt a few degrees to the side, at least until Vahn ruffled her hair and said, "Sharks are a lot harder to catch than Tuna." Though the latter could be much faster, they didn't have the same means to protect themselves that small schools of sharks had. Smoothounds could often be found traveling in packs so Mordred must have fended off a few of them before she came back with her prize. They weren't aggressive by nature but, if you antagonized their pack, they would try to help out their kin by ramming their foes...
Since she hadn't been all that upset in the first place, Mordred nodded her head before raising her nose high and proclaiming, "Of course~! If not for this seal, I would be even stronger than Aneue!" As she had a habit of using formal addresses, Mordred referred to both Nobunaga and Fenrir with the term 'Aneue', meaning Big, or Older, Sister. This was a way of showing respect as, even though she was the 'Imperial Princess', Mordred still had a wild and tomboyish nature while placing a heavy emphasis on things like respect. Since Nobunaga was someone she aspired to be like, and Fenrir was more or less her best friend, they were both worthy of being Mordred's Aneues, at least in her mind.
While Fenrir brought her catch over to Vahn in exchange for a few head pats, Mordred had already dived back into the water, though not before shouting, "I'm going to catch a whale...!". Though her strength was only around eight times stronger than a normal human, Mordred had proven in the past that such things didn't matter to her. A few weeks prior, during their first fishing expedition, she had attacked a pod of Killer Whales, taking out three of them on her own while Fenrir had dealt with the rest. It was for this reason that Vahn essentially had Fenrir babysit Mordred while, after being 'saved', the latter had been crushing on the former ever since.
---
After scaring off every fish for a few kilometers, Vahn used a bash of warm and clean water to help Mordred and Fenrir clean themselves before they changed back into their casual wear. While they did that, Vahn went to fetch Susu, luring it out of a small seaside cave with some fragrant baked fish. It sometimes felt like the black cat, now fully grown, was trying to 'escape' the castle but, as Vahn often treated it well, it hadn't run away just yet. To give it the strength to keep up with his daughter, Vahn fed it some mana-rich fish while using his petting laws to lightly stroke its fur. When it got a bit stronger, Vahn was going to teach Mordred how to perform a Familiar contract, greatly increasing Susu's lifespan and allowing them to share their vision with each other. Depending on how well Mordred cared for her, Susu could even become a 'Magical Beast' in the future, a term given to any Familiar that had reached an intelligence comparable to humans.
With a pacified Susu curled up and purring in his arms, Vahn returned to the docks where Fenrir and Mordred were already waiting for him. He returned the extremely reluctant Susu back to Mordred before handing the latter a few dried anchovies to keep the cat from running away. Thus, after tucking Susu into her coat, Mordred hugged the cat from behind while feeding it small fishes as they leisurely returned back to the castle. When they made it inside, Vahn made good on his promise to brush Mordred's hair, though not before she and Fenrir went off to take a warm bath. He spent the time while they were away talking with Artoria about preparing a large fish-themed feast while drinking some black tea. Like this, another comfortable rest period came to an end, making Vahn feel that Siegfried's remark about this place being a paradise was very close to the truth...
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Several hundred kilometers away from the secret location of Avalon, a man with pale hair and dull-gold eyes sat in a steeply reclined chair as he looked through a large telescope that dominated the space within his observatory. With the New Year only a few days away, it was one of the best times to read the stars as the hopes and dreams of mankind made such forms of Thaumaturgy more powerful during the holiday season. He had a perpetual smile on his face as he recorded his findings
on his terminal while, a little bit away from the main telescopic array, a young woman with similarly colored hair sat nursing a cup of hot cocoa as she watched her father work. She had a peculiar side-braided hairstyle with the left side of her hair tied up while her bangs partly covered her right eye. Most would consider a very beautiful woman but, a stark contrast to her father, she had a perpetual scowl as, being the next Head of the Animusphere family, she knew the dire straits they were in...
Once he had completed his measurements, the man in the telescope's chair began stroking his chin in a thoughtful manner as he muttered, "This is my tenth time confirming the same things. If events proceed as they are scheduled, there is a good chance the world will experience a cataclysm in the next ten years...how curious that the signs for great fortune also seem to accompany it..." In response to this mumble, the young woman at the side released a tired sigh as she complained, "Knowing the future doesn't help us if we can't even do anything about the present. Father, have you reconsidered trying to ally with the Edelfelt family? The Barthomeloi family has been putting increased pressure on our creditors ever since you defended Lord El-Melloi II. We're already shouldering more than seven million pounds in debt...we can't continue like this..."
Though he knew the matter was even more serious than his daughter was aware, Marisbury didn't allow it to show on his face as he looked over and said, "Olga...Madam Edelfelt is still a member of the Aristocratic Faction. Though she may be willing to help us on account of our defense of Lord El-Melloi II, our opposition would not hesitate to point out a conflict of interest to destabilize our position within the Democratic Faction. Unless we had proper collateral to exchange, there is no way we would be able to survive under such scrutiny. Do not worry, as the readings still show that our family is on the path towards Great Fortune. For now, we must simply do our best to tide through these matters and trust that our methods are not the farce other members of the Mage's Association consider it to be..."
Having grown up hearing the mockery of her peers and contemporaries, Olga shared her father's determination to prove that Astronomy and Divination were still just as relevant today as they had been during the Age of Gods. However, some things in life couldn't simply be dealt with by sitting idle and trusting in prophecies. As it had been her own field of study since she was a young girl, Olga knew any significant event set in motion by a person with enough power could drastically alter the accuracy of predictions based on the stars. The very reason their Animusphere family was in such dire straits was due to her Grandfather insisting on the accuracy of his own prediction. As a result, their family had been saddled with a phenomenal debt that, through her father's efforts, had been largely reduced. Now that their creditors were growing impatient, however, time was quickly running out for their family while, instead of taking any proactive action, her father was repeating the same mistakes as his own...
With a tired sigh, Olga looked into her father's eyes with a determined expression, saying, "I have been in contact with the Trambellio family. Their-." Before she could continue any further, her father showed a rare grimace as he plainly stated, "Olgamally Marie Asmleit Animusphere, I will not hear you speak on that matter a second time. Though I do my best to respect your decisions, I will not have my daughter become the plaything of that despot just to gain protection from the Barthomeloi family. You are to be the next Head of the family and sincerely believe marrying that man would provide us any meaningful benefits? Our whole family would become a branch of the Trambellio family while you would effectively be nothing more than a pet of aman nearly twice your age. If you intend to try and go through with this, I will not hesitate to remove your right of succession..."
As she didn't like the thought of becoming a middle-aged man's wife any more than her father, Olga's face formed into a sour and angry expression as she shouted, "I'm trying to prevent our family from being ruined! We can't just keep sitting around and 'hoping' things will go well for us when the Bathomeloi family is breathing down our neck! The Trambellio family is one of the Three Great Magus families so even that arrogant Queen will have to hesitate if she wants to act against us in the future! It is better to be a branch family than watch our entire lineage and hundreds of years of research destroyed just because you saw a pattern in the stars...!" By the time she was finished yelling, Olga had tears in her eyes as there were few things more painful for a Magus than basically admitting their research was unreliable.
Seeing the sadness in his daughter's eyes, Marisbury showed a complex expression before closing his own in deep thought. When he finally looked back at his daughter, there was a slightly defeated look contained within his dull-gold irises as he smiled and said, "Very well...I will try and contact the Edelfelt family and come to an accord. I would rather lose my status as the leader of the Democratic faction than see my daughter forced to suffer indignation at the hands of a despot." With that said, Marisbury gently caressed the right side of Olga's face as he added, "I want you to be happy. I still believe that my prophecy is true but I will not gamble your happiness on that fact..." Then, using his thumb, Marisbury wiped away a stray tear from his daughter's eye before heading to his study to make a phone call...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Siegfried is just like, "Okay then..."','Mordred's puppy love','It's in the stars man...!')
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200+ Power
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63 Power
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