After a much longer discussion than anticipated, the topic suddenly shifted to Vahn's immediate plan of action when Luvia asked, "Will you be returning to Avalon or do you intend to accompany me to London? I must admit, I am quite looking forward to seeing the legendary Ivory Castle of Camelot~." This was a sentiment shared by most of the people present within the room but Vahn didn't plan to start using Alaya as a convenient transport just to help people get around. If they wanted to stay in Avalon for a few days, that would be fine, but it was obvious from their prior discussion that even being away from London for this long was a bit of an issue.
With how chaotic the Clock Tower was right now, Olivia had been staying within the Edelfelt Mansion to protect her Grandaughter. Even her parents had recently flown over from the main Edelfelt Estate, a monstrously large castle-fortress that had been constructed like a military base in the mountains of Finland. Though their core members were all Magi, the Edelfelts owned one of the largest private mercenary groups in the entire world. Their people were outfitted with the most advanced weapons technology on the market, much of which was developed in their own private Research and Development Division.
For the last few weeks, they had been in a constant 'yellow' state of alert, the third-highest within their escalation system, constantly waiting for a fight to break out. As Vahn had no intention of being the catalyst for a large-scale battle this early on, he intended to take Luvia with him to Avalon while having her parents and grandmother return to London until things had stabilized a bit. The fewer people that were tied to their Sub-Texture of the World, at least until Vahn had established himself as a faction head, the better.
With that in mind, Vahn answered Luvia's question, saying, "My current plan is to drop Rin, Sakura, and Gray off within Avalon. I'll spend the night there before taking Da Vinci with me to establish contact with Type: Mercury. Even if I have no use for it right now, it would be best to already have it on my side in the event something unexpected happens. If you'd like, Luvia, you are more than welcome to accompany me to Avalon. When I'm finished dealing with Type: Mercury, I can pick you back up, or we can stay for a few days within Avalon before returning to London. There are a lot of preparations I need to make and, even though I intend to move forward with what we had decided, I can't arbitrarily act without clearing things up with my current allies."
While still clinging to his arm, as if letting him go for even a moment would allow Vahn to escape, Luvia nodded her head, commenting, "I would also like to see this Type: Mercury with my own eyes. I am curious about what form such an alien creature might take. Knowing such powerful entities exist on other planets is quite a surprise. At least I managed to get my hands on the best of them all, ohohoho~." As she said her final statement, Luvia began to squeeze Vahn's arm even tighter, rubbing her cheek against his shoulder in a rather unlady-like manner. This caused Rin's brow to twitch but, as she was doing her best not to make a scene, she just coughed to bring Luvia back to reality.
---
After a bit more discussion, followed by Vahn refusing a dinner invitation, it was well past time for them to head back. Though he had intended to stay outside for a few days this time around, that plan had drastically changed from the moment Vahn learned why Rin, Sakura, Gray, and Olga were in Northern Ireland. Now, one of his highest priorities was just guaranteeing they were safe and, with Avalon essentially existing in its own world, there were few safer places. As it was better for them to start familiarizing themselves with the castle sooner, rather than later, Vahn shared a few parting words with Olivia, June, and Samuel. The latter tried to test Vahn's grip when they shook hands but, after a 'very' brief exchange, he politely withdrew his slightly bruised hand without even flinching as he muttered, "Take care of my little girl..."
Shortly after seeing the trio off in their strange hybrid aircraft, which Luvia had identified as a V-22 Osprey, Vahn gathered everyone together after pulling Da Vinci away from a now disassembled and modified computer before asking Alaya to transport them back to Avalon. Before the transfer, he picked up Mordred and Sakura, still wearing their tiger pajamas, holding one of the girls on each arm as the entire group vanished in magical blue light. When their surroundings suddenly shifted, Sakura, Rin, Luvia, Gray, and Olga were all slightly disoriented but, after looking around at the masterfully constructed interior castle walls, they quickly got over it.
As Vahn had hurried things along so that they wouldn't miss the sunset, which came rather early during January, the first thing he did was guide the group to the nearest access point to enter the Sub-Space Projection Orb. Entering into a mirror was a surreal experience but, as each of the girls, sans Sakura, were rather used to such things, they didn't even hesitate to follow the group into the silvery surface. After reaching the other side, Vahn explained, "Within this Projection, time flows at a rate of seven-to-one. A single day and night in the outside world translates to a week in here so keep that in mind if you intend to spend a lot of time inside."
Though Vahn was tempted to prohibit Sakura from entering into the Projection for long periods of time, he knew this probably wouldn't go over well with the young brunette. Unless he was away, she would probably spend a lot of her time within the Sub-Space Projection, studying, training, or playing with her newly acquired older sister. As he allowed Mordred to use it freely, Sakura would easily be upset by the fact the difference in their age would gradually increase while, even though they didn't have anything like a rivalry in the present, Vahn could see the two girls competing later on. He would need to discuss the matter with Rin but, if she wasn't against it, Vahn had already decided to allow Sakura free access to the Orb whenever she wanted.
In response to Vahn's comment about the time dilation, though she had already been made aware of it previously, Luvia cubbed the side of her face and complained, "I'll need to start taking even better care of my body. At this rate, I'll almost be as old as my Grandmother by the time the battle actually begins~." Though there wasn't a single part of Luvia's body that looked like it had even remotely started to be affected by the detrimental effects of aging, Vahn knew she was more or less asking how he intended to prevent this.
Luvia had undoubtedly heard several things from Rin, especially with Sakura staying with her, but, understanding her intrigue, Vahn explained, "I intend to place my Familia Crest onto everyone's body. This will allow me to keep track of everyone's growth while also serving to promote the increase in your body's parameters. Though the long-term effects still need to be observed, this alone would increase your lifespan considerably without any adverse side-effects. There are several other things you'll be made aware of in the future but, so long as you do not desire it, I have the means of preventing or reversing aging entirely..."
As this was the first time Olga was hearing anything related to the Sub-Space Orbs and extending her lifespan, her eyes had gone out of focus for a moment before she asked, "Are you saying it is possible for you to make others immortal...?" In response to this, Vahn scrunched up his nose a bit before saying, "It is possible, yes. However, I'd rather help to extend your life and increase your vitality than make anyone immortal. That is something people need to achieve on their own or it would consume them in their later years. We'll talk about this later but, the only thing you really need to become an immortal is to increase your Soul Tier to the fourth Tier. After that, it isn't an exaggeration to say you would have attained godhood as the Fourth Tier is known as the Divine Soul Realm."
With every new resident of the Ivory Castle having been a part of the Magus community for most of their lives, Vahn could see the glimmer of intrigue in their eyes. Before they could pester him with questions, however, he plainly stated, "We have plenty of time to talk about things like that later. For now, we need to get everyone situated in their rooms and have dinner prepared. Now that we are inside, we have about three hours until sunset so there isn't any particular rush but I would like to have everyone situated before the twilight descends. It is actually quite beautiful..." As he knew it hadn't truly set in for them how much time they now had, Vahn felt the need to remind everyone so that they wouldn't just continue to stand around awkwardly in the chamber that had been designated for transportation...
Following Vahn's words, everyone, including Olga, even though she was technically only a candidate for permanant residence, migrated toward the Inner Sanctum. There were more than enough rooms for everyone to have their own place to stay but, at least for the time being, Rin and Sakura were sharing the room next to Mordred and Artoria while Gray, even though she was fine with staying in the Knight's quarters, would be bunking up with her Ancestors for a few days. The only person who ended up picking out her own room from the start was Olga, choosing a spot near the end of the long hallways, while Luvia had been rather adamant about staying in the same room with Vahn since it didn't seem like Rin would be fighting her for the position outright.
Fortunately, Vahn managed to keep Luvia at bay by mentioning they were only engaged and not actually married just yet. Since Circe, Medusa, and Fenrir stayed in his room during most nights, he knew it would be very chaotic if she were suddenly added into the mix. Though it was only a matter of time before they slept together, it wasn't the first thing on Vahn's list of priorities. As neither Circe nor Medusa had been fond of the idea of a new roommate, it was for the best she picked out a private room to stay in. It was a boon that Luvia was very perceptive to social cues so, after seeing the petite Demi-Goddess and peculiar Gorgon, she hadn't tried to insist and instead dragged Vahn off to help her decorate...
---
After stealing Vahn away to her room, Luvia closed the door behind them, asking, "Are there any kind of security measures to prevent others from accessing the interior of these rooms?" Though she could see complex bolt locks and several magical formations present, Luvia didn't know what they meant at a glance. After all, many of these formations were ancient, some using runes and languages that no longer existed within modern times.
Hearing Luvia's question, Vahn produced a wry smile explaining, "There is a place in the closet that serves as the 'center' of the formation. If you drip your blood there, only you and members of the Imperial Family that have been registered to the 'main' formation would have access to this room." After saying this, Vahn showed Luvia where she needed to drip her blood while also going over the room's security features. He had some expectations about what she had in mind but, as there were other commitments he had made, Vahn was already considering how to gently refuse her proposition.
Contrary to his expectations, though it seemed to be going in that direction, Luvia removed her winter coat, revealing the skin-tight combat leotard underneath as she said, "Though it may not matter all that much with everything else going on, I want you to promise me that you will never discuss my skills and abilities with others. My family has a secret it has protected for generations and, though I will reveal it to you, I don't want others knowing. Even if we can trust everyone here, there is no way of knowing what the future holds. As the Head of the Edelfelt family, I have a duty to protect the secrets my Ancestors have kept closely guarded for more than five hundred years."
As he understood the importance of having secrets that you only shared with a select few people, Vahn didn't try to pressure Luvia on the issue of hiding things from the others. Instead, he gave an understanding nod before promising, "I will protect your secrets, Luvia. Unless you reveal them yourself, I will never speak of them with others. However, you should know that there are several people inside the Ivory Castle who may be able to see through your secrets from the start. Merlin and Scáthach would be able to discern almost everything about you, even though neither would ever disclose that information to others."
Hearing Vahn's words, Luvia stopped removing her leotard just after pulling the straps free from her shoulders. This left her hugging her rather large breasts with a complex expression on her face but, as even Mystic Eyes hadn't been able to expose her just yet, she decided it wasn't that big of an issue. Besides, she trusted Vahn and, if he said Merlin and Scáthach wouldn't expose her secret, Luvia believed him. With that conviction, she rolled down her leotard to her waist, allowing her large breasts to hang freely while showing off her fair-skinned and toned body. She noticed Vahn blink in mild surprise before an appreciative light flashed across his eyes, easing Luvia's own nervousness as she straddled a chair and left her back exposed to him.
Vahn had always had an appreciation for women who had a bit of visible muscle ever since his first interactions with Hephaestus and Tsubaki. Since Luvia was also in the category of women who had rather large and shapely breasts, combined with an almost perfectly round and toned butt, Vahn couldn't deny her figure checked off a lot of his preferences. The only thing he found odd was her choice in hairstyle but, as he tried to imagine Luvia with a more normal style, the image actually didn't suit her at all. She was almost the personification of a well-bred noble lady at a glance but, hiding beneath her stylish outerwear, Luvia hid an amazing body that seemed to brim with raw power...
As he had stalled for a few seconds, Luvia looked over her shoulder with a seductive glimmer in her eye as she remarked, "My...I did not take you as the shy type...how long are you going to keep a lady waiting, Darling~?" This caused Vahn to lightly chuckle as, without any actual hesitation, he walked over and traced the line of Luvia's back with his index finger. Since she was teasing him a bit, Vahn felt like doing the same so, with extreme subtlety, he used his [Hands of Nirvana] to send a shiver up her spine as his finger traced from the base of her neck to the fabric around her waist. Then, without needing to prick his finger, Vahn created a small hole to let his blood flow out as he began the process of drawing his Familia Crest on Luvia's back...
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[Status]
Name: [Luviagelita Edelfelt]
Age: 28
Race: Human
Strength: 7E
Endurance: 12D
Agility: 6E
Magical Power: 3E
Good Luck: 23C
Circuit Quality: 21C
Noble Phantasm: (-)
Origin: War, Star, Wealth
Skills: [Noble Discernment:Innate:B], [Call of the Battlefield:Innate:C], [Astraea's Heir:Innate:(sealed)], [Golden Rule:EX], [Charisma:B], [Martial Arts:B], [Etiquette:B], [Dancing:C]
Magic: (-)
Magecraft: [Od Conversion:B], [Conversion:B], [Catalyze:B], [Jewel:A], [Reinforce:A], [Mystic Code:D], [Magic Coat:D], [Gandr:A+], [Restoration:E], [Familiar:E], [Projection:E], [Alchemy:E]
[Golden Rule]
Rank: EX
Use: The user's fortune concerning their ability to accumulate wealth. At this rank, it is possible for the user to accumulate all the world's treasures.
[Charisma]
Rank: B
Use: The natural ability to command an army and inspire allies. At this rank, the user is qualified enough to lead a country.
[Martial Arts]
Rank: B
Use: The culmination of all martial skills that have been learned by the user. Increases spatial awareness and enhances the efficacy of strikes.
[Etiquette]
Rank: B-
Use: The knowledge and experience to allow the user to navigate high-society with elegance and grace. Due to the user's nature, this skill has a chance to be negated under specific circumstances.
[Dancing]
Rank: C
Use: The natural grace to follow a tempo and move the body in an elegant fashion. At this rank, the user is competent enough to avoid embarrassment during a Ball.
[Gandr]
Rank: A+
Use: A physical curse magic that takes on the form of a hazy black laser than can punch through magically enhanced armor. Due to special modifications, the size and shape can be adjusted with extreme precision, drastically increasing offensive power and versatility.
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Seeing Luvia's parameters and skills, it was easy to see how she and Rin had been rivals for more than a decade. Though it was common for everyone attending the Clock Tower as a student to get a basic foundation in the primary schools of Magecraft, both girls had similar specializations. Luvia had a clear advantage against Rin, especially in her physical parameters, but that had changed due to the latter's training and her becoming the vessel of two Goddesses. The most notable thing, however, which Luvia undoubtedly intended to keep secret, was the existence of her [Golden Rule: EX] skill.
When he saw the general description, Vahn's eyes widened considerably and, even if she herself had been okay with sharing, he would have advised her to keep it a secret. What the skill implied was, so long as she wasn't killed or interfered with, Luvia would eventually accumulate all the world's wealth and treasures. When he had looked at Gilgamesh's skills on the Throne of Heroes, even the King of Heroes had only developed the skill to A-Rank. Since his [Gate of Babylon] purportedly had every treasure in the World, past, present, and future, Vahn couldn't even fathom the extent of Luvia's potential to accumulate wealth. Considering how she had built a business empire that made her one of the wealthiest people in the world, all while researching Magecraft and training her body, it was a little scary to imagine what she could accomplish given more free time...
Sensing that Vahn's rather hot finger had stopped moving around on her back, Luvia released a sigh as she looked back to gauge his reaction. As he had already corrected his expression, Vahn met her gaze with a smile, commenting, "You're amazing, Luvia..." This elicited an awe-inspiringly beautiful smile from the golden-haired woman, followed by her reaching up to cup his face with her hand, her hot breath tickling his face as she mused, "Now, now, you can praise me all you want later...we have our entire lives ahead of us, ohohoho~." With that said, Luvia stole a kiss from Vahn's lips, leaving him with a somewhat silly smile on his face as she quickly donned her leotard and changed into more appropriate clothing to view the impending sunset...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You can't escape Luvia any longer xD...','Vahn's room is guarded by the youth troupe...','Take all of Gilgamesh's treasure...!','Who is the 'trophy' in this situation...?')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
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After helping everyone get settled in, Vahn gave a general tour of the main areas most residents frequented while Circe, after a bit of coaxing, went to cook a large feast. Medusa also accompanied her as, with Sakura and Mordred around, it was almost impossible to be her usual clingy self. She was actually a terrible cook but, as Circe could turn even a beginner's efforts into a delicious meal, the two could often be found together in the kitchen. Vahn had even seen Medusa using her hair like several extra sets of hand, causing incongruous feelings that he couldn't quite put to words. It was actually a surprising display of dexterity and skill but, just imagining the unlikely scenario of Medusa leaving behind a strand of her incredibly long hair in a dish led to Vahn advising against it. Besides, there was no sense in splitting your focus on several tasks when you struggled to make a single palatable dish...
While touring around the castle, the newer residents, excluding Luvia, all had expressions of awe and wonder on their faces as, in the present day, it was nearly impossible to find wonders like the Ivory Castle. Even the basic structure of the walls and supports were masterfully designed while each of the long corridors connecting different sections of the castle was lined with beautiful stained glass windows. Merlin had mentioned that the castle used to also contain several works of art but, with the passage of time and the looting the preceded the Dragon's Breath, most of them had been lost or stolen. Still, the castle itself was a marvel of architecture that, at a glance, seemed to be beyond the means of humans to construct. This was due to the fact that it was primarily constructed with the use of powerful Magecraft that bordered on the realm of True Magic, using the assistance of Faeries and Spirits in, once again according to Merlin, only three month's time.
With Luvia and Rin sparring often, combined with the fact that Sakura would also begin her own training in the next year or so, Orb-Time, the first place Vahn took them to was the Knight's Training Field in the westernmost region of the castle. While there, he introduced everyone to Siegfried who, at the time of their arrival, had Skoll seated atop his head as he carried around a lounging Susu in his arms. Upon seeing the stoic and rather handsome Knight, Vahn wasn't all that surprised when Luvia, Rin, and Olga all gave him appraising looks with mild surprise in their eyes.
As Siegfried's power was significantly reduced if he covered the scar on his chest and back, he often wore clothes that showed off his muscular figure which, when combined with his handsome and chiseled features, were rather effective against most women. Seeing him walking around with the adorable Skoll on his head, all while he maintained a serious expression, created a 'gap' that was hard not to appreciate. Other than Olga, however, Luvia and Rin quickly collected themselves and, as Vahn considered Siegfried his friend, he didn't feel threatened by the fact the girls had gawked at him. As Siegfried greeted them with the same stoicism that Vahn had come to expect from the pale-haired Knight, it was apparent he wouldn't do anything that might betray his trust...
Though Luvia ended up challenging Rin to a 'light' sparring session when the group entered into the Sub-Space Training Orb, Vahn was ultimately able to prevent a fight from breaking out. From there, the group doubled back towards the main residential area, a walk that took between twenty minutes to an hour, depending on how quickly you rushed. The complex structure of the Ivory Castle made it easy to get lost but, so long as you stuck to the main access corridors, it wasn't that difficult to get from one section to another. Fortunately, there were various Golems that could be found tirelessly wandering the halls so, if you ended up getting lost, they could guide you to your destination.
With Sakura riding on his shoulders, as her feet had started to hurt from all the walking, Vahn guided everyone back to the large dining room. Medusa had just brought in more than ten different dishes, adding to the dozens of small plates of meats, vegetables, fruits, oats, and pastries. Though Circe liked to make 'big' meals, such as whole roasted pig and lamb, she had changed her cooking style to reflect more appropriate portions as seeing a plate of partially eaten food caused her quite a bit of frustration. This was one of the reasons she got along well with Fenrir, at least after they had warmed up to each other, as the latter could 'literally' eat an infinite amount of food.
Seeing the amazing variety of foods, Sakura released an awed, "Wow...Otou-sama, there are so many different foods~!" This caused Vahn to lightly nod and, as Circe was just stepping out of the kitchen, he allowed his voice to carry as he remarked, "Circe is an amazing chef. Make sure you only select foods you intend to finish though, as it would be rude to her if you left anything on your plate..." In response, Sakura shouted a lively, "Haaaiii~" while, at the threshold between the kitchen and dining room, Circe puffed out her modest chest with pride as her long elf-like ears wiggled in response to Vahn's praise...
During the rather lively dinner, Vahn discussed various matters of importance regarding the castle and areas that could be dangerous if ventured into haphazardly. Fortunately, even Astolfo couldn't 'accidentally' enter such areas as, even without the Golems that had been posted to turn people away, there were powerful magical formations to prevent unauthorized access. Still, as there was no way to be certain something wouldn't happen, Vahn made sure they were aware of areas like the Armory of Camelot, Da Vinci's Workshop, Paracelsus' Magus Tower, Tristana's Botanical Garden, and the northern walls of the castle as an accidental slip would lead to a nearly 300m drop into jagged rocks and cold seas.
As the Ivory Castle had 'literally' been built into a small mountain, there were only a few access roads leading to the main gate and a secret port that connected to the castle's waste management system. This area was also off-limits as the sluice gate that was supposed to keep the tide at bay had yet to be repaired, leading to the chamber flooding during the evening hours. Now that Sakura would be wandering around the castle, Vahn was planning to have the gate fixed, just in case. Even if there was always someone escorting her around, he wasn't the type to leave such things to chance, regardless of how 'bold' Sakura became due to Mordred's influence...
After dinner had come to an end, Vahn took those that were interested to view the long sunset atop the castle's ramparts. As this was a popular past-time within the castle, the only two to abstain were Medusa and Circe as the former was weak against the cold while the latter would rather sit under the moonlight than watch the sunset. In that regard, she was a lot like Lakshmibai who, being one of the few to stay behind in the castle, had been hitting it off surprisingly well with Olga. The latter seemed to feel out of place amidst the stronger personalities and entities within the group. As Lakshmibai had experienced something similar in the past, she had taken it upon herself to proactively engage the young Animusphere heiress.
Vahn appreciated the efforts the women around him went through in order to make sure everyone was happy as, much like what he had seen in the Record of Danmachi, their 'sisterhood' was one of the most important factors to prevent future problems from arising. Fortunately, for the most part, he was slowly balancing things out by introducing people he wouldn't be having a relationship with. Unlike what he experienced in Danmachi, where it felt like an inevitability that he slept with everyone in the Hearth Manor, with a few obvious exceptions, Vahn wanted to reach some kind of equilibrium in the Nasuverse. Presences like Astolfo, Catherine, Siegfried, and even Merlin went a long way in avoiding a repeat of the phenomenon that had occurred in the Hearth Manor.
Though Vahn understood the chances of 'something' happening would increase every time he summoned a powerful personality, he trusted the women he surrounded himself with. With the exception of Olga, he couldn't really imagine any of the women around him being influenced by another man to the point they would go behind his back to engage in an illicit relationship. At the very least, Vahn expected them to be forthright on the matter and, if there was genuine affection between both parties, he wouldn't resent either party. Though he would certainly fight for them, Vahn would never 'force' any woman who was no longer in love with him to stay at his side. It was an inevitability that, during the eternity he would experience, there would be those who either strayed from his side or fell out of love...
For now, Vahn didn't have to worry about such things as, in this singular moment, the only thing that mattered was the people at his side as they all watched the sunset together. He had set out a thick blanket for everyone to sit on and, with Sakura already dozing away in his lap, Vahn gazed out over the horizon with Rin seated on his left while Luvia leaned against his shoulder on the right. A little further down, Artoria and Gray were seated next to each other while Mordred reclined against her mother's legs as the latter was seated in a seiza-like position. On the opposite side of Rin, as if united by their rather 'wild' hairstyles, Fenrir, Lakshmibai, and Olga sat together, the latter seeming to enjoy the company as, back in London, she actually had few 'true' friends...
Seeing everyone together like this, Vahn felt extremely content and, while the future held an infinite number of possibilities, none of that really mattered. Just seeing the sleeping face of Sakura as she leaned against his arm, a line of drool escaping her lips, was enough to fill Vahn's heart with a great deal of warmth. It was moments like this that made all the other struggles worth it and, though it also made him miss his the children he left behind, Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before he was reunited with them. He didn't know what kind of existence he would become by then but, so long as he never forgot these emotions, the feelings he was experiencing right now, Vahn believed he would still be the same person they loved...
---
After watching the sunset for the better part of two hours, Vahn felt it was better for Sakura to sleep in her bed, regardless of how comfortable his lap might be. He carried her back, Rin following close behind as everyone retired to their own rooms. It took a bit of time to acclimate to the Sub-Space Projection Orb but, with every day outside being seven days inside, time was one of the things they had to spare.
While tucking Sakura into the bed, Vahn sent a glance towards Rin, softly whispering, "I'll stay here tonight...I would feel bad if Sakura woke up and I was missing." Though Vahn knew there were quite a few others who wouldn't mind sharing a bed with him for the evening, Sakura and Rin were two of his highest priorities. Even though he was more than a little tempted to visit Luvia, the night within the Projection was 'very' long, affording Vahn plenty of time to make it up to her after she was well-rested. He had nothing else going on until the sun rose in the real world and, though he had a few things he wanted to discuss with Da Vinci, she had disappeared to their shared Workshop when Vahn was helping everyone else get settled in.
As she had already expected Vahn to say something similar, Rin's expression softened in response to his words. She began to remove the ribbons from her hair, asking, "Will you join me in the bath...?" Though her face turned slightly red when she asked this, Rin felt like it had been too long since she and Vahn had an intimate moment together. As they obviously couldn't do anything with Sakura sleeping in the same bed, taking a bath together wasn't a bad alternative. Vahn, however, was more than a little surprised by the offer, causing Rin's face to turn even redder after she saw his reaction. Before she could change her mind, Vahn had almost instantly appeared at her side, his hands finding their way to her hips as if that was their natural resting position as he whispered, "There is no way I could refuse such an offer..."
In the next instant, Rin found herself being whisked away to the connected bathroom, a furious blush on her face as she hadn't expected Vahn to be so 'enthusiastic'. Then, for the better part of an hour, Vahn enjoyed a long 'bath' with three different women as, after helping to 'wash' Rin's body, it wasn't long before Ishtar and Ereshkigal also made an appearance. Though the first thing he did was heal Rin's left breast, this hadn't taken up much time so Vahn was able to enjoy the soapy experience a great deal. Ereshkigal, under the guidance of Ishtar, even helped to wash his back and, though she lacked any experience doing such things, her earnestness was very refreshing...
After Rin had been given control over her body once again, Vahn helped her change into sleepwear before carrying her over to the bed. Sakura was a surprisingly deep sleeper and, as Vahn had been keeping tabs on her through his domain, he knew she hadn't woken up while he was tending to Rin and her residents. She didn't even stir when Vahn set Rin down in the bed next to her, only reacting when he himself climbed into bed on the opposite side of her. Though Vahn had experienced this 'phenomenon' several times in the past, it brought an amused smile to his face when Sakura almost immediately snuggled up against him. Rin's own reaction was less enthused, followed by her lightly pinching Vahn cheek as she asked, "Are you cheating to try and win over our daughter...?"
Issuing a light chuckle in response to Rin's words, Vahn grabbed her hand, holding it in his own as he answered, "It isn't a competition...you have been doing well, Rin...thank you..." With that said, Vahn gave Rin a light kiss that caused her frown to turn awkward before she ultimately released a sigh and smiled. Then, while continuing to hold Vahn's hand, they both snuggled up with Sakura in between them, finding comfort in each other as sleep slowly overtook Rin's fatigued mind. She had gone through a lot over the last month and, though it was only a short moment, the time she had spent in Vahn's 'care' caused a lot of her tensions to simply melt away. Now, even though she knew it was impossible to keep him for herself, Sakura felt content just sharing this moment together...
---
While everyone else was sleeping rather peacefully, there was one person within the castle who, even with a comfortable bed and thick blankets, simply couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. Even though Olga had grown up surrounded by Magecraft, everything that had happened over the last day had considerably shaken her perception of the world. Just the fact that she was sleeping in a massive bedroom within the Inner Sanctum of the Ivory Castle was something she never would have even considered in the past, much less while in a world where time flowed seven times faster than normal. She couldn't help imagining what the future might hold for her, mulling over all the different possibilities while periodically glancing toward the door of her room, wondering if and when it might open...
Olga knew she was worrying too much as, unlike most of the men she had associated with, Vahn gave off a very different vibe from the norm. If anything, rather than looking at her as something to be possessed, he seemed to show mild concern regarding her and, with Lakshmibai and Fenrir both trying to befriend her, Olga felt like he was actually afraid of making her feel pressured. Instead of allowing her to feel calm, however, Olga felt even more pressure as a result of Vahn's concern as she simply didn't know how to deal with it.
Long ago, when Olga was only four years old, her father had abandoned her while trying to deal with her family's financial issues. She had been left in the care of her Governess, a woman named Trisha Fellows who, up until the time she was eleven years old, had been her caretaker and mentor. As a result, her upbringing had been very strict and, in the hopes of garnering her father's attention, Olga had put an earnest effort into everything she did. More than anything else, she just wanted him to praise her a bit and, despite the ridicule she faced from her peers for studying a 'dying' School of Thaumaturgy, Olga never gave up trying to be the best heiress she could be.
Unfortunately, around the same time that she met with Lord El-Melloi II and Gray for the first time, Olga experienced a major trauma that she had carried with her ever since. Trisha, who had been the closest thing to a parent she had while growing up, ended up losing her life as a result of Olga's selfishness in insisting they participate in a dangerous auction. To make matters even worse, Olga had discovered Trisha's decapitated body as, in an effort to prevent her Mystic Eyes from being stolen, she had sealed her own head within an Imaginary Number Space, a secluded Space Pocket that could only be opened with a password. Later, after discovering the sealed space, Olga opened it with the password Trisha had taught her, the latter's still-living head, preserved due to no time passing in the Imaginary Number Space, spilling out to utter its final words...
From that moment onwards, Olga had been mostly self-taught in her studies while following the curriculum of the Clock Tower. She blamed herself for Trisha's death, even going as far as to use it as a reason to justify her father's abandonment of her. Thus, until she had attended a dinner party after her fifteenth birthday, where she had been proposed to by Allard Trambelio, Olga had limited human contact and almost no social experience. She had been led around easily by the tall and oppressive man's flowery words and, even though his presence alone terrified her, Olga felt like the only choice for someone like her was to listen to his words. If not for her father's timely intervention, she likely would have become the next 'lamb' to be sacrificed to the voracious second son of the Trambelio family...
After that incident, her father began to pay more attention to her and, though the Animusphere family was still going through tough times, he began personally grooming her for her position as heiress. Though she hadn't realized the dangers at the time, Marisbury Animusphere was very aware of what had almost happened and, though he hadn't given her all that much attention as she was growing up, he still cared deeply for his daughter. However, even after she became his protege, Olga was playing catch up when it came to dealing with high-society so her father was very strict in his teachings. He almost never praised her, despite Olga's best efforts, even going so far as to gently admonish her for being so eager to seek the approval of others.
Olga's father wanted her to be more confident and assertive but, after failing to take care of her during the formative years of her life, this was virtually impossible for him to achieve. He knew almost nothing about her and, due to how busy he was with his own duties, most of the time they spent together was him teaching Olga what she would need to know for the future. It didn't help much that Olga never really opened up to him about the things that were troubling her as, after losing Trisha, she internalized most of her problems and rarely shared with others. Thus, rather than a true father and daughter, the relationship between Marisbury and Olga was closer to that of a researcher and his assistant...
Due to her upbringing, Olga had deeply rooted abandonment issues and an almost pathological need for praise. Now that she was placed in a position where people showed her care and concern, Olga was afraid she would somehow mess everything up, losing any chance her family might have at success. She was worried that, with Vahn acting so cautiously around her, that he would eventually grow tired of her presence. At the same time, however, Olga didn't know what she needed to do in order to make a good impression on her, even with Lakshmibai and Fenrir both telling her she just needed to relax and focus on her own happiness. As this was an almost entirely foreign concept to her, Olga could only ruminate over hundreds of different possibilities as, for the tenth time in the last hour, she looked towards the door to her room, wishing Vahn would just show up and tell her what she needed to do. If she knew what he wanted, she would be able to take action and, if she worked hard, there was even a chance he might praise her efforts...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I can imagine Siegfried covered in various Vanargandr-type Golems clinging to him as he walks around with a completely neutral expression on his face...','Little moments of happiness can go a long way...','Olga needs a therapist (O _ O)...')
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