Chapter 1954: A Cursory Exchange
Entering the backroom of the tavern, Vahn was unsurprised to find a moderately attractive woman with ashen-pink hair and apathetic blue eyes among the people waiting inside. What did surprise him, albeit only a little, was the fact she had a thin scar running from her forehead, through her left eye, and down the left side of her face. As for why he was surprised, it was due to the fact there was a tenacious sword intent radiating from the scar, almost as if the person who had inflicted it upon her otherwise flawless face refused to let it heal...
Resisting the almost instinctual urge to offer his assistance in treating the wound, Vahn shifted his gaze from the calculating woman to the others present. This included a rather blind man with grey-blue hair and peculiar horns, an inordinately petite woman who was clearly a member of the Red Witch Tribe, and, most importantly, a mature beauty with similar features who was a carbon copy of Ryun, albeit with a more 'seasoned' appeal.
With the latter being the reason for his visit, Vahn offered a polite bow, saying, "Ryun has told me a lot about you. It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Elder Hwa."
Smiling in response to Vahn's words, the red-headed beauty, full name Hwa Hae Yon, offered a bow of her own before directing her gaze towards Ryun and softly musing, "I see now why you made the decision you did. In hindsight, it was perhaps a little hubristic for us to believe we could guarantee a specific result when we are capable of witnessing how even minor changes to the present can affect the fates of countless people in the future..."
Nodding her head, Ryun maintained her usual calm and collected demeanor as she explained, "In my time following Vahn, I have witnessed splendors beyond imagination and come to understand much about the true nature of the world. Though I still believe it is my duty to Guide others, I have also come to realize that we have just as much a right to determine our future as anyone else. I do not fear my fate, but that does not mean I must march towards it without questioning whether or not anything could have been done to change the outcome. From now on, I will focus on bettering myself as a person while doing everything I can in the present to find happiness. There is no future for those who do not embrace the present, only remorse."
Though Hwa Yon couldn't help smiling in response to her daughter's words, the comparably petite Red Witch standing next to the muscular man with horns seemed dissatisfied with her statement, a mixture of disdain and frustrating marring her countenance as she said, "This is ridiculous. How can you trust this...thing...with our fates? If you are unwilling to follow your destiny, everything we have sacrificed for over the last ten-thousand-years will have gone to waste. What makes you think you are entitled to happiness when thousands of our sisters have willingly met their end!? How can you be this self-centered!?"
Turning to meet the petite Red Witch's gaze, Ryun's expression hardened as she plainly stated, "You speak as though you are dissatisfied with the fate you have been given...if it bothers you so, change it. Had I truly betrayed my purpose and endeavored to defy my fate, my powers would have already been sealed. Instead, they grow stronger with each passing day. Your unerring commitment to what you believe to be your duty has blinded you to the other paths that are available. You have allowed your fate to control you, yet, even if I were to ask you here and now, you could not detail the events leading up to your inevitable death...you only know the final outcome and have allowed it to dictate every decision you have made for the last ten-thousand-years...how tragic..."
Hanging her head, the petite Red Witch, better known as Soo-oh, clenched her teeth with enough force that everyone present could hear her molars grinding against each other. Were it not for the presence of several unbelievable powerhouses, she might not have been able to restrain her desire to wring Ryun's neck. At least that way, she could be satisfied knowing she had done something to punish the divergent Red Witch for turning her back on the countless sacrifices that had been made to clear a path and ensure she was able to fulfill her destiny...
Having known Soo-oh for much of their lives, Hwa Yon could easily empathize with her younger cousin's frustrations. In the end, however, Ryun's fate had always been in her own hands, and, regardless of what she chose, they were duty-bound to provide her as much support as possible. After all, she was the Red Witch described in Enryu's prophecy, so, unless they intended to refute his words, contradicting their very purpose, they had little choice but to conclude that Ryun had chosen the correct path. This was the most frustrating thing for the petite redhead, as, any action she took against Ryun would be a direct contradiction to everything she believed in...
Deciding to inject himself back into the conversation, Vahn maintained a relaxed smile as he calmly explained, "As it stands, it is only a matter of time before the dream of the Red Witches is realized. I can understand your frustrations, but there is ultimately no need for this kind of drama. Those who have sacrificed themselves did so willingly. There is nothing anyone can do in the present that will change that fact. Holding Ryun accountable for the decisions of others is unfair. Rather, you should be thanking her for liberating the Red Witches who have yet to be sacrificed..."
Raising her head, Soo-oh glared at Vahn with such intensity that, if looks could kill, he would have died at least a thousand times. This made it pretty clear she wasn't very satisfied with the hand she had been dealt with over the last ten-thousand-years, but, regardless of her personal feelings on the matter, that had very little to do with Ryun. If anything, her actions made it seem as though she envied the latter, but, due to her personal convictions, she couldn't allow herself to shift gears and begin searching for happiness after dedicating herself to a cause for thousands of years.
Understanding that the woman would only be convinced after witnessing the final outcome of his time in the Tower, Vahn decided to simply ignore her, directing his gaze to the muscular man at her side before saying, "My only reason for coming here was to introduce myself and meet with Ryun's mother. The ambitions of FUG mean very little to me. If you want to avoid destruction, you will take my advice at face value and carry out the necessary reforms. I will eventually be sending auditors to check on and observe your progress. If your organization is still comprised of cutthroats, murderers, and rapists, don't expect any clemency from me. I am not Jahad. I like to give people the benefit of the doubt and assume the best of them, but I will not hesitate to annihilate those who have veered too far from the light. The revolution you desire is upon you. Prove to me you aren't just a bunch of hypocrites upset at Jahad because he managed to seize power you coveted for yourselves..."
Despite lacking any irises or pupils to speak of, the man, better known as Khel Hellam, one of the most active Elders within FUG, met Vahn's gaze without any change in expression. Even without the Law of Identity, however, Vahn could tell the man was in deep thought as he carefully weighed his response. Unfortunately, this resulted in a rather lengthy silence, and, as a result, it was Sophia who answered, "You're pretty intense." before offering an amused smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
Turning to meet the woman's gaze, Vahn noticed a distinct lack of emotion in Sophia's pale-blue eyes, the result of an inordinately long and turbulent life. She gave off the impression of someone that was tired of existing, yet, due to her convictions, refused to succumb to her own apathy before completing her objective. This would have normally made her seem rather pitiable, but, considering the types of organizations she supported, Vahn found it difficult to empathize with her.
Noticing the peculiar way in which Vahn looked at her, Sophia felt uncharacteristically unnerved, a cold sweat breaking out across her body as she maintained a professional smile and asked, "Does His Imperial Majesty have some thoughts he would like to share? I am certain I would benefit from any advice you wish to bequeath my humble self..."
Furrowing his brows ever-so-slightly in response to the woman's words, Vahn was tempted to tell her to absolve her organizations, but, understanding how the people beneath her might suffer, the words couldn't quite make it to his lips. The factions and organizations she supported were intrinsic to the survival of countless female Regulars, and, while many were forced to suffer due to their lack of power, it wasn't as if Sophia was responsible for the existing structure of the Inner Tower. Rather, if she hadn't taken the initiative to create her own faction, the influence of the Ten Families would be even greater...
Resisting the urge to exhale a sigh, Vahn rose to his feet and said, "There isn't much to discuss at this point. I am not unwilling to compromise, but, until your organization demonstrates its sincerity and willingness to change, there can be no cooperation between us. Your desire to have me shield you from Ureko's wrath demonstrates a lack of accountability I cannot condone. Your people toyed with the residents on the Floor of Death, manipulated her friend, and created a whole host of other problems. If you want to avoid such consequences in the future, unfuck yourselves. It's that simple."
Understanding they couldn't simply lay the blame on Karaka, a wry smile developed across Sophia's face as she asked, "Can you at least ask her to show a bit of restraint? She had already annihilated a total of thirteen bases, none of which had anything to do with the events on the Floor of Death. You are right to hold us accountable, but that is drastically different from holding everyone accountable. At this rate, countless innocents will die for a crime they neither committed nor had any knowledge of..."
Adopting a slightly incredulous look, Vahn was very tempted to ask if there was something wrong with the woman's head. Instead, he offered a very simple solution, saying, "Then tell her where the culprits are. Ureko isn't a monster incapable of reason. If you don't want her arbitrarily destroying your bases, present Karaka to her and offer an apology. The problem with people in positions such as yours is that you hold unrelated people more accountable than the members of your own group. Stop protecting Karaka just because he is a Slayer. That entire system has been a farce ever since it was implemented."
Having noticed the incredulity in Vahn's gaze, combined with his chiding tone, Sophia felt more embarrassed in the present moment than she had in the past several thousand years. She now understood the reason for Gustang's warning, as, despite giving off the impression of someone politically competent, Vahn didn't actually enter negotiations with the intent of receiving any kind of benefits. This allowed him to one-sidedly make demands as he simply didn't care about what others might offer. Instead, he held them accountable for their words and actions, so, unless they were willing to compromise, there was absolutely no room for negotiations with him. Thus, for a brief moment, it almost seemed like Vahn was the only adult present in a room filled with children...
Realizing this, the briefest hint of a blush suffused Sophia's cheeks as she reconsidered whether or not to broach the subject of entrusting her apprentices to his care. Unfortunately, the moment this thought crossed her mind, Vahn exhaled a sigh before rubbing his temples and saying, "You lot are going to cause me an aneurism..." before turning around and adding, "Ryun. We're going." in a firm tone. This left everyone but Yon feeling at a loss for words, but, fortunately for Sophia, Vahn ended up motioning for the two girls guarding the entrance to follow him on his way out...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Soo-oh is hella jaded...','As if Vahn could control Ureko...','Vahn be like +2')
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