Once Jaina was able to stay conscious for more than a few seconds, Vahn finally got around to the reason for his visit, surprising the pinkette with a blanket, comforter, and pillow as he explained, "I know about your attempts to procure the pillows I gifted away in the lower floors. I would normally chastise you for such behavior, but, since your situation was something that had been inadvertently caused by events I set in motion, please accept these as compensation."
Receiving the three pieces of 'Divine Bedding', any complaints that Jaina might have had regarding Ureko's visit faded away the moment she felt their texture and softness. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced, and, were it not for the fact there were still more than a dozen people in her room, she might have gone to sleep then and there.
Seeing Jaina hugging her pillow as if it were a great treasure, Vahn couldn't help comparing her to the members of the Eurasia Family. She even had their characteristic pink hair, but, a stark contrast to the Mare-descended maidens, Jaina spent so much time awake that it often caused her to have health problems. This had been remedied by the blood infusion she had received after becoming a Princess of Jahad, but, even now, there were dark circles beneath both of her eyes, a tell-tale sign she wasn't getting enough sleep.
Since she probably wouldn't listen if he told her to get more sleep, Vahn figured he might as well ensure that the sleep she was getting was of the highest quality. The Divine Comforter was perfect for this, as, not only did it generate a protective barrier around the user, it increased the 'efficiency' of their sleep by 800%. This meant, even if she was only getting an hour of sleep every other day, it was the same as resting for a full eight hours.
Though there was a chance someone like Jaina would come up with a way to exploit the beddings in the most 'efficient' manner, the comfort they provided made this unlikely. She was far more likely to become accustomed to even longer periods of sleep, as, compared to the 'real world', being able to control and manipulate her dreams at will was a tremendous blessing for someone as infatuated with video games as Jaina was. After all, unless you were proactively involved with it, the real world simply wasn't that interesting...
Wanting to give Jaina the opportunity to try out the surprisingly rare artifacts, Vahn surprised the pinkette quite a bit when he turned to his comrades and suggested, "We should be going. I'm sure our little friend here would like to get back to playing her video games and spying on people using her Opera."
Before anyone else could reply, Jaina, still hugging her freshly gifted beddings, intoned a confused, "Eh?" before immediately following it up by asking, "You're leaving so soon? Didn't you want to ask me something, or, I don't know, invite me to come with you?"
There her social skills were sub-par, Jaina had always had a 'knack' for saying whatever was on her mind. Since there was a very real possibility that Vahn would never return if he just up and left, most of her nervousness had been momentarily suppressed by sincere concern. After all, he basically had the power to turn a person's life into a video game, so, as much as she lamented the idea of leaving her room, she feared 'never' leaving even more. Vahn was essentially a 'super platinum spoon', so, if she passed up on this opportunity, she was sure to regret it.
Raising a single brow in response to the girl's unexpected inquiry, Vahn was about to ask the Law of Identity what the heck she was thinking when Yuri chimed in to teasingly remark, "No way. Without the Opera, you're practically useless. What makes you think Vahn would want to haul around a lazy brat who spends most of her time playing video games? You're better off staying here in your little castle and messing with anyone who comes seeking information."
Puffing out her cheeks, Jaina's purple eyes began to glisten with a hint of moisture as she failed to think of anything that might refute Yuri's claims. After all, Vahn had demonstrated, time and again, that he didn't really need the help of others. He could go wherever he wanted and do whatever he pleased without any real consequences. All she was good at was collecting information, spying on people, and manipulating markets to her advantage. These capabilities were extremely coveted by most people, but, as virtually anyone who had met him could attest, Vahn wasn't anything like most people...
Realizing that she might be 'useless', an extremely sour feeling spread through Jaina's nose as the moisture in her eyes surpassed the threshold to generate tears. This caused the smile on Yuri's face to immediately cramp up, as, despite the content of her statement, it should have been obvious she was just joking. She just wanted to get a rise out of the petite pinkette, not reduce her to tears...
Seeing Yuri look towards him for support, an inaudible sigh escaped Vahn's throat as he shook his head and said, "Yuri's lack of a filter shouldn't come as a surprise. You shouldn't take it personally..."
Shifting her attention to Vahn, a hopeful glimmer appeared in Jaina's eyes as she expected him to say something nice to counteract Yuri's previous remark. Instead, she felt as though the world was crashing down around her as he went on to explain, "Still, there is a grain of truth to her words. You have built your entire life around your ability to use the Opera. It has allowed you to amass enough wealth to rival organizations that have been around for thousands of years, and, more importantly, it has drastically changed the way you view other people. You see them as nothing more than NPCs with rudimentary behavioral patterns that you can easily exploit for your own ends...tell me, if I were to invite you to accompany, what, exactly, would you hope to accomplish...?"
Since she hadn't really thought about it, other than imagining how fun it would be, Jaina's response was to bury her face into the bedding Vahn had gifted her. She found herself incapable of refuting a single thing he had said, so, for the first time in her life, she began to consider whether or not what she had been doing was 'right'. After all, if someone were to observe her with the same scrutiny she observed the lives of countless others, there's no way she wouldn't feel uncomfortable...
Seeing Jaina seriously considering his words, Vahn's impression of the petite pinkette developed in direct proportion to the amount of guilt he felt. She was clearly just a misguided young girl with an inordinate amount of talent for gathering and processing information. It wasn't like she was evil, so, while his words hadn't been wrong, it didn't feel right to chastise her for behaving in a way that was encouraged by virtually everyone around her. Unfortunately, that same logic could apply to people who had committed some of the most heinous crimes imaginable, so, while a part of him wanted to apologize, the experiences he had accumulated over the years compelled him to remain silent.
In the end, it was Blossom who suggested, "I say we let her come along. Even if it's just a temporary arrangement, the ability to operate an Opera makes her invaluable so long as you're still inside the Tower. In fact, unless I've misjudged your ability to 'know everything', her abilities complement your own quite a bit. She also has pink hair, so, even if you don't wish for her to accompany you beyond the Tower, I'm certain she would fit right in with the members of my family~."
With Blossom essentially saying she would take responsibility for Jaina's future, Vahn had no real reason to refuse her. He suspected this would come back to bite him, but, despite Yuri talking them up like they were character flaws, Vahn had always been fond of girls with hikikomori characteristics. He enjoyed pampering his women quite a bit, and, as fate would have it, one of the women closest to his heart just so happened to be among the laziest Goddesses in her Record...
Though it was impossible to compare them directly, especially considering Jaina's productivity, the fact she had even briefly reminded him of Hestia went a long way towards ensuring her a potential position within the Little Garden. The notion that she would get along well with girls such as X and Tomoe also helped her case quite a bit, so, after a very brief period of consideration, Vahn nodded his head and said, "Very well. Though I imagine my earlier words might have given you a reason to reconsider-"
Before Vahn could even get to his apology, Jaina surprised nearly everyone present by practically bouncing to her feet and shouting, "I'll go...!" with an excited smile and an even more enthusiastic glimmer in her eyes. The fear of missing out on her chance a second time allowed her to suppress her negative emotions, so, while some might mistake her earlier behavior as crocodile tears, Vahn's ability to vaguely discern a person's aura even without View Affection allowed him to ascertain the truth.
Smiling in response to the petite pinkette's enthusiasm, Vahn was about to make a second attempt at apologizing when Yuri completely ruined the atmosphere by suggesting, "I guess the only thing to have her do at this point is strip." with a massive grin on her face.
Though she was briefly taken aback by Yuri's words, a rather fierce flame immediately appeared within Jaina's amethyst eyes as she dropped the Divine Bedding, hands balled into resolute fists as she nervously stammered, "I...I'm not afraid! If it's for my dream of living in a video game world, I'm willing to do whatever it takes...!"
Noticing Jaina's nostrils flaring as she looked at him like a perfectly prepared dragon meat skewer, the smile that had developed on Vahn's face immediately turned into an awkward grimace as Yuri cackled like a hyena at the side. She was still feeling a little guilty about making Jaina cry, so, even if her words had ultimately caused a misunderstanding, Yuri was pretty confident it would help out in the long run. Vahn was simply too kind, so, as long as she made an earnest effort, there was a very real chance he would help Jaina realize some of the fantasies she had developed thanks to her long isolation and unrestricted observation of other people...
With the Law of Identity narrating Yuri's train of thought, Vahn was very tempted to give the former Princess a smack on the head. Instead, he met Jaina's inordinately 'passionate' purple eyes, dousing a bit of the fire contained within by explaining, "You don't need to get naked. What Yuri is indirectly alluding to is something called the Familia Induction Ceremony. By engraving my Familia Crest unto others, I am able to provide them with my Blessing as the God of Infinite Possibilities. You need only expose your back. After that, you will gain access to the Quest System, and, so long as your belief is high enough, you can even change your physical characteristics or have me change your race like a certain muscle-brained snake-head..."
Though it took her a few moments, Yuri eventually realized that Vahn was talking about her when several people directed their gazes her way. This caused her brow to twitch slightly, but, assuming this was Vahn's way of getting back at her, she ultimately just crossed her arms before adopting a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Violence didn't really work on him, so, for the time being, she decided it was best to wait until she could ask for someone else's advice before trying to get even...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'At least he didn't give her the futon...','Voyeurism is bad...!','She's learning...')
(A/N: This is technically the third chapter from yesterday. There will be three more releases before tomorrow's reset unless something comes up.)
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Though the order was a bit reversed, Vahn concluded Jaina's induction into his Family by explaining, in detail, the various perks related to being one of his 'children'. After that, they surprised her Guide, Alumik Edrok, by explaining to him that he no longer had a charge to look over.
While it would have been a crippling blow to some other Guides, the fact that Jaina rarely even left her room meant Alumik's only responsibility had been vetting her innumerable guests, ascertaining their true intentions, and sending them on their way. He had also received a warning from Evan, so, while he was curious about what lay beyond the 135th Floor, he didn't insist that he follow along as her caretaker and Butler. Instead, like a father seeing off his daughter, he had Vahn swear to protect her before seeing the entire group off with a forced yet equally sincere smile.
What Alumik hadn't realized was that, prior to the rather dramatic sendoff, Vahn had been seriously considering whether or not he should transport Jaina's palace to the 199th Floor. He would need to establish a seat of power there once he had deposed Jahad, so, in preparation for the future, he was intending to escort Jaina to each and every Floor so that her Opera could spread its influence to the rest of the Tower.
Though he could have moved forward with his original intentions, regardless of what anyone else had to say on the matter, Vahn knew that Alumik was intending to return to the Empire to join his kin in preparation for the changes that were about to sweep across the Tower. Jahad wasn't actually a fool, so, in acknowledgment of the fact he might be defeated, he had tasked Evan and the rest of the Edrok Family with developing countermeasures against the Empire's collapse. This was the main reason Vahn wasn't in any hurry to advance to the 134th Floor. His experience in the Nasuverse had shown him what could happen in the wake of societal collapse, but, unlike then, he didn't have any measures in place to counteract the effects.
In the end, Vahn would be relying on his reputation and the acquiescence of existing institutions to prevent various forces from running rampant in the wake of Jahad's defeat. This made him a lot like Jahad, but, unlike the aforementioned King, he didn't mistake himself as a God, he was one. He also had the support of Gluttony, and, as a result, the support of virtually every Guardian. They couldn't simply annul the contracts they had established with others, but, so long as he kept his word, they would support his endeavors without much fuss. This included implementing a modified version of the Common Law, and, more importantly, fundamentally changing the way in which people climbed the Tower.
While he now understood that Jahad's intent was to pit opportunistic individuals against each other in an effort to cull their numbers, what the King had failed to account for was the corrupt nature of society. So long as there was a power ladder to ascend, people at the top would suppress people at the bottom. Inversely, people at the bottom would both resent and envy those at the top, and, due to feeling suppressed, they would do everything in their power to depose them.
Simply put, by creating something like the Ten Great Families, Jahad had effectively jeopardized the entire system. He had also shot himself in the foot as the entire purpose of declaring himself King was to distance himself from others and act as a deterrent to prevent Rankers and other sufficiently powerful people from using said power to oppress the peoples of the Tower. In essence, his desire to respect his former companions' autonomy ended up creating the very kind of system he wanted to avoid. They were supposed to help him maintain control, but, due to their inordinately long lives and the traumas they had experienced during The Great War, chief the loss of their first-generation descendants, they had simply stopped caring.
In the beginning, even Eduan had been a great father, and, while he didn't agree with what Jahad was doing, he still supported the formation of the Empire along with his fellow companions. It was when the members of FUG had assassinated his first wife and all of their children that he ended up completely losing his mind. The pain he had experienced, combined with the fact he had not been allowed to seek revenge, caused him to develop the mentality that he couldn't be hurt if he simply didn't care. After that, he drowned his sorrows in every pleasure imaginable, married more than a hundred different women, and, in the end, established one of the largest and most dysfunctional families in the entire Tower.
While Eduan was ultimately to blame for every major issue plaguing the modern Khun Family, he, like virtually everyone else in the Tower, was a victim of circumstance. Had he been allowed to let out his anger and frustrations on the people who had slaughtered his family, his personality might not have deviated all that far from his data-self. The Khun Family would have still grown into a large and powerful 'clan', but, rather than being the father of nearly every mainline descendant, he would have watched over his sons and daughters as they created generational lines of their own.
With the other 'Great Warriors' having very similar circumstances, it was no surprise that they would allow their families to act as they pleased. After all, if they weren't even allowed to protect and seek vengeance for their own children, their only option was empowering their descendants and creating an environment where they were provided every feasible advantage. This entailed consolidating the Tower's wealth, and, more importantly, suppressing the development of organizations unrelated to their Families.
Though their initial intentions had simply been self-preservation, it didn't take long for such 'victim mentalities' to nourish the seeds of corruption that existed within the hearts of and minds of nearly every sapient creature. This mentality allowed them to justify all manner of atrocities, as, from their perspective, they were the 'real' victims. They believed that, if they didn't act, they would be killed off by people who coveted their wealth and power, so, before that could happen, they came to the conclusion they needed to kill any and all threats before they mature.
As 'unfortunate' as this development was, it was actually one of the most common developments in the history of every culture across the Records. Those who first ventured out considered themselves as explorers who simply wanted to know more about the world they inhabited. They were driven by a sincere desire to learn more, and, more importantly, survive. It was this desire that allowed them to brave the unknown, and, alongside like-minded individuals, these first explorers were the people responsible for the creation of nearly every civilization in existence.
Unfortunately, the moment people began to settle down and develop infrastructure to make their lives easier, they quickly became hostile to anyone outside their immediate friends and family. This was an important instinct, but, more often than not, most of the people migrating from location to location were, like their ancestors, merely looking for a place to settle down. Despite this, it was the common assumption of established societies that anyone attempting to join them from the outside was simply trying to take advantage of the systems and infrastructure they had established. Instead of embracing the unknown and joining hands with their fellow man, the very behavior that allowed them to thrive in an inhospitable world, they began fearing anything outside of their comfort zone.
Though it was this fear that allowed for the existence of multiple cultures, it was also what gave rise to war. The assumption that anyone born outside your community coveted what you owned caused tensions to gradually increase until it became something of a self-fulfilling prophecy. After all, the best method to prevent others from coveting your wealth was to slaughter them, occupy their land, and take away theirs in turn. This sentiment allowed communities to develop into countries, and, due to establishing a tradition of conquest, the norm for budding civilizations wasn't to establish trade and work alongside their fellow man, it was to seize whatever they desired from people they gradually began to view as 'lesser' than themselves. It was only when the cost of war became too great that trade became the norm, but, in the grand scheme of things, this was little more than a method to accrue wealth in preparation for the next war...
Following these principles, the Great Warriors had originally ventured into the Tower, not to seize power and install themselves as rulers, but to protect the people they cared about. The world they had come from had been on its last legs due to the invasion of strange creatures from beneath the ocean floor, so, in the hope of obtaining enough power to turn the tides of war, they ventured into the Tower to become 'True Gods'. Instead, they found a chaotic world filled with monstrous beings and countless civilizations fighting over what few resources could be found.
While most people would have been dispirited, their desire to see an end to all conflict was what allowed Jahad and his companions to press forward. They fought to unify the peoples within the Tower, and, as a result, they were able to assemble like-minded individuals to accompany them in their conquest of the upper floors, places spoken of only in legend prior to the Age of Ascension.
Were it not for the machinations of the Workshop, there was a very real chance that Jahad and the Great Warriors would have conquered the entire Tower. Unfortunately, reaching the 134th Floor had already taken thousands of years, and, in the process, most of the people they had initially brought with them had died along the way. Thus, rather than risking their lives to save a world that had very likely been destroyed, Jahad decided to protect the home they had found for themselves within the Tower. As for why he chose to stop on the 134th Floor, it was primarily due to the fact that, prior to the Age of Genesis, no civilizations had existed beyond the 100th Floor.
In essence, Jahad had wanted to protect the people of the Tower, not conquer them. His only real fault in that regard was that he couldn't be the impartial God he believed the Tower needed him to be. He had also fallen for a woman who, prior to his sudden and spontaneous proposal, had already been in a relationship for thousands of years. Then, instead of marrying someone else or putting his foot down on the issue, he pressed forward to ensure the fulfillment of several prophecies. This was in spite of his belief that fate was something shaped by the people living in the present, so, in more ways than one, Jahad was simply a hypocrite.
Now, thousands of years later, everything Jahad initially stood for existed as little more than a shell of his former principles. The Empire had become the very force of corruption it intended to oppose, and, due to their circumstances, the Ten Great Families had become the root cause of innumerable tragedies. In essence, the system he had created was the very antithesis of his ideals, but, believing it was only a matter of time before Arlen's prophecy would be fulfilled, a prophecy he had a hand in creating, Jahad simply bided his time until that fateful day. He failed to consider the fact that others might be able to influence fate to a similar degree, so, now that Vahn had entered the Tower, it was only a matter of time before the King was forced to answer for his crimes.
Fortunately, at least for the time being, Vahn was too busy introducing new game consoles to Jaina to care about what his penultimate enemy within the Tower was up to...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Alumik xD...','Everyone has their reasons...','Vahn 'bout to hit Jahad with that Uno Reverse Card...')
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