Chapter 1326: Greed
With the inclusion of Aura in his camp, Vahn's authority had already reached the literal apex of the world. His individual strength was slow to catch up but, being exposed to so many powerful figures had various benefits. Just by observing what they were capable of, his perception would undergo a slight shift and, while it would take him a while to actually comprehend what allowed them to use such powers, the nature of his existence allowed him to do so with considerable ease, compared to others.
Thus, with Spenta sitting quietly on his lap, Vahn sat across from Aura and made polite conversation as, for the time being, she was by and large the strongest person present. She had been given a few days to adapt, Projection-time, so he started off their conversation by asking, "Are you enjoying your stay in the Ivory Castle thus far...?"
Without any discernible hesitation, Aura gave a small nod before looking around the rather crowded room and saying, "This place is considerably different than my expectations of it. The Empire seems to be unique amongst the organizations that preceded it. I'm looking forward to seeing how it will develop in the future."
Hearing Aura's remark, Vahn lightly chuckled as he knew better than anyone how weird the internal affairs of the Ivory Castle could be. It was a constant source of frustration for Gawain but, since Vahn didn't actually intend to rule in the same way as preceding Emperor's, he didn't particularly mind the informal atmosphere that was slowly becoming the norm. He would rather have everyone behave as members of one massive family than enforce a strict hierarchy when it simply wasn't necessary...
With this in mind, Vahn rubbed the top of Spenta's head, matching gazes with Aura as he said, "I am working to lay the foundation for a world where everyone has a chance at happiness. This extends to you as well, Aura. So long as you do not use your power to harm others, you are free to leave at any time. For as long as you choose to stay here, however, we will do our best to ensure you, and your sisters, feel welcome..."
Understanding Vahn's intentions, Aura issued another one of her characteristic giggles before musing, "I believe it is in our best interests that I stay within Avalon. Here, I am well protected and, unlike other places in the world, there is an atmosphere of peace that permeates everything on this beautiful island. So long as you do not force me away, I will make this place my home...I hope to see it continue to prosper for millennia to come~"
Since it was infinitely better to have Aura on his side rather than leaving her to her own devices, Vahn gave an affirmative nod in response to her statement. Though it was almost like keeping the world's most powerful bomb in his home, the odds of anything happening were negligible with the security of the Ivory Castle. They had one of the most powerful barriers in existence while, at virtually every moment, Merlin, Leviathan, Scáthach, and Mother were constantly observing everything taking place on the island.
The only real danger was that Aura herself turned against them but, considering the nature of her existence, this was less likely than the entire planet spontaneously exploding. She may have helped various organizations over the millennia, acting largely as a prophet, but that was just another one of her functions. Once she changed hands to a new 'protector', all memories of her existence would be erased from the minds of the previous group, regardless of how powerful they may be. While Vahn would be an exception to this rule, every entity that was originally part of the Nasuverse would be susceptible to this passive manipulation of causality.
Understanding this, Vahn wasn't too worried that any accidents would happen so, for the better part of half an hour, he made polite conversation before deciding he had stayed long enough. Thus, after giving Spenta a long hug, Vahn rubbed the top of Aura's head before whisking away from the room. There, he found Gareth, Okita, and Jeanne waiting patiently for his arrival so, after thanking them all for their hard work, the group made their way toward Vahn's next destination...
---
Without having to knock, Vahn was greeted at the door by none other than Fenrir who, from the moment he had decided to visit, had been aware of his arrival. She wasted no time in embracing him and, as it always felt like they had been apart for 'too long', Vahn instinctually reciprocated, his face buried in her soft yet bristly hair as he put a decent amount of strength into his embrace...
When they finally parted, Fenrir's tail was gently waggling from side to sie while, inside the room, Aoko was staring at the scene with a hard to read expression. When she noticed he was looking back at her, however, she adopted her usual smile and asked, "What brings you by, Vahn? Come to check up on me or something?"
While still holding onto Fenrir, Vahn gave a curt nod in response, saying, "Yes, that was my intention. It has been a few days since you entered the Projection so I wanted to see how you were adapting to life within the castle."
As if he had asked something inconsequential, Aoko waved her hand dismissively as she said, "Other than that old bastard, I'm probably the last person you need to worry about regarding the effects of time dilation."
Understanding the truth behind her words, Vahn just shrugged his shoulders before holding Fenrir in a bridal carry and making his way over to the nearby sofa. This caused Aoko to raise her brows and remark, "The two of you are pretty...close..."
This time, Vahn issued a light chuckle while Fenrir, seemingly offended by Aoko's words, glared back at her and said, "Master and I have the strongest, most unbreakable, bond..."
Being glared at by Fenrir was never a pleasant experience so Aoko visibly shuddered as if a cold draft of air had enveloped her body. Despite this, she didn't seem particularly bothered by the hostile look as she casually made her way over to the same sofa, saying, "Yeah, I can see that." before plopping down next to the cuddling duo.
Without minding the somewhat awkward atmosphere, Vahn continued to hold Fenrir throughout the entire conversation, asking many of the same questions to Aoko as he had to Aura previously. To her credit, Aoko managed to largely ignore the peculiar sight as she answered most of his questions in a casual manner. She was often busy exploring the island, helping people train, or just interacting with anyone that drew her interest in any given moment. Because of this, Aoko was enjoying her time on Avalon as, compared to her previously boring life, there was always something to keep herself busy with.
Vahn knew what Aoko had been up to since her arrival so he wasn't really surprised by any of her responses. She was a very honest and straightforward woman so she got along with pretty much everyone, at least on a surface level. Her power was enough to make people act cautiously around her but, the more they interacted with her, the more Aoko was accepted amongst the residents of the castle...
As Vahn was listening to Aoko drone on like a tireless machine, she surprised him by spontaneously asking, "Hey, Fenrir told me there was actually a race of people in your world that looked like human children. What did their elders look like...?"
Hearing her question, Vahn tilted his head to the side slightly, muttering, "You're asking about the Pallum...?" He actually wasn't surprised that Aoko would eventually inquire about them as, from what he had come to learn about her character, she was what some people referred to as a Shotacon. She didn't particularly have a sexual attraction toward young boys but, for a variety of different reasons, Aoko was extremely 'weak' against them.
Nodding her head with a bit too much force, Aoko smiled radiantly as she said, "Yeah, that's right, the Pallum! I'm really interested in the races from your original world. Can you show them to me!?"
Though he understood she just wanted to see one of his memories related to the Pallum, Vahn had decided to tease Aoko a bit, against his better judgment. Fenrir also seemed to realize what he had in mind as her hair stood on end and, in an instant, she entered her 'protect the tiny Master' mode.
For several seconds after Vahn's sudden transformation, Aoko just stared at the duo with a blank expression on her face. She could tell from the former's appearance that he was the same Vahn that she knew but, as if time had reversed, he looked extremely youthful. This was a very peculiar sight to behold for Aoko as, in spite of his youthful appearance, she got the impression that he was an adult based on his facial structure and the aura that permeated around his body...
When she finally came to her senses, Aoko balled her hands into fists as she bit the bottom of her lip and asked, "Is this what a Pallum looks like...?" in a demure tone.
Hearing her question, Vahn nodded his head and, while patting the now-bigger-than-him Fenrir, he explained, "I can freely change the structure and composition of my body, including race, gender, and pretty much anything else..."
Toward the end of his explanation, Vahn surprised Aoko even more by transforming into a carbon-copy of her. This caused her face to turn beet red in an instant as she shouted, "Hey, don't just copy my appearance on a whim! I swear, if I catch you doing something with my body...I...I'll beat you to a bloody pulp...!"
Rolling his eyes at her outburst, Vahn turned into a male Vanargandr in the next moment, pandering to Fenrir since she was clearly annoyed by the fact he turned into Aoko, even for a few seconds. After he became a Vanargandr, however, she immediately began to nuzzle against him as, while she was fond of almost every form her Master took, this was still her favorite.
Seeing the ease in which Vahn could change his appearance, Aoko was at a loss. She was more than a little tempted to ask him to turn back into a Pallum but, remembering she wouldn't really be able to cuddle with him, that would effectively be torturing herself.
Ultimately, Aoko's curiosity got the better of her so, after a moment of hesitation, she asked, "Can I touch your ears? Fenrir never lets me pet her..."
In response to Aoko's question, Vahn's large, wolf-like, ears spontaneously twitched, even without him willing it. He found this rather amusing so, after making eye contact with Fenrir, he gave Aoko a nod and said, "Don't pull them. They are very sensitive. If you end up hurting my ears, don't blame me for biting."
Though Vahn was just teasing her, Aoko had actually been bitten by Fenrir in the past so she became very serious when she heard his words. She didn't know much about Innates just yet so she assumed that, as a Vanargandr, Vahn had similar abilities to Fenrir.
After a moment of hesitation, Aoko began to gingerly touch Vahn's ears, causing them to twitch a few times as a result. This egged her onward and, after a few awkward moments, she was leaning toward him with a happy smile on her face as she ran her fingers through his hair and enjoyed the feeling of his fluffy ears. As for Vahn, he had an amused smile on his face, internally remarking about how 'innocent' Aoko was in spite of her age...
Eventually, Aoko seemed to realize that she had been taking things too far but, rather than pull her hand away, she continued to play with Vahn's ears with a light blush on her face as she asked, "Did you think about...you know...'that'...?"
Understanding what she was alluding to, Vahn adopted a more serious expression as he said in a plain tone, "I'm against forcing people. Unless it is something you want, it would be best that you just enjoy your life without worrying about such things."
Hearing Vahn's response, Aoko retracted her hand while releasing a tired sigh. She then fell silent for several seconds before ultimately answering, "It would have made things easier for me if you were a little greedier, you know? This isn't really something I can decide myself...I'm a bit of a coward when it comes to things like this...I know-"
Feeling that Aoko was on the verge of berating herself, Vahn brought an end to her downward spiral by extending his hand out to caress the top of her head. At the same time, Fenrir moved to sit at his side while Vahn stated in a calm and guiding tone, "I think, more than most, I am a greedy man. You should be able to tell by the number of people I keep around me...if you say words like that, Aoko, it won't be easy for you to leave in the future...I can be very...persuasive..."
As if her previous mood had been an illusion, Aoko suddenly burst into laughter when she heard Vahn's remark. This was actually a little unexpected for the latter but, with the same smile on his face, he simply retracted his hand since it was awkward to pet someone who was laughing...
Before he could pull his hand away completely, Aoko surprised Vahn a second time by grabbing his wrist and firmly planting his hand, not on her head, but her rather buxom chest. Her face turned beet red in an instant but, playing off Vahn's previous words, she muttered, 'It's okay to be greedy...", her voice trailing towards the end.
For a brief moment, Vahn just stared at Aoko with a blank expression as he internally remarked, ("Is this the result of Fenrir's efforts...?"). He could tell that Aoko was pushing herself so, before she was able to implode in on herself, Vahn forced her to stare back at him. Her sapphire blue eyes could be seen trembling within their sockets but, as his face moved closer toward hers, Aoko inevitably closed her eyes, accepting the fate she had decided for herself...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Poor Gawain. Imagine trying to make Vahn act like a proper Emperor xD...','An unbreakable bond~!','Aoko, don't do it! Shiki is about to be revived! Be more sensible...!')
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