Following Vahn's appearance at the Mage's Association, news and speculation quickly circulated throughout the entire Magus community. Just the fact he had been able to freely leave showed that he must have come to an accord with the Association Director so, when the announcement of his Sealing Designation being revoked came shortly thereafter, interest in the so-called Sage Emperor had skyrocketed.
There were several ways in which this manifested, depending on the social status of the person receiving the news. For the students and Faculty who had observed him, Vahn had become a talking point in many circles, if for no other reason than his physical appearance and presence. Amongst some of the female students, there were images that had been recorded of Vahn circulating around while, from the perspective of most male students and staff, he was almost universally disliked.
Pride was a key part of being a Magus and it often annoyed the boys that many female students often had more prestige than them. Since the journalism department would also publish their 'most desirable men' listings for the entire Clock Tower to read, the fact that Vahn's name and face had been pushed to the top of the list grated on quite a few young men and a few Faculty members who had their own listings pushed down. Among these, though he would never openly complain about such things in public, was Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, the man known as Lord Sophia-Ri, the current Head of one of the top ten most prestigious Magus families.
Ever since his former brother-in-law, Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald, had lost his life during the Fourth Holy Grail War, it felt like he could never get a break. Since the latter had left with such confidence, while also being one of the few people that Lord Sopha-Ri respected, it was quite a shock when he learned the former Lord El-Melloi had lost his life. When it became known that someone like Waver Velvet, one of Kayneth's students, had not only come back alive but also stole his colleague's original catalyst, Lord Sophia-Ri had been livid. Things were only exacerbated when Waver then worked hard to establish various connections, even going so far as to indebt himself heavily, just to take over the classroom that was previously managed by the deceased Lord El-Melloi.
When all of these things had come to light in the past, Lord Sophia-Ri had been preparing to crush Waver outright as, in his eyes, the latter was nothing more than a commoner and a thief. However, it became exceedingly difficult to do anything about Waver when, as if she had known about his own machinations, Reines outright kidnapped the man before later announcing him as the new Lord El-Melloi II. As he had not been a Lord himself at the time, it could have become a major debacle if he had taken any action against Waver at the time, something Lord Sophia-Ri regretted not doing till this day.
Originally, Lord Sophia-Ri's sister, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri had been engaged to Kayneth, the then Lord El-Melloi. She had been engaged to him for purely political reasons, largely related to the fact that, before the shock he had experienced motivated him to become a capable Magus, Lord Sophia-Ri had been considered a 'failure' who served no purpose other than holding onto the Magic Crest until he could produce an heir. When Lord El-Melloi had participated in the Fourth Holy Grail War, she had accompanied him before ultimately losing her life in the resultant conflict.
As a result of not only losing their Head, but also their family's Magic Crest, the Archibald family tore itself apart after the death of Lord El-Melloi. At the time, the Sophia-Ri family had also experienced a number of setbacks, largely due to accusations by members of the Archibald family claiming they were responsible for their Magic Crest being lost. Since the investigation conducted reflected this was the case, Lord Sophia-Ri had been forced to cooperate with the Archibald family during the time of the internal conflict, helping a few key members to seize power. It was around this time that his engagement to Reines had been established, even though she had only been around six-years-old at the time.
Initially, Lord Sophia-Ri didn't care about such an arrangement but, as his family was pressuring him into agreeing, as Reines had managed to secure the title of Lord and could be 'easily exploited', he ultimately took a step back on the matter. She had been a cute girl at the time, much like a bisque doll, so he decided to just look forward to her growth. However, when it came to light that she was not only protecting Waver, but had even adopted him as her old brother and given him the title of Lord El-Melloi II, Lord Sophia-Ri had been more incensed than ever before. It was for this reason that he had pressured Lord El-Melloi II at every chance he got, taking advantage of the fact he had been a commoner to cause all kinds of trouble for him.
Now, in hindsight, Lord Sophia-Ri wished he had outright killed Waver when he had gotten the chance. He had always mocked the man for being a 'false Lord', accusing him of simply holding onto the position onto Reines reached adulthood. Back then, this had indeed been the case as, with the title belonging to Reines, she would be required to take up the mantle herself if she wanted to avoid losing it to the Archibald family once again. However, on the day of her sixteenth birthday, Reines had shocked everyone by announcing her engagement to Lord El-Melloi II, allowing him to keep the title as a result of their union. That night, Lord Sophia-Ri had trashed an entire section of his Manor, only stopping when his Grandfather had intervened and given him a harsh lecture about how to act as a Lord...
For the last seventeen years, Lord Sophia-Ri had felt as if his life was spiraling outside of his control and, though he was now married and had already produced an heir, the shame he had experienced was carved into his heart. With the sudden emergence of the so-called Sage Emperor, whom he had failed to stonewall even through the use of Goldolf, Lord Sophia-Ri felt as if his notorious misfortune had reared its head once again. Not only had Vahn been able to walk into the Clock Tower and leave without any major incidents, but the death of Lev Lainur Flauros on the same day was quickly buried through the machinations of the Edelfelt family.
Though he had never been close to the man referred by many as 'Professor Lev', Lord Sophia-Ri had been quick to lambast the Edelfelt family and the Sage Emperor for conspiring together in order to bully weaker Aristocratic families. That very same evening, however, he was forced to quickly retract his statement and tone as, when the Edelfelt family stormed the Flauros Mansion, it was brought to light that Lev Lainur Flauros was engaged in many taboo practices. As there were very few things within the Magus community that were frowned upon, so long as you kept them concealed, the fact that Lev had been engaged in genuine taboos made all the former allies of the Flauros family quick to distance themselves.
In the days following the Edelfelt family's raid, the evidence painting Lev as a fanatical demon cultist quickly circulated through the Magus community. Many members of his extended family were also found guilty of similar crimes, to the point that many considered the entire family corrupted by the shadow of Lev's actions. As a result, their family was quickly torn apart, most of their assets being seized by the Edelfelt family while much of their research was turned over to the Mage's Association during the resultant investigation. This was so that the Edelfelts could distance themselves from any accusations that they had kept Lev's experimental data for themselves as, with their reputation as a 'righteous' Magus family, it would be a problem if they were associated with demonic rituals.
During these events, it was quickly brought to light that the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, was the one to expose Lev's decades-long scheme. The Animusphere family also published the results of their own internal investigation, turning over more than twenty of Lev's affiliates to the Mage's Association. Because of this, Vahn was currently enjoying quite a bit of popularity within the Clock Tower, even though most of the established Magus families felt a strong headache coming their way. Just the fact that he had been received by Zelretch, met with the Association Director, and then 'simply' walked away was already a major flag to many people.
Now that Vahn was affiliated with the Edelfelt family, there were very serious discussions occurring within the confines of each major family about how he should be dealt with in the future. This was because, around the same time that Vahn's information began circulating, it was brought to light that he was considered an outside power that, while affiliated with the Edelfel, Animusphere, and Archisorte families, had no direct affiliation with the Mage's Association. The fact he was allowed to leave the Clock Tower while still maintaining his status as an external power caused a stir amongst the established powers, especially those that knew the disposition of the Association Director.
It was well known that Vahn was supposedly from another world and, though he had been credited with destroying the Holy Grail, it was also known that he had been the victor of the Sixth Holy Grail War itself. Nobody knew what wish he had made and, while some claimed he hadn't made a wish at all, there were few who believed anyone could pass up such an opportunity. As a result, there were many who believed that Vahn had wished for something along the lines of 'absolute power' or, as was the far more popular talking point, had gained absolute power after reaching the Root. If the latter assumption was the case, it meant that there was now a Sixth Mage in the World, one whose power and abilities were completely unknown to the rest of the Magus community.
---
Though not unaware of how he was discussed within the Magus community, Vahn didn't particularly care about rumors. He had learned even in Danmachi that people would allow their imaginations to get the better of them and, with careful manipulation by those in power, even extreme falsehoods could be made into the 'truth'. With the current social and political climate that could be seen in 'normal' society, it wasn't an exaggeration to say things would be even worse within a community of individuals who believed in abstract concepts such as 'Mystery'.
Ultimately, regardless of what was said about him, it would be his actions and future accomplishments that built his prestige, not a few rumors being circulated by various people, seemingly with nothing better to do. A stark contrast to them, Vahn was rather busy spending each and every day, at least in his opinion, to the fullest.
After having returned to the Ivory Castle that first night, Vahn had been splitting his time between playing with his daughters, spending time with his women, hanging out with Siegfried, tending to Gray, and researching alongside Da Vinci. Though he didn't have much time for training, the fact that Scáthach was away had given him a bit of leeway in that regard. That didn't mean he wasn't getting stronger, however, as one of the things at the forefront of Vahn's focus was experimenting with the elements of Space and Time. At the same time, he was doing his best to recover his Creation Divinity as, in conjunction with the other two advanced elements, he needed an understanding of all three to complete his Zennith Quest.
To that end, after entrusting Lev's body to Da Vinci for analysis, Vahn had been experimenting with folding, expanding, shrinking, and compressing Space. These were all things that Da Vinci herself had a keen interest in so, while Vahn was training alone within the Sub-Space Orb reserved for his training with Scáthach, he had an audience of rather adorable creatures observing him. Since Da Vinci wasn't really the type to produce the same thing over and over again, she had been building various different types of adorable companions that would serve as the basis for the social, political, and educational reforms she wanted to see in the future.
Currently, though Skoll and Skoll V2 were considerably cuter than the rest, Da Vinci had produced companions with various animal traits. There was a cat-type model named Neko, a dog-type named Momo, a hamster-type named Manju, and an owl-type named Hoo. The cat-type model possessed black and white fur and was programmed to act similar to a lazy house cat, a stark contrast to how the dog-type would follow you around, actively seeking affection and wanting to play. As for the hamster and owl types, the former was Da Vinci's attempt to make the 'softest' model, resulting in a squishy and adorably lazy golem while the latter, intended for more 'sophisticated' individuals would generally sit stoically at the side, only acting adorable when given attention.
Though all of Da Vinci's companions were created to be vaguely humanoid, she was also working on models that, like the clothes she had designed, could be 'upgraded' via the network she intended to establish. Her intention was to have all children assigned a rather adorable companion that would be able to support healthy mental development which, when they got older, would 'evolve' in order to better reflect their owners and support their ambitions.
For those that wanted to fly around freely, their companions could very well evolve into giant flying mounts while, those who were reserved, might have their companions evolve into more human or wholly animalistic forms. She had even accounted for the possibility that some people would fall in love with their companions and, as they had the potential of gaining a soul, at least according to her observations and research of Vahn, Da Vinci did not intend to pass judgment on who loved what. As someone who had experienced just how heartbreaking it could be to have their preferences scorned, Da Vinci was actually curious to see what form the love of others would take if allowed to blossom freely.
At first, Vahn wasn't that comfortable with the potential for the adorable, almost child-like creatures to evolve into biological organisms that were even capable of giving birth, but he quickly got over it after considering the matter from the perspective of using his [Keeper of the Akashic Tome] to name things. Since the only way for them to evolve into such a form was if their owner was of healthy mind and sound judgment, Vahn felt it would be insensitive of him to disallow such a relationship. If they grew alongside each other and developed mutual love, to the point the AI could awaken a nascent Soul, Vahn felt it would be wrong to interfere.
With that in mind, Vahn watched how his own daughters interacted with their companions as, after it had been cared for by Siegfried and allowed some semblance of a peaceful life, Susu had 'betrayed' Mordred and started living in his room. Fortunately, with Neko as a replacement, she didn't seem to care about the loss of the cat she had initially stolen from Nobunaga. This was because, even though Neko was programmed to be a 'lazy house cat', it would still respond positively to Mordred instead of trying to escape all the time. Thus, in the days following Neko's creation, Mordred could often be seen carrying it around and playing while Sakura, accompanied by the dog-type companion, Momo, was often close by.
Since his daughters seemed to get along really well with their companions, Vahn felt like children all over the world would benefit from their presence. As even Gray and Artoria, receiving Hoo and Manju respectively, seemed to genuinely enjoy playing with their companions, Vahn felt that Da Vinci's vision of the future wasn't as difficult to achieve as Luvia seemed to believe. Though there would undoubtedly be problems, Vahn felt that implementing the use of companions within Avalon alone would eventually lead to them being spread throughout the entire world.
At the very least, anyone that would reside on the Island would be required to have a companion with them, serving as their assistant, guardian, and the 'key' that allowed them access to specific facilities. Then, when these people left the Island, they would have already grown attached to their companions, with many having already evolved into more convenient forms that directly reflect their personality and interests. With this, it was only a matter of time before interest in the companions grew and, while there would undoubtedly be naysayers who painted them in a negative light, the rampant changes in the world would cause many to seek the security and companionship offered by the adorable little creatures...
That was a matter for the distant future, however, and, while Vahn often walked around with Skoll and Skoll V2 following close behind, his bigger focus was on the clingy Alaya. Though he could have kept it to himself, Vahn had confronted her about the 'Symbiotic Dependence' they had seemingly developed for each other. As she would often get angsty whenever they were separated for a long period of time, there wasn't much room for Alaya to deny the fact. Her behavior had already been documented by Akasha and, as it was not 'corrected', the only thing she could do was accept that Vahn's influence on her was something she could no longer resist.
Though it wasn't to the point that it had overwritten any of her directives, Alaya didn't deny that she would probably do something drastic if anything were to happen to him. As his death would allow her to begin using her functions once again, such as the use of Counter Guardians, Alaya admitted she would exterminate anyone that had been involved in his death. Since Akasha and her superiors were interested in seeing how she would 'evolve' beyond the purpose given to her, Alaya knew it was only a matter of time before Vahn managed to 'tame' her. Thus, as much as it annoyed her to admit it, she was simply incapable of denying the facts as her programming made it impossible for her to lie.
As a result of his confrontation with the increasingly adorable blue creature, Vahn's impression and treatment of Alaya had improved considerably. Though he still wouldn't sleep with her, as he now felt a compulsion to 'tame' her beforehand, their relationship became similar to the one enjoyed by his daughter's and their companions, albeit much closer. Since this shift in mentality also made the energy conversion of his bodily fluids more efficient, Alaya could only grit her teeth in annoyance as she slowly became accustomed to Vahn handling her freely and playing with her ears whenever he was ruminating over something...
In this manner, interspaced by some rather intimate interactions with the women in his life, Vahn was enjoying his new schedule, split between the time he spent in London and the evenings he enjoyed in the comforts of Avalon. Since the Aristocratic faction and the other major families didn't seem to know how to treat him at the moment, he had a lot of free time on his hands so, other than waiting for the return of Illya's and Astolfo's groups, there wasn't much for him to do other than follow his interests. The only causes of stress in his life right now, other than general uncertainty, was the time he invested trying to wean Gray, in order to restore her independence, and Olga's increasing need to seek him out for positive affirmation...
Gray spent most of her time with Artoria and, though she was quickly becoming friends with Fenrir and Medusa, there were also times when she would track him down, regardless of if he was busy or not, just to spend time with him and suck his blood. As for Olga, she would often be waiting for him around the transfer point, sometimes for hours, in order to present her research to him the moment he returned from London. He had slightly underestimated her desire to be praised but, feeling she was somewhat similar to how Fenrir had been when she was younger, Vahn didn't mind pandering to her needs for a bit. The more she sought positive affirmation from him, the easier it would be to set her on the 'proper' path later. Thus, until the time she was made the Director of Chaldea, Vahn decided to tolerate Olga's admittedly adorable behavior, so long as she didn't do anything too extreme...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Man, Lord Sophia-Ri has gotten screwed a few times xD...','Da Vinci says, "Conquer the world with cuteness...! Let there be Love~!"','Do these count as First-World problems, or Second Record problems...?')
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It had taken a little longer than expected, but Da Vinci had finally been able to completely analyze the structure of Lev Lainur Flauros's Magic Crest. Immediately after this discovery, she had sent a message to Vahn using Ark, resulting in him arriving in their Workshop only a few minutes later. He had been at the shooting range with Lakshmibai but, as Da Vinci wouldn't have called him unless it was something important, Vahn had to cut their 'date' shorter than expected. When he arrived in the Workshop, he was equally as surprised when Da Vinci showed him the results of her analysis, causing Vahn to frown deeply. Instead of asking if her results were accurate, he instead asked, "Can we track this energy within other Magic Crests...?'
In response to Vahn's question, Da Vinci had an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face as she explained, "This matter isn't that simple, Vahn. The fact that this has remained hidden for almost three-thousand years indicates that the only way to detect this malicious energy is when it is about to awaken. From what I have been able to discern from the structure of this Magic Crest, it indicates that the underlying structure of the crests is a system designed, not to advance Magecraft further, but nourish the souls of the entities sealed within the Magic Crests. I'll have to analyze other Magic Crests to be certain, but there is a chance that 'all' Magic Crests work from this same principle..."
Hearing this, Vahn's frown deepened even further as, according to Da Vinci's findings, there had been an existence referred to in the Magus community as a 'demon' sealed within the Magic Crest. They were a type of existence that was akin to a 'Law of Nature', similar in structure to Spirits but almost exclusively predisposed to causing chaos and destruction. Though they were bound to humans, meaning they could only act at the behest of malicious and evil individuals, they were considered to be the embodiment of evil, the counterbalance to the existence of Heroes within the World's structure.
Demons would periodically appear throughout history, often causing great destruction through war, plagues, famine, and other terrible phenomena. Though the Holy Church would take action the moment a demon emerged, it was usually the rise of a Hero that ultimately led to the entity's end. Though the existence of demons wasn't difficult to accept, the troubling part of Da Vinci's findings was that, much like how the micro-golems and companions were linked together, giving them a 'hive mind' of sorts, the Demon within Lev Lainur Flauros's Magic Crest also seemed to be just an extension of a larger network.
Da Vinci had accounted for a total of seventy-two links and, while it should be possible to use the Demon in Lev's Magic Crest to develop a 'radar' of sorts, this had a very high chance of alerting the Demons they were searching for, potentially causing a chain reaction and awakening them all. Even this was pure speculation, however, requiring Da Vinci to have to request Rin to allow her Magic Crest to be studied to be sure. Before that, Vahn conferred with Alaya to see if she could provide any information pertaining to Demons but, as they were an extension of Gaia, she was prohibited from exposing their location and purpose. Under normal circumstances, the most she could do was pick a Saint to stand against any Demon that had already emerged, though only if a Hero failed to appear amongst the people.
One positive piece of information they had been able to obtain from Alaya was, even if their power was significantly restricted due to their 'contract', it was possible for Vahn to summon a Saint from the past to aid them in the present. They had the intrinsic ability to track down their evil counterparts using an ability known as [Pure Eyes of the Saint]. Though there were various different types of [Pure Eyes], including some that were demonic in origin, they generally existed as a means for Demons to identify Saints and vice-versa. According to Alaya, the eyes were tied to the 'karma' of an individual, working as a force of natural attraction between 'good' and 'evil' that required them to eliminate each other, often with prejudice.
Understanding how big of a pain karma could be, Vahn felt empathetic towards the Saints who, by making a contract with Alaya, essentially inherited a massive volume of 'good' karma by selflessly devoting themselves to the preservation of humanity. This meant that their lives would be plagued by the constant presence of evil and malicious individuals and, once their purpose had been served, they were often killed by the very people they wanted to protect. Sadly, once the 'evil' had been dealt with, the power possessed by Saints often became a source of fear for the people, especially amongst those who held power.
The only way to avoid this fate was often by serving under the Holy Church who, when a Saint appeared, would flock to the individual to try and seize them. If they could not be controlled, the person wouldn't even be recognized as a Saint, often being labeled as a heretic and burned to prevent the faith of the people from being directed away from the church. Then, while slandering the person into oblivion, often erasing them from history entirely, the Holy Church would harvest the organs, bones, and even the clothes of the Saints they had killed, using them as materials to create their Holy Sacraments...
Each new thing Vahn learned about the Holy Church made him dislike them even more and, though it was more than a little petty, he considered having Alaya help him identify the Saints so that he could summon them to the present. If he pulled them directly from history, Vahn believed that the Holy Church would be unable to harvest them as 'materials' for their own purposes. Unfortunately, while it was indeed possible to summon Saints through the Throne of Heroes, Alaya informed him that it was impossible to tear them from history directly.
As they were an intrinsic part of the world's balance, serving as an extension of the Counter Force, their actions and history could not be altered without disastrous consequences. It was 'necessary' for the karma they had inherited to be balanced and, though it was undoubtedly tragic that their bodies would be harvested for materials, those very same tools would become the instruments to slay other demons throughout history. Even if the Holy Church may have a biased doctrine, it was a fact that they were one of the primary forces working to preserve humanity.
Alaya, rather awkwardly, was actually the very same God that the Holy Church believed in, even though much of their doctrine was entirely contrived as a result of their interpretation of her will through human bias. As she had come into existence at the same time as humans, Alaya had been watching over them from the very beginning, protecting them from other Gods, Natural Disasters, and any Phantasmal Species that sought to destroy them. This 'Divine Protection', which was actually just the manifestation of 'Humanity's Will to Survive', was the origin of the being nascent human civilizations interpreted as 'God'.
Even this had been skewed, however, as different people gave very different interpretations of the same events, often misconstruing things even further when Alaya would select a new Saint or send one of her Counter Guardians to protect a specific group of people. These people, given power by their interpretation of 'God', were treated as Prophets, Saints, and Arbiters of 'God's Will', dividing people into various different cultures based largely on a misunderstanding. From the very beginning, the 'God' almost every culture believed in was fundamentally the same thing and, though it had been Alaya herself, her existence was entirely the result of humanity's own will to survive.
Humans were, in essence, their own gods, restricted solely by the systems they had established for themselves. As every human within the Root had the potential of returning to the Root, becoming one of the variables the experiment had been designed to produce, there was functionally no limit to their growth. This was something Vahn had been well aware of and, as Da Vinci also believed in the simple ideology that 'nothing is impossible', it wasn't hard for them to understand Alaya's words. It was clear that Alaya was actually a little frustrated with how humanity had developed as, if they were not so predisposed to misunderstandings and fighting amongst themselves, she wouldn't have to use Counter Guardians to purge entire civilizations just so that they didn't wipe out everyone else...
After listening to Alaya's veiled complaints about humanity, Vahn asked her, "What Saint would you suggest we summon then...?" In response to this, Alaya bopped him on the nose, as he had been holding her up with both hands like a house cat, answering, "You should just summon Jeanne D'Arc, as the memories you have shared with other Heroic Spirits show you are already familiar with one of her manifestations. She was a very dedicated Sainte who never renounced her faith, even as the very people she dedicated her life to watched her burn on the pyre." As she had been observing him for a long time, Alaya knew exactly the kind of person Vahn was. Since Jeanne had the Noble Phantasm, [La Pucelle], which had the property of 'annihilating anything within existence', Alaya also felt that she would be a suitable reserve card if Vahn failed to defeat Angra Mainyu...
Hearing Alaya mention the familiar name, Vahn's mind flashed with images of the stalwart and loyal Knight that had dutifully served him. Since she was also a counterpart to Lakshmibai, in a way, Vahn felt summoning Jeanne was a surprisingly good choice. Now was a period where drastic changes could occur at any moment so, while he still intended to summon Karna in the near future, it wasn't a bad idea to call upon other Heroes to give them time to acclimate before the conflicts began. Still, this would have to wait until the summoning formation was naturally active as he didn't plan to ruin Da Vinci's ongoing experiment and causing her to wait several months for another opportunity.
With the demon inside of Lev's Magic Crest slumbering for nearly three-thousand years, it wasn't all that likely for others to begin appearing any time soon. Since he didn't want to have to deal with the Holy Church right now, who would undoubtedly appear with the emergence of Demons and Saints, Vahn felt it was better to stay focused on current matters. He felt like he was on a breakthrough in his comprehension of Space and Time Laws and, as he was only just now getting his feet wet in the political affairs of the Mage's Association, further distractions would only eat into the time he could spend with Mordred and Sakura. At the very least, he wanted to wait until Illya's and Astolfo's groups returned as, before he added anyone else into the mix, Vahn needed to sort his personal and private affairs better...
---
After spending a bit of time discussing things with Da Vinci, Vahn agreed to help her convince Rin, Luvia, and Olga to allow her to study their Magic Crests. With that in mind, Vahn sought out who he thought would be the easiest to convince, Olga, as he also wanted her to become the understudy of Da Vinci before becoming the Director of Chaldea. As Rin was currently teaching Mordred, Sakura, and Medusa, while Luvia was back in London dealing with business and politics, she was really the only one who could reliably assist Da Vinci in her attempts to understand the structure and hidden danger within Magic Crests. If all Magic Crests carried the same potential of corrupting their users, Vahn knew it would be a nightmare campaign trying to convince the Mage's Association of the dangers...
Though she hadn't exactly been slacking off previously, Vahn could sense Olga flusteredly jumping into the seat of her telescope shortly after he triggered a proximity formation she had sneakily set up at the base of her Magus Tower. As he was the only one that really visited, with the exception of Da Vinci showing up to take a look in the past, she wanted to appear as if she was hard at work all the time. Vahn felt this behavior of hers was rather silly but, as it was also quite adorable, he decided to feign ignorance of the proximity trigger as he slowly made his way up the spiraling stairs to find Olga pretending to not have noticed his arrival.
Leaning against the entrance to her Observatory, Vahn mused in an appreciative tone, "I see you are working hard, as usual..." These words caused Olga to look over, a poor facade of surprise on her face as she remarked, "Your Majesty, please give me just a moment. I want to finish this calculation and then I'll be right with you." Though she made it appear as if she was using quite a number of instruments, Vahn could tell at a glance that Olga was just performing a simple calculation to predict the weather. However, he pretended not to notice this and just gave an understanding nod before sitting down in a chair and watching her work. This caused Olga to fluster slightly, biting her lip to prevent a smile from spreading across her face, but it didn't prevent her from finishing up the rather simple calculation...
When she had finished, Olga made a show of stretching her body, extending both arms out and producing a rather cute noise before rising from the telescope's comfortable chair and asking, "To what do I owe the pleasure of His Majesty's visit?" While these words left her lips, Olga made her way over to Vahn's side and, even though she was still very nervous under the surface, her ability to mask this had improved rapidly over the forty-seven days she had spent within the Projection. Now, even though it made her feel a little lightheaded, she could walk over and sit next to Vahn on the same sofa without fumbling over her own feet and embarrassing herself.
Vahn pulled out tea and snacks as Olga sat down, understanding she had likely not eaten anything all day, answering in a calm tone, "There is a matter I wanted to discuss with you. At the same time, I wanted to see how you were doing. You shouldn't coop yourself up in the Observatory for too long, Olga. There is a difference between working hard and pushing yourself...you should get out of the castle and spend time with the others when you can." As she usually only talked with Lakshmibai and Fenrir, as they would visit her on occasion, Vahn wanted Olga to break out of her shell and interact with the others now that she was used to living in the castle.
As this wasn't the first time Vahn had said something similar, Olga halfheartedly nodded her head, even though she also agreed with him. Instead of leaving on her own, however, Olga wanted Vahn to take her out first. Approaching others was very difficult and, as her research kept her well distracted, she was content with staying in the Observatory. She didn't really have anything else to do and, even if Vahn wanted her to train and become stronger, Olga wanted him to be the one to teach her the basics. Until then, she intended to continue cooping herself up inside, doing light exercises to stay in shape as she awaited the day she became the Director of Chaldea.
Resisting the urge to shake his head in admonition, Vahn just produced a wry smile in response to Olga's peculiar obstinance as he explained, "There is an important request I have for you..." This caused Olga's attention and, as she had too much time on her hands these days, her mind began racing with expectation. Unfortunately, contrasting all of them, Vahn explained the discovery Da Vinci had made before asking if Olga was willing to allow her to study the Magic Crest he knew she had already inherited. In response to this, Olga had a fretful expression as the Magic Crest of a Magus family, especially once as prestigious as hers, was their most closely guarded secret. In was the culmination of their entire family's breakthroughs in Magecraft, passed along to a single heir through dozens, or even hundreds, of generations...
Understanding Olga's apprehension, Vahn's expression softened a bit as he reached out his hand, startling her by stroking her pale hair and stating, "Please, trust me, Olga. This will also be a good opportunity for you to learn a great deal from Da Vinci..." Then, realizing this may not exactly be the best motivation, Vahn bit the bullet and added, "I understand I'm asking a lot...in exchange, I will allow you to make a request of me as well. So long as it is within my power, I will grant any wish you may have..." As he still possessed an item that could 'literally' allow him to grant a wish, Vahn was sincere when he made his claim. Though he understood Olga probably wouldn't suggest something so extreme, as he had some expectations for what she may ask for, the severity of his words was still conveyed properly...
Now, rather than a traditional fretful expression, Olga's eyes began to swim around in their sockets as her face became beet red the instant she heard Vahn's words. Rather than focusing on protecting the secrets of her family, which may very well lead to her protecting the existence of a demon, Olga's mind was racing with possibilities about what she might request. She could tell he was very serious and, knowing Vahn would even answer 'extreme' demands, Olga's heart felt like it was going to burst out of her chest. However, fearing he would think lesser of her if she asked for too much, Olga only managed to tightly grip the hem of her skirt as she stammered, "K-k-kiss...I w-want a kiss...!"
Hearing Olga say the word 'kiss' in a high pitched tone, Vahn barely resisted the urge to chuckle as, from one perspective, it almost sounded like Olga was giving away all her family's secrets for a just one kiss. Still, as this was much tamer than he had expected, while also being a huge step forward for Olga herself, Vahn decided to make it worth her while. Thus, before she could implode further, Vahn caused Olga to turn statuesque by moving his hand from the top of her head to the side of her face. Then, as her eyes gradually widened in response, he moved in closer, sealing her lips and giving her a memory she would not soon forget...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The demons within...','Poor Alaya, having all her actions misrepresented by opportunists...','Seriously, Vahn is bullying Olga at this point (>/////<)~!')
(A/N: Okay, I have apparently misjudged how hard it is to transition back into a schedule where I write all the chapters back to back. For now, there will be two guaranteed chapters on schedule while the other 1-2 will be released in the afternoon, depending on when I can allocate the motivation and time to keep writing.
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