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47.61% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1121: Productivity

Chapitre 1121: Productivity

Due to the fact that Paracelsus spent most of his time outside of the Sub-Space Projection Orb, the only time Vahn ever saw the pacifistic Magus was when he directly went to visit. Since every second spent with Paracelsus was an investment of seven seconds, things had never developed to the point that Vahn could truly consider the man his friend. His 'dream' of having a guy friend he could just hang out with still seemed to be a far off goal as both Merlin and Astolfo had more than their fair share of quirks. As a result, Nobunaga could be considered his closest male companion yet, more often than not, that atmosphere would change between them toward the very end when she ended up getting 'triggered' and wanting a bit of affection...

Vahn currently found himself following behind Tristana as the latter led him up the Magus Tower she and Paracelsus had claimed for themselves. Along the way, they passed several rather stylish looking golems that had a glossy black sheen with accents of gold. Though they were far removed from the appearance of humans, it didn't seem strange for them to be wandering the castle's grounds as they went about the process of cleaning every nook and cranny with precision and focus humans simply couldn't manage unless they somehow had an Innate related to 'cleaning'. With Paracelsus creating upwards of twenty per day, so long as he had the requisite materials, there were already close to 150 stylish golems that had been 'programmed' to upkeep the castle.

After passing through a heavily enchanted wooded door, Vahn found himself inside the top of the tower, a room almost precisely 10m in diameter. Paracelsus was nowhere to be seen but, if you were to observe the corner of the room, you could see a mirror that was covered in runes. Instead of reflecting their image, however, Vahn could see the profile of a man with long black hair standing in front of a large tank of emerald green liquid as he periodically twitched, appearing to moving several times faster than normal, even as he performed casual movements. Since this was indeed the case, and Vahn had seen it before, he wasn't all that surprised when Tristina walked through the mirror, sending ripples across its silvery surface as if it was more of a liquid than a solid.

Mirrors were one of the oldest 'Magical Tools' that had ever been created, making them one of the most 'stable' means of creating portals to link sub-spaces and other dimensions. Since even normal people believed that mirrors were somewhat mystical, to the point that it was common for children to play games with them, they were the first option when Merlin wanted to establish gateways between reality and the Sub-Space Projection Orb. Now, so long as it was inscribed with the proper sequence of runes, it was theoretically possible to access the Orb from anywhere on Avalon, so long as there was a matching mirror on the other side.

Following closely behind Tristana, feeling as though he was passing through a thin layer of ice, Vahn found himself in Paracelsus' Atelier as the Alchemist turned to him and gave a polite bow, stating, "Welcome, Your Majesty. It is my honor to see you in good health." Vahn gave him leave to raise his head with a hand gesture before looking at the three tanks that Paracelsus had lined up side-to-side. Currently, suspended within the very center of the tanks, there were microscopic sources of vitality that were wrapped up in a thin membrane of organic matter that was linked to several tubes at the base of the tank. The process for creating a Homunculus was very similar to gestating an actual human being, at least using the method that Paracelsus incorporated. It was easy to see why he would treat them as precious lives that deserved his full attention as, in more ways that one, Paracelsus was essentially the father of the developing Homunculi...

Seeing Vahn's attention drawn to the tanks, Paracelsus had his usual smile on his face as he placed his palm against the center tank and explained, "They are still in a nascent and highly malleable state but they are already alive. Everything from their sex, appearance, and the structure of their Magic Circuits can still be decided but everything else is up to their fate. I hope these three will become my assistants so that I might ease Tristana's burdens a little..." These words caused Tristana to avert her eyes with a light blush on her face as she muttered, "Idiot..." in a low voice. She had offered her own eggs as a catalyst, one of the reasons many Alchemists kept female assistants, so it wasn't a stretch to say the three in the tanks were her children. Though she would have never seen them as such in the past, Paracelsus had been rubbing off on her in various ways...

Understanding that the two hadn't just been focusing on their research during the previous two weeks, Vahn had a smile on his face as he stated, "If you need anything at all, just let me know and I'll try and provide it." Though the Homunculi were already going to be of a much higher quality than normal, as they would use [Philosopher's Stone]s as their 'core', Vahn couldn't deny that he was more than a little interested in helping out where he could. Since he even had an active Quest to create life himself, something that seemed surprisingly easy in the Nasuverse, he was intending to make Homunculi of his own in the future. This could make his life a little more complicated, as they would, in a way, be his own children, but Vahn was prepared to treat them well, even if they were born with a 'purpose'. If he didn't intend to make them for such things, it would be better to simply have actual children with the girls he was slowly but surely falling deeply in love with...

---

After listening to Paracelsus talk about the Homunculi for a little over an hour, Vahn gave him all the materials he would need to help them fully develop before returning back through the mirror. This trip and been very informative but had ultimately eaten up an additional six hours of his time, one of the few 'troublesome' things he would have to get used to when dealing with Paracelsus. Since the man didn't care about his title of Count at all, it was impossible to pressure him with Vahn's own status as an Emperor. People that were fully committed to their ideals, to the point they were fully willing to face death, were both commendable but extremely troublesome to deal with. This little trip had eaten into Vahn's own relaxation time so, with a heavy heart, he made his way to the small room that housed his own Sub-Space Orb.

Even before Vahn entered inside, his eyes had already sharpened as, from the very moment his feet touched down in the empty white space, his training had begun. His focus reached a point where even the subtle fluctuations of mana couldn't escape his perception. At the same time, his domain shrunk down to around 50m in diameter, the space within becoming compressed in a way that would make it extremely difficult for anyone but himself to move. As all this happened, a red shell, equivalent to a 22mm anti-tank round bore through his domain at close to ten times the speed of sound. This wasn't too impressive a speed, meaning Vahn could easily dodge it, but that kind of mentality often ended badly for him in previous instances...

Instead of dodging, Vahn extended his palm outward and made a five-layer [Reflexio] magic barrier while, at the same time, analyzing the runes covering the surface of the projectile. By the time it slammed into his first barrier, Vahn knew it had penetrative properties so he twisted his body as the shell broke through all five layers with extreme ease. In the same motion, he grabbed the projectile out of the air before tossing it to the side, now inert since he had stripped away the runes that would have served as the trigger for a pyroclastic explosion. While the shell was still in mid-air, several more rounds had broken into his domain, this time having a variety of different colors, some going for him while two were obviously intended to strike the shell he had tossed aside.

Knowing it was a bad idea to stay in the area, Vahn blinked away with [Shundo] as several magical explosions rippled through the space he had previously occupied. Then, like an immaterial phantom, Vahn zig-zagged along the ground and through the air as he closed the distance between him and the distant Scáthach. She was using a massive rifle that was more than 3m in length from a distance of more than 10km away while supporting herself in mid-air with reddish-purple chains that came out of the void in a similar way to his [Enkidu]. Though she couldn't copy his 'Noble Phantasm', she was capable of producing functionally anything through the use of her [Gae Bolg Alternative] and the [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground] skills. It might only have a rank between B+ and A, but that was more than enough when it was Scáthach using the weapon...

As Vahn drew closer to Scáthach's location, his body instinctually tensed up as a massive array seemed to come into existence just as his foot touched down around 3km from her location. In less than a microsecond a 500m wide formation that had several massive [Primordial Runes] serving as the basis for its structure lit up with a blood-red light beneath him. Immediately following this, Vahn was smashed into the ground as the surrounding gravity increased by around three-hundred times in an instant. It felt as if each blood cell in his body became like a small boring laser as it ripped through his crumbling flesh and bones in an instant before spreading out across the ground. Then, punctuating the fact he had fallen for her trap, several shells rained down from the sky as the tore apart both Vahn and the massive formation without discriminating between the two...

With a multi-colored mushroom cloud in the distance, sending out several shockwaves that passed over her body without even causing her to flinch, Scáthach dismissed the large rifle she had been using before pulling out two hand sickles that were linked together by a red chain. They had nearly ten meters of slack between them, making it almost impossible for a normal person to use, but Scáthach just swiped with one sickle, causing the chain to seemingly levitate around her body as she threw the second one outward with enough force to cut through the air, leaving a red and black streak in its wake.

From the edge of the massive explosion, Vahn had burst out of the cloud of debris wearing nothing but a pair of ragged shorts and wielding two black gauntlets on his forearms. The sickle intercepted his rush just outside of its effective range but Vahn was able to deflect it to the side without much difficulty. This wasn't the end of the attack, however, as there was already a small ripple passing along the length of the chain that made the sickle curve back, tracing an arc towards Vahn's neck from behind. He had already seen through this attack, flipping forward to kick the sickle high in the sky as he pressed off the ground with both hands, twisting through the air as he attempted to kick Scáthach in the face. She almost casually stepped to the side, using the curved blade of the sickle to hook around the top of Vahn's foot, cutting half of it off in the process. He outright didn't react to this at all as, by the time his foot reached the ground to serve as a pivot, it had already regrown as he twisted his hips like a whip in an attempt to sweep Scáthach's legs.

Jumping back just outside of Vahn's range, Scáthach then stepped back in with the motion of his attack, planting her foot on the side of his leg and pressing her weight down in and attempt to snap it. Vahn flowed with the momentum of his own attack, changing the angle of his knee slightly so that Scáthach was stepping into the soft tissue instead of the side of the joint. This was answered by her stepping in and trying to cut his head off with her sickle but Vahn managed to push her back by sending black spikes out from his back, using his ability to change the shape and structure of his body as a weapon. Though he might not be able to upkeep his [Rakshasa Body] for very long in combat, there was almost nothing preventing him from changing his appearance to suit the situation since the only thing it required was an 'image'.

As this wasn't the first Vahn had changed form against her, Scáthach managed to step back with only one of the spikes lightly grazing her bodysuit. This was, in a way, a small victory for Vahn so, when she was done thrashing him, Scáthach would undoubtedly give him something like a lap pillow or tightly embrace him as he recovered. This was infinitely better than the punishments she would come up with so, even though Vahn was still perturbed by her behavior, he had come to appreciate her 'gentle' moments when he performed well. He knew this was her intention from the start, serving as a means to motivate him further, but that didn't really alter his perception of the events all that much...

---

For the better part of ten hours, Vahn fought a futile but ultimately productive battles against Scáthach as he was inarguably more powerful now than when he first arrived in the Record. Not only had his Od increased to a value of 7,590, but his parameters had all increased marginally while his skills and magecraft were steadily improving. It felt like the day when he might actually be able to fight as equals against Scáthach wasn't all that far away, even though he also couldn't really imagine ever reaching that point. All he could do right now was enjoy the feeling of her cleaning his ears as he used her plump and warm thighs as a pillow. He had managed to singe her a bit with a close-range explosion so, combined with the small cut he had left on her bodysuit, Vahn had done 'very well' according to this peculiar Teacher of his. As a result, he was getting a bonus reward by having her comb through his hair with her hand while using a soft and flexible brush to clean the inside of his ears...

After spending about ten minutes cleaning both of his ears, Scáthach lightly tapped Vahn's shoulder, causing him to almost immediately jump to his feet before she could unceremoniously toss him aside or drop his head against the ground. Following this, Scáthach rose to her own feet before lightly wiping her thighs as she said, "Keep working hard." With that said, Scáthach vanished from the Sub-Space Orb without another word, leaving Vahn alone as Alaya came down to hover next to him. In the past, she had asked if he liked being beaten up by women and offered her 'services' in that regard, the very same incident that had resulted in his failure to use [Hands of Nirvana] against her. At the time, he had been tempted to tell her that he would have been happier if she reacted better but, knowing she would just be 'pretending', Vahn opted to remain silent...

With Alaya now firmly latched onto his shoulder, Vahn left the Sub-Space Orb behind to enjoy his eight hours of relaxation. During his 'day' cycle, Vahn would spend around fifty hours training and forty hours either relaxing, playing with his daughter, or spending time with Illya. Since he had lost the opportunity earlier, Vahn made his way over to Mordred's room as, according to the actual time, both she and Illya were likely sleeping. This didn't really matter all that much, however, as Vahn had free access to their rooms, both as an Emperor and because they had given him permission.

After traveling for a short while, Vahn opened the door to Mordred's room, seeing her oversized bed and the little girl rubbing her eyes sleepily as she sat up to see who was entering her room. When she saw it was her father, Mordred knew that he had come to pick her up so her sleepiness had been dashed away in an instant as she crawled out of her bed and slipped into the same clothes she had been wearing before going to bed. She had a habit of sleeping naked so Vahn had turned his head until she had jumped on his back from behind and said, "Let's go~!" in an excited voice. Though he was tempted to tell her to change into a cleaner set of clothes, disciplining Mordred was something expected of him only when she did something especially naughty. The rest of the time, it was Artoria who lectured and tried to correct her rather uncouth and unladylike mannerisms.

Carrying Mordred piggyback for a few meters, Vahn lightly knocked on the door located a little further down the hallway. It didn't take long before Artoria opened the door, revealing her figure in a long and rather tame white nightgown, complete with blue ribbons. A light blush had already spread across her face, as Vahn was the only one who would knock on her door during resting hours, but it faded away quickly when she saw Mordred with him. Instead, Artoria gave an affectionate smile as she opened up the door and said, "Please, come in." Vahn gave her a polite nod while Mordred laughed mischievously from his back. Matter's between men and women weren't remotely unfamiliar to her, even though she had never experienced them directly, so she understood that her mother essentially had cold water poured over her head. This made it feel like she had pulled a successful prank on her, something Mordred had been attempting rather often as of late...

Though she hadn't minded Mordred's laughter all that much, it still caused Artoria to scrutinize her a little more than she otherwise would have. She noticed that Mordred was wearing the same clothes as before she went to bed, causing Artoria's face to sour as she 'snatched' the rambunctious girl kicking and screaming from Vahn's shoulders. This wasn't even remotely the first time such an event had happened, allowing Mordred to understand that the jig was up. She was dragged back to her room by Artoria for a good twenty minutes, likely receiving a lecture, before appearing back wearing a very familiar set of pajamas. Vahn couldn't help but smile with a somewhat silly expression on his face as he mused, "What an adorable little tiger cub~."

Ever since Nobunaga had made the comment about Artoria being a 'tiger mom', Vahn had given her the idea of punishing Mordred by having her wear a set of animal pajamas that made her look like a tiger. It even came with a hood that had two rounded ears and a long plush tail that drooped almost pathetically from the fabric around Mordred's backside. She had a deeply set frown on her red face but, after being pushed forward by Artoria, Mordred crawled into bed before 'pouncing' on Vahn with an admittedly adorable 'Rawr~!' sound. The moment she was outside of her mother's 'domain', Mordred seemed to transform into a playful child that wanted her father's affection.

Seeing this, Artoria shook her head in mild exasperation before walking around to the side of the bed and crawling in alongside them. Vahn had made a habit of sleeping with the two of them if his own break coincided with the time they would normally be resting. This had brought the three of them much closer together as, after a bit of playing, Mordred sprawled out between them as Vahn and Artoria flanked her from the sides. Then, when she finally fell asleep, Vahn decided to tease Artoria a bit by mentioning, "I'd like to see what you like in tiger pajamas...seeing a tiger mom and her cub cuddling up might just cause my heart to explode..." This immediately caused Artoria's face to turn red but, instead of refusing, she bashfully averted her eyes and muttered an almost silent yet affirmative 'Nn...'.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is cursed to never have bros (T ^ T)...','Yes, I managed to barely nick her bodysuit! Progress...!','Tiger mom approves')

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Chapitre 1122: Trying Times

A stark contrast to the warm and comfortable atmosphere that permeated the almost empty Ivory Castle, a cold and stuffy atmosphere was present within a large forum filled to the brim with various affluent and reputable Magi. Only those of a certain amount of status were able to occupy the long rows of seats that surrounded a set of low chairs and podiums at the center of the chamber. They would stand as witness to the trials held by a Tribunal of Magi selected from the various Department Heads through what was supposed to be a random selection. However, fairness was the last thing on the mind of the woman sitting at the very center of an elevated platform that was raised even higher than the viewing stands. She had sleek brown hair, styled in a neat ponytail, and cold brown eyes that showed absolute contempt for the people gathered below...

Fortunately, even for someone as influential and haughty as Barthomeloi Lorelei, the woman presiding over the trial of Lord El-Melloi and Rin, she wasn't able to strongarm the system to get the other two Judges on her side. Though she had been able to pressure the Director to get her own name confirmed as a Judge, her two counterparts had been selected from the Democratic and Neutral Factions respectively. She had originally tried to get Lord Sophia-Ri on her side, as he held a deep resentment towards Lord El-Melloi II after the latter married his arranged fiancée, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte. The original purpose of their engagement was only meant to further cripple the young Heiress but, after seeing the young girl slowly transform into a beautiful woman, Lord Sophia-Ri had developed a possessive mentality toward her. As he was also considered one of the most coveted and handsome men within the Clock Tower, the fact she had slighted him to marry her own adoptive brother was a smear on his honor he would not soon forget.

Instead of her desired ally, Barthomeloi Lorelei now had to put up with the troublesome Rocco Belfaban, a member of the Neutral Faction and the Head of the Department of Summoning. He was an eccentric and carefree man who had been the Department Head for over sixty years at this point, leading many to refer to him as the 'remnant of the old guard'. From all accounts, he had been an old man even before his tenure at the Clock Tower but, as he had collected several hundred Mystic Codexes and Summoning Catalysts over the decades, many simply assumed he had one that allowed him to persevere despite rumors claiming he was well over one-hundred years old. To make matters even worse, he was a known associate of Lord El-Melloi II, even though there were few who would claim them to be more than simple acquaintances...

Adding to her headaches, and the primary reason things had been drawn out for nearly two weeks at this point, was the identity of the third Judge. He was a handsome man with soft-blond hair that bordered on being white, possessing clear and gentle eyes of similar color and quality. There was always a smile plastered on his face, even though the Department he Headed, Astronomy, was considered one of the 'dying' Thaumaturlogical principles. This didn't stop him from enjoying a powerful status, however, as he was both the Lord of the Animusphere family and the leader of the Democratic Faction. As a result, he was the man Barthomeloi Lorelei hated more than anyone else, to the point she would often curse his name, Marisbury Animusphere, when she was frustrated. Since he just took this in stride, maintaining his smile through any kind of trouble, Barthomeloi Lorelei hated him even more...

When the trial had first begun, Barthomeloi Lorelei had wanted to have Lord El-Melloi II stripped from his title, as she believed a 'commoner' should have never been granted such an honor, while Rin was to be placed in confinement and given a Sealing Designation. Though there were rumors that Sakura Matou had survived the destruction of the Makiri, these were mostly unsubstantiated claims that were hard to verify. As a result, Rin was considered the last surviving Tohsaka and, as both she and Sakura had been candidates for a Sealing Designation in the past, her recent high-profile actions could be used as a justification to keep her from drawing even more attention to the existence of Magecraft...

Unfortunately, all of the crimes she attempted to lay at Rin's feet had been counter-argued by Lord Animusphere each and every time. When asked to provide credible evidence that could be used to justify any punishments against Rin, everything had been proven circumstantial at best. Since Rin had actually remained relatively low-key during the Holy Grail War, with Vahn doing most of the actual fighting, there wasn't really anything they could pin on her besides being 'associated' with a high-interest target who, in much the same way, had no actual crimes pinned on him just yet. As a result, Barthomeloi Lorelei had been trying to sway the audience in her favor by making a few promises behind the scenes but, as Lord Animusphere cited their own laws, followed by asking if the Barthomeloi family no longer regarded such things as sacred, she could only grit her teeth while trying to draw things out.

Ultimately, the only person that could truly be held accountable for what had happened during the Holy Grail War was Lord El-Melloi II himself. However, as there was an extreme amount of evidence showing that the Holy Church had intervened, combined with the fact several unexpected variables had appeared during the ritual, there were unable to punish him too severely. This was largely due to the fact that he had reported the incidents as they occurred and documented all of the attempts made by his group to maintain order. He had carried out his duties diligently and even brought back several large fragments of the destroyed Greater Grail, something that earned him considerable favor with Rocco Belfaban as the Head of the Summoning Department. He hadn't been all that vocal during the proceedings but, whenever Barthomeloi Lorelei thought she had gained an advantage, he would say a few words that made it apparent he agreed with Lord Animusphere...

Understanding she wasn't going to be able to get her way without 'forcing' the issue, something that would potentially harm the prestige of her family, Barthomeloi Lorelei's gaze could make a demon shudder as she looked down at Lore El-Melloi II and stated, "Though it cannot be denied that you attempted to perform your duties, this incident has made it apparent you are simply unqualified to have such authority in the future. Were it up to me, you would have already been stripped of your title and sentenced to acting as an experimental subject. At least then you may be of some use to 'real' Magi..." As Lord El-Melloi II, despite his best efforts, was only considered a Second-Rate Magus who would never rise beyond the rank of Fes, there were more than a few within the viewing stands who agreed with her sentiment.

In response to Barthomeloi Lorelei's harsh words, Lord Animusphere, the smile never leaving his face, politely stated, "Madam Barthomeloi, I do not believe such words are appropriate given the achievements Lord El-Melloi II has accrued over the years. Though his talent may be lacking when compared to the prestigious lineage of the Barthomeloi, there is none present who would be able to refute that Lord El-Melloi II had accomplished many things that even Magi of higher rank have struggled with. If we cannot appreciate the phenomenon of a person performing above their given rank, would that not make us appear petty in the eyes of our peers...?"

Hearing Lord Animusphere's words, Bathomeloi Lorelei felt like she was going to have an aneurysm, especially when Rocco Belfeban stroked his chin and added, "Well said, Lord Animusphere. As the purpose of the Clock Tower has always been to preserve and advance Magecraft, it would be counterintuitive for us to suppress our those making an effort to do the 'impossible'. The moment we purport the idea that those of lesser talent are unable to rise above their standing in life, the decline of Magecraft will become irreversible. I'm certain most of the fine Gentlemen and Ladies present have benefitted from making promises to aspiring Magi, regardless of their low status. I find it difficult to believe they will come forward and argue that Lord El-Melloi II is in the wrong for no other reason than his status and talent are beneath that of a family with thousands of years of history. Many would even argue that such comparisons alone would harm the prestige of such families, wouldn't you agree, Madam...?"

While swearing she would personally witness the final moments of these two men, Barthomeloi Lorelei begrudgingly nodded her head before answering, "I cannot argue that there is simply no grounds to compare a talentless commoner who borrows the status of others to an established Magus family. However, regardless of how you try to twist the facts, the truth remains that someone must be held accountable for the failures in Fuyuki City. The destruction of the Greater Grail, the annihilation of the Makiri family, the devastation of the Einzbern Forest, and the powerful quake that had shaken the city after the disappearance of the anomaly, Vahn Mason; these aren't things that can simply be overlooked...!" To punctuate her words, Barthomeloi Lorelei slammed her fist on the table, causing most of the people in the room to flinch due to the loud noise and the pulse of magical energy that had spread through the surroundings.

Without shying away from the pressure emitted by Barthomeloi Lorelei, even though she glared at him with venomous eyes, Lord Animusphere politely explained, "Though the Greater Grail had been destroyed, it was never the property of the Mage's Association. The fact that Lady Tohsaka was even willing to turn over the fragments she had been able to recover more than makes up for the fact something that didn't even belong to us was destroyed. As for the annihilation of the Makiri family, though it is an irrefutable tragedy, our investigations have shown this to be an event unrelated to the Holy Grail War. We cannot expect Lord El-Melloi II to somehow predict conflict between Magus families that are entirely unrelated to his own duties. If he had such a power, I'm certain his status within the Mage's Association would be much higher..."

When he said the last remark, Lord Animusphere smiled in a good-natured manner toward Lord El-Melloi II before turning his attention back to Barthomeloi Lorelei and adding, "Regarding the fire and devastation of the Einzbern Forest, this event has already been confirmed to have been the result of a battle between the Einzbern's representative Master and the Hero King, Gilgamesh. The latter was also tied to the destruction of the Matou Residence, making the accountable party not Lord El-Melloi II, but Gilgamesh's Master. Lastly, unless you hold Lord El-Melloi II in much higher regard than I was aware, do you mean to fault him for a natural disaster that occurred after he had already left Fuyuki City? Though I will not deny that the event was relatively close to Lord El-Melloi II's departure time, Japan is host to an average of 1,500 earthquakes every year. This year alone, there have been five earthquakes of similar size to hit the Japanese Archipelago. Are we going to try Lord El-Melloi II for these as well...?"

By the time Lord Animusphere was done speaking, Barthomeloi Lorelei had decided that she would never sleep peacefully again before she found the means to seek revenge against the Animusphere family. This wasn't the first time she had held such conviction but, now that Marisbury, the true name of Lord Animusphere, was continuously rebutting everything she said, Barthomeloi Lorelei wouldn't be satisfied just ignoring him any longer. The Aristocratic and Democratic Factions had been at odds with each other for decades, for a multitude of reasons, but now things felt more personal than they had been before. What made matters worse was, as if he wasn't troubled by her ire and indignation, Lord Animusphere just returned a polite smile in response to her glare...

---

After several more hours of deliberation, punctuated by a recess until the following day, Rin, Lord El-Melloi II, Flat, and Gray all exited the Tribunal chamber with tired expressions. The least affected was Flat, as he had avoided any real accusations against him, so he had a somewhat easy-going smile on his face as he lingered near Gray and asked, "Gray, how about grabbing a bite to eat now that we're free from that freezer~? I could use some fresh air, delicious food, and good company!" In response to this, Gray shrunk away from Flat before shaking her head and answering, "Sorry, but I will follow Rin back to the Edelfelt Mansion..." Though she and Flat were still good friends, Gray felt awkward around him ever since separating from Vahn. Since they had 'history', she was a little insecure about being alone with other men after deciding to pursue her happiness at Vahn's side...

With an amiable yet sad smile on his face, Flat rubbed the back of his head while saying, "Aww, Gray has been so distant lately. I wonder if I did something to lower my Affection Points~?" As he treated life almost like an actual game, Flat would sometimes say senseless things that caused the people closely associated with him an endless number of headaches. This time, however, Gray furrowed her brows since she felt like Flat was implying there was actual affection between them. Since he had been engaged for the last three years, it felt especially awkward to hear him make such thoughtless remarks in the current situation. He actually seemed to realize this after seeing Gray's reaction as, after placing both palms together and bowing almost comically low, Flat shouted, "I'm sorry, Gray! I was only trying to crack a joke to lighten the mood!"

Upon completing his apology, Flat had the distinct impression that he wasn't as welcome as before so, after a few parting words, he walked away with a quickened pace to go grab a bite to eat. At the same time, however, he was somewhat happy that Gray had refused his invitation as there was a slightly troublesome individual who had been pestering him to meet her, their shared acquaintance, Svin Glascheit. He was steadily reaching the point of becoming a Brand, the second-highest rank a Magus could have within the Mage's Association.

Though they had all been students together, Svin had quickly surpassed Lord El-Melloi II's and Rin's rank of Fes, rising to the rank of Pride at the impressively young age of nineteen. In the past, he had a somewhat unhealthy obsession with Gray and, though she had given him a chance, things had reached an almost dangerous point that required outside intervention. Since then, Svin had apologized for his behavior several times and had kept a respectable distance from Gray. However, as he began looking towards the future and laying his own roots, Svin had been making a few attempts to rekindle things between him and Gray.

Even without having met Vahn, Gray had no intention of ever getting back together with Svin, largely due his possessive nature and the way in which he tried to control every aspect of her life. Towards the end of their relationship, he even refused to let her leave the house for nearly a month, the same act that had drawn the attention of their friends. Since he used Beast Magecraft, combined with Reinforcement, Svin's senses and instincts were far more developed than most humans. As a result, his passion and obsession quickly reached dangerous levels, to the point he would yell at her when she had talked to other men. He had even confiscated her cell phone and locked Add away in a magical vault during her confinement, something Gray was not willing to go through a second time...

While thinking about how his friend had strayed onto a path that could only lead to a 'Bad End', Flat released a tired sigh while running his fingers through his hair. He had actually been Gray's 'rebound' at the time and, though he tried to treat her well, they simply weren't suited for each other. Svin had also been less than enthused about the development so, after only a few weeks together, Flat had ended things on rather amicable terms. Now, he was essentially the only link between Svin and Gray as the latter simply refused to answer Svin's calls, going as far as changing her number periodically and never setting up a voice mail. It was a troublesome situation since, even though he knew Svin was in the wrong, Flat wished things could go back to the way they were between the three of them. Unfortunately, unlike the games he habitually played, there were no save points in real life and, as people were so 'fond' of telling him, Flat knew he could only grow up and move on...

After reaching a small burger joint a few blocks away from the Clock Tower, Flat slapped himself on the cheeks before adopting his usual smile. Then, even though there was a bit of cold sweat on his back, he opened the door to find a pair of predatory blue eyes focused on him. Though it was only there for a brief moment, Flat had felt a small amount of killing intent coming from his 'friend', something that had been there ever since his short relationship with Gray. It had faded away in an instant, revealing a handsome man with an amicable smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. This was something he and Svin had in common as, regardless of his efforts to patch things up, Flat knew the tall and muscular man, dressed in expensive and stylish garments, would never forgive him...

---

Though it took more than an hour by car, Rin and Gray managed to reach the Edelfelt Mansion without encountering any difficulties. The ride had been rather awkward, as Gray had fallen silent due to her guilt of refusing something as simple as a light lunch with a friend. Her intention to join Vahn's side had even caused her to gradually isolate herself from Lord El-Melloi II. Though she was never his 'official' personal attendant, Gray had been following as his shadow for nearly half her life so she felt a little insecure being away from his side for a long period of time. However, as Lord El-Melloi II himself had told her there was nothing wrong with seeking her own happiness, Gray had continued to protect Rin and Sakura as promised...

Shortly after entering the Mansion, guided by four Maids, Rin and Gray ended up in a small room that was decorated from top to bottom with cute things. There, curled up on the stomach of a giant teddy bear, a small girl with short brown hair was holding a golfball-sized rainbow-hued sphere in her hands, seemingly asleep. Rin released an exasperated sigh when she saw this, even though there was a smile on her face as she muttered, "This girl is going to develop a father complex at this rate..." Then, turning to Gray, Rin asked, "Do you want to go inside this time? I have a few things to talk with Luvia about so I don't mind." Since she could tell Gray was in need of some 'attention', even though she didn't actually have anything to discuss with Luvia, she was more than willing to occupy Vahn later in the evening.

Hearing Rin's words, Gray's somewhat pale complexion gained a light blush as, if not for the fact she had been allowed to use the Space-Time Orb on occasion, she might have already broken down. The trial had been troubling her more than she imagined, especially since it felt awkward to be around others at the moment, so she had been seeking refuge in the Orb periodically to spend time with Vahn's Memory Fragment. Though she knew it wasn't the 'real' him, the experiences they had shared were precious treasures that also served as an emotional anchor during these trying times. Thus, even though she felt a little apologetic to Sakura, Gray nodded her head and muttered, "Thanks..."

Following this, Rin placed her index finger on the Space-Time Orb, activating its safety measure that ejected whoever was using it whenever it was removed from someone's hands. As a result, Sakura's eyes widened in an instant as her face immediately formed into a sad pout. Before she could cry, Rin lightly pinched Sakura's nose and said, "It is time for lunch. You know your Otou-sama would tell you to come eat like a good girl..." This was enough to prevent Sakura from crying but it did nothing to stop her from sniffling a few times as she answered, "Okay, Okaa-chan..." Then, after being picked up in Rin's arms, the latter handed the Space-Time Orb over to Gray before carrying Sakura to go eat lunch and kill a few hours of time. As for Gray, she had a red face as she alighted from the room, moving next door where her own room was located. Since Rin had a key, Gray locked it behind her before diving into her own bed and, perhaps a little too eager to make her bad thoughts go away, she sunk her consciousness into the Space-Time Orb to experience Vahn's care and concern for a few hours...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lorelei's a cunt','Marisbury used 'Logic and Reasoning'...Critical Hit! It's not very effective...opposing Lorelei has flinched!','Dependency is a dangerous thing o_o...')

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paypal.me/Einlion

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