Bab 1193: Present
After what felt like a much-deserved rest, Vahn awoke feeling refreshed and recharged, ready to face the coming day. Before that, however, he helped Mordred and Sakura prepare for their own, even if this only meant helping them brush and pin up their hair. Since it was currently day time outside, this meant they had lessons, today's consisting of spearmanship, etiquette, and armor maintenance. It might not be necessary for them to ever repair their own armor but, as a matter of discipline and principle, all Knights needed to know how to care for their equipment.
Once they were ready, Vahn sent off his two daughters with a supportive smile on his face, leaving them in the care of Gray since Artoria had wanted to speak with him. When it was just the two of them, she explained the decisions that the group had reached, surprising Vahn quite a bit when she informed him of her own status. This caused a smile to immediately spread across his face and, even though Artoria had been in the middle of her explanation, Vahn scooped her up, holding her waist as he spun her around a few times. Then, despite Artoria's mock protests, Vahn pulled her into a firm embrace, cradling her in his arms as he whispered, "Thank you...".
Vahn had come to understand Artoria well over the last eight months so, even without her having to explain the situation, he knew she must have been the voice of reason for everyone to support her claim. Thus, so that Artoria never felt like she was simply doing her 'duty', Vahn made it clear from the start that he was enthused to have her as his Empress. Though she lightly tapped his chest a few times in resistance, it wasn't long before Artoria ultimately relaxed her body, allowing Vahn to seal her lips as they shared a passionate embrace for several minutes...
Though she failed to extricate herself from Vahn's embrace, Artoria managed to explain everything as he loosely held her hips and gently guided her around the room, not quite dancing but having a similar feeling. She explained how Luvia had accepted the position of Empress-Consort and Keeper of the Imperial Seal while Kenshin had nominated herself as Imperial Herald. With the matters Luvia was charged to attend, she would need considerable authority and, with none greater than Vahn's own, carrying his seal was the same as representing him. As for Kenshin, she already had a following amongst the Einzbern Homunculi and, though she would still serve as part of the Order of Imperial Knights, her primary duty in the future would entail preceding his arrival and passing his doctrine to his soldiers and subjects.
Since Vahn would be holding Court in the near future, Kenshin had essentially taken it upon herself to be his personal messenger. She would be the one responsible for commanding others to attend his Court, leaving only the positions of Master of Ceremonies and Grand Marshal of the Court to be filled. Artoria and the others had discussed who was most suited for the position before ultimately coming to the conclusion that, amongst them, there was none qualified. Both positions were rather high in the Court but, compared to the status and titles everyone had been assigned, it was actually a considerable downgrade in status to hold said positions.
The Master of Ceremonies had the responsibility of conducting important ceremonies and managing the castle staff in preparation to receive dignitaries, ambassadors, and other important guests of the Emperor. They were usually in charge of the Stewards, Chamberlains, Butlers, Maids, Chefs, and other servant classes within the castle. The only person qualified for this level of responsibility was Luvia but, as she was already dealing with external matters, she could not manage the staffing of the castle and preside over its ceremonies. As for the position of Grand Marshal of the Court, it was the higher position between the two but typically had fewer responsibilities.
Similar to the Master of Ceremonies, the Grand Marshal was also responsible for planning events and conducting ceremonies. Instead of managing the staff and personnel charged with ensuring the ceremony was a success, however, they had the responsibility of organizing the members of the Court and making sure everyone was properly informed of the arrival and participation of outside parties. They would be the ones announcing the names and titles of guests who were given an audience with Vahn and, with the exception of Vahn and Artoria, their status was considered one of the highest, albeit only during ceremonies.
Though Vahn could hold Court in whichever way he chose, creating a completely new system and establishing a unique form of etiquette would just complicate things in the long run. Because of this, his Empire was similar in structure to the traditions passed down through the British Isles for more than two-thousand years. As a result, the only ones really familiar with how things were run included Merlin, Artoria, Luvia, Rin, Iris, Illya, Olga, and, to a lesser extent, Astolfo. Among them, only Rin was free to take up such responsibilities but, wanting to avoid politics completely, she had refused on the grounds of being unsuited for the position.
Unfortunately, with so few people making up his Court, they were considerably understaffed when it came to handling official matters. Though having one of the Homunculi take up the responsibility wasn't out of the question, that was a matter that could only be addressed in the future. For the time being, there weren't any amongst their number who had fully awakened an independent ego. If his future guests were to see them behaving as emotionless dolls, it could seriously skew the image he wanted to present to the rest of the world. Avalon was supposed to be a haven for those seeking to escape exploitation so using one of the Einzbern Homunculi just because it was 'convenient' to do so was out of the question...
With few options, even though he actually had quite a few, Vahn ultimately decided that he would delay holding court until he had finished treating all of the Homunculi. At the same time, he would be waiting for the summoning system to be readied while allowing the various Fae residing on the island to continue settling in. If they had already built homes and started developing a community, it would actually give him more leverage in future discussions. Currently, as they had only arrived less than two weeks prior, it wouldn't mean much to them if they were forced away. If they were already used to life on the island, however, they would be far more resistant to leaving, making them much easier to convince in the long run.
After making his decision, Vahn rested his forehead against Artoria's explaining in a light tone, "In the near future, I'll be summoning several people all at once. Though Karna and Jeanne are a given, I will also be summoning Gawain and Gareth. From what you have told me, I believe they will be a helpful addition to the Court..."
Gawain had been one of the Knights loyal to Artoria until the end, while also serving as Artoria's proxy and decay, Vahn believed he would be extremely suited to the position of Grand Marshal. As for Gareth, she was one of the people who weighed heavily on Artoria's heart, the result of her extremely unjust ending. Better yet, Gawain and Gareth were brother and sister while also Artoria's nephew and niece respectively. Though Gawain might hold some resentment toward Mordred, as she had been responsible for both his and Artoria's deaths, Vahn didn't expect he would hold that grudge in his heart after seeing the changes in both Artoria and Mordred.
Hearing Vahn mention summoning her family once again, Artoria had a gentle look in her eyes but still released a sigh. Though she felt summoning Gareth wouldn't be an issue, all those that had been at her side during Mordred's rebellion would likely carry resentment toward her daughter. Since she had made so much progress, Artoria didn't want Mordred to have to face any setbacks. She was also afraid to face her kin as, both Gawain and Gareth had been completely unaware of her identity as a female. Though she trusted both of her loyal Knights with her very life, matters of the heart were never simple to deal with...
Sensing Artoria's hesitation, Vahn held her a little tighter as he reminded, "The past is the past... let's build the future by focusing on the present..." Even if there were problems, Vahn was confident they could be dealt with. Mordred had indeed come a long way and, so long as her support never waned, it wouldn't matter if others looked down on her. Instead, it might result in her working even harder to prove herself and, with Gawain having been a loyal Knight until the end, Vahn suspected he would adapt quickly to the reality of the situation. From what he had heard from Artoria, the chances he would slander the Imperial Family in dereliction of his duties were incredibly slim...
With Vahn's reminder, Artoria felt a small weight lift from her heart and, though she couldn't really find the words to express her feeling, it was surprising how much a simple kiss could communicate. Thus, even though Mordred would likely make a snide remark about her being late, Artoria decided to focus on the moment, sharing it with the man she had slowly come to love. He always seemed so confident when it came to things like this and, even if this didn't necessarily mean he was prepared to deal with the consequences of his actions, Artoria knew that Vahn would still continue moving forward, regardless of the setbacks he faced. This gave her the strength to do the same so, as Vahn slowly guided her around the room, Artoria offered no resistance...
---
Before he began another long session of treating Homunculi, Vahn made his way through the castle, this time moving towards the upper levels that connected to the heavily reinforced ramparts. Along the way, he passed by several Homunculi who promptly moved aside, bowing respectfully as they made way for their new Master. Vahn, however, broke etiquette slightly as, instead of ignoring them, as was considered 'proper', he greeted each of the Homunculi by name. Though he could tell them apart by the subtle differences in their physique and aura, he had also tagged each of them within his Minimap, allowing him to avoid making even a single mistake. This seemed to be quite impactful to the Homunculi, often resulting in them smiling as they returned his greeting in higher spirits, even if it was hard to discern with their largely emotionless eyes...
After reaching his destination, Vahn saw a large statuesque figure seated atop the rampart, the wind gently flowing through his mane-like hair. Even seated, the bronze-skinned figure was considerably taller than Vahn, each of his limbs being comparable in thickness to the latter's torso. With muscles atop muscles, to the point that even someone like Ottar wouldn't be able to compete, he cut quite the figure against the twilight of the rising sun. Just as sunset would persist for well over seven hours, the long morning sunrise was yet another sight to behold, adding to the mystical qualities of Avalon.
Without so much as sparring Vahn a glance, as he would not even lower his head to Gods, Heracles continued to look out over the expanse of Avalon as his deep voice echoed, "Why have you come seeking me, Sage Emperor?"
Since Heracles was an existence nearly on the same level as someone like Scáthach, Vahn decided it was a waste to mind his rather brash and impolite mannerisms. His impression of the proud Greek Hero was actually quite high so, breaching etiquette himself, Vahn sat down on the ramparts before pulling out a literal vase of expensive alcohol, asking, "Shall we toast the morning sun?" This caused Heracles to turn his eyes toward him, golden pupils blazing like the morning sun as they reflected the image of Vahn deep within.
Though his face still had the ferocity of a man who could contend against the greatest monsters in the world, Heracles allowed a slight grin to spread across his lips as he hefted the heavy vase of alcohol and drank from it with the ease other men would use to partake of a mug. He downed more than a liter of alcohol in just a few large gulps before releasing a husky sigh and remarking, "You are a good Emperor. Those who cling to pride and look down on others are doomed to meet a tragic end. Despite the amount of power you may wield, it is useless if you forget why you obtained such power in the first place..."
Knowing Heracles was speaking from experience, as he had learned a considerable amount about the Heroic man's past, Vahn gave a solemn and understanding nod. Then, as he had indeed come here with a matter to discuss, Vahn stated in a firm tone, "I owe you a debt of gratitude for what you have done for Illya. Though titles may be meaningless to someone of your stature, I would like to give you the title of Imperial Guardian. At the same time, I came to inform you of my intentions..." Though Heracles didn't have much of a reaction to receiving a title, his expression became beset with grief, a glimmer of hope flashing across his golden eyes as Vahn stated, "I intend to give you a physical body and, in exchange for your service, I will return your Wife and children to you..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Heracles experienced a brief moment where a powerful rage almost swelled up inside of him but, knowing the former wasn't trying to deceive him, he remained calm, asking, "How long...?" This question caused Vahn to blink in confusion, resulting in Heracles grumbling as he asked, "How long do I need to serve you before they will be returned to me?" As he knew it would consume a considerable amount of resources, Heracles expected that Vahn would ask him to serve for at least a decade before his family would be returned to him. Instead, Vahn smiled in amusement as he explained, "I trust you have enough integrity to fulfill your promise without being bound to service. It will take time to summon them all, but I can at least return to you your Wife and two of your children. When I have the resources to summon the rest, I will not delay the matter..."
Heracles took in a deep breath, causing his massive pectoral muscles to expand outward in a rather intimidating manner. This wasn't his intention, however, as his expression became extremely solemn as he vowed, "I believe you to be a man of your word. In exchange for this kindness, I will continue to protect the Imperial Family until my dying breath. This place is a paradise that should never have to suffer the conflicts of men. If anyone intends to defile this place and its people, they must go through me first..." Though he spoke calmly, Vahn could feel Heracles' aura expand outward, causing the void around to tremble slightly in response.
Understanding further discussion was unnecessary, Vahn hopped to his feet before lifting up his own glass. Heracles obliged by tapping his vase against the mug before they both emptied the contents of their respective containers. Then, after exhaling a hot sigh that kicked up a steamy cloud of vapor, Vahn turned his back to Heracles, commenting, "In the future, I would appreciate your company at the nearby tavern. I have very few people that I can consider my friend but, if you'll have me, I would be honored to keep the company of such a legendary Heroic figure." Even if this version of Heracles felt an extreme amount of guilt and self-loathing, Vahn believed he would one day hold his head up high once again. One of the traits he most respected in people was their tenacity in overcoming the past, even if they sometimes needed a small push...
Though he did not answer Vahn openly, Heracles decided to keep the company of the Sage Emperor in the future. There were few people in his life that he had ever truly respected and, though Vahn had yet to reach that level just yet, Heracles' impression of the man had increased greatly. So long as he kept his promise, Heracles didn't even care if Vahn wanted him to become a weapon against his enemies. Even if he had to bathe in an ocean of blood and overcome a thousand more trials, being reunited with his family would make it all worth it. He also found the alcohol given to him by Vahn to be of extremely high quality, burning his throat and filling his body with a pleasant warmth, chasing away the chill that had settled into his frame. Though the cold wouldn't affect him normally, Heracles had come to appreciate the numbness so, instead of resisting it, he allowed the chill to settle in his body as he ruminated about the past...
Suddenly feeling that the warm rays of the sun were far more pleasant, Heracles allowed a genuine smile to spread across his lips as he muttered, "My beloved Megara...to think we would be together again after thousands of years...this time, I will protect you and our children...I swear..." Though his tightening fist caused the rampart of the castle to fracture, Heracles only spared it a momentary glance before jumping down to the courtyard more than sixty meters below. He had the feeling that sitting around was now a waste of time and, as he had promised to protect the Island, Heracles felt it was time he explored it. His first destination was the Castle Town in the distance, his intent being to find the location of the tavern mentioned by Vahn. Asking for directions was something he could never bring himself to do so, even if he had to wander around and enter every building, Heracles was determined to find it...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Waifu acquired (* v *)~!"','I wish I had a system to remind me of people's names...','Heracles' Vow : Pride and Respect')
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