章 769: Rebuke
For several seconds, Vahn experienced a blanking of his thoughts before the gears within began to grind at a very fast rate. He realized he had overlooked some things and, seeing the collar around the young woman's neck, Vahn started to make sense of the situation. Thus, before things could get further out of control, Vahn gestured with his hand and forced Sylfia to stand straight as he gazed into her dark blue eyes and said, "I absolve you of your slave contract. You are free to live as you please; I do not require servants, nor will I accept the responsibility of your life under these circumstances. Instead, as the High Priestess, you should consider what actions you can take to better the lives of your people in the future..."
Since it was within his domain, Vahn flicked his finger and caused the collar around Sylfia's neck to disappear, stunning the young High Elf, and the already stunned members of the High Priestess faction. Without sparing her another glance, Vahn turned towards the crowd of Elves and began to ascend into the sky as his voice carried across the void and sounded within each of their ears, "Some of you may come to hate and resent me, but know that my intentions are to help you walk towards a brighter future. Change is going to come to the Elven Kingdom in the near future and I cannot promise that it will be easy...however, I will work alongside your leaders to make sure things transition as smoothly as possible..."
Turning back to look down upon Sylfia and Irisalia, Vahn squinted his eyes slightly and said, "The High Priestess Faction has the most stable group right now...you have an obligation to your people to help restore some semblance of normalcy to this situation. Conduct a census and try to find out if anyone is missing. Once that is taken care of, make sure your Faction comes to the Palace so we can discuss the future of the Elven Kingdom...for the time being, access to the Sacred Trees will be closed off...focus on the things you 'need' to do, instead of what you want to do in order to secure your own power and authority..."
Vahn had decided to give the High Priestess Faction a 'test' to see if they could be trusted as, at least from what he had seen, it was very difficult to put his faith in them. Though their High Priestess, Sylfia, seemed to be a 'reasonably' sensible person, that didn't mean the rest of the Faction was. It was obvious at a glance that, while they placed some importance on her, Sylfia didn't actually have power and authority yet. The fact they had let her enslave herself to the opposing party, all while gritting their teeth in the back, showed that they didn't place much emphasis on her existence. Like the Nobles and the Sage Council, it looked like the High Priestess Faction had its own form of corruption...
Without staying to hear if they were agreeing to his words, Vahn flew towards the Palace while sending telepathic messages to the girls at the Manor. At the same time, he communicated his intent to Terra and Fenrir, the latter of which had been wreaking havoc within the territories of the Nobles. She hadn't killed anyone, but there were hundreds of people who had their limbs frozen solid or had lost limbs due to her claws. When she had been putting out fires and tracking people down, several members of the Noble Faction had tried to attack her, causing Fenrir to follow their scent back to their residences. She didn't know who was bad so, instead of killing them outright, Fenrir had just disabled anyone that tried to attack her.
After a few minutes of waiting, Fenrir showed up at the entrance to the Palace, body soaked through from the heavy downpour outside. Vahn extended his hand and pulled the water away while stroking her thick mat of midnight blue hair with his palm, smiling as he softly said, "You did well, Fenrir, thank you..." Fenrir just nodded her head, squinting her eyes happily as she enjoyed the warmth coming from her Master's palm. The two then made their way into the Palace, where only a few Royal Guards and servants could be seen trying to clean things up. Nobody tried to bar their passage along the way, something Vahn appreciated since he was getting really tired of his 'allies' showing hostility towards him.
Within the Throne Room, there were several officials that had been gathered together around a large wooden table that was covered in documents. Larfal was arguing with another tall High Elf and, when Vahn saw the dark aura shrouding the latter, he had immediately blinked over with [Shundo]. before the latter could say anything in his defense, Vahn had extended his hand forward and pierce the man's abdomen, shattering the core where his mana formed and forcing him to the ground. The other people present loudly exclaimed when they witnessed this but Vahn silenced them by passing his eyes across their figures.
Larfal, seeing one of his Royal Court bleeding out on the floor, turned to Vahn with a very tired expression on his face and asked, "So, even those that I'm supposed to rely on have turned against me...?" In response to this, Vahn turned his eyes to match those of his Father-in-Law, explaining, "These eight men seem decent enough...this one, however, has a black aura, just like the men who had been conspiring to seize the throne and exploit the Elven people further...nobody with this black an aura deserves to hold a position of power. I only spared him so you can mete out a proper punishment after investigating his affairs..."
Hearing this, Larfal nodded his head before shouting for two of his guards to take his former Finance Minister to the Palace Dungeon. He wasn't actually that surprised that the man responsible for monitoring the finances of the Kingdom had been one of the corrupt officials serving the interests of the Noble Faction. The fact he had been trying to force him to reign in Vahn and 'investigate the truth of the matter' had been a pretty big red flag. Though it was certainly 'correct' to seek justice, now, perhaps, wasn't the time for such things. Larfal knew Vahn's methods were a bit extreme but, considering the catastrophe that had nearly befallen the Elven Kingdom, it was undoubtedly the time for extreme measures...
To clarify things, Larfal turned to the surviving members of his court and explained, "This is our son-in-law, Vahn Mason, the Sage Aldrnari. As we previously explained, he is the one who prevented our assassination and, as his presence here suggests, the current catastrophe facing our people has largely been resolved...is that a correct assessment of the situation, Sage Vahn?" Vahn noticed the King was using polite speech and, even though he had just attacked a member of the Royal Court, he was willing to give his Father-in-Law face, bowing politely as he said, "That is correct, your Majesty. I have released the hostages held captive by the Noble Faction, put out the fires burning throughout the Kingdom, secured the safety of the Sacred Trees, and destroyed the Sage Council who had been machinating everything from behind the scenes..."
Hearing this, many of the gathered advisors and ministers drew in sharp breaths, one of them lightly exclaiming, "You destroyed the Sage Council...?" Raising his head, Vahn turned towards the man and stated plainly, "I'm not here to play games. The Sage Council were clearly responsible for many of the events that were plaguing the Kingdom, including the empowerment and manipulation of the Noble families. However, they will not be the only ones I destroy, as anyone who tries to get in the way of progress will be forced to step aside. Those that directly oppose the changes I will suggest will be rooted out, imprisoned, or killed..."
These words caused another one of the men, having rare red hair, to step in and say, "Sage Vahn, though we undoubtedly owe you our gratitude for helping us tide through this chaos, you cannot simply interfere with the affairs of the Kingdom on your whims! We need to focus on restoring order to the Kingdom, not bringing about changes proposed by an outsider! Even if you're wed to the Princess, neither you nor she has any authority within the Kingdom...!"
Ignoring the man, Vahn turned towards Larfal and asked, "King Larfal, what is the title and occupation previously held by this...?" As the man hadn't introduced himself, Vahn wasn't exactly sure had to address him. In response to this, Larfal sighed and said, "This is Mesir Aod Hokai, former members of my council and Minister of Foreign Affairs..." Vahn nearly burst into laughter when he heard this man was supposed to be in charge of the relations between the Elven Kingdom and other countries. However, it put into perspective why the man was trying to take a hard stance on the issue, as he was very likely an Elven Supremacist, even if he hadn't been eyeing the crown and personal gains.
Even so, Vahn was a little curious about something and asked, "Mesir, do you have a daughter or niece that is currently outside of the Elven Kingdom...?" Hearing this, the previously befuddled man furrowed his brows deeply and asked, "Do you know something about my niece...?" Vahn gestured in a dismissive manner, saying, "Relax, she is just someone I met recently and I noticed you had similar hair colors. She is within Orario, and I can't really answer any questions about her, even if you asked. Besides, the more important matter right now is that you have been relieved of your position. For the time being, you should clean your own house before I have to come by and do it for you...if you are truly loyal to the Kingdom, you will stand aside on this matter and do as you are told."
Before Mesir's blood pressure caused him an aneurysm, Larfal raised his hand to silence the man and, with a stern expression on his face, stated, "Without Sage Vahn's assistance, the Elven Kingdom itself would have faced destruction and fallen under a despotic regime. We have personally seen the extent of his capabilities and have absolute confidence that he acts in the interests of the Elven people, even if it goes against the interests of those currently holding power. As the Nobles were supposed to be the 'servants' of the people, we will extend to him our full support and authority. For the duration of this emergency situation, Vahn Mason, Sage Aldrnari, has been given full administrative rights to the Kingdom, including the right to enact Martial Law and depose officials, irrespective of position. As for his own position, let the court recognize that Vahn Mason is now the acting Prime Minister of the Elven Kingdom!"
Not only were the Ministers themselves surprised, but Vahn was also stunned to have suddenly been made Prime Minister by Larfal. However, it would make his future actions much easier to enact as he would now have a title granting him authority, instead of 'forcing' the change as an outsider. There were several policy changes he wanted to enact and, as it would be necessary to 'clean house', Vahn would be able to act with impunity. This also made it so, after everything was said and done, his actions could be interpreted as the decision of the Crown, meaning the reform would only strengthen the power of the King in the future. Since Larfal was intending to step down and hand over the crown to Masonia in the future, Vahn would essentially be strengthening the foundation of his own son's rule in the future...assuming the latter became King.
Since he was linked with her telepathically, Vahn communicated the change in his 'status' to Riveria, who almost immediately asked him to bring her over. Though it still wasn't the best time for such things, Vahn knew Riveria's presence would also help smoothen things over in the interim. Without refusing her this time, Vahn moved to the side and chanted, "Let me Summon you, Riveria Ljos Alf~!" His sudden exclamation had surprised everyone within the room, sans Fenrir and Fafnir, but not nearly as much as when they saw a strange magic circle appear on the ground. Coming forth from a burst of subtle golden light, Riveria appeared, wearing her [Pactio] raiment, which took on the form of a very regal dress with her artifact being a seven-pronged silver crown on her head.
Larfal had no idea about his daughter's [Pactio] and just thought Vahn had used a very rare and powerful spatial teleportation magic. The fact he had done something so advanced, using a single line incantation, had completely stunned everyone present. As for Riveria, she tapped the end of her [Magna Alfs] against the hard floor and calmly stated, "I will support my Husband's decisions and provide aid to the Elven Kingdom and its people. Father, please assign me the role of Special Advisor to the acting Prime Minister..."
Though he had numerous questions, Larfal nodded his head and proclaimed in an authoritative voice, "Henceforth, Riveria Ljos Alf, Princess of the Elven Kingdom, shall hold the duties of Special Advisor to the acting Prime Minister, Vahn Mason, Sage Aldrnari!" Normally, such decisions would be put to a vote by the council but, given the circumstances, Larfal skipped the formalities and made the decisions personally. With Vahn and his daughter working together, Larfal had no doubt things would be resolved in a much smoother fashion than if Vahn had been the only one to act. Riveria's popularity and rapport with the people were even higher than his own so they would more readily accept the changes proposed by Vahn if she supported him.
Nodding her head in acceptance, Riveria turned to Vahn and, seeing the 'pain' hidden in his eyes, her heart twisted in its chest. However, she kept her calm demeanor and asked, "What is your next plan of action, Prime Minister Vahn?" With his own expression softening a bit, Vahn turned to the gathered Ministers and stated, "The path walked by the Elven Kingdom for the last thousand years has led toward decline and stagnation. Not just the Nobles, but the Sage Council and the High Priestess Faction are all responsible for this occurrence. Henceforth, we will be introducing great reforms to the Elven Kingdom, including opening up the borders and renegotiating trade deals with other countries. The Alliance between the Elven Kingdom and the Iron Hills will be absolved, as their hand in the events that nearly caused the Kingdom's destruction can be seen very clearly. Their bombs not only held nearly half the Elven population hostage, but they nearly burned down two of the Sacred Trees..."
For the next two hours, Vahn went on a very long diatribe, tearing apart all the old policies and verbally admonishing the failures of the Ministers themselves. It helped that, a few minutes after he had started, Terra ended up teleporting to his side while Fenrir continued to glare icily at each of the men who once held their heads up high above others. Vahn gave them all a chance to prove that their loyalty was towards the Elven people, tasking each of them to return to their own houses and imprison anyone they knew of wrongdoing. He gave them two days to clean things up before he would come through and do it for them. For those that tried to escape, or cover up the despotic ways of their family members, they would share in the punishment and responsibility.
Vahn knew it wouldn't be possible to simply abolish the Nobility at present, but it didn't mean he couldn't slowly take away all of their power. Those that placed more emphasis on keeping that power, instead of doing what was best for the Elven people, would be removed from their positions. They would be forced to take vows and publically tried for their crimes, allowing the Elven people to see the truth of the matter as an investigation was conducted, prying into all of their affairs. When everything was said and done, the Noble houses themselves would be 'purified' and demoted from Duke status into simple houses that owned property. However, if they had been proven to be incapable of managing said property, it would be seized and forfeited to the country...
Towards the latter half the discussion, a servant arrived within the Throne Room, announcing the arrival of the High Priestess Faction representatives. This had caused Vahn to reign in his anger a bit, sparing the gathered High Elves his fury for a moment. Though this would likely change, depending on the attitude of the High Priestess Faction, the latter had brought the group a momentary reprieve. Then, when Larfal gave his permission for them to enter, a group of three women came in, consisting of two mature High Elves with matching gold hair and pale pink eyes. Between them, there was a much smaller High Elf, standing at only 158cm tall and possessing white-gold hair and dark blue eyes. Vahn recognized all three of the women, knowing two of them to be named Sylfia Dal Alfan and Irisalia Els Lainu respectively. As for the other woman, she was the one who had tried to kill him with her gravity artifact, leading to the situation where he had struck her across the face.
Vahn wasn't surprised to see that the two older women had somewhat hostile auras towards him, filled with strands of red, orange, and a few threads of purple. What he was surprised to see, however, was the fact that the smaller of the three, Sylfia, had a sunny yellow aura, intermixed with a few stranged of sky blue and pink. This was very 'normal' for most of the girls he interacted with outside of the Manor, but it was very abnormal for the current circumstances. Vahn couldn't help but frown slightly, wondering what he had done to leave such a 'good' impression on the younger of the three High Elves. Regardless, though it might be troublesome in the future, Vahn knew it would be beneficial to the current situation and just let the matter lay for the time being.
After approaching, Sylfia gave a polite bow towards Larfal, saying, "Forgive me, King Larfal, for not having made introductions prior to this tragic event. My name is Sylfia Dal Alfan, the current High Priestess of the Sacred Heart Tree..." Hearing this, some of the Ministers began to stir but it was Larfal who asked, "Dal Alfan...?" while looking towards one of his remaining Ministers, the Minister of Agriculture, Jericho Dal Alfan. The man looked as if he had just seen a ghost and, against any reasonable sense of propriety, exclaimed, "You are a child of the Dal Alfan family!? How could the High Priestess faction have kept such an important secret from us!? We-"
Before the man could continue any further, Vahn bore his aura down upon him and said, "If you even think about uttering some bullshit about someone 'belonging' to a family, I will free yours from having to tolerate your idiocy. The High Priestess Faction has likely given shelter to many females from all the noble houses, including the royal family itself. Don't think you have any right to lay claim to the life of another. If you truly believe that is the case, then I'll extend my right to lay claim to your life..." Vahn had noticed the man's aura flare up and begin to gravitate towards Sylfia the moment she announced her name, almost as if she 'belonged' to him. Now that he had made his threat, Vahn noticed that the man's aura actually had a few strands of grey mixed in, slowly taking on a black hue as he scowled with clenched teeth.
The moment he saw this, Vahn had already appeared in front of the man, causing his eyes to widen as he attempted to bring his arms up into a defense position. Being a Level 5 Mage, without ever putting any focus on his physical parameters, Jericho was mid-movement when he felt a painful burning sensation in his chest. He hadn't been completely crippled, but Vahn would follow-up with him later to see if the man had the lack of foresight to try and stir up trouble. Vahn knew that it was very 'important' to the Noble houses to keep their blood purity high and, with the existence of girls like Lefiya and Sylfia, they would do almost anything to get their hands on them.
This realization made Vahn wonder if it wouldn't just be easier to completely get rid of the Nobles outright. After all, though they would certainly spin it to make it appear as though only a few of their members had been part of the coup, there were more than a few reasons to hold them all accountable. When he stripped them of their titles later, it would be on these very grounds that Vahn passed judgment upon them. Before, he had intended to give them a little time to prepare, allowing them to either correct their ways or expose themselves. Now, however, it was looking like he would need to take more decisive action if he wanted to teach them a lesson...
Mid-thought, a bell-like voice sounded out from behind, saying, "Please, Vahn, do not be too harsh on him. I know well of the Minister's actions, including those of his family. He had served the Kingdom loyally for more than one-hundred-seventy years, please be lenient with him..." Vahn felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over his mind, causing him to release a sigh while staring down at the man holding his stomach. There was a palm-shaped burn on his chest and all the mana within his body had been destabilized, causing the man to eject the contents of his stomach onto the floor.
Riveria reached her hand out, placing it on his shoulder and mentally communicating, ("Vahn, you have been working very hard over the last few hours...leave the rest to me and just give me input on anything you want to change, okay...?") Hearing Riveria's calming words within his mind, Vahn's tensions slowly began to release and he started thinking about his actions with a bit more clarity. He had given in to violence too easily after saving the King from his assassination attempt. So many things had compounded after the fact that, now that they were beginning to calm down, Vahn was struggling to get out of a battle-ready state. Thus, with a small nod, Vahn moved over to the side, pulled out a sofa for himself to sit on. Fenrir had already moved over and plopped down next to him, so Vahn snuggled up with her and began watching the proceedings with a lazy expression...
Though Vahn's actions were more than a little 'awkward', nobody said anything to reprimand him, including Larfal and Riveria. Instead, they began talking about the changes Vahn had mentioned previously and how they would be dealing with the fallout of this event. Sylfia, even though it went against the will of Irisalia and Deina, agreed with many of the things Riveria had said. During the conversation, she would also send glances towards Vahn, wondering about the identity of the strange Chienthrope girl. She would also look over at the woman who had saved her previously, an existence, unlike anything she had ever encountered. Then, completing the cycle, Sylfia would look to Riveria, who she knew to be Vahn's wife, and couldn't help but wonder about the other girls that surrounded Vahn...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Nah, I'm good...','*inhales deeply*...BOI!','*Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii*')
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章 770: Reform
Riveria wasn't just the Princess of the Elven Kingdom in name, no, she had spent nearly fifty years preparing to become the next ruler of the Kingdom before fleeing to Orario after the revelation she had been denied the opportunity to do so. Now that she had the chance to bring about reforms, bringing forth a better future for her people, and preserving the life of her Father, Riveria had taken to the task with unrivaled fervor. Though she was still very reliant upon Vahn to bring certain changes, especially in regards to the status of the Noble families, most of the other things were easily fixed after making changes in the policies, and those charged with overseeing them.
Ultimately, after a period of nearly two months, the seven primary Noble families had been completely defanged. After conducting their investigations, and holding nearly three-hundred public trials, it was determined that none of the Noble families, including the Ljos Alf family, should keep their Noble status. They were stripped of their Duke titles and, with the exception of some ancestral lands, most of their properties and investments were also seized. Though there was a fair amount of resistance, especially in the Ljos Alf and Dal Alfan families, Riveria had been as objective and decisive as possible. After all, even though she was a descendant of the Ljos Alf family herself, they obviously had their fair share of problems and were ultimately responsible for how things had become.
During the trials, the amount of resentment the normal Elven households held towards the Nobles, including the few that believed High Elves to be 'special', had reached a critical level. The fact that five of the Noble houses had conspired together, with the support of the Sage Council, had been a very eye-opening event for them. With the Council completely dissolved, with most of its members killed or crippled, all of their wrath had been directed towards the Noble families themselves. If not for the transparency in the trials, and how Riveria had held 'all' families accountable, there could have been an internal revolution. Of course, the ultimate deciding factor, preventing things from getting that far, was the presence of Vahn, and the prestige of Riveria and Larfal.
In the end, though Larfal would remain King until he ceded the throne, it was decided that things would revert back to the past, a means of showing respect to the Elves of old. Previously, before the first Elven King had taken power, the throne had always been held by the strongest and most capable among the Elves. They also needed to be respected by the people and, any member of the royal court, was elected by the populous, not 'assigned' by a Noble family. As for the whole 'blood purity' thing, and the fact that Elves were 'superior', this was one of the first policy changes brought about.
Riveria, Larfal, and Vahn, all made it very clear that, while your birth certainly affected your starting point, the life you lived after the fact it what should define you. Blood purity was a flawed concept from the start as, without having a large enough genetic pool, it caused more problems in the future than it solved. Though most people couldn't really understand this, documentation to that effect was made publically accessible after the [Sage Aldrnari's Blessing] had been revealed. A lot of people had already heard the rumors, but seeing Riveria moving around easily, even more powerful than in the past, had caused many people to begin believing the claims about how Vahn had become a Sage, to begin with. When the [Sage Aldrnari's Blessing] had been revealed, there was a very noticeable shift in the dynamic of the Elven people, giving Riveria much greater momentum for other policy changes later on.
Though he didn't disclose how the [Sage Aldrnari's Blessing] was made, nor how to inscribe the crest onto the stomach of Elven women, Vahn did make much of his research public. This was to give people hope for the future and, to prove that it worked, Vahn had willingly performed the 'ceremony' on a few Elven females, including some volunteers from the High Priestess Faction. Then, to demonstrate the principle that the developing fetus needed a large amount of natural energy to sustain itself, Vahn used his [Yggdrasil's Favor] and [Hands of Nirvana] to replenish the vitality of many expectant mothers. At the same time, he had become something of a physician within the Elven community and was training many of their doctors in some of the medical procedures he had learned from reading books and simulating within his mind.
Previously, most of the Elven community had been utterly terrified of Vahn, especially when they realized exactly what he had done. The fact that, within the period of a day, Vahn had saved the King, defeated the Noble families' forces, extinguished the fires burning down their homes, protected the Sacred Trees, freed more than thirty thousand of their kin, destroyed the Sage Council, and become the Prime Minister...it was very difficult to accept the reality of the situation. If not for the fact that nearly a third of their population has 'witnessed' these events, many people would have thought it was just a gross exaggeration.
Now, the public opinion of Vahn had been quickly transitioning in a positive direction, especially after the blockade of the Western Forest had been immediately brought to an end. Not only was he improving the quality of life for the common citizens of the Elven Kingdom, but there was a large influx of essential goods entering in through the previously closed borders. This, added to the fact that he had publicized his research, had left a deep impression on people. He also made himself very accessible and could always be seen either helping people out, rebuilding areas that were damaged during the attack, and even revitalizing the Sacred Trees...
However, the biggest factor that changed the way Elves viewed Vahn were the people who had surrounded him. Not only did he have the support of their Princess, Riveria, but he also had a True Dragon that had dominion over nature. Terra, to the people of the Elves, was almost like a walking Sacred Tree. Not only did her aura give them an extreme degree of comfort, but she had a very kind and caring disposition, seemed to possess an infinite amount of wisdom, and was, inarguably, the strongest entity they had ever seen. She had been the one to put out the fires across the forest and, though it had caused them a great deal of stress at first, the barriers that had been erected around the Sacred Trees had been slowly revitalizing them over time.
Other than Riveria and Terra, Vahn eventually brought Lefiya and Ryuu over as well, causing a stir within the Elven community when they learned that Lefiya was not only a Dal Alfan, but a Spirit. As for Ryuu, she had simply wanted to return to her family for a short while. Her family had been part of the loyalist faction that served the High Elves and, as a result of their foolishness, the majority of them had been killed by Vahn, or tried after the fact. The only survivors ended up being her aunt and three children who had avoided the conflict outright. Vahn had agreed to let them attend the School in the future, but only because Ryuu didn't want to entrust them to her rather despicable Aunt...
The reason Vahn had asked Lefiya to come over was to deal with a troublesome situation that had been occurring with the High Priestess Faction, though it had a lot of its authority removed and was no longer a standing faction. Sealing of the Sacred Trees, and forcing the Priestesses to mingle amongst normal civilians, had hurt the prestige they enjoyed for the last thousand years. Though they had never taken direct action to try and 'control' the people through force, it was easy to see that the High Priestess Faction had enjoyed many privileges due to the power base they had established. With the Nobles and Sages being dealt with, they also had to make several concessions and had the majority of their authority outright stripped away from them.
At first, the High Priestess Faction had opposed these changes, as all powers that had held onto their power and authority for too long were ought to do. However, the fact that their current High Priestess, Sylfia, had been working alongside Riveria made it very difficult for them to make a case against it. Vahn also publicized the fact that, unless all of the standing powers gave ground on the issues of reform, he would never publicize the blueprints of the [Sage Aldrnari's Blessing], nor would he teach anyone how to carve the crest. He wasn't here to empower a broken system, but to bring about real and lasting change that would benefit all Elves in the present, and future. Sylfia had made a public statement as the High Priestess, giving her full support for the idea and asking that all of the other Priestesses, and those faithful to their beliefs, took this as an opportunity to revitalize the Elven people and create a better future for themselves...
This had caused a bit of a problem, however, as Sylfia had never made any major public appearances and, though she had a fair amount of support, there were a lot of rumors going around about how she had become Vahn's slave, even temporarily. Though they had felt a certain amount of gratitude and anguish when she had originally agreed to the terms of the people keeping them captive, all so they might go free, people couldn't forget how 'readily' she had lowered her head to Vahn. The fact that she supported him so strongly, after the fact, had caused people to wonder if she was simply a maiden that had fallen in love and, though this wasn't exactly a bad thing, tensions had been very high during the time these rumors were going around.
What made matters worse was, during one of her public appearances, shortly after she had gotten a crest carved into her abdomen, Sylfia had publically admitted to the fact. Vahn had already been very aware of her feelings, as she had been very awkward during the time he was applying her crest, but he hadn't expected her to essentially announce that she had fallen in love with him to the public. This caused things to take a strange transition and it almost ended with Sylfia having to announce that she had given up her title as High Priestess. If not for the fact that she had the support of the King, Riveria, Vahn, and, after making her existence public knowledge, Lefiya, things might have become even more troublesome.
Lefiya's involvement had been predicated on the fact that she was a Spirit, the object of worship by the Elves and the High Priestess Faction in general. Though they respected all Spirits, those that had direct ties to their Ancestral Spirits were significantly more important to the Elven people. The whole reason Sylfia had even become a High Priestess herself was that she had descended from the line of Wishe and possessed high potential, startling intellect, and the ability of foresight. With Lefiya also being revealed as a daughter of Wishe, with a purified bloodline, her existence had garnered a lot of attention, especially from the now-defunct Dal Alfan family. There was a big push to have her be the next High Priestess, something Lefiya had adamantly refused while publically giving her support to both Vahn and Sylfia, though not towards any romantic developments between them.
With Lefiya's words, people began to consider things in greater detail and, after learning that her blood purification was also a result of Vahn's efforts, public opinion immediately swayed to their side. Though 'blood purity' had been invalidated and treated as a matter of lesser significance, it was still something deeply rooted in the hearts and minds of almost every person of Elven descent. Knowing that Vahn had not only come up with solutions to their infertility issue, but could also purify their bloodlines, the public couldn't blame anyone for wanting to support him, especially the High Priestess. After all, she was a very rare female High Elf and, though she didn't exploit her status, she was an important figurehead to her people and there was a big push to have her engaged with Vahn as a result of their heritage.
Though it was still very difficult to believe, it had already been made public that Vahn was a 'Progenitor' who had already sired a child with their Princess, resulting in a High Elf of extremely high blood purity. Since he also had the ability to purify a person's blood after the fact, a lot of the older families, and those that had previously supported the idea of Elven superiority, believed that Vahn would be able to 'revitalize' their people. It wasn't just Sylfia who the people had tried to push onto him, but almost every unmarried High Elf, totally thirty-seven people, with Sylfia being the youngest.
Eventually, Vahn had to publically announce that he had no intentions of taking additional wives, nor would he be accepting mistresses. Though he appreciated the feelings directed towards him, it was his goal to change the standard of living for all Elven people, not create a new generation of High Elves to be worshipped and respected by virtue of their birth. Though he would help ensure that High Elves, and Elves in general, were able to safely give birth, he wouldn't have any direct hand in impregnating them. Since the majority of people couldn't really understand why he would refuse to bed so many beautiful women, Vahn outright admitted that he was already in love with too many women and it would simply be wrong for him to accept even more into his life. Since he also refused to sire children that he could not care for personally, this meant he had absolutely no interest in becoming 'breeding stock' for the benefit of a broken system.
Such admissions had hurt his impression within the community at first but, after a few weeks had passed, most people had accepted his reason and had started to open up to him after witnessing all the things he was doing to make good on his promises. Anyone that knew him closely could see that Vahn was a very kind and caring man and, though they didn't have too many public displays of affection, it was easy to see that he was very close to the girls around him. Though some of the hardliners from the old factions were still trying to press the issue, most of the High Elven women respected Vahn's decision as, both directly and indirectly, he had shown his respect for them as well.
The only one who didn't seem to give up on the idea was Sylfia herself who, if she wasn't busy, would linger around the areas Vahn's frequented. If she couldn't find him, she would go to where Terra could usually be found or, using her status as High Priestess, seek out Riveria or Lefiya to simply chat. She had also started wearing a two-piece robe that had a crop-top design that exposed the navel and a loose robe that hugged her slender hips. This was a 'fashion' that had been popularized by Riveria herself, and the public display of their crests had become a matter of pride for the women who already possessed one.
Riveria wasn't actually that against the idea of Sylfia pursuing Vahn and, as they worked together a lot, the two had started to become close over the two-month period they had been traveling back and forth between Orario and the Elven Kingdom. As for Lefiya, she wasn't that fond of her 'cousins' attempts to 'seduce' her Master, especially when she heard how Sylfia had also tried to become a 'subordinate' during the chaos of the first day. Though Lefiya didn't mind Vahn's relationships with other girls, as some of them were also very exciting for herself, she actually didn't like the idea of him being involved with other girls. The people at the Manor had been like one big family for a long time and it was much easier to accept her Master being involved with them than any 'outsiders'.
Even though this was the case, and Sylfia could tell that her younger cousin wasn't too fond of her pursuit of Vahn, she never gave up trying to get close to them. The first time she had been able to receive a 'head pat' from Vahn, Sylfia had happily talked about the event to everyone in her social circle. That night, Vahn had to pacify a frustrated Lefiya, promising that he wasn't going to let other girls break into his heart so easily. As this was the truth of the matter, and Vahn was still living his dual life between the Manor and the Elven Kingdom, she eventually forgave him. After all, Vahn genuinely had no intention of giving into Sylfia's advances and was actually more focused on managing things with the School and spending time with his children.
Each of the Vanir had been growing like beansprouts, now appearing to be around the ages of 5-6 years old each. Eina was also due to deliver her child any day now and it had been a big distraction for Vahn's other duties. This was compounded by the fact that Naaza had been seeking him out a lot more than before, simply wanting to spend time together, while Lili actually looked like she was already halfway into her pregnancy. The fact she was carrying triplets, with her small body, always made Vahn feel very fretful. If not for his ability to travel the distance between Orario and the Elven Kingdom in less than a few seconds, he wouldn't really be able to keep up with all of the things he wanted to take care of right now.
Vahn was stuck between helping manage the affairs of the Elven Kingdom, dealing with the fallout of the Alliance between the Elves and the Dwarves, renegotiating trade agreements, spending time with the girls, making sure his children were happy, and trying to fit in small moments of training. All the while this was going on, Vahn also had to make sure things with the School were running smoothly and, though he still struggled with controlling two bodies, Vahn was starting to consider trying to make a third. Even [Shadow Clones], which he had neglected as a solution in the past, were starting to look like a very useful ability...
Even so, Vahn still felt like every day was very fulfilling, especially since his children seemed to be very understanding of things. He still played with them when he could and, almost every night he wasn't within the orb, Vahn would sleep with them and their mothers. Loki and Hephaestus had been very helpful during all of this, while all the girls in the Manor showed their support in their own ways. Vahn even summoned over the girls to the Elven Kingdom to start getting people used to the idea of foreigners visiting their lands in the future.
Vahn also noticed that many of them had, temporarily, even stopped using the orb and spent more time in the real world. Since he couldn't really make use of it himself right now, they didn't want to be away from him for long periods of time, especially when they knew he was working very hard. Though they would still drop in for an hour or two each day, generally to get in some morning training and work on some projects, most of the girls had been outside playing with the Vanir, taking care of the children, or even serving as assistant teachers at the School. It was moments like this, when everyone was working together to share the burden that would have been impossible for one person, that made Vahn feel truly gratified...
---
Though Vahn had been busy with a variety of different issues, he had become the primary talking point for a certain group that resided in a City above the clouds. Presently, located within a cold stone sanctum, there were three gods sitting around a circular table talking about Vahn's recent exploits. On one side, there was a youthful god with onyx-black hair, starling blue eyes, and a strange golden eye patch covering his left eye. On the other side, there was a god who appeared both elderly and youthful, possessing similarly striking eyes and currently wearing a loose robe that exposed his muscular body. To his left, leaning into his shoulder, there was a proud goddess who had a glimmer of wisdom in her golden eyes as she rested her auburn red hair against the previous god's neck.
The onyx-haired god, Odin, looked at the two lovebirds across from him and asked, "So, do you think we should intervene with the Alliance, or let it continue to grow? I do not believe Vahn is a threat to the world, but I believe the changes he is introducing will fundamentally alter how people live in the future. I even had Frigga and Urðr look into the future...I believe Vahn's actions to be just and in the interests of everyone..." Though he had only interacted with Vahn once, Odin had been watching over the boy and his exploits often ever since. Yes, Vahn was very ruthless at times, but only when he 'needed' to be. Most of his actions generally had far-reaching consequences, almost exclusively for the betterment of a large number of people, so Odin had a very favorable impression of the boy.
In response to his words, however, Zeus snorted and said, "I'll admit, the boy truly is deserving of the title of Hero, but he is also far too arrogant. Though he hasn't become a threat yet, he is only a few steps away from being a repeat of that golden-brat, Gilgamesh. We need to seriously consider dealing with him soon or it'll be too late to have regrets after even more goddesses support him!" Unlike Odin, Zeus' impression of Vahn was that of a petty and arrogant mortal that thought too highly of themselves. Though he couldn't fault Vahn for wanting to protect the dignity of his women, the fact he had been so disrespectful to a 'god' had ruined most of Zeus' favorable impression of the arrogant youngster.
As was often the case, Hera nodded her head in agreement with Zeus, parroting, "Even though he is still a little weak, he was able to defeat Siegfried after the latter went all out. It seems he has abilities that grant him 'instant regeneration', 'unlimited mana', and 'elemental transformation'. Combine with his status as a demigod and Progenitor, he is simply too dangerous to leave be. Once he matures, even Heracles and Theseus may not even be able to pose a threat to him...depending on how things develop, he could become the greatest enemy of Legend and slowly conquer the entire Continent. Even gods are siding with him, making him a lingering threat that might also affect us when we return to Heaven...!"
Feeing into the loop, Zeus nodded his head and added onto Hera's words, "If we cannot get Vahn under control, we need to take actions to remove him from the equation in the future. Though it will probably upset Hestia, and some other troublesome goddesses, we can't simply let one person bring about such change in such a short period of time. People can't adapt that quickly and, if left to his own devices, Vahn will probably bring about reform to all countries, not just the Elven Kingdom. If the policies he enacts are just, that is good, but we all know that power will eventually get into the head of any mortal. Now that he has progeny of his own, they will slowly change how he sees the world and, in order to make sure they are able to live as they please, Vahn will undoubtedly change his own perspective to suit them...troublesome..."
Odin looked at his two companion gods with a dull expression, supporting his head with his fist as he said, "As I said, the path Vahn is creating towards the future seems to be the 'correct' path. The prosperity he will bring to the world far outweighs any of the damage he is doing in the present. He is also increasing the strength of common men and pushing the strength of those that seek the peak even higher. For our purposes, the reforms he is bringing are actually more beneficial than any actions we ourselves have taken. The number of potential Heroes will undoubtedly increase in the future and, as long as we don't make any mistakes now, our Organization may grow even larger. I also believe that, if we leave him be now, Vahn will actually be much easier to convince once he matures. He is still young right now and, though power can easily corrupt mortals, the number of goddesses around Vahn will keep him in line...if we take action now, there is no guarantee we can even defeat him. In the process, we will earn the ire of hundreds of goddesses, both in the Mortal World and in Heaven...you're letting your own frustrations cloud your judgment..."
Hearing this, Zeus frowned and Hera finally stopped leaning against him as she sat up straight and hardened her expression. She actually agreed with Odin's words a bit, especially after watching the battle between Vahn and Siegfried, but she would still support Zeus if it came down to it. Thus, she sat by and watched as the two gods, who had shared a kinship lasting for eons, glared towards each other. Neither was willing to back down and, even though Zeus also knew Odin was likely correct, he couldn't easily give in on the matter. Vahn had hurt his pride and, as petty as it might seem, Zeus had never allowed anyone to step on his pride without some form of retribution...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Where the King at...?','Sylfia wants them good genes...?','Petty AF')
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