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50.52% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1190: Treasure

章 1190: Treasure

In preparation for when he would first hold Court, Vahn needed to order his affairs and, at it felt like a considerable amount of time had passed since he last saw them, the first thing on his agenda was recovering Illya, Iris, Kenshin, Scáthach, and Heracles. If he held his first Court without them, a rather historical event, there was a good chance that Illya, in particular, would be hurt. Though she was well on her way to stabilizing and should have become much stronger after overcoming this difficulty, it would be incredibly inconsiderate of him to exclude her from such an important event.

After finishing his preparations, and having a long discussion with Merlin, Vahn teleported to just outside the Bounded Field leading up to the Einzbern Castle. As an established family with an incredibly long history, it was a given that the barriers surrounding the Einzbern Castle made it very difficult for Alaya to access the interior without using forceful means. Since she was prevented from doing so, requiring others to act on her behalf, the only way Alaya could gain access to the interior of powerful Bounded Feilds was if she accompanied Vahn directly. This was due to the fact that her highest priority at the moment was observing him and collecting data.

With Artoria, Gray, Fenrir, and Mordred at his side, Vahn expanded his domain outward, blocking off the biting winds and snow that were sweeping across the mountain path like an icy tempest. Since he hadn't listened properly, Mordred ended up doing a small shimmy and, even though the ice had no real effects on her, she still exclaimed in an excited voice, "Wow, it is super cold out here~!" This was far from the first time she had seen snow but, as there were few tall mountains in Britain, the sub-zero temperatures, low oxygen levels, and endless snowy landscape combined to form quite the idyllic experience.

Before Mordred to scamper off into the woods, Vahn picked her up by the scruff of her jacket before using his Telekinesis to guide her to his shoulders. Though she had an adorable pouting expression when he first picked her up, this changed into a toothy grin by the end. Then, leaning against the top of his head, Mordred pointed towards the mountain's peak, shouting, "Onwards, Chichue, let us conquer the mountain~!"

---

Unlike the scene of Illya's group having to fight their way up, the path forward was relatively smooth for Vahn's as, before setting out, he had sent a message directly to Illya, informing of his arrival. With her being one of his Servants, albeit as a result of Cath Palug existing within her body, Vahn was able to telepathically communicate with her. During an emergency, he could even use a Command Spell to summon her to his side so, while he often tried to speak with her directly, it was convenient to use in situations like this. As a result, when Vahn's group passed through the second Bounded Field, the first thing they saw was Kenshin seated atop her horse while a contingent of white-haired, ruby-eyed women were neatly formed up to receive them.

Though Kenshin and her rather massive horse were the most eye-catching element in the group, it didn't take long for Vahn to shift his attention to the most petite member of the entourage, Illya, accompanied by her mother. While wearing a purple winter coat, thick fur boots, and a furry hat, Illya ran forward and, despite the fact that he already had Mordred seated on his shoulders, leaped with open arms towards Vahn. As he had dealt with some rather rambunctious children in his days, Vahn was perfectly capable of catching Illya out of the air without destabilizing Mordred, allowing her to nuzzle into his chest as a single tear ran down her face.

To her credit, Mordred realized she was in the way and, despite the fact Vahn hadn't asked her to, she rolled off his shoulder before landing nimbly on her feet. Then, while Vahn continued to hug Illya, gently whispering a few warm words to console her, she gravitated towards Fenrir, earning a head pat from the latter. Though it lacked a mastery of Petting Laws, this still brought a smile to Mordred's face while, at the side, Artoria watched on with a thoughtful expression...

Once Illya had calmed down, Vahn was holding her hand as they grouped up with the contingent she had brought to meet him. Vahn shared a few words with Iris and Kenshin, giving both women a hug, a rather tame affair until Kenshin whispered in his ears, "This time apart has allowed me to put things into perspective, Master..." Then, after stealing a kiss from his lips, Kenshin smiled radiantly as she added in an even quieter voice, "I think I'm beginning to understand...this thing called love..."

As he hadn't been expecting this kind of interaction with Kenshin during their reunion, Vahn had a stunned expression on his face that, after seeing her smile, softened into an affectionate look. She didn't expressly state it but, with this admission by Kenshin, he knew it wouldn't be long before she, Nobunaga, and Luvia, were all requesting children directly. This was one of the matters he needed to sort out in the near future as, though the succession of the crown would be wholly dependant on capabilities, the Imperial Family itself was an extension of his Court. He would need to assign roles and responsibilities to everyone in the future, rather than just having them idle about conducting research and training periodically.

Though Kenshin's words had caused his heart to warm up considerably, Vahn knew it wasn't a good time to get caught up in the momentum, especially with a group of thirty extremely similar women staring at them with doll-like expressions. Thus, after giving her a kiss of his own, keeping it relatively tame, Vahn placed his forehead against Kenshin's and answered, "I missed you dearly as well. It feels like such a long time since our parting... let's spend more time together in the future..." This caused Kenshin to lightly chuckle and, though she still had trouble understanding her own emotions, the fluttery feeling in her abdomen always brought a smile to her face...

---

With Mordred now receiving a piggyback ride from Fenrir, Vahn held Illya in his left arm while they ascended the remaining distance to the Einzbern Castle. He had to admit that, while it felt cold and detached from the rest of the world, it was an awe-inspiringly beautiful sight to behold. While it was significantly less impressive than the Ivory Castle, the view of the surrounding mountains and valleys greatly enhanced its overall beauty. At the same time, Vahn could see hundreds of powerful barriers and complex formations protecting the reinforced stone walls while, beneath his feet, the land itself had become an extension of the castle's defenses. It was similar to the dominion that Terra used to protect the Hearth Manor back in the Record of Danmachi, albeit considerably less complex.

Even before they reached the expansive courtyard leading into the castle proper, Vahn had already sensed the surprisingly massive congregation awaiting them. As he expected that Illya wanted it to be a surprise, however, he showed no signs of the shock he had experienced, even though he was conducting a headcount just to wrap his head around the number of new residents he would be responsible for. By the time he had finished, Vahn had accounted for a total of 6,713 Homunculi, many considerably more powerful than even the teachers he had passed during his short stay in the Clock Tower...

Before crossing the stone bridge leading into the courtyard, Illya lightly pat Vahn's shoulder and said, "Put me down." He obliged without asking her reasoning and, with her leading the way, Vahn wasn't far behind as they passed through the massive stone archway and through its two-meter thick stone gates. Even before he had cleared the threshold, Vahn could already see the Homunculi gathered to greet him, each standing with perfect bearing as they flanked the path leading into the castle. Illya had looked up to gauge his reaction and, seeing the genuine surprise on Vahn's face, she adopted a smile, even as there was an apologetic look in her eyes as she explained, "Soon, the total number of Homunculi will reach 7,119. I know it is a lot to ask, but please help them..."

As he had already noticed that many of the Homunculi present only had a few months left to live, while some were already having their lives extended by [Primordial Runes], Vahn gave a solemn nod in response to Illya's request, stating with firm conviction, "Of course. You needn't even ask...I will do my best to save them all..." While saying this, Vahn rubbed the top of Illya's head, knowing that this was an important matter that had the potential of restoring stability to her troubled existence. He had already reunited her with Iris and, if he saved her 'family', Vahn expected that Illya would open herself up completely, not just to him, but to everyone within the castle.

With a radiant smile on her face, Illya enjoyed having her head rubbed before reluctantly pulling away and shouting, "Okay, everyone, just as we practiced~!" Immediately following this, causing a rather thunderous yet sonorous sound, all 6,713 Homunculi simultaneously bowed at the exact same time and politely stated, "Welcome, Your Majesty. We are pleased to be of service." As they were all wearing the same outfit, with many appearing identical to each other, Vahn had been considerably shaken by their simultaneous greeting. This wasn't just due to the fact that it was quite the sight to behold, but more so the result of thousands of notifications simultaneously ringing in his mind. At the same time, it felt like his power had expanded outward, with even his Od jumping from 21,339 to 25,401 in an instant.

Having his power spike nearly twenty percent, Vahn experienced a feeling of euphoria and a swelling of pride, even though he hadn't really done anything to deserve their loyalty just yet. This was largely due to the fact that they were 'programmed' to be extremely loyal to Illya and, as she had elevated his own status above hers, they were unhesitantly loyal to him as a result. In the future, Vahn would help them develop a true ego of their own and, with so many powerful individuals following him, it would increase his power further. If he wanted to, it would even be possible to continue producing even more Homunculi, potentially increasing his power without limits...

Clearing such negative thoughts from his mind, Vahn allowed himself to smile while his aura spread throughout the area, albeit without causing any pressure. Then, once silence had dominated the courtyard, he stated in a voice filled with sincerity, "I promise to create a world where you will all be able to pursue your own happiness. Thank you all for giving me the chance..." Though they may not have made this decision for themselves, Vahn would answer the 'loyalty' displayed by the Einzbern Homunculi by making good on his promise. One day, they would be free from having other people give value to their lives by treating them as tools.

In response to Vahn's words, seemingly as a result of Illya having seen through his nature, the entire group of Homunculi smiled before sonorously chorusing, "We'll be in your care." Having thousands of beautiful women smile simultaneously toward him wasn't a memory Vahn would soon forget as, for a brief moment, his mind had completely blanked as the scene carved itself into his mind. This reaction of his caused Illya to laugh in a rather mischevious and playful manner, similar to a child that had carried out a successful prank. She knew Vahn would have to work hard just to prevent the Homunculi from 'expiring' so giving him a positive impression of them would greatly increase his overall motivation...

---

As a proper tour of the castle could wait until later, Vahn soon found himself inside of the vault that previously housed the Einzbern family's greatest treasures. Illya had already presented him with [Das Rheingold], an artifact that had completely stunned Vahn. He had actually been worried about using too much of the Edelfelt family's finances, regardless of how often Luvia assured him it wasn't an issue, so having an artifact that could literally produce an infinite amount of gold was a considerable boon. This, however, was far from the most important treasure that was turned over to him as some items simply couldn't be valued, at least outside of the system shop. Chief amongst these were, as could be expected, Artoria's legendary scabbard, [Avalon], and the second most protected treasure of the Einzbern family, a transcription of the [Emerald Tablet].

Artoria had been quite shaken to receive [Avalon] as, during her previous summoning in the Fifth Holy Grail War, it had been entrusted to the boy she had pledged her love to, Shirou Emiya. Though she had always expected to be reunited with it at some point, as her fate was intrinsically tied to the scabbard, the fact Illya had turned it over to her so soon was quite the surprise. This caused her to enter a momentarily melancholic state but, as she had already decided to walk towards the future, rather than brooding over the past, her complex emotions were locked away deep in her heart. Her path had diverged from Shriou's and, though they may reunite together in the distant future, she had already made her decision to live in the present alongside Vahn...

While giving Artoria a bit of space, leaving her in the care of Iris and Gray, Vahn went over the other treasures given to him by Illya, including the [Emerald Tablet]. This was a rather important artifact that, according to Illya's account, and the description of the item itself, it had been created by none other than the Third Magician, Kanada Vaisheshika. It was an indestructible emerald tablet that, even with his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn was unable to decipher. The only thing he could ascertain was that the molecular structure itself was organized like a solid Magic Circuit, one which actively interfered with any attempts to interpret its structure.

Though he was able to reach the text on the front of the tablet, which detailed the production of Prima Materia, the creation of a [Philospher's Stone], and the production of Homunculi, Vahn knew there was a phenomenal amount of data stored within the tablet itself. Illya's memories, inherited from Jubstacheit, stated that the tablet actually detailed the process for conducting the Heaven's Feel ritual and, though she could only interpret bits and pieces, it would still lay the foundation to unlocking the rest of its secrets in the future. By using the knowledge she had obtained, it would even be possible to set up another Holy Grail War, opening a way to the Root or allowing them to fundamentally change the world with a wish-granting system solely designed for their use...

With Illya basically providing him with a veritable army of Homunculi, functionally infinite wealth, and the ability to 'literally' make his wishes a reality, Vahn actually wasn't quite sure how to treat her. Illya herself didn't seem to expect anything in return but Vahn felt like he had suddenly accumulated considerable debt. Though such concepts were completely meaningless when both parties cared for each other, he felt compelled to do his best to make Illya even happier in the future. This sentiment was extended toward her mother, Iris, and each of the thousands of Homunculi she had entrusted to him. Since these were the things she cared about the most, Vahn would do his best to protect them, even though that was his intention from the start...

To that end, Vahn managed to convince Scáthach to help out and, using Alaya as a 'battery', it only took a few hours to finish the work that Illya and Iris had started. Neither of them had an affinity with Space so, while they had been making slow progress over the last few days, it had been an arduous process with a lot of trial and error. With Vahn's recently expanding comprehension of Space Laws, combined with Scáthach's omniscience and seemingly limitless capabilities, the were able to fill in the gaps and complete the massive transfer magic circle without any issues. I

With the vault containing a direct link to the artificial leyline created by the Einbern family, which they had been using to nourish [Das Rheingold], it wasn't even necessary for Vahn to provide a power source. Though it could only be used every few hours, movement between the Einzbern Castle to the Ivory Castle only required activating the transfer circle. The bigger issue would be traveling in the reverse direction but, with the number of Fae likely to increase in the near future, Vahn's concerns regarding Magical Energy were slowly fading away. If he wanted to, he still had a 'wish' that could be used, one that would rival the power of the Greater Grail in scale.

Since the Greater Grail could alter causality, shift the perspective of everyone in the world, or even convert every single human into a Spirit-form creature, Vahn had been holding on to the [Grace of the Root] ever since he obtained it. In more ways than one, it was an ultimate trump card that could even allow him to reach the Reverse Side of the World or establish direct communication with Gaia. As having her on his side would prevent a lot of future problems, Vahn had been tempted to use it for that purpose on several occasions. The only preventing this was his knowledge that he could achieve this feat on his own and, as it was better to have the [Grace of the Root] for an emergency, rather than using it for 'convenience', Vahn kept it safely within his Inventory...

As the completed transfer circle didn't care about the number of people, as it linked the Space in one location to another, it was capable of transporting several hundred people at once. So long as they were within the boundaries of the 20m wide circle, they would be teleported directly to the transfer hub that had been established back in the Ivory Castle. Thus, without delaying the matter, large groups of Homunculi were being transferred, accounting for around three-hundred every five hours 'real' time. If there were no delays, every Homunculi could be moved in as little as five days, which was around the same amount of time needed for the final batch that had been growing to mature.

While Kenshin and Iris returned with the first batch of Homunculi, as they would need direction to get settled in properly, Vahn stayed back to tour the Einzbern Castle with Illya. Mordred went off to outright explore the grounds, accompanied by Artoria and Fenrir, so he was allowed some alone time with the petite woman who had suddenly been elevated quite considerably within his heart and mind. Illya herself seemed to be aware of this, causing her face to carry a perpetual blush as a happy smile lingered on her lips. Even though many of the places she took Vahn to had negative memories associated with them, a lot of that simply seemed to fade away with his presence at her side...

The last place Illya took him on their tour of the castle was the most important location, excluding the vault. There, Vahn got to see the thousands of tanks lined up, the majority of which were now completely empty. He imaged Da Vinci would have a field day if given access to this lab while it was easy to imagine Paracelsus and Tristana wanting to coopt this massive atelier for themselves. Vahn's intentions for it were considerably different, however, as he wanted to convert the entire chamber into a 'factory' filled with [Gradation Air Printers]. As they would need billions of them in the future, having a factory that could produce several thousand Companions per day would be helpful towards achieving that goal...

With most of the space relatively empty and cold, it wasn't long before Illya escorted Vahn to the tanks containing the final few hundred Homunculi. Though they were all naked, he didn't show any signs of being affected, even though they were all admittedly very beautiful. Instead, Vahn listened patiently as Illya explained the basic production process of an Einzbern Homunculi, including the various issues that would often arise as a result of their accelerated growth and other factors. This would make it much easier for him to treat each of the Homunculi in the future, especially since he was able to see the flow of energy through their bodies while they were still developing. Thus, while keeping Illya warm with his domain, Vahn listened attentively as she talked about the future, now with a great deal of hope contained in her once cold eyes...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Go forward, my faithful stallion~!','So many breathtaking experiences...','Luvia is fortunate that Illya isn't competing for the position of Empress xD...)

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章 1191: Dedication : Fatigue

As waiting five days for the transfer process to complete would equate to an entire month within the projection, it wasn't really an option for Vahn to delay things. With the final count being over seven-thousand Homunculi, even if he worked his hardest every minute of every day, it would still take him more than seventy days' time within the Projection to treat each of them. Though it was possible to delay things through the use of [Primoridal Rune] Magecraft, ignoring the matter outright was out of the question. Fortunately, Vahn was confident he would be able to greatly reduce the amount of time it took to carve the requisite crest and, with Da Vinci, Paracelsus, Illya, and Iris all offering up their assistance, it was more of an inconvenience than a difficult matter to address.

While Da Vinci worked on creating a system that would allow crests to be carved via laser engraving, Paracelsus focused on mass-producing [Philospher's Stone]s alongside Tristana. As for Illya and Iris, they spent much of their time and effort helping the Homunculi get settled in, a rather arduous feat considering resources, housing, and other essentials needed to be arranged. At the same time, they conducted a census of sorts and assigned simple duties to each Homunculi back in the 'real' world. Since most of the Homunculi had never been given names, with the majority looking nearly identical to each other, they created ornate little name tags for each of the doll-like women.

Until Da Vinci finished with her project, Vahn had the most difficult task amongst everyone as even Rin, Luvia, and Circe fundamentally lacked the dexterity and perception to carve the requisite crests. Since the crest needed to be directly linked with the Magic Circuits and Core of each Homunculi, you needed to have an extremely intimate knowledge of their internal structure as even the smallest of mistakes could have disastrous consequences. Fortunately, in preparation for this potentiality, Vahn had already modified the seal Merlin had taught him in the past, developing what he had named the 'Ouroboros Seal'.

Representing Life, Death, and Infinity, the seal created a loop that recycled the limited vital energy that would have otherwise been consumed over the short lifespans of the Homunculi. Since they subsisted entirely on mana, requiring neither food nor water, the presence of the Ouroboros Seal would grant them a limited form of immortality. So long as they did not burn their vitality in intense combat, the Homunculi would be able to live for several hundred years without any detrimental side effects. The only real limitation to their lifespan would be their cells breaking down and their organs failing, both things that could easily be mitigated as their bodies continually stored mana.

Though he knew the Ouroboros Seal would eventually be spread throughout the Magus community, Vahn didn't particularly care about others seeking limited immortality. In the short term, their efforts wouldn't amount to much and, so long as they did not target the Homunculi in order to obtain the secret, it didn't really matter all that much. If anything, their attempts would only serve to limit their growth as, while Homunculi could be modified to have far more powerful Magic Circuits than most Magi, they were incapable of increasing their strength.

Anyone seeking to obtain immortality using the Ouroboros Seal would need to constantly upgrade themselves, requiring them to create a new body every few years. Thus, in the end, nothing would have changed and, as Vahn intended to have regulations that restricted Homunculi being created for selfish purposes, they would not be able to easily exploit the seal to create immortal servants and slaves. If they were found out using such means, Vahn didn't mind playing the part of a tyrant as, if you treated the lives of others with such disregard, you were practically asking to be treated in the same manner...

---

Though his physical stamina was without a limit, the same could not be said for his mental and spiritual energy. It hadn't affected his focus much but, after nearly five days of constant treatment, Vahn felt as if the image of lingerie-clad Homunculi had been carved into his mind. As soon as he finished one treatment, which included placing his Familia Crest on their backs and the Ouroboros Seal on their abdomens, Vahn would immediately be greeted by yet another waiting Homunculi. It wasn't really a sight that you could grow tired of seeing as, without exception, each of the Justeaze-Type Homunculi had an indisputable beauty, but Vahn was at the point that he could even see them when his eyes were closed...

Choosing not to complain, Vahn, in a state that was both focused and absentminded, did his best to ignore the pleasant aroma wafting from the body of his most recent patient, a Homunculi that had been named June. He had already carved his Familia Crest on her back so she was laying down face-up on a table wearing nothing but a simple white bra and panty set. Unlike the majority of other Homunculi, she had short and somewhat wavy hair. More noticeably, rather than eyes that lacked an ego, there was a small amount of light contained in her ruby-red pupils. She was one of the three-hundred or so Homunculi who had been training with Kenshin, making her one of the more battle-oriented types by nature.

Even if he had seen nearly five-hundred similar physiques over the last five days, Vahn noticed that June had an almost indiscernibly more toned body than her 'sisters'. Like the others, she watched his actions extremely closely, her eyes following his finger as he traced it around her navel, offering no complaints despite the discomfort he knew she was feeling. Then, as had been the case in the prior 483 procedures, June stroked her abdomen with a 'thoughtful' look in her eyes before muttering in a somewhat cold and emotionless tone, "Thank you, Master..." In response to this, even though it had become muscle memory at this point, Vahn's expression softened as he replied in a sincere tone, "You are very welcome, June..."

Hearing her name uttered by Vahn, June smiled in a way that showed the emotion was extremely foreign to her. Then, like her sisters before her, she sat up rather mechanically from the table before wearing the gown she had been wearing prior to the operation. After that, she quickly alighted from the room before, only seconds later, yet another Homunculi entered through the same door. At this point, Vahn felt like he was stuck in an infinite loop and, if not for the fack this version had hair down to the small of her back, she would have been almost indiscernible to June. Despite the incongruous feelings in his heart, Vahn managed to retain his polite smile as he softly uttered, "Welcome. You can place your gown on that hangar and then we'll get started immediately."

Without showing any hesitation whatsoever, his newest patient disrobed, following his instructions and taking a seat atop the examination and operation table. As he performed a routine check of her vitals and analyzed the internal structure of her body, Vahn kept her involved by asking, "Can you tell me your name, please...?" This caused her to immediately reply, a hint of emotion in her otherwise cold tone, "I have been granted the name Anna von Einzbern by Lady Illyasviel." As the act of receiving a name was quite significant for many of the Homunculi, Vahn had made a habit of asking each new face the first time he conversed with them. When he addressed them by name later, this would generally bring a smile to their face as, despite their similarities, Vahn was confident he would never mistake them for their sisters...

While carving his Familia Crest, Vahn continued the conversation, asking in a polite tone, "How are you adapting to life in the castle? Have you seen or done anything interesting...?" As he asked these questions, Vahn was observing the electrical signals in Anna's brain in order to gauge how close she was to developing an independent ego. Illya wanted him to let her know which of the Homunculi were the closest to developing independence as she was hoping to use them as an example for the rest. Unfortunately, though there were signals that indicated she was thinking about a response, Anna replied almost mechanically a few moments later, answering, "I have not had any difficulties adapting. Just recently, I saw one of the maintenance Golems stumble as it tried to evade stepping on a small creature."

Toward the end of her words, Vahn noticed Anna's brain light up a bit and, though she had her back to him, he knew a small smile had spread across her lips. Even without asking, he knew what she meant by 'small creature' but, wanting to encourage her further, Vahn asked, "Oh~? What did this small creature look like? You seem rather fond of it..." This time, Anna spent several long seconds in contemplation, her brain lighting up in different areas before answering in an uncertain tone, "It is hard to be certain...it had a human appearance but with rabbit ears and a tail...? I tried talking to it but it only stared at me for a few seconds before wandering off...I hope I didn't scare it..."

Understanding she was likely talking about Skoll, Vahn gave a small nod before consoling Anna and explaining the existence of the Companions. Most of the Homunculi were still back in the real world, as having them experience accelerated time was counter-intuitive, so only those who were preparing to receive treatment had been given the opportunity to see the rather adorable creatures. She wasn't the first Homunculi to mention encountering one and, as this seemed to 'awaken' something within them, Vahn had been intending to discuss the matter of mass-producing a few to accompany and monitor each of the developing Homunculi. This would be a good eay to stress test their capabilities before releasing them publically so he expected she would be more than willing.

While continuing to make small talk, Vahn quickly finished applying his Familia Crest before having Anna lay on her back. Though it would be easier to apply the Ouroboros Seal if she sat in front of him, Vahn had been a little too distracted by the sight and aroma in his other attempts. Having an unbelievably beautiful woman spread their legs slightly as you spent a few minutes placing a seal around their navel brought with it a few difficulties. It was also considerably more concerting to have them look down on him with their ruby-red eyes than have them watch his actions while laying down. Thus, after the first few emergency procedures, as there were a few Homunculi that were only being kept alive by Scáthach, Vahn had resorted to using a marginally less efficient yet exponentially easier to complete procedure...

With Anna's seal completed, Vahn had finished 485 of his arranged 500 procedures, meaning he only had around four hours left before he took a much-needed break. Still, while he had become numb to the process at this point, Vahn always managed a smile when saying, "Thank you for your patience. It is finished." Then, as had been the case for each of her sisters, Anna stroked the seal before saying in an almost identical fashion, "Thank you, Master..." This was his cue to remind her that he had already taken her name to heart, smiling gently as he replied, "You are very welcome, Anna..." Following this, Anna left the room and, as if the loop had begun anew, yet another Homunculi entered...

---

After finishing his final operation on a Homunculi named Celine, granting him a reprieve of a few hours, Vahn released a profoundly tired sigh before faceplanting on the operations table. Though there was a very fragrant aroma that had been soaked into the plush surface, he had already grown extremely accustomed to its presence and made no effort at propriety. Even if someone accused him of being a pervert that sniffed the table where half-naked women had been laying for the last five days, Vahn wouldn't have particularly cared. It felt like he had just finished working on an extremely complex masterpiece and, though he felt considerably accomplished, knowing this was only the first of fourteen similar processes, it was hard to stay motivated.

Shortly after Celin's departure, Vahn uninhibitedly allowed the fragrance soaked into the table to spread through his lungs before raising his head and rising to his feet. Moments later, much of his fatigue had faded away as, bursting through the door of the room, a wild golden ponytail bobbed behind a red-clad figure as it leaped through the air, shouting, "Chichue~!" Vahn caught her out of the air, chuckling lightheartedly before holding her in his left arm and musing, "You seem excited Mordred. Did something interesting happen~?"

While rubbing the underside of her nose with her index finger, Mordred had a toothy grin on her face as she unabashedly admitted, "I just wanted to see Chichue. You've been working hard so here, have a reward~." Then, planting a sloppy kiss on his cheek, Mordred laughed mischievously before wriggling out of his arm and saying, "Come on, Chichue! Everyone is already waiting for you~!" As she said this, Mordred pulled Vahn by hand, leaving him trailing behind her with a wry smile on his face. He already knew everyone had gathered together a few days ago to discuss the internal affairs of the Imperial Family so this was likely an event they had prepared to inform him of their decisions.

Instead of following all the way to the hall where everyone had gathered, Vahn eventually snatched up Mordred, causing her to laugh uninhibtedly as she attempted to break free by instinct. When she had calmed down, Vahn caressed her head and explained in a tired tone, "This time, I think I'll use my privilege as Emperor to slack off a bit. Can you go and tell everyone that we'll discuss things a little later~?" Though it was perhaps irresponsible for him to 'slack off', especially around Mordred, the latter just smiled mischievously before pumping her fist and saying, "Leave it to me, Chichue~!" Then, after extricating herself a second time, Mordred ran through the corridors with nimble and deft movements, showing no signs that she cared about him slacking off in the slightest...

With Mordred entrusted with her task, Vahn veered on his heels, taking the shortest path toward his bedroom. This was one of the few times where he genuinely just wanted to relax a bit and, though he knew Mordred's explanation would likely make everyone feel guilty about expecting him to show up, Vahn wasn't at the point where he could keep going indefinitely. If he couldn't be a little selfish at times, it wouldn't be long before he had a mental breakdown or pushed himself too far. Thus, in an attempt to remind them that he needed time to mentally recharge, Vahn decided to take a nap without minding the fact he had subverted their expectations...

After reaching his room, Vahn saw his bed tempting him but, as he had already made a habit of it long ago, he decided to take a hot bath before retiring. He appreciated how quicky the tub always filled up and, after retracting his domain completely, Vahn soaked his body in the water and allowed his mind to rest. Though he fully expected Fenrir, Circe, and Medusa to show up at some point, they were a common fixture in his bedroom whenever he rested. It was a bit selfish of him, but Vahn was looking forward to having them pamper him for a change. Even Circe, while selfish by nature, was inclined towards service and hospitality. Though she was quite fond of receiving affection, she was just as likely to fawn over him when he was tired...

Though he had shut off his domain and closed off most of his senses, Vahn could feel the subtle vibrations through the air when the door to his room was opened. He had been growing increasingly sensitive to such things as, the stronger a person became, the more their presence would affect the Space around them. The fact he could sense this even without his domain caused Vahn to peel his eyes open, a thoughtful look in his eyes. He was currently in his base form, with most of his senses unenhanced, so it was quite literally an eye-opening revelation that he could still sense the intrusion.

Since he had already soaked for a few minutes, Vahn extricated himself from the hot water before using a towel to dry himself. Then, after changing into some sleepwear, Vahn exited his bathroom to find something unexpected. Instead of the three girls he expected, there was four present, making him thankful he had the wherewithal to put on clothes before exiting the bath. At the same time, he was able to understand why he had been able to sense them as, while others might go unnoticed, Artoria and Gray had particularly strong bonds that he was constantly made aware of...

Though Vahn felt a strange incongruity seeing the similarities between Artoria and Gray, as he had just spent days viewing near-identical women, it faded quickly when they both smiled back at him. Then, with a triumphant expression on her face, Mordred gave a cheeky smile as she exclaimed, "I completed my mission~!" before Artoria explained, "Since we realized you must be tired, everyone decided it would be best for you to relax. If you want, even taking a few days off is fine..." Before she had finished speaking, Vahn was already shaking his head, stating, "Just resting for a few hours with my two adorable daughters will be enough. I even get the company of two inordinately beautiful women so I can't really complain at all~."

With his words causing all four girls to smile, Vahn allowed his expression to soften as he moved to pick up Mordred and Sakura. The latter had a concerned expression on her face earlier but, seeing that her Otou-sama was in high spirits, she had a relieved look while hugging his neck, saying in a comforting tone, "Rest lots, Otou-sama. You shouldn't push yourself so hard all the time..." Though she had felt a little lonely with him being busy for several days straight, Sakura felt extremely guilty in hindsight. Since he was always so amazing she hadn't even thought that he would be tired so, when Mordred showed up to explain that he had gone to bed, Sakura felt a sour feeling in her nose.

Hearing Sakura's words, Vahn felt the kind of vindication only parents were able to experience. His smile became more natural and, while hugging both girls, he carried them over to the bed. Then, deciding to take advantage of the situation, Vahn pulled out sleepwear from his Inventory, earning an almost immediate sigh from Artoria and a bashful blush from Gray. As for Mordred and Sakura, they had already expected such an outcome so, after quickly changing, a family of five tigers could be found cuddling within Vahn's room...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: '7,119 Homunculi, each taking around 15 minutes each (O___O)...','TFW you realize this is the kind of state many Doctors in the real world work in...','Even Emperor's need to rest')

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