章 1268: Interlude: Pushing Boundaries
Though he did not mean to belittle her, Vahn couldn't help but chuckle in response to Semiramis' words about being the oldest poisoner. While others may be in danger if her actions were ignored, he had absolute confidence in his immunity to poisons. His blood could even purify and purge the corruption of Angra Mainyu from his system so, even if she had an Innate related to poisoning, the likelihood of it having any effect on him was slim, at best.
Semiramis squinted her eyes slightly when the person that was supposed to be her Master began chuckling at her expense. She was tempted to try and teach him a lesson but, as almost everyone in the room gave her a dangerous feeling, she managed to resist the urge. Instead, she offered a sly smile and asked, "Have I done something you find humorous...?"
Vahn hadn't completely lost his composure so he ceased chuckling and instead returned a casual smile as he answered, "I apologize...my reaction may have been unwarranted. There are a few things you should keep in mind. You see, I'm completely immune to things like poison so I'm more worried about you trying to target others. If that thought crosses your mind, however...well, just know I can get a little heated when it comes to protecting the things I care about. Please, keep that in mind."
Despite his best attempts to restrain it, Vahn always emanated an oppressive aura whenever he was discussing anything related to his loved ones being harmed. This was felt by Semiramis who, despite being a Heroic Spirit, had a comparably frail body. Her Endurance only measured 13D and, despite having been summoned as an Assassin Class Servant, even her Agility was only 17D. To make up for this, she had a unique ability known as [Double Summon], allowing her to use the Class Skills of both an Assassin and Caster. This meant that, rather than an Assassin, she was basically a Caster with the Skills and abilities of an Assasin.
As a Queen who had ruled over Assyria for decades, Semiramis managed to keep her composure even under Vahn's pressure. Though it felt like her skin was tingling all over, she managed another sly smile as she mused, "How curious...it would seem my Master is not some incompetent fool. Tell me, why have you called upon the services of this Queen...I trust you are seeking more than just my body, yes?"
Semiramis was supremely confident in her own beauty but, with people like Da Vinci, Scáthach, and Artoria present, it was a little hard to consider herself the most beautiful. After all, Da Vinci's [Golden Rule:EX] wasn't just a gimmick that artificially enhanced her beauty. If she made an earnest effort to try and exploit the ability, it would work similar to [Charisma:EX], meaning she could essentially rule the entire world on the laurels of her beauty alone. Thus, in the presence of Da Vinci, Semiramis felt like she had to take a step back, even if her pride gave her a strong urge to try and compete against her...
Vahn wanted to buy enough time so that he could recover enough for one final summon so, rather than just leave the explanation to others, he decided to pander to Semiramis a bit by answering her questions. She was a Queen, after all, so she would probably appreciate it more if he gave her a bit of attention instead of just diverting her to someone else.
In response to Semiramis' teasing, Vahn kept his casual smile as he answered, "I suppose it would be proper to answer your questions in order. First of all, I have no intention to 'wield' you. Rather, if you are willing, I would like to consider you amongst my allies. Ultimately, you are free to live the lifestyle of your choosing. So long as you do not endanger the interests of the Empire and cause unnecessary suffering, you are free to live as you please."
Hearing her Master's words, Semiramis couldn't help but raise one of her brows as she asked with a slightly incredulous tone, "You would have me believe you summoned me twenty-eight-hundred years into the future without a purpose? Live however I please? What kind of farce is this, my dear Master...?"
Semiramis was still smiling but it didn't quite reach her eyes any longer. She was obviously annoyed to have been summoned for such a half-hearted reason. This made Vahn feel a little apologetic but he managed to keep his usual smile as he answered in a calm tone, "In truth, there are several uses I have for you. However, I live by the principle that people should not be forced to obey. If you choose to help me, I will make sure you are rewarded properly. I can even grant your wishes, so long as they do not conflict with the interests of the Empire and endanger other people. Rather than tools, I seek powerful and reliable allies..."
Though she couldn't really sense any falsehood in Vahn's words, Semiramis felt like he was trying to manipulate her. When she heard his remark about not forcing people, she crossed her arms beneath her breasts and retorted, "You summon me into the modern era and then pretend I have any choice in how I live? I either have to make use of the arrangements you have made or venture out into the outside world to try and find my footing. A Queen without a Kingdom and subjects is nothing more than a target for despots who wish to claim her. Tell me, how strong is this 'Empire' compared to the other forces in this world...?"
Vahn was a little taken aback by Semiramis' accusations, even if he could understand where she was coming from. Still, he managed to keep his composure as he answered confidently, "The Empire has the greatest military might and the fastest technological development. Though there are a select few individuals who could cause a significant amount of damage to our forces, there are none who have the power to destabilize the foundation we are building."
Once again sensing no falsehoods behind her Master's words, Semiramis made a show of rolling her eyes as she retorted, "See? My choices are obedience, house arrest, or becoming an enemy to a man who has the power to order me however he pleases. In other words, I only really have one choice, do I not? After all, I am quite accustomed to a life of luxury and...indulgence..."
Toward the end of her words, Semiramis adopted a more seductive expression as she turned her eyes up and leaned forward slightly. This accented her cleavage a considerable amount as she had already crossed her arms to prop up her breasts. Vahn, however, kept a completely straight face as, with his Divinity related to Sex, he knew when a person desired him. Semiramis was trying to seduce him, yes, but there were no genuine emotions behind the act at all. Instead, she seemed like a viper waiting for its prey to get within range and, though she would play the part of a willing participant well, it was all but guaranteed that she would try and poison him in the process.
Rather than fall into Semiramis' pace, Vahn continued to smile casually as he remarked, "I will not pretend that my act of summoning you into this timeline was not selfish. To that end, I will provide you with comfortable living conditions. My Empire has an unlimited amount of wealth and, so long as you do not treat them poorly, our staff will tend to your every need. Whether it be delicious food, lavish adornments, or mountains of treasure, all will be provided to you. Though these may lack real substance, they should be more than enough to make up for the inconvenience you have suffered. If this is unsatisfactory, it is also possible to break the contract binding-"
Though she had been listening attentively as Vahn spoke, Semiramis felt her heart flutter anxiously when she realized what he was about to say. Before he could finish his statement, she made a show of clearing her throat before adopting an awkward smile and saying, "You'll have to forgive me, my cherished and benevolent Master. You see, I am not accustomed to the position of Servant so I may have issued some unnecessary remarks. For now, I would like to observe this world for a while before making my final decision. If the Empire is as powerful as you say, I would not mind giving my all in service of the Emperor..."
At this point, Semiramis had already started to suspect that Vahn was the Emperor in question but, as he didn't really give off the bearing of a true tyrant, it was hard to be certain. She believed that a ruler was intrinsically superior to others and, as a result, they should express their desires and live a life without inhibitions. Since Vahn spoke of platitudes and pretended to walk the moral high road, this meant he was either an idealistic fool or, as was more likely the case, he had obtained the only 'real power' in the world: Authority.
Semiramis decided that, until she got a better understanding of the situation, she should not press her Master in the 'usual' way. He did not seem to have the same weaknesses as other men or, at the very least, was no easily wiled by things like beauty and subtle seduction techniques. She would have to use more extreme methods to secure a position for herself. As for his prior remark about being immune to things like poison, Semiramis didn't believe that in the slightest. He might have a very high tolerance but, once she had a better understanding of his constitution, it was only a matter of time before she had him in the palm of her hand...
Vahn had redeveloped a habit of activating his View Affection function whenever he was dealing with especially troublesome people so Semiramis' machinations had not escaped his notice. Since Merlin had told him that she wouldn't be an issue, Vahn decided to largely ignore the purple and greens within her aura, at least for the time being. If she attempted anything against him, it would give him leverage against her but, if she tried anything against his loved ones, she would seal her own fate. Fortunately, she didn't seem to be a completely foolish woman so, unless he was confident in being able to deal with 'every' threat, Semiramis would likely never take any decisive action.
Throughout their entire discussion, Vahn had kept a stoic and casual smile without showing any discernible change in expression. This made it difficult for Semiramis to get a read on him so, now that they had reached a basic accord, Vahn gestured to the side and politely stated, "Please, join the rest. We will only be down here for a few minutes longer. After I finish here, we'll be moving to the surface in order to celebrate the arrival of new allies. Once the festivities have concluded, you will be shown to your residence."
At this point, Semiramis was putting on the act of an elegant lady so, after hearing Vahn's words, she gave a polite curtsy before snaking her way over toward Merlin. He was the only other male present so, rather than speak with some of the women given her the stink eye, she decided to try and obtain some information from him. Though he gave her a very 'peculiar' feeling, he seemed to be the least dangerous person in the room.
Vahn was tempted to chuckle when he saw who Semiramis had decided to try and converse with. He could see the smile on Merlin's face morph into one of genuine amusement, giving Semiramis a bit of pause as everyone else in the room gave her incredulous and pitying looks. Since she had already made her decision, however, Semiramis could only walk willingly into the lion's den, something she would come to regret in the coming days. As for Vahn, he made a mental note to discuss Semiramis with the other males living within the castle as, if she realized approaching him was fruitless, there was a good chance she might try and target one of them instead...
---
Ignoring the 'dullness' in his mind, Vahn activated the summoning system for the sixth time. He had recovered a bit during the conversation with Semiramis so he was confident there wouldn't be any serious consequences. He also wanted to push his limits to ascertain how long it would take for him to make a full recovery as this could be important information in the future.
This time around, Vahn decided to summon Okita Souji as, while the others may be more pertinent to his short-term plans, she was the most important for his future development. After all, if he could comprehend what allowed her to kill 'concepts', he would be able to defeat most Tier 5 existences, regardless of his own Soul Tier. Though this would still require that he actually hit them, there were a number of ways to drastically increase his speed through the manipulation of Space, Time, and Light Elemental energy.
After confirming his selection, Vahn felt like his body was burning from the interior but, as he had already prepared himself, there were no external signs of the pain he was experiencing. Since it was a far cry from what he would experience during his training with Scáthach, he was even able to keep the same casual smile on his face as he watched the mana within the summoning system take shape. It began to take the shape of a tall woman but, after seeing her true form, Vahn noticed that much of her height came from the 15cm tall metallic geta sandals.
Sans sandals, the woman was around 163cm tall with tanned skin and pale, almost white, hair. She was attired in a kimono that was closer to a corset in design as, rather than conceal her figure, it accented it considerably. The top half was literally just black leather that hugged her breasts but left a large gap above where the fabric hugged around her diaphragm. This created an inverted cleavage that showed off the healthy yet tender skin of her breasts, almost as if it had been designed for the sole purpose of distracting enemies.
The bottom half of Okita's outfit was extremely thin and form-fitting while the skirt component did not even pass her wrists in length. There was a small slit in the front and, even though he was taller than her, Vahn could see the briefest glimpse of Okita's black panties through the gap. As for the rest of her outfit, she had metallic sabatons, cuisses, and fanned plating covering her legs from the thighs down. They were comprised of a thin black metal that was trimmed with pale gold while, on her arms, she wore a pair of black leather bracers with small plates on the backs of her hands. To complete the outfit, she had on a vibrant red scarf that matched the color of her other garments and the two red tassels tying to the sides of her hair. She also had a black ribbon tying her hair up at the back while, in her left hand, an impossibly long katana was held aloft.
Vahn, like everyone else in the room, felt a subtle 'threat' coming from the katana. It was close to 220cm in length, sheathed in a black scabbard that was adorned with pale gold. At the very end, a red gemstone was embedded into the surface while a thick red cord was tied just beneath the tsuba, the guard of the incredibly long sword. It seemed impossible to unsheath through normal means but Vahn had no doubt that Okita would be able to pull it off without any difficulty at all.
While her outfit and katana were visually stunning, the thing that had surprised Vahn the most was that Okita, despite having tanned skin and pale hair, looked a lot like Artoria and Gray. Her facial structure was almost identical, despite being Japanese, so he couldn't help but gawk slightly until she opened her eyes. This only increased the similarities between her and Artoria, however, as she had pale silver eyes that seemed to emanate a subtle glow. The only big differences between them, besides the aura they emanated, were Okita's skin tone and the fact that her bust size was very close to a D-Cup...
Vahn wasn't the only one to notice the similarities, causing Artoria's and Gray's eyes to dull slightly when they saw their counterparts sizable assets. Despite knowing that Vahn didn't care about such things, it was quite 'troubling' to see someone so similar to themselves have the very thing they had both desired in the past. Gray was a little better off, as she could ask Vahn to help her grow a bit, but Artoria was perpetually stuck in her fourteen-year-old body, never changing in the slightest. Still, she quickly recovered her composure as, despite her own insecurities, she was very aware of the fact that Vahn appreciated her current form...
Though Okita briefly glanced at everyone waiting in the back, her gaze was predominately focused on the man standing before her. Her geta allowed her to stand at a similar height as Vahn so she was able to look directly into his eyes as she stated, not asked, "You are my Master..." Then, without the need for a response, she bowed extremely low while angling her katana back to keep her balance. It would have been more proper to kneel but, considering how short her kimono was, combined with the oversized geta, such an action would have been next to impossible to perform.
Seeing the top of Okita's head directly, Vahn was momentarily distracted by her massive ahoge. It made even Artoria's and Gray's seem small in comparison, giving him a strong desire to reach out and grab it. He managed to resist this urge, however, before stating in a calm tone of voice, "Please, raise your head. For the time being, such formalities are not required. If you choose to serve me after understanding your situation better, only then should you lower your head..."
Rather than raise her head immediately, Okita continued to bow for several seconds before looking up, her face completely expressionless as she stated, "My very existence would be impossible if not for Master's benevolence. Every breath I draw henceforth will be in service of your goals. If you ask me to walk through a forest of swords or a mountain of spears, I would not hesitate. This is the only way I know to express my gratitude...please, make use of me."
If not for a complete lack of emotion and passion, Okita's words might have had a deep impact on Vahn's psyche. He was pretty weak to women who desired to dedicate themselves to him but, in this case, his casual smile took on wry undertones as he answered in a somewhat subdued manner, "Your dedication is admirable...I will do my best to be a good Master for you..." Since it would likely be very difficult, if not outright impossible, to try and convince Okita to live in a more carefree manner, Vahn could only wait for her to mellow out after interacting with the others for a bit.
To Vahn's surprise, Okita shook her head as if to refute his words before saying in a dull monotone, "By allowing my existence, you are already the best Master I could ask for. Do not concern yourself for my well being. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve. If there is anything I can do for you, my Master, I will not hesitate to do so. This is my purpose and I intend to carry it out. If you do not have a need for me, I would rather die than live a life without purpose."
If he was troubled before, Vahn was at a complete loss now as he habitually looked through his Unit Management to view Okita's Affection. After hearing the conviction in her almost mechanical words, he wasn't at all surprised to discover that, much like how Gray had been after her conversion, Okita had the 'Eternal Loyalty' value. Seeing this, he knew any attempt to try and convince Okita would be a wasted effort so, for the time being, he simply smiled and said, "I'll be in your care...Okita..."
Though her eyes still seemed to lack any emotion whatsoever, Okita reacted to his with a polite bow before adopting a small smile on her face. It was actually a little eerie but, as he had lived through the adaptation period of Fenrir, whose smile gave off the distinct impression she was about to eat you, he managed to return a natural one of his own. After all, having a loyal follower was never a bad thing...so long as they didn't go out of their way to try and please him...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'You call these options!? This is blatant Queen-napping!','RIP Semiramis...','The dangers of summoning an Alter-Ego xD...')
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