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52.17% Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos / Chapter 1229: Page

บท 1229: Page

With Gareth already undergoing the memory link and Da Vinci returning to compile the data she had collected, this left Vahn and Artoria seated across from Gawain and Galahad as they explained the situation. Informing them about the memory link was unnecessary, as it was included in the information provided by the summoning system, so the meeting was more of a formality to explain Artoria's situation than anything else.

Needless to say, the two former Round Table members were more than a little surprised to learn that the King they had dutifully served was actually a woman. However, with Merlin also showing himself, combined with the fact they were in the Ivory Castle, they knew it was the truth. This affected Gawain a lot more than Galahad but, as his greatest regret in life was placing his own pride over his duty, he quickly set aside his conflicted thoughts to discuss the state of the Empire and its goals.

As the Knight Commander of the Interior, Gawain would be tasked with selecting Knights to guard the Ivory Castle and its residents. In the Knight Orders, it was a position second only to the Knight Commander of the Imperial Knights, a position that would be held by Artoria until she trained her successor.

Despite his trustworthy nature and adherence to duty, Gawain had never been allowed in the Inner Sanctum unless specifically requested by Artoria. This was usually only to access the Armory of Camelot as, even with his prestige and status, he did not have the right to enter the Inner Sanctum of his own accord. In the future, these kinds of distinctions would become very important so, now that their numbers were beginning to grow, Vahn had to clearly lay the groundwork for how they would operate in the future.

With no Knights to command, at least for the time being, Gawain's most important task would be filling the position of Grand Marshall until, much like Artoria, he groomed a successor. This actually gave him more authority during certain situations than Artoria, the Queen-Empress Consorts, and the Imperial Princesses. Though this only applied when Court was officially held, it was a very high position, one which Gawain had accepted graciously.

After the discussion of Gawain's duties, the conversation moved towards Galahad, despite the fact he had not accepted any status within the Court, including Knighthood. Vahn didn't really mind this so, after preventing Artoria and Gawain from pressuring him, he gave Galahad considerable face by requesting that he take the position as Knight Instructor. He actually wanted to assign Galahad the title of 'Shield of the Empire', so that he could protect the Imperial Family directly, but that would have to wait until he won the man's trust.

As it did not conflict with his sense of justice, Galahad accepted the position without any argument, feeling it was a task he could dedicate himself to. So long as Vahn did not ask him to wield a blade to strike down the Empire's enemies, Galahad had no problem training future Knights, not to serve the Empire persay, but its future peoples. When he later learned that Avalon would one day become a Bastion of Sanctuary to the Fae and other exploited creatures, his convictions were cemented on the spot.

With their duties assigned, the conversation began to shift toward tenser discussions before finally settling on the most 'troublesome' matter that needed to be addressed. Vahn tried to segue things naturally by using Galahad's duties as a talking point, mentioning, "There is something you must be made aware of. This is a matter of extreme importance and, regardless of your personal experiences, I will not tolerate any dissent over this issue..."

Since it was a matter concerning his daughter, the pressure released by Vahn caused both men to feel a powerful suppression. This wasn't solely due to Vahn, however, as Artoria also had a serious expression on her face. She had fully accepted her role as Mordred's mother and, though she had a lot of other concerns that needed to be addressed, she would not allow her daughter to shoulder the blame for Morgan's machinations. Since Gawain was actually Morgan's son, meaning he was Mordred's sister-cousin, she would make him see reason and understand who was truly at fault for his family's suffering...

After the tension increased to the point of causing the furniture to tremble slightly, Vahn began to explain Mordred's situation. Though Galahad didn't seem heavily affected by the revelation, Gawain had become pale as he continued to listen further. After all, his final memories before awakening in the Welsh Dragon's chamber were his remorse at having failed his King. He did not blame Mordred outright for their deaths, as it was his own pride and dismissal of Lancelot that ultimately resulted in their end. At the very end, he had even made a vow that, if he were given a second chance at life, he would dedicate everything, mind, body, and soul, to serving his King...

Despite this vow, it still weighed heavily on him that one of the people he was now sworn to protect was the same person who had killed him in the past. Still, he was a man of honor and, after making his previous vows, which included his oath towards Vahn, he resolved himself to let the matters of the past lay. Though fresh on his mind, it had been more than fifteen-hundred years since that tragic day. Now, just as his Empress requested of him, he would do his best to live in the present, believing in the future they envisioned.

When neither Gawain nor Galahad made much of a fuss about Mordred's identity, Vahn's impression of the two had taken a decisive shift toward a positive light. He did not want all of Mordred's efforts over the last year to go to waste and, if they were able to watch her grow, Vahn believed any grudge between them would fade away with time.

With Mordred's matter addressed, at least for the time being, Vahn began talking about some of the Empire's Trump Cards, both as a means to allay any concerns they might have and, to a lesser extent, give them pause if they ever thought to betray him. Needless to say, they were quite surprised when Alaya presented herself to them, causing Gawain to sweat noticeably while Galahad actually seemed relieved. His [Pure Eyes of the Saint] allowed him to understand that Vahn was telling the truth and, though the latter's aura still troubled him, the fact he was the 'champion' of Alaya alleviated most of his concerns.

---

After talking about the more pressing matters, the atmosphere began to lighten up a bit, courtesy of the food and drinks Vahn had provided. He had wanted to ease tensions before Gareth awoke which, according to Sis, should be any minute now. This didn't go unnoticed by Gawain who, throughout the conversation, would periodically look toward her sleeping figure at the side. Though it was more than a little strange to see a bed in the middle of a private meeting room, he didn't really question his new Emperor's logic as even Artoria, his former King, showed a completely neutral reaction.

As if she hadn't gone from experiencing a severe trauma to witnessing years' worth of memories in turn, Gareth rolled onto her side before curling up in a fetal position. For a brief moment, she began to suckle on the end of her thumb before slowly opening her eyes after hearing a familiar sigh. Her ears twitched in response to this and, after seeing a group of familiar faces staring at her from a small dining table, Gareth felt like a bolt of electricity ran through her body as she immediately hid her hands behind her back while sitting up straight atop the bed.

Though she was clearly flustered, Gareth had a natural smile on her face and two small blush marks that gave her an even more youthful appearance. This, combined with her dark-green eyes, left quite the impression but, even more so than both of these things combined, it was the two twitching dog-like ears drooping at the sides of her head that caught Vahn's attention. She had a pair of normal ears hidden within the locks of her boyish hairstyle but, much like Circe's winged attachments, this extra set of ears, looking more like hair extensions, functioned all the same...

Gareth actually had quite a bit to say to everyone seated at the table but, seeing Vahn looking back at her, the two dog-like ears began to twitch happily as her smile grew wider. She had just watched his life play out from start to finish, including some things that Vahn probably would have wanted to keep from her, so he had left a very big impression on her mind. Thus, while smiling so radiantly it felt like the room had been illuminated slightly, Gareth exclaimed, "Master, it is good to finally meet you! Please, is there is anything I can do, anything at all, just let me know~!"

If Gareth had a tail, Vahn imagined it would be thumping against the top of the bed or wagging furiously from side-to-side. She reminded him a lot of a younger Fenrir, albeit with a different kind of innocence and significantly less bloodthirst. Even amongst the Knights of the Round Table, she was known by her nickname, Beaumains, meaning 'Pure Hands', as she believed it was never justified to take a life. When she was given the opportunity to place a restriction on Artoria's armaments in the past, a ceremony all Knights of the Round Underwent, the restraint she had given was 'The battle must be with the intent of preserving life, not taking it.'

While Gawain wanted desperately to pull his sister aside and address her behavior, he didn't have the right to dismiss himself without permission from Vahn. Even speaking out of turn could be a grave offense in such a situation, as Gareth had addressed Vahn directly. If they were in Court, he would have some leniency to reprimand Gareth but, at least in the present moment, his actions could be misconstrued as speaking 'for' Vahn. Thus, he could only sigh in exasperation while doing his utmost to retain his composure.

Understanding Gawain's struggles, Vahn couldn't help laughing internally while, on the outside, his expression was predominately calm as he smiled in response to Gareth's words, saying, "Lady Gareth, it is good to see you in high spirits after your ordeal. As for what you can do, that is a matter for my Empress, Artoria, to decide..." In truth, Gareth wasn't part of his future plans for the Empire and, at least for the time being, his plan was to allow her to decide her own future while acting as an anchor for Artoria's, Gawain's, and Mordred's mental wellness...

Hearing Vahn's somewhat dismissive words, Gareth's ears drooped somewhat pathetically and, as if she wasn't seated before her Emperor, she slouched atop the bed with a defeated look. This display caused Gawain's brain to buzz slightly but, surprising everyone present, Artoria restored the smile to Gareth's face by stating in the same tone she used to issue orders, "You will be the Emperor's Page in the future, Lady Gareth. I'm certain you will serve him dutifully..."

Vahn felt like banging his head against the top of the table, despite the fact he wore a calm mask on the outside. As for Gareth, she seemed enthused at the idea, her ears protruding out to the side in an adorable manner as she held both fists in front of her body in a guts pose, exclaiming, "Leave it to me, Your Majesty!" before shimmying out of the bed in the next moment. She gave a quick glance at her own appearance before looking around for her armor. Then, finding none, Gareth gave a small shrug before practically skipping over and standing to Vahn's left at attention.

During Gareth's peculiar display, Vahn had gauged the reaction of everyone seated at the table. To his surprise, Gawain actually had a relieved look while, as was often the case, Galahad had no change in expression. As for Artoria, she gave him a rare 'warning' look out of the corner of her eye, causing Vahn to shelve any comments he had about the arrangement until they were in private quarters. He didn't doubt Artoria's decision and, as she had undoubtedly thought about this a lot more than him, Vahn decided to go with the flow until things could be clarified later.

---

With Gareth's awakening, Vahn guided the conversation towards its conclusion, dismissing Gawain and Galahad after advising them to find the time to rest. Neither needed a tour of the castle but he still suggested they walk around a bit to acclimate to the new changes while inside the Projection. If they had any further questions, he told them to save it until after they had experienced the memory link as, more than likely, they would receive their answer there. After that, so long as he wasn't busy, they could ask for a private audience or wait until he called upon them in the near future.

After releasing Gawain and Galahad, Vahn was left with a slightly apologetic looking Artoria and a completely oblivious Gareth. She had a permanant smile affixed to her face, almost as if her muscles had adapted to make that her resting expression. Vahn noticed that, whenever he looked toward her, Gareth's ears would perk up as an expectant glimmer flashed across her crystal-clear eyes. Then, as he turned his attention elsewhere, her smile would return to normal as her ears drooped sadly for a few seconds. Honestly, she was quite adorable but, until he had cleared things up with Artoria, Vahn resisted the almost instinctual urge to pat her head...

Since a Page's duties also involved carrying messages, Vahn decided to give Gareth her first mission, stating in a firm tone, "Gareth, I want you to familiarize yourself with the castle. Things have changed since the last time you were here so it is for the best that you see these changes with your own eyes. A woman named Fenrir will find you shortly. She is your senior and will teach you everything you'll need to know in order to serve as my Page..."

With eyes glimmering like stars, Gareth gave a proper salute before cheerfully saying, "Leave it to me, Your Majesty~!" After that, she alighted from the room with considerable speed, moving with clear purpose and an unwavering gaze. Vahn watched her departure with a neutral expression before tracking her through his domain for a few seconds. When she had moved a considerable distance from their location, he turned his attention to Artoria once again. Her previous stoicism was nowhere to be seen now as she averted her eyes with slightly slumped shoulders.

Seeing her like this, Vahn released a sight before lightly patting Artoria's head and asking, "What is this about, Artoria...?" Though he already had his suspicions, even before summoning Gareth, Vahn wasn't the type to just assume such things. He needed Artoria to explain herself to avoid confusion as, if he acted arbitrarily, that would inevitably result in even greater misunderstandings.

After taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Artoria turned her gaze back toward Vahn, explaining, "I fear that, despite the tragedy she experienced, Gareth would not be able to set aside her loyalty towards Sir Lancelot. Though he never had a place for her in his heart, even I can understand that he had taken up the largest part in hers. It is my most sincere desire that Gareth has the same chance at happiness that I obtained...with her nature and your character, I believe the shadow left behind by Lancelot can be removed completely..."

Though she had never abandoned her feelings for Shirou, Artoria knew first-hand how fulfilling it was to receive Vahn's care and love. Their time together had allowed her to experience many things she never thought possible, not least of which was the almost omnipresent sense of security Vahn brought to them all. He also tirelessly worked to improve himself while simultaneously encouraging and enabling them to do the same.

Vahn felt a bit of deja vu after hearing Artoria's words, causing the image of a Tione to flash across his mind. This, in turn, reminded Vahn of Tiona and, as her personality overlapped with Gareth's by quite a bit, he couldn't help but smile while releasing a sigh. In truth, he felt fatigued by the harem lifestyle but, as this kind of complaint would be disrespectful to the women who had entrusted their affections to him, Vahn willingly shouldered the burden. In the grand scheme of things, he may very well have thousands of lovers over the course of eternity so one more was almost inconsequential in the long run...

As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn could hear Sis sigh in the back of his mind, causing him to laugh internally as he resolved himself. Though he didn't decide to outright make a move on Gareth, he wouldn't deter her budding affections for him as they continued to interact with each other. With that in mind, he gave a small nod toward Artoria, saying, "I will treat her well. Though I believe there may be others suited for the role, I will not turn her away if she chooses me..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Artoria released a sigh of relief as, despite what he might say, everyone in the castle knew he had several weaknesses. His biggest weakness was children, who he earnestly sought to protect, but his most prevalent weaknesses were people with a tragic past and anything that was even remotely cute.

Vahn might not notice it himself but, with his propensity to tease them, it was very apparent to his lovers that he liked to see them acting in 'cute' or 'adorable' ways. During his breaks from training, he could even be found lounging with a flock of Companions, a quirk he shared with Siegfried. Thus, while there were many uncertainties about the future, Artoria felt it was more likely for the sun to disappear from the sky than for Vahn to resist his own urges around Gareth...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bullying Mordred is like poking a sleeping dragon xD...','Gareth is eagerly awaiting head-pats (UwU)~!','Vahn's weaknesses...')

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บท 1230: Changes : Routine

In the days following the mass summoning, there were many changes around Avalon, both big and small.

After Gawain and Galahad had the opportunity to experience the memory link, their impression of Vahn had changed drastically. The latter even sought him out during one of his recreational periods, pledging his service to the Empire. In turn, Vahn granted him Knighthood, tasking Galahad with the duty of protecting, not just the Imperial Family, but Avalon's peoples.

As for Gawain, he began observing the training of the Homunculi and, after getting permission from Vahn, Kenshin, and the Homunculi themselves, he formed a squad to train as Knights of the Interior. Their numbers were rather small, at only twenty members, but he intended to train them all as full-fledged Knights within the next two years. It would normally take much longer but, with memories inherited through thousands of years, combined with naturally high combat capabilities, they were like extremely malleable clay.

Because of Gawain's position as Grand Marshall, he also took it upon himself to work alongside the leadership within the Homunculi. He didn't treat them as tools, nor did he looked down upon them. Instead, he took their input seriously and worked alongside them to come up with a better system to manage and maintain the castle. They also came up with a rotation for practicing defensive battle formations and how they should react during the event of an emergency. Prior to this, the Empire had no emergency response protocol and, as there would one day be residents depending on their protection, it was better to lay the groundwork now than be caught off guard later.

With Gawain acting as Artoria's proxy in the past, he was extremely familiar with the management of a Kingdom. Though he would have to adapt to Vahn's method of governance, he still had a strong grasp on what needed to be addressed before the first Court was held. This was one of the reasons he had been chosen in the current batch of summons. With Vahn and Artoria often busy with other affairs, they needed someone with experience to manage the castle and its territories.

Vahn was genuinely impressed with how proactive Gawain was in his duties, even if it was somewhat troubling to have messengers seek him out when he was trying to relax. There had even been a few instances where he had been busy tending to one of his lovers, earning Gawain a reputation among some of the girls as a nuisance. This led to Vahn having to coax them after the fact as, while he was equally as annoyed, he understood that Gawain was just doing his duty. If they had a better system for administration, many tasks could be delegated to other people but, at least for the time being, it was his responsibility to approve the majority of changes happening within the Empire.

Fortunately, Vahn didn't have to constantly move between the Projection and the real world as, for better or worse, Gareth was very enthusiastic about her duties. He had given her the Imperial Seal after recovering it from Luvia, as the latter didn't need it for the time being. She was more interested in preparing for childbirth and, using this commonality, getting a little closer to Da Vinci and, to a much lesser extent, Nobunaga.

With the Imperial Seal in hand, Gareth would relay messages on his behalf before returning with a beaming smile on her face. She really was like a puppy in a lot of ways and, after spending a few days 'training' with Fenrir, Vahn felt she had actually gotten even worse. Even before he had pat her head the first time, she would lean towards him, clearly expecting a reward after completing a given task. As a result, it became a common exchange between them and, for a variety of different reasons, Gareth even came to reside within the Menagerie alongside Fenrir, Medusa, and Circe.

Before she had taken up residence inside the rather peculiar room, Gareth had occupied the small servant chamber attached to Vahn's bedroom. She would dutifully wait to accompany him almost everywhere he went, including his training sessions with Scáthach. Though she was not allowed to come inside, this resulted in Gareth waiting outside for upwards of 40 hours at times. This was a bit worrisome so, while he was busy with other tasks, Vahn had Gareth continue studying under Fenrir until her nature and living habits changed.

Under the careful 'guidance' of Fenrir, it only took a single day-cycle before Gareth, with upturned eyes, practically begged him for the Familia Crest. Since Vahn didn't really have any qualms about this arrangement, he had readily accepted the request. What he didn't expect was for Gareth to try and shimmy out of her clothes on the spot, resulting in him giving her head a light chop before following it up with a short reprimand. After that, they moved to the Medical Ward before Vahn had Gareth change into a pair of shorts with a cloth that covered her chest but exposed her back.

When Gareth had appeared to have her crest applied, Vahn couldn't help but exhale a sigh, even if there was a glimmer of appreciation in his eyes. Despite her petite figure, Gareth's body hadn't been behind in its development in the slightest. Though it was hard to discern in her normal attire, her breasts were approaching the limits of a B-Cup while, wearing shorts, it was very obvious her other assets had developed just as well. Since she had a completely defenseless nature, Vahn felt a little guilty to look at her in such a manner but, after his discussion with Artoria, it was hard not to.

Fortunately, the application of the crest went without a hitch, despite Gareth's body fidgetting about periodically. She was much like Mordred in that regard, being unable to sit still for very long, but this wasn't much of a challenge for Vahn. He had carved his Familia Crest thousands of times at this point so, rather than find it annoying, her movements made the process slightly more enjoyable. When he was finished, he ruffled her hair for a bit before sending her off to get changed as, after a while, she seemed to be mustering up the courage to 'pounce' on him.

After receiving the Familia Crest, Gareth began using the time when he was busy to complete Quests and train alongside Fenrir. This training had little to do with combat, however, and often took on the form of learning more about Vahn and his habits. She also shadowed Fenrir to watch over Mordred and Sakura, allowing her to grow closer to the two girls. Though there had been some tension, in the beginning, it didn't take long for Mordred and Gareth to open up to each other. As for Sakura, she generally got along with everyone, so there were no issues on that front.

Rather, the bigger problem occurred when Vahn came to learn that both Mash and Sakura seemed rather 'fond' of Galahad after the latter began training them. As it was his nature to protect others, which was also the goal of Mash and Sakura, they were rather dedicated to their training once he took up the position as Knight Instructor. Mordred even teased Sakura about having a crush on the 'Shield Bastard', earning her a lecture from Artoria when Sakura 'snitched' on her.

Vahn wasn't surprised by the fact that Mash might develop feelings towards Galahad, as she nearly reached adulthood, but he couldn't help feeling a little troubled about Sakura's puppy love. Though he didn't have to worry about Galahad doing anything, he was worried about his daughter's mental development since she was only eight years old. If not for Rin personally telling him not to mind it, as it was very common for young girls to develop crushes at Sakura's age, Vahn might have had to sit down and talk with the pale-haired Knight...

Fortunately, this was the limit of Vahn's worries regarding his daughters as, while Gawain had a bit of trouble at first, neither he nor Galahad showed any hostility towards Mordred. Vahn had even asked Alaya to show him their Strings of Fate, allowing him to confirm there was slight resentment, but no desire to cause harm. Since Mordred had literally killed him, after staging a rebellion, Vahn couldn't exactly blame Gawain for having such thoughts. The fact he was able to bury them down and still do his duties caused Vahn to regard him with high esteem.

As for the other new residents of Avalon, including Karna and Heracles' family, Vahn didn't have to worry about them much at all. Karna usually spent his days simply sitting atop one of the Magus Towers, observing all of Avalon with his stoic gaze. Though he had a few collisions with Artoria, Siegfried, Kenshin, Heracles, and even Scáthach, this wasn't really much of a surprise.

In the end, Karna lost to both Artoria and Scáthach, for obvious reasons, but, much to Vahn's surprise, he easily won again Kenshin and Siegfried. Even this didn't surprise him nearly as much as the replay of the battle between him and Heracles, however. Their battle had waged for nearly five hours as, despite Karna's apparent mastery over every kind of weapon, Heracles had a similar ability. They even had their own forms of invulnerability, making it hard for either party to get an edge after Heracles began to adapt to Karna's attacks.

Ultimately, Karna's invulnerability outlasted Heracles' as, despite [God Hand] almost feeling like a cheat, it had a major weakness against Holy and Anti-Divine armaments. With Karna possessing the A+ Rank Anti-Divine Noble Phantasm, [Brahmastra Kundala], he, quite literally, burned through more than half of Heracles' lives. According to Da Vinci, this attack produced nearly 10PJ of energy, putting it in the ballpark of a medium-grade nuclear warhead. Since it also had the classification of an Anti-Country Noble Phantasm, Vahn was once again reminded about how ridiculously overpowered some Heroic Spirits could be...

Despite this, Vahn was looking forward to his own battle against Karna as, with Da Vinic's analysis, he knew his own attacks could reach the same destructive potential. Though the Anti-Divine trait would be annoying to deal with, even this didn't deter him much as, after battling with Scáthach, Vahn felt no fear towards any opponent.

Even Karna's most powerful Noble Phantasm, [Vasavi Shakti], capable of even killing Gods, wouldn't be able to put him down. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about Karna using this final trump card as, in exchange for almost absolute power, he would permanently lose his invulnerability. It was also a single-use Noble Phantasm, meaning he would only ever use it in the final moments of his life after deciding his opponent was 'worthy' of its unstoppable might...

After the battle had come to an end, Heracles had praised Karna's strength and, during that same evening, the two drank as friends alongside Siegfried and Vahn. Galahad and Gawain had also been invited but, as could be expected, they both refused the informal gathering. Since Vahn didn't want to force them, he didn't mind the matter too much. He was more troubled by the fact that Gareth had followed him, taking the responsibility of pouring his drinks as Alex attended almost everyone else alone. She even wore a bartender's outfit, albeit after substituting the slacks with a pleated skirt.

During this gathering, Vahn learned from Heracles that his family had settled near the eastern end of the castle town, closest to the port. Things had been going surprisingly well for them as, despite the horror of the tragedy, Megara didn't blame her husband. She knew he was not in control of his own actions at the time. Since both of her sons had also been returned to her, she was more concerned about Heracles' mental wellness than forcing him to seek forgiveness.

Thus, since the time of Megara's summoning, the two spent most of their time together, much like when they had first wed. The only time Heracles was away from her side was when he was looking after his sons, teaching them how to sail, dive, and fish. Though he formerly had the status of a King, making both of his sons Princes, Heracles wanted a simpler life for them so they would not grow up to be haughty and undisciplined. Since being a fisherman or a farmer were the most humble trades, he had been diligently guiding his sons to be productive citizens of the Empire.

To aid in Heracles' endeavor, and prevent Megara, a former princess, from having to take care of their home all by herself, Vahn later assigned two Homunculi the position of Tutor and Caretaker so that the children wouldn't have a one-sided education. He made it very clear that they were not to be treated as servants, despite what their duties might entail. Since Heracles understood this very well, especially after watching how Vahn ran the Empire for several months, the women ended up becoming good friends with Megara while helping her look after the two boys. Eventually, other Homunculi began to frequent the house, causing a bit of confusion for the young boys due to the presence of so many similar, yet strikingly beautiful, women.

With the Einzbern Homunculi's lifespans being functionally without limit, there was actually a chance some of them might pair up with Heracles' children at some point. It was a rather strange thought to consider, especially with how young the boys were at present, but their lifespans were also close to three-hundred years, even without outside assistance. Since many of the Homunculi were only a few years old themselves, Vahn felt the odds weren't all that unfavorable to the young Demigods. He even learned from Heracles that his older son, Therimachus, was quite taken with the 'larger' of the two Homunculi who had originally come to assist his mother...

Just as he resolved himself not to intervene too much with the love lives of his own children, Vahn wasn't going to meddle in the lives of the Homunculi. So long as Heracles' children didn't try and do anything uncouth, he didn't mind if they tried to woo one, or more, of the Homunculi. Though this seemed somewhat unlikely for the time being, as the Homunculi themselves didn't hold too much affection for the two young boys, there was no knowing what the future would hold.

Rather than worry about the affairs of others, Vahn was busy enough just dealing with his own love life. There was now a coalition of sorts within the Inner Sanctum that seemed intent on 'bullying' him as much as he allowed. This originally consisted of Nobunaga, Luvia, Da Vinci, and, by association, Kenshin. After some very concerted efforts, however, their numbers grew to include both Circe and Medusa, despite the fact the latter wasn't pregnant. She, much like Kenshin, had just joined in on the fun after Circe ended up getting pregnant.

Fortunately, despite the fact he was forced to run errands and pamper the girls quite a bit, Vahn was able to find comfort alongside the trio of Rin, Ereshkigal, and Ishtar. His relationship with Olga was also gradually improving, even if it had developed in a 'peculiar' direction after she began spending more time with Lakshmibai. This, combined with the fact he spent many evenings alongside Artoria and Gray, meant Vahn was enjoying life quite a bit. His only constant source of stress was Scáthach's training but, with Gareth always waiting for him dutifully outside of the Training Orb, he was able to bounce back quickly.

The most important development in Vahn's relationships was the rekindling of his relationship with Fenrir. Ever since Sakura had broken her arm, they began spending more time together during their breaks and, with her sometimes training Gareth right in front of him, Vahn had some interesting experiences with the duo. Though he felt like Fenrir was trying to make Gareth her proxy, she was always hard at work and, during the moments they were together, Vahn always felt comfortable and happy.

---

While walking through the corridors of the Inner Sanctum, Vahn couldn't help but release a silent yawn, despite the fact he felt full of energy. This was noted by Gareth, who had practically become his shadow lately, causing her to ask in her characteristic cheerful tone, "Are you tired, Master~? Do you want me to give you a lap pillow!?" With the latter half of her words exposing her excitement at the thought, Vahn released a light chuckle before musing, "Maybe later..." in a somewhat dismissive tone.

Gareth puffed out her cheeks when she heard Vahn's words but, as if she couldn't hold the same train of thought for more than a few seconds, she quickly returned to her usual cheerful self. This caused Vahn to chuckle again as they continued along their route until reaching the Library in the west-most region. Gareth dutifully stopped outside the doors to wait for Vahn to complete his business, a habit she had picked up a few weeks prior. This had troubled Vahn quite a bit at first, as she had even tried to stand outside the room when he was spending time with his lovers, but he had eventually grown accustomed to her presence.

As usual, Vahn found Iris and Illya inside, not that he had expected them to be elsewhere since he could sense them through his domain. The moment he stepped inside the room, however, a pair of small white ears could be seen from the third floor, attached to a head peeking between the railings. Vahn waved up, causing the figure to scurry to the nearest ladder as Iris began laughing, her voice a sonorous bell that was pleasant to the ears.

After finishing her descent, the pseudo-transformed Illya pounced the remaining distance between the ladder and Vahn, burying her face into his chest as she complained, "You're late!" Vahn couldn't deny this but, rather than admit his wrongdoings, as he had been busy discussing something with Gawain, he just picked Illya up before rubbing his forehead affectionately against hers. This caused her rabbit-like ears to flicker before drooping down as she tried to bite his nose with a pouting expression on her blushing face.

Without minding her ire, Vahn looked toward Iris with a smile, asking, "May I borrow your daughter for a bit?" In response to this, Iris covered her mouth with her hand, showing mock surprise before asking in a teasing tone, "Ara~? Am I not invited this time around? Mou...well, make sure to bring her back in one piece, okay~?" Though she wasn't even remotely upset, Iris was yet another woman who enjoyed teasing Vahn, despite not belonging to the 'coalition'. Since he had grown accustomed to this, Vahn just gave a curt nod before carrying Illya out of the Library, her tail and ears twitching adorably all the while.

At this point, Illya and Cath were around 70% fused with each other, causing her to be somewhat unstable at times. This was a trait she had in common with Circe so, if he didn't spend enough time with her, she would eventually come seeking him. Thus, in order to help Illya stay calm, he usually stuck to a pretty strict schedule while sometimes surprising her when he could. Usually, this was time they would spend together with Iris but, as Illya had previously asked him to help her increase the synchronization between her and Cath, Vahn knew it was somewhat 'dangerous' to have Iris present.

After reuniting with Gareth, who briefly locked eyes with Illya, Vahn carried the latter to her room before dismissing his dutiful Page for a few hours. Despite this, she stood in the corridor outside but, so as not to 'waste' her time, she began doing light exercises like push-ups and squats. This was just another one of her quirks so Vahn largely ignored it as he retreated into the confines of Illya's room. When he reappeared around four hours later, Gareth was covered in a light layer of sweat as she hopped up from doing a set of crunches, wiping her brow with the back of her sleeve before quickly resuming her place at his side. Vahn could only shake his head at this but, rather than reprimand her harshly, he just lightly pat the loyal girl's head, earning a beaming smile from her as they moved to their next destination...

(A/N: One of the fans in my computer busted so I had to spend two hours fixing my PC before writing today. The chapters always come out a bit weird when I'm in a bad mood so I may just write 3-4 Babel today or take a break until the afternoon. Regardless, I'll be trying to increase the output of chapters to 3 EPIC per day starting tomorrow, with a minimum of 1 Babel. I was intending to wait until the Sunday reset but I figure I can just use today to relax a bit before getting a head start on things.)

https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)

paypal.me/Einlion

Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE


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