บท 1234: Measures
Though it was possible to delay things until after the birth of his children, Vahn received a message from Olivia through the communication device that Da Vinci had installed. It was a hyper-advanced piece of technology inspired by Chaldea's research. By using something called Spiritrons, which were like quantum particles that, irrespective of Space-Time, allowed the 'Soul' to manifest a projection of itself upon reality.
In the Nasuverse, the Soul was considered the Second True Element within Thaumaturgical Theories. It was considered an independent existence that overlapped with the physical vessel yet, while there were several methods to interact, and even alter the basic structure of said existence, the true nature of the Soul was largely unknown. To most, it was considered nothing more than a Higher Order, an existence bound to the Astral Plane that stored memories and formed the foundation for a person's Od and Magic Circuits.
Spiritrons were essentially the secondary structure of mana which, in its most elementary form, made up the building blocks of reality, far smaller than even quarks. Thus, it was inaccurate to say there was a direct relation between Spiritron Particles and the Soul, even though it was almost impossible to distinguish them from the amalgamation of data that comprised the Ego. In other words, as was often the case even amongst Gods, the Ego was mistakenly misconstrued as the Soul which, from what Vahn had been able to ascertain, was derived from something beyond the Records entirely.
Still, by understanding the structure of the Ego, it was possible to emulate and project a person's existence in another timeline, so long as they maintained a connection to their original selves. This was a form of quantum entanglement which, when broken down at the basic level, was essentially just a transference of data between a fixed anchor and a projection. Thus, in that same vein, it was possible to send other forms of information through a similar system, allowing for instantaneous communication despite both distance and the flow of time.
Because of this, it was also impossible to intercept these communications as, unless you were at the anchor or its projected point, there was simply nothing to intercept. It didn't move between the two points but existed simultaneously in both places at the exact same time. Since all the anchor points would be located within Avalon, trying to steal the technology was equally as impossible as, even if you could erect field that completely stopped the flow of time around the projected point, it would be impossible to analyze as, the moment the connection was severed, it literally didn't exist to steal.
The only person who could steal Da Vinci's communication device was Zelretch but, considering he was able to travel through infinite futures, yet brought back none of the major advancements, this didn't seem to be his modus operandi. This was likely due to not wanting to become the lynchpin for reality as, the moment he started making such proactive changes in the 'present', he would have sole responsibility for the future.
For the time being, they didn't have to worry about their location and communications being traced so, after receiving Olivia's message, Vahn soon found himself back in London. This time, he brought along Olga, Gareth, and Lakshmibai as the incident was directly tied to the pale-haired woman who carved a small yet comfortable place for herself in his heart.
Rather than get directly down to business, however, Olivia opened the conversation by asking, "That Quest Board of yours...is it possible to produce more? I must admit, the rewards were far beyond my initial expectations..."
Though the battle against the Malevolent Otso had been a difficult trial, it more than made up for any losses with the reward of Variable Experience and access to the Skill Tree. Even more than these two things, however, Olivia had been shocked by the bonus items she had obtained. This included a charm that, after their research team analyzed it, qualified as an S-Rank Mystic Codex. Though it was only a single-use item, it allowed her to make a contract with the Malevolent Otso, purifying it and allowing it to become a guardian of the forests around their primary stronghold back in Finnland.
Responding to Olivia's question, Vahn maintained a calm demeanor as he answered, "Nothing is impossible. I would argue it is more impractical and unnecessary than anything else, at least at this point in time." Since he had no intention of splitting himself any further, as there were times when he would space out and get distracted, Vahn wasn't going to make any promises.
Giving an understanding nod, Olivia quickly changed the subject to what they were here for, saying, "The Barthomeloi family has started to put pressure on our allies and a few of our businesses. For the time being, there aren't any major issues but it won't be much longer before the Animusphere family is crippled. Though we can provide financial support and security, there isn't much we can do about the number of people loyal to the Animusphere family without directly lending people to fill certain positions."
Since even the Chaldea Security Organization had been infested with corrupt and vile Magi, it was a given that most of the Animusphere family's branches were equally as rotten. Even their foundation had been unstable since the time of Olga's Grandfather so they had done a lot of restructuring in the last month and a half. With the Barthomeloi family putting even more pressure on them, only the most loyal members of the extended Animusphere family were willing to stay the course. The vast majority, however, had already jumped ship and, fearing the repercussions of upsetting one of the Three Monarchal Families, many were just as quick to change allegiances.
Even without Olivia explaining, Vahn could already guess what Lorelei was up to, stating, "They are trying to antagonize us to see how we respond. If we don't step in, they will only press the attack even harder to test the limits of our patience..." To this, Olivia gave a curt nod, adding, "I imagine they have already made arrangements, including negotiations with other families. There is a very good chance they have set some kind of trap. At the very least, this is their attempt to get a better understanding of the Empire's power. They want to determine how much of a threat you are."
Olga, having grown up fearing the power of the Three Monarchal Families, was quick to pale when she realized how serious things had gotten. She wanted to ask Vahn for his help but, knowing how powerful the foundation of the Barthomeloi family was, part of her wanted to just flee back to the sanctity of Avalon with her father and their closest subordinates. Before she could muster up the resolve for either course of action, however, Vahn began to stroke her head somewhat roughly, albeit in a strangely comfortable manner.
Rather than fear the Barthomeloi family, Vahn had an eager smile on his face that wouldn't lose out to the one on Olivia's. He had actually been waiting for his enemies to lose their patience and, as the Edelfelts were not afraid of a battle, their fervor had been awakened. Since he knew there was no way she didn't already have a plan, Vahn asked, "So, what do I need to do?" as his eye emanated a pale blue light.
In response to his question, Olivia's smile grew even larger, looking similar to a predator as she answered, "It depends on the outcome you desire. If you just want to teach them a lesson and strengthen the Alliance, we may be able to settle things by bringing this matter to the Mage's Association. They can handle arbitrating this matter but, if you're feeling a little vindictive, you can always just challenge Barthomeloi Lorelei to an official duel. I'd like to see the look on that brat's face when she gets knocked down from her high horse."
Though Vahn knew this was only the tip of the icebergs as far as their options were concerned, he was rather fond of the idea of a duel. Rather than fight Lorelei, however, he would prefer to battle it out against Lord Barthomeloi himself. The problem was, even if they publicized the matter and tried to put pressure on the Barthomeloi family directly, there was little chance their Lord would directly take to the battlefield. Though they could anger him considerably, it was far more likely that their family would just shore up their defenses and start using more underhanded methods to silence any dissent about their actions.
Since he already knew the way duels were carried out within the Mage's Association, Vahn asked, "What are the chances that Barthomeloi Lorelei actually accepts a duel? What kind of terms to you think she would offer?" As the terms for a duel were often decided by the side that was challenged, they were at a slight disadvantage to be the ones issuing the challenge.
Having thought about the matter in detail, Olivia quickly answered, "As confident as Lorelei is in her own power, she isn't an idiot that would risk everything in a single duel. She is most likely going to target the assets of the Animusphere family. If she is feeling testy, she might also try and target one of the people you are close to in order to rile you up. I can imagine her demanding that girl named Gray. At this point, it is certain that the Barthomeloi family knows her true identity so there is little they wouldn't do to try and obtain the Blood of Kings for themselves."
Even hearing Olivia mention the possibility of Lorelei targetting someone he was close to caused Vahn's aura to shake his surroundings. Though he didn't put pressure on anyone directly, that didn't spare the inanimate objects that were outside his scope of leniency. Before he could break anything, Olivia sent a small [Gandr] shot toward him, hitting him square in the forehead as she asked, "Is this how an Emperor should act...?"
Though the little laser-like bolt of magic did no damage to him, Vahn rubbed the spot that had been struck as he answered, "Yes, if he chooses." This answer seemed to surprise Olivia, causing her brows to raise ever so slightly before she began to laugh uninhibitedly moments later. Toward the end of her outburst, she slammed her hand down on the ornate wooden table separating them, sending a few cracks through the surface as she exclaimed, "Well said! An Emperor is just a man, so what is a man without a bit of backbone!? Ohohohoho~."
---
After Olivia settled down, they began discussing their own terms, assuming Barthomeloi Lorelei had indeed already made preparations for a duel. If they came forward with the truth about Gray's origin, they would have a lot of wiggle room in making their own demands. They could also ensnare Lorelei with something the Barthomeloi family simply couldn't refuse, such as the information pertaining to the Heaven's Feel Ritual or the production method of the Holy Grail. Since many of the fragments he had provided the Mage's Association had been appropriated by the Three Monarchal Families for 'research', it was obvious they wanted to either summon their own Heroic Spirits or have their wishes granted.
With [Spiritual Evocation] and significantly advanced [Conjuring], it was already possible to summon a Heroic Spirit, even without an event like the Holy Grail War taking place. The downside to this was that, without something like the Holy Grail to keep them manifested, most Heroic Spirits wouldn't be able to stay in the modern world for more than a week's time. They also had no reason to accept the summoning as, without the enticement of having their own wish granted, there were very few Heroic Spirits who would willingly subjugate themselves to others.
Since he had turned over several fragments of the Greater Grail to the Mage's Association, it was only a matter of time until someone managed to make a breakthrough. Though this would require them dedicating a phenomenal amount of resources, it wasn't impossible to stage a small-scale, or 'false' Holy Grail War. There were even several records of this within some of the historical texts he had purchased from the system shop so Vahn knew it was possible.
Even if they thought he was just trying to deceive them, the fact he had not only won the Holy Grail War, but turned over several of its fragments, was too tantalizing to pass up. They were likely already aware of the fact he had even more Heroic Spirits at his side so, by putting the Holy Grail itself on the table, there was a chance he could reap considerable rewards after winning the duel. Though this was predicated on the fact that Lorelei actually accepted, which wasn't too likely, he would still be able to essentially show off the power and prestige of the Empire by forcing her to take a step back.
The only thing they really needed to be cautious of was the possibility that the duel itself was just the first stage of a much larger trap. It was a certainty that they wanted a better understanding of his power but, depending on the circumstances, they could use this as an opportunity to expose him as some kind of dangerous entity that threatened the very existence of the Magus community. After all, showing up with an entourage of Heroic Spirits, especially if they had been given physical forms, was likely to set off a few alarm bells amongst the established powers. Then, if he didn't present himself as enough of a deterrent, they could either come out in full force o,r far more problematically, come up with a method to interfere with his future plans behind the scenes...
Vahn also had the option of sewing the seed of doubt by having someone like Artoria or Scáthach fight in his stead, allowing his own power to remain an unknown factor. Since he was an Emperor, it actually didn't make much sense for him to be the person fighting and, with so many powerful allies supporting him, it would be a good opportunity to expose them to the public while also increasing his prestige. This had the dual purpose of allowing him to force Lord Barthomeloi to come out and accept his challenge as, if they wanted to fight him, they would 'obviously' have to send someone with comparable prestige.
Though there was a chance the Barthomelois would try to call into question his status as Emperor, Vahn actually hoped they had the audacity as he could use it as an excuse to take far more proactive action against them. After all, it was a rather heinous slight to question a person's status, as it was the same as elevating yourself above them and lambasting the other party at the same time. Since he was an Emperor, a position much higher than something like a Monarchal Lord, he would have every justification to seek recompense from them.
No matter how many preparations the Barthomeloi family had made, they would be powerless once he had the justification to take action against them. Even if his own power might be lacking, he had Alaya to supplement his reserves and, if they had somehow come up with something he couldn't deal with, ORT was always waiting to take action. Though it rarely communicated with him through words, Vahn had been able to undergo something similar to a memory link with the alien entity so he had a pretty good understanding of its capabilities.
ORT was actually just a fragment of the original Type Mercury who, from the memories Vahn had seen, was a colossal entity that made the entire core of the planet Mercury it's home. It was the last line of defense and the ultimate weapon that protected the Will of the Planet, Mercurius. With this in mind, it was created with the functions of slaughter, assimilation, conversion, and evolution. Even if its current body was destroyed, another could be produced, this time being virtually immune to what had killed it.
As scary a thought as it was, Vahn could essentially have a fleet of ORT at his beck and call, so long as Gaia herself didn't deny them entry. Since each planet as a 'Planetary Bounded Field' as one of its primary means of self-preservation, it was almost impossible for external entities to venture into its domain without permission. Though they could force their way through, the Laws and Logic of each planet were fundamentally different from each other, making it very difficult for alien entities to exist for long periods of time after being cut off from whatever provided them power in the first place.
ORT had responded to the call of the planet when it was on the verge of death and, as it had arrived several thousand years too soon, it was forced to stay dormant in the Crystal Valley. If it ventured out before the promised time, Gaia could expel the foreign logic, causing ORT to either cease to exist, or adapt a form that allowed it to exist within the planet's Bounded Field. This meant it would need to assume the form of the highest existence it had consumed, such as a Dead Apostle or a God, both of which were bound by various rules and restrictions that would make life on the planet difficult, to say the least.
Vahn's interactions with ORT made it more evident that he needed to establish contact with Gaia but, at least for the time being, he could rely on its help in otherwise precarious situations. So long as he had administrative authority over other Types, it wouldn't matter how strong the foundation of his enemies was. The Barthomeloi's would struggle to even best a God so, with a being that could easily slaughter dozens, if not hundreds, of Gods, their actions only invited destruction upon themselves.
As strange as it was to consider, there was a very real chance that a family that had existed for over two millennia was about to be wiped out due to a single woman's brash remarks...it made Vahn feel like quite the Tyrant, or perhaps the Emperor of Garbagemen. After all, from a certain perspective, he really was just taking out the trash...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: '"Quantum Computing, how elementary...ufufufu~" -Da Vinci-chan','TFW you learn your special blood isn't the specialest blood...','Vahn can end the world with a statement...')
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