Chương 1170: Budding Progress
Though she had started off somewhat awkward, it only took a few minutes of talking about the subject she was most comfortable with for Olga to slowly relax. Since it was pretty interesting, Vahn had no trouble following along and, with his own knowledge of Astronomy, he was able to continue the conversation by asking pertinent questions. By the end of their conversation, Olga had a genuine smile on her face as, other than her father, she never really had anyone she could about Astronomy with in great detail. She had cut herself off from most of her peers in the branch families and, with students often pestering her on the same subjects over and over, it was rare for her to be able to talk about her own interests and findings...
At this point, almost everyone else in the castle was already asleep, the only exceptions being the two of them and Da Vinci. Vahn knew it had been a long day for Olga and, though she had woken herself up by talking about something that interested her, it was beginning to get late. Though it would take her some time to fall asleep, a hot bath and a comfortable bed would go a long way toward helping her achieve this goal. Then, as she drifted off into her dreams, Vahn expected she would look back on today's memories fondly, albeit with a bit of bias.
Since he didn't want to push her too much in one day, Vahn waited until there was a natural lull in the conversation before politely stating, "This conversation has been very pleasant, Olga. I can see you have a lot of passion for your research..." Then, even though Olga had a somewhat sad look flash across her eyes, Vahn rose to his feet and swept the dishes on the table away as he remarked, "It is about time for us both to retire, I'm afraid. There is plenty of time for such discussions in the future...you don't have to rush everything all at once..." As he said this, Vahn helped Olga to her feet and, taking the initiative himself, extended his arm to escort her.
The walk to the Inner Sanctum wasn't too far, around five minutes by passing through the corridors that were supposed to be used by Servants to move about the castle quietly. Vahn didn't mind using these passages for himself as, rather than walking the 'official pathways', it was much faster to take these built-in shortcuts. As for Olga, she was silent since the end of the conversation but, compared to how fidgety she was earlier, this was a drastic improvement. He knew she was still lost in her own thoughts but, as being introspective wasn't really a negative quality, Vahn just guided her toward her room at a slow and leisurely pace.
It wasn't until they reached the door to her room that Olga came back to her senses and, seeing the increasingly familiar portal, her face formed into a small frown. Then, somewhat surprisingly, Olga took a long and slow breath, mustering up her resolve to say something Vahn knew would be rather problematic. Since he didn't want to punctuate the otherwise successful evening with an event that would send her down the veritable rabbit hole once again, Vahn preempted Olga's words by casually extricating his arm and saying, "You have worked hard today, Olga. Make sure you take a warm bath and rest properly. I have other matters to attend, so I will see you later..." As he said this, Vahn lightly caressed Olga's head, an action that caused her to make a complicated expression that seemed both happy and troubled at the same time...
Not wanting to keep Vahn from his other duties, as he had already spent a lot of time and effort on her throughout the day, Olga gave an understanding nod before producing a wry smile as she said, "Don't push yourself too hard...make sure you get some rest later..." Though she committed a slight faux pas by not addressing him with any form of honorifics, Vahn genuinely didn't care about such things in a non-political scenario. Olga would undoubtedly realize her mistake while replaying these events in her mind so Vahn just continued to smile politely as he removed his hand and began to walk away. He was aware of the fact that Olga followed his retreat the entire way so, instead of just going back to his room, Vahn decided to check in on Da Vinci before getting some rest himself...
---
After Vahn's figure had disappeared, Olga entered into her room before closing the door behind her and collapsing with her back against it. Though she had put on a strong front toward the very end, her heart was beating so furiously she could feel its steady pulse in her ears. Talking with Vahn had been a lot of fun and, after everything he had done for her, even if it was all just a means of tricking her, Olga felt like she needed to repay him. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that her livelihood and future was in his hands but, instead of treating her like a 'plaything', as was far too common in these kinds of situations, Vahn treated her respectfully. Though his status was a lot higher than her own, he never held it over her and, as if he was genuinely concerned about her, went out of his way to avoid pressuring her too much when her heart and mind were in a chaotic state...
Though she wasn't sure where the certainty came from, perhaps as a result of her discussions with the other girls in the castle, Olga felt that Vahn wouldn't have refused her invitation if it was sincere. This thought caused her face to turn cherry red and, knowing Vahn had deflected so as not to put her on the spot, Olga felt an extreme giddiness that caused her brain to buzz. With this realization, Olga did just what Vahn had expected her to do, replaying their entire conversation and gauging his reactions through her perspective lens. Through this process, Olga was able to convince herself that he was being very cautious around her, not because he didn't appreciate her, but because he was concerned for her...
Using the context clues and taking into consideration each of Vahn's actions, Olga was beginning to understand how he viewed her, at least a little. From this understanding, she was able to conclude that Vahn wanted her to become a stronger and more confident person before their relationship was able to develop to the next level. Though he could make her do whatever he wanted, he was instead trying to shape her into a more 'suitable' woman, turning her into a competent ally instead of using her at his convenience. Since he had surrounded himself with women who had strong personalities, making her one of the only odd ones out, Olga felt rather ashamed of herself, even as she released a sigh of relief.
After reaching this conclusion, which ran parallel to the truth, Olga bumped the back of her head lightly against the door, looking toward the ceiling as she murmured, "So he is giving me a chance to prove my worth without pressuring me into having sex..." Since it would interfere with her work if she was constantly worried about what Vahn 'might' do to her, Olga felt like he was trying to create an environment where she was able to focus without distractions. The fact he had chosen a Magus Tower in the northeastern region of the castle, far from everyone else, seemed to lend veracity to her suspicion. Though the truth of the matter was that Vahn chose that location for no other reason than it was the highest unoccupied Magus, Olga lacked a proper understanding of the castle's layout and was prone to making assumptions...
Realizing she wasn't in any 'danger', something that seemed to be a common trait after entering into this alliance, Olga found herself lightly stroking her head. When Vahn caressed her, it made her heart flutter a bit as, not only was his gentle action very comfortable but having such a handsome person smiling at her was a burden of its own. When Olga had first seen Vahn, she had experienced a great shock as, during all of their discussions, neither Rin nor Luvia had mentioned his appearance. At the time, it didn't really matter to Olga as, having prepared herself to marry Allard, her expectations for her partner being handsome had been buried. Since Vahn was an abnormally handsome man, Olga couldn't deny that her maidenly heart had been heavily impacted the first time he smiled toward her.
Remembering their first meeting, and all the subsequent times she had embarrassed herself, Olga's face became gradually redder. Then, deciding that sitting against her door was also embarrassing, Olga decided to follow Vahn's advice, rising somewhat unsteadily to her feet. She was actually very tired so, the moment Olga started thinking about relaxing, it felt like her fatigue had caught up with her. She began the rather tiresome process of unfastening all the clasps and buttons of her attire, letting the garments drop almost silently against the thick red carpet of her room. With the exposed areas of the floor formed from an ivory white stone, accented with literal gold and covered from floor to ceiling in complex magical formations, she couldn't even fathom how expensive such a room would cost in the outside world...
With the rest of her clothes discard, Olga stepped into the bathroom wearing nothing but a set of pale yellow lingerie which, if Vahn had seen, would undoubtedly match his expectations of 'battle underwear'. Though not made from lace, Olga's brassier and panties were formed from high-end silks that, while comfortable, weren't exactly practical due to how quickly they would wear out. As she still had the expectation that Vahn might make a move on her at any point, Olga had at least wanted to be 'prepared' since, more often than not, she wore rather plain and cheap lingerie due to her family's finances...
Seeing her reflection in the crystalline silver mirror, Olga spent a bit of time looking herself over before undoing the braid on the left side of her head. She felt her figure wasn't that bad and, though she didn't exercise as much as she should, her dietary habits gave her a lean and lithe body. With her uncommon hair and eye color, Olga felt that she would stand out amongst even other beautiful girls her own age. However, when comparing herself to the other women around Vahn, Olga's confidence couldn't help taking a nosedive.
Though she felt as if her body was more developed than women like Artoria and Gray, Olga didn't think she even came close to matching up against their almost ethereal beauty. As for girls like Fenrir, Medusa, and Circe, they had an exotic appeal and, though the former two didn't have the most amazing figures, they had traits that made them stand out greatly. Circe's case was even harder to draw a direct comparison to as, not only did she have exotic traits, but her beauty, especially with her choice of apparel and her long pink hair, wasn't something that could be matched by mortals...
For a brief moment, Olga thought about how she might compare to women like Lakshmibai but, as soon as that thought crossed her mind, she released a heavy sigh. Following this, Olga decided it would only upset her if she spent too much time trying to mulling over her own looks. Since Vahn had shown an appreciative smile during their first meeting, something that had been carved into her heart and mind, Olga felt it didn't really matter how she stacked up against the others. She had her own strengths and, as Vahn had given her the opportunity to improve herself and make a positive impression on him, it didn't matter if she might only be a pretty tulip amongst extravagant roses...
With that thought in mind, Olga unfasted the clasp of her brassiere before slipping out of her panties, finding that the latter had a rather embarrassing stain in the fabric. Then, after giving her body one last look in the mirror, Olga turned the gem-like knobs that controlled the water that flowed into the bath. Instead of a single faucet, there were a total of ten holes located around the large marble bathtub that was covered in smooth enamel. Water would pour out of these holes, filling up the oversized bathtub with warm water over the course of a short twenty seconds. Olga found this rather extravagant and, with the bath itself having enough room to easily accommodate three people, it almost felt like basking in a small pool as she slid down the gentle slope and relaxed her tired body in the warm water...
Now that she was relaxed, Olga felt a sudden bout of tiredness that, with the warm water wrapping around her body like a comfortable blanket, caused her to briefly doze off. Though it was only for a short while, Olga had startled away moments later after sinking further into the bath and swallowing a mouthful of water. With how tired she was feeling, Olga was suddenly glad that Vahn had decided to excuse himself instead of allowing her to invite him inside. Based on how long he had been away with Luvia, Olga had the impression that he was something of a 'beast' in the bedroom, one of the wayward thoughts that had fueled her delusional mentality.
As just the thought of passing out during her first time was both embarrassing and extremely rude, Olga was glad she had been given a bit of leeway to prepare herself. Though she had taken up yoga a few years ago, she decided it would be a good idea to exercise her body a bit when she wasn't busy with her research. She knew that even Mordred and Sakura were training hard for several hours so, as a mature adult, it would be awkward if they accused her of being lazy. Since it would also be quite embarrassing for the two children to become stronger than her, Olga felt driven to increase the strength of her own body. Reinforcement wasn't exactly her specialization but, even excluding the 'Heroes' Vahn had summoned, it shouldn't be difficult to seek advice from Luvia and Rin...
The thought of physical training wasn't exactly pleasant, as she had somewhat abhored the laborious act in the past, Olga wanted to better herself in an effort to receive Vahn's approval. Every time she remembered his praise, Olga's heart would begin to beat a little faster. Since his only expectation for her was that she was working hard, something Olga felt like she had always done, she was looking forward to being praised in the future. It was a little embarrassing to have her head pat, as it made her feel like a child, but this was a tolerable offense if they were alone. She certainly wasn't going to ask him to stop as, even now, the memory of Vahn's pleasant caress brought a small smile to Olga's face...
---
After leaving Olga to her own thoughts, Vahn made his way to the hidden door in the Armory of Camelot, making his way down to the Workshop he and Da Vinci shared. He found the latter in the main workshop, meaning she had completed her earlier work and moved on to something else to occupy her time. Since she didn't require sleep, Da Vinci could work for days on end and, unless Vahn had her take breaks, there was a good chance she never would. It was hard to imagine how she had functioned as a 'normal' human but, considering it was Da Vinci he was talking about, she hadn't been normal since the very beginning. She had been born with her intellect and, if not for the Holy Church and Mage's Association isolating her, Da Vinci very likely would have lived into the modern era without any difficulty.
With Vahn's arrival, Da Vinci herself seemed to decide it was time for a break as, instead of finishing what she was working on, she placed down her tools and removed her goggles almost immediately after his intrusion. Then, with a youthful yet elegant smile, she mused, "Sorry about earlier, Master. I couldn't pull myself away from my previous project so don't think I was just ignoring you~." After her apology, Da Vinci stretched her body before removing her exoskeleton and tapping a series of gemstones around her collar. This caused her attire to change from her renaissance style dress to a more comfortable, and admittedly adorable, cocktail dress. It had a creamy beige color, a distinct contrast to the vibrant reds and blues of her normal attire, accented with various ribbons and frills that accented her youthful appeal considerably.
On bare feet, Da Vinci playfully 'pranced' toward Vahn who, after entering into the Workshop, had been watching her with a casual smile and crossed arms. She stopped right in front of him, standing only 144cm tall as she looked up with her sapphire-like eyes, asking, "Do you have time...?" Though her words could have various interpretations, Vahn knew what Da Vinci had in mind when she asked such a question. The only times she would ask such a question was if she wanted him to accompany her to collect some data or, show him something she wanted his impression of, or, as was often the case since the development of her [Sage Emperor's Companion], galavanting about the bedroom in order to 'stress test' her new bodies...
Though he knew she had already determined his answer before he even spoke, Vahn humored Da Vinci by picking up her impossibly light body, smiling as he said, "I've got time..." With that said, he carried her off to her private workshop where, after she had changed into her more mature body, Da Vinci explained some of the changes she had made to Ark before showing him a new prototype. She had produced a second-generation Vanargandr-Type golem that had the ability to interface with other networks and transmit the data back to Ark's secondary Nexus. She intended to have it collect data and samples on-site when they went to meet with Type: Mercury and, if possible, Da Vinci was going to use it to interface with the internet to begin 'mapping' the entire network.
As everything Da Vinci showed him was extremely interesting, Vahn attentively listened to her entire explanation. There were many things he didn't understand, as she would sometimes go on a tangent that was hard to follow, but he understood the more important aspects without any issues. Then, as if to reward his attentiveness, Da Vinci brought an end to her explanation by spontaneously stealing Vahn's lips. At the same time, she pressed a button near Ark's terminal, causing a blast-shield to fall as the entire workshop entered into lockdown. Then, riling Vahn up a great deal, Da Vinci playfully mused, "I programmed a few golems to clean up any messes we make...shall we put their efficacy to the test, Master~?"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn nopped out hella fast xD','Olga never left the rabbit hole','Olga smartly never compared herself to Da Vinci (>,...,<)...')
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