Chương 1603: Duty
Though Vahn might not pay as much attention as he should to the things happening within his domain, that didn't reduce its efficacy in the slightest. He often spent the evening hours, when he was supposed to be sleeping, perusing through the information he had accumulated throughout the day. This was how he typically uncovered incidents and investigated persons of interest, as, so long as they were within his domain, he could track all of their activities up until the moment they exited his range.
When Vahn didn't have time to sort through his own memories, as controlling anywhere between three and five bodies required a fair amount of focus, Sis was always there to serve as a backup. She was infinitely better at processing information, and, though her capabilities rapidly diminished when Vahn's mind was in disorder, she had always been his greatest ally. Her only real weakness was that, when Vahn was wholeheartedly focused on a specific task, such as forging, her focus would equally as occupied by the same subject.
Fortunately, with Vahn meandering about and being 'lazy', Sis had plenty of time to focus on other things, so, while she hadn't noticed it immediately, it didn't take her long to create a perfect three-dimensional representation of the location Secundum had been hiding in. This was the same ability that Vahn used when he 'navigated' his own memories, but, unlike how he simply moved around his intent, Sis actually used a faux body.
Though she would willingly change to reflect any form Vahn had decided for her, Sis kept it a secret that she 'already' had a body. She would never allow him to try and separate them, as there was no form of intimacy closer than what they currently shared, but, knowing he would eventually want to meet her, she had conceived the closest thing to an ideal big sister that existed within Vahn's mind. This image had changed with the passage of time, but, while her figure had been modified quite a bit, there were a few things that had persisted since Vahn's time in Danmachi.
As she was his 'big sister', Sis had healthy brown skin that was similar to Vahn's. Due to the early influence of people like Milan, Tina, and Choe, however, her default appearance was that of a Cat Person. She had short hair that was like a fusion between Vahn's and Chloe's, but, unlike the vast majority of Cat People, her figure was anything but lithe. She was very petite, only standing around 158cm tall, but, similar to Arnya, she had an uncharacteristically voluptuous body. Her breast could easily contend against the bustier women in Vahn's entourage while her tail, despite appearing like a traditional Cat Person's, was inordinately thick and fluffy.
Vahn might not be aware of his own preferences, as he willfully blocked them, but Sis was able to peel back the veil to peruse his deepest and darkest thoughts. He might not have a 'preference' for women with large busts, but, when he thought of 'comfort', resting in the bosom of a busty woman was the fastest way to calm him down. He had never stopped longing for his mother, so, whenever he experienced difficulties, he instinctually sought the comfort of the more motherly women in his expansive harem.
Though he wasn't aware of it, Sis had helped to cultivate this 'dependency' within Vahn's mind, as, when he 'lost himself', she would piece him back together and hold him closely in order to bring him back. She was the reason he often felt surrounded by warmth when he was at his lowest point, and, even if everything else turned against him, she would remain to comfort his broken heart.
Wearing an outfit similar to a simple villager girl, Sis moved through Vahn's mindscape with a smile not all that dissimilar to Chloe's. The playful Cat Person had made one of the deepest impressions on Vahn's heart, and, while others might take up larger places in his heart, they were built atop the foundation that Chloe had laid. If not for her efforts, he would have walked a very different path, so, no matter how much time passed, Vahn would fondly recall that sunset, the moment when he first decided, wholeheartedly, to pursue something...
---
As if the world around her was a remarkably detailed hologram, Sis was able to freely travel through objects to reach her destination. She could also speed up, pause, or reverse the flow of time within Vahn's memories, so, after reaching the location of Secundum's hideout, located in one of the large supports holding up the world-famous 'Golden Palace' of Zephyria, a massive casino, she reversed time up until the point Vahn's domain no longer overlapped with the area.
Though she would allow Vahn to discover things on his own, Sis was the primary contributor to all of his 'hunches'. They shared the same mind and memories, so, to make things easier for him, she had developed a habit of learning new things and sorting through information on his behalf. This allowed her to provide the answer when he asked, but, more importantly, it allowed him to quickly connect the dots between certain events since she had already done so on his behalf. To him, it was like 'remembering' something he already knew, and, considering she 'was' a part of him, Sis happily allowed him to take credit for her efforts.
After realizing the man was part of the enemy forces, Sis's yellow-green eyes began to glow with a bit of intensity. She was capable of using all the same Innates as Vahn, so, for the better part of five hundred hours, she dutifully analyzed the structure of Secundum and his cohorts. She internalized everything he had said, all the orders he had issued, and, since it was often important for Vahn to know such things, she referenced all of Vahn's knowledge on psychology to evaluate his character.
Vahn would generally act decisively when it was required, but, after the fact, he couldn't help but wonder what had made people into the monsters they became. His empathy was one of his most powerful traits, and, though many didn't deserve it, he would often seek to vindicate them within his mind. There were even times when he would pray for and mourn the lives he had claimed, as, despite his ruthlessness against enemies, Vahn felt considerable guilt whenever he harmed others.
By putting in the effort to understand his enemies for him, Sis could make things a lot easier for Vahn. The moment he began having doubts, he would default to the knowledge she had obtained on his behalf. This would drastically decrease the amount of time he spent brooding, and, as they were opinions derived from his own knowledge and thought processes, Sis had already confirmed that Vahn would reach the same conclusions if left to his own devices. She simply made the process more efficient, allowing Vahn to quickly recover so that he could focus on the things he cared about more than anything else: his family, friends, and loved ones...
Confident she hadn't missed anything, Sis casually waved her hand, erasing the three-dimensional representation of Vahn's memory. Once it had completely faded, the only thing left was a tiny green fragment. This was actually a piece of Vahn's ego, so, as if it was one of the most precious items in all of existence, Sis cupped it between her hands, hugging it close to her chest as her surroundings changed to reflect an ancient storehouse.
As the Mediator between Vahn and The Path, Sis was privy to a bit of information that the former simply wasn't able to comprehend at his current level. She was even aware of the nascent structure of his unawakened Innates, and, when he was ready, she would work hard to help him comprehend them.
Amidst the rows of countless bookshelves, scroll racks, and woven storage containers, Sis bypassed countless versions of herself. Rather than clones, however, they were her at different points in what Vahn perceived to be Time. They existed to serve as a 'bookmark' of sorts so that Vahn never forgot anything, and, though she was able to perceive them, none of her past selves were able to perceive and interact with her. They were all trapped in static loops, and, even if she walked through one of them, they would just phase out of existence for a brief moment before 'refreshing' the loop anew.
Though she didn't regret it, Vahn's desire for her to develop an Ego had placed quite a number of restrictions on her capabilities. Without the static versions of herself, there was a chance even she might forget something. Fortunately, so long as the fragments were safely archived, she would be able to reacquire the information in a 'relatively' short period of time. The flow of Time within the archives flowed at a rate of 1000:1 based on Vahn's perception, so, for every second that passed for him, she would experience approximately sixteen minutes and forty seconds...
After approaching the centermost region of the archives, the location of a massive spherical mass that displayed Vahn's current field of perception, Sis gingerly placed the tiny fragment of ego back in its original location. Then, alongside ninety-nine other versions of herself, she sat around the spherical display, her expression instantly changing to match her other-selves. Though they would sometimes have wry smiles on their faces whenever Vahn did something silly, their default expression was one of profound intrigue and love. Even if he was performing the most mundane of actions, there had never been a single instance where they grew tired of watching over their adorable little brother's growth...
---
After a long discussion with Katarina regarding the existence of corruption within Zephyria, Vahn retired to two different rooms to rest for the evening. In one room, he shared a bed with Fenrir, Eva, and Asuna, while, back at the Custos Rosea, he enjoyed snuggling up with the mother-daughter trio of Medusa, Stheno, and Euryale. As for Arika, she ended up cuddling up with the chibi tiger form of Xiao Bai, as, unlike Ariadne, the security within Zephyria was simply terrible.
Though the odds of her being targetted were slim, the chances that someone might discover Vahn and Arika sharing the same bed were very high. This could be circumvented by using the Diorama, but, as it took a considerable amount of time to set up, Arika agreed to sleep alone for the evening. Fortunately, she had Xiao Bai and a number of Elementals to keep her company, and, while this was enough to draw a fair amount of attention, it wasn't really 'abnormal' considering Arika's status...
Vahn had actually been tempted to transform into a 'Vanargandr Puppy' form to accompany Arika, but, fearing it would establish a dangerous precedent, he decided against it. He knew how adorable he was in such a form, and, though he could always refuse, he could easily imagine Asuna, Eva, and even Fenrir convincing him to let them carry him around. He wasn't yet ready to be delegated to a mascot character that was carried around by others, so, at least for the time being, he decided to let Arika grow accustomed to the fact there would be nights where they simply didn't sleep together...
Though he wanted to reach a point where he could attend to every member of his harem, that was still a distant dream. Until then, the girls around him had to come to terms with the fact he wouldn't always be around them. This was easy for most, but, as they had spent such a long period of time together, Arika and Theo had actually been spoiled quite a bit. If they did ultimately follow him into other Records, they needed to be ready to integrate into his larger harem, so, while there would be plenty of time for them to be intimate with each other, they had to understand they couldn't always be intimate...
After sorting through his thoughts and slowly easing his own guilt, Vahn began to finally relax his mind. Everyone except for Fenrir had already fallen asleep, but, as she only ever slept when it was 'absolutely' safe, this wasn't a surprise. He also couldn't sleep properly when there were potential enemies about, so, while diffusing calming energy into his domain, Vahn conducted his usual ritual of sorting the day's memories. He spent most of his time focusing on the things happening around him than paying attention to distant matters, so, whenever the opportunity presented itself, he did his best to 'rewind' his memories to see if there was anything he had overlooked.
As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn recalled the fluctuation he had sensed during his evening stroll with Eva. Immediately thereafter, as if he was moving through time and space itself, he found himself within a confined location beneath the nearby Golden Palace. Though there were no signs of enemy activity in the present, as everything had been melted and burned away, he was able to rewind the clock to a point prior to the destruction.
Seeing the man with pale-green hair, Vahn couldn't help but internally frown. He could tell what kind of existence the man was at a single glance, and, though he had never seen such pills being used, he could sense the presence of Elemental Spirits within. This made him feel a little incensed, but, considering the man was also an Artificial Spirit, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with him subsuming other artificial spirits. Only the method was questionable, but, considering the end result was the same, he decided not to let it bother him too much.
After suppressing his anger, as there was very little he could do about events that had already come to pass, Vahn began analyzing the scene in greater detail. It didn't take much effort for him to make sense of what had happened, and, though he felt guilty about the lives that had been lost when the man fled, Vahn imagined himself smiling wryly in response to the stupefaction visible on their faces. Even he hadn't intended to expose a member of Cosmo Entelecheia during an evening stroll, so, to see such an event play out, Vahn couldn't help but feel a mixture of incredulity and amusement.
Even after searching Ostia and Ariadne in painstaking detail, it had been impossible to find the trail of Cosmo Entelecheia. This had always troubled him quite a bit, and, though he had never vocalized it, Vahn had started to worry that Cosmo Entelecheia simply didn't exist in the current timeline. The chances of this being true were exceptionally slim, but, as there was no way to accurately determine how his presence had impacted the original timeline, Vahn could only continue moving forward.
Now that he had confirmed both the existence of Cosmo Entelecheia and the fact they were already aware of him, Vahn felt as though a substantial weight had been removed from his shoulders. It was always easier to take action when you had a basic grasp of the enemy's intentions, so, now that he knew they were trying to recover Asuna, he had a considerable amount of leverage against them. If he played it smart, he could even predict their future actions and entrap them, so, until the evening had passed, Vahn spent several tens of hours scouring over the scene for additional information...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: '(O o O)...!','Vahn still craves his mother's warmth (T ^ T)...','Vahn be like, "Look at how easily I can understand things! I am a master detective (O,...,O)~!"')
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