章節 1116: Tensions : Alliance
Located only 434km away from the isolated Island of Avalon was the City of London, a city with a long and proud history that could be seen in everything from the layout of its streets to the design of its buildings. Though it had not fallen behind in the times, even many of the newer buildings were designed to emulate older styles of architecture to make the entire city appear as a marvel that had withstood the test of time. Millions of people would flock to London every year and, even though the air was thick with the lingering miasma of pollution, much like all modern cities, there was always a sense of awe and wonder that washed over anyone who visited. However, this was only the city as it appeared on the 'surface' as, deep beneath the surface of the earth, located directly beneath an aged museum, a world of mysticism, wonder, and darkness existed just outside the view of common men and women...
The Clock Tower was one of the three principal branches of the Mage's Association and, for several hundred years now, had served as the very 'heart' of the Magus Community. Its history spanned back more than two-thousand years, coinciding with the establishment of London itself, back when it was merely called Londinium by the Romans. Though it had originally been founded as nothing more than an institution for philosophy, astrology, and alchemy, the progression of time had turned it into an organization that dabbled in the fields of all ancient and modern thaumaturgy. As a result, it had several different departments within, the most prominent being, General Fundamentals, Individual Fundamentals, Evocation, Mineralogy, Lore, Zoology, Botany, Astrology, Creation, Curses, Archeology, Alchemy, Law, and Lord El-Melloi II's department, the Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theory.
Though the largest number of students belonged tot he General and Individual Fundamentals, as it was required for all prospective Magi to attend, at least, five years worth of classes, the Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theory had grown exponentially since the time Lord El-Melloi II had taken up the position of Department Head more than seventeen years prior. He had only been twenty-two at the time but, due to his steadfast nature and handsome appearance, enough to have him labeled as the fourth most handsome member of the Clock Tower that girls wanted to date, Lord El-Melloi II had raised up the almost destitute department to one of the more influential branches. Since he did not discriminate against any student, something that was a very serious issue in the Clock Tower, the number of prospective students had only increased as the years passed, making Lord El-Melloi II the 'hero' of the commoners while many within the Aristocratic Faction, one of the three major factions of the Clock Tower, greatly resented him.
Even though there were thirteen primary departments within the Clock Tower, accounting for more than twenty-thousand students, the vast majority, between 15-16,000, belonged to one of the three major factions. The smallest number, while possessing the greatest amount of power and authority, belonged to the Aristocratic Faction headed by the Barthomeloi family. Only members from affluent Magus families and those that had pledged loyalty to them were able to consider themselves a part of this faction. As for the other two, having a near-even split between them, they were the Neutral faction, wanting nothing more than to focus on the advancement of Magecraft, and the Democratic Faction, trying to impose more equitable regulations in order to seize power from the Aristocratic faction and make the lives of all students easier...
As much as he was loathed to admit it, Lord El-Melloi II belonged to the Aristocratic faction by default after being granted the title of his younger-sister-turned-wife, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, forced it upon him seventeen years prior. Though he was only supposed to have the title of Lord until she became an adult, as she was only six years old at the time, Lord El-Melloi II had been made to officially marry into the family to hold the title of Lord while she tended to matters behind the scenes. As he had never been able to go against the younger sister who had 'adopted' him into her family through somewhat forceful means, Lord El-Melloi II could only continue to do his best to live according to his ideals, even if he didn't always agree with the methods...
Now, after returning from Japan, before he could even be brought to trail by the Mage's Association, Waver found himself wearing nothing but his boxers as she was tied to a wooden chair. In front of him, looking particularly non-plussed, was a beautiful woman with long blonde hair that extended past her waist and icy blue eyes that could even make a Basilisk turn away in fear. She was currently wearing a dark blue cocktail dress, complete with a flower ornament on the sides, while holding a riding whip in her hands. Using her left foot, covered with black hose that ran up the length of her long legs, she pressed into the area of Lord El-Melloi II's groin while asking, "Tell me, dear brother, why are you so determined to ruin our family...?"
Doing his best to maintain a calm expression, Lord El-Melloi II matched Reines' gaze as he answered, "It was not my intention for things to take such a strange turn. I could not have predicted the arrival of a foreign power from another world. At least we were able to complete our objective and destroy the Greater Grail..." Though he knew these weren't the words she wanted to hear, Lord El-Melloi II could only speak the truth of the matter. Vahn had 'literally' come out of nowhere but, with how things played out, he felt things would have been even worse if Vahn hadn't shown up. Not only would they have lost Gray, but the odds of them destroying the Greater Grail with forces like Gilgamesh and the Holy Church at play were infinitely close to zero.
Hearing her husband's words, Reines' expression turned even frostier as she lightly whipped the inside of his thigh, causing a loud smacking sound to resonate through the dark room. Since Lord El-Melloi II was used to this kind of treatment, he just flinched slightly without uttering so much as a simple grunt. As a result, Reines whipped him a little harder before saying, "That crazy woman won't let this matter rest so easily. You are lucky that man, Vahn Mason, was it? If he hadn't handed over pieces of the Greater Grail, we would have no leverage against our enemies...haaa...You were supposed to have used the Greater Grail to wish for prosperity for our family before destroying it. Now I have to clean up another one of your messes..." As she said this last line, Reines put more pressure into her heel, this time causing Lord El-Melloi II to grit his teeth as his left eye twitched.
Seeing his reaction, Reines had a visibly sadistic smile on her face as she continued increasing the pressure until, against his will, Lord El-Melloi II began to 'react' in the way she desired. This caused him to release a heavy sigh, momentarily ignoring the pain as Reines' expression became a little strange. She then removed her feet, asking, "What has it been, seven, eight months~? I might listen to your excuses if you can serve me well. I think Ridley could use a younger sibling...ufufufu..." With that said, Reines kicked over the chair, causing Lord El-Melloi II to crash against the floor rather hard before she cut the ropes around his hands and legs using a knife given to her by a maid. After that, Reines spent a few hours tormenting her husband, enjoying herself to the fullest in an attempt to ease her own frustrations over the fallout his actions would cause for their family...
---
Unlike the 'peculiar' atmosphere at the El-Melloi estate, things were relatively peaceful only a few kilometers away at a massive mansion that made even the surrounding estates and manors seem small by comparison. This was none other than the primary residence of the Edelfelt family, looking more like a palace than a standard mansion with its highly embellished and ornate appearance. Even though they were a relatively young aristocratic family, only dating back to the mid-late Renaissance Period, they were one of the most famous in recent history. This was largely due to the fact that they made their fortunes as an aristocratic family of mercenaries that had traveled all throughout the world, intervening in conflicts entirely unrelated to them to secure wealth and power for their descendants. As a result, they were considered the 'most elegant hyenas above the ground' by the Magus Community, a barb they wore with pride as they unhesitantly threw themselves into conflicts even to this day.
The current head of the Edelfelt family, Luviagelita Edelfelt, was considered the most prodigious descendant of the family in the last hundred years. Not only had she taken the reins from her father at the young age of seventeen, but she had considerably increased their wealth since then through smart investing and securing several mines, many containing precious ore and considerably more precious gemstones. If not for the fact that many Magus families hid their wealth from the public, her endeavors would have easily put her into the upper echelons of the fortune-five hundred, grossing nearly 152 billion Pound sterlings per year. With her family also possessing its own military and engineer forces, they were one of the most powerful Magus families in the entire world. Though their 'prestige' was a bit lower than some, even the older landed Nobles weren't able to make too big a fuss for fear of bringing the Edelfelt families economic and military might down upon themselves.
Currently, rather than a highly capable Magus who was the bane of other aristocrats the world over, Luvia looked rather foolish as she tightly squeezed Sakura's body, squealing like a schoolgirl who had just found an adorable puppy. She had already heard about the situation from Rin and, though they were considered 'rivals', Luvia was one of her most powerful and reliable allies. Though there was little that she enjoyed more than 'affectionately' tormenting Rin, she wasn't going to try and expose one of the few actual friends she had. As a result, Luvia happily accepted Sakura into her home and, after witnessing the adorable little girl, snatched her up with stars in her eyes as she explained, "Don't worry, little Sakura. Big sister Luvia will take good care of you until your mommy has finished her business~."
With a polite yet awkward smile on her face, Sakura tried to avoid being bured in Luvia's chest as she answered, "Thank you, Aunty Luvia..." This word caused Luvia to instantly tense up as she looked over at the snickering Rin before staring down at Sakura, smiling radiantly as she said, "My, my, your big sister is too young to be called an aunty. Don't let your mother go planting strange ideas into your head, okay~?" Though she had a smile on her face, it didn't quite reach Luvia's eyes as she continued to hug Sakura. This caused the young girl to fluster a bit but, fortunately, Rin stepped in to provide assistance, saying, "It's okay, Sakura-chan. Even if it is a little sad to see an adult bully a child, you can call Luvia Onee-chan if she wants to insist upon it..."
Hearing Rin's remark, the vein on Luvia's temple began to pulse a bit as she let go of Sakura's body and asked, "Oh my...it seems my dear Rin has grown overconfident since we let met...I wonder if a certain someone had anything to do with this~?" Since Rin had kept mum regarding most of the matters surrounding Vahn, Luvia was still highly interested in the man from another world. The fact he had ended the Holy Grail War in record time, even with a few ridiculously powerful forces showing up, only increased her intrigue in him. She also gave him the credit for Rin's sudden spike in power as, for the last decade or so, the majority of their battles had always ended as a draw or in her favor...
Clicking her tongue in response to Luvia's question, Rin then muttered under her breath, "Don't go converting other's men just because you scare off all your suitors..." Though this mark actually made Rin's face heat up a bit, as she realized she was taking 'ownership' of Vahn again, Luvia's expression had turned rather serious as a result. As the Head of the Edelfelt family, it was actually becoming an increasingly larger problem that she hadn't found a husband and produced an heir. Though she was only twenty-seven years old, marrying at this point was considered 'late' in high-society, especially for the Head of a Magus family. However, as she didn't want to treat her own marriage as a political tool, especially just to establish ties with a family that they would have otherwise been enemies with, Luvia had brutally beaten nearly all of her would-be suitors. If they couldn't even defeat her in battle, she wouldn't even give them the time of day, much less her hand in marriage. She didn't want a pet husband just to produce an heir as, much like the previous Heads of the Edelfelt family, she chose her partner almost entirely based on strength, not status.
Crossing her arms, Luvia continued to stare back at Rin as she ordered, "Please show Sakura to the room she will be staying in. As she is an important guest, make sure there are at least two attendants to care for her at all times." In response to her command, several well-dressed maids and a butler quickly alighted Sakura to her room, shepherding the young and confused girl away as sparks began to collide between Rin's and Luvia's gazes. Once Sakura was out of the room, Luvia plainly asked, "Is he really 'just' your man?" in a tone that didn't leave room for falsehoods. This question caused Rin to immediately frown as, even if she wanted to insist that was the case, it was so far removed from the truth that she actually felt guilty trying to take ownership of Vahn...
Even without Rin answering directly, Luvia could tell from her reaction that her intuition was correct. As a result, she shook her head before saying, "I knew it...there is undoubtedly something going on between the two of you, but I could tell he was serious when he claimed to be an Emperor. He didn't seem like the type of man that would dedicate himself to just one woman, or else I wouldn't have even bothered trying to get in his good books. Tell me, how many girls is he involved with now...?" Since she had known Rin for nearly twenty years, Luvia could understand from her facial expression that there 'had' to be more women around Vahn.
Releasing a tired and annoyed sigh, Rin ultimately answered, "I don't know for certain...probably seven or eight at this point..." Since she knew that Vahn was intending to summon more Heroic Spirits, Rin fully expected that their reunion was going to be a little difficult for her. However, she had already made up her mind and, with Ereshkigal and Ishtar both having chosen Vahn, their fate was now tied together. At the very least, she knew he would take good care of Sakura and, even if their relationship was a little awkward, Vahn made her feel like 'wanted' in ways she had never thought possible when they were alone together...
As if she fully expected such an answer, Luvia nodded her head several times in affirmation before saying, "Good. The Edelfelts have always looked for the best possible candidate to produce the next generation of heirs. Besides, I imagine his status as an Emperor isn't something he is simply going to give up just because he came to a new world. If he needs an Empress on his arms, I imagine I am more than qualified for the position, wouldn't you say...?" With the wealth of her family, combined with the apparent might possessed by Vahn, Luvia felt like it wouldn't be remiss for him to claim himself an Emperor in the modern world. It certainly would upset a lot of the other families but, based on how Vahn had treated her when she stepped out of line, Luvia knew he was bound to upset the balance at some point. It was merely a matter of when it would happen, never if.
Rubbing her head to ease her oncoming headache, Rin answered, "I don't think anyone could be his Empress other than that girl named Fenrir. Even Artoria has just become a simple Knight for him and I don't think you can claim your own pedigree is higher than the principal Royal Line of Britain. Since he has people like Merlin and Paracelsus on his side, the best status you can hope for is an Imperial Consort or a Concubine..." Though the last word was intended as an insult, Luvia didn't seem to mind at all as she raised her brow and asked, "Oh? You're not going to tell me to give up? You really have changed, Rin..." Since this wouldn't have been the first man they fought over, Luvia was somewhat surprised by how much Rin had changed in only a few month's time. This improved her impression of Vahn a great deal as, someone who could tame a woman as 'wild' as Rin wasn't normal in the least...
Understanding the futility of trying to prevent Luvia from pursuing Vahn, as the literal fate of the world was on the line, Rin shook her head and answered, "I am just grateful that he is willing to be Sakura's father and take care of her. I understand that he will never have just one woman as my own body contains three...there is a lot we need to talk about, Luvia. If you still want to pursue Vahn after hearing what I have to say, I have no right to stand in between the two of you...just promise you will not make things difficult for Sakura. I know something terrible must have happened for Vahn to have gone to such lengths but I'm afraid to ask him the details...please, don't ruin that girl's happiness." As she believed her understanding of Vahn wasn't bad, Rin had known from the very moment that Vahn refused to let her fight Sakura that 'something' was wrong. The fact the Matou Residence and Makiri Family were destroyed in the same night just cemented the idea that he was keeping a secret from her. However, knowing the type of man he was, Rin believed he had done what he thought was best for both her and Sakura. Now, she had a debt toward him that she could never repay so if she could ease his own burdens by pretending to be ignorant, that was the least she could do...
Seeing how deeply Rin cared for Sakura, Luvia's expression became serious once again as she said, "I do not know what happened, and I won't ask for the details. Since we may both end up in a similar position in the future, I will treat Sakura as my own daughter. So long as you are in London, there isn't a force within the Mage's Association that would be able to harm a hair on her head. Since you are supporting me, even indirectly, you can expect that I won't let my future 'family' be brought low by the schemes and machinations of a few arrogant fools. When you go to trial, the Edelfelt family will not make its support of your cause unknown..." Though she had always intended to help Rin, as this was part of their plan from the start, Luvia had even more motivation to do so now. She could tell there was something pretty serious going on behind the scenes as, even if Vahn was an Emperor, Luvia couldn't see Rin bending the knee so easily unless there was something bigger than her going on. She had the type of personality that, when many lives were at stake, Rin would almost always put herself in the line of fire to try and help, one of the things Luvia genuinely respected about her.
Managing an awkward smile, Rin nodded her head and said, "We need to have a long talk...but first, how about a spar?" Since she had a pretty strong urge to punch Luvia, even though she was actually grateful for the latter's help, Rin wasn't shy about using her increased power to bully her rival. This didn't seem to intimidate Luvia at all, however, as she raised her head in a haughty manner and asked, "Oooh~? Do you truly believe things will always go your way? Very well, my dear Rin, allow me to show you that you aren't the only one who can get a sudden power-up...!" With that said, the atmosphere between the two girls became somewhat chaotic once again as they both alighted to a nearby training room, a rather common sight within the Edelfelt household, to begin their 571st battle...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'RIP Lord El-Melloi II...','The Edelfelt's have no chill xD...','Eternal Rivals make the most reliable 'friends'...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE
章節 1117: Establishing a Foundation
Shortly after breakfast had come to an end, Vahn went towards the direction of the Knight's training field after Merlin had confirmed that Artoria and Mordred were indeed there. It took a surprisingly long amount of time to reach his destination as, even by using one of the main access corridors that passed through the castle, there were various twists and turns that were supposed to make invasion more difficult. As a result, Vahn took nearly twenty minutes to reach the training field where he found Mordred and Artoria, both wearing rather plain clothes consisting of simple trousers and tunics, were fighting with reinforced wooden swords. Since they had already been going at it for nearly three hours, Mordred's clothes were soaked through with sweat as she breathed laboriously while fending off the blows of an almost entirely unflustered Artoria.
With Vahn appearing in the periphery, Mordred briefly turned her eyes toward him, an act that got her rewarded with a sharp 'thwack' atop her head. Surprisingly, instead of dropping her sword and rubbing her head, Mordred adopted an aggressive pout before trying to step into Artoria's guard and counterattack. Though she might have been able to pull this maneuver off in her unsealed state, Mordred's instep and follow-up strike was met with empty air as Artoria spun around her body with the grace of a dancer before tapping her sword across Mordred's backside. Once again, Mordred only pouted a little more as she twisted her body around, swinging wide before stepping back to create distance.
Now that there was a brief intermission in their exchange, Artoria gave a curt nod before lowering her sword. However, even when she placed it at her side, it was easy to tell that she hadn't dropped her guard for even a moment. Mordred was perfectly aware of this as she slowly lowered her sword, taking a few steps back before rubbing her butt and complaining, "Hahaue...do you really have to tenderize my backside in front of Chichiue...?" All she got in response to this was a stern expression from Artoria before the latter said, "Your movements leave you wide open. I never said anything in the past, but your fighting style is too wild and unrestrained. Having your power sealed will allow you to strengthen your foundation from scratch. If you want to catch up to and surpass your father, you can't take shortcuts."
Though Mordred didn't seem to agree with her mother, Vahn had seen into her past and knew she had never received any formal training. Morgan had made her fight and kill people only a few days after she had been born, forcing Mordred to cultivate her own style through bloodshed. Because of this, Vahn nodded his head in agreement with Artoria, adding, "Listen to your mother, Mordred. I'm one-hundred-and-fifty-six years old and am still building my foundation. It is pointless to focus on developing skills and abilities when you haven't consolidated a strong foundation." As he said this, Vahn walked over to Mordred's side and began habitually stroking her head, following up by saying, "Work hard and I'll take you flying through the sky later on..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Mordred's sour face turned into one of surprise and expectation as she asked, "Will you really take me flying!?" Though she could easily leap to the top of a high rise in a single bound, there was a big difference when it came to jumping high and flying through the sky. Since she had seen his memories, Mordred knew Vahn was more than capable of achieving flight. She actually wanted to have him teach her in the future but, fearing he would say no, she hadn't even though to bring it up any time soon. Hearing him broach the subject himself, Mordred felt her frustrations melt away as she gave a toothy grin and enjoyed having her head pat.
Since he had every intention of making good on his promise, Vahn ruffled Mordred's hair a bit as he said, "I will never make a promise to you that I don't intend to keep, Mordred. If your mother gives her consent, we'll both fly over the Kingdom to see how it looks from above..." As he had already been intending to map the area when he got the chance, Vahn figured it would be a good bonding experience if he took Mordred along with him. He wanted her to have more happy memories to try and mitigate some of the negative emotions she had buried deep within her heart. Fortunately, even though she had already experienced several terrible things in life, Mordred was still very young. So long as she had people to care for her, she would one day overcome her past and live the happy life she deserved...
---
After sending Mordred off to wash up and eat breakfast, something she could handle on her own due to her familiarity with the castle, Vahn sat with Artoria and talked about Mordred's past. He had intended to have Merlin share Mordred's memories with Artoria but the airy Magus had told him it would be better if she simply heard an accounting instead of witnessing the events directly. The last thing Artoria needed right now was seeing someone elevate her to the status of a god before having her devotion turned into rage as a result of her mistakes as a King. As a result, Vahn gave a summary of events, leaving out some of the 'darker' details of Mordred's past and making clear his intentions to summon Gareth at some point in the future...
Throughout the conversation, Artoria had remained silent with a contemplative expression on her face. She realized from his words that Mordred really did deserve a second chance as, from the very beginning, she had lived at the behest of another as nothing more than a pawn. Now that she lacked a title and a Kingdom to pass down to Mordred, the least she could do was be a good mother. Since Vahn had experienced Mordred's memories directly, she had no doubt he would do his best to be a good father so Artoria was determined to do her best as well. Though she would still be rough with Mordred during their training, that was merely to make sure the girl was able to cultivate discipline, just like any other esquire that aspired to become a Knight...
When the conversation came to an end, Artoria's first words to Vahn, said with a determined look, were, "Thank you for telling me...I will do my best. As for Gareth, there is no rush to call her into this world. Though I also grieved for her death, I believe it would be best for Mordred and Illya if you put off summoning her until later. You should talk with Nobunaga or Scáthach to see if they have any ideas on who you should summon. I'm certain the former had plenty of vassals under her command while Scáthach should 'know' exactly which Heroic Spirits would be able to aid our cause right now." As enthused as she was to reunite with her niece, someone that had lost her life far too soon, Artoria had the distinct impression it was better to wait. She could only imagine what Gareth's first thoughts would be after getting summoned to this world, especially when her last memory was having her head crushed by the person she respected the most.
As he had already expected Artoria to say something similar, Vahn had no qualms about waiting as, much like she had pointed out, there was no particular rush. When it came to pulling people from the past, there was no difference between summoning them now, or summoning them a thousand years in the future. To them, it would always take place 'instantly' so there was nothing wrong with letting Mordred and Illya stabilize before bringing another damaged girl into their midst. There was also his previous promise with Nobunaga as, during their discussions in the past, she had quite a few people she would like to reconnect with. She even wanted to try and reconcile with her younger brother, the traitorous Oda Nobukatsu. Though they had been forced to butt heads against each other due to the machinations of the Oda Clan Elder's, Nobunaga had never resented him for falling prey to the ambitions of others...
After spending the better part of an hour just spending time with Artoria and enjoying the nice morning breeze together, Vahn eventually made his way towards an underground training area that had been brought to his attention by Merlin. He needed to create a Sub-Space Orb where everyone could train while, later on, Merlin had mentioned helping him create a 'projection' of Camelot within a secondary Sub-Space Orb. According to the errant Magus, it should be possible to link the spatial coordinates of a Sub-Space Orb to a fixed point in reality as it already drew from the mana in the surrounding environment. Since that same network was tied to the land itself, and everything atop it, Vahn had the option of 'projecting' all of Camelot into a Sub-Space Orb without having to build anything. This would make it as if the entire Island of Avalon was within the Sub-Space Orb, meaning everyone that came to reside here in the future would experience time at a rate of five-to-seven times the norm.
When Vahn had heard Merlin explain the principles behind what he had in mind, he was once again reminded that his own understanding of the world was extremely limited. Though he had a relatively decent understanding of a few Laws, people like Merlin and Scáthach were still leagues ahead of him in terms of comprehension. Fortunately, they both seemed more than willing to answer his questions and teach him anything he was interested in. Scáthach could even teach him [Alchemy] up to the A-Rank and knew the methods of producing various types of homunculi that even Paracelsus couldn't emulate. This didn't necessarily make her methods better, as Paracelsus was still in a league of his own, but it was still infinitely better than Vahn's current understanding of such things...
Knowing he would need to study hard in the future, Vahn needed to develop the two Sub-Space Orbs and a few Space-Time Orbs just to manage everything he needed to take care of. He was even considering making an avatar relatively soon but, remembering how 'chaotic' his life had gotten previously, Vahn was hesitant to jump the gun on that idea. It was more 'efficient' to create memory fragments that could work on the production of items and research things on his behalf. As for his 'avatars', Vahn had two crystal cores that would allow him to reform his body if he was unexpectedly defeated by an enemy. He had reluctantly entrusted one to Scáthach, as she simply didn't seem to have any weaknesses at all, while the other had been left behind in the Welsh Dragon's cavern so that he could keep an eye on the system and its constituent magic formation at all times...
While thinking of Scáthach, Vahn's mind wandered a bit as he found himself surrounded by an all-encompassing warmth that sent a shiver up his spine. He quickly 'cut' the connection by having his subprocess mind enter into a deep meditative state while, on his shoulder, Alaya tilted her head in confusion at his unexpected reaction. She knew that Vahn had 'adapted' to her presence at this point, something that should have been impossible, so she wondered what had happened to make his body suddenly heat up while his brain produced a small amount of dopamine in response. If she could find out what he was thinking about, Alaya believed she might be able to collect more data in the near future.
Though she was still trying to analyze his blood, without any real progress, that didn't mean she wasn't going to analyze his other bodily fluids as well. She had already separated his red and white blood cells and absorbed a bit of his sweat through her skin in an effort to better understand his composition and makeup. Now, she just needed a sample of 'everything' else that constituted Vahn's body. She had tried to collect samples when he was fighting against Scáthach but, as if he knew she was trying to take them, Vahn's biomass would simply 'vanish' moments later. Even isolating it within the time axis had proved futile so Alaya could only wait for him to give her samples 'willingly'...
Since he needed to focus and replenish his reserves quickly, Vahn picked Alaya up by her scruff and said, "You can watch from the side for now. If you think there are any ways in which the formation could be improved, let me know..." Though he was tempted to just have Alaya make the formation for him, Vahn knew he was developing a strange dependency on her as of late. To avoid becoming complacent and lazy, one of the things he had decided upon after setting OP limits was to be less reliant on Alaya. He would rather she just stockpile Magical Energy to keep Rin, Sakura, and Gray safe while he focused on managing the affairs of the Empire. At least this way, if he desperately needed her to take action, Alaya would have plentiful reserves to help on the spot.
Without arguing, Alaya just floated into the air before adopting a form that made Vahn's brows twitch madly since she looked like a mature form of Illya, just marginally taller and with a plump butt and thick thighs. Her breasts were relatively small, giving her an almost unbalanced look, but the large ears and the fluffy tail sticking out of her backside fixed this incongruity. Though he knew she was observing and analyzing everything he did, Vahn always felt a little annoyed when Alaya took the form of whatever she thought his 'preferences' reflected. She certainly looked cute, while he was actually tempted to give her butt a feel, but Vahn still felt more annoyed than anything else since he had work to focus on and didn't need distractions...
Deciding to ignore her, Vahn began the long process of setting up a formation to sustain the Sub-Space Orb that people would use for training in the future. Without his notice, Merlin had also appeared within the area shortly after he started, watching with his soft-purple eyes as Vahn spent several hours just building the formation's basic structure. Fortunately, as the land and air within this isolated space had more than twenty times the mana density of Fuyuki, Vahn didn't even need to set up Elemental Pillars. Since Avalon was linked to the 'True Avalon' on the Reverse Side of the World, it had a mana density that wasn't all that dissimilar to the levels present during the Age of Gods, albeit with significantly less Mystery.
After a little more than seven hours, during which time even Scáthach had shown up to observe, Vahn finally finished setting up a Sub-Space Orb with a time dilation of 6:1. It turned out that, while the abundance of mana made setting up the formation easier, the lack of Elemental Pillars, which were meant to stabilize the Orb, made the time dilation slightly weaker than intended. It was still better than nothing so Vahn would leave it as is and just consider it a lesson learned for when he worked on the main Sub-Space Orb with Merlin's assistance. With that in mind, he turned his attention toward the two peculiar individuals who, at present, were sitting at a low table and drinking tea as they watched him work in silence.
Seeing that Vahn was finally paying attention to them, Merlin returned a smile before commenting, "This is some impressive work. Though it is unlike anything I have seen before, it uses the logic of this world splendidly to create something rather unique...my, I believe you may actually have more of a talent for Magecraft than combat arts. What do you think, Lady Scáthach~?"
Without humoring Merlin at all, Scáthach shook her head and stated, "Vahn's control makes no sense. Though he is obviously very skilled, I can sense that most of the energy he is manifested is lost. He is far more proficient at using his power internally so I will continue to help him master his body to cover up for his inability to properly use magic." Even if she couldn't see Vahn's future, Scáthach's understanding of his body and capabilities made it so that he had almost no secrets from her, similar to how Vahn could touch someone's body and understand its structure in an instant. She could sense great power manifested whenever he was drawing the magic formation but, seeing the formation itself, it was nothing exceptional. This meant he was 'wasting' his energy but, as she wasn't able to understand what was going on, Scáthach could only say it didn't make any sense...
Scratching the back of his head, Vahn ignored Merlin's laughter and simply stated, "We'll begin our training after I finish developing the second Sub-Space Orb tomorrow. I already promised my daughter to take her flying around the castle so that I can map the area. After that, I'll be spending some time with Illya before retiring to my room for the evening." Since he assumed Scáthach had arrived to drag him off for training, Vahn wanted to make it clear he already had plans. She didn't 'require' him to give her energy any longer, courtesy of the crystal she had planted within her body, so Vahn knew she wasn't here to go through that troublesome ritual.
With an understanding nod, Scáthach turned her back and began moving to exit the underground chamber, though not before saying, "Our training will be more intense in the future." Since he had been 'slacking off' a lot lately, Vahn wasn't all that surprised by her rather cold words. All he could do was withhold a tired sigh as, unless he outright refused to train with her in the future, there was no way to avoid a thrashing. She would always make good on her promises so Vahn was fully expecting their next training session to be another living nightmare. On the plus side, he was improving quickly and, even if he had to face an enemy that could rend him to pieces in an instant, no amount of pain could cause him to flinch after experiencing her training...
When Scáthach had left the room, Merlin gave a somewhat teasing smile as he remarked, "My, you certainly have a way with women, Majesty..." This earned him a glare but, instead of trying to get even, Vahn simply asked, "So, do you still think it is possible to create a projection?" In response to this, Merlin gave a simple nod before explaining, "If we tie the Sub-Space Orb into the formation that keeps Avalon isolated from the rest of the world, it should be possible to create a projection without issue. This might alert some of the more perceptive individuals in the world but they aren't the type to take action without properly understanding the situation. Even then, they will not be able to find Avalon so easily...there is a reason it has been able to remain hidden for more than fifteen hundred years, ohohoho~."
Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before their enemies eventually learned about the existence of Avalon, as they were less than five-hundred kilometers away from the very 'heart' of the Magus Community, so he wasn't surprised by Merlin's words. He wouldn't be surprised if his enemies had already sensed their movements when Merlin had used his restoration magic to practically reverse time for the entire castle, large-scale magic that would be 'impossible' with modern Magecraft. At the same time, however, magic of this scale would serve as a powerful deterrent as there were few who would simply throw themselves unprepared against a Magus that could wield such power without caring about how their actions could upset the other powerhouses in the world...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'A Tiger Mom and a 'Petting Demon' for parents...','Alaya never gives up','The deterrent of power...')
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE
每周推薦票狀態
200+ 推薦票
榜單 
114 推薦票 
段落評論