章節 1137: Tensions
With the Trial moving into its third week of deliberation, Barthomeloi Lorelei could no longer continue to press the matter as, compared to the first two weeks of proceedings, the chamber was decidedly empty. Within the stands, only seven people were present, five consisting of old men with sharps gazes while the other two were beautiful females that wouldn't lose out to them in aura and presence. Even Bathomeloi Lorelei herself was feeling a bit pressured, though she never doubted for a single moment she would be more than a match for any one of the audience members. This wasn't a sentiment shared by normal Magi within the Clock Tower, however, so, once the most elderly man present, named Eischen Musik, the former head of the Policies Department of the Clock Tower. At one point, he had even been Bathomeloi Lorelei's Senior before he had stepped down from the position when she rose to power...
Loathe as she was to admit it, Bathomeloi Lorelei knew things had already gone on far longer than they should have, to the point it had started to interfere with her own duties as Wizard Marshal. The only thing that had kept her going this long was the presence of the 'lesser' Magi who had been present as she simply couldn't allow herself to lose face in front of a crowd. Though it wasn't much better to take a step back in front of people deserving of her respect, their presence alone gave her a bit of leeway to skew the final ruling a bit. This could cause some tensions within the current power structure of the Clock Tower but, as she was already at the apex, Bathomeloi Lorelei was confident she could manage any dissidence by making a few deals and promises outside of public scrutiny.
Though it was undoubtedly her petty nature that had drawn out things this long, Bathomeloi Lorelei glared down at Lord El-Melloi II with a vicious gaze as she venomously stated, "Your stubbornness has wasted the time of everyone present, each a Magus with greater responsibility and status than you can even hope to aspire towards. As a commoner who has been allowed the privilege of holding the title of 'Lord', you, of all people, should have known better than to draw things out like this. Your unwillingness to accept responsibility, even as a courtesy, shows that you are not worthy of the title you borrow. Were it up to me, you should have long been stripped from title and class as the Clock Tower does not need fools who overreach without paying attention to the natural order of things..."
Understanding what Barthomeloi Lorelei was trying to do, Marisbury Animusphere's brows furrowed ever so slightly as he made a polite motion to speak. This, however, was immediately shot down by Barthomeloi Lorelei as she looked towards him with a gaze that could turn a person to stone as she said, "Your attempts at covering for the defendant throughout the duration of these proceedings is proof enough that you should have recused yourself from the responsibility of Judge from the start. One would think the Head of the Animusphere family had even the most basic sense of propriety when it came to matters such as this. Even if your family is on the decline, you should hold up your head with dignity until the end, lowering it only to your betters when asking for help. When your obstinance destroys your family, do not blame the history books for painting you as a the fool you have made yourself into..."
After berating Lord Animusphere, mixing in a threat for good measure, Barthomeloi Lorelei looked down at Lord El-Melloi II once again. She knew there was a limit to the punishment she could assign him without causing too much fallout so, while she earnestly desired to see him become nothing more than a tool used for experimentation, she reluctantly decreed, "The budget for the Faculty of Modern Magecraft Theory will be suspended for the period of three years. However, as I'm certain your 'intimate' relationship with the Edelfelt family will make them more than willing to support your burdens, I will pass down a personal punishment to you directly, Lord El-Melloi II. To ascertain if there is even the smallest amount of significance that can be assigned to your blood, you will be required to pay a portion of the fees by 'donating' your blood to the Mage's Association."
Though Barthomeloi Lorelei's decision was incredibly petty, Lord El-Melloi II was not unaccustomed to things like pain. Before she could inflate matters even further, he lowered his head while she was mulling over her own thoughts, answering, "I understand. The wisdom of the Barthomeloi family has always been without equal. I will accept this punishment and do my best to make up for my mistake in Fuyuki City. Thank you for your lenience..." These words caused Bathomeloi Lorelei to frown but, not missing the opportunity, Lord Animusphere and Rocco Belfeban both added, "I believe this has concluded the matter of this Trial then?" and "Indeed. I cannot imagine anyone wanting to continue this farce for even a moment longer." This was their way of saying they would not tolerate any more of Bathomeloi Lorelei's selfishness while, in the viewing stands, some of the attendants had already started to take their leave.
As much as she wanted to hand out punishments to the members of Lord El-Melloi II's entourage, Bathomeloi Lorelei had more pressing matters to attend that had been put off for far too long. If she tried to take further action, things would only be drawn out even longer, potentially to the point that she would need to do 'damage control' if things got out of hand. Thus, while affirming her intention to destabilize the foundation of the Animusphere family in the future, Bathomeloi Lorelei used her own gavel to smack the sound block atop the tribunal's podium. This didn't prevent her from leaving a few parting words, however, as she added, "I would advise you and your companions to properly consider your future course. Now that this matter has been concluded, I will leave the matter laying. Know that, as the Head of the Barthomeloi family, I find your behavior over the course of this trial to be disreputable. If you do not correct your course and show a sense of propriety in the future, do not believe for a moment that the Edelfelt family will be able to shield you..."
Having already expected such words, as Barthomeloi Lorelei was considered to be 'petty without equal', Lord El-Melloi II just gave a polite bow in response to her threat. This caused her to snort through her nose before leaving through the door at the back of the podium. In her wake, Lord Animusphere gave an apologetic smile to everyone gathered below while Rocco Belfeban just shook his head with a tired expression on his face. If not for the fact that the fragments of the Greater Grail were the greatest contributions to the Department of Spirit Evocation in the last five-hundred years, he would have never even considered butting heads with such a stubborn woman. The thoughts of Lord Animusphere seemed a bit different, however, as he had willingly put himself in the line of fire, something that had baffled most of the members of the Magus Community, including the members of his own family...
---
With the Trial officially concluded, everyone that had been part of the defense seemed extremely tired as they walked down the stone steps of the Clock Tower's front entrance. Now that it was over, Lord El-Melloi II looked between Rin and Gray, asking, "What will the two of you do from now on?" As Gray had already explained the situation to him in the past, Lord El-Melloi II had already accepted the fact he had lost his protege and personal attendant. This was, however, for the best as, ever since the 'incident' in the past, Reines had never been fond of her presence. If not for the fact that Gray was far stronger than him, essentially delegating her to the role of his bodyguard, it was likely his Wife never would have tolerated her presence.
In response to Lord El-Melloi II's question, Rin released a frustrated sigh as she answered, "I still have a lot of things to take care of but I will be taking a long vacation to focus on my own research after all of this blows over. I've already made some arrangements with Luvia so I may drop off the radar for a bit in order to prepare for any other issues that might appear in the future." Since they were likely under surveillance right now, Rin knew better than to say anything concrete about her future plans. If the Mage's Association knew she and Gray were going to meet with Vahn, who had become increasingly sought after by some of the higher-ups, the chances of them causing problems for her and Sakura would increase exponentially. As for Gray, she gave a polite bow before saying, "I will continue to provide my services to the Tohsaka family. Thank you for taking care of me until now, Master..."
Hearing Gray's words, Lord El-Melloi II couldn't restrain his sigh as, before this incident occurred, he had actually stopped thinking about the possibility of her leaving his side, at least in the near future. Now that he was losing her, his own actions would need to be more measured in the future or there was a very real chance he could lose his life. Throughout the years, Gray had saved him well over a hundred times and, though it might have been unfair to her, Lord El-Melloi II had gotten in the habit of treating her power as his own. At least now he would have the opportunity to 'prove' to the other Lords that he was capable of standing on his own, albeit with the support of three different Magus families...
As Flat hadn't been kept in the loop, he was a little surprised by the fact that Gray seemed to have changed allegiances. His impression of her was that of a 'support character' that would always follow around Lord El-Melloi II like a loyal puppy. Since he was the first to show any amount of kindness to her, it was somewhat unexpected to hear her state she would essentially be abandoning the Master she had cherished for nearly twenty years. Though he knew this was probably for the best, especially with how Svin had been acting lately, Flat was still a little saddened to know he likely wouldn't be working alongside Gray in the future. It felt like he was losing one of the carries in his party, one of the primary sources of DPS against their more troublesome foes...
Shaking such thoughts from his mind, Flat managed a genuine smile as he looked into Gray's stark blue eyes and stated, "I wish you the best, Gray. If this is what you have decided for yourself, I have no right to interfere...also, until you and Rin leave London, please stay on your guard. Recently, there have been reports of wild dogs roaming throughout the City...stay safe..." Though he knew his words would be construed as him 'betraying' Svin, Flat felt the need to warn Gray since it was 'very' unlikely the emergent Brand would be enthused to learn the object of his obsession was moving outside of his sphere of influence. A Brand had a lot of sway within the Association, as the number of people capable of reaching that point accounted for less than .001% of all Mages. Svin had already 'decided' that Gray would be the one to bear his heir as, with the progression of his power and the elevation of his status, he now held the belief that only someone with the 'bloodline of kings' was worthy of his affection...
Hearing Flat's words, Gray's face became slightly pale as the sound of metal-against-metal echoed from her sleeve. She had instinctually grabbed Add as just the thought of meeting Svin again made her feel on edge. There was such a stark contrast between him and Vahn that Gray now believed her past self had been a fool to ever give the obsessive man a chance to win her heart. What he had to give certainly wasn't 'love' as, compared to the tender care and affection that Vahn had shown her, Svin's behavior could only be considered extremely toxic and unhealthy. Unless she was essentially willing to become his 'pet', locked away from the rest of the world due to his jealous nature, there was no way they could ever have a lasting relationship. As the thought of being imprisoned for the rest of her life wasn't all that pleasant, Gray resolved herself to fight against Svin directly if he tried to pressure her. Even if he had already reached the level of a Brand, that didn't mean he was her equal if she went all out from the start. If it came down to it, she would rather kill her former friend than ever go back to her life in that muggy and dark room...
It wasn't just Gray who had a bad reaction to Flat's words as Rin and Lord El-Melloi II both adopted troubled expressions, the latter saying, "I want you to explain to me what has been going on. Rin, please take Gray with you back to the Edelfelt estate and explain the situation to Luvia. If possible, she should increase the amount of security around you and the young miss without leaving the matter to Gray alone...the last thing we need is a wild dog injuring one of our companions." Since he had more or less cut ties with Svin after intervening in the relationship between him and Gray, Lord El-Melloi II didn't have a clear idea of what his former student had been up to. Though he had heard the rumor of Svin being nominated for the position of Brand, that matter had been shelved due to the ongoing Trial...
As she had met Svin in the past a few times, Rin knew the man was a ticking time bomb so, though she was no longer under the authority of Lord El-Melloi II, she still nodded her head and said, "Leave it to me. If necessary, I'll start carrying around a hard cane and deal with the matter myself..." Though it would cause a major stir if it was revealed that she had two Goddesses within her body, Rin would never stand idle if one of her friends was in danger. No matter how prodigious Svin had become, he would be hard-pressed last even a few minutes against someone like Ereshkigal while Ishtar was simply beyond his means to even reach. Since she could freely fly through the sky without restraint, there was little someone earth-bound could do against her...
With Rin's words, Lord El-Melloi II felt as if a weight had been removed from his heart as, while he may have been kept in the dark on many things, the existence of Ereshkigal and Ishtar was known to him. He had a lot of questions about how Rin was able to keep them manifested without the Greater Grail's support but, considering the many enigma's surrounding Vahn, he correctly assumed that the otherworldly Emperor had something to do with it. Regardless, it was a great relief to know that Rin would be willing to reveal her hand if it came down to protecting Gray. Though Svin shouldn't have any leeway to take action against a family like the Edelfelt's, it was better to be safe than sorry.
With that in mind, though it was largely unnecessary, Lord El-Melloi II and Flat accompanied both of the girls to the Edelfelt Mansion before alighting to discuss the matter at a nearby restaurant. This left Rin to explain the situation to Luvia while Gray went to spend time with Vahn in the comfort of the Space-Time Orb. Now, more than ever before, she just wanted to be in the company of someone who seemed to care about her deeply, not someone who saw her as a trophy or possession. Vahn's memory fragment didn't even need to ask if there was anything wrong as he gave her an empathetic look before gently wrapping her in his embrace. Like this, they spent several hours together just sharing each other's warmth, something she couldn't even imagine with a 'wild animal' like Svin...
---
While Lord El-Melloi II, Flat, and Rin were moving to try and control the situation, the man they were troubled by just so happened to be kneeling before a woman with neat brown hair and cold brown eyes. There was a deeply set and hate-filled frown on her face as she stated, "I will not ask that you assassinate a Lord. My only expectation is that your rising family will continue to stand with my own in the coming conflicts. To that end, you can prove your loyalty by causing as much trouble for the Archisorte and Animusphere families. Do this for me and I can guarantee that Lord El-Melloi II's little pet is given a proper Sealing Designation. If she is who you claim her to be, even those idiots in the Kalion Observatory will not deliberate too long before coming to a decision. When that time comes, I will use my authority to guarantee that you are the one assigned to her care. I doubt there would be any resistance to the idea of a Brand being selected a Sealing Designation's partner. To avoid having to share her with others, however, you will need to continue making an earnest effort, Lord Glascheit..."
Though he was not yet a Lord, a shiver ran along Svin's spine when he heard Barthomeloi Lorelei address him as such. His own family could barely be considered a true member of the aristocracy so it was a significant boost in status if he was able to secure the title of Lord. He currently carried the burden of his entire family's rise and, even if he had to lower his head to the Barthomeloi's, they were indisputably the most powerful Magus family within the Association. Not only was their current Head one of only three Wizard Marshal's in the entire world, but her Ancestor, the Barthomeloi Lord, was considered to be a Magus so powerful that only the practitioner of the First Magic could hope to rival them. It was for this reason that, even though Barthomeloi Lorelei often acted with a 'holier-than-though' attitude, few dared to directly antagonize her. After all, while the Barthomeloi family could pester anyone they wanted, there were none who could pester and attack the Bathomeloi's without potentially inviting extinction upon themselves...
With the promise of his desired future being dangled right in front of his nose, Svin, like an obedient dog, returned an excited smile as he exclaimed, "I will not fail...!"
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Petty Without Equal','Feral dogs needs to be put down','The only thing this scene needed was Lorelei making Svin lick her feet...')
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章節 1138: The Passage of Time
With each day in the real world constituting an entire week within the Sub-Space Projection, more than a month and a half had passed since the arrival of Irisviel, Da Vinci, Kenshin, and Siegfried. In that time, the most notable presence within the castle was Iris as, without exception, everyone was rather fond of the innocent and gentle woman who treated everyone in a friendly and sincere manner. Because of her efforts, even Nobunaga had stopped holing herself up in the room while Artoria, having been close with Iris in the past, had become even happier than before. When she wasn't training Mordred or trying to keep her out of trouble, Artoria could be found escorting Iris around the castle grounds or sitting quietly within the Library enjoying tea together. Catherine and Astolfo would often join them as well, bringing Kenshin, Nobunaga, Medusa, and even Illya into the mix as she enjoyed spending time with her mother whenever possible...
As for Da Vinci, Kenshin, and Siegfried, the latter got along well with everyone but couldn't be considered close to anyone. He spent most of his time training his body or solemnly sitting atop the castle walls as he looked out across the currently 'empty' Empire. During the evenings, he could most often be found drinking with Vahn and, on occasion, Astolfo, Nobunaga, and Kenshin. The latter was a bit of a lightweight when it came to alcohol, but could almost always be found following behind Nobunaga around, the only exception being when she was helping Vahn train. Though she was improving steadily, having no problems with anyone in the castle, Kenshin was very reliant on following the social cues of others to determine how she would act. It was easy to see that she was making a sincere effort, however, so Vahn would often spend time with her and Nobunaga after his training had completed...
The one person who didn't really fit in with any of the other social groups, not that she had caused any problems, was Da Vinci. She very rarely left their shared workshop, the only exceptions being when Vahn took her around to do a land survey and when she needed to be on-site for one of her projects. Her body apparently didn't even need to eat anything, as she could subsist entirely off of mana, and, no matter how hard she worked, Da Vinci actually smelled 'better' if she didn't bathe for a few days. When Vahn had asked about the 'secrets' of her body, Da Vinci had teased him about needing to discover them on his own, all while going out of her way to point out that she didn't need to poop...
Since it was almost impossible to tear Da Vinci away from the workshop, most of the other castle residents had only seen her a handful of times. However, due to the fact that she had left for a specific reason, Da Vinci wouldn't spend much time talking to them as, more than anything else, she didn't like to 'waste' time. The only exception to this rule seemed to be whenever she was interacting with Vahn and, after seeing them for the first time, Fenrir and Medusa. She showed a great deal of interest in Fenrir's Devouring Laws and had tried to ask Medusa for a 'sample' of her hair. Neither girl was fond of the idea of being an experimental test subject, however, so they less than politely made it clear they had no intentions of helping her research without Vahn asking directly. After that, Da Vinci didn't bother the two girls any further, nor did she try and pressure Vahn on the matter as, with the latter being both more interesting and far more willing, she was already content with her current research material.
Vahn had been learning a great deal from Da Vinci, to the point that it felt like his prior efforts had been the aimless floundering of a child, but his focus had actually been on other things as of late. Ever since Scáthach had placed Kenshin in charge of helping him train, it felt like he was making real progress once again. Though he never doubted for a moment he was getting much stronger, it was difficult to 'feel' strong when you were fighting against someone like Scáthach. As for Kenshin, she would always get very excited during a fight, to the point she seemed simply incapable of holding back after realizing that Vahn could essentially take any kind of punishment she could dish out. She never went as far as Scáthach, as it wasn't her intention to torture Vahn, but their battles were often rather bloody for both parties. This didn't deter either of them, however, as, much like when he would fight against another battle junky like Tiona, Vahn would get just as excited as Kenshin during their training...
To that end, Vahn found himself wielding a black katana as his arms, neck, calves, and parts of his face were covered in black scales. There were several wounds on his body that, even with his regeneration, were slowly mending themselves as he stared down at an equally ragged-looking Kenshin. She had a wound on her abdomen that looked rather visceral while several small cuts were present all over her body. Though she was far more skilled than he was, Kenshin lacked high-speed regeneration of her own and, as the fight progressed into the fifth hour, she was breathing heavily while wielding a jitte and medival looking mace that Vahn had been batted around with a few times at this point. Things were just now progressing into their final stages, as Kenshin was simply too tired to try and keep up with Vahn's seemingly endless stamina...
Regardless of her fatigue, Kenshin had an excited smile on her face as she pointed her jitte towards Vahn and said, "This will settle it, Master. Let's see if you can take out more than two of me today...!" With that said, a massive tidal wave of mana exploded outward from Kenshin as she shouted, "Biten-Hassō Kuruma Gakari no Jin~!" Following this, seven more versions of Kenshin appeared behind her, each wielding different sets of weapons as they all eyed Vahn with the same excited smile. This was how most of their battles ended so Vahn could now be considered intimately familiar with Kenshin's Noble Phantasm. Not only did it give her a set of armor that was impervious to anything beneath A-Rank, but each of the 'clones' was a real version of herself that was capable of independent action. There was no 'true' body and, so long as there was at least one survivor, Kenshin herself was not in danger of being killed.
Without being afforded any opportunity to make his own preparations, Vahn instantly created a barrier around his body using the active effect of his Xuanwu form. This coincided with the exact moment that the leading Kenshin stabbed her spear towards him, impacting the barrier and causing it to ripple slightly. Right behind her, another Kenshin used a heavy tetsubo to smash the end of the spear, causing the shield around Vahn's body to fracture slightly. He wasn't simply turtling idly, however, so, by the time his shield had been broken open, Vahn had opened his hands to reveal small particles of 'sand', each a different color as they glimmered and pulsed with elemental energy. When Kenshin saw this, her eyes widened slightly but, instead of backing away, three of her attacked with fierce momentum as they cut Vahn's body into several pieces. Another Kenshin actually used her body to directly receive the small particles of sand before tucking her body into a fetal position in a vain attempt to stifle the resultant explosion...
Though it could be considered more than a little unfair, Vahn knew his immortality was one of his strengths, something both Scáthach and Kenshin had taught him to actively exploit. Thus, he had no qualms about throwing out several small granule-sized [Elemental Star]s, each capable of rivaling a B-Rank magic spell in destructive power. As a result, nearly a hundred small explosions wrought havoc on the surroundings, consuming Vahn's body and a total of five Kenshin's in a surprisingly beautiful display of destruction. The other three Kenshin's had already vacated the area and were currently waiting a few hundred meters away with bows at the ready. When she used her Noble Phantasm, the fight wasn't over until there was only one of her bodies remaining. With that in mind, the three surviving Kenshin's began to loose arrows towards the 'pieces' of Vahn at the very instant the explosive plumes disappeared.
With Kenshin's understanding of Laws related to pretty much every weapon, Vahn's regeneration was significantly weakened whenever they fought. Even small wounds would take several seconds to heal while, having parts of his body pierced by her arrows, Vahn felt as if each of his individual cells was made of lead as he essentially turned his body into a liquid state just to try and hasten his regeneration. Unfortunately for Kenshin, she had no reliable means to deal with an Immortal and, so long as Vahn didn't 'believe' she had killed him, he was able to avoid a repeat of what happened with Musashi in the past. Now, if he were to face against the Master Swordsman once again, Vahn believed he would be able to tank several blows without losing himself a second time...
As this wasn't the first time she had seen Vahn turn into a form akin to a metallic black goo, Kenshin could only release a tired sigh as her fatigue had long-since caught up to her. Though she came out ahead in virtually every exchange, it was simply impossible for her to keep Vahn down without using weapons specially designed for that purpose. She had never 'lost' against him outright but, at the same time, she had also never been able to 'win' against him either. In a way, all of their fights ended in a draw as she would tire out and, though this could be considered her loss, the fact she had struck down Vahn 147 times over the last five hours more than justified calling their battle a tie.
Now that Kenshin had stopped pelting him with arrows, Vahn slowly reformed his body into a seated position, making sure to properly wear clothes before he took on a human form. She had dismissed her two remaining clones and was walking over to his position with a tired expression that failed to diminish the fire in her eyes even a little. After helping him to his feet, Kenshin smiled radiantly as she said, "You're always improving, Master. At this rate, it will only be a few years before I am no longer a match for you..." Though this was intended as a compliment, Kenshin realized her words could be misconstrued as boasting. Vahn, however, just laughed light-heartedly in response before pointing out, "You are also improving, Kenshin. If possible, I'd like for you to become even stronger so that, instead of a few years, it takes me a few decades to surpass you..."
Since Vahn had needed a rival to hone himself against, and Kenshin fit the bill surprisingly well, he wanted to see her become even stronger so that he could further refine his own skills. Though it was frustrating to fight against Scáthach, Vahn actually felt that it was a little 'lonely' to be peerless within the world. He had never truly reached that point but, after becoming stronger than most mortals and gods back in the Record of Danmachi, Vahn could tell there was an invisible gulf between him and most people. Though Fenrir was doing her best to breach the gap, Vahn felt it was refreshing to have someone like Kenshin who he could strive to surpass without suddenly growing far beyond her own strength...
Hearing Vahn's words, Kenshin's fighting spirit could be seen burning in her eyes but, after a few seconds, it had died down a bit as she pointed out, "My strength may stagnate a bit in the near future. However, I will do my best to become even stronger after the fact...!" As she had already discussed the matter at great lengths with Nobunaga, Kenshin was fully intending to bear a child at some point over the next few years. Since she would never abandon fighting on the battlefield, she needed to have a child during peaceful times to avoid any unnecessary complications. Since the flow of time within the Sub-Space Projection was seven times the norm, she could easily raise a son or daughter to become self-sufficient long before the battle with Angra Mainyu took place. It was even possible for her to leave behind several descendants as, with Vahn's capabilities, Kenshin knew it was possible for her to live for hundreds of years without issue...
Knowing what Kenshin was referring to, Vahn gave a light-hearted sigh as he shook his head with a smile and stated, "Once Rin, Sakura, and Gray show up, we'll talk about this matter in greater detail. I want Sakura to be comfortable within the castle before I suddenly start giving her younger siblings to worry about." Though there wasn't anything he could do about Mordred, who had already been made aware of her 'younger' sister, Vahn wanted to avoid having additional children until Sakura had moved into the castle. Since it could potentially take more than a year in the outside world for her and Rin to finish wrapping up everything, that meant any siblings he created for her would be around her own age by the time she moved in. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as she would have a group of children her own age to play with, Sakura seemed like the type that would be happier as a big sister instead of trying to fit in with children her own age.
As she wasn't in a particular hurry to get pregnant right now, Kenshin gave an understanding nod without commenting further on the matter. Instead, she moved off to the side after wishing Vahn well, knowing full well nothing she said could 'help' him overcome what he was about to face. As for Vahn, he gave a wry smile before rising to his feet and increasing the density of his body without compromising his mobility. He was given a ten minute rest period after his training with Kenshin and, with less than twenty seconds left, he wanted to at least make some preparations against the expressionless 'Purple Monster' staring at him from fifty meters away. She already had a set of spears in hand, one short, one long, both glimmering with a subtle light that made his skin tingle. Then, the moment his ten-minute 'break' had come to an end, Scáthach turned into a phantom as Vahn did his best to survive her onslaught for another three hours...
---
Following several more thrashings and a few other small developments, Vahn managed to survive another 'day cycle' within the Sub Space Projection. He wrapped things up by playing hide and seek with Mordred, Medusa, Fenrir, and Circe within the massive apple orchards present on the island so Vahn was in a good mood by the time he entered into the workshop located beneath the Amory of Camelot. As was exclusively the case thus far, Vahn found Da Vinci had at work, this time trying to synthesize completely new compounds by mixing together elements and ores that, under normal circumstances, could never be fused together. Fortunately, though he had no doubt she would be able to pull it off in the future, Da Vinci hadn't been able to make too much progress, only creating three new compounds of the thousands of potential combinations she had tried.
As Vahn entered into the workshop, a small mechanical sparrow flitted over before perching on his shoulder, its eyes opening and closing like the shutter of a camera as Da Vinci, without looking back at him, stated, "I will be finished in approximately seventeen minutes. I don't mind if you gawk, but please do not distract me for the time being." When these words left her mouth, Da Vinci tapped the gemstone around her neck, causing her outfit to dissipate into particles of mana that retreated into the large ruby present on her necklace. Vahn had allowed her to research the process of storing physical objects as energy, a technology Da Vinci had already innovated on several times at this point.
Da Vinci now had a necklace that had seven different gemstones present, each representing a 'slot' on her own body that worked in much the same way as his Equipment Function. Each gemstone had a specific type of clothing that coincided with a certain part of her body, allowing Da Vinci to freely modify her outfit at her leisure. She had even made a 'template style' lingerie that, by tracing your finger along the elastic band of the bra and panties, could adjust the density of the fabric in real-time, to the point it would dissipate entirely if 'necessary'. It even had a small gemstone on the very front which, when tapped, completely changed the style of lingerie in much the same way as her necklace.
At this point, Vahn had no idea how many different outfits Da Vinci had 'programmed' into her gemstones as, instead of making the outfits first, she had modified the technology to simply store a certain amount of magical energy instead. So long as you could 'imagine' the outfit you wanted to create, you needed only tap the respective gemstone to change your attire however you pleased. Though this required you to be able to form an actual mental image, Da Vinci was working on a version that could be used by others that they could pre-load with various outfits that could be downloaded from a terminal she intended to place inside the men's and women's baths. Fortunately, Vahn managed to avoid the situation reaching the point where there was communal bathing this time around, even though he sometimes found himself sharing the bath in his own room with one of the girls on occasion...
Since he didn't want to interrupt Da Vinci's work, Vahn took her advice and just sat down in a recliner that he pulled out from his Inventory. He didn't exactly 'gawk' but, having her permission to look, Vahn would occasionally spare a glance at Da Vinci's silhouette and backside. She really did have an immaculate body and, though they hadn't done anything 'too' intimate just yet, Vahn was beginning to grow rather fond of the time they spent together.
Though she had no sense of boundaries, and would often do things like this, he just considered it another one of her quirks. With that in mind, Vahn fed a fragment of a magical core to the small mechanical sparrow as it used mana to keep itself running. The fact that Da Vinci could make 'artificial entities' such as birds and other small animals, each capable of emulating their living kin without any variance, had been yet another example of her unrivaled genius. She hadn't even been able to get access to a computer just yet but, using his own memories and the knowledge she had obtained through the summoning system, Da Vinci now had small mechanical golems implementing a network throughout the castle, intending for it to expand throughout the entire Island in the future.
Da Vinci had even hollowed out a 'secret' chamber that she openly admitted existed but asked that he never enter without her permission. This was supposed to serve as the central nexus of the network while also allowing her to work on a few projects without his scrutiny. Since everyone needed a bit of freedom to keep secrets, Vahn had no problem with Da Vinci having a few private projects, so long as she followed the 'rules' he had laid out for her. This included respecting the decision of the other castle residents and never invading their privacy, two things that Da Vinci had readily agreed to as she wasn't all that interested in them from the start. She had even gone out of her way to inform him that, once she had finished working on her 'secret' project, she would allow him to periodically access the room, promising he would greatly appreciate what she had been working on...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Irisviel is impossible to hate','A Healthy Rivalry','Da Vinci-chan is even sneakier than Fenrir~!?')
(A/N: Guys, I'm dealing with a lot of stuff IRL at the moment but I will try to continue publishing chapters when I can. There should still be 2-3 per day but the hours will be even weirder than normal for a few days. Pretty soon, I plan to 'fix' the schedule once again so reading and commenting will be easier for those that like to try and get first comment and such. Thank you for your patience and please don't forget to vote with Power Stones xD...)
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