章節 1139: Paradise : Prophecy
As the days passed, some more meaningful than others, Vahn found himself hanging out with Siegfried as they both sat atop the castle's battlements. Since the Ivory Castle was built into an artificial mountain that had been constructed as the sealing grounds for the Welsh Dragon, it was easy to see all of Avalon from where they were seated. Since it was just about to turn January in the real world, the whole island had a deeply set chill that had caused the thousands of apple trees to frost over slightly due to the island's humidity. This had no effect on Vahn and Siegfried, however, as the latter was sitting with an open tunic while Vahn was wearing a thin dress shirt and a beige vest. Unlike a normal garment, however, there was a fashionable emerald gemstone near the collar that would allow him to adjust the color and tensile density of the fabric at will.
Since there had been a long lull in the conversation, as Siegfried was a man of few words, Vahn broke the silence by asking, "So, how are you settling in?" In response to this, Seigfried kept calm as the cool wind blew through his long silvery-white hair, an appreciative glimmer in his blue eyes as he answered, "This place is like a paradise. Everything is so calm and peaceful...had I not experienced the memory link and gained knowledge from the summoning system, I would have thought this place was the paradise promised to warriors after their death..." Though each day seemed to blend into the rest, Siegfried had found this kind of lifestyle preferable to the one where he had spent every waking moment granting the wishes of everyone who happened upon him.
Nodding his head in understanding, Vahn added, "It almost makes me not want to invite people to live here in the future. However, an Empire is nothing without its people and I can't just sit here idly as the rest of the world continues to spiral towards their inevitable destruction. There are days when I just want to go out into the world and visit a few hospitals, curing every patient I come across while the Doctors who had failed them watch on in awe. However, the moment I do something like this, the powers that have been biding their time in the shadows would immediately move to try and eliminate us. It is such a farce...we live in a world where things like food, clean water, and medical treatments are a luxury that only a few countries can afford. With things like Magecraft, all of these things could be resolved without any difficulty whatsoever but, instead of trying to help, the people that have all the wealth and power bide their time in the shadows without caring about the suffering their inaction begets..."
As this wasn't even remotely the first time Vahn had complained about such things, Siegfried gave a polite smile in response without commenting. He already knew Vahn's own inaction was driven by his desire to protect the people he cared about. Though this could be the same reason as some of the more powerful families in the world, it was also true that they had allowed the world to stagnate for their own benefits. Siegfried still didn't understand if the future Vahn sought for everyone was the best path to walk. However, so long as the latter did not become a despot or a tyrant, Siegfried had decided to walk the same path to its end. At the very least, Vahn seemed to genuinely believe that he could make the world a better place, something few had the power and conviction to see through...
From where they were seated, Vahn and Siegfried both caught sight of a small figure wearing a red leather jacket running down the long road connecting the Ivory Castle and the Castle Town below. Right behind the red figure, one with midnight blue hair exited behind her before turning back and waving at them. This caused the red figure to stop in its tracks, removing the golden-fur trimmed hood it had been wearing to reveal platinum blond hair with a slightly golden hue. Then, cupping her hands around her mouth, Mordred shouted in a voice that was only audible due to Vahn's enhanced hearing, "Chichiue~! Come fishing with us...!"
At his side, Siegfried laughed in a light-hearted manner before commenting, "I can understand why you want to protect this place...go, I'll be fine on my own." With that said, Siegfried shook his wineskin to indicate it was still full before jumping off the battlement, dropping 30m without needing to worry about injury. As for Vahn, he lightly pushed off the white stone surface as if he was completely weightless, flying through the air towards Fenrir, Mordred, and Susu. The latter had more or less been 'catnapped' by Mordred after the mischievous young girl discovered its existence. Vahn had seen his daughter chasing after the cat on all fours through the hallways, often with Susu finding sanctuary by fleeing into his arms. Currently, it was tucked into Mordred's coat, mewling pitifully when Vahn touched down nearby...
After saving Susu from Mordred, Vahn accompanied the two girls down to the repaired docks after passing through the rather lively ghost town. Though there weren't any people living there just yet, there were dozens of humanoid golems tirelessly working to repair all of the houses while, in the alleyways and beneath the streets, smaller, animal-like golems were repairing the sewer system and laying down the framework for Da Vinci's future network. Avalon could easily support upwards of 200,000 residents using the available land but Vahn actually had no intention of just letting anyone move here in the future. He was intending to turn Avalon into the heart of his Empire, making it into an academy-like city where people would tirelessly work to improve upon the concepts of Magecraft and what Da Vinci referred to as Magi-Science. The only permanant residents would be those given leeway to reside in the castle while everyone else would either be part of the staff or a student that would be required to leave after graduation...
Upon reaching the docks, Vahn sat Susu down to let her explore the beach while Fenrir and Mordred stripped down into their swimwear, consisting of Da Vinci's take on the Aegis Set, which she had taken to calling [Aegis Type D-001]. Though it actually lost some of its defensive capabilities, they were extremely comfortable to wear and were basically 'living' garments. Innovating off the concept of shaping energy into matter, and vice-versa, Da Vinci had designed an undergarment that could adapt to the needs of the user. If they felt cold, the fabric would move to cover more skin before generating a small amount of heat. Though this could actually lead to some compromising situations in the inverse situation, as the garments would basically shrink when you were overheating, that was easily avoided by making a small change in the magic formation sewn into the fabric.
Fenrir's Aegis took on the form of an athletic swimsuit that was cut a little high on the hips while Mordred, knowing she would get in trouble otherwise, wore an almost proper one-piece. The only peculiarity was that there was a gap around her navel that allowed her seal to be visible, something Vahn had confronted her about in the past. According to Mordred, she didn't like wearing anything around her midriff and, whenever the seal was covered, it would become unbearably itchy. Since he had confirmed this with his [Eyes of Truth] by having her wear a t-shirt, Vahn allowed her to keep it exposed during times like this. When she was walking around normally, however, he made sure she either wore loose clothing that wouldn't irritate her too much or, as she often preferred, Mordred would need to wear her jacket and have it zipped up. Since it was a size or two larger than it needed to be, Mordred didn't have to worry about the fabric touching her seal which, as the days passed, seemed like something that should be removed relatively soon. The only reason he hadn't was due to Mordred's own admission that it made her feel 'calm' to have it...
Since they were going to be 'fishing' in the cold waters, Vahn changed into a swimsuit that looked like a diving suit that didn't fully cover the arms and legs. Though it still showed off his figure, which had become 'slightly' more burly over the last few months, it was a compromise Vahn made so that Mordred would not deviate in the same way that Tina had. Fortunately, at least for the time being, this surrogate daughter of his treated him as if he were her biological father. Though she had gotten a spanking for trying to sneak into the men's bath when he was using it, that was just Mordred's innocent desire to wash his back and spend time together. Even so, Vahn was still cautious around her as, with the things she had seen and experienced in her past life, there was always a chance she would have some strange thoughts once she matured once again. Fortunately, for better or worse, she actually seemed to have a bit of puppy-love for Fenrir, something Vahn had already discussed at length with his most trusted companion.
Without waiting for permission, Mordred dove into the water before disappearing into the depths without any fear or hesitation. Vahn gave a small nod to Fenrir, sending her to look after Mordred as he walked into the water without hurrying. It was so cold that, if not for the salt content and the fact that the seas were rather rough around this time of year, it would have frozen over. This didn't really affect him all that much but it still caused his own Aegis to thicken before the cold was replaced by a warm sensation. Vahn was often amazed by Da Vinci's creations and, as he had just been talking to Siegfried about the future, he wondered if it wouldn't be better to start spreading her innovations and Paracelsus' research into the wider world...
While Vahn was thinking about leaving Avalon for a short while, a plump of water erupted around thirty meters away. Following this, Mordred could be seen bobbing in the water as she lifted up a large Smoothound Shark that was even bigger than she was. Judging by the trail of blood leading from its mouth and nose, it was easy to see that Mordred had killed the shark as she happily swam towards him with a face that practically screamed, 'Praise me'. Vahn placed the large catch into his Inventory before rubbing Mordred's head and saying, "Well done. When we get back, I'll help you brush the salt out of your hair." Though it didn't seem to bother her at all, there were small icy salt crystals forming in Mordred's hair from the cold air and the water molecules instantly freezing over.
With an even bigger smile than before, Mordred exclaimed, "I'll catch an even bigger one this time! I saw a fat tuna swimming around, shishishishi~." As she said this, another plume of water shot up in the distance, catching both Vahn's and Mordred's attention. Then, as if to spite the little Knight's claim, Fenrir could be seen paddling towards them while carrying a massive tuna through the water. This caused Mordred to tilt a few degrees to the side, at least until Vahn ruffled her hair and said, "Sharks are a lot harder to catch than Tuna." Though the latter could be much faster, they didn't have the same means to protect themselves that small schools of sharks had. Smoothounds could often be found traveling in packs so Mordred must have fended off a few of them before she came back with her prize. They weren't aggressive by nature but, if you antagonized their pack, they would try to help out their kin by ramming their foes...
Since she hadn't been all that upset in the first place, Mordred nodded her head before raising her nose high and proclaiming, "Of course~! If not for this seal, I would be even stronger than Aneue!" As she had a habit of using formal addresses, Mordred referred to both Nobunaga and Fenrir with the term 'Aneue', meaning Big, or Older, Sister. This was a way of showing respect as, even though she was the 'Imperial Princess', Mordred still had a wild and tomboyish nature while placing a heavy emphasis on things like respect. Since Nobunaga was someone she aspired to be like, and Fenrir was more or less her best friend, they were both worthy of being Mordred's Aneues, at least in her mind.
While Fenrir brought her catch over to Vahn in exchange for a few head pats, Mordred had already dived back into the water, though not before shouting, "I'm going to catch a whale...!". Though her strength was only around eight times stronger than a normal human, Mordred had proven in the past that such things didn't matter to her. A few weeks prior, during their first fishing expedition, she had attacked a pod of Killer Whales, taking out three of them on her own while Fenrir had dealt with the rest. It was for this reason that Vahn essentially had Fenrir babysit Mordred while, after being 'saved', the latter had been crushing on the former ever since.
---
After scaring off every fish for a few kilometers, Vahn used a bash of warm and clean water to help Mordred and Fenrir clean themselves before they changed back into their casual wear. While they did that, Vahn went to fetch Susu, luring it out of a small seaside cave with some fragrant baked fish. It sometimes felt like the black cat, now fully grown, was trying to 'escape' the castle but, as Vahn often treated it well, it hadn't run away just yet. To give it the strength to keep up with his daughter, Vahn fed it some mana-rich fish while using his petting laws to lightly stroke its fur. When it got a bit stronger, Vahn was going to teach Mordred how to perform a Familiar contract, greatly increasing Susu's lifespan and allowing them to share their vision with each other. Depending on how well Mordred cared for her, Susu could even become a 'Magical Beast' in the future, a term given to any Familiar that had reached an intelligence comparable to humans.
With a pacified Susu curled up and purring in his arms, Vahn returned to the docks where Fenrir and Mordred were already waiting for him. He returned the extremely reluctant Susu back to Mordred before handing the latter a few dried anchovies to keep the cat from running away. Thus, after tucking Susu into her coat, Mordred hugged the cat from behind while feeding it small fishes as they leisurely returned back to the castle. When they made it inside, Vahn made good on his promise to brush Mordred's hair, though not before she and Fenrir went off to take a warm bath. He spent the time while they were away talking with Artoria about preparing a large fish-themed feast while drinking some black tea. Like this, another comfortable rest period came to an end, making Vahn feel that Siegfried's remark about this place being a paradise was very close to the truth...
---
Several hundred kilometers away from the secret location of Avalon, a man with pale hair and dull-gold eyes sat in a steeply reclined chair as he looked through a large telescope that dominated the space within his observatory. With the New Year only a few days away, it was one of the best times to read the stars as the hopes and dreams of mankind made such forms of Thaumaturgy more powerful during the holiday season. He had a perpetual smile on his face as he recorded his findings
on his terminal while, a little bit away from the main telescopic array, a young woman with similarly colored hair sat nursing a cup of hot cocoa as she watched her father work. She had a peculiar side-braided hairstyle with the left side of her hair tied up while her bangs partly covered her right eye. Most would consider a very beautiful woman but, a stark contrast to her father, she had a perpetual scowl as, being the next Head of the Animusphere family, she knew the dire straits they were in...
Once he had completed his measurements, the man in the telescope's chair began stroking his chin in a thoughtful manner as he muttered, "This is my tenth time confirming the same things. If events proceed as they are scheduled, there is a good chance the world will experience a cataclysm in the next ten years...how curious that the signs for great fortune also seem to accompany it..." In response to this mumble, the young woman at the side released a tired sigh as she complained, "Knowing the future doesn't help us if we can't even do anything about the present. Father, have you reconsidered trying to ally with the Edelfelt family? The Barthomeloi family has been putting increased pressure on our creditors ever since you defended Lord El-Melloi II. We're already shouldering more than seven million pounds in debt...we can't continue like this..."
Though he knew the matter was even more serious than his daughter was aware, Marisbury didn't allow it to show on his face as he looked over and said, "Olga...Madam Edelfelt is still a member of the Aristocratic Faction. Though she may be willing to help us on account of our defense of Lord El-Melloi II, our opposition would not hesitate to point out a conflict of interest to destabilize our position within the Democratic Faction. Unless we had proper collateral to exchange, there is no way we would be able to survive under such scrutiny. Do not worry, as the readings still show that our family is on the path towards Great Fortune. For now, we must simply do our best to tide through these matters and trust that our methods are not the farce other members of the Mage's Association consider it to be..."
Having grown up hearing the mockery of her peers and contemporaries, Olga shared her father's determination to prove that Astronomy and Divination were still just as relevant today as they had been during the Age of Gods. However, some things in life couldn't simply be dealt with by sitting idle and trusting in prophecies. As it had been her own field of study since she was a young girl, Olga knew any significant event set in motion by a person with enough power could drastically alter the accuracy of predictions based on the stars. The very reason their Animusphere family was in such dire straits was due to her Grandfather insisting on the accuracy of his own prediction. As a result, their family had been saddled with a phenomenal debt that, through her father's efforts, had been largely reduced. Now that their creditors were growing impatient, however, time was quickly running out for their family while, instead of taking any proactive action, her father was repeating the same mistakes as his own...
With a tired sigh, Olga looked into her father's eyes with a determined expression, saying, "I have been in contact with the Trambellio family. Their-." Before she could continue any further, her father showed a rare grimace as he plainly stated, "Olgamally Marie Asmleit Animusphere, I will not hear you speak on that matter a second time. Though I do my best to respect your decisions, I will not have my daughter become the plaything of that despot just to gain protection from the Barthomeloi family. You are to be the next Head of the family and sincerely believe marrying that man would provide us any meaningful benefits? Our whole family would become a branch of the Trambellio family while you would effectively be nothing more than a pet of aman nearly twice your age. If you intend to try and go through with this, I will not hesitate to remove your right of succession..."
As she didn't like the thought of becoming a middle-aged man's wife any more than her father, Olga's face formed into a sour and angry expression as she shouted, "I'm trying to prevent our family from being ruined! We can't just keep sitting around and 'hoping' things will go well for us when the Bathomeloi family is breathing down our neck! The Trambellio family is one of the Three Great Magus families so even that arrogant Queen will have to hesitate if she wants to act against us in the future! It is better to be a branch family than watch our entire lineage and hundreds of years of research destroyed just because you saw a pattern in the stars...!" By the time she was finished yelling, Olga had tears in her eyes as there were few things more painful for a Magus than basically admitting their research was unreliable.
Seeing the sadness in his daughter's eyes, Marisbury showed a complex expression before closing his own in deep thought. When he finally looked back at his daughter, there was a slightly defeated look contained within his dull-gold irises as he smiled and said, "Very well...I will try and contact the Edelfelt family and come to an accord. I would rather lose my status as the leader of the Democratic faction than see my daughter forced to suffer indignation at the hands of a despot." With that said, Marisbury gently caressed the right side of Olga's face as he added, "I want you to be happy. I still believe that my prophecy is true but I will not gamble your happiness on that fact..." Then, using his thumb, Marisbury wiped away a stray tear from his daughter's eye before heading to his study to make a phone call...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Siegfried is just like, "Okay then..."','Mordred's puppy love','It's in the stars man...!')
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章節 1140: Vessel
Though it had started to get very cold during the evenings, the only people who were really affected by this were Catherine and Tristana. As for the two walking hand-in-hand under the light of the full moon, Vahn and Lakshmibai, they could wear light clothing even without Vahn using his domain to warm up the air around them. Lakshmibai, in particular, preferred to wear clothing that exposed her upper back, relying on her long sandy-white hair to protect her from the elements. When Vahn had asked about it, she explained that it was nothing more than personal preference as she enjoyed feeling the breeze against her back and shoulders. Since it gave her a unique appeal, especially with her healthy brown skin, borderline white hair, and pink irises, Vahn had no complaints whatsoever...
As they continued walking without any destination in mind, Lakshmibai seemed to muster up the courage to speak. She had been the one to hesitantly ask him to accompany her as, over the last few weeks within the Orb, their relationship had taken a few 'interesting' turns. This caused Lakshmibai to spend a lot of time reflecting after the fact as, for the time being, she simply had no other responsibilities. Though she would sometimes practice her marksmanship alongside Nobunaga, there was little she could do as a Heroic Spirit to increase her strength. Other than siphoning the energy contained within the Ego of living human beings, the only way she could reliably increase her strength was with Vahn's 'assistance' but this was ultimately just a temporary boost that would fade away with the passage of time.
After bringing Vahn to a stop, Lakshmibai looked up into his face and said, "I have been thinking about my place as of late. I lack the strength to protect you and, though I may be able to strike down some of your enemies, it is likely I would be a burden against any powerful foes..." Though she was by no means weak, having an average of forty times the Strength and Agility of other humans, it was hard to remain confident with monsters like Scáthach, Kenshin, Artoria, and Siegfried around. If there were subjects and personnel to manage, Lakshmibai knew she could be of assistance, as her enhanced [Charisma of the Rani] would be extremely useful, but that was a matter far in the future.
Adding on to her words, though not before taking Vahn's hands into her own, Lakshmibai smiled as she said, "I want a real body. Though I may be weak now, I believe I can become stronger if I make an effort. I do not believe this is the limit of my potential..." As she had a Goddess sealed inside of her, even if it was a Goddess of Misfortune, Lakshmibai believed she could become much stronger. Though it was very pleasant to continue living this peaceful lifestyle, especially when she and Vahn were alone together, Lakshmibai had been feeling an increasing amount of guilt since she was almost always on the receiving end. Even if she tried to be more proactive, Vahn's experience meant there was almost nothing she could do to surprise him, regardless of how embarrassing she thought her own actions were...
Hearing Lakshmibai's words, Vahn smiled affectionately, stroking the side of her face as he said, "I'll make the arrangements. When you're ready, I'll prepare a flesh and blood body for you to inhabit..." After the success of Irisviel, Vahn was confident he could use his modified Avatar creation technique to transfer Lakshmibai's fragmented soul into a body he produced from his own. Though it would be an uphill battle for her at first, Vahn was confident that Lakshmibai could use a cultivation method to increase the strength of her soul and unlock her potential. It was his theory that Heroic Spirits were only prevented from growing stronger as a result of their fragmented soul. It was for this reason that they got more powerful by consuming the energy contained within the Ego of humans as, though it didn't exactly strengthen their soul, it filled in the gaps to make their fragmented soul complete.
Having already prepared herself from the moment she learned that Irisviel's body had been created by Vahn, Lakshmibai nodded her head with a firm resolution in her eyes as she said, "I am ready. If I continue living without giving anything in return, I feel I may lose myself long before the battle with Angra Mainyu. Please, Master, grant me a real body..."
Though it was a bit awkward to meet her demands in the present moment, Vahn issued a wry smile while rubbing Lakshmibai's silky soft hair. After that, he brought her to a scenic area near the lake where, in the distant past, Merlin's student, the fairy Vivian, had granted Artoria Excalibur. There were small ruins located at the bottom of the lake which once served as Vivian's residence, now appearing much like a ruined castle-like shrine. Merlin had mentioned that Vivian was undoubtedly still alive but, as even powerful existences like the Knights of the Round Table and Morgan le Fay had been forced away by the Dragon's Breath, so too had she. Now, with the future being almost impossible to ascertain clearly, he was unable to locate her in the present time but assumed she had retreated somewhere near the bottom of the ocean to avoid having to interact with humanity...
After picking out an area, Vahn explained the process to Lakshmibai, including the fact that she would be formed of his own flesh and blood. Though this gave him no real power over her, it was important that she knew the various pros and cons of having a body created by him. As could be seen in Irisviel's case, her magic circuits were of a much higher quality than the ones she had in life while her Magecraft itself had become much stronger than before. Since her body was made of Source Energy, even though she had no means to make use of it, the mana conductivity of her circuits was inherently EX-Rank. She used a type of high-speed transmutation that allowed her to manipulate precious metals into extremely thin and flexible strings, a surprisingly effective means of attack and defense since she could make various golems and familiars in an instant. Vahn had given her a literal cubic meter of gold, as it was the easiest metal for her to shape, before watching her turn it into the shape of a bear. The most interesting part, for both him and Da Vinci, was the fact that the wire-golems she produced were capable of some basic autonomy based on the intentions of the user when they were created. It was by observing Irisviel's Alchemy that Da Vinci had gotten her idea for the various mechanical animals that now roamed all over the Island of Avalon...
Though her face had turned bright red at the thought that her body was going to be formed from Vahn's own, Lakshmibai didn't change her mind at the last minute. Instead, she wanted to witness the creation of her new form from start to finish, even though Vahn had advised her it could be a rather nauseating sight. Her reasons for wanting to witness this was Vahn's admission that he could change both the internal and external structure of her body, even altering her race if she wanted to try something new. Ultimately, Lakshmibai decided to remain human, at least for the time being, though she did give Vahn permission to alter her breasts and butt to his preferences. This resulted in him honestly admitting that her body was already 'perfect', causing Lakshmibai's face to turn even redder, at least until she saw a version of herself pulling itself free from Vahn's back...
With a slightly pale face, Lakshmibai inspected her new body from the perspective of an outsider, finding the experience rather uncanny. There was a big difference between seeing yourself in a mirror and seeing a flesh and blood version of your own body from the outside. Lakshmibai felt embarrassed to see her own nakedness, something Vahn had taken note of as he covered her new body with a blanket before he went through the long process of setting up two magic formations. Since he didn't really need to use this technique to split his own soul anymore, as he had been able to do so by his own volition after reaching Tier 4, Vahn spent nearly an hour making sure there were no issues. Fortunately, even though it was fragmented, Lakshmibai also had a Tier 4 soul so, while she was a little weak in the present, Vahn knew she theoretically had more potential than even the current Kenshin...
Once the two magic formations were completed, Vahn had Lakshmibai lay down in the transfer circle while her new body was located within the receiving circle. Then, while holding her hand to assure her everything would be okay, Vahn activated the transfer. This was an extremely important moment as, if this method worked, he wouldn't even need something like a [Spirit Vessel]. So long as it was by their own will, there should be nothing preventing Lakshmibai's Heroic Spirit self from inhabiting his body as, with the nature of Source Energy, they should be perfectly compatible with each other.
Soon after the transfer had begun, Lakshmibai outright vanished from where she had been laying, much like when a Heroic Spirit would assume their immaterial spirit form. Then, the body he had prepared for her began to glow with a vibrant magical light as her eyes shot open and she took a gasping breath to fill her lungs for the first time. Lakshmibai's first impression of her new body was that it was very comfortable but, feeling this was too embarrassing to admit, she continued to cover herself with the blanket before trying to 'create' clothes with her magical power. Fortunately, just like Artoria, she was still able to use the skills and abilities granted to her by the Greater Grail. This made Lakshmibai feel a great deal of relief, not because she had been naked in front of Vahn, but because she had grown fond of being able to change clothes on the fly...
Vahn had Lakshmibai perform some routine stretches, both as a means to ease her tensions and test out her new body. He observed from the side with an appreciative look in his eyes, something she was very aware of as her cheeks became progressively more ruddy. Then, after finishing with her stretches, Lakshmibai surprised him by sheepishly asking, "There is one thing I'm curious about...is this body technically considered a virgin...?" As she had felt strangely guilty about not being able to give her virginity to Vahn, Lakshmibai wondered if he had 'modified' her body a bit when he created it. It wasn't that she had stopped caring about her past life but, now that she was alive in the present, Lakshmibai wanted to live in the moment instead of worrying about a past where she had already died...
Though he had admittedly considered it, Vahn shook his head in response to Lakshmibai's question, answering, "Other than giving you a set of magic circuits that should allow you to use a skill similar to [Mana Burst] in the future, I didn't change anything about your body. Since you want to try and awaken Alakshmi at some point, it was better that I left your body as it was..." As this surprisingly caused Lakshmibai's smile to turn somewhat melancholic, Vahn gave a wry smile before adding, "I already explained in the past that I can Modify the attributes of those who have pledged their loyalty to me. We have been together for over five months at this point so I have more than enough leeway to make you into a virgin if that is what you desire..."
Hearing Vahn's words, Lakshmibai's face became scarlet in an instant as, though she had certainly wanted it, at least a little bit, hearing him put it in such a way was extremely embarrassing. This, however, wasn't enough to stop her from placing her hand over her heart and stating, "Master...I want it..." Since their relationship had already developed to the point where she had recognized him as her 'true' Master, Lakshmibai knew how to appeal to Vahn, even if it made her heart feel like it was going to explode. When she saw his eyes widen and noticed him taking in a deep breath through his nose, it made her feel giddy with excitement, now more than ever before...
---
With Lakshmibai clearing the twenty-four-hour contention period without having any trouble, Vahn found himself being pestered by Da Vinci to produce a body for her personal study while Nobunaga, having been on the fence for the past few months, had also tracked him down soon after. She had been seriously contemplating her own 'death' before the summoning of Kenshin, all so that the 'real' her could be of assistance to Vahn, she was quick to ask for a body of her own. Vahn had already expected this so he spent the better part of four hours helping Nobunaga 'tweak' her new body in accordance with her own preferences.
Though this ultimately proved pointless, as her unique skill, [Demon King], was the source of her body changing shape and size, it still meant her 'default' state was now a far more mature version than it had been as a Heroic Spirit. Now, so long as she wasn't drained of mana, Nobunaga stood at a rather tall 180cm while her breasts and butt were 88cm and 87cm respectively. It had been a little strange to watch her fondle herself to make sure everything 'felt' right but, so long as she was happy, Vahn didn't have any complaints. When she immediately wanted to 'stress test' her new body after the fact, Vahn had been a willing participant, ultimately proving to Nobunaga that it didn't matter what form she took when it was just the two of them together...
In this manner, the hot topic within the castle was the discussion of the bodies Vahn had produced as, in all instances, it was very apparent that the bodies Irisviel, Lakshmibai, and Nobunaga had received were far 'better' than normal. Not only were they incredibly resistant to most sicknesses and poisons, something Nobunaga had learned very quickly as it took her much longer than normal to get drunk, but even Irisviel only needed to sleep for 2-3 hours to make a full recovery. Their natural regeneration was much higher than normal and, by Vahn's own admission, there was a good chance they might not even age like normal people. Since their magic circuits could be shaped by him at the time of the body's creation, it became a matter worthy of consideration for almost everyone within the castle, especially Artoria and Astolfo.
Though the first person to try and come forward was none other than Tristana, as she was more than a little interested in having an eternally young body, Paracelsus had convinced her to stay as she was since he could easily grant such a request without her having to abandon her current body. This still served as the catalyst for Astolfo bringing Catherine by and, after a long discussion, Vahn ultimately made bodies for both of them. Though Catherine had already made a full recovery, and very likely wouldn't become part of their combat forces, it was still more comforting to her if she were able to have a body that never had to worry about disease and sickness. She had actually been considering the topic of children in the future, as she and Astolfo now had a far more intimate relationship, but was hesitant since she didn't want to burden her children with her hereditary illness.
As for Astolfo, he was surprisingly manly about the whole situation, not even hesitating to accept responsibility for Catherine's happiness. Though he did ask Vahn to 'tweak' a few things to make him look even cuter, this was something Catherine also allowed so he had no reason to refuse. By the time he was done, Astolfo's body was far more androgenous than before as, instead of the same muscle structure as a normal male, Vahn had modified some of his muscle groups to look distinctly feminine. Afterward, Astolfo could be found wearing even cuter clothes than before, taking full advantage of his modified figure as he and Catherine sometimes wore matching outfits...
The last person to come forward, though even Circe had joked around about gaining a new body, was Artoria. Much like Lakshmibai, she wanted to be able to increase her strength but, instead of simply keeping her current form, Artoria had asked him to give her a more mature appearance. As her actual age was closer to fifty years old, Artoria had become self-conscious about her appearance ever since the Fourth Holy Grail War when she became friends with Irisviel. Though it was useful to retain her youthful and somewhat boyish appearance when she was masquerading as a male, she now wanted to be a better mother for Mordred.
Unfortunately, though Vahn obliged her request, increasing her height from 154cm to 165cm while adjusting her bust and hips sizes accordingly, Artoria's body actually reverted back to its fifteen-year-old appearance the moment the transfer was completed. It seemed that, so long as she had the Chrono-Displasia status, Artoria's form would always revert back to its 'default' appearance, much like Fenrir's. There was a silver lining, however, as Vahn did manage to help Artoria 'balance' out her appearance a bit by using his Modify function. Though she didn't have a lot of mass to work with, being only 42kg with a BWH ratio of 73/53/76, Vahn managed to adjust her sizes to 75/52/77 while softening up the appearance of her body. Regardless, this was still a very noticeable change from Artoria's perspective so she had gained enough confidence to wear a more lady-like dress around, at least until Mordred made an off-hand remark about her being weird...
Though Artoria seemed to have 'accepted' her fate of being perpetually youthful, Vahn followed up the incident by discussing the matter with Merlin. By his admission, the only thing keeping Artoria in her current form was the fact that she had bonded with the Holy Sword, Excalibur. If she relinquished its ownership and returned it to its proper resting ground at the bottom of the lake, the matter of her Chrono-Displasia would no longer be a concern. However, from that moment onward, Artoria would never be able to use Excalibur again while her fate as 'King Arthur' would cease to be a reality. Though this wasn't necessarily a bad thing, Merlin warned Vahn that it was a 'very dangerous' thing to have no fate, especially when your existence was essentially one of the anchors of the world.
Even though it was currently in Gray's possession, the Holy Spear Rhongomyniad was actually a part of Artoria. It was for this reason that Gray had to use Add to keep the spear sealed away as, without residing within Artoria, it would continually lose its mystery. If this happened, the boundary between the Surface World and the Reverse Side of the World would no longer exist, once again returning the world to the Age of Gods. This would functionally result in the end of the world, meaning it was very important to recover the Holy Spear at some point. The only thing that kept it from being an issue was the powerful fate surrounding Artoria and those that descended from the Line of Kings. Unless there was a force that could somehow sever fate entirely, the Holy Spear would ultimately return to Artoria's grasp in order to ensure the stability of the world...
From what Merlin had revealed, the only way to break Artoria's Chrono-Displasia was to essentially return the Holy Spear to her body while sealing Excalibur back in the lake to the west. Without the swords 'protection', however, Artoria would essentially become an existence closer to a Divine Spirit, undoubtedly gaining a more mature form but potentially losing parts of herself in the process. There was even a chance she would become a similar existence to Scáthach, burdened by knowledge and truth while her body, from that moment onward, would truly rival that of the gods. Excalibur actually worked as one of the seals on Artoria's power, serving as one of thirteen seals that kept the Holy Spear, Rhongomyniad, functioning as the anchor of the world.
This had all been rather surprising but, considering that Artoria had been 'fated' to one day lead the world towards prosperity on the brink of destruction, she would undoubtedly need such power. Even Avalon, which existed on the Reverse Side of the World, was supposed to one day exist on the surface. Essentially, by releasing the seals on her power, Artoria acted as the bridge between the Surface and Reverse Sides of the world. One day, she would unify the two and, much like how things were in Danmachi, the world would become a place where Mortals and Gods lived and worked alongside each other. This would explain why, compared to anyone else, the flow of fate around Artoria even made someone like Bell, the original protagonist of Danmachi, look relatively plain...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I want it...','RIP Nobu-chan','Poor Artoria. She just wanted to be a busty MILF to suffocate her daughter (T ^ T)...')
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