章節 1352: Behind the Curtains
Around the same time that Vahn was showing Nero around the castle, a young man could be found sitting in his bed, a lit cigarette in his mouth as he leaned against the headboard. His eyes glowed an eerie bluish-purple color, a thoughtful expression in his eyes. Next to him, a young woman with blue hair tossed about in her sleep, her right hand clinging to his body; seemingly afraid he would vanish, leaving her alone once again...
Seeing Ciel toss and turn about, Shiki released a tired sigh as he gently stroked her head, whispering, "I'm still here...it's okay...", his voice tinged with care and concern. This caused Ciel to eventually relax her body, a contented smile replace the fretful expression marring her pretty face.
With his star-crossed lover sleeping more peacefully, Shiki allowed a small smile to touch his lips; for a brief moment. In truth, his heart was restless while his mind was plagued with complex emotions, most notably: helplessness, frustration, and a bittersweet feeling he couldn't quite put into words. He never imagined he would be thrown into this kind of situation, one where he received much but lost even more.
It was no secret to the girls that had traveled with him but, long before setting out on his journey, Shiki had wanted to meet with Aoko and Arcueid again. To finally reunite with them after all this time, only to find they had fallen to the clutches of some tyrannical Emperor...he couldn't help but feel as though fate had played a trick on him. Both girls may attest to the fact that Vahn wasn't an evil person, a sentiment shared by Ciel, but Shiki couldn't accept this after knowing what the so-called Sage Emperor had done to the rest of the world...
Unfortunately, despite his efforts to convince the girls they were being manipulated, Shiki was met with disappointment as they unanimously told him he was misunderstanding things. Worse still was the fact that Aoko, in particular, told him there was no sense in trying to oppose Vahn. The power he wielded wasn't something that could be resisted and, while the actions he had taken were inarguably extreme; the end result would change the world for the better.
The final nail in the coffin, leading Shiki to his current state, was that there wasn't a single line visible on Vahn's body. His Mystic Eyes of Death Perception allowed him to actualize the death of all things by striking minuscule lines that existed in virtually everything. Using these lines, he could even break a magically reinforced barrier with something as simple as a chopstick, ignoring any resistances and destroying things so completely they turned into dust.
Throughout his entire life, Shiki had only ever encountered two beings that lacked lines of death, the first being the unsealed Arcueid and the second being Vahn himself. This implied that no matter the circumstances, it was virtually impossible to kill them. Rather, the concept of death itself didn't seem to apply to them; something that, on its own, was a terrifying concept...
Fortunately, the mission Vahn had assigned him was relatively simple: the establishment of a task force that specialized in the hunting of immortal creatures; specifically those who fed off the life force of others, violating the Common Law of the Empire. Though this effectively made him a dog of the Empire, Shiki still accepted the task as it gave him the opportunity to escape Avalon and regroup with his former allies. They all possessed some form of immortality and, according to Ciel, some had even returned to reside at his old home, protecting his sister and serving their family.
Even if it seemed an impossible task, Shiki was determined to expose Vahn's treachery and restore order to the world. He wouldn't allow the so-called Emperor to rule over the planet with impunity as, no matter his justifications, the methods he used to establish his rule were unacceptable. Billions of people would die due to his selfishness so, platitudes aside, Vahn was the perpetrator of the most heinous massacre in Earth's history. Other tyrants simply couldn't compete so, even if he had the best of intentions, Vahn's actions disqualified him as a ruler...at least in Shiki's mind...
---
From within his tower, now reminiscent of a battlefield, Merlin sat observing Shiki's, and virtually everyone else's minds. Artoria and the others may have left him with panda eyes and mussed hair but, immediately after their departure, Merlin resumed his usual demeanor as he sat silently in his chair, fulfilling one of his most important duties.
Seeing Shiki's rather dangerous thoughts, Merlin couldn't help but lightly chuckle, finding the man's sense of justice to be amusing; to say the least. It was always interesting to see the thought process people used to convince themselves their view was the correct one, often ignoring everything that contradicted their perspective. The young man ignored the fact that Vahn had already set the world on its current path so, even if he someone managed to defeat him, it wasn't as if the world would return to its previous state. Rather, as a result of his actions, a greater number of people would die but, for the very same reasons he considered Vahn an evil person, Shiki completely ignored this as he wouldn't be 'directly' responsible for their deaths...
This was one of the things that had always bothered Merlin about Heroes as, on a fundamental level, they were all exceptionally selfish people. While Vahn wasn't exactly without fault, he was, at the very least, aware of the consequences of his actions. He never tried to escape his own accountability and, before he even took action, accepted he would be treated as an evil Tyrant. This was a degree of wherewithal possessed by very few. Most people would go to extreme lengths to justify their actions and paint themselves in a positive light; Heroes being the most notorious examples of this truth.
Fortunately, while Shiki was capable in his own right, he fundamentally lacked the ability to oppose Vahn, much less the Empire. He might be able to kill almost anything with his Mystic Eyes of Death Perception but these weren't exactly a unique trait. There were also several entities affiliated with the Empire that were completely immune to their effect so, even if events transpired to empower the man's skewed sense of justice; he would hit a wall immediately after taking action. Vahn could, at times, be exceptionally magnanimous but, the moment you touched his bottom line, death was all but a certainty...
After implanting the thought that Shiki should bide his time until the world began to stabilize, Merlin turned his attention to the far more interesting topic: the interactions between Vahn and Nero. While he would never admit to it, even when Artoria was beating him, Merlin had a soft spot for all women that shared her appearance. For reasons he was unable to ascertain, these women almost always had a life marred with tragedy so, while it may earn him the ire of several people, Merlin exploited Vahn's character in order to change the penultimate fate of these tragic women.
Merlin's only complaint about the current situation was that Vahn hadn't summoned the actual Nero, meaning the young woman who had taken her own life, desperately craving the love of even a single person, still died amidst pain and loneliness. Though Vahn would undoubtedly save the Heroic Spirit version of the same lonesome woman, Merlin would have preferred he saved the original from her final moments. Fortunately, it shouldn't take much to convince him to infuse the spirit of the original into the current Nero, melding the two into a singular entity...
Since these were matters for the far future, Merlin set them aside within the compartments of his mind. Instead of focusing on them, he watched with a smile on his face as Vahn displayed his usual tell-tale signs of noticing something was wrong regarding another person's behavior. This was one of the more curious aspects of the otherworldly Emperor as, despite lacking the ability to peer into the minds of others, his empathy and attention to detail allowed him to quickly realized when others were in pain.
Now, Vahn was escorting Nero around the castle, introducing her to the other residents and showing her all the more interesting places to visit. At the same time, he dutifully observed each of Nero's reactions; an obvious attempt to gauge the feelings she kept hidden beneath an unfathomably complex series of mental blocks. In fact, probing her mind was like trying to navigate a maze, one that was constantly changing shape as if to both keep people out and keep something else locked away.
If given enough time, Merlin would be able to penetrate Nero's mental defenses but, rather than trigger a negative reaction, he opted to let Vahn wear her down. Even now, sections of her mind were giving way to his influence as, with each passing moment, Nero gained a better understanding of Vahn's intentions. She was used to people admiring, praising, adoring, and even worshipping her, all without any real effort on her part. Vahn, however, looked at her with clear concern visible in his gaze; slowly chiseling away at her defenses.
Unless he sent them away to deal with a task, it was only a matter of time before most women fell in love with Vahn. Goddesses and Heroes were no exception to this as constant exposure to someone that expressed their care and concern was almost irresistible, especially when said person wielded a considerable amount of power and authority. Everyone sought purpose in life so, if they could fulfill a grander purpose, all while living beside someone that constantly empathized with them, even the most stalwart individuals would eventually crack.
This was something Merlin was aware of but seeing Vahn at work was always an interesting sight to behold. It seemed like he didn't even need to make an effort but, if you observed closely, it became very apparent that Vahn measured almost all of his actions based on anticipated responses. He was constantly paying attention to even the most minute details, adjusting his own behavior and tone to leave the deepest impression on the other party. Really, it was a little ridiculous to witness as, even after two years of observing the man work, Merlin couldn't quite fathom how he managed to pull it off...
In truth, Vahn had conditioned himself through excessive use of the View Affection system function. Though he had stopped relying on it to dictate his behavior, it wasn't as if his body and mind had forgotten how to interact with women the moment it was turned off.
While he couldn't exactly read them like a book, Vahn had learned to pay attention to the subtle cues in a person's behavior and, always aiming to make the people around him happy, his behavior was subconsciously influenced by his past experiences. Obtaining a Sex Divinity only made him more sensitive to these things as, even without View Affection active, he could sense the wants and desires of the people around him. This had turned him into a natural casanova as it also made him naturally receptive to fulfilling these desires; similar to a compulsion.
Though he had gotten good at controlling these urges, Vahn couldn't exactly turn them off without effectively discarding his own Divinity. Since it helped 'a lot' when dealing with his expansive harem, this wasn't exactly an option so, while interacting with Nero, he could only do his best to ignore the heated gaze she would periodically throw his way; seemingly just to tease him. Then, as if he was the one radiating perverted thoughts, Nero would point out that there was no shame in lusting after her body, claiming it was a natural response before droning on about her greatness...
(A/N: I'm going to be out today so I wrote this chapter to let you know while also alluding to some of the things going on in the background. People tend to forget just how 'comprehensive' things are within the Empire, especially when it comes to monitoring. Vahn's vision of the world doesn't include a lot of privacy but, when literal omniscient beings exist, privacy is just an illusion xD...)
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章節 1353: Small Steps
After escorting Nero for a much longer period of time than he intended, Vahn had come to know a few key things about the first-century Empress.
Perhaps the most important thing to note about her was the fact that, almost certainly as a result of her [Migraine] Skill, Nero simply couldn't focus on anything for more than a few seconds. If you tried holding a conversation with her, you could see her mind wandering progressively further the longer the discussion continued. The only exception to this was when Nero herself was talking but, even then, she would easily get distracted by anything that caught her attention.
Secondly, likely derived from her ability to focus on anything for a long period of time, Nero was an extreme narcissist. She simply couldn't empathize with others as any attempt to try and understand the complexities of another person would cause her an intense migraine, deterring her from even trying. Because of this, Nero emphasized her own thoughts and reasoning over all else, using her status as an Empress to basically do whatever she wanted.
Lastly, once against the result of her underlying issues, Nero was a very 'open' person, basking in the adulation of others and following her whims without restraint. While teasing him, she unabashedly talked about her forays in the beds of others, detailing her prowess and directly asking if he would like to take her to task. In her mind, it was perfectly natural to be desired by others and, if she found them pleasing to the eye, Nero would sleep with practically anyone; excluding Senators and anyone holding government office.
Since sleeping with government officials was, in many ways, directly involved with politics; Nero had shunned the advances of anyone proactively trying to court her. Instead, she preferred to engage in bouts of passion with her citizenry, even going so far as to host massive orgies within the confines of her theater. In one instance, she even attested to the fact that she had locked a group of more than a thousand inside the grand halls, staging a tournament to determine the greatest lovemaker in the entire Empire; a title, like many others, Nero claimed for herself...
Having dealt with people like Freya and Loki, Vahn wasn't the type that judged people based on the decisions they had made in the past. In fact, he didn't even mind how open Nero was regarding her sexuality. After all, he wasn't exactly a paragon of virtue so, rather than anything she had done in the past, Vahn was bothered by Nero's direct propositioning. It would be fine if she just teased him but, with Okita, Jeanne, and Gareth accompanying them, she unabashedly flirted with the three girls; the result of her transient sexuality.
While this kind of behavior was obviously a little troubling, the fact it was the product of whatever Nero was keeping hidden was the true crux of the problem. Vahn could tell that, rather than being absolutely confident in her behavior, there was an ever-present doubt hidden at the core of Nero's being. She spoke unabashedly and without shame but, during those moments, she never took her eyes off the person she was talking to; an earnest desire to understand them visible within her bright green irises...
Unfortunately, for reasons only Nero truly understood, she was unable to understand and empathize with others. Because of this, she was quick to apologize if she offended them but, at no point in time did she seem to realize she had done something wrong. There was a gap in her mentality that made it virtually impossible to reconcile the incongruities between her legitimate desires and the actions she took in an effort to express something she simply couldn't put into words...
---
After exploring the castle and a few places of interest outside, Vahn found himself taking tea with Nero and Spenta, the latter having accompanied them throughout the entire tour. Jeanne, Okita, and Gareth were all present as well but, as was often the case in situations like this, they quietly sat at the side. They were currently enthralled in an intense staring competition, Jeanne and Gareth teaming up against the seemingly unbeatable Okita who, even after an hour passed, hadn't blinked a single time...
Without minding the presence of others in the slightest, Nero was staring into the contents of her glazed teacup, an appreciative smile on her face as she remarked, "Tea befitting one such as I. What an elegant taste...and this aroma...umu, you have chosen well, my Master."
Having grown steadily accustomed to Nero informing him that he had done well, Vahn issued a light chuckle as he set his own cup to the side and stated, "Spending these few hours with you has been a pleasant experience, Nero. Unfortunately, I have other duties to attend. After this session has come to an end, I must be on my way."
Though he didn't particularly mind spending time with her, being around Nero was an exhausting experience. She seemed to expect him to continue accompanying her indefinitely and, while he was curious about her past and desired to understand the root cause of her problems, he couldn't ignore everyone else just to attend the whimsical Empress. Rather, he was very aware that Arcueid and Illya were both in need of his attention so, while it left a bittersweet taste in his mouth, Vahn needed to find a moment to bring their tour to an end.
Without showing any signs that she was particularly troubled by his coming departure, Nero simply nodded in response, intoning her characteristic 'umu' before answering, "This is to be expected, is it not? I may have been an Empress in the past but here, in this time, I am but a fragment of a wayward soul. Fret not, my Master, I will be fine without your attention. Know that I look forward to the dawn of the coming day, the moment we are able to meet again...umu..."
With her words finished, Nero set her own teacup down and, as if it was the most natural thing in the world, picked up Spenta to depart. This filled Vahn with an intense desire to sigh but, holding it in, he, instead, created a gentle flow of energy to obstruct Nero's path. Then, as she turned to face him again, he adopted a wry smile and said, "Here, take this with you. There is little I can do about the existence of you [Migraine] Skill but this should alleviate most of, if not all, the symptoms..."
Vahn had already given Nero a choker that would allow her to replenish her mana so, this time around, he gave her an ornate pair of earrings; each glimmering with emeralds, the same color as her eyes. They were an A-Rank item that had the ability to prevent most abnormal status effects that affected the mind so, with Nero's [Migraine] being B-Rank, Vahn was hoping she would slowly learn how to focus and better empathize with others.
Seeing the beautiful pair of earrings proffered forth by Vahn, Nero's smile became even more radiant than usual as she walked over, set down Spenta, and said, "Umu, you have my permission to lay your hands upon me." Then, extending her neck and raising her chin, Nero obviously expected that Vahn places the earrings in himself.
Since he already expected this outcome, as it was the most common reaction amongst the women he had associated with, Vahn had no trouble delicately manipulating Nero's head, piercing both ears in turn. Though he imagined it must be a little painful, as her ears hadn't been pierced, Nero showed no signs of discomfort at all. Rather, her smile, once the process was completed, became the most exuberant one she had displayed thus far; effectively lighting up the entire room with its imagined luminance.
Anticipating the question that almost always followed his gifting of an accessory, Vahn pulled out an ornate hand mirror for Nero's use, earning a satisfied 'umu' as she graciously accepted it. Then, upon seeing how clear the image was, her brows raised slightly as she remarked, "Umu, this may very well be the highest quality mirror I have ever seen. Even polished silver cannot reflect my beauty to this extent...truly, a marvel of the times. Umu..."
Though it looked like she could stare at herself for hours without end, Nero ultimately returned the mirror to Vahn, her smile regaining its usual quality as she commented, "You have chosen well, my Master. I will cherish this gift eternally, never letting it part from my sight. Umu, it will become as much a part of me as my immaculate arms and legs. Rest easy knowing your feelings have reached this heart of mine, fueling the fires of passion within. When next we meet, prepare yourself well. I will answer your feelings, doubly so..."
As was the common trend, Nero, upon completion of her statement, picked up the waiting Spenta and, without sparing anyone in the room a glance, proceeded to exit. This left Vahn feeling a little fatigued as he knew, even with the earrings, it would take a very long time for Nero to change for the better. Now, he fully expected her to go all out in tomorrow's competition, eager to lend veracity to her claims, cementing her 'rightful' place at his side...
Deciding to pay Merlin a visit later in the day, Vahn turned his attention to Okita, Jeanne, and Gareth, the latter having teary eyes due to straining them beyond her natural limits. This instantly improved Vahn's mood, bringing a smile to his slightly troubled face as he extended his hand; gesturing to the girls to come over. Once they obliged, he lightly covered Gareth's eyes, restoring them to their usual state and earning both praise and gratitude from his puppy-like protege...
---
After summoning eight people in one go, Vahn's diminished mental energies gave him a strong desire to just relax, sleep, and recuperate. As a result, he retired to the Menagerie with his usual entourage before seeking out Arcueid in his second body. Illya had already completed her move so, while she undoubtedly wanted to spend more time alone with him, she was forcing herself to fit in with the other bestial girls. As for Arcueid, she had been with Aoko since the conclusion of their conversation with Shiki and, even more so than Illya, Vahn knew she required his attention.
Unlike Aoko, Arcueid had decided to reside in a room of her own since she wasn't comfortable with being around the others just yet. Though she could tolerate almost any situation while he was there, the long period of loneliness she had imposed upon herself made it difficult for Arcueid to approach others. Thus, with Aoko being one of the few people she knew prior to moving into the Ivory Castle, it was a given that the red-haired beauty was, at least for the time being, helping the former Vampire Princess adapt to the new setting.
As a result, Vahn found Aoko and Arcueid together in the latter's room, both, somewhat surprisingly, occupying the same small sofa together. Their conversation with Shiki had been a taxing experience so, with only each other to truly understand what they were going through, Aoko was comforting the golden-haired beauty in lieu of Vahn. This made it somewhat awkward when Vahn knocked on the door but, after realizing who was visiting, Arcueid's mood noticeably improved; her melancholy melting away in an instant as her lips formed into a gentle arc...
Since she had jumped up to meet him, Vahn unhesitantly wrapped Arcueid in his embrace while, a little slower to react, Aoko crossed her arms and complained, "It took you long enough. If you didn't show up soon, I was going to track you down and drag you back. Seriously, you shouldn't be leaving Arcueid alone like this...this isn't easy for her..."
Vahn nodded his head in affirmation of Aoko's words but, as if rising to his defense, Arcueid adopted a conflicted expression as she shook her head and stated, "Vahn didn't do anything wrong, Aoko. He already told me that he had other matters to take care of..." Then, resting her head against Vahn's chest, she added, "I'm glad you came to see me...I missed you..."
Feeling a fair amount of guilt as a result of Arcueid's words, Vahn put a bit of strength into his arms, whispering, "Sorry I came so late...I meant to arrive earlier."
Though these words were spoken to Arcueid, Vahn intended them for Aoko as well, a fact he made apparent by looking toward the red-haired woman in the latter half of his words. She was able to understand his intentions but, seemingly unwilling to forgive him so easily, she continued crossing her arms after averting her eyes. In truth, she was feeling a little insecure at the moment as, with the return of Shiki, Aoko felt compelled to actualize the truth she had professed to earlier: that she was already one of Vahn's women.
Without having anything to show for their relationship just yet, Aoko couldn't help feeling anxious as it was almost like she was lying. For this reason, she had continued to accompany Arcueid as, while it was certainly true that she wanted to support latter, Aoko also expected that Vahn would stop by to visit her at the earlier opportunity. Existences like Nero made her feel threatened so, before anyone else could attach themselves to Vahn, Aoko felt compelled to make good on her past promises, the first being her promise to take matters into her own hands if he continued stalling...
Aoko didn't voice any of these things but, with his Divinity, Vahn was very sensitive to the thoughts plaguing the frustrated redhead's mind. He knew well that she wasn't the type to change her mind, often forcing herself into difficult situations so; before she could do anything drastic, he intended to meet her expectations. In fact, both girls could use a bit of convincing so, without minding the fact that Aoko was pretending to ignore him, Vahn guided Arcueid over to her side before snaking one of his hands around the former's waist...
(A/N: I found a bit of time hiding under my pillow so I decided to write a chapter, umu~!)
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