章節 2011: Ascertaining the Truth
With the rapid changes occurring within the Tower, the investigation into the Po Bidau Family was making very slow progress. All anyone knew for certain was that Gustang had been the one to set off the explosion, but, no matter how much they looked into it, they were unable to understand his motives. This led to some speculating that Vahn had somehow gained control over him during their brief encounter on the 113th Floor, but, with very little evidence supporting this claim, others began to believe that Gustang had experienced a mental breakdown after seeing his ex-wife and daughter among the women following Vahn.
Though it was well-known that the Eurasia Family had joined hands with the Aldrnari Empire, few knew the specifics of their arrangement. This didn't prevent people from speculating, however, so, with Gustang's apparent suicide being the most hotly debated topic within the Tower, rumors had been spreading like wildfire. Some even went to brokers such as Jaina to discern the truth, but, as powerful as her Opera was, it was powerless to peer beyond the 134th Floor. Thus, every time Vahn retired to the 199th, he, and everyone with him, effectively vanished from the observation networks that had been established over the last ten-thousand-years.
Since Gustang had prepared numerous countermeasures to prevent members of the Tperie Family from spying on his activities, no one knew for sure what had caused him to act. This placed the Po Bidau Family in a 'very' precarious position, as, not only did they have to answer for the destruction of the 129th Floor, most of the systems Gustang had prepared in the event of his untimely demise had been taken offline. The few systems they were able to get back online had their data expunged, so, other than a few fragmented pieces of information, all of the knowledge Gustang had amassed over the past twenty-five-thousand-years had been lost. The explosion had also killed a number of their highest-ranking members, so, without any leadership, the once-prodigious family was on the verge of splintering into several smaller factions.
Making the most of the Po Bidau Family's misfortune, several Great Teachers from the Workshop immediately stepped in to assimilate the more promising members of the family into their ranks. This included Graham, who, thanks to Phae's meteoric rise, saw a tremendous increase in his power and authority within the Workshop. She was lauded by several Teachers as the type of genius who appeared once every ten-thousand-years, and, more importantly, her ties with the Aldrnari Empire were something the Workshop intended to make use of once the seal on the 135th Floor had been removed.
As one of only five Great Teachers within the Workshop, Graham's status could even rival the Leader of a Great Family. While this comparison was becoming increasingly less relevant due to the actions of Vahn, it was still a highly coveted position that basically allowed him to act as he pleased. He had also managed to 'secure' Phae's loyalty by learning her preferences and setting her up with another of his prized female Disciples, so, while the Great Father had yet to appoint anyone as liaison to the Aldrnari Empire, Graham was fairly certain he would be the one chosen.
With such an end in mind, Graham took advantage of the rumors linking Vahn to Gustang's death to personally oversee the Workshop's investigation. This was directly supported by Phae, so, even if others wanted to procure a piece of the pie for themselves, the former's connections were his alone to exploit. Of course, he never said this aloud, as, despite her expertise laying in the reproduction of ancient artifacts, Phae's power was one of the most heavily debated topics among members of the Workshop.
Though he once believed himself far more powerful than the buxom blacksmith, Graham had long ago made the connection between her power and the growth exhibited by Vahn. If this hypothesis proved true, she would be among the most powerful beings within the Tower, so, even if he had to bend over backward on several occasions, he carefully measured each of his actions in an effort to remain in her good graces. This might sound antithetical for someone aiming to ascend to the rank of Father in the not-so-distant-future, but, believing Phae had no interest in such titles, Graham was more than willing to give a bit of ground if it meant he could stand near the pinnacle of his beloved organization in the future.
Guided by this insight, one of the first things Graham did after installing himself as overseer of the Workshop's investigation was tasking Phae's team of elites with uncovering the truth. She had taken in a handful of Disciples after scouring the slums spread throughout the Middle Tower, and, while a few of her detractors had called her out for exclusively picking female Disciples, the results her team had put out spoke for themselves. She had a knack for drawing out the talents of others, and, even though it had been less than a year since she became a Teacher, many of her Disciples had already made names for themselves. This included once-impoverished youths who most people would have simply overlooked unless they were in desperate need of 'materials'.
With Phae as their Teacher, it seemed like anyone could be refined into a peerless genius in one or more trades. This had garnered her a mixture of attention and frustration from virtually every other Teacher, as, more often than not, they hand-picked their Disciples from among the most prodigious of backgrounds. Phae, however, didn't seem to care about her Disciple's background at all. Rather, other than the fact they were all women, the thing most of her Disciples had in common was that they were uneducated orphans. Some hadn't even known how to read, yet, mere months after they had begun studying under Phae, many were able to compete directly against Disciples several times their age. This was unheard of in the history of the Workshop, and, while it had yet to gain any real traction, Graham had been privately promoting the notion that genius was something that could be nourished so long as the person teaching them was competent.
Though this was ultimately just another attempt to capitalized on Phae's momentum, observing the former's Disciples had led to Graham truly believing this was the case. While it wasn't enough to get him to abandon the notion that certain people were born more gifted than others, he couldn't deny that Phae's methods had born fruit. There was a chance that she had been able to see something in the children that other people missed, but, given his own ability to see talent, Graham didn't believe this was the case. Instead, it was like she planted the seeds of talent within them before using their overwhelming desire to overcome their past as nourishment for their growth.
Following this example, Graham had attempted to nourish an orphan of his own, but, much like everyone else who attempted to emulate Phae's results, he quickly grew impatient with his young protege's lack of talent and progress. He was still doing his best to educate the young girl, but, no matter how much effort he put into trying to nourish her talent, there didn't seem to be anything to draw from. This was in spite of her constant efforts to improve, a trait Graham had learned to both appreciate and lament since it often made him feel he wasn't doing enough as her teacher.
Fortunately, after discussing the matter with Phae, Graham managed to secure a position for his young protege among the former's growing group. At first, she didn't really fit in among the other girls in Phae's team, but, after acclimating to the group, her results began to fall in line with the rest of her peers. This demonstrated Phae's inordinate ability to bring out the potential of even the most hopeless students, as, prior to observing her growth for himself, Graham couldn't even imagine his former protege succeeding. In response to this admission, Phae had privately gifted him one of the most important pieces of advice he had ever received as a Teacher, expressing, "It is not our job to imagine our students succeeding. Such expectations limit the path of their growth. In that regard, it can be argued that our most important duty as Teachers is helping our students comprehend their strengths and weaknesses while gently pushing them in the direction they wish to go. Rather than teaching them what we want them to know, we teach them how to study and research the things they need to know in order to succeed in the path they have chosen..."
Though it seemed a bit counterintuitive, as most children had no idea what path they wanted to follow, Graham quickly realized the truth contained within Phae's words. He also understood why each of her students was a street urchin, as, unlike normal children, those who grew up in less than ideal conditions spent an inordinate amount of time thinking of ways to escape their circumstances and improve their lives. This made them remarkably easy to manipulate, but, on the opposite end of the spectrum, it made nourishing their talents significantly easier. They were already willing to do whatever it took to ensure they would never end up back on the streets, so, with Phae's remarkable patience and unlimited resources, there was very little to hold them back.
When he had first taken in his protege, Graham had failed to consider the child's interest. Rather, due to their age and upbringing, he assumed they had no idea what they wanted to do with their life. Even if they did, they had no understanding of how to achieve their goal, so, from the moment he took them in, he defaulted to the mentality that they were simply lucky to be chosen by him. As a result, he had placed an unfair burden on the young girl, as, from the start, he never believed she could succeed. Despite this, he still felt frustrated by her failures and, were it not for the influence of Phae and the inordinate amount of effort she put into improving, he likely would have regarded her as a failure before promptly abandoning her.
As much as he didn't want to admit it, Graham realized that his ethic as a Teacher was incomparable to Phae's. It could be argued that the only reason he had succeeded was that he, like virtually every other Teacher, had hand-picked Disciples with phenomenal talent. In other words, he had benefited from their talent, not because he was an exceptional Teacher. This was a hard pill to swallow, but, in the face of Phae's results, it was difficult to disregard the possibility that he was the reason so many of his students had failed. It wasn't that they were lacking. Had that been the case, he never would have chosen them as potential Disciples. Instead, they had failed because he was unable to nourish their potential.
When he first realized this, Graham made a point to find out what each of his former students had been up to since their apprenticeship beneath him. Some had gone on to become Senior Research Assistants and Data Analysts, but, more often than not, those who failed to become Disciples ended up leaving the Workshop entirely. Among these, some went on to climb the Tower, ultimately losing their lives in the competition to become Rankers. This was perfectly acceptable within the society of the Tower, but, when he learned of the number who had outright committed suicide after returning home in shame, Graham ended up investing the better part of three months trying to comprehend what kind of mentality a person needed to possess in order to take their own life.
Unfortunately, while he was able to explain most of their deaths away using various psychological studies, Graham wasn't able to absolve himself of his personal responsibility in the matter. He knew his words and actions had played a major part in their inevitable ends, as, no matter how he looked at it, he couldn't imagine any of Phae's students doing the same. They were such a close-knit group that they could be mistaken for members of the same family, and, no matter how many times they failed, Phae was always there to help them find their footing. This was the realization that cemented Graham's respect for the former Advisor of the Aldrnari Empire, so, even if it ultimately became little more than her puppet, he sincerely believed the Workshop would benefit from her influence...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'People love to gossip...','Being a Teacher is a heavy responsibility...','Graham simping hard...'
(A/N: I really want to write more, but, after three chapters, I'm feeling a lot more drained than I would have liked xD. I'll try to increase my pace in the days to come, but, for the time being, three chapters per day might be my limit. I'll most likely write a continuation of 'A Certain Scientific Side Story' once this chapter goes out, but, after that, I'm hitting the hay.)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
章節 2012: Adhering to the Order of Things
Though he should have been focusing more on his investigation of the 129th Floor, Vahn quickly lost interest after confirming that not even the most senior members of the Po Bidau Family knew what had taken place. Since Gluttony was bound by a contract that prevented him from disclosing any information pertaining to Gustang's research, this left Vahn without any credible leads, so, after failing to turn up anything on his own, he decided to let others search for clues while he enjoyed his time on the 199th Floor.
To that end, Vahn currently found himself reclining against a veritable ball of fluff as Pram, in what they were calling her 'Death Goddess' state, lay curled up in his lap. In essence, they were reclining against each other, as, despite appearing as a shadowy mass, the black ball of fluff he was relaxing against was actually Pram's tail. She could drastically increase its size by stockpiling additional Yin Elemental Energy, and, thanks to the series of icy black pillars encircling them, she was now able to maintain her Death Goddess state for up to three hours.
Staring at the black-haired beauty curled up in his lap, Vahn couldn't help adopting an affectionate smile as he ran his fingers through her silky, slightly chilled, hair. She had already been a world-class beauty prior to her transformation, but, now that her body was saturated with Yin Elemental Energy, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she could compete with Goddesses in terms of appearance.
Trembling in response to Vahn's touch, Pram released an adorable groan as she drew herself a little closer to his body before opening her eyes just enough to see through her thick yet elegant lashes. When she saw him looking down at her with a smile, the ears atop her head began to twitch as the chill in her body was gradually replaced by a gentle and increasingly familiar warmth.
To help Pram adapt to her transformation, Vahn had been periodically infusing pure Yang Elemental Energy into her body. Her Death Goddess transformation provided her an extreme Yin constitution, and, while this made her exceptionally suited for things like Dual Cultivation, her inability to control the Death Energy emanating from the very core of her prevented her from taking full advantage of this particular advantage. Thus, at least for the time being, Vahn had been using his Petting Laws to keep her calm as he channeled Yang Elemental Energy into the energy channels of her body, gently yet willfully thawing them.
Had she received a Yang Elemental infusion from someone else, Pram would have experienced an extreme amount of pain and pleasure. Beneath Vahn's palms, however, her body was suffused with a feeling of extreme comfort that, more often than not, lulled her into a deep and peaceful slumber. From there, he would sustain her transformation for hours on end, and, as a result, she was quickly adapting to her transformed state without having to experience any of the pain and suffering often associated with mastering negative energies. For this, she was eternally grateful, so, even though he had yet to demand her loyalty, Pram had already decided to follow her 'Master' to the very ends of reality if necessary...
Sensing the sudden increase in Pram's emotional state, Vahn began to caress the side of her face with his left hand, his voice gentle and smooth as he softly asserted, "Relax...there is still a half-hour until your treatment is finished. Don't worry. Once you've returned to your base state, I'll be sure to shower you with plenty of affection..."
Though she was tempted to return to her 'base state' then and there, Pram ultimately just nodded her head before closing her eyes in acquiescence. She knew these treatments were for her sake, so, while it was surprisingly difficult to suppress her urges, she managed to appear borderline apathetic thanks to the Yin Elemental Energy coursing through her body. To others, she would have appeared as a cold and detached beauty, but, from the perspective of Vahn, he barely managed to maintain a straight face as Pram's vibrant pink aura clung and coiled around him with possessive intent...
---
After finishing Pram's treatment and subsequently pacifying her, Vahn emerged from his bedroom wearing little more than black trousers as he made his way downstairs to the living room. There, he found Lotte cuddling with Mikotochu on the couch while the sounds of grease popping could be heard emanating from the kitchen. Fenrir had recently been teaching Yuri and Enne how to prepare a few basic meals, not because they were interested in learning how to cook, but because Blossom had mentioned they would make terrible wives and even worse mothers if they couldn't even make snacks for their children.
While mentally preparing himself to eat their burnt offerings, Vahn made his way over to the couch, startling Lotte who, prior to his arrival, had been immersed in a rather depressing yet extraordinary anime known as Angel Beats. It was a series that lured viewers in with comedic undertones before effectively smacking them in the face with a series of soul-shattering twists that, once upon a time, compelled numerous members of his harem to petition that he go in and 'fix' things.
With Mikotochu taking advantage of the situation to extricate herself from Lotte's grasp, Vahn soon found himself seated between two bashful beauties as he kicked up his feet and inquired, "Enjoying the show?"
As both girls had been staring at his refined and inordinately chiseled upper body, their immediate response was to hastily avert their eyes as a dangerous shade of crimson stained their cheeks. Then, realizing he had been talking about the anime, Lotte buried her face into her hands as Mikoto, with electricity emanating from her ahoge, pinched the minimal amount of flesh around his waist.
Holding back his laughter, Vahn increased his height to a comfortable size before pulling the duo closer to him and enjoying the rest of the episode. It had been some time since he last viewed the anime, so, even if he could recall every detail with perfect clarity, watching it alongside the people he cared about was always worthwhile. He enjoyed being a part of their experiences, and, though it was a little troublesome at times, he always got a kick out of their pleas to have him change things they didn't agree with.
Fortunately, the girls were only on the third episode, and, while the ending was a little sad, it was far from the emotional roller coaster awaiting them in the later episodes. His presence also provided a suitable distraction, so, even when one of the main characters disappeared near the completion of the episode, neither was particularly upset. They simply nestled a little closer to him, comforted by his warmth until Yuri emerged from the kitchen and exclaimed, "Lunchtime! Move your asses~!" in a commanding yet audibly nervous tone...
---
With three weeks passing in the blink of an eye, Vahn found himself wondering whether or not he should pay Jaina Repellista Jahad a visit before advancing to the 134th Floor to finally settle things with Jahad. He still had the pillow Ureko had stolen from her, so, at the very least, he should return it before departing the Tower. The question was whether or not he should return it now or wait until he had dealt with far more important matters...
Though the answer might have seemed obvious, Vahn had been keeping tabs on Jahad. As a result, he knew the man wasn't quite ready to receive him, so, while he shouldn't really care, a part of him wanted to crush Jahad when he was at his best. This was the best way to finitely resolve the matter, as, even if he killed Jahad, the action only had meaning if the man recognized the error of his ways prior to his death. While this might not seem important, Vahn had never been the type to arbitrarily kill someone unless they were proactively engaged in a reprehensible or licentious act. Jahad might have perpetrated countless tragedies in the past, but, from an objective point of view, that had very little to do with Vahn. His desire to defeat the man was purely personal, so, if he failed to obtain an admission of guilt from the man, he simply wouldn't be satisfied.
As petty as it sounded, this was one of the only ways Vahn could think of to lessen the amount of guilt he would experience following Jahad's death. After all, despite his numerous flaws, Jahad had acted in what he believed to be the best interest of the people living within the Tower. He was also a victim of the Workshop's machinations, and, though his end goal would have required countless sacrifices, he genuinely believed that he was doing the right thing. He simply viewed the world from the perspective of an immortal, so, even if billions had to die, he didn't care so long as billions more could live on...
Shaking his head in an effort to clear his thoughts, Vahn looked towards the group of girls waiting for him to make a decision before settling his gaze on Yuri and asking, "Would you rather pay a visit to Jaina or move directly to the Imperial Castle?"
Pointing towards herself, Yuri adopted a somewhat incredulous expression as she asked, "Eh? Are you really asking me to choose?"
Nodding his head, Vahn was about to explain his own views on the matter, but, seeing the massive grin on Yuri's face, he waited until she excitedly exclaimed, "Let's visit Jaina! That brat used to tease me about my preference in men. I can't wait to see the look on that pervert's face when I show up with a handsome man at my side! She is going to be so jealous~!"
Not expecting such a 'girly' reaction from the former Princess, Vahn's expression gradually morphed into a wry smile as he turned around and said, "Very well. From here, we'll move to the 123rd Floor. After Yuri has finished playing around, we'll either advance on the 134th Floor or spend a few days collecting the remaining 13 Month Series. Either way, I intend to try and wrap everything up before the week's end. If there is anything else you think I should consider, feel free to let me know before then..."
Though he was facing away from everyone, Vahn could sense Lotte sheepishly raising her hand, so, before he initiated the transfer, he looked over his shoulder and added, "Don't worry. Your father is already doing quite a bit to redeem himself. Though his personality is something I cannot overlook, I will try to arrange things so that he isn't completely screwed over in his next life..."
Understanding the underlying meaning within Vahn's words, a sad smile developed across Lotte's face, as, despite resenting her father for the actions he had committed, she still loved him. He had been kind to her when she was a child, and, despite countless others saying she was unqualified, he had been her greatest supporter during the Princess Selection Trials. He had also promised to never lay a hand on any of her friends, and, while this alluded to a number of underlying issues, he had always been willing to compromise in order to ensure her happiness and loyalty...
Sensing the inordinately tall woman's melancholy, Vahn promptly chose to delay their departure in order to address the buxom beauty's needs. The mental wellness of his loved ones was one of the most important things to him, so, while he couldn't allow someone as monstrous as her father to continue living, that didn't mean he couldn't compromise in other ways. After all, despite his various flaws, he still lauded himself as a God of Infinite Possibilities...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Pet the fluff...','Angel Beats is a real kick in the nuts xD...','Vahn is such a softie...')(A/N 2.0: Deleted side story chapters can be found on my patreon. I'll try to post more in the future, so please check it out, and, if you're feeling particularly giving, maybe throw a dollar or two my way. The cost of living in my area is gradually going up due to the imminent increase in the minimum wage. When multiple people pitch in, a little bit can go a long way.)
https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu <-(p.atreon link)
paypal.me/Einlion
Discord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh
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