Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

True to his word, Vahn also gave Olivia a ’rejuvenation’ treatment under the scrutiny of a room full of people. His skills as a masseur were known to almost everyone within the castle so, despite the fact Olivia had a maroon-red face by the end of it, it was obvious he had held back. He also made sure to act as professionally as possible, despite the fact it was more than a little strange for an Emperor to be personally treating people.

When everything was said and done, Olivia, despite the fact she already looked younger than Luvia, now had a glossy sheen to her complexion. Since he had even used [Primordial Rune]s to reverse the age of her organs before strengthening them, she would easily live another hundred years without further treatment. Olivia herself, however, seemed quite taken with the experience and, if not for the difference in their status, or perhaps the presence of others, she would have done everything in her power to obtain him as her personal attendant.

With her body trembling like a newborn fawn, Olivia was dressed by Luvia’s attendants as Vahn quickly wiped down the massage table before looking toward Sophia and saying, "You’ll be next." He didn’t leave a lot of room for argument, despite the fact his tone was polite, so Sophia couldn’t help but flush slightly. She was obviously trying to behave professionally, and would even be able to fight n.a.k.e.d if necessary, but Vahn wasn’t the type of enemy she could face with confidence after seeing what he did to her Grand Mistress.

As could be expected, Sophia had a very toned body as one of the Edelfelt family’s Elite forces. Vahn also had to admit that, seeing a fit woman wearing nothing but slacks and dress shoes was quite the sight to behold. Fortunately, he managed to keep his mind clear of wayward thoughts, courtesy of Sakura’s presence next to Gray. Though she had paled a little when he was giving Olivia a massage, she now had a slight blush on her face as she held Gray’s hand and obediently observed from the side.

Since it was a good opportunity, Vahn went ahead and healed the various small scars that marred Sophia’s otherwise fair skin, with permission of course. He also provided this same service to the rest of Luvia’s entourage, named Natalia, Leah, Marjaana, and Pihla. Like their companion, they all had very toned figures while, amongst them, Leah even outclassed Luvia in bust size. She also had a large scar under her left b.r.e.a.s.t, where she had been stabbed with a spear, so Vahn got an eye-full when she lifted them up, her hands sinking into the plump flesh as he treated the delicate area.

In total, the crest applications and treatment only took around two hours as, under the watchful gaze of Artoria, Gray, and Sakura, he didn’t have the courage to tease any of Luvia’s attendants. When the procedure had finished, the group returned to the Quest Board once again. Since the Medical Ward was adjacent to the Knight’s Barracks, it was a very short trip so, within five minutes, Olivia and the rest had all accepted a few Quests for themselves. Olivia, in particular, accepted an S-Ranked Quest that required her to kill a ’Malevolent Otso’, a monstrous bear spirit that was native to Finland. She had already been planning to deal with it soon, as it had already attacked a few villages, so getting a bonus reward was quite nice.

With the matter of the Quest Board addressed, Sophia and Natalia accompanied Luvia and Olivia while Leah, Marjaan, and Pihla were escorted by a group of Homunculi to tour the castle. All six girls, Olivia included, were given a Companion of their choice from amongst a small ’flock’ that had been wandering around the castle. Unclaimed Companions often wandered the halls, observing anything of interest and helping out if they were able. Once they received a ’Master’, however, a simple rune contract would activate and, from that moment onward, they would follow them around wherever they went.

Since Olivia was already aware of the existence of Companions, as Siegfried had brought Skuld V2 with him, she was quite pleased to receive her own. It took on the form of a tiny humanoid bear cub, complete with white hair in a bowl cut, two rounded ears, and a tuft for a tail. She named it Met and seemed to enjoy carrying it around as the adorable creature clung to her like a Koala. As for the rest of the girls, they all picked dog-like Companions as, compared to most, they were very affectionate and playful.

After giving Olivia a brief tour of the castle, including the Throne Room, the residential area, and the large central courtyard, the group took a break at the dining hall once again. This time, most of the castle’s residents had gathered, including the somewhat reclusive Da Vinci and Olga.

Vahn used the gathering for the purpose of introductions as, for better or worse, the Empire and the Edelfelt family walked the same path. Though she would have heard about them from Luvia, giving Olivia the chance to see first-hand their power would give her confidence in her own actions in the future. Like Luvia, she would be working to ensure the success of the Empire and, though Vahn had every intention of standing at the frontlines himself, the influence of the Edelfelt family was already global. She had greater freedom of movement and could help to lay the foundation of the Empire in other countries, avoiding some of the issues he and Luvia had previously discussed.

For the most part, the new arrivals were well-received, so long as the snide and teasing remarks of people like Nobunaga were ignored. The only person that seemed genuinely annoyed by Oliva was Da Vinci as, even more so than Luvia, the older Edelfelt seemed like trouble. She didn’t get along with the types that stuck their noses into other people’s business for no better reason than profit. It was people like Olivia, combined with the busybodies from the Holy Church, that was responsible for suppressing her back in the day.

By the time the early dinner party came to an end, despite the fact the sun hadn’t even reached the apex of its arc, Olivia was shown to a private quarter in the residential area while almost everyone else moved to the Inner Sanctum or went about their personal business.

Despite the fact she was Luvia’s grandmother, Olivia technically had no status within the Empire so, while exceptions could be made for Luvia’s personal attendants, she was not given leniency to stay within the Inner Sanctum. Though it didn’t particularly matter to Vahn, he still abided by the decision as, like people kept telling him, he needed to take the matters of the Empire seriously. Since Olivia didn’t even try asking for access to the Inner Sanctum, apparently more interesting in wandering the expansive halls of the Ivory Castle, Vahn decided to let the matter lay.

Shortly after reaching the Inner Sanctum, Vahn stopped Olga to explain that she would be returning to London with him later in the day. Though she was initially startled by this, her expression became fretful before Vahn preempted her delusions by explaining it was just to visit her father and discuss matters. She would be returning with him after the fact, unless, of course, she herself decided to stay.

Since even the thought of being away from Avalon frightened her, especially knowing the difference in the flow of time, Olga insisted that she would continue to stay in the castle until being made the Director of Chaldea.

After giving Olga an adequate amount of praise and head rubs, Vahn sent her to prepare for the trip before retiring to spend a few hours with Nobunaga, Ereshkigal, and Da Vinci. He wanted to cheer up the latter, as she very clearly wasn’t in a good mood. Since they were all expecting, Vahn showed them some of his most cherished memories, those of the time he spent together with his children as he watched them grow like beanstalks. Though Da Vinci and Nobunaga teamed up against him by adopting their most ’youthful’ appearances, Vahn did his best not to mind it since it was easier to snuggle with all three of them as a result...

Eventually, Da Vinci returned to her Workshop to continue her research as, with a baby on the way, she needed to make adequate preparations to avoid future difficulties. As for Nobunaga, she went to take a rest, sneaking into Kenshin’s room, while Vahn escorted Ereshkigal by hand back to her shared room with Rin. Even simple displays of affection seemed to have a big impact on the blond-haired Goddess as, by the time he reached their room, she had a happy glaze over her eyes as she tip-toed to kiss him. Vahn, of course, reciprocated her affection, at least until she suddenly became far more skilled than normal, indicating that Ishtar had sneakily swapped places with her younger sister.

Since he still had time before his scheduled return, Vahn decided to spend some of it with the three girls in the comfort of their room. Even Rin made a partial appearance, sharing her body with Ishtar, so he got to experience a ’very’ affectionate version of Rin after the latter used one of her charms to request a massage of her own. Unlike what he had done with Olivia, however, Rin straddled his h.i.p.s while wearing nothing but Ishtar’s intricate panties, allowing his hands to wander around her chest and abdomen as she playfully sucked on his fingers. It was clear she was ’learning’ from Ishtar while he was away, causing Vahn to flush slightly when he thought about what they might be doing inside of the unique space shared within her soul...

After leaving the warm and fragrant room behind, Vahn was feeling a little heated and, if not for the fact he would be returning to London soon, he would have gone on the ’prowl’, as Nobunaga called it. He suddenly felt a little annoyed by the fact that Ereshkigal outright disallowed Rin and Ishtar to have s.e.x in their current state, despite the fact it shouldn’t have any effect on their pregnancy. She was very adamant, however, so both Ishtar and Rin had conceded to her insistence, leaving Vahn in his current state.

While seriously considering stopping by the Menagerie for a quick bit of fun, Vahn ultimately chose to temper himself by resisting the urge. Instead, he focused his mind with the aid of his [Will of the Emperor] and the [Mantra of Eternity]. Curiously, as he had been using his [Will of the Emperor] at all times throughout the day, its effects had become simultaneously more potent while seemingly less effective. He could be influenced by things a lot easier than the Innate should allow, meaning his views on how an Emperor should think had changed. Though this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, as he could still channel his emotions during combat against his enemies, it had led to a number of ’complications’ over the last few months.

Though it was a time when most people would be either sleeping or resting, this was not the case for the Homunculi calling the castle home. They had already come up with a shift system amongst themselves, even without external influence, so there were always around 2,000 people, each with a Companion of their own, walking around the castle. Thus, while Vahn was making his way over to the Transfer Room, his path was littered with beautiful flowers that, due to his current state, made his mind wander a bit more than it should. He actually felt somewhat silly to have so little control over his thoughts, especially with his age. However, when he remembered the quirks of pretty much every God he had ever met, Vahn felt his own behavior was relatively tame compared to some...

Fortunately, even if he was under the influence of Da Vinci, Vahn felt he would be able to resist the temptation of pushing down any of the Homunculi. Knowing they wouldn’t refuse, even if he asked them to head to their deaths, allowed him to stay sober even in his most heated state. He simply couldn’t take advantage of their vulnerable and highly receptive states, especially since a number of them had ’imprinted’ on him after their treatment. It was because of this that, despite the fact they were given the opportunity to live in the nearby Castle Town, every single Homunculi brought by Illya decided to take up residence in the castle.

After navigating the surprisingly dangerous hallways, filled with beautiful smiling women who all stopped to happily greet him, Vahn plopped down on the smooth stone floor to wait for the others to arrive. He was more than an hour early but, in order to give himself time to calm down, Vahn had no problem waiting around as the heat slowly drained from his body. Since he would be meeting with Olga’s father soon, he needed to be clear-headed to guide the conversation, both for his and Olga’s sake.

In a way, this could be another manifestation of Olga’s fortune as, depending on the decision she made, he would very likely be returning with yet another woman to shower in affection. Since she was honestly one of the most adorable women he had known, reminding him a lot of Risna back in the day, Vahn had been thinking about what he might do with the bashful maiden when the time came. Since he knew she also thought about similar things, it almost felt like they were synergizing with each other as, despite the fact he could easily make his thoughts into reality, they were still just delusions in the present...

While humoring such thoughts, around thirty minutes passed and, for the most part, Vahn had been able to calm his mind. Though he was akin to a bomb that had its timer put on pause, it would allow him to meet with Marisbury and any of their other allies without any issues. Once he returned home, however, he would be ready to go off at a moment’s notice. It was never a question of if, only when, where, and who he would be with when the time came. Since this could very well include Olga, Vahn had thought about who should accompany them as, with it being her first time, she would be hard-pressed to satisfy him. Fortunately, she had gotten reasonably close with Lakshmibai and Fenrir so, even though it might be a little awkward for her, Olga shouldn’t be against having their ’support’.

With such thoughts on his mind, Vahn rose to his feet just moments before Olivia arrived, escorted by a duo of Homunculi named Chelsea and Judith. Both women politely greeted him and, bringing radiant smiles to their faces, Vahn dutifully expressed his gratitude while addressing them by name. This caused Olivia to raise her brows slightly and, after the two left, she immediately asked, "Have you remembered the names of every Homunculi?" Though the girls all had small identifying patches sewn into their collars, these were not on display normally as, due to Vahn calling them by name in the past, they had adopted the habit of concealing them for reasons only they were aware.

In response to Olivia’s question, Vahn gave a simple nod before explaining, "It is my hope that those girls are all able to develop egos of their own. In the future, I want them to be able to live freely, not as the tools they were designed to be. Besides, they work hard...its the least I could do..."

Hearing Vahn’s words, Olivia smiled teasingly as she mused, "Oh~? You sure it isn’t because you like the attention~?" Since she could tell Vahn was behaving differently than normal, Olivia felt he might be the kind that enjoyed the attention of beautiful women. The fact he surrounded himself with so many seemed to be proof enough of this fact but, when he gave her a deadpan stare in response, she supposed it was just a misunderstanding.

Rather than play along with Olivia’s teasing, Vahn leaned against one of the stone pillars in the room as he said, "Things are never so clear cut. Life is filled with infinite complexities, despite our desires to simplify things and just enjoy life..."

Recently, Vahn had been feeling the vicissitudes of life, despite the fact that nothing had happened to really garner such a response. He just felt like the world was filled with problems and, though he would do his best to address them in the future, it almost felt like a fruitless endeavor. Part of him just wanted to retreat to an unreachable place, taking all the people he cared about with him and ignoring the complexities of life. Though he knew this was only because he had been isolated from the problems for a while, as he could never just ignore people in need, Vahn honestly felt that his efforts would just be a stopgap measure in the grand scheme of things...

As someone who had seen and experienced quite a bit during her ninety-seven years, Olivia’s smile faded away as she solemnly nodded in response to Vahn’s words. She had lived through two world wars and had seen some of the most horrendous displays of ’humanity’ imaginable. Though there had undoubtedly been good times amidst the chaos and bloodshed, it always felt like the bad far outweighed the good in retrospect. Still, she did not regret the path she had chosen and, with her daughter and granddaughter finding success in her wake, she felt an irrepressible vindication.

Though she could tell that Vahn wasn’t the type that would break under pressure, Olivia decided to be a little presumptuous, saying, "We do what we must to ensure those who follow are able to live better lives."

Hearing Olivia’s words, Vahn gave an affirmative nod as, if not for his children, he very likely wouldn’t bother with such tiresome affairs. It was imagining how they would react in response to the current state of the world that mustered him to action in the first place. Since he knew this world would not be pleasant for them to live, he wanted to make it a better place, not just for them, but for all the children that would one day call this planet home. Thus, no matter how hard things got, Vahn would continue to stand tall, supporting the Heavens themselves if necessary...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’The Unstoppable Godhand’,’Quality time o3o...’,’All children deserve a chance at happiness’)