Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though their consent was never something he required, Vahn was satisfied by the fact that Zelretch, Solon, and Aoko all agreed to his vision of the future, albeit with varying levels of reluctance. Their only other option was to fight and, considering what they would be fighting for, it was hard to get motivated. After all, putting your life on the line to protect a corrupt system and a society that was, quite literally, killing the planet wasn’t something anyone sensible would do.

When it came down to it, even Aoko had only ever cared about living freely and protecting the people she felt obligated to protect. She had a ’hero of justice’ mentality but, when you looked at the very crux of the current issue, it was inarguable that the justice she sought wasn’t that could be obtained by hiding away and ignoring it.

Fortunately, Vahn’s protection of children and the wish he had made using the [Grace of the Root] both aligned with Aoko’s moral compass so, while she felt more than a little helpless, she couldn’t deny that he had taken steps to prevent an even greater loss of life. Considering he could have used the wish to give himself and the Empire even more power and control, his current course could be considered relatively selfless when she thought of how others might have used it...

Now, after having been ’convinced’, Aoko was in a difficult situation as her power wasn’t something that could be ignored. She didn’t necessarily have to serve the Empire but hiding away in Japan was not something that could be allowed. Inaction at this point would only endanger her family and, in the coming storm, there would be a number of people coveting the Spiritual Lands she protected. It was one of the only places in the world where Magic could be used without restriction so, as people became more sensitive to the existence of mana and other magical phenomena, they would begin to flock to her estate like moths to a flame.

No matter what she chose to do, life would be made more complicated as she simply wielded too much power. In the world Vahn wanted to create, the land that had been her family’s for generations would no longer be her own. At best, she would be allowed to govern the territory but, considering she would have to begin building a force to police the region and fight off monsters, Aoko wasn’t looking forward to having such responsibilities shoved into her lap.

Ultimately, the best course of action was to join hands with the Empire and secure a place for her family among the central figures of the burgeoning world power. The matter of governing her old territory, or even Japan itself, could be led to someone with greater ambition and stronger mental fortitude as just the thought of managing a few hundred people was a nightmare. Even if Vahn’s words were true, meaning all of the regulations would be implemented by the systems Da Vinci had designed, she would still need to police the area and make sure things didn’t get out of hand.

Understanding this, Aoko wanted to distance herself from such responsibilities sooner, rather than later. She was better at tackling issues head-on so all of the political stuff could be handled by other people as she focused on what was most important to her. Fortunately, she had more than enough power to throw her weight around so, when Vahn invited them to enjoy a light meal, she decided to accept while Zelretch and Solon returned to their own matters. The former still needed to meet with various people while Solon, in preparation for the inevitable fallout, needed to gather together all of the remaining influencers within the Clock Tower to prevent even greater internal strife.

This left Aoko alone with Vahn, something neither of them had expected as the latter had only given the offer as a general courtesy. He didn’t actually require sustenance himself and, as far as he knew, Zelretch, Solon, and even Aoko were in the same situation. Still, he wasn’t going to commit such a brazen faux pas so, after Aoko accepted, he had no choice but to entertain her. This was primarily due to the fact that he didn’t like going back on his words while but, more so than that, he could already guess why she had decided to remain.

Now, Aoko sat across from Vahn at a table for two, an awkward atmosphere permeating between them as the former didn’t know what to say while the latter had other things on his mind. He could try to guide the situation in a favorable direction but, considering Aoko’s personality, it was better to let her broach the subject herself. She lived by the principle of never regretting her decisions so, if she decided on her own volition to throw her lot in with the Empire, convincing her to help out in a more proactive manner would be a lot easier.

Aoko had never been known for her patience so she was the first to break the silence, albeit in a rather mundane way as she commented, "This food is delicious..."

Though he didn’t need to eat, Vahn had always been rather fond of food due to his not so secret love for cooking. In fact, it was one of his true regrets in life that, back when he was just starting out in Danmachi, he didn’t pursue it further. He could still remember tasting solid food for the first time and, back before all of his troubles began, his earnest desire to purchase a cooking manual so that he could make the people he cared about smile more often...

Vahn had already been smiling but, recalling the now-distant memory, his expression softened as he said, "I’m glad you like it. The ingredients have a marginal amount of mana contained within so their flavor is enhanced. It also had the property of speeding up mana recovery and enhancing the body’s natural regeneration."

Noticing how Vahn’s mood had changed, Aoko was marginally surprised. Her perception of him was that he was the calculating and idealistic type, not someone who would get excited over something as trivial as food. She had only mentioned it in order to ease the tensions but, now that he seemed so happy, Aoko began to feel even more awkward.

Understanding what she was thinking, Vahn lightly chuckled before playing his tableware down and explaining, "In the future, I’d like everyone to have the chance to enjoy such delicacies. This type of meal would cost several hundred pounds for a single serving in the current economic climate. It is something only the wealthy, so-called, Elite would ever have the chance to partake of. Now, once the dust settles, everyone that is willing to put in the effort will be able to obtain this kind of food. They will no longer be forced to settle for sub-standard products that are mass-produced to feed an ever-increasing, ever-wasteful society. Famine and disease will no longer exist, mental health will be one of the highest priorities, and illness resulting from ignorance and lack of self-awareness will become a thing of the past..."

If she were being honest, everything Vahn said about his vision of the future sounded perfect but, as was the case with all ideologies that sought to better mankind, it came at a heavy cost. She wasn’t aware of the numbers like Vahn but she could imagine economies crashing, supplies dwindling, and wide-spread chaos world-wide. People couldn’t adapt to such changes quickly and, no matter how powerful the Empire was, providing for so many people would be impossible. Billions would have to be sacrificed for the future of the species and the preservation of the planet, something that couldn’t be glossed over with idealistic platitudes.

Still, Aoko knew Vahn wasn’t entirely responsible for the chaos that would ensue as a result of his takeover. Rather, if those in power had worked to make a society that cared for and respected each other, this entire fiasco could have been avoided. Instead, from the moment the Gods betrayed Gaia and claimed the planet for themselves, humanity had become willing pawns, first to the gods, then to each other. Those with power lorded it over others and, if you didn’t step in line, you were either killed, exiled, or enslaved.

The entire history of humanity, even extending into the modern era, was an endlessly repeating cycle of exploitation, conquest, and suppression. Even as she sat here in front of Vahn, Aoko knew that her country was experiencing declining birth rates while, just across the sea, millions were trafficked and enslaved by various state-sanctioned organizations. In some regions, child prostitution and arranged marriages, where the only other alternative was death, still existed. For those born into that situation, it was a nightmare that the so-called civilized world readily ignored as it didn’t directly impact them...

Noticing Aoko’s mood diminishing, Vahn released a tired sigh as he looked off into the distance and, against his better judgment, stated, "When you stop thinking about humanity alone, the decision will become a lot easier. Come, I want to show you something..."

As forcibly teleporting Aoko was impossible due to her functionally limitless Od, Vahn needed her to willingly accompany him if he wanted to take her anywhere. Fortunately, she had been fishing for an excuse to break away from the awkward dinner so, trusting that Vahn had no reason to try and lure her into a trap, Aoko accepted his hand. In the next moment, she found herself floating in the skies above Avalon, a peaceful and serene atmosphere shrouding the entire island.

Vahn had originally intended to let Aoko make her own decision but, after seeing her begin to spiral in a cyclone of negativity, he decided to give her a push. Thus, while his second body teleported to the Hanging Gardens, his main body escorted her around the island. He introduced her to the Fae tribes, each living peaceful lives without any negative influence from humanity. They were happier in their small communities than they had been back in their respective Kingdoms, something they were very vocal about once understand the purpose behind Aoko’s visit.

Even as early as meeting the Undine, it was very obvious that Aoko had already been convinced but, by the time she met the Dwarves and Vulcanae, all her doubts had been cleared. She could see how happy every resident of the Empire was and, while it was a peculiar sight to behold, how much the flame spirits adored Vahn. Aeterna, in particular, happily circled around him, keeping her subjects at bay to monopolize him for herself. She even playfully singed parts of his clothes but, rather than any sign of annoyance, Vahn had a happy and contented smile as he allowed her antics.

Hearing about how good something will be and seeing it for yourself were two entirely different things so, after touring Avalon for the better part of two hours, Aoko joined Vahn in sitting on a small rocky outcrop as they viewed Heracles and his family living quiet lives as fishermen. When she first heard that the legendary Greek hero was present, Aoko’s lust for battle had been stirred up a bit but, upon seeing the brutish man sitting on a massive rocking chair, his wife cuddled up in his arms, she couldn’t bring herself to request a duel.

At this point, the only place Aoko had yet to visit was the castle itself but, considering how happy the residents were, it was easy to imagine that the internal affairs of the Empire were in order. She also knew that, at this point in time, they must be very busy with preparations so, at least for the time being, Aoko was content with what she had seen. There would be plenty of time to explore the castle in the future as, depending on her decision, she may very well become one of its residents in the near future.

This thought caused an imperceptible blush to color Aoko’s ears but, with her vibrant red hair, which seemed to glow subtly in the moonlight, it was impossible to notice. If not for his Divinity, even Vahn would have missed it as, prior to escorting her around Avalon, he had turned off his View Affection. It could get somewhat unbearable to be around Alaya with the function active so, unless he was in a high stakes situation, he typically left it off out of convenience.

Still, Vahn’s Divinity gave away the red-haired beauty’s wayward thoughts but, as it was only a mild reaction, he knew she didn’t actually have any feelings for him. Rather, much like Mash, she just got caught up in the moment and, due to being alone together, it was easy to let your mind wander if you got wrapped up in thinking about the future. After all, his harem was no secret and, while Aoko didn’t know the full scale of his accompaniment, nor his Divinity, it wasn’t difficult to imagine being a part of the ever-expanding flower garden.

Fortunately, Aoko was able to distract herself from her wayward thoughts as, if she kept thinking about it, he would begin to be pulled along by the atmosphere as well. It really would simply a lot of things but, out of respect for Aoko and consideration for his existing harem, Vahn wouldn’t just add a new member haphazardly. She would need to find a place for herself in the group’s synergy and, ideally, fall for someone like Gawain or Siegfried instead of leaping head-first into something she likely wasn’t prepared for...

As Vahn’s own mind began to wander a bit, Aoko seemed to have made up her’s as, after lightly slapping her cheeks with both hands, she turned toward him and said, "I want to join the Empire! There are a lot of things I want to protect and I won’t be able to act freely if I don’t make a choice now. You won’t regret allowing me to join...! I’m super strong, you know...!?"

Aoko began to fumble a bit towards the end of her statement as her anxiety in the face of Vahn’s casual smile continued to build. She felt like her heart was going to explode for a brief moment but, before it reached a critical level, Vahn gave a curt nod and answered, "I would be honored to have you join us, Aoko. Your power will make the transition a lot smoother so I would be foolish to refuse your intentions. Rather, I should be thanking you for coming to this conclusion. This burden isn’t a light one so it helps to have more people to share it with..."

Though she didn’t really expect Vahn to refuse her, Aoko was at a loss for words after he so readily accepted. Her anxiety now seemed somewhat childish but, as she was never the type to harp over the past, she quickly regained her usual smile before crossing her arms and confidently declaring, "Right, you can rely on me. I’ll do what I can to help everyone in the Empire grow stronger so please do everything you can to preserve as many lives as possible. I want to see the world become a place like Avalon so let’s do our best...!"

Hearing Aoko’s spirited response, Vahn’s smile curled up at the edges and, despite his body tingling a bit as a result, he gave a small bow and said, "I’ll be in your care then...", gratitude discernible in his voice.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’I kind of feel bad for Aoko...?’,’Aeterna is a bully!?’,’RIP little lamb’)