Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it took a little longer than expected, it had only ever been a matter of time before people noticed the changes with the No Names Community. Rumors regarding the barrier had started to circulate mere days after its construction, and, thanks to the Water Tree Vahn had planted for them, the children no longer had to leave the safety of their territory to fetch water. This was exactly the type of thing opportunists paid attention to, so, as time continued to move forward, the number of people attempting to break into the No Names' territory gradually increased.

Fortunately, Jin had followed Vahn's advice by having the children remain in or around the restored castle town. There were very few people with the means to actually break through the barrier and those that could were unable to do so thanks to the Laws of the Little Garden. Thus, so long as the children remained inside, there was very little anyone from the outside could do to harm them.

The only organizations that could feasibly put pressure on a Community that had decided to turtle up were those affiliated with Demon Lords. The Laws of the Little Garden allowed Demon Lords to instigate Gift Games at their leisure since nobody in their right mind would ever agree to compete against them. Officiating these broad-spectrum Gift Games was one of the primary duties of Floor Masters, so, should anything occur, Vahn would immediately learn about it thanks to his association with Shiroyasha.

The bigger issue was the fact that the No Name Community lacked Players capable of defending it should an 'attack' take place. Vahn couldn't participate at their behest, and, thanks to her affiliation with the Thousand Eyes Community, Black Rabbit was prohibited from participating in most games unless the opposing party had agreed to allow her participation. Thus, for all intents and purposes, the No Names only had two people qualified to participate in Gift Games, Jin and Lily...

"Mind running that by me again, chibi?"

Though he generally did his best to appear calm, Vahn had a disapproving look on his face after hearing what Jin had said. This caused the young Magus to hang his head in shame, a distressed expression on his face as he repeated, "I received a letter stating that one of our former colleagues was being wagered as a prize in a high-brow Gift Game. I wanted our Community to be one of the groups participating..."

"It's only been five weeks since you started your training. I understand your desire to help your former colleague, but what can you do with your current power? If I participated, it would be as a representative of the Sage Dragon's Hearth, not the No Names. If people found out I handed over the 'grand prize' to a Community I'm not even in an Alliance with, my neutrality wouldn't hold up under scrutiny. Besides, this is clearly a trap."

Tightening his hands into fists, Jin replied, "I know...but Leticia is our comrade. We can't just ignore her now that we know where she is. What would you do if one of your friends was being treated as a slave or an immortal pet that people could do whatever they want with?"

Without any hesitation whatsoever, Vahn answered, "I would slaughter and pass judgment on those involved. However, that is because I'm me. You're not. The difference in our capabilities, at least for the time being, is like Heaven and Earth. You're letting the recent prosperity of the No Names go to your head, Jin."

Though he understood Vahn's reasoning, Jin was on the verge of tears as he imagined what his friend must have been forced to endure. He might be young but he understood that the fate of captive females, especially those who had been reduced to slaves, was never pleasant. It was even worse if they possessed unique or exotic traits, so, with Leticia possessing immortality, remarkable beauty, and eternal youth, she was a prize sought after by many.

"Please...I'll do anything..."

Seeing the helplessness and indignation in the young boy's eyes, an exasperated sigh escaped Vahn's throat before he shook his head and asked, "What happened to not becoming dependent on me? If you ask for my help every time a problem presents itself, you'll never become strong. If you're serious about doing anything to protect the people you care about, stop falling for obvious provocations and focus on your studies. The sooner you become a proper Magus, the sooner you can regain everything your Community has lost."

"But..."

Raising his hand, Vahn silenced Jin's response, stating, "Relax. I would have gotten involved even without you asking. Black Rabbit would be heartbroken if I ignored her friend's plight. However, I'm not doing this for the No Names. I'm doing it for entirely personal reasons. If you want your friend back, become strong enough to take her from me."

With that said, Vahn ruffled Jin's hair before promptly teleporting away. He might not be able to help the No Names directly, but that didn't stop him from taking action on his own. Leticia was a former Vampire Lord with traits remarkably similar to Eva. She was also one of the people who had taken care of Black Rabbit after the latter lost her original family and home, so, even if Jin hadn't asked for his help, he would have gotten involved. It would contradict everything he stood for if he allowed her to remain a slave...

"I was wondering when you would stop by. Pretty soon, you'll be able to enter this place without me noticing. Just promise me you won't lewd Nadeshiko without informing me first. My instincts tell me that woman is the type to go wild when she gets riled up."

Staring at the petite demoness shamelessly digging in her pointed ears using the tips of her pinkies, Vahn adopted a deadpan expression as he sat down and said, "I want to purchase information. Tell me everything you know about the anonymous message sent to the No Names and the Gift Game they were invited to participate in."

Rolling to a seated position, a playful gleam flashed across Shiroyasha's cat-like eyes as she said, "In exchange, I want to watch you and Black Rabbit bone from up close. Don't get me wrong, I certainly don't mind letting you play me like a cello. I just think it would be a lot more exciting to watch from up close."

"You're seriously holding information related to one of your former allies hostage in exchange for the right to view me having sex with Black Rabbit from up close...?"

Rolling her eyes, Shiroyasha maintained her impish grin as she replied, "I'm a simple woman, Vahn. There are very few things I actually care about. This happens to be one of them. If you're genuinely bothered by my behavior, use your ability to ascertain the information for yourself. It's not like I can stop you."

Exhaling a sigh, Vahn took a moment to comb back his hair before answering, "I'll talk to her about it. I'm not going to make her do anything she isn't comfortable with."

Snickering in response to Vahn's words, Shiroyasha pulled out her fan and mused, "We both know that's more than enough. That girl is very eager to please. So long as you're the one to bring it up, there's no way she'll refuse."

Shaking his head, Vahn decided to change the topic for the time being, asking, "What do you think I should do about the No Names? If things continue to develop as they are, it's only a matter of time before Jin makes a grave mistake. I'll clean up after him if I really need to but I'd rather avoid things developing to that point."

Suppressing a second snicker, Shiroyasha's eyes gleamed as she mused, "You really are a busybody. You can't help helping others, can you?"

Returning a wry smile of his own, Vahn just shrugged his shoulders and waited for Shiroyasha to continue. He believed she was actually worse than him when it came to meddling in others' affairs. She had just placed herself in a position where it was very difficult to do so. After all, if she wasn't a busybody, he wouldn't be here right now.

Understanding Vahn's thoughts, Shiroyasha adopted a slightly accusatory stare before going on to say, "There are two solutions, three if you're feeling generous. The simplest is to help them recruit capable Gift Players. However, as that might compromise things once the Problem Children arrive, I would rather you not. You're not trying to make them dependent on you, after all."

Nodding his head in approval, Vahn gestured for Shiroyasha to continue. What he didn't expect was for her to say, "To that end, I would suggest summoning the succubunny combination. The arrival of two new Demon Lords is bound to give people pause while simultaneously drawing attention to the Sage Dragon's Hearth. After that, you just need to continue acting out and the forces targetting the No Names will have no choice but to factor you into their plans."

"..."

Amused by the incredulous look on Vahn's face, a massive grin developed across Shiroyasha's as she asked, "What? You know it's a good idea. Besides, if you don't invite them soon, you might miss the opportunity. Once your fame and notoriety expand beyond a certain point, people will begin to flock to you in droves. You're already considering rescuing Leticia and keeping her as motivation to help Jin grow stronger. Which do you think is more likely to occur, Jin defeating you in a Gift Game or a cute girl ending up in your bed?"

"How long have you know about...no...you've always known..."

Though he was about to ask how long Shiroyasha had known about the plot against the No Names, Vahn quickly recalled that she knew everything taking place within the Little Garden. In other words, she was aware of every plot and scheme from the very moment they were drafted. She just couldn't do anything with the information unless someone willfully purchased it from her.

Shrugging her shoulders, Shiroyasha refused to comment. Instead, she went on to explain the third option, stating, "If neither of those options tickles your fancy, the simplest solution is to give Gifts to the No Names. You might not want to put them in danger but this is the Divine Realm. Unless they have the means to protect themselves, they will always be in danger. With the power you possess, you could easily empower them and then advertise it as some kind of special awakening to draw in future clients. You just refuse to hand out power because you're afraid it will lead them astray. To your credit, you're not wrong. You're just failing to account for the broader situation the children are facing."

"..."

Understanding the truth contained within Shiroyasha's words, Vahn found himself in a deep and contemplative silence. Truth be told, he had actually considered inscribing his Familia Crest on the entire No Name Community. That would allow them to literally accept Quests related to menial chores and farm work. In other words, they could become increasingly stronger just by continuing their current routine. The only reasons he hadn't gone forward with this idea was because of Jin's request and the fact that it would compromise any semblance of neutrality he wanted to purport.

Exhaling a sigh, Vahn manifested the envelopes Shiroyasha had given him three weeks prior. He really might miss the opportunity to summon Seraphina if he delayed things for too long. After all, as interested as he was in her, she wasn't actually that important to him. She would have invariably undergone countless reincarnations since the time of her death so it was pure selfishness to want to summon her. Unfortunately, or perhaps not, he had always been an ostensibly selfish individual...

"I choose all three options..."

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(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Jin experiencing the moral dilemmas of a shonen protagonist...','Shiroyasha is too good at this...','He wasn't lying when he told Black Rabbit he was greedy xD...')