Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Entering the diorama, Vahn found Eva acting standoffish toward Arika and Theo while Fenrir observed silently from the side. Fortunately, the moment they noticed his arrival, they acted as if everything was perfectly normal, Eva adopting a lazy smile as she mused, "I was starting to think you got lost."

Deciding it wasn't the best time for banter, Vahn just smiled wryly in response to Eva's words before saying, "Let's move to the beach house. I'm sure everyone is starting to get hungry, so I'll cook something up while everyone else prepares for dinner. Fenrir, help Asuna wash up for me, okay?"

Asuna didn't really want to separate from Vahn right now, but, when he passed her over to the waiting arms of Fenrir, she reluctantly let go. As for Arika and Theo, they naturally intended to share the same bath, so, while Vahn and Eva moved towards the beach house, they moved as a group towards the onsen located further up the mountain.

The moment the other girls were out of earshot, Eva broke the tense silence, saying, "Those brats practically declared war on me...you really have a way with young women, don't you...?"

Hearing Eva's barb, Vahn laughed dryly in response before shaking his head and answering, "I don't mean to make people fall in love with me...I just want them to be happy. It was never my intention for things to develop like this..."

Snorting through her nose, Eva didn't hesitate to retort, saying, "At your age, you should have more awareness than this. Just how many times have you repeated the mistake of pampering girls to the point that they don't even want to look for other partners? People are instinctually drawn to comfort and things that make them feel secure. You pamper them to the point that it is impossible for them to rationalize being with other people. After all, who in their right mind would give up all the benefits you provide for something that isn't even comparable!? If they continue to follow you, they have access to resources, get to eat delicious food, and, even if you pretend to put up walls, you still pamper and dote on them in excess...even if wasn't your intention for things to develop like this, you've done very little to deter their advances. I mean, for crying out loud, Vahn, you've been sharing the same bed with them for almost a year!"

Though she didn't really want to yell, Eva found it hard to hold herself back after Theo's and Arika's declaration of war. She knew Vahn could easily manage several women at a time but it was still frustrating knowing how available he made himself. He could have easily become the type of mentor that the girls looked up to and respected, but, instead of watching them from afar and offering advice when they needed it, he constantly allowed himself to get pulled into their pace.

Rather than try to refute Eva's words, Vahn just gave a small nod before choosing to remain silent. Everything she said aligned with his own thoughts on the matter, and, if he had put his foot down from the start, things would never have developed this far. Instead, he continually went along with the flow of events, inadvertently taking advantage of the 'casual' way in which Ana and the other members of the Ostian Royal Family treated him. Now, he was even sharing a bed with two women he proclaimed to have no interest in, yet, in spite of this, allowed them to sleep next to him wearing very little clothing...

Seeing Vahn comb his fingers through his hair in a familiar self-calming gesture, Eva released a tired sigh before grabbing his arm, surprising him as she muttered, "Those three are already too far gone...just promise me that you'll be more considerate of your future actions...if this is going to work, I need to know that you aren't going to get distracted by everything with a big butt or exotic features...stop teasing women you aren't involved with and stop letting people you aren't in a relationship convince you to do things you know aren't a good idea. Seriously, what did you expect to happen when you allowed a promiscuous princess to sleep next to you in nothing but her underwear...!?"

Though Eva was obviously showing him a bit of leniency, the more she talked, the more upset she seemed to become. She didn't let go of his arm, but, as the pitch of her voice raised, her nails began to sink deeper into his flesh. Despite this, Vahn didn't make any attempt to argue, as, objectively speaking, she had hit the nail on the head. He really hadn't done much to stop them from growing increasingly bold. Rather, he even went out of his way to convince himself their behavior wasn't a 'real' problem, allowing matters to 'take their course' as he continued to pamper, compliment, and tolerate them...

Releasing a tired sigh, Vahn did his best to sound sincere as he looked into Eva's angry eyes and answered, "I promise to do better, Eva...I don't want to betray your trust...I just..."

Shaking her head, Eva interjected, saying, "I already said what I wanted to say. Just remember your promise and there won't be any problems. As for those brats...as long as they are willing to make an effort, I won't say anything about your relationship with them. You can't lay a hand on them until they become much stronger, though...I will never approve of anyone that might become a liability..."

Understanding that Eva didn't really want to discuss the matter, Vahn just nodded his head, a serious expression on his face as he muttered, "I will keep my promise..."

Hearing the sincerity in Vahn's tone, Eva answered with a nod of her own before falling silent with her head resting on his shoulder. She originally had a lot more to say, but, after the brief encounter with Arika and Theo, Eve realized it would be difficult to make them give up. As for Asuna, that was even more hopeless. She could tell the girl was completely attached to Vahn, and, unless something major happened, this wasn't likely to change.

Though Vahn had already explained Asuna's origin and the original course of history, Eva was still shocked by how much potential the young girl had. Her talent was truly monstrous, and, if she trained for a few years, Eva could easily imagine Asuna surpassing her. She was also the literal lynchpin of Mundus Magicus, so, even if Vahn had wanted to entrust Asuna to someone else, Eva would have called him a massive idiot for even considering it...

Unaware of Eva's silent thoughts, Vahn guided her all the way to the massive beach house he had constructed before breaking the silence, saying, "There is a large bath located at the end of the hallway. I'll let you wash up while I prepare dinner. I would join you, but my other selves are currently busy taking care of other tasks. Still, if you want me to-"

Without waiting for Vahn to finish, Eva lightly snorted through her nose, saying, "If I gave you a reward so quickly after reprimanding you, you wouldn't learn your lesson. Go cook the food. Try and behave for the rest of the day...if you do, I might give you a real reward..."

Taking advantage of the fact she was still in her adult form, Eva allowed her hips to sway as she languidly made her way toward the bath. She knew it wasn't exactly the most opportune moment, but, after laying it into Vahn for several minutes, she had started to feel a little guilty. Thus, in the hopes of lifting his mood slightly, she did her best to appear as sexy as possible while her back was turned to him, hiding the subtle blush creeping onto her cheeks...

While his main body was preparing dinner, Vahn was consolidating the energy of his other vessels, separating their energy from the primary 'network' shared by each version of himself. He hadn't expected to find Eva so soon, but, now that he had, it was time to start speeding up his plans a bit...

Originally, Vahn had intended to take his time gathering information during his pilgrimage to meet with each of the Great Spirits. He had intended to support Arika's growth and help her forge alliances with powerful groups like Ala Rubra so he wouldn't be charged with ensuring peace and prosperity for the entire Magical World. Now, however, he had the current Queen of Vespertatia and the future Empress of the Hellas Empire fawning over him, and, based on Eva's words, it was pretty clear they were serious about pursuing him.

Though he still wanted to avoid becoming directly involved with politics, Vahn knew he was going to have to take a more proactive role in future events. To that end, he needed to build his own faction, help strengthen the girls, forge a few alliances, and, most importantly, spread his influence beyond Ariadne.

Vahn knew he had already stayed in the scenic Academy City for too long, and, though he wanted Asuna to enjoy attending school, he had already noticed her growing increasingly bored with the curriculum. Her theoretical knowledge could even compete with most of the teachers, and, though she enjoyed spending time with her friends, the difference in their capabilities had slowly created a gulf between her and most students.

Regardless of his own plans, Vahn would allow Asuna to remain in the Academy, but, knowing her, she would insist on accompanying them. This wouldn't change even if he left a version of himself to look after her, as, despite his warnings, she insisted on using the diorama alongside everyone else. She didn't seem to particularly care about aging faster, rather, despite starting off younger than most of her classmates, she was far more mature than most graduates. Thus, even if she did age quickly, Asuna didn't see this as a negative as it also meant her power and knowledge would increase exponentially...

Realizing why Eva mentioned three brats, all of Vahn's vessels simultaneously released a sigh. He wasn't actually that surprised, as Asuna had been very 'reflective' ever since their last visit to Ostia, but, knowing the young girl had set her sights on him, he couldn't help feeling a little sad. She would undoubtedly grow into a world-class beauty, but, knowing this change would also denote the loss of her innocence, Vahn was already beginning to miss the adorable twin-tailed girl that followed him around like a lost puppy...

Shaking his heads, Vahn began to focus on the task at hand, bringing his palms together as runic markings began to spread across his bodies. At the same time, a complex magic circle began to form in front of him, one radiating a jade green light while the other flickered with an ocean blue, complete with ripples spreading across its surface. Then, from the center of both magic circles, strange 'tunnels' seemed to form as two figures quickly manifested from within.

Though he was feeling exhausted, in more ways that one, Vahn managed a smile as he saw a familiar youth with predominately white hair standing next to a 'woman' with dark green hair. The former had distinct black striping within his hair, and, at the top of his head, two rounded ears complimented the thick tail that protruded from his backside. As for the woman, she had a beauty that could even rival Zhuque, complete with a long ponytail and a mature figure, but, if you were to peek beneath her form-fitting purple kimono, you would find something rather 'unexpected' waiting for you...

Preempting the two's usual greeting, Vahn gestured for them to relax, smiling as he said, "It is good to see the two of you, Xiao Bai, Fairy Xuan...I'll be relying on you a lot in the near future."

Hearing Vahn's words, the young white tiger playfully flexed his arms as he exclaimed, "Great! I've been waiting to show off my skills! I'm already getting pumped up...!!" As for the woman affectionately referred to as Fairy Xuan, she offered a rather motherly smile, her voice similar to the sound of distant waves gently lapping at the shore on a sunny day as she said, "It is our pleasure to be of service~."

Nodding toward his two fiercely loyal companions, Vahn rose to his feet explaining, "Xiao Bai, I'm going to have you assist in the training of a few people. This world uses the concept of Ki and I'm interested to see how you can adapt it with your fighting style. As for you, Fairy Xuan, I'll have you help me collect information. You already have all my knowledge about this world. I want you to use it to expand an information network withing Megalomesembria. If I go there now, I probably won't be able to control myself, so, until I have made adequate preparations, I want you to spread your influence as far as possible. Can you do this...?"

As if it was a small matter, Fairy Xuan giggled like a mother who just saw their child commit a bit of mischief before smiling as she answered, "Though we dare not compare ourselves to Master, we are confident in our ability to gather information. Given enough time, we might even be able to take over the entire country before Master's arrival~?"

Though it sounded like a gross exaggeration, Vahn wouldn't be too surprised if Fairy Xuan actually managed to pull off such a feat. She was remarkably intelligent and possessed the inherent ability to charm both sexes. Most importantly, however, was her ability to traverse a sub-dimension by slipping into pools of water. There, she could travel incredible distances in a short period of time, but, more pertinent to the task of gaining information, she could listen to listen in on conversations and directly spy on people from even a single droplet of water...

Not wanting to lose out, Xiao Bai, named as such due to his rather childish mentality, pumped both of his fists as he exclaimed, "Yosh! Leave everything related to martial arts and training to me! I'll turn all of Master's students into Grandmasters in the blink of an eye~!!"

Since he was the type that didn't understand the concept of personal space, Xiao Bai always got very close to people whenever he was excited. As a result, Vahn could easily reach out his hand, stroking the 135cm tall tiger's head as he said, "I'm counting on you. Just try not to go overboard. Remember, not everyone gets as excited about martial arts as you. This is a good opportunity for you to learn how to be a proper teacher so make sure you pace yourself and pay close attention to how others react to your training. I'll be around to give advice, but, in the end, I want to see how far you can grow while teaching others."

Though Xiao Bai showed a contented smile while having his head pat, he still listened very intently to his Master's teachings. Thus, immediately following Vahn's words, he adopted a cheeky smile as he reiterated, "Leave it to me~!!"

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There is a reason why Eva is the Master xD...','Fairy Xuan has many secrets (UwU)...','We're about to see a showdown between a Bakatiger and a Bakadere...')