Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

As much as Vahn was enjoying spending time with everyone, as walking around with Illya and Iris turned most situations into a pleasant experience, he still needed to pay attention to his schedule as much as possible. Thus, while waiting for Siegfried to awaken, Vahn went to meet with Da Vinci in their shared workshop so he could tell her to get some sleep at some point. Taking into account the time he had spent in the real world, it had already been around ten hours since he had left her alone. Because of this, Vahn had the very real expectation that he would see something risque the moment he stepped into the workshop. As Da Vinci was a pervert by her own admission, and had even been working on lingerie prior to him leaving, Vahn had already prepared himself for whatever she would surprise him with...

Against his expectations, as if to emphasize she was an incomprehensible existence, Vahn found Da Vinci wearing some rather stylish renaissance style clothing, complete with a short pleated skirt. Even at a glance, he could tell that the clothes she had made for herself were of an extremely high quality while also being practical. Though he would have to inspect them more closely to be sure, it looked like even the pair of blue leggings she had made for herself were at least upper B-Rank, qualifying them as A-Rank items in the Record of Danmachi. He doubted she was able to infuse any abilities into them, as they lacked the 'aura' that would usually accompany such things, but just their make alone nearly qualified as a masterpiece.

As she had noticed his arrival, Da Vinci removed a set of goggles from her face that Vahn hadn't given her, meaning she made them herself, to stare back at him with her peculiar eyes. She had been using a series of uniquely designed tools unlike anything Vahn had ever seen before as she carved a small an intricate series of runes on the outside of a lens. Then, as if to answer his unasked question, Da Vinci explained, "Even an Omniscient Genius requires the proper tools to complete their work. I'm currently about to finish my third iteration of lenses for my ocular device. When I am finished, I will be able to see 'reality', even while inside of this Sub-Space Projection. I figured it may be necessary to make an observation system that allows you to easily see what is taking place in the real world for any potential invasions."

Hearing Da Vinci's explanation, Vahn found himself spontaneously breaking out into a short bout of light-hearted laughter. He actually wasn't all that surprised by the fact that she was already working on solutions to some of the Empire's most pertinent issues but, as it was such a distinct 'gap' from what he had expected upon arriving, he couldn't help but laugh at the reality of the situation. This changed very quickly, however, when Da Vinci gave a 'knowing' smile and said, "I already finished working on a few different types of lingerie as well. I have already prepared a presentation once I complete these lenses so please be patient. If you have nothing to keep yourself busy, you can find a few pairs of panties that I had worn laying on the bed in the other room. Please try not to spoil them too much since I'll need to wear them during the presentation~."

Though he knew Da Vinci was teasing him, it was also very apparent that she was being serious at the same time. Because of this, Vahn realized that the 'gap' he thought existed had been nothing more than another misunderstanding on his part. Da Vinci wasn't constrained by what he thought she would do as, with her 'omnipotent genius', she could be both serious and perverted at the same time. It was very likely that, even now, some of her thought processes were still designing new types of lingerie. She likely intended to use her 'presentation' as a means to collect data by observing his reaction to each type of garment she had produced. Since Da Vinci always innovated off the data she was provided with, she would continue to modify her designs until they were the 'pinnacle' of the concept of lingerie, at least lingerie that could be used to appeal to him...

Since Da Vinci had already returned to her work, clearly not wanting to be disturbed a second time, Vahn just shook his head before looking around the workshop at various other small projects she had started. He found that his Atelier was filled with various different tools that hadn't been present a few hours prior. Da Vinci had used transmutation to shape precious metals into complex tools that would take extreme dexterity to be able to use. There were even a few precision instruments that had blades and tips so fine that they were only a single atom's thickness. The one thing these tools lacked were abilities infused into them but, using small runes and reinforcement magecraft, Da Vinci was able to circ.u.mvent this with ease. She had even embedded small gemstones into the structure of the tools, giving them the appearance of fine works of art, that served as a means to power the intricate magic formation and prevent the tools from breaking.

As interesting as her tools were, Vahn's attention was only drawn to them for a brief moment as, on the adjacent table, the basic framework of an extremely complex, albeit incomplete, staff had already been laid out. There were also blueprints that had been drawn with machine-like precision next to it, allowing Vahn to get an understanding of what Da Vinci was trying to create. Using transmutation and the tools she had made herself, Da Vinci had been making small parts similar to what you might find in something like an expensive pocket watch. There were literally thousands of small pieces that had been carved with even smaller runes and magic formations that would be linked together into a staff that was as much mechanical as it was magical. When it was completed, Vahn could tell it would be around A-Rank, if for no other reason than the fact that Da Vinci lacked higher quality materials. The fact she was capable of making a high-ranking staff with relatively simple materials was one of the most shocking things Vahn had observed from Da Vinci thus far.

Though Vahn already had high expectations for Da Vinci, to the point he put her on the same level as Scáthach, it almost felt like she was doing everything in her power to make his prior expectations seem 'inconsequentially foolish' in the face of her genius. At the same time, however, Vahn was more than a little excited about future prospects as, if he were able to work alongside and learn from Da Vinci, his comprehension could reach extremes that might have taken him hundreds of years on his own. He relied on very expensive and rare materials to do what Da Vinci could accomplish with comparably 'plain' materials. If he could reach her level, Vahn felt that making SS-Rank, or higher, equipment would be well within his reach...

While Vahn had been captivated by her work, Da Vinci quickly finished up the set of lenses she was working on. Seeing that he was distracted, she removed her goggles before slotting the lenses into one of the prepared rings. Her ocular device allowed lenses to be overlapped so their effects could be stacked together and toggled by tapping small gemstones on the side. When she slotted in the third and final set of lenses, Da Vinci couldn't help but smile as she placed the visor over her eyes and tapped the tiny white peridot that was arranged in a triangular formation with a ruby and a sapphire. This caused everything within her vision to appear as though a film had been placed over it, one which allowed all objects to be viewed with a variable amount of transparency based on the focal point of the user's eyes.

With her goggles donned, Da Vinci cast her gaze over Vahn's back, a glimmer in her eyes as she looked him up and down without triggering his perception. The main function of this set of lenses was to allow her to see the internal structure of materials but, if the settings were tweaked just a little bit, it also allowed her to see through clothes just as easily. She could see that Vahn had a very athletic body that, while not on the same level as her 'Mona Lisa Prototype', was almost flawless in its structure. What troubled her was the fact that, even if she upped the settings, she still couldn't make sense of Vahn's internal structure, almost as if he was a unique existence that simply didn't follow the same 'rules' as the rest of the world...

After ogling Vahn's butt for a few seconds, Da Vinci pressed the small sapphire gemstone to active the second set of lenses, this one allowing her to see the flow and structure of magical energy with extreme precision. She used these lenses to make sure there were no leaks when she was carving runes as many of her inventions would break down if there was even the smallest defect within the complex latticework of magic formations she painstakingly carved. Though she only made mistakes if there were external factors beyond her control, that was no excuse to cut corners and suffer as a victim of hubris. Unfortunately, even with this second set of lenses, Da Vinci could only see Vahn's body as an 'enigma' that would require extensive research. She did not believe for a moment that she would be unable to 'crack' what made him function as, regardless of what secrets his body held, it was only a matter of time until she knew everything there was to know about Vahn...

Though it would be useless in this situation, Da Vinci wasn't the type of person that lived by pure assumptions so, as a matter of course, she used the third lens to observe Vahn's body. As expected, he simply vanished from view when the third lens was the only one active while, in conjunction with the other two, it showed what appeared to be a 'hologram' of Vahn since he appeared as a semi-transparent figure within her vision. To make sure they were working properly, Da Vinci also looked around her workshop, observing that all of the tables were more or less empty back within the 'real' world. This allowed her to conclusively affirm that objects within the Sub-Space Projection and the real world weren't necessarily interrelated with each other. Though it was possible to 'link' a physical object with its projection by having it interface with the island-wide magic formation present all throughout Avalon, it was also possible to 'isolate' objects if you created an inverse-magic formation, effectively forming a 'gap' in the projection that could be exploited by enemies...

After writing down her observations, Da Vinci deactivated everything but the transparency function of her goggles as it was quite entertaining to see Vahn walking around n.a.k.e.d. The most 'important' part of this was that, unless he tried them on himself, Vahn would be unaware that the goggles even had such a function. The very core of the magic formation made it so that anything being observed would be unable to 'perceive' that they were being observed. Since this would serve as the basis for the island's observation network in the future, making it counterintuitive if enemies were able to sense they were being observed, Da Vinci decided to keep it a secret for the time being. Though she was almost exposed when Vahn turned around, as she got an eye full of something 'very' surprising, she ultimately managed to keep her composure by simply smiling.

Seeing that Da Vinci was finished working on her rather stylish and ornate-looking goggles, Vahn also smiled as he asked, "Is this the prototype for your own weapon? Are you intending to join the fight in the future?" In response to this, Da Vinci giggled in an elegant manner before explaining, "I would rather have a powerful weapon without needing to use it rather than be caught unprepared and left wanting. When I am finished with the final version, that staff will serve as the 'key' to control the defenses of the Ivory Castle in the future. I have a few ideas about how we can prepare against enemy attacks, including an observation network and an automated defense system. "

Since Vahn could understand the logic behind Da Vinci's words, he nodded his head in affirmation before remarking, "Just make sure you rest properly when you can. You don't need to right now but, once Siegfried has finished experiencing the memory link, you should retire for the night. Going by the time within the Sub-Space Projection Orb, there is still around nineteen hours until he awakens so there is no rush." As he didn't know if the current Da Vinci even needed sleep, Vahn could only advise her to rest at her convenience. It was obvious by the enigmatic structure of her body that, while she was listed as a 'human' within the Unit Management function, the fact she was listed as only 200 days old implied she certainly wasn't normal.

In response to Vahn's words, Da Vinci used her now gloved hand, placing her index finger against her lips as she asked, "So we have nineteen hours to get to know each other? Perhaps we can use that time to decide how I should address you in the future? You never did tell me if you wanted me to call you Master, Darling, or maybe even something 'more' intimate~?" At the end of her sentence, Da Vince poked through her full and soft-looking lips with the tip of her finger, the glimmer in her eyes changing to a slightly more seductive light. This caused Vahn to smile wryling in response as he plainly answered, "I have no problem with getting to know you better, but I'm not really in the mood for what you might have in mind. As for how you should address me...well, we'll be colleagues of sorts in the future so just Vahn will do for now. If we are ever in a public or formal setting, however, you will need to address me as Sage Emperor or Majesty..."

Though she nodded her head in 'understanding', Da Vinci clearly had very different intentions as she said, "Very well then, I will call you Master from now on. You can call me Da Vinci, Vin, Lisa, Leo-chan, or anything else you feel like calling me~." Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, Da Vinci began to strip off her gloves and stockings, leaving them littered on the ground as she added, "Shall we start the presentation? Feel free to let me know your honest opinion as I will be taking detailed notes to improve upon the quality of future products. I'm intending to make a full line of women's lingerie for all the girls in the castle so all feedback is appreciated. Of course, if you want to try some on for yourself, it will be just our little secret~."

By the time Da Vinci reached the corridor leading to her room, she looked back at Vahn with her characteristic smile and a glimmer in her eyes as she loosened the band holding up her skirt. This caused the red pleated garment to drop to the ground, revealing Da Vinci's plump butt, slightly deformed by the intricately designed flesh-tone lace lingerie. There were several semi-transparent sections that caused the lacework to stand out, even more, drawing the eye around the pattern of the fabric as if you were exploring the intricacies of a painting. This seemed to be Da Vinci's desired reaction as her smile blossomed even further as she began to undo the strings of her corset while walking further down the corridor. It was obvious by the 'trail' of clothing she was leaving behind that Da Vinci wanted Vahn to follow behind her...

Feeling his heart racing a bit, Vahn shook his head in mock exasperation as it was beginning to seem like Da Vinci's 'Omnipotent Genius' wasn't just restricted to her craft. Though he didn't think he was giving her much to work with, it was clear that Da Vinci was beginning to figure him out very quickly. Her seduction techniques were improving at a demonstrably monstrous rate and, even though he was certain he hadn't looked too much, the fact that Da Vinci wore flesh-tone lingerie to further accent her flawless rump implied she understood his preferences well. He knew she was only doing this because she was interested in his body but this meant that her interest would actually never be curbed as, even if she studied him to the point of ascending to Tier 5 herself, she would be no closer to unveiling the 'truth' she sought from him. In a way, this meant Da Vinci would be an extremely reliable ally but, at the same time, her curiosity could deviate down any number of random paths in the future...

Since the summoning system also showed the alignment of Servants, Vahn knew that Da Vinci was classified as 'Chaotic-Good'. This meant she was always acting according to her interests, limited only by her consideration of the status quo and the availability of resources. If left to act as she pleased, with unlimited resources, Da Vinci was the type of person that would shape the entire world around her. Though this would invariably be a 'good' thing, as she was benevolent and considerate enough to avoid causing unnecessary harm, it could also be rather oppressive at the same time. She needed someone to rein her in and, based on how she called him 'Master', it was obvious that Da Vinci herself had decided to place him in that role. She didn't leave any room for him to allow them to be equals and, though she would undoubtedly tempt him every chance she got, Da Vinci would ultimately leave it up to him to decide how their relationship developed...

Vahn felt strangely pressured by the knowledge that he had the responsibility of reining in history's most prodigious genius but, considering he also had to deal with two existences that could wipe out all of humanity, it was surprisingly a light burden to bear. Depending on what he wanted her to do, Da Vinci could advance humanity by centuries over the course of just a few decades. Since he was intending to change the status quo of the entire world in the future, there was literally no better ally to have on his side. Merlin had obviously seen through this and, though he undoubtedly knew that the Da Vinci he would summon had a high chance of being a female, this was actually a 'good' thing as he was far more proficient in handling women than trying to work alongside men. Had Da Vinci been a male with the same attributes, showing his perversion towards the girls or even possessing homos.e.x.u.a.l interest in Vahn, that would have led to a far more complicated situation.

Though he was already very aware of the fact he had played into Merlin's hand, Vahn couldn't help but feel that his Magus of the Court had actually made the right decision. For the future of the Empire, and the world itself, he would become Da Vinci's Master, fellow researcher, teacher, student, research specimen, and, as she seemed intent on arranging, lover. He doubted she was even capable of experiencing such a complex emotion, as her mind would undoubtedly analyze and break down everything to its most basic state, but that wouldn't change their status. So long as she could never understand him, Da Vinci would never lose her interest in studying him. To that end, they would have a long-lasting and unshakeable relationship that would never be on the level of actual lovers, even if it was considerably more 'developed' than even married couples.

With that in mind, Vahn took a deep breath as he picked up each piece of clothing and followed behind Da Vinci, curious to see what kind of 'presentation' she had prepared for him...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Endless Innovation','Da Vinci with her goggles, "Ara, ara~?"','Vahn is like a single note reed, getting played super easily xD...')

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