Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Following the announcement of his and Luvia's engagement, Vahn listened closely as she went through the process of identifying everyone and explaining their status regarding the alliance. Olga's father, Marisbury Animusphere, was obviously included as, even though it was not his intention to appear as a 'pawn' within the Aristocratic faction, his hand was forced after learning the 'truth' related to Vahn. As for Lord El-Melloi II and Reines, it was the former's identity as one of Luvia's instructors and past allies that earned them the right to join the banquet. Luvia didn't get along all that well with Reines but, as she was still the former heiress of one of the more powerful Magus families, she had her fair share of uses.

When Luvia finished introducing those that held the title of Lord, she moved on to the other guests at the table, starting with the maroon-haired man she introduced as Lev Lainur Flauros. He was introduced as the Head of the Archaeological Department, serving under Lord Meluastea, the backer for the Neutral faction and one of the three Monarchal Lords. Since it would have been impossible for him to rise up as the Head of the Department without falling under the influence of Lord Meluastea, Vahn couldn't help frowning when he thought about why such a man would be present.

Though his eyes were still closed, Lev seemed to be able to understand Vahn's confusion, smiling in a way that made the latter feel even more disturbed as the peculiar man explained, "I see that Your Majesty is curious regarding my presence. Please, allow me to explain...you see, I had been indebted to Lord Animusphere int he past. We have also worked together on several projects so, in the hopes of helping to preserve humanity through this crisis, I intend to accede my position within the Clock Tower in order to serve the greater good through my work at Chaldea."

Nodding his head in response to Lev's claim, Lord Animusphere added, "Mr. Flauros has been a stalwart ally to the Animusphere family for many years. He also helped to develop SHEBA, one of the most important assets belonging to Chaldea. Without it, even if we managed to get the rest of CHALDEAS up and running, we would not be able to interpret the information reliably. Though it may be presumptuous of me, I had intended for him to serve as the Vice-Director of Chaldea, that is assuming Lady Edelfelt and Your Majesty decides to appropriate the necessary funds..."

In response to Lord Animusphere's remark, Luvia laughed in an elegant manner, covering her mouth with her gloved hand while giving Vahn a playful wink. Understanding this was her way of saying it was ultimately up to him, Vahn gave a polite smile in response to Lord Animusphere's words before answering, "Your daughter is an astute and hard-working young woman. Though I will need to see CHALDEAS with my own eyes before making a final decision, I believe the odds of us working together in the future are quite high..." Though he did not intend to hide any kind of implication within his words, Vahn noticed a flash of perturbance flicker across the pale-haired Lord's eyes when he referred to Olga.

Before any kind of misunderstandings could ruin the atmosphere, Luvia quickly guided things forward, gesturing toward a sharply dressed woman with a pixie-styled red hair that grew longer on the top than it did the back and sides, introducing, "This is Samantha Belfaban, granddaughter of Rocco Belfeban and a senior member of the Faculty of Spiritual Evocation." In response to this, Samantha, who had a boyish appearance akin to one of the 'punk rock' models in the magazines Nobunaga and Mordred picked their clothing from, gave a polite bow as she added, "Though my Grandfather would like to meet with you directly, he lacks any interest in politics and would like to avoid, as he calls them, 'troublesome situations'. When time allows, there are several questions I would like to ask you, Your Majesty..."

Though her appearance would suggest she had a brash and direct personality, it was clear from Samantha's behavior that she was not unaccustomed to socializing with members of high society. Her Grandfather may not have the official title of Lord but, after Rulfurus Nuda-Re Eulyphis made way for his nephew, Lord Sophia-Ri, Rocco had stepped in to take the position for himself, on the grounds that Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri was simply too young to manage the Department.

With the support of several others who did not wish to see the young Lord rise too quickly, Rocco had been recognized as a proxy Lord in exchange for making an enemy out of Lord Sophia-Ri. Though this didn't bother him in the least, as he didn't care for politics from the very beginning, that didn't mean he was completely incapable of understanding the situation. Thus, now that an opportunity had presented itself, especially following his recent support of Lord El-Melloi II, Rocco had sent his Granddaughter as a representative, both as a means to protect her and to learn the secrets Vahn had brought with him from another world.

Returning a polite nod of his own, Samantha resumed sitting in silence as, compared to everyone else at the table, she had the lowest status. This was emphasized even further when Luvia moved on to introducing the final person at the table, gesturing toward Artoria as she explained, "Some of you have already met her, but allow me the honor of introducing King Arthur, known to those close to her as Artoria. She is the very same King Arthur from the legends and, while this may be a mild surprise to some, know that it is undeniably the truth. As for how she is able to exist here in the present, well, some secrets are best kept to avoid unnecessary troubles~."

As Lord El-Melloi II, Reines, and even Lord Animusphere were all very aware of the truth regarding Artoria's existence, the only reactions came from Lev and Samantha. The former raised his brows slightly before adopting a 'gentlemanly' smile as he stated, "It turns out that the legendary King of Knights is such a fair and noble beauty. I am honored to make your acquaintance, Your Highness." At the same time, Samantha had an expression of genuine shock before a glimmer of excitement flashed across her eyes. As a member of the Faculty of Spiritual Evocation, knowing that the person seated across from her had been summoned into this world filled her head with questions that she desperately wanted answers to.

Before Samantha had the opportunity to offer her own greetings, Artoria, with a stoic and unfazed look on her face, plainly replied, "Your words are too kind, Lev Lainur Flauros. My status, however, is no longer that of a King. Now, I serve as both the Commander of the Imperial Knights and have pledged myself as the Queen-Empress Consort of my Emperor. I would ask that you reserve your compliments for others, as I have no intention of accepting them..." As Artoria simply didn't like the vibe given off by Lev, she did not appreciate him complimenting her in front of Vahn. Even when she reigned as King, it was considered extremely inappropriate to compliment the wife of the King as it could be misconstrued as an attempt to curry favor and subvert the authority of the monarchy.

As a result of Artoria's words, Lev's smile became somewhat crooked while Samantha swallowed her own words with an audible gulp. She also managed to get a rise out of everyone else present at the table, causing Reines to stare accusingly toward Luvia while Lord Marisbury and Lord El-Melloi II both seemed surprised by Artoria's bold claim. Since she was in a political situation, Artoria hadn't hesitated in the slightest and, even though Vahn imagined her heart and mind were in chaos, it didn't show on her face at all. It was a commendable display of bearing that actually made him feel as if his own stoicism was lacking in comparison.

To clear up any confusion, Luvia took the opportunity when everyone was shocked to explain, "In the world that His Majesty hailed from, polygamy was considered the norm. For the time being, it would be best not to pry into the matters of the Imperial Family. The most important takeaway is that, when His Majesty is present, you should act with propriety to avoid embarrassment. Though we have yet to marry, this property can be considered an embassy of the Aldrnari Empire so you would do well to keep that in mind, ohohohoho~." Since it wasn't even rare for Aristocrats to have multiple mistresses and lovers, Luvia didn't expect that it would be a big deal when the matter of Vahn's relationsh.i.p.s became public knowledge, at least within the Magus community.

Though everyone understood that Luvia was essentially diverting the topic away, Reines couldn't help but ask with a sly smile, "And what is your official status, Luvia? I must admit, this topic has garnered my curiosity~."

Hearing Reines' question, Luvia knew she was looking for room to embarrass her but, without having to answer herself, it was Vahn who clarified, "Luvia will be the official Empress through marriage. I would thank you not to pry into our personal matters, Madame Archisorte..." As he said this, Vahn also gave a glance towards Lord El-Melloi II, seeing the latter reply with a tired smile. It was clear that Reines held the dominant position in their relationship and, seeing how she was treading a fine line that was quickly beginning to annoy him, Vahn assumed it wasn't the most healthy relationship.

Understanding she had overstepped her bounds, Reines lowered her head apologetically, even though there was still a sly smile on her face. Now that she was beginning to understand a bit of the dynamics surrounding Vahn and the Imperial Family, it was becoming increasingly more likely that she could benefit in the future. If he had multiple Empresses, Consorts, and Concubines, the likelihood of her being able to arrange a marriage between their children greatly increased. Since Vahn was supposedly more than a hundred and fifty years old, yet was willing to make a twenty-seven-year-old woman his Empress, there was even a chance her own daughter, Ridley, could become one of his concubines in the future...

Marking Reines down as a hazard he would need to address in the future, Vahn shook his head in admonishment before diverting the conversation away from his personal affairs. Instead, as this was supposed to be a meeting to discuss their alliance, he began to give a basic summary of his intentions before allowing Luvia to take over and iron out the details. As the alliance actually had nothing to do with his Empire, at least for the time being, his primary role was to support Luvia and the Edelfelt family as he established a reputation for himself in the Magus community. Only then would he have the ability to create his own faction, allowing him to take action in the real world while building up forces through the connections he would establish over the following years.

To that end, Luvia discussed how everyone could contribute to the alliance, mostly relating to standing firm in the face of outside pressure. In exchange, she would buy materials and specialty goods at a premium while also providing low-interest rate loans, essentially acting as the creditor for their budding faction. This would be extremely helpful for people like Lord Animusphere and Reines, the former of which had already agreed to the alliance while the latter had accepted after a bit of cross talk. As for Lev and Samantha, they didn't have much to gain from financial support but they ultimately agreed to participate. Lev stated that he would continue to support humanity by assisting the management of Chaldea while Samantha simply couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about the summoning ritual used in the Holy Grail War, both from a former Master and a Heroic Spirit...

---

With the banquet coming to an end after around two hours of discussion, the group split between males and females for the purpose of socializing. This left Vahn with Lord Animusphere, Lord El-Melloi II, and Lev Lainur Flauros in one of the nd lavishly adorned studies of the Edelfelt Mansion while the women alighted elsewhere. The purpose of this arrangement was usually so that males and females could talk about things they otherwise would have been unable to discuss due to the common sensibilities and decorum possessed by members of high society.

Now that he was alone with the three men, Vahn felt rather awkward as, with their difference in status, it was ultimately up to him to drive the conversation forward. Since this was supposed to be a time where 'personal' matters could be discussed, he was very tempted to ask how on earth Lord El-Melloi II had gotten married to someone like Reines. However, as love could take on all kinds of forms, some rather toxic, Vahn decided not to pry. Instead, he pulled out a bottle of wine from his Inventory, surprising the men present as he stated, "It is a little early, but shall we partake of a drink to celebrate our alliance...?"

As it would be considered improper to refuse, even though they had already toasted to their alliance earlier, each of the three men accepted. Lord El-Melloi II was actually the youngest man present, at 39 years of age, so they were all sensible when it came to social etiquette. As a result, they understood this was Vahn's attempt to ease the tensions, making the occasion less formal and opening the floor to casual conversation.

Using the newfound opportunity, Lord Animusphere sampled his wine and, though he was rather surprised by its quality, he kept his focus and asked, "Though it has only been a short while since our parting, I cannot help but wonder how my daughter is faring?" Since Luvia had already told him that Olga was staying at Vahn's castle, Lord Animusphere couldn't help but feel worried for her safety. Understanding his concerns, Vahn gave a small nod before stating, "She is doing well. I built an Observatory for her and she seems to be quite fond of it. In the next few days, I will bring her along with me so you do not have to continue worrying about her safety. Then, when there is time, I'd like to tour the Antarctica site to see CHALDEAS for myself..."

Hearing Vahn casually say he would bring Olga back, Lord Animusphere felt a great deal of relief as, while others might just say such things to dismiss the subject, it was clear that Vahn was being genuine. The mention of CHALDEAS reminded him of the prophecy promising great fortune so, deciding to trust in the future he had foreseen, Lord Animusphere began to noticeably relax. He then began to talk about some of the projects that Chaldea had been working on, including the purpose behind the creation of CHALDEAS from the start.

Ultimately, Lord Animusphere wanted to reach the Root but, in order to achieve that, he first wanted to guide humanity onto the correct path. By having an accurate means of determining the fate of the entire world, looking directly into its future, it would be much easier to convince people of the error of their ways. If certain policies and practices ended up leading to a dark and chaotic future, it would be possible to nip them in the bud from their inception if they made proper use of LAPLACE, CHALDEAS, and SHEBA.

Listening to Lord Animusphere speak rather passionately about his ideals, Vahn's impression of the man had improved considerably over a short period of time. At the same time, Lord El-Melloi II and Lev joined in, talking about their own dreams and ambitions, albeit with considerably less fervor.

Lord El-Melloi II simply wanted to modernize Magecraft and alter the curriculum of the Clock Tower so that it was fair to all students. His efforts had earned him a fair number of enemies, as he specialized in the 'rationalization' of Magecraft, making it into an easier to understand format, an act that caused many to lambast him for removing the 'mystery' contained within Thaumaturgy. This didn't stop him from doing everything in his power to achieve his dream, however, admitting that he could not stand the current status quo that emphasized bloodline over talent and effort.

Vahn felt that, if he and Lord El-Melloi II were able to interact with each other more often, there was a good chance they could become friends. Though he didn't outright agree with him, the fact he was committed to his ideals was rather commendable. When the world began to shift from the Modern and into the Magical Era, Vahn felt that he would be an extremely reliable Professor to teach Magic and Magecraft to the tidal wave of new Magi that would appear within the world. To prepare him for this responsibility, Vahn was intending to pass on some of his own research to the man, including some of the notes he had taken from observing and researching alongside Da Vinci...

While he had been rather impressed by Lord Animusphere and Lord El-Melloi II, Vahn had a very different feeling while listening to Lev Lainur Flauros. Though he also talked boldly about saving humanity, even getting heated at moments, Vahn had the distinct impression he was viewing an act. More than any other lesson, Loki had emphasized teaching Vahn how to interpret whether or not a person was outright trying to fool him. There was a drastic difference between someone lying and someone trying to deceive you, as the former was often done to protect themselves or others. The latter, however, was inherently malicious and, the more principled and noble the goal purported by the other party, at least according to Loki, the more likely their actual intentions were the polar opposite...

Feeling that something was wrong, Vahn did his best not to let his suspicion show on his face while also avoiding any direct thoughts pertaining to it. As a Magus who had been able to achieve the rank of Pride, it was a given that Lev would be sensitive to the intentions of others. Since Vahn had started to adapt his mentality to avoid having his intentions interpreted so easily, he was able to avoid alerting the man while subvocalizing, "Alaya, show me the String of Fate between Lev Lainur Flauros and Marisbury Animusphere. Make sure I'm the only one who can see it..." As Alaya could even interpret his words through an absolute void, the subtle vibrations of his vocal cords, even without speaking audibly, were enough for her to understand his intentions.

While continuing to listen to Lev talk about SHEBA's development, Vahn took a casual sip of his wine, casting his eyes towards the man's hand in the same motion. Since it had been a popular topic for a short while, Vahn knew what the color of each string meant, something that changed drastically depending on the finger it was attached to. The best example was how a red string attached to the pinky often indicated mutual love and affection while, if it was attached to the index finger, it meant one party was l.u.s.tful towards the other. If it was on the middle finger, however, the meaning would change entirely as, instead of passion, love, or l.u.s.t, it represented a fervent hatred toward the other party, alongside other wrathful emotions.

When Vahn looked between Lev's hand and Lord Animusphere, he wasn't all that surprised by the fact that there were three strings. What did alert him was the fact that a green string ran from his thumb while a black string extended from his middle finger. According to what he had learned from Alaya, green on the thumb indicated strong feelings of resentment, envy, and disgust while a black string on the middle finger only had a single meaning...death. It didn't imply that one party wished the other would die; it meant that the originator of the string fully intended to kill the recipient. With that in mind, though he kept it turned off most of the time, Vahn activated his View Affection system function before nearly dropping his wine glass when he saw the auras around him...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Artoria ain't having none of that','Vahn gets along with other idealistic idiots xD...','Boi...')

(A/N: My fellow tenants woke me up in the middle of the night to play Fortnite Chapter 2 so I'm afraid that I was dead tired by the end of this chapter. Still, when I wake up after my nap, I intend to release two more in the afternoon. If people would prefer, however, I can delay their releases until tomorrow so you would have 5-6 chapters to read instead.)

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