Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

With Luvia's private jet having touched down, Vahn and co were able to follow the edge of the tarmac to a large hangar used for storing military aircraft. They arrived just as a small private jet, painted with a stylish black coating and adorned with golden stripes, taxied in from the runway. Then, moments later, the door on the side of the aircraft opened, revealing that it also served as a set of stairs which, in this instance, served no purpose.

Much to the flight crew's chagrin, Astolfo leaped from the interior of the aircraft, flying like a missile through the air while laughing uninhibitedly. Instead of letting himself be tackled, this time Vahn cut his hand forward in a swift strike, chopping the center of Astolfo's head. Though this sent him on a crash course with the ground, Vahn cushioned his landing by creating an air cushion as he stone-facedly remarked, "Astolfo, didn't you promise me you wouldn't cause any trouble...?"

Rubbing the top of his head with a teary-eyed expression, Astolfo complained in an unrepentant voice, "C'mon, Vahn. I just wanted to climb to the top of the tower to get a better view. It's not like I got into any fights or destroyed anything..." Though Vahn hadn't struck him that hard, Astolfo felt a painful pulse in the top of his head that didn't seem to fade away no matter how much he rubbed it. Fortunately, as if it had never existed in the first place, the pain disappeared entirely as Vahn released a sigh and remarked, "I understand your inclination to show off. In a way, it is the current state of the world that is in the wrong..."

Just as Astolfo had started to beam, muttering, "Your Majesty..." in a gratified tone, Vahn caused him to swallow his words by adopting a stern expression and adding, "However, you broke your word. As a Knight of the Imperial Order, you will be held accountable for your actions. For the next thirty days, you are prohibited from wearing cute clothing. The next time you cause a scene like this, I will curse you to become extremely muscular for a similar amount of time..." Though Vahn's first punishment caused Astolfo's heart to feel pain, the follow-up punishment caused him to turn pale. For a singular instant, his mind imagined a muscular version of himself, still wearing cute clothing, while everyone who looked upon him had expressions of disgust...

Though his first instinct was to cling to Vahn's leg and beg for forgiveness, Astolfo quickly realized this could constitute making a scene. Thus, after jumping to his feet, Astolfo gave a proper Knight's salute while exclaiming, "I understand, Your Majesty! Next time, I will make sure not to get caught!" As these words left his mouth, Astolfo realized his verbal slip, causing him to turn pale as Vahn gave him an incredulous look that quickly turned into an admonishing gaze. This only lasted for a brief moment, however, before Vahn shook his head with a wry smile and remarked, "So long as you don't get caught, I have nothing to say on the matter..."

Understanding that someone like Astolfo needed to be wild and free, or else they just weren't their true selves, Vahn felt it would be going too far to punish him over such a small matter. Though he would still have him dress in men's attire for the next month, it was almost guaranteed that he would find some men's fashion catalog where the models wore feminine clothing. With that as 'evidence', it wouldn't be much of a punishment at all but, as Vahn wasn't really that bothered by the fact Astolfo had climbed the Eiffel Tower, he pretended not to have foreseen the inevitable. Thus with crocodile tears in his eyes, Astolfo gave a theatrical sniffle before, in a voice filled with emotion, muttering, "You're always so good to me, Your Majesty..."

Ignoring Astolfo's upturned eyes, Vahn gave a courteous nod toward Catherine before turning his gaze to Nobunaga and smiling appreciatively. She was wearing boyish shorts that showed off her long legs, black combat boots, a similarly black t-shirt with a skull pattern, and a rather stylish leather jacket with fur along the fringes. Since she had tied her long crimson-black hair into a ponytail, she looked like the leader of a pop idol band, someone that young girls back in Japan would refer to as 'Onee-sama' with both affection and admiration.

Meeting Vahn's gaze with her blood-red eyes, Oda gave a rather sly smile in response, even though she somewhat bashfully combed the fingers of her right hand through her fringe bangs. Then, in a teasing tone, she mused, "Look at you, gawking like a dog wanting a bone...did you miss me that much~?" Though her eyes briefly passed over Luvia, Artoria, and Gray as she asked this, Nobunaga was still curious about Vahn's response. From his perspective, it could have been upwards of two months since they parted so, missing him more than she would ever admit, Nobunaga wanted to hear Vahn at least pander a bit.

Without missing a beat, and showing a sincere smile on his face, Vahn muttered in a husky tone filled with genuine emotion, "I did..." Since Nobunaga was one of the only females he could just cut loose around, it was the truth that he had missed her quite a bit. Even Artoria and Gray were just too aware of him when they were together and, though Nobunaga wasn't exactly exempt from this, it was her nature to be uninhibited. She was one fo the few women he could be openly intimate with without it having to develop further due to rising passions. Instead, their interactions were always bordering on just messing around, making her one of his only female friends, even if she was also his lover...

Hearing Vahn's words and tone caused her heart to skip a beat but, without letting it show on her face, Nobunaga just crossed her arms and mused, "Is that so...?" This behavior, however, wasn't very convincing to the women present who, perceptive to such things, gave Nobunaga knowing looks and wry smiles. Luvia, in particular, was evaluating her new 'companion', knowing full well that this was the Heroic Spirit that Vahn himself had summoned. As he had used his own blood as a catalyst, this implied that Nobunaga had the highest compatibility with him, something she couldn't simply overlook.

As if she could intuitively sense what Luvia was thinking, Nobunaga turned her blood-red eyes upon this rather snobbish-looking golden-haired woman. The moment their eyes met, a series of small sparks seemed to clash between them as both women allowed their mouths to curl up at the sides. Though Nobunaga had felt it was pointless to compete against other women, there was something about Luvia that riled up her competitive spirit. She knew the latter felt threatened by her and, with this knowledge, her predatory instincts and a strong desire to tease her were awakened. At the same time, Luvia felt somewhat perturbed by Nobunaga but, never backing down from a challenge, she crossed her arms and raised her chin slightly.

Sensing the rising tensions, Vahn furrowed his brows slightly, an action they both seemed to notice as their smiles became cooperative masks without any animosity between them. This wasn't enough to make him simply overlook their behavior, however, so Vahn plainly stated, "If you two are going to compete, make sure it is in a non-destructive fashion. The moment your actions begin to impact others, don't blame me if I punish you..." Though he did not intend it as such, even Vahn felt that his words were strangely s.e.x.u.a.l in nature, eliciting blushes, not just from Luvia and Nobunaga, but Gray, Artoria, Catherine, and even Astolfo. The latter's reaction caused Vahn to frown deeply, earning a round of laughter from everyone present that seemed to diminish the tensions completely...

---

After returning to the Edelfelt Mansion, Astolfo was forced to change into the security uniform by order of Artoria, his superior within the Order of Imperial Knights. As the outfits used by the Edelfelt security forces were somewhat androgynous in design, making them appealing when worn by both men and women, Astolfo looked surprisingly suave and cute at the same time. He seemed to enjoy this contrast and, though the thought of wearing men's clothing for a full month still weighed on his heart, he appeared to be his normal chipper and outgoing self on the outside.

While Astolfo was getting briefed on the proper security protocols, even though he would likely forget them soon after, Vahn was listening to Catherine's account of their travels. Though he was enjoying the story, sitting between Luvia and Nobunaga made it feel like the air around him was ionized. He knew it would be necessary to mediate between the two women in the future but, as neither was 'foolish', he didn't expect them to ever have any open conflicts. If anything, they would compete behind the scenes, in ways he would only be made aware of when they were presented to him. Since having a rival wasn't exactly a bad thing, so long as it didn't develop into an antagonistic relationship, Vahn decided to just see how things play out before he intervenes further...

When Catherine had finished her recounting, Vahn gave an appreciative nod before remarking, "It sounds like you all had quite the journey..." This caused Catherine to giggle lightly, adding, "Yes, it was a liberating experience. The French countryside is quite beautiful...even if Astolfo can be quite the handful at times..." As she said this, Catherine looked affectionately toward the pink-haired Knight, causing him to laugh openly while rubbing the back of his head. With his snaggletooth fully visible, combined with his cute appearance, he was the picture of childish innocence, even though he was nearly forty years old.

Understanding that Astolfo's nature made it virtually impossible for him to sit idly and perform his duties, Vahn had already discussed a potential solution that would allow him to act out without drawing negative press. With that in mind, Vahn cleared his throat before adopting a more serious expression as he said, "Count Astolfo, I have an important mission for you." This caused Astolfo to immediately cease laughing and, though his salute was almost comically executed, he still answered in a pseudo-serious tone, "Your Knight is prepared to walk through a field of blades or a forest of flames if necessary...!"

Snorting through his nose at Astolfo's response, Vahn crossed his arms and explained, "We will need to begin a positive propaganda campaign to shift the mentality of the general public in a way that makes them more receptive to the existence of Magic. To that end, you will go to America and work as an Actor, representing the Empire through one of Luvia's production companies. This will give you ample opportunities to stand out and, as you will become very famous, similar incidents to what had occurred in Paris can be played off as publicity stunts." Though they hadn't been as exciting as the Soccer games played back in Danmachi, Vahn had been rather surprised by the existence of modern motion pictures. Since Astolfo's personality actively sought attention, Vahn expected he would be quite popular amongst both males and females, especially since they planned to conceal his actual gender while obscuring his identity.

Hearing that he was going to be a movie star, Astolfo's eyes practically began shining as he clenched both fists and shouted, "Leave it to me, Your Majesty! I will become the biggest star the world has ever seen~!" As theater had always been something he was interested in, Astolfo was rather excited by the prospect of performing on the silver screen. He had gone to watch a movie with Catherine and, though it was rather boring at first, the fact the images on the screen were 'fake' had been a big shock to him. At first, he thought they had just been recording scenes, much like a play, and just felt that the actors needed to strengthen their bodies to put on a better show. When he found out that it was almost all fake, with most of the explosions and special effects being computer-generated, he had been quite surprised.

Piggybacking on to what Vahn had stated, Luvia giggled at Astolfo's reaction before adding, "You will need to undergo some coaching but I have high expectations for your popularity." Then, after turning her eyes toward Catherine, Luvia explained, "I understand it will be troubling for you, but I would like you to act as Astolfo's agent, at least privately. Since I own the production company, you won't have to worry about finding work so your primary task would be keeping him out of trouble. The movie industry has its own version of high society so you will have to keep Astolfo from doing anything that would endanger himself and others. If possible, you should have him avoid things like after-parties and private celebrations. I'm certain I don't have to explain to you the true purpose of such events..."

As she was also born in modern times, Catherine was very familiar with the stigmas associated with being a famous celebrity. Things like drugs, illegal dealings, and s.e.x.u.a.l misconduct were extremely rampant within the industry. With Astolfo's nature, he would be targetted by a number of competing production companies while his fellow stars could potentially campaign to slander and publically shame him.

Blackmail was one of the most prominent means of conducting business as, with how important 'image' was to a celebrity, having their scandals exposed could be career-ending. This was generally how the criminal syndicates and corporations controlled those within the industry, having them become patsies to push their products and often causing young celebrities to have mental breakdowns. Just recently, there had even been a largescale crackdown on a child s.e.x ring that had been operating out of Hollywood, where young actors and actresses were forced into compromising situations just to pursue the careers their parents had chosen for them...

With far greater conviction than Astolfo had in protecting her, Catherine adopted a stern and almost cold expression as she nodded her head and answered, "I understand. I won't let anyone corrupt my Astolfo-chan...!" As she said this, there was a fiery illusion burning within Catherine's eyes and, as she had been able to survive within the Magus community, she was more than confident in dealing with a few corrupt producers and businessmen. Since she would also have the connections of the Edelfelt family to rely on, she knew her main duty would be to prevent Astolfo from falling into the schemes of his fellow actors and actresses. Fortunately, while he was prone to attention-seeking, Astolfo was usually very perceptive to those who had malicious intentions toward him so, while the chances of him doing something embarrassing were rather high, it shouldn't be beyond her means to control.

---

For much of the early morning, leading into lunch, Luvia and Catherine discussed Astolfo's future career as a celebrity while everyone else just listened in while enjoying hot tea and light snacks. It wasn't until gentle bells began to ring through the Mansion, indicating it was noon, that everyone moved to the large dining hall to order their meals. Vahn found it rather novel that he was able to pick anything from the menu that had been handed out to him, making him wonder if it wouldn't be interesting to have a similar system back at the castle. Though it was currently impossible to do so, as Circe would never pander to people in such a way, it shouldn't be difficult to arrange once they began staffing the castle with actual personnel.

With that in mind, Vahn couldn't help thinking what Illya was up to and, though he had been content with entrusting matters to her, this resulted in him establishing a connection with Scáthach, asking, ("How are things going...?"). This was only his second time establishing contact, the first time being when Scáthach had informed him of the successful capture of the Einzbern Castle. It was knowing this that allowed Vahn to not fret over Illya's and her mother's affairs, trusting that they would return as soon as they were prepared to do so.

After a brief delay, Scáthach's cold yet sonorous voice echoed within his mind, ("There have been no major developments. Currently, we are in the process of establishing a gateway connecting Avalon and the Einzbern Castle.") Understanding it would cost a phenomenal amount of Magical Energy to have Vahn transport thousands of Homunculi several thousand kilometers, Illya had come up with the idea of creating a gateway directly to Avalon. This was impossible under normal circ.u.mstances but, as Merlin had appeared to check up on Cath Palug, he had been helping guide her through the long and arduous process. After all, having an isolated fortress castle to retreat to in the event of an emergency was extremely useful, especially when it was already built into a mountain that had an artificially constructed leyline.

As this was his first time hearing of this, Vahn had been more than a little surprised, asked, ("Gate?") in a confused tone. Following this, Scáthach dutifully explained the situation before recounting other developments she expected he had not been aware of. This caused Vahn's mind to buzz in moderate frustration but, as this wouldn't be the first or last time that Merlin had acted without informing him of the situation, he ultimately shrugged it off after hearing that Heracles had regained his rationality. Now, Vahn was interested to see what kind of man the burly Hero was as, with how the latter had protected Illya even in a maddened state, Vahn had high expectations of his character. The thought of sharing a beer with one of history's greatest Heroes reminded him that he should summon Karna the moment the summoning formation had absorbed enough Magical Energy...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is too lenient xD...','World's Greatest Actoress, Astolfo-chama~!','TFW you realize Heracles would drink from a keg as if it were a normal mug...')

(A/N: From now on, chapters will release when I can get them out xD. Trying to stick to the schedule with real-life stuff going on is impossible for the current me. I'll still be releasing 3+ chapters a day with a focus on pushing for 4+ in the future. I feel that, if I don't take any rest days, I can get two out in the morning, take a nap, and then pump out two in the evening without any issues. Sorry if things have been rather chaotic as of late. I realize in hindsight that I shouldn't have made such arbitrary promises when I had other things going on x_x...)

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