Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

In preparation for when he would first hold Court, Vahn needed to order his affairs and, at it felt like a considerable amount of time had passed since he last saw them, the first thing on his agenda was recovering Illya, Iris, Kenshin, Scáthach, and Heracles. If he held his first Court without them, a rather historical event, there was a good chance that Illya, in particular, would be hurt. Though she was well on her way to stabilizing and should have become much stronger after overcoming this difficulty, it would be incredibly inconsiderate of him to exclude her from such an important event.

After finishing his preparations, and having a long discussion with Merlin, Vahn teleported to just outside the Bounded Field leading up to the Einzbern Castle. As an established family with an incredibly long history, it was a given that the barriers surrounding the Einzbern Castle made it very difficult for Alaya to access the interior without using forceful means. Since she was prevented from doing so, requiring others to act on her behalf, the only way Alaya could gain access to the interior of powerful Bounded Feilds was if she accompanied Vahn directly. This was due to the fact that her highest priority at the moment was observing him and collecting data.

With Artoria, Gray, Fenrir, and Mordred at his side, Vahn expanded his domain outward, blocking off the biting winds and snow that were sweeping across the mountain path like an icy tempest. Since he hadn't listened properly, Mordred ended up doing a small shimmy and, even though the ice had no real effects on her, she still exclaimed in an excited voice, "Wow, it is super cold out here~!" This was far from the first time she had seen snow but, as there were few tall mountains in Britain, the sub-zero temperatures, low oxygen levels, and endless snowy landscape combined to form quite the idyllic experience.

Before Mordred to scamper off into the woods, Vahn picked her up by the scruff of her jacket before using his Telekinesis to guide her to his shoulders. Though she had an adorable pouting expression when he first picked her up, this changed into a toothy grin by the end. Then, leaning against the top of his head, Mordred pointed towards the mountain's peak, shouting, "Onwards, Chichue, let us conquer the mountain~!"

---

Unlike the scene of Illya's group having to fight their way up, the path forward was relatively smooth for Vahn's as, before setting out, he had sent a message directly to Illya, informing of his arrival. With her being one of his Servants, albeit as a result of Cath Palug existing within her body, Vahn was able to telepathically communicate with her. During an emergency, he could even use a Command Spell to summon her to his side so, while he often tried to speak with her directly, it was convenient to use in situations like this. As a result, when Vahn's group passed through the second Bounded Field, the first thing they saw was Kenshin seated atop her horse while a contingent of white-haired, ruby-eyed women were neatly formed up to receive them.

Though Kenshin and her rather massive horse were the most eye-catching element in the group, it didn't take long for Vahn to shift his attention to the most petite member of the entourage, Illya, accompanied by her mother. While wearing a purple winter coat, thick fur boots, and a furry hat, Illya ran forward and, despite the fact that he already had Mordred seated on his shoulders, leaped with open arms towards Vahn. As he had dealt with some rather rambunctious children in his days, Vahn was perfectly capable of catching Illya out of the air without destabilizing Mordred, allowing her to nuzzle into his chest as a single tear ran down her face.

To her credit, Mordred realized she was in the way and, despite the fact Vahn hadn't asked her to, she rolled off his shoulder before landing nimbly on her feet. Then, while Vahn continued to hug Illya, gently whispering a few warm words to console her, she gravitated towards Fenrir, earning a head pat from the latter. Though it lacked a mastery of Petting Laws, this still brought a smile to Mordred's face while, at the side, Artoria watched on with a thoughtful expression...

Once Illya had calmed down, Vahn was holding her hand as they grouped up with the contingent she had brought to meet him. Vahn shared a few words with Iris and Kenshin, giving both women a hug, a rather tame affair until Kenshin whispered in his ears, "This time apart has allowed me to put things into perspective, Master..." Then, after stealing a kiss from his lips, Kenshin smiled radiantly as she added in an even quieter voice, "I think I'm beginning to understand...this thing called love..."

As he hadn't been expecting this kind of interaction with Kenshin during their reunion, Vahn had a stunned expression on his face that, after seeing her smile, softened into an affectionate look. She didn't expressly state it but, with this admission by Kenshin, he knew it wouldn't be long before she, Nobunaga, and Luvia, were all requesting children directly. This was one of the matters he needed to sort out in the near future as, though the succession of the crown would be wholly dependant on capabilities, the Imperial Family itself was an extension of his Court. He would need to assign roles and responsibilities to everyone in the future, rather than just having them idle about conducting research and training periodically.

Though Kenshin's words had caused his heart to warm up considerably, Vahn knew it wasn't a good time to get caught up in the momentum, especially with a group of thirty extremely similar women staring at them with doll-like expressions. Thus, after giving her a kiss of his own, keeping it relatively tame, Vahn placed his forehead against Kenshin's and answered, "I missed you dearly as well. It feels like such a long time since our parting... let's spend more time together in the future..." This caused Kenshin to lightly chuckle and, though she still had trouble understanding her own emotions, the fluttery feeling in her abdomen always brought a smile to her face...

---

With Mordred now receiving a piggyback ride from Fenrir, Vahn held Illya in his left arm while they ascended the remaining distance to the Einzbern Castle. He had to admit that, while it felt cold and detached from the rest of the world, it was an awe-inspiringly beautiful sight to behold. While it was significantly less impressive than the Ivory Castle, the view of the surrounding mountains and valleys greatly enhanced its overall beauty. At the same time, Vahn could see hundreds of powerful barriers and complex formations protecting the reinforced stone walls while, beneath his feet, the land itself had become an extension of the castle's defenses. It was similar to the dominion that Terra used to protect the Hearth Manor back in the Record of Danmachi, albeit considerably less complex.

Even before they reached the expansive courtyard leading into the castle proper, Vahn had already sensed the surprisingly massive congregation awaiting them. As he expected that Illya wanted it to be a surprise, however, he showed no signs of the shock he had experienced, even though he was conducting a headcount just to wrap his head around the number of new residents he would be responsible for. By the time he had finished, Vahn had accounted for a total of 6,713 Homunculi, many considerably more powerful than even the teachers he had passed during his short stay in the Clock Tower...

Before crossing the stone bridge leading into the courtyard, Illya lightly pat Vahn's shoulder and said, "Put me down." He obliged without asking her reasoning and, with her leading the way, Vahn wasn't far behind as they passed through the massive stone archway and through its two-meter thick stone gates. Even before he had cleared the threshold, Vahn could already see the Homunculi gathered to greet him, each standing with perfect bearing as they flanked the path leading into the castle. Illya had looked up to gauge his reaction and, seeing the genuine surprise on Vahn's face, she adopted a smile, even as there was an apologetic look in her eyes as she explained, "Soon, the total number of Homunculi will reach 7,119. I know it is a lot to ask, but please help them..."

As he had already noticed that many of the Homunculi present only had a few months left to live, while some were already having their lives extended by [Primordial Runes], Vahn gave a solemn nod in response to Illya's request, stating with firm conviction, "Of course. You needn't even ask...I will do my best to save them all..." While saying this, Vahn rubbed the top of Illya's head, knowing that this was an important matter that had the potential of restoring stability to her troubled existence. He had already reunited her with Iris and, if he saved her 'family', Vahn expected that Illya would open herself up completely, not just to him, but to everyone within the castle.

With a radiant smile on her face, Illya enjoyed having her head rubbed before reluctantly pulling away and shouting, "Okay, everyone, just as we practiced~!" Immediately following this, causing a rather thunderous yet sonorous sound, all 6,713 Homunculi simultaneously bowed at the exact same time and politely stated, "Welcome, Your Majesty. We are pleased to be of service." As they were all wearing the same outfit, with many appearing identical to each other, Vahn had been considerably shaken by their simultaneous greeting. This wasn't just due to the fact that it was quite the sight to behold, but more so the result of thousands of notifications simultaneously ringing in his mind. At the same time, it felt like his power had expanded outward, with even his Od jumping from 21,339 to 25,401 in an instant.

Having his power spike nearly twenty percent, Vahn experienced a feeling of euphoria and a swelling of pride, even though he hadn't really done anything to deserve their loyalty just yet. This was largely due to the fact that they were 'programmed' to be extremely loyal to Illya and, as she had elevated his own status above hers, they were unhesitantly loyal to him as a result. In the future, Vahn would help them develop a true ego of their own and, with so many powerful individuals following him, it would increase his power further. If he wanted to, it would even be possible to continue producing even more Homunculi, potentially increasing his power without limits...

Clearing such negative thoughts from his mind, Vahn allowed himself to smile while his aura spread throughout the area, albeit without causing any pressure. Then, once silence had dominated the courtyard, he stated in a voice filled with sincerity, "I promise to create a world where you will all be able to pursue your own happiness. Thank you all for giving me the chance..." Though they may not have made this decision for themselves, Vahn would answer the 'loyalty' displayed by the Einzbern Homunculi by making good on his promise. One day, they would be free from having other people give value to their lives by treating them as tools.

In response to Vahn's words, seemingly as a result of Illya having seen through his nature, the entire group of Homunculi smiled before sonorously chorusing, "We'll be in your care." Having thousands of beautiful women smile simultaneously toward him wasn't a memory Vahn would soon forget as, for a brief moment, his mind had completely blanked as the scene carved itself into his mind. This reaction of his caused Illya to laugh in a rather mischevious and playful manner, similar to a child that had carried out a successful prank. She knew Vahn would have to work hard just to prevent the Homunculi from 'expiring' so giving him a positive impression of them would greatly increase his overall motivation...

---

As a proper tour of the castle could wait until later, Vahn soon found himself inside of the vault that previously housed the Einzbern family's greatest treasures. Illya had already presented him with [Das Rheingold], an artifact that had completely stunned Vahn. He had actually been worried about using too much of the Edelfelt family's finances, regardless of how often Luvia assured him it wasn't an issue, so having an artifact that could literally produce an infinite amount of gold was a considerable boon. This, however, was far from the most important treasure that was turned over to him as some items simply couldn't be valued, at least outside of the system shop. Chief amongst these were, as could be expected, Artoria's legendary scabbard, [Avalon], and the second most protected treasure of the Einzbern family, a transcription of the [Emerald Tablet].

Artoria had been quite shaken to receive [Avalon] as, during her previous summoning in the Fifth Holy Grail War, it had been entrusted to the boy she had pledged her love to, Shirou Emiya. Though she had always expected to be reunited with it at some point, as her fate was intrinsically tied to the scabbard, the fact Illya had turned it over to her so soon was quite the surprise. This caused her to enter a momentarily melancholic state but, as she had already decided to walk towards the future, rather than brooding over the past, her complex emotions were locked away deep in her heart. Her path had diverged from Shriou's and, though they may reunite together in the distant future, she had already made her decision to live in the present alongside Vahn...

While giving Artoria a bit of space, leaving her in the care of Iris and Gray, Vahn went over the other treasures given to him by Illya, including the [Emerald Tablet]. This was a rather important artifact that, according to Illya's account, and the description of the item itself, it had been created by none other than the Third Magician, Kanada Vaisheshika. It was an indestructible emerald tablet that, even with his [Eyes of Truth], Vahn was unable to decipher. The only thing he could ascertain was that the molecular structure itself was organized like a solid Magic Circuit, one which actively interfered with any attempts to interpret its structure.

Though he was able to reach the text on the front of the tablet, which detailed the production of Prima Materia, the creation of a [Philospher's Stone], and the production of Homunculi, Vahn knew there was a phenomenal amount of data stored within the tablet itself. Illya's memories, inherited from Jubstacheit, stated that the tablet actually detailed the process for conducting the Heaven's Feel ritual and, though she could only interpret bits and pieces, it would still lay the foundation to unlocking the rest of its secrets in the future. By using the knowledge she had obtained, it would even be possible to set up another Holy Grail War, opening a way to the Root or allowing them to fundamentally change the world with a wish-granting system solely designed for their use...

With Illya basically providing him with a veritable army of Homunculi, functionally infinite wealth, and the ability to 'literally' make his wishes a reality, Vahn actually wasn't quite sure how to treat her. Illya herself didn't seem to expect anything in return but Vahn felt like he had suddenly acc.u.mulated considerable debt. Though such concepts were completely meaningless when both parties cared for each other, he felt compelled to do his best to make Illya even happier in the future. This sentiment was extended toward her mother, Iris, and each of the thousands of Homunculi she had entrusted to him. Since these were the things she cared about the most, Vahn would do his best to protect them, even though that was his intention from the start...

To that end, Vahn managed to convince Scáthach to help out and, using Alaya as a 'battery', it only took a few hours to finish the work that Illya and Iris had started. Neither of them had an affinity with Space so, while they had been making slow progress over the last few days, it had been an arduous process with a lot of trial and error. With Vahn's recently expanding comprehension of Space Laws, combined with Scáthach's omniscience and seemingly limitless capabilities, the were able to fill in the gaps and complete the massive transfer magic circle without any issues. I

With the vault containing a direct link to the artificial leyline created by the Einbern family, which they had been using to nourish [Das Rheingold], it wasn't even necessary for Vahn to provide a power source. Though it could only be used every few hours, movement between the Einzbern Castle to the Ivory Castle only required activating the transfer circle. The bigger issue would be traveling in the reverse direction but, with the number of Fae likely to increase in the near future, Vahn's concerns regarding Magical Energy were slowly fading away. If he wanted to, he still had a 'wish' that could be used, one that would rival the power of the Greater Grail in scale.

Since the Greater Grail could alter causality, shift the perspective of everyone in the world, or even convert every single human into a Spirit-form creature, Vahn had been holding on to the [Grace of the Root] ever since he obtained it. In more ways than one, it was an ultimate trump card that could even allow him to reach the Reverse Side of the World or establish direct communication with Gaia. As having her on his side would prevent a lot of future problems, Vahn had been tempted to use it for that purpose on several occasions. The only preventing this was his knowledge that he could achieve this feat on his own and, as it was better to have the [Grace of the Root] for an emergency, rather than using it for 'convenience', Vahn kept it safely within his Inventory...

As the completed transfer circle didn't care about the number of people, as it linked the Space in one location to another, it was capable of transporting several hundred people at once. So long as they were within the boundaries of the 20m wide circle, they would be teleported directly to the transfer hub that had been established back in the Ivory Castle. Thus, without delaying the matter, large groups of Homunculi were being transferred, accounting for around three-hundred every five hours 'real' time. If there were no delays, every Homunculi could be moved in as little as five days, which was around the same amount of time needed for the final batch that had been growing to mature.

While Kenshin and Iris returned with the first batch of Homunculi, as they would need direction to get settled in properly, Vahn stayed back to tour the Einzbern Castle with Illya. Mordred went off to outright explore the grounds, accompanied by Artoria and Fenrir, so he was allowed some alone time with the petite woman who had suddenly been elevated quite considerably within his heart and mind. Illya herself seemed to be aware of this, causing her face to carry a perpetual blush as a happy smile lingered on her lips. Even though many of the places she took Vahn to had negative memories associated with them, a lot of that simply seemed to fade away with his presence at her side...

The last place Illya took him on their tour of the castle was the most important location, excluding the vault. There, Vahn got to see the thousands of tanks lined up, the majority of which were now completely empty. He imaged Da Vinci would have a field day if given access to this lab while it was easy to imagine Paracelsus and Tristana wanting to coopt this massive atelier for themselves. Vahn's intentions for it were considerably different, however, as he wanted to convert the entire chamber into a 'factory' filled with [Gradation Air Printers]. As they would need billions of them in the future, having a factory that could produce several thousand Companions per day would be helpful towards achieving that goal...

With most of the space relatively empty and cold, it wasn't long before Illya escorted Vahn to the tanks containing the final few hundred Homunculi. Though they were all n.a.k.e.d, he didn't show any signs of being affected, even though they were all admittedly very beautiful. Instead, Vahn listened patiently as Illya explained the basic production process of an Einzbern Homunculi, including the various issues that would often arise as a result of their accelerated growth and other factors. This would make it much easier for him to treat each of the Homunculi in the future, especially since he was able to see the flow of energy through their bodies while they were still developing. Thus, while keeping Illya warm with his domain, Vahn listened attentively as she talked about the future, now with a great deal of hope contained in her once cold eyes...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Go forward, my faithful stallion~!','So many breathtaking experiences...','Luvia is fortunate that Illya isn't competing for the position of Empress xD...)

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