Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While there were a few complex provisions and redundancies, the contract Vahn presented to Solon was a relatively straightforward document. In its most bare-bones interpretation, it stipulated that the Empire would not tolerate any practices considered inhumane. At the same time, a basic level of sovereignty would be granted to all sapient non-human and Spiritual lifeforms, making it unlawful to use them as subjects for research and as a source of material goods. While there were a few obvious exceptions, Vahn would never tolerate the suppression of species for the sole benefit of a few errant individuals.

The most important clause dictated that the Mage's Association had to recognize the Empire as it's own self-governing nation. This was an obvious inclusion but, as they already expected a number of issues to pop up, there were provisions regarding migration, the treatment of Companions, the basic guidelines for their educational system and, last but not least, a detailed explanation of the social hierarchy of the Empire.

Unlike every other country in the world, the foundation of the Empire was not built on its economy as, with [Das Rheingold], Da Vinci's [Gradiation Air Printer], a functionally infinite supply of mana, and the existence of thousands of Spirits, they were not wanting for anything. Rather, to prevent the rampant spread of corruption that always followed in the wake of material exchange, they would be using a strictly merit-based system that was monitored and regulated by Mother, one of Da Vinci's trio of advanced Artificial Intelligence networks.

This particular topic garnered an extreme amount of interest from Director Atlasia as, being a branch of the Mage's Association that was almost completely cut off from the rest of the world, the Atlas Temple actually used a similar structure. They were an organization of Alchemists that didn't follow orthodox practices so, even as far back as the seventeen hundreds, they had already developed a very rudimentary Artificial Intelligence using a network of artificial human brains. Now, almost every member of the Atlas Academy was an Artificial Human or Homunculus as many among their faculty considered it the logical step in human evolution.

Unfortunately, matching Vahn's expectations, immortality was a heavy burden on the average person so, over the last few hundred years, the Atlas Temple had a serious problem with suicides. In fact, as a result of several complex calculations that had been pointing towards the destruction of the world since the first generation Director, they now had less than one-hundred people in the Temple, faculty and students combined. Everything else was managed by Pseud-Spiritron Computers and Artificial Intelligence as, compared to the capabilities of these super-intelligent systems, people were almost obsolete.

While this may seem like a nightmarish place to be, the primary reason behind the Atlas Temple's fall was that they had taken it upon themselves to developed advanced technologies with the ultimate goal of preserving humanity from several extinction level events that had been prophesied by their first Director. Thus, in an effort to avoid the same corruption that existed in other organizations, they had isolated themselves in order to fully focus on their goals.

Since it was an impossible goal for the first generation of Atlas Temple Alchemists, they had focused on the development of systems and Artificial Lifeforms that could exceed the limitations of humanity and push Thaumaturgy to a level they believed was impossible for humans to reach on their own. As a result, they created a series of hyperintelligent superhumans, each successive generation greatly exceeding the potential of the former. Since the advent of this system, six generations had come into existence and, feeling their own existences become obsolete, many Veteran Alchemesists ended up killing themselves after their progeny matured.

Da Vinci could empathize with this as, during her past life, a number of prodigious individuals had ultimately ended up falling into depression while trying to compete with her. Some had even taken their lives, believing there was no purpose in existing in a world where their best efforts would never amount to a middling effort on her part. It was this, combined with the isolation imposed upon her by the Church and Mage's Association, that ultimately led to Da Vinci herself taking her own life.

Ultimately, things like immortality, absolute power, and hyperintelligence were things that humans, in general, were not able to truly comprehend, much less adapt in a healthy manner. Immortality had the effect of making you slowly lose your appreciation of life and, in many instances, led to the soul itself becoming fatigued.

Immortality would cause you to slowly lose your grasp on emotions and, unless you periodically erased your memories, the burden of your own experiences would cause you to lose your mind. As for absolute power and hyperintelligence, these were both powerful corrupting elements and, if you lacked the proper amount of empathy, those with more power and intelligence often suppressed and subjugated those weaker and less intelligent than themselves. This was part of the evolutionary process itself and, while it functioned well when humans had short lifespans, it became a very big issue when they began living for hundreds, or even thousands, of years.

This was something Vahn understood well as, despite his best efforts, he sometimes struggled with his own mentality. If not for his expansive support group and the persistent guidance of Sis, it was not an exaggeration to say that he could deviate down a much darker path. After all, it was so much 'easier' to use force to deal with your problems and, when you had as much power and resources as he had, the urge to simply eliminate all troubles was ever-present. This was the reason he placed so much importance on the promises he made with people like Artoria as, without a means to ground his own actions, there was a chance he would truly become the tyrant some made him out to be...

---

While the number of clauses and provisions numbers in the hundreds, Solon didn't take too long to review the thick stack of documents. Since the Empire would be bearing the brunt of Angra Mainyu's emergence, combined with the fact they provided both knowledge and resources to the Association, it was a foregone conclusion that Solon would accept. They only had a few addendums that served the interests of the existing affiliates but, as this was something Vahn had already anticipated, it was not a major point of contention.

The only thing Solon really had a problem with was the fact that Vahn wanted to create an entirely new department within the Association that had its own recognized sovereignty. This would make it so that the department was functionally an embassy and, despite their autonomy, he expected that the most important resources, such as the Spiritual Tomb, would be accessible to the Empire.

If not for the fact that Vahn added a stipulation that essentially required the Empire to compensate the Clock Tower for all the materials harvested within, it would be impossible to agree to such terms as even the Three Monarchal families weren't able to act with such impunity. This made it seem as if the Mage's Association was cowing to the Empire but, when it ultimately came down to it, this wasn't actually that far from the truth. Thus, after a discussion that seemed to make Solon age several years in a few tens of minutes, the contract was notarized and signed.

Originally, Vahn had intended to allow Solon to keep he documents so they could take care of negotiations with the Association's affiliate families but, with two of the Directors present, such considerations were ultimately unnecessary. Even if they didn't come to an accord in regards to the Clock Tower, Director Atlasia had already agreed to work in conjunction with the Empire as their goals were ultimately the same. Since Da Vinci was a genius beyond even his comprehension, even with his own mind on the level of a supercomputer, he felt the Atlas Temple itself would become obsolete if he didn't make concessions now.

With Director Atlasia's support, Solon had the leverage to sign the document without having to confer with the other families as, even if conflict ultimately broke out, the Empire was guaranteed to emerge victoriously. Vahn had even revealed the existence of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the fact he now had the means to summon an unlimited amount of Heroic Spirits, invalidating the need to consider the matter in detail. Since the terms would likely become more troublesome after a fight broke out, it was better to compromise now in order to build rapport with the Empire. Only by acquiescing could they guarantee that the Mage's Association would even exist in the future...

---

When the documents were officially signed, Vahn had a pleased smile on his face but, after stowing them away safely in his Inventory, he turned to Solon and said, "This may sound awkward coming from me but I hope you'll take better care of yourself in the future. I can see that this wasn't easy for you but, in order to create a world where humans and spirits can live in peace, we must all be willing to make some compromises. I hope that, in the future, you will understand that your decision here helped to shape the world for the better..."

Hearing Vahn's words, Solon released another tired sigh before looking at him with a deadpan stare and saying, "Even with the power of the Empire, human nature is intrinsically tied to corruption. It is all but guaranteed that something will go wrong down the line. The odds of this increase when you empower people and give them the illusion of freedom. No matter how good they have it, there will always be those who seek more. For some, taking from others is what gives their life meaning so the utopia you aspire to create is fundamentally impossible to realize. I only hope that, in your efforts to bend nature to your will, you do not break before humanity itself does..."

Vahn was slightly awed by Solon's words and, for a brief moment, he was at a loss as to how to respond. Fortunately, as was often the case, Zelretch stepped in and, with a sly smile on his face, explained, "Solon has actually tried to guide humanity a few times without any success. Don't take their words too seriously. There is no such thing as impossible, especially on a fundamental level, so the only thing that matters is that you do your best to actualize your dreams. You cannot be faulted for desiring a better world. Do not let the weight of humanity break your spirit, hahahahaha-urk!"

In the midst of Zelretch's laughter, Solon elbowed them hard in the side and, while their expression was largely emotionless, Vahn sensed their emotions spike for a brief moment. This caused his smile to return as, while they were good at hiding it, Solon's reaction showed they were more than a little embarrassed by Zelretch's words. This made the peculiar Magus seem more human so, while he still felt a little guilty for forcing Solon into this position, there didn't seem to be any serious issues with the Director's mentality.

As a show of good faith, Vahn decided to wrap things up by asking, "Now that we are officially allies, would you like a tour of Avalon? I cannot show you much of the castle but, if it is just the island, I'm certain there are a number of exhilarating sights to behold. It truly is one of the most beautiful and scenic places I've ever seen. Considering I've traveled to more than one world, you can trust that my standard for such things is quite high."

Hearing Vahn suddenly invite them into the heart of the Empire, Solon, Zelretch, and Director Atlasia were all more than a little surprised. While it could be a trap, that wouldn't really make a lot of sense when considering the capabilities of the Empire itself. If Vahn wanted to eliminate them, sending an army of Heroic Spirits all but guaranteed their loss. Thus, while they would normally refuse, Solon seriously considered the invitation while Zelretch and Director Atlasia wasted no time in accepting.

With their colleagues readily agreeing, Solon released a subdued sigh before ultimately accepting Vahn's offer. At the very least, they would be able to ascertain some of the truths behind his claims as, according to the information he provided, there should already be several communities of Spirits residing in Avalon. Since it was much easier to determine if a land was peaceful by the balance of mana and the happiness of the Spirits, they figured it would be beneficial to see for themselves what kind of place Avalon had become under the rule of the Empire...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Money has no value when you have an infinite amount xD','Immortality is a heavy burden','There is nothing wrong with wanting to make the world a better place')

(A/N: 2k+ word chapters feel so pleasant to write xD...')

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