Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

While the series of staring contests were taking place in the Cafe area, Vahn was seated comfortably in the staff quarters watching events take place. He could send his intent even beyond the bounds of his domain and, so long as he didn't focus on anyone in particular, it was difficult for even proficient Magi to sense him. He had cultivated this skill within Avalon over the last few years so it had reached a point where even Rin and Luvia, both trained to be aware of such observation, were unaware of his presence.

The biggest difference between the present and his past self, however, was that he could send his intent to multiple places at once. He used his vessels as a transmitter of sorts and, using them as a relay, he could freely teleport to any texture where one of his bodies existed. Because of this, and the limited omniscience provided to him by his Divinity, Vahn was beginning to truly grasp what it meant to be a God...

Seeing that things were going relatively well in the Cafe, Vahn decided to trust in the children, his intent snapping back to the present where Gareth was straddling his lap, her face nestled into the nook of his neck as she happily dozed off.

Vahn didn't believe it wise to do anything 'distracting' outside the sanctity of Avalon but that didn't prevent him from enjoying some skinship with the girls at his side. Much like Alaya, he had become very accustomed to physical intimacy so, if it could keep her happy, Vahn didn't mind serving as the bed of his faithful Page. As for Jeanne and Okita, they were engaged in a very intense match of cards at the side but, upon noticing he was 'awake', they quickly oriented themselves toward him, awaiting his order.

Though he felt a small amount of guilt, Vahn smiled toward the girls as he mused, "It is time to stop pretending, Gareth. Come, let's join the card game."

Gareth, who had awoken almost immediately after Vahn's intent returned to the room, immediately hopped up from her Master's lap as soon as she heard his words. There was no visible fatigue on her face at all. Rather, she had a sheepish and somewhat playful smile as she moved over to sit next to the coffee table. Vahn followed close behind and, after taking his own seat, began playing a rather low stakes version of the King's Game using cards as the determining factor. He might not be able to do anything more intimate but, at the very least, he could enjoy getting a rise out of Jeanne and Gareth...

---

During the construction of the Aldrnari College, powerful defensive formations and several magic circles using Faerie and Primordial Runes had been installed. It also had a system developed by Da Vinci that caused Spiritron interference, making it virtually impossible for anyone on the outside to spy on the happenings within.

One of the few people that could get around these preventions was Solon who, being the Ruler of the Bounded Field, had the ability to observe anything taking place within. This required the use of a very powerful Artifact, a mirror that they had acquired from none other than Merlin in the distant past. Using this mirror, known literally as [Merlin's Mirror], Solon could view any person within the dominion of their rule. It also had the function of showing them any person that conspired against the Clock Tower from within, something a few families had learned the hard way several centuries prior.

Now, Solon had a dull expression on their face as, for the umpteenth time, they watched as Vahn just messed around and idled about with the various women surrounding him. It was a truly vexing sight to behold as, whenever Vahn had any free time whatsoever, he seemed to be engaging in borderline lascivious acts. Even more annoying was the fact that, despite knowing one of the girls was a literal Saintess, she acted like a demure maiden around Vahn who was easily coaxed into doing whatever he wanted...

If not for the fact they felt like Vahn was using his antics as a cover, Solon would have turned off the mirror and simply ignored him. They believed this was part of Vahn's plot to get them to lower their guard, however, so Solon could only watch with a blank expression at the events taking place in the reflection. So long as Vahn was inside the Clock Tower, they would not overlook any of his actions as any middling incident caused by the man could lead to the very destruction of everything they had built up over thousands of years.

Thus, even though Solon would sometimes find themselves grinding their teeth in frustration, they could only continue observing, the pink ring around their pupils expanding and contracting in tune with their fluctuating heartbeat...

---

Though his Luck was actually his lowest parameter, Vahn ended up winning almost every hand as Gareth and Jeanne would intentionally play poorly. Jeanne didn't have it in herself to make even a small request of him so she would rather fold her cards than be put on the spot. As for Gareth, she would only go in with pairs and low cards so, while it was possible for her to win, she almost always lost.

Of the three, Vahn's only opponent was Okita as, in her mind, fulfilling the intended objective behind a task was of paramount importance. She knew the 'purpose' of the card game was to form winning hands so, with her high Luck and even higher perception, she was a monstrous opponent. The only advantage he had against her was that her understanding of probability far outstripped her ability to bluff. She would only go in on hands where she had a reasonable chance of success so, if she didn't fold, it was pretty much guaranteed that she had something.

Vahn didn't think of himself as the most scheming individual in the world but, with an 'education' provided by Loki, Fortuna, Kali, and several other concerned Goddesses, he wasn't bad at it. He was able to bluff Okita out of several decent hands, leaving the blank-faced woman with what could only be described as a conflicted expression as she failed to understand why he would go in on such a bad hand...

As a result of his efforts, Vahn was sitting shirtless at the table while, with the exception of Okita, both Jeanne and Gareth were down to their underwear. They could easily conceal themselves with a simple activation of their [REquip] system so, despite this inarguably being considered a 'distraction', Vahn made an exception since they seemed to enjoy it just as much as him. He liked seeing how far Jeanne's blush would creep down her body and, with her rather sizable snow-white breasts, it was quite the sight to behold.

Currently, Vahn had a spade flush with Jack high so his odds of winning the hand were favorable, even with Okita staring back at him with her unreadable expression. He knew she had something in her hand and, while he would never resort to such methods, the temptation to just 'peak' was very strong. The game was already stacked in his favor so cheating would be a rather shameless thing to do, especially given Okita's inability to bluff.

With most of his clothes still intact, Vahn had a fair amount of leeway so, without any discernible hesitation, he casually mused, "I'll bet three pieces of clothing~"

At this point, Jeanne only had her bra, panties, and stockings left so, while she had three Aces in her hand, she ultimately set her cards down as she sheepishly muttered, "I fold..." Though she wouldn't hesitate to expose herself if ordered, she didn't want to be naked outside of Avalon.

Gareth shared the same sentiment and, as she was only down to her bra and panties, she didn't have much leeway. She did have a straight in her hand but, seeing that Okita hadn't backed out, the odds of her coming out ahead were extremely slim. Thus, in much the same way as Jeanne, she opted out of the hand by folding.

Being the last to call, Okita surprised the entire table by saying, "I bet five pieces of clothing." in her usual monotone. She had bet everything except her bra and panties as, despite the game going on for a few minutes, she had only lost her scarf and detachable sleeves. This left her with a modified kimono, Aegis undergarments, stockings, shoes, the ribbon in her hair, and the tassels tying up the sides. Stockings, socks, sleeves, and other paired items were considered one piece of clothing so she could safely bet five pieces without completely exposing herself.

Vahn was in a decidedly different situation as, bereft of his shirt and the usual armguards he wore, the only pieces of clothing he had left were his undergarments, belt, trousers, socks, and shoes. He had exactly five articles of clothing left so, if he tried to match Okita's hand, he would be left in the buff. She would also be the King and, depending on her request, things could get rather 'interesting' in a very short period of time.

Ultimately, Vahn decided to forfeit the hand as there were at least five different hands that could beat him. If she had a Flush, Full House, Four of a King, Straight Flush, or Royal Flush, he had no method of coming out ahead. Since bets had already been made, it was almost guaranteed she had at least one of them so, accepting the loss of two articles, he turned his cards over and said, "I fold." as he began to remove his shoes and socks.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, Okita issued a rare smile almost immediately after Vahn turned over his cards. Then, in a casual manner, she set her own hand down to everyone to see her winning hand. At first, Vahn assumed she had a Royal Flush but, upon seeing that the final card was a three, his jaw slacked open as an overwhelming urge to smile caused his expression to turn into a goofy visage.

Okita seemed especially proud of herself as she raised her head slightly and monotoned, "I think I'm starting to figure this game out. Don't think I'll always be fooled, Master."

No longer able to restrain himself, Vahn began laughing unabashedly while Gareth, surprised at what Okita had pulled off, gave her a thumbs up and said, "Great job, Okita~!"

Even Jeanne was a little impressed with the fact that Okita managed to pull one over on their Master, even though she was always a little frustrated at the same time. She knew their Master was holding himself back, as he could easily know what all of their cards were, so it bothered her that Okita took advantage of that fact. Still, she wouldn't say anything as Vahn had made it very clear in the past that he didn't need an Apostle to carry out his Divine Will...

Now barefooted, Vahn regained his composure, asking in unveiled amusement, "So, what is your order, My Liege~?"

As the usual 'order' typically involved Vahn stealing a kiss or taking some small liberties from them, Okita had used her previous victories to do much the same. She didn't actually have any feelings for him but, without any hesitation, she gave a decisive nod and said, "I will have you kiss me. This time, you have to do it twice as long as the last time."

Gareth and Jeanne had their usual flushed faces upon hearing Okita's order but Vahn, with his usual smile, chimed, "Your loyal subject has heard your command and accepted the task assigned to him. If it pleases Your Majesty, may I approach you~?"

Playing her own part, Okita raised her head in a pretend haughty manner, her pale silver eyes cast down upon him as she answered, "You may proceed..." in a low and commanding tone. Following this, Vahn leaned over to her side of the table while Okita, making things a little easier for him, bent forward slightly to make herself available. Then, as she was still inexperienced with such things, she let her mouth open and close awkwardly while allowing Vahn to guide her through the process once more...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Comfortable bed...munyaa~','Solon's going to be puking up blood at this rate xD...','This game is totally stacked in Vahn's favor...! The perks of being an Emperor...?')

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