Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Solon had already been experiencing a powerful migraine after learning that Vahn had invaded the Trambelio estate. When the massive explosion occurred over the city, it felt like something snapped inside of their brain and, rather than anger or frustration, they felt a distinct lack of emotion as their eyes reflected the devastation surrounding London...

The Clock Tower was in a chaotic state but, compared to what was happening outside the isolated Bounded Field, it was a scene of relative peace. Solon had already issued a state similar to Martial Law, preventing movement between the Clock Tower and the outside world. This was both to protect the students and faculty while also preventing anyone from going outside and adding to the chaos.

As an organization that had stood for more than two-thousand years, the Clock Tower had various emergency protocols designed to maintain secrecy and order. Even during the great fire of London and two successive world wars, their existence had never been threatened as the Bounded Field that protected the institution was one of the most powerful in the entire world. It could even withstand a direct strike from a meteorite, much less an atomic bomb.

Rather than worry about the Clock Tower itself, Solon was more troubled by the escalation of force between the Empire and the Trambelio family. They couldn't understand how things had developed to this point in such a short period of time. The only thing that made any sense was if the Trambelio family, on the verge of being wiped out, decided to take everyone else with them. This seemed to be the only real possibility as Solon had learned that Vahn was the one to protect the estate, not the forces of the Trambelio family...

This bit of information did not allow Solon even a moment of peace, however, as Zelretch revealed exactly what it was Vahn had used to deal with the undocumented orbital weapon. He had used the most terrifying existence in the world as a weapon, something Zelretch had been making plans to battle against for over three hundred years. Even then, they claimed it would take an estimated one-hundred-and-fifty years before they were ready to face against the monstrous entity so, knowing it was willing to move at Vahn's behest, Solon knew the only thing preventing the Empire's rise was Vahn's willingness to act.

Though they would never admit it, Solon had been relatively enthused about the last month as the benefits the Clock Tower had received from the Empire were plentiful. The Atlas Temple was working with them more proactively than ever before while Da Vinci had provided information regarding her Unified Thaumaturgical Theory for 'peer review'. If things continued uninhibited, the Clock Tower was set to enter a period of rapid advancement and prosperity, one which might redress the stagnation that had plagued the organization for centuries.

Now, due to the petty and self-serving actions of a few greedy individuals, all of that was on the verge of collapse. Solon had learned that the Trambelio family had gone out of their way to put pressure on various smaller families, conspiring to set in motion a series of events to show the larger Magus community that the Empire was not some untouchable existence they should fear. The plot involved assassinating several students but the most important objective had been to secure blood and tissue samples of Mordred's and Sakura's bodies...

Solon couldn't believe how foolish the entire plot was as it showed a clear misunderstanding of the Empire's capabilities. The Nobles treated the Empire as just another one of their rivals and, while it was inarguable that the latter had immense power, it never crossed the minds of the established families that they were truly unbeatable. Rather, the efforts of the Empire to negotiate and pursue civil dialogue made them appear weak and exploitable. They saw the benefits the Clock Tower had received over the last month and interpreted this, not as a show of wealth and power, but a bribe for peace...

Ultimately, the current chaos was a direct result of the deeply rooted corruption and pretentious mindsets common amongst the members of prestigious Noble families. Even when they were clearly at a disadvantage, they acted as if they were in a superior position at all times. They would scheme and machinate to better their position and, failing to do so through above-board means, they always used underhanded schemes to further their interests. There was no limit to their depravity when it came to securing their position and authority as, prior to the emergence of the Empire, the policy of the Mage's Association was to largely ignore any action that didn't directly expose the existence of Magecraft.

Solon had never been fond of this policy but, recognizing the futility of keeping order while trying to restrain the Nobles, they opted to turn a blind eye to the truth. Trying to force them to obey would either split the Mage's Association further or lead to an outright Civil War. This would cause the Holy Church to take action and, after decades of fighting, the world lay in ruin. Several incidents like this had occurred throughout history and, each time a major battle occurred, various legacies would be lost, never to be recovered.

The Mage's Association existed to prevent the stagnation and degradation of Magecraft and, as no Thaumaturgical field was inherently evil, people had been taking advantage of it for millennia. Now, with the emergence of the Empire, their efforts to preserve their legacy would be their undoing. The deeply rooted corruption that was ushering the world toward its destruction would not be tolerated by the alien Emperor and, with a floating fortress hovering above the city of London, Solon knew the day of reckoning had come...

---

From behind Solon, Zelretch had been watching the city burn in silent contemplation. His usual smile was nowhere to be seen as this incident was something that couldn't be completely covered up. The Atlas Temple may have dominion over virtually all telecommunications networks but, with millions of witnesses and the apparent disregard of Vahn, the information was bound to spread.

Gripping the handle of his cane tightly, Zelretch shook his head and muttered, "I fear the world is not ready for this...the civil unrest alone will collapse several countries..."

Hearing Zelretch's remark, Solon gave an understanding nod, adding, "Billions will die...it will be the greatest tragedy the world has ever seen...to think that, even before Angra Mainyu's emergence, the world as we know it will be destroyed."

Zelretch released a profound sigh in response to Solon's words. He knew the responsibility for this incident couldn't be laid squarely on Vahn's shoulders but, depending on how things developed, a large scale war could break out. The revelation that Magic is a real phenomenon is bound to shake the very foundation of modern society so, over the next few months, millions of people worldwide are bound to awaken magical and paranormal abilities...

Just as Zelretch was lamenting allowing things to develop to this point, Solon interrupted his train of thought, stating, "I always knew things would reach this point, eventually. What matters is not the destruction to come, but the society we will build in its wake. The Empire cannot be stopped so we can only endeavor to avoid repeating the same mistakes as our predecessors..."

Having never expected Solon to throw their lot in with the Empire so readily, Zelretch's smile crept back upon his wrinkled face as he asked, "Oh~? What has you suddenly believing in the future that Vahn wants to create...?"

Solon's dull expression morphed into one of anger and annoyance as they heard the teasing tone underlying Zelretch's words. In response to the elderly Magus' remark, Solon turned back and said, "That man is able to bend the very world itself to his will. Alaya would not follow him if he did not care about the preservation of mankind. Since there is no sense in trying to oppose him, it is better that we change our perspective and begin considering how to develop alongside the Empire. Even if the current Mage's Association is destroyed, that does not mean it can't be rebuilt..."

If he was slightly surprised by Solon's earlier words, Zelretch was shocked by what his green-haired companion had to say in response to his teasing. He could understand the reasoning, of course, but Solon's character wasn't the kind that would acquiesce so easily. Something must have happened to change their mind while he was away...

Realizing this, Zelretch stared into the large projection of the outside world and, as if understanding his thoughts, the white-haired magus reflected inside looked back, a smile on his face. This caused Zelretch to release an even deeper sigh than before while, understanding what the old man must be thinking, Solon's expression turned dour as magical power began to build in the surroundings.

Before Solon could lash out, Zelretch tapped his cane against the floor, saying, "I will reach out to our branches throughout the world. We'll begin moving people into the underground shelters that had been prepared during the second world war. I'll leave you to contact the Wandering Sea...is that okay with you?"

Having calmed down a bit, Solon smoothed out the wrinkles in their robes before replying, "Those old monsters will likely close the gate soon. We won't have to worry about them until the dust starts to settle. When that happens, they're certain to try and contact the Empire to establish an Alliance so there is no reason to pay them a visit."

Zelretch just shrugged in response to Solon's words before vanishing in mid-movement. He had a lot of people to contact before this incident became a global catastrophe so there wasn't much time to waste. There would be no end to the number of opportunistic Magi looking to take advantage of the coming chaos so they needed to secure all of the most important heritages and legacies before they either disappeared in the flow of history or fell into the hands of people looking to seize power for themselves...

With Zelretch's departure, Solon allowed their shoulders to slump as they pulled out a plush cushion and plopped down, fatigue settling into their usually tireless body. It took more restraint than they knew they had to prevent themselves from teleporting to Vahn's side and lambasting the idiotic man for continually escalating the situation. Even now, it wouldn't be impossible for them to cover up this incident as there was an ancient formation present that could alter the memories of everyone in the city without much effort. As for the destruction surrounding London, they could lay the blame on the sun as, while the emerald light had been visible to those sensitive to magical phenomena, normal humans wouldn't have been able to see it.

The primary issue was that Vahn clearly had no intention of keeping the existence of Magic a secret. He had clearly stated this in the past and, after the Trambelio family pulled this stunt, it was obvious that the Emperor had lost his patience with the Magus community. His efforts over the last month had shown he was willing to play ball and wait until a more opportune moment to take action but, as if they couldn't wait to seek death, a bunch of fools had decided to take advantage of this fact to antagonize a force that wiped a Monarchal family off the face of the planet in a single evening...

Solon knew that the Trambelio family must have secured their legacy prior to taking action so, even if they lost the majority of their assets, they could still paint the Empire as the enemy. They would then lay low, potentially for decades, before once again emerging as a powerful family within the Magus community, likely with a different surname.

What the Trambelio family couldn't have expected was that Vahn was more than willing to play the part of the villain if it meant making the world a better place. It was impossible to avoid this label as, by implementing change that people were not ready for, he would always be painted as the villain. People would fight tooth and nail to protect their current way of life, even if it meant fighting and dying for people that had been exploiting them for generations. In their minds, Vahn was the enemy so long as their government or a few influential members of the community said he was. It didn't matter what the truth was as, in the end, truth and justice were always decided by the victors...

(A/N: FYI, I'm still ill so chapters are coming out when I feel like it xD. You'll notice that my writing becomes a little darker every time I get sick, hahahaha~)

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