Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Needless to say, the introductions of Mordred and Sakura had left a 'deep' impression on everyone in the crowd. Vahn's aura hadn't exactly helped to ease any of the tensions so, even when the lights came back on, the majority of people weren't sure what to do with themselves. Some thought about just turning around and leaving but, as the doors to the ballroom had been closed prior to Vahn's arrival, they feared the repercussions of trying.

Seeing how uneasy everyone was, Vahn felt somewhat apologetic towards Luvia as it actually hadn't been his intention to ruin the mood. He always got carried away when it came to his children so, in a vain attempt to ease the tensions, he released a mellow and calming aura as he said, "This evening is meant to be a festive occasion. Truthfully, we are easier to get along with than you might expect...so long as you do not do anything untoward. For the next two hours, enjoy food and drink provided as a courtesy of the Empire whilst mingling with each other. We also enjoy conversation so feel free to introduce yourselves."

Though it wasn't as effective as he'd have liked, Vahn could feel people begin to relax as a result of his calm aura and guiding words. He didn't imagine any of them would actually try and introduce themselves without a mediator but, so long as they didn't have any malicious intentions, Vahn didn't particularly mind conversing with anyone. The only reason he came off as an intense character was due to many Magi having untoward thoughts or malicious natures. At the very core, Vahn wasn't the type to seek conflict and, if he could get along with everyone, that would be ideal.

What Vahn couldn't do was compromise with people who had malicious intentions as, the moment you showed any sign of weakness, they were like snakes primed to strike. If he was around kind and caring individuals, he could coexist with them without any trouble whatsoever. In fact, he preferred the company of Spirits and Fae for this exact reason as, other than fulfilling their purpose, the only other thing they cared about was ensuring each member of their race could live happily. There were some obvious exceptions to this but, in general, entities with an assigned purpose were a lot easier to get along with.

With nothing left to say, Vahn escorted Artoria off the stage, followed by his rather large entourage. After joining the congregation on the lower level, he made his way over to where Solon and the rest separated into smaller groups to interact with the crowd. Some of the invitees were students of the Clock Tower, including a few belonging to the Department of Unified Thaumaturgical Theory, so the girls all had groups they could freely mingle with. As for Alexander, he immediately plowed through the crowd, making a beeline toward the buffet tables lining the far side of the hall...

Before Vahn could reach Solon's group, his way was 'blocked' by the familiar figure of Reines and the deadpan expression of Waver. Vahn could see visible exhaustion in the man's countenance so, while he had been tempted to just bypass Reines, he internally sighed before halting his steps. Walking by Reines would be a pretty big slap in the face and, given her character, she wouldn't take it kindly. He had already taken steps to try and help Ridley but, in the hopes of helping both Waver and Reines herself, Vahn's brain began to mull over various solutions.

Standing in the path of someone on the level of an Emperor was what many would consider foolish but, having a decent understanding of Vahn's character, Reines had been willing to gamble. She had made sure to approach from Artoria's side, leaving plenty of space to walk around if he decided to avoid her. Though this had its fair share of problems, Reines had been spreading rumors about her close association with the Empire and, even if she couldn't win Vahn's favor, controlling how others viewed her was well within the scope of her power.

After performing a flawless curtsy, followed by Waver bowing politely, Reines smiled radiantly as she mused, "Your Imperial Majesties, it is a pleasure to see the two of you again. My husband and I have been wanting to express our gratitude ever since you visited our manor to heal his affliction. As this may not be the most opportune time, please allow us to pay you a visit in the future. My daughter, Ridley, also wanted to express her gratitude, but, due to her age, she was, unfortunately, whisked away..."

Reines had made little effort to conceal her words so, while she hadn't said any lies, the complete lack of context made it very easy to misinterpret them. It made the relationship between her and the Empire seem infinitely more intimate than it actually was. Just mentioning the face he had personally come to aid them was a pretty big deal but, as he didn't want to publically shame her, Vahn kept his usual smile as he replied, "Having you visit Avalon is a matter for the far future but, if you would like to take tea, I'm certain Luvia can make the arrangements. Waver is a dear friend so I wouldn't mind conversing with him on occasion. Of course, as his wife, you are more than welcome to attend."

Without directly refuting Reines' words, Vahn shifted the focal point to Waver, making it clear to the peanut gallery it wasn't the Archibald family, but Waver himself, that had his favor. Since Reines has pointed out his previous visitation, mentioning its relation to her husband, Vahn capitalized on the small oversight. As a result, despite the fact Reines was still smiling, Vahn could see a few additional purple and green bands within the pale-gray aura shrouding her body...

Realizing what Vahn had done, Waver adopted a polite smile on his face as he bowed his head and answered, "To have His Imperial Majesty consider me a friend is a great honor. We will be certain to reach out to Lady Edelfelt in the near future. I am looking forward to drinking Your Imperial Majesty's tea once again."

Though his wife's vice-like grip caused him a bit of discomfort, Waver knew he had a part to play and, for both of their sakes, he did his best. Reines would probably lambast him for not coming up with a way to elevate her status but, as her obsession was nearing the point of endangerment, he was hoping to resolve the matter in the near future. He lacked the ability to restrain her on his own but, with support from Vahn, it wouldn't be impossible.

This time, instead of being dragged around, Waver was the one to lead Reines out of Vahn's way as, if she were to say more, it would only complicate matters. Vahn had already made a public promise to meet with them and, despite their relationship being 'peculiar', to the say the least, he gave them considerable face by calling Waver his friend. This was something Reines herself was very aware of so, even after Vahn and Artoria walked past them, she maintained a faultless smile before allowing Waver to lead her around, their roles suddenly reversed...

---

After 'deflecting' Reines away, albeit temporarily, Vahn neared the group now consisting of only Solon and Zelretch. Director Atlasia had wandered off to engage some of the students he had sent off to the Clock Tower while Da Vinci and Sion, neither fond of social situations, opted to alight to the private lounges adjoining the hall. They had only appeared as a matter of course so, after the gala officially began, they had no qualms about excusing themselves. Da Vinci, in particular, had grown rather tired of people trying to court her as, even with a device to conceal her beauty, her association with the Empire garnered a great deal of attention...

Immediately after Vahn reached a comfortable speaking distance, Solon created a soundproofing bubble. Following this, Zelretch released a hearty laugh before adopting his usual sly smile as he said, "It may have just been my imagination but I would swear the temperature around that woman decreased by several degrees in an instant."

Adding onto Zelretch's remark, Solon raised their head, looking directly at Vahn as they said, "That woman is a snake. I won't tell you how to handle your affairs but it would be foolish to trust her. That man has a few redeeming qualities but he is hopeless without the backbone to oppose his wife."

Though he didn't exactly disagree with Solon's assessment, Vahn was briefly tempted to remark that there was nothing wrong with listening to your wives. He could also be considered to be henpecked but, unlike the situation between Reines and Waver, his wives genuinely respected his opinion. Even if he was wrong, they would still support him to the best of their ability and, as a result, they would be able to accomplish much more, together.

Since Waver's situation was 'significantly' different than his own, Vahn issued a light chuckle before commenting, "I suppose we can't all be fortunate enough to have amazing wives. Even though I try to count my blessings every day, a new one seems to come before I'm able to finish."

Hearing Vahn's flowery remark, the tips of Artoria's ears became almost imperceptibly redder. Her expression remained unchanged, giving off a dignified aura, but she couldn't hide the truth from him. This caused Vahn's expression to soften as he lightly rubbed the hand she had interwoven with his arm. He rarely passed up a chance to appeal to his women and, considering Solon had already erected an obscuration and soundproofing barrier, he didn't mind taking advantage of it.

Solon was no stranger to Vahn's incessant wiling of women so, while Zelretch had an amused yet incredulous expression, the green-haired Magus appeared unphased as they muttered, "You really are a helpless fool...I suppose that is why so many women favor you?"

With the latter half of their sentence being directed toward Artoria, indicated by Solon's slight turn of their head, the former gave a small nod before answering, "Vahn is a capable Emperor but, before that, he is a father, a husband, a teacher, and much more. We all support his vision, hoping against nigh-impossible odds that the world will become a better place through our efforts."

This time, Solon's expression changed quite a bit as, unadulterated exasperation on their face as they shook their head and muttered, "I take it back...it isn't Vahn, alone, that is hopeless; the whole lot of you are beyond helping...!"

Finding Solon's words disagreeable, Artoria's brows furrowed ever-so-slightly but, before she could retort, Vahn eased tensions by saying, "Relax." Then, projecting his voice so that only Artoria could hear it, he added, "Solon is just a Tsundere. They don't know how to express themselves so they just lash out whenever they are flustered. Don't let it bother you."

As she was familiar with the term, Artoria briefly imagined Solon with twin tails, flinging gemstones at people with a red face. The latter seemed to sense her thoughts, their brows furrowing behind their blindfold as they asked, "What did that bastard tell you...?"

Remembering how Solon always called Zelretch 'old bastard', the image of them being a Tsundere was cemented in Artoria's mind. Thus, while her instinct as an Empress and Knight was to defend Vahn's honor, she let Solon's comment slide with a 'knowing' smile. This only caused the latter to fume even more but, with a large audience, there was a limit to what they could say or do. Even the obscuration barrier wasn't perfect and, based on their body language, a lot of assumptions could be made.

Deciding to give Solon a bit of leniency, as he knew they were easily stressed, Vahn redirected the conversation, explaining, "If nothing happens in the interim, we'll be making the announcement at precisely 9 PM. Until then, feel free to rest in one of the various lounges. Just make sure not to drop you guard...there is a decent chance some of some unexpected visitors making an appearance..."

Hearing Vahn's warning, Zelretch adopted a battle-hungry expression while Solon, a small frown on their face, asked, "What are the odds? For you to be informing us...they seem quite high."

Though he kept a casual smile on his face, appearing perfectly normal to external observers, Vahn's tone was firm as he unhesitantly answered, "There is room for variation but, based on our data, there is about a ninety-three percent chance of something happening. It would seem another example will have to be made before the integrity of the Magus community reaches an adequate level..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Relax, guys, just act casually :D...*world burning in the background*','Vahn's past training with Loki wasn't without results','Some things change, others remain the same')

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