Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After explaining the situation to Artoria and the others, Vahn found himself sitting in seiza next to Arcueid. Standing over him, much like a tribunal of judges, Artoria, Rin, and Luvia all had expressions of mild exasperation on their faces. None of them were really surprised about the developments with Mash, as it coincided with expectations. Rather, the main reason they were upset was that Vahn had allowed himself to get pulled into the pace of his students in the first place. Rin was especially upset, as, while Vahn hadn't done anything with Sakura, the fact he basically made out with people right in front of her was a problem in and of itself.

With an intimidating and accusatory light flickering within her deep-blue eyes, Rin crossed her arms and asked, "Are the two of you trying to corrupt our daughter's common sense? I've barely come to terms with the fact she is crushing on someone much older than her. The last thing I need is Sakura developing strange thoughts of what is, and isn't, appropriate. What if Isanna learned about these little games of yours, did you think of that...?"

Hearing Rin mention Isanna, Vahn lowered his head slightly, answering, "I understand my mistake. I should have given more consideration to the situation, bringing someone along that could help to keep the girls in line. I did not expect things to devolve so quickly...I let my emotions get the better of me..."

Truthfully, Vahn had severely underestimated Mordred's ability to unify and lead the group. She was even able to convince Sakura and Scáthach to support her by making the entire thing about showing support for Mash. She used his empathetic nature against him, taking advantage of the fact he had virtually no resistance against women he had helped. He knew how tragic Mash's past was, so, from the moment he saw her apologizing with tears in her eyes, he had already lost the 'battle'.

Rin didn't seem satisfied with Vahn's response, but, before she could say anything further, Artoria shook her head, saying, "We know better than most what kind of man our husband is. Both he and Arcueid share blame in this incident, but the true culprit remains Mordred. Even I failed to notice her intentions this time around, so, unless we intend to punish everyone, there is nothing more to say on the matter. We will decide upon Vahn's punishment before letting the matter lay. I understand your concerns, Rin, but, when we were around her age, did our curiosities not get the better of us...?"

Though she had started to calm down, Rin's frown returned with a vengeance when she heard the last part of Artoria's statement. She didn't like to think about the events of the Fifth Holy Grail War any longer, and, after the relatively recent incident with the 'false' Shirou, it had become something of a sore spot. While she did have some fond memories of those times, as Artoria was suggesting, it was also a period where she accumulated various, lingering, regrets.

Seeing the change in Rin's expression, Artoria showed a small frown of her own, her voice becoming a little deeper as she intoned, "Rin..."

Hearing Artoria utter her name a second time, Rin released a frustrated sigh before throwing up her hands and saying, "Fine! You're right, okay!? Even then, we can't go easy on him. Luvia, imagine if it was Ulla involved in this event. How would you feel?"

The moment she heard Rin's question, Luvia nearly caused her to collapse by plainly stating, "I don't believe this is such a big deal. It is healthy for children to be curious and bold. If they bottle up all of their emotions, they will become unstable and easily exploited. Now, if Vahn tried to do anything to Ulla, I would probably castrate him. However, this isn't the case, is it? Sakura may have witnessed the event, but she didn't directly participate in anything that would have harmed her development. Even if she begins experimenting after this, she is already of age by the Empire's standards."

Though her relationship with Luvia had improved considerably over the years, there were often times when she and Rin would still butt heads. They have very different views on what constitutes 'proper' behavior as a member of the nobility. Rin came from an orthodox magus family that prided itself on its prestige and dignity. This was the direct opposite of Luvia, who, from the moment they had first met, did everything in an open, excessively flashy, manner. She could even wear a skin-tight leotard in public without blushing in the slightest, taking great pride in both her beauty and physique...

Remembering who she was dealing with, Rin appeared unsteady on her feet, her hand rubbing her forehead as she said, "Right. I almost forgot that you're an idiot that likes to show off..."

Rather than appear offended, Luvia just laughed in her characteristic 'ohohoho~' manner, further annoying Rin. Fortunately, before they could start arguing with each other, Artoria quickly stepped in, saying, "We will mete out a punishment suitable to the offense. Tonight is supposed to be the night when the children get to explore the Yokai District. The greatest punishment we can assign is denying Vahn the opportunity to explore along with them. While everyone else is wandering around, he will have to remain back at the Enma-tei, waiting patiently for our return."

Since the flow of time within the Enma-tei was different than the rest of the Yokai District, Artoria's 'punishment' essentially required him to 'house sit' for several days while everyone else had fun. He had actually been looking forward to seeing his sons and daughters walking around in yukatas and kimonos as they ran between the festival-like Yokai District, enjoying themselves to the fullest. Thus, when he heard Artoria's words, his expression turned melancholic in an instant...

Seeing Vahn's reaction, most of Rin's annoyance faded away in an instant, causing her to sigh before saying, "The children were looking forward to tonight even more than this idiot. It wouldn't be fair to them if we suddenly told them he wouldn't be accompanying them. Besides, he would still have Gaia and Alaya with him, so, unless we forced him to sit like a statue, he wouldn't be alone."

Agreeing with Rin's assessment, Artoria and Luvia both nodded in understanding. As for Vahn, his mood had improved considerably, enough to boldly offer his own terms, stating, "There is no need to mete out the punishment immediately. A month of isolation within one of the Marble Phantasms should be more than adequate. I can spend the entire time in closed meditation, abstaining from all other forms of training."

Vahn was the type that 'had' to do something, as, despite lounging around quite a bit, he generally kept between two and three bodies active at a time. Even Gaia's rehab had been a form of training for him, allowing him to practice controlling up to five bodies without too much trouble. Preventing him from moving his body, forging, and conducting research; all of these were suitable punishments that would compel him to seriously reflect on his actions.

Since it just didn't seem right for the person being punished to decide the method, Rin adopted a small frown before saying, "That will be unfair to the person whose Marble Phantasm you use. There is also a high chance the person assigned to watch over you would keep you company. I don't think any of us would be able to tolerate your isolating yourself for an entire month..."

By the time she was finished speaking, Rin began to realize they were virtually incapable of actually punishing Vahn. They could lecture him severely, and, due to his nature, he would take their words very seriously. However, when it came to actually punishing him, they would simply feel too guilty to follow through. Even she couldn't stay mad at him for more than a few days, as, after everything he had done for both her and Sakura, Rin felt it would take several lifetimes just to pay the interest she owed him...

Just as Rin began to second guess herself, Luvia quickly took notice, shaking her head slightly with a knowing smile on her face. Then, deciding to give her former rival a hand, she crossed her arms in a haughty manner, saying, "It is simple, really. Vahn hates dealing with politics so we'll have him spend the next few days traveling to various food production facilities. We can also have him meet with the leaders of several rising factions, forcing them to think twice about their future actions. The number of 'influential' people who wish to curry favor with the Empire can't even be counted."

Hearing Luvia's proposal, Vahn could already feel his motivation beginning to fade. Even if he spent less than ten minutes with the leaders of each faction, it would take him several weeks. It wasn't just a simple matter of 'forcing' his views on others at this point, as, if they were a legitimate faction, they were already following the Common Law. Luvia wouldn't send him to groups that were scheduled to be audited or eliminated, so, if they went with her suggestion, his free time in the 'real' world would all but vanish.

As they were very aware of Vahn's distaste for politics, Artoria and Rin brief glances before ultimately nodding their heads and saying, "We agree," deciding Vahn's fate for the next few months. As for the golden-haired beauty at his side, Arcueid, she got off relatively easy. Her punishment was to work as a maid within the Inner Sanctum for an entire week. This included living with and working alongside the current staff, but, most importantly, it meant she was 'forbidden' from sleeping with Vahn for an entire week.

Despite her punishment being relatively tame, Arcueid appeared even worse for wear than Vahn. She had initially thought it would be fun to be a Maid for a short period of time, but, when she heard the 'restriction', her eyes lost their light. Though it wouldn't be the longest period of time she was apart from Vahn, she had just spent the last seven months with him. Even a few hours apart would feel like a long time, making a week feel like an eternity...

---

While his main body was receiving the tribunal's decree, another version of Vahn had seated within Merlin's Wizard Tower, discussing the possibility of summoning a Grand Servant. He had a lot of time to consider the matter over the last seven months. As a result, Vahn no longer felt like it was a good idea to summon them, as, compared to normal Heroic Spirits, they would be difficult, if not outright impossible, to control. He had even seen a possible timeline where a masked man who could only be described as 'Death Incarnate' immediately beheaded him the moment he was summoned...

After listening to Vahn's conjecture on the matter, Merlin pulled his attention away from the pair of 'kittens' curled up in the former's lap, stating, "The Grand Servants would be powerful allies, but, at this point in time, there is no pressing need to call upon them. If you do decide to summon one of them, however, allow me to suggest the Grand Rider. Certain restrictions prevent me from revealing their identity, but, with your abilities, I believe you are more than capable of ascertaining their True Name."

As a few 'currents' had become more prominent as Merlin spoke, Vahn was able to divert part of his focus, peering into each of them for a brief moment. It took a few minutes, but, after searching more than a hundred different currents, he found a version of himself within the Welsh Dragon's Chamber. It was impossible to know whether or not the person in his vision was the Grand Rider, but, based on her attire, it was a relatively safe assumption. Though she showed off enough cleavage to turn heads from several hundred meters away, her outfit resembled that of a ship captain.

Seeing the woman in his vision, Vahn blinked back to awareness with a frown on his face, asking, "Is she supposed to be some kind of pirate? She gives off the impression of someone with less restraint than even Aoko and Nobunaga. Do you really think it wise to invite another unrestrained beauty into the Empire?"

Finding Vahn's words amusing, Merlin laughed in his characteristically annoying manner, saying, "Oh my, is His Imperial Majesty finally beginning to show restraint? Today is an auspicious day~!"

With his brow twitching somewhat violently, Vahn deadpanned at Merlin, stating, "It seems my age is beginning to catch up with me. Refresh my memory, would you? I can't seem to remember the name of the person who suggested I summon people like Semiramis and Nero...."

As if he was completely unaffected by Vahn's tone, Merlin lightly chuckled before spontaneously adopting a more serious countenance as he asked, "Do you blame me...?"

Taken aback by Merlin's rapid shift, Vahn briefly paused to consider his response, remembering all the moments he had shared with the people suggested by Merlin. Though it might not have made a big difference if he had never met them, Vahn didn't regret the time he had spent with either of the 'unique' women. Rather, if he knew about their pasts and circumstances, there was a good chance he would have summoned them regardless of whether or not Merlin had suggested them...

Deciding to drop the matter, Vahn deflected, asking, "Can she be trusted?" in regards to the woman presumed to be the Grand Rider.

Contrary to expectations, Merlin lightly shrugged his shoulders before answering, "That woman only cares about profit and adventure. So long as you line her pockets, she will dutifully serve the Empire in all its endeavors. As for whether or not she can be 'trusted'...well, with the exception of Artoria and myself...she is the only person allowed to reside within Avalon. As for her purpose, I cannot say until she has been summoned..."

Though Merlin liked to mess around, Vahn knew he always considered the interests of the Empire when giving advice. Thus, while it would undoubtedly cause him a few headaches, summoning the Grand Rider seemed to be the correct choice. He had already foreseen how the Grand Assassin and Grand Saber would react, so, compared to them, the buxom ship captain seemed relatively tame. If he peered into the currents that involved his interactions with her, she could even be found drinking with Nobunaga and Kenshin, enjoying herself quite a bit...

Tracing back the same current, Vahn tried to find out the woman's name, but, as he was unable to see the Flow of Fate within the Throne, it seemed her identity would remain a mystery until he was able to enter inside. Fortunately, based on the fact she appeared at all, he could confirm that it was possible to summon Grand Servants so long as he had the permission of Gaia. Considering she was happily curled up in his lap, adopting an appearance similar to a cat covered in downy feathers, this wasn't really an issue...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'When will you learn *deep breath* that your actions have consequences!?','RIP Arcueid xD...','Someone drown this man...')

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