Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Early the next morning, when everyone had gathered together to eat breakfast, Vahn explained everything he had noticed the prior evening. This had become a rather common occurrence, and, though it was initially surprising to know just how much he was capable of sensing, being able to see a projection of his memory made explanations a lot easier.

Not surprisingly, Eva and Arika had both met people very similar to the man named Secundum in their lifetimes. The former likened his existence to a High Spirit that had been infused with the body of a Demon. This was penultimately confirmed by Arika, as, within the records of Ostia, the template for all Spirits, including those like Secundum, existed.

Though there was a difference between real and artificial spirits, all were the result of giving form to magical and elemental energy. The form and function of Spirits could change drastically depending on their planet of origin, and, prior to the structuring of Mundus Magicus, there had been no native Spirits on Mars. The components allowing for their existence had always been present, but, without the presence of sapient life, it was exceptionally rare for even Nascent Elementals to form.

Vahn wasn't too surprised by the revelations made by Eva and Arika. Rather, knowing the Ostian Royal Family were descended from the Mage of the Beginning, it made sense that they would be aware of the formation and fabrication of Elemental Spirits. As for how beings like Secundum came to use Demons as a template, that wasn't a surprise when you considered the Ancient Civilization of Venus, which gave rise to the Demon tribe, predated both Mundus Ventus and Mundus Magicus by more than ten-thousand years.

Considering her experiments to turn people like Eva into True Vampires, the odds of Ialda being a Vampire Noble were exceptionally high. The only other potentiality was that she was a member of the Demon tribe that rose to prominence following the fall of the ACV. This seemed to make the most sense, and, though there was a chance she was something 'more', such things were generally never recorded in history. The only way to discover the truth was to uncover it directly, but, by the time they encountered the Mage of the Beginning, the opportunity for dialogue would have come and gone...

---

Based on their new findings, the group spent the latter half of their breakfast discussing whether or not they should make changes to their plan. It was possible to extrapolate a substantial amount of information based on the fact that Cosmos Entelecheia had 'revealed' themselves in such a manner, and, knowing they were already trying to recover Asuna, it was all but guaranteed that the catalyst for war had been triggered.

In the original timeline, the Great Magic War was preceded by months of escalating tensions and several small skirmishes between the Megalomesembrian Confederacy and the Hellas Empire. The inciting incident, however, had been the invasion and subsequent burning of Elfenholf, home of the Elves.

Vahn had no intention of allowing the Elves to become victims in yet another war between the two major superpowers, so, depending on how things went with Brave Enlil, there was a fair chance they might simply ignore the Spirit's Quest in order to prevent a tragedy. This was a matter of principle, as, compared to virtually every other country, Elfenhof had absolutely nothing to do with the war. It was always the victim, and, due to their long lives, difficulty producing offspring, and various other limitations, they constantly lived with the threat of extinction looming over their heads.

With his foreknowledge of the future, Vahn would find it difficult to hold himself back if he failed to prevent the razing of Elfenhof. It already took considerable self-control to stop himself from taking action similar to what he had done in the Nasuverse. This urge had become even stronger after his promise with Theo, but, knowing the 'futility' or repeating his actions in every world, Vahn resolved himself to continue along the path of a Vagrant Hero and deterrent.

With this in mind, Vahn wrapped up the breakfast discussion by saying, "After saving the Elves, our main objective will shift to luring out and exposing Cosmo Entelecheia. We could try and decry the coming war, but, until something happens to shift the public interest, it will be nigh-impossible to prevent it. Instead, we will split our focus between diplomacy and taking decisive action to prevent the war from getting out of hand..."

Having made up his mind on the matter, Vahn allowed his words to trail off as he turned to Arika and added, "Currently, there is a considerable amount of speculation concerning the relationship between myself and the Ostian Royal Family. As a result, it would become exceptionally difficult for you to engage in diplomatic affairs if we continue traveling together. It won't be easy on you, but, in order to fulfill our mutual objectives, we will need to create the illusion that we have parted ways following the events in Elfenhof. I will continue to travel with you in secret, but, unless you are in a situation you cannot resolve on your own, you will have to act in your own capacity as Princess and Queen of Vespertatia..."

As she had already been expecting something like this to happen, Arika's expression didn't change in response to Vahn's words. She had discussed this very matter with both Theo and Eva, so, even if he didn't propose it, she would have done so in the near future. Their duties diverged quite a bit in the grand scheme of things, and, if he wanted to become an effective deterrent, Vahn needed to be able to employ 'drastic measures' when the situation called for it.

What surprised Arika was the fact that Vahn said he would continue traveling with her in secret. She had expected him to assign someone to protect her, similar to Theo, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear that they would continue traveling together. As a result, though it didn't show on her face, she was actually feeling a little giddy as she asked, "Am I to act as a lure to draw out Cosmo Entelecheia and Ala Rubra...?"

Restraining a wry smile, Vahn slowly nodded his head, explaining, "If you are acting in your capacity as a Princess of Vespertatia, it is all but guaranteed that Cosmo Entelecheia will attempt to pull you into their schemes. They will be unable to target Asuna using conventional means so they will likely try and ascertain what kind of relationship I have with Ostia before using you as bait to try and lure me out. There is a chance they might target civilian populations to achieve the same result, but, as that would drastically increase the chances of exposing themselves, they are more likely to focus on political maneuvering to try and put us at a disadvantage."

Understanding what Vahn was getting at, Arika's expression became progressively more serious as she said, "I understand my duty to this world and its people. I am confident in Theo's ability to lead the Empire onto a better path, so, even if I have to mingle among snakes, I will do what is necessary to ensure the prosperity of Mundus Magicus. We have already discussed the matter, and, this time around, we will make sure the Empire and Confederacy accept responsibility for their actions. It will take a while, but we will endeavor to eliminate the need for a deterrent entirely..."

Though he had grown accustomed to Arika's speeches, Vahn was still a little surprised by the fervor in her voice. A smile gradually spread across his face, and, though he felt a little guilty putting her in such a difficult position, he knew she didn't feel forced. Thus, rather than say something excessively flowery, he spoke the first words that came to his mind while staring into her gem-like eyes, a smile on his face as he softly uttered, "Thank you..."

---

With their plan of action decided, it wasn't long before Vahn, accompanied by Arika, Asuna, and Fenrir found themselves at the entrance to Brave Enlil's abode, the 'Free Spirit'.

Unlike the residence of most Great Spirits, Brave Enlil didn't bother to enshrine himself. He had never been fond of worship and reverence, so, rather than a temple, his abode was actually just a simple tavern. He enjoyed drinking alongside the other residents of Zephyria, and, so long as you were prepared for random tavern brawls and boisterous competition, anyone was welcome into the home of the rather temperamental Spirit.

When Vahn saw the rather homely tavern for the first time, he couldn't help but smile. It reminded him a lot of the Hostess of Fertility, not just because of the warmth that radiated from its interior, but because there were a number of beautiful yet powerful women working within. They even wore custom outfits that were a blend between the traditional garb of a tavern wench and a maid.

Seeing four new customers arrive, a woman with sunkissed skin, sandy-blonde hair, and tiny horns protruding above her temples quickly made her way over. She had a welcoming smile on her face, and, similar to how Arnya would greet customers, she enthusiastically exclaimed, "Welcome to the Free Spirit Tavern! If this is your first time visiting, I can give you a basic rundown of our rules and a sample of the daily special free of charge~!"

Though they had come to meet with Brave Enlil, Vahn didn't refuse the woman's offer. He knew the Great Spirit had taken note of their presence the prior day, so, even if they didn't approach him, the odds of the latter approaching them was high. The food served in the Free Spirit was also relatively famous, so, even though they had just finished breakfast, sampling some of the seasonal delicacies wouldn't hurt.

After guiding them to their table, the waitress took the liberty of introducing herself, a radiant smile on her face as she chimed, "My name is Calliope! The tavern is pretty empty around this time of day so I'll be serving you throughout your stay. Would you like an explanation of the rules~?"

Though he could have referenced his memory for the information, Vahn could tell the woman was eager to explain, so, on behalf of everyone at the table, he nodded his head, smiling as he replied, "If you would be so kind, please, explain..."

Happy to oblige, Calliope smiled wide enough to show off her prominent canines before explaining, "The price of food is based on your rank and perceived wealth. If you are unwilling or unable to pay, you are allowed to attempt a dine-and-dash or put on a show for the rest of the customers. Even if you have no talent, you can generally work off your tab pretty quickly if you are willing to suffer a bit of embarrassment. If you want to try a dine-and-dash, there are no real penalties unless you get caught so feel free to give it a go. You don't have to worry about being barred entry into the Tavern or anything like that, but, if you do get caught, be prepared for a punishment game, okay~?"

Upon mentioning the 'punishment game', a slightly sadistic look flashed across Calliope's pale-pink eyes. It was readily apparent that she 'encouraged' people to try and run, and, after cross-checking the information with what was recorded in his mind, Vahn understood why. The punishment game was generally decided by the waitress based on the behavior of their clients and the overall price of the food and drink provided. The most 'heinous' punishment seemed to be public spanking with a horsewhip while the rest of the tavern cheered on from the sidelines so it wasn't too surprising to see a sadistic glimmer in the over-excited waitress' eyes...

Rather than ask further questions, Vahn just chuckled lightly in response to Calliope's words before saying, "For now, we'll take two pints of Drowning Dog, a glass of water, and a cup of orange juice. We'll also try the special you mentioned previously. Free food never hurt anyone, right?"

Hearing Vahn's final remark, Calliope couldn't help but giggle mischievously before winking back at him and saying, "Right~? I'll go grab your drinks. The food will take around twenty minutes. Is that okay~?"

With Vahn nodding his head in affirmation, Calliope quickly alighted towards the double-doors near the side of the bar. At the same time, seated at the bar, a roguish-looking individual with windswept dark green hair looked over at Vahn's table with a lazy, hungover, expression. His face was covered in a fair amount of stubble, and, based on his attire, it would be easy to mistake him as either a Sky Pirate or a rather unsuccessful Skyfarer.

Seeing the man look over, Vahn offered a knowing smile before making a sleight of hand gesture with his right hand. Immediately thereafter, a pint of emerald-green liquor appeared in front of the man, startling him quite a bit if his expression was anything to go by. After the initial shock wore off, however, he issued a boisterous laugh before fearlessly raising the glass to his lip and taking a few large gulps of the fragrant alcohol. Then, earning a pointed glare from the female barkeep, he dangled the glass in his hand, a teasing smile on his face as he slurred, "Check it out, Julie. You can't cut me off so easily!"

After staring at the glass in the man's hand, the barkeep, Julie, turned her attention towards Vahn's table with an angry look on her face as she shouted, "Oi, listen up you brat. Don't go givin' this lout any more to drink, ye hear? Next time you go shillin' out your own product, I'ma start chargin' you for solicitin' our customers."

Preempting any kind of response from Vahn, the green-haired man adopted a rather fierce look on his face as he said, "Oi, oi, oi, don't go threatening my friends, Julie. Don't make me spank-"

Before the man was able to finish speaking, Julie used the rag dangling from her hips to 'whip' the man in the face. A loud smack echoed through the tavern, and, as a result of his drunkenness, the man promptly fell off of his stool, knocking over a table in the process. Despite this, and a large red mark on his forehead, the man just laughed it off, his loud voice echoing through the tavern as he continued to lay in the rubble...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Arika is a good girl','Smile, Sweet, Sister, Sadistic~!','Gyahahahaha~!')

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