Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1180

Unlike the ten minute ascent, the elevator ride down was significantly shorter, taking less than a minute to complete. Even then, Vahn got to experience the rather peculiar sight of seeing the space around him shrink, slowly merging with reality in a way that was difficult to comprehend. With his current understanding of Space and Time, there was no way to emulate this phenomenon as, if the space wasn't stable, it would generally collapse. Though he knew 'anything' was possible, seeing the miraculous and inexplicable feats of others was always eye-opening. Now, especially after seeing what his Laplace-self was capable of achieving with his current level of power, Vahn had an almost irresistible urge to experiment and become even stronger...

If he had faced off against Solon before his training with Scáthach or lacking [Laplace's Key], Vahn knew there was no way he would have been able to get even a temporary advantage. Even if Alaya acted as his battery, it was clear that he had only scratched the surface of what the peculiar green-haired Magus was capable of. Just their ability to grow what appeared to be this Records version of Yggdrasil had sent alarm bells ringing in his mind. Though he had managed to evade the attack by transferring through space, Vahn had the distinct impression it would be exceedingly difficult to escape the vines if they ended up binding him. With Solon having dozens of other treasures on their body, with an unknown amount of Magical Energy, the only option Vahn would have had was to try and use [Enkidu] to seal them away or, if that failed, focus on escaping.

Understanding he still needed to become much stronger, even though he was admittedly stronger than he expected to be, Vahn surprised Artoria a bit by saying, "I now have a better understanding of this world's peak. It will take some time, but I'm looking forward to reaching it..." Then, looking his Knightly companion in the eyes, Vahn smiled as he reached out his hand, removing a few strands of hair sticking to Artoria's face as he added, "Let's become stronger, together...also, change your attire before we step outside..." Though his final words spoiled the moment, Vahn would rather others not see Artoria wearing battered armor with sections of her dress torn and frayed.

With a light blush on her face, Artoria changed into the same security uniform as earlier while Vahn continued to fix her hair. Then, once she was ready, Vahn caused her ahoge to stand up straight by sneaking a quick kiss in when she was focused on trying to calm down. This caused Artoria to cough awkwardly a few times while stepping back to gain a bit of distance as she said, "Master, I'd rather you not tease me in enemy territory..." Though she had a fair point, Vahn noted that Artoria hadn't said 'not' to tease her, just to choose a more opportune moment. This caused him to remember his promise to never embarrass her in public, causing Vahn's mood to become more serious as he led the way forward, though not before allowing Artoria to collect herself...

Waiting for them immediately outside of the tower's underground corridor was a series of Golems who, even without the ability to speak, Vahn understood to be their escorts. Since he and Artoria weren't affiliated with the Mage's Tower, they weren't given the leeway to wander through the halls on their own, especially in the underground mining city of Magi's Fair. Thus, with Zelretch tending to Solon, they had been left in the care of the building's automated maintenance and security Golems, even though this could be considered a rather serious faux pas. This time around, Vahn felt it would be a waste of time to harp over such things so, instead of inflating the issue further, he just followed the Golems to the exit.

As he could already sense her long before reaching the surface, Vahn wasn't surprised by the fact that Luvia had been waiting with a fair number of faculty members, including Lord El-Melloi II, a man with pale hair that was undoubtedly Lord Animusphere, and another with maroon-brown hair who, similar to Loki, had the peculiar habit of walking around with their eyes almost fully closed. Each of the men was dressed rather fashionably, albeit with the latter wearing a rather heinous shade of green that was accented by black fur. Since he also had an angular bowler hat, Vahn felt he was an abnormal individual, even without the overwhelmingly malignant mana swirling around in his body...

Though Vahn understood the affinity of a person did not ultimately determine their alignment, he couldn't help but furrow his brows slightly when sensing this particular energy. However, as he was amongst the allies that Luvia had collected, Vahn decided not to mind the matter for the time being as he could always deal with the matter after getting a better understanding of the situation. With the Magus community in its current state, Vahn knew there were a number of individuals who used less than forthright means to obtain resources and conduct their research. Even some of the younger students he had passed along the way, 'commoners' included, had an aura of malignancy lingering around them that indicated they were not inexperienced with taking lives with malicious intent.

Shelving the matter for the moment, Vahn habitually opened his arms as Luvia, with a radiant smile on her face, ran over and practically tackled him while happily exclaiming, "My Emperor~! We were beginning to get worried that something had gone wrong...!" Though she usually put on an elegant front in most situations, Luvia's habit of completely ignoring the situation would appear when she was riled up. Thus, even though everyone present had awkward and troubled looks on their faces, she didn't care at all as she happily clung to Vahn, rubbing her cheek against his with a monstrous strength in her arms...

With much to discuss, and infinitely better places to carry on a conversation, it wasn't long before Vahn, Luvia, Artoria, and Gray were all riding back towards the Edelfelt Mansion. He explained what the meeting with the Director had been like, earning him an incredulous yet excited look from Luvia who, after listening till the end, happily mused, "My husband is so domineering~." When she heard that Vahn had actually been able to get an advantage against the Director, requiring Zelretch to step in, Luvia was beside herself with feelings of vindication. Just knowing the man she had chosen was already capable of such feats, even though he wasn't even at his full power, caused her body to burn up...

Not minding Luvia's 'appreciation', Vahn indulged in the feeling of her body leaning against his, even though it felt rather awkward with Gray and Artoria staring back at him. Unlike normal vehicles, the inside of this armored car had the seats facing each other, making for easier discussion while also allowing those within to avoid having their backs to each other. Some 'business' was better carried out in the back of a car in transition than elsewhere and, though Vahn had yet to see just what Luvia did to maintain her Empire, he knew she was often very busy. She had been making a lot of time for him over the last two days but, as she seemed very happy, he selectively chose to ignore discussing such things when they were together like this.

After reaching the Edelfelt Mansion, accompanied by a few other cars, Vahn and his entourage made their way to the prepared banquet. It was still early in the afternoon, nowhere near dinner time, but this entire celebration was rather prompt and, due to other time constraints, there wasn't much time to host it later. Vahn noticed that many of the foods he had been fond of during the earlier meal were present once again, indicating that one of the intended purposes behind the banquet seemed to be trying to understand his food preferences. This was a rather humorous thought but, with Luvia and her Grandmother both having rather 'peculiar' personalities, Vahn wouldn't be surprised if this was the truth.

Before he could ask about it, Luvia understood the question in Vahn's gaze as he looked around, whispering in a quiet voice, "Grandmother doesn't often appear in front of others. As the Head of the family, it is up to me to host and attend social gatherings like this. Remember, Vahn, all of this going forward is 'our' fight...if we rely on the previous generation for everything, we'll just become wastrels like the other members of the Aristocracy." Though she knew Vahn had similar principles, it was also very apparent that he spoiled his children considerably. Luvia was hoping to curb some of that behavior as, though spoiling the young is the privilege of the old, you should never give them free handouts when they are perfectly capable of achieving things on their own.

With a curt nod, Vahn continued to guide Luvia toward the head of the table, this time taking the main seat for himself to make things clear to those present. There were a number of people he had never met before and, though they had short introductions earlier, this would be his first time really interacting with his would-be allies. From his 'education' with Loki and Fortuna, Vahn knew there was no such thing as permanant allies unless you had some form of unbreakable bond or a great deal of leverage over the other party. Thus, while he could 'trust' most of the people gathered together by Luvia, at least for the moment, that could change very quickly depending on the circumstances.

Once everyone had assumed their places around the table, with the sole exception of Gray, as she had been feeling a little sick in the presence of Lord El-Melloi II and an icy beauty with brilliant blond hair and pale white skin. This woman gave off a similar vibe to how Eva tried to present herself but, rather than being a 'tsundere', it was very apparent that this woman, introduced as Lord El-Melloi II's wife, Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, was a sadist by nature. Her sharp, icy blue eyes seemed to reflect a cold light that, from experience, Vahn knew to mean she was the type who enjoyed the suffering of others. Though this didn't necessarily make her a bad person, as there were a number of functional sadists in the world, this did nothing to lessen the incongruous vibe he felt when she would cast her gaze upon him.

Though simple introductions had already been made, Luvia took it upon herself as the Hostess to rise to her feet, her disposition becoming hat of an elegant noblewoman as she stated, "It is my pleasure to host such distinguished guests, especially on such short notice. In an effort to facilitate smoother conversations, allow me to take this moment to make clear the status and association of everyone present. Though today is your first time meeting him, I'm sure everyone here is aware of the identity of this handsome gentleman~." As she spoke, Luvia gestured towards Vahn in a polite fashion, smiling radianatly as she introduced, "He is none other than the reputed Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. Please keep in mind that this is not an arbitrarily assigned title and, though the details must remain a secret, trust that he is, indeed, an actual Emperor~."

As even the Association Director and Zelretch had referred to Vahn as the 'Sage Emperor', there was no great stir amongst the Aristocrats attending the banquet. For some, this wasn't even their first time meeting an Emperor so, even with such a status, Vahn wouldn't win any favors without being able to provide actual benefits. The only two people to react differently than the others were Lord Animusphere, who offered a polite bow and a smile, while Reines, showing a lack of decorum, used her arm to support her head as she mused, "I have never met an Emperor from another world, much less one with the prefix of 'Sage'. I'm curious, what does it take for someone to gain such a title...?"

With Reines interrupting her introductions, Luvia was the one to answer in lieu of Vahn, crossing her arms with a challenging look in her eyes as she stated, "My, Lady Archisorte, you would do well to remember where you are currently. Though we may have gathered here to officiate our alliance, it isn't too late to change the terms..." Still riding the high of Vahn's 'victory' against the Association Director, Luvia wasn't as lenient as she otherwise would have been in such situations. She might not be able to do anything about Vahn's current relationships but, having a married woman even think about flirting with him felt like a slap to her own face.

Hearing Luvia's words, Reines was slightly taken aback but, without letting it show on her face in the slightest, she instead giggled elegantly before musing, "So protective...I already expected as much, but the two of you are already a pair...?" As these words left her lips, Reines looked around the area, noticing only now that Gray was missing from the surroundings. From what she had heard from her husband, there was little doubt the monochromatic girl had betrayed them to shack up with Vahn.

Though Gray leaving wasn't particularly bothersome, as she had never been fond of the woman who clung to her husband like a tumor, the fact she had done so in the pursuit of another man was a small hit to Reines' pride. Now that she saw Vahn in person, it was easy to see that he was quite the catch but, having already chosen Waver as her toy, Reines thought she might be able to get even with her husband's traitorous little ward by getting a rise out of Vahn. She was supremely confident in her own looks and, so long as she could get an understanding of his character, Reines believed it wouldn't take too much effort to gain some leverage in their future alliance by forcing him into a compromising position or two...

Understanding Reines' character, Luvia adopted a somewhat haughty disposition as she emphasized her own bust while answering, "It is earlier than I intended, but I suppose there is no harm in making the announcement sooner..." Even before she had finished speaking, Luvia's smile had curled up at the ends since Vahn had understood his own cue, rising to his feet. This caused everyone else at the table to rise, as it was customary to stand when the person at the head of the table stood, allowing him to calmly and clearly state, "Luvia and I are betrothed to each other, making her the Emperess-Apparent for my Aldrnari Empire."

In response to Vahn's announcement, everyone gave a light round of applause, some offering their congratulations as a matter of politeness. As for Reines, she also lightly brought her hands together a few times without her expression changing much. At the same time, however, her mind was racing to try and see if there were any ways to benefit from the current situation. Unfortunately, the status of the Edelfelt family alone was already much higher than her's, even without Luvia being made an Empress. There were no real benefits to be gained by offending her and, even if Vahn seemed to be a somewhat licentious man from the information she had obtained, he didn't seem like the type that would be easy to take advantage of after he took a stand...

After looking at Vahn's handsome appearance for a few seconds, Reines turned her attention briefly to her own husband who, while still very handsome, had started to gain early wrinkles due to stress. He would be turning forty soon and, unless they spent part of their rather small fortune to help him maintain his youth, it wouldn't be long before middle-age caught up with him. As she was had only turned twenty-three a few months prior, Reines had often considered what it would be like when she was in her thirties while her husband was in his fifties. It hadn't mattered to her in the past but, with their daughter growing up and them making little progress towards regaining the Archibald family name, it had started to bother her quite a bit.

With Vahn purportedly being well over a hundred years old, yet appearing in his late-twenties, his body practically sculpted from divine clay, Reines felt a small amount of resentment towards Luvia and her seemingly limitless good fortune. She had been forced to fight for her position since she was only six years old yet, even knowing how much effort Luvia put in to succeed, Reines couldn't help feeling a great deal of envy towards the woman who was only four years her senior. Not only did Luvia have a family that cared dearly for her, but the greatest setback she had suffered in life was when her first love interest died in some random country in the middle east. Even then, the two had never been an official pairing so, other than losing a friend, which was very common in the Magus community, she had lived a decidedly blessed existence...

Understanding that she needed both Luvia and Vahn for her own ambitions, Reines, for what felt like the ten-thousandth time, buried her resentment in her heart. It would probably be impossible for her to take advantage of Vahn but, when it came to the politics between families, Reines was very aware that there were other benefits to be found. If he was intending to build an Empire, that meant Vahn would need Ministers, Governors, and Landed Nobles to govern his territories. At the same time, it meant there would be an Imperial Family and, though she may not be able to benefit from targeting him directly, that didn't mean other avenues were cut off.

If Vahn had a son or daughter that could be paired with her own, it wasn't impossible that their families would become relatives in the future. Since Gray would, at the very least, be a Concubine, this also meant she had a bit of leverage at the heart of the Imperial Family that could potentially bear fruit in the future. Gray was an easily exploitable woman and, after 'seducing' her husband in the past, Reines knew she would be able to collect upon that debt in the future. For now, she just needed to stay in Vahn and Luvia's good books until she had a better understanding of the situation. Depending on the circumstances, she might not even have to rely on such underhanded tactics any longer.

Vahn seemed to a steadfast and forthright individual so it could be disastrous to rely on the 'usual' methods to gain leverage against him. This also meant that, if she at least pretended to be sincere, he would likely convince Luvia to help her family even more than she otherwise would have. Then, if she continued to play her part properly, it was only a matter of time before her family was elevated once again. With that in mind, Reines slightly squinted her eyes as a more 'sincere' smile spread across her face as she gazed back at Luvia and muttered, "Congratulations, Luvia...it seems this is truly an occasion worth celebrating..."

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace~','Luvia be like, "Jackpot ($ v $)~!"','Politics can turn children into monsters (o___o)...')