Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1623

Seeing Theo waving excitedly in response to the thunderously applauding crowd, a smile spread across Vahn’s face as he extended his hand towards Asuna and said, "Let’s go. It seems like Theo is doing just fine on her own. We’ll come back once things settle down."

Hearing Vahn’s words, the fiery light in Asuna’s eyes quickly diminished as she adopted a radiant smile, grasping the former’s hand as she answered, "It was an amazing fight. That man, Jack Rakan, is just too strong. I can see why you acknowledged him."

Nodding his head, Vahn explained, "Though not as incredible as you, his talent and comprehension are phenomenal. If he continues to battle against strong opponents, he will continue to grow much stronger. There is a reason he was a mainstay in Nagi’s party in the original timeline..."

Noticing a subtle shift in the flow of fate, Vahn allowed his words to trail off, restraining a wry smile as he turned to Qinglong and said, "Continue to watch over her for me. It seems to be a temporary transformation but I want you to keep an eye out for any sequelae. If she shows signs of duress, let me know immediately."

Having received his Master’s orders, Qinglong didn’t hesitate to bow low as he firmly stated, "This lowly Qing will see to it without fail. Even if it requires that I lay down my life, I would not hesitate to protect Lady Theodora. Please, be at ease, Supreme One."

Though he was used to Qinglong’s highly reverential speaking habit, Vahn couldn’t help but issue a dry laugh before pulling Asuna along and saying, "I have absolute confidence in your capabilities. It isn’t without reason that I designated you as the leader of the Four, Qinglong. Farewell."

With nothing else to say, Vahn gave a curt nod to the fiery-eyed Qinglong before stepping into a surprisingly stable spatial rift. At the same time, Asuna waved spiritedly towards the reverent True Dragon, exclaiming, "See you later, Grandpa Qing~!" just as the rift snapped shut.

Follow the disappearance of his Master and Young Mistress, Qinglong cracked a rare smile as he lifted his head and turned his attention back to the arena. The trust his Master had placed in him was his greatest treasure, and, as all dragons were ought to, he would do everything in his power to protect both his pride and his treasures...

Emerging from the spatial rift, Vahn found himself onboard the Custos Rosea. The automated lights came to life in response to his presence, but, even with their illumination, the interior of the Airfish felt somewhat cold and lifeless.

Breathing a bit of life into the chilled atmosphere, Asuna released his hand before trotting off, her twin-tails bobbing behind her as she said, "I’m going to make tea! You should go and grab Euryale so we can go exploring afterward~!"

Seeing how bubbly Asuna was being, Vahn chuckled lightly in response before taking a seat in the common area. At the same time, within the Sub-Space Orb where he had been sunbathing with Eva, Medusa, Euryale, and Stheno, he lightly tapped the side of the former, saying, "I just got back with Asuna. It seems like everything is going just fine in the Empire. Theo is still growing stronger and it seems like the Emperor has already realized the reality of the situation and decided to support her."

Hearing Vahn’s statement, Eva stretched her body like a lithe cat before laying against his chest and saying, "I told you that girl could take care of herself. Now, tell me, did you propose to her as well?"

Shaking his head, Vahn explained, "It didn’t seem like a good time. I realize I jumped the gun a bit when it came to Arika. Theo might be a little upset that I delayed things, but, knowing her, she will bounce back quickly with a sincere apology and a bit of pampering..."

Finding Vahn’s words amusing, Eva lightly chuckled before rising to a seated position and saying, "It would make things a lot easier if you had that same level of confidence when it came to allowing us to pursue our own goals. I’ll be leaving in a few days and I don’t want to catch you sneaking around in the shadows. There are some things I don’t want you prying into even after we depart from this world...in exchange, I’ll try not to get too upset when you inevitably add more women to your ever-growing harem..."

Though part of him was tempted to say that his harem would grow no further, Vahn knew himself better than that. The most he could do was limit its growth, and, after experiencing the efficacy of proper restraint in the Akamatsuverse, he was confident things wouldn’t get too out of hand in the future. There wasn’t much he could do regarding Arika, Theo, and even Asuna, but, at the very least, he could avoid adding any other women to his harem before departing the Record.

At this point, Vahn had come to expect that women with powerful fates and higher tier Souls were bound to be inordinately beautiful. This made it hard not to take notice of them, and, if they just so happened to have a tragic past, his mind was primed to try and help them. This wasn’t necessarily a bad thing, but, as he had learned time and again, the way he handled them and the restrictions he imposed upon himself were both very important.

Vahn knew the only thing he really needed to do in order to deter most potential love interests was to modify his physical appearance or increase his apparent age. Though there was a niche group of women who preferred older men, appearing middle-aged, or even older, would allow him to easily interact with younger individuals without fear of them imprinting upon him. This would also make it easier for them to separate in the future, as, rather than worrying about them chasing after him, he could give them a small push towards a more ’suitable’ partner for themselves.

With just a few small adjustments to his appearance, Vahn was confident he could pull off the role of a kindly grandfather or a wise mentor. He had actually been fond of mentor characters such as Jiraiya from Naruto and Makarov from Fairy Tail. They were a little perverted at times, but, due to their age and position, most feelings directed towards them were those of respect, adulation, and trust. This put them in a rather enviable position where they were allowed to act with impunity, as, unlike how people reacted towards ’children’, the elderly could easily inspire fear and respect in a world where most died young...

Though Vahn didn’t want to look like an old man, imagining himself as a middle-aged man with long greying hair, a full beard, and blazing golden eyes actually made him a little excited. He felt it would be pretty ’badass’ to appear like a weak and whimsical old man in one moment just to turn around and release a soul-crushing amount of pressure in the next. It would also allow him to get away with messing around and even teasing people without causing misunderstandings, so, with the next Record potentially serving as the foundation for his own, Vahn was tempted to make the most of it before he inevitably reached the top...

Seeing the somewhat silly smile on Vahn’s face, Eva rolled her eyes before jabbing him with the tip of her nail and saying, "Sometimes, I just want to crack open that head of yours to see what you’re thinking about..."

Ignoring the thin trail of blood left in the wake of Eva’s poke, Vahn just lightly chuckled, grabbing her hand to prevent successive pokes as he said, "It shouldn’t be that long before I’m able to show you directly. For now, let’s get out of here. Asuna is making tea and wants to go exploring. Do you want to come with?"

As her wanderlust had faded hundreds of years ago, Eva wasn’t particularly interested in exploring the uninhabited island where Vahn had moored the Custos Rosea. She had already looked around for a bit after they first arrived, so, while she did rise from the lounge, she ended up trying her hair into a loose bun as she said, "I feel like going swimming. I’m certain that little brat would be happy to have one of you to herself so how about we sneak off and explore an undersea cave?"

Since they had been sunbathing previously, Eva was already wearing a white bikini that left very little to the imagination. She had matured quite a bit over the last four years, and, though she still had a ways to go before reaching the level of her ’adult’ form, her figure had already started to blossom in all the right places. This was something Eva was very aware of, so, while she had never been particularly shy, she enjoyed wearing clothes that displayed her developing figure...

Rarely one to refuse the invitation of a beautiful girl, especially when they were his fiancee, Vahn ’dutifully’ admired Eva’s figure before meeting her gaze and answering, "I’d be a fool to refuse. Let me just ask Stheno and Euryale if they want to go exploring. Afterward, I’ll keep you company for as long as you’d like."

Punctuating his statement with a playful wink, Vahn earned a less-than-subtle roll of the eyes from Eva as she crossed her arms and said, "Hurry along. If you leave me waiting, I’ll go without you. The Gods know I’m more than capable of tending to my own needs..."

Understanding what Eva was referring to, Vahn briefly paused to imagine the sight of Eva trying to comfort herself. It was something he had witnessed numerous times in the past, but-

Interrupting Vahn’s thoughts, Eva tossed a condensed ball of water toward his face, exploding on contact. A bit of red had started to creep into her ears, as, even if she was the one to start it, seeing the stupid look on Vahn’s face was embarrassing. She had always been the type that was weaker to words and thought than actual action, so, before Vahn could make an excuse, she shouted, "Don’t just stand there like an idiot! Hurry it up or I really will leave without you...!"

With his face and hair still dripping with ice-cold water, Vahn lightly chuckled in response to Eva’s embarrassing state before using Shundo to evade a secondary ball of water. He knew she wouldn’t actually leave without him, as, even if her words were true, she much preferred having his assistance rather than tending to her needs alone...

After enjoying some tea and pastries, Vahn emerged the Custos Rosea with Chachazero riding his head and Euryale held in his left arm. Stheno had refused to come along so it was just him, Asuna, Euryale, and, seemingly to keep an eye on him, the miniature Chachazero.

Though it wasn’t even remotely necessary, Asuna and Chachazero had both changed into tan safari outfits, complete with a traditional pith helmet and goggles. As for Euryale, she wasn’t particularly interested in dressing up, so, as was often the case, she wore a simple maroon smock overtop pure white pumpkin pants. She couldn’t wear normal panties due to her rather large tail, and, while the shop provided many solutions, she actually enjoyed wearing the rather adorable undergarment as restrictive clothing made her feel uncomfortable.

Vahn actually felt pumpkin panties were the most ideal undergarments for girls under a certain age range so he had no problems with Euryale’s choice in garments. It was infinitely better than Stheno, who, much like her mother, disliked wearing panties entirely. She would rather go commando while wearing spats or leggings, and, while Vahn wasn’t exactly okay with this, it was exponentially better than her attempts to wear a cocktail dress with a low neckline, a short skirt, and no panties...

With Chachazero holding two tufts of his hair like the reins of a horse, Vahn, Asuna, and Euryale explored every centimeter of the island inhabited only by nascent elementals and a few relatively weak monsters. These were easily dispatched by Asuna without any real difficulty, and, though he only allowed her to fight the absolute weakest of the bunch, even Euryale managed to defeat two monsters that looked like overgrown ostriches with bulbous eyes, bald heads, and green plumage.

Asuna had taken it upon herself to help Euryale control her strength, so, while she was still very young, she didn’t have too much trouble against weak opponents. It was actually rather cute, as, at the present moment, Euryale was only 123cm tall. Seeing her swing around a sword nearly as long as she was tall reminded him of a scene straight out of an anime, and, based on her appearance, it wasn’t difficult to imagine her being the main character or a heroine. Rather, due to the nature of the Records, it was virtually guaranteed that countless versions of her existed for that very purpose.

Though it was a rather incredulous thought, Vahn knew it was possible for him to encounter people who looked identical to others he had met in completely different Records. He should even be able to find the Record where Fenrir’s likeness originated, a thought that was simultaneously as exciting as it was terrifying. He wasn’t entirely sure how he would react in such a situation, as, for a number of reasons, ’his’ Fenrir had become an intrinsic part of who he was. Encountering another version of her just seemed ’wrong’, so, while he was actually very interested in the Record her appearance and character originate from, he would do his best to simply avoid it...

Sensing that her Master was thinking about her, Fenrir’s eyes snapped open, her irises displaying an uncharacteristic icy-blue that quickly reverted back to her usual scarlet. She had been meditating in the heart of an icy cavern located within the Garden of Avalon. Here, Elemental Spirits representing Ice and Darkness intermingled amongst each other, and, though it was a rather mysterious sight to behold, there was even a tiny blue moon radiating Yin Elemental Energy hovering in the very center of the chamber.

With her ears perked up, Fenrir seemed to be ’listening’ for something that no-one else could hear. She even craned her head rather adorably, elevating one of her fluffy ears over the other as if she was straining to hear something very distant...

Failing to sense anything, Fenrir’s ears slackened as she rose to her feet, causing various Elementals to go tumbling in the process. She didn’t have the [True Friend of the Spirits] perk like her Master, but, as someone who shared the same aura, Fenrir was a magnet for Elemental Spirits of Darkness, Ice, and Water. Since their presence greatly increased the efficacy of her training, Fenrir developed a habit of allowing them to crowd around her, but, unlike her Master, she didn’t have the patience to remove each of them individually.

Noticing their de facto leader departing, a giant wolf that was a perfect split between black and white peeled open its sapphire blue eyes to ask, "Are you returning to Father?"

Momentarily pausing, Fenrir turned to face the giant wolf, a smile spreading across her face as she explained, "I could sense Master’s thoughts. He doesn’t seem to need me right now, but I feel like I should go to him. Take care of this place while I’m gone, Libra."

With her words finished, Fenrir rapidly departed the Diorama. As for the wolf named Libra, it just issued an extended yawn before crossing its paws and laying back down. There weren’t actually any dangers within the Garden of Avalon, as, even with the presence of monsters, the sheer volume of Elemental Spirits prevented any from running wild. Thus, while it was prepared to stake its life to protect the miniature moon floating above, it wasn’t particularly worried about anything happening while Fenrir was away...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Vahn so sneaky’,’Old Man Mason’,’Lazy Wolf’)