Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos
chapter-1681

To prevent any problems from arising, Vahn deposited Arika, Theo, Anarchia, and Vesperina back in their previous locations. At the very least, he still needed to recover Juuzou, and, though he had the option to just leave Nagi within his personalized Sub-Space Orb, the idea of leaving the boy inside, even with time stopped, just felt wrong.

With a few hours to spare before the ’coming dawn’, Vahn teleported over to Ariadne using one of the many spatial anchors he had created. At the same time, he also sent a version to himself over to Zephyria, not with the intention of inviting Katarina to accompany him but to share a few drinks. He couldn’t deny he had grown a little fond of the woman during their relatively short stint in Zephyria, and, though they weren’t particularly close, Vahn knew he would feel some regret if he left without at least saying goodbye.

Understanding his nature well, Eva had actually given Vahn permission to sleep with Katarina, but, unless something pretty drastic happened, he had no such intentions. He wasn’t fond of the idea of casual sex, and, depending on her reaction after the fact, he would probably try to convince her to accompany him. This would only complicate matters, as, despite being an exceptionally competent woman, Katarina wasn’t really prepared to learn everything he had to impart. She was just a normal woman with extraordinary capabilities, and, though she undoubtedly had an adventurous spirit, the life she had lived up until this point was simply too divergent from his own...

Though he would normally just teleport directly into the interior, Vahn found himself standing on the outside of Katarina’s room with a slightly melancholic smile on his face. Then, after shaking his head in self-admonition, he knocked on the door hard enough to send a jarring echo through the interior. This caught the woman inside by surprise, but, after removing the safety from her magical gun, she managed to sound cool and unperturbed as she deactivated the door’s lock and said, "It’s open!" in a commanding bark.

Surprising the woman even further, Vahn opened the door to Katarina’s personal quarters, a casual smile on his face as he stared into misty-blue eyes and lightly mused, "It seems I caught you at an inopportune time..."

Since it was already nearing midnight, Katarina was currently wearing little more than a loose white blouse, a trainer bodice that was likely intended to help keep her hourglass figure, and, somewhat surprisingly, a pair of old-fashioned cotton knickers. Though she still gave off the impression of a fierce and dauntless woman, especially with her angular eyes and free-flowing scarlet hair, Vahn found the gap between her intimidating aura and plain sleepwear rather charming.

Seeing who it was that dared visit her private quarters in the middle of the night, Katarina released a sigh of relief as she tossed her pistol onto the bed and quickly fixed her hair into a loose ponytail as she complained, "You really just do whatever you want, don’t you? Zephyria might be the City of Freedom, but breaking into a woman’s house in the middle of the night is grounds to be drawn and quartered."

Though he was certain Katarina only felt a middling attraction toward him, Vahn’s smile became more prominent as he noticed her instinctual attempt to beautify herself in front of him. It was the type of thing women did when they cared about how particular people saw them, and, at least until she saw his smile, Katarina didn’t even seem to realize what she was doing.

Noticing the change in Vahn’s expression, Katarina’s own turned into a scowl as she crossed her arms and asked, "What, never seen a woman in her skivvies before? I’d appreciate it if you stopped with the incessant gawking and answered my question. Don’t tell me you actually came here just to pay me a visit?"

As she had hit the nail on the head, Vahn chuckled in response to Katarina’s words, surprising the woman for the third time in less than three minutes. She even took a step back, not out of fear, but sheer disbelief. At the same time, her heart began beating like a drum within her chest, and, though she was able to retain her usual mask of calm, a drunken hue colored her cheeks, staining her olive-skin with a subtle yet tantalizing shade of red.

Though he wasn’t exactly trying to tease the woman, Vahn allowed the misunderstanding to persist for several seconds before pulling out a crystalline bottle filled with a rich brown liquid. Then, with a rather cheeky yet somehow serious smile, he mused, "That’s quite the inviting reaction...regrettably, I think it is best we avoid crossing that line. I’m not into one-night stands, so, unless you’re willing to drop everything and follow me to worlds far beyond the stars, I’m afraid we’ll have to remain as little more than drinking buddies..."

Noticing the peculiar melancholy contained within Vahn’s tone, Katarina’s expression was marred with yet another frown. She suddenly got the impression he was here to say goodbye, and, based on the context of his statement, it seemed like he was going somewhere ’very’ far away. This made her feel a palpable emptiness within her heart, as, despite their relatively short period of interaction, she had also grown rather fond of the troublesome dragon. His actions drowned her beneath an ocean of paperwork, but, as he was freer than anyone she had ever met, she found it impossible to hate him...

After remaining silent for several seconds, Katarina ultimately broke eye contact, a conflicted look replacing her usual calm as she asked, "Assuming I was willing...what can you offer me in exchange? I’m a pragmatic woman...if the price is right, I could be convinced..."

Surprised by Katarina’s response, Vahn could only stare at her for several seconds, his expression a textbook example of abject shock. This scenario wasn’t ’completely’ outside his expectations, but, as the leader of a nation that espoused freedom, he hadn’t expected Katarina to so readily offer terms for a ’compromise’.

Seeing Vahn’s stunned expression, Katarina glowered at him with slightly upturned eyes, her irises glowing slightly as she added, "I trust my gut. It’s telling me I’ll experience a lot of interesting things if I choose to follow you. I became Admiral to protect the country my ancestors had built, but, after more than a decade in this position, I’ve come to realize this is all just a big waste of time. Zephyria is a nation of cutthroats, opportunists, and traitors. The freedom I once believed in cannot be found here and I’ve long grown weary of the everyday politicking. If you can afford the price, I don’t mind selling myself into your service...I gave up my actual freedom a long time ago..."

Though he was even more surprised by Katarina’s unexpected testimony, Vahn was able to maintain a mask of calm as he silently listened. He got the impression she was hiding something, but, when she got to the parts concerning her freedom, he could clearly hear the regret and sincerity evident within her tone. This was something that deeply resonated with him, and, though he could tell she didn’t actually want to abandon her country, her yearning for something ’more’ was reflected in the fiery glow of her glistening blue eyes...

Realizing he was inadvertently on the precipice of obtaining a dauntless pirate queen as a potential harem member, Vahn couldn’t help feeling a little disconcerted. Despite this, he had never been the type to disregard a person’s convictions, so, in response to Katarina’s proposition, he offered, "I can give you free rein through more than a thousand worlds, many filled with fantastical creatures, vast unexplored regions, and endless challenges to overcome. You can either become an Admiral in the Imperial Fleet, or, should you desire more freedom, I am willing to provide you a ship that is equally as capable of diving into the depths of the sea as it is at flying through the vast expanse of space. In the end, everything will depend on your ambitions, and, so long as you never stray onto a path that sees the weak and powerless suppressed beneath your will, I am even willing to provide you with all the resources you need to build another nation..."

Though each of Vahn’s promises was grander than the one before, Katarina couldn’t help but feel a little melancholic. Part of her had wanted him to offer nothing more than his love and a few pints of strong liquor. From his words, she could easily conclude he already had, not just one, but numerous women in his heart. This wasn’t really that surprising, but, with none of his promises even hinting at a relationship, she couldn’t help but wonder if her charm was lacking.

Rather than be deterred by the notion that Vahn was unaffected by her beauty, Katarina actually felt a little fired up. She wasn’t known as the ’Dauntless Katarina’ for nothing, so, after making a show of seriously considering his offer, she ultimately shook her head, adopting a serious expression as she said, "You’ll have to do better than that. Flowery words would never be able to convince me to give up everything. If you want me, I’m afraid you’ll need to demonstrate a bit of sincerity...prove to me that I won’t regret it..."

Since she got the impression Vahn was acting denser than he actually was, Katarina left no room to misinterpret her meaning, pulling at the strap keeping her bodice in place. Her blouse immediately burst open, and, though she was pushing thirty-nine-years-old, Katarina’s body showed no signs of deteriorating. Instead, she gave off the impression of a woman in her prime, her olive-skin catching the light in a way that made the contours of her body appear even more beautiful...

After briefly pausing to admire Katarina’s notable abdominal muscles, Vahn raised his eyes to meet the woman’s fiery gaze. He was only just now beginning to realize what she wanted from him, and, though it was a little unorthodox, he was certain he could ’convince’ her. She very clearly wanted to love him, but, due to her nature, she couldn’t open her heart so easily. Thus, in order to remove all of her doubts, allowing her to pursue the freedom she so desperately craved, Vahn resolved himself to show Katarina the full extent of his capacity to love...

What he never could have expected was, despite her age, position, profession, and natural beauty, Katarina was somehow still a virgin...

Though he shared senses with each of his vessels, the other Vahn’s couldn’t help but feel as though their counterpart in Zephyria was very fortunate. After all, their original intention was to simply say goodbye, but, before a single drink could be poured, the situation had developed into a passionate session of lovemaking. To make matters even more outlandish, this was actually his first time having sex with a woman he had met within the Akamatsuverse.

Remembering his conversation with Eva prior to departing the Realm, Vahn realized she had already expected this exact outcome. She had probably noticed something contained within Katarina’s gaze that he had overlooked, as, moments before his departure, she went out of her way to expressively give him permission. If he had to guess, this was either her way of testing him, or, given the specific circumstance, her method of trying to make up for her recent selfishness. She knew he had made a number of concessions on her behalf, and, though Vahn never regretted any of his decisions, there was no denying they had brought him a considerable amount of stress.

Fortunately, despite Seras actually becoming a ranking member in his fan club, Vahn was able to depart Ariadne without accidentally cooking up an oyakodon. He got the impression that neither Sidra nor her daughter would refuse to become his ingredients, but, thanks to Zhuque, who had been watching over the duo on his behalf, neither were bold enough to proposition him. In the end, they just had a pleasant late-night dinner, and, after discussing a few of his former students, Vahn departed the Academy City without giving in to his urge to seek out a certain fragrant rabbit...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’Just leave him inside >:D...’,’Truly Dauntless o_o...’,’No Bun’s buns (T ^ T)...’)