Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Due to the state she was in, Luvia had Sophia reorganize her schedule before contacting her family and updating them on the situation. The management of their businesses could easily be handled by her mother for a few months so, with the passage of time in the Projection, Luvia was confident there wouldn’t be any issues. What she was more concerned about, at least for the time being, was the fact she couldn’t even walk without assistance. It wasn’t that there was anything wrong with her legs and muscles, but even standing upright was ’troublesome’ for her at the moment.

Despite this, Luvia decided to make the most of the situation and, as it was irrefutably Vahn’s fault, she had him pamper and attend her as compensation. This included carrying her around the suit like a princess, helping her bathe, and massaging her legs ’properly’. Since he was very aware of the fact she wasn’t faking her condition, Vahn dutifully carried out her requests as, compared to how Nobunaga would behave at times, Luvia’s demands were pretty tame. The only complaint he had, which he kept to himself, was that she would undoubtedly recover faster if he wasn’t around.

Currently, Luvia’s body was reacting to his presence alone and, as he helped her stretch to ease the tensions in her thighs and legs, Luvia’s face would become red as her body heated up to the point her eyes began to water. She was even more sensitive than the women he had performed Nirvana Rebirth on, putting Vahn in a relatively precarious situation as it was difficult to resist the heated looks she was giving him. This was exacerbated by the fact she was only wearing a leotard and, as she hugged her own body to control her breathing, Vahn felt as if his own restraints were being pulled apart slowly and meticulously.

Fortunately, Luvia was able to avoid tempting him outright so, after their exercises had come to an end, she managed to calm down by asking about the affairs of Avalon. Since he also needed the distraction, Vahn answered each of her questions while also explaining about the Quest Board and his [World Power] Quest. As Luvia was the closest thing to a Political Advisor and Magistrate that he had, her opinion was very important when it came to foreign affairs. Most of the domestic matters would be attended by Artoria, himself, and Da Vinci, so, while she was also his Keeper of the Imperial Seal, Luvia also served as his Minister of Foreign Affairs and Finance.

As could be expected, Luvia was very interested in the existence of the Quest Board, to the point her golden eyes were practically blazing with intrigue and expectation. If it worked the way that Vahn had explained, the Quest Board may very well become one of the most important pieces of leverage she could use to entice other parties. Just the existence of the Skill Tree would shake the foundation of the Mage’s Association as it almost completely invalidated the current curriculum. The only ’downside’ was that it required accepting Vahn’s Familia Crest or entering a binding contract with him to access its capabilities. Fortunately, as it was considered ’common sense’ that benefits could only be obtained if you were willing to give up some freedoms, there would still be quiet a few people willing to join their camp.

While thinking of ways to capitalize on this revelation, Luvia was also thinking about Vahn’s [World Power] Quest. Though it seemed impossible to complete, at least from a ’normal’ perspective, she had no doubt he would be able to pull it off. The more important matter was determining the order in which he challenged each force. If Vahn didn’t plan to destroy them outright, they would also need to consider things like the allocation of resources while simultaneously removing any divisive elements to establish a proper balance in the aftermath. After all, taking on the Mage’s Association, Holy Church, and Dead Apostle Ancestors was the same as taking on the entire world. This meant, even after claiming victory, they would suddenly find themselves in a position to dictate how the governments of each country functioned from the top down...

Luvia had a migraine just thinking about how troublesome it would be to institute reforms in the various countries, even if the existence of Magecraft was made public. There would be political and social upheavals the world over as, despite the changes being for the better, there would be an endless amount of resistance. Even if Vahn wasn’t intending to go to war against the world, normal people would tear it apart as they did everything in their power to hold on to the ’easy’ lives they had lived previously. She could already imagine the crowds of millions, gathering to riot and protest while the more opportunistic amongst them built small criminal factions to benefit from the ensuing anarchy...

After making her concerns known, Vahn gave an understanding nod in response and, as he had already discussed this matter with Artoria, Da Vinci, and Illya, he carefully explained, "I know the world isn’t ready for the change we are bringing. In the decades that follow, I know millions of people would die, even conservatively. Even if we use the Holy Grail to change the perception of everyone in the entire world, the current structure of society guarantees this. There is nothing we can do about it besides doing our best to help as many people as we can..."

Though he didn’t have a full understanding of how each country worked, Vahn knew that it would be impossible for people to adapt to a new system smoothly. Since people the world over were extremely reliant on the current structure, perpetuating a cycle of infinite consumption and waste, a large number of people will die during the transition. The sad truth of the matter was, if not for the existence of a system that treated them as a commodity and errantly promoted capitalism, there wouldn’t even be as many people in the world as there were at present. Even sadder still was the fact that, other than living as a part of the system, the vast majority of people contributed absolutely nothing to their species other than being another variable for genetic diversity.

Vahn knew things weren’t so cut and dry, as every individual deserved to live freely as they sought their own happiness. However, when their lifestyle directly harmed themselves and the planet, a bit of accountability was required. Without the system that promoted complacency and material wealth, the vast majority of people wouldn’t even know what to do with their lives. They relied on the conveniences they were provided, to the point some didn’t even know how to perform even basic skills such as fishing, hunting, or cooking. Without having things ready-made and provided to them, they would die as a result of ’natural selection’, blaming others for failing them despite the fact they made no effort to change their fate...

Though it wasn’t a pleasant topic, Vahn and Luvia discussed ways to mitigate the damage and make the transition smoother. He brought up Da Vinci’s idea about turning the entire world into a Bounded Field that turned the Surface into something akin to a virtual simulation. They also had the more extreme option, provided courtesy of Merlin, to create an entirely separate, looping, time axis where ’normal’ humans would be able to live without any overlap with the existence of Magecraft. The only reason Vahn was against this idea was that it was akin to trapping the majority of humanity within a temporal prison but, as the Root System itself was already such an existence, it was hard not to consider.

In response to these options, Luvia had a complex expression on her face but, knowing how much chaos the world would be thrown into as the Surface and Reverse Side began to meld together, it actually seemed like the best choice. After all, the alternative required them to come up with a system that ensured the survival of billions of people, many of whom wouldn’t even be making an effort. They would just complain and protest until they either got their way or, failing that, take it from other people while blaming the system. This was the mindset of many criminals and, with the changes the world would soon face, such individuals would exponentially increase in number.

After thinking it over, Luvia shook her head before asking, "Why not just focus on building our Empire and slowly expanding its borders? Rather than worrying about the governance of other countries, we can handle things both diplomatically and militarily. Though many would label you as a Tyrant and a Conquerer, you shouldn’t have to be the one regulating everything. Since you will already be dealing with those at the highest level, you can pass your decree unto them and focus on strengthening the foundation of the Empire."

As this was also something that had already been discussed, Vahn nodded his head, answering, "I have heard this suggestion multiple times. Even so, it isn’t easy for me to ignore the suffering of people around the world...haaa..." If he went with this route, it would take a very long time before the changes he wanted to see could be implemented. However, as Luvia pointed out, it wasn’t his responsibility to personally oversee the governance of every country. Instead, as she had brought up in the past, he could continually expand his territory and assign Heroic Spirits to govern in his stead. At the same time, the production of Companions would continue and, slowly but surely, the Empire would become an unstoppable force due to its prosperity and military might.

The biggest problem with this method, as Vahn had stated, was the fact that even more people would die during the transition. There was also a chance that, if the transition period was too long, monsters would begin to appear all over the place, claiming even more lives. Though some people would undoubtedly awaken powers to be able to resist against these changes, becoming Heroes, their presence would either be preceded or immediately followed by, Villains. This would be an opportunity for them to dispatch forces of their own to establish order but, according to the simulations run by Ark, the total population of the world would have decreased to around 40% of its current value before finally stabilizing...

Listening to Vahn’s talk about such things was a sobering experience for Luvia as it almost felt like anything they tried to do would ultimately result in a grievous amount of death. Though it was the fault of the existing system, it was still rather depressing to think about the amount of suffering the world would experience during the transitory period. For a moment, she even hoped that they would be a little slow in stopping Angra Mainyu as, with a great evil wreaking havoc, it would actually be much easier to unite people in the aftermath. They also wouldn’t be responsible for the deaths as, being the literal manifestation of ’All the World’s Evils’, Angra Mainyu was a force of nature that humans had wrought upon themselves...

Deciding that such matters, while important, could always be discussed later, Luvia cleared her head of negative thoughts before asking, "How soon until the next summoning? Also, when do you plan to establish the Heaven’s Feel Ritual?" As the situation would change with each force Vahn managed to either subjugate or subordinate, Luvia would rather focus on more pressing matters. She was also looking forward to increasing her own strength as, with the existence of the Quest Board and Skill Tree, she felt it would be a simple matter with her prodigious talent and firm conviction.

Since he also didn’t feel like discussing the troubles of the future in the present, Vahn adopted a gratified smile in response to Luvia’s questions, answering, "If things continue as projected, it will be possible to summon others as early as next week. Da Vinci was a bit annoyed with the fact that so many Spirits had come to reside on Avalon but it’s undeniably a good thing. As for the ritual...it will take a bit of time. The current process requires a willing sacrifice that possesses a significant amount of Od...for now, we’re researching a solution. I know it is impossible to build an Empire without sacrifices but I will never send others to their death arbitrarily..."

Hearing Vahn’s words, Luvia wasn’t at all surprised by the fact a wish-granting ritual required a few sacrifices. This wouldn’t even cause the majority of modern Magi to flinch as, if it meant access to the Root or having their wish granted, there were few lengths they wouldn’t go to. Hearing Vahn adamantly state he would find a better way, one which didn’t require such sacrifice, Luvia couldn’t help feel a small amount of vindication. At the same time, however, she felt a bittersweet twinge in her body, causing her to release a hot sigh as she suddenly looked at Vahn with blame clearly visible in her gaze.

Laughing awkwardly at Luvia’s sudden change, Vahn guided the conversation down a different tangent, asking, "Do you want to accompany me back to Avalon?" In response to this, Luvia kept staring at him for a few seconds before answering, "Of course. If I stayed outside, our child would be several years behind its siblings. I’ve already explained the situation to my family so we will first travel to London before returning." Then, remembering something, Luvia added, "When we reach London, you’ll need to meet with Lord Animusphere. He contacted me a few days ago to arrange a meeting, presumably over the matter regarding Chaldea, Olga, or both."

With Luvia’s reminder, the image of a pale-haired woman flashed across his mind, her face fixed in a perpetual blush. At this rate, it was only a matter of time before his and Olga’s relationship moved to the next level so, before then, it would be good to discuss the matter directly between her and Marisbury. It still wasn’t too late for her to change her mind and, as he would continue to support her regardless of her choice, now was as good a time as any to take care of it.

Even if the odds were ’astronomically’ small, Vahn ’needed’ the choice to be Olga’s to avoid any future guilt he might feel as a result of her bashful, haughty, yet eager-to-please mentality. Besides, though it seemed like Marisbury was okay with it, Vahn needed to make things clear. Since he would want his own daughters, and their future lovers, to be forthright with him, he needed to set a proper example himself.

Luvia hadn’t missed the subtle change in Vahn’s expression but, considering she was the one who orchestrated the current situation, she had nothing to say. Though it had only been eighteen days since she left Avalon, this translated to nearly one-hundred-and-thirty within the Projection. A lot could change over the course of three months so she was actually more surprised by the fact that Vahn hadn’t done ’more’. She could tell from his reaction that he was still ’troubled’ by Olga and, though there was a glimmer of expectation in his gaze, her intuition told her he had been holding back. Because of this, she was looking forward to meeting the pale-haired woman again as it was both fun and easy to tease her...

Though it would be better to head back sooner, Vahn left Luvia in the care of her own forces, Siegfried, and Lakshmibai as he left The Plaza alongside Kenshin. He had promised to take her to the Zoo and, after his long night with Lakshmibai, the latter had elected to stay behind in order to show Kenshin her gratitude. As a result, Kenshin was wearing casual clothes, consisting of form-fitting black capris, a black cashmere sweater, a white designer coat, tinged with tufts of golden fur, and matching boots. With her hair braided in a loose black-and-white style, combined with her long legs and lean figure, she really did look a lot like a model or an actress.

Despite giving off the aura of a ’cool beauty’, matching Vahn’s own rather domineering presence, he quickly learned this was just an illusion. After purchasing tickets, Kenshin dragged him around rather forcefully, a radiant and child-like smile on her face. Since Zoos weren’t really a thing while she was alive, seeing so many animals gathered together was exciting for Kenshin. Though she had struggled to make connections with humans during her life, she never had any trouble when it came to interacting with animals. Even when she simply sat in her courtyard meditating, or when she took a walk through the mountains, animals would naturally gravitate toward her.

Vahn wasn’t enjoying himself as much as Kenshin, as he felt melancholic seeing animals locked up for the amus.e.m.e.nt of humans but, remembering that the Ganesha Familia had used monsters to educate the citizens of Orario, he didn’t have much to say. He could also tell that the vast majority of these animals were treated relatively well, to the point that some were as fat and complacent as the people gawking at them. Though he did go out of his way to observe the interior kennels and enclosures, as not all the animals were on display due to the winter season, Vahn found they were treated well enough, even if not to his own standards.

So as not to ruin the mood, Vahn did his best to match Kenshin’s enthusiasm and, as there were actually a number of particularly cute animals, he began to enjoy himself by lunchtime. If not for the fact people would periodically try to snap photos of them, Vahn would have been in a much better mood. Still, he didn’t mind them too much as, compared to how some people would act in Danmachi, there were virtually no threats here in New York. Even Luvia wasn’t able to exercise her full capabilities here so, while there had been a few Magi secretly stalking them, Vahn wasn’t too concerned. Instead, he enjoyed his time holding hands with Kenshin as they toured around the small Zoo, making the most of their impromptu date.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: ’RIP Luvia’,’Vahn needs to learn how to properly delegate (e,...,e)’,’Kenshin is adorable’)