Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Time spent with Fenrir was never wasted. By the time Vahn was preparing to head out, his mood had improved considerably. This was something that had never changed between them, so, after dealing with the drama wrought but Shuten, Vahn happily replenished his reserves of Fenrir's healing energy. As for Hati, she was just a convenient 'bonus', one he had grown rather fond of, even if she also had a propensity to become rather 'insistent' when she was in the mood...

Fortunately, whenever Fenrir was around, Hati was uncharacteristically obedient, even more so than she was toward him, her Master. This wasn't simply due to the fact that Fenrir was stronger than her, however, but more so due to the 'nature' of their existence. The Vanargandr species was yet another race that had a relatively defined hierarchy, so, with Fenrir's body being comprised of Source Energy, she had a suppressive effect on members of her own species. Hati had even been stronger than her at the time of her summoning, but, in spite of this, Fenrir had been able to claim victory in ten-out-of-ten bouts.

From the moment their dynamic had been established, Hati became significantly more docile and attentive. Fenrir had been educating her on what it meant to be a 'good girl', so, despite being an entity that was infamous for their 'hatred', Hati got along pretty well with everyone. The only notable exception to this was Sol, but, as their legends somewhat pitted them against each other, this wasn't all that unexpected. Rather, the biggest surprise in their dynamic was that Hati got along well with Siegfried, who, after a series of 'extenuating circumstances', actually ended up getting Sol pregnant.

Though Sol had originally been summoned as a Heroic Spirit, Vahn had no qualms about giving her a real body when the relationship between her and Siegfried began to get serious. She shared the same desire to protect the peaceful state of Avalon as the silver-haired Dragon Knight, so, after a lengthy period where everyone speculated whether or not they would end up together, Sol ended up being the one to approach Siegfried.

From the moment Sol cracked the infamously durable Dragon Knight's armor, Siegfried's popularity seemed to 'explode'. He was now involved with four different women, and, perhaps as a result of his draconic heritage, it hadn't taken long for him to knock up all four. This had been a relatively major event when it first came to light, as, prior to that moment, many of the Einzbern Homunculi didn't seem to rationalize that they could truly get pregnant.

While it couldn't exactly be called a 'trend', several other Homunculi ended up becoming pregnant shortly after the women in Siegfried's 'harem'. These were mainly the women that were involved with the former Knights of the Round Table, but, more surprisingly, one ended up getting impregnated by a member of the Faculty that had migrated from the Clock Tower. This was a youth named Thomas Anderson, an Assistant Professor that, as could be expected, worked as a member of the Faculty of Creation, specializing in Alchemy.

When Vahn first learned of the young man's relationship with one of the Einzbern Homunculi, he had been pleasantly surprised. This served as validation of his belief that the Homunculi would be able to find their happiness without requiring direct 'intervention'. Rather, due to their beauty and nature, it wasn't that difficult to win one of them over. So long as your emotions were sincere, and you made a concerted effort to woo them, they would eventually open up to you.

In celebration of the unexpected surprise, Vahn ended up stunning the already exuberant youth by 'crashing' a party his friends had thrown him. He couldn't pour the man a drink, nor could he stick around for very long, but that didn't stop Vahn from congratulating the man and providing several large bottles of expensive wine as a gift. This had caused a bit of stir amongst the other members of the Faculty, as could be expected, but there were no other major consequences other than Thomas' reputation exploding through the roof.

Vahn knew there were actually a considerable number of hopeful men, both young and old, who had their eyes on the Einzbern Homunculi. After all, they were exceptionally beautiful women, who, under the right conditions, would never age a single day. While the latter part wasn't a publically disclosed fact, their beauty, alone, was more than enough to entice the average man. Unfortunately, for most, it was impossible for them to court one of the dutiful Homunculi, as, even if they had been vetted by the Empire, their status as Magi was a massive detriment against them.

The Einzbern Homunculi had suffered greatly at the hands of Magi, accumulating thousands of years of painful memories. Thus, even if the opposite party was a relatively good person, that wasn't even remotely enough to win their attention, much less their favor. You needed to possess an unwavering kindness, the type that allowed you to persist through great adversity, so long as you would be able to help others. If you didn't possess this 'self-sacrificing' quality, something that had been imprinted onto nearly every Homunculi due to Vahn's actions, you had very little chance of success...

After a rather lively morning, both within the Enma-tei and Ivory Castle, Vahn was seated in his not-so-private study, accompanied by Artoria, Gray, Arcueid, Tamamo, and Illya. The latter had claimed his lap as her personal seat, a triumphant look on her face as she enjoyed the somewhat resentful expression on Tamamo's face. This had become a common occurrence between them, but, despite appearances, they actually got along relatively well when he wasn't around.

Tamamo's knowledge of Magecraft and Curses was borderline encyclopedic, and, so long as Vahn wasn't involved, she made an effort to get along well with every member of the Inner Sanctum. This was largely an attempt to elevate her own status, but, with Artoria's position being unshakeable, she had settled on increasing her rapport with the others over a long period of time. Unfortunately, the moment he was around, she seemed to forget her plans entirely, proactively competing against the more 'honest' girls that vyed for his attention...

Ignoring the staring contest between the animalistic duo, Vahn maintained a calm disposition as he stated, "I'll be heading out pretty soon. Afterward, I intend to stop by the Hanging Gardens to check up on Semiramis before stopping over at the European Supercolony. I'll be bringing Nero back with me, so let's have a small celebration when I get back. I already discussed it with Benienma so she has reserved the entire Enma-tei for our use. The Yokai District has gotten pretty safe as of late, so I want to take along the children as well."

Though Yokai couldn't resist trying to startle and fool people, every resident of Avalon's Yokai District was forced to obey the Common Law. It was possible for the most powerful Yokai to dictate the laws of the entire community, so, in order to gain access to the rapidly developing region, they had little choice but to obey. Fortunately, while this put a bit of stress on some of the more 'infamous' Yokai, it hadn't become an issue due to [Das Rheingold]'s infinite supply of enchanted gold.

While the primary nourishment for a Yokai was negative energy derived from emotions such as fear, they were especially fond of the inherent energies contained within purified metals. This was one of the reasons they loved gold so much, as, in lieu of other energy sources, it acted as a delicacy that was relatively hard to come by. In Avalon, however, Gold was exceptionally common. As a result, the vast majority of Yokai were relatively content with occasionally pranking Faculty and students that managed to wander into the moonlit dimension. They would even guide them out after the fact, so, while a few students had filed official complaints, there hadn't been any 'major' issues.

Artoria didn't share Vahn's confidence regarding the Yokai District, but, knowing he would have gone through great lengths to confirm their safety, she ultimately nodded her head, stating, "Very well. We will spread the word through the Inner Sanctum while you are gone. If there are any issues while you are away, do not hesitate to summon me. I still owe that airheaded woman for the last time..."

Remembering her previous indignation, Artoria couldn't help but release a small amount of her aura, increasing the tensions in the room to an almost palpable level. Fortunately, she managed to quickly rein it in, causing a very faint blush to spread across her cheeks as she politely bowed and said, "My apologies..." toward everyone gathered.

Waving his hand to, Vahn lightly chuckled to ease the tensions in the room, musing, "It's no big deal. As for Altria, well, you can just settle your dispute with her in the future. I want to wrap things up fast today, so I won't be taking anyone with me. The last time, things got a little too chaotic so I want to try and avoid a repeat incident, hahaha~."

Hearing Vahn's words, Artoria's face became even redder, as, during their last few encounters with the Heroes Faction, she had been the one to lose her cool. She had always rather 'fond' of battle, so, with her draconic instincts enhancing her pre-existing zeal, it was hard to restrain herself when there were strong opponents. The last time, Vahn even had to forcibly order her to pull back, resulting in a rather awkward apology after the fact...

Seeing Artoria's reaction, Vahn lightly tapped Illya's back, causing her to hop up from his lap, albeit with a bit of reluctance. Then, without minding the looks he got from the other girls, he approached Artoria, framing her face with his hands and gently massaging the sides of her head as he said, "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Even I get more than a little excited during a battle, so don't blame yourself for having fun. Just focus on further mastering your powers so that, when the time comes, we can continue to stand side-by-side on the battlefield."

To punctuate his words, Vahn pulled Artoria up, causing her body to leave the sofa so that he could kiss her. She had grown rather fond of more 'forceful' displays of affection, so, while it still made her a little uncomfortable to show affection around others, she no longer complained about it. Rather, at times, she would be the one to initiate things, pleasantly surprising Vahn with an unexpected kiss, or, on some occasions, a light squeeze of the butt when she didn't think others would notice...

After a prolonged kiss, lasting for nearly a full minute, Vahn gently lowered Artoria back to the sofa, leaving her with a slightly 'hungry' look in her glimmering, silver, eyes. For a brief moment, she even seemed to consider pulling him into her Marble Phantasm, but, knowing the others would notice the irregularities caused by its activation, she decided against it. She knew better than to rile up Arcuied and Illya at the same time, so, while it was certainly tempting, Artoria convinced herself to wait until Vahn returned in the afternoon.

Understanding his Empress' thoughts, Vahn sent her a playful wink, a somewhat cheeky smile spread across his face as he said, "I'll be going now. Take care of things while I'm gone."

Though she met his cheeky smile with a look of blame, Artoria still nodded her head in affirmation, ever the obedient and faithful wife. This quality of hers grew stronger with each passing day, aided by her expectations as a mother and the 'guidance' that Tamamo had been giving to all the women inside the Inner Sanctum. Her inordinately long pregnancy had given her a lot of time to mellow out, so, while her instincts as a True Dragon were still somewhat problematic, Vahn's appreciation for her had only grown...

As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn looked down to see Artoria's toned abdomen, still as flat as the day she first transformed. She had already been pregnant for over three years at this point, but, as she was insistent on nourishing the baby with her own energy, it wasn't an exaggeration to say she still had decades to go. Though the process could be greatly accelerated if they conducted the same ritual used in Alexa's birth, Artoria didn't seem to be in a rush to bring the child to term. She seemed to genuinely enjoy being pregnant, often having him pamper her quite a bit whenever they were alone in her Marble Phantasm...

Seeing where Vahn's eyes had wandered, Artoria's smile became infinitely more affectionate as she said, "Finish your goodbyes and get going. We'll be waiting for you to return..."

Towards the end of her statement, Artoria affectionately rubbed her lower abdomen, making it clear she wasn't just talking about her and the other women. This caused Vahn to lightly chuckle, his smile a mixture of amusement and infatuation as he nodded his head and conducted the usual departing ritual of hugging, kissing, and petting everyone in the immediate vicinity. Fortunately, there were only five people present this time, so, after around twenty minutes, he departed the Projection with a contented smile on his face, determined to wrap things up quickly...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Siegfried is so trendy xD...','Thomas is a True Hero...','Holy Pregnant Dragon, Batman! That is a long pregnancy...!')