Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After a rather humorous incident where Sakura awoke to find herself drooling against his side, Vahn helped her prepare for her evening lessons. He had already talked to Rin about having Sakura first pursue the path of a Knight and, as her Od was already expanding at a much faster rate than normal, there shouldn't be any difficulties in her future path. Thus, instead of spending the evening learning Magecraft, Sakura learned etiquette alongside Mordred, Fenrir, Medusa, and Gray.Just as she took training very seriously, Artoria was rather strict when it came to teaching the girls Court etiquette. This was especially the case for Mordred and Sakura, as manners and discipline were very important for cultivating the proper mentality as a Knight. Now that she was going to be Vahn's Empress, Artoria considered it her duty to make sure his children were educated properly. Though he might not be concerned with such things, she knew that their future enemies and allies alike would scrutinize Mordred and Sakura, seeing them as a representation of Vahn's own prestige.If Vahn's children acted spoiled and undisciplined, they would be seen as a weakness that could be exploited. Inversely, if they were extremely well-behaved and ladylike when presented before others, it would cause anyone harboring intentions towards them to hesitate. When one party seemed to be high-born, it would cause those that were more politically oriented to measure their behavior. After all, offending a Noble could undermine their own status considerably, making them fearful of ever getting on Mordred's and Sakura's bad sides. Thus, while it was fine for them to be polite and even outgoing at times, they should never seem 'friendly' and 'weak' in the eyes of their contemporaries.Since Vahn had always entrusted the rearing of his children to the women in his life, he had no issues allowing Artoria to act as she saw fit. As for why Fenrir and Medusa had decided to participate, they both wanted to learn how to be more ladylike so they didn't embarrass him in the future. Vahn had even found Medusa wearing a frilly white dress, looking much like a little Princess. Generally, she was not fond of wearing clothes and, other than the skin-tight bodysuit and equipment forged from her own scales, she tended to avoid other 'restrictive' clothing. However, understanding she could not wear such things in public, Medusa had followed in Fenrir's footsteps. Since her Master would always compliment her when she wore cute clothing, she had slowly been growing accustomed to wearing them whenever she left the Inner Sanctum...With Sakura entrusted to Artoria, Vahn stopped distracting everyone before heading back to London to check on Luvia and see if she intended to spend the evening in the castle. Unfortunately, she had traveled abroad on a business venture, taking Siegfried with her. He had the option of teleporting to her side but, after keeping Olivia company for a few minutes, she managed to talk him out of it. The truth of the matter was that Luvia had been falling behind in her work so, to avoid appearing weak in the eyes of her competitors, she was taking more proactive action to keep them on their toes. Thus, after refusing Olivia's invitation to a late dinner, Vahn promptly returned to Avalon.Ever since the decision to travel outside, Vahn knew he had been falling behind on my of the things he should be focusing on as well. Though he had made a few small breakthroughs, the number of items on his plate had been increasing exponentially. With that in mind, he decided to follow Luvia's example and, rather than waiting for Kenshin to appear, Vahn entered into the Training Orb to seek her out directly. There, he found her and a group of more than one-hundred Homunculi occupying a small training field that had been constructed with materials imported from outside.Though having an endless white space for training was extremely useful for high-intensity combat, it could dull the senses of anyone unaccustomed to the rather peculiar environment. Since a person's mental state was one of the most important factors when it came to training, using an environment that emulated reality was infinitely better than spending time in an endless white void. This had been true even back in the Record of Danmachi where, after decades within the Orb, it had started to look like a small world that was rather comfortable to live in. When the girls had started Cultivating, even things like small mountains, cave systems, and waterfalls had been constructed.For similar reasons, there was now a large eastern dojo that had a stone stage that was around 500m in diameter. Currently, the group of Homunculi had formed into neat rows and columns, copying the techniques that were being demonstrated by Kenshin at the front. Since the latter had spent much of her formative years in a Zen Buddhist Temple, even serving as an Apprentice Master, she was adept at teaching others proper form. It helped that the Homunculi were both receptive and exceptionally attentive to even the small details. They also had considerable stamina and, with thousands of years of memories related to combat, they were some of the best possible students any Master of Martial Arts could ask for.With Vahn's arrival, Kenshin had immediately taken notice of his presence, straightening her body and performing a salute that was emulated by her students as they all simultaneously shouted, "We greet Master!" Then, in almost perfect unison, the group of Homunculi all sat in seiza, their backs straight and their eyes directed to the front. It was a commendable display of discipline that caused Vahn and Kenshin to nod in approval, an action that resulted in a peculiar atmosphere descending upon the group of remarkably similar women. Compared to the majority of Homunculi, quite a number of those present had a focused and clear light in their eyes, showing they were quickly awakening an Ego of their own, albeit one derived from martial discipline...It felt a little awkward to have interrupted things but, knowing Kenshin had been pushing herself a little too hard lately, Vahn guided her to the side after she called up a Homunculus named Shion to lead the group in their next set of exercises.Once they were alone, Vahn released an exasperated sigh that caused Kenshin to show an apologetic expression as she explained, "Don't blame me too much, okay? You've also been working hard and, with how much these women look up to me, I can't help but push myself...don't be mad..." As they were out of sight from her students, Kenshin, despite the fact she was only wearing a thin Gi and was covered in a thin layer of sweat, wrapped her arms around Vahn's body. He knew this was her way of keeping him from being too harsh, even though it wouldn't have bothered her all that much. Still, she had changed considerably since their first meeting and, unable to be mad at her, Vahn released a small sigh as he reciprocated her embrace and whispered, "Don't push yourself too hard..."While laughing in response to Vahn's concern, Kenshin rested her head against his shoulder before muttering, "I already know you've been looking for me...before it's too late, I wanted to help these girls build up a basic foundation. Since I won't be able to exert myself as much in the future, please allow me to be a little selfish for now..."Hearing Kenshin's words caused Vahn's heart to beat a little faster, something that was easily picked up by the peculiar white and black-haired beauty due to their proximity. This caused her to feel more mischevious than normal, a sly smile spreading across her lips as she rested against his chest and asked, "Ara? To think even His Majesty gets flustered when it comes to such discussions...or perhaps you are just excited? Does the thought of impregnating me make your heart go doki doki~?" As she was listening closely, Kenshin noticed that Vahn's heart did indeed fluctuate a few times in response, causing her own to flutter quite a bit...Snorting lightly through his nose, Vahn continued to hold Kenshin in his arms as he mused, "You have become rather bold..." This caused Kenshin to laugh in response before reminding, "Is that so? As I recall, I had no qualms about how you wanted to treat me from the start. My purpose in this life was always to serve Master, even before you allowed me to love you. Now that I've made my choice, what reason could I possibly have to hesitate~?" To punctuate her words, Kenshin leaned her body in Vahn's, allowing his leg to slip between her thighs as a hot sigh escaped her lips, tickling his chin.Though he didn't dislike when his women were more proactive, Vahn also wasn't the type to just sit back and remain passive. When Kenshin leaned into him, he lifted his leg slightly, allowing her to rest against it as he cupped her pert buttocks with both hands and lifted her body. This caused her to take a deep breath and, as she had already warmed up from training for several consecutive hours, a small puff of condensation escaped her lips as she exhaled. Then, though she wouldn't refuse him if he wanted to take her here and now, Kenshin extricated herself from Vahn's embrace so she could calm down. She could still feel the heat from his hands on her backside, a tell-tale sign that he had been taken in by her momentum, something Kenshin always found rather refreshing...After cupping Vahn's face with her hand, Kenshin continued regulating her breathing as she stated in a 'calm' tone, "As you allow me to be honest, I would prefer if you were to defeat me in battle before we produce an heir. Until then, I will continue to train these women as warriors before allowing them to choose their own path. I have already found my happiness so I will do my best to open the way forward for others. Know that you take my heart with you wherever you go, Master, so do not feel pressured to move forward and rush things. When you are ready, I will be waiting for your challenge anytime..." With that said, Kenshin briefly overlapped her lips with Vahns, allowing her emotions to reach him before resolutely returning to the training field to carry out the duty she had assigned herself...Watching her departure in silence, Vahn couldn't help but feel that Kenshin was a strong woman, not that any of the women he was involved with were weak. She was perfectly capable of forging a path for herself without anyone needing to direct her, all while keeping the emotions she had developed safely within her heart. Even if they were apart for several years, Vahn felt that Kenshin's heart would never waver, a sentiment that gave him considerable peace of mind. The women he was most fond of were generally those that didn't need him in order to thrive and prosper as, when he was battling, one of Vahn's greatest concerns was how those who had become dependent on him would live after his passing...Kenshin had a deeply rooted trauma and, though she still had a long way to go before she was able to truly empathize with others, she had made remarkable progress. Vahn felt that she saw herself in the Homunculi as, much like her past self, they showed little to no genuine emotion. If she were able to help them, it was a way in which she could validate her own progress. After all, rather than having others tell her she had come a long way, Kenshin was more so the type that sought 'proof' through her own efforts. Introspection could only take you halfway towards enlightenment and, unless you were able to help others find their way, you were nothing more than the proverbial frog in the well...Deciding not to interfere with Kenshin's efforts, Vahn directly exited the Training Orb before, his mind thinking about the best course of action. He could technically show up just about anywhere without anyone complaining about his presence but, much like Kenshin, it was also true that the girls had their own things going on. This was one of the major downsides to living inside of the Projection as, if they had a more standardized lifestyle, it would be much easier to decide when and how to spend his free time. Now, everyone's schedules could be all over the place and, though they would always make time for him, Vahn felt a little guilty knowing he was interfering with their growth just to cut loose...Shaking his head, Vahn dismissed any potentially negative thoughts as, even if he was getting in the way a bit, it was another expression of their will if they chose to make time for him. He hadn't forced any of his women into their current position and, knowing they would admonish him if he showed 'unnecessary' concerns, Vahn decided it was okay to be a little selfish. With that in mind, he decided to invade Rin's Magus Tower, choosing to enter in through the window after taking flight from the Knight's Training Field. Once Sakura had decided to focus on her Knightly studies, Rin had started spending most of her time researching [Primordial Rune] Magecraft during the evenings. As for her physical training, she followed a training menu given to her by Fenrir, albeit with limited success and a lot of muscle pains...Though he had concealed his presence, Rin didn't even look back at the window as she commented, "Give me a moment to finish this up, okay?" From the moment Vahn had decided to 'surprise' her, Rin had already been made aware of his presence, even if she couldn't personally sense him. Since she was currently engraving a rune onto a cut ruby, she couldn't split her focus without risking the entire thing exploding. Fortunately, her [Parallel Thinking] was extremely useful in situations like this as, even with part of her focus on Vahn's arrival, she didn't wave in the slightest as she used a set of gem-cutting tools to finish the engraving.Without making a single sound, Vahn closely observed Rin's work without allowing his thoughts to trigger her intuition. She had made a lot of progress over the last two months but, as [Primoridal Rune]s weren't exactly simple, Vahn guessed she was around D-Rank. Unfortunately, lacking his 'cheat', Rin had to spend a lot of time comprehending each rune as, rather than just being a few simple strokes on a surface, most runes were three-dimensional while also requiring a very finely tuned amount of mana to be infused into them during their creation.If not for the fact she was a prodigy in her own right, Rin would have needed to master [Rune Magic] before having any hope of understanding the logic behind [Primordial Rune]s. However, with a bit of guidance from Scáthach, combined with her understanding of [Jewel] and [Catalyze] Magecraft, Rin was steadily progressing toward mastery. Though some of this could be credited to the presence of Ishtar and Ereshkigal in her body, with the former sharing some of her experiences with Rin, it was still a testament to the fact that she was a genius, even if not quite at the level of someone like Da Vinci.After finishing the engraving, Rin used a magical tool modeled after a Jeweler's Loupe to analyze the structure of the gem and make sure it was not damaged by the rune. Even hairline fractures could drastically alter the effect of the rune and, though people like Scáthach could even use simple stones to achieve ideal results, Rin needed to be very cautious to avoid any accidents. This particular rune was a combination of 'Torch' and 'Ash', meaning it provided a significant increase to the destructive power of the gemstone once it was infused with Magical Energy. In fact, even by using a fraction of the standard amount of Magical Energy, Rin could achieve twice the output at a tenth of the cost.Confirming there were no structural issues with the gemstone, Rin released a sigh of relief before placing it on a small cushion atop her worktable. Then, turning around with a slight look of blame in her eyes, Rin half-heartedly complained, "I wish you would have informed me earlier. If I knew you were going to stop by, I would have prepared...tea..." As a table had appeared out of thin air as she was speaking, complete with a steaming tea set, Rin allowed her words to trail before shaking her head and walking over to sit next to Vahn. She honestly didn't mind the intrusion and, if not for the fact she had been in the middle of an intensive process, Rin would have been more than willing to attend him.With Rin sitting across his lap as if it were perfectly normal, Vahn produced an affectionate smile as he placed his left hand around her waist while resting his right palm atop her thigh. He didn't do anything untoward but it still caused Rin to give him a 'warning' look with her eyes as she relaxed her body and asked, "Did you get chased away by someone...?" Though Vahn was still an enigma, Rin liked to think she knew him well enough to read his expressions, even if he masked them. Thus, even without him answering, she lightly pinched his side in protest without further comment. This caused him to show an apologetic smile but, knowing Rin didn't really want to hear any excuses, Vahn just spent the next few hours making it up to her, passing the time idly and talking about everything from the weather on the island, her research results, and Sakura's upcoming birthday...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Artoria, Empress and Tiger Mom','Kenshin is a strong woman','Rin is working hard')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though they was somewhat difficult to track, and would invalidate their identities and passports back outside, things like birthdays obviously couldn't be overlooked. This was especially so for the younger generations that would reside in the castle as it was important for their development to have a day where they could quantifiable mark their growth. A person's perception of themself could change considerably with each of their successive birthdays, forcing them to 'act' their age, at least if they had others to compare themselves to. This was one of the reasons School was important in the outside world, one of the few things Vahn found somewhat acceptable in the current system.Sakura's birthday was usually in March but, after having been in the Projection for more than two months at this point, it wouldn't be long before her status reflected the change in her age. Rin had been dutifully keeping track of each and every day that passed for herself and her daughter so it wasn't difficult to know when the exact day was. As this would be their first time celebrating Sakura's birthday, she wanted to make sure everything went without a hitch. She always had a bad feeling that Sakura would one day recover her erased memories, even though it should be impossible, so Rin wanted her to have as many happy ones as possible before then...As Vahn obviously wouldn't just leave the matter laying, he helped to plan a small event that should leave Sakura with plenty of pleasant memories. His idea was to have a small family gathering with just the three of them, and perhaps Mordred. Since Sakura was clearly still a little uncomfortable with the knowledge that he had people other than Rin in his heart, Vahn felt that spending a day together would make her happy. As for her gifts, Vahn intended to give her a new set of ribbons to tie up her hair and a few 'wish talismans', simple hand-drawn charms that Sakura would be able to exchange for small wishes directly from him.Vahn knew there were a number of things that Sakura wanted to do with him but, as she was rather shy by nature, giving her a bit of an incentive would go a long way. There was always a small fear in a child's heart that they would be refused if they said something that upset the other party. With the wish talismans, however, Sakura would be able to think about what she truly wanted before gaining courage from the small paper charms. This would help her to break out of her shell and, much like Mordred, Vahn felt she could become a lively and outgoing girl with a gentle push...With such thoughts, interspaced through several other small incidents, the time within the Projection passed much like a blur. During this time, Da Vinci had dutifully finished a system that was capable of analyzing the internal structure of the body, including getting a basic layout of the Magic Circuits. Then, using a set of mechanical arms that had been integrated with the system, they were able to use Magical Energy in a manner similar to laser engraving. Though it would need to be finely tuned, it had the capabilities of carving any seal or rune that had been stored within Ark's databanks.More complex rune systems, such as [Primoridal Rune]s and [Fairy Rune]s, were currently beyond the scope of the system, but the Ouroboros Seal was actually rather simple in its structure. The hardest part was properly linking it with the Mana Circuits of the person receiving it but, with the ability to map the internal structure of the body, combined with the mechanical precision of the system, Da Vinci had reduced the time for each seal to less than a minute. As for why it had taken her so long to complete, Da Vinci had tried to replicate the process of Vahn applying his Familia Crest. Much to her frustration, she was met with a seemingly endless string of failures so, while Vahn was applying the Familia Crests, she had several instruments analyzing the process and had even spent a few days at his side observing with her own eyes.Ultimately, Da Vinci realized that, even if she were to be able to emulate the structure, her system would be unable to replicate the process without Divine Energy and the 'intent' of a God. As the Familia Crest was a link between a God and its 'children', it needed to be applied directly by the God in question to have any effect. Otherwise, even if she was able to break down and interpret the runic hieroglyphics that represented Divine Words, the only effect that could be drawn out from the crest was the ability to read a person's parameter values. This, however, wasn't all that useful outside of simply collecting data as, without the 'blessing' of the God who applied the crest, Da Vinci suspected it would actually 'prevent' them from growing any stronger, much like a curse.Though Vahn had reached the conclusion before her, his thoughts were just speculation based on his understanding of the Familia Crest and living alongside Gods for such a long period of time. He was curious about what conclusions she would reach so, without minding the somewhat intrusive nature of her 'assistance', he provided her with all the data she needed. This, of course, wouldn't be much of a setback for Da Vinci as, now that she knew how it was 'supposed' to work, it was only a matter of time before she developed a method to modify the crest's structure and develop one of her own. In the end, a Familia Crest was just an advanced form contract magic, obviously graded at Tier 4, so you only needed the combination of Divine Energy and a proper understanding of the logic behind its structure to make your own.---In the blink of an eye, a little less than four days had passed in the outside world, translating to a total of twenty-five passing within the Projection. A lot had happened in this short-but-long period of time but, without any major hiccups, the day for Sakura's birthday had arrived. Vahn had already talked things over in secret with everyone in the residence so, by the time Sakura awoke to prepare for her morning training, she was surprised to discover a pair of aquamarine eyes staring at her from the side of the bed.Before Sakura could recover from her shock, Vahn smiled in an affectionate manner before gently stating, "Good morning, my little cherry blossom..." This caused her to pull the blankets to cover half her face before realizing that her mother was no longer in the bed with her. Since she always felt a little 'scared' whenever she was alone with her Otou-sama, even though such feelings had started to fade away, Sakura began feeling nervous. However, when Vahn's expression softened even further, followed by him saying, "Happy birthday..." in a gentle tone, she felt a great deal of relief and a small amount of excitement.Since he planned to pamper her quite a bit today, Vahn helped Sakura pick out a brand new dress before having her clean up. Then, after patiently waiting for her to change, Vahn marveled at how cute she was before helping brush and braid her hair. Recently, Sakura had been assigned a duo of Maids, named Leeanne and Monet, to help her prepare for the day, but she greatly enjoyed having her Okaa-chan and Otou-sama help out instead. Though she had been developing a growing desire to be independent, especially as she continued her Knight training, such thoughts were never at the forefront of her young mind.While tending to Sakura, Vahn explained her itinerary for the day, softly musing, "Your training for the day has been canceled. Today, your mother and I will be accompanying you until the end. If you wish, Mordred and Momo can also accompany us..." As Sakura, much like everyone else, had grown rather close to her Companion, Vahn felt that the adorable little dog-type humanoid wouldn't be excluded from the festivities. Meeting his expectations, Sakura didn't even seem to consider it before happily exclaiming, "I want to bring them! Onee-chan will be happy to get out of her training and I can't leave Momo-chan behind...!"With Sakura having made the decision herself, it wasn't long before Vahn politely opened the door to allow his daughter and the well-groomed Momo to exit. Since Momo had been designed for Sakura specifically, it was modeled after a type of dog breed known as a Shiba-Inu. This gave it golden brown fur that was soft to the touch, pointed ears, and a small tail the curled into a loop that was always happily waggling as it followed behind Sakura. With its tiny legs, it struggled to keep pace but, rather than showing any signs of difficulty, it always had a 'happy' expression on its face, especially when Sakura led it by hand or carried it along with her.As Sakura usually awoke much earlier than Mordred, as she was a very earnest young lady, the latter was still sleeping rather slovenly within her room. Outside her door, two Maids, named Natasha and Mila, gave polite bows before quickly departing after Vahn had dismissed them for the day. With him having completed most of the treatments, combined with the fact that the Homunculi had started to seek work of their own volition, the Inner Sanctum was now rather populous with a rotating staff of 130 people. They had completely replaced the Golems that had been present previously and, as it seemed to be work they 'wanted' to do, Vahn had nothing to say against it.Even after entering Mordred's room, the tomboyish princess didn't show any sign of vigilance at all. Instead, she was wearing nothing but a loose t-shirt and a pair of panties as she sprawled out atop her bed, loudly snoring as she scratched the area where her seal was located. This caused Vahn to rub his temples while Sakura, used to such sights, just giggled before musing, "It doesn't suit Onee-chan to be ladylike. Don't let it bother you too much, Otou-sama." Then, without further comment, Sakura shimmied into the bed before 'pouncing' on the sleeping Mordred who had awoken around the same time the former invaded her bed.Despite the fact that Sakura was in a dress, and Mordred had been caught off guard, the two had a short wrestling match, fumbling about and tickling each other. At the side, Momo and Neko just snuggled up with each other to watch the 'battle' play out. One of the things the Companions had taught themselves, without Da Vinci's intervention, was that they could pet and cuddle with each other to 'fulfill' their given purpose. This led to some rather adorable scenes as, after discussing the matter with Da Vinci, there were now several hundred Companions in the castle. As a result, when they were not being pampered by their Homunculi owners, it wasn't all that rare to find a group of Companions congregating together in one massive pile of fluff, hugs, and cuddling.While feeling he should have brought Skoll along with him, Vahn walked over to the side of the bed before lightly poking Mordred's side. She had pinned Sakura to the bed and seemed to be enjoying her victory as she laughed wolfishly and continued to tickle her younger sister, despite the latter's protests. Since Vahn didn't want Sakura to have any accidents or get upset, he decided to interfere with their playing, causing Mordred to jump up like a cat with its tail stepped on as a small burst of 'electricity' spread through her side. Before she landed back on the bed, Vahn caught her with his Telekinesis, causing her to face him as he stated in plain tone, "Don't bully your little sister, Mordred. Today is Sakura's birthday. You don't have to go easy on her, but don't push things too far, okay...?"Though birthdays weren't all that important more than fifteen hundred years ago, Mordred knew they were a bigger deal in present times. Thus, even though she had originally felt she had done nothing wrong, Mordred chased away such thoughts and simply nodded her head. Then, when Vahn set her back down on the bed, Mordred gave Sakura a spontaneous hug while patting the top of her head and stating, "Happy birthday, Sakura~!"As 'headpats' had become a rather common sight in the castle, with Vahn's bad habit and the extreme pettability of the Companions being largely to blame, he wasn't surprised to see Mordred caressing the top of Sakura's head. The latter also didn't show any surprise at all and instead just hugged Mordred in response before explaining the fact that she wouldn't have to train today. This caused Mordred to jump up on the bed, happily spinning Sakura around while kissing her on the cheeks, now much more excited than she had been previously...---Having Mordred, Momo, and Neko come along ended up being the correct choice as, while Sakura enjoyed spending time with her parents, children were only truly comfortable around other children. After their family picnic, Vahn played hide and seek with the girls using the apple orchards as their hiding grounds. Though the orchards themselves had been set up neatly fifteen hundred years ago, it was a given that they would have grown wild and unfettered without proper care. Regardless of this simple truth, Vahn actually found it preferable for forests to grow wild like this and, knowing the Dryads would tend to them in the future, he had never sought to 'fix' them.Fortunately, at least for the time being, all of the Fae were located outside of the Projection so there hadn't been any major incidents. Thus, without worrying too much about their safety, Vahn turned off his domain as he explored the forest comprised almost wholly of apple trees. It was quite the sight to behold, with only a few beams of light breaking through the thick canopies, giving it a somewhat mystical feeling. Since the presence of Fae could even be felt in the projection, it wasn't an exaggeration to say that the orchards of Avalon had become a magical land where Fairies and Spirits wandered freely...Pretending not to notice the girls a few times, as even Mordred was surprisingly bad at concealing her presence, Vahn eventually exposed their hiding spots before snatching them both up. He had allowed them to move around and evade him a few times so they had enjoyed it quite a bit, even if the game had a foregone conclusion. Still, it was impressive to see that even Sakura could dodge through the trees with relative ease, albeit at considerable cost to her stamina and Magical Energy. As for Mordred, she was basically a monkey with how easily she could navigate the overhanging branches. She spent nearly the entire game in the canopies, only coming to the ground to hide in the underbrush after reaching an area with less tree density.Despite the fun they were able to have with him, it wasn't all that long before Sakura and Mordred were playing games on their own. This left Vahn and Rin seated together, overlooking the girls playing tag in the frost-laden meadow. Sakura was actually happiest just to see her Otou-sama and Okaa-sama together and, as she liked playing with Mordred, it had been her 'machinations' that resulted in Vahn having to keep his rather amused lover company. They both understood Sakura's scheme so, while not doing anything 'too' intimate, they still made a show of cuddling together and simply enjoying each others company.By the time lunch had come around, Mordred and Sakura had worked up a bit of a sweat so Vahn interrupted their game with a thermos of hot chocolate before using cleaning magic to remove the sweat and grime from their bodies. Since it gave a pleasant and tingly sensation, which Vahn himself was rather fond of at times, both girls happily drank their cocoa while a small bed of brackish liquid formed at the tip of Vahn's finger. Then, after tossing it to the side, Vahn escorted the two girls back to the picnic site to enjoy some of his hand-cooked meals and give Sakura her presents.Though not as 'magical' as Circe's, Rin, Mordred, Sakura, and even the two Companions, all seemed to enjoy his cooking quite a bit. In the past, Rin had even blamed him for using his cooking to 'tame' her so Vahn knew that his had a few unique qualities that Circe's lacked. Since 'intent' meant a lot when it came to pretty much everything, Vahn filled each of the dishes he made with a considerable amount of emotions. Not only did he genuinely enjoy cooking, but he sincerely desired that anyone he cooked for was able to be a little happier after eating his prepared meals. Seeing the smiles on people's faces as they happily ate his food meant quite a bit to him so, while his understanding was lacking, Vahn knew there were likely some Laws at work that amplified the effects of his cooking...When the meal concluded, with everyone eating a little more than they probably should have, it was finally time to give Sakura her presents. This was the part of a birthday most children looked forward to and, though she was already more than happy with how her day had been going, Sakura was no exception. Though she had enough patience to unravel her presents without tearing the material used to wrap them, Sakura's eyes were glimmering with excitement when she opened the first small parcel. It was a locket that had been forged by Vahn but had been modified by Rin over the last three weeks. As a result, it had quite a number of protective properties but, what meant the most to Sakura was the fact that it showed the three of them together as a family within the locket...After waiting for Sakura to finishing hugging Rin, Vahn handed over his gift, drawing the attention of his two daughters as it looked like a simple stack of paper that was adorned with gold leaf. He found their reactions rather amusing as he explained in a calm and casual tone, "These charms are known as Wish Talismans. I handmade each and every one of them. As for their function, you can use them to make any request of me. So long as it does not endanger yourself or others, I will always do my best to grant you wish..." As the stack had a total of thirty slips, Vahn felt it should be enough to help Sakura break out of her shell while also benefitting considerably, depending on how she used them.Mordred seemed very excited to hear to explanation but, contrary to expectations, Sakura showed a thoughtful expression as she stared at the stack of charms. Then, with an innocent, almost pleading, look on her face, Sakura asked, "Can I wish for anything...?" Since he had expected such a question, Vahn dashed his momentary worry as he smiled and answered, "Yes, so long as you do not try and wish for more wishes..." This didn't seem to be what Sakura had in mind, however, as she held up one of the slips moments after hearing his response, stating, "I wish to give this present to Okaa-chan...!"Though he had been caught off guard by Sakura's outburst, Vahn felt a sour sensation in his nose and, resisting the urge to tear up, he accepted the small slip before allowing it to dissipate into small flakes of gold. He already knew what Sakura cared about the most but, seeing her selflessly give away her present so that her mother could be happy caused him to feel a wave of emotion. It wasn't just him, either, as Rin had to cover her mouth to avoid an emotional outburst of her own. Following this, the atmosphere became rather awkward but, understanding Sakura's sincerity, Vahn managed to swallow the knot in his throat as he muttered, "This wish...I will grant it..."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Da Vinci's determination','What do you call a group of Companions..?','Sakura is a little angel (T ^ T)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Though he had been able to speed up the process considerably, it still took around 113 hours for Vahn to finish treating an additional five-hundred Homunculi. He could have actually finished even faster but, after Sakura's first intrusion, she would return after finishing her daily training in order to help him out, even a little. Once, Mordred had accompanied her as well but, after sitting 'still' for a few hours, she got extremely bored before ultimately wandering off. Vahn had been somewhat sad to see her go as, for the three or so hours she had been present, things had been rather lively.Mordred might have had slightly destructive tendencies, breaking some of the equipment he had stocked in the room, but she was considerably less tense around the Homunculi than Sakura was. Fortunately, seeing the interactions between her 'Onee-chan' and the patients served as a proper example for Sakura so, even after Mordred left, she had made more of an effort to get them to open up to her. As the Homunculi were all starved for such interactions, and children were much easier to talk to than adults, many would politely make conversation with Sakura during the few minutes that Vahn engraved the Familia Crest on their backs.Seeing the positive reaction from the Homunculi had a similar impact on Sakura, causing her to fall into her role as his assistant quite well. She had a very kind and caring nature by default so being able to help others was something that made her happy. Since she would also get praised by her Otou-sama, Sakura ended up pushing herself a little too hard and, if not for the training she had been doing with Artoria, she wouldn't have been able to keep at it without complaint. As a result, when Vahn finished with his final patient, Sakura had already been dozing off at the side for around forty minutes, covered in a warm blanket he had pulled out from his Inventory.After seeing off the Homunculus named Sidney, Vahn picked up Sakura's adorable bundle in his arms before carrying her to the Inner Sanctum to rest. Since Rin was in her Magus Tower, busy with her research on [Primordial Rune] Magecraft, Vahn chose not to bother her as he placed Sakura in his own bed. This had disturbed Circe, who had been lounging in his bedroom with nothing better to do, but Vahn managed to pacify her easily after stealing her away to the connected bath. After the first time he had bathed her, this was one of the things Circe enjoyed the most and, as she had been behaving lately, Vahn felt inclined to reward her.When Artoria accepted to become his official Empress, there were many other things that had been discussed at the table, including who had access to Vahn's, and now Artoria's, room. Due to Circe's status, she was allowed to enter his bedroom freely but, alongside Fenrir and Medusa, they now shared a room together. When Vahn felt the need to relax and wanted to be pampered himself, he was supposed to be able to enter their room to cut loose.As for how and why they all ended up in the same room together, this was largely due to Fenrir's influence in the group, making her the de facto leader even with Circe's and Medusa's obstinate personalities. They were also the girls who had animal traits and, though Vahn felt it was a strange decision on their part, the three had decided to call it their shared room, which was arranged in a very abnormal fashion, the 'Emperor's Menagerie'. Though Vahn had yet to enter for more than a brief moment, he had seen the large wardrobes of costumes present and, instead of a normal bed, there was essentially just a large pile of fluffy cushions on a massive mattress. It was rather messy but, considering who the room belonged to, combined with its purpose, Vahn felt it was strangely appropriate...With Circe leaning against the side of the tub with a contented expression on her face, Vahn was absentmindedly manipulated a ball of warm water to 'comb' over her wings. He had gotten used to the powerful aphrodisiac her body naturally produced so, despite feeling considerably warmer than normal, he was able to remain relatively calm, even without proactively resisting her charm. This was also due to the fact that Circe herself had stopped proactively trying to 'test' him, her eyes a soft blue with a subtle hue of pink overlaying them.Vahn knew she was studying Magic under Fenrir, the thing that had made her open up to the latter, so it likely wouldn't be that long before they finally stepped across that final line. Knowing this, Circe was considerably less stressed out than in the past and, though she would get annoyed if he turned his attention to others, she had quickly learned that he could handle more than one woman at a time. Since she and Medusa had similar natures, the two got along well with each other and, though neither was particularly fond of Fenrir, they both respected her decisions as the 'leader' of their little group. This resulted in both girls getting pampered more often so, rather than stir up trouble, Circe had become decidedly docile compared to her past self.After finishing with her wings, Vahn noticed Circe shift as she began to fidget about in expectation, fully aware of where he would clean next. This caused him to smile in amusement before, meeting her expectations, cleaning her tail feathers, including the area where they connected to her lower back. As was often the case, Circe's wings began to twitch in response and, knowing it would get a small rise out of him, she made no attempt to hide her sonorous moans. At the same time, her aroma became significantly more potent but, as he had already been prepared, Vahn was largely unaffected as he gingerly cleaned around the especially sensitive area. Then, with her long ears waggling in front of him, Vahn found it impossible to resist so, trusting in the soundproof barrier, he bit down on the adorable extension, causing Circe to release a loud cry that echoed through the bathroom for several seconds after her voice lost its strength...---Though Vahn was tempted to accompany Circe to the Menagerie, he didn't want to leave Sakura alone. At this time, there were very few people resting and, if not for the fact Sakura had pushed herself, she would have gone to bed hours ago. As Vahn was also quite tired, he escorted Circe back to her room before doubling back and snuggling up with his daughter for a few hours. She often got nervous when it was just the two of them but, shortly after Vahn climbed into bed, Sakura sought out his warmth as if it was natural before muttering with a small smile on her adorable little face, "Otou-sama..." This caused Vahn's heart to feel as if it was gushing so, while she would probably be very embarrassed after waking up, he affectionately cradled Sakura in his arms before kissing the top of her head and whispering, "Have a pleasant dream, my little cherry blossom..."---Unlike most people, Vahn very rarely ever dreamed, something that had been a product of his [Will of the Emperor] blocking nightmares in the past. Now, however, the moments in which he was able to just 'shut down' were extremely rare so, when Vahn faded into unconsciousness, it was often pure darkness that awaited him. Even then, he was always aware of the passage of time and, even without his subprocesses to observe his surroundings as he slept, Vahn was still aware of almost everything going on around him. He could sense when Rin had poked her head into the room, the hesitation Artoria had while standing outside their door, and when Fenrir placed her paw against the door and wished him pleasant dreams...Vahn felt extreme gratification at times like this, almost as if he were the center of everyone's worlds, even when they were individual entities. Thus, while he slept, Vahn expanded his aura by instinct as he sent out calming energy intended to bring comfort to everyone within nearly five kilometers. This encompassed the entire castle and, though the effect was considerably weaker than if he were to use it directly, it still caused a warm and peaceful atmosphere to descend upon everyone within his domain. Even the Homunculi who now resided in the castle all stopped to experience the pleasant warmth flowing through their bodies while, locked away in their shared Workshop, Da Vinci set her tools aside before musing, "Perhaps I should take a cat nap myself..."With many of the others sharing this sentiment, it wasn't long before the majority of the castles residents decided to take advantage of the warm and pleasant atmosphere to take a nap. The only exceptions to this were people like Scáthach, who never truly slept, and Merlin, who was actually far more energized during the evenings than during the day. As an Incubus, a race that originated from the moon and fed primarily off the dreams of females, he was exponentially stronger after night had fallen. Under the light of the full moon, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he was without equal, able to castle illusions that could cover entire continents, at least until the sun rose once again...While most people fell into a peaceful slumber, Merlin had his usual whimsical smile while, instead of appearing in a Magus Tower, the interior of his chamber looked like an expansive meadow. With his limited omniscience, Merlin was aware of everything going on in the castle at almost every point in time, irrespective of its residents' wills. Though others might call him a pervent, and other dastardly names, he was not the type to leave things to chance. He opted to give people privacy when they were engaged in intimate acts but, even then, he always listened closely to any conversations going on within the castle, looking for the smallest signs that a traitor might appear in their midst.As he could not see the future accurately due to Vahn's presence, Merlin was far more proactive than he had been in the past, all so that a tragedy would not occur. Thus, if he found out that someone was slipping into a negative mentality, he would observe them closely for signs of dissent. Even if it might be an invasion of their privacy, this included intruding into their dreams as, compared to the awake mind, the subconscious was far more honest. If he found the seeds of ruin, Merlin would use his ability to outright devour such thoughts, replacing them with subtle hints that would guide them back onto the path of light. He didn't care if others resented him as, rather than controlling their minds, he only 'corrected' misunderstanding they had formed due to their misunderstandings and other insecurities...Vahn was unaware of it, but it had been Merlin's persistent efforts that allowed Mordred to accept her current position as, even though she was well-behaved on the surface, the conditioning of her mother, Mordred le Fay, was not something that could be easily overcome. This was especially the case when she was sleeping as, though she was happy and outgoing while awake, Mordred was plagued by nightmares as she slept. She had killed a lot of people throughout her life, including the person she had respected and looked up to the most. Thus, whenever she would fall into the abyss of her own subconscious, Merlin was always there to replace the memories with happy ones, mostly related to the time she spent with Vahn and Fenrir.Merlin had felt powerless against fate in the past but, now that he was under no such restrictions, he was doing everything in his power to make things go as smoothly as possible. As a result, everyone in the castle had rather pleasant memories every night, the only exceptions being Vahn, Fenrir, and Medusa. Try as he might, the two peculiar subordinates were beyond his means to effect without drawing their attention while Vahn's mental defenses were unlike anything Merlin had ever seen. He knew that, if he ever tried to pry into Vahn's mind, a world of pain likely awaited him for the attempt. Even a simple probe in the past had caused him to spend three days recovering and this was when Vahn had overtaxed himself after training with Scáthach, seemingly dropping his guard completely...Concluding that Vahn's mind was protected by the World itself, Merlin had never attempted trying to peek a second time. Instead, he had to rely on the Memory Link experienced by the Heroes Vahn had summoned which, admittedly, had been rather eye-opening. He felt that the world Vahn hailed from was very interesting and, though the Gods present were distinctly different from the ones in his memory, he simply chalked this up to how worlds could diverge to take on very different forms. His omniscience was bound to his own time axis and, though he was aware of the multiverse, Merlin was unable to enter into a world where his counterpart was already present. There were certain rules he had to follow in order to exercise his power and, though he was able to bend them a bit after Vahn's arrival, this didn't mean he could just ignore the 'purpose' he had been given.Thus, while the majority of the castle's residents slept, Merlin's eyes flashed with small lights, many subtle shades of pink and violet. It was impossible to discern through normal means but, from his perspective, Merlin was able to peer into the dreams of everyone within the castle simultaneously. He had also heard Vahn's remark to Sakura, hoping she was having a pleasant dream, so Merlin happily obliged. Previously, Sakura had a rather 'odd' dream where she was surrounded by several Homunculi, feeling somewhat envious of their development compared to her own. Now, with his intervention, Sakura was dreaming about flying through the sky alongside Vahn and Mordred, a simple way to reinforce the idea that she was happiest when together with them...After making a few tweaks, Merlin had an amused expression on his face as he stared at a small pink orb in his hand. The color of the orb always reflected the nature of the dream and, as a defensive mechanism of sorts against things like Depression, the brain often opted to trigger dreams that were related to rather 'precarious' or 'intimate' experiences. Even for someone as young as Sakura, though she herself was unaware of it, the way in which she viewed the Homunculi would subtly affect her mental image and how she acted around others. Since these memories were often tied to Vahn, Merlin knew one of the directions she could veer toward if left unchecked. Knowing this would only sew discourse within the Imperial Family, he dutifully tossed the small pink orb into his mouth like hard candy, enjoying the bittersweet taste as it melted in his mouth...While humming to himself, Merlin continued viewing the dreams of everyone else in the castle, his primary focus being those of Illya and Iris. They were curled up together within the Library, creating a scene that warmed Merlin's heart as he believed there was no greater expression of love than the moments shared between a mother and her children. Though his own mother had died giving birth to him, as she had been a simple human, Merlin felt a close bond with the woman as, during her pregnancy, she often spoke to him affectionately. He also spent a lot of time within her dreamscape and, though he had very little control over his power back then, she never once treated him like the monster others would view him as if they knew his true nature...Though it was almost impossible, Merlin's father had fallen in love with his mother, to the point he had even ceased to exist after going against his own nature and refusing to devour the dreams of others. Thus, from the moment of his birth, Merlin had been an orphan, born in the same meadow he now used to bring himself comfort when he felt lonely. Fortunately, he had been very powerful since birth as, rather than a normal Incubus, his father had been the ruler of his own Dimension located in the gap between the Earth and Moon. As a result, Merlin had inherited much of his father's power, including his responsibilities as a Beast of Gaia, even though he was considered a foreign and 'impossible' entity by virtue of his very existence...Lightly shaking his head, the image of a man and woman who had been standing behind him faded away as Merlin focused his mind on Illya's dream. Inside of an endless expanse of darkness, she and Cath Palug were huddled together in the embrace of a figure that looked similar to Vahn. Due to the small conflicts in how they viewed him, the image wasn't really true to form so Merlin made a few small tweaks, drawing the attention of his former Familiar. Unlike in the past, however, Cath Palug didn't show any hostility as it stated in a very clear tone, a stark contrast to the broken language it used to converse with others, "Do not mess around with my head..."With his characteristically whimsical smile, Merlin lightly mused, "Worry not, my friend. You know I cannot break my promises. Look, I'm just making the image a bit clearer for you. Shouldn't you be thanking me instead~?" Now, instead of the vague image from before, there was a distinctly Vahn shaped figure cradling the two, complete with fluffy white hair, large ears, and a curly tail. This was the form Vahn had taken when emulating Cath Palug, causing the small squirrel-like creature to give a small nod in response to Merlin's words. He did not, however, express his gratitude and instead just snuggled up against 'Vahn' with a comfortable smile on his face.Shaking his head, Merlin complained in a tone that Cath Palug wouldn't be able to hear, "I wonder why I even bother with you at times. Always so ungrateful..." Though he worded things in a way that expressed his frustration, Merlin still had a smile on his face as he left his former companion to his own devices. Then, as he was most fond of doing, Merlin took a peek into Artoria's dreams which, compared to the past, were usually filled with pleasant scenes instead of plagued by worries and thoughts of battle.Since she was very perceptive and had spent years learning from him within her own dreamscape, Artoria was able to sense if he tried to manipulate her. Thus, after entrusting her to Vahn's care, Merlin had only viewed from a distance rather than interfere directly. The fact that she still had pleasant dreams always brought a smile to his face and, even though he sometimes wanted to 'punish' Vahn, Merlin felt vindicated every time he saw his faux-daughter happy. It was Artoria's happiness that he was most concerned with as, after failing her in both the past and present, Merlin felt she deserved it. If she could be happy, he believed he would be liberated from his own curse and, though her played the fool around Vahn and Vivian both, Merlin genuinely wished to love someone the way his father had loved his mother...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Sakura, number one assistant (T ^ T)~!','Circe is so spoiled xD...','Merlin is a surprisingly hard worker...? Still a Dick Wizard though (o 3 o)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1198: Reflection