Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

After teaching the Third Princess how to properly use the bracelet, Vahn spent a bit of time just answering her questions and teaching her about Magic. The diorama had a time dilation of 24:1, so, even if he stayed inside for a few hours, it wouldn't make too much of a difference.Vahn knew the majority of Mages in the Akamatsuverse required a catalyst such as a wand or a staff to properly cast Magic. They were often formed of a magically conductive material and could be further engraved to enhance certain elemental affinities. This allowed specialists to greatly increase their power, but, as a result of using tools their entire lives, most Mages were helpless once they were disarmed.As a member of the Imperial Family, Theo had been drilled on manipulating magical energy without a catalyst from a very young age. This was to ensure she could always defend herself in an emergency, but, due to her nature, she actually had more talent for reinforcement type spells than her actual elements, Light and Lightning. She was the type that would rather beat someone with her own hands and feet, but, due to the education imposed upon her, she was not able to truly shine.Though there was nothing wrong with becoming a Magic-Knight, developing both Magical Power and Ki alongside each other, the Hellas Empire still had dated views on how males and females who behave as members of the Aristocracy. The boys were often given an education related to military strategy, commanding troops, and wielding armaments. The girls, however, were taught to focus on etiquette, diplomacy, and long-range support spells. This might seem like a rather misogynistic system, but the primary purpose was to prevent female Aristocrats from falling into the hands of enemy nations.If a Prince were captured, they would generally be ransomed for a handsome reward before ultimately being returned to their home country. Princesses, however, often experienced far more tragic ends, often becoming mere prizes that were used to flaunt the status of the ones who had been able to capture them. Their treatment was often far worse, as, even if they had a high amount of political value, that only further incentivized enemies to hold onto them in order to pressure and shame the country they had been stolen from.Sadly, much like every Record he had visited thus far, there seemed to be a disparity in the treatment between men and women within the Akamatsuverse. Vahn knew the reasons for this, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. As a result, he didn't mind teaching Theo a few tricks that just might save her life in the future. He also encouraged her to learn from Jack himself, but, much to his surprise, she rebutted him.According to Theo, Jack was a 'perverted idiot who doesn't know how to explain things in a way other people can understand'. It seemed that she had tried to learn from him a few times, but, in the end, most of his lessons devolved into little more than repetitive exercises and live combat practice. Both of these things were very important for anyone who wanted to become strong, but, due to the vast power disparity, Jack wasn't really qualified to teach others. Most of his training methods also involved forming an armor-like layer of red muscle to protect the body, so, after developing abs and biceps in a very short period of time, Theo decided Jack's training methods simply weren't for her.Despite her tomboyish nature, Theo had been educated as a 'young lady' since birth so she still cared about her appearance. Just the thought of turning into a 'muscled gorilla' like Jack had nearly deterred her from trying to become a Magic Knight, but, after learning about the existence of female Ki Masters, wielding monstrous power despite their petite and flexible frames, she became more motivated.Unfortunately, finding a Ki Master within the Hellas Empire was very difficult as it was infinitely easier to comprehend the mysterious internal energy in areas with limited mana. This meant the most proficient Ki Users typically came from Earth, remaining there until they had finished building their foundation. It was only after they reached the bottleneck faced by nearly every Ki User that they began their pilgrimage to the Magical World.Since it was virtually impossible to find an unaffiliated Master who was also willing to teach their secret techniques to outsiders, learning how to manipulated Ki was no simple feat. It was even harder for someone like Theo, who, as a result of her Hellasian heritage, already had a massive amount of magical power inside her body. This was true for all Hellasians, but, as a member of the Imperial Family, Theo's path was like the proverbial carp attempting to climb a waterfall in order to become a dragon.Fortunately, when it came to internal control, meditation, and even Ki techniques, there were very few people more knowledgeable than Vahn. He had, quite literally, millions of texts that directly related to the topics, and, after a cursory analysis of Theo's constitution and affinities, it was a relatively simple matter to set her on a relatively smooth path. He just needed to give her suitable cultivation, meditation, and breathing techniques. After that, he helped guide the energy in her body so that she could familiarize herself with properly circulating Ki. Everything else would rely on her own efforts, but, with a 24:1 diorama, her potential would undoubtedly blossom in a very short period of time...---After refusing Theo's attempts to get him to remain for a few days, Vahn returned to where he and Medusa were waiting before canceling his manifestation and setting out under the cover of darkness. He had likely changed the fate of the Hellas Empire quite a bit just by cleaning up the Coliseum, boosting Jack's reputation, and teaching Theo how to grow stronger. He would probably need to lend them a hand in the future, but, for the time being, he had set his sights on the most famous location of Mundus Magius: Ostia, Capital of the Vespertatia Kingdom.Though it would probably throw a massive wrench in the canon history, Vahn had never cared about sticking to conventions. He knew the country was ill-fated, having less than three years until its destruction, so there was little sense in just waiting around. It might be better to focus on increasing his strength until the Great Magic War began, but, in that time period, millions of people might die. While this had very little to do with him, Vahn wasn't the type of person that would just sit on the sidelines and allow the innocent to suffer for the sake of some 'plot'.After reaching the fabled kingdom, Vahn intended to look around for a bit to see if he could uncover any of Cosmo Entelecheia's henchmen. There was even a chance he would find their actual base of operations, and, though it would likely be very difficult to just storm the place, it was an absolute advantage knowing where it was. If the members of Ala Rubra had been able to storm the place, the likelihood of them being able to stop him from teleporting around was slim. If he managed to create a spatial anchor to pinpoint the location, there was a fair chance he might even be able to simply 'nuke' the location from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away using his Lightning or Light Emperor raiments.Imagining the looks on his enemies' faces as he bombarded them from a distance they likely had no means to cover, a smile spread across Vahn's face. He rarely 'played fair' when it came to villains, especially those who arbitrarily perpetuated things like slavery and the suppression of species. They likely had some grand ambition or some higher cause, but, regardless of the merit behind their argument, their methods had earned his ire. He might not completely wipe them out, but, if they refused to pursue a less destructive path, Vahn would allow them to feel the helplessness of their victims...---With the Magical World only being around a third the size of Earth, it only took a few hours to fly between the Hellas Empire and the Kingdom of Vespertatia. He could have completed the trip even faster, but, just like back in the Nasuverse, Vahn generally enjoyed flying around. He enjoyed the feeling of the wind passing through his hair, and, with various creatures such as giant birds and even dragons flying around, Mundus Magicus was truly a sight to behold from above.After passing a few places he was interested in touring at some point, such as Elfenhof and Al Jamira, Vahn finally reached the pale-blue shores that denoted the beginning of Vespertatian territory. Here, the concentration of mana was higher than virtually any other region found in the Magical World, and, as a result, Vahn could see countless Elementals frolicking amongst the dense, ruin-pocked, forests. Though there was also the occasional scene of some massive creatures fighting over territory, Vespertatia gave off the impression of a land untouched by the corruptive influence of civilization...Ignoring his urge to just touch down and explore the forest for a couple of days, Vahn set his sights on a rather fantastic sight, even in a place called the Magical World: a series of massive islands floating in the sky. This was the Capital of the Vespertatian Kingdom, an archipelago of floating islands that were collectively known as Ostia, home to millions. It was one of the few places where you could find humans and demihumans coexisting without any racial tensions, as, due to the limited living space, Ostia was very selective about who could reside there.Vahn found the idea of separating civilization and nature in this manner to be a rather novel idea. Not only was it an awe-inspiring sight to behold, but, perhaps due to the limitations that came with governing such a nation, the islands were exceptionally peaceful. Though they had a military, the main focus of Vespertatia was on magical research, academics, and reclaiming lost arts through archeological surveys and the analysis of ancient relics...---After passing largely undetected through the various barriers that surrounded the series of floating islands, Vahn found a relatively discreet location to touch down. Flight magic wasn't particularly rare in Mundus Magicus, but, unless you had something like a broom or a unique artifact, you would stand out quite a bit. Since Ostia was a relatively restricted area, they had very strict policies regarding who entered and exited the city. Customs officials in the form of Valkyrie-like Knights were constantly on patrol for any suspicious individuals, walking around with rather futuristic devices that could identify a person from their magic signature. This was a countermeasure against Transformation, Disguise, and other forms of Magic that were well-suited to things like espionage.Though their policies seemed unnecessarily strict, it wasn't difficult to understand the reason behind their caution when you imagined the aftermath of massive islands falling from the sky. Ostia was effectively a collection of giant meteors that made the one that killed the Dinosaurs seem small in comparison. They may only float around 5km above the surface, but that was more than enough to trigger a devastating mass-extinction event. This was one of the reasons that Ostia was able to act as a mediator in several conflicts, as, not only did they possess some of the strongest magic users in the world, but, even if you could fight them, the consequences were, potentially, 'very' devastating.Seeing the islands for himself, Vahn could easily understand why Arika, the future Queen of Vespertatia, had chosen to crash land Ostia into the continental shelf. Though this earned her the title of 'Queen of Calamity', it prevented Cosmo Entelecheia from completing their main objective while also ensuring that Ostia could never be used as a weapon. It was something very few would be able to pull off in her position, and, if not for the fact she had effectively turned her entire population into slaves, Vahn would have had a great deal of respect for the woman who was undoubtedly one of the Record's heroines...---As Medusa stood out quite a bit, Vahn had split into two forms, one idling about in the forests of Vespertatia as his main body explored the magical city. He noticed that people used Magic for virtually everything in Ostia, be it lighting, climate control, and waste management. There was even a network of interconnected formations that spanned the entirety of the city, making it impossible to enter certain places unless you had permission to. This made it even harder to infiltrate without first passing through Customs, but, after changing his appearance to one of the sleeping residents, Vahn was able to trespass freely. He didn't know what would happen if the formations detected the same person in two separate locations, but, regardless of what happened, he would be able to escape.Using his borrowed form, Vahn walked through the neatly maintained streets that were lined with large buildings, some more than twenty-stories tall. Space was limited on Ostia so most buildings, including the monstrous palace complex located on its own personal island, were built to occupy more space vertically than horizontally. They were constructed from a type of white stone that appeared to be some kind of magically reinforced concrete. This would have given the city a very 'samey' appearance, so, to offset this, various types of plants were grown in, on, and around each structure.Seeing how neatly maintained everything was, combined with how polite and respectful the citizens were in passing, Vahn's first impressions of Ostia were quite high. It might feel a little bit stuffy, especially with vigilant patrols constantly gliding between the buildings, but the vast majority of residents seemed truly happy. He hadn't seen a single instance of a stable human and demihuman family in the Hellas Empire, but, here in Ostia, it seemed common. This was likely due to many couples migrating to Ostia after falling in love, turning the city into a haven for those who were unfairly ostracized by their home countries.Though Ostia undoubtedly had its fair share of problems, population and resources being the two most notable, it was easily the most progressive nation prior to the Great Magic War. This made it worth protecting, so, after spending more than an hour just watching people happily go about their lives, Vahn began making his way toward the larger of the Palaces located near the westernmost region of Ostia. There were more than a dozen total palatial structures, but, as was often the case, Vahn assumed the largest belonged to the reigning Queen, Anarchia Entheofushia, the sickly mother of the future queen, Arika Anarchia Entheofushia.The Ostian Royal Family was a matriarchal lineage that had developed the habit of naming their Descendents in accordance with their ancestral Matriarchs. This meant that, as the future Queen of Vespertatia, Arika inherited the name of her mother and grandmother. Her firstborn daughter would then inherit her name, and, until the line of succession branched, this would continue regardless of how many names a person inherited. Vahn found this to be more than a little 'excessive', but, as his own Empire had quite a few unique traditions, he decided not to judge...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Theo about to become the new protagonist','Vahn actually managed to avoid stopping over at a country of Elves!?','Imagine a ninth-generation Queen ('o .o)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Far more so than the Imperial Palace of the Hellas Empire, the palaces designed to protect the Ostian Royal Family were surrounded by a comprehensive set of barriers. With a cursory scan, Vahn was able to sense a total of thirty-nine, but, trusting his instincts, he spent the better part of an hour probing a total of 108 barriers. There was even one that sent out an invisible pulse of nigh-undetectable magical energy several times every second, scanning and mapping the interior for any sign of change.Vahn was confident in his stealth capabilities, but, seeing how ridiculous the defenses of the main Palace were, he had to consider his options properly unless he wanted to earn the ire of the Royal Family. This didn't particularly matter, but, with artifacts like Theo's cloak, which had the ability to even fool his conventional scans, Vahn couldn't underestimate the capabilities of the Akamatsuverse. There were even entire schools of martial arts that revolved around killing Immortals, so, even compared to the Nasuverse it had a few concepts that could setbacks his plan quite a bit...After thinking for the better part of half an hour, Vahn decided it might be best to simply go forward with his actual identity. He was intending to make a name for himself, and, though it would probably become troublesome in the future, having connections to the Ostian Royal Family wasn't necessarily bad. He already intended to save the doomed nation, so, even if he wanted to try and play the part of a mysterious stranger, there were no merits. Rather, he was planning to draw out Cosmo Entelecheia by becoming a thorn in their side, a plan benefited from a more 'direct' approach.With his mind made up, Vahn adorned the casual attire he often wore while fulfilling his duties as an Emperor. He had become quite fond of the outfit, and, though it made him seem like an anime protagonist that never changed their style of dress, this was actually very normal within the Records. Though things like fashion existed, a surprising number of people, including the residents of the Inner Sanctum, gravitated towards the same type of outfit. (A/N: Vahn's casual attire is literally what he wears on the cover.)As if a switch had been flipped, a regal and mildly suppressive aura immediately radiated out from Vahn the moment he donned his usual attire. It wasn't as impressive as it had been in the Nasuverse, but, with hundreds of Elementals happily gathering around him, Vahn felt it would suffice for his intentions.By the time he had finished his preparations, Vahn noticed a total of thirty-five Magic-Knights converging on his position. He found their Valkyrian-like armor rather intriguing, as, in a way, it was similar to the exoskeletons that had been produced by Da Vinci. They were significantly less advanced, making them somewhat bulky and hard to move around in, but they were still quite remarkable to observe due to the skilled piloting of the Ostian Royal Militia...Seeing their quarry standing stationary, the Captain of the Squadron descended with a rather unnecessary 'hero-style' landing before rising to their feet and saying, "State your identity and purpose! This is a forbidden area and you are not a registered citizen of Ostia! If you refuse to cooperate, we are authorized to use deadly force...!"With his hands casually folded behind his back, Vahn turned toward the man before calmly stating, "Inform your Queen that the Sage Dragon Emperor has arrived. I will give you three hours to pass my message and return to me. After that, I will enter the Palace directly. Know that I do not seek conflict with your people, but, if you attempt to bar my passage, I will have little choice but to act."Finished with his words, Vahn closed his eyes and pretended to ignore the encirclement that was meant to cut off his escape. This was enough to trigger a few alarm bells in the Captain's mind, so, rather than immediately ordering Vahn's arrest, he pulled out a device that looked like a large pocket watch, but, instead of a clock face, it had an emerald green liquid inside of it. This was a device used to make an approximation of a person's strength and determine if they were hostile, but, much to the Captain's surprise, it didn't seem capable of detecting the energy of the man silently standing before them.Suddenly feeling as though this was a matter above his paygrade, the Captain signaled for the encirclement to widen. He decided it was best to simply cordon off the area, report the situation to his superior officer, and request backup from other squadrons. There was even a chance the target was familiar with a member of the Royal Family, so, until more information could be obtained, treating him as a dangerous yet 'safe' entity was the best way to mitigate casualties and collateral damage...Vahn was somewhat surprised by the level-headedness of the Captain, but, considering how peaceful and orderly Ostia was, it wasn't too surprising. It was a testament to how disciplined the Ostian Royal Militia was, a stark contrast to the rather disorderly Imperial Guards that had been present in the Hellas Empire. He couldn't even sense one with a blackened aura, giving the entire squadron a very 'righteous' vibe...---After a surprisingly short period of time, roughly seven minutes, Vahn was surprised to sense more than two-hundred people surrounding him. This wasn't particularly noteworthy, but, as if they were a singular entity, all 219 members spontaneously adopted a position of attention. At the same time, a peculiar Airfish, shaped and styled much like a goldfish, approached from the direction of the Palace. It was accompanied by a small squadron of shark-like Airfish that were basically the fighter jets of the Magical World, each capable of hypersonic speeds and equipped with twin-mounted magic cannons and a host of barrier-breaking missiles.Though the entire scene was quite something, Vahn took special note of the fact that there was a barrier around the goldfish-like ship that made it difficult to detect. It seemed to have a function that looped back the magical energy output of its engineers, recycling it to be used in the forward mana battery, a massive cannon that could even blow off the top of a mountain when fully charged.Even without having the situation explained, the actions of the Royal Knights and the emblem painted on the side of the goldfish were obvious indicators that a member of the Royal Family was on board. This was a rather curious development, as, even after introducing himself by his title, Vahn hadn't expected them to come out and greet him. This improved his opinion of the Ostian Royal Family quite a bit, as it was indicative of humility rarely found in Aristocratic lines.Without landing, the goldfish-like Airfish stopped around two-hundred meters from Vahn's position, just outside the encirclement. Then, from the aft section of the ship, a young woman of around 14-15 years old leaped out, the hem of her pink dress fluttering gracefully as she descended silently to the ground. She had neatly trimmed golden hair that extended past the small of her back, and, despite her relatively small frame, there was a phenomenal amount of power swirling about inside of her.Sensing the presence of Divine Energy within the woman's body, Vahn now understood why Royal Magic was so much more powerful than normal Magic. Higher forms of energy had the inherent ability to suppress others, and, especially when it was derived from higher Laws. He could tell that the pseudo-divinity contained in the woman's body was the power of Creation itself, so, unless someone used the Laws of Destruction against her, she had a nigh-absolute advantage against most people...Waiting until the woman was only a few meters away, Vahn opened his eyes, a casual smile spreading across his face as he said, "You do me a great honor, Princess, personally coming to receive me. It is no wonder the Ostian Royal Family is held in such high regard. Now, I am even more certain about my decision to lend you my aid..."Showing absolutely no change in her expression, giving her the appearance of an ice queen, the Princess stated, "I am Arika Anarukia Enteofyushia, Queen-Incumbent of the Kingdom of Vespertatia. Pray tell, Sage Dragon Emperor, why have you come here?"Towards the end of her introduction and questioning, Vahn noticed Arika's heterochromatic eyes flicker towards the Elementals in his surroundings. It seemed that there was more to her peculiar green and blue eyes than their beauty, causing Vahn to smile as he grabbed one of the Elementals from his shoulder and presented it to her.After staring at what most believed to be an empty hand, Arika attempted to grasp the tiny Wood Elemental, but, unlike Vahn, her fingers passed through it as if it didn't exist. The fact she had actively tried to grab it, however, was enough to confirm that she could actually see them. This showed she had a relatively pure heart, as, according to most studies, the only people able to see Nascent Elementals, besides those with the innate talent, were children and exceptionally pure-hearted individuals.With his impression of the Princess improving by the moment, Vahn lightly chuckled before saying, "Don't let it bother you. The fact you can even see them speaks volumes about your character, Princess. As for the reason behind my visit, it is as I stated previously: I have come to provide aid. I only hope your status as Queen-incumbent is a precautionary measure, as it would be truly regretful if my arrival was too late..."Understanding the meaning behind Vahn's words, Arika showed an almost imperceptible amount of surprise, asking, "You have come to help my Mother? Do you truly possess such capabilities?"Noticing the skepticism visible in Arika's eyes, Vahn resisted the urge to roll his eyes, smiling as he stated, "Though my primary title is Sage Dragon Emperor, those privy to the truth of my identity also know me as another name: Godhand. It does not matter the severity of the injury, the potency of the poison, or the power of the curse. So long as even a sliver of life remains, I can prolong it indefinitely."Though she would normally take such claims with a grain of salt, the rather ridiculous number of Elementals around Vahn lent some credibility to his claim. When she first heard the reports of someone referring to themselves with three prestigious titles, Arika's first thought was that he was just some conman that wanted to win the favor of the Royal Family. She had originally come with the intention of driving him away, but, now that she saw him up close, hope began to return to her weary heart...After several seconds of silence, Arika surprised the surrounding Knights by saying, "There is no need for further caution. For the time being, the Sage Dragon Emperor is a personal guest of the Ostian Royal Family. Return to your duties."As the orders of their 'Queen' were absolute, every member of the Royal Knights answered with a perfectly timed salute. Vahn even suspected the Commander and Captains had some kind of device that automated the reaction with the activation of an unnamed spell...Understanding that Arika was making a gesture of good faith, Vahn gave an appreciative nod before following behind her as she led the way towards her rather unique Airfish. Then, using seamless flight magic, she ascended towards the aft entrance of the ship without looking over her shoulder to see if he could do the same. This was rather amusing, so, giving in to his bad habit, Vahn used a nigh-instantaneous [Koku Shundo] to appear on the ship's deck, his arms crossed behind him as he waited for her arrival.Seeing the strange man waiting for her, Arika fought hard to resist the urge to look over her shoulder. She had the distinct impression she was being messed with, so, after softly landing on the deck, she combed through her long bangs, common in the Akamatsuverse, and asked, "Does the Sage Dragon Emperor enjoy showing off his skills?"Not expecting such a composed response, Vahn's brows raised slightly as he stated, "When you are faced with a life of perpetuity, it is important to find ways to keep yourself entertained. I generally restrain myself during serious situations, but, when the conditions allow, I can be rather mischievous. I will not ask for your forgiveness, only that you do not take my occasional teasing to heart."Hearing Vahn's response, Arika gave an 'understanding' nod before walking past him and descending into the ship. She was tempted to ask him about his age and origins, but, feeling as though he was trying to bait her, she decided to momentarily shelve her curiosity. The most important thing was confirming whether or not he could actually help her mother. If he turned out to be full of hot air, she would not hesitate to personally beat him down with her bare fists.Unaware of the 'judgment' that had already been made against him, Vahn followed Arika into the ship, surprised to find it completely empty. It could easily house a small group of people, complete with four rooms, a full-sized bath, and a kitchenette, so he had expected there to be a small crew onboard. Instead, it seemed like the peculiar ship was Arika's personal craft, and, though it wasn't nearly as advanced as something like Ark, it actually had a rudimentary AI to keep it under control when she wasn't aboard...Noticing the 'surprise' visible in Vahn's eyes, a small feeling of pride welled up inside of Arika. It didn't show on her face, not in the slightest, but she always enjoyed the reactions of guests when they first entered her Airfish. It was something she had designed herself, and, though it was ultimately built by a team of specialist engineers, she still took great pride in it.After taking a seat at the helm, Arika began to manually pilot the Airfish toward the back of the main palace, the location of the Royal Family's personal Fishport. There, quite a number of unique Airfish could be seen, most of which were designed by Arika herself. She might not be very expressive, leading some to refer to her as 'Noh Mask Princess' and 'Ice Queen', but that didn't mean she was without passions. It wasn't well-known outside of the Palace, but she was actually something of a battle and adrenaline junky. If not for her status as the Crown Princess, she would have liked to travel the world and enter international Airfish races, conquering the skies and becoming Queen of the Airtrack.Unfortunately, with the burden of rulership placed upon her shoulders, Arika had to keep her passions under control. She could not afford to be emotional as the lives of millions of people were in her care. If she made a mistake, countless lives could be lost, and, with the threat of a global war lingering over her throughout her entire life, she had to be prepared to make hard decisions in order to protect her people. This was her fate as the future Queen of Vespertatia, something she could never escape...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn be like, "Deadly force? Heh..."','Is this the power of fate!?','Feels like all 'good' Aristocrats don't like being Aristocrats...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1545: Study : Abroad