Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though the order of things had been skewed due to documents provided by Marisbury, Vahn found himself alone with Olga after a series of long discussions about how the children would be cared for. It was decided that all of the children would receive at least a basic education and, as they may be involved with the Court in the future, they would also be taught things like etiquette, manners, and dance. Other than that, they were free to live their lives how they pleased, so long as they did not endanger themselves and others.The only exceptions to this were Juliet and Alex, the latter needing a bit of discipline to guide him back on the correct path while the former needed to be treated with special care. Not only was she the youngest amongst the girls, but her trauma seemed to be especially deep. She was responsive to questions and did what was asked of her but, much like how Preasia had been in the past, it was as if her body was on auto-pilot.For the time being, Juliet would be attended by a group of six Homunculi on rotation, making sure there was always at least one person nearby while her Companion covered any gaps. As for girls like Zoë and Astrid, they were a lot easier to deal with as the former simply desired freedom, something that wasn't difficult to arrange, while the latter seemed content just to have a few extra Companions. Though they weren't the 'animals' she had wished for, this didn't seem to matter too much as, after laying eyes on them the first time, Astrid was quite taken with the adorable and fluffy creatures.With the Empire about to enter a period of rapid change, followed by a temporary lull, it was a good time for the children to have arrived in Avalon. Vahn was hoping that, by the time his children were born, they would already be well on their way to recovery. It only took them realizing that the castle was a safe place for them to begin opening up and, with the care and concern of a veritable army of Homunculi, Vahn was confident they would bounce back and find happiness.Now, there was one last loose string Vahn needed to deal with as, for the most part, the care of the children would be left to others. After all, he was the Emperor and, though he would care for them when necessary, having direct involvement in their growth would lead to complications. Thus, while they were getting settled in, Vahn was tending to Olga. She had taken quite an impact after learning what had happened to the children but, as their fate was out of her hands, Vahn was trying to cheer her up.At first, Olga had been too distracted to think clearly but, after a few minutes of being alone with him, her awareness of the situation returned. She now sat at his side with a red face, gripping the hem of her dress in silence. He had previously been coaxing her and explaining that it was neither her nor her father's, fault. Rather than beating herself up over something she had no control over, he wanted her to look toward the future by focusing on the present.Having grown accustomed to listening to his advice, it wasn't that long before Olga began focusing on her current situation. Her memories from the lunch discussion hit her like a loaded truck and, now that there was virtually nothing standing between her and Vahn, she was both scared and excited for what was to come. Despite this, Vahn just kept holding her hand, gently stroking it with his thumb as he remained just as silent as her. This made Olga progressively more nervous as, with the silence, she could hear her own heart beating furiously in her ears.Feeling that the tensions had increased enough, as he didn't want Olga to pass out on him, Vahn let go of her hand, startling her a bit as he lifted her chin so that their eyes met. Then, after a few tense seconds, Olga began to close her eyes as she pursed her lips in an awkward, albeit adorable, fashion. Since he didn't want to torment her, Vahn dutifully gave her a kiss and, as time passed, Olga slowly shifted her body until she was no longer sitting next to, but leaning against, him. Vahn also hugged her waist with his left hand, allowing Olga to go at her own pace so that she didn't get spooked by any of his actions.With Olga having no experience leading others, despite her rampant delusions, things developed in a rather interesting direction where Vahn had his head craned back, forcing Olga to slowly climb his body as she chased after his lips. Now, she was half standing on the sofa, kissing him from above as she held his head in place to keep him from 'running' further. This was rather amusing but, with her butt poking out, Vahn ultimately lost his patience, giving her plump posterior a gentle squeeze that caused her to nearly knee him in the face when she jerked her body.Now redder than he had ever seen her before, Vahn smiled at the heavily panting Olga, asking, "You really enjoy kissing, don't you~?" Since they had already been making out for over twenty minutes, his words seemed to deal critical damage to Olga as she squatted down on the sofa, hands covering her face as she released a girlish squeal. Afterward, staring through the gaps between her fingers, she answered, "I don't know what else I should do...this is all new to me...aren't you supposed to be the one to take the lead...?"Hearing the blaming tone in her final few words, Vahn just smiled back at Olga before reaching out to stroke her head as he said, "Sorry, Olga. I was enjoying your reactions. You were doing well and I shouldn't have teased you..."Having mixed in a compliment alongside his apology, it wasn't long before Olga dropped her hands, releasing a hot sigh as she leaned against him once again and said, "It's not like I'm blaming you or anything...you don't have to apologize." Then, after swallowing hard, she seemed to have mustered up her courage as she added, "You can just tell me what to do...okay?"Though he knew Olga was just fishing for more praise, this was one of the things he found charming about her, at least after getting used to her quirky nature. Thus, for the better part of an hour, Vahn taught Olga quite a bit, building up her experience and courage further through proper guidance and ample praise. Eventually, even without him telling her what to do, she began experimenting on her own, most of her fear having been forgotten due to the mixture of euphoria, intrigue, and a fair amount of pleasure.While it wasn't the most stimulating experience he had gone through, there was something about seeing an intellectual woman work hard to please you that brought a smile to his face. There was even a moment when she was talking to herself while kneeling between his knees, apparently going through some kind of step-by-step process she had learned through dubious sources. Though her efforts would have been fruitless in a normal situation, Vahn rewarded her by giving the 'expected' reaction, causing Olga's eyes to widen before she began to panic in a futile attempt to stymy the flow with her hands and mouth.After that rather unique experience, Vahn helped to wipe her down before giving her a very long and deep kiss. Then, as it was only fair to do so, he returned the favor in kind, causing Olga to nearly tear a few holes in the sofa as her fingers dug into the material. This was all she could manage as, with Vahn holding her hips in his inescapable grip, she was fated to ride the waves until he felt her body was properly prepared. By then, Olga's body had become limp against the sofa and, with eyes that could see into eternity, she moaned for the umpteenth time, "Thaass enough...haafuuu...staaaahp~"Using a hand towel to wipe his face, Vahn gazed back at Olga, causing her glazed eyes to turn in his direction, looking both at and beyond him. He smiled back at her before lightly pressing his finger against the slightly puffy mound, causing Olga to instantly release a nasally moan before adopting a pouting expression. This was only for a brief moment, however, as he picked her body up in the next moment, carrying her like a princess toward her bed. Though it would have been better to move to her room, Olga spent most of her time in the Magus Tower and, knowing some of the things she had done in his absence, Vahn didn't feel guilty about making use of the small yet comfortable bed.By the time he set her down on the bed, a bit of clarity had returned to Olga's eyes, causing her to bite her lip anxiously as her legs instinctually remained shut. Vahn knew better than to rush things so, rather than pressure her unnecessarily, he just sat down next to her before leaning down and giving her a kiss. It wasn't until she began to relax her body, largely due to his persistent stroking of her abdomen, that he snaked his hand between her already steamy and moist thighs. This caused her to tense up again but, as he kept her mind distracted, it wasn't long before Olga's legs were splayed apart like a frog on a dissection table, her hips moving with his movements...Due to the extended foreplay, Olga's body was more than ready to receive him so, after she arched her back one last time, Vahn deftly moved to a position where her thighs were propped up against his. This allowed him to look down at her indescribably beautiful figure, her body deep in the throes of passion as she stared back at him with her glazed golden eyes. With well-shaped breasts, parted lips, and a veritable furnace awaiting his intrusion, Vahn couldn't help but whisper in a hot and heavy tone, "Breathtaking..."Despite the state she was in, Olga managed to roll her eyes when she heard his remark but, with an almost goofy smile on her face, it was clear she appreciated the compliment. Then, after settling her breathing, she looked back at him and said, "I'm ready..." Though she was momentarily tempted to ask him to be gentle, Olga felt that Vahn had already shown more than the appropriate amount of consideration for her. Thus, even if she was a little scared of the pain, Olga was looking forward to the moment more than anything else.Not keeping her waiting any longer, Vahn lubricated his glans, tracing it along her slightly parted vulva and running it passed her clitoris which, nearly an hour prior, had come out to play. This action caused Olga's body to tremble but, now ready to explore the uncharted depths of her sacred cavern, Vahn pulled back his hips, this time using his glans to probe into the steaming folds before settling at a tender and palpitating entrance. For a brief moment, Vahn felt like her vagina was suckling his glans, much like she had been earlier, but he ignored the wayward thought as his dauntless charge into unclaimed territory began.Though there was certainly a twinge of pain, Olga was surprised by the ease in which Vahn pierced into her body, despite her eyes rolling back for a brief moment as the air escaped her lungs. She had seen it up close previously and, no matter how she thought about it, the idea of such a large object entering her relatively small insides seemed impossible. In the past, even a single finger caused her a bit of pain so, feeling something unbelievably hot poking at her deepest parts was quite a shock for the young Magus.Seeing the shock and confused intermixed in Olga's pleasured expression, Vahn had an urge to issue a light chuckle but, considering the situation, he resisted. Instead, to give her body time to adapt, he began to thumb the tiny bead that seemed to be begging for his attention while lightly stroking the tuft of curiously white hairs decorating her mons pubis. Though the majority of women he slept with seemed to take grooming very seriously, he found the tuft of delicate, down-like, hairs to increase Olga's charm. Generally, even if a woman had a lighter hair color, their pubes would be dark brown or black so finding the tiny mound of white hairs was a pleasant surprise...After recovering her senses, Olga began to feel an ache in her body that made her feel extremely anxious so, with Vahn not moving, she began to wiggle her hips experimentally. Immediately after that, she felt a warmth pressed against her that caused her eyes to peel open as Vahn embraced her body and began a slow and steady piston. Each of his movements caused a shiver to run up her back as she clung to his body by instinct. Though she had the feeling that Vahn was literally gouging out her insides, Olga didn't care about such things at the present moment as, with the ache fading away, an overwhelming wave of pleasure began to run through her body.---Since it was her first time, Vahn didn't push Olga too far as, in the back of his mind, he was still a little worried she would become an addict. He already had to worry about the aftermath of Luvia's lockpicking so, this time around, he placed more emphasis on foreplay and other intimate actions, rather than the sex itself. This seemed to be the correct choice in the end as, by the time he had released himself inside of her, Olga was already nearing her limits.Now, though her body was covered in a layer of sweat, Olga was curled up in his arms as they shared the small bed together. She was still breathing heavily but, rather than panting, Olga was drawing in air through her nose in a pattern indicating she had already fallen asleep. Since she had a happy smile on her face, Vahn couldn't help but emulate her as he absentmindedly watched her sleep, periodically picking aside a few stray hairs clinging to her brow. Then, though his own body was still a little tense, Vahn just kissed Olga's forehead before wrapping her in his arms and going to sleep himself...(A/N: Short chapter because writing sex scenes makes my brain melt xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

For the rest of the discussion, Olga either sat with her head down, cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, or ramrod straight as she attempted to put on a strong front. This would ultimately fail but, as this quirky nature was one of the things Vahn had come to appreciate of the pale-haired beauty, he had a smile on his face seeing her behavior. Lord Animusphere seemed a little troubled by how she was behaving but, with Vahn, an Emperor, not saying anything, he didn't have much ground to stand on.All in all, things had become relatively pleasant in the dining hall, at least until Lakshmibai appeared to inform Vahn about the arrival of the children. This put a dampener on his mood but, in order to allay any concerns they undoubtedly felt, he decided it was time for the luncheon to end. He had the staff see Lord Animusphere off, as doing so himself was actually considered improper, while he and a confused Olga made their way to a waiting room attached to a large ballroom where the Edelfelts would sometimes host parties. As it was an 'important' part of Aristocratic culture, most of the main mansions and estates belonging to the most influential families had such a room.Since Olga would be the Director of Chaldea in the future, he knew she needed to be aware of what had gone on in order to avoid repeat instances. Though she might not have to worry about this, as it was likely Chaldea would just become an extension of Da Vinci's work, meaning it would have almost inviolable security, it was still her family's legacy. To that end, Vahn preempted his meeting with the children and allowed her to view the related documents.Needless to say, Olga was more than a little shaken by the contents but, with him there to remind her it wasn't really her father's fault, she was able to remain mostly calm. In the end, she even held the documents close with a determined expression on her face as she promised, "I swear...I will never allow something like this to happen again...!"Vahn offered a sincere smile in response before plopping his hand down on Olga's head, stroking her hair as he answered in a low, almost hypnotic voice, "I know, Olga. I believe in you, after all..." With that said, Vahn moved aside Olga's bangs and moved to give her a kiss on her forehead. This didn't go quite as planned, however, as Olga hopped up on the tips of her toes and stole a kiss from his lips before retreating away with a beet-red face. Vahn was actually a little caught off guard, at least until Olga peeked back at him and mumbled, "W-w-w-we're g-going to b-b-be m-m-married in the fu-future...!"Though he was tempted to remark that they were technically already married, as the ceremony was only a formality in such situations, he knew Olga's modern mentality meant she was looking forward to her wedding. In this age, many young girls grew up with dreams of having a big wedding, even in the Aristocratic Magus families. Since Olga was 'uniquely' delusional, it was a given she expected a grand celebration of their marriage so Vahn just proferred an affectionate smile in response before they made their way to where the children were waiting.If not for the fact he had seen them the moment they arrived within the bounds of his domain, Vahn would have been both surprised and annoyed to find the children were all neatly dressed in formal attire. The girls all had on prim little dresses that accented their youthful traits and made them look a little like a group of Princesses while the only boy, Alex, looked like a little Lord in his small, high-end tuxedo. He looked particularly uncomfortable amongst the group but, considering the girls all had practiced smiles and lightless eyes, this wasn't unexpected.Accompanying the children was a woman with dark purple hair who seemed to be in her forties. She was also dressed formally, wearing attire that wasn't unsuited to a ball, albeit with a relatively tame design. She also had her hair styled up in a neat bun with a pair of half-rimmed golden spectacles that gave her an intelligent appearance with her almond-shaped blue eyes. When she saw Vahn and Olga appear, she gestured toward the children who were already standing in a line. This caused the girls to all curtsy in a practiced manner, one leg in front of the other while lifting the corners of their dresses, while Alex crossed his arm over his chest and bowed at a low angle.Vahn currently didn't know what he expected of the children in the future but, as the most important thing was to provide them with the opportunity to flourish, he adopted a calm yet deep tone as he stated, "Raise your heads." Then, turning to the Governess, Vahn gave a polite nod, adding, "Lord Animusphere is waiting for your arrival before departing. Please take care on your way out." Though it was clear she was a little surprised by the dismissal, the woman was practiced in etiquette so she dutifully performed a second curtsy, answering, "Your Majesty's words are a blessing." before quickly alighting from the room.Since he had no intention of taking the woman with him to Avalon, as her presence might just make life more difficult for the children, Vahn waited for the Governess to depart before passing his gaze over each of the children in turn. They were all arranged by height but, with Alex standing on the far left, as he was both the youngest and shortest. As for the eldest amongst them, Mash, she was in the very center of the group as two of the girls were only around a year younger than her. Due to their 'template', however, they were genetically disposed to be a little taller. They were named Zoë Meyer and Astrid Aeland while the youngest girl was named Juliet Byrnes.Noticing that all five children were quite tense, despite the lack of emotions on the girls' faces, Vahn decided not to keep them in anticipation for too long. Since she was both the oldest, while being in the most convenient position, Vahn gazed into Mash's singular lavender eye as her right was covered by her bangs. She briefly broke eye contact with him before looking back by impulse, causing Vahn's heart to feel as if it had a hand gripping it, despite his calm expression. He then asked, "Mash...if you could wish for anything...what would you choose?"Vahn wanted to know if these children had any kind of hopes, dreams, or ambitions as, if there was no hope for a natural recovery, he was prepared to either erase their memories or ask for Merlin's assistance in repressing the worst. What he didn't expect was for Mash to stare at him silently for several tense seconds before answering, "I want to protect humanity...if I were given a wish, it would be to eliminate suffering..." This answer caused the 'hand' gripping his heart to tighten as, for a brief moment, there was a small glimmer of hope within Mash's eyes, indicating she wasn't simply just answering in a way she was taught.After giving a small nod, Vahn turned his attention to her right, making eye contact with Zoë, a girl with platinum-blond hair and grey-blue eyes. She seemed to understand what he was going to ask so she answered in a dull tone not all that dissimilar to Mash's, "I would wish for wings. I want to be able to fly high in the sky...above even the clouds..."Though he knew this was Zoë's way of saying she wanted to be free, Vahn gave a curt nod before turning his attention to Astrid, Juliet, and then Alex. Astrid wished to be able to eat good food and live in a place surrounded by animals while Juliet had the most heart-breaking wish by saying she just didn't want to be hurt anymore. This wasn't as troublesome as Alex's wish, however, as the red-headed youth unabashedly met Vahn's gaze as he answered, "I would wish for power. Power to kill anyone that wants to hurt me...!"It could be the result of his age, as he clearly hadn't thought about the situation he was in, but Vahn didn't hold it against the young boy. Having experienced a fate not all that dissimilar to these five children, Vahn could understand the desire for power. If he had been given a different choice in the past, he very likely would have gone to extreme measures to get his revenge. It was only the result of Klyscha's guidance and the multitude of experiences he went through after the fact that changed his perception of the world.Surprising Alex somewhat, Vahn gave an understanding nod instead of rebuking him like every other adult in his life. His face immediately formed into a frown after the fact, however, believing that Vahn was just another person trying to manipulate and control him.Vahn didn't particularly mind Alex's behavior, so long as he didn't act out too much. He already had a plan for the young boy but, before that, he looked over the children once again before saying, "My wish is to create a world where other people can achieve their own. I do not tolerate unnecessary violence, but I will do my best to make sure all of your wishes come true. Even then, your happiness is ultimately the result of your choices. If you cannot accept the present and face the future, the past will consume you...it will take time, but I want all of you to be happy."Since he knew actions spoke louder than words, Vahn didn't expect any of the children to outright believe what he had to say. The only way he could guide them forward was to make good on his promise, helping them to achieve the happiness they deserved. Fortunately, with Avalon being a rather mystical place, their baseline for reality would naturally shift and, with a Companion to keep them company, it shouldn't take too long for them to open up. After that, they would have some freedom in making choices in their own life, be it becoming a member of the castle's staff, a citizen of the Empire, a capable Magus, or even a Knight.The most difficult part of their adaptation to Avalon would be the fact that, despite his intentions to care for them, none of the children would have any status. He would also be their physician and, due to their trauma, this could result in them distancing themselves from him or, even worse, being too eager to please him as a result of their conditioning. Though this would all be ironed out in time, it was still a little troublesome as Vahn couldn't invest the time they might need from him. He would have to observe them and get a better understanding of their true nature before giving them small pushes toward the path that suited them.Deciding to make an impact on them as soon as possible, Vahn caused the group to tense up as he made his way right in front of Mash. Though she was only fifteen years old, Mash was already 156cm with her body even eclipsing girls like Rin in many places. Vahn knew from the documents that Mash had gone through some of the most terrible things a woman could experience, especially as a child. Despite this, she didn't shy away from him, doing her best to maintain eye contact as she repressed the trembling of her body. She reminded him a lot of Preasia after he had rescued her from slavery, causing Vahn to adopt the gentlest expression he could manage as he stated, "I will heal your eye..."Due to the tense state of her body as he extended his hand toward her face, it didn't seem like Mash had processed his words. She just stood there statuesque as he moved aside her bangs, finding a lavender iris that had a very advanced stage of cataracts. There was also a rather vicious scar that passed over her eyelid and cut into her cheek. It had healed over almost perfectly, but the scar tissue itself was a stark contrast to the fair complexion of the young girl.Under the watchful eyes of the other children, Vahn had Mash close her eyelid as he placed his index finger gingerly against the surface. Since he was using his [Hands of Nirvana] to mask his touch itself, the only thing Mash felt was a bit of warmth flow over her chaotic mind, helping her calm down. Her eye then began to itch slightly but, after only three minutes, Vahn removed his hand and said, "Open your eyes." As she was accustomed to listening to orders, Mash immediately opened her eyes only to find that Vahn was holding a small disc to obstruct the view of her left eye.It took a little while, but Mash eventually processed what it meant to still be able to see Vahn. At that same moment, he pulled out an oval handmirror, holding it in front of her face, allowing her to see that both her eye and the scar around it had been healed. Seeing her reflection, Mash couldn't resist bringing her hand to her face, touching the somewhat tender skin and confirming that it was indeed her own reflection in the mirror. This caused her eyes to moisten slightly but, as her tears had long since dried up, this was the extent of her emotional response as she adopted a practiced smile and stated, "Thank you, Your Majesty."Though Vahn would have preferred a more honest reaction, he was still satisfied with the results as, slight though it may be, there was a small glimmer in Mash's eyes. Since he was also cheating a bit, using his View Affection to determine their mental state by the color of their aura, he noticed that her value immediately jumped to 51 from 38, making her impression of him slightly better than neutral. This was a good baseline for the future, though the (Trust?} parameter always bothered him a little bit.Using his treatment of Mash's eye as a segue, Vahn explained, "You will come to learn more about the Empire and myself in the future. For now, know that my official title is Sage Emperor, granted to me as a result of treating the injuries and solving the issues of various races. I will first heal your scars and extend your lifespans so that you have as much time as you need to make your wishes a reality."As could be expected, the children seemed uncomfortable with the revelation, despite the fact they both feared death and wanted their scars removed. Since one of the methods that had been used to make them more cooperative was making promises that were rarely kept, it was hard to accept his words at face value. If not for him treating Mash's injury with such ease, they wouldn't have believed him for even a moment. The saddest part, however, was that they would still accept treatment as, for their entire lives, they never truly had a choice. If nothing else, Vahn seemed like a nice person, even if, in the back of their minds, they thought he was just another pretender.Seeing the grey-ish purple auras possessed by the children, the only exceptions being Mash and Alex, Vahn felt a little saddened. Though he didn't let it show on his face, he wanted the children to be able to trust him, despite the fact he understood why they couldn't. Fortunately, Mash actually had a subtle yellow to her aura and, though it was troublesome in its own way, Alex had more red and orange in his aura than anything else. This indicated rage, indignation, and slight envy, causing Vahn to wonder if he might have a bit of a sister complex toward Mash. As the eldest in the group, she was the 'anchor' for the others, something Vahn could make use of in their future treatment.Since giving them detailed explanations of what to expect would only confuse them, Vahn decided to just return to Avalon so they could be paired with a Companion and begin their recovery. With that in mind, he shepherded the group toward the basement, something that caused Zoë and Juliet to tremble, but they still trudged forward nonetheless. It helped that Kenshin, Lakshmibai, and Olga were present, despite the latter having an expression of guilt as she saw how the children behaved.After reaching the transfer room, Vahn had Alaya move them to Avalon without delay, disorienting Zoë somewhat, despite the fact there was no actual motion involved. This caught Vahn's attention but, until she was ready to accept his Familia Crest by her own will, he wouldn't try to pry into her secrets. He knew from her file that, like Sakura, she had the Imaginary Numbers element so, in the future, she would be adept at using Space, or potentially even Time, elemental abilities. Since they all had sufficiently complex Magic Circuits, with an abnormal amount of Od, they had a lot of options in the paths they could walk.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Bye Felicia','Open your eyes and see...your eyes are open~.','Alex be like, "You, don't you lay a finger on my Onee-chan...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/mn5xMbE

Chapter 1223: Guidance