Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Around the same time that Vahn was giving Aoko a tour of Avalon, he also teleported to the holding cell where Scáthach had been storing her captives. At this point, she had crippled most of the Nobles associated with the summoning and, using the Strings of Fate, tracked down the designated heirs of each family. This included the heirs of the families that had surrendered to Kenshin's forces as, while Vahn wasn't necessarily fond of hostages, it was a lot easier to pressure people that prioritized their heritage over everything else by seizing their legacy.The primary reason behind their capture, however, was so that Jeanne could determine whether or not the Magic Crests contained Demons. It quickly came to light that most of the older families had Demons sealed away in their Magic Crests as their Ancestors had contracted with them in the distant past, obtaining knowledge and power as everyone else grew progressively weaker.Vahn knew that, with his ever-increasing karma, it was only a matter of time before some great evil appeared in response to his actions. This didn't mean he couldn't do everything within his power to prevent it, however, so he had already brought the matter to light with Solon and Zelretch. They had agreed to help him track down the 72 original Magus lineages, dating back to the Era of the Great King, Solomon the Wise.It hadn't taken much time do discover the true nature of the Demons hidden in the Magic Crests as the crests themselves were something created by Solomon. The complexity of each crest made them virtually impossible to produce in modern times so, unless your Ancestors had received one around twenty-nine-hundred-years ago, the most you could do was create an imperfect replica. Still, the lure of passing on knowledge through a Magic Crest meant that every competent Magus family had one while, over the course of history, some had been lost to time.Fortunately, Da Vinci had been able to analyze the structure of several Magic Crests at this point so Vahn wouldn't be required to completely destroy the legacy of each family. Though he did forcibly acquire the Magic Crests from the families that had conspired to effectively destroy the world, those that surrendered were given more lenient sentences. After all, he wouldn't charge children for the sins of their parents as, more often than not, they didn't really have a choice in the type of people they grew up to become. Expectations were a heavy burden and, with corruption rotting the very foundation of your family, they either complied or suffered tragic fates.Understanding this, Vahn had the families that surrendered sign a binding contract, guaranteeing their lineage would not be destroyed in exchange for them accepting accountability for their past actions. This would ultimately result in their deaths, as Vahn wasn't fond of the idea of imprisonment, but it was a far better outcome than what awaited the more treacherous families. They too would be held accountable but, rather than be put to death outright, they would be tried by Azathoth, their minds splintered and egos shattered completely.Vahn knew that, the darker a person's heart, the greater Azathoth's influence over them. They would be forced to spend the final few moments of their life experiencing unimaginable horrors as, despite granting most people the mercy of death, their crimes were simply too great. Vahn knew there was a good chance he would generate some negative karma as a result of forcing such an end upon them but, over the course of their centuries of existence, thousands of people, if not more, had suffered at the hands of these despotic individuals...---Currently, Vahn found himself face-to-face with a young boy of ten-years-old while a bound and gagged man kneeled at this side. If the female students of the Clock Tower were present, they would have been horrified to no end as the man bound was one of the top three most handsome men in the Clock Tower, the current Head of the Sophia-Ri Family, Bram Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. His Great Grandfather had been one of the hooded Magi that participated in the summoning of Tiamat and, while not directly involved, the current Lord Sophia-Ri had been aware of the plot.As one of the most influential families in the Noble Factions, the Sophia-Ri had been central figures in various schemes over the years. This legacy had been carried on by Bram himself and, like many of the other corrupt families, he had already passed on his Magic Crest to the young boy before hiding him away in a small village in northern Germany. Unfortunately for them, Scáthach had easily found the boy so the Sophia-Ri family now faced its reckoning. They would be tried later but, for the time being, Vahn had the young boy, Lord Sophia-Ri's nephew, in a daze as he extracted the Magic Crest from his forehead.A stark contrast to his usual composed self, Lord Sophia-Ri was hunched forward as he jerked his body against the chains bind him. His eyes were bloodshot and, if not for the gag in his mouth, he would have been screaming at the top of his lungs. He couldn't accept that the family would end in his hands as, at least in his mind, he hadn't done anything to deserve this. Rather, he suffered various slights against his pride over the years, including having his fiancee stolen. Now, he could only watch as his favorite nephew's eyes glazed over as thousands of years of heritage was stripped away from him...By the time the process had been completed, Vahn had a small oval gemstone in his hand. It glowed with the Magic Crest of the Sophia-Ri family and, as a result of the Demon sealed within, he was not able to place it into his Inventory. Instead, he placed it into a black box before passing it to Gareth and having her take it to Da Vinci's Workshop. At the same time, he put the red-haired youth into a very deep slumber before turning to the almost feral-looking 'Lord' Sophia-Ri as he asked, "I wonder if you are beginning to reflect on your actions...?"In response to what he believed to be taunting words, Bram jerked at the chains as if there was any point to breaking free. If he somehow did manage to extricate himself from the bindings, the only fate that awaited him was pain as, despite being a Lord, he wasn't even remotely a match for anyone in the room. While he might indeed be very powerful amongst his peers, the difference between a modern Magus and a Heroic Spirit was simply too vast, especially when the slowest person in the room could accelerate to mach two in an instant.Vahn could only shake his head after seeing the man's response, a scornful look on his face as he said, "I wouldn't have believed you anyway...you are an opportunistic man who places himself high above others. Whenever you face a setback, you pretend that it is the fault of other people, even if it was a direct result of the choices you made. You simply can't accept responsibility for your actions as your pride won't allow you to admit you were wrong. Now, you kneel before me, a mortal man with no status or authority to back you up...tell me, do you still feel superior to others?"As Vahn asked his question, he forcibly ripped the gag from Bram's mouth, curious as to how the man would respond. He wasn't at all surprised when the latter tried to spit in his face, allowing him to easily stop the projectile mid-flight before rebounding it back into the feral man's face. Bram was so slow that he appeared to be moving in slow motion from Vahn's perspective so there really wasn't anything he could do to surprise him.With his own spittle hitting him in the face, Bram looked like he completely lost his mind. He howled in rage as he exerted his meager strength against the chains but, no matter how hard he pulled, they hardly budged. The only thing he accomplished was tiring himself out as Vahn stood just outside of his reach, staring down at him with an unflinching expression of absolute scorn. It was obvious that the man had suffered a mental breakdown as, rather than try to plead or negotiate, he grunted and thrashed about like a child throwing a tantrum.Deciding his time was better spent on other matters, Vahn raised his index finger slightly, drawing the attention of the crazed Magus for a brief moment. Then, with a simple flick towards the ground, the red-haired man was pressed to the floor as if he had a mountain dropped on him. He croaked like a frog as his ribs fractured from the strain, the air in his lungs being forced out in an instant. If his presence wasn't necessary during the upcoming trials, Vahn would have simply killed him then and there.Now that the screaming had stopped, silence dominated the partitioned room until Vahn stated in a calm tone, "Take this fool back to his cell. As for the child, have Merlin probe his mind for any hidden information that could endanger himself and others. He is young so there is still hope that he will be able to redeem his family in the future."No matter how much scorn Vahn held toward any particular person or family, he would never force the sins of one onto another. Only tyrants and cowards purged entire family lines as, when it came down to it, there was no reason to eliminate an entire family unless you were afraid of them. They were just normal people and, while they may have limitless potential, the same could be said for the rest of humanity.If he started purging families just to prevent future enemies, he would drastically reduce the prestige of the Empire and, as was often the case in fiction, someone would slip through the cracks to rise up against him. This was part of the Karmic cycle so, knowing his enemies ahead of time was better than creating unseen enemies as a result of wanton slaughter. He wasn't some evil tyrant that suppressed others, not was he fearful of an uncertain future...As Bram and his nephew were the last family to be dealt with, at least for the time being, Vahn had Alaya teleport him back to the Hanging Gardens. Dawn was fast approaching and Ark had already been sending data packages through every major network in preparation for Vahn's speech. Soon, his image would be broadcast on virtually every television, computer, and phone. At the same time, the transmissions and recordings of various schemes would be made public while a massive volume of information pertaining to Magecraft, provided courtesy of the Atlas Temple, had been uploaded to every interconnected device.One of the first phases of Vahn's takeover was the complete shutdown of non-vital communications and, as the internet had long outlived its purpose, the coming dawn meant the end of what could effectively be called the 'Misinformation Era'. He would no longer allow news broadcasters to lie and manipulate the public with false information. Now, they would only be able to use their computers to access a massive library of information and, unless they were directly linked on the same network, it would no longer be possible to communicate with others on the internet.Vahn knew that there would be a major outcry once the global network was crippled but, as it had not been serving its purpose for decades, he didn't see the point in keeping it around. The supposed intent behind its creation was to connect people all over the globe, allowing them to freely exchange information and knowledge. Instead, it became a marketing platform focused almost exclusively on monetizing its users and spreading misinformation. Most of the information shared by its users was pornography and other forms of entertainment while, behind the scenes, criminal organizations used it to distribute their 'products' globally while monstrous individuals treat it as a playground where they can freely take advantage of others.As there was no sense in fixing something that was broken on a fundamental level, Vahn would rather be rid of it entirely. He would still allow people to use their computers to obtain information but now, unless they did a direct link or data transfer, 'sharing' anything would be impossible. The coming transition would already be chaotic enough so Vahn would rather have people focus on their survival than wasting their time being fed lies on the internet...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'The echoes of Solomon','RIP Bram, you were a cunt, but not the worst cunt','I don't know how I feel about this...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

At approximately 7:28AM, the long night finally came to an end as the gentle rays of the sun crested the horizon. The once-dark city was now illuminated, destruction visible in several districts due to the wide-spread fires and rampant rioting. At a glance, it appeared as if a war had ravaged the land as, despite the chaos caused by the collapse of their command structure, the military was still making an effort to keep order. They no longer bothered with the flying fortress above the city as, despite the whispers and murmurs of an invasion, the transmission between Vahn and one of their high ranking Generals had been transmitted to all of them.Though it was difficult to believe the fortress wasn't responsible for the damage that had been done, it was very apparent that there wasn't much they could do about it. The mysterious Empire had been able to withstand a direct attack from nearly two-hundred attack helicopters before disabling every aircraft and military vehicle within a 300km radius. They had been crippled in an instant, preempted by a single command from the man referring to himself as the Emperor. This showed in impossible to surmount difference in military might so, even if they wanted to fight for their country, their only option was analog weaponry as even the off-shore naval systems had been disabled.For now, the standing order of all active-duty military personnel was, as Vahn had advised, to focus on the recovery effort. They were told to completely ignore the floating fortress, despite its looming presence and the existential dread such a craft brought with it. After all, most people automatically assumed it was some alien craft and, considering there was no such thing as the Aldrnari Empire, it was easy to conclude that the craft belonged to a foreign, presumably hostile, species.What none of the standard military personnel and frightened citizenry expected was that, at exactly 7:30AM, their lives would be changed on a fundamental level. Electronics that had been fried by the powerful pulse of energy suddenly returned to life, bringing hope and excitement to those who had hidden away during the previous night's chaos. Unfortunately, they quickly discovered that the grid was still down and, despite some electronics being unplugged, the screens still illuminated as if they had a constant supply of power.All throughout London and the surrounding cities, every television, computer monitor, and phone screen all showed static. The blaring emergency siren, which had been howling throughout the night, had now turned silent as the tension in the atmosphere became palpable. Everyone knew something major was about to happen and, for a brief moment, people all over the world shifted their focus to the image displayed on their screens. There, replacing the previous static, a handsome man could be seen sitting upon a stone throne with a dragon's visage staring back at them with eerie azure eyes...The people who had been expecting to see some strange and foreign alien were among the most surprised by the scene they were witnessing as, soon after the image appeared, the man seated on the Throne stated in a deep and resonate tone of voice, "We are the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason..."---Considering the fact he was addressing the entire world, Vahn elected to use his actual Throne rather than the borrowed one within the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. This was his seat of power and, with today's announcement, the existence of the Empire would become public knowledge. The Dragon's Breath Mist had been dispelled by Merlin so, while the projection of Avalon was still located in a sub-texture beneath the Surface, the physical body of the island had appeared in the real world with the coming dawn.Vahn was no longer content to just bide his time so, while it would give his enemies a target to focus on, every attack they fended off would only further cement the Empire's power and authority. He did not fear nuclear weapons, orbital lasers, grand rituals, or deadly curses. None of these would be able to shake the foundation of his Empire thus, in order to establish Avalon as a bastion of hope for the beaten, downtrodden, and exploited, it must stand in the light without fearing the darkness...Though he did not know the exact metrics, Vahn was certain he had nearly half the global population waiting to hear what he had to say so, the moment the broadcast began, he gazed toward the tripod that Da Vinci had set up and stated, "We are the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason, Emperor of the Aldrnari Empire. Today marks the beginning of a new era, an era of peace, opportunity, and equality, not just for humanity, but all sapient races...for too long, humanity has been led astray by those who endeavored to secure power for themselves. You have been deceived, manipulated, and exploited to no end...now, all of humanity will learn the truth, the truth about your sins, the corruptive nature of your current society, and the forces that have ruled over you since time immemorial..."---Everyone had wondered what the man who introduced himself as an Emperor was going to say but, with few exceptions, none of them were prepared for the many revelations forced upon them. They weren't really able to understand the finer details, especially when Vahn talked about things like Gaia and the Age of Gods, but the more pertinent information got through.They understood that Vahn was trying to convince them of the existence of Magic, Gods, Spirits, and other metaphysical entities. At the same time, he exposed the schemes of those who had shaped civilization from behind the scenes, bringing to light how they had been manipulated and providing an overwhelming amount of proof, much of which had already been uploaded to their personal devices. The most important bit of information, however, were the details regarding what they should expect in the coming days, months, and years.Though it sounded like the ramblings of a madman to some, others could feel a burgeoning level of excitement and anticipation as Vahn talked about his vision of the future. He spoke of a world where Magic was commonplace, a world where anyone, regardless of the circumstances of their birth, had the opportunity to achieve their dreams...At the same time, however, Vahn also mentioned the dissolution of the current system, the ways in which governments would be forced to comply, and the consequences of dissidence and violence. He also spoke about the collapse of the global economy as, in the world he envisioned, the existence of currency itself was a problem. It was not necessarily the root cause of corruption but, as a result of how it was manipulated, it became one of the enabling factors that allowed humanity to be so easily taken advantage of.When he got to this part of his message, Vahn horrified hundreds of millions of people as he very calmly explained, "We are aware that these changes will result in the deaths of many people. If you wish to avoid becoming a casualty, every computer has all the pertinent information already stored within its hard drive. There, you can learn the cures to virtually every illness and, by following the manuscripts contained within, even learn how to use simple Magecraft in as little as a few weeks. We will do our best to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible but, considering what humanity has done to the planet that gave birth to them, this trial can be considered accepting responsibility for your actions...this planet is not your possession, it is not some shared heritage that you are allowed to exploit at your convenience...now, you will face the consequences of the society your ancestors had built, one that focused more on individual gain than appreciation for the environment you so wantonly violated..."Vahn's words had different impacts on different cultures but, what everyone knew at an instinctual level was that they were in for some trying times. He had mentioned the abolishment of factories, assembly lines, fast food restaurants, and even food production facilities like slaughterhouses and chicken factories. Systems that produced unnecessary waste products would be abolished in their entirety and, while the Empire would provide access to food and water, options would be extremely limited until the transition had completed.While most people didn't believe his words had any substance to them, as they simply couldn't rationalize such a drastic change, the people maintaining those facilities understood the truth of the matter. After all, at the same time that the broadcast was occurring, the factories themselves had simply started to vanish, seemingly dissolving into motes of dust that blew away with the wind. This was the result of Da Vinci's micro-golems which, with Maxwell providing functionally infinite energy, had been able to replicate in such vast quantities that they could blanket a country.Now, these micro-golems, each less than .1 microns in size, were sweeping across the planet like a destructive wave of locusts, annihilating inefficient facilities that contributed more waste, pollution, and environmental damage than actual products. At the same time, dumpsites and landfills across the globe began to seemingly evaporate into thin air, serving as fuel for the ever-increasing mass of microscopic golems that were determined to devour everything recognized as 'waste' within their shared database. This included the infamous Atlantic Garbage Patch, the site that served as the first proving grounds for the minuscule micro-golems.Vahn had felt utterly disgusted the first time he saw the veritable island of trash so it was the first thing to go. It had provided millions of tons of mass the wave of micro-golems so, in a strangely poetic way, humanity had directly contributed to the collapse of their infrastructure...Unfortunately, due to the complete takeover of telecommunications by the Empire, news of this event was slow to spread. People were more focused on the broadcast itself and, while some had noticed the destruction, especially in countries like China, Japan, and the United States, there was little they could do about it. Even electromagnetic pulses had no effect on the micro-golems as they were not powered by electronic systems. They used the ambient mana in the atmosphere to power themselves and, so long as they had access to any form of matter, even simple silicon, they could reproduce infinitely.The only truly unaffected areas were those protected by powerful Bounded Fields but, while the micro-golems could not enter, that didn't mean they had no use. Rather, every time they found a Bounded Field, they transmitted the information back to Ark so that it could be fed into CHADEAS' databanks. At the same time, they created a physical perimeter around the Bounded Field before leaving a message behind, informing the inhabitants that the Empire would be coming by to 'audit' them in the near future...---Eventually, Vahn neared the end of his nearly two-hour-long speech. He knew his final words would be the one's best remembered by the people around the world so he fell silent for several seconds before activating his Divinity. At the same time, he borrowed the auras of Alaya, Tiamat, and ORT to caused a pressure wave to descend upon the entire planet. If they hadn't believed him before, Vahn's blazing blue eyes and the very real phenomenon pressuring them made it hard to completely refute his claims.Now with the entire world's attention focused on him, Vahn's voice became deep and solemn as he stated, "We would have liked to avoid this outcome. However, our hand was forced as a result of the machinations of a few individuals. Now, the system they have created will be destroyed to make way for a world where people coexist with other races, nourishing the planet rather than destroying it. If you must hate us, so be it...from the very beginning, humans were not the masters of this world. The only thing that has changed over the last two hours is that you now have access to the truth...use it wisely or face the consequences...either way, the Age of Man is now over."(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'All your base are belong to us','Gray, gooey, ecophagy~','Times up, let's do this...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though their consent was never something he required, Vahn was satisfied by the fact that Zelretch, Solon, and Aoko all agreed to his vision of the future, albeit with varying levels of reluctance. Their only other option was to fight and, considering what they would be fighting for, it was hard to get motivated. After all, putting your life on the line to protect a corrupt system and a society that was, quite literally, killing the planet wasn't something anyone sensible would do.When it came down to it, even Aoko had only ever cared about living freely and protecting the people she felt obligated to protect. She had a 'hero of justice' mentality but, when you looked at the very crux of the current issue, it was inarguable that the justice she sought wasn't that could be obtained by hiding away and ignoring it.Fortunately, Vahn's protection of children and the wish he had made using the [Grace of the Root] both aligned with Aoko's moral compass so, while she felt more than a little helpless, she couldn't deny that he had taken steps to prevent an even greater loss of life. Considering he could have used the wish to give himself and the Empire even more power and control, his current course could be considered relatively selfless when she thought of how others might have used it...Now, after having been 'convinced', Aoko was in a difficult situation as her power wasn't something that could be ignored. She didn't necessarily have to serve the Empire but hiding away in Japan was not something that could be allowed. Inaction at this point would only endanger her family and, in the coming storm, there would be a number of people coveting the Spiritual Lands she protected. It was one of the only places in the world where Magic could be used without restriction so, as people became more sensitive to the existence of mana and other magical phenomena, they would begin to flock to her estate like moths to a flame.No matter what she chose to do, life would be made more complicated as she simply wielded too much power. In the world Vahn wanted to create, the land that had been her family's for generations would no longer be her own. At best, she would be allowed to govern the territory but, considering she would have to begin building a force to police the region and fight off monsters, Aoko wasn't looking forward to having such responsibilities shoved into her lap.Ultimately, the best course of action was to join hands with the Empire and secure a place for her family among the central figures of the burgeoning world power. The matter of governing her old territory, or even Japan itself, could be led to someone with greater ambition and stronger mental fortitude as just the thought of managing a few hundred people was a nightmare. Even if Vahn's words were true, meaning all of the regulations would be implemented by the systems Da Vinci had designed, she would still need to police the area and make sure things didn't get out of hand.Understanding this, Aoko wanted to distance herself from such responsibilities sooner, rather than later. She was better at tackling issues head-on so all of the political stuff could be handled by other people as she focused on what was most important to her. Fortunately, she had more than enough power to throw her weight around so, when Vahn invited them to enjoy a light meal, she decided to accept while Zelretch and Solon returned to their own matters. The former still needed to meet with various people while Solon, in preparation for the inevitable fallout, needed to gather together all of the remaining influencers within the Clock Tower to prevent even greater internal strife.This left Aoko alone with Vahn, something neither of them had expected as the latter had only given the offer as a general courtesy. He didn't actually require sustenance himself and, as far as he knew, Zelretch, Solon, and even Aoko were in the same situation. Still, he wasn't going to commit such a brazen faux pas so, after Aoko accepted, he had no choice but to entertain her. This was primarily due to the fact that he didn't like going back on his words while but, more so than that, he could already guess why she had decided to remain.Now, Aoko sat across from Vahn at a table for two, an awkward atmosphere permeating between them as the former didn't know what to say while the latter had other things on his mind. He could try to guide the situation in a favorable direction but, considering Aoko's personality, it was better to let her broach the subject herself. She lived by the principle of never regretting her decisions so, if she decided on her own volition to throw her lot in with the Empire, convincing her to help out in a more proactive manner would be a lot easier.Aoko had never been known for her patience so she was the first to break the silence, albeit in a rather mundane way as she commented, "This food is delicious..."Though he didn't need to eat, Vahn had always been rather fond of food due to his not so secret love for cooking. In fact, it was one of his true regrets in life that, back when he was just starting out in Danmachi, he didn't pursue it further. He could still remember tasting solid food for the first time and, back before all of his troubles began, his earnest desire to purchase a cooking manual so that he could make the people he cared about smile more often...Vahn had already been smiling but, recalling the now-distant memory, his expression softened as he said, "I'm glad you like it. The ingredients have a marginal amount of mana contained within so their flavor is enhanced. It also had the property of speeding up mana recovery and enhancing the body's natural regeneration."Noticing how Vahn's mood had changed, Aoko was marginally surprised. Her perception of him was that he was the calculating and idealistic type, not someone who would get excited over something as trivial as food. She had only mentioned it in order to ease the tensions but, now that he seemed so happy, Aoko began to feel even more awkward.Understanding what she was thinking, Vahn lightly chuckled before playing his tableware down and explaining, "In the future, I'd like everyone to have the chance to enjoy such delicacies. This type of meal would cost several hundred pounds for a single serving in the current economic climate. It is something only the wealthy, so-called, Elite would ever have the chance to partake of. Now, once the dust settles, everyone that is willing to put in the effort will be able to obtain this kind of food. They will no longer be forced to settle for sub-standard products that are mass-produced to feed an ever-increasing, ever-wasteful society. Famine and disease will no longer exist, mental health will be one of the highest priorities, and illness resulting from ignorance and lack of self-awareness will become a thing of the past..."If she were being honest, everything Vahn said about his vision of the future sounded perfect but, as was the case with all ideologies that sought to better mankind, it came at a heavy cost. She wasn't aware of the numbers like Vahn but she could imagine economies crashing, supplies dwindling, and wide-spread chaos world-wide. People couldn't adapt to such changes quickly and, no matter how powerful the Empire was, providing for so many people would be impossible. Billions would have to be sacrificed for the future of the species and the preservation of the planet, something that couldn't be glossed over with idealistic platitudes.Still, Aoko knew Vahn wasn't entirely responsible for the chaos that would ensue as a result of his takeover. Rather, if those in power had worked to make a society that cared for and respected each other, this entire fiasco could have been avoided. Instead, from the moment the Gods betrayed Gaia and claimed the planet for themselves, humanity had become willing pawns, first to the gods, then to each other. Those with power lorded it over others and, if you didn't step in line, you were either killed, exiled, or enslaved.The entire history of humanity, even extending into the modern era, was an endlessly repeating cycle of exploitation, conquest, and suppression. Even as she sat here in front of Vahn, Aoko knew that her country was experiencing declining birth rates while, just across the sea, millions were trafficked and enslaved by various state-sanctioned organizations. In some regions, child prostitution and arranged marriages, where the only other alternative was death, still existed. For those born into that situation, it was a nightmare that the so-called civilized world readily ignored as it didn't directly impact them...Noticing Aoko's mood diminishing, Vahn released a tired sigh as he looked off into the distance and, against his better judgment, stated, "When you stop thinking about humanity alone, the decision will become a lot easier. Come, I want to show you something..."As forcibly teleporting Aoko was impossible due to her functionally limitless Od, Vahn needed her to willingly accompany him if he wanted to take her anywhere. Fortunately, she had been fishing for an excuse to break away from the awkward dinner so, trusting that Vahn had no reason to try and lure her into a trap, Aoko accepted his hand. In the next moment, she found herself floating in the skies above Avalon, a peaceful and serene atmosphere shrouding the entire island.Vahn had originally intended to let Aoko make her own decision but, after seeing her begin to spiral in a cyclone of negativity, he decided to give her a push. Thus, while his second body teleported to the Hanging Gardens, his main body escorted her around the island. He introduced her to the Fae tribes, each living peaceful lives without any negative influence from humanity. They were happier in their small communities than they had been back in their respective Kingdoms, something they were very vocal about once understand the purpose behind Aoko's visit.Even as early as meeting the Undine, it was very obvious that Aoko had already been convinced but, by the time she met the Dwarves and Vulcanae, all her doubts had been cleared. She could see how happy every resident of the Empire was and, while it was a peculiar sight to behold, how much the flame spirits adored Vahn. Aeterna, in particular, happily circled around him, keeping her subjects at bay to monopolize him for herself. She even playfully singed parts of his clothes but, rather than any sign of annoyance, Vahn had a happy and contented smile as he allowed her antics.Hearing about how good something will be and seeing it for yourself were two entirely different things so, after touring Avalon for the better part of two hours, Aoko joined Vahn in sitting on a small rocky outcrop as they viewed Heracles and his family living quiet lives as fishermen. When she first heard that the legendary Greek hero was present, Aoko's lust for battle had been stirred up a bit but, upon seeing the brutish man sitting on a massive rocking chair, his wife cuddled up in his arms, she couldn't bring herself to request a duel.At this point, the only place Aoko had yet to visit was the castle itself but, considering how happy the residents were, it was easy to imagine that the internal affairs of the Empire were in order. She also knew that, at this point in time, they must be very busy with preparations so, at least for the time being, Aoko was content with what she had seen. There would be plenty of time to explore the castle in the future as, depending on her decision, she may very well become one of its residents in the near future.This thought caused an imperceptible blush to color Aoko's ears but, with her vibrant red hair, which seemed to glow subtly in the moonlight, it was impossible to notice. If not for his Divinity, even Vahn would have missed it as, prior to escorting her around Avalon, he had turned off his View Affection. It could get somewhat unbearable to be around Alaya with the function active so, unless he was in a high stakes situation, he typically left it off out of convenience.Still, Vahn's Divinity gave away the red-haired beauty's wayward thoughts but, as it was only a mild reaction, he knew she didn't actually have any feelings for him. Rather, much like Mash, she just got caught up in the moment and, due to being alone together, it was easy to let your mind wander if you got wrapped up in thinking about the future. After all, his harem was no secret and, while Aoko didn't know the full scale of his accompaniment, nor his Divinity, it wasn't difficult to imagine being a part of the ever-expanding flower garden.Fortunately, Aoko was able to distract herself from her wayward thoughts as, if she kept thinking about it, he would begin to be pulled along by the atmosphere as well. It really would simply a lot of things but, out of respect for Aoko and consideration for his existing harem, Vahn wouldn't just add a new member haphazardly. She would need to find a place for herself in the group's synergy and, ideally, fall for someone like Gawain or Siegfried instead of leaping head-first into something she likely wasn't prepared for...As Vahn's own mind began to wander a bit, Aoko seemed to have made up her's as, after lightly slapping her cheeks with both hands, she turned toward him and said, "I want to join the Empire! There are a lot of things I want to protect and I won't be able to act freely if I don't make a choice now. You won't regret allowing me to join...! I'm super strong, you know...!?"Aoko began to fumble a bit towards the end of her statement as her anxiety in the face of Vahn's casual smile continued to build. She felt like her heart was going to explode for a brief moment but, before it reached a critical level, Vahn gave a curt nod and answered, "I would be honored to have you join us, Aoko. Your power will make the transition a lot smoother so I would be foolish to refuse your intentions. Rather, I should be thanking you for coming to this conclusion. This burden isn't a light one so it helps to have more people to share it with..."Though she didn't really expect Vahn to refuse her, Aoko was at a loss for words after he so readily accepted. Her anxiety now seemed somewhat childish but, as she was never the type to harp over the past, she quickly regained her usual smile before crossing her arms and confidently declaring, "Right, you can rely on me. I'll do what I can to help everyone in the Empire grow stronger so please do everything you can to preserve as many lives as possible. I want to see the world become a place like Avalon so let's do our best...!"Hearing Aoko's spirited response, Vahn's smile curled up at the edges and, despite his body tingling a bit as a result, he gave a small bow and said, "I'll be in your care then...", gratitude discernible in his voice.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'I kind of feel bad for Aoko...?','Aeterna is a bully!?','RIP little lamb')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1312: Disdain