Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though Arcueid didn't like to speak much herself, she still enjoyed listening to people, especially when it didn't require her to contribute to the conversation.Once, in what now felt like the distant past, she had started to open up to others but, just as she found something that made her happy, it was almost immediately taken from her. This was due to her status as a True Ancestor, an entity that required the blood of others to sustain themselves.There had been a time when Arcueid was immune to these Vampiric Impulses but the schemes of Michael Roa Valdamjong brought an end to this. He had taken advantage of her loneliness to trick her into drinking his blood, the first of many tragic events that plagued her life. After that, she had gone berserk and, for several years, ended up as nothing more than a tool to slaughter other True Ancestors.To make matters even worse, Roa stole most of her power and, as a result, became one of the most powerful Dead Apostle Ancestors in existence by the time she regained clarity. It was then that she chained herself inside of the Millennium Castle for the first time and, from that moment onward, her mission in life became the destruction of the Dead Apostle Ancestors, chiefly Michael Roa Valdamjong himself.Unfortunately, by the time she managed to track down and imprison Roa's spirit, the malicious Vampire had worked with his cohorts to either kill or imprison nearly every other True Ancestor. They had even made a game out of it, seeing who could assassinate their creators and steal the most power in the shortest period of time.What the Dead Apostle Ancestors hadn't realized was that, with every True Ancestor they killed, the more powerful Arcueid became. In turn, Roa's own power increased and, by the time anyone even tried to stop him, none were his equal. Only Arcueid herself had the power to kill him as, if he tried to kill her in turn, his own power would be greatly reduced. This led to a cat and mouse game that lasted for decades, one which only came to a stop after the deaths of millions...Despite all of these happenings, Arcueid found it hard to believe Vahn's own tale was true. The things he had experienced in his lifetime sounded like a work of fiction, one so fantastical that she couldn't even imagine how mad the author must have been to write such a thing.Not only were Vahn's origins exceedingly tragic, but his meteoric rise to becoming an Emperor, his pursuits as a Blacksmith, the various trials he had faced, everything was just so 'extreme'. He even recounted some of the information about his various lovers to her, a happy smile on his face as he recalled some of the trials they had faced, the children they had produced, and the lives they had built together...Overall, it was an overwhelming amount of information but, with the way Vahn explained things, combined with the [Memory Orbs], Arcueid found herself enjoying his story. As farfetched as everything sounded, she got the distinct impression he was telling the truth. After all, her own story had a fair number of unbelievable occurrences yet, in spite of that, each event had taken place in reality. She had even experienced several 'end of the world' scenarios so, while it was a little hard to believe, it wasn't impossible...What Arcueid really struggled to understand was Vahn's reasons for taking such drastic action. He had explained his reasoning to her but, no matter how she looked at it, his decision seemed to be a little rushed. He didn't come off as the type that would force suffering onto people so, for things to have developed to this point, 'something' must have been pushing him forward.Ultimately, Arcueid's curiosity got the better of her so, after twenty hours of a largely one-sided conversation, she asked, "Are you going to leave this world soon...?"Since Vahn seemed to have, at the very least, a similar degree of immortality as her, Arcueid knew he should be able to live forever. She couldn't understand why he was putting so much pressure on humanity to change in such a short period of time as he clearly had far more important things on his mind...As Arcueid had said less than a dozen sentences during their entire conversation, Vahn was a little caught off guard by her sudden question. Still, it wasn't really a difficult one to answer so, after a brief pause, he nodded his head and explained, "Remember what I said previously, how I came here from another world? Well, I want to return to my own world someday. Since I can't just leave this world behind and treat it as someone else's problem, I want to do everything I can to make it into a better place before I leave. How long that takes is something I cannot even begin to fathom so, rather than put it off until later, it is better to start now. Besides, the current state of the world is something I simply couldn't agree with."Hearing Vahn's answer, Arcueid couldn't help but frown as he didn't actually seem to put all that much thought into his response. While she could understand what he was trying to convey, her intuition told her that he was still hiding something, something extremely important. At the same time, however, she felt that no amount of questioning would allow him to reveal this hidden truth so, after several moments of silence, she muttered, "Billions of people will die as a result of the choices you have made..."Vahn, obviously, didn't need Arcueid to explain this fact to him but, understanding she was just looking for a way to convince herself, he ultimately sighed before explaining, "Even if I never came to this world, billions of people would die. Eventually, all life on this planet, including the planet itself, would cease to exist. I will not pretend that my choices do not have consequences but, in the end, everything that is happening is the result of human nature. Though I may have crippled their infrastructure, their economy, and other conventional systems, I am not taking any action to persecute or harm them. Instead, we are working hard to provide food, water, and even shelter to those in need. Almost everyone dying right now is a victim, not of the Empire, but of other humans. I even used a wish to decrease the number of innocent lives lost so do not blame me for the actions of others, Arcueid Brunestud."Compared to the jovial, almost easy-going, atmosphere that had surrounded him during the recounting of his life story, Vahn's aura became heavy and solemn when he responded to her question. This caused Arcueid to shrink away instinctually and, after hearing his reasoning, she wondered if her remark was inconsiderate. She, of course, knew how corrupt human society could be so, while she didn't exactly agree with his methods, she couldn't deny the logic behind Vahn's words...Arcueid was the type that needed to mull over things on her own so, after she averted her eyes from him, Vahn released a heavy sigh before slouching in his chair. Truth be told, everything that was happening around the world already weighed heavily on his heart and mind so, hearing her bring it up had ruined his mood. He constantly had to remind himself that his decisions were for the best as, without this, and the support of many others, he would spiral into the self-doubt he was prone to during trying times.More so than his words, Arcueid was convinced more by the changes in Vahn's aura. The moment he slouched into his chair, she snuck a peek at him from the corner of her eye and, while he may be putting on an act, she could practically feel the pressure he was under. This caused her to fall into even deeper thought and, after nearly twenty minutes, she ultimately muttered, "I am sorry...I didn't think about your position properly...it must be hard on you..."Hearing Arcueid's apology, Vahn released another tired sigh as it almost felt wrong to have her, of all people, apologize. She had experienced a lot of tragedy throughout her life and, while her words were indeed a little insensitive, so too was his reaction. Thus, after catching Arcueid staring at him, Vahn offered an apologetic smile and said, "I should be the one apologizing. Had I chosen my words better, this could have been avoided. Please, forgive my thoughtlessness..."In response to Vahn's apology, Arcueid just stared back at him, her blood-red eyes glimmering like rubies in the low-light of the library. Since he wasn't the type to break eye contact with others, this resulted in the two staring at each other for several minutes until, as if the previous tensions had been nothing more than an illusion, Arcueid began to laugh, her voice echoing like a bell in the vast chamber.Vahn was a little surprised by Arcueid's reaction but, rather than allow it to show on his face, he simply smiled in response until she calmed down. This caused Arcueid to act a little embarrassed, her fingers twiddling with her hair as she muttered, "I accept your apology..." in a sheepish voice.This time, Vahn was tempted to burst out laughing but, fearing it would have the opposite of the desired effect, he continued to smile, nodding his head as he said, "Thank you, Arcueid...it means a lot to me." Then, before silence could take hold once again, he closed his eyes, leaning back against his chair as he added, "As much as I enjoy conversing with you like this, I'm afraid my time is rather limited. Now that we have come to understand each other better, I believe it is time for us to discuss our respective intentions."Arcueid was at a loss as to how she should respond to Vahn's prior words so, when she heard his follow-up, her thought process ground to a halt. She only just now remembered the reason they had gathered in the library and, with this realization, Arcueid also realized that Vahn would soon have to leave. For some reason, she had started to believe their conversation would never end so, hearing his reminder, she felt as if the loneliness that had plagued her for centuries was starting to creep back up on her...Understanding Arcueid would take a while to organize her own thoughts, Vahn decided to make his intentions known first. So as not to overwhelm her, he adopted a calm and soothing tone of voice and, speaking at a much slower speed than normal, explained, "My dream is to make the world a happier place. To that end, I wish to help you remove the influence of Crimson Moon and alleviate the symptoms of your Vampiric Impulse. I don't know your full story but, from what I've heard, you are deserving of a chance at happiness. Please, allow me to help you, Arcueid."To further emphasize his words, Vahn lowered his head towards the stunned Vampiric Princess. In truth, his desire to help her wasn't solely the result of his nature. Though this played a large part in his final decision, the fact she appeared within the Optional Objectives of his World Power Quest had a fair amount of influence over his decision. It was a Quest that rewarded 5,000,000,000OP as a base reward so the completion of Optional Objectives all but guaranteed something incredible in turn...Arcueid was obviously unaware of Vahn's Quest but, as a result of his sincere desire to help her, she couldn't help but feel a little flustered. She expected things to reach this point after learning about Vahn's existence from Zelretch but, to be put on the spot like this, her heart felt like it was about to explode. Since she couldn't really voice her own thoughts on the matter, however, the only thing she managed was asking, "Do you...do you like me...?" in a demure tone.Hearing Arcueid's question, Vahn was certain that some kind of misunderstanding had occurred. He looked up to find Arcueid staring at him with an anxious expression on her face and, as soon as their eyes met, she even looked away from him. This made it pretty clear that she already had a few thoughts in mind regarding how he could help her, likely relating to a similar ritual to the one he had carried out with Gray.Since he had already made up his mind previously, Vahn wasn't going to miss the opportunity to leave an impression on Arcueid's heart so, in response to her question, he calmly answered, "I do." in a soft tone. This caused the golden-haired maiden to inhale a deep breath but, rather than say anything in response, she ultimately buried her face into her hands.It was a little awkward seeing Arcueid behave in such a way but, in much the same way as before, Vahn simply waited for her to organize her thoughts. Regardless of what she chose, he would still do his best to help her. He could never ignore women with a tragic past so it didn't really matter if she decided to be with him or not. Rather, it would be more convenient for him if she fell in love with someone else as he wasn't exactly starved for the affections of others. In fact, there was a line of women waiting to be with him as a result of Ilya's incubation, something he would need to deal with in the very near future...As Vahn was mulling over how irresponsible he had been with his relationships, Arcueid's mind was plagued with thoughts of its own. She was actually afraid to be involved with anyone as, the only time she ever fell in love, he ended up falling in love with someone else before ultimately dying years later. This was due to the fact that, as a result of her love, she adamantly refused to drink his blood and turn him into a Vampire.Now, a stark contrast to her past experiences, Arcueid was faced with a decision that may very well decide how she spends the next few centuries, if not longer. Vahn was an immortal existence on a similar level so, no matter how much time passed, there was no chance that he would simply die. At the same time, however, he already had a rather large harem and, while she didn't really mind this all that much, Arcueid had experienced her fair share of drama related to love. At one point, she was even prepared to kill the person her first love had fallen, keeping him for herself by locking him away in the Millennium Castle...Remembering these past experiences, Arcueid was reminded of all the things she regretted the most in her life. She had already worked through most of these things in the past but, now that she had to make a decision, the past suddenly weighed heavily on her heart. Still, it was infinitely better than returning to the Millennium Castle and experiencing an eternity of loneliness so, after the better part of half an hour, Arcueid peeked up through her fingers and said, "I'll be in your care from now on...please treat me well..." in a quivering voice.(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Roa is a cunt','"You wanna know how I got these scars...?" -Vahn','I wonder how many relationships are actually the result of a series of misunderstandings...?')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Despite her words, Vahn could see that Arcueid would need a bit of time to truly make up her mind. Fortunately, she would be in the care of the Ivory Castle's residents so it shouldn't take long for her to reconcile her emotions. For now, his main priority was alleviating the symptoms of her curse and, as tantalizing an opportunity as it may be, he needed to deal with her Vampirism without relying on the same ritual performed with Gray.Vahn had no intention of subordinating himself to Arcueid and, with her status as a True Ancestor and Tier 5 entity, she would need to give up most of her power in order to become his subordinate. This wasn't really something he wanted as, even if she gave him everything, Vahn doubted his power would actually increase. There was no way his body would accept a foreign power so he would have to come up with a way to seal it inside of himself, a tedious affair he simply had no interest in. After all, linking the Records required him to increase his own strength, not rely on power borrowed from others.With this in mind, Vahn extended his hand toward the suddenly bashful Arcueid, waiting patiently until she grabbed it of her own volition. Then, pulling her to her feet, he gave the lonely woman a gently hug, stroking the back of her head as he whispered, "It will be okay. I promise to make you happy."When he first hugged her, Arcueid's body trembled slightly but, after hearing Vahn's words, she, ever so slowly, began to relax. She then proceeded to rest her head against his shoulder and, a while after that, returned his hug by wrapping her arms somewhat awkwardly around his body. Her unfamiliarity with even something as simple as a hug forced Vahn to restrain a sigh but, having made up his mind, he wasn't going to go back on his word. Regardless of how things developed, he would help Arcueid find the happiness she deserved...After embracing each other in the center of the library for several minutes, Vahn slowly removed his hands from Arcueid. She seemed a little reluctant but, realizing they couldn't just stand there forever, she followed suit shortly after. Then, without missing a beat, Vahn looked around the area, saying, "I would like you to come and reside in the Ivory Castle. It may take some getting used to but you'll be able to make some friends there. Before that, we should do something about that malicious energy in your body..."Arcueid felt fluttery when she heard Vahn's words but, hearing the latter half, a sullen expression marred her beautiful face as she murmured, "My fate as Crimson Moon's heir isn't something that can be dealt with so easily...even if I abandon my status as heiress, the power I possess would then shift to that despicable woman...if that happens, I fear the entire world would become awash in a sea of blood."Vahn knew that Arcueid was referring to her 'sister', Altrouge Brunestud, but he wasn't particularly worried about the latter. Her time would eventually come and, while Crimson Moon's power may be great, the true secret of Arcueid's strength was her connection to the Counter Force. He had, at his side, one of the literal halves of said force so, while Alaya may not be able to grant him power, she didn't have any problem allowing others to keep it.Before Arcueid could fall into a depressive state, Vahn ran his fingers through her fringe bang, his voice a soothing yet confident tone as he explained, "Your existence and power are derived from the contract between Gaia and Crimson Moon. However, you are a completely unique entity so there is nothing binding you to the fate others have decided for you. If you trust in me, removing Crimson Moon's influence is a simple matter. Though his power will undoubtedly go to Altrouge, it is nothing compared to the power given to you by Gaia..."Arcueid was an entity formed in the wake of Crimson Moon's death, not a natural-born existence. In a way, she could be considered a child of Gaia herself, evident by the fact she was a Greater Divine Spirit, not an alien entity. Crimson Moon was simply the Ultimate One of the Moon, making him an existence akin to Type Mercury. This placed him squarely under Vahn's influence so, with Alaya at his side, removing the imprint Crimson Moon had placed on all True Ancestors was a simple feat.Though she found his words hard to believe, Arcueid had already put all of her hope Vahn. If he couldn't help her, there was truly nothing that could free her from her fate. She was slowly being encroached by the will of Crimson Moon and, if her own ego faded away, she would become an existence integral to the natural order. True Ancestors were given dominion over humanity so, even if something existed that could kill her, all of humanity would be wiped out in the process.While humans were one of the principal causes of the tragedies she had experienced, Arcueid had come to love them as a species. They had their faults but, more often than not, it was due to being manipulated by others that they strayed from nobler paths. In a way, she could understand how Vahn had decided upon such drastic measures so, deciding to believe in the future he was creating, Arcueid placed her hand over Vahn's and said, "I choose to believe..."With Arcueid's acquiescence, Vahn's expression softened a bit and, after staring into her eyes for a few seconds longer, he pulled out a [Space-Time Orb]. Since the imprint in her body was a piece of Crimson Moon's Ego, he could be manifested within the spiritual plane of a [Space-Time Orb]. There was a chance this wouldn't work but, as even a Memory Fragment could exist within, Vahn doubted he would have any problems pulling Crimson Moon out of hiding...---Since there was a chance Crimson Moon's Ego would automatically protect itself if Arcueid knew his intentions, Vahn couldn't explain his plan. Fortunately, Arcueid showed that she was willing to trust him by placing her hand on the orb and, after a tense moment, their consciousness was pulled into the orb without incident.As the space within a [Space-Time Orb] was governed by completely different Laws, Arcueid couldn't help but feel terrified. It took Vahn pulling her into his embrace a second time to help her calm down and, after clarity returned to her, Arcueid realized that her connection with the World was still active. After all, her body still existed back in reality so, while the Laws inside the [Space-Time Orb] may be a little different, they fundamentally lacked the capabilities of separating her from her physical vessel.Once Arcueid had calmed down, Vahn slowly released her again, a gentle smile on his face as he reminded, "I promised I would make you happy. Don't go doubting my intentions so quickly, okay?"Hearing Vahn's words, Arcueid felt her face heat up a bit. She wanted to say something to defend her actions but, even after several seconds had passed, nothing came to mind. Instead, she used her monstrous strength, still present within the [Space-Time Orb], to twist the tender flesh of Vahn's side. This caused his left eye to twitch a bit but, despite the pain, he continued to smile back at Arcueid until she ultimately lowered her head and muttered, "Sorry..."Vahn had the distinct impression he would be hearing Arcueid apologize a lot in the future but, for now, there were more pressing matters to attend. He slowly drifted away from her, startling her a bit but, after shaking his head slightly, she ultimately stayed in place. Then, once a few meters had been opened between them, Vahn closed his eyes to focus his senses. He had actually been able to sense four distinctly different auras within Arcueid's body so he wanted to identify each of them within the [Space-Time Orb].It didn't take long for Vahn to find an aura that was nearly as powerful as Arcueid's own clinging to her aura, much like a shadow follows its owner. If he didn't know to look for it, finding this presence would be nigh-impossible, even with his senses. As for the other two, they stuck out like stars in a moonless night as they were literally twining around and restraining Arcueid's power. One was pitch black in coloration, reminding Vahn of the corruption affection Sakura, while the other was blazing red, despite a powerful Yin-Elemental Energy emanating from within.After identifying each of these energies, Vahn decided to eliminate the two weaker ones first since there was a chance they would try to harm Arcueid when he got rid of the infinitely more powerful one. He had already pulled them all into the [Space-Time Orb] so, even if Crimson Moon tried to protect itself, Vahn would be able to seal it away. After all, this particular orb only had a 1:1 time dilation so it was easy for him to maintain his awareness back in the real world. He could deal with the problem on both fronts simultaneously so, without any hesitation, Vahn extended his hand with a resolute look on his face...Arcueid felt incredibly nervous watching Vahn's actions but, having placed her trust in him, she grit her teeth and prepared for whatever he was going to throw at her. This ended up being the correct choice as, the moment he began to retract his hand, almost as if he was pulling something, it felt like every blood vessel in her body exploded simultaneously. It was a truly excruciating amount of pain but, compared to the loneliness she had experienced, Arcueid convinced herself it was negligible...Moments after he had started, blood-red energy began to surge from Arcueid's pores while her hair, previously an unblemished gold, became black as ink. This phenomenon didn't stop at just her hair, however, as her eyes, ears, nose, mouth, and a few unmentionable areas began to drip with the same inky liquid. At a glance, it looked like she was bleeding from every opening in her body but, instead of blood, literal darkness flowed from her body and began pooling on the ground.Before he could deal with the expanding pool of corruption, Vahn manifested [Enkidu] in front of his body just as what appeared to be a little girl attempted to tear out his throat. At a glance, she had the appearance of a fourteen-year-old girl of European descent, complete with fair skin, raven-black hair, and ruby-red eyes. She actually looked like a mischievous and playful girl based on appearances but, rather than innocence, Vahn could only see cruelty reflected in her eyes...Despite the little girl's best efforts, she was only a fragment of the original so, after coming into contact with an artifact like [Enkidu], the phantom's hand actually burst apart. In the next moment, the chains wrapped around her body, restricting the girl and her gothic-style garb in an instant.Seeing the appearance of his assailant, Vahn couldn't help but shake his head while wondering what kind of person would create such a contrary existence. The flow of Fate around Arcueid made it very clear she was an important existence to the Record so Altrouge's existence was undoubtedly that of an antagonist, one hand-crafted by the creator of the Nasuverse. He couldn't imagine what kind of person would pit a buxom golden-haired beauty and a raven-haired gothic-lolita against each other in a setting where they both viciously tore each other apart.Since there was no sense in mulling over the matter, Vahn ultimately just shook his head before placing his hand on the phantom's head. He was grateful that it didn't seem capable of speech as it made destroying the murderous young girl a lot easier. She even tried to bite at his hand but, with [Enkidu] restricting her body, Vahn was able to place his hand on her forehead without too much trouble. The tissue of his palm turned into the same metallic black substance that appeared during his battle with Arcueid and, after enveloping the entirety of Altrouge's body, the malicious energy was forcibly destroyed as a result of his unique constitution...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Vahn is a real casanova at times...','The views and opinions of characters within EPIC does not represent the views and opinions of the Author o3o...','RIP eclipse-loli fragment')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn was somewhat disappointed with how things ended but he didn't let it get him down as, in the grand scheme of eternity, more battles would come. For now, coming to an accord with the powerful Vampire Princess before him was more important as, even without Alaya explaining the details, it was obvious she pulled her power directly from the Counter Force.Since it would be problematic to take her to the Hanging Gardens due to the presence of Semiramis, Vahn idled in the air for a moment before asking, "Can you recreate that Marble Phantasm of yours? It will be more convenient to converse in an area where others cannot spy upon us..."As he spoke, Vahn turned his gaze toward nothing in particular but, in response to his actions, a small 'blip' in space-time occurred within his domain. The airspace around the Hanging Garden was closely monitored by various organizations so it was a given that some foolhardy types thought they could get away with listening in on his conversations. Unfortunately for them, the act of observing him directly was enough to trigger a response from CHALDEAS so it wouldn't take long for Sherlock to pinpoint their location and intent.Though she wasn't as sensitive to spatial fluctuations as Vahn, Arcueid had noticed the abnormality due to him bringing attention to it. Thus, with a wave of her hand, the surroundings instantaneously changed to a familiar scene. This time around, Vahn was able to get a look at the scene and, while it was a little strange to see a blood-red sky, the way light refracted in this crimson world was quite the sight to behold. Even the vibrant crimson moon shining above glimmered like a ruby and, if not for the malignant energy that seemed to radiate from its surface, he would have been able to appreciate it quite a bit...Just as Vahn was preparing to whip out a table and some chairs for them, Arcueid beat him to the punch by manifesting an entire castle out of her own shadow. This, too, was quite the sight but, with the castle giving off an eerie and lonesome vibe, Vahn couldn't help but frown slightly. Even without an explanation, he could guess that this was Arcueid's home. To have stayed in such a place, it was obvious something terrible had happened to her in the past...With a sigh escaping his lips, Vahn caught the attention of Arcueid who, curious as to what he was thinking about, asked, "Why are you sighing? Are you disappointed with my castle...or, perhaps, you still wanted to battle...?"As Arcueid asked her question, she lifted her right hand to form a pair of claws, seemingly ready to continue where they had left off. This caused the smile to return to Vahn's face but, considering they had only just stopped fighting, he opted for the route of diplomacy, shaking his head as he said, "I'm certain we can find the time to battle in the future. For now, lets clear up the misunderstanding from earlier. If given the option, I'd rather fight you as equals instead of enemies."Hearing Vahn's response, Arcueid's nails retracted in an instant, her grisly claws resuming the look of dainty and delicate digits. If he hadn't seen Gray do the same in the past, he would have wondered if the ability was related to actual body transformation, rather than a racial trait of all Vampires...---With Arcueid leading the way, Vahn soon found himself in a circular library with bookshelves that seemed to stretch upwards into eternity. Despite this, there were several towers of books littering the area while, at one corner of the room, an old wooden desk, complete with a few spent candles, could be seen amongst the clutter.Seeing the state of her library, Arcueid felt a little embarrassed so, with a wave of her hand, each of the books promptly returned to their shelves. Then, with similar ease to his own actions, she pulled out two ornate chairs, a circular table, and a tea arrangement. Vahn found this even more curious than her transformation ability as, from what he could ascertain, she was literally manipulating the reality around them to her preference. It wasn't simply Creation but the 'actualization of intent', a phenomenon that would undoubtedly drive Da Vinci crazy.After taking his own seat, Vahn watched with intrigue as Arcueid picked up the previously empty kettle and, by the time she was actually pouring it, perfectly heated tea filled its insides. This was about what he expected from a Tier 5 being and, for a brief moment, he actually compared the golden-haired beauty across from him to Eva. They were both True Vampires but, a stark contrast to his beloved neck-biter, Arcueid clearly had very little understanding of proper etiquette. She was a little clumsy and, despite being someone who could, quite literally, manipulate individual atoms, she still made the cup overflow whilst pouring...Using her reality manipulation, Arcueid, with a completely straight face, caused the spilled tea to simply cease existing before filling her own cup immediately thereafter. Throughout this entire process, Vahn had a casual smile on his face, pretending he didn't see the accidental spill. Instead, he took it upon himself to break the silence, remarking, "This is quite the collection of books. Do you enjoy reading...?"For reasons unknown, Arcueid winced in response to the sudden question, her expression turning sullen as she answered, "I wouldn't say I'm fond of reading..." before falling silent again. This caused Vahn to struggle with maintaining his smile but, considering the circumstances, he managed to will himself to do so.Since she would probably need time to collect her thoughts, Vahn waited for nearly two minutes before he returned an understanding nod in response. This seemed to confuse Arcueid a bit but, in much the same way as him, she simply remained silent for several minutes before smiling in turn. In truth, she was an extreme introvert and, while she could get emotional at times, her default state was quiet and, at times, quirky. She enjoyed the silence between them more than actual dialogue so, at least for the time being, she simply sat across from Vahn, refilling her teacup every time it got low...---Unexpectedly, two hours had passed within the Millennium Castle by the time the tenuous silence was broken. This was due to Vahn's own infinite supply of tea, something Arcueid had taken notice of since she had thought to offer him more when he ran out. Still, it took refilling their cups more than fifteen times before her curiosity finally got the better of her. Even then, she simply asked, "You can make tea...?" in an innocent tone.Hearing Arcueid's question, Vahn's smile widened slightly and, though it may not have been the best idea, he extended his cup toward her, asking, "Would you like to try?" This was his bad habit acting up but, against all expectations, Arcueid surprised him by nodding her head and accepted the cup. It didn't seem to bother her at all that it was the same cup he had been drinking from as, without any discernible hesitation whatsoever, she sampled the mint tea within.Vahn already suspected it but, based on her behavior, he could tell that Arcueid was a very innocent and naive woman. He knew she was around eight-hundred years old but, contrasting how fierce she could be in battle, there were massive gaps in her personality. This made him feel a little guilty as it meant she was highly susceptible to being taken advantage of, something that had undoubtedly happened several times in the past. Now, just by conversing with her, Vahn would be the next in a long line of people to exploit Arcueid's naivete...Shaking his head, Vahn convinced himself that it was better for her to fall under the umbrella of the Empire than stay inside this lonely castle. The only time she left was to hunt one of the Dead Apostle Ancestors and, if not for the support of various people, even this would likely prove impossible. Even Merem had assisted her on occasion while Zelretch, having watched over Arcueid from the moment she came into existence, offered aid and advice when the opportunity presented itself.As a Greater Divine Spirit on a similar level to Crimson Moon, Arcueid was sensitive to the subtle changes in a person's aura. Though Vahn's expression rarely changed, she could tell he was thinking about something troubling as, in spite of his smile, he gave off a melancholic aura. Since she didn't really understand what had upset him, she looked between the two cups in her hand and, after a period of silent deliberation, 'realization' hit her.Noticing the curious actions of Arcueid, Vahn was about to ask what she was thinking about but, as if she had discovered some great truth of the universe, the golden-haired Princess turned to him with a happy smile and exclaimed, "The tea was very delicious, thank you~!" Then, creating an exact copy of the type of tea Vahn had used, Arcueid returned his cup before giving herself an approving nod and returning to her own...Vahn was, admittedly, a little at a loss. Everything Arcueid did screamed 'naive' so, while he needed to talk to her about 'Crimson Moon's Curse' for the sake of his World Power Quest, the words never quite reached his lips. He even considered going to retrieve Spenta and someone like Artoria to act as a mediator between them as it wouldn't weigh as heavily on his consciousness if someone else were to convince her. It almost felt like he could spin a grand tale and, without questioning it in the slightest, Arcueid would eat it up.Ultimately, it was exceedingly apparent that Arcueid was starved for meaningful social interactions. If she agreed to become a part of the Empire, he would need to find her a support group so that she could slowly learn how to interact with others. The problem with this was, due to no small fault of his own, most of the pertinent peoples within the Empire were involved with him. He could leave her to the Homunculi but, while she would undoubtedly get along well with them, Vahn wasn't ignorant of the fact that the entire group of white-haired beauties basically viewed him as a God...As that thought crossed his mind, so too did the images of Fenrir, Jeanne, Gray, and Gareth. This made Vahn sweat a little as it was almost guaranteed these four, in particular, would endeavor to 'corrupt' the naive Arcueid. While this wasn't exactly a 'bad' thing, the sheer innocence of Arcueid made Vahn feel guilty since he knew the most likely path she would end up on. He didn't really have it in him to refuse those that were close to him so, depending on how things played out, it was easy to imagine this ethereal beauty ending up in his harem...Realizing his own thoughts, Vahn nearly laughed out loud as, once again, he was essentially worrying over nothing. So long as he treated them well and provided for them, there was nothing intrinsically wrong with being intimate with people who wanted to be with him. She may be innocent now but, if she made use of the Virtual World, it wouldn't take long for Arcueid to mature. It wasn't in his nature to avoid helping people so, knowing Arcueid had a tragic past, one plagued by loneliness, Vahn was compelled to move forward.Having convinced himself, Vahn turned his attention toward Arcueid to find her blood-red eyes staring back at him curiously. She seemed slightly surprised by the fact he looked toward her but, rather than avert her eyes, she just lowered her head slightly. This created a scene where she was looking up at him and, though it obviously wasn't her intention, the low cut of her gown created a tempting sight just outside of a normal person's field of view.With his ability to create near-perfect three-dimensional representations of pretty much everyone he had ever met, Vahn managed to avoid letting his eyes wander from Arcueid's eyes. Instead, he put his teacup down on the nearby saucer, smiling as Arcueid emulated his action. Then, for nearly a full day after the fact, Vahn regaled Arcueid with tales of his past, his aspirations for the present, and his dream for the future. He even used memory orbs to allow her to view some scenes directly, many of which pertained to events that had taken place in the Nasuverse...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'CHALDEAS is literally a cheat...','To an introvert, the best conversations often have little to no actual dialogue o3o...','For some reason, I feel as though Vahn abruptly became more punchable...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1335: Resolute : Indecisive