Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Since being too expressive might leave a strange impression on the people he was summoning, Vahn waited until he returned to the Throne of Heroes before releasing an exasperated sigh. From Bedivere's own accounts of events, it turned out that the man had basically starved himself after the presumed death of Artoria, fully intent on following his Liege in death. While this was a credit to his loyalty, it was inarguably a bit 'extreme'...Deciding there no was no sense in worry about such things at the present moment, Vahn made his way over the Throne's terminal before quickly keying in the next name: Altera, the True Name of the one known as Attila the Hun. It was a given that personalities like Ozymandias, Iskandar, and Nero would be a little difficult to deal with so, for the moment, Vahn wasn't in any hurry to summon them. As for Lancelot, well, he had just summoned Bedivere and it might trigger the emotional Knight if he met one of the instruments that led to Artoria's demise so soon after calming down.With these things in mind, Vahn only hesitated for a brief moment before summoning Altera as a Saber Class Heroic Spirit. In the next moment, he found himself standing in the Welsh Dragon's Chamber as a thin, almost emaciated, woman manifested in front of him. She was around 160cm in height and, rather than olive-brown skin, it had a distinctly ashen quality to it as a Heroic Spirit. At the same time, her garb was even more revealing than what had been revealed by Alaya; consisting of paper-thin black and white fabric that would hardly qualify as a swimsuit, much less battle attire...What stood out the most with Altera, other than the strange tri-colored sword in her left hand, was the fact that she wore what appeared to be a bridal veil. It was similar in coloration to her grey-white hair and, much like her body, had a runic tribal pattern present on the surface. If he peered between the forelocks of her hair, which had been cut somewhat haphazardly, a peculiar tri-colored gem was barely visible; seated above cold and detached red eyes...As she hadn't been given the [Transmigrator] perk, Altera's memories and knowledge were entirely comprised of the information provided to her by the Summoning System and her various Legends. Thus, unlike Bedivere, who had been an emotional wreck upon being summoned, Altera was scarily calm as she stared directly back at him, saying, "You are my Master...I am Altera. For what purpose have you called upon me? What enemy must I destroy?"Hearing Altera's questions, Vahn was getting some distinctly Okita-like vibes as, from what he could tell, she had little to no emotions. Even the aura surrounding her was an inert dull grey, bordering on white; much like her hair. She seemed to only care about the purpose she had been called for but, at the very least, Vahn could see 'something' else contained within her wine-red eyes. There was a small amount of curiosity visible within; a desire to know and experience new things.Seeing this, Vahn had a slight smile on his face as, in response to her questions, he answered, "I am, indeed, your Master. My official title is Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. You may refer to me as Vahn or, if it suits your inclination, Master. As for your purpose...you will be tasked to protect one of the Empire's Supercolonies during its construction. Before that, and following the construction, you may live however you please. If there is anything you desire in exchange for your service, please, let me know. So long as it is within my power, I will do my best to grant what it is you desire."While Vahn had been speaking, Altera had continued to stare blankly back at him, her eyes never even twitching to indicate she might blink at some point. When he was finally done, what followed was a simple nod of acknowledgment and a request Vahn hadn't quite expected. In fact, the smile on his face became strained as, without any hesitation whatsoever, Altera stated, "I desire the complete destruction of all civilization."Though Vahn liked to think he could grant most wishes, if given enough time, Altera's request was, obviously, a little difficult to fulfill. It was actually pretty easy to grant, in the grand scheme of things, but that was pretty much the opposite of his intentions. He didn't want to lie to her, however, so he calmly explained, "While it is possible for me to destroy civilization, I believe your desire is not well thought out. I'm certain you have your reasons; in fact, I have also seen how terrible civilization can be when left to fester and stagnate. What we're trying to accomplish is the correction of the past's mistakes. For now, please bear witness to the future we wish to create and, if you cannot come up with a different wish, I will do my best to facilitate your desires..."Without a single facial tick, or any other signs of complex emotion, Altera simply nodded her head in response before muttering, "Good civilization...a difficult task. If that is what you desire, I will do my best to fulfill my role. My expertise is war and conquest. Use me as you will, Master, so that I may see the future you envision for myself."This time, Vahn answered with a nod of his own before gesturing to where Artoria, Gray, Da Vinci, Merlin, and Bedivere were standing, explaining, "These are our companions, our trusted allies. The beautiful woman with golden hair is my wife and Empress, Artoria Aldrnari Pendragon. Other than myself, her orders are something you should regard as the highest priority. Your actual duties will be explained in greater detail later. For now, listen to what she has to say and, once we return to the surface, I encourage you to get some sleep."Hearing her Master's orders, Altera gave a curt nod before raising her tri-colored sword of light and, somewhat surprisingly, stabbing it into her chest. This caused a brilliant flash throughout the Welsh Dragon's Chamber before fading away to reveal that, with the disappearance of her sword, a band of green, red, and blue metal had appeared between her pert breasts. Then, in a strangely mechanical yet graceful manner, Altera walked over to where the rest were standing, her veil trailing behind her in a peculiar manner as there was no wind present to disturb it.It was fortunate that Altera had been selected to protect the South American Supercolony as, along with its North American counterpart, they would be the last two to be constructed. This would give her a few years, projection-time, to socialize with the others. Hopefully, she would become a stabler existence by then but, even if that couldn't be achieved, it wouldn't be difficult to find a replacement in that amount of time. Rather, with her personality, Vahn had a strong suspicion that Altera would soon become a member of his entourage if he didn't find something for her to commit to...Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Vahn activated the Summoning System for the fourth time, a dull pain beginning to make its presence known within his mind. Altera's summoning had a bigger impact than normal but, with only this much, Vahn could still summon the remaining three people without too much trouble. At the very least, he would need to summon Iskandar and Ozymandias as they were both necessary for the implementation of the next phase of his plans.With this in mind, Vahn bit the bullet and decided to go ahead and summon Ozymandias, his former enemy. Though the somewhat arrogant and haughty 'God-King' would be difficult to deal with, there were a number of ways in which he could be controlled, even without the use of Command Spells. To this end, Vahn summoned the proud Pharoah, watching silently as the man who shared a number of similarities with himself manifested into existence...Wearing an attire consisting of a sleeveless black undergarment, resplendent golden armor, and a pair of ornate gauntlets set with various Egyptian icons. He radiated the presence of a King and, after opening his sun-like eyes, the entire Welsh Dragon's Chamber seemed to illuminate slightly. Seeing this, Vahn let his own aura flow out, almost by instinct, causing the two auras to clash as he stared back at the so-called God-King, ultimately forcing back the latter's aura.Feeling himself being suppressed, Ozymandias was more than a little surprised but, rather than show any fear, he smiled in amusement as he said, "To think, a worthy King actually exists in this era. Pray tell, are you the child of one of my descendants? Based on appearances alone, it is apparent that you have benefitted from my genetics."Hearing Ozymandias' remark, Vahn nearly laughed out loud but, deciding it was better to get to the point, he explained, "I am the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason. I have called upon you, legendary King of Kings, to serve the Empire and protect one of its territories. In exchange, I will return to you a body of flesh and blood, your Queen, and your homeland. What say you, Ozymandias?"Though it was obvious from the subtle shift in his aura that Ozymandias was greatly affected by the offer, he actually showed no discernible change in demeanor. This was something relatively common amongst capable rulers but, with his senses, Vahn could see through the facade with ease. To further tempt Ozymandias into willing servitude, he made an impromptu change to his plans, offering, "As an expression of sincerity, I can summon your bride here and now; not as a Heroic Spirit, but the very same woman you parted with millennia ago."Ozymandias' expression still didn't reveal his actions emotions but, with a somewhat serious glint to his eyes, he answered, "If what you say is true, I will recognize you as my true Master. Return my wife to me, unchanged, and my power, everything that I am, will be yours to command."With Ozymandias providing the answer he wanted to hear, Vahn gave a curt nod before looking back at Artoria to find her repeating the gesture. This exchange wasn't missed by the sun-eyed man but, before he even had time to think about it, the magical formation at his feet began to produce what appeared to be liquid formed from pure ether. Then, coalescing in just a few short seconds, a very familiar figure appeared, exactly as he remembered her...Vahn was curious about the famous Nefertari, rumored to be one of the most beautiful women throughout history. What he saw was a young woman with olive-brown skin, completely without blemishes. She had a distinctly innocent and maidenly appearance, radiating an aura of gentleness and compassion that was accentuated by her delicate features and petite frame. In fact, she was only 148cm in height and, based on her aura itself, Vahn estimated her age to be around thirteen years of age, despite it also feeling older at the same time...As someone who had a few decided young-looking women himself, Vahn wasn't going to question the preferences of Ozymandias. He knew the two had married when he was only fifteen years of age and, while he appeared to be in his late-twenties now, his true age could be measured in the triple digits. As for Nefertari herself, Vahn felt there was something 'off' about her but, without touching her directly or applying his Blessing to her body, it would be impossible to know for certain.Vahn knew what he was sensing had to be related to one of Nefertari's Innates but, not wanting to offend Ozymandias, he chose to let the matter lay. Putting his hands on another man's wife wasn't something he was willing to do and, while Nefertari certainly seemed odd, there wasn't even a single strand of negative energy anywhere in her aura...rather, it was like a much weaker version of Spenta's and Aura's...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Crybaby Bedivere','Gacha is bad civilization...','How to train your God-King')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

After a rather emotional embrace, followed by a few words shared between themselves in private, Ozymandias turned to Vahn with a serious expression as he said, "You are a man of your word. I'll remember this favor and endeavor to show it through my actions. So long as it does not tarnish my dignity as a King, I will dutifully serve your Empire, my Master..."Though Ozymandias' expression of submission only involved him slightly lowering his head, Vahn knew even this was a considerable compromise for the prideful King. This brought a smile to face, especially when Nefertari, following her husband's example, bowed at a steep angle as she stated, "I may not have any value in battle but I will do my best to be of service..."Seeing the opportunity to ingratiate Ozymandias to himself even further, Vahn gestured for them both to raise their heads as he plainly stated, "You will come to learn of my nature in the near future. For now, know that I have no intention of ruling over anyone. Rather, my conquest is to ensure that all peoples, be they God, Spirit, Human, and even beast can live happily. Your duty, Ozymandias, is to ensure that the bastion housing all of these entities is kept safe from internal and external threats. It is not to rule over others, as all Administrative tasks will be handled by systems implemented by the Empire. To that effect, so long as you do not take advantage of others, you and Nefertari will be able to live your lives in peace. With that in mind, you need not consider how to serve the Empire, Queen Nefertari; rather, tending to your husband and focusing on your shared happiness are your only duties."Hearing Vahn's words, the Egyptian-duo were at a loss; made apparent by Nefertari's shock and the wavering aura of Ozymandias. The latter was the one to break the silence, this time bowing ever-so-slightly more than before as he stated, "I will take your words to heart, my Master. This vision you have of the future...I will do my best to make it a reality. I would like to see what form a world where everyone can be happy takes."Following her husband's example, Nefertari crossed her hands over her lap, a smile that could only be described as 'lovely' adorning her face as she said, "If those are my only duties, rest assured that I will carry them out to the best of my ability. A world where everyone can be happy...it sounds truly wonderful..."With the pair in high spirits, Vahn's were raised quite a bit. Reining in Ozymandias all but guaranteed that the African Supercolony would thrive. The man's Noble Phantasm was one of the more powerful Vahn had personally experienced and, with it, Ozymandias wouldn't even need an army. So long as he had enough magical energy, his Reality Marble could protect the entirety of the Supercolony and, using it, he could produce a nigh-infinite supply of B and A-Rank Phantasmal Species. Each of these were a match for Heroic Spirits of the same grade so, with Maxwell's support, Ozymandias would quickly become one of the most powerful assets to the Empire...It was with building excitement that Vahn, after having the married couple stand off to the side, activated the Summoning System once again. The summoning of Nefertari had been unplanned but, as she was surprisingly weak, both in Parameters and overall Tier, the strain on his mental energy was almost negligible. He would still be able to summon all of his intended targets but it was a small relief to know that his brain wasn't going to feel like it had melted just from summoning a relatively normal human girl...Without delaying the matter any further, Vahn decided to go ahead and get Lancelot's summoning out of the way. He was, admittedly, a little curious about the capabilities of the so-called strongest Knight of the Round Table. Artoria admitted that, in pure skill, even she wouldn't be able to rival the legendary Knight of the Lake as his [Eternal Arms Mastery] and the curiously named [A Knight Does Not Die With Empty Hands] made him a monstrous combatant. With these two Skills, he was able to instantly master any weapon he picked up; converting even something as simple as a fishing rod or a plain stone into D-Rank Noble Phantasms.While these two Skills were the bread-and-butter of what made Lancelot terrifying, they were only the tip of the iceberg compared to his overall capabilities. If not for his legacy of betraying Artoria and losing himself to madness, two things that bothered Vahn more than he would openly admit, he would have been one of the first Heroic Spirits summoned by the Empire...After confirming his selection, Vahn watched with a mask of calm as a surprisingly tall man, standing at 191cm, coalesced into existence. He had dark-purple hair that extended past his shoulders; parted so that it framed a rather handsome, yet solemn, face. As he had been summoned as a Saber Class Heroic Spirit, he was adorned with heavy, plated, full-armor. In his hands, what Vahn assumed to be the legendary [Arondight], a massive greatsword that was vaguely reminiscent of [Excalibur] could be seen glowing with holy light as a result of its Faerie Enchantments...As a Heroic Spirit, Lancelot knew of Vahn's identity but, seeing the familiar faces of Bedivere and, most importantly, Artoria, his handsome face morphed into one of pain and visible regret. He may not be the 'real' Lancelot but, with his Legend emphasizing his betrayal to the point it was one of the things he was most known for, the stalwart-looking Knight couldn't help but be wracked with grief.Seeing how much Lancelot was struggling, Vahn felt a rising desire to release a sigh. He couldn't agree with the path Lancelot had walked but, more so than almost anything else, Vahn believed that people could change. This Lancelot may have the memories of his past self but, on a fundamental level, he had done no wrong. Rather, this was the most idyllic form of an opportunity he could ever hope for at redemption so, without beating around the bush, Vahn stated, "Before anything else, I will tell you directly, Sir Lancelot, that this is your opportunity to prove your loyalty to the world. The past has no relevance to the present moment...the only things that matter are the decisions you will make going forward. Consider this a second chance at life, one where you can assume an entirely new identity, if that is what you desire..."Hearing his Master's words, Lancelot raised his head to make eye-contact with the man who had summoned him. The situation made it clear who was in charge and, based on the fact his King was wearing a gown, certain conclusions could be reached. This made his words carry a certain weight but, even recognizing Vahn as his Master couldn't overwrite the loyalty and guilt he felt toward his former King.Fortunately, just as Lancelot began to struggle, it was Artoria who stated in an authoritative yet calm tone, "Sir Lancelot, raise your head and face your Emperor with the dignity expected of a Knight. This is not the past, nor will things ever return to how they were. Now, we must move forward to create a better world, not just a meager Kingdom. Your power will allow hundreds-of-millions to live in peace. Do not let the burdens of your past prevent you from making a better future, one for yourself and all the people who believe in you!"Causing Vahn's smile to turn awry, Lancelot seemed far more affected by Artoria's words than his own. In fact, he almost immediately dropped to a knee, tears building in his eyes as he exclaimed, "I will not fail you! I swear it, on everything I am...everything I aspired to be...!"Though Lancelot was presenting his sword to him, Vahn was certain that the Knight in question had been speaking to Artoria as he made his pledge. Despite this, he accepted [Arondight], finding its weight to be rather pleasant but, determined to make his [Lævateinn] a sword of even higher quality, Vahn didn't mull over the sword's make for very long. Instead, he used it to tap both of Lancelot's shoulders, effectively Knighting the man, this time as a Knight of the Emperor, not the Round Table...---With Artoria, Merlin, and Bedivere helping catch Lancelot up to current events, Vahn took a moment to rest before ultimately activating the Throne once again. He only had Iskandar and Nero remaining so, after tweaking a few settings, Vahn confirmed the summoning of Iskandar, recognized through the Throne of Heroes as Alexander while in his Lily form. What appeared before him was a spirited-looking youth with short vermillion hair that was tied into a neat braid. He stood at only 151cm tall but, despite his rather thin frame, power and vitality seemed to radiate off the youth as he, with a smile on his face and fire in his ruby-red eyes, stared back at Vahn.Seeing the boy dressed in ceremonial battle attire, complete with a sleeveless top, battle skirt, ornate sandals, and a red battledress adorned with gold, Vahn was tempted to nod in appreciation. He was quite taken with Alexander's attire and, though some aspects were a little strange to behold, such as the small tufts of fur adorning the bands of gold around his arms; he managed to pull it off due to his boyish looks, derived from a perfect blend between handsomeness and beauty.Seemingly without even a fraction of fear or hesitation, Alexander was the first to break the moment of silence, smiling radiantly as he said, "I never thought a day would come where I was met with such a curious turn of events. To think I would have the opportunity to begin my journey anew...ah, this is the beauty of life, is it not? Ahahahaha~"Hearing the zest within Alexander's tone, Vahn's smile increased marginally but, in much the same way as Nobunaga, it didn't seem his young protege was entirely content with the current status quo. Rather, partway through his laugh, he suddenly lunged towards Vahn with an ornate Macedonian shortsword in hand, clearly aiming for a lethal blow in spite of the youthful and easygoing smile on his face.Though it wouldn't have made much of a difference, being in the Welsh Dragon's Chamber made it all but impossible to use one's full power. As a result, Alexander was surprised to find that his sword, without Vahn even needing to block it, rebounded on contact. Instead of piercing the latter's neck, his own hand began to bleed slightly, almost as if he had struck against a completely indestructible object.With Alexander only having C-Rank Strength, his basic attacks had no hope of piercing Vahn's base resistances. This was something he was well aware of so, even when Alexander lunged toward him, he allowed the blade's tip to impact powerlessly against his throat. Then, as the youth took a few steps back, clearly expecting a counterattack, Vahn rubbed the impacted area, musing, "Not bad at all. It would seem the tales of your prodigious talent weren't exaggerated...unfortunately, my own exceed even that. Now, I trust you are satisfied...?"Still without a single sign of fear in his gaze, Alexander's boyish laugh sounded in response to Vahn's question. He wiped the blood from his palm against the side of his waistcloth, not minding the stain in the slightest as he answered, "Well, it seems you aren't completely helpless. I thought you might have summoned me like this because you were afraid of my adult self. I guess I'll have to obey your orders and determine for myself whether or not you deserve to be my Master. Now, tell me, what is it you called me here for? Judging by those beauties standing in the back, I'm guessing it wasn't for my boyish good looks and tender body...right?"(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Ha! Gottem...!','So many crybabies in the Knights of the Round Table...','An Emperor always goes at their own pace...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Having given in to despair, to the point she placed herself under a semi-permanent state of hypnosis, Ciel was, as could be expected, an emotional wreck upon seeing her former lover, no back from the dead. In a manner reminiscent to Illya from the previous evening, years of pain and anguish could be heard in her strained voice; tears pouring from her eyes without any signs of stopping.Shiki was more than a little confused with everything that was happening but, while he had a lot of questions, the crying girl in his arms took precedence. He was compelled to hold her close as he gently stroked her back, coaxing her with soft words in a futile attempt to stop the endless stream of tears staining clothes he didn't remember wearing. Rather, everything about the present didn't make any sense to him as, standing behind a rather 'intense' looking man, two people he almost convinced himself were illusions stood observing him...Seeing Shiki only spare him a momentary glance, followed by him staring toward Arcueid and Aoko in abject disbelief, Vahn was tempted to release a light chuckle. Ciel's current state made this nigh-impossible, however, so he settled on turning toward the waiting duo, saying, "Take these two to the surface. I'm certain you all have a lot to talk about. When you're finished, make sure he gets to sleep so that the memory link can activate properly."Hearing Vahn's words, Arcueid was broken from her momentary daze, albeit much slower than Aoko who, like a phantom, appeared standing over Shiki and the crying Ciel. She had a sly grin on her face as she looked down at the confused man, musing, "You have a lot of gall to make a woman cry for you. Come, let Sensei give you a loooong talk about the meaning of propriety~".Without waiting for Shiki's response, Aoko pulled Ciel off of him by the scruff of her outfit before dragging the confused man by his leg across the hard stone floor. It was only at this point that he gained enough wherewithal to muster up an actual response, followed by him exclaiming, "Aoko-nee, is that really you!? Please, let me go, I can walk on my own...!"Ignoring Shiki's cries, Aoko continued to drag him, even after reaching the stairs that led to the surface. Then, only after her figured disappeared behind the bend, did she shout out, "Are you waiting for some kind of invitation, Princess!?" This brought Arcueid back to her senses and, after giving a polite bow, she too alighted from the Welsh Dragon's Chamber...Seeing the curious group depart, Vahn had a slight smile on his face as he shook his head and muttered, "I should take better care of Bell the next time we meet...".Without mulling over the thought for too long, Vahn turned his attention back to the summoning circle, now powered almost indefinitely as a result of a Spiritron-Link that tethered the formation itself to Maxwell's residence. Now, he didn't even have to trouble the solitary Conceptual Entity who, if left to his own devices, spent most of his time just idling about within his manor's garden...---Finding himself in the familiar void, Vahn wasted little time in approaching the Throne's terminal to check the Parameters, Skills, Noble Phantasms, and other aspects of the people he intended to summon. This time around, he wasn't going to let Merlin pull a fast one on him so, after searching up the name suggested by the flowery Magus, Vahn couldn't help but snort through his nose.Seeing confirmation of his suspicions, Vahn internally retorted, ("Well, at least everyone else is the proper gender. The real question is whether or not Nero has an appearance similar to Artoria...it really wouldn't surprise me, knowing that clown...")At this point, Vahn was absolutely certain that Merlin was messing with, not just him, but Artoria herself. Though it was all but certain that Nero had some tragic and endearing past, especially with how they were presented in history, Vahn had misgivings about summoning other Emperors. While she would undoubtedly make a great ruler, as Nero had been an Emperor beloved by their people, Vahn wasn't really trying to find people to govern humanity...Fortunately, Nero qualified for nearly every Servant Class, the only exceptions being Foreigner and Moon Cancer. She also had an exceptionally powerful Skill, [Imperial Privilege: EX], even in her Lily form. This Skill allowed her to effectively ignore other Skill requirements and, by virtue of nothing more than their own insistence, make use of virtually any other ability, even those derived from Divinity. It was a pretty ridiculous Skill, even eclipsing Scáthach's [Wisdom of the Haunted Ground], albeit for a very limited period of time.Such a powerful Skill obviously came with strict requirements and, the more it was used, the greater the strain on the body. Still, so long as they lacked the means to completely overwhelm her with something like a Noble Phantasm, Nero could effectively fight with the same degree of mastery as any opponent, instantly. This was a truly enviable Skill to possess and, with both Nero and Ozymandius possessing a version unique to themselves, Vahn intended to study it a bit; after all, he too was an Emperor...Since it was all but guaranteed that Nero would cause a bit of a scene, Vahn decided to put off her summoning until the very end. For now, he would get the easier summons out of the way, starting off with the eponymous Knight of the Round Table, Bedivere. He was one of Artoria's closest allies in life and, if not for his presence, the Round Table itself wouldn't exist. For this reason, he was the undisputed first member of the Round Table, even if lacking the strength and prestige of later members, chiefly Lancelot and Gawain.Having already checked the attributes of every Knight of the Round Table during his previous visits, Vahn didn't spend too much time perusing Bedivere's data. The purpose behind him being summoned wasn't to serve as reserve combat force but, just as he had in his life, Bedivere would now become Castle Steward within the Ivory Castle. It was a role they had yet to fill and, having already decided to summon all of the Knight of the Round Table, Vahn felt it was only fair to start with those closest to Artoria.After confirming his selection, Vahn found himself back in the real world as the pure ether from the summoning circle began to coalesce into a figure. Before it fully formed, he gave a knowing look toward Merlin, eliciting a smile from the whimsical man who, even without laughing, caused Vahn to imagine he was. Thus, as Bedivere formed before him, Vahn interrupted the atmosphere by saying, "Artoria, you should ask Merlin about Nero's appearance. I'm certain it is a topic you will find intriguing..."Though he had been enjoying himself previously, Merlin's face paled when Vahn unhesitantly tossed him into the deep end. He could feel the temperature drop at his side, finding Artoria was staring at him with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. She didn't need a detailed explanation to know what Vahn was alluding to as there were very few things appearance-related that had any significance to her.In an attempt to deescalate the situation, Merlin gestured in a placating manner as he said, "Now, now, there is no need for such hostility. We all agreed that Nero was a suitable-"Before Merlin could come up with an excuse, Artoria cut him off by asking in a cold tone, "Remind me, Merlin, who was it to suggest Nero as a candidate? Who pointed out how fervently they cared for their people? My memory seems to have failed me...please, help me to remember..."Fortunately, sparing Merlin the continued ire of Artoria, Bedivere had fully formed, attired in full battle raiment that matched the style of other members of the Round Table. What set him apart from them were his features which, rather than handsome, could be called beautiful as a result of his fair skin, angular face, leaf-green eyes, and pale-blond hair. In fact, perhaps as a result of his adulation of Artoria, Bedivere wore his hair in nearly the exact same manner, complete with a neat braided bun at the back of his head.Seeing the somewhat familiar surroundings, combined with the presence of two 'very' familiar people, Bedivere was at a momentary loss. His first instinct had been to bend to approach his King and express his relief that they were still alive but, before his feet could move, Bedivere's eyes were drawn to his King's attire. Though this choice of garb alone didn't necessarily prove anything, there were a few noticeable aspects of the person in question that made it apparent they were anything but a King...Since she was sensitive to the gazes of others, Artoria immediately turned her attention away from Merlin, her usual regal aura radiating out like the gentle rays of the sun. Then, causing Bedivere to question how they could have been so foolish, Artoria calmly stated, "Knight Bedivere, it is good to see you once again. You undoubtedly have many questions, all of which will be answered. For now, it is enough to know that I have always been female. Please, forgive me for keeping this from you..."Though some people may consider it improper, Artoria had always treated her Knights of the Round Table as equals. She had no qualms about lowering her head if it was to apologize, much to the perturbance of those most loyal to her. As Bedivere fit this designation perfectly, he wasted no time in bowing even lower than Artoria, dropping straight to his knees as he exclaimed, "My King, please, do not lower your head to someone such as I. I...there are so...so many things I must apologize for. Your Majesty's words are like daggers that pierce me deeply...please, spare me this anguish...!"Toward the end of his outburst, Bedivere had actually started to shed tears as, in his mind, having died after Artoria had been his greatest failure. History had not recorded it but, in the wake of his King's fall at the Battle of Camlann, Bedivere had watched over what he believed to be Artoria's corpse. For nearly three full weeks, he had not moved from his final post yet, instead of the death he believed he deserved; the darkness claiming his vision gave way to the present moment, one where his King was alive and well, regardless of their gender.Even Artoria felt taken aback by Bedivere's behavior as he seemed distinctly different from the loyal Steward she had known much of her life. Fortunately, Vahn had been present from the very beginning so, while recuperating his mental energy a bit for future summons, he made a small exception, taking it upon himself to explain things to the distressed Knight. Then, as could be expected of someone who cried upon seeing their former Liege once again, Bedivere readily pledged his loyalty to the Empire...---While one drama was playing within the cavernous Welsh Dragon's Chamber, another had been taking place back on the surface. Here, after being pulled inside the Projection and taken into the Marble Phantasm of Arcueid, Shiki was brought up to speed on everything, his death included. This, however, wasn't a matter of importance to the mystic eyed man as, after being separated for more than a decade, Shiki was eager to know where Aoko and Arcueid had been. From them, he learned about many troubling topics, including the fact that they had both become the women of the man who had summoned him, the Sage Emperor, Vahn Aldrnari Mason...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Lamentation of the broken-hearted','Caught red-handed','Imagine coming back to life only to discover that two of your first crushes have been claimed by another man...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1348: Acquiescence of the God-King