Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Since he still needed to take the children to school, Vahn wrapped up his discussion with Merlin while, back in his chambers, he listened to as Nero droned on about how severely she punished those responsible for Boudica's rebellion. As for the woman in question, she just silently listened at the side with a polite smile on her face. She, like Artoria, always sat in a very ladylike manner, her hands neatly folded in her lap unless she reached for her teacup.Feeling that Nero could talk forever, as she changed topics quite a bit, Vahn eventually raised his hand in a placating gesture to have her calm down. To his surprise, this caused Nero to fall silent, so, for a brief moment, silence dominated the room as all four girls attentively waited for him to speak. Things like this always gave Vahn the urge to smile wryly but, understanding there was little he could do to change how they acted around him; he maintained his usual smile as he said, "It seems like you are getting along well. That is good to hear."In response to his words, Nero nodded her head with an 'umu' before answering, "Indeed. It is as you say, Master. I greatly respect people like Artoria and Boudica. Umu, it is not easy to lead your people during trying times. Now that fate has gathered us together like this; it eases my heart to be able to clear up matters that always weighed heavily on my consciousness."Hearing Nero's words, Boudica issued an elegant, pleasant-sounding, laugh. She used her gloved hand to politely cover her mouth, her aquamarine eyes glimmering with complex emotions until she noticed Vahn's glance. Her laughter had turned everyone's attention to her, so, with a kind smile on her face, she stated, "Pardon my behavior...". Then, turning her eyes back to Nero, she added, "I, too, am pleased by how things have turned out. Vahn's power grants us a unique opportunity...the ability to correct the mistakes of the past. The future he envisions...we should do our best to make it into a reality."As she spoke, Boudica brought her hands together like she was praying. This caused a scene that would shake most men to their core as, with her large breasts and low-cut dress, it almost looked like they would pop out at any moment. As a result, Artoria, Gray, and even Nero glared at the deep crease while Vahn, with his eyes closed, sipped at his cup of tea. He would have no part in whatever they were thinking inside their minds, at least for the time being...Though her eyes and briefly focused on Boudica's breasts, Artoria quickly cast a glance toward Vahn before ultimately nodding her head and saying, "I cannot help but agree with your words, Boudica. The only thing I would change is...the future is not Vahn's alone to decide. We, too, must work hard to make our dreams a reality. I have chosen a path that runs parallel to my husband, not behind him. This is my conviction as both an Empress, a Mother, and a Knight."Vahn felt extremely gratified to hear such words from Artoria, his gaze overlapping with hers as they both stared at each other, eyes filled with passion, resolution, and love. It was only when Nero began to lightly applaud that they looked away from each other, staring at the golden-haired beauty who had a brilliant smile on her face as she lightly exclaimed, "Bravo~! Well said! Umu! Umu~!" Then, as if the gazes of everyone empowered her, Nero rose to her feet, hands on her hips as she stated, "If this is how things are to be, I, too, have made my decision! Umu!"Following her outburst, Nero moved toward Vahn but, before she could cross the relatively short distance, Gray barred her passage; her icy-blue eyes turning a deep crimson as she asked, "Have you forgotten yourself?"Though she had already broken free from his absolute authority over her, Gray had a propensity to be overprotective of her Master. She didn't like how Nero behaved so, seeing her try and approach Vahn after interrupting the moment between him and Arotira, Gray was more than a little annoyed.Nero appeared slightly taken aback by the fact Gray had blocked her passage, her smile growing in size as she took a slow and deep breath through her nose. Instead of lashing out or doing anything to cause a further scene, however, she ultimately released an exasperated sigh before shaking her head and saying, "I merely wished to bend the knee to my Master. Forgive me for lending a bit of gravitas and flair to a climactic moment in my life...it was never my intention to offend. Umu..."Hearing what Nero had to say, Gray suddenly felt a little anxious and, though she had gotten a lot better at controlling it, her face took on a ruddy glow due to her rising embarrassment. Fortunately, her Master helped to deescalate the situation, rising to his feet to pat the top of her head as he said, "Thank you for worrying on my behalf, Gray...please, take a seat."Backing down on her own would have been difficult so, after enjoying her Master's caress for a short while, Gray returned to her seat. Nero's eyes had followed her throughout the entire process so, with the golden-haired Empress observing her, Gray lowered her head apologetically. This caused Nero's smile to return to normal, followed by her turning back to Vahn; their height difference requiring her to crane her head a considerable amount to lock eyes with him.With Nero looking directly at him, Vahn gave a nod of approval while maintaining his usual smile. In response, she lightly pulled at the side of her dress while lowering her body. This allowed the cloth to flare out in a graceful manner, almost like a flower blooming as she lowered her head. By doing so, she was effectively throwing away her status as an Emperor. Though it had been an empty title in the present, the only person who could truly strip away Nero's title was the woman herself...The problem with this situation was that Nero hadn't made clear exactly what it was she had decided upon. Her taking a knee was symbolic of loyalty and service but, in the grand scheme of things, there was any number of official roles and responsibilities to assign her. Like this, it almost felt like she was leaving the decision in his hands, a troublesome matter to be sure.As if to indicate this was, indeed, her intentions; Nero remained silent, her golden bangs and forelocks concealing her face from view. The only thing Vahn had to go off was her massive ahoge, the largest of all the girls residing within the Inner Sanctum. If he had thought about it prior to this moment, Vahn would have been able to understand just how deep Nero's trauma had been. After all, the existence and size of an ahoge seemed to be directly tied to how much a person had suppressed their emotions...Seeing the gravity-defying ahoge begin to dip slightly, Vahn began to feel slightly anxious and a little apologetic. Even the gazes of Boudica, Artoria, and Gray seemed to become a little tense so, after a moment of internal deliberation, he took a deep breath and, not really knowing what else to do, as he couldn't just arbitrarily assign a post to Nero; Vahn reached out his hand and began to stroke the top of her head.Though the atmosphere immediately became a little awkward, Vahn decided not to mind it. Instead, he continued to rub Nero's head, periodically removing his hand to see the state of her ahoge. It had reverted back to its usual vitality and, after a bit more effort, began to wiggle around a little. Once it seemed 'happy', Vahn retracted his hand as he softly stated, "I will not tell you what path you should follow, Nero. All I've ever wanted for others was their own happiness...so long as it does not interfere in the happiness of others, feel free to follow the route you please. Happiness is something you find within yourself so only you can make decisions about your future."While it may sound a little hypocritical given the fact he had summoned her to this timeline for a very specific purpose, Vahn still wanted everyone he summoned to be happy. In exchange for their service, he would do his best to grant their wishes. Nero's wish wasn't something he was privy to so, without knowing more about her character; he was simply unqualified to determine what path she should walk. At best, he could give her a small push but, in the end, only she could take those first few steps...Hearing Vahn's words, Nero lifted her head to show a mixture of confusion and loss in her eyes. She didn't seem particularly upset but, within her emerald-green irises, a deeply rooted uncertainty was visible. Her smile had also faded away to reveal a largely neutral expression while her aura, usually vibrant like a golden sun, had turned mellow and calm. It reminded Vahn a lot of Kenshin, someone who had cultivated a certain personality their entire life...someone who emulated emotions without truly understanding them.When Nero finally spoke, Vahn didn't quite know how to respond as she plainly stated, "You are a strange one...". Then, after looking around at everyone else in the room, Nero turned back to him and added, "Is this why people love? Compassion...empathy...or is it your strangeness that attracts them? If I sincerely wanted to become your sex slave, would you allow me to walk that path? What if I chose to abandon the Empire and live amongst the masses? Would you let me go, knowing full well how my personality would influence others?"Without waiting for an actual response, Nero shook her head as if to dismiss her own ideas. She then adopted a serious expression as she plainly stated, "I never wanted to be an Emperor. I never wanted the responsibility of leading people I could never understand. Even now, I never wanted to return to this world, summoned into a situation entirely unrelated to me. Here, I have nothing, know nothing, am nothing. All I desire is acceptance...a place to belong...someone that understands me..."Toward the end of her words, Nero averted her eyes once again, looking between Boudica, Artoria, and Gray. A wry smile then slowly replaced her blank expression as she added, "I wanted to believe this was the place that would accept me...".At this point, the atmosphere had become tense and solemn but, as Nero was not yet finished, they could only listen silently as she turned back to Vahn, smiling in a way that didn't read her eyes. This caused the latter to feel as if she suddenly gripped his heart tightly, a painful feeling seizing him as she stated, "It seems I was mistaken. I believed you had summoned me here because you wanted me to be here. I thought that after nearly two-thousand years...someone finally needed me. Now, I have come to learn just how mistaken I was..."Before Vahn was able to say anything to refute Nero's claims, the latter pulled out a small dagger that had been concealed between her hands. Time seemed to slow to a crawl in an instant as all the hair on the back of Vahn's neck stood on end. He instinctually moved his hand to intercept the small blade but, catching movement from the side, he slowed his actions marginally to avoid crashing into Boudica. She knew better than most what the look in Nero's eyes represented so she wasted no time in interfering, blocking the blade by grabbing it with her right hand.Due to how quickly she had moved, Boudica ended up basically tackling Nero to the ground, their bodies tumbling a few times in the process. When they came to a stop, Boudica had an angry and teary-eyed expression on her face as she shouted, "You stupid girl!" in the characteristic way only mothers could manage. Then, as confusion colored Nero's expression, Boudica hugged her tightly and began sobbing in a heartwrenching manner...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Literally the longest day ever...','TFW you dodge a trap only to step on a landmine...','A wild Boudimama appears...!')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Vahn felt at a loss to see how things had turned out. He didn't understand how his words had set off such a reaction in Nero but, in hindsight, he realized the deeper meaning behind Nero's actions. She had left her fate in his hands, earnestly believing he had called her here because he needed her. This was why she didn't allow others to get to her as, in the end, the only person who truly mattered, at least to Nero, was the one who had called upon her.Based on how Gray had reacted, it was clear that Nero hadn't really been accepted by the girls within the Inner Sanctum just yet. Her behavior made it difficult for her not to stand out so, even if she did her best to avoid offending people, they would always feel uncomfortable due to her unrestrained and prideful nature. They saw Nero as a threat, someone who seemingly believed themselves to be of a higher standing; someone who looked down on them.The truth of the matter, however, was that Nero didn't actually look down on anyone. Rather, she did her best to try and understand what she had done to upset them. Unfortunately, this was something that would take a considerable amount of time and an equal amount of effort.Nero originally believed that the unique gathering of people would make it easier for her to fit in but, after the discussion from earlier, she realized it would be very difficult to mesh well with most of them. She couldn't understand them, despite her best efforts. Inversely, they made no effort to even try and understand her, judging her based on how she carried herself as an Emperor. She could tell that, if they had the option, almost everyone within the Inner Sanctum would avoid her.Vahn couldn't have known what Nero was thinking about as, due to how deeply she had buried her true emotions; it was impossible to ascertain how she truly felt. He could have used View Affection to guide his actions based on the changes in her affection value but, after having decided not to rely on this ability; Vahn primarily made use of it only when dealing with enemies. He could usually sense the wants and needs of the people around him on a nigh-instinctual level so it hadn't really been a problem before now.Unfortunately, there was no medicine for regret so, having failed to understand what she needed from him, Vahn made Nero feel as though he had pushed her away. He was, quite literally, the very thing that anchored her to this world so, for him to tell her to seek happiness on her own, while also placing so many restrictions on her; Nero couldn't help but feel he had abandoned her. His words made it clear, at least within her mind, that he didn't actually need her. Even if she was to disappear from this world, Vahn, the man she called her Master, could just replace her at his leisure...Now, Vahn could only watch with a pained and solemn expression on his face as Boudica held the borderline catatonic Nero in her arms. Her emerald green eyes had now lost their luster, revealing the true state of Nero's psyche as she stared back at him with a slightly confused expression. It was clear she didn't understand Boudica's sadness or the pain visible in Vahn's eyes. She could only feel that she had done something wrong and, if not for the crimson blood flowing from Boudica's hand, she would have tried to take her life a second time.Since standing around would accomplish nothing, Vahn eventually steeled himself as he walked over to the duo's side. Boudica actually glared at him for a brief moment but, after a few seconds passed, she just shook her head and hugged Nero even tighter. Her look made Vahn feel as though his guilt had compounded but, doing his best not to let it show; he knelt down so that his face was only a few centimeters away from Nero's as he muttered, "Never again...I won't allow it..."Feeling his own emotions begin to burst forth, Vahn had to take a deep breath through his nose as his eyes began to sting slightly. Fortunately, he was able to keep his composure enough to carry out his original intentions so, before Nero could ask what he meant; Vahn placed his hand atop her head as he solemnly stated, "It is an order...as your Master, I expressively forbid you to try and take your life, Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus. Your life had value...more than you seem capable of understanding. I hope, one day, you will understand the pain you have caused everyone here..."After triggering such an extreme response from her earlier, Vahn didn't really know what to say to the current Nero. Part of him wanted to just hug her, holding her body tightly until she realized just how important her life was. Boudica, however, didn't seem intent on letting her go any time soon so, using Nero's earlier words to guide his, Vahn decided to play the part of her Master...As this thought crossed his mind, Vahn briefly remembered the peculiar incident that had occurred prior to Nero's summoning. He had nearly selected the Lily version of Nero by pure happenstance and, now that he saw her like this, part of him wished that he had done so. Nero, in many ways, was like a child that desperately needed the guidance of parental figures. She didn't know how to take control of her life without being in control of everything. Boudica could fill the role of a surrogate mother but, in the grand scheme of things, there was only one person who could have been a father to her...Realizing these things, Vahn released a melancholic sigh as he continued to caress the confused Nero's head. Now, even if he wanted to treat her as his daughter, Nero's experiences made this all but impossible. Though he could give her a new vessel, just like Mordred, she would still have a lot of trouble fitting in with others, both children and adults. The 'best' option would be to tweak her memories but that wasn't really a solution, not in this case.Since she had been watching him the entire time, Nero could tell that Vahn was struggling. She was unable to understand exactly why he was upset but she knew he was saddened by her actions. Since he had even used a command spell to prevent her from committing suicide, Nero began to feel like she had misunderstood the situation. It seemed like he still needed her so, even if she was unable to understand why, exactly, Nero began to feel her dark thoughts slowly fading away.Like a switch had been flipped, Nero's smile spontaneously returned, her aura blazing like a golden sun as she broke free from her catatonic state. She then used her free hand to lightly pat Boudica's head, saying in a gratified tone, "Thank you for worrying about me. I'm fine now, umu, please release me...grkk...you are a lot stronger than you look. Umu..."Hearing the first half of Nero's words, Boudica put even more strength into her embrace. However, when she heard the former groan, she immediately weakened her hold, saying, "You're not okay...not yet. Don't think you can fool me with words alone..."With Boudica refusing to release her, Nero couldn't help but furrow her brows slightly but, just as she was considering breaking free, calming energy flowed into her mind, courtesy of Vahn. When she turned to look at him, the latter had a wry smile on his face as he stated, "Consider this your punishment for worrying us. It is okay to not be okay, Nero...you don't have to force yourself to put on an act. Nobody here expects you to be a perfect Emperor without any flaws...after all, I have a fair number myself. If you want to fit in and understand others, you have to be willing to expose your true feelings to them. Don't be afraid to ask for help...if there is something you don't understand, we will help you find the answer..."Though it was probably impossible for him to fill the role of a parent to the current Nero, that didn't mean Vahn couldn't help guide her. She had clearly been shaped from a young age to behave in a certain way so, even if it caused a few awkward moments between them, Vahn needed to be willing to reprimand and guide Nero when she made mistakes. He could also have her help test the Virtual World simulations with Da Vinci, potentially giving her the chance to live and grow from childhood without having to make any changes to her current self.For now, however, Vahn needed to show Nero that she wasn't unnecessary. She needed to know she had value, even if it would take her a long time to understand exactly what it was. With this in mind, he looked toward Boudica, adding, "For now, I'll have you move into the Inner Sanctum as well. It will take a few weeks before we're ready to establish the European Supercolony. Until then, I want you to live alongside Nero. I believe she will learn more from interacting with you than observing Artoria...is that okay?"Though Nero seemed like she wanted to disagree, Boudica preempted her response by hugging her tightly and saying, "You don't even need to ask." Then, in order to convince Nero, she whispered, "It will be okay. Your Master can be a bit of an idiot at times but he is surprisingly competent when it comes to things like this. Trust that there is a reason behind his decision and give it a chance...it may take a while, but I promise to teach you how to be happy."Nero wasn't completely convinced by Boudica's words but, with her pointing out that this was the decision Vahn had made, she ultimately nodded her head in agreement. She was aware that she and Boudica would be working together during the establishment of the European Supercolony so, for the time being, she would do her best to get along with the buxom woman. This would also allow her to interact with the rest of the Inner Sanctum's residents with greater ease, borrowing on the rapport that Boudica had built with them.With Nero's acquiescence, Boudica's mood was instantly improved. A loving smile spread across her face before she noticed the wry one on Vahn's. Then, remembering she had just called him an idiot, her brows furrowed in an apologetic manner. This caused Vahn to lightly shake his head, his smile returning to normal as he added, "I can't force her to stay in one place but I'll also leave Spenta in your care, at least for the time being."Hearing Vahn mention Spenta caused the tensions in the air to dissipate slightly as even Nero had become rather fond of the adorable white-haired girl. Not only did she have a calming aura, but her skin was very soft to the touch. This, combined with her naturally high body temperature, made her an ideal companion for sleeping, something Nero had confirmed several times.Feeling everyone's mood improve, Vahn's own tensions relaxed. He was hoping that Spenta would be the glue that brought Nero and the others together. Even if they didn't like Nero, there was no way they could refuse Spenta as she was the literal manifestation of 'All the World's Good'. The one time Vahn had sent Spenta away, as he had been rather busy, he ended up being filled with so much regret that he ultimately dropped what he was doing to go spend time with her.Now, until Nero was able to relinquish her facade, Vahn would surround her with caring people who would never stop trying to peel back her protective layers. At the same time, he would try to become a good Master to her and, if necessary, a surrogate father. Though would never refer to himself in such a manner, as that would likely cause even more problems, that didn't prevent him from treating Nero with the care she seemed to desperately need. Then, when she had finally opened her heart to others, he would reward her until she was completely satisfied...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'There will always be someone pained by your actions...','Boudica got that glare only a Mother can pull off...','Spenta is 'literally' the goodest girl...at least in the Nasuverse (UwU). She still has a long way to go before reaching Fenrir, however~')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the topic in his chambers revolving around the relationship between Boudica and Nero, the Vahn meeting with Merlin figured it was as good a time as any to learn more himself. He already had a decent understanding of Solon's character from their past conversations so, after creating a lull, he shifted topics, asking, "You must know it, correct? Nero's past? You would not have gone out of your way to convince everyone otherwise."Since he already expected this transition, Merlin wasn't caught off guard by Vahn's words. Instead, he continued to smile in his usual manner before waving his hand through the air, answering, "Be that as it may, Your Majesty, I do not believe it is my place to reveal Nero's secrets. Someone like Solon is a special exception as, at the time, they could have been considered a threat to the Empire. The time will come when Nero reaches out to you on her own. When that happens, I am more than willing to assist~."This wasn't the first time Merlin had given him a similar excuse, so Vahn wasn't all that surprised. He knew the flowery Magus' well enough, so unless it was information he needed to ensure the Empire was kept safe, it was rare to get a direct answer from him. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, as it would become problematic if he relied exclusively on information provided by Merlin. However, it was still a little annoying at times like this.Instead of trying to press Merlin to reveal the truth, Vahn just accepted that he would need to put in a bit of effort to discover it himself. This wasn't a particularly difficult task so, for now, he shifted the topic once again, asking, "Have you and Lilith worked things out? I just checked on her earlier...she is going to become a real problem, sooner or later."With Lilith being the Queen of the Succubi, she had a lot of parallels with Merlin and, in many ways, was even a higher form of existence. What separated them was legacy Merlin had inherited from his father, the love he had received from his mother, and the compassion he had for all creatures. While Lilith had indulged in her purpose, Merlin had actively resisted and overcome his. This granted him a phenomenal amount of power, even if he had been helpless to ever truly make use of it.In response to Vahn's question, Merlin released a slightly exasperated sigh before answering, "I have managed to convince her to stop trying to peer into the dreams of the Ivory Castle's residents. There is little I can do about her gallivanting through the dreams of others, however. She had been starved for a very long time so I can't blame her for being hungry. For now, there shouldn't be any issues. In the future, however, I fear she will grow increasingly impatient..."Hearing Merlin's words, it was Vahn's turn to sigh as he knew exactly what the woman in question most desired. She considered it her purpose to serve the Gods, fulfilling their desires and helping to shape the world to their liking. The problem with this was that Lilith wasn't something that could be restrained easily so, even if Vahn 'helped' to fulfill her purpose, things would become troublesome once the convergence began.The only way Vahn could keep Lilith under control was by turning her into his, or someone he trusts, Familiar. Succubi and Incubi were a type of Daemon, entities formed from desires who, as a result, lived for the purpose of fulfilling those same desires. So long as human desire existed, they would be compelled to fulfill their purpose as, much like the Gods of Danmachi, they were compelled to do so by higher orders of power.Fortunately, though it came with a whole host of problems, the nature of Daemon's compelled them to form contracts with sapient creatures. These contracts had a variety of different effects but, in all but a few cases, they ended with the contractor having a mental breakdown. Daemons were entities founded within the 6th Imaginary Aspect and, as amalgamations of desire, their presence alone had a powerful influence over the minds of creatures bound by desire.Humans actually weren't all that good at dealing with their emotions so there were very few who could contract with a Daemon without ultimately losing their minds. They would be consumed by the power they obtained, the otherworldy pleasure they experienced, or the madness that resulted from having their dreams devoured. After all, upon contracting with a Daemon, you become their primary supplies or life essence, mana, and dreams. These were terms that couldn't be altered so, in order to reign in someone like Lilith, her contractor needed to have monstrous willpower, endless vitality, and indomitable resolution.Were it not for the fact he knew she would cause problems amongst the other girls, Vahn wouldn't mind being the one to contract with Lilith. The issue with this, however, was that she had no way to devour his dreams. Though it wasn't impossible to influence his mind, probing it directly was outside even Akasha's capabilities. Thus, by contracting with Lilith, Vahn would basically be telling her that she was no longer allowed to consume something vital to her very existence. He could undoubtedly find a way to supplement this but, with his ever-expanding harem, introducing chaotic elements like Lilith was a truly senseless decision...After sitting in silence for a few minutes, both in deep thought, Vahn ultimately asked in a tentative tone, "How about Karna...?"Though Karna wasn't exactly a God, he was infinitely close to becoming one. He was already a Tier 4 being and, though he didn't possess a matured fragment, he possessed an A-Rank [Divinity] Skill. All he needed was a bit of guidance and a small shift in his mentality to become an actual God of the Sun, rather than the 'Son of the Sun God'.Hearing Vahn's supposition, Merlin shook his head, stating, "I fear what both would become if the energies within Karna's and Lilith's bodies fused together. They are existences on the opposite end of the spectrum, after all...to that end, there are really only three viable candidates. I cannot offer my own services, for obvious reasons..."Merlin was, indisputably, the best candidate for reining in Lilith but, due to his complex relationship with Vivian, this was absolutely impossible. He already did a lot of things that weighed heavily on the heart of his former student so, unless the fate of the world hung in the balance; Merlin would not go out of his way to betray her expectations. The last thing he needed was another Morgan le Fay type of character in his life, someone that was undoubtedly plotting in the background, even at this very moment.Vahn would never force anyone into a relationship of convenience so it never even crossed his mind to request Merlin's assistance. The flowery Magus was already keeping Lilith in check so it would be a betray of his and Vivian's trust if he tried to pressure Merlin into acquiescence. As for the other candidates, Vahn knew he was one of them so, after a bit of thinking, he frowned slightly and asked, "Do you mean...Scáthach?"Even as the words left his mouth, Vahn felt like his temperature dropped, a chill passing through his body. When Merlin nodded in response, he immediately shook his head, saying, "I refuse...even if she meets all the criteria, the thought of Shishou and Lilith teaming up...I would rather fight against Cath Palug with my arms and legs bound."Finding Vahn's comment rather amusing, Merlin couldn't help but chuckle lightly before explaining, "I do not believe you would find someone with greater willpower than Lady Scáthach. Though it may appear as though she lacks ambition and desire, we both understand the truth. With her connection to the Land of Shadows, there are none more qualified to satiate Lilith's voracious appetite. There is also no chance of Lady Scáthach being corrupted by Lilith's influence...rather, I imagine the opposite to be true?"As this was exactly what he was afraid of, Vahn nodded in response to Merlin's question, adding, "If we went that route, Lilith would also become intrinsically related to the Inner Sanctum. At this point, I don't think I could let Scáthach go so having Lilith become her Familiar is just a disaster waiting to happen..."Hearing Vahn's words, Merlin showed an expression of mild shock. He knew of the current situation between Scáthach and Vahn but this was the first time he heard the latter openly state he wouldn't be able to let the former go. As a result, he swallowed slightly as, while Vahn might not be aware of it, he almost always had a certain someone observing his every movement...With the exclusion of Scáthach and himself, Vahn struggled to rationalize who, exactly, the third person mentioned by Merlin was. It had to be someone outside of the Inner Sanctum but, the only people who fit this qualifier were: Siegfried, Gawain, Lancelot, Galahad, Bedivere, Alexander, Maxwell, Heracles, Ozymandias, and Astolfo. Though it was possible he could be alluding to Semiramis, Vahn immediately excluded her as there was absolutely no way the woman in question would accept the person that made her feel self-conscious.While thinking about who else Merlin might be talking about, Vahn's mind wandered to Olga and, as if hit by a bolt of thunder, his brows raised as he asked, "Sherlock?"Seeing Vahn finally arrive at the correct answer, Merlin nodded his head, explaining, "Though there is always the option of summoning someone specifically suited to dealing with Lilith, I believe Sherlock is the best candidate. If you saw the complexities of that man's mind, you would understand why he is suited to the task. If Lilith got out of hand, I suspect he would even be able to trap her within his mind indefinitely..."Even without Merlin giving an explanation, Vahn had already come to the conclusion that Sherlock was, indeed, the best option. The man was virtually incorruptible and, with an infinitely vast library within his mind, there was no chance he would one day lose himself to uncertainty. He was a man who looked for the 'ultimate truth' in all things so, if given enough time, he would probably come up with a solution to any problems Lilith presented without them ever becoming an actual issue.The only problem was convincing Sherlock and Lilith to contract with each other but, considering the nature of the former; Vahn felt like he would readily accept. He wasn't the type to shy away from the unknown so, knowing what kind of being Lilith was, Sherlock would undoubtedly take an interest in her. After all, she had been around since the dawn of mankind, delving into the minds of both gods and men for millennia. She had such a vast wealth of information concealed within her mind that a man like Sherlock couldn't help but be drawn to her.Realizing this was the case, Vahn gave Merlin a mildly annoyed look since there was little doubt the flowery magus has already thought of this solution long ago. He was always like this, forcing Vahn to come to the necessary conclusion by giving small hints and bits of advice. Though this wasn't really a bad thing, as it caused him to reach his own conclusions without being 'told' what to do, Vahn would never get used to being played with.Still, he wasn't going to openly complain as that would make him into a hypocrite. After all, Vahn was known to do something very similar when he was teaching others. It was infinitely better for students to arrive at the answer on their own than to be given the solution from the start. Knowledge wasn't nearly as important as learning how to arrive at conclusions through critical thinking and problem-solving. Thus, Vahn could only begrudgingly accept the fact that Merlin was messing with him as, in the end, it made him into a more capable Emperor...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Flowery Magus? More like cheeky...','Vahn fears the Purple Demon xD...','The best teachers don't teach you what to think, they teach you how to think')(A/N: I woke up with a bad migraine so there may be some delays today. I probably ingested about 1000mg of caffeine yesterday so I'm most likely just severely dehydrated xD...)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1367: Trigger