Endless Path : Infinite Cosmos

Though it might have made him sound a little desperate, Vahn couldn't help asking, "Are you sure about this?" while observing the back of the blonde-haired beauty standing a few meters away.Without turning around fully, the beauty, Ureko, adopted an amused smile as she looked back to say, "It's only a few months, right? Make sure you get a lot stronger before then. Now that I know what kind of person you are, you'll need to work hard if you want to woo me. I have no intention of being someone's trophy."With that said, the space around Ureko's body began to violently ripple, a sign she was about to depart. In response, Vahn blinked directly behind her but, before he was able to give her a parting embrace, the petite blonde rewarded his efforts with an elbow to the diaphragm, a teasing smile developing across her face as she said, "Get your shit together first. I don't really care if you want to complete your Princess collection, but I'll be pissed if you increase the number of 'random' women before our next meeting."Finished with what she wanted to say, Ureko extricated her elbow from Vahn's gut before promptly disappearing into the spatial tear she had created. This left the latter massaging his stomach with a sad smile on his face, but, shortly thereafter, he simply shook his head before turning to the group standing behind him and saying, "Well, this is it. From this moment onward, everyone is allowed to move freely. Just make sure to travel in groups of two or more, and, no matter what, never separate from your Pokemon..."Having discussed the matter in greater detail, Vahn ultimately agreed to let everyone travel on the condition that they always had one of his Templates nearby. This would provide him with constant updates on their status, and, if necessary, he could either teleport directly to their side or use Unit Management to recall them to his. Fortunately, Pokemon were quite popular, so, while it ultimately required him to produce a number of additional Templates, everyone had been excited to choose their favorite...Though most of the girls could see the uncertainty on Vahn's face, it was Artoria, followed closely by a miniaturized Solgaelo, who stepped forward to say, "Everyone here understands the risks and is more than capable of protecting themselves. If you are feeling uncertain, you need only continue moving forward. You are our guiding light. Where you go, we are bound to follow."Nodding his head, Vahn did his best to appear assured, smiling as he said, "I understand. No matter what, I will continue pushing forward...please, stay safe..."Adopting a far more sincere smile, Artoria rewarded Vahn's words by removing her gauntlet and caressing his head. She didn't have anything like Petting Laws to rely on, but, even without them, the caress of a loved one was still effective in allaying one's concerns.Feeling a little better, a natural smile developed across Vahn's face as he wrapped his arms around Artoria's waist and whispered, "I love you..." in the most sincere tone he could manage. This caused the subsequent parting to take much longer, but, even if their parting was only for a short while, he wanted everyone to know how much he loved each and every one of them...---With the departure of nearly every resident, Vahn's return to the Emerald Grove reminded him of how peaceful things had been at its inception. Back then, it's only inhabitants were the Templates he had produced. Now, however, most of the remaining residents were either members of Fenrir's pack, Pokemon, or those who completely lacked ambition. Everyone else had either been moved to another Layer, or, in the case of Kushina, Hinata, Naruto, and Hina, to Arceus' Realm.Though he had intended to give everyone as much time as they needed to make a decision, Vahn had been surprised when the Council of Wives approached him the following morning with both a consensus and a compromise. They had spent days deliberating over the matter, and, after putting it to a vote, it was decided that the Emerald Grove, much like his Realm, would remain sealed unless he 'needed' to make use of it. Those who chose to remain behind did so understanding they would have very little influence in events of the outside world. As for everyone else, they would be moving in the outside world, completing quests, and, no matter how dangerous things became, they would face any and all threats head-on. They did not fear death. Rather, believing that it was only a matter of time until Vahn reached the Divine Realm, the only thing they feared was being unable to witness his ascension with their own eyes...Having always left such decisions to his wives, Vahn took one last look at the timeless abode before shaking his head and returning to the outside. There, he found Fenrir, Ryun, Yuri, and Pram waiting for him, the latter appearing understandably confused since she hadn't been asked to participate in the previous discussions. She was still loyal to the Lo Po Bia Family, but, more than that, most of her ambitions revolved around developing the power and authority of the Snow Leopard Family. While there was nothing intrinsically wrong with this, she was a bit of an extremist in her ideals, so, unless she drastically changed over the next few weeks, he would be leaving one of his Templates to watch over, not just the Snow Leopard Family, but most of the Lo Po Bia Branch Families.Adopting his characteristically casual smile, Vahn habitually extended his hands to caress the heads of Fenrir and Ryun as he said, "Though I'm tempted to charge straight up the Tower, I don't want to break my promise with Lotte. For the time being, we'll stick with spending three days on each of the Floors. The real question is, are you okay with exposing our relationship to the public...?"With the last question directed at her, Yuri just waved her hand in a dismissive manner, asking, "Do you think I would have sent Evan off if I wasn't certain? Being a Princess was pretty interesting but I never really cared about the title. I just wanted to be free. Besides, now that I've become a Saiyan, is there any reason to fear the Jahad Empire?"Startled by Yuri's words, Pram's eyes widened as she asked, "Princess Yuri, have you lost your mind? Vahn-sama is certainly powerful, but there is no guarantee he can defeat the King. Once your father learns of this, it isn't just you who will pay the price..."Noticing the 'scheming glimmer' in Pram's eyes, Yuri rolled her own before saying, "You're living in the past. Even if you don't believe everything Vahn has revealed, do you really think Ureko and the members of Wolhaiksong would place their fates in his hands for no reason? I have no intention of being trapped in this Tower for the rest of my life. I want to see what lays beyond, so, even if I have to live with the brand of a traitor, I'm going to continue walking this path till the end. Besides, if he got serious, do you really think Vahn would lose against my father?"Shifting her silvery gaze to Vahn, a conflicted look appeared in Pram's eyes. She knew he was very powerful, but, for a variety of reasons, she couldn't imagine he was stronger than her father, much less Jahad. There was a reason Jahad had been able to declare himself King, and, more importantly, remain King for more than ten-thousand-years. His power was simply unfathomable, and, though she had only met him a handful of times, Pram was convinced he stood at the absolute pinnacle of what any individual could achieve.Turning to meet Pram's gaze, Vahn couldn't help adopting a teasing smile as he saw her lips part, clearly wanting to speak but unable to find the words. This made her appear adorable, but, at the same time, it proved just how indoctrinated she was in the current system. She would undoubtedly hesitate, but, should Jahad or Lord Lo Po Bia request it of her, the odds of her betraying them were remarkably high. This was one of the biggest detriments to dealing with races who were both loyal and extremely hierarchal, as, without 'proving' he was stronger, they would prioritize the orders of those they believed to be his superior.Rather than making a big deal out of it, Vahn just extended his hand to caress Pram's inordinately fluffy hair, saying, "You'll get your answer soon enough. Now, let's get a move on. There are a lot of people anticipating our arrival on the higher floors. Let's not keep them waiting..."With that said, Vahn retracted his hand from Pram's head, surprising her as he shifted his gaze to the sky and shouted, "Transfer us to the next Floor!". Until now, he had been moving between the various Gateports in order to facilitate his travel, but, thanks to his contract with Headon, he could effectively transport between Floors at his leisure. This had been a closely guarded secret, but, now that he had decided to press forward without hesitation, Vahn no longer cared about discretion...---With very little time passing since her conference with the Ministers, Adori found herself unable to suppress a twitch as she listened to the most recent string of reports. She had been confident in her assertion that Vahn wasn't going to arbitrarily cause chaos, yet, as if he was intentionally seeking to annoy her, persons of interest related to the Aldrnari Empire were somehow appearing all over the Tower. They hadn't done anything as of yet, but, considering some had appeared as low as the 28th Floor, it was becoming increasingly apparent that the travel restrictions imposed on everyone else had no effect on members of the Aldrnari Empire.Fortunately, as they had literally been in the process of discussing their next course of action, Adori already had Senna, Andrika, and Lem with her. They were receiving the same reports as she was, so, while none appeared even remotely as exasperated as her, Adori took solace in the fact that others shared her burden. Senna, in particular, was extremely reliable at times like this, as, not only did she have experience as Commander-in-Chief, her capacity to gather information was second only to a select few members of the Tperie Family.With her Lighthouse monitors displaying the images of several confirmed members of the Aldrnari Empire, a thoughtful look developed across Senna's face as she stated, "It would appear something major happened within the confines of the Little Garden. We'll need to send a delegation to consult with Vahn. I presume this is just an example of him providing his people the opportunity to explore the Tower in preparation for their impending departure. If this ends up being the case, we might be in for a number of headaches..."Since it was just the four of them, Adori made no effort to suppress a sigh, a long, exasperated, and slightly sonorous sound escaping her throat before she observed, "If it's just that, we should be able to rest easily within the next year or two. For now, send units to establish contact with each member of the Aldrnari Empire. Though I doubt they will be accommodating, we should, at the very least, try to coordinate with them. If they are spread out across numerous Floors, there is a chance that Vahn might not be able to meditate when things get out of hand. If he can...well, at least we'll know more of what he is capable of..."Imagining Vahn freely teleporting through the Tower, another sigh escaped Adori's lips, this time expressing extreme fatigue. She was hoping he could only teleport to Floors he had already been to, but, considering who they were talking about, there was a very real chance he could teleport to the top of the Tower whenever he wanted. He had a way of completely defying their expectations, so, rather than assume he had any limits, Adori was beginning to accept that his title as the God of Infinite Possibilites was accurate...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Come and get me~','The dawn of a new era','RIP Adori xD...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

With the Little Garden largely off-limits, two months passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. This was aided by the fact that Vahn had resumed his healing work, and, as a result, he had treated more than ten thousand residents of the Middle Tower, not just members of the Hendo Lok Family.As could be expected, Vahn's fame was growing by the day, as, no matter how serious the injury, he would treat the vast majority of patients without asking for any form of payment. There were also a number of rumors attesting to his ability to help people leave the Tower, so, while there had been a fair amount of backlash from some of the people in power, his popularity among general residents, Rankers, and even a few of the Great Families had been on the rise.Unfortunately for the people who came seeking refuge and transportation via the Little Garden, the majority were turned away without consideration. Wolhaiksong had been the exception, so, unless their circumstances were especially dire, Vahn had no plan to harbor additional people, refugee or otherwise. There were exceptions, of course, but, more often than not, the people approaching him were just opportunists looking for a chance to start anew or spread their influence elsewhere...---Stepping out onto the 97th Floor, the first thing Vahn took note of was the blood-red sky. Then, in response to the large crowd that had gathered, some to receive him, others hoping for treatment, he adopted a friendly smile and said, "General treatment will take place starting tomorrow morning. If you have an emergency or a more pressing condition, please share your information with the 2nd Army Corp. I will begin treatment after a bit of rest."Though he has initially been treating people arbitrarily, Vahn ultimately accepted when Senna came to offer her assistance. This allowed the Jahad Empire to save a bit of face, but, more importantly, it helped to ease some of the tensions provoked by the girls freely roaming the Tower. They had been rather proactive in their attempts to root out corruption and protect the people, so, while he had no intention of reigning them in, there was no harm in working alongside members of the Empire who sincerely wished to improve things.In response to Vahn's words, most of the crowd began to disperse under the direction of the 2nd Army Corps. A few, however, chose to stay behind, not because they wished to defy the Empire or inconvenience him, but because they were that desperate. This was actually quite common, so, as the larger group was clearing out, Vahn had Law of Identity vet each of the people who remained.As was often the case, most of the stragglers were actually estranged members of the Hendo Lok Family or former agents related to Wolhaiksong. More surprising was the number of people related to FUG, but, thanks to the Law of Identity, Vahn quickly understood the reason. This was apparently the Floor that served as Slayer Karaka's seat of power. It wasn't the most important location to him, but, at the very least, it was the place where most of his troops had been stationed...Though there was a fair amount of 'bad blood' between him and the aforementioned Slayer, Vahn no longer cared about eliminating him outright. FUG, or, more specifically, two of the other Slayers had harshly reprimanded the younger Slayer for his actions, so, for the last several months, Karaka had been relatively silent as he focused on split his forces in an attempt to limit the damage caused by Ureko. She had yet to forgive the man for what he had done to Hell Joe, so, whenever she found any traces of Karaka and his forces, Ureko made sure to tear them out by the roots.Committing the location of Karaka's base to memory, Vahn made a mental note to inform Ureko of its location as he shifted his gaze towards a dull-eyed woman cradling what appeared to be a dead infant in her arms. She had the kind of look you would see when someone had completely given up hope, but, perhaps as a result of her maternal instincts, she forced herself to appear despite several days passing since her child's death...Unable to suppress the discomfort he was feeling, Vahn couldn't resist furrowing his brows as he looked behind him, saying, "Go on without me. I'll catch up in a few minutes..."Acting as the representative of his entourage, Fenrir lightly thumped her chest, answering, "Leave it to me. I'll make sure to choose someplace that has a large bath. It will be waiting for you when you return."Following an appreciative nod, Vahn watched as the group, now consisting of Fenrir, Yuri, Lotte, and Misaka, hastily departed. Pram had been asked to return home shortly after their arrival on the 95th Floor, and, though she had initially chosen to accompany Ichigo and Orihime, it didn't take long for Misaka to feel like a third wheel. As a result, she was currently traveling together with him, but, once another group returned, she was intending to join them in order to continue completing Quests. As for Ryun, she had chosen to return to the First Layer, allegedly to keep an eye on the Research Team until her services as a Guide were required.Trusting the girls to choose a suitable residence, Vahn returned his gaze to the bereaved mother, his vibrant aquamarine eyes meeting her almost lifeless brown orbs. For a fleeting moment, he thought he could see a flicker of hope ignite within their depths, but, almost immediately thereafter, it faded as a member of the 2nd Army Corps approached her with the intent of ushering her away.Teleporting next to the man before he could presumably say something rude, Vahn placed his hand on the soldier's shoulder, saying, "It's fine. Please, move along."Though he had startled quite a bit due to Vahn's instantaneous and vice-like grip, the man quickly managed a salute as he nervously stammered, "Y-Yes! Understood!" before practically bolting away.After following the man with his eyes for a few moments, all while the Law of Identity revealed his true thoughts, Vahn returned his gaze to the bereaved mother, guilt swelling in his heart as he said, "Let me see him. I can still feel a thread of consciousness lingering around him..."With a layer of moisture immediately developing across her eyes, the woman weakly presented the body of her infant son, voice croaking as she sobbingly stated, "Please...I beg you...save my child..."Though he felt even more guilt, Vahn forced himself to adopt an assuring smile as he said, "Leave it to me.". Then, with a tremendous amount of light gathering in his palm, he pressed his hand to the infant's chest, his voice echoing through the surroundings as he somberly declared, "Live." in a tone that resonated in the hearts and minds of everyone present.Immediately following this utterance, a gasping sound, followed by an extremely loud cry, could be heard emanating from the wailing infant. This, in turn, caused the mother to completely break down into tears, repeating things like 'thank you' and 'my precious baby' while cradling the crying infant in her arms.Offering the most reassuring smile he could manage, Vahn placed his hand on the woman's head, this time producing considerably less light as he said, "Everything is going to be okay. So long as there is hope, the promise of a better future is never far..."With that said, Vahn finished healing the woman's injuries before retracting his hand and promptly teleporting to the top of a building several kilometers away. There, he sat with his back pressed to a wall, a tired sigh escaping his throat as he looked towards the blood-red sky.Though he had made good on his promise to revive the child, there was nothing Vahn could do to restore the original consciousness. Instead, he could only 'invite' another Soul to inhabit the child's body, effectively 'creating' a new consciousness from scratch. In other words, he had failed to bring back the woman's child, and, though he believed it was the right thing to do, he had technically left her to care for a stranger inhabiting the resurrected flesh of her son...Fortunately, as the new consciousness was something he had personally crafted, Vahn could be relatively certain that her son would grow up to be both kind and filial. Even if he was forced to face adversity, he should have more than enough willpower to push through, and, if it was for the sake of his mother, he might even be able to ascend to godhood. As for how Vahn knew of these things, well...-----------------------------------------------[Status]Name: [Andray Liam], Sobriquet: N/AAge: 73 DaysRace: HumanPosition(s): N/AStrength: N/AToughness: E-Rank RegularIntellect: N/AAgility: N/AControl: N/AShinsu Resistance: C-Rank RegularShinsu: [Quality: Light], [Total: 400], [Baang: 0], [Myung: 0], [Soo: 0], [Tension: 50:1]Soul Tier: 2Innates: [Child of Destiny: S], [Blessed by the Sage Dragon Emperor: S]Skills: [Resolute Heart: S], [Tough Body: D], [Chainbreaker: C]-----------------------------------------------Though the child's physical vessel hadn't changed all that much, a person's Innates were directly tied to their Soul. Since the latter had been created as an expression of Vahn's intent, it wasn't an exaggeration to say he had been blessed by fate. As a result, he ended up obtaining the coveted [Child of Destiny] Innate, and, so long as he wasn't tempted by the darkness, it was only a matter of time before the child grew into a hero that others both respected and envied. Vahn was hoping this would make up for his failure, but, even if it didn't, he now had a point of reference to look back on if he wanted to 'fix' things in the future...While he might have chastised others for doing the same, Vahn was slowly forcing himself to come to terms with the notion that the past, present, and future will one day be his to shape. He couldn't reach Tier 7 while restricting his behavior in accordance with reason, so, even if it was unbelievably selfish of him, he had been taking note of events that he might want to change in the future. At the very least, he needed to accept personal responsibility for his Templates, creations, and the people who had joined his Familia. They would all experience an 'eternity' the moment he ascended to the Divine Realm, so, if necessary, he needed to be prepared to extricate them or undo the events that led to their initial creation...As that thought crossed his mind, a tired sigh escaped Vahn's lips as he extended his hand toward the blood-red sky, muttering, "This isn't healthy..." as an unbelievably complex series of runes and magic circles formed across his fingers, hand, and forearm. Immediately thereafter, a rainbow-like circle appeared around his wrist with a tiny arrow pointed towards a similar shade of red as the sky. Then, with a turn of his hand, Vahn changed the color of the sky from blood-red to a gentle shade of blue, alerting virtually every resident before going on to produce billowy clouds the emulated his current, spiritually drained, mental state...---Though this wasn't the first time Vahn had done something completely nonsensical, Senna felt an irresistible compulsion to massage her temples as countless messages, many questioning what the hell was happening, came pouring in. Fortunately, Vahn had taken pity on her in the past, so, while there was little she could do about her exasperation, her heart was healed thanks to the presence of an adorable little bear with a moon-like crescent on its forehead. It would apparently evolve into a larger and more intimidating variant in the future, but, at least for the time being, it remained fluffy and huggably pliant...(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Cooperation is always better than conflict','Vahn has to make some pretty tough choices...','(O w O)...')https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Though he understood it was necessary, Vahn emerged from the twenty-hour-long discussion feeling more than a little fatigue. Unfortunately, there were still other matters to address, so, after releasing everyone else, he, accompanied by Artoria and Fenrir, teleported to one of the more isolated regions of the former Eighth, now Ninth, Layer. There, built into a mountain that glistened like gold under the artificial sun, a large Victorian-style castle could be seen peeking through the sparse cloud coverage. This was the primary residence of Eva, who, despite having grown closer to quite a few members of his harem, generally kept to herself.Under normal circumstances, Vahn would have teleported directly into the castle's interior. This time, however, his trepidation forced him to teleport near the base of the mountain. Eva was one of the only women he had ever proactively sought out, so, despite her understanding, he couldn't help feeling considerable guilt whenever he thought about how his actions might affect her...Noticing her Master's plight, Fenrir decided to lend him a bit of support, but, before she could close the distance, Vahn gently shook his head, a scant smile on his face as he softly muttered, "I'm fine. I was just thinking that I might have done things out of order..."Though he hadn't mentioned it during the seventeen-hour post-discussion, the notion that he had broached the subject too early had invariably crossed Vahn's mind. Unless he drastically sped up his climb, there were still months, if not years, until his departure from the Tower. To that end, it might have been better for him to discuss things with his wives. Instead, as was often the case whenever he felt pressured, he ended up trying to resolve everything as quickly and 'efficiently' as possible.From an objective point of view, the desire to treat everyone fairly wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but, considering how important certain women were to him, Vahn couldn't shake the feeling he had erred by not discussing it with them first. With the exception of his children, they were supposed to be the most important people in the world to him, yet, undoubtedly as a result of him accumulating countless experiences, they were gradually becoming just another part of his harem...As that thought crossed his mind, Vahn could feel every muscle in his body begin to tense. At the same time, the faces of nearly two-hundred women crossed his mind, accompanied by the voice of Loki teasingly remarking, "It's okay to love freely. So long as you don't regard women as playthings meant to entertain you, you'll never become a beast like Zeus. Don't worry. You're still young. Even if you make a few mistakes along the way, you'll always have us. Never forget that..."Surprised by the sudden recollection, Vahn's eyes widened as he internally remarked, ("Talk about ideal timing...you really know how to catch me off guard, don't you?")Giggling in response to Vahn's words, Sis simply advised, (*Eva is waiting for you.*) before promptly returning to the deepest recesses of his mind. This left Vahn feeling a little helpless, but, rather than pressing her for an explanation, he just shook his head, a wry smile developing across his face as he promptly teleported into the interior of the castle. There, seated upon an ornate throne that was far too large for a normal person, a mature version of Eva could be seen caressing an abyssal black cat with peculiar wing-like markings around its shoulders.Though she had sensed his arrival near the base of the mountain, Eva was still a little surprised by Vahn's sudden appearance. He had become ridiculously adept at teleporting, so, despite appearing calm on the surface, she couldn't prevent her pupils from contracting ever so slightly as she mused, "It seems you have become even more skilled..." before following it with, "So? What did you do this time~?"With a tired sigh escaping his throat, Vahn made his way over to Eva's side, answering, "I need your advice..." before sitting next to her and extricating the black cat from her lap. This earned him a hiss, but, despite her protest, the cat made no effort to escape his grasp. Instead, she simply curled up in his, accepting her fate as Artoria and Fenrir settled in around them. Then, for the better part of two hours, Vahn explained everything that had transpired during the relatively short period of time they had been apart...As a master over time and space, second only to Vahn himself, Eva generally manipulated the flow of time around her castle to be much slower than normal. There were a number of reasons for this, but, more than anything else, she simply didn't like waiting around for his return. She was actually one of the 'clingier' girls in his harem, so, when she wasn't busy with her research, most of her time was spent lazing about, drinking tea, reading manga, and watching anime.Though 'normal' people might consider this a waste of time, there was a reason that even Da Vinci referenced fiction for inspiration. There were no limits to the ways in which the Laws could manifest, so, as a Tier 5 being, Eva could actually become stronger by taking an interest in another world. She could also request that he purchase various texts, skill books, scrolls, and even grimoires, so, while it might appear as though she had become a hikikomori, the truth of the matter was that Eva was still the most powerful Magus among the Little Garden's residents. Even Index couldn't compare, as, the moment she learned of the former's 103,000 magical grimoires, Eva committed the vast majority to memory.Simply put, Eva was one of the strongest residents of the Little Garden, and, so long as she didn't encounter someone with anti-magic properties, there were few opponents who could hope to get anywhere near her. She had even been researching fate and probability in order to circumvent the Omnipotence Paradox. If she succeeded, she would literally be able to defeat virtually any opponent by simply having them acknowledge the possibility of their defeat. Inversely, she could resurrect the dead by denying they had ever died, and, in the most extreme cases, she could even reshape events in history to correspond with her personal account...---Demonstrating why he should have conferred with her beforehand, Eva responded to Vahn's long explanation by asking, "Are you an idiot?" with an incredulous look on her face. Fortunately, before he could embarrass himself by asking her to explain, she went on to add, "Don't get me wrong. The options you presented to everyone aren't the problem. The bigger issue is that you are ignoring the present, the very thing you are constantly advising everyone else to take into consideration..."Seeing the confusion in Vahn's eyes, an exhausted sigh escaped Eva's throat as she shook her head and explained, "You have convinced yourself that it is okay for everyone to reincarnate and live out their lives, wholly outside of your control. However, due to the nature of time, that isn't actually the case. The moment you reach the Divine Realm, you have the ability to rewrite history and undo any tragic events they might have experienced. Do you not see how that makes your overprotectiveness kind of pointless...?"Understanding what Eva was trying to say, a conflicted look spread across Vahn's face as he asked, "So you're saying I should open the Little Garden and allow everyone to move freely, consequences be damned...?"Rolling her eyes, Eva leaned against Vahn's shoulder before answering, "Isn't that what you decided for yourself near the beginning of your journey in this Record? You accepted that you were going to make mistakes and decided it would be best to learn from them. Providing people the opportunity to reincarnate isn't all that different than allowing them to make their own decisions. Since that has always been important to you, why not implement it in the present? If you move forward with your intention of turning the Little Garden into a 'central hub', you could turn the Aldrnari Empire into an organization that enacts change in countless worlds. You could have people accept Quests, traverse different worlds, and, even if they die, you could always revive them at a later date. We know, better than most, that death isn't the end. The fact you stress out over it so much has always baffled me..."Unable to refute the woman's words, Vahn found himself staring off into space, countless thoughts racing across his mind. This wasn't actually his first time considering these things, but, as was often the case, it was a lot easier to rationalize the cyclic nature of life than it was to accept the possibility of your loved ones dying...Deciding to make things simpler for him, Eva poked her nail into Vahn's chest, forcing his attention back to her as she whispered, "The fact you mentioned there is an unlimited number of alternative solutions shows that you have accounted for the fact that each person had their own unique wants and needs. With that in mind, wouldn't it be better to create an environment that enables everyone to pursue their own version of happiness? Hell, even a Phantasmagoria with one of your Templates would be better than the other options you came up with...at least that way, you don't risk undoing an entire timeline just to extract a single person..."Hearing Eva provide a 'solution' that wasn't all that dissimilar to the one envisioned by the Mage of the Beginning, Vahn found himself staring into the golden-haired beauty's pristine blue eyes with a slack-jawed expression on his face. This earned him another eye roll, but, instead of looking away or returning her head to his shoulder, Eva tugged his collar, surprising him with a kiss before adding, "I don't recall marrying a coward. We have a literal eternity to figure things out. Besides, how can you expect to reach Tier 7 with this half-hearted behavior? Man up, brat..."Punctuating her words, Eva sealed Vahn's response with another kiss, this time holding it for the better part of a minute. Then, just as she was about to separate their lips, she gave the black cat nestled in his lap a not-so-gentle poke, forcing her to revert to her human form before promptly pulling away and saying, "I need to talk with Artoria and Fenrir in private. Karin, keep this idiot of mine busy, will you?"Though she couldn't help but adopt a pout, Karin showed no real aversion to the suggestion, her cat-like ears twitching as she half-turned, saying, "Yes, Eva-sama..." before overlapping her lips with Vahn's. Then, once everyone had made room, she turned the rest of her naked body, straddling his hips and wrapping her arms around his neck. This left Vahn feeling a little helpless, but, rather than resisting, he habitually grabbed Karin's toned butt, gently massaging near the base of her tail as his clothes dissolved away...---Raising a soundproof barrier to block the mewling sound echoing through her castle, Eva released a tired sigh as she looked at Artoria and Fenrir, "So? What do the two of you think? As far as I can tell, he seems pretty stable. Should we push him a little?"Since she generally went with whatever Vahn had decided, Artoria's response to Eva's words was to shift her attention to Fenrir. In response, the latter nodded her head, a confident look in her eyes as she said, "I think it's okay. Though he feels guilty about it, Master has become a lot more stable due to the time he has spent in other worlds. So long as someone he trusts sets the precedent, I believe he will be okay. If anything happens, I will do my best to deal with the aftermath."Not doubting Fenrir's words in the slightest, Eva reacted with a curt nod of her own before crossing her arms and saying, "The question then becomes...who should be the one to move forward? I don't mean to brag, but I doubt he would be willing to accept if it was me..."Snorting through her nose, Fenrir emulated Eva's action of crossing her arms, an amused smile developing across her face as she teasingly remarked, "Who are you trying to fool? I'm not going to refute your words, but we all the truth. I bet you couldn't even go a full week before you go looking for Master. Even after everything that has happened, you are completely smitten with him."Glaring back at Fenrir, Eva was tempted to argue, but, feeling a potent heat spreading through her cheeks, she knew anything she might possibly say could be used against her. She also couldn't use magic to try and punish Fenrir, as, despite being a 'mere' Tier 3, the latter's magical resistances were on another level. In fact, unless it was powered by Laws she didn't recognize, most magic no longer worked against her as she could simply 'devour' anything arbitrarily thrown her way...Deciding to interpose before a fight could break out, Artoria coughed a few times to draw the duo's attention before saying, "This isn't a matter we can settle between the three of us. After I leave here, I will spread the word about an emergency council meeting. Unless something drastic happens, we will reconvene hereabout after the usual morning routine. I trust that will not be an issue?"Understanding the importance of resolving this matter before anything else happens, Eva ultimately nodded her head in affirmation, saying, "Just make sure to bring Rindo along. It's been a while since I've tasted her food and everyone is more agreeable on a full stomach."With no reason to refuse, Artoria nodded in affirmation, but, before she could even suggest leaving, Eva interrupted, questioning, "Speaking of which, when was the last time the three of us took a bath together? Karin won't be able to last very long without assistance. How about we freshen up before providing her some relief? You might be able to fool others, but I can see how tense you are."Shaking her head, Arotira explained, "There is a chance that Vahn will be fighting with Ureko before tomorrow's meeting. It's a little frustrating, but I will persevere until things have been settled. Thank you for your consideration."Hearing Artoria reference the situation with Ureko, Eva couldn't resist the urge the roll her eyes. She knew it was a matter related to the instincts of dragons, but, with several viable solutions coming to mind, she felt the entire situation was a farce. Vahn had countless methods to suppress something as base as instinct, but, as was often the case when it concerned the sovereignty of other people, he was extremely apprehensive about violating nature and free will. This wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but, more often than not, it introduced unnecessary drama into all of their lives...(A/N: Sorry for the super delayed chapter release. After reading everyone's comments, I spent a bit of time plotting out a more 'ideal' direction for the story. As many pointed out, a mix of numerous options was ideal, and, while this was always my intention, it felt like I missed the ball in regards to the characters' personal motivations. I hope this chapter helped to clarify a few things, even if just a little xD...)https://bit.ly/2XBzAYu &lt;-(p.atreon link)paypal.me/EinlionDiscord Invite: https://discord.gg/Jwa8PKh

Chapter 1981: Setting Out