Council

Even as the battle was ongoing, Vahn had been part of an ongoing war council back at Avalon. He was seated at the head of a massive three-dimensional diorama in his official regalia, Artoria at his side and every ranking military official gathered around them.

Though it wasn't nearly as capable as CHALDEAS, the satellites produced by Da Vinci to enhance the SHEBA network allowed them to view a detailed representation of real-world locations. It was still in its nascent state, making it roughly as useful as previous GPS satellites but, soon enough, they would have the means to observe even the density and composition of mana all throughout the world.

Currently, Vahn was discussing the feasibility of investigating, securing, and destroying most of the world's Bounded Fields. This would have long-standing effects on the planet as, while most existed solely to benefit the Magus families that had developed them, many prevented excess mana from the Reverse Side from leaking into the world. They also prevented monsters and other Phantasmal Species from freely roaming the countryside so, if they truly destroyed them, the Empire would have yet another problem to deal with.

As the ranking military official, behind only Vahn and Artoria, Gawain was the one to offer a solution, saluting as he boldly exclaimed, "Your Majesty, though I am remiss to use them in such a way, would the simplest solution not be to send the Companions to investigate? Splitting our forces any further than we already have will only cause gaps within our existing security network. We cannot abandon our efforts to maintain order around the various food distribution sites so I do not see any solution outside of producing more Companions, Golems, or Homunculi..."

Hearing Gawain's suggestion, Vahn had to take a deep breath through his nose to remain calm. He actually hated the idea of mass-producing weapons and, as a result of his views on the responsibility of a creator, Vahn couldn't easily accept Gawain's proposal. While it may, indeed, be one of the 'best' solutions, they would be required to cross a moral boundary he wasn't comfortable even skirting.

After ruminating over the matter for nearly a minute, Vahn ultimately shook his head, stating, "I will not pervert the Companions further. I was convinced to allow them to accompany the Empire's and Atlas Temple's Response Forces but only as support units. Changing tune and converting them into weapons, merely for the sake of convenience, isn't something I'm willing to do..."

As the words left his lips, Vahn couldn't help but briefly pass his gaze over everyone present within the room, each someone who, from a certain point of view, he had exploited. The primary difference between them and the Companions, however, was that they had at least some choice in the matter. There had yet to be a single Companion to develop a true Ego just yet and, though outlier like Skoll and a few of Astrid's pack were pretty close, they were also fiercely loyal.

Every Companion already had the ability to make individual choices but, as a result of how they were programmed, combined with their original function, there was little they wouldn't do to help. If they knew their deaths would benefit those around them, nearly every Companion would willingly march to their demise, most without hesitating in the slightest.

Vahn didn't mind being seen as an Evil Tyrant who would do whatever it took, so long as it met his end goal, but that mainly applied to him, not the people around him. If he could, he would take care of everything himself, leaving his loved ones to live peaceful lives without any worries. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he twisted the Companions, creatures who were meant to provide love and support, into weapons of war and slaughter.

Though it would put more strain on them in the interim, Vahn formulated a plan within his mind as, rather than simply refute Gawain's words, he needed to come up with a solution. Thus, following his refusal of Gawain's proposal, he added, "What the Empire lacks is personnel. Though it is earlier than our initial projections, we will advance our plans of converting our allies and affiliates into citizens of the Empire. Our partnership with the Atlas Temple has set a precedence so it is time for us to extend an olive branch to those who have been wanting to join us."

Hearing Vahn's words, there were mixed reactions amongst his concil but, as it was one of the better alternatives, none argued against it. Luvia, in particular, was in complete agreement so, after gaining permission to speak, she stated, "My family has been making preparations for some time now. After the collapse of the Three Monarchal Lords, our Alliance has become the most powerful faction within the Mage's Association. Various family Heads have been pressuring us to join the Empire so this is a good opportunity to put them to work, ohohohoho~."

Vahn nodded his head in agreement but, seeing Aoko smiling wryly at the side, he asked, "Is there something that troubles you, Aoko?"

Being put on the spot all of a sudden, Aoko laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head before answering, "It's just that...well, the Mage's Association has always been a pretty messed up place. It hasn't been all that long since they were brought to their knees so I can't help but worry about the future of the Empire if we directly mingle with them. Magi are nothing if not crafty and longsighted."

Understanding Aoko's concerns, Vahn gave another curt nod in response but, as it actually invited even more trouble trying to weed out dissidents completely, he allayed her concerns, explaining, "I believe the vast majority here understand the truth behind your words. This is the reason behind the establishment of the Common Law and the proliferation of the Companions. There is nothing we can do to completely root out things like evil and corruption as, given enough time, it will come from within our own ranks. The most we can do is take preventative measures and do our best to unify under a solitary idealogy, one that believes everyone has an inherent right to happiness. We cannot be afraid of dissidence as the desire to break free from the constraints of an established system is an intrinsic part of, not just humans, but the vast majority of sapient species..."

Though it wasn't the first time she had heard Vahn say similar words, Aoko offered another wry smile in response before muttering, "I guess this is what makes you an Emperor, huh...?" Then, as if fired up by her own words, she adopted a more confident smile and exclaimed, "Alright! I'm in! That's how it should be, right? Living without any regrets!"

As the mood had been growing increasingly tense, Vahn took the opportunity provided by Aoko to laugh in a lighthearted manner. Truthfully, her words struck very close to home and, while it would indeed be stressful, everything they were doing was for a better future. So long as he never made compromises, such as perverting the function of the Companions, the world would, one day, match his vision of the future.

Since he had already hogged the glory of taking down an enemy stronghold, Vahn quickly recovered from his bout of laughter, stating, "Luvia, I will leave the matter of gathering prospective allies to the Edelfelt family. I imagine it has been a while since anything festive happened so feel free to organize a ball or something. Even if nothing comes of it, I'm certain the current family heads will jump at the opportunity to mingle with members of the Imperial Family."

Though she had intended to hold a private banquet to negotiate with the members of the Alliance, Luvia found Vahn's proposition far more interesting. Truthfully, she had never particularly cared about such things but, as it would be an event hosted by her family, there were ample opportunities to turn the affair into something far more interesting. This event would establish a precedent for how all other social gatherings between profligate families would go as, with the fall of the previous nobility, the Empire was set to redefine even the basics of etiquette.

With her mind racing with the possibilities, Luvia had a radiant smile on her face as she confidently exclaimed, "You can rest assured, Your Majesty, I will make this an event to be talked about for years to come! I will need a few days to make the arrangements but I can have the guest list completed by the end of the day. Would you like me to forward it to you~?"

Seeing how happy Luvia was, Vahn couldn't help but adopt a gentler expression as he nodded his head and answered, "Yes, I would appreciate it. Please include a copy for Bedivere as well. He will be in charge of preparing the attendees from our side so it is important he knows who you have chosen to attend. This is an opportunity to officially debut Mordred and Sakura as First and Second Imperial Princesses so I would appreciate if you kept that in mind."

Hearing her Chichue's words, Mordred, who had been looking pretty bored at the side, suddenly sat up straight, blurting out, "Eh? Do I really have to do..."

Before Mordred could even finish her words, both Vahn and Artoria turned their eyes toward her. As a result, her words trailed off, turning into a dry laugh. If possible, she would like to continue keeping her status a secret as, while she was proud to be Vahn's and Artoria's daughter, Mordred didn't want it to be what defined her. The moment it was made public, she would 'always' be treated as the First Imperial Princess, something she would, honestly, rather avoid...

Vahn could see the momentary struggle in Mordred's eyes but, before he could say anything to allay her concerns, she recovered with a smile and said, "I'll make you proud, Chichiue, Hahaue. Just leave it to me."

Despite her misgivings about bearing the title of Imperial Princess in an official capacity, it wasn't in Mordred's nature to disregard her duties. She respected her parents too much and, though it would place a burden on her, it was nothing compared to what they had to bear on a daily basis. With this in mind, Mordred tried to bury the part of herself that harbored unspeakable delusions, adopting the best smile she could manage to avoid worrying them.

Vahn and Artoria could easily tell that Mordred was forcing herself but, knowing she would now insist on attending, it was too late to address it at the table. They would have to discuss the matter in private as now was neither the time or place to have such a conversation. However, as he didn't want her to assume he was shelving the issue, Vahn picked up his seal from the table, saying, "As there is little else to discuss, we will adjourn here and reconvene tomorrow at 10 AM. I will be returning from my excursion shortly so, if there is anything, please wait until then."

Though there was actually quite a bit left to discuss, there was no need to have the entire emergency council gathered. Gawain could be trusted to organize everything and, by the time he held Court the following day, most of the less pertinent issues would be resolved.

It didn't take a genius to understand that Vahn had brought the meeting to an end on her behalf so, while she did her best to adopt a remorseful expression, Mordred couldn't hide the small twinkle of happiness in her eyes. She felt guilty about worrying him but, knowing he cared for her to such an extent always made her feel happy. He often spoke about being a Father before an Emperor so, at times like this, she always felt gratified to be his daughter, even if it also left a bittersweet taste in her mouth...

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Do not corrupt the cute...!','Luvia about to plan a wrestling event instead of a ball...','Sweet Summer child...')

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