Baiting the Trap

As Olga went to visit her father, accompanied by Lakshmibai and the Edelfelt security forces, Vahn returned to Avalon to discuss matters with Artoria. They needed to decide who would be taking part in the duel or, at the very least, decide how they would respond to further provocation. It wasn't very likely for the Barthomeloi family to take a step back on this matter so it was important to determine how serious and decisive their own response would be.

Though not unexpected, Vahn was a little surprised when Artoria immediately offered up her own services for the matter. She even complained to him that, since the time of the Holy Grail War, she hadn't been able to do anything substantial to help him or the Empire. While her participation might not be the best choice, due to her status as Empress, she argued that, with the unknown capabilities of their enemies, her inviolable immortality was the only way to guarantee victory.

According to Merlin, Vivian, and even Scáthach, Artoria's [Avalon] was an existence beyond even True Magic. It was almost a Law of the World itself and, much like [Rhongomyniad], served as one of the anchors for reality. Since Avalon, the physical location, was a place that only a chosen few could reach, regardless of strength, Artoria was granted one of the most inviolable forms of invulnerability while it was active. Even if she didn't use it to the fullest extent of its capabilities, it would protect her from virtually any wound, the only exception being something like complete disintegration or having her head crushed.

With her insistence on the matter, Vahn didn't have the heart to deny Artoria's request as, though it might not be obvious due to her generally stoic nature, she was something of a battle junky. Since she had spent her entire childhood training, even in her sleep, Artoria had a strong desire to use her power for the sake of others. In her past life, this led to her spending decades on end trying to unify the British Isles and maintain its borders. She never took anything like a vacation and, for a very long time, even repressed her emotions completely due the absolute focus she had placed on her goals.

Vahn knew that this was a commonality between him and Artoria, even if he always found the time to relax and cut loose. He had the habit of trying to handle everything himself, to the point of even forcing his own allies to stay back. This had been one of his biggest mistakes in Danmachi as, if he hadn't rushed his efforts to conquer the Dungeon, he wouldn't have to worry about dealing with monsters like Tiamat and Nuwa. They obviously had restrictions on what actions they could take but, after venturing into the heart of the Dungeon alone, he had the distinct impression they had been freed by his actions.

This time around, Vahn had allies who, in many ways, could be considered the peak of power inside of the Record. At the very least, people like Artoria, possessing a phenomenal amount of Fate, were not the type to simply go off and die to the machinations of their enemies. Though she might draw tragedy to herself, she would almost always be able to overcome it, no matter how terrifying their enemies might be. She was one of the literal anchors for reality so, unless he took it upon himself to kill her, it was incredibly unlikely her life could be endangered, at least in this timeline.

---

With Artoria's participation decided upon, Vahn had to decide whether or not he wanted to continue staying low profile or if it was time for the Empire to show part of its hand. All he really needed to do was appear with figures like Scáthach, Heracles, Gawain, Karna, and Merlin to spook quite a number of people. Merlin might even know some of the 'old monsters' that hold up the Mage's Association as, with people like Solon having lived for more than two-thousand years, it was almost guaranteed their paths had crossed at some point.

Vahn knew that he could buy the Empire a lot of time if he remained an unknown element but, by showing a deterrent force, he would have a lot of leverage in future negotiations. This also increased his prestige and, though they may not be his subjects, Vahn knew his [Will of the Emperor] would be strengthened by the fact some Magi would undoubtedly come to respect his power and status. If he extended his hand to these individuals, his Empire would be able to slowly increase its population as, rather than served under Lords who treated them like experimental materials, it was infinitely better to accept his offer of citizenship and benefit from his protection.

To decide this, Vahn held private counsel with Artoria, Luvia, Rin, Merlin, and, though she didn't really want to be there, Da Vinci. Since nearly a month had passed in the outside world, seven had passed within the Projection. Because of this, even Da Vinci had a decided 'plump' appearance and, though her hormones didn't really go out of whack like the other girls, she still got annoyed when it came to being involved in political matters. If not for him baiting her by saying this could be an opportunity to establish contact with the Atlas Temple, she would have continued to hole herself up inside her private workshop.

As could be expected, Luvia was completely for the idea of the Empire going public and, though Rin had a few choice complaints to make, she wasn't against the idea. This left only Merlin in a position of opposition as, with the matter of the Fae and the impending births, he felt now wasn't the most opportune time to provoke their enemies. If something unexpected occurred, he knew Vahn would be considerably stressed if he had to be away from his children for long periods of time. He advised the push the duel back a few weeks, at the very least, so Vahn could use the summoning system one more time to secure another powerful ally before taking action. Since this would also lull his enemies into thinking they were apprehensive about the duel, it would create a bigger impact on the Mage's Association when the reverse turned out to be true.

With three pregnant women in attendance, Vahn couldn't refute Merlin's words and, as Luvia liked the idea of pretending to be weak in order to lure their enemies, she also agreed. As for Rin and Da Vinci, they didn't particularly care from the beginning so, with Artoria also supporting the decision, the matter was concluded. Now it was up to Vahn, Artoria, and Gray to set the trap as, unless he wanted to bait them even harder, it was very likely that Gray was their target. Though they would obviously want to get their hands on Artoria herself, there was a good chance they believed she was just a Heroic Spirit given flesh.

Since Gray had been in attendance for both discussions, she was fully aware of her own place in the coming events but, compared to the past, she was not even remotely fearful for her life. She had the person she respected the most and the person she loved the most both fighting to protect her. Even if things went horribly wrong, she knew Vahn wouldn't hesitate to protect her, even if it meant going to war with the entire Mage's Association. This wasn't a promise he needed to make to her as, deep in her heart, she knew this to be an irrefutable truth. It was because of this nature of his that she fell so deeply in love with him, even entrusting her 'everything' to his care.

---

After making a few quick preparations and spreading the word throughout the castle, Vahn, Artoria, Gray, Gareth, Kenshin, and Scáthach, in spirit form, returned to London. Though he wouldn't be able to convince Scáthach to proactively fight against his enemies, she would dutifully protect the people he cared about. She would also be able to identify his enemies and see through their true nature at a glance, making it much easier to determine whether or not he should uproot them from the start.

Since it had only been a few minutes since their previous departure, Olivia hadn't even bothered to leave the area yet, knowing they would return quickly. She had just been sitting at the side of the room drinking tea when Vahn's entourage appeared out of thin air. When she saw that everyone except for Vahn and Artoria was wearing battle attire, with Gareth even wearing full plate armor and a helmet, she raised her brows before asking, "Did you decide to go to war...?"

Hearing her question, Vahn released a light chuckle before answering, "This world as the quote, "If you want peace, prepare for war." If the Barthomeloi family goes too far, they may not even last the day..." Though he spoke somewhat casually, there was a grim seriousness in Vahn's voice. Even if he had decided to delay the duel for the Empire's stability, that could change in an instant. Depending on the actions the Barthomeloi family took, and the information Scáthach acquired, he might just end them outright.

Olivia didn't miss the severity in Vahn's voice, causing her to burst out laughing as she led the group toward the surface to partake of a light lunch. Though it was better to move earlier, Olga hadn't even been able to visit her father yet and, with her departure undoubtedly drawing some attention, they could get the jump on their enemies by splitting their focus. To this end, she advised them to enjoy a light lunch while Vahn sent Scáthach to make sure Lakshmibai and Olga were safe from any potential dangers.

During the small luncheon, Olivia's chefs had gone all out and, despite Vahn leaving the head seat open, she had elected to sit on the left side of the table. This more or less forced his hand as, if he sat across from her, it was the same as saying they were of similar status. Though he treated Olivia as a friend, there needed to be a clear distinction in their status, especially during important matters such as this. He could actually play the part of the humble and respectful Emperor by allowing her the head seat in her own home but, if she elected to leave it open, he was essentially forced to take it for himself.

Olivia seemed to enjoy the moment of internal conflict she had put him through, causing her to laugh in the characteristic manner of all Edelfelt women he had met. After that, however, they just enjoyed the meal while making polite conversation about Luvia and the other pregnant women.

It was still a little hard for Olivia to reconcile the fact that her Granddaughter would be giving birth in the next week or so as, from her perspective, it had barely been a month since she became pregnant. Despite this, she was very excited to be welcoming a new member to the family and reminded Vahn that she wanted to be present during the occasion. She was even tempted to change Avalon to her permanant residence as missing the development of her Great-Granddaughter wasn't something she was willing to do.

Vahn could understand where Olivia was coming from and, as he had already made the promise in the past, he reminded that the Edelfelt's had the right to build a Manor on the island, so long as they were willing to follow the rules of the Empire. The construction wouldn't even take that long as, even though he had yet to visit to confirm their citizenship, Vahn knew the Dwarves and Vulcanae would be staying. Even some of the Sylphs had come to apologize on behalf of their kin who, from the very beginning, wasn't really their representative. They weren't a race that had such social constructs so, while many were forcibly exiled, a few had remained behind after making a contract with Merlin.

Since he would be visiting them all very soon, Vahn suggested that Olivia pick out a piece of land on the island and he would task the Dwarves with constructing a Manor for them. This would obviously require payment, of course, but the Dwarves were surprisingly content with just being provided with good food, strong alcohol, and raw materials. As for the Vulcanae, they were even easier to deal with as they were only interested in burning things and expensive oils. In the past, they were even known as Hearth Faeries as, if you provided them with wood to burn, they would keep your home warm and protect it from other mischevious Spirits and curses.

Olivia obviously wasn't going to refuse Vahn's offer and, as she had already learned about the Fae from her communications with Luvia, her people had already prepared a large 'offering'. She knew that Vahn was undoubtedly aware of this as well, causing her to smile appreciatively since he was willing to humor her and make polite conversation. Most people only considered benefits and trying to take advantage of the situation but, as if such things didn't matter at all, Vahn just went with the flow, regardless of expense and other difficulties. As an Edelfelt, she was very frustrated by this but, as his 'friend' and 'ally', she had a great appreciation for his magnanimity.

---

With the luncheon coming to a conclusion, Vahn and his entourage made their way to the waiting motorcade. Olivia did not accompany them, as her presence might unnecessarily exacerbate matters, but she had contacted Lord El-Melloi II to serve as their intermediary. It was to afford him the time to make his own preparations that she delayed Vahn's group as, if they just showed up to the Clock Tower without a liaison, their actions could be spun as an act of aggression, not diplomacy. Though Lord El-Melloi II would be pressured even more after this, it was already very clear that Barthomeloi Lorelei had a personal grudge against him.

Unless Lord El-Melloi II and Lord Animusphere did something that irrefutably broke the laws of the Mage's Association, even Barthomeloi Lorelei didn't have the audacity to outright kill them. Though she might contract Mage Killers and Mercenaries to do the job for her, this wasn't the type of action that went unnoticed in the current climate. Lord El-Melloi II also spent the majority of his time inside the Clock Tower at present so, no matter how highly she thought of herself, Lorelei couldn't take any drastic actions without proper justification.

Still, Vahn knew he was drastically increasing the risks faced by Lord El-Melloi II so, when this matter was dealt with, he decided to help them reclaim the Archibald name and properties. This was the primary objective of Reines El-Melloi Archisorte, Lord El-Melloi II's wife, so Vahn felt it would prevent a lot of future trouble by taking care of it now. He didn't have the best impression of Reines so, if he could limit their future interactions by giving her something to keep her distracted, that was for the best. She would undoubtedly try something at some point but, at least for the time being, she was just a venomous woman without any teeth or fangs...

After an almost depressingly long car ride, Vahn was finally free from the car's confines after Gareth opened the door for him. He then helped Artoria exit the vehicle by extending his hand to her as the rest of his entourage quickly gathered around him. They should have drawn a considerable amount of attention, especially since Kenshin was very openly carrying a spear, but the surrounding barriers made it so that, even a few meters away from them, tourists were more focused on taking selfies in front of the Palace of Westminster than the group of armored individuals who looked like they had stepped out of a medieval period piece.

Without minding the pedestrians, Vahn moved forward with Artoria to his left while Gray and Gareth followed behind them. Kenshin brought up the rear of the group as, rather than be here to protect Vahn and Artoria, she was tasked with keeping Gray and Gareth safe. Despite being very strong, they were considerably weaker than everyone else in the entourage, excluding the surrounding Edelfelt security forces.

Lord El-Melloi II, who had been waiting just outside the Clock Tower's Bounded Field, gave a low and respectful bow toward Vahn as the latter approached. In response to this, Vahn just gave a curt nod before saying in a firm tone, "You may rise, Lord El-Melloi II." Though Vahn felt like he would never get used to being bowed to, he reacted almost instinctually to it at this point.

After raising his head, Lord El-Melloi II gave a tired smile that reflected the difficulties he had been facing recently. Seeing this, Vahn preempted anything the man might say, stating, "We do not forget our allies. Now, take us inside...we have business with the Noble Faction and the Director."

Lord El-Melloi II had raised his brows slightly after hearing Vahn say, 'We do not forget out allies', but he quickly set idle thought aside as he bowed low and answered, "Certainly. Please, right this way, Your Majesty..." Then, stepping aside, Lord El-Melloi II allowed Vahn and Artoria to pass before falling into step at the side. It would be a serious breach of etiquette for him to walk in front of Vahn so, despite the fact he was leading the procession and serving as the intermediary, he could only direct from the side and deal with anyone who tried to bar their passage.

(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Artoria must be quite frustrated xD...','Olivia's machinations never end','Into the dragon's den')

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