With the User of the Second Magic at their side, it was a simple matter to transfer directly from the Clock Tower to just outside Stonehenge. Here, Vahn opened the gateway between the Surface and the Subtexture of Avalon, creating a massive spatial rift that could easily accommodate the entire group.
Solon was already aware that Avalon was hidden away and, having spent a considerable amount of time within the Wandering Sea, the existence of Subtextures was not unknown to them. This was the same for Director Atlasia so, while others might be surprised by the spatial gate between textures, they passed through with composure and veiled intrigue.
As all gates in and out of Avalon met within the Transfer Room of the castle, Vahn turned to the trio immediately after passing through, saying, "I'm certain individuals of your caliber are already aware of it but, so long as you are inside of Avalon, it is impossible to escape notice. Even if you try to use the Second Magic to hide outside the axis of Time and Space, trust that your actions are being monitored."
While Zelretch could wander freely almost anywhere else, Avalon was one of the sole exceptions as it was a Space entirely under the influence of unique Laws. He would have been able to get away with it in the past but, now that Leviathan watched over the entire Subtexture, it was beyond his means to escape notice. The Watcher had the ability to know everything within a given area and, the moment Zelretch tried to step outside the Time and Space axis, he would essentially be forced to reenter from outside of Avalon.
Zelretch was tempted to put Vahn's claim to the test but, as there was no sense in doing so at the present moment, he just stroked his beard with a sly grin on his face. He didn't think Vahn had a full understanding of his capabilities and, while it may be exceedingly difficult to move unnoticed, there was no such thing as impossible when it came to True Magic. If he put in a concerted effort, the only inaccessible places to him were those that had a fixed spatial fabric, something Avalon clearly lacked.
Vahn could tell that Zelretch was tempted by his words so he gave the elderly man a warning look before explaining, "We're currently located within the Ivory Castle. I will show you around for a short while before allowing you to explore on your own. So long as you do not try to gain access to any restricted areas, it doesn't really matter where you go. Just keep in mind that I'm very protective of my people."
Hearing Vahn's words, Director Atlasia raised his brows, asking, "You're going to let us walk around on our own? Do you think that wise…or are you just that confident in Avalon's security?"
In response to Director Atlasia's question, Vahn issued a light chuckle before holding out his hand, upon which a small blue humanoid had manifested itself. The moment the three peculiar Magi saw the creature seated atop Vahn's hands, Zelretch and Director Atlasia directly froze up while Solon had a look of sheer incredulity on their face. Even without Vahn explaining who the blue creature was, they suddenly felt like inconsequential existences trying to grasp the breadth of the Heavens…
With a casual smile on his face, Vahn lightly caressed the top of Alaya's head as he introduced, "This is the manifestation of Humanity's Will to Survive, the half of the Counter Force known as Alaya. She will be watching you very closely so I'll have to ask that you behave. You'll find that, even with access to True Magic, there are some forces in the World that you cannot directly oppose."
Even as Vahn's finger stroked her head, Alaya glared at the three with her violet eyes, sending shivers down the spines of all three Magi. Zelretch had even turned pale as, better than most, he was aware of just how powerful Alaya was. He had seen her Counter Guardians wipe out entire countries in the span of a single evening and, during his youth, had even tried to contend against a few. They all had unbelievable might and, due to their connection to the Counter Force, some could even counter his Kaleidoscope.
Of the three, Solon was the first to speak, a subtle shift detectable in their vocals as they stated, "It seems we underestimated you to the very end…well, at least we can confirm you aren't acting in your interests alone…"
Hearing Solon's remark, Vahn shook his head and, after placing Alaya back on his shoulder, stated in a calm tone of voice, "I have no interest in the world outside of making it a safer place for all children to live. I believe everyone deserves the chance to succeed in life so, even if I must uproot an entire forest of old trees, I will do so to ensure the saplings of the next generation can thrive…"
The meaning behind Vahn's words didn't escape the trio and, after the revelation of Alaya, they knew he wasn't embellishing facts. Rather, the existence of the Counter Force is something that has put pressure on Magi since the Age of Gods. It was something even the most powerful Magi feared and, in many cases, the existence of Alaya and Gaia was the primary reason behind why the Root was inaccessible…
—
Rather than just stand around making threats, Vahn made good on his promise to show Solon and Zelretch around while Director Atlasia accompanied Da Vinci to observe some of her creations. He would not be allowed within the Workshop, or the Projection for that matter, but the entire island was filled with examples of Da Vinci's work. She wanted to get his input and, as it wouldn't be long before the Atlas Temple was working closely with the Empire, it was an opportunity for her to build rapport with the current Director.
Vahn didn't mind allowing Da Vinci the liberty to act as she pleased as, more than anyone else, she put the proper amount of consideration into everything she did. The odds of her erring and getting put into a compromising position were infinitely close to zero and, while Director Atlasia was a very powerful individual, he wouldn't be able to do anything outside of their notice. If he tried, the only fate that awaited him was something far worse than death. Depending on the circumstances, Vahn might even throw him to Azathoth to spend the rest of his immortal existence.
Still, to absolutely guarantee nothing happened, Vahn asked Scáthach to watch over Da Vinci until their guests left Avalon. She could make multiple copies of herself so, even without Alaya watching over the trio, they would have to deal with a Purple Demon haunting them. If they tried to get away with any kind of subterfuge, they would quickly find their bodies pierced by several spears. Though Zelretch seemed to be vaguely aware of her presence, the restrictions on his abilities while in Avalon all but guaranteed that even he wouldn't be able to escape having become her target…
Fortunately, Zelretch and Solon had the wherewithal to avoid doing anything suspicious, even after Vahn allowed them to freely wander the island. Thus, after warning them not to antagonize Heracles, he assigned them Companions as escorts.
Solon seemed hesitant to have an adorable creature following after them but, as it wasn't really optional, they were paired together with one of the most recent iterations, a version with smooth scales and slightly squishy flesh that was meant to emulate a True Dragon. As for Zelretch, he was far more enthused to have a Companion accompany him, ultimately deciding upon an owl version with light-grey feathers.
Once they had been given Companions, Solon wandered off to explore the areas where Spirits had gathered to form communities while Zelretch teleported over to the castle town. Though he was not able to make full use of his abilities, Vahn didn't mind allowing the old man to teleport around a bit. All that really mattered was that he stayed outside of the restricted area.
—
While his guests were exploring the island, Vahn was watching all three of them through his link with Scáthach. Since he was doing this from within the Projection, all of their actions were in slow motion so it would be very difficult for them to take any action outside his or, more specifically, Scáthach's notice. Still, they were all extremely capable individuals so, as long as they were on Avalon, Vahn was unable to rest easily. This was especially true with Zelretch teleporting very near areas where he was not allowed to enter, obviously with the intent of messing with him…
Fortunately, while Zelretch seemed to discern the existence of the Projection, he had enough sense not to enter inside. Had he tried, the consequences would have been rather severe as, for the time being, Vahn didn't want outsiders entering into the domain where his children resided.
Vahn knew it was only a matter of time before some people tried to use his children to serve their own ends but, for now, he would not expose them to such characters. While they would eventually have to familiarize themselves with these types in the future, they would be allowed to gain experience by dealing with their peers before having to socialize with adults. If any disreputable types tried to manipulate or accost his children, Vahn wouldn't even hesitate to completely break them…
While it may seem somewhat hypocritical coming from him, Vahn believed that the most stable type of relationship was between people of similar age groups. Though this became less important when the parties involved reached a certain age, he felt the first two decades of a person's life was a period of instability and uncertainty. This sometimes even extended into their late twenties so, while it was only a matter of time before one of his children had a relationship with someone several times their own age, Vahn would not allow it this early.
With this in mind, Vahn began to think about his children's coming school days as, while he would be present during the staged expeditions, they would be left to their own devices at other times. If he watched over them every second of every day, their growth would be restricted. Because of this, outside of their primary class, they would be allowed to freely attend the lectures of other Professors within the Clock Tower.
The education provided by the Clock Tower may be flawed in many ways but, so long as you didn't treat everything they said as irrefutable truth, it was still pertinent information. At the very least, you could use it as a test to determine whether or not you can see through the inherent flaws of a given theory. If your understanding was adequate, any magical formula could be seen through in a single glance and, at higher degrees of comprehension, you could completely invalidate their function with a few small changes.
The best example of this was Waver Velvet, the former Lord El-Melloi II, as he had developed his theoretical knowledge to the point that he could break apart and invalidate many spells just by understanding the flaws. This made him extremely hated by orthodox Magi but, as they could not outright refute the significance of his achievements, they could only grit their teeth and develop new methods that were not so easily seen through. Since even Luvia had been a victim of this in the past, Vahn knew that, so long as you did not allow yourself to be fooled by false information, you could actually learn a considerable amount from the other Departments within the Clock Tower…
Imagining the reaction of the various Faculty members that were about to have all their theories torn apart by Da Vinci's curriculum brought a smile to Vahn's face. He couldn't wait to see the bitter looks on the faces of the orthodox Magi as the methods they had secretly clung to for thousands of years were quickly made obsolete. Soon, the illusion of their power they had upheld for generations will be broken and, while conflict would undoubtedly arise as a result, they would ultimately be forced to grit their teeth and adapt if they didn't want to be destroyed…
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Zelretch is a troll','Seat of Powah','RIP Orthodox Magi, you will not be missed')
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